Business
1:37 am
Tue May 1, 2012

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Tue May 1, 2012 4:44 am

In a new report, the employment firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas predicts more jobs for teenagers this summer. While the jobs picture is improving, CEO John Challenger says teen hiring is still several years away from returning to pre-recession levels.

Europe
12:07 am
Tue May 1, 2012

In French Election, Candidates Chase Far-Right Votes

Credit Philippe Huguen / AFP/Getty Images
A campaign poster for French President Nicolas Sarkozy stands next to a torn poster of National Front candidate Marine Le Pen in northern France. Sarkozy needs Le Pen's far-right voters if he is to win the runoff election on Sunday.

Originally published on Tue May 1, 2012 4:35 am

President Nicolas Sarkozy is fighting desperately to hold on to his job with five days to go until the French presidential runoff against socialist rival Francois Hollande.

Both candidates have been trying to appeal to supporters of France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who came in third place in the first round of balloting held last month. Sarkozy, from the center-right, finished in second place, with Socialist candidate Francois Hollande taking first with nearly 29 percent of the vote.

Read more
Crisis In The Housing Market
12:05 am
Tue May 1, 2012

Some Housing Markets Rebound, But Bargains Scarce

Credit Chris Hondros / Getty Images
While some sections of Arizona's housing market have shown signs of recovery, potential homebuyers who are looking for affordable houses have been frustrated. This file photo from 2008 shows a subdivision extending into desert scrubland.

Originally published on Tue May 1, 2012 6:12 am

The real estate market has turned around in some parts of the U.S., but many buyers aren't seeing true bargains anymore. Investors are driving up prices, and inventory is low, especially for homes priced under $250,000. That's not great news for anyone hoping to buy an affordable house to live in.

Arizona is home to one of the nation's extraordinary turnarounds. The Phoenix-area median home price rose 20 percent over the past year — 6 percent in March alone. And Tucson was recently named the nation's best market for investors. But the easy money has already been made.

Read more
National Security
12:04 am
Tue May 1, 2012

After Bin Laden, Al-Qaida Still Present As Movement

Credit AP
Thousands of Somalis gathered at a militant-organized demonstration on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, in support of the merger of the Somali militant group al-Shabab with al-Qaida, which was announced in February by al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Originally published on Tue May 1, 2012 5:16 am

A year ago Tuesday, Navy SEALs attacked Osama bin Laden's secret compound in Pakistan and may have fundamentally changed al-Qaida as we know it.

The Obama administration's top counterterrorism chief, John Brennan, spoke Monday in Washington, D.C., and seemed on the precipice of talking about the terrorist group in the past tense.

Read more

Sheryl Rich-Kern has been contributing stories for NHPR since 2006, covering education, social services, business, health care and an occasional quirky yarn that epitomizes life in New Hampshire. Sheryl’s Challenges of Autism series won the first place award for a feature story from the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters.

 

In addition to producing news for NHPR, Sheryl has filed stories for Word of Mouth, as well the nationally-syndicated Environment Report, All Things Considered and Marketplace. She also writes for several business magazines.

 

Prior to her endeavors with radio, Sheryl worked as a public relations specialist and an adjunct college professor. She graduated Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and film, and earned a master’s degree in management from Lesley College in Cambridge.

 

Sheryl has lived in Nashua for more than 20 years.

 

Business
11:59 pm
Mon April 30, 2012

N.H. To The Unemployed: Try An Unpaid Internship

Credit Sheryl Rich-Kern / for NPR
Electropac in Manchester, N.H., is among the companies participating in the state's unpaid internship program.

Originally published on Tue May 1, 2012 3:47 am

Electropac, a firm that makes printed circuit boards in New Hampshire, once had 500 paid employees. Today, it has 34. But thanks to a state program for the unemployed, it also now offers unpaid internships.

Across the country, unpaid internships are on the rise for older adults looking to change careers or rebound from layoffs. In New Hampshire, a state-run program encourages the unemployed to take six-week internships at companies with the hope of getting a permanent job.

Read more
Business
11:57 pm
Mon April 30, 2012

Discovering The True Cost Of At-Home Caregiving

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 7:51 am

Walk through any nursing home, and your first thought might be: "I need to take care of Mom myself."

Few people want to turn over a loved one to institutional care. No matter how good the nursing home, it may seem cold and impersonal — and very expensive. But making the choice to provide care yourself is fraught with financial risks and personal sacrifices.

Those who become full-time caregivers often look back and wish they had taken the time to better understand the financial position they would be getting themselves into.

Read more
Army Helicopter Crash
5:13 pm
Mon April 30, 2012

Human Error Blamed In JBLM Midair Collision That Killed 4 In December

Credit Photo credit: Austin Jenkins / Northwest News Network
Army vehicles leave the crash site near Rainier, Washington.

Pilot negligence - not a mechanical failure- led to a deadly midair crash last December of two Army helicopters from Joint Base Lewis-McChord . But poor communication and moonlight might also have been factors in the nighttime accident. Correspondent Austin Jenkins has details on an internal investigation released Monday.

Read more
Oregon Health Care
4:46 pm
Mon April 30, 2012

Oregon Governor Seeks Federal Health Care Waiver

Credit Photo credit: CDC / Northwest News Network
Gov. Kitzhaber is hoping changes to Medicaid billing codes would pay for a community health worker to visit the patient's home rather than rely on visits to the ER.

This week, Oregon is looking to get federal permission to move ahead with a key cost-cutting strategy for health care. It’s part of what Governor John Kitzhaber calls his health care "transformation."

Read more
Northwest News
4:33 pm
Mon April 30, 2012

University Of Idaho Goes Public With $225 Million Campaign

Credit Photo courtesty UI
Graphic of the proposed science center at the University of Idaho.

The University of Idaho has entered into the public phase of the largest fundraising campaign in its history.

Read more

Pages