Marketplace's Brendan Newnam and Rico Gagliano chat with fellow staffers George Judson, Amy Scott and Stacey Vanek-Smith about under-the-radar stories: Protesting snowmen, fake kidnapping, and a prize for watching Phoonk 2 alone.
Several years ago three U.S. companies sank millions of dollars into a forest reserve in southern Brazil to earn credits to cover some of their carbon emissions back in America. How does the scheme work on the ground? Michael Montgomery reports in collaboration with Mark Schapiro.
Like many other young people, Youth Radio's Lauren Silverman used to swoon at the idea of working in the towers of high finance. But now she's thinking differently.
Atlantic Magazine's Megan McArdle and Visible Economy's Mike Mandel talk with Bob Moon about what they took away from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's appearance on Capitol Hill and whether the current health care bill does enough to control costs.
The Supreme Court will soon hear the appeal of Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, who is serving a 24-year prison sentence. Brett Neely reports there are signs the justices may overturn an anti-fraud statute used to convict him.
A trade group of utilities has backed efforts to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. But that group doesn't speak for all of its members. Jennifer Collins reports.
As of this week, the Small Business Administration has run out of stimulus funding to guarantee bank loans on favorable terms. At a House hearing, legislators grilled bankers and regulators on what they plan to do to jump-start lending. Mitchell Hartman reports.
Home sales were down last month while the Gross Domestic Product was up 5.9% at the end of last year. The latest economic data have one thing in common: snow. John Dimsdale reports it's having an increasing impact on the economy's performance.
Twenty years ago East Germans, who lived in a communist system for decades, found themselves suddenly confronted by capitalism. What has the transition been like since then? Amy Scott reports.
Despite Wall Street's role in the collapse of the economy, students at a New York City high school say they are still focused on pursuing careers in finance. Youth Radio's Rachel Krantz reports.
Marketplace Economics Editor Chris Farrell joins Tess Vigeland to answer questions about saving in euros for an overseas trip, and putting money away for an entire summer in Alaska's national parks.
Robert Spector, author of "The Mom & Pop Store," talks with Tess Vigeland about why that small store down the street is doing pretty well in this recession.
Condominiums depend on owners of their units chipping in for common expenses like fixing the roof. But what happens when the deadbeat owner next door is a major bank. Ashley Gross reports.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has announced that interest rates will stay low for a while. That's good news for borrowers, but what about savers? Marketplace's John Dimsdale has some ideas that might be of greater interest for them.
Quentin Peel, The Financial Times' chief correspondent for Germany, talks with Bill Radke about why a new word has entered the Greek debt crisis debate: Nazis.
The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission meets again today to take another look into what led to the financial meltdown. Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Gregory Warner about how the hearings are going so far.
Congress is debating ways to regulate Wall Street. But what about self regulation? In the first of a three-part series, Youth Radio presents this audio postcard from a meeting of the NYU Stern School of Business Ethics Society.
The global market for vaccines is expected to soon top $30 billion, but a new technology utilizing tobacco plants could change the market entirely. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Several cities across the country are eliminating their mounted police units in an effort to save money. But the city of Baltimore has found a creative way to keep its steeds galloping: corporate horse sponsorship. Cathy Duchamp reports.
New York City begins a program today that will enable passengers to share a cab with total strangers along three specific routes. Jeremy Hobson spoke with passengers and cabbies who aren't so fond of the idea.
After an uneasy day at President Obama's health care summit with with no agreement at hand, the president and congressional leaders are considering their options. Gregory Warner reports.
Each week on Marketplace Money, host Tess Vigeland looks at the week's major national and international stories that will impact the average listener's wallet.
As easy as it may be for you to connect to others on social networks, it's just as easy for Internet criminals to scheme online as well. Twitter was the latest victim.
There are many reasons why families face foreclosure, like loss of income or rising health care costs. But several new studies show there's another factor closely linked with foreclosure rates: gas prices. Andrea Bernstein reports.
Some big banks have been placing bets on whether Greece will default on its debt. Reuters blogger Felix Salmon talks with Bob Moon about whether it is fair to demonize the banks, and where we go from here.
Delegates at the global climate summit failed to figure out a way to stop the destruction of the world's forests. But some lawmakers think they have a solution, and it relies on financing from some of America's biggest polluters. Michael Montgomery reports in collaboration with Mark Schapiro.
There has been talk that the number of teams participating in the NCAA basketball playoffs known as March Madness should be expanded. Wall Street Journal sportswriter Darren Everson talks with Bob Moon about the financial impact the move would have and who would benefit.
The Obama administration has been pushing for nuclear power as a cleaner energy source. But state senators in Vermont are sending a different message by voting to retire a 38-year-old power plant. John Dimsdale reports.
Tempers flared at times during a bipartisan health care summit in Washington. But despite the drama, many Americans greet the health care debate with a shrug. Why? Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke continued his testimony on Capitol Hill today in front of the Senate Banking Committee. Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, a committee member, tells Bill Radke about concerns he's had with Bernanke's leadership.
Strikes continued this week in Spain and Greece over hikes in the retirement age and other government cutbacks. Brett Neely reports on the factors contributing to Europe's mounting economic crisis.
Critics of proposed financial regulations say such rules could limit financial innovation. Marketplace's economics correspondent Chris Farrell discusses financial innovations of the past with host Bill Radke.
Chinese regulators say the sale of Hummer to a Chinese company fell through because the application for the deal was incomplete. But some analysts say it was nixed because the gas-guzzling brand didn't fit with the image Beijing wants for its auto industry. Scott Tong reports.
President Obama's health care summit will be getting back to the essentials of cutting costs. The president's reform plan would try to accomplish this by requiring all Americans to buy insurance. Gregory Warner reports.
Dallas's 52-story Elm Place building stands vacant and closed, unable to compete with newer buildings and suburban migration. Kate Archer Kent explores the dying trend of the skyscraper.
A House panel is investigating how to prevent endocrine disruptors — synthetic chemicals found in everyday products — from getting into drinking water. Health advocates say the chemicals harm human reproduction. Sarah Gardner reports.
Akio Toyoda, head of Toyota, took full responsibility for the automaker's safety problems and suggested his company got its priorities confused. Bob Moon reviews what he said at a House committee hearing.
The failure of the Copenhagen talks, a key Republican victory in the Senate and the recession have all hurt the prospects for serious cuts in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Where does that leave us? Sarah Gardner reports.
The Obama administration is seeking to slap limits on health insurance costs in response to a premium rate hike by insurer Anthem-Blue Cross. But commentator Robert Reich argues there's a better way.
Many Haitians are now living in temporary dwellings after last month's earthquake, but a group in Miami has proposed a solution. Architect Andres Duany of the firm DPZ talks with Bob Moon about the quick, easy homes he's designing with manufacturer InnoVida.
The Greek government has committed to make deep cuts in its public spending, but the process is not going smoothly. Greek labor unions have called for their second nationwide strike this month. Stephen Beard reports.
Three Google executives were given 6-month suspended sentences for allowing a video of a boy being bullied to be posted on its Web site. Mitchell Hartman reports the case highlights international differences on Internet privacy.
NBC is hoping the return of Jay Leno to "The Tonight Show" will help it reclaim the late-night dominance it once held. But it also has a big hole to fill at the 10 o'clock hour. Jeremy Hobson reports.
On Capitol Hill, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said low interest rates are here to stay for awhile. The economy may need the zero percent interest rates, but they're a challenge for people looking for a little return on their savings. John Dimsdale reports.
Toyota's president will be apologizing to Capitol Hill for his company's part in producing faulty cars. But the hearing will also focus on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's role in the recall. Gregory Warner reports.
The European Union has launched a preliminary inquiry into Google's search ranking system. Google's European competitors have egged the E.U. onto investigating the practices of the domineering search engine. Christopher Werth reports.
A student at NYU's Stern School of Business was frustrated when a professor told him to leave for being an hour late to class. He wrote the professor an e-mail . . . and got his own private lecture.
A new retail Web site offers drugstore products without retail markup or shipping costs. With a business model so generous to consumers, how does the site make money? Kaomi Goetz has the story.
As many as 2 million workers in Greece are reported to have walked off the job today in the second workers' strike this month. Government pay cuts are to blame, but Stephen Beard reports Greece's spending cuts are only expected to deepen.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is facing lawmakers on Capitol Hill, now with his focus pulled away from defending his job. Bill Radke talks to Marketplace's Gregory Warner about Bernanke's testimony.
NBC is scoring a ratings win for its coverage of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, beating top programs like American Idol most of last week. Steve Chiotakis talks to analyst Deena Myers about why the coverage was thought to be a gamble.
Executives from Wellpoint, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross, are testifying on Capitol Hill on Anthem's move to boost premiums of its California members. But Jeremy Hobson reports the bad PR might also be good for the company.
President Obama is expected to unveil a proposal to encourage coal-burning power plants to switch to natural gas. But while prices for natural gas are dropping and it's still a cleaner option, coal is still cheaper. John Dimsdale reports.
A number of states have started programs using drug companies' sales strategies to bring doctors a different message about what medications they should prescribe. Gregory Warner reports.
Some libel cases in the U.K. have generated lots of controversy, and reactions that have sprung up as a result could have international impact. Rico Gagliano reports.
Intel CEO Paul Otellini talks with Kai Ryssdal about why his company is investing $3.5 billion in U.S. tech companies and how it plans to put more college graduates to work.
The global financial crisis and Toyota's current mess have something in common — government watchdogs didn't fully understand the complex systems they were supposed to be regulating. Bob Moon reports.
The Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence Index fell almost 11 points in February. But consumers, and that number, can be a little fickle. Alisa Roth reports.
The latest report from the Case Schiller Index says home prices in 20 big metro areas fell 0.2% in December. But the index is up by 0.3% when adjusted for the time of year. What do these numbers indicate? Mitchell Hartman reports.
A study released in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows deaths caused by infections caught in hospitals are more common than previously thought. Bill Radke gets details from Marketplace's Gregory Warner.
The bumpy housing market recovery continues with the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index showing some modest gains for December. Steve Chiotakis delves into the details with analyst Juli Niemann at Smith, Moore and Company.
Even after Lufthansa pilots agreed to return to work, airline workers continue to strike across Europe. Christopher Werth finds employees' fears of airline costs-cutting is a predominant theme.
Realtors are seeing a trend of customers in the market for a house that will accommodate more members of the family moving in, possibly later on. Mitchell Hartman explores the rise of the "latchkey" family.
What started as a cute site for funny cat pictures with captions became a string of sites designed to waste your time. And they're profitable. Bill Radke talks to Seattle entrepreneur Ben Huh of the Cheezburger Network.
