Week of January 14th, 2013

Many cars that were flooded by Hurricane Sandy are back on the market. Experts offer tips for how to sniff out a fishy used car.

Tradition and ritual play major roles on Inauguration Day. Here are some of the firsts, both quirky and significant, that have occurred throughout history.

Newly released transcripts from 2007 show Federal Reserve officials were slow to act as the economy slid into recession.

Are you interested in socially responsible investing? Here's a list of websites to help.

Asking Chicagoans what it means to make it in America in today's economy.

High school principal Elizabeth Dozier discusses the difficulties in providing opportunities for public school students in urban centers, such as Chicago.

Delta, through mergers, was liberal in awarding elite status to frequent flyers. Now it wants to thin the elite crowds

Marketplace broadcasts live from the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago, following the theme “How to make it in America.”

Flu season is in full swing. Some people take the flu shot, some take time off when they feel under the weather and some still report to work no matter how bad they feel. Dr. Russell Greenfield answers questions about seasonal sickness and debunks some common myths about the flu shot.

In a proposal floated today that comes from their weekend policy retreat in Virginia, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives proposed raising the debt ceiling for three months. In essence, 'kicking the can down the road' one more time.

Chicago is a comedy capital, of sorts. Some of "Saturday Night Live"'s most famous comedians started in Chicago, many at the famed Second City comedy club. Sean Flannery is one comedian 'making it' in America; his show "Never Been To Paris" continues to sell out.

Oprah Winfrey hopes Armstrong's doping confession will boost her cable network. 7-11 wants to expand in Manhattan. Yelp plans to add health scores to restaurant ratings.

Letter grades from the health department found in the windows of restaurants in cities like San Francisco and New York will begin appearing in Yelp reviews. And, the National Association of Realtors gets in the tech startup game.

Figures released today show that China's economic growth hit a 13-year low in 2012, but strong results at the end of 2012 mean this year things are looking up.

Singer Syl Johnson beat the odds he sang about, but barriers still restrain black economic mobility

Got a question about the flu? We’ve got answers — debunking your flu myths. Plus, a timeline of some of the worst flu pandemics in history. And if you’re in the market to buy a used car, we have some advice to make sure you don’t get stuck with a flood-damaged lemon. We also look at health technology, the costs of quinceaneras, how looming budget cuts in D.C. are reverberating across the classes, and the presidential inauguration.

In Austin, Texas, a new idea aims to give the city's public transit system a lift — in the form of gondolas.

The world's fastest growing economy just posted it's worst growth figures in over a decade. Is it time to be concerned?

Can you be a socially responsible investor and still get good returns on your investments? When do you know it's time to file for bankruptcy? If your retirement account provider starts charging little fees, is it time to shop around? L.A. Times consumer columnist David Lazarus helps listeners with these personal finance questions.

Yelp is partnering with cities around the country to put public data in their restaurant listings: health department ratings. The program is currently rolling out in San Francisco and in a few weeks will begin in New York, though some restaurant owners are nervous at the prospect. Realtors are launching their own “tech accelerator.” And, new research suggests that spending time on Facebook may boost your self-esteem at the cost of your real world self-control.

George Papaconstantinou is under investigation over allegations he removed the names of his family members from a list of Greek tax evaders.

Wealthy, poor and in-between residents tell us how shrinking government would affect their personal finances

Commentator Judy Muller takes a look at the economics of creating a bucket list for the baby boomer generation.

Lance Armstrong's tell-all doping confession could help Oprah Winfrey's struggling cable network, OWN.

After years of aggressively denying he had used performance enhancing drugs, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong confessed to Oprah Winfrey in a televised interview Thursday night that he was indeed guilty of doping for years. The ordeal has been a disaster for Armstrong — but for Winfrey’s struggling OWN cable network, it’s a different story. The Greek Parliament is launching a criminal investigation into the country’s former finance minister, George Papaconstantinou. He’s been accused of tampering with a list of suspected tax evaders. And, mayors from cities all over the U.S. are meeting in Washington this week. One big item on their agenda is gun violence, as mayors have become one of the biggest lobbying forces in favor of new gun laws.

Many Latino families spend thousands of dollars to celebrate their daughters' "coming of age" on their 15th birthday.

High-tech home health care devices is a huge market right now. What are the latest gadgets and devices you should be aware of?

Reflecting on what it's like to be born on Inauguration Day, and how America has changed over time.

Chistopher Ashcraft was born on January 20, 1985, the day of Ronald Reagan's second inauguration. Today, Ashcraft says traveling around the globe has given him new perspective on the American experience.

As chaplain at a children's hospital in downtown Chicago, the daughter of a stage-four cancer survivor, and an Inauguration-Day baby, this coming January 20th holds special significance for Ashley-Anne Masters.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author — and Inauguration-Day baby — Robert Olen Butler discusses his work and and the role that presidential characters play in his fiction.

It's been four years since Barack Obama used 'hope' in his presidential campaign message. Author and journalist Héctor Tobar talks about how he sees hope where he lives.

The Chinese telecommunications equipment company is the largest in the world, but it struggles to gain a foothold in the U.S. Lawmakers say it's a threat to national security.

24-year-old Larry Sequino isn't sure when he first realized his birthday fell on Inauguration Day — he was born during George H.W. Bush's inauguration — but he's been proud of it ever since.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, on the day that Bill Clinton first took office, and later adopted by a U.S. family, Matthew Wood voted in his first U.S. presidential election this past November.

Obama's second inaugural is not expected to be the same windfall as the first.

For one gun shop owner, the president's announcement of a gun control package has boosted sales.

The Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, allowing unlimited campaign spending by corporations and unions, is three years old. New York is taking the lead in trying to make donors more transparent.

GE reports earnings today and analysts will look closely at the performance of its finance arm

President Obama’s first inauguration was an economic boon for D.C., but economic expectations are low this time around. Kai Ryssdal talks to a gun store owner about doing business after Obama’s executive actions toward gun control. Quartz reporter Tim Fernholz talks about comparing the debt ceiling debate to Choose Your Own Adventure books. Chinese telecom company Huawei says that U.S. government is wrong for labeling it a security threat. And four years after Barack Obama’s campaign message of ‘hope,’ journalist Hector Tobar talks about what the word means to him.

The known-knowns and the known-unknowns of the debt ceiling debate. And, a handy flow chart.

We'll look at the troubles of a mining giant, Obama's nomination for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and a new study that finds female hedge fund managers beating the competition.

According to a report by consulting firm Rothstein Kass, hedge funds managed by women have been outperforming those run by their male counterparts.

New homes driving the recent housing market comeback don't come with yards or picket fences — instead they include rental agreements.

After pulling up stakes in New York years ago, 7-Eleven has returned and is making Manhattan its top priority for rapid expansion

Mayors Against Illegal Guns has 800 members. They want gun laws that restrict the flow of illegal guns to criminals.

The death of a freedom of information campaigner and accused hacker is prompting a bid to change federal law on computer abuse and fraud. Aaron Swartz, 26, killed himself on Friday as he awaited trial for breaking into MIT’s computer system to make public subscription-only academic journals in a database called J-Stor. Professor James Grimmelmann […]

There is a fast-moving hostage crisis this morning at a natural gas complex in Algeria. The complex is run by BP and Statoil. Islamist militants attacked the facility apparently in protest of France's intervention in Mali.

Will 401(k)s, health care plans, and vacation time benefit at all from the improving job market in 2013? Marketplace economics correspondent Chris Farrell takes a look at possible changes to employee benefits in the year ahead.

The suicide of Internet activist Aaron Swartz is having a legal backlash. Rep. Zoe Lofgren has proposed “Aaron’s Law” to scale back what critics call an overly broad law, that allowed prosecutors to threaten Swartz with decades of jail time. But will “Aaron’s Law”  go far enough? Ebay’s PayPal system is widely used for online payments. In a new partnership with NCR, the cash register and automated teller company, PayPal is taking another step toward making payments offline. Soon they may be enabling you to pay for gas using your Smartphone. 

One of the biggest mining companies in the world has just lost its CEO. Tom Albanese resigned from Rio Tinto after the company wrote off a $14 billion loss.

Europe’s air safety authority is following the lead of the Federal Aviation Administration and grounding all Boeing 787 Dreamliners, after a number of safety incidents in recent days. In addition, airlines from the Middle East to Japan are temporarily suspending their Dreamliner flights pending a safety review. On Wednesday, President Obama signed 23 executive orders aimed at reducing gun violence. The president is calling on Congress to ban military-style assault weapons and limit high-capacity magazines, as well as approve his nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. And, even as the job market has improved, employee benefits have gone in the other direction as companies try to cut costs.

Foreign regulators will follow the FAA's lead before letting new Boeing Dreamliners fly again.

The airline debuted a new logo and exterior paint scheme in Dallas today.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms hasn't had a permanent director in six years. President Obama called for confirmation of his nominee as part of his gun-safety proposals.

The for-profit, online university is offering a class taught by academia's A-list in a move to boost its ailing reputation

How do you define wealth? Chime in and let us know how you would finish this sentence: "You know you're wealthy when…"

Many cars that were flooded by Hurricane Sandy are back on the market. Here are a few tips to make sure that you don't buy a Sandy lemon.

If this is Wednesday, there must be news of the debt limit. And in fact — there is. Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.) introduced a measure that would get rid of the debt ceiling altogether.

JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs reported strong profit growth for 2012. But does their success reflect a stronger economy?

A few additional fact checks and comments on "Promised Land," the Matt Damon film on fracking and natural gas.

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a safety review of the lithium ion batteries in Boeing's U.S. fleet of Dreamliner 787 planes.

Poet Tracy K. Smith offers her perspective on Barack Obama's campaign message of hope four years later.

Tougher enforcement of immigration laws in the U.S. and an economic downturn have persuaded many Mexican immigrants to return home, but some face hard times there despite Mexico's growing economy.

NCAA Division I universities continue to spend big money for sports programs, according to a new study. Does the investment pay off?

President Obama announced plans to limit the sale of guns today, but there’s still not a lot good data available about gun violence. Kai Ryssdal talks Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) about his bill to repeal the debt ceiling. The FAA has grounded U.S.-registered Dreamliner 787s. Goldman Sachs reported a spike in revenues today, and JPMorgan announced today that 2012 was a record year — will this be good for the economy? And commentator and poet Tracy K. Smith says for people inspired by the word ‘hope’ in 2008, the word has a whole new meaning.

As tax season gets closer, Allan Sloan, senior editor-at-large at Fortune Magazine, laments the increasingly complex tax code.

The FAA has grounded U.S.-registered Boeing Dreamliners until the planes pass a safety inspection, following a similar move in Japan Tuesday.

JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs report earnings today. eBay gets boost from mobile bidders. California Gov. Jerry Brown discusses state budgets and the Golden State's fiscal prospects heading into 2013.

Gus Faucher, senior economist at PNC Financial Services , discusses the housing market, the economy and your paycheck.

The president called for bans on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, but also said the U.S. needs more background checks and more research on the causes of gun violence.

Facebook's new Graph Search feature has rivals like Google and Yelp paying attention to the social media giant. And, a look at a piece of mysterious malware called "Red October" that has been secretly attacking government computer systems for five years.

After another incident on a 787 Dreamliner, Japan's two largest airlines have grounded Boeing's new flagship plane.

eBay reports fourth-quarter earnings amid high expectations, as tablet and smartphone user bid up business on the online auction site.

Many of Wall Street's biggest banks are beating profit expectations as the mortgage business comes back.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is out with its annual list of the fattiest, most caloric meals out there.

Facebook is getting into the search business. On Tuesday, the social media giant had a press event where it demonstrated its new product, Graph Search. While the feature is still in its infancy, Facebook's announcement has a lot of companies has watching their backs.

Facebook made a big announcement yesterday, but it wasn’t the one some observers of the company were expecting. The social media giant is breaking into the search game with a new product called Graph Search, and it’s getting the attention of the company’s Silicon Valley rivals. And, Governor Jerry Brown of California tells Marketplace how he balanced California’s notoriously deficit-ridden budget.

The governor of California discusses state budgets and California's fiscal prospects heading into 2013.

Facebook’s big new effort is a search function that works only within the social media. Could “graph search” actually be a game changer? Perhaps — and the idea that it could may be the reason Yelp’s stock took a dive yesterday. Meanwhile online security experts have discovered a form of malware that’s been operating for five years. Its name? Red October. 

As more sites look to monetize web search functions, a commentator questions what it means 'to search.'

Sugared drinks are under attack for contributing to obesity, especially among children. Coke's new campaign acknowledges the concern.

Warby Parker sells quality glasses for $95, using in-house design and online sales to undercut high price mark ups by big players like Luxottica.

In our Petro-State podcast, we talk to Michael Levi of the Council on Foreign Relations about the potential of natural gas to transition us to a low-carbon future. And we play fracking BS Detector.

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, the world's richest man, wants to fund the translation of online Khan Academy classes into Spanish. He believes this will widen educational opportunity in Mexico.

Pirates are no longer a relic of the distant past. Many ships have been attacked in the Indian Ocean by modern Somali pirates. One entrepreneur is now offering private protection vessels to shipping companies. He says these may be more effective than national navies.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the rollout of a new, seemingly obvious feature: search. With one billion users and a lot of data, Facebook has a private trove to mine.

Coca-Cola has been accused for years of contributing to the obesity epidemic, but its new ads suggest it wants to join the fight against fat. School bus drivers in New York are going on strike tomorrow in hopes of getting more job security. Dan Bobkoff reports that in the eyeglasses industry, more competition could drive down prices in the foreseeable future. The world’s richest man, Carlos Slim, has partnered with Khan Academy to bring free education to Spanish speakers. One entrepreneur is starting a private navy in hopes of warding off pirates in the Indian Ocean. And commentator Nicholas Carr talks about the transformation of the search engine.

Even with big promises from major employers such as Walmart, the employment of returning military poses challenges.

If drivers walk off the job, more than 150,000 students could be looking for a ride to school.

Despite the impending fiscal cliff, consumer spending turned out to be higher than expected this holiday season.

Unable to compete with online retailers, British record store HMV files for bankruptcy.

New research finds correlation between financial help from parents and academic performance.

Internet computing language Java may be leaving your computer vulnerable to hackers. Did overly-aggressive prosecutors drive software wunderkind Aaron Swartz to suicide? And, a look at a new technology that could change the future of keyboards and gaming controllers.