Fewer workers are collecting holiday cash bonuses these days. Some folks will be treated to small token gifts — so is that better than nothing? Hillary Wicai reports.
Not too hot, not too cold. The economy added 132,000 new jobs in November — better than analysts expected but not without some downside risk. Amy Scott reports.
Do cardiac stents help keep clogged arteries open in the long run? Kai Ryssdal talks with Heather Won Tesoreiro of the Wall Street Journal about today's recommendation by an FDA panel.
Somali refugees who have fled the violence in their country have setled in South Afrca. They've set up shops in townships, competing with local business. And that's spurred new violence. Gretchen Wilson reports.
Commentator Len Burman says that while conventional wisdom considers it'll be bad if Congress fails to extend tax breaks for education, corporate R&D and other things, he thinks it's great!
Every year dozens of great independent films never make it out of the film fest circuit. Netflix saw a market there and came up with a new business model for indie film distribution. Rachel Dornhelm reports.
The unemployment rate went up a tenth of a percent in November. Host Brian Watt talks to Standard & Poor's chief economist David Wyss who says this year's holiday calendar had an interesting effect on the numbers.
Hewlett-Packard yesterday agreed to pay $14.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought against it as a result of its recent pretexting scandal. Does the punishment fit the crime? Lisa Napoli reports.
Advertising firms are scrambling to win Wal-Mart's $600 million account, but giving the retail giant an image makeover isn't going to be easy. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
The House and the Senate are expected to vote today on the India nuclear bill. Details of the final version were released last night, and the compromise seems promising from both sides. Miranda Kennedy reports.
British lawmakers have given the U.S. until the end of the year to agree to share sensitive technology information or Britain may pull out of a multi-billion dollar defense deal. Stephen Beard reports.
Government officials on both sides of the Atlantic have been revisiting the idea of opening freer trade channels between Europe and North America. Why? To compete with China of course. Ethan Lindsey reports.
Commentator Jeff Birnbaum says that the new Congress will look just like the old one, because the democratic majority is as centrist and pro-business as many Republicans.
Microsoft's Bill Gates and Google's Eric Schmidt are among the corporate bigwigs who sold a lot more stock than they bought last month. Is it a vote of low-confidence in the economy? Jeff Tyler reports.
Poverty continues to be a major problem in a majority of nations that borrow money from the World Bank, a report finds. And anti-corruption campaigns have also proven to be ineffective. John Dimsdale reports.
Host Kai Ryssdal talks to sports analyst Diana Nyad about why colleges are signing football coaches to lengthy multimillion-dollar contracts only to buy them out after a mediocre season.
Florida's Seminole tribe is buying the Hard Rock brand — the famed rock-n-roll-themed cafes, a collection of memorabilia and two casino hotels — in a deal worth close to $1 billion. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Japan has set up a certification system to crack down on overseas restaurants that don't meet their standards for authentic Japanese cuisine. Steve Herman has the story.
Host Mark Austin Thomas asks business of sports expert David Carter about whether anyone's happy with the BCS system. He says the bigger question is, how can NCAA football balance its growing commercialization?
Google has signed on with British satellite TV firm BSkyB to develop its broadband services — and it's an alliance that Hollywood's going to be watching closely, Stephen Beard reports.
Xbox 360, Wii, PSP3 — how do you choose? Is there an iPod alternative? Host Brian Watt asks CNET.com's Brian Cooley which expensive toys make the best gifts for novices.
Drug-coated stents used to prop open clogged arteries have some big advantages, but studies suggest they could carry dangerous risks too. Helen Palmer reports.
Florida's Seminole tribe has snapped up the famed Hard Rock chain of cafes, casinos, concert and hotel venues. And it may have been a steal, Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Years of sabotage, corruption and neglect have left Iraq's oil industry struggling. Some analysts estimate it needs $20 billion in new investment to get back on track. Jeff Tyler reports.
Victoria's Secret sends out over 360 million catalogs each year, so it's a huge environmental victory that the company has agreed to use at least some recycled paper in its mailings. Sarah Gardner reports.
Employers can't afford the healthcare system we've got. Government can't fix it. And commentator Newt Gingrich says the solution actually rests in the American people.
FEMA continues to mishandle millions of dollars in Katrina aid and has failed to recovered most of the money lost to fraudulent claims. Those are just two of the highlights in a GAO report released today, Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
The Iraq Study Group today offered President Bush a slew of recommendations on how to move forward in Iraq. One item on the list: a more straightforward and transparent funding mechanism for the war. John Dimsdale reports.
Mortgage finance company Fannie Mae has issued a long-awaited earnings restatement today, its first since an accounting scandal surfaced two years ago. Host Kai Ryssdal talks to Marketplace's Amy Scott.
A handful of private companies are set to provide employees with their own portable electronic medical records. Many workers welcome the convenience, but privacy advocates worry their information could be misused. Dan Grech reports.
Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom is poised to purchase . . . a tabloid newspaper? Critics are questioning the move after years of underinvestment and mismanagement by the company. Stephen Beard reports.
Mortgage finance company Fannie Mae will report results today for the first time since an accounting scandal erupted two years ago. Amy Scott gives us a preview.
A federal appeals court has ruled that the nation's investment banks won't have to face a huge class-action lawsuit for manipulating IPO stock prices, which means individual investors probably just lose out. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
The Iraq Study Group's much-anticipated report comes out today, offering a look at the military and political options in Iraq. Alisa Roth looks at the implications for U.S. defense spending.
House and Senate negotiators plan to unveil the reconciled versions of the Indian nuclear bill today, but India has been threatening not to accept the final version. Miranda Kennedy reports.
Commentator Robert Reich says all this talk about Wall Street losing its competitiveness is nonsense — and that the regulations many want to kill provide the very security that attracts foreign money to U.S. markets.
This holiday shopping season has gotten off to a slow start, but some analysts say retailers shouldn't count the consumer out just yet. After all, the calendar's on their side. Jeff Tyler explains.
The transportation department has nixed a plan to give foreign investors more influence over domestic airlines — a move that could wipe out EU interest in the so-called Open Skies treaty. Stephen Beard reports.
With 25 days in the month to go, how do you reach your end-of-year subscriber goal? Poach from the competition. Lisa Napoli says, welcome to the continuing war between Blockbuster and Netflix.
Tonight's tree lighting in Washington D.C. will feature a Pacific silver fir from Washington State — and you might not believe the production and expense that went into it. Austin Jenkins has the story.
Reporter Steve Knopper spent 38 days trying to turn a profit from scalping concert tickets for WIRED Magazine. He tells host Kai Ryssdal about his discoveries.
Consumer Reports cautions today that a large percentage of chicken sold in the U.S. contains illness-causing bacteria. Critics say the report is flawed. John Dimsdale has details.
The U.S. is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the Philippines in hopes of derailing efforts by militant insurgents to recruit from its sizable Muslim population. Miranda Kennedy reports.
The holidays are fast approaching, but what happens when you're seriously in debt before the shopping season even begins? A woman named Virginia tells us how she faced Christmas $50,000 in the red.
Productivity inched up in the third quarter while wage growth slowed and factory orders plunged. What are all these numbers really saying about the economy? Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Two percent of the richest people own more than half the world's wealth, says a study on poverty today — and almost all of them live in first-world countries. Dan Grech reports.
Almost half a trillion dollars has been spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But there's an even higher price to pay if the Pentagon can't figure out how to plan a budget, says commentator Gordon Adams.
A Senate panel is looking into allegations that the SEC fired one of its investigators to protect a prominent Wall Street executive, but critics say the agency's problems run deeper. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
The Republican-controlled 109th Congress begins its final session today. It's expected to leave the hard budget choices to the new Democratic Congress in '07 — and that could set up a showdown with the President. Hillary Wicai reports.
A new report suggests we'll see an increase in the number of companies going under in 2007. Jeff Tyler has details on which industries are likely to be hardest hit.
It's a big morning for much-maligned trans fats. The New York City Board of Health meets today to decide whether to ban the artery-clogging oils from all the city's eateries. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
India has been slow to respond to overtures by U.S. businesses trying to capitalize on its fast-growing market, but it may be opening up to investors in some industries. Miranda Kennedy reports.
Western investors have been jumping over each other to get in on the action as China opens its banking sector to foreign investors. But commentator Austan Goolsbee warns there's still plenty of corruption under that shiny new IPO sheen.
The House votes on a bill today that would allow offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. You can bet Big Oil will be a big winner if it passes. Alisa Roth tells us who else stands to make money in the deal.
The U.S. casino giant is getting into the online gaming business in Britain — a move that will likely anger the UK's Internet gambling industry. Stephen Beard explains.
Five times a year, a pair of organic farmers in Eastern Washington invites chefs and culinary students to spend a week living and working "farm to table." Elizabeth Wynne Johnson has the story.
An influential doctor's association has issued a call to ban all questionable advertising targeted at children. But will it translate into real legislative action? Lisa Napoli reports.
Pfizer halted development of its new cholesterol drug following unexpected deaths during test trials. It's a huge blow to the drugmaker, which needs a blockbuster with Lipitor's patent set to expire in 5 years. Helen Palmer reports.
Commentator and economist Susan Lee says government interference in the fat market makes sense but wonders, exactly how much are taxpayers willing to spend? A new study provides a surprising answer.
Host Kai Ryssdal and LA Times auto critic Dan Neil surveyed the scene at last week's Los Angeles Auto Show, where GM unveiled its newest challenger in the hybrid vehicle category.
The lame duck Congress has decided to leave the unfinished budget for next year. Host Kai Ryssdal speaks with Congressional Quarterly's Jill Barshay about what else will — and will not — get done this week.
Drug giant Pfizer halted development of its most promising experimental drug after more than 80 people died during test trials. This is a major setback for the company, Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
The dollar was trading at a 20-month low against the euro this morning. So you'll shell out some serious dough on your next European vacation, but what else does a dropping dollar mean? Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
The dollar's decline could push up the price of oil. Some OPEC members are calling for a cut in production because the falling dollar has amounted to a price cut for them. Stephen Beard explains.
Host Bob Moon asks Newsweek's Wall Street editor Allan Sloan how billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian managed to walk away from $800 million worth of GM stock so gracefully — and what the move means for GM.
Seattle voters overwhelmingly passed an initiative to block future public money from being used for pro sports teams — but some are trying to work a deal for a new SuperSonics stadium anyway. Amy Radil reports.
The supermarket industry has become hotly competitive since Wal-Mart came onto the field, but Kroger has continued to post strong numbers. Diantha Parker looks at the grocery chain's winning game plan.
The U.S. is prepared to finalize a bill would allow American companies to sell civilian nuclear technology to India, but now India's wavering over some concessions in the final version. Miranda Kennedy reports.
Drive-thru customers at some Wendy's locations across the country aren't actually talking to workers inside the restaurant — and that's speeding up the line. Sheryl Rich-Kern explains.
