Week of August 20th, 2012

Apple's win over Samsung could mean big changes for the smartphone and tablet markets.

There's no way to estimate the returns on a hug from your son or an afternoon of baking cookies with your brood, but the USDA was able to estimate how much a child takes out of your bank account.

The search for your soulmate and the perfect babysitter have some surprising parallels.

A Minnesota family does what it takes to make their dream of a big family a reality.

Since the recession, people are saving money in all kinds of ways, including not adding to their family. The USDA reveals how much the average family spends, per child, from zero to 18. Sometimes, though, the baby trade-off can actually help your bottom line. And still worried about the cost of kids? You might consider buying used. (Well, maybe not everything secondhand.) Also, a Republican delegate shares the cost of being a delegate traveling to the Republican Convention.

A stroller, a crib, clothes for a kid who may not be the same size next week are among the many items parents need to purchase for their new baby. Buying secondhand can be easier on the wallet. Learn what is safe — and unsafe — to buy secondhand for junior.

A married man in his forties reflects on his choice to not have children.

Employees who earn less money than they feel they're worth are more likely to share their salary with friends and family. Meanwhile, those who are paid more, keep quiet.

Lance Armstrong is losing his titles, but he and his sponsors are betting his brand will endure. Tess Vigeland talks to journalist Nicholas Shaxson about the hundreds of pages of Mitt Romney’s financial documents that Gawker published yesterday. Excitement is drumming up for the national political conventions, but what’s even more rewarding is what happens when they end — the campaign money. Looks like the economy has helped cause the U.S. birthrate to drop to its lowest in 25 years. And our Payday series concludes with a naked discussion amongst friends about salaries, and what’s enough to make you happy.

The slow economy has parents rethinking plans to expand their families.

A group of friends break the pay taboo and bare their salaries.

Federal law has kept money raised for the general election off limits until Mitt Romney and Barack Obama become official nominees.

Author Teresa Strasser talks about the give-and-take relationship she has with her babies.

There's a lot to decide before you have a baby. Certified financial planner Louis Barajas answers expecting parents' questions about how to be prepared financially for your baby.

Republicans all over the country are starting to pack for Tampa, Fla., where the Republican Convention will be. One delegate breaks down the costs of participating in democracy.

The seven-time Tour de France champion will lose his titles. But he and sponsors are betting his brand will endure.

A Democratic super PAC goes after Rep. Connie Mack for past legal troubles by comparing him to actor Charlie Sheen.

Jeff Horwich: Today, the environmental group Greenpeace boarded a Russian offshore oil-rig in the Arctic Sea to protest drilling in the region by Gazprom. Greenpeace has pulled stunts like this for years. But lately, the group has gone from occupying oil-rigs and fishing boats to hijacking companies’ identities online. Christopher Werth has more. Christopher Werth: […]

The legendary cyclist has been stripped of his Tour de France titles, though he has not admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. The developments could have serious implications for his personal brand.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

Will the "Lance" brand survive? Usually August means panic on the stock market, but this year we've seen the S&P 500 hit a four-year high and Apple stock rocket to over $670 a share. Have we bucked the trend? And an analyst has a model that predicts an Obama victory in November.

Here in California, a jury enters a third day of deliberations in the smartphone and tablet copyright battle between Apple and Samsung. But today in South Korea, a court facing the some of the same questions issued its ruling.

A federal judge said the Tennessee Valley Authority is liable for the big sludge spill at its power plant near Knoxville a few years back. Millions of tons of coal ash spilled out of a man-made lake and blanketed nearby rivers and land.

Lance Armstrong loses his medals, but will the “Lance” brand survive? NASA is trying to get a better idea of the weather forecast for outer space. Usually August means panic on the stock market, but this year we’ve seen the S&P 500 hit a four-year high and Apple stock rocket to over $670 a share. Have we bucked the trend? And an analyst has a model that predicts an Obama victory in November.

Mitt Romney has announced a new energy plan he says will lead to greater energy independence if he’s elected. The plan calls for states to have greater authority to allow drilling on federal lands within their borders. What would that drilling mean for those lands? Drilling technology has made huge leaps forward, but it’s still drilling and still has impact.

And a new app helps you separate fact from baloney in political ads.

Based on his "Keys" forecasting system, Allan Lichtman says only measuring the incumbent matters in predicting election outcomes.

After several years of summer drama on Wall Street, the first August in a while without a worrisome a bailout or some other economic calamity is drawing to a close. But vacationing traders should prepare for a wild September.

Forecasting bad weather events in space can save big money down here on earth.

Gawker.com dumped a ton of data about presidential candidate Mitt Romney's finances. This is the background that may help you explain it.

As Congress debates a bill to raise the federal minimum wage, two economists debate whether setting a wage floor for workers is a good thing.

Gallup’s latest data shows one in five Americans cannot buy enough food to feed their family. Meanwhile, many young workers are finding that the path they thought would lead to a career — go to college, work hard, land a job — may not be for them. Walmart is stocking up on vaccines, continuing its foray into the health care business. United Airlines is slimming down their seat sizes to increase capacity. Reporter Krissy Clark looks at the real effects of minimum wage. And Tess Vigeland talks to DW Gibson about his profiles on people who have lost their jobs and are learning to adapt.

With the youth unemployment rate at double the national average, many young workers are finding that the path they thought would lead to a career — go to college, work hard, land a job — may not be for them.

What do you consider the most important factor when purchasing an airline ticket? Carrier? Leg room? Price? Time? Other? Let us know.

Jobstacles is a video series about the many (and often funny) obstacles that stand between young people and employment.

Jobstacles is a video series about the many (and often funny) obstacles that stand between young people and employment.

Jobstacles is a video series about the many (and often funny) obstacles that stand between young people and employment.

Slimmer seats on some planes may bring bigger profits for airlines like United. But they will likely mean less comfort for passengers.

New data from Gallup shows that 25 percent of Mississippi residents have struggled to feed their families at some point over the last 12 months. On average, 18 percent of respondents in the U.S. say they've lacked money for food at least once recently.

The giant discounter will soon begin offering a slew of shots aimed at boosting its health care business.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

Conservative political nonprofit continue to blanket airwaves with attack ads in Senate races.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

French President Francois Hollande travels to Berlin today to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. That comes a day after Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras asked for more time to get Greece's fiscal house in order. In fact, over the next few days, Europe's skies will be full of dignitaries crisscrossing the continent trying to find a solution to the ongoing debt crisis.

Which industries do well in public opinion polls? Computers get mostly positive marks, as do retail and anything having to do with food. The federal government and oil and gas, not so much.

The latest data on unemployment claims put them near their lowest levels since the start of the financial crisis. Hiring is slowly ticking up. So why aren't Americans feeling better about the economy?

There are new signs the Federal Reserve is getting ready to pump more money into the U.S. economy. Notes from a Fed meeting earlier this month were just released and they seem to indicate we've got another economic stimulus package in our future.

A group of consumer advocate organizations has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, alleging that several companies, including McDonald’s and General Mills, are violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. There are concerns about email swapping among children, and what happens to the children’s email addresses that are collected by companies. And for the most part, children aren’t aware of the security issues that come with browsing the Internet.

Notes from a Fed meeting earlier this month were released yesterday and they seem to indicate more stimulus is on the way. The presidential race is heating up and this morning President Barack Obama’s campaign announced it’s going to start taking campaign donations via text message. Elsewhere today, GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney unveils his energy plan at a campaign stop in New Mexico. And while the Chinese economy shows some signs of slowing, not that everyone is suffering. Workers at state-run companies in China receive not just good salaries, but all kinds of perks — from mortgage payments to fancy cars.

Economist Douglas Hibbs predicts the winner of the 2012 presidential election through his 'Bread and Peace' forecasting model.

But it probably won't have much impact on consumer's pocketbooks, especially when it comes to the price of gas or electricity.

A group of consumer advocate organization says some big name companies are violating kids' online privacy laws.

Hormel announces its earnings today. The company is the third-largest seller of meat, and with the drought and commodity prices rising, investors are looking for signs of the food industry's long-term outlook.

Workers at state-run companies in China are riding pretty high. Beyond standard salaries, there are often a lot of perks for state workers, including mortgage payments, groceries, fancy cars. And it's all tax free.

What to know how your company figures out your salary? Depends if you are a "pork belly" or a "gourmet sausage"

Mexicans are the world’s largest consumers of eggs per capita but an outbreak of avian flu has hit the supply and sent prices soaring there.

In a speech in Singapore, Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit said the firm needed to be restructured after the financial crisis.

A new study says that middle-class incomes have been shrinking over the past decade, so what’s there left to be positive about? Mexico is facing a massive shortage of eggs, causing prices to more than double. Business correspondent Bob Moon discusses our current love-hate relationship with the American economy. In the latest installment of Freakonomics, Stephen Dubner looks at the hidden side of working from home. David Brancaccio continues our Payday series, exploring exactly how paychecks are calculated. And we hear about Rabun County, Ga., and how it’s still dealing with the fame left over from the filming of “Deliverance” there.

I've made a pros and cons list, asked my friends, and this is why I'm breaking up with the economy.

Conflicted news from Federal Reserve reflects tentative relationship drags on between Americans and their money.

Pew Research Center says middle class family income and wealth have shrunk.

Do you work in a commodity job or are you a customized good. Take our quiz to find out; your salary could depend on it.

Our Freakonomics expert Stephen Dubner says there is evidence that working from home is better for you.

It's been 40 years since "Deliverance" was filmed in Rabun County, Ga. Tourism in the region has boomed in that time, but not everyone welcomes the attention.

Patriot Majority USA kicks off long-term campaign targeting billionaire Koch brothers

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

Late night TV is about to go where it's never gone before. ABC says starting in 2013 it's moving 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' a half hour earlier, to compete head-to-head with Letterman and Leno.

Shares of BHP Billiton are down this morning, after the mining giant saw profits fall for the first time in three years.

Today, the Dutch beer giant, Heineken, says its facing sluggish growth because of lagging demand in Europe. It seems, on the whole, Europeans aren’t drinking away their sorrows over the debt crisis – not with beer anyway.