Sonari Glinton

U.S. Automakers Are On A Roll, But Hiring Is Slow And Steady

Sonari Glinton — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:21:00 +0000

There is one basic question that keeps being asked about the U.S. auto industry: Is it on the rebound?

"People ask a lot, is the auto industry back?" says Kristin Dziczek, a director at the Center for Automotive Research. "And it depends on what scale you want to look at."

So if we're looking at scales, let's start with productivity. In this case, how many work hours it takes to build a car. Productivity in U.S. plants is 39 percent higher than it was in 2000.

Garment Industry Monitors Work On Immigration Overhaul

Sonari Glinton — Mon, 27 May 2013 08:47:00 +0000

In Los Angeles, the business of fashion is big. The apparel business employs as many as 45,000 workers in L.A. County, many of them immigrants.

Consequently, the garment industry is worried about the outcome of the immigration debate and watching closely to see what happens.

'You Don't Have Another Choice'

One of the heavyweights is American Apparel, which makes more than 40 million articles of clothing each year out of its factory near downtown L.A.

The clothing industry is notorious for employing illegal workers.

L.A. Blue Jeans Makers Fear Their Business Will Fade Away

Sonari Glinton — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Los Angeles is the world leader in the most American of clothing items: bluejeans. High-end, hand-stitched, designer bluejeans that will you run well over $100 a pair.

But as the U.S.

More Jobs, But Wait: They May Not Pay Much

Sonari Glinton — Sat, 04 May 2013 09:51:00 +0000

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. The economy added 165,000 jobs in April. That exceeded the expectations of economists. It also drove down the unemployment rate to a four-year low, 7.5 percent. Unfortunately, the biggest gains were in lower-paying fields like hospitality and temp agencies. And as the school year comes to a close and young people start looking, the question is will there be enough work for them. NPR's Sonari Glinton reports.

SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: Wall Street got pretty excited about the jobs numbers.

Shoppers Should Avoid Sandy Damaged Vehicles

Sonari Glinton — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:56:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Atlantic Coast of the U.S. took an economic hit six months ago from Hurricane Sandy.

Researchers Expect Oil Demand To Plateau By Decade's End

Sonari Glinton — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:51:00 +0000

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with an appetite for oil.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

WERTHEIMER: Researchers say they see a plateau in the demand for oil. A new report says demand could level off by the end of this decade, and that's a lot sooner than expected, as NPR's Sonari Glinton reports.

SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: With such growth in markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China, you'd think the demand for oil would continue to skyrocket. Anthony Yuen says that's not the case.

Ford Unit Apologizes For Demeaning Ads

Sonari Glinton — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:39:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And out next business story fits in the category of what were they thinking? Ford Motor Company is apologizing for ads sketched up by an agency in India - ads that have been decried as demeaning to women. They are cartoon drawings showing off how spacious a Ford trunk can be. One spoofs Italy's former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. He's at the wheel, and in the trunk, three women, tied up.

NPR's Sonari Glinton reports.

SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: The ads were never used commercially.

Examining Dual Trends In The Economy

Sonari Glinton — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene.

The U.S. economy has been so good at sending mixed signals. We'll hear a couple of reasons for optimism. The housing and stock markets appear to be having parallel rebounds. The stock market is up. And after years of being a drag on the economy, construction and home prices are beginning to see a turnaround.

2 Former CalPERS Officials Indicted For Fraud

Sonari Glinton — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:15:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with charges of pension fraud.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MONTAGNE: A federal grand jury has indicted the former CEO of the California Public Employees' Retirement System.

NPR's Sonari Glinton has more on the bribery and influence-peddling case.

SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: Let's start with the characters. There's Calpers - or the California Public Employees Retirement Systems. As pensions systems, go you can't get bigger.

There's Fred Buenrosto. He's the former head of the pension system.

GM's Archive Offers Glimpse Of Its Past And Future

Sonari Glinton — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:30:00 +0000

After more than 100 years of ups and downs, General Motors has a lot of history. Most of GM's history is in the form of cars — hundreds of actual individual cars. The company tries to keep at least two of each car in storage. NPR's Sonari Glinton went on a walk through GM's attic to find out about the company's past and future.

Hackers Target Celebrities' Financial Information

Sonari Glinton — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:28:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

So a Web site has posted what is purported to be the financial information of celebrities and political figures. The apparent victim include among others: First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Beyoncé.

As NPR's Sonari Glinton reports, this was not a traditional hack.

SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: There is probably no celebrity more able to control the flow of information about her life than Beyoncé.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "IRREPLACEABLE")

BEYONCÉ: (Singing) You must not know 'bout me.

As Construction Picks Up, American Truck Makers Race

Sonari Glinton — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:17:00 +0000

Economists look at many tea leaves as they try to determine the health of the economy. One of the most important surrounds vehicle sales, and more specifically pickup truck sales, which are tied to the construction industry. And as last month's sales rose 18 percent, the auto industry is betting big on a real estate rebound.

It's arguable that the Ford F-150 is the most important vehicle to come out of Detroit since the Model-T.

Why Buying A Car Never Changes

Sonari Glinton — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:18:00 +0000

"Buying a car sucks," Scott Painter says. "It's something that most consumers fear."

Back in the '90s, Painter started a company to try to change this. "The name of the company was Cars Direct," he says. "The mission was to sell cars directly."

Painter wanted his company to build virtual dealerships that would let people go online and buy cars. But after talking with a few car execs, he realized nobody would even consider his idea.

Painter was stopped by a web of state laws that make it very, very difficult to change the way cars are sold.

Beyond Portlandia: Subaru Drives For America's Heartland

Sonari Glinton — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:33:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaXMTtykHfE

Chicago High School Students Cheer Obama's Speech

Sonari Glinton — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:52:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

During every inauguration, there's some degree of hometown pride on display, and President Obama's swearing-in yesterday was no different. Thousands of inauguration-goers made their way from the president's adopted hometown of Chicago. And it wasn't just seasoned politicians. Many were young people.

NPR's Sonari Glinton reports.

SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: Among the many who made they're way from Chicago were about a dozen high school students. It was there first inauguration. For many, it was there first time to the nation's capital.