Business

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

A surprise announcement yesterday from the Walt Disney Company. The studio that gave us "Cinderella"...

(SOUNDBITE OF ANIMATED MOVIE, "CINDERELLA")

CINDERELLA: Oh, my goodness. It's midnight.

CORNISH: Ariel...

([SOUNDBITE OF ANIMATED MOVIE, "THE LITTLE MERMAID"])

ARIEL: (Singing) You want thingamabobs? I got 20.

CORNISH: And "Snow White"...

([SOUNDBITE OF ANIMATED MOVIE, "SNOW WHITE"])

SNOW WHITE: I'm sure I'll get along somehow.

As the presidential race zeroes in on Ohio, and the auto industry gets renewed focus in the all-important swing state, Mitt Romney's campaign is touting the backing of former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca and the company's former president, Hal Sperlich.

"In our opinion, Mitt Romney is the leader we need to help turn our economy around and ensure that the American auto industry is once again a dominant force in the world," Iacocca and Sperlich write on Romney's website.

While we're on the subject of devastating storms, consider a report published last year by the National Hurricane Center. The title alone makes it worth a look:

THE DEADLIEST, COSTLIEST, AND MOST INTENSE UNITED STATES TROPICAL CYCLONES FROM 1851 TO 2010 (AND OTHER FREQUENTLY REQUESTED HURRICANE FACTS)

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Now let's report on a different kind of horror. Tonight, of course, is Halloween, and Americans are expected to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $8 billion on decorations candy, costumes and other stuff.

From Seattle, NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports on the business behind this ghoulish night.

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Oh my gosh. You create the social equivalent of nuclear fusion when you combine the people who are obsessed with Star Wars and the people obsessed with Disney. The Walt Disney Company is apparently willing to take that risk. In a move that surprised industry observers, Disney announced, yesterday, it is buying Lucasfilm, the studio founded by George Lucas and home to the Star Wars franchise. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports there are already plans for a new "Star Wars" movie.

The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are both set to reopen Tuesday. The markets were closed Monday and Tuesday as Hurricane Sandy pounded the East Coast, flooding New York's financial district.

The National Hockey League has now canceled all games through the end of November, as team owners lock out players in a labor dispute. In the meantime, there are many businesses and workers who count on hockey games to help make ends meet. But they are now trying to make due without.

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Airlines canceled more than 17,000 flights before, during, and after the storm. New York's JFK and Newark Airport in New Jersey re-opened this morning, with limited service. For other airports, it may be days before their first flights take-off. All told, Sandy is expected to cost the domestic airline industry $100 million - money it can't really afford to lose.

Still, as NPR's Wade Goodwyn reports, the news hasn't been all bad.

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Preliminary estimates of the destruction that Sandy left in its wake are that economic losses could total between 30 and $50 billion.

NPR's John Ydstie reports on the economic effects of the damage to infrastructure and disruption to business caused by this huge storm.