Week of March 5th, 2012

The February jobs report came out today, and we hear testimonies from three unemployed individuals who recently found jobs. The future of outer space exploration rests in the hands of Congress as they debate the NASA’s 2013 budget. One year after the tsunami in Japan and the nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, there is a sea of uncertainty about how Japan will rebuild its economy. And a 340-ton granite boulder coming to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has turned into a phenomenon attracting scores of spectators.

The monthly unemployment numbers are released by the Labor Department today. How did February fare? Chris Farrell explains how the process for finding a job has changed in the last few years. The cost of the federal food stamp program has also changed since the start of the recession, doubling to 45 million Americans who are now receiving food assistance. And at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, the focus might be shifting from music to technology.

Marketplace’s Sarah Gardner sits in as guest host for Tess Vigeland this week as we take a look at the so-called “student-loan debt bomb.” Also on the show, bill collectors have found new and disturbing ways to turn a profit. We look at what the government’s doing to protect you from “zombie” debt. And, what exactly do Girl Scouts learn by selling those Samoas and Do-Si-Do’s? Listen to that and more this week on Marketplace Money.

The Department of Justice is reportedly getting ready to sue Apple as well as five publishers over anti-competitive practices related to the cost of e-books. The situation dates way back to 2010. At the time, Amazon was the major player in the e-book market. Then Apple launched the first iPad and with it, Apple’s own electronic book store. That’s where things started to get interesting. Also, a new version of the classic arcade game Asteroids.

One year after the tsunami and Fukushima disaster in Japan, Scott Tong revisits with one Japanese man who sees the brighter future for his country.

The South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, is famous for its music. It is also a film and technology event, worth tens of millions of dollars.

Economists expect continued improvement in the job market, and perhaps another dip in the unemployment rate — which is currently at 8.3 percent.

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The big news this morning is the February jobs report from the Labor Department. U.S. employers added 227,000 jobs last month and previous estimates for December and January were revised higher.

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On the anniversary of the Fukushima quake and tsunami, Japan, Inc. faces two possible futures.

Host Sarah Gardner and MSN's Liz Weston answers your personal finance conundrums.

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Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes takes over as owner and editor-in-chief of The New Republic. He's 28. The magazine is nearly 100.

The preacher who has predicted the end of the world many times over finally acknowledges that he was wrong.

The monthly unemployment numbers are released by the Labor Department today. How did February fare? Chris Farrell explains how the process for finding a job has changed in the last few years. The cost of the federal food stamp program has also changed since the start of the recession, doubling to 45 million Americans who are now receiving food assistance. And at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, the focus might be shifting from music to technology.

Commentator Farhad Manjoo says coding will help you keep your job or help you make a case for a raise.

Three Americans. Three new jobs.

A mega-boulder is making its way to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it will be part of a permanent installation. It's one very pricey trip.

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The Department of Justice is reportedly ready to sue over anti-competitive practices in the electronic book business.

More and more, people with outstanding debts are finding themselves in the crosshairs of swarms of collections agencies.

Going over listeners' responses to past broadcasts. This week: Presidential sway over the economy, lowering tuition for college students, and taking time off after graduation.

In Greece, private investors have agreed to write off about 75 percent of their loans to the country.

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Commentator Teresa Amabile on the misconceived correlation between paychecks and joy.

In what circumstances does it make sense for a couple to buy "second to die" life insurance? Ann, Waukesha, WI

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NASA's budget is scrutinized by Congress, igniting debate over the direction of the space agency.

St. Patrick's Day is approaching and so is tax time. So we're holding a contest. Send us your tax-related limericks.

Total outstanding student loan debt is expected to surpass a trillion dollars in 2012. So what does that mean for education and the economy?

The jobless rate in the U.S. held steady at 8.3 percent and the U.S. economy added 227,000 jobs in February. Alan Krueger of the White House Council of Economic Advisers explains what still needs to be done.

Technology has become a good way of keeping up with your networks and connections in your job search.

A recent report says that as the food stamp program has grown, so has fraud. And it's costing the government hundreds of millions of dollars.

Almost all the $7.5 billion worth of Hungarian banknotes in circulation pass through the Hungarian Central Bank annually, to make sure they are clean, untorn and suitable to be used to buy and sell things. The rest can be burned to serve as fuel for the poor.

An expert in advising college graduates on job searches feels the pain of parents trying to help their 20-something kids find a job.

Reviewing the week's headlines on Wall Street and beyond. This week: Another month of good jobs numbers, and the Greece bailout.

Living debt-free is a good thing, right? Those with little or no credit history are finding out you really can be "too thin."

Apple’s much-anticipated update to the iPad was announced yesterday. It wasn’t called the iPad 3 or the iPad HD; it was just called the new iPad. Which isn’t to say that nothing’s changed, mind you. We rounded up opinion from some of our tech pundit pals on whether the iPad is a wow or a meh. Also, if you’re burned out on Facebook and not really feeling it for Google+ or Pinterest, there is another option: Juggalobook.

It’s deadline day — again — in Greece, but if all goes well, we’ll get past this hurdle in the European Debt Crisis and probably move on to another one. For the first time in 15 years, Peyton Manning is no longer an Indianapolis Colt. In China, the maker of the iPad’s lawyers are fighting a Chinese court decision that ruled Apple doesn’t own the trademark for the name iPad in China. And the city of Chattanooga, Tenn. wants to join a growing list of U.S. cities with its own typeface, to be used in everything from stationary to street signs.

McDonald’s hopes to boost sales by expanding its options for value-conscious customers. Airfares are likely to remain high throughout this decade and expected to double in 20 years. Gallup’s Frank Newport talks about American opinion on the government’s role in job creation. The author of a new Vladimir Putin biography dicusses what it means for Russia now that he’s back in power. And we continue our series looking back at the Japan earthquake and tsunami one year later, with recordings from the nuclear plant disaster.

If Greece will soon be out of the woods, at least temporarily, other European nations are still at risk of financial collapse.

A day after Apple announced the latest iPad, the company is just as busy in China, where its lawyers are fighting a court decision that ruled Apple doesn't own the trademarked name 'iPad' there.

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The city of Chattanooga, Tenn., wants to join a growing list of U.S. cities with its own typeface to be used in everything from stationary to street signs.

American Airlines floated the idea of eliminating pension programs for workers to help its financial situation. But now the airline is backing away from that idea.

With the risk of a Greek default hanging in the air, why would some bond holders of Greek debt vote against a reduction of the country's debt?

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The youngest woman on the list, Sara Blakely, has a great background story.

Facebook now has 31 banks involved in the company’s much-anticipated stock offering. Why does it want so many bankers?

The first "SimCity" came out 23 years ago. But a new version will debut next year. How will it fare in the competitive gaming market?

New tapes from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Emergency Operations Center show how the disaster and American reaction unfolded.

My problem is that my brother (in his late 20s) is super lazy and would never do any financial planning on his own. I've been trying to get him to open a Roth IRA for a while, but no chance. So now I'm thinking of starting one for him for his birthday and setting it up so a certain portion of his paycheck will transfer automatically. But there's no way he will ever be motivated/responsible enough to do his own investing. I'm not sure what strategy to follow because I don't want to do his investments for him. Is it worth hiring a professional? Do the major online trading sites (Etrade, Vanguard, ScottTrade, etc.) offer some kind of package where you just add some money and it is professionally invested for you? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you! Laura, Chicago, IL

Moscow journalist Masha Gessen discusses the reelection of Vladimir Putin and what it means for the people of Russia.

Today, we learned from the job placement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas about the number of planned layoffs at American companies in February.

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McDonald's hopes to boost sales by expanding its options for value-conscious customers, including a new "Extra Value Menu."

According to the latest Gallup data, Americans could withstand over $5 a gallon for gasoline before they had to significantly change their buying habits.

According to the latest Gallup poll, most Americans say yes.

A new study finds harmful chemicals in many household products, including those called "green."

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A round-up of opinion on the new new thing.

The quarterback helped boost the Colts' net worth to more than $1 billion.

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Private investors are being asked to accept big losses on their loans to Greece, in order for the country to get more bailout money and avoid a messy default that could send Europe back into crisis. About two-thirds of bondholders so far have agreed.

Like any company with more than 30,000 locations, McDonald's sales figures give us a snapshot of the global economy.

A recent report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis about the health of the economy in the fourth quarter of 2011 shows a 20 percent spike in investment — a sign that businesses are back to spending, not hoarding, their money.

The American economy seems to be moving along at a healthy clip, from jobs to hamburgers.

The Federal Aviation Administration is reporting that there will be more air travelers chasing fewer flights, pushing prices up.

Private bond holders have until this afternoon to decide if they'll take major losses on their investments in order to keep Greece out of a messy default, and avoid another global crisis.

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It’s been about a year since an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant. We hear from an American engineer who was inside the plant and lived to tell about that day. Apple made its big announcement on the new iPad today, but what will happen to the old ones that users discard? Commentator Robert Reich says a college education is still key to a brighter future, even as it becomes harder to come by. And Freakonomics Radio takes a look at the power of the president.

Super Tuesday wrapped up last night, and the economy once again emerged as the leading issue of that election day. In Washington state, emergency rooms are struggling with Medicaid payment plans. A federal jury in Texas has convicted Allen Stanford of defrauding investors to the tune of $7 billion in a Ponzi scheme. And actor Steven Van Zandt tells about about the current state of television.  

LulzSec, an offshoot of the group known as Anonymous, claimed responsibility for several high-level attacks on computer networks and always incorporated a mix of pranksterism with its hacks. The group has claimed credit for attacks on Sony, the U.S. Senate and CIA and PBS, among others. A series of busts that happened yesterday morning were allegedly a result of information provided by the head of LulzSec. But can a hacking group really have a leader?

Listen to more of our interview with the actor/musician, now starring in the Netflix original series, "Lilyhammer."

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G-men put online palookas in the hoosegow!

Believe it or not, there's nearly no relationship between the U.S. president and the economy, no matter who it is.

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The FBI is investigating a former subsidiary of News Corp. suspected of bribing Russian officials.

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Apple announces its new iPad. Here's what to do with the old one.

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There is a possibility that Greece's private creditors won't accept big losses on their investments by a deadline tomorrow night.

But commentator Robert Reich says access to college is being squeezed at a time the country needs it the most.