U.K. radio's Classic FM says its audience now boasts almost half a million young teens — 50 percent more than February. The Marketplace Players wish the great composers were around to take advantage of the new youth market.
Congress and the Bush administration have taken the first step toward approving trade agreements with four countries. But John Dimsdale reports that there are still some difficult steps ahead.
A leading bidder for Chrysler says it's taken a $1.5 billion investment from a Russian tycoon with close ties to the Kremlin. Russia expert Anders Aslund talks with Kai Ryssdal about who's involved.
In Lebanon, Sunni and Shia groups are engaged in reconstruction one-upmanship. Ben Gilbert reports that if you expect to be a player in the Middle East, Lebanon is the place to make your mark.
Federal campaign finance laws are complicated. But in Virginia it's simple: Give as much money as you want as many times as you want. The catch? Everybody gets to know. Steve Henn reports.
It's been three months since we visited Seattle investment club Meridian Pacific, and a lot has gone on in the stock market since then. Tess Vigeland catches up with the group.
The Treasury Department is making a new retirement option fairly attractive. Tess Vigeland discusses the benefits of a Roth 401K with MSN Money's Liz Pulliam Weston.
Being a stay-at-home mom could be a precarious move, according to Leslie Bennetts, author of "The Feminine Mistake." She talks to Tess Vigeland about why.
Tens of thousands of Somalians have fled their warring nation for the safety of Kenyan refugee camps, but the influx has strained resources at the camps and they're finding that life isn't easy there either. Gretchen Wilson brings us their story.
Congress has been studying potential actions to curb the risky practices that led to the subprime crisis. Lawmakers are giving the private sector a chance to reform itself, but it better act soon, Steve Tripoli reports.
It looks more and more like inflation is going to come under control. But with gas prices flirting with record highs, consumers can't catch a break. It seems most of our spending money is going into the tank. Steve Henn has more details.
A company heavily advertises an event that raises a lot of money for a good cause — and just happens to boost its own sales along the way. Campbell's Soup does it every year. Is it a win-win campaign or exploitation? Pat Loeb digs in.
Even the shipping routes of illicit drug trade follow market tides. The euro's strength has lured Latin American cocaine traffickers away from the U.S. for higher returns on the streets of Europe. And that's positioned Africa as a new drug shipping hub.
Pull those 4-inch heels out of the back of your closet. A New Hampshire company has developed an insole that claims to make high heels comfortable. Achieving this feat wasn't easy. In fact, it took a rocket scientist to figure it out. Pat Loeb has the story.
The International Energy Agency warned today that if OPEC doesn't increase production, tightening oil reserves will cause prices to skyrocket. And they'll only get higher if consumers don't conserve at the pump, Amy Scott reports.
In Germany today, some 11,000 workers walked off the job at one of Europe's biggest telecom companies. They're striking over a restructuring plan that would require some employees to work longer for less pay. Kyle James reports.
Recent changes in Europe have made cross-border banking transactions quicker and cheaper. That's spurred banks there to quietly collaborate on a pan-European debit card to challenge MasterCard's Maestro. Stephen Beard explains.
The United Nations estimates more than 4 million Iraqis have been displaced by the war so far. Just a handful have been allowed to come to the United States. Some in Congress would like to change that. John Dimsdale reports.
Retail sales numbers out today were some of the worst ever recorded. Major retailers reported a 2.3 percent decline over last year. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports on gas prices and the rest of the usual suspects.
The maker of the powerful painkiller Oxycontin and three of its top executives admit they lied about the drug's addiction risks. As a result, they'll pay a total of $600 million in fines. Helen Palmer reports.
U.S. food producers say they are all in favor of taking a tougher tone with their foreign counterparts. Steve Tripoli reports on whether their motives are entirely unadulterated.
In a new book about how America pays for war, Goldman Sachs Vice Chairman Robert Hormats claims Congress and the White House are sidestepping their obligations to pay back their debts. He talked with Kai Ryssdal.
Some Fortune 500 CEOs this week announced a coalition to push for health care reform. But commentator Jamie Court says what they're really seeking is a government bailout of insurers and drug companies.
What does America do about workers who find themselves out of a job but don't have the computer skills necessary to find work in the knowledge economy? Hillary Wicai reports on one effort in North Carolina.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he considers his handling of the British economy to have been one of his major successes during his 10 years in office. As Blair prepares to step down, Stephen Beard takes a look back.
From your cell phone to the gas pump, technology is making it easier than ever to watch games and get sports news just about anytime, anywhere. And that's nudging the industry ever closer to the entertainment model, says David Carter.
The magazine PR Week hosts a conference today for marketing types to swap stories and advice on "going green." So as more and more companies launch new environmental initiatives, how can you tell what's just window dressing? Sarah Gardner looks into it.
A chemical used to manufacture those popular microwaveable bags of popcorn is known to cause lung disease among food workers. There's renewed pressure on the FDA to remove diacetyl from its list of safe chemicals.
A billionaire from Russia's new breed of entrepreneurs is investing heavily in a Canadian auto parts giant, and the ultimate target of the deal may be a buyout of iconic U.S. carmaker Chrysler.
As lawmakers consider greater oversight of the lucrative student loan industry, some universities are pushing for self-regulation. They claim the free market will spit out the bad seeds, but critics say that's misguided. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Apple remains in the SEC's sights for possible stock option backdating violations. Two of its shareholder groups want reform, but with profits soaring to the tune of 88 percent, it may be a hard sell. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Researchers have stumbled across an interesting correlation between immigration and the economy: The number of migrants apprehended at the Mexican border appears to be a very good predictor of economic growth in the U.S. Dan Grech reports.
Europe is withdrawing its challenge to America's GPS — for now. Ongoing squabbles between backers of the satellite navigation system have forced the European Commission to shelve it, but it may reemerge as a taxpayer-funded project. Stephen Beard reports.
It's the dream of many an entrepreneur:Come up with a product that's so successful, you take it national.There's one of those stories happening right now in Beverly Hills. Lisa Napoli reports.
It's now seven meetings in a row the Federal Reserve has declined to move interest rates one way or the other. Kai Ryssdal got Greg McBride from Bankrate.com on the phone to get his take on what the Fed might be thinking.
One of the big credit bureaus has rolled out an electronic product that's worrying consumer advocates. It lets collection agencies zoom in on their prey faster than ever. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Given the state of the housing market, it wasn't entirely surprising when luxury homebuilder Toll Bros. warned it won't meet its earnings target for the year. Amy Scott reports even the wealthy are feeling some pain.
A month after reports of contaminated pet food, more attention has been put on the FDA's ability to monitor America's food quality. John Dimsdale reports there's a whole wide world of food sources out there to be worried about.
An FDA panel takes a look tomorrow at the use of anemia medications. They're often used by cancer patients, but they're expensive for patients and insurance companies. Helen Palmer reports.
Commentator David Frum says that while you now know it may not be safe to buy pet food from China, what makes you think it's safe to put your 401(k) there?
When The Virginia Company landed more than 100 settlers at Jamestown, Va., 400 years ago, things didn't start off so well. History professor Karen Kupperman talks with Kai Ryssdal about how the company operated.
Toyota reported another year of record profits. But those profits weren't quite as much as everybody had expected. And the company says things are going to be even slower next year. Alisa Roth reports.
All eyes are on the Fed today. Most expect short-term interest rates to hold steady, but analysts are divided over what's ahead. Some are talking about the possibility of a rate cut as early as next month, Amy Scott reports.
The Senate Finance Committee considers this week whether money made by private equity partners should be taxed as income instead of capital gains. Commentator Robert Reich says you better believe it.
More and more Filipinos living abroad are saying goodbye market vendors, so long Western Union — hello Web. A new crop of businesses is springing up to make sending gifts to loved ones back home easier than ever, reports Lenora Chu.
More Americans than ever before are eating from an international table. But revelations about tainted fish food in Canada have some worried that lax oversight of food imports could lead to even bigger problems.
The former president has worked out a deal to lower the cost of top-of-the-line AIDS treatment to less than $1 a day in developing nations. That's 50 to 70 percent less, but some say it's still too much. Helen Palmer reports.
It's official: London is now home to the most expensive residential real estate in the world, according to the newly-released 2007 Wealth Report, beating out Monaco, New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Pat Loeb reports.
China's market continues its rapid march upward, hurtling over the 4,000 mark today. The euphoric buying spree has some government officials advising caution, but investors won't be swayed, Scott Tong reports.
Demand for metals in fast-growing China and India is so great it's leading to production shortfalls. And that's left mining companies in a mad scramble to buy each other out, Stephen Beard reports.
ABC and ESPN say they're going to offer some programs to Cox Cable for free, on-demand viewing. But viewers won't be able to skip the ads with their digital video recorders. Lisa Napoli reports.
Citigroup says it will spend $50 billion over the next decade on reducing greenhouse gases. Its CEO sees it as an emerging investment opportunity. Kai Ryssdal and Sam Eaton discuss the corporation's plans.
Commentator Benjamin Barber says the wolves are after World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz because he failed to cultivate effective leadership. Instead of giving orders, he should have been listening.
Chevron is reported to be ready to make a deal with U.S. prosecutors over its role in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal that lined Saddam Hussein's pockets. Janet Babin reports.
Political campaigns aren't much different from Wall Street corporations. They, too, like to pad their numbers at the end of a reporting season to show strength and growth. John Dimsdale reports.
Most of the us found out about Rupert Murdoch's $5 billion bid for Dow Jones on May 1. The New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin reported today that some at the Wall Street Journal found out a bit sooner. He talked with Kai Ryssdal.
Venezuela's oldest, most-watched TV network is going to have its broadcast license pulled by the government at the end of the month. It's the price for getting on the wrong side of President Hugo Chavez. Dan Grech reports.
Corn prices are sky-high thanks to the sudden demand for ethanol, but that's spurring debate over whether some farmland should be taken out of a conservation program and used to grow more corn. Annie Baxter reports.
The days of billionaire media moguls running Italy may be numbered. The present government is trying to push through a law that would keep anyone with business interests over about $18 million out of office. Megan Williams reports.
Every August, US News and World Report publishes its influential guide to American colleges. But the popular franchise has its detractors, who say some universities distort key information. Steve Henn reports.
Watchdog groups are calling it the biggest pork-barrel water projects bill ever. The Senate wants to spend $32 billion for hundreds of projects — like millions to keep a California beach sandy. Steve Henn reports.
Washington wants to step up alternative fuel production and, who woulda thunk it, the coal industry is making a big push to gain federal support. And it's making some headway, Sam Eaton reports.
A Senate committee today revisits the Real ID Act, which creates a federal standard for state IDs. Most folks agree it's a good idea, but no one wants to foot the expensive bill, reports Jeremy Hobson.
People in poor, minority neighborhoods were prime targets for subprime lenders, so when that market crumbled those areas were hardest hit. A nonprofit group has plotted maps showing the disparity in New York City. Ilya Marritz walks us through it.
New research says losses in overseas sales due to piracy are drastically lower than business groups have been claiming. That's creating concern that the new numbers will take the heat off countries like China, Stephen Beard tells us.
Commentator Shira Boss says we're more likely to know about our friends taking antidepressants than about how they handle their money — and that should change.
In his latest book, economist Daniel Altman looks at a day in the lives of workers and businesses in the globalized economy. He talks with Kai Ryssdal about what works . . . and doesn't.
Capitalism's traditional view is that companies exist to make money for shareholders — period. But one group is trying to change that definition. Alex Goldmark reports.
A group of Fortune 500 companies announced today their support for reforming health care and the formation of a coalition that will push for mandatory market-based health insurance. Janet Babin reports.
A company called Development Technology Workshop, or DTW, is trying to do well while doing good at the same time. Rachel Louise Snyder caught up with the man who runs it in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
News of Alcoa's hostile, $27 billion bid for Canadian competitor Alcan pushed the Dow ever higher today. The stock market's on a winning streak it hasn't seen since 1927. Amy Scott looks into whether it can sustain it.
When it comes to winning big military contracts, the U.S. is pretty much the jackpot. So Britain's BAE Systems is building up its presence here, buying American defense contractor Armor Holdings. Stephen Beard reports.
Three CNET reporters are breaking an age-old taboo and turning the tables on Corporate America. The journalists plan to sue Hewlett-Packard alleging invasion of privacy after their phone records were scrutinized by HP investigators. Steve Henn reports.
Senate Democrats are working to allow cheap prescription drug imports to save Americans money, but critics warn the move could have unintended consequences that'll incur higher costs than what we're paying now, reports John Dimsdale.
A global storm of interest surrounds the spring art auctions kicking off this week in New York. With several works expected to hit record new price points, Janet Babin looks at what's behind the rising cost of fine art.
The French have elected Nicolas Sarkozy as their next president — a hardliner who's seen as l'Américain when it comes to economic policy. He wants to free up the French economy, and that's led to an unusual air of optimism there.
Motorola shareholders today will decide whether or not to give billionaire corporate raider Carl Icahn a shot at tinkering with the struggling cell phone giant from the inside. Jill Barshay reports.
