Week of January 28th, 2013

A look at the studio strategy behind releasing an Oscar-worthy film…and why you're stuck watching "Hansel & Gretel" this month.

Ticketmaster is ditching those hard-to-read letters and numbers, called captchas, that users must decipher to make a purchase. It's switching to images, which are easier, faster and more secure.

The Labor Department reported that 157,000 jobs were created in January, but also revealed an uptick in unemployment to 7.9 percent.

We have a hunch how you’re spending this Super Bowl Sunday — and how you’re spending your dough. And just when you thought there were no more possible credit card fees, a new one is in our midst. Plus, can bailing out underwater homeowners help the housing market recover faster? We ask a banker how you can make your re-fi and loan mod requests stand out. We’ve also got stories on a credit card for former substance abusers and dancing during lunch.

After a dramatic slump during the recession, Boise, Idaho’s economy has returned to good health. The income tax is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. With an improving housing market comes more open houses, and Jim Burress reports on the ‘lookie-loos’ turning out to see their neighbors’ cribs. Ticketmaster is doing away with those annoying things known as ‘captchas,’ which make sure you’re not a robot. And Grantland’s Wesley Morris talks about the business behind filmmaking.

The White House weighs in on new jobs numbers out today and a look at the greatest flops of Super Bowl ads.

The modern American income tax celebrates its 100th anniversary this weekend.

Boise, Idaho, has a diverse economy — potatoes, chips (the high-tech kind) and wine.

Straight talk from a banker on what makes an application for a re-fi or a loan modification stand out in the eyes of a bank.

Resurgent home sales are a boon for those who like to tour open houses for fun.

Mortgage heavyweights Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have announced a bailout program for struggling homeowners who are current on their payments. If there's a pressing need to leave their property, they can just walk away.

Domino's Pizza expects to sell over 11 million slices of pizza on Superbowl Sunday. What do stores do to prepare for this? David Lazarus went to a Domino's to take a look.

A new prepaid debit card targeted at former substance abusers aims to keep the holder's spending on a very short leash.

In its jobs report for the month of January, the Labor Department made major revisions to its numbers for the months of November and December, revealing even stronger job growth at the end of the year than previously thought.

Even if you don't actually watch the Super Bowl game, everyone watches the Super Bowl ads. And that means big opportunity for T.V. advertisers: a memorable Super Bowl commercial can either make — or break — a brand.

A report out today revealed that 157,000 jobs were created in January, but the unemployment rate actually rose to 7.9 percent. Take the average of the two, and it looks like more of the same: slow, but steady, growth.

Chinese hackers infiltrated The New York Times for months, and the technique they used was something not so advanced — email. Google’s “Project Glass” promises to put the functionality of a smart phone on your face. But is that what people want? And, the first down line you see on TV football games could be coming to a real-world Super Bowl, but not yet.

A bribery scandal in Spain is threatening the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at a time of austerity and high unemployment.

Home prices are starting to climb again, particularly in certain cities — such as Phoenix, Los Angeles and Miami. The news may be good for the housing industry, but some aspiring homeowners find themselves priced out.

Chinese hackers infiltrated The New York Times for months, and the technique they used was something not so advanced — email. Google’s “Project Glass” promises to put the functionality of a smart phone on your face. But is that what people want? And, the first down line you see on TV football games could be coming to a real-world Super Bowl, but not yet.

The Dow jumped almost 6 percent in January — its best start to the year since 1994. Does this mean the individual investor has returned to the stock market?

This morning, the Labor Department is set to deliver its all important monthly jobs report. Economists expect roughly 155,000 jobs were created in the U.S. in January, and that the unemployment rate will stay at 7.8 percent. Later on today, at the White House, energy pioneer John Goodenough, a physicist, will receive the National Medal of Science. Goodenough helped develop the lithium ion battery that is used in cars, phones, and Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner. He discusses why the Dreamliner batteries have had so many problems. And, the Dow is off to its strongest start since 1994, up six percent in January. Some economists think this is because individual investors have returned to the market.

Looking back at what's changed since the last time the Dow Industrial Jones Average reached above 14,000.

Lunch is a necessary part of any workday. But often people return to work feeling sleepier than when they left. Well, there's a new way to beat that post-lunch laziness in Berlin — hit the dance floor!

How do you know when it's time to retire? How much do you need to retire? These are some of the questions you asked… we've got answers in our weekly letters segment.

January unemployment numbers will help economists figure out which direction the economy is headed.

Big battery packs are a balancing challenge — if the cells work unevenly, one can overheat and burst into flames.

With its first original series starring Kevin Spacey, the online streaming service is trying to shake up the traditional television model.

A new study suggests Gen Y borrowers shows their repayment patterns don’t match up with past generations. (And that’s not a good thing.)

In the latest Converation from the Corner Office, Kai Ryssdal talks to Sue Gardner, CEO of WikiMedia, about Wikipedia’s global plans and the online encyclopedia’s need for more female editors. New research suggests that millennials deal with credit card debt differently than past generations. Wired magazine’s Kim Zetter discusses the Chinese hacking of the New York Times. With Alicia Keys being named a creative director for Blackberry — day after tweeting from her iPhone — we look into the complications of celebrity endorsements. And Scott Tong explores how lithium ion batteries are crucial in technology.

The pop star brings new meaning to the perils of celebrity endorsements in the age of social media.

Corporations get hacked often — so it's best to be ready for it.

Wikimedia head Sue Gardner talks about growing the popular web collaboration project, Wikipedia.

Anheuser-Busch InBev would have nearly half the U.S. beer market if it purchases Groupo Modelo, the maker of Corona. The Justice Department says the company could control beer prices.

Prof. John Goodenough discovered the advance that made the lithium-ion battery — and the wireless world — possible. But now another breakthrough is needed.

What one commentator imagines corporate middle managers say to themselves in the mirror.

There's still time to score tickets to this Sunday's Super Bowl. And this year, you're in luck: Ticket prices have gone down, way down — to a relatively low $1,000.

Super Bowl tickets for sale at — relatively — low prices and a Chinese firm is approved to buy a U.S. electric car battery company.

The fiscal cliff debate may have ended on January 1st, but if you thought that was the last you'd heard of it, think again.

Blackberry is back, with the launch of two new phones it hopes will revive the struggling smartphone company formerly known as Research in Motion. Facebook is working on best practices in an emerging area of social media — suicide prevention. And, the military is using brain scans on new recruits — canine recruits.

According to a new report, January layoffs were up 24 percent from December but down 24 percent from the previous year, which could indicate relatively low unemployment rates for the month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to release the latest unemployment numbers on Friday.

When asked about how the economy directly impacts their lives, most Americans give the obvious answers — and a couple of surprises too.

A look at how Chinese hackers broke into the computer systems of The New York Times.

With nearly 50 million Americans living beneath the poverty line, we put poverty into perspective with today's quiz.

President Obama’s nominee to head the Pentagon, Chuck Hagel will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee today, where he’s expected to be grilled on his views of Israel. But he’s also prepared to talk business, including the Pentagon’s contentious enegry bill. A controversial Chinese acquisition of an American company is going through, despite objections to putting U.S. technology in Chinese hands. China’s largest auto parts maker is now cleared to buy A123 Systems, and critics are saying the deal will wipe out American jobs. And, it’s quiz time again. Today, we test your knowledge of worldwide poverty.

The State Liquor Control Board needs an official marijuana consultant to advise on the finer points of all things cannabis.

Blackberry is back, with the launch of two new phones it hopes will revive the struggling smartphone company formerly known as Research in Motion. Facebook is working on best practices in an emerging area of social media — suicide prevention. And, the military is using brain scans on new recruits — canine recruits.

The U.S. government has approved China's largest auto parts maker Wanxiang's plans to buy A123 systems. The result might be a huge loss of jobs in America.

Lawmakers are likely to raise alternative fuel costs at Hagel confirmation hearing.

GDP shrank 0.1 percent last quarter. Private investment rose, but government spending fell. That bodes ill if automatic budget cuts can’t be avoided.

Be it too hot or too cold, someone's business somewhere will be adversely affected.

A new report from Consumer Reports finds some cancer screenings are over-sold to the public.

The economy shrunk for the first time since 2009, but the decline isn’t causing too much panic. JCPenney has decided to bring back sales and discounts. The president’s two-year-old council on job creation closes up shop this week — we look back at what they accomplished. Harvard University will study the link between football and concussions over the next decade. There’s a smog cloud over Eastern China that’s three times the size of California. Immigration reform could mean rising wages, and that could affect small businesess. And in the latest BURN story, Alex Chadwick reports on the innovation to build the fastest car in the world.

Wages could go up for undocumented workers. So what happens to small businesses and the economy?

The players will spend $100 million on a 10-year study to find out just how hazardous football is to their health.

Two years ago President Obama created a council to advise him on ways to create jobs. What did it accomplish?

A year ago, retailer J.C. Penney announced a new strategy to cut so-called "everyday" prices by about 40 percent, while reducing the number of sales a month. The company has had to walk back those plans as shoppers remained addicted to sales.

The real scoop on why CEO Aubrey McClendon is out at Chesapeake Energy — and it's not because of his salary or personal jet.

China now burns nearly as much coal as the rest of the world combined. That's one reason for the recent severe smog outbreaks that have many Chinese residents complaining about air pollution.

Mike Pethel has pieced together what may be the fastest electric car anywhere, using two DC motors and enough batteries to power 750 homes.

Shares of Chesapeake Energy are up after embattled CEO announces retirement and British Airways and Twinings make tea time tastier at 35,000 feet.

A protocol that lets musical instruments talk to and trigger one another turns 30 years old today. MIDI is still used by the likes of dance-punk band !!!. It’s inventor Dave Smith explains its use. A new version of Microsoft Office turns purchasers into subscribers. And, the IRS has had a Tumblr for months, but it’s just now getting noticed.

A Commerce Department report out today shows that GDP fell 0.1 percent last quarter, but consumer spending, business investment and employment continue to rise.

Shares of natural gas company Chesapeake Energy are up after its embattled CEO announced he is retiring.

British Airways and Twinings have teamed up to introduce a special line of teas for high altitude consumption.

A protocol that lets musical instruments talk to and trigger one another turns 30 years old today. MIDI is still used by the likes of dance-punk band !!!. It’s inventor Dave Smith explains its use. A new version of Microsoft Office turns purchasers into subscribers. The IRS has had a Tumblr for months, but it’s just now getting noticed.

Boeing has apparently been aware of the problems with the troublesome lithium ion batteries on its 787 Dreamliner for some time.

Colorado's junior senator and member of the Senate's 'Gang of Eight' discusses the push for immigration reform.

The new fragrance will have notes of citrus, melon and honey.

President Obama is praising a plan that has emerged in the Senate for comprehensive immigration reform offering the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants an avenue to citizenship while tightening border security. We talk with one of the senators behind the plan, Michael Bennet, Democrat of Colorado. Facebook will release its quarterly earning today. The company’s stock is down about 19 percent since going public last May. But some analysts are giving Facebook another look thanks to its mobile strategy. The Federal Reserve wraps up its latest meeting today in Washington. The expectation is that there won’t be any big news coming out of it, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen. We’ll tell you why.

With interest rates locked near zero until 6.5 percent unemployment, what's the point of meeting until then?

As more users check Facebook on their smart phones, its mobile advertising strategy is critical to success.

BP signs off on a plea over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. But this won't be the end of legal troubles for the company.

With addiction to pain pills at epidemic levels, the Food and Drug Adminstration is taking action

OpenTable, one of the biggest online restaurant reservation sites, will pay $10 million for Foodspotting and its hordes of amateur photographers.

Scott Tong discusses the details of the BP settlement for the 2010 oil well spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Blackberry 10 is set to unveil tomorrow and many wonder if the device can turn things around for Research in Motion. We explore whether Super Bowl ads really boost sales. Restaurant reservation website OpenTable is buying Foodspotting, a smartphone app that lets diners share photos of their meals. The Pentagon is starting to lay off its temporary employees because of budget uncertainties. And Krissy Clark looks at what having more legal immigrants in the country would do for the economy.

What's the return on investment from a $4 million Super Bowl ad buy?

Writer dream hampton discusses what happened when her childhood home in Detroit recently burned down.

The long-awaited Blackberry 10 operating system is about to be unveiled and Research in Motion's fate is riding on its success.

Bank of America had the worst score for customer satisfaction compared with its national rivals. As a group, they all lagged behind credit unions and regional banks.

As furloughs loom, worries abound in Warner Robins, Ga.

Economists say changes for low-wage and high-income workers could lead to economic growth.

The European Commission is giving $1 billion to the Human Brain Project, an effort to build a computer model of the human brain. The Pentagon wants to nearly quintuple the size of its cyber command. Experts acknowledge the seriousness of cyber threats, but disagree on the necessity of 4,000 new hires at a time of tight budgets. Plus, an academic journal on driverless cars gives a vision of the future, and it’s not all defensive driving.

A new Blackberry hopes it's good enough to reverse its maker's long slide. And the connection between Caribbean gambling and angry Hollywood execs.

During Egypt's revolution, cellular provider Vodafone shut down its mobile network in the country, prevented internet access to customers, and sent pro-Mubarak text messages under the order of the Mubarak regime.

In retaliation for a U.S. ban on online gambling, the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is now threatening to strip copyright protections from American media.

The latest home price numbers from the S&P/Case-Shiller Index show the strongest year-over-year growth since 2006.

Google's surprisingly detailed new maps of North Korea offer a view into the isolated nation that the world has never seen before.

Three months after 'Superstorm' Sandy ripped through the Northeast, the Senate has approved $50 billion in emergency relief. The high cost of natural disasters is the subject of today's quiz.

A new documentary looks at the life and work of Henry Ford, one of the greatest innovators in U.S. history.

President Obama will unveil his plan for immigration reform today, after a bipartisan group of senators released theirs yesterday. It’s expected that both plans will provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. What would immigration reform mean for your paycheck? Research in Motion is set to release its new Blackberry 10 tomorrow — and the stakes could not be higher for the company. The Blackberry once dominated the U.S. smart phone market, but now only 10 percent of smart phone users carry one. And, a look at a new PBS documentry on Henry Ford, one of the most successful businessmen in all of history.

After our interview about a library containing only e-books and e-readers, a listener tells us her thoughts.

The European Commission is giving $1 billion to the Human Brain Project, an effort to build a computer model of the human brain. The Pentagon wants to nearly quintuple the size of its cyber command. Experts acknowledge the seriousness of cyber threats, but disagree on the necessity of 4,000 new hires at a time of tight budgets. Plus, an academic journal on driverless cars gives a vision of the future, and it’s not all defensive driving.

Some economists predict immigration reform will have little effect on wages — and might even bring higher pay.

In one Texas county, the new library will look more like an Apple store than a Barnes & Noble.

A few years ago, 60 percent of Phoenix-area mortgages were underwater. Reporter Peter O'Dowd was one of those homeowners.