Most of the hard work in trade negotiations is done behind closed doors. Marketplace's Stephen Beard has been trying to learn some of the tricks of the trade from the people doing the heavy lifting.
President Bush's 2008 budget will include a request for $93 billion in Iraq war funding. That's added to the $70 billion Congress has already approved, making 2007 the most expensive year yet for the war. John Dimsdale reports.
An estimated $8 billion will be wagered illegally on Sunday's Super Bowl. A lot of that money's gone online the past several years. But bets on this year's game could be good for more old-fashioned bookies. Jeff Tyler reports.
All eyes in the fashion world are on New York City's Fashion Week. But this season's biggest debate isn't whether hemlines are above or below the knee. It on the models and their health. Alisa Roth reports.
An Exxon Mobil-funded think tank has been offering scientists and economists cash to question today's United Nations report on global warming. Sam Eaton reports.
Hundreds of thousands of people are waiting to see if they qualify for Social Security disability benefits. And the waiting list continues to grow. Tess Vigeland talks with reporter Nancy Marshall Genzer.
Consumers beware: There's a growing trend of private health insurance companies dropping policyholders — after they've agreed to a coverage plan. Tess Vigeland interviews Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
Our economics editor Chris Farrell answers your burning money questions. This week, advice on buying a second home overseas, getting out of an annuity, and paying off credit card debt.
Life is hard enough without having to decipher everything. Each week, Marketplace Money brings you a word or a phrase that has bubbled to the top of the news. For instance, "Excise Tax." You hear it, you see it, but do you really know it?
Our special series continues on investment clubs in America. Host Tess Vigeland takes us to a club meeting in Seattle. Meet a group of guys who eat, drink coffee and merrily beat the pants off the S&P 500.
Fashion week is kicking off in New York, and one clothing trend wants to start to take root. But can environmentally-friendly clothes be stylish? From the Sustainability Desk, Sam Eaton reports.
The price of art has risen sharply over the past five years thanks to skyrocketing demand from wealthy collectors and investors. But Stacey Vanek-Smith wonders, how long can the boom keep booming?
Overall we saw job growth in January, but things weren't so rosy in the manufacturing sector. And that has some folks whispering about recession. Janet Babin reports.
A conservative think tank reportedly offered scientists and economists as much as $10,000 each to undermine an unsettling UN report on global warming released today. Stephen Beard has the story.
Stolen identities are on the decline, says a new report. And it turns out that all that online banking is actually helping to keep your information safe. Jeff Tyler reports.
When Fox decided to release the DVD for the film early, some U.K. theater owners pulled it from their marquees in protest. They say that doesn't give them enough time to make a decent return, Stephen Beard reports.
As President Bush and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez continue their verbal sparring match, Dan Grech is in Caracas asking, why is the man so villainized in the States, so popular in his own country?
Fighting in Gaza has resumed as Middle East peace negotiators prepare to meet today in Washington. Russia wants to lift the economic blockade on the impoverished Palestinian territories, but the U.S. holds the key, Eric Niiler reports.
A group hoping to bridge the divide over stem cell research has come up with a new set of guidelines. One hitch: They're illegal in some states. Janet Babin reports.
Researchers in Boston said today they've figured out a way to get around the problem of developing drugs that never get approved by the FDA. Helen Palmer reports.
The savings rate in the United States has hit the lowest level since the early 1930s, the Commerce Department says. Back then the Great Depression was the reason. What's going on now? Amy Scott reports.
In the five years since the Taliban was driven out of power in Afghanistan, the quality of life has gotten worse for many in the country. Miranda Kennedy reports from Kabul.
Commentator Dwayne Ballen says the arrival of two black coaches on the NFL's biggest stage — this Sunday's Super Bowl — could have big implications beyond the playing field.
What would you think if advertisers could put actual video ads right on the fields of football stadiums? Alex Goldmark reports that technology might have an answer in just a few short years.
What was once television gold has moved down the podium a bit. Business-of-sports analyst Diana Nyad talks with Kai Ryssdal about figure skating's melting popularity with TV audiences.
Millions of Americans don't take advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act because it's time off without pay. But a new bill by Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd aims to change that. Sarah Gardner reports.
The U.S. lags far behind the rest of the world when it comes to workplace policies such as paid maternity or sick leave. Study author Jody Heymann breaks it down for us.
The Cartoon Network's marketing scheme-gone-horribly-awry caused a lot of commotion in Boston yesterday, but it's not the first time a company's made such a tactical blunder.
From $2.5 million ad rates to $2.50 bags of potato chips, there's a whole lotta money attached to Sunday's big game. USC Sports Business Institute's David Carter helps us with a little Super Bowl math.
Michael Dell is going back to run the daily operations of the company he founded. Things there have generally been going south since he gave up the CEO position back in 2004, but stock prices were up on this news.
The European oil giant made over $25 billion in 2006 — the biggest profit ever recorded by a company listed on the London exchange. But Shell could be facing a more difficult year ahead, Stephen Beard reports.
This week in 1940, Ida May Fuller received the first monthly Social Security check. Stacey Vanek-Smith has the history of one of the most popular federal programs of all-time.
Google's fourth quarter earnings came out yesterday. They nearly tripled to exceed $1 billion for the first time ever. That was even better than analysts expected, so why'd the stock drop overnight?
The jokesters at GetaFirstLife.com expected a legal fight when the creators of Second Life caught wind of their spoof site — but the fight never came. Probably a smart business move, Janet Babin reports.
One small problem with the Family and Medical Leave Act: Many workers can't afford to actually take the unpaid leave. A new proposal would give workers six weeks off with paid leave in medical emergencies. Jeff Tyler reports.
US Airways withdrew its $10 billion hostile takeover bid after Delta's creditors agreed to see the company through its bankruptcy. Steve Tripoli looks at what may have been behind that calculation.
It may not be the most socially responsible business, but tobacco products still do very well. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports on how Altria's split with Kraft will just give the cigarette maker renewed focus.
House and Senate hold three hearings on the issue. Democrats accuse Bush of not acknowledging economic forces that are dragging down the middle class. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
French politician Nicholas Sarkozy is leading the polls since his nomination to succeed President Jacques Chirac. Commentator David Frum says U.S. Republicans could learn something from the atypical conservative candidate.
Google's plan to make a universal digital library has publishers upset enough to sue. Host Kai Ryssdal talks to Jeffrey Toobin, who covered the controversy in the latest issue of the New Yorker.
President Bush addressed the crowd at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan today with pretty good news about the Gross Domestic Product. Host Kai Ryssdal takes us through the highlights.
Wrapping himself in protective gear and taking tiny steps through the woods around the Kosovo-Albanian border, Valdet Dule keeps his community safe from dangerous mines. First in our "World at Work" series.
Mortgage payments are on the rise for homeowners who took advantage of that sub-prime loan frenzy a few years back. As many as 20 percent could lose their homes, fears commentator Robert Reich.
Search giant Yahoo has a plan to draw more eyeballs to its sites by harnessing the power of the 100 most popular entertainment brands. And it could be a clever strategy, Janet Babin reports.
The animation studios have parted ways after finishing only two films of a five-picture deal. Variety's Adam Dawtrey says it was an interesting gamble in the first place.
Companies like Home Depot, Chrysler and Wal-Mart want to open their own banks, and the federal government must decide today whether to extend its moratorium on the practice. John Dimsdale reports.
Lord Michael Levy has been arrested for a second time in connection with a campaign finance scandal that may be getting uncomfortably close to Tony Blair himself, Stephen Beard tells us.
The British retailer is the world's fifth largest and it's opening its first U.S. store later this year under the name Fresh and Easy. Jeff Tyler has details.
It took three months, but India's Tata Steel has won the bidding war to take over European steelmaker Corus. And we might be looking at further consolidation in the industry, Stephen Beard reports.
Germany has set a date that will effectively end all coal mining in that country by 2018, but some wonder if cleaner coal can still make a comeback there. Ethan Lindsey reports.
Thousands will gather in Mexico City today to protest the price of tortillas. The cost of the corn-based staple has tripled in recent months. Is the new demand for ethanol to blame? Dan Grech reports.
Labor unions are taking a cue from big corporations and expanding their recruiting efforts internationally. Kyle James reports from Berlin on attempts by some groups to form a multimillion-member super union.
A House panel today investigated allegations against administrative officials pressuring federal scientists to keep global warming references from their research. Eric Niiler has the story from Washington.
Carbon dioxide is hard on the environment in the long run. But, at least in the short run, attempts to reduce CO2 emissions could tax the economy. Sarah Gardner reports.
Scientists debate whether the paintings of Jackson Pollock depict complex mathematical patterns. His work is worth millions regardless, but commentator Lawrence Krauss says the real value is up to you.
Chinese President Hu Jintao's trip to Africa today affirms the fast-growing economic ties between the two countries. But financial success also means more political responsibility for China. Scott Tong reports from Shanghai.
Congress is hoping to finish accounting for the 2007 fiscal year by tomorrow. Those who once benefitted from the budget may now be feeling left out in the cold. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
The new super casino in Manchester will create jobs in one of Britain's most deprived areas, but critics worry about the possible economic and social effects. Stephen Beard reports.
Workers could cost their employers as much as $820 million this week as Super Bowl parties are planned and office bets are waged. But some say those lost productivity studies don't tell the whole story. Amy Scott's on the sidelines.
Rumors are swirling that U.S. drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb could merge with Sanofi Aventis of France to create a pharmaceutical behemoth. Stephen Beard reports.
Law enforcement officials are now holding marketers accountable for paying to secretly install pop-up ads onto consumers' computers. Janet Babin has details.
At least not anonymous ones. Lawmakers in the state are considering legislation that would ban anonymous sperm and egg donations, and that could raise prices for families trying to conceive. Eric Niiler explains.
Cold Stone Creamery continues to give Baskin-Robbins a run for its money — more likely because of the toppings smooshed into your ice cream on cold stones than their other gimmick. Sean Cole explains.
Once New York real estate mogul Stephen Green owns the struggling Air America radio network, he'll concentrate on its lineup. Ashley Milne-Tyte talks to one industry watcher who says they need to lighten up.
Britain's first Vegas-style super-casino will be built in Manchester, which came not just from behind, but dead last to win what should be a great economic boon for the city.
The cost of higher education keeps going up, but Southwestern University president Jake Schrum says if you add up the value of everything you're getting, the price of that college education is actually a bargain.
The maker of Mini Coopers launched a new ad campaign with special billboards displaying personalized messages to Mini drivers as they go by. Alisa Roth looks at why the company's advertising to its own drivers.
Software projects like Microsoft's Windows Vista are notoriously late getting to market. Salon.com co-founder Scott Rosenberg has a new book on the perils of software programming. He talks with Kai Ryssdal.
Some U.S. senators want to limit retirement nest-eggs for corporate higher-ups. But the proposal doesn't have much support — even among advocates of limiting executive compensation. John Dimsdale reports.
Because of a backlog at the Social Security Administration, hundreds of thousands of people are burning through savings as they wait to see if they qualify for disability benefits. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
The Mountain State is about to put its Medicaid population on a diet run by the weight-loss company in an attempt to reduce the $100 million a year it spends in obesity-related medical costs. Helen Palmer reports.
AIDS activists took to the streets of Washington, D.C., and New Delhi, India today, protesting an attempt by Novartis to extend the patent protection for a new leukemia drug it makes. Shia Levitt reports.
Commentator James Braly sold his luxury Manhattan apartment and boiled life down to the bare essentials. He's chasing his dream of writing — while living in his building's basement storage unit.
Ethiopian coffee growers say they're not being paid enough for their "black gold" and they've made their case in a documentary film by that name. Stephen Beard has the story.
BA has struck a deal with flight attendants to prevent a two-day strike scheduled to start at midnight tonight. But it won't prevent headaches for many travelers, Stephen Beard reports.
Smart companies can use environmental strategy to their advantage. Yale professor Daniel Esty tells us which companies are making it work — and there are some surprises on the list.
Earthlink introduces a new security system today that it claims will stop most malware before you even know it's a problem. But there's some concern it'll destroy good programs too, Janet Babin reports.
Teachers are still exposing students to news and current events, but these days they're getting the information online. That could spell trouble for local newspapers — and democracies. Helen Palmer explains.
GlaxoSmithKline may have covered up negative findings during clinical trials that linked its antidepressant drug Seroxat with suicidal feelings in teens. Stephen Beard reports.
The consumer version of Microsoft's Vista will be released at midnight tonight. There'll be all sorts of public relations hoopla around the release, but not everyone is celebrating. Lisa Napoli reports.
Marriott International Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott talks about why running the world's largest lodging company isn't so different from operating a root beer stand.
With public opposition to the war in Iraq still strong, a Senate committee holds a hearing tomorrow on whether Congress has the constitutional authority to cut off funding. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
