News In Brief

MID-DAY UPDATE: Alcoa earnings and New FICO lows

Melissa Kaplan Jul 12, 2010

The Mid-Day Update is a five-day-a-week podcast from the Marketplace Morning Report co-hosted by Bill Radke and Steve Chiotakis that wraps up the morning news in a fun little package. Listen here every day at 10 a.m. PT or download it to your iPod by subscribing to the Morning Report Podcast:

Earnings season starts today with Alcoa. Economists want to see sales increasing — not just profits — particularly at smaller companies.

FICO says American credit scores have hit new lows. A quarter of consumers — that’s 40-plus million people — have scores below 600, which means they’re unlikely to get credit cards, auto loans or mortgages. On the positive side, the number of consumers at 800 or above has increased, as those who can pay down their debts do.

Today, Facebook gave in to pressure from British authorities and installed a “panic button” on its U.K. website, so kids can report bullying or suspicious behavior to authorities immediately. We don’t know yet whether the American Facebook will get a link like this.

Playboy said today it got an offer from Hugh Hefner to take the company private. He already owns 70 percent. His offer for the rest values the company at around $185 million.

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