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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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. -
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. -
The bill would bar contracts requiring employees to pay union dues as a condition of employment. The proposed right-to-work law has infuriated union leaders in a state considered the heart of the union movement. Michigan's Legislature is expected to pass the bill Tuesday. -
Most Americans have never heard of the fuel E15 — and that could be part of the problem. The auto club says drivers unfamiliar with E15 could fill up with the gasoline accidentally and damage some vehicles. Ethanol producers and the renewable fuels lobby say that's nonsense.
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The race to make cars more fuel efficient means automakers are spending a lot more time in wind tunnels to get that sleek look. The result? A convergence in the way cars look. -
The idea behind Small Business Saturday is to direct consumers to mom-and-pop stores that probably didn't get swamped by the Black Friday bonanza. These small businesses might not have the best deal on a TV, but experts say they are an important factor in overall economic recovery.
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Black Friday is seeping into Thanksgiving Day, a new trend dubbed "Gray Thursday." Brick-and-mortar stores have been competing with online retailers that have been scooping up early holiday shoppers. But it's unclear whether the extra effort it takes to open on Thanksgiving is worth it. -
Electric automaker Tesla's new Model S has received a lot of praise from the automotive press for breaking the stigma on electric cars. The challenge for the young, Silicon Valley company is to see if it can get non-car enthusiasts to get behind the wheel. -
Despite the danger, millions of people continue to text or email while driving. The desire to stay connected is often hard to resist, so here are a few tips to help keep your hands on the wheel.
