The outlooks for Social Security and other government programs are based on a variety of economic projections. But are these long-range forecasts worth the paper they're written on? Host Kai Ryssdal gets some insight from Marketplace's money guru Chris Farrell about these numbers and how much faith we should put in them.

If you think traffic's bad where you are, you probably haven't been to Sao Paolo, Brazil. The city is a vast unplanned mess of 18 million people. It has some of the worst traffic congestion in the world. And it's more than just a headache for drivers. In Sao Paolo, traffic tie-ups account for an estimated $80 billion a year in lost productivity. Simply put - time is money. But as Americas desk correspondent Dan Grech reports, a small army of daredevils have emerged to keep the Brazilian economy chugging.

Offshoring's here to stay, or so goes the conventional wisdom. A new report from the Conference Board offers some unconventional advice. About half of all offshoring operations are destined to fall flat, or worse. The report warns American corporations to think through hidden costs. Communications. Regulatory concerns. And yes, even social responsibility. Brand image can take a beating if companies aren't careful. Offshoring is having a profound effect on some of the Asian countries where new jobs are being created. You might call it "the Domino's effect." Youth Radio's Nishat Kurwa prepared our story.