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Living Inside the Box

David Boyle and Michele Bertomen wanted to build their own house on a 20 by 40 foot lot they purchased in Brooklyn. Bertomen, an architect, drew up plans and the bid was over $300,000. Inspired by Bertomen's students at New York Institute of Technology, the couple built their house from five shipping containers, which cost a few thousand dollars a piece.

The Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town apartment complex is seen from Waterside Plaza in 2006, the same year it was sold in a record-breaking real estate deal.

The Botched NY Real Estate Deal That Lost 'Other People' Billions

In 2006, two Manhattan housing projects were at the center of a real estate fiasco that would come to epitomize the housing crisis. Charles Bagli's Other People's Money explains how the government of Singapore was among those who paid for the mistakes of New York's real estate giants.

Environmentalists urge NFTA to buy Zero Emission Buses

The future of public transportation could be on its way to Buffalo. The Sierra Club Niagara Group is asking the NFTA to purchase 10 Zero Emission Buses.…

Health insurers who offer Medicare Advantage plans have permission to soon require patients to try less expensive alternatives to some before receiving pricier drugs.

New Medicare Advantage Tool To Control Drug Prices Could Narrow Choices

Federal officials will allow private Medicare insurance plans to require patients who are candidates for certain expensive drugs to try cheaper drugs first.

Iranians shout slogans during a demonstration outside the British Embassy in Tehran, Nov. 29. New British sanctions against Iran's central bank sparked the recent protests. Now, the U.S. is considering even tougher measures.

U.S. Weighs Sanctions Targeting Iran's Central Bank

Iran may soon face economic measures tougher than anything it has encountered before: The U.S. Congress is considering sanctions against the central bank of Iran, with the likely effect of limiting Iran's oil exports. But some analysts say the move could lead to a dangerous spike in oil prices.

Some Used Car Lots Target Those With Bad Credit

Robert Siegel speaks with Ken Bensinger, business reporter for the Los Angeles Times, about used car sales lots known as "Buy Here Pay Here" dealerships. Bensinger has written a three-part investigative series on this type of business. He tells Robert that "Buy Here Pay Here" lots are very common, and they prey on people with low incomes and bad credit. They charge high prices and very steep interest rates. And in many cases the buyer defaults on the loan, and the car is repossessed and resold again and again.

Kay Clymer spends hours each day urging fellow Christians to vote. She finds their phone numbers through a database created by the company United In Purpose.

To Get Out The Vote, Evangelicals Try Data Mining

The company United In Purpose is going through personal data — from magazine subscriptions to NASCAR ticket purchases — to identify unregistered Christian conservatives and sign them up. UIP hopes to sway the 2012 elections by signing up 5 million new voters.

More guns increase risk, even when no one is pointing a firearm at police

As states broaden legal gun ownership, perceived threats to police can increase. Tennessee reports more shootings involving police.

You have more control of your bills than you realize

Whether you're looking to get a better interest rate on your credit card or settle a medical bill, there are ways to negotiate what you owe. Life Kit host Marielle Segarra explains how to do it.

A new FTC rule cracks down on 'junk' fees. Here's what to expect

The rule requires companies disclose fees up front for people booking a hotel or buying a ticket to a live event. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe discusses with Columbia University professor Vicki Morwitz.

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