Week of September 24th, 2007

Every month I get a long list of return numbers from the investment boutique Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz. The latest rows of figures are all positive….

Have a home that just won't sell? One reason might be the soft market, or you're asking too much money for it . . . or you could just be a slob. If that's the case, you could do what Curt Nickisch did and hire a professional home stager.

The first nationwide strike against General Motors in 37 years came and went during the past week. Bob Moon looks back and reports on the effectiveness of strikes in this era of labor relations.

Marketplace will soon launch a special series looking at the American consumer economy — why we keep buying as much stuff as we do, and whether or not its sustainable. Tess Vigeland took up the challenge early, and hauled around her own garbage for nearly two weeks.

Stockbroker and business analyst David Johnson talks with host Kai Ryssdal about what happened on Wall Street this week and what may lie ahead.

Even after years of research and development, the FDA only gives its stamp of approval for a drug or device after a tough set of clinical trials. But a new report finds only a tiny fraction of tests get FDA scrutiny. Helen Palmer reports.

Former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan was famous for his hard-to-read comments on the economy — but now that he's retired, he's warning that the U.S. economy could be headed for a slowdown. Stephen Beard reports on what European economists are predicting.

Oil hit yet another record high on the world market today, topping $83 a barrel. But experts say the price might be artificially inflated by investors flocking to oil as an investment hedge against a dollar in decline. Jill Barshay reports.

Rachel Louise Snyder gets a crash course in the secret world of the ultimate cigar aficianado, with a visit to Jimmy Ng's exclusive cigar lounge located somewhere in the Regent Hotel in Singapore. Getting into the club isn't a question of wealth — you've got to know Jimmy…

Service clubs have a long and proud tradition in this country. But since the 1980s, the clubs have been struggling to survive, competing against families, careers, and a healthy dose of cynicism. Now a resurgence of sorts seems to be developing — Amy Scott reports.

A combination of words that have surely struck you with dread. No, you didn't read wrong. Enjoy your last days of duty-free browsing…

Get out the tissues. (And don't forget to compost them.)…

He may not be a member of any government office in Washington, D.C., but rest assured, he can certainly… open a lot of doors.

This weekend is the last for the regular Major League Baseball season, and that means no ballpark franks for awhile. Jeremy Hobson reports on how the national passtime is a crucial sales time for the hot dog industry.

While the the global community has been struggling for a solution to the fierce military crackdown on a pro-democracy movement, cell phones and web connections have made it a new kind of revolution. Doug Krizner talks to consultant Mike Mitchell.

Presidential candidates are counting up their cash as the quarter closes. Steve Henn reports that the problem isn't how much money campaigns have — it's how fast they're not spending it.

Hotels and real estate agents in France have been bombed by Basque separtist groups. The violence has been bad publicity for the tourism and housing markets. John Laurenson reports.

While plugging his new book in Britain, former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan mentioned he was less optimistic about the American economy, saying the situation would likely become more serious. More from Stephen Beard.

This week in our series covering the different ways people get to work, we meet Wrigley Institute Director Tony Michaels, who works on Catalina Island. Issues he has to deal with on his commute: blue whales and the risk of sinking.

China is unveiling a new investment organization tomorrow geared towards spreading some of its vast amount of money around the world. Lisa Napoli talked to Scott Tong in Shanghai about where the money might go.

Governors from border states in the U.S. and Mexico are meeting today and have illegal immigration on the agenda. After immigration reform failed in Congress, the governors say border issues have never been more pressing. Dan Grech has more.

Author Devra Davis says in her new book, The Secret History of the War on Cancer, we're going about it the wrong way — treating the disease, while all but ignoring the lifestyle and environmental factors that lead to a greater risk of getting cancer in the first place.

What credit squeeze? The Federal Reserve says Americans are charging as much stuff as ever on credit cards. But a report out today from the consumer watchdog Public Citizen says that when we dispute those charges, cardholders lose almost every time. Helen Palmer reports.

Using new water meters, South Africa's found a way to put conservation and commerce on the same page. But Gretchen Wilson reports human costs don't appear on the bill, and the disparity of who gets water — and how much — has the potential to be a flash point.

Thousands of so-called "no match" notices are due to be mailed out as part of a crackdown on illegal immigrants, warning business owners that employees have invalid Social Security numbers. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports industries and livelihoods hang on the decision.

The federal government will pump another $20 billion into student aid, in part by cutting subsidies to lenders. Commentator Kim Clark says more money for college students is all well and good — but we ought to check the math on how we factor those costs in the first place.

Yale and Harvard have a lot of money to invest, and thanks to some smart decisions and investors they are likely to be well-funded for a very long time. But individuals really don't have the luxury of time these institutions have — basically, to infinity. Steve Tripoli reports.

Sales of new homes has hit a seven-year low, and home builders are obviously feeling the squeeze. But that's not the only industry that's going to feel the effects of what started with the meltdown in the subprime home loan market. Alisa Roth reports.

Jim Paulson, head of Wells Capital Management, is always thoughtful. He's been thinking about something I've been wondering about the past few days…

Another day without trash….

The turbulent economy has nothing on Yale. This past fiscal year, the institution's endowment grew 28 percent. Jeremy Hobson has more.

Who said, "Individual investors lose. Mutual fund managers win." Consumer advocate Ralph Nader? Crusading New York State attorney general Eliott…

October 1st was supposed to be the day doctors had to start using tamper-proof paper for Medicaid prescriptions, but Congress gave them a reprieve. John Dimsdale explains why.

Investors want out of the $25 billion deal with Sallie Mae. So the money is going to be redirected — to the students. Marketplace's Renita Jablonski has details.

With so many people too poor of credit to have a bank account, high-fee check-cashing services are a lucrative business. And Mhari Saito reports that Wal-Mart also wants a piece of that action.

British Airways has made it's biggest aircraft order in nearly a decade, including two dozen Boeing 787 Dreamliners with an option for 18 more. Stephen Beard reports that Boeing got the better end of the deal.

The rates on savings certificates of deposits may be dropping, but some banks will still offer a rate higher than average. Jill Barshay has more.

Privacy advocates are seeing red flags around the proposed Google-DoubleClick merger. It would have more personal information than any company in the world — not to mention it's an advertiser. Steve Henn reports.

Democratic Congressman John Dingell is proposing ideas to combat climate change today, including a gasoline tax and a surcharge for using fossil fuels. Dan Grech reports some don't find the idea innovative enough.

If you're irked by American vendors who never seem to be able to break that $20 from the ATM, be thankful you're not in Guatemala. Brett Neely found out that some tourists find it nearly impossible to break the huge bills ATMs spit out over there.

The new fall TV season is upon us, but one group you won't be seeing more of — on network shows, anyway — is gay and lesbian characters. But one entrepreneur is betting market economics can change that. Alex Schmidt reports.

Author and social critic Naomi Klein's new book argues that disasters or major events provide an opening for governments to make changes in economic policy that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. She talked with Kai Ryssdal.

An Equal Employment Opportunity Commission survey for workers that has had a box marked "Hispanic" has been changed to "Hispanic or Latino." Dan Grech takes a look at what's in a name.

While the Federal Reserve may be moving soon toward another interest-rate cut, the European Central Bank appears on course to once again raise rates. Commentator David Frum says that would be bad for Europe — and us.

Making sure rising economic powers such as China, India and Brazil do their part to curb greenhouse gases has become a major sticking point for the White House. But, as Sam Eaton reports, the solutions might be even stickier.

At a hearing today, U.S. senators tore into the three major credit rating agencies — Fitch, Moody's and Standard & Poors — over their roles in the subprime meltdown. At the same time, the SEC said it's investigating conflicts of interest. Amy Scott reports.

One of the key agreements in the new GM-UAW contract is a trust fund for employee and retiree health care benefits. It allows GM to erase tens of billions of dollars of liability from its books. But it still might not be enough. Alisa Roth reports.

The World Bank wants to set up a deal that would give financial aid to poor countries. John Dimsdale reports this would also involve a substantial cut in interest rates.

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Congress is following up on a report that flight cancellations and delays are at near-record highs. But lawmakers may want to react carefully to horror stories. Jeremy Hobson reports.

As political tensions and protests continuing to build in Burma, China is hoping things will calm down. As Burma's biggest ally, China has a lot at stake. Scott Tong reports.

Or maybe we should say "centre." Stephen Beard reports that London does more than twice the amount of foreign trading as New York, and that one advantage has a lot to do with location.

Relieving itself of the pain of high regulation fees, German aspirin maker Bayer left the New York Stock Exchange today. And Jill Barshay reports it's not the only European company to do so.

The United Auto Workers and General Motors have come to a tentative agreement, effectively ending the union strike. GM spokesman Tom Wickham told Lisa Napoli the deal closed a major competitive gap.

The House is considering a bill today that calls for more inspectors of food and drug imports. But should consumers pay for increased safety, or taxpayers? Sarah Gardner has more.

The U.S. dollar may be down at a record low against the euro, but why does that matter if you're not traveling? Commentator Robert Reich explains a ripple effect that amounts to much more than a pricier vacation.

Healthcare insurance premiums are poised to head higher next year. To be sure, the latest Hewitt Associates study shows that health care cost rate…

As environmental businesses begin to flood the market, they're turning to corporate branders to set their wares apart from the pack. Claire Schoen listened in on brainstorming sessions between some San Francisco entrepreneurs and the branding company, Lexicon.

As China races to soon become the number three economy in the world, many aspects of its economy and society are still catching up. Our man in Shanghai, Scott Tong, shares experiences and observations from his daily life there.

Last month Google handled 54% of all Internet searches in the United States, Yahoo 20%. Yet, that dominance isn't deterring a company called PowerSet from entering the search business. Leo LaPorte explained its efforts to Kai Ryssdal.

There's no indication how long the United Auto Workers strike against General Motors will last, or how much damage it might do to an already battered economy. But commentator Dan Neil says the strike is about something bigger than that, anyway.

A House committee is set to consider a bill that would force banks to let you opt out of overdraft programs. And it would oblige banks to warn you if you're heading into the red with ATM transaction. Jeremy Hobson reports.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates heads up to Capitol Hill tomorrow with a $200 billion wish list in his pocket for continued military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Steve Henn has the details.

Protests continued in Myanmar today, with thousands taking to the streets. The military government responded by banning public gatherings. President Bush called for more economic sanctions against the Southeast Asian nation. Alisa Roth reports.

The housing news out today was especialy bleak. Sales of existing homes fell for the sixth-straight month to the lowest point in five years. Kai Ryssdal has more.

Democratic congressman Henry Waxman says Department of Transportation staffers campaigned behind-the-scenes to trash California's fuel economy standards. But Bush officials says they've done nothing wrong. Sarah Gardner reports.

CBS's show "Cane" about a Cuban-American family's sugar empire premieres tonight. While the network claims it's all make-believe, Dan Grech reports the family bears a striking resemblance to a real-life one in Palm Beach.

Do you think a recession is coming with the downturn in housing? Or are you in the camp that believes the worst is behind us?…

Miami-based homebuilder Lennar suffered it's biggest lost in the company's 52-year history, causing it to cut 35 percent of its jobs. Jeremy Hobson reports more are on the way.

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Yasuo Fukuda started today as Japan's new prime minister, and he's already got a lot of economic baggage to carry. Scott Tong reports what's on the leader's to-do list.

Even with a modern, global economy, slavery can still be found in the U.S. Doug Krizner talks to John Bowes, who has a new book out on contemporary slavery, about how and why it's still around.

What effect will the United Auto Workers strike have on General Motors, and how long can it last? Doug Krizner asked Micki Maynard from The New York Times, who said the UAW could be at it for weeks.

BP stock is tanking on a dreary third-quarter appraisal by the company's CEO. Stephen Beard in tells us why it's possible for an oil giant to do poorly right now.

Religion may seem to be on the rise in the U.S., but a new book called "Shopping for God" says it may have more to do with marketing than spirituality. Lisa Napoli talks to author James Twitchell.

The Fed interest rate cut gave a much-needed boost to the junk bond market, but investment banks still need to claw their way out of debt before they can celebrate. Amy Scott has more.

Remember the group that want to provide a $100 laptop computer to kids in poor countries? It hit a snag, in part, because it couldn't deliver the machine at that price. Today, it rebooted its business plan. Steve Tripoli reports.

A company is offering a new Internet phone service free to users. Interested? Here's the catch: You have to let the company listen in on your calls so it can show you advertising related to your conversation. Jill Barshay reports.

Coal mines and steel factories in Germany's Ruhr Valley once drove the country's recovery from World War II. But modern economic realities are changing a way of life. Kyle James reports.

About a third of the world's workers are in farming. But in the prosperity of Europe and the United States, less than 2 percent of all workers till the soil. Commentator and business historian John Steele Gordon says getting more people off the land would be progress.

Wal Mart says it will begin asking its suppliers to voluntarily measure and report their climate-warming carbon emissions. How much impact will it have? Sam Eaton reports.

The UAW is about as set as it can be for a walkout, with about $800 million in its strike fund — enough to give every striker $200 a day and medical benefits for two months. Kai Ryssdal talked with Doug Rademacher, president of UAW local 602 in Lansing, Mich.

At General Motors this morning 73,000 UAW members walked off the job and onto the picket lines in the first nationwide strike against an American car maker since 1976. Until the walkout, negotiations had appeared positive. Alisa Roth reports on where things got off track.