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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For U.S. and other automakers, selling a car in China has always been difficult. But this week, China announced some moves that could pave the way for new sales for some manufacturers. -
China says it will take steps to make good on promises to open up to foreign automakers. In coming years, it will relax barriers for firms like Tesla, Volkswagen and GM seeking a foothold in China.
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The U.S. has been pushing China to lower its high 25 percent tariff on imported cars, but most countries zealously protect their domestic auto markets — including the United States itself. -
U.S. auto sales are expected to decline for the second year in a row. But analysts say the industry is relatively healthy as consumers flock to higher-profit SUVs and trucks. -
As the administration seeks to redo the North American Free Trade Agreement, the industry is watching the talks closely. Automakers say changes could drive up costs, making them less competitive. -
Toyota is investing in a major makeover of its Avalon sedan. It's an interesting choice because Americans are bypassing sedans in favor of SUVs. And while the Avalon is reliable, its styling is considered stodgy, at best.
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Tesla has grabbed headlines for innovating electric cars and driverless technology. Companies such Toyota, GM and Mercedes may not have the trendy cache of Tesla, but they do have deep pockets.
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As battery technology improves and cities get denser, some West Coast companies are targeting millennial and Gen X consumers by producing cheaper and greener mopeds, scooters and e-bikes. -
Seeking to cut greenhouse gas emissions dramatically by 2030, regulators approved a plan that offers incentives for truck and bus fleets to go green and for utilities to use more renewable energy. -
The Model 3 is supposed to take Tesla mainstream and bring it to profitability. But CEO Elon Musk's company has missed production goals, and analysts wonder whether he's spreading himself too thin. -
NPR's Sonari Glinton has been out observing the state of retail sales in Los Angeles on Black Friday. He tells NPR's Elise Hu what he's discovered in the huge after Thanksgiving sales.
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Years ago, retailers had an unofficial agreement: Black Friday would be the start of the shopping season. Then some stores started opening their doors and offering sales on Thanksgiving Day. That created some conflicts between consumerism and turkey consumption and now the pendulum is swinging back again.
