Sonari Glinton
Sonari Glinton is a NPR Business Desk Correspondent based at our NPR West bureau. He covers the auto industry, consumer goods, and consumer behavior, as well as marketing and advertising for NPR and Planet Money.
In this position, which he has held since late 2010, Glinton has tackled big stories including GM's road back to profitability and Toyota's continuing struggles. In addition, Glinton covered the 2012 presidential race, the Winter Olympics in Sochi, as well as the U.S. Senate and House for NPR.
Glinton came to NPR in August 2007 and worked as a producer for All Things Considered. Over the years Glinton has produced dozen of segments about the great American Song Book and pop culture for NPR's signature programs most notably the 50 Great Voices piece on Nat King Cole feature he produced for Robert Siegel.
Glinton began his public radio career as an intern at Member station WBEZ in Chicago. He worked his way through his public radio internships working for Chicago Jazz impresario Joe Segal, waiting tables and meeting legends such as Ray Brown, Oscar Brown Jr., Marian MacPartland, Ed Thigpen, Ernestine Andersen, and Betty Carter.
Glinton attended Boston University. A Sinatra fan since his mid-teens, Glinton's first forays into journalism were album revues and a college jazz show at Boston University's WTBU. In his spare time Glinton indulges his passions for baking, vinyl albums, and the evolution of the Billboard charts.
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Abercrombie & Fitch is shedding its traditional logo-focused apparel. That logo, and the clothes it was affixed to, made the brand one of the most sought-after among teens in the past two decades.
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Many Federal government websites are dark because of the shutdown. But not operating the sites could come at a cost.
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Ford is taking a big step into the alternative fuel world with an F-150 pickup truck that can run on natural gas. If it succeeds, the move could have repercussions for the broader auto industry.
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Toy cars — from pedal-powered roadsters to Matchbox and Hot Wheels sets — are more than just child's play. Kids' preferences in their toys can point towards future automotive trends, like a growing fondness for eco-friendly cars, and licensing deals can build brand loyalty at a very young age.
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Profits for the nation's carmakers are on the rise, but after years of doing more with less, higher profits are unlikely to translate into significant numbers of new jobs. There are eight fewer plants and hundreds of thousands fewer workers in the industry than before the Great Recession.
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With ad sales soaring, Google posted a 16 percent increase in first quarter profits. Google earned more than $3.3 billion during the quarter. Another big player in the technology sector, Microsoft also posted positive earnings.
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In the latest example of porous computer security, hackers have posted financial information about celebrities and political figures, including Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, Beyonce and Ashton Kutcher.
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The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for 31 years. Amid rumors of a new version of the Ford truck, GM is readying pickup launches of its own as signs of a housing industry comeback signal increased demand for the heavy-duty vehicles.
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GM, Ford and Chrysler are turning their focus to selling luxury cars — something they haven't succeeded at in decades. They're hoping that success in the competitive but lucrative luxury sector will signal that the U.S. auto industry's comeback is complete.
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Carmakers are taking advantage of innovations in electronics and software to trick out the interiors of their vehicles. The gizmos appeal to tech-savvy buyers. But those interior features are quietly aimed at another audience: aging baby boomers.