National News

On one side of the glass: A little girl running in circles. On the other side: A sea lion swimming in circles. When the little miss tripped, the sea lion came to a quick stop. It's a feel-good moment.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

It's been a big week for talk about farming and food on Capitol Hill. Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have passed separate versions of the farm bill, which is long overdue for renewal. The stickiest wicket has been around the size of the food stamp program, technically known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. At last count, about one in five Americans received food stamps, many of them elderly or working-poor families with children.

President of the San Francisco Federal Reserve John Williams made headlines yesterday when he speculated that the Fed may reduce its stimulus efforts in the coming months. Does this mean that the economy is moving in the right direction?

While the Senate debates comprehensive immigration reform, hordes of lobbyists are vying for attention. The Sunlight Foundation estimates as many as 3,000 lobbyists have worked on immigration issues in the past few years. There are the usual suspects -- restaurant owners, farmers, and construction groups -- and then there are the not-so-usual suspects.

Today, Texas lawmakers could give the state's craft breweries a Texas-sized boost. They'll consider a set of bills to loosen the rules for beer makers. Texas is no pioneer in the craft beer movement. In fact, it ranks 45th in the nation in breweries per capita. But that number doesn't tell the whole story.

 

 

Comedian Bill Hader’s exit from "Saturday Night Live" after its season finale Saturday means the end of the line for his character Stefon. The club kid “correspondent” for Weekend Update usually drops in to share cultural recommendations.

Host Seth Meyers always prods him for traditional, family-friendly picks, but Stefon’s taste leans toward outré nightclubs with features like “pile after pile of expired Lunchables;” “Gizblow, the coked-up Gremlin;” and security provided by “an army of hobocops” – homeless robocops, Stefon helpfully explains.

Stefon’s clubs are fake, but how would they stack up as nightlife business plans? Longtime New York nightlife and gossip columnist Michael Musto gives us his take on a couple of Stefon’s favorite haunts.

Wesh

From Stefon: New York’s hottest club is Wesh. Nine-year-old Tokyo pimp Ichiaku Guro is back with an all-new hot spot that answers the question, WHAT?! This place has everything: trance, stilts, throw-up music, an albino that looks like Susan Powter, Teddy Graham people. (It’s that thing of like when a guy has the stumpy arms, but with the belly). 

Would it work?

Wesh could never exist, for various reasons, Musto says. Only the throw-up music is something you'll routinely find in clubs, especially those in the Meatpacking District.

Crease

From Stefon: New York’s hottest club is Crease. Club promoter Tranny Oakley has gone all out, and inside it’s just everything: lights, psychos, Furbies, screaming babies in Mozart wigs, sun-burnt drifters with soap-sud beards. (It’s that thing when a hobo becomes a rich man, so they take the big bubble bath).

Would it work?

Crease could never happen in NYC. Screaming babies in Mozart wigs? I'm in my 50s and even I've been refused admission because I'm not carrying the right ID.

Try your luck with our quiz!

Some of New York’s real clubs are almost outlandish enough to make Stefon’s report. Take our quiz to see if you can tell which clubs come from Stefon’s fertile imagination and which are real current or former New York nightlife destinations.

(By the way, we’re not saying the real ones are “New York’s hottest nightclubs.” We just chose them for their Stefonesque names.)

When you're in debt, your phone becomes the enemy. Every time it rings, your stomach lurches. Is it yet another bill collector? Will they get nasty? Happily, the Federal Trade Commission has done a lot in recent years to try and protect consumers from humiliation or harassment at the hands of debt collectors. But still, you never know what to expect when one calls. So, we decided to turn to someone in the industry to find out. Jack Brown is president of Gulf Coast Collection Bureau in Sarasota, Fla.

"The perception of debt collectors is that there's a bunch of pit bulls out there who will beat up consumers, talk to them rudely, yell at them, lie to them -- do whatever they can to get a dollar out of them today," says Brown. "In any industry there are bad apples, bad actors, and there's 99 percent of the folks out there doing the right thing. They are out there complying with the laws and they are working. But there is that 1 percent out there that may cause some issues. If you ever deal with that type of agency go to AskDoctorDebt.com, get some information on what you rights are, what you can expect during a collection call, how you can get the calls to stop if they're not treating you in the right away. ACAInternational.org, that's our international trade association for debt collectors and you can also submit a complaint against an agency through that site if you have an issue."

Brown says the first step consumers should take when contacted by a debt collector is to make sure you call them back because they will continue to call and try to reach the consumer.

"If you don't address the account, it's not going to get resolved," he says.

Here are 7 easy tips on what to do if you are being illegally harassed by a debt collector

1. You are Not Alone. According to the CFPB, 30 million consumers are contacted by a debt collector.

2. Know Your Rights. Consumers have important rights under federal and state law, and deserve to be treated respectfully. By law, consumers cannot be harassed, threatened or be subjected to profanity and vulgar language.

3. Communicate. Avoiding a letter or call won't make the debt disappear. The reason for the contact cannot be resolved without the ability to communicate; whether it's to pay an owed debt, verify an alleged debt or confirm that the debt collector has reached the wrong person.

4. Identify. Debt collectors cannot call anonymously nor present themselves as being a representative of a government entity. When contacted, collectors must identify themselves and the name of the collection agency they represent.

5. Notify the Collection Agency if you Dispute the Validity of the Debt. By law, the collector must inform you of your right to dispute the debt and provide written verification if you dispute it in writing.

6. Seek to Work Out Complaints with the Collection Agency. Third-party debt collectors sincerely want to work with consumers to resolve complaints. According to the Council of Better Business Bureaus, in 2012 collection agencies resolved 86 percent of the consumer complaints received.

7. Protect Your Identity. Do not provide sensitive personal information (e.g., Social Security number, credit card numbers, and bank accounts) until certain of the authenticity of the debt and the person seeking to collect. Check out whether the collector is a legitimate agency by using the Internet to search the company. Monitor accounts and immediately report any suspicious purchases to your bank or credit card provider. Consumers should also monitor their credit report. If you believe your identity has been stolen, contact your local police department and visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft for information on what you should do.

After years of research, an animal scientist looking for ways to keep inflammation down in cattle came up with a novel approach: feed them flax. The flax in their food helps keep animals healthy and has an added benefit for people who later eat their meat: omega-3 enriched beef.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

A study of mine blast victims finds further evidence that there's a resurgence of black lung among coal miners. The relatively young ages of some of the miners and their limited tenure underground suggests significant exposure to coal dust.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

When it becomes legal to sell marijuana in the state, packages will have to be labeled. The logo is a marijuana leaf centered over an outline of the state. Will T-shirts and bumper stickers follow?

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

A new poll finds 42 percent of Americans aren't sure that the Affordable Care Act is actually a law. Guest Host Celeste Headlee discusses this and other health care-related issues with Mary Agnes Carey, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, and NPR's Senior Washington Editor, Ron Elving.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

From scandals involving the IRS, to spirited Benghazi hearings, it's been a tough week for the Obama administration. But will this bad week really have further political fallout? Guest host Celeste Headlee checks in with the barbershop guys.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

African-American entrepreneurs from all over the country have gathered in Ohio this week. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with Mike Green of the America21 Project about how to help black youth become more competitive in business. We also hear from teen entrepreneur Amber Liggett who started her own business, 'Amber's Amazing Animal Balloons.'

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Millennials are now driving less, waiting longer to get licensed, and turning more to public transportation and car-sharing. So is America's so-called driving boom over? Guest host Celeste Headlee asks Paul Eisenstein of TheDetroitBureau.com.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Guest host Celeste Headlee and editor Ammad Omar crack open the listener inbox for feedback. This week, violin lovers say a conversation about aggressive parenting hit the wrong notes.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Biking to work is a great way to get exercise, save money and reduce pollution from cars. But does the risk of accidents cancel out all the good? Experience in Europe says no, but the U.S. lacks that tradition of urban bike travel.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Biking to work is a great way to get exercise, save money and reduce pollution from cars. But does the risk of accidents cancel out all the good? Experience in Europe says no, but the

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

President of the San Francisco Federal Reserve John Williams made headlines yesterday when he speculated that the Fed may reduce its stimulus efforts in the coming months. Does this mean that the economy is moving in the right direction?

Economist David Wyss of Brown University explains to Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio whether or not Williams' comments should be interpreted as optimism about the economy.

The Islamic group Hamas runs the Gaza Strip and controls the police force. A number of young men say police plucked them from the street and shaved their heads recently, apparently because the officers didn't approve of their hairstyles.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

If you have student debt these days, welcome to the club.

According to a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York student loan debt in the U.S. has reached nearly $1 trillion, up $20 billion from last quarter. Excluding home loans, it now makes up a third of all consumer debt.  

And it's hitting young adults, who are already having trouble finding work, the hardest.

 

 

 

Students in some states are struggling more than others though. 

Share of Consumers with Student Debt:

Across the country, an average 16.2 percent of consumers owe some amount of student debt. But if you look at the state level, the country is split along the Mason–Dixon line, with a higher percentage of the population owing money in northern states than southern states.

Overall, Hawaii claims the lowest share of consumers with student debt, just 12 percent. While a whopping 25 percent of the population in Washington, D.C. owes student loan money.

 

 

 

Average Student Debt Per Borrower:

Students around the nation's capital also owe much more than others around the country. In the District of Columbia and neighboring Maryland, the average student is saddled with over $28,000 in debt.

Other states where students owe more are concentrated in the South and Northeast.

 

 

 

 

Percent of Delinquent Student Loans:

While the average student in the Northeast owes more, delinquency rates in the area are relatively low.

Around the rest of the country, the amount of delinquency varies significantly. Only 6.5 percent of South Dakota students have fallen behind on their loans, while a whopping 18 percent of West Virginia's are 90 days late or more on a payment. And another 13 states have delinquency rates of 13 percent or more.

 

 

 

 

Maps can only tell us so much.  What is your experience with student debt where you live? Share your story in the comment section below.

A fan favorite who gained nationwide fame because of his name, Trickle was known for both his many wins and his huge personality. But he may never have gotten over a granddaughter's death, friends say. Trickle was 71.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

For the first time since 2011, European auto sales went up according to new data out this morning. After 18 months of declining sales, new car registrations rose 1.7 percent for the European Union in April.

But don't celebrate yet. The reason for the uptick has a lot to do with this year’s calendar, as April has two more business days than it did in 2012. Click on the audio player above to hear more from the BBC's transport correspondent Richard Westcott.

Shug McGaughey is the trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Orb, who runs Saturday in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown. Despite his long record of success, no one seems as surprised as the 62-year-old McGaughey to be pursuing one of the sport's top honors.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us