Week of March 18th, 2013

An unusual marketing partnership with Marriott for an upcoming film about baseball legend, Jackie Robinson has some wondering — why?

The consumer website Bankrate released its 2013 survey of credit unions. And it shows that credit unions have stepped up their game.

Advocates say home ownership is still a good way for low-income families to build wealth – but it shouldn't be their only form of savings

Older Americans are being targeted by con artists abroad. The victims are told they are winners of a "foreign lottery" and that they only have to pay taxes and fees to claim their jackpots. But, the scam is costing people more than money.

It's about the fizz, the grip, the masculine appeal, say beverage analysts

Montana legislators debate whether drivers who hit large game like deer should be allowed to take the carcass home. But there's not much edible meat on an animal hit full speed.

The European Central Bank has given the small island nation until Monday to agree on a new plan to raise billions of dollars and avoid bankruptcy.

The European Central Bank has given Cyprus until Monday to come up with a plan to raise billions of dollars and avoid bankruptcy.  We take a look at the long weekend ahead for the small island nation. And in the meantime, we examine a tax fraud case in the UK that calls to mind the award-winning movie Argo. Argo is the story of a fake Hollywood movie set up in order to rescue American hostages in Iran. But in the British case, the fake movie had a less noble aim — collecting $4.2 million in free money. Plus, we talk to Wesley Morris of Grantland about how the hotel chain Marriott is trying to get in on the marketing for the movie 42, about Jackie Robinson. And squirrel pot pie, groundhog hoagies and creamed coon casserole! Montana is considering a law that would allow residents to salvage roadkill for human consumption. We look at all the juicy details.  

The Oscar-winning film Argo is about a fake movie set up to rescue captured hostages. A fake movie in Britain was basically a tax fraud.

Ten percent of all health care dollars are spent in the last year of life. Those final days are when the toughest, most costly decisions are made, and emotion can easily overrun decision making. Here's one man's story about the choices he made.

Congratulations! You’ve just won a “foreign lottery,” which means you’ve also won a chance to be scammed out of your savings and your safety. Exposing con artists targeting elderly Americans. Plus, it’s never too soon to start thinking about saving for retirement, right? We talk to a trio of millenials about gearing up for the Golden Years. And if you’re having trouble saving, perhaps you’re in “present shock,” a modern state of only focusing on the now, according to theorist Douglas Rushkoff. Also, we get the scoop on why there are so many short sales in Santa Barbara, Calif., and take a look at the tough decisions that death forces people to make about money.

It seems like con artists are dreaming up new scams every week — and often seniors fall prey to the trickery. But why?

Drillers and environmental organizations try to set fracking standards together. As Dell looks to go private, what is the company worth? And, the latest on Cyprus.

You don't often hear about a 79-to-20 vote in the U.S. Senate, but that's exactly what happened last night. The chamber voted overwhelmingly to repeal a tax on medical devices.

Commentator Jen Miller could up and leave the Garden State with its high taxes. But is the grass — and the tax savings — really any greener someplace else?

The BBC's Steve Evans in Berlin discuses how Germany and its upcoming elections figure into the situation in Cyprus.

Founder Michael Dell looks to take his company private. The deadline for competing bids is today.

Can natural-gas companies and environmental groups together set standards for fracking that will win the public's trust? An experiment in Pennsylvania will try.

Could electronic wallets become as common as cellphones? Paypal and Google sure hope so. But Mastercard has a plan for this future, too.

Author Douglas Rushkoff explores the ways technology and business culture have evolved so as to keep consumers "present-minded" in his latest book, "Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now."

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee has been looking into the use of drones in America and how they might affect privacy. The federal government is working on new rules that could expand permits for drones in the coming years.

Older Americans staring at retirement in the face are finding it hard to save. So how does the millennial generation — which faces a struggling economy and high student debt — feel about life after work?

Santa Barbara is known for its beautiful, expansive homes. But the city's reputation doesn't tell the whole story of its housing market.

Casual dining takes a backseat to more informal restaurant chains. Mississippi River mayors unite to fight for federal infrastructure funding. And it’s going to be another long weekend in Cyprus as the country’s government scrambles to come up with a new bailout plan. How are countries around the continent reacting?

Personal finance journalist and author Carmen Wong Ulrich answers listeners' questions about building credit history as a stay-at-home parent, whether buying life insurance at a young age is a good idea and where to invest a $10,000 graduation gift.

PayPal and Google see a future where you go into a store and use your smartphone to pay. These are called electronic wallets and recently Mastercard, wary of the competition, said it will start charging a controversial extra fee to some companies that want to run Mastercard transactions through their e-wallets. But the card company isn’t stopping there. Mastercard’s Ed McLaughlin says his company has a wallet of its own.

Darden Restaurants, owners of casual dining chains Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and LongHorn Steakhouse, saw profit fall 18 percent last quarter as sales slipped almost 5 percent.

We check in with Ken Lenox, cattle rancher in Rolla, Missouri about the lingering effects of last summer's drought.

As Cyprus stares down an ultimatum from the European Central Bank, its government, friends and observers have come up with a range of solutions

The N.C.A.A. men's basketball tournament begins this week. Last year, the tournament earned its highest TV ratings in 18 years, while taking in more than $1 billion in revenue from ads. But Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics Radio wondered if CBS and Turner aren't making enough.

The case arises in the first region of Pennsylvania to see fracking for natural gas. A family with a well contaminated by chemicals received a payment,

Russian legal specialist Sergei Magnitsky is due to be tried tomorrow for tax offenses, even though he died in prison more than 3 years ago. Critics of Russian business practices say he was killed to cover up corruption by officials.

Half the world's internet users visit the video site, but it's not known whether YouTube makes a profit or a loss for its owner, Google. Homemade squirrel videos aren't real attractive to advertisers.

The European Central Bank has given Cyprus four days to agree on a new plan to raise billions of dollars and avoid bankruptcy. As desperation sets in, we examine  some of the plan B’s, C’s and D’s that Cyprus has been considering. In the meantime, with March Madness underway, Stephen Dubner of Freakonics Radio looks at the NCAA tournament and the big bucks it brings in for TV broadcasters. Plus, we discuss the case of Russian accountant  Sergei Magnitsky, who goes on trial Friday in Moscow for tax offenses. The case is astonishing for two reasons: Magnitski is patently and demonstrably innocent of the charges … and he’s dead. And we check in with Ken Lennox,  a cattle rancher from Rolla, Missouri, to see how his land is holding up, after severe droughts crippled much of the Midwest last year.

The pressure mounts on Cyprus, Youtube hits a billion monthly users, and why a Sim City debacle cost a CEO his job.

This past Monday, Southern California Public Radio (KPCC), created a March Madness bracket to finally determine the top dog of the public radio world. In round two, it's Marketplace versus Wait, Wait … Don't Tell me!

YouTube announced that it’s reached a billion viewers per month, putting in the same league as its parent company Google and Facebook.

Diane Swonk, chief economist with Mesirow Financial, discusses how the situation in Cyprus could affect the global economy.

Cyprus has until Monday to come up with a new bailout package after the parliament rejected the initial plan that called for a controversial tax on the country’s bank deposits.

There was a big shakeup this week in the gaming industry when the head of Electronic Arts resigned on Monday after a high-profile debacle involving the new Sim City game.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament kicks off today, and there is big money at stake — in office pools, of course, and in Washington, where the tournament is a gimmick for politicians raising campaign cash.

The European Central Bank has given the Cyprus just a few days to come up with a new bailout deal after the Cypriot parliament rejected a controversial tax on bank deposits as part of its original bailout plan.

New Mexican President Peña Nieto hopes to reshape the country's phone and television service by increasing competition through foreign investment.

These days, digital cameras are everywhere. In most cases, our phones double as cameras. But when is it right to snap a picture and when is it not? And how do our kids figure in to all of this?

CEO of Foursquare, an app which lets users check in to physical locations and tell their social media friends about it, reflects on where the company has been and where it's headed.

South Korea is still recovering from an apparent cyberattack earlier this week. Government officials suspect North Korea of hacking, but is the country even capable?

The CIA has reportedly recruited Amazon to develop a private cloud for American intelligence gathering. So is there any sector Amazon isn't involved in these days?

The European Central Bank has given the Cyprus just a few days to come up with a new bailout deal after the Cypriot parliament rejected a controversial tax on bank deposits as part of its original bailout plan. The government of Mexico is trying to reshape the country’s phone and television industries by increasing competition and foreign investment. And, is there any sector — retail, shipping, tech, intelligence — that Amazon isn’t involved in?

South Korea is still recovering from an apparent cyberattack on Wednesday that shut down many cash machines, froze debit card transactions, and caused computers to go dark at banks and broadcasting companies. Power and transportation systems were not directly affected.  South Korean officials suspect North Korea but proving that will be difficult. Last week, North Korea had accused the South of getting into its computers. Is this the new norm?

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

Think you can figure out the Federal Reserve's position on inflation and unemployment in 2012 compared to today? Test your smarts.

With housing inventory at its lowest point in 13 years, realtors are trying new tactics to add listings.

Britain's budget, released today, contains more deep spending cuts. Nobel-winning economist Paul Krugman argues that austerity policies in the UK and Europe are killing growth.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos finds old NASA relic in the Atlantic Ocean.

The fashion market for fake fur has grown so fast that some suppliers are meeting the demand with real fur. Retailers as large as Nieman Marcus have been caught up in the faux faux fur kerfuffle.

The teams to beat in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament are the University of Louisville and Indiana University. But in an economic sense, Louisville, Ky., and Bloomington, Ind., aren't the favorites.

In his final report to Congress this month, U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen said much of the $60 billion the U.S. spent on rebuilding Iraq was wasted.

Payday lenders circumvented state laws by moving online, and in the process big banks became enablers (and potentially profited) from payday lending. Now Chase is making changes to protect its customers from payday lenders. Will other banks follow?

Workers covered by CVS pharmacy’s health plan will have to report their weight and other wellness information or pay a monthly fee. The new policy shows how companies, in addition to offering incentives for workers to become healthier, are adding penalties for those who don’t shape up. It's all about lowering healthcare costs.

The British Finance Minister unveiled his government’s public spending plans today. Nobel-prizewinning economist Paul Krugman is a keen student of Britain’s economy and a stern critic of the way it’s been managed. In light of the today’s economic news from across the pond, we examine Krugman’s case. Plus, the fashion market for fake fur has grown so fast that some suppliers are meeting the demand with real fur. Retailers as large as Nieman Marcus have been caught up in the faux faux fur kerfuffle. And we put a little twist on the NCAA bracket and predict a winner based off of the team with the best state economy.  

Juli Niemann, analyst with Smith, Moore & Company, joins Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to explain why the Federal Reserve is likely to continue with quantitative easing.

The latest from the Federal Reserve, the worst case scenario in Cyprus, and the pros and cons of banking at a credit union.

Cyprus is in turmoil following the decision last night by its parliament to reject a bailout plan from the eurozone. The plan entailed a one-off tax of up to 10 percent on Cypriot bank accounts.

For years, Oracle's business has been selling big, expensive computers to hold all your data. The cloud has upended that business model and Oracle's latest profit report could tell us if the company is adjusting.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is in Beijing this morning wrapping up his two-day visit to China. It's his first foreign trip in his new role and the first high-level talks between the U.S. and China in six months.

When you send a text message or an email, should your Internet or phone company hang onto them in case the police ever want to take a look?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released data on unemployment among U.S. veterans, and the numbers aren't pretty. A big part of the problem: Many recent veterans are in a demographic which is suffering joblessness already — young Americans.

India is the world's largest gold importer. The government hiked import taxes on gold to control the outward flow of cash, but for weddings, the lure of the yellow metal is not fading.

A new web service called Shopping Enhancer aims to restore parity to online shopping by getting around Google's pay-to-sell system.

India is the world’s largest gold importer. The government has hiked import taxes on gold to control the outward flow of cash, but the lure of the yellow metal is not fading. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is in Beijing this morning on second day of his visit to China. It’s his first foreign trip as treasury secretary and the first high level talks between the U.S. and China in six months. And how are veterans doing in the job market?

When you send a text message or an email, should your Internet or phone company hang onto them in case the police ever want to take a look? That is the discussion on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers look into overhauling the federal law that covers when the authorities can get access to electronic communications and when they can’t. And software company Oracle is trying to move to the cloud.

After months of drought, barge line operators on the Mississippi River celebrate the rain.

Keeping a close eye on the latest developments in Cyprus, where residents are revolting against a planned savings account tax. Plus, we look at why more homeowners are going from underwater to above water on their mortgages and what it means for the economy. That, and all the numbers from Wall Street and beyond.

Disoriented by the rapid pace of change in China, more young urban professionals are grounding themselves by turning to ancient Chinese traditions, including teachings from the time of Confucius.

Los Angeles has long steered its homeless population to a border area of downtown rarely seen except by those who work there and the homeless. Now redevelopment is pressing against Skid Row, and advocates are taking steps to secure homes for the homeless.

More homeowners are going from underwater to above water on their mortgages, and that could mean some really good news for the economy.

A vote in Cyprus could determine the fate of the country's proposed savings account tax, and Cyprus' future in the eurozone. But as much as Cypriots care, so do Russians and Germans.

In a recent survey, more than half of U.S. workers saving for retirement have less than $25,000 in the bank for the golden years. That's not a lot of money — how do retirees survive on that?

"Dancing with the Stars" meets the diving board. The new reality show "Splash" tries to grab viewers with a lineup of C-list celebrities. We look at the show, but also at the reality TV equation: There’s not a whole lot to lose on these shows. They’re cheap to produce and if they hit, they can be worth a fortune.

Former FDIC Sheila Bair weighs in on Cyprus' proposed bailout tax on bank depositors. Should generic drugs be liable for drug side effects? And New York City Mayor Bloomberg seeks to ban cigarette displays in stores.

Lululemon shares were down this morning after the yoga-apparel maker announced yesterday that some of its pants are see-through due to a supplier mistake.

Later today, the government of Cyprus will vote on a controversial bailout plan which would tax bank deposits up to 10 percent. The BBC's Nigel Cassidy in Cyprus discusses public reaction to the plan and whether the government will actually pass the measure.

Time Warner teams up with Roku to offer streaming cable. Google Drive outage threatens corporate uptake of Google and cloud-based products.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Tuesday in a case that could decide whether generic drug makers can be held liable for alleged flaws in the designs of their medications.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg is proposing a ban on cigarette displays in stores. It’s the latest proposal aimed at making New York a little healthier.

Tennessee-based retail chain Genesco is suing Visa, saying the penalty it paid for a data breach was wrong.

Sheila Bair, former chair of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, shares her views on the Cyrpriot bailout plan and whether such a levy could ever happen to U.S. depositors.

Travel is up, and so are purchases of new suitcases.

Bank runs become a problem because banks don’t actually have a lot of money in the bank. Your deposit, to a bank, is a loan — and most of that money gets lent out again.

A British air force plane was loaded up with cold hard cash and flown to Cyprus for the British military there.

The government in Cyprus is scheduled to vote on a controversial tax on bank deposits later today. Could the measure lead to a run on Cypriot banks? The travel industry is up and so are luggage sellers. And shares of yoga apparel maker Lululemon are down after the company announced some of its pants are see-through.

A company called Roku makes a little box. In goes the Internet, out comes loads of TV channels when you connect it to a screen. Something like this could terrify a cable company like Time Warner. But what’s journalism without ‘If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em’ stories? There’s word Time Warner is going to show up on Roku boxes, so its paying customers can watch TV on any screen connected to the little Roku instead of a clunky set top box. Is this the future of television?

A look at why a bank run on a small European island is having so disproportionate of an effect on global markets, and on saver sentiment in other European countries. Plus, President Obama nominates Thomas E. Perez to head the Labor Department — but what exactly does the Secretary of Labor do? And, Republican advisers have released plans to grow their party. Some high-profile conservatives say the party needs a message makeover to be competitive. How do corporate marketers view the challenge?

One retired Cyprus resident shares his dismay over news that the Cypriot government could take a percentage of regular deposits in the bank.