Reporter Eve Troeh reports from inside the recovering neighborhoods around New Orleans five years after the region was destroyed by floods in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The population of New Orleans is about 80 percent of what it was pre-Katrina thanks to a growing population of so-called YURPS: Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals who showed up to help bring the city back and stayed.
Groupon usually focuses its offer on local small businesses, but yesterday launched their first deal with a big brand. Marketplace's Stacey Vanek Smith looks into whether this is a positive or negative step on the popular deals website.
Visitors of Yellowstone National Park may rush off to the popular park to get away and reconnect with nature. But the cars pack the popular park in the summertime, and may remind you of rush hour in the city.
Cautious companies have been hoarding cash, but they're now unloading that stash for acquisitions and mergers. Marketplace's Alisa Roth looks into the benefits and pitfalls of these business moves.
Ron Lieber of the New York Times talks with Tess Vigeland about a new program from MasterCard that will and set controls on your credit or debit spending, and cut you off when you disregard your own budget.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were on the hot seat this week, as government officials debated their future. Reporter Mitchell Hartman talks with Tess Vigeland about what Republicans and Democrats want to see happen to the mortgage giants.
A new report from Fidelity Investments says more Americans are dipping into their 401(K)s and other similar funds. Jill Schlesinger, editor-at-large at CBS MoneyWatch, talks with Steve Chiotakis about why a record number of people are making hardship withdrawals.
Jam maker Smucker's reported its profits rose slightly in the last three months. The company is a dominant player in the food industry, and it plans to roll out dozens of new products in the coming months. Jeff Tyler reports.
President Obama still has yet to nominate anyone to head the new post of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But one group is pushing for Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren to be nominated and has come up with a song and video for her. Rapper Ryan Anthony Lumas talks with Steve Chiotakis about the song.
The economic recovery seems to be sputtering. We learned that manufacturing is once more in the doldrums and claims for unemployment benefits are increasing again. The silver linings in these clouds are kinda hard to come by. But we found one. John Dimsdale reports on mortgage rates.
BP insists that it is not hiding any information about the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. But the rig's actual owner, Transocean, claims that BP is holding back data that will help shed light on why the rig exploded. Stephen Beard reports.
Federal regulators plan to slap a $25 million penalty against American Airlines for canceled flights and maintenance problems from 2008. Reporter Gregory Warner talks the details with Bill Radke.
After living in China for three and a half years, reporter Scott Tong recently returned to the U.S. And while shopping in the grocery store, he wondered whether we have too many choices here.
Mike Lane wanted to make sure his girls learned the value of work and money early on — so he made them landlords of a treehouse in the backyard. Marketplace's Josh Rogosin pays them a visit.
Marketplace's Sean Cole decides to give Noel Biderman a shot at something a lot of media outlets don't give him: A chance to talk. Biderman's company runs several niche dating websites, including one for married people looking for an affair.
Tess Vigeland and Marketplace Money's economics editor Chris Farrell answer listener questions and e-mails about how to deal with financial ties with you and your children and paying your taxes while you're living abroad.
Tess Vigeland checks in with Steve Ostrowski and Iris Bess, who were both profiled when Marketplace went to Chicago. Steve was unemployed and Iris had unemployment through an Illinois work program that is soon to expire.
It's relatively easy to measure how much a Gulf businessman lost in products and profits due to the BP oil spill — but how about the tears shed and the stress caused by the spill? Marketplace's Krissy Clark looks into the tricky method of measuring "non-use value."
A Scottish judge released the Lockerbie Bomber last year, on the grounds that he had less than three months to live. But a year later, he's still alive — and critics are suspicious that his release had something to do with BP's acquisition of Libyan oil fields.
The olive oil section at the market has a dizzy array of bottles. At the top of the heap are the extra virgin olive oils — but there's some question as to whether that label actually corresponds to what's in the bottle.
Tess Vigeland talks to David Kappos, the director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, about how the office is dealing with the huge jump in patent applications over the last few years.
Another option to let everyone know where you are launched today: Facebook Places. It'll be competing against similar services like Foursquare, which also let's you "check in" to venues, which will let your friends know where you are and potentially score you deals.
Initially, it may seem Intel's acquisition of computer security company McAfee is an odd one. But Marketplace's Janet Babin reports that it's a merger that makes sense.
General Motors plans to shed its government ownership and start trading on public stock markets by the end of the year. The automaker filed paperwork for an IPO. Gregory Warner reports.
The governor of Virginia is expected to announce his state ended the last fiscal year with an extra $400 million. That's almost twice the earlier estimate. What's Virginia got going that most other states don't? John Dimsdale reports.
Maryland is hoping to revive its oyster industry on Chesapeake Bay. Lawmakers there are betting on aquaculture to generate more than 200 jobs and $25 million a year in revenue. Cathy Duchamp reports.
U.S. oil company Anadarko has discovered oil off the coast of Mozambique. It's the first time oil has been discovered near this part of East Africa. It's still unclear whether getting the oil out of the sea floor will make economic sense. Gretchen Wilson reports.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled its case against New Jersey. Reporter Gregory Warner talks with Bill Radke about the case, which is the first time a state has been charged with securities fraud.
Sears lost about $40 million in its latest quarter. So the retailer is counting on a reinvention plan to help it come back. In the late 1800s, the retailer revolutionized shopping with its legendary mail-order catalog. Now, as Jay Field reports, it's trying to reclaim that reputation for innovation.
In France, the government is expelling gypsy, or Roma travelers — rounded up as part of a summer clampdown on illegal camps. Over 700 people are expected to be flown out of France in the next few weeks.
Diane Swonk of Mesirow Financial talks with Bill Radke about why new unemployment claims jumped last week to half a million, and whether Intel buying McAfee is a good sign about the economy.
Chipmaker Intel says it will buy anti-virus software company McAfee in a cash transaction worth nearly $8 billion. Chris Nuttall of the Financial Times talks with Steve Chiotakis about what Intel wants to do with McAfee.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics will come out with statistics on workplace fatality rates for 2009. Commercial fishing is among the most dangerous professions. There may be a few ways to protect fishermen from danger, but some say the measures soak their profits. Janet Babin reports.
Because these scams seem to be associated with your friends or ads, you trust the links, and you may not even know when a clickjacking is happening to you.
Tony Hsieh, CEO of mega online shoe retailer Zappos.com, talks with Kai Ryssdal about happiness, corporate culture and his new book on these subjects: "Delivering Happiness."
Tony Hsieh, CEO of mega online shoe retailer Zappos.com, talks about happiness, corporate culture and his new book on these subjects called "Delivering Happiness." Read and listen to the extended interview.
Media companies making political donations may seem taboo, but it's hardly anything new. Stacey Vanek Smith looks into how media companies donate to political interests.
Kai Ryssdal talks to Time Magazine reporter Omar Waraich about the the disaster situation in Pakistan and how the Pakistani government is trying to stay financially afloat.
Commentator Glenn Hubbard agrees with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that the Bush tax cuts need to be reduced — but he was different ideas on how the cuts should be executed.
Large food recalls due to e.coli, salmonella or other bacteria seem to happen every few months. But actually, food recalls happen as often as once a week.
Marketplace's Scott Tong, who moved to Washington D.C., is still waiting for all his family's stuff to arrive from Shanghai — one month and counting. He looks into what's taking so long.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are trying to recoup $150 billion, so they can pay back the government. They're employing something called "buy-backs" to do just that. Marketplace's Alisa Roth explains.
The new health care reform law requires that certain preventive screenings be paid by insurance companies, including the colonoscopy. But a partial colonoscopy, or sigmoidoscopy, proves to be just as effective as a colonscopy.
Richard DeKaser, president of Woodley Park Research, talks with Bill Radke about what happens when stockpiles are way up and how that might impact gas prices.
Bloomberg BusinessWeek reporter Roben Farzad talks with Steve Chiotakis about whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have a future and what a Fannie-less world looks like.
Researchers at a university in Scotland have developed a hopeful new biofuel. But this technology could raise some questions about driving with alcohol — because it actually will power your car, with alcohol.
Europe correspondent Stephen Beard talks with Bill Radke about why BHP Billiton, the world's biggest mining company, is making a hostile bid for Potash Corporation, the world's biggest fertilizer producer.
Ever gotten a letter in the mail saying you've won the lottery? Los Angeles Times business columnist David Lazarus talks with Bill Radke about lottery scams and offers some sage advice.
China's central bank will open its $2 trillion bond market to foreign banks. That move could have repercussions that lead straight to your pocketbook. Rob Schmitz reports.
