Week of April 16th, 2012

Oil doesn't come from a gas pump, it comes from modern-day prospectors who depend on data … and luck.

President Obama will be visiting colleges next week, and urging Congress to stop interest rates on student loans from doubling on July 1. The data indexing company Splunk went public yesterday — big data is becoming big business. In France, Nicolas Sarkozy and the other presidential election candidates have a new ratings agency to deal with, which rates their plans to fix youth unemployment. And listeners respond to a commentary we ran earlier this week by Tucker Carlson, who calls for the defunding of public radio.

While there’s been some not-so-great economic news lately, Marketplace economics correspondent Chris Farrell says to forget all you’re hearing from Wall Street and Washington and focus on what’s going on in America’s ‘middleweight cities.’ There are new details today in a major political scandal in China involving the case of the once powerful Chinese official Bo Xilai. Stadiums are often put into bad parts of town to make them better, and Fenway Park in Boston — which turns 100 today — was no exception. And U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack talks about the Farm Bill.

The first edition of the Windows operating system came out in 1985, but maybe there’s hope for Microsoft’s classic operating system to have some credibility and future as the world moves into what’s often called “the post-PC era.” Microsoft’s quarterly earnings beat expectations and Verizon has announced that it has faith in the Windows Phone platform and will put some muscle behind marketing it in the months ahead. Also, another edition of our non-award-winning Tech Report Theater.

Well, Happy Financial Literacy Month everyone! Not quite sure how to celebrate? Maybe start with a little reflection. We’ll visit a middle school where kids are learning to make smart money decisions. But, you don’t have to be in a classroom to get a finance lesson. Money-savvy Girl Scouts can now earn personal finance badges. And, the national parks are free this week. So grab the kids, pack a lunch… We’ve got your guide on how to prepare for your weekend in the great outdoors.

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Launched in the aftermath of the riots that tore Los Angeles apart in 1992, Operation Hope has been educating young people about money and its power to elevate us.

In the Middle East, organizers of the big Formula 1 Grand Prix of Bahrain are trying to press ahead despite demonstrations against the Bahrain regime’s human rights record.

Nowadays, stadiums are put into bad parts of town to make them better. A century ago, the area called the "Fens" was bad — real bad.

Yosemite ranger Kari Cobb talks about how the national parks are preparing for their upcoming week of free admission.

Commentator Chris Farrell thinks there's no time like the present to get smart about your finances.

For now, the Farm Bill has stalled in Congress. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack talks about why the bill is vital to farmers, and the agriculture industry as a whole.

The software graybeard may have a future in mobile after all.

The New York Times' Gina Kolata reported this week on a series of recent studies debunking the idea that all impoverished areas are "food deserts."

Olympic athlete Nick Symmonds wants runners to sport personal sponsorships. Meet officials fear angering event sponsors.

Interest rates on federal student loans are set to double on July 1. The president is urging Congress to stop that increase.

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Forget those mega-cities like Los Angeles and New York — a new study shows the economic dynamism of middleweight cities like Pittsburgh and the Twin Cities.

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Listeners respond to a commentary by Tucker Carlson of the Daily Caller, which argues that listeners should pay the full tab for public radio.

There are new details today in a major political scandal in China. The case of Bo Xilai, the once powerful Chinese official who was fired from the government as part of a murder investigation.

The data-analysis company has the strongest initial public stock offering of the year. It's all about Big Data.

On Sunday, France will hold the first round of its presidential election. Polls indicate the incumbent conservative, Nicolas Sarkozy, is in a close race with socialist Francois Hollande, and the economic ripples could spread across Europe and around the world.

Heidemarie Schwermer is taking thriftiness to an entirely new level.

A new Girl Scout merit badged is aimed at preparing young women for their future with personal finance.

Reviewing the week's headlines on Wall Street and beyond. This week: Europe and whether the U.S. economic recovery is stalling.

A podcast taking you behind-the-scenes of our favorite stories from the past week: Wendell Pierce from"The Wire" opens a chain of supermarkets, Louisiana schools plan for a voucher system and listeners speak out on who should pay for public radio.

A ratings agency in France evaluates how presidential candidates plan to tackle the country's dire youth employment problem.

I don't have a question, just a comment on how our finances work. My wife and I agreed a long time ago we each need an allowance. We decided to take a percentage of our gross income as an allowance deposited to our personal checking account. The balance goes to the Joint account for all household bills and expenses. … This has worked well for us as we agree that most household expenses are joint. Gary, Milwaukee, WI

The governor signed into law this week that gold and silver coinage is legal tender in the state of Utah. But how does it work?

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California is planning to close one quarter of its state parks, but if volunteer Carolyn Schoff has her way, Pio Pico Park won't be one of them.

A new Pew Research study finds that priorities for young women have changed. Women aged 18-34 now surpass young men in the importance they place on having a high-paying career.

Spain and France will attempt to sell billions of dollars worth of government bonds today to raise cash. While other big box stores seem to be in trouble, why is Guitar Center thriving? At Whole Foods this weekend, fish produced in an unsustainable way will officially be banned from the stores. And how zoning laws could change education for kids in poor neighborhoods.

We’ve all heard about cloud computing being the wave of the future, but Greenpeace says some companies running cloud services are doing better than others from an environmental stewardship point of view. It has issued a report card on energy and gives Amazon and Apple Fs. Google achieved higher scores for its use of renewable energy sources. The facilities that house cloud computing use a lot of energy, and dropping the coal to plug in something else is much easier said than done. Plus, a look at a new PC game, the highly bleak “Legend of Grimrock.”

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago this coming Saturday. The cleanup effort continues to this day, and there still is a lot of debate about where all that oil went. Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport reveals where Americans are investing their money. Here’s a hint: it’s not stocks. The Obama administration said Wednesday that it would vastly expand the use of competitive bidding to buy medical equipment for Medicare beneficiaries. And “Good Morning America” unseated the “Today” show for the highest-rated morning show last week.

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The corporate earnings reports are flooding in this morning, with companies like Southwest Airlines and Verizon telling us how they did in the first part of this year. In recent quarters, companies have padded their profits by cutting costs.

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After a yearlong experiment, Medicare will start shopping like the rest of the federal government. It will use a competitive bidding process for medical supplies.

In just a little while, we'll hear the latest on how many people were forced to sign up for unemployment benefits. But how's the job market doing if you actually ask people?

They always seem to come down slower than they went up, but gasoline prices are beginning to ease — there could be more relief in sight.

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The national music instrument retailer opens more stores. Bain Capital took Guitar Center private five years ago. What's the secret to its growth?

France will try to borrow a lot more money today. But the low borrowing costs the country has seen every since the European Central Bank handed out a trillion dollars in emergency loans are no longer a sure thing — that money may be running out.

Lifting bans on apartments in affluent neighborhoods might allow more low-income students to attend top public schools.

On Sunday — Earth Day — Whole Foods will stop selling wild seafood that's either overfished or caught in a harmful way, according to ratings from the Blue Ocean Institute and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Outside of my 403(b) Base Program, which my employer matches 10% to my 5%, how much should I sock away in a 403(b) Supplemental? Currently, I contribute 5% to a 403(b) Supplemental, for a total of 20% of 110% of my paycheck. I fully fund a ROTH IRA every year, so I am wondering if I should be saving more of my paycheck to a more liquid asset. Michael, Haslett, MI

Germany is ticking along, as the rest of Europe struggles. But it faces a shrinking population.

American Bandstand legend Dick Clark's knack for spotting an emerging star is getting much attention today, but he was a very effective entrepreneur — turning his public persona into a publicly traded company, Dick Clark Productions, that amassed a fortune.

"Your Bank of America" offers fake customer testimonials that take aim at the major institution's marketing and brand.

Another casualty of the poor economy in recent years? The 16-year-old behind the wheel.

A peek inside annual meetings for the big banks, where small shareholders get to talk directly to executives.

A key component for building cars both here and around the world has has been nearly decimated by an explosion a couple of weeks ago in Germany.

Hint: It's not the stock market.

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Big banks and other companies are reporting their earnings for the first three months of the year. What do they mean for the year ahead?

It's one way to market a movie, but it doesn't seem like it's building for success. The forthcoming Miley Cyrus movie called "LOL," according to the L.A. Times, will have no marketing budget to speak of and will be released first in just seven cities.

Greenpeace says some companies running cloud services are doing better than others from an environmental stewardship point of view. It gives Amazon and Apple Fs. Plus, "The Legend of Grimrock" shows you the fun to be had while trapped in a dungeon.

It used to be that Hulu.com was a perfectly predictable place where you could go and catch up on episodes of “30 Rock” that you may have missed when they aired. Lately, however, the company has been expanding into original programming, and it will be announcing other new shows this week at a TV industry event referred to as “upfronts.” By creating original content as well as continuing to work with its TV network owners, Hulu is trying to carve out a brand new space and be something no one has ever seen before. Plus, we recover from the Gmail outage.

Citigroup’s shareholders have said ‘no way’ to a hefty pay package for senior executives, including a $15 million dollar salary for bank’s CEO. The White House is threatening to veto a transportation bill in the House after legislators tacked on an approval for the controversial Kestone XL oil pipeline — even though the company building the pipeline says it’s secured almost all the land it needs to begin construction of a shortened line from Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast. And Hulu joins online rival Netflix in producing original web-only content, and looking for new advertising revenue.

Citigroup shareholders voted down a pay package for the bank’s top executives. A new startup is partnering with major universities to offer online courses for free. Ever since the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, reactors have been shut down one by one, and now only one remains — but there’s a push to get them restarted. Commentator Robert Reich says history shows the economy has grown faster during periods where we’ve taxed the rich more. And in the latest from Freakonomics Radio, Stephen Dubner talks about the hidden side of corporate social responsibility.

Freakonomics Radio takes a look at whether having a high level of corporate social responsibility is good for business in the long run.

The web video service is busting out original content. Plus, we recover from the Gmail outage.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a "remarkable" increase of earthquakes in the U.S. mid-continent since 2001 is "almost certainly" the result of oil and gas production. How will these findings impact the fracking industry?

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Commentator Robert Reich says increased tax revenue greases the wheels of economic growth

Far too many poor people are living in the modern-day equivalent of debtors' prison without a chance of a fresh start. It's wrong — a terrible state of affairs.

Five big schools, including Princeton and University of Pennsylvania, will begin offering free classes on the web. It's all part of a new venture backed by Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

The popular host and producer died today at age 82.

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Billionaire investing legend Warren Buffett has been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. The CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway is assuring shareholders his disease is not life threatening.

The luxury brand responsible for Louis Vuitton and Dom Perignon saw its sales grow 25 percent in the first quarter of the year. But it turns out, it isn't all because of those upscale products.

Citigroup and other companies face shareholder disapproval of high executive pay. Will the boards of directors heed the concerns?

Reuters reports Nestle is closing in on a deal to buy Pfizer's infant nutrition business for up to $10 billion. That's a lot of baby formula.

Citigroup shareholders said no dice to a hefty pay package for senior executives, including a $15 million salary for Citigroup's CEO.

A CBS News/New York Times poll finds Romney closing the gap. So how would his wealth affect his policies?

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Since Fukushima, Japan has shuttered all but one nuclear reactor. Now the debate to restart has begun.

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Citigroup stock is down 0.1 percent , that after shareholders in an advisory vote said no dice to a hefty pay package for executives, including a $15 million salary for Citigroup's CEO.

Tahoe ski resorts Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows merged this season. But connecting them physically depends on the unconventional owner of the property between the two resorts.

2010's Gulf oil spill put almost 5 million barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Where did it all go?