Europe is teetering on the edge of a credit crisis, and markets all around the world are tumbling as investors worry about contagion. It's all about banks not trusting each other, as Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains.
Marketplace's Brendan Newnam and Rico Gagliano chat with fellow staffers Betsy Streisand, Dalasie Michaelis, and Stacey Vanek-Smith about a dating site for Apple lovers, a test for pork, and how beautiful women can raise your stress level.
After the U.K.'s general election resulted in a hung parliament, its two big parties are trying to put something together with the third-place Liberal Democrats. European correspondent Stephen Beard talks the details with Kai Ryssdal.
The clock is ticking — Have you bought your mom a Mother's Day gift? Tanya Ott has some advice: Forget the candy and flowers and give your mom some extra hours of sleep.
Reuters blogger Felix Salmon and The Big Money's Heidi Moore talk with Kai Ryssdal about what happened when the Dow plunged this week, and whether the fall will help with financial reform.
Location-based applications are where it's at today — software for your smartphone that allows users to share where they are. The business opportunities have not gone unnoticed. Jeff Tyler explains.
There were 290,000 jobs created in April, but the unemployment rate went up two ticks to 9.9%. That's because more people entered the labor force — nearly a million more unemployed workers hunting for jobs that are still hard to come by. Mitchell Hartman reports.
Investors are looking at the debt problems in Europe and the effect they're having on the credit markets there. A number of indicators point to a tightening of credit at European banks. Jeremy Hobson reports.
In the rehashing of what happened on the stock market yesterday, the fight has largely come down to computers versus people. Some are blaming so-called high-frequency trading and others take the fat-finger theory that a trader typed in too many zeroes in a sell order. Amy Scott reports.
What if, instead, of buying an iPad, the latest iPhone, or other Apple gadgets, you used that same money to buy two, three shares of Apple stock? Kyle Conroy has the story.
A new study says most babies born in developed countries since 2000 will live to see 100, but how much does living longer cost? Sally Herships interviews 102-year-old Hortense Gutmann and her family to find out.
Pam Fowler, director of financial aid at the University of Michigan, talks with Tess Vigeland about why and how to appeal a college financial aid package.
Tess Vigeland and economics editor Chris Farrell take your questions on personal finance, including one about whether it's time to open a hot dog stand, how to deal with financial aid frustration, and how to get off a bank's radar once they've pegged you as a cash cow.
Heather Boushey of the Center for American Progress, and James Sherk, an economist at the Heritage Foundation, talk with Tess Vigeland about the debate over how long to extend unemployment benefits.
The Labor Department said 290,000 jobs were added to the economy in April. Marketplace takes a deeper look at this number with reactions from our top analysts.
About half a million census-takers are knocking on doors to round up the last of us who haven't submitted census forms. Mitchell Hartman got an audio snapshot of one worker who balances the part-time job with her full-time gig.
Beyond Iron Man 2, Hollywood is coming out with 10 sequels this summer. And to take advantage of the foreign markets before they go World Cup crazy, Paramount decided to release Iron Man 2 overseas first. Jill Barshay reports.
All three main political parties did worse than they were hoping in the U.K. elections, and will now have to form alliances in order to make a cohesive government. Stacey Vanek-Smith gets more from Marketplace's Stephen Beard.
Germany's plan to help Greece out of debt came at a bad time for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who went with the bailout to the chagrin of a majority of Germans. Merkel's party may pay for that decision at Sunday's election. Kyle James reports.
Theories continue to circulate as to the reasons behind yesterday's wild ride on the Dow. But if this was truly a case of a "fat-finger" trade, this wouldn't be the first time. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to Marketplace's Brett Neely.
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.
With all this oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico, what do folks in the energy industry think it means for their fortunes? Rob Schmitz reports that for folks at the annual Offshore Technology Conference, it's been a nail-biter.
Research suggests that people with children are less happy than those without. Commentator Betsy Stevenson suggests maybe we're looking at it all wrong.
The Federal Communications Commission reasserted its authority to regulate broadband access. That authority was questioned by a federal appeals court ruling last month. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports the FCC promises not to be heavy handed.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says productivity was up more than 3% in the first quarter, which could mean some green shoots in the labor market as employers try to keep up production. Eve Troeh reports those shoots are going to grow slowly.
In Washington, the Senate is moving through a list of amendments to financial reform legislation. Washington bureau chief John Dimsdale talks with Kai Ryssdal about some of the amendments being considered.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1000 points. Reporter Jeremy Hobson talks with Kai Ryssdal about how much the Greek debt crisis played into the plunge, other factors that led to the fall, and what's going to happen at tomorrow's open.
There had been speculation the European Central Bank would announce emergency aid plans in case the Greek debt crisis spread. But that hasn't happened.
In light of the Gulf of Mexico incident, this is not the first time that Transocean, which built the faulty oil rig, has had safety issues. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to Marketplace's Stephen Beard, who recalls the company's troubles in Britain.
Protesters in Greece are wary of rising violence at demonstrations after the death of three bankers from a gas bomb. Reporter Joanna Kakissis in Athens describes the scene of the protest and why the demonstrations have gotten so out of hand.
As Freddie Mac asks the U.S. for billions more to keep it afloat, it's hard not to look back and wonder how we got here. Economics correspondent Chris Farrell tells us we need to cork Americans' housing incentives.
Lawmakers are looking into how to fund unemployment benefits in the long-term. The current model is unsustainable; California alone is going from an unemployment tab of $7 billion last year to about $18 billion this year. Eve Troeh reports.
Plans are underway to build a cargo warehouse at New York's JFK airport, the first in nearly a decade. This bodes well for the health of global trade, as JFK handles more cargo than most airports in the world. Jill Barshay reports.
Offshore drilling safety is the focus of an annual oil industry gathering in Houston. Some wonder why more countries don't require an acoustic switch that could help prevent accidents. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to Marketplace's Rob Schmitz.
Avis has joined Hertz in the race to buy Dollar Thrifty. The rental car industry is anticipating a better travel market this summer, and Thrifty would provide an in to the tourist sector. Alisa Roth reports.
The FCC wants more oversight of U.S. Internet carriers, which are providing service that is slower and more expensive than their counterparts abroad. Will this mean faster service right away? Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Brett Neely.
When Americans adopt babies from China, most assume they've been abandoned. But a scandal in 2005, in which 6 orphanages were found to be buying babies, threw that in doubt. Scott Tong reports that baby selling may be more widespread.
President Obama will dispatch a team of cabinet officials to look at the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But back in Washington, the spill's fueling the political waters around prospects for a comprehensive energy and climate change bill. John Dimsdale reports.
Members of the commission looking into the causes of the financial crisis thoroughly grilled former Bear Stearns executives. The commission was looking into how banks fudge their quality reports. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports that banks are still doing it.
Kyle Young, director of the Country Music Hall of Fame, talks with Kai Ryssdal about how the hall and museum is recovering after severe flooding and how folks are holding up in Nashville.
Three companies have been in the news lately — BP, Massey Energy, and Goldman Sachs — and presumably their PR offices aren't exactly delighted. Commentator Robert Reich says there's a significant connection between the three and a long-term trend in Washington.
A requirement in the health care law requires restaurants to post nutrition information in plain sight. The theory is that will help us make better food choices. Professor Dan Ariely talks with Kai Ryssdal about how what seems simple isn't always so.
Reporter Scott Tong shares the backstory of his report on the dark side of China's adoption system, including how one convicted baby trafficker offered to sell Scott his daughter during an interview.
Chinese baby traffickers argued they did the right thing. They took abandoned girls to orphanages, and now they have a better life. Yes, they profited. But as they described it, money encouraged them to do the right thing. Read their story.
Are you shocked to hear about China's questionable adoption practices? Read the reactions of some Americans who have adopted Chinese babies. And share your thoughts on Scott Tong's coverage of Chinese adoptions.
While the U.S. and European economies are still struggling, many countries in Africa appear to be recovering. Business and political leaders will check in on the situation at the World Economic Forum in Africa.
Although Russia is the traditional home of caviar, conditions are making it harder to raise sturgeon there. But one producer in Uruguay has proven its environment is one where caviar can prosper. Annie Murphy reports.
Ohio voters have OK'ed a ballot issue that could help lower the state's 11% unemployment rate. The program, which borrows millions to endorse emerging high-tech businesses, had wide support across party lines. Bill Cohen reports.
Entrepreneurs Melanie Moore and Susanne Greenfield wooed NYU's Stern School of Business with a business model for an online clothing site that focuses on the thrill of short-term auction. And Jeremy Hobson reports there's a growing trend here.
Tomorrow is election day in the U.K., and British investors will be allowed to trade on election results immediately after the poll closes. The vote is projected to raise a lot of business one way or the other. Stephen Beard explains why.
The worst-case scenario for the BP oil leak might be even worse, with a potential 60,000 barrels spilling into the water. Ships passing through the Gulf are trying to avoid the spill, but the oil can be hard to see. Eve Troeh reports.
Construction crews continue to try to contain the Gulf oil leak this week, but they may not be able to cork another unlikely environmental casualty: a climate change bill that was heading to the Senate. Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Brett Neely.
Nobody likes paying for parking, but with city budgets tightening more municipalities are eying the parking meter as a source of new funds. Andrea Bernstein reports.
When a bank fails the FDIC comes in to clean up the mess, and it's a costly proposition. So the FDIC is looking for new ways to recoup funds. Dan Bobkoff reports on a new solution in an Ohio courtroom.
State budget cuts are hitting public schools hard. Education Secretary Arne Duncan predicts up to 300,000 teachers and other public school staff could lose their jobs. Amy Scott reports.
BP is recruiting volunteers for training to clean up beaches along the Gulf. Hundreds of people turned up at a makeshift training center in Waveland, Miss. Kate Archer Kent reports.
The euro fell to its lowest level in a year despite recent news of a Greek debt rescue package. Spain was the main focus of worries as rumors swirled it was seeking a bailout. Stephen Beard reports.
Some critics say the federal agency overseeing offshore drilling has been too lax. They argue that BP and others involved in the Gulf Coast oil spill should have taken more precautions. But deciding how much precaution to take versus how big a risk isn't always so easy. Sarah Gardner reports.
A survey from the Federal Reserve says so far this year, banks aren't tightening their lending standards. And in some cases even easing them. Alisa Roth reports.
April auto sales were up 24% over last year. Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl talks with Tess Vigeland about where the gains are coming from, and whether we can celebrate an auto industry turnaround.
A new Colorado bill would tie a teacher's evaluation to student scores on standardized tests. Depending on how the teacher performs, it could mean the difference between job protection or a pink slip. Eve Troeh reports.
Air ravel delays are still occurring in Europe due to ash from Iceland's recent volcanic eruption. But the delays are much less massive and the problem is much less considerable than it was a few weeks ago. Stephen Beard reports.
With hurricane season around the corner, clean-up crews have to hustle to control the Gulf oil leak to avoid a potentially more hazardous situation. But could the oil be an ally against the weather? Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
