Marketplace®
Every story is an economic story

Stacey Vanek Smith

Reporter, Marketplace

Stacey Vanek Smith is a former senior reporter for Marketplace.

Latest from Stacey Vanek Smith

  • Newspapers are seen on display at a newspaper stand in San Francisco, Calif.
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    The Tribune Company is stepping away from using Associated Press content in its newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. As Stacey Vanek-Smith reports, it's part of journalism's changing economic model.

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  • A still from "Terminator Salvation"
    collider.com

    The company that bought the rights to the "Terminator" film franchise just two years ago is bankrupt. So it's auctioning off those rights. Is anyone still interested? Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

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  • Cast members of "Desperate Housewives," from left, Eva Longoria, Marcia Cross, Brenda Strong, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman.
    Courtesy of ABC

    More than 100 TV shows will be airing public service announcements and weaving volunteering themes into their plots this week. It's part of an industry-wide effort to encourage volunteerism. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

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  • Pedestrians pass a Bank of America branch in Chicago, Ill.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Bank of America's earnings are expected to show a loss, but not all financial institutions are struggling. What's the difference? Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

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  • A convenience store owner in Chicago.
    Scott Olson

    A study of South L.A. found the neighborhood had four times more convenience stores than wealthier parts of the city, and a higher obesity rate. The city council wants to limit the number of these stores in the area. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

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  • Crew members set up a camera for the shoot in Los Angeles
    David McNew/Getty Images

    For years, foreign countries and other U.S. cities and states have offered tax breaks and other incentives to lure filmmakers away from Los Angeles. Now, the L.A. City Council wants to put forth some incentives of its own. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

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  • The skull of "Samson" at the Bohmans and Butterfields auction. The 66-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex is the third most complete T-Rex skeleton in the world, and is the only one to have been found without a crushed skull. Samson was being stored in a warehouse on the East Coast. The estimated price was between $6-10 million. Bidding reached $3.6 million, but that wasn't enough to reach the minimum required by the seller.

Pictured in full view: Collector William Barker stands with Samson's skull. Barker helped assemble Samson at the Venetian.
    Stacey Vanek-Smith

    Ever wanted to own the skeleton of a woolly mammoth? Buyers at a natural history auction in Las Vegas scored one for the price of a BMW. Other attendees were out for pricier game. Stacey Vanek-Smith dropped in and took some pictures.

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  • Olympics logo
    John Gichigi/Getty Images

    If Chicago were picked to host the 2016 Summer Games, it would not only mean a billion dollars upfront for the city, but sponsorship money and a chance for projects to move forward. Stacey Vanek-Smith explores the positives of the idea.

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  • Books inside a laptop represent the concept of digital textbooks.
    iStockPhoto

    States across the country are slashing education budgets, forcing schools to cut expenses. One option getting a lot of attention is digital textbooks. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

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  • A Wells Fargo customer enters a bank branch in San Francisco, Calif.
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    If you ever spent more with your debit card than was in your account, your bank may have paid the amount but then slammed you with a big overdraft fee. Banks impose such policies as "protection plans." But now, as Stacey Vanek-Smith reports, you'll have a choice of whether you want one.

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Stacey Vanek Smith