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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Both housing and the stock market have been on the upswing in recent months. But a full recovery in the housing market would be more significant to the overall economy. That's because more Americans have something at stake in home values than in stock prices.
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After more than 100 years of ups and downs, General Motors has a lot of history. Most of GM's history is in the form of cars — hundreds of actual individual cars. The company tries to keep at least two of each car in storage. NPR's Sonari Glinton went on a walk through GM's attic to find out about the company's past and future. -
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. -
State laws protecting dealers make it hard for anyone who wants to change the way new cars are sold. -
The Japanese carmaker aims to expand its markets to other states after much success in the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. "They don't have to be everything to everyone; they have to be something to someone," says Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. -
Hundreds of thousands are converging on Washington, D.C., for the festivities surrounding president Obama's second presidential inauguration. One large Chicago contingent took to the rails to make the trip, and many on board said the event is especially meaningful for them as they see their hometown hero welcomed back to the White House. -
New technology is getting us closer and closer to the point where cars will drive themselves. Automakers are testing and refining systems that will make this happen. But our love for control may keep us from riding in these cars anytime soon. -
General Motors unveiled the new 2014 Chevy Corvette at the Detroit Auto Show, reviving the long-dormant Stingray name. But with sales of the current Corvette struggling, the company's challenge is to find new customers both now and in 10 years. -
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.
