Week of February 21st, 2011

Last week on Marketplace Money, host Tess Vigeland interviewed Jenny Anderson and Paula Szuchman, the authors of a new book called Spousonomics: …

Top movie critics weigh in on their favorite movies that have a financial slant

Ireland votes today for a new government. Last year, a bailout saved the country from disaster but an opposition win may endanger the whole deal.

Procter & Gamble announced higher prices as rising raw material costs roil household names in the household products market.

Marketplace Tech Report for February 25, 2011

Apple is announcing an announcement for next week. The technocenti say it will be the release of iPad version two.

Posted by Christina Huh…

Figuring out how to pay for college — that's certainly tough, but it's only the first step. Eventually, your kid has to be accepted to go to college. Host Tess Vigeland talks to Andrew Ferguson, the author of the new book "Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid into College."

Google changed its algorithm today to prevent adversarial results from clogging searches.

Last week host Tess Vigeland talked to Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson, co-authors of the new book "Spousonomics." This week, they offer some "Spousonomics" counseling to one couple.

A month ago we heard the story of Karin Andreen. She and her husband were struggling through the maze of mortgage modification red tape, and this week we'll hear about the new developments.

Writer and commentator Reza Aslan talks about what comes next for the Middle East, and how the West may be able to help.

Kai Ryssdal talks with Leigh Gallagher from Fortune Magazine and John Carney from CNBC about the week in news.

Pre-paid college tuition plans were created to help save parents' bank accounts from the inflation of college costs. But several states are abandoning the pre-paid programs or making big adjustments to them — and parents are wondering what happens next.

Lauren Bailey from the insurer Fireman's Fund discusses the different aspects of a film that might make it riskier to insure.

Sometimes the biggest hurdle for home buyers is the down payment. There are non-profits and state home finance agencies that can help. But in the wake of the housing crisis, though, when many home buyers got in over their heads, this raises a big question: If you can't save enough money for a down payment, should you be buying a home at all?

Tess Vigeland and Kathy Kristof of Kiplingers Personal Finance answer your personal finance questions.

U.S. gross domestic product growth in the last quarter of 2010 was lower than estimated because spending by state and local governments declined.

Just about every movie has a trailer that previews it — and new technology and editing are changing trailers as much as movies.

At a time when it's easier than ever for military service men and women to have their identity's stolen or lose a home to foreclosure, military officials are trying to make sure troops have their financial affairs in order before shipping out.

Posted by Chau Tu…

Governors around the country are struggling to close budget deficits. High on the budget list in most states is cutting public employee wages and benefits, which employees are protesting. Marketplace Money's economics editor Chris Farrell believes there's a personal finance message in the turmoil.

Question: I was wondering if I should look at putting my emergency fund in a ROTH IRA. That way in case of emergency I can withdraw my cash…

As the turmoil continues to escalate in Libya, oil prices have surged. Jeremy Hobson speaks to Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Edmunds.com, about whether carmakers have improved fuel efficiency since the last price spike.

The government announced this morning that the U.S. economy only grew at a rate of 2.8 percent last quarter — after originally reporting it grew at 3.2 percent. Jeremy Hobson speaks to Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank, about what that means for the economic recovery.

Posted by Katharine Crnko…

Violent protests continue today in Libya. After reports of mass killings of anti-government protesters, the United Nations top human rights office…

Reports this morning say the death toll in New Zealand could top 400 following this week's catastrophic earthquake. As American engineers descend on the country to measure the damage, governments are reminded to make building safety measures a priority. Eve Troeh has more.

Just months after a $100 billion bailout from European governments, Ireland holds elections for a new government today. But voters aren't happy about the bailout or the economy.

Steve Chiotakis speaks with Jill Schlesinger, editor-at-large for CBS/MoneyWatch, about the Commerce Department's downward revision of the nation's Gross Domestic Product number, and the rising cost of oil.

O technology, what hast thou wrought. Pocket Hipster is an app that mocks your current music and then suggests new music. It features your choice…

The crazy popular singing/shrieking contest known as American Idol relies on audience voting to determine who gets to be crowned the next non…

On March 10, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will hear arguments in a case about whether the use of the body…

Air France flight 447 left Rio May 31, 2009. It was headed for Paris. But, just a few hours after the plane took off, as it was flying over the…

With over 15 million viewers, and more than 200 employees, "Two and a Half Men" led CBS's Monday night comedy lineup. But after Charlie Sheen's public breakdown and subsequent media missteps, CBS has canceled this season of its popular show. Janet Babin has more.

Researchers have taken a data mining dive into a 2008 survey and come up with some pretty remarkable results. The 2008 Survey of Public…

Really, China? Blocking the most square and businesslike social networking site in the world? The official social networking site of everyone's dad…

Deep water drilling has been on hold in the Gulf of Mexico since the disastrous BP oil spill. But industry executives say they're ready to resume drilling. Jeremy Hobson speaks with Barbara Shook, Houston bureau chief for the Energy Intelligence Group.

We did a show on this a couple of weeks ago: /…

In an effort to cut global greenhouse gas emissions, the United Nations is offering carbon credits in exchange for saving trees. To help end deforestation, Google has compiled 25 years of maps, data, and scientific measurements in its new project, Google Earth Engine. Eve Troeh reports.

Many people from across the Middle East and around the world found work in Libya's oil industry and other sectors. But as the violence there escalates, countries are scrambling to evacuate their citizens.

Lynn O'Shaughnessy is a long-time observer of the higher-ed scene. She's the author of The College Solution, an Amazon bestseller. She writes thr…

Protests continue today in Libya. As the United Nations and NATO begin to organize efforts to ease the violence, European governments are moving to freeze the assets of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi, as Stephen Beard explains.

Marketplace Money for Friday, February 25, 2011

Marketplace for February 25, 2011

Marketplace Morning Report for Friday, February 25, 2011

Hey, I was as excited as anyone when I heard about this new recipe idea happening at Google. Supposedly, when you type in, say, Chicken Kiev, you…

As violence mounts in Libya, people in neighboring Egypt have raised thousands of dollars to get food and provisions to those refugees.

In the lead-up, rivals Boeing and EADS have been spending millions on print, radio and online ads targeted at just a few key Pentagon decision makers.

Marketplace Tech Report for February 24, 2011

Call it the carbon credit caper. A gang of eastern European criminal hackers have stolen more than $50 million in carbon offsets, temporarily shutting down part of the European carbon trading system.

Brendan Francis Newnam and Rico Galigano talk with fellow Marketplace staffers Jennifer Collins, Adriene Hill and Ethan Lindsey about under-the-radar business stories involving Blockbuster, England's non-jobs, and robots running a marathon.

Even though America's Boeing got the contract today for a fleet of new refueling planes, this third go-around might not be a charm.

GM's best year since the heyday of the SUV craze comes as oil prices are surging. How well placed is the carmaker to keep its momentum?

This credit bureau is adding rent payment history to the credit card and mortgage data it keeps on creditors. That may not be a bad thing for increasing numbers of renters.

Unequal wealth distribution in the Middle East is behind much of the recent turmoil. Often, in "oil rich" countries, only a few share the wealth.

Title: Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College Authors: Andrew Ferguson Publisher: Simon & Schuster Type: Non Fict…

This final note today, an observation that our story yesterday about high-end retail doing pretty well in a still fragile economy has some limits….

The following excerpt is from Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College. Listen to an interview with author Andrew Ferguson,…

Motorola introduces the Xoom today and it's pricier than the iPad. Next week comes the iPad 2. And there's a pipeline full of tablets in the works. Features matter, but success may be all about the cost.

The following excerpt is from Spousonomics: Using Economics to Master Love, Marriage, and Dirty Dishes. Listen to an interview with authors Paula…

Skilled professionals from poor Middle Eastern countries find the future is brighter abroad. But this brain drain is hurting poor countries like Jordan.

File this under everything is related: The rise and decline of oil and wine prices march almost in lockstep.

Posted by Chau Tu…

The 83rd annual Academy Awards show blows through Hollywood this weekend and everyone from dress makers, to Facebook, to the movie box-office ind…

Steve Chiotakis speaks with Nick Timiraos of the Wall Street Journal on a plan by the Obama administration to help homeowners under water on loans and to settle with banks involved in the robo-signing debacle.

Jeremy Hobson speaks with Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, on how the turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa will affect the global economic recovery.

Posted by Katharine Crnko…

Question: I just love the wisdom I hear in your show. I am 62 and recently been blessed with an inheritance from my mother. Altogether I am about…

As protests and violence continues to escalate in Libya, Egyptian citizens are offering more than just moral support. As Mitchell Hartman reports…

The bad news keeps coming when it comes to housing. Home prices continue to spiral lower, with the latest Case-Shiller national index showing home…

The Wall Street Journal reports today that the Obama administration is working to settle mortgage-servicing breakdowns that involved practices like robo-signing foreclosure documents. The settlement plan could cost America's largest banks billions of dollars. Janet Babin explains.

The Mac based version of the iPhone's video phone call app has been in testing for a while but it just went live. Facetime for Mac is available as…

DAR.FM is a new free service that's just been rolled out and currently in alpha testing. It stands for digital audio recorder (.frequency…

Get 'em young! Kids who are not yet old enough to come by social networking in a traditional way have options beyond Facebook. And now Disney has…

That's the gist of Walter Mossberg's review of Motorola's new challenger to the iPad on All Things D. He says the Android Honeycomb operating…

Violence in the Middle East and North Africa has sent oil prices to a two-year high. Stephen Beard explains the finer points of oil refining, including the value of a light, sweet crude.

Across the country, states are tackling rising budget deficits. And as economics correspondent Chris Farrell explains, health care is at the heart of federal and state deficits.

New energy start up Transphorm says it can save up to 9 percent of US power by getting rid of those big, ugly DC conversion boxes.

As the unrest continues in Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen, the Chinese government has scaled up its control of the Internet to prevent protests in China. The government has called on search engines to block search terms related to the unrest in the Middle East, as Rob Schmitz reports.

Marketplace Morning Report for Thursday, February 24, 2011

Marketplace for Thursday, February 24, 2011

Governor Rick Perry is against the idea, pushing instead for budget cuts.

Pontiac, Mich., is re-populating some of its empty storefronts thanks to a local development committee.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been on medical leave since last month. Shareholders are pushing the company to reveal who would take over the company should he leave permanently.

We hear a pounding drumbeat that 'economic disparity' is at the root of the peoples' revolutions sweeping the Middle East. And it's true, to a …

Marketplace Tech Report for February 23, 2011

An implantable pressure gauge the size of a paperclip may be a big advance in the treatment of heart failure patients.

Listener responses from recent Marketplace stories. This week: coverage of the Wisconsin union rights debates, the NHL lockout and the trend of moving closer to public transportation.

As protests ripple across the Middle East, all eyes are on Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil producer. Energy expert Amy Jaffe from Rice University talks about the potential for unrest in the country and the challenges it faces.

Question: I recently graduated with my Masters Degree and am working as a librarian. I have some substantial student loan debt. I qualify for the…

In Middle East nations such as post-Mubarak Egypt, people who have suffered decades of corrupt autocratic rule now want to root out corruption.

This final note today, the flip side of $100-a-barrel oil, what we pay at the pump. We've been getting some listener mail about spiking pump prices…

Commentator Robert Reich says there's one way to keep Social Security financially solvent. And it doesn't involve cutting benefits or raising the retirement age.

So says Kara Swisher at All Things D and she's usually right about these things. Apple, she says, will be holding an event on March 2nd and invites…

Not long ago, Arbidol was considered a nearly useless drug. Now, it's a best seller, and a symbol of Russia's efforts to build its pharmaceutical industry, at any cost.

Sims 3, Madden, and Nintendogs + Cats are three of the bigger name offerings coming out of the gate. The titles do have some range to them and the…

Wired writes about a Twitter activist from Iran, Arasmus, who's put together a Google Maps map that locates reports about "gunfire, killings,…