Smart consumers shop around, but it's almost impossible to compare prices for medicine. One state has prescribed a solution. Lyn Millner reports from Florida.
Minimum wage is shaping up as a big economic issue in this year's midterm election. Six states have ballot measures to hike the hourly wage. Amy Scott reports.
Several major metropolitan dailies are the subjects of private buyout offers by local businessmen. Is the trend a return of the newspaper industry to a gentlemen's business? Diantha Parker reports.
The New York Stock Exchange is negotiating an alliance with the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The news comes as the NYSE seals its deal to merge with the pan-European exchange Euronext. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
AutoNation Inc., the nation's largest car retailer, said it's going to slash the number of vehicles it buys from the Big Three. Rachel Dornhelm reports.
A Sudanese billionaire is putting up millions in prize money to promote good democratic governance in Africa — and to encourage leaders to step down once their terms expire. Stephen Beard reports.
Today, the government said that third quarter GDP growth is at the weakest levels in more than three years. Many investors are worried the slowdown would prompt the Fed to raise interest rates. John Dimsdale reports.
A global-warming report out this week says the price of global poverty and mass migration due to climate change outweighs the costs of taking urgent steps to push back warming. Commentator Mark Hertsgaard argues a green planet and a healthy economy are actually inextricably linked.
What would it mean if the New York Stock Exchange formed an alliance with the Tokyo Stock Exchange? Round-the-clock access to markets for New York traders, Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Remember the Timberland boot? The once-hip footwear has gone the way of all fads — and taken much of the company's profits with it. Diantha Parker reports.
Host Scott Jagow and business of sports commentator Diana Nyad take a look at the fine print in Major League Baseball's new labor agreement and how it could impact the game.
If global warming continues, a handful of people in a southern Greenland town may have reason to celebrate. They're using water from the melting ice sheet to brew beer. Stephen Beard reports.
Despite falling crude prices and cheaper gas at the pump, oil companies are still expected to rake in enormous profits in the fourth quarter. How's that? Bob Moon explains.
Spending on ads targeted to cell phones is expected to hit $3 billion in five years. But marketers need to be careful not to trigger a consumer backlash, Janet Babin reports.
European plane-maker Airbus has signed a $10 billion deal giving it a foothold in China, but it's sparked concern about job losses in Europe. Stephen Beard reports.
An anti-poverty group has launched a campaign to pressure Starbucks into signing a licensing deal with Ethiopia, but even some of the coffee giant's biggest critics are siding with the company. Jeff Tyler explains.
More and more companies are actively helping their employees register to vote — but they have more than just their civic duty in mind. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
A Harvard University poll found that most Americans would stay home during a bird flu pandemic — and take a huge financial hit. Host Kai Ryssdal talks to professor Robert Blendon about the study.
New home prices fell by the greatest amount in 35 years in September. The news comes on the heels of plunging existing home prices yesterday. So what's the outlook for the economy? Depends who you ask, Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Commentator Moira Manion says that there's one thing standing in the way of affordable housing: Developers that only want to build multi-million-dollar houses for the middle-class.
Government investigators are looking into allegations that the SEC went too easy on a probe of politically well-connected Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack. John Dimsdale reports.
President Bush prepares to sign a 700-mile fence between the U.S. and Mexico into law today. John Dimsdale looks at how much the barrier will cost — and where all that money is going to come from.
Tropical Storm Paul is expected to come ashore near Mazatlan today. It'll be the third major storm to batter Mexico's Pacific coast in almost two months. Dan Grech tallies the economic impact.
All across Alaska, global warming is taking a heavy toll. Bridges are washing out. Roads are buckling. And scientists say the worst is yet to come as engineers race to shore up infrastructure built on melting permafrost. Sam Eaton reports.
Last year, Missouri went from being one of the best states for insuring its citizens to one of the worst. So it's scrapping its Medicaid system and starting over, Hillary Wicai reports.
There's been rising speculation that Daimler-Chrysler is prepared sell its struggling Chrysler division, but there may be less to the rumors than meets the eye. Stephen Beard reports.
More and more American businesses are using something called "scent marketing"— blowing fragrant aromas into the air to get consumers to spend more and keep coming back. Sean Cole takes a whiff.
Boeing said today that its new 787 jets may cost more to make because of weight problems — the same issue behind the delay of archrival Airbus' A380 super-jumbo jets. Diantha Parker reports.
Biotech company ImClone today named Carl Icahn as its new chairman, effectively ending months of infighting. In exchange, the financier will end his attempt to oust half of the company's board. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Commentators David Frum and Robert Reich give their respective two cents on the issues that matter most — but probably won't get any air time — in the upcoming midterm elections. This week, alternative energy and foreign oil.
A wealthy London suburb is planning to charge owners of gas-guzzling autos three times more for residential street parking, while green-car owners will park for free. Stephen Beard reports.
Chile is in a furor over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent push for California produce. Schwarzenegger's office says it's a misunderstanding. Dan Grech unpacks the story.
Commentator Robert Reich takes issue with the fictionalized account of the assassination of President Bush in the film opening this weekend. He says theatergoers should send a message to movie houses — by staying home.
The Doha Round of global trade talks might be dead, but some countries are still looking for ways to level the playing field. Today, U.S. and African officials meet to talk about cotton subsidies. Scott Tong reports.
It's taken more than a decade, but it looks like Vietnam finally gets to join the World Trade Organization. And that could be very good for some American businesses. Miranda Kennedy explains.
Many in Britain oppose the fast-track extradition treaty with the U.S. that so far has been used to go after more white collar criminals than terrorists, but Parliament just voted to reinforce the treaty. Stephen Beard reports.
Alaska's network of roads, runways and bridges are proving that man's infrastructure is no match for a warming climate. And scientists say the worst is yet to come. Sam Eaton reports.
Federal investigators got their first guilty plea in the stock options backdating scandal. The outcome could give executives at the other 140 companies involved even more to worry about. Bob Moon reports.
A new report calls for making New York's famed 42nd Street thoroughfare a pedestrian-friendly mall by banning cars and adding a light-rail system. It could be a huge boon for businesses there, Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Does it seem like you've been getting a lot of e-mails promising hot new stock tips lately? You're probably going to see more and more of this spam filling up your inbox — because it's working. Amy Scott reports.
Discount airline JetBlue today reported flat quarterly earnings and announced it would scale back expansion plans. So why did shares take off? Jeff Tyler explains why slow growth sounds good on Wall Street.
The WTO made U.S. cotton subsidies illegal two years ago, but American farmers are still getting checks. African nations aren't happy about the imbalance and that's cooling wider trade talks. Gretchen Wilson reports.
It's two weeks to Election Day and with so many competitive Congressional races up for grabs, it's shaping up to be the most expensive midterm election ever. John Dimsdale looks at who's footing the bill.
Mexican phone giant Telmex is expected today to announce the purchase of a group of Spanish-language phone directories based in the U.S. It could be a very smart move, Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Bullying is rife in the British workplace, according to a new survey. It found that one in five UK workers suffers some form of harassment. Stephen Beard reports.
Or at least take a long coffee break. A group that's trying to get work-crazed Americans to stop and smell the roses has declared today Take Back Your Time day. Diantha Parker reports.
The world's largest retailer has announced a change of course. Wal-Mart has decided to slow expansion into new markets while it works to boost its bottom line. Sam Eaton reports.
The folks who pull the strings at the Federal Reserve meet today to consider interest rates. That means Wall Street investors will be getting back to one of their least-favorite pastimes. Bob Moon reports.
As polar ice melts, many nations are staking claim to Arctic resources — but not the U.S. Host Lisa Napoli talks to former presidential chief of staff Leon Panetta about consequences of our failure to ratify the UN's Law of the Sea treaty.
Andrew Carnegie spent half a lifetime amassing great wealth, and the other half trying to give it away. Host Kai Ryssdal speaks with author David Nasaw about his biography of the famed businessman and philanthropist.
New York City has long been considered the world's financial capital, but lately there's been talk that it's losing ground to London. So the city's hired consultants to compare financial services sectors. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
A new test appears to be 80% accurate in predicting which drugs would be most effective in treating a particular patient's cancer. Is it the next big breakthrough? Helen Palmer reports.
The rich may be getting richer while everyone else treads water or falls further behind, but what about our social status? Humorist Sandra Tsing Loh tells us these days it's as much about image as money.
Illinois wants half the motor fuel used in the state to be supplied by homegrown, alternative sources by 2017. But right now flex fuel vehicles and biofuel stations are few and far between, Sam Eaton reports.
What if future Social Security payments showed up on the government's present balance sheet? A sweeping new proposal for government accounting rules would do just that. Hillary Wicai looks at possible repercussions.
The economic arrows are all pointing the right directions: GDP is up. Dow's way up. Gas prices are down, so is unemployment. So why do so many people think Republicans will miss their target this election year? Scott Tong reports.
Former Enron CEO Jeffry Skilling faces at least 20 years in prison for his role in the company's collapse when he is sentenced today for fraud and conspiracy. Jeff Tyler reports.
After more than 20 years, Ford is retiring the "jelly bean"-shaped car that helped the automaker rebound from its previous sales slump. Amy Scott reports.
A new study shows California is the center of the global biotech industry, but the Golden State can't take that designation for granted, Sarah Gardner reports.
Thailand's new prime minister is making the rounds in neighboring countries to reassure trading partners that all is well after last month's military coup. Miranda Kennedy reports.
A federal advisory board has proposed major changes to the way the government accounts for Social Security and Medicare. The new rule would make the U.S. budget deficit look much larger. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
