NPR Topics: Business Story of the Day Podcast

At the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and 28th Street in Los Angeles, you'll find Robert Oliver wearing a Statue of Liberty costume and dancing to promote Liberty Tax Service. "I'm never embarrassed to be out here," he says. "I'm proud of what I do."

Television networks are up in arms. The new company Aereo is charging a monthly fee to provide a high-definition feed of the basic over-the-air channels, and the stations aren't seeing a penny of it. But CEO Chet Kanojia thinks he's figured out a legal loophole.

President Obama released his buget plan Wednesday, two months late. David Greene talks to David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, about the White House proposal. How important is it, really?

Businesses looking to relocate are making the health of a state's population part of their decision-making process. One Fortune 500 CEO explains it can save millions in reduced health insurance claims and absenteeism. Colorado's economic development officials are already trying to improve the health and fitness of the next generation of workers in order to stay competitive.

Sociologists tracked stock trades in Finland and found that accounts belonging to chlldren under 10 years old wildly outperformed the accounts of adults.

Technological advances now allow Vermont's maple syrup producers to get twice as much sap per tree, meaning more syrup and more money. Statewide, the crop brought in $40 million last year, double its value from just six years ago.

Cities have gobbled up water rights for decades, leaving farmers to rent the water back to irrigate crops and raise cattle. During a drought, cities are reluctant to give up any of their reserves. With little irrigation water, farmers must plant less, hire fewer people and bank on crop insurance.

A compatible medical-legal partnership may sound like an oxymoron. But in hospitals and clinics across the country, doctors are welcoming lawyers into their practices. They say a lawyer may be just the prescription for some patients with intractable legal needs.

In a digital age, the old-fashioned travel guide may seem outdated. But some say there are still reasons to rely on a book for travel recommendations. David Greene talks to Ina Fried, senior editor at at AllThingsD, and Hanya Yanagihara, editor at large for Conde Nast Traveler.

Nearly half the states are considering legislation aimed at getting tough on copper thieves. Copper prices remain near historic highs, making everything from telephone wire to plumbing a target, and lawmakers want to make it harder for thieves to sell the stolen metal.