Week of January 2nd, 2012

Car companies roll out a fleet of smaller vehicles at this year's North American Auto Show to appeal to budget-minded car buyers.

With a near first-place finish in Iowa, Rick Santorum has a lot more name recognition going in to New Hampshire than many would have expected from him a few weeks ago. Many people who haven’t been following the former Pennsylvania senator very closely may be unfamiliar with him and, given his recent success and fame, may be tempted to go to Google and try to find more about him by searching “Santorum.” The results may surprise. Also in the show, the classic video game Flight Simulator is back.

The economy continues to add jobs, but not fast enough to make campaigning easy for President Obama. The government is about to reveal how many hours people work on average each week. Many businesses aren’t happy about a move to start registering an expanded number of web suffixes next week. Alternative sentencing through special problem-solving courts is better for the job prospects and earning potential of offenders.

The new unemployment figures may be signaling that the economy is finally getting back on track. Kai Ryssdal visits a jobs counselor to see a different side of the job market. Penn State has a new head coach, and the alumni aren’t happy. The increase in smartphone usage is clogging up the airwaves. Chinese officials are concerned about the messages pop culture TV shows send. And commentator Reiham Salam explores the economic impact caused by mass incarceration in the U.S.

Welcome to the new year! Lose 20 pounds, keep your kitchen clean, cure cancer — Is starting an emergency fund among your New Year’s resolutions? We learn of an unusual way to make sure you actually start saving. And if you’re planning to start investing this year, you may want to “riskalyze” first. A behavior science expert reveals numerical triggers that affect how we buy. Plus, health care reporter Gregory Warner tells us what health reform laws come into effect in 2012.

From time to time we check in with small businessman Kelly Conklin who runs a high-end cabinetry business in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He says his headcount is back to where it was before he got mugged by the recession. The next step, Conklin says, is to be able to get everyone on his staff back to full pay (they took a 10-percent pay cut last year) and to restore paid vacations for his eleven full-time employees. And the Daily Pulse is down today on news that temporary holiday hires might be padding December’s big jobs numbers.

Buckethead, Tommy Stinson not mentioned yet.

New fuel efficiency standards in the U.S. mean that cars that have been popular in Europe for years could be seen more frequently on American soil.

Stay out of the legal musical waters!

Alternative sentencing through special problem-solving courts is better for the job prospects and earning potential of offenders.

Marketplace's health reporter Gregory Warner discusses what parts of the health care reform law will come into effect this year.

On the orders of the government, Chinese television has had to replace popular shows similar to "American Idol" with more morally uplifting fare.

Economy continues to add jobs, but not fast enough to make campaigning easy for President Obama.

The Labor Department reported the U.S. economy added 200,00 jobs in December and the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since 2009.

In Europe, some countries in the north are doing well while in southern countries like Italy and Spain, unemployment is skyrocketing.

''m curious about safe ways to establish credit. I have ambitions to run my own cafe and coffee roastery one day. Having a good credit history is going to be key. But, I hate the idea of spending money that I don't have and keeping track of interest rates. Are there any cards or plans I should look into, with this in mind? Charlie, Philadelphia, PA

Chrysler announced plans to add 1,100 of them at its assembly plant in Detroit. The new workers will build a diesel version of the Jeep Cherokee. It's the latest of many U.S. automaker announcements for diesel cars and trucks.

The December jobs report showed that 200,000 new jobs were created in the month, and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.5, the lowest rate since February 2009.

Dammit Ramnit!

What else you gonna do? Watch TV?

Tess Vigeland is joined by Chris Farrell, Marketplace Money's economics editor, to answer listener questions.

New Jersey cabinet maker Kelly Conklin is seeing business return, and he's passing the good fortune on to his employees.

Facebook is running a limited time offer with moo.com, which is not a social network for cows but rather a place that prints business cards. 200,000 people will get a free box of cards featuring their information and photos from their timeline. It’s a bit odd that Facebook is incorporating actual physical objects to use […]

Temporary holiday hires might be padding December’s big jobs numbers.

Hilda Solis, the Secretary of the Labor Department, discusses the jobs picture today, and where we still need to improve.

Your mom was right (as usual): It's good for your health to give her a phone call.

An assistant coach from the pros doesn't impress like a star coach from a big-name university, raising questions about Penn State's bottom lines: recruits, wins and revenue.

Going over listeners' responses to past broadcasts. This week: Staying safe behind the wheel, limiting your junk food and saving your fuel economy.

Wilshire WorkSource is one of over 50 jobs training centers in Los Angeles County. But as they economy continues to suffer, layoffs are hitting the one place whose goal it is to help the unemployed find work.

Hungary is the latest European Union country to head into trouble, but it isn't part of the eurozone.

The government today is revealing how many hours people work on average each week. People say they're working harder, but productivity has a breaking point.

"Not that we NEED to fix it," GM pretty much says

Many businesses aren't happy about a move to start registering an expanded number of web suffixes next week.

A fractured web presence and unified pranksters affect the presidential candidate's results.

While Iran faces off against the international community, it faces a crisis of economic confidence at home.

This is why we can’t have nice things

Is the plural of beef "beeves"? Seems like it should be.

Economists say today's jobless rate of 8.5 percent might have been higher if it weren't for more unemployed professionals starting their own home-based businesses.

A new study says just 1 percent of mobile users hog half the available wireless capacity.

The nation's economy added 200,000 jobs in the month of December, while the jobless rate ticked down to 8.5 percent.

Reforming our prison system may, in fact, help the country grow — economically.

Reviewing the week on Wall Street and beyond. This week: A look at the December jobs numbers and the continuing economic crisis across the pond.

Now there’s a new online way to try to separate the straight dope from the hot air, the brass tacks from the hooey, the truth from the not-so-much-the-truth. Flackcheck.org debuts today. It’s an attempt to accomplish the often dry task of political fact checking and have a few laughs along the way. No mean feat. Also, the latest in egg-cooking technology.

Today, ADP reported the biggest jump in new hires it has ever seen: 325,000 new jobs in December. Could that be a sign the economy is coming out of its stupor? Joel Prakken of Macroeconomic Advisors thinks so. He says today’s number gives hope that the economy is finally picking up the pace of its recovery. The Daily Pulse is down today on news that despite record-low interest rates, rental vacancies are at a 10-year low of just 5.2 percent.

The European Union proposed a ban on Iranian oil. More Americans are renting than buying. Alabama’s strict immigration law puts the state at an economic disadvantage. The latest Attitude Check with Gallup gauges Americans’ consumer confidence before Friday’s unemployment report. Economy 4.0’s David Brancaccio talks about the future of Kodak. Barnes & Noble may be planning to spin off its Nook e-reader business. And commentator Mark Bittman explores the prevalence of processed foods and the trend of child obesity in the U.S.

Boeing will close a military aircraft factory in Wichita, Kansas, laying off 2,000 workers over two years. The European Union could soon begin cracking down on how online companies use personal data. And in this week’s Attitude Check with Gallup, we look at the extent to which the 2012 election will focus on economic issues.

Millions of Americans make resolutions to change the way they eat. But, can we change the way food is marketed to us?

Netflix is coming out with its first original series, and will stream it all at once. It serves as an indicator of how viewer habits are changing.

Why not get some laughs with your fact-checking? A new site joins the tradition of political comedy, with facts at the forefront.

Kodak has fallen from a one-time business giant to stocks worth less than $1 per share. What went wrong?

No Ice Cream Sandwich until next month

European officials are meeting in Brussels today to discuss an oil embargo against Iran in reaction to the country's nuclear program.

Yep, you're going to get hit

Fewer people lined up for unemployment benefits last week, which, if sustained, could drop the jobless rate in the longer term.

Reporter Scott Tong recounts his trip to East Africa.

The company's e-reader has been a big success, while the rest of Barnes & Noble's business is suffering.

Despite record-low mortgage rates, Americans are yet to wade back into home-ownership.

Boeing will close a military aircraft plant as President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announce budget cuts.

Boy, it's hard to write about this.

The government's jobless data for December comes out Friday. Gallup has its own unemployment measures. Here's a preview.

I bought a condo in Bozeman, Mont., 7 years ago using a 5/1 ARM. When the 5-year period ended, I let it roll over into a 1-year ARM because the rate went down from 4.5 to 3.25. Then, last year, I did the same — only from 3.25 to 3 percent. Come March, the 1-year period will expire again and I wonder if I should let this happen again, since rates will probably be low. Or should I bite the bullet, pay approximately $2,500 in closing costs to lock in a low rate for 15 or 30 years, but make higher payments? (My payments are ridiculously low.) Cindy, West Yellowstone, MT

The economy is shaping up to the top issue of this election year. How does that compare to the last election in 2008?

A different kind of file sharing

European officials meeting in Brussels today have reportedly agreed to an Iranian oil embargo. It's the latest move by the west to punish Iran for its nuclear ambitions.

the dot world slated to open up on Tuesday

Or, you know, not at all?

Today, ADP reported the biggest jump in new hires it has ever seen: 325,000 new jobs in December. Could that be a sign the economy is coming out of its stupor?

The European Union has threatened to embargo oil from Iran. Iran snapped back, saying if that happens, it won't let any oil ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz. How might this affect Europe and the U.S.?

Alabama has attracted top car manufacturers, but some of their foreign workers have been arrested by police. It worries business leaders trying to attract new companies.

David Brancaccio discusses the impact bankruptcy could have on the 38,000 Kodak retirees and how the city of Rochester, home to the film company, can survive.

Social media sites such as Facebook could be affected.

Google TV is rapidly becoming the David Bowie of home entertainment technologies, constantly reinventing itself, coming up with new personae and new collaborators. Hasn’t really achieved a breakout hit, though. No Ziggy Stardust equivalent. Or even Let’s Dance, really. Now it’s teamed up with Marvell and will use Marvell’s chip to try to achieve faster […]

The pressure for healthcare reform won't go away — far from it.

Kodak could soon be delisted from the NYSE and perhaps even file for bankruptcy. But does that really mean the end of the company?

Fewer people lined up for unemployment line — and for unemployment benefits — last week and payroll company ADP says private employment jumped by 325,000 in December.

Jobs numbers are up, and the outlook is good for manufacturing and some other sectors. Not every part of the economy has such a sunny outlook for 2012, though.

It's now a religion

The vacancy rate for apartment fell to its lowest since 2001 in the fourth quarter as more people rented. But mortgage rates are also falling, so will people choose buying over renting soon?

But can the president boost the economy without Congress?

It's underappreciated how well one large cohort of aging boomers should do financially during the traditional retirement years: the college-educated stalwarts of the feminist movement.

Designers, videographers and other workers in the creative economy are embracing the flexibility of contract work, even though they have to sacrifice stability.

The BlackBerry PlayBook debuted last spring to much ballyhoo but it hasn’t exactly rocketed to the top of the charts. Research In Motion, the company that makes PlayBook and BlackBerry, is now apparently looking to dump inventory by slashing the price of the tablet to $299. It’s a savings of up to $400. Is it worth the price now?

After a strong open to 2012 on the markets yesterday, today was more of a mixed picture. Some early concerns about tight European credit markets making it expensive for European banks to raise capital dragged the markets down in the early hours. That was countered a bit by more trickles of good news about the U.S. economy.? And the Marketplace Daily Pulse slowed today with news that 51 percent of Missouri fourth-graders need help covering the cost of lunch.

With the Iowa caucuses over and President Obama beginning his campaign, Jeff Tyler looks at whether labor unions with be a campaign issue in 2012. Auto makers in the U.S. are optimistic for car sales in the upcoming year. A mild winter means cash-strapped governments save money, but lack of snow can be costly for others.

President Obama appointed Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Yahoo has a new CEO. Scott Tong’s series on famine and aid in Africa explains the complications of getting aid in the hands of those who need it. A commentary asks, what’s next for the Arab Spring? London correspondent Stephen Beard examines the history of currency unions. Martha Stewart’s empire struggles, while the Broadway musical  “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark” breaks sales records.

Last year, revolutions led to political changes in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. So what's next for the Middle East in 2012?

The hard economic times in Europe have actually been a good thing for Germany, which can still borrow at low rates and benefit in export markets.

Sinopec will spend billions of dollars on a partnership to drill for natural gas in Ohio. The company is hoping to gain the needed expertise to grow the fracking industry in China.

Self flagellation ensues.