Week of June 25th, 2012

The residents of Roxana, Ill. debate if the oil refineries in and around their town represent jobs and money, cancer or something else.

Raging fires in Colorado have displaced thousands and the financial effects are just beginning to surface. We have tips on preparing your finances for a natural disaster. And we talk to a photographer who asked, “What would you take from your burning house?” Plus, need a reason to ditch your office chair? The benefits of standing at your desk. We also drop in on a fourth-grade economics lesson taught by high school students. And we look at how you define financial independence.

Tory Burch started her fashion line eight years ago in her Manhattan apartment. Today, there are 73 Tory Burch stores worldwide. She talks about how her company grew, how she judges long-term risk, and what's next.

Filmmaker, explorer and mountaineer David Breashears is no stranger to risk. He discusses the many parallels he sees in his work and in economic risk.

In honor of the club vibe at the Belly Up in Aspen, where we're airing live, listen to a little stand-up comedy.

Standing desks seem to be sweeping the nation these days. Contributor Karen Burkett told us why she — and other co-workers at the Miami Herald — have opted to stand instead of sit on the job. Have standing desks invaded your workplace yet? If they have, send us a photo! Tweet us or post on […]

Reviewing the week's headlines on Wall Street and beyond. This week, live from the Aspen Ideas Festival, the latest on Europe and all the risks involved.

More officer workers are choosing to stand instead of sit at work. The trend may mean better focus and even a longer life.

We asked listeners what financial independence means to you.

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On the best advice I've been given.

From Tulsa to Minneapolis, cities are having a hard time finding enough people to work summer lifeguard jobs.

European leaders have settled on a new way to bail out banks. The structure will allow the EU to prop up troubled banks directly. It's the kind of change Spain, Italy and other struggling eurozone countries were looking for.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is flexing its regulatory muscle and wants to review JPMorgan's risk models.

Your most recent program discussed the amount and kind of emergency funds needed for people working. My question is what those of us who are retired should consider for emergency funds. William, Schenectady, NY

Dallas Fed president Richard Fisher spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival, bemoaning the direction of U.S. economic policy.

A conversation at the Aspen Ideas Festival reminded me: commercial real-estate was saved because Wall Street had an incentive to fix its own problems.

Lawmakers in Washington are poised today to approve a bill that provides billions for transportation projects and lowers student loan interest rates.

After the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act yesterday, economists are already speculating on what it could mean for the U.S. economy, both in the short and the long-term.

It appears European leaders have come up with an agreement to ease the debt crisis — somewhat. And the deal rests on Germany compromising on how bailout money is used.

Even after the Supreme Court announced its decision on the Affordable Care Act yesterday, many outspoken critics of the law remain. We talk to Senator Rand Paul on why he believes the law is unconstitutional.

One group of Americans that may be particularly worried about the Supreme Court's health care ruling is the restaurant industry.

U.S. health insurance companies put in a tremendous amount of work for a health reform law that could have been vaporized. We speak to Matt Manders, U.S. head of Cigna, one of the country's biggest insurers, on the Supreme Court ruling.

A summit of European leaders has yielded agreement on two key points. First, the EU as a whole will lend directly to banks wherever they get into trouble. Second, there's going to be a new agency to supervise banks across the continent.

Yesterday’s health care ruling is being hailed as good news for people without health insurance. But more than 80 percent of Americans do have health insurance, and more than 55 percent of us get it through our employer. On Sunday, voters in Mexico will go to the polls to elect a new president and a lot of U.S. companies that do business south of the border will be watching very closely. And there’s a big EU summit going on in Brussels and it appears leaders have come up with an agreement that may help ease the debt crisis — at least somewhat.

If you followed CNN yesterday as the Supreme Court broke its big news, you might have read the wrong headline. The mix-up may have been abetted by the High Court’s sluggish approach to basic modern technologies. No electronic devices are allowed in the court room. Why are the justices so behind on the electronic times? Plus, more opportunities to go to an Ivy League for free.

There's a big EU summit going on in Brussels today, and it appears leaders have come up with an agreement that may help ease the debt crisis — at least somewhat.

Social media and smartphones are fueling a "sharing economy," where freedom from possession trumps ownership.

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Broadcasting live from the Aspen Ideas Festival, today’s show is all about one of the biggest — and least understood — problems facing the U.S. economy today: risk. Kai Ryssdal talks to filmmaker, explorer, mountaineer and founder of GlacierWorks, David Breashears, about the risks he’s taken in his career and life. Kai also speaks with fashion designer Tory Burch about entrepreneurship during this time in the economy. And we have the weekly wrap with New York bureau chief Heidi Moore and CNBC’s John Carney.

As wildfires rage across Colorado, state officials are being cautious in how they describe the conflagration, hoping not to scare away its major tourism industry, like it did in 2002.

The outcome of Sunday’s presidential election in Mexico will affect U.S. companies there, like carmaker Ford. Some could benefit from promised economic reforms.

Some say cheaper insurance could help startup owners focus on business.

If you are among the vast majority of Americans insured through your employer, the high court decision on health care probably won't change much.

The Supreme Court justices keep it old-school to maintain the majesty and dignity of the nation’s highest court. Plus, new opportunities to go to an Ivy League university for free.

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Today, the U.S. Supreme Court rules on health care. We speak to former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle on how the decision will change the course of the country — one way or another. Thirty million uninsured Americans have a stake in the ruling, and so do all 50 states. And in tonight’s NBA draft, potential draftees have been learning how to present themselves in the business world to help their chances.

Health care accounts for one-sixth of the nation’s economy. We look at how the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act will affect the economy, what states will do next, and hear from both a conservative and a liberal doctor about their thoughts on the verdict. Meanwhile, JP Morgan’s derivatives losses may reach beyond the original estimate of $2 billion to $9 billion. Google just unveiled its new home media player — and it’ll be made right here in the U.S. of A. And the EU meets for yet another summit on trying to fix its debt crisis.

Google is now taking orders for Google Glass. It’s glasses that let you take pictures or video, shows you information like from a smartphone but on the glasses. We’re dubious about it catching on, but some say it could be a sea change in terms of interactive sharing and experiencing. Meanwhile, a judge has approved Apple’s request to block U.S. sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, after Apple said the tablet was designed too much like an iPad.

The healthcare law itself may be unpopular but parts of it are quite attractive to the American people, according to Gallup research.

After much deliberation and anticipation, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the Affordable Care Act and the universal mandate, and has determined it is constitutional under Congress' authority to tax.

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Professor Uwe Reinhardt on what needs to happen next and how the health insurance mandate is working out in the state of Massachusetts.

European leaders are gathering today for yet another summit to save the euro. Economist Diane Swonk says everyone is hoping Europe doesn't derail from the track onto recovery.

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The problems that got us today's health care Supreme Court decision — rising health care costs, the pull between personal liberty and the social safety net — are familiar around the world, even if the solutions have been very different.

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The NBA draft is tonight. For team managers, choosing a player isn't just about the stats — interview skills and personality count. So potential draftees have been learning how to present themselves in the business world to help their chances.

Ahead of today's health care ruling, we check in with Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport about how Americans feel about their health care, especially compared to the rest of the world.

The former Senate majority leader says the Affordable Care Act is not the first federally mandated program, but got a bad wrap after getting tied up in politics.

In a 5-4 decision — the way the U.S. Supreme Court likes to roll out all big-time decisions lately — the Court has upheld president Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The key vote in favor came from Chief Justice John Roberts. The U.S. economy that's been preparing to implement this huge law can carry on — basically.

EU leaders meet in Brussels today and tomorrow to seek solutions to the continent’s debt crisis, but some observers expect them to achieve little.

We talked to some regular folks on how the Supreme Court's decision might affect them. Let us know your own thoughts.

The device lets you take pictures or video, shows you information like from a smartphone — but on glasses. Some may think it's disconcerting. Also, Apple blocks a Samsung tablet from being sold.

Tens of thousands of people have evacuated from the Colorado Springs area because of a raging wildfire that's threatening homes. Those fires make for some dramatic images, but the real drama for many of us will come from the effect dry weather is having on farms.

For all the analysis and predictions about the health care reform law, nobody knows what will happen.

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As the Supreme Court prepares to decide the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, states are waiting to see if their gambles about whether the law would be overturned will pay off.

Georgia congressman Phil Gingrey discusses Republican strategy in response to the Supreme Court's upholding of the Affordable Care Act.

Researchers in Japan have developed a robot that's function is to beat humans at "Rock, Paper, Scissors." It does so every single time.

The Supreme Court had the final say on upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, but conservative states aren't clamoring for newly available Medicaid money.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, former health policy adviser under Clinton and someone who helped frame the health reform law in the early days, speaks about the Supreme Court's decision today.

As the city of Stockton, Calif., considers declaring bankruptcy, a nearby town proves that there is life after going bankrupt.

Now that the dust has settled on the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, it's time to take a closer look at the trickle-down effects of the law.

Although originally estimated at about $2 billion, the total losses from JPMorgan's botched trade in derivatives could — in a worst case scenario — reach upwards of $9 billion, according to the New York Times.

Carmakers, power plants and oil companies are “considering their options” — as they say — after a Federal appeals court ruled yesterday that the Environmental Protection Agency can regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Best Buy’s founder and largest shareholder, Richard Schulze, is reportedly talking to Wall Street banks about potentially turning it private. With Independence Day around the corner, we check in with Marketplace Money host Tess Vigeland about how people spend their money in politics. And today, thousands of would-be app entrepreneurs are descending on the developers’ conference known as Google I/O in San Francisco to learn how to create a hit app on Google’s Android operating system.

Stockton, Calif., has become the biggest American city to declare bankruptcy. Meanwhile, New Orleans is topping the list of metro areas that have been recovering well since the recession. One California county is considering using eminent domain to help homeowners struggling with their mortgages. Mexico will hold elections for a new president this Sunday, and some Mexican nationals here in the U.S. will have considerable influence. Tess Vigeland talks to a business owner in Colorado who lost his restaurant to the wildfires there. And the Wealth & Poverty Desk looks into who makes up the working class.

The FBI has arrested 24 suspects on four continents in connection with a financial fraud ring. The suspects are accused of trafficking in stolen credit card numbers, procured online. Meanwhile, a new report says $78 million has been siphoned from bank accounts in the last several months. Plus, the travel site Orbitz knows if you’re visiting it from a Mac or a PC, and tailors the site depending on that. The practice is making headlines right now, but it’ll be common soon enough.

And why they do, or don’t, really matter in this year’s elections.

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The 15-month uprising in Syria has been especially worrisome for Turkey — which shares a border — now more than ever after Syria shot down a Turkish military plane last Friday. Before the conflict, the two had been trading partners.

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Gallup's editor-in-chief talks about the negative numbers on consumer confidence in the U.S., and how it might affect the presidential election.

The FBI announces busts, and the travel website Orbitz tailors its results to your machine.

We look at the state of the romantic comedy genre after one of its reigning queens, Nora Ephron, has passed away.

Mobile app developers descend on Google I/O.

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Best Buy, the big electronic warehouse store, may be going private. The store's founder and largest shareholder, Richard Schulze, is reportedly talking to Wall Street banks about a major restructuring of the company.

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