I don't know if it has been disabled or if it is just me:
I can't hire NPCs from starports. The problem occurs when I go to the actions tab and press the "Hire NPCs" button, then IE crashes and reloads the last working tab (before the actions button). I kind of want an npc without having to find one on Centerpoint. Any suggestions?

Interesting, it could just be IE that has the problem. Has anyone else tried to do this recently?