Dan Bobkoff

Pushing Traditional Limits, Vice Smacks Of Contradictions

Dan Bobkoff — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 07:17:00 +0000

How did Dennis Rodman end up having dinner with Kim Jong Un in North Korea? It was the idea of Vice Media, which has grown from a counterculture magazine into a full-fledged youth media conglomerate.

Friday night, it premieres a documentary series on HBO, a kind of coming-out moment into the mainstream.

'I Wish We Were Weirder'

Vice Media's contradictions smack you in the face as soon as you step into its Brooklyn headquarters.

Farm Bill's Sugar Subsidy More Taxing Than Sweet, Critics Say

Dan Bobkoff — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:26:00 +0000

While you indulge in some Easter Peeps and chocolates this weekend, you might want to think about all that sugar. No, this isn't a calorie warning. In the U.S., raw sugar can cost twice the world average.

Critics say U.S. sugar policy artificially inflates sugar prices to benefit an exclusive group of processors — even though it leads to higher food prices. But this year, prices fell anyway.

Court:Reselling Books Bought Abroad Isn't A Copyright Violation

Dan Bobkoff — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with some books for resale.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

INSKEEP: Start reading now. The Supreme Court has ruled that buying books overseas and reselling them in the United States does not violate copyright law. Yesterday's six/three decision comes as a relief to companies like eBay and Costco that resell all sorts of foreign goods.

NPR's Dan Bobkoff reports.

DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: Once you buy a book in the U.S., you're free to lend it, throw it away or sell it.

Can 'Smart Gun' Technology Help Prevent Violence?

Dan Bobkoff — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:24:00 +0000

For years, many have dreamed of so-called smart guns, weapons that know their rightful owner and won't fire in the wrong hands. Think James Bond's gun in Skyfall.

A few major gun makers experimented with smart guns in the 1990s, but none came to market. Since then, it's been the domain of entrepreneurs and inventors.

Developers And Technologists

Jonathan Mossberg's company developed what he calls the iGun. It fires only if it recognizes a ring on a finger.

Hedge Fund To Pay More Than $600 Million In Insider Trading Settlement

Dan Bobkoff — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:39:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

The Securities and Exchange Commission says it's the largest settlement in history for insider trading. Two affiliates of the major hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors will pay a fine of more than $600 million. But they're not admitting to any wrongdoing. Here's NPR's Dan Bobkoff.

DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: The big-ticket settlement is with CR Intrinsic, an affiliate of SAC Capital, that the Securities and Exchange Commission says obtained illegal information about Alzheimer's drug trials at pharmaceutical companies Wyeth and Elan Corporation.