Week of August 3rd, 2009

Actress Aisha Tyler (24, CSI, Friends etc., etc.) joined us at the Marketplace Whiteboard yesterday. She came by because she wanted to discuss a…

What does it mean? What's 8 11? Is that a date? Is that supposed to be 23 or 230? Is that an electrical socket or a smiley face? Or both? It's G…

After decades of waning interest, historical tourism is experiencing a revival. Preservationists are luring visitors back into historic mansions by sharing the personal stories of their former residents through the eyes of the servants that tended them. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

Every year, advertisers get a sneak peek at the fall TV line up. The so-called "TV upfronts" ended yesterday, and the amount of ads bought is way down. Kai Ryssdal talks to Michael Burgi, editor in chief of MediaWeek Magazine about what this means for the industry.

Kai Ryssdal talks with Megan McArdle, editor of the Atlantic Magazine Business Channel, and Mike Mandel, chief economist for Business Week about the mood of the country in regards to the continued health care reform debate.

President Obama is headed to Guadalajara, Mex. to speak with his counterparts in Canada and Mexico about the recovery of the auto industry. One topic of discussion, and a particular sore spot, is the issue of cross-border trucking. Dan Grech reports.

Flash orders let Wall Street members see orders to buy or sell stock milliseconds before they to the public. The SEC wants to ban the practice, but traders aren't putting up a fight. Some are ceasing the method before it causes an uproar. Amy Scott reports.

A judge is criticizing Bank of America and the SEC for the $33 million deal to settle charges that the bank misled investors. In his opinion, settling with the bank was hushing up "serious allegations" of wrongdoing. Now he wants to take a closer look at the case. Tamara Keith reports.

The national unemployment rate declined slightly to 9.4% for July, 0.1% lower than the month prior. Yet, hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs last month. So what does this contradictory data mean? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Marketplace's Cash Peters was working on a story about his car . . . when he crashed it. He learned more than he every expected to about the world of repairs and how to look out for second-rate parts. And he has the skinny on how to go about it.

Our weekly podcast, After the Bell, is now available. Bob Moon's been looking back at this week's news, and he has the feeling that the government…

Last year, New York City started a program to encourage low-income residents to save — and it's working. Alisa Roth explores how "Save NYC" has helped New Yorkers stash money away, even with none to spare.

Millions of Chinese consumers are just now getting wealthy enough to buy certain appliances. And lately the government has been encouraging them to spend. Scott Tong explores how a rebate program is getting villagers to stores.

When commentator Lisa McIntire was laid off, she wasn't handed a physical pink slip. Through social networking, e-mails and IMs, the ex-tech worker tells the story of how she found out her former employer had let her go.

Okay, so Pandora is amazing, right? Not the figure from Greek mythology, the .com, I mean. It's amazing that you can create these stations that let…

Employers cut far fewer jobs than expected last month and the July unemployment rate came down from 9.5% to 9.4%. Reporter Jeremy Hobson talks with Bill Radke about how good this news really is, and how the rate dropped if so many people got laid off last month.

Employers cut fewer jobs last month, and the July unemployment rate came down from 9.5 to 9.4%. Standard & Poors senior economist Beth Ann Bovino talks with Bill Radke about what the latest numbers mean for the broader economy.

Felix Salmon has a new rallying cry: three cheers for short-sellers. He argues that short sellers generally protect investors. No doubt Felix's …

Question: Do you agree with the U.S. Dept. of Public Debt that the current inflation rate is MINUS 5.56%? I have 3-I bonds purchased August 2000…

Exports in Germany jumped 7% in June, and industrial orders continued to rise. Christopher Werth reports on whether the country is headed toward a V-shaped recovery.

Financial giant AIG is reporting its first profit since 2007. The troubled insurer says it made $1.8 billion in the second quarter. Mitchell Hartman reports on the company's crawl out of its bailout hole.

Being unemployed can raise a lot of financial and emotional problems, as well as questions of etiquette. Adriene Hill reports.

A trade spat between the U.S. and China is on the agenda in Washington. A U.S. trade representative is holding a hearing on tires and whether China exports too many to the U.S. Scott Tong reports.

This morning the government's unemployment report for last month will be released. Jeremy Hobson has a preview of what to expect.

Imagine living in a house rent or mortgage free. The catch: renovate it at your own expense. Cathy Duchamp reports on Maryland's historic home curator program.

Marketplace Tech Report for August 07, 2009

Marketplace Money for August 8-9, 2009

Marketplace Morning Report for Friday, August 7, 2009

Despite widespread censorship in China, 92 percent of Internet users there use social media.

A $1.8 billion profit at AIG. A $1.7 billion loss at Royal Bank of Scotland. The White House backs off the Fan and Fred "bad bank" idea. More job…

By now everyone in the known world is aware that Twitter had a two-hour outage this morning. Marketplace tweets, as does the Whiteboard, but when…

Rupert Murdoch is steering his media empire News Corp. towards charging for online content. But will it work? Kai Ryssdal talks with PaidContent.org co-editor Staci Kramer about how she thinks Murdoch will implement his plan.

It used to be pretty easy to earn U.K. citizenship as long as you managed to stay out of trouble. But now British government is implementing stricter policies on who can enter and live in the country. Christopher Werth reports.

President Obama promised during the election that he would not raise taxes on anyone earning less than $250,000. But commentator Lawrence Haas says the president has to, and likely will, raise taxes on the middle class once the economy recovers.

Mortgage-backed securities are making it difficult for people to take advantage of the Making Home Affordable program. Part of the problem is that investors have a say in which loans get modified and which don't. Karen Weise from ProPublica reports.

Cash for Clunkers was supposed to reduce the number of polluting cars on the road. But all those discarded cars are now clogging up junkyards. And disposing of them will be no small task. Sam Eaton reports.

Protests over health care reform have been popping up all over the country. While some are simply grassroots gatherings, some Democrats believe lobbyists may be involved in organizing protests, too. Steve Henn reports.

The White House struck a deal with Big Pharma to lower prescription costs for seniors by $80 billion. But some say that figure isn't nearly enough, especially since a clause in the deal protects the companies from congressional pressure to offer more savings. Tamara Keith reports.

I am sometimes asked, "If we live in such technologically advanced times, where's my jetpack?" Well, it's being withheld from you on account of you…

Paul Nolte, director of investments with Hindsdale Associates, talks with Bill Radke about the outlook for retail sales in July and if August will be any better.

The kids are bailing. Because how can something be cool if all those old people are using it? After all, the company is run by a guy who's 25 years…

If you think banks, auto finance and mortgage companies are usurious, try borrowing on the street in Machester, England. John Kiely, a 36 year-ol…

Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn lets it all hang out in a New York Times story today. "Our risk appetite continues to grow year on year, qu…

A Senate hearing will attempt to shift Washington's attention back to climate change. A new report says reducing greenhouse gases would have a modest impact on the economy. Sam Eaton reports.

Question: If I borrowed amount $x from my IRA and invest it and make $x + 10% and return $x back into my IRA within the 60 day limit, what is the…

The Bank of England has already injected over $200 billion into the U.K.'s economy. Now it's decided to increase that program by adding nearly $85 billion more. Is it worth it? Christopher Werth reports.

Hackers attacked Twitter this morning and forced it to shut down. Tim Bahairn, principal analyst at Creative Strategies, talks with Bill Radke about how this affected Tweeters.

Reporter Jeremy Hobson talks with Bill Radke about why a judge in New York is refusing to let a settlement go forward between Bank of America and the SEC.

Reporter Jeremy Hobson talks with Steve Chiotakis about some of the proposed changes that the White House is mulling for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Marketplace's Scott Tong talks with Bill Radke about the dramatic, two-month long strike at a South Korean automaker and what it says about the larger auto industry.

President Obama's top economic adviser is expected to give an update of the Recovery Act passed by Congress earlier this year. Tamara Keith reports.

State programs are being cut all across California, but one L.A. program is actually expanding. Summer Night Lights keeps parks open until midnight in some of the city's toughest neighborhoods. Jeff Tyler reports.

The Senate is likely to vote on adding $2 billion to the Cash for Clunkers program. Economics correspondent Chris Farrell talks with Steve Chiotakis about the pitfalls to the program, and who will get a boost from it.

Rupert Murdoch's media company News Corporation is reporting a profit slide of 30 percent from a year ago. So, a subscription fee is coming to all of his news Web sites. Jeremy Hobson reports.

Argentine soccer fans are passionate about their sport, so for the game to be put on hold for financial reasons is a big blow to society. But Argentine soccer clubs owe $80 million in back taxes and $8 million more in salaries. Dan Grech reports.

Marketplace Tech Report for August 06, 2009

Marketplace Morning Report for Thursday, August 6, 2009

The hot European music streaming service looks toward the U.S.

Looks like a slack day for the US, markets-wise, although Hong Kong's Hang Seng and the Nikkei both ended up, and European markets are also looking…

We've heard a lot about how the recession has affected the "American Dream." But the literal meaning of the term hasn't gotten much attention. So how has the downturn been affecting Americans' dreams? Krissy Clark reports.

It's been almost a year since Lehman Brothers bit the dust, and creditors are still lining up to get their money back in bankruptcy court. Near the top of the list is a very familiar name: the City of New York. Amy Scott reports.

Canada is faring much better during the recession than the U.S. for a number of reasons, including government policy. Commentator David Frum thinks American lawmakers have a few things to learn from the Canadian stimulus package.

At the end of Lebanon's civil war, a series of laws was introduced to improve prospects for female entrepreneurs. Lebanese women have been playing catch-up to their male counterparts ever since. Now there is an emerging sector of services by women, for women. Don Duncan reports.

Kai Ryssdal talks with Bill Patterson, senior researcher at Mintel, about new rebranding strategies from Whole Foods and Proctor & Gamble.

People are calling "Cash for Clunkers" a success, and a much-needed boost to the weakened auto industry. But the top "clunkers" traded in last week were all American-made cars, while the top sellers were Japanese. Bob Moon reports.

The unemployment rate is what economists call a "lagging indicator," meaning it doesn't say much about where the economy is headed. Some economists are worried the job market is so weak that it could kill any recovery before it starts. Steve Henn reports

Wondering why Ben Bernanke has been making frequent cameos in your dreams? Check out these interpretations by Kelly Bulkeley, dream researcher at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. And tell us what you've been dreaming.

America may have thrown off the yoke of British imperialism, but British ways still seem to have a way of insinuating themselves across the Atlan…

Reporter Jeremy Hobson talks with Bill Radke about why a Senate committee is saying the government should regulate rating agencies.

Dick Fuld, the former CEO of now-defunct investment bank Lehman Brothers, is back in the news. For a while there, it was his wife Kathy making th…

Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management, talks with Steve Chiotakis about whether the ADP employment data is a good prognosticator for the upcoming unemployment report, and what Procter & Gamble's quarterly profit loss indicates.

Members of Congress are heading home for recess, which means the health care debate could be coming to a town hall near you. Or maybe not. Tamara Keith explains.

Reporter Jeremy Hobson talks with Steve Chiotakis about the announcement the Treasury Department is expected to make about boosting the sale of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities.

L.A. Times business columnist David Lazarus talks with Bill Radke about what is standing in the way of making rail transit a success in the United States.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering banning flash orders, a trading practice that gives certain investors an unfair advantage. Reporter Jeremy Hobson talks with Bill Radke about the potential banning.

Lloyds Banking is reporting a $12 billion loss for the first half of 2009. The bank is struggling due to a purchase it made earlier in the year. Christopher Werth reports.

Toyota's new president is in Michigan to talk to industry leaders. With the carmaker reporting losses of more than $800 million, Alisa Roth reports on what it needs to do to get back on track.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will be looking into the possibility of federal regulations to cut down on texting while driving. Jeremy Hobson reports.

As members of the House head home to gauge the mood of their constituents, one congressman is focusing on small business owners, who face lost credit lines, lower borrowing limits, and trouble even getting loans from some banks. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Marketplace Tech Report for August 05, 2009

Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday, August 5, 2009

President Obama's cybersecurity initiatives have been so delayed, a top interim official has recently resigned.

Paddy Hirsch here, filling in for Scott until the weekend….

Britain has come a long way from the era of classes and nobility, but a government-sponsored report finds that the poor are still cut off from top jobs. Medicine and law are open only to the rich, and the divide is only getting deeper. Stephen Beard reports.

That's a quote from Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, who today asked protesters to be more civil when confronting Democrats over the issue of…

Kai Ryssdal talks with health reform czar Nancy-Ann DeParle to smooth out some confusing facts about health-care reform. She also explains what President Obama will be doing while Congress is on summer recess.

Selling tamales on the streets of Los Angeles is a dangerous game of hide-and-seek. Tamale vendors, or "Tamaleros," have to avoid obstacles like gangs, traffic, police and health inspectors to make only about $30 a day. Devin Browne talks to one Tamalero who's found ways to stay in business.

Elkhart, Ind. is largely dependent on sales and manufacturing of RVs. Needless to say its an industry not faring well in this recession. Kai Ryssdal talks with dime-store owner Mac McNally of Elkhart about Obama's visit and the economic straits of the Midwestern city.

President Obama is heading back to Indiana for the fourth time in the past 15 months – he visited the city of Elkhart back in February. The economy is likely to be a major topic, since the state has been hard-hit by the downturn. Tamara Keith reports.