What happens when President Obama discusses war, credit card interest rates, and popularity polls with a few former presidents? Just listen to the folks from Saturday Night Live.
There's likely to be a new offering in the futures market — betting on how well a movie will do at the box office. Tess Vigeland finds out how it would work from Richard Jaycobs, president of the Cantor Exchange.
Tourism is big business in Los Angeles. But what most people don't do is walk through L.A.'s grittier neighborhoods. One man's gang tour may change that. Caitlan Carroll reports.
Listeners react to our story about the new kind of video surfacing on YouTube — "hauls" where shoppers describe their loot — inspiring one mother to create her own.
Some of the unemployed are turning to volunteer opportunities such as the Peace Corps — no matter how old they are. Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Many states are facing budget cuts that jeopardize the future of historically black colleges. Commentator Dr. Ronald Mason, president of Jackson State University, says it's time to adapt or perish.
Fortune Magazine's Leigh Gallagher and Clusterstock's John Carney talk with Kai Ryssdal about whether it matters if we have a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, and where the economy is with indicators all over the place.
Environmentalists want the greater sage grouse of the American West listed as endangered. Ranchers and energy developers don't. Sarah Gardner reports on the Interior Department's compromise of sorts.
Tess Vigeland talks with EcoMotion's Ted Flanigan about a program that makes it easy for property owners to install green home improvements at lower costs.
President Obama wants to slap a fee on some of the nation's biggest banks to recoup $99 billion in taxpayer bailout money. But the Congressional Budget Office warns the tax would ultimately hit consumers and investors. Bob Moon reports.
The idea of a consumer protection agency has been resurrected several times since President Obama proposed it last spring, but public opinion about such an agency is mixed.
The Labor Department jobs report says 36,000 jobs were lost in February and the number of temporary workers has shot up for the fifth straight month. That usually means permanent hiring isn't far behind. Usually. Mitchell Hartman reports.
Almost two months after Google complained about China's Web controls and threatened to leave the country, the search engine seems to be changing its mind. Scott Tong explores the role diplomacy has played in Google's sea change.
India's IT sector is often perceived as just an outlet for outsourced technical drudge work. But its recent animation work on Avatar and other upcoming films is helping the industry shape a much more impressive image. Raymond Thibodeux reports.
The Senate isn't expected to consider the House's just-passed $15 billion revised jobs bill until next week. But Nancy Marshall Genzer reports Congress wants to show it's doing something to put Americans to work.
The White House's plan for financial regulatory reform has not gotten a warm reception so far in Congress. What are the chances of passage? Steve Chiotakis talks to former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
While many industries struggled in last year's troubled economic climate, the box office thrived, thanks in part to new technology that made a visit to the theater more alluring. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
As Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou heads to Berlin seeking debt help from German officials, positive signs are emerging for Greece's situation. Stephen Beard explores why investors may be feeling a little better.
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.
The Labor Department says claims for unemployment insurance shrank by 29,000, but snowstorms and bad weather in the northeast are still having an effect on those numbers. Steve Chiotakis talks to Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial.
Even though the Great Recession and the real estate crash are fading, African Americans are still at a greater disadvantage. Commentator Angela Glover Blackwell says that's in part because of how they were able to get into the housing market.
Executives from some of the biggest insurance companies met with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to discuss premium increases. She asked them how they come up with the numbers. Gregory Warner reports.
When it comes to giving aid to places like Haiti and Chile, sometimes a helping hand can have unintended consequences. Sabri Ben-Achour reports on the economics of disaster relief.
Rene Merino, president of Wines of Chile, talks with Kai Ryssdal about how much damage has been done to the Chilean wine industry because of the quake.
With consumers starting to spend a little, there's also new evidence that big businesses are feeling flush with cash and ready to jump in. Mitchell Hartman reports.
Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit defended his bank and listed all the ways it is turning around at a hearing before a panel overseeing the bank bailout. Amy Scott reports.
Bankers and bank regulators are testifying before the government's bailout watchdog panel. Citigroup CEO, Vikram Pandit is also there, thanking Congress for saving his company. Bill Radke finds out why from Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer.
State governors are waiting to see who made it to the final round of the Race to the Top competition, which provides billions in grants to state educational programs. But Jeremy Hobson reports some have already assumed they've won.
Tech executives and government officials are converging in a series of meetings on the issue of Internet freedom overseas. Mitchell Hartman explores why the stakes are high for foreign policy and American business.
The White House is proposing financial reform legislation that would prevent banks from engaging in high-risk proprietary trading. Bill Radke explores the unhappy reception that idea is getting with Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer.
Political lobbyists are increasingly drawn to sites like Facebook for their large user base. But some Web content providers are running into a conflict with ad campaigns offering false deals for political action. Brett Neely reports.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will head to Berlin tomorrow to ask for an E.U. rescue. Germany will likely have the final say on any bailout, but German officials already aren't keen on the idea. Christopher Werth reports.
Anyone familiar with Alice in Wonderland remembers the Mad Hatter. But how'd he get the name? Bill Radke talks to Dr. Alison Matthews David, who explains the correlation between hat-making and mental imbalance in 19th-century England.
Toyota wants to close a car-making plant in Fremont, Calif., which would put 5,000 people out of work and could indirectly cost 20,000 more jobs in the process. State officials are trying hard to fight the move. Jeff Tyler reports.
Under new White House legislation, banks wouldn't be able to make engage in proprietary trading to prevent a potential conflict of interest. U.S. bankers who don't like the proposal are threatening to move abroad. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
We've known for a long time that entrepreneurship tends to run in families. But now researchers are asking: Could there actually be entrepreneurial genes? Mitchell Hartman reports.
Microsoft has filed antitrust lawsuits against Google in Europe. And in the past few weeks, a series of small companies have also filed lawsuits. What gives? Brett Neely reports.
A report from MasterCard's Spending Pulse says consumers are buying again, and retailers are not resorting to extreme discounts. But there are still big barriers to retail sales growth. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Toyota helped usher in a global quality revolution in the mid-1970s. But when the brakes slipped on its cars, consumers were betrayed. Commentator David Frum says they weren't the only ones.
The Atlantic's Don Peck talks with Kai Ryssdal about why this recession is different from others, and the lasting impact chronic unemployment will have on America.
The deadline is soon approaching for lenders to take advantage of a Federal Reserve program called TALF, which is designed to encourage more loans. John Dimsdale reports.
President Obama laid out what he plans to do moving forward with the health care overhaul at the White House. Marketplace's Gregory Warner talks with Kai Ryssdal about the plan, its costs, and what happens next.
President Obama's plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system may involve a legislative tactic which could get around the need for Republican support. Nancy Marshall Genzer explains how it works.
The Environmental Protection Agency's annual budget includes President Obama's proposed $43 million to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Sarah Gardner reports why today's budgetary Senate hearing could turn into a climate regulations debate.
Even though Californians have been told another massive quake is inevitable, the majority of them don't carry earthquake insurance. Bill Radke explores this predicament with Los Angeles Times business columnist David Lazarus.
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether several hedge funds added to Greece's debt problems by conspiring to drive down the value of the euro. Christopher Werth reports one particular event driving suspicions.
ABC is threatening to withhold airing the Oscars as Cablevision continues refusing to pay more in carriage fees. But TV viewers have survived this type of bout before. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Mobile device applications are increasingly using location check-ins to engage users and build their credibility. But where does all that information go, and can it hurt you? Gigi Douban reports.
The BBC is making major cutbacks to its TV, radio and online broadcasting in a pre-emptive strike against the next election outcome. Some say the BBC is appeasing its commercially-motivated rivals. Stephen Beard reports.
The Senate broke through a logjam yesterday that held up funding to extend unemployment benefits and pay federal highway construction workers. Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer about what bills will follow.
In the town of Boron, Calif., the mineral borax is a way of life. But a labor standoff between a powerful mining company and unionized workers has left more than a quarter of the town's residents without work. Apryl Lundsten reports.
Tess Vigeland reviews what listeners had to say about stories involving college sports corruption, health care costs, and rethinking the Wall Street dream.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the government may require every new car to have a braking system that overrides the gas pedal. John Dimsdale reports on the changes still to come.
As India asserts itself as a rising power, its capital city is feeling the urge to spruce up its new image. New Delhi is hiring private contractors to collect trash from the streets. But that move isn't good for everyone. Raymond Thibodeaux reports.
Congress is trying to hammer out a jobs bill that will get Americans back to work because nationally the unemployment rate is almost 10%. Commentator Margaret Simms says that number would spark envy in the black community.
The Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn has been named a Superfund site, which clears the way for cleanup of the polluted waterway. But that move may also hurt the area. Amy Scott explains.
The latest word on a new consumer watchdog agency for financial products is that it would become part of the Federal Reserve. Where does consumer sentiment lie for an idea designed to protect them? Brett Neely reports.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Chile and promised more aid. But coming so quickly after the quake in Haiti, will recovery efforts be hampered? Jeff Tyler reports.
Political fears are dragging down the British pound in foreign exchange markets, and that's bad news for the U.S. Marketplace's Stephen Beard explores the correlation between a weak pound and a high-riding dollar.
Where there's a bank closing, there's sure to be an auction to follow. Small businesses looking for a steal on furniture or other liquidated assets can find some interesting things for sale. Dan Bobkoff reports.
Structural engineers give Chile's building codes credit for their role in damage control during the country's recent earthquake. How do building codes across the U.S. stack up? Jeff Tyler reports.
Senate negotiators are working out legislation that would create a government watchdog for consumers, but one that's less independent than some would like. Bill Radke gets details from Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer.
