Week of November 12th, 2012

The National Transportation Safety Board says all cars, not just fancy ones, should come equipped with technology that warns of accidents ahead.

Anna Mae Franklin, 83, describes how she learned about elder financial abuse the hard way.

Since when did being “difficult” become a handicap in tech?

The Weekly Wrap dissects today's meeting at the White House over the fiscal cliff.

The iconic cake maker Hostess is shutting down their ovens for good. The deadline for states to create health insurance exchanges has been pushed back to December. As the fiscal cliff looms, the popular mortgage interest deduction might be on the chopping block. California could be on the verge of a surplus. Kai Ryssdal checks back in with gas-station owner Oz Elma in Pelham, N.Y., about the fuel situation there. And Queena Kim explores how bosses with bad attitudes used to be acceptable as long as they brought in big profits, but now companies are now asking that executives play nice.

As Hostess Brands moves to close down, it seeks to sell its iconic brands like Twinkies and Wonder Bread to the highest bidder.

After states decide whether to set up their own exchanges, or let the federal government do it, then comes the hard part.

Checking back in with a gas station manager in Pelham, N.Y., after his station gets fuel.

California's debt is shrinking, for now, thanks to voters who approved a tax hike and a growing economy.

Tweaks to homeowner deduction — seen as cornerstone of American Dream — could be part of 'cliff' deal.

The retailer is broadening an investigation into whether its international operations have violated U.S. corruption laws.

Hostess Brands has filed for permission to liquidate. Congressional leaders say they've had constructive talks with the president over the fiscal cliff. But would no deal actually mean more money for the states? You can bid on a signed sketch by Salvador Dali that someone dropped off at a Washington Goodwill. And we talk with Eddie Money.

Without a fiscal cliff solution, capital gains taxes will increase by two-thirds in 2013. How are investors gearing up for the possible increase?

The Spanish government is suspending foreclosures for the neediest homeowners just a week after a woman there committed suicide when officials arrived at her apartment to seize it.

The snack cake maker has filed for permission to liquidate, but will Twinkies go down with it?

Stanford and MIT have gotten a lot of attention for offering free online courses to thousands of students at a time. But this week, a group of big name universities announced a new and smaller-scale take on online education.

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Pop icon, Eddie Money, joins us to share his personal experience and the history of drug addiction in the music industry.

Federal accident investigators want to bring robotics to the next new car you buy. The National Transportation Safety Board says all cars, not just fancy ones should come equipped with technology that warns of accidents ahead, slows you down if the car in front of you hits the breaks, or helps you stay in your lane when you start weaving.

If federal lawmakers can't agree on tax deductions, states could have a larger pool of money to tax.

We may not be ready for online voting yet, but could simple planning and a longer voting period improve the election process?

After agreeing to pay the U.S. government $4.5 billion to settle criminal charges stemming from the Gulf oil spill, BP could face even higher civil penalties. Is such grave punishment in the government's best interest?

New York and New Jersey will end gas rationing programs that were put place in some areas post-Sandy. As demand continues to outstrip supply, some people are going to extreme measures to find or steal gas.

New York and New Jersey will end the gas rationing programs that were put place in some areas post-Sandy. As demand continues to outstrip supply, some people are going to extreme measures to find or steal gas. BP has agreed to pay the U.S. government $4.5 billion to settle criminal charges stemming from the Gulf oil spill. On election day, one thing that didn’t work for many voters was the voting system itself.

A new rule requiring condoms in all adult films has porn studios considering a move out of the San Fernando Valley.

The Federal Housing Administration may need taxpayer money as delinquencies mount on loans it guaranteed for first-time home buyers.

Musician Damon Krukowski discusses the challenges of making a living in the era of Pandora.

Mt. Sinai Medical School in New York renames itself after business magnate/corporate raider Carl Icahn after his $200 million donation.

BP to pay $4.5 billion to settle criminal charges related to Deepwater Horizon. But what does it mean when a company is a felon?

BP has pleaded guilty to criminal charges and will pay $4.5 billion in a settlement with the U.S. government. The Federal Housing Administration may be in need of a bailout. More than a year later after the rise of Occupy Wall Street, supporters are looking to wipe out the debt of strangers. Facebook has launched a new app for job seekers. We hear about how the Internet affects how recording artists are paid. Reporter Jeff Tyler finds that the porn industry may be looking to set up shop outside of Los Angeles. And if we fell off the fiscal cliff for two weeks, would it be such a bad thing?

Even a brief slide off the 'fiscal cliff' is likely to reverberate through the economy.

BP will pay the largest criminal penalty in U.S. history for its role in the 2010 Gulf oil spill. Europe is back in recession. The wealth gap between the rich and poor continues to grow. A celebrity telethon from an Occupy Wall Street branch is expected to raise money to pay off the debts of ordinary people. And the latest on the fiscal cliff.

As China's new leaders take power, some hope they will move away from running surpluses and building up reserves. Such reforms could benefit China and the U.S.

If the folks behind the Great American Smokeout have their way, the latest frontier in the “no smoking” crusade could be apartment buildings.

Facebook enters the job-search market with listings of nearly 2 million job openings. But be careful, especially if you've friended your boss.

Occupy Wall Street gets into buying and forgiving debt, but is it good for the economy?

Adult film economics: A professional adult film performer shares her secrets to budgeting and financial planning.

Energy drinks are boosting sleepy beverage sales, even as the FDA investigates both Monster Energy and 5-hour Energy.

It's been more than a year since Occupy Wall Street made its debut in New York's Zucotti Park. Tonight a new initiative, 'Rolling Jubilee,' kicks off with an online celebrity telethon.

Europe has officially slipped back into recession. Growth in Germany — widely considered to have a relatively healthy economy — has slowed as well.

The Federal Housing Administration's annual report is due out this week, and there's concern that the agency, which insures more than a trillion dollars in mortgages, is in big financial trouble.

When it comes to the fiscal cliff, Americans do not give Republicans or Democrats a mandate on the issue.

Check it out at @IDFspokesperson.

British oil giant BP could face a record fine for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Get to know this phrase: Cyber Ops. President Obama has reportedly signed a secret directive that sets out rules for how the military might get aggressive in the face of a cyber attack. The order acknowledges that the military response to a computer attack isn’t just battening down the hatches on government computers to stop hackers or malicious software. Washington Post national security correspondent Ellen Nakashima found out about the directive and says it spells out what’s considered defensive versus offensive.  

A new analysis highlights states with wide income inequality, and suggests ways to narrow the gap.

UPS CEO Scott Davis shares his views on the fiscal cliff, compromise, and how his company will adjust if Congress can't strike a deal.

As Xi Jinping takes the helm of the Communist Party in China, handling the slowing economy remains priority number one. President Obama will meet tomorrow with members of Congress to start negotiations in hopes of avoiding the fiscal cliff. But what do the American people think? The Federal Housing Administration’s annual report is due out this week, and there’s concern that the agency, which insures more than a trillion dollars in mortgages, is in big financial trouble.

As Xi Jinping takes the helm of the Communist Party in the world's second largest economy, handling the slowing economy remains priority number one.

The president has reportedly signed a directive that could change the way the government could fight cyber terrorism. Also, cell phones that can get a charge from a good shake, and climate change's impact on satellites.

Are you prepared to face a crisis — both natural and man-made? Explore our resource guide to help you prepare yourself — and your finances — for the worst.

Adding lots of train and bus lines to car-congested roads would seem to be an environmental slam dunk. If only the math would cooperate.

In today’s press conference, President Obama talked about his ideas on how to fix the fiscal cliff. The state of Texas has enough signatures to go to the White House to secede from the United States. With the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy still looming, many companies are using the storm as a cover-up for their lost in sales. California is holding its first auction of carbon permits, launching its cap-and-trade system. Austerity strikes are going on across Europe. One stop shops Walmart and Costco are beginning to sell something a little different: home mortgages. And Freakonomics Radio’s Stephen Dubner talks the hidden side of mass transit.

President Obama has four more years. Are there lessons from CEOs who have declared when they’ll leave or who face a mandatory retirement age?

The recent storm is being blamed by firms who see a drop in profits or performance, but some doubt the poor results can really be blamed on the weather.

Europeans in Spain, Portugal and Greece protest austerity measures with a general strike today, but the real problem could be a greater lack of unity across the eurozone.

Costco hopes getting a mortgage through the big box retailer will bring more customers into the store for the things they'll need to furnish those homes.

Commentator Robert Reich says we should hold tax increases and spending cuts until economy improves.

It's official: Companies must now purchase permits to emit excess levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the state of California.

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Investor Carl Icahn, who recently acquired 10 percent of Netflix, is pushing to put the whole company up for sale.

Signs of big shifts on the way at the Fed and maybe at Netflix. Coming out of the closet in the financial world, more protests in Europe, and whether Kansas City can raise the money for a new streetcar by asking for donations.

The number two official at the U.S. Federal Reserve, Vice Chair Janet Yellen, has thrown her weight behind a major change in Fed policy. The issue is how the central bank should schedule its stimulus policies.

After three straight months of gains, U.S. retail sales fell in October by about a third of a percent. Retail prices also ticked down in October.

In London this week, executives from global financial companies held a summit to discuss how to make work culture more LGBT-friendly.

Millions of workers went on strike across Europe today in protest against public spending cuts. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled, car factories and ports have been shut, and rail services disrupted.

There are strikes going on this morning in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Belgium. Workers are protesting all across Europe against rising unemployment and austerity.

Former CIA director David Petraeus communicated electronically with his biographer using a not so secure email technique supposedly favored by terrorists to cover their tracks.

Did you see how former CIA director David Petraeus communicated electronically with his biographer and paramour? It is an email technique supposedly favored by terrorists to cover their tracks. Open an email account using, for instance, Google’s Gmail.  Write a message, don’t send it. Instead, save it as a draft then give your email password to the recipient. She then logs in and reads the message in the draft email folder. The message seems tougher to trace because it’s never been sent, like leaving a message in an envelope on your desk and giving the recipient a key to your office.

Kansas City, Mo., couldn't get government money for a new streetcar system. So, they asked residents and businesses to chip in for donations — in addition to possible a tax hike.

The CEO of Molson Coors says the strike in the National Hockey League has affected sales up north.

Today California starts a new chapter in its efforts to fight climate change. This morning more than 60 million tons of carbon will go up for auction. Yesterday, President Obama met with labor leaders to talk about the fiscal cliff. Today, he’ll talk to a dozen CEOs, but only one comes from Wall Street. Also, what does the fiscal cliff mean for your wallet?

Six years after enacting its own law to fight global warming, California conducts its first auction of carbon permits. Companies that give off large amounts of carbon dioxide will need permits to cover the emissions.

One of the father's of modern anti-virus software, John McAfee, is a suspect in a Belize murder. Jeff Wise discusses the exclusive story on McAfee he recently wrote for Gizmodo.

Headlines aside, many businesspeople play down the threat of the fiscal cliff. Some worry a political compromise could be worse.

More than 500,000 people have signed a petition urging Macy’s to tell Donald Trump he’s fired. Superstorm Sandy is long gone, but the recovery will take a while, even for those whose homes weren’t destroyed. Kai Ryssdal talks to Gizmodo reporter Jeff Wise about anti-virus software creator John McAfee. Sylvania unveiled a new LED lightbulb that gives off the equivalent brightness of a traditional 100-watt bulb and last 25 times as long. North Carolinians thought building a Google data center would help ease the 17 percent unemployment rate there, but that hasn’t yet been the case. And the fiscal cliff has been all over the news lately, but should you care?

American Express is the only financial services firm to attend the president's CEO meeting on the fiscal cliff.

Are you prepared for the worst? Do you know exactly what your insurance policy covers? Can your stock and bond portfolio withstand another financial crisis? Do you have a will in place? This week we present a special program in collaboration with The New York Times — Bulletproofing Your Finances. From natural disasters to man-made catastrophes like the financial crisis of 2008, we’ll talk about how to prepare yourself — and your finances — as fully as possible.

The Euromonitor International tracks the percentage change in the number of dogs in a given country in the past five years and correlates that to the rate of economic development.

The flooding from Superstorm Sandy has displaced a lot of New Yorkers, including those who live far above the high-water mark.

Struggling N.C. county lures Google facility with incentives. Were they worth it?

Bipartisanship is on everyone's lips, but is it in the cards? The head of Microsoft Windows is packing up his laptop and going home. Rethinking the east coast power grid, post-Sandy.

Are you prepared for the worst? It's time to bulletproof your finances.

As the U.S. starts phasing out older, inefficient incandescent bulbs, the first LED lights for the home are coming to stores. They cost $50, for now, but can last 20 years.

There are plenty of so-called "gold bugs" out there — people who hoard big chunks of the precious metal, as in actual gold.

With only 16 working days left in the congressional calendar this year, bipartisanship is on everyone's lips, but is it in the cards?

Steven Sinofsky, who was president of Microsoft's flagship product Windows, is leaving the company. His departure comes as a surprise, less than one month after the release of Windows 8.

The 2008 stock market crash sent folks walking away from Wall Street. Even today, an air of fear still holds some from re-entering the market. Have investors come around?

YouTube may slash funding to over half of its new channels and a plastic that repairs itself like skin heals itself, but faster.

Closed tourist sites and enhanced security for China's historic leadership transition means less revenue for Beijing's thriving tourism industry.

An important part of doing business with someone is trusting them. Research published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics looks at how much business people in different European countries trust each other.