A lot of Americans dream of a better job. So a growing number of older workers have decided to make that dream a reality. From Interlochen Public Radio, Tom Kramer reports.
Treasury Secy. Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke went to China for what they called a strategic economic dialogue. But somebody apparently forgot to tell the Chinese.Ruth Kirchner reports.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is defending his decision to scrap a major corruption investigation. Saudi Arabia had threatened to pull out of a multibillion-dollar defense contract if he didn't. Stephen Beard reports.
The SEC has floated new rules making it easier for companies based overseas to de-list from stock exchanges here. John Dimsdale explains why foreigners are so eager to take their stock listings elsewhere.
One of Wall Street's famous statues of a bull and bear — said to bring good luck with a special touch — needs a new home. Commentator John Steele Gordon says someone should get on the ball to find a place for it.
Spain's government and business claim the traditional midday break for lunch and a nap is a luxury the country can no longer afford. Jerome Socolovsky reports.
The video-game maker says it's going to voluntarily exchange the straps for 3.2 million controllers on its new Wii system. Why? Let's say they've become out-of-controllers. Janet Babin reports.
A consumer fraud lawsuit accuses gas stations of selling fuel at higher temperatures than legally required in hot climates like Florida and Texas. What's the problem? Consumers could be paying for fumes. Dan Grech explains.
A research report this week hinted that iTunes sales aren't so hot, and that digitial music overall might be in for some problems. Josh Bernoff, who wrote the report, talks about his findings with Kai Ryssdal.
This week back in 1978, the U.S. Mint introduced the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. It never caught on, but that hasn't stopped the U.S. Mint from trying. . . and trying. Stacey Vanek-Smith has the history.
Ben Bernanke got out his best Fed-Chairman-speak to call for what most U.S. officials want: a rise in the value of China's currency. Ruth Kirchner reports.
Why do we buy one product instead of another? We usually like the way it looks or tastes or. . . sounds. Sound design and branding are becoming increasingly important in a crowded marketplace. Kyle James reports.
The British government has provoked a hail of criticism after ditching a major corruption inquiry that had been threatening a $12 billion defense deal with Saudi Arabia. Stephen Beard reports.
The 64th Golden Globes nominees were announced yesterday. Host Doug Krizner asks Variety senior editor Stuart Levine about the highlights and whether those nods easily convert to dollars.
When you heat a liquid, it expands. No big surprise there. But when that liquid is gasoline, billions ride on this simple scientific truth. $2 billion, to be exact. Dan Grech explains how warm gas has led to some hot consumers.
Americans now spend 9.5 hours a day consuming some form of media according to new data from the Census Bureau. The numbers keep going up — but the mix is changing. Dan Grech has details.
A new study commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce reveals that most people don't have enough money saved for retirement — and that's going to affect U.S. financial markets. Lisa Napoli explains.
The consumer price index today basically tells us how much it costs to live, and it's considered a pretty good indicator of what's happening with inflation. Alisa Roth has this preview.
Companies today must begin to use the amended SEC disclosure rules for executive compensation — and some say the change could slow the rapid rise in CEO pay. Hillary Wicai reports.
This is deer season in many parts of the country, a busy time of year for game wardens. Poachers aren't easy prey, though. So law enforcement's nabbing them with bait that just begs to be shot. Brian Bull reports.
The Boston Red Sox signed Japanese pitching phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka to a reported $52 million contract — after paying $51 million just to negotiate. Boston business thinks it's money well spent. Curt Nickisch reports.
The British oil giant says it could face U.S. charges of price manipulation. It's the third time this year that BP has run afoul of market regulators. Stephen Beard reports.
The International Trade Commission voted to lift trade barriers on most imports of steel that Detroit uses. The commission had to choose between jobs in steel plants or jobs in car factories. John Dimsdale reports.
Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs . . . the firms that move the money on Wall Street are all reporting big profits. But even they know nothing lasts forever. Amy Scott reports.
The Russian market is attractive for a lot of reasons. Not the least of which is that there's a chance to make a lot of money. But commentator Edward Lucas says foreign investors ought to look before they leap.
An extra 10 Australian cents per share — and a couple key conditions — finally won over the folks at Qantas. The Australian airline accepted an $8.6 billion takeover bid from a private equity group today.
In some cities, holiday tipping is a yuletide tradition. Trey Kay hit the streets of New York to find out how folks feel about the custom — on both sides of the door.
New Year's is still a couple weeks away, but Wall Street observers are already making earnings predictions for 2007. Forecast? Bullish. Janet Babin reports.
OPEC leaders meet today. They're discussing whether to cut production again. What does this mean for your heating bill this winter? Alisa Roth reports.
Voter discontent may have given new life to ethics reform in Washington. A package that would beef up bans on gifts and meals from lobbyists is seeing light on the Hill today. John Dimsdale reports.
Health officials are now blaming contaminated lettuce for the recent E. coli outbreak at Taco Bell. But they're still investigating — and that's not helping with damage control, Amy Scott reports.
Host Scott Jagow and Marketplace economics correspondent Chris Farrell look at the growing divide among economists over what to do about the minimum wage.
Entertainment mogul David Geffen has offered $2 billion cash for the Los Angeles Times, but Tribune is holding out for a buyer who wants everything on the menu. Dan Grech reports.
Washington accuses Beijing of keeping the value of its currency artificially low, making imports from China unfairly cheap. China says the U.S. fails to recognize the headway it's making. Ruth Kirchner reports.
Conventional wisdom for industries in a downturn has been that bigger's the way to go. And several airlines are now considering mergers. Economist Allen Michel talks with Kai Ryssdal about whether those would be wise moves.
European Union leaders will meet in Brussels to make it official: Turkey's application to join the E.U. is on hold. Turkey's been trying to get in for decades and it's not expected to give up. Stephen Beard reports.
Congressional Democrats are considering setting up an external ethics panel to enforce new restrictions on gifts and perks for lawmakers. John Dimsdale reports.
Microsoft's trying to generate buzz for its new search engine with a live-action sexy librarian character with an attitude. Ms. Dewey is her name. Sean Cole paid her a visit and found her hard to leave.
In January, Democrats will take charge on Capitol Hill. But commentator Robert Reich says don't look to them to change the things they campaigned against.
The Commerce Department says retail sales for November spurted up a full 1 percent — wildly beyond analysts' best guesses. Why? We asked a couple of economists and some holiday shoppers.
There's already a safety warning for children, but today an FDA panel looks at whether labeling on antidepressants should include increased risk of suicide for adults too. Helen Palmer reports.
There's been a lot of talk about economic populism in Congress lately, but commentator David Frum argues that a little protectionism and redistribution can do a lot of harm.
Ever since US Air made a bid for Delta last month, merger mania has hit the airline industry. Just this morning, word of two possible deals. Dan Grech reports.
The board of the world's largest casino company meets today to consider competing buyout offers from three private equity firms and a hedge fund. Steve Tripoli reports.
Big business is organizing to lobby Washington about overseas oil dependence. Host Scott Jagow talks to Goldman Sachs' vice-chairman Bob Hormats about the group's mission.
Do wealth limits for buying into hedge funds protect average investors or just help the rich get richer? The SEC meets today to consider what to do with those requirements. Amy Scott reports.
The European Union's REACH law is expected to pass today. It would regulate use of chemicals in products sold in the EU — and that could cost U.S. companies big-time. Stephen Beard reports.
The U.S. trade delegation in China is off to an amicable start, but the mood may change tomorrow when the U.S. presents its list of complaints. Ruth Kirchner reports.
Federal regulators are expected today to offer some relief for smaller companies that have been complaining about the cost of complying with the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley accounting rules. John Dimsdale reports.
Individual donors are the primary supporters of U.S. charities. But who's doing the giving might surprise you. Prof. Arthur Brooks, author of a new book called "Who Really Cares," talks with Kai Ryssdal.
If Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson can't get trade concessions from the Chinese, the fear is the Democratic Congress might throw up barriers of its own. But commentator Bruce Stokes says it's not quite that simple.
U.S. immigration officials raided six meatpacking plants owned by Swift & Co. today — surprising since Swift is in a voluntary pilot program aimed at rooting out undocumented workers. Dan Grech reports.
Best Buy's third-quarter profits were up 9 percent in the third quarter and it's selling more. Trouble is, the country's largest electronics retailer is selling more at a discount. Lisa Napoli reports.
No real surprises came from the Fed today. The question now is when it might start to lower interest rates again. The answer may lie in the bond markets. Amy Scott reports.
Among all the people on New Yorkers' lists this holiday season are the people to tip. And Trey Kay reports it doesn't really matter whether those people have been naughty or nice.
America's housing market may be slumping but across the border in Mexico houses are going up in record numbers. The folks fueling the market have one foot in each country and benefit from new credit opportunities. Laura Belous reports.
Nissan is launching its own hybrid and has plans for a next generation fuel cell car, but the Japanese company is headed down greener roads in the slow lane. Janet Babin reports.
Wall Street's prepping for the winter holidays just like the rest of us and that means a last-minute IPO blitz while everyone's still around. Alisa Roth explains.
You know the drill by now: The Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee meets today to discuss what to do about interest rates. Fed watchers are predicting another pass, Hillary Wicai reports.
Officials in Japan today said they're investigating Samsung and Philips, the two biggest LCD companies, for possible price-fixing. Anna Fifield is covering the story for the Financial Times.
The London Stock Exchange has rejected another offer from Nasdaq, so now the American exchange is pressing ahead with a hostile takeover bid, appealing directly to LSE shareholders. Stephen Beard reports.
Production at Mexico's main oil field is down 15 percent this year alone and that's left world's No. 5 oil producer looking for new ways to raise money. Dan Grech reports.
It's December and stores are awash in warm lighting and shiny baubles to put us in a joyous and generous mood. Commentator Moira Manion takes us behind the scenes for a glimpse of reality.
Director Kevin Smith has teamed up with mtvU and UCLA to deliver "Sucks Less with Kevin Smith"— one of the hottest TV shows on college campuses. And it's economical too. Lisa Napoli has the story.
Smaller publicly-owned companies that have complained about current corporate governance rules get a crack at regulatory relief on Wednesday when the Securities and Exchange Commission meets to consider changes. John Dimsdale reports.
Following post-9/11 security controversy with Congress earlier this year, the Dubai-owned company hands over its assets to American insurance giant AIG for an estimated $700 million. Amy Scott reports.
There are reports that Shell has given in to pressure from the Kremlin and offered to give up control of its $22 billion Sakhalin 2 natural gas project to Russia's Gazprom. Stephen Beard reports.
Commentator Benjamin Barber has a proposal to simplify America's energy problems. After meeting with Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi, he came away thinking we might just be able to make a deal.
When China joined the World Trade Organization five years ago, Beijing agreed to open its banking industry to foreign competition. But Western banks complain it's moving at a grinding pace. Scott Tong reports.
If you spend a full eight hours on the job every day, that adds up to a third of your life between college and retirement. For some companies that's way too long not to be having any fun. David Martin Davies reports.
A report released today says foreign oil-producing companies concerned about extra U.S. scrutiny are replacing dollars with euros and yen. Sam Eaton takes a look at what that might mean for the greenback.
China's domestic banking market opened to full foreign competition today, so foreign banks will be able to offer their services in the local currency, the Yuan, for the first time. Ruth Kirchner reports.
Midwest corn and soybean fields are now dormant, but two seed companies are already looking ahead to next year — and battling for market share among farmers with new biotech offerings. Janet Babin reports.
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson wants China to move faster on economic reforms and to try to move the process along, he'll lead an imposing delegation to China this week, Hillary Wicai reports.
Nine years ago today in Kyoto, Japan, more than 150 countries committed to reduce green house gas emissions. One solution widely touted at the time was a trading system for carbon credits. Jeff Tyler looks at whether it's lived up to expectations.
Retailers are always pushing those extended warranties when we buy electronics. Host Scott Jagow asks Consumer Reports' Todd Marks, is it worth the extra money?
Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet died Sunday at age 91. Many have criticized his brutal regime, but he leaves behind a tremendously successful economic legacy. Dan Grech reports.
Whether you're feeling generous or just looking for a last-minute tax write-off this holiday season, keep in mind that there are plenty of fraudsters hoping to cash in on your charity. Alex Cohen reports.
Members of the New York Board of Trade vote today on whether to merge with an online commodity trading company. The deal could signal the end of an era on Wall Street, Alisa Roth reports.
A report out today reveals that oil-producing countries have switched a lot of their holdings away from the dollar. Host Scott Jagow talks to Carola Hoyas of the Financial Times about what that means.
