Week of June 18th, 2012

What does peace of mind cost you? That’s what we’re asking this weekend. Safety and security — of your money, your reputation and your person. We’ve got some tips from the LAPD and other security experts. But, not all safety threats are easy to spot. And yes — your social network can put you at risk. Plus, we’ll also ask whether the foreclosure crisis is making people sick. Losing your home can make you lose your lunch.

As the world becomes more connected, languages are getting left behind. A newly launched partnership between academic institutions and Google aims to preserve those endangered languages that aren’t being passed on to later generations. As we learn, tracking down the necessary data to preserve a language is not easy. Plus, we talk about Bill Murray’s fake Twitter with Bill Murray…sort of.

The credit rating agency Moody’s slashed the ratings of 15 of the world’s biggest financial institutions yesterday — including Citigroup, Bank of America, Barclay’s and Credit Suisse. Mitt Romney is in Park City, Utah this weekend hosting an event for some of his biggest donors. The presidential hopeful is reportedly on track to raise $100 million this month, which could be more than President Obama raises. And Congressman Howard Berman explains why he is trying to change federal law to limit helicopter noise in residential neighborhoods of Southern California.

A new Google service will let your boss track your every move. Research shows that Americans are much less likely to marry someone from a different class bracket. California has become the first state to privatize state park management. Kai Ryssdal talks to Anne-Marie Slaughter, who wrote the controversial article in The Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.” And in the latest What’s Up Europe?, we hear about what people are talking about in Ireland.

The credit rating agency Moody's slashed the ratings of 15 of the world's biggest banks, including most of the big guys here in the U.S.

The stress of foreclosure is causing ill health for some.

More than 100 of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's top donors will join him this weekend, a sign that big-money donors — not the small donors that propelled Barack Obama to victory in 2008 — may be the difference-makers in this election.

According to Democratic Congressman Howard Berman, helicopter noise in Southern California is getting way too loud and frequent, and that's why he's pushing for new federal regulations.

The former Boston Red Sox pitcher spoke publicly today about his failed video game company 38 Studios, and about his diminished wealth.

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Do you constantly ignore that pop up message telling you to update your web browser? An online retailer in Australia plans to put a kind of tax on customers who shop using outdated browsers.

The Miami Heat, in five games, won the NBA championship last night by… a lot. From a strictly business point of view — what now?

The most popular item this week on the Wall Street Journal's web site: a column on our deteriorating grammar at the office.

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As the Irish keep an eye on Greece and Spain, what news is keeping the Irish upbeat?

The credit rating agency Moody's slashed the ratings of 15 of the world's biggest financial institutions, including Citigroup and Bank of America here in the U.S. and Barclays and Credit Suisse in Europe.

The cruise business is emerging from the down economy thanks to lower fuel prices, bigger boats and more fees for perks like alcohol and excursions.

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Moody's has downgraded the credit ratings of 15 banks in Europe and North America — that continues to rattle markets in Asia and Europe today so far.

What do you recommend I get for my grandson who is in his third year of college and has no idea of how to manage his meager funds? William, Amherst, MA

Sales of the new Model S sedan could make or break the electric car company.

From Rajat Gupta to Greek taxpayers, it seems dishonesty is increasingly a problem in the economic world. We hear from psychologist Dan Ariely as to why that is, and what can be done about it.

After U.S. markets closed yesterday, the rating agency Moody's delivered more bad news — this time to 15 of the world's largest banks, including the biggest American banks. The fine print of the downgrade hints at more bank bailouts down the road.

The Supreme Court is about to announces its decision on the health care reform law, which includes guaranteed coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions. But what exactly counts as one?

With consumer demand still sluggish in the U.S. and Europe, China is looking elsewhere for new customers to places like Brazil. In fact, this week China and Brazil agreed to a landmark deal that avoids using the U.S. dollar.

Moody's ratings downgrade of major banks today included some backhanded compliments.

Marketplace Money host Tess Vigeland heads to the shooting range to learn about the cost of gun ownership and home safety (and takes on a zombie while she's at it)

Reviewing this week's headlines on Wall Street and beyond. This week: The Moody's downgrade of international banks and the recent Fed meeting.

LA Times columnist David Lazarus argues that government should intervene to curb obesity, because citizens cannot protect themselves from the deluge of advertising from the food and beverage industry.

California will become the first state to let private companies run its parks.

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Fewer people are marrying across class lines. But those who are making the leap are finding that how they grew up influences how they grow together as a couple.

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Princeton University professor Anne-Marie Slaughter talks about her article in the Atlantic on whether or not women really can balance careers and home lives.

Global markets are down about a percent this morning after the rating agency Moody's downgraded the credit ratings of 15 of the largest banks in the world. Among them, European institutions — but also big American banks like JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America.

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7,000 languages worldwide could be headed for extinction. Can they be stored online?

Flame is a malicious computer program that was recently found to be spying on computers in Iran. Ellen Nakashima has been following the trail of Flame for the Washington Post and in a recent article says signs point to Washington and Israel to map out the computer networks of Iran, in preparation for a broader series of potential attacks. Plus, the online equivalent to the Olympics: Wiki Wars.

Chairman Ben Bernanke’s announcement yesterday that the Federal Reserve will expand the Operation Twist monetary stimulus program has left markets and economists unimpressed. As our country still continues to recover from the recession, Marketplace’s economics correspondent Chris Farrell comapres where we are now to previous economic low points. And at tonight’s perfect storm — the NBA finals matchup of the Heat and Thunder — ticket prices are going through the roof.

We kick off our new series, Street of Eternal Happiness, in which China correspondent Rob Schmitz profiles people who work on that famous street in Shanghai. Here in the U.S., the Supreme Court is on the verge of announcing its decision on the legality of the health care reform law. Gallup’s Frank Newport reveals how American opinion is changing on immigration policy. And a new report shows that more than half of American employers are having trouble finding skilled workers to hire, a “skills gap” that’s gotten much wider since 2007.

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Gallup's Frank Newport has the data pertaining to the Obama administration's announcement last week on immigration policy.

If these wells are leaking, they could contaminate water supplies and disrupt the most important way we dispose of liquid waste.

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The Washington Post reports the malware was meant to be a spy precursor to a later sabotage attack.

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Tomorrow, another euro clash between Germany and Greece is looming. But this time it's not economics — it's soccer. The two face each other in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals. At least this meeting is not about debt, bailouts and austerity… Or is it?

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Even a full month after Facebook's disastrous IPO, it's clear the deal had far-reaching implications on faith in the markets, for both professional and regular investors.

Germany will battle Greece in the quarterfinals of the European Football Championship. What kind of tensions might play out during the game?

A report says more than half of American companies are having trouble finding enough skilled workers to hire. Why don’t employers train workers instead?

One group who's paying close attention to the Supreme Court's announcement on the Affordable Care Act? Health industry lobbyists. Politico's Anna Palmer discusses how those industries are getting ready to react.

Yesterday, the Federal reserve refused to commit to any extreme stimulus measures for the economy– at least just yet. That has a ripple effect on commodities like oil.

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The Federal Reserve will continue its Operation Twist program, but it can't do much else to help the global economic downturn caused by financial strain in Europe. On the plus side? We get lower gas prices.

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Students often lose academic ground in summer, and state budget cuts are making things worse.

Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and President Obama will both be speaking to Hispanic leaders at a gathering in Orlando this week. The speeches come just days after the Obama Administration announced it will ease immigration laws.

Merck's use of cartoon animals from “Madagascar 3” prompts complaint that grape-flavored Claritin allergy medicine could be confused for candy.

Marketplace's Chris Farrell argues that this recovery is more similar to the jobless recoveries of the 1990s and 2000s than of the 1980s and 1970s, and he talks about what to expect going forward.

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The economist died today at age 96. We look back at our interview with her three years ago, and her opinions on Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan.

Meet Master Chu Hongsheng on the first stop of our year-long series profiling the people who make their living on Changle Road, or the Street of Eternal Happiness, which bisects Shanghai.

It's the last game of the year in Miami, and the Heat could clinch the NBA title tonight. So have fun trying to pay for a ticket.

Global markets, and many economists, seem unimpressed this morning with the news yesterday from the Federal Reserve that it will expand the Operation Twist monetary stimulus program.

The new track and field uniforms for this year's Olympic games were recently unveiled by Nike.

The U.S. Federal Reserve says it will continue holding interest rates down the rest of the year through its "Operation Twist" — swapping short-term securities for long-term ones. But the economic crisis is global, and ours is not the only central bank that's worried about stoking economic growth.

If you've been to a gas station recently, you know that prices are down — on average, about 20 cents lower per gallon than a month ago. That's in part because the price of oil is at an eight-month low.

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As part of our weekly Attitude Check, we look at recent Gallup data on how Americans feel about big versus small business, government, and other institutions.

It’s getting harder to be anonymous online. And Facebook’s about to make it more difficult, having announced a deal to acquire Face.com, a facial recognition software company, for between $55 million and $60 million. On a site like Facebook, facial recognition could be used to help spot your friends in pictures, which can be fun. But there could also be a more troubling side to it.

To further stimulate the economy, the Federal Reserve announced it will extend its “Operation Twist” program until the end of the year. Foreclosures are up for the first time in more than two years; we look at the personal finance implications. While many cash-strapped school districts are cutting their summer school programs, Baltimore wants to offer more innovative classes. Russian president Vladimir Putin will be pitching to international economic investors tomorrow. The Rio Earth Summit, now celebrating 20 years, inspired many children back then to care about the environment, and now those grown-up kids are leading a new generation into the fold.

The Fed will wrap up a meeting today in Washington, and experts are guessing that policymakers will launch more monetary stimulus to boost the economy. With austerity still the hot button word in Europe, here in the U.S., the Postal Service could be going the way of Greece if Congress doesn’t pass a restructuring plan to close a multi-billion dollar budget gap. And why public transit riders aren’t so happy about Apple’s new operating system for iPhones and iPads.

The social giant bets big on facial recognition software, but what is it using that information for?

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New report says protecting the environment can be good for the economy and job growth.

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A "postal austerity" doesn't come without a cost to customers.

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The Supreme Court is set to rule on the individual mandate, which requires almost everyone to buy health insurance. For some people, the decision could be life-changing.

Is your household best described economically as a "high earner, not rich yet?" How about a "dual incomes, never go out?" Share your economic acronyms and read dozens submitted by Marketplace listeners.

Big pizza chains like Domino's and Papa John's have banned together in a coalition called The American Pizza Community to stop proposed calorie-labeling regulations.