Week of October 11th, 2010

Kai Ryssdal speaks to Leigh Gallagher from Fortune Magazine and Felix Salmon from Reuters about Ben Bernanke's latest statement and what's going down on Wall Street.

This final note today. Our special correspondent David Brancaccio took the high road yesterday. He declined to subject you to Justin Beiber….

As the price of gold soars, gold-for-cash stores are popping up everywhere, trying to take advantage. But they may not be around for long. Tony Arnold reports from Chicago.

Posted by Emilie Mutert…

The Social Security Administration announced Friday that benefits will not rise next year because of low inflation. What are the next steps? John Dimsdale reports.

Ben Bernanke has indicated that the Federal Reserve is ready to pump more money into the economy in order to keep interest rates low and deal with unemployment. That also means inflation will rise. What will be the impact?

What do the New York Times, Dow Chemical and George W. Bush have in common? They've all been targets of the Yes Men, a duo dedicated to sticking it to the man through elaborate hoaxes. Who could be their next victim? Yes Man Mike Bonanno stops by the Marketplace studio.

Gold is quickly becoming the go-to investment as the U.S. dollar loses its value. But what should we do with it? Kai Ryssdal chats with James Picerno from The Atlantic magazine about the valuable commodity.

Hotels around the country are urging their customers to "make a green choice" and opt out of daily housekeeping for their rooms. But cutting back on water and electricity might also be cutting back on something else: jobs. Sean Cole reports.

Question: A friend of mine is starting a new job and wants to budget and save. He is having a lot of trouble conceptualizing the process….

Are you rich? Do you feel rich? Come to think of it, just what is rich? Next week on Marketplace Money, we'll hear from people across the country to get their take on what is rich. In the meantime, we want your feedback. What is rich to you?

Posted by Chau Tu…

As season four of AMC's "Mad Men" draws to a close, employees at the firm Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce face the possibility of utter ruin. The show is set in the 60s, but the firm's situation rings true for many people today. Harley Shaiken from U.C. Berkeley talks with Tess Vigeland about challenges workers faced in that era and what was different back then.

Posted by Daryl Paranada…

As chairman of the FDIC, Sheila Bair oversees the takeover of failed banks and examines more than 800 other troubled institutions for their soundness. She talks with Tess Vigeland about whether she's concerned over the number of bank failures this year and if enough has been done to prevent a repeat of what caused our last financial crisis.

News in rhyme in 60 seconds time. This week: Unemployment's rise, dollar's demise, the Nobel prize, and Bill says bye-bye.

Saying teenagers send a lot of text messages is like saying birds fly a whole lot or Jay Leno isn't funny: certain things are JUST KNOWN. But the…

There's a whole lot of tech jargon in this story that I'll spare you but the important thing to know is that the ZeuS computer worm, which has been…

It's the first time in more than three-and-a-half decades that Iran will lead the oil cartel. What does it mean for the rest of the world, and for…

One of the most important sources of jobs going forward will be start-ups — developing everything from new software and Internet tools, to more efficient batteries and life-saving drugs. But investment in start-ups has fallen sharply since before the recession, and it's taking a while to come back. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Marketplace Tech Report for October 15, 2010

As Election Day approaches, there are many polls predicting — with varying degrees of accuracy — the outcome of the elections. Many of those polls are conducted by automated calling of land line phones. But given how many people use cell phones instead of land lines, can we trust what the polls say?

Major League Baseball's playoffs resume this weekend with games in Arlington, Texas, and Philadelphia. Postseason games mean extra revenue for the teams involved, and lots of other local businesses. Joel Rose takes us to some businesses in Philly.

A meeting is scheduled in the fraud and insider trading case against three former Countrywide Financial executives. Reports say this signal that the SEC may have reached a settlement against the executives. Reporter Janet Babin talks the details with Bill Radke.

It's the first time in more than three-and-a-half decades that Iran will lead the oil cartel OPEC. Europe correspondent Stephen Beard talks with Steve Chiotakis about what that means for the rest of the world and the oil coming from OPEC.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is worried about expected cuts to Britain's defense budget. She told the BBC that all NATO countries must make appropriate contributions.

You can catch a glimpse into how well our society's doing with standard economic indicators like the Consumer Price Index. But one Colorado community wanted to go beyond the official statistics and get a better sense of what's working and what's not. Marketplace's special correspondent David Brancaccio reports on Community Indicators.

The Treasury Department is due to release its bi-annual report on countries that manipulate their currencies for unfair advantage. China might be on the list for the first time. John Dimsdale looks at what would happen next.

The government reported retail sales rose six-tenths of a percent while the Consumer Price Index rose a tenth of a percent. Jill Schlesinger from CBS MoneyWatch talks with Steve Chiotakis about who the big winners are in this environment of low inflation.

Clues this morning on the Federal Reserve intentions to help the economy. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told a conference in Boston that more action from the Fed is needed. Janet Babin reports.

Marketplace Money for October 15, 2010

Marketplace for October 15, 2010

Marketplace Morning Report for Friday, October 15, 2010

Political advisers are allowed to pitch their skills to pension funds over lunch — but vacations and sports games? Not so much. The Securities and Exchange Commission is trying to curb pay-to-play schemes, perhaps making an example out of a Wall Street financier who was part of one.

Kai Ryssdal talks to Marketplace's Jeremy Hobson about how the latest mortgage scandal will affect the economy.

It used to be that Western companies can go to China and be successful just by being themselves. But Chinese consumers are becoming choosier — and how a company caters to Chinese tastes (or not at all) determines who successful they'll be in the coveted Chinese market.

The U.S. isn't a nation of savers — but there are a few people who take savings very, very seriously.

Commentator Kim Clark takes a closer look at PLUS loans and how it's hurting taxpayers and the parents of students who are taking the loans out, even though they cannot afford to repay them.

You won't be seeing credit card companies tabling on college campuses this fall, because of the financial reform law. Reporter Curt Nickisch looks at how that change affects how college students learn about money.

Because, apparently, someone wants to be driven around Berlin by a computer? Or something?…

That's because you'll be able to watch Netflix content without even having to put that little disc in the little disc player. You can just choose…

Pad? What the– ? What about the phone?…

The Internet search giant is looking into creating price index, similar to the Consumer Price Index, that can track inflation based on what people are buying online every day. How accurate can it get? Tony Arnold reports.

Apple has announced that Verizon will begin selling the iPad by the end of this month, with rumors that the two will connect for the iPhone next year. But where does that leave AT&T? Nancy Marshall-Genzer reports.

This final note today. A Marketplace angle on the Chilean mine rescue. Specifically, the sunglasses they were all wearing when they came up. CNB…

Posted by Chau Tu…

The New York Yankees are set to play in the AL Championship Series, chasing their 28th title in a century. Other teams in the league have never even reached the World Series. Why such a monopoly? Jon Wertheim gives his take.

Indian families are usually keen to marry their daughters off to men overseas, who are seen to have better prospects. But there's little these families can do if the groom takes their dowries and lavish gifts before abandoning the bride. Raymond Thibodeaux reports from New Delhi.

Question: I realize that you've answered similar questions, and have read your answers. But I'm curious as to my specific case. I have a credit…

Posted by Daryl Paranada…

The Windows Phone 7 isn't even in stores yet but plenty of reviewers and Microsofties already have them. And in the app store that is already live,…

Tech Crunch has confirmed what AllFacebook noted late yesterday: new functionality on Facebook comments. While the company will probably never roll…

This. This I love. In Slovenia(!), a scientist has somehow persuaded six male colleagues to let a robot punch them repeatedly in order to build up…

The battling for control of English football's most successful soccer club — Liverpool FC — has taken an interesting twist. A Texas court has called time out on the deal after complaints by the current owners.

A new study by Portfolio.com ranks the U.S. cities with the highest income growth over the past quarter-century….

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is a student of Japan's infamous lost decade of economic stagnation. Can the U.S. can avoid a repeat? Economist Diane Swonk of Mesirow Financial talks with Bill Radke about what lessons Bernanke has learned from Japan's lost decade he can apply now.

The Labor Department reports that first-time unemployment claims rose last week by 13,000 to top 462,000. But the number of jobless workers continuing to collect benefits fell last week. Lance Pan at Capital Advisors Group talks with Steve Chiotakis about what's going on in the labor market.

President Obama will participate in a youth town hall meeting on the MTV and BET networks. The president will take questions from an audience of about 250 young people and from young viewers. That's a demographic hit hard by the sour economy, and some are doubtful anyone can help. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.

OPEC oil ministers are meeting to set production targets for the winter. OPEC controls 40% of the world's oil supply and the ministers know their commodity is vital to the economy's recovery, so few analysts expect the ministers to tinker with their output. But John Dimsdale reports they are looking closely at another idea.

British investors are protesting political donations in the U.S. by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Those investors object to payments that will help Republican candidates in the mid-term elections. Stephen Beard reports.

In the 1940s, lots of men wore formal headgear. But two decades later, men's hats fell dramatically out of fashion. In recent years there's been a revival of sorts, much to the relief of one offbeat little shop in the southern English town of Bridport. Europe correspondent Stephen Beard paid a visit.

Some of the country's top CEOs are heading to Chicago. They're meeting as part of what's called The Business Council. Tony Arnold reports on what happens when you get 150 of the country's top CEOs in the same room.

Word is that a few private equity firms are mulling over a deal to buy out Yahoo, the number two search engine. Reporter Janet Babin talks with Bill Radke about who might buy Yahoo and why takeover talk is surfacing now.

Marketplace Tech Report for October 14, 2010

A Pennsylvania school district will pay $610,000 to settle a case involving webcam spying. The conflict began when webcam-equipped laptops were loaned out to students. Then, one student was accused of doing drugs in his bedroom. Why? Because of photos taken secretively on the webcam. We talk webcams, computers, and individual rights.

Marketplace Morning Report for Thursday, October 14, 2010

Marketplace for Thursday, October 14, 2010

Are regular economic indicators still the best way to measure our economy? In our latest Economy 4.0 report, David Brancaccio investigates into why alternative indicators might be moving into the mainstream.

This final note today. We saw an article about this, a pizza chain in England this morning. Apparently, it's hired a trained classical actor to…

Read chapter one of Elmore Leonard's newest book "Djibouti," published by Harper Collins. The novel follows an award-winning documentary filmmaker to the Horn of Africa to film Somali pirates at work.

As we predicted here, the big Bing event had to do with Facebook data being used in searches. Effective immediately, when you search on Bing you…

Posted by Chau Tu…

The cash-strapped United Kingdom has been cutting programs and services left and right, including military spending. Cuts the U.K.'s military budget is cause for concern for British citizens and the United States too.

Commentator David Frum has an idea on how to reduce the influence of donors on political candidates, so they can focus more on the issues.

Wal-Mart — which is know for its massive Supercenter stores — is reversing course and will be rolling out smaller stores in urban areas.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors upheld a program that would allow county sheriff's employees to interview suspected undocumented inmates and pass their findings onto federal immigration officials. The county may save millions with the deportation of undocumented inmates.

Shares for Apple are just over $300, making it the second most valuable company in the U.S. by market capitalization.

JPMorgan Chase and other banks are focusing on very different things than before the financial crisis.

A fight has been brewing between the National Football League's owners and players' union over how to split up the big money the NFL takes in. The Wall Street Journal's Matthew Futterman wrote an article about the battle and talks with Steve Chiotakis about what's at stake.

Posted by Daryl Paranada…

Today, Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce an increase in the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline. Will tell you why that…

The search arm of Microsoft will be announcing some new features to the service. Notably, something to do with Facebook. Facebook execs will be in…

As expected, Sony rolled out new ways to incorporate Google into your couch potatoizing….

Pope Benedict who, I don't know, has just seen Tron for the first time or something, has spoken out against the warped reality that technology pro…

Marketplace Tech Report for October 13, 2010

Facebook's recently announced features allow you to create groups of friends so you don't have to send all your info to everyone you know. It's easy to set up groups and add anyone you want — and also easy to get added to groups you might not want to be associated with. We talk about the new system and what it means for your privacy. Plus, Susan Orlean reviews to-do list apps.

Now that the Obama administration has lifted the moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil industry may be able to hire back some of the thousands of people who have been unable to work in the region for the past months. But with tougher rules now in place, the industry may end up looking quite different. Jeremy Hobson reports.

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce an increase in the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline. Reporter Janet Babin talks with Bill Radke about why some environmentalists oppose that increase and whether consumers will be able to tell if they're buying gas with ethanol in it.

If you pay your bills on time, you are to be congratulated — and possibly charged a fee. Some lenders, telecommunications companies and other providers will charge you a fee just to allow you to pay your bills. L.A. Times consumer columnist David Lazarus talks with Bill Radke about pay-to-pay fees and what we can do about them.

The European Commission is considering its own moratorium on deep sea oil drilling — at least until the U.S. inquiry into the Gulf spill has been published. London bureau chief Stephen Beard talks with Steve Chiotakis about whether a moratorium is likely in Europe.

Ever been caught off guard by your cell phone bill? That's the subject of conversation when the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission outlines plans to prevent surprises on your cell phone bill. Tony Arnold reports.

Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment columnist Doug Elfman talks with Steve Chiotakis about signs of economic recovery in Sin City and what the future looks like in Vegas.

Many European governments, including the U.K., have been looking to reduce public spending. That would include many government job losses, but a report today warns about a knock-on effect in the private sector that would see up to half-a-million jobs being lost.

Better corporate earnings and the Federal Reserve saying it is ready to help a crummy economy are helping push stocks up. Where do these two worlds come together? Richard DeKaser of Woodley Park Research talks the details with Bill Radke.

Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Marketplace for Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Zombie Tunnel, Breezewood, Pennsylvania. (David Brancaccio, 2010)…