Sonari Glinton

Credit Doby Photography / NPR

NPR Business Reporter Sonari Glinton covers the auto industry and transportation. His reports can be heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition Saturday and Sunday.

Glinton came to NPR in August 2007 and worked as a producer for All Things Considered for three years. During that time he produced interviews with everyone from UN Ambassador Susan Rice to Joan Rivers. The highlight for Glinton came when he produced Robert Siegel’s 50 Great Voices piece on Nat King Cole.

Prior to NPR, Glinton spent four years at WBEZ working his way up from intern. While in Chicago he covered the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the late legendary Cook County Board President John Stroger.

For his work on a series uncovering abuse at the Cook Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Glinton was honored with the Society of Professional Journalist’s Sigma Delta Chi Award for Investigative Reporting.

Glinton’s first name, Sonari, comes from the southern Nigeria language Ijo and means “God hears our cry.” Born and raised in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, Glinton cheers for the White Sox, Bears and the Bulls in that order. He's also a rabid jazz and Frank Sinatra fan who owns every Sinatra-released recording from 1953-1993. He attended Boston University.

Pages

8:00am

Sun April 24, 2011
Business

Want To Chat Up An Auto Show Model? Talk Cars

As people wander through the New York International Auto Show looking at the latest the global automotive industry has to offer, they'll be led by a bevy of beauties.

Attractive young women leaning against new cars are an important part of any auto show, but don't presume. They do more than stand there and look pretty.

If you try to interview one of them, however, this is what happens:

Reporter: "Can I ask your name?"

Woman: "No."

Reporter: "Why is that?"

Woman: "It's just a corporate policy."

Read more

8:00am

Sat April 23, 2011
Business

Volkswagen Puts U.S. Plans In Overdrive

The newly designed Volkswagen Beetle is the darling of this week's New York International Auto Show. The sleek, more masculine Beetle is not just a new version of an old car; it's part of a new strategy.

Germany-based Volkswagen has a long history in the U.S. market — 55 years to be exact. Most of us have a connection to VW cars; remember Herbie?

Read more

4:57pm

Fri April 22, 2011
Japan In Crisis

Japanese Auto Execs Try To Put On Happy Face

Auto shows are usually just really big industry parties — a time for car executives to show off their cool new stuff, tease their rivals, put on a new face for the public. The New York International Auto Show had all of that Friday, but it also had a little more: a touch of melancholy.

"During these challenging times, we have received warm encouragement and tremendous support from many in the United States," said Takeshi Tachimori, the new chairman of Subaru of America.

Read more

1:17pm

Mon April 18, 2011
Politics

Fight For Ohio Union Rights Turns To The Ballot Box

Over the past few months, Ohio has had its share of fighting over public sector unions' collective bargaining rights.

Earlier this year, thousands marched on the statehouse in Columbus, but those protests didn't get unions or their Democratic supporters very far. Senate Bill 5 passed the Republican-dominated Ohio Legislature on March 30 and Gov. John Kasich signed it into law the next day.

Read more

5:24am

Fri April 8, 2011
Economy

The Return Of Luxury Retail

Originally published on Fri April 8, 2011 1:10 pm

Consumers spent more on retail goods in the first quarter than they did during the same time last year. That's despite higher gas prices, bad weather and a late Easter holiday.

Luxury retailers were the winners.

Retail analyst Marshal Cohen says the recession has left the consumer with "frugal fatigue."

"We're tired of being so frugal with what we're spending and at the least expensive place," he says.

A bunch retailers released their first quarter numbers this week.

Read more

Pages