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Posted inBusiness, Stories

Taxing the final frontier

by Wailin Wong

Launches by commercial space companies are becoming more frequent. Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration licensed 117, an all-time high. But these spaceflight companies aren’t paying for all of the FAA’s services that they use.

Today, we explore why the government is looking to change that and dig into the larger debate over whether human activity in space is a public or private project.

Related episodes:
Economics in space
Planet Money goes to space
Space economics

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Posted inBusiness, Stories

Video Game Industry Week: The Final Level

by Wailin Wong

We wrap up our series on the economics of the video game industry with a triple roundup. Today, how the new ban on noncompete contracts could affect the gaming industry, whether young men are slacking off work to play games and the ever-controversial world of loot boxes.

Related episodes:
Forever games: the economics of the live service model (Apple / Spotify)
Designing for disability: how video games become more accessible (Apple / Spotify)
The boom and bust of esports (Apple / Spotify)
Work. Crunch. Repeat: Why gaming demands so much of its employees (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Posted inBusiness, Local

Attorney general approves merger of The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS

by Ian Donnis

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced Tuesday that he has approved the merger of the state’s two public media organizations, The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS. As part of a 421-page decision, Neronha determined that the combining of the two entities will constitute a public benefit. “Public media contributes uniquely and substantially to […]

Posted inBusiness, Local, South Coast Bureau

New Bedford’s Star Store at center of tax battle after art college’s abrupt exit

by Ben Berke
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The private owner of the Star Store is facing a massive property tax increase from the City of New Bedford, a move that increases pressure on him to return the building to public use following the abrupt exit of UMass Dartmouth’s art college last summer.  Local developer Paul Downey leased the Star Store to the […]

Posted inBusiness, Health, Local

Public hearings set on proposed sale of Rhode Island’s CharterCARE hospitals

by Ian Donnis

The Rhode Island Health Department and Office of Attorney General have scheduled public hearings next month on the proposed sale of the state’s third-largest hospital group. The Centurion Foundation, an Atlanta-based nonprofit, wants to buy CharterCARE Health Partners, currently owned by Prospect Medical Holdings of California. CharterCARE operates Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and […]

Posted inArticle, Business, Housing, Local, South County Bureau

What can other towns learn from Burrillville’s affordable housing success story?

by Alex Nunes
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When the Woonsocket-based non-profit NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley began redeveloping the Clocktower building in Burrillville, the old wool-weaving mill was far from move-in ready. Vegetation on the property had grown wild, once-expansive exterior windows were filled in with cinder blocks, and the inside was being used to store car parts.  “These mills had seen their […]

Posted inArticle, Business, Local, Politics

Attorney General Peter Neronha deems public media merger agreement complete

by Ian Donnis

Now that the merger application is considered complete, Neronha says his office has 180 days to review the transaction and decide whether to approve it. The Federal Communications Commission has already signed off. The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS announced plans in November to join forces, with the idea of building a stronger public media organization […]

Posted inArticle, Business, Education, Local, Metro Desk, Politics

Arraignment dates postponed for 41 Brown student protestors

by Olivia Ebertz

The students have been asking the school to divest from funds that are invested in what they call Israeli oppression of Palestinians. A group of 41 students from Brown University who were set to come back early from winter break to make their arraignment dates will no longer have to. Their lawyer wrote in an email to […]

Posted inBusiness, Local

Tenant group sues landlord, alleging retaliation against organizing efforts

by Nina Sparling
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A group of tenants has filed a lawsuit in district court against Rhode Island landlord Jeffrey Butler and his Warwick-based real estate company, alleging violations of state law protecting renters from certain forms of retaliation.   The suit, brought by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island and the Center for Justice on behalf of four […]

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