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.
-
Volkswagen's cheating on emission tests for its diesel vehicles has not only stirred a controversy; it has also raised a question: Is there life left for diesel in the U.S.?
-
Arvind Thiruvengadam and colleagues at WVU got excited when they won a grant in 2012 to test emissions on a few diesel cars. He figured the data might result in some papers a few people might read. -
Volkswagen faces a growing scandal over how it used software to dodge clean air rules for diesel vehicles. The Justice Department opened a criminal probe and financial penalties are sure to follow.
-
After so-called "defeat devices" were discovered in Volkswagen diesels that turn off emissions controls except when a vehicle is undergoing tests, other automakers are being scrutinized.
-
General Motors has agreed to pay $900 million to settle criminal charges related to an ignition switch defect, which was tied to the deaths of at least 124 people. No GM executives were charged.
-
GM and federal prosecutors are expected announce a $900 million settlement in the mishandling of an ignition-switch defect. It led to more than 100 deaths and recalls of millions of GM vehicles.
-
Chipotle says it's going to hire 4,000 workers this week. Thousands of applicants turned out on Wednesday for the restaurant's National Career Day. Second-round interviews begin on Saturday. -
Truck sales are a key economic indicator. While Wall Street worries about China, sales of pickup trucks are through the roof. We examine what that means for the auto industry and the U.S. economy.
-
Their sales have dropped by more than 40 percent in the past decade. And with new tougher fuel economy standards, the days of riding with the top down could be numbered.
-
Carmakers want desperately to provide drivers with more entertainment and information, while motorists keep their eyes on the road. Advances in voice recognition could help them do so.
