Week of April 8th, 2013

Shareholders are mad that Amazon is putting its customers first, and CEO Jeff Bezos is running the company like a charity, citing marginal profits. In jobs news, drug company Eli Lilly is cutting jobs again. What does that have to do with tougher limits on sales practices? Other things we’re wondering today: Are North Korea’s threats real? The U.S. is alarms, but North Korea’s neighbors aren’t. 

Greeks fed up with their country's economic woes see a quick fix — Germany stumping up more than $200 billion in further reparations for World War II aggression. Germans are unimpressed.

Threats by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to launch missiles and beef up his country's nuclear weapons capacity have left the economies of North Korea's regional neighbors largely unaffected, as our BBC partners report.

The anniversary brings with it a new and lucrative era of personalized medicine.

Since the financial crisis, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have reported healthy report quarterly earnings. So can we finally stop worrying about the health of our financial system?

Analyzing the week's news on Wall Street and beyond.

Some Amazon critics say the company’s razor-thin quarterly profits — if there are any at all — are evidence that CEO Jeff Bezos is running the company like a “charity” for the benefit of customers at the expense of shareholders.

Eli Lilly is reducing its U.S. sales force, reportedly by 30 percent. How have digital and other advertising practices changed the nature of sales?

Taxes are most often associated with death. How about a happier spin? We combine taxes and… poetry in celebration of National Poetry Month. Enjoy our listener-submitted tax poems. Plus, have you ever wondered how U.S. taxes compare to what people pay in other countries? And is it time to get rid of joint filing altogether now that many Americans are in non-traditional families? Also, property taxes are a big problem for some filers, especially low- and moderate-income families who have taken on the financial risk of buying a home to take advantage of the housing market’s low interest rates. We examine the decision to buy when it’s tough to get by. Finally, advice on how to make better decisions and choosing the college of your dreams without taking on loads of debt.

A CPA discusses why she charges what she does for doing tax returns. Hint: the easier you make your accountant's life, the cheaper your price will be.

When lawmakers decide where our tax dollars should go in a tough economy, how exactly do they prioritize spending our hard-earned cash?

Now that the housing market is picking up, making improvements on your home is worth it if you want to put it on the market. Which ones pay off in a quicker sale?

The joint tax return may seem as inevitable as the income tax itself. But commentator Anne Alstott says the joint return is obsolete, and the nation would be better off without it.

April is National Poetry Month — and also the time taxes are on our minds. So, why not combine the two and tax poetic?

Many soon-to-be high school graduates are settling on their choice of where to attend college. How does a family decide whether to pay for a student's dream school or a more economical alternative?

Many Americans feel they pay too much in taxes, and get too little in return from government. But is that a valid complaint? For some perspective, a look at how America's tax system compares to other countries.

Most of us are bad at making decisions. And that's because we tend to limit our options, according to Chip & Dan Heath, brothers and co-authors of "Decisive: How To Make Better Choices in Life and Work."

Can we stop worrying about the health of the financial system? Long-term auto loans, good or bad deal? And a look back at Disney's hand animation movies.

Would-be homeowners balance the risks of buying with benefits like building their assets and bettering their children's chances.

Disney is letting go of nine of its animators from its hand drawn animation team, a month after the company announced it has no further plans to work in the traditional 2D format.

If you're going to Coachella, you'll want to pack some tech supplies to capture the moment and stay connected. Here are 8 apps to try out this season.

Marketplace Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell explains why long-term auto loans, which are boosting car sales, could be a bad deal for borrowers.

German investment group JAB is buying Dutch company D.E. Master Blenders for nearly $10 billion.

The electric car company Fisker has laid off three quarters of its employees and reports suggest a bankruptcy filing is near.

This weekend, Texas Motor Speedway will host a NASCAR race — and the name of the race is causing a bit of controversy. It's called the NRA 500, as in National Rifle Association.

Starting today, checks are on the way to victims of wrongful foreclosures as part of a $3.6 billion settlement between banks and federal regulators. But for most of those borrowers, it won’t exactly be Christmas in April.

Many believe genetics are the next big thing in medicine, but one question for this new era of personalized medicine is cost.

Starting today, checks are on the way to victims of wrongful foreclosures as part of a $3.6 billion settlement between banks and federal regulators. But for most of those borrowers, it won’t exactly be Christmas in April. A big deal is brewing in the global coffee business. German investment group JAB is buying Dutch company D.E. Master Blenders for nearly $10 billion. And a NASCAR race called the ‘NRA 500’ ignites a sponsorship controversy.

Forget Europe's weak economy and Windows 8, something else has got PC sales down: Tablets.

The "Wizard of Oz" song "Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead" has been adopted by anti-Margaret Thatcherites, who urged people in the U.K. to buy the song this week after Thatcher died.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival kicks off the season of big summer music festivals across the U.S. and beyond. So what’s on the festival’s homepage? A link to the Coachella app, of course. But with friend locator apps and visual sharing apps like Instagram and Vine, the list of tech that will be front and center at concerts this summer is growing. But at Coachella, the list goes beyond applications — there is cooling technology that goes into the festival too. 

After embarrassing misstatements during the launch of a Mark Zuckerberg nonprofit, hear why blunders like this can happen in Silicon Valley, the capital of social media.

McDonald’s says wants to be faster and friendlier after a report called them otherwise. We ask a few customers how fast they want their fast food. Also in food, gluten-free diets are all the rage and it’s becoming a booming industry. Then, from the Wealth and Poverty desk, we wonder if social security benefits should be targeted toward the poor. Should the well-off benefit?

More cities and states consider laws that would "ban the box" that job applicants check if they've been convicted of a crime.

Current recipients have different reactions. Some scholars say basing the amount of payments on need could make the program less popular.

McDonald’s faces rising complaints about unfriendly and slow service. So the burger reportedly plans to get employees to step on the accelerator and turn up the charm.

While Congress struggles with gun legislation in the wake of Newtown, states and municipalities are taking the lead, many with tax proposals

The idea that government should be balance its budget and stay out of the way has been around a long time. It's gained ascendance in Washington even as more economists agree the government should spend more and help the economy.

The notion that gluten-free is good has worked its way onto menus and into prepared foods.

A foreign currency shortage has Egyptians turning to informal dollar exchanges to keep businesses going.

Water wars heat up in New Mexico. CEO of Biogen Idec discusses high drug costs, a new drug for multiple sclerosis and what's up with pharmaceutical drug names.

Baseball, with its passion for tradition, is higher tech than you think. MLB.com CEO Bob Bowman discusses live streaming and baseball's mobile strategy.

Diane Swonk, chief economist with Mesirow Financial, joins Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to discuss the drop off in gold prices and whether there is such a thing as a safe haven anymore.

Water laws in the West often give priority to whose who used a water source first, often farmers. Farmers in New Mexico are fighting to regain their place at the head of the line.

Phoenix, Arizona, was hit hard during the housing crash. Now the housing market is recovering quickly and home buyers are frustrated. But one expert says that doesn't make a housing bubble.

Personal computer sales fell by 14 percent around the world during the first quarter of this year, according to a new report from the research firm IDC.

Biogen Idec CEO George Scangos discusses his company's new multiple sclerosis drug, pricing strategy, and research process.

Where does tech fit into President Obama's new budget proposal? One answer is the $17.7 billion set aside for the U.S. space program.

Biogen Idec, a Massachusetts-based biotech company, is hoping its new multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera will eventually bring in the hundreds of millions of dollars it cost to develop — at least before a generic comes along and copies it. CEO George Scangos discusses his company’s development process and pricing strategy. A new report from the research firm IDC says personal computer sales are falling fast all around the world. And in Phoenix, Arizona, new signs of a real estate bubble are emerging.

Thirty-four percent of Americans "like or love" doing their taxes, according to a new survey from the Pew Center for the People and the Press.

Baseball, with its passion for tradition, is higher tech than you think. Major League Baseball is now working with wireless engineering company Qualcomm to make sure that fans can use their smartphones while at the ballpark. And there’s been much work over the last decade to insure that things go smoothly for people who pay to watch games online. MLB.com CEO Bob Bowman says things were different in the early, herky-jerky days of streaming.

A Marketplace engineer talks about his experiences buying and selling the virtual currency.

Digital currency Bitcoin has grown sensationally, with 11 million Bitcoins worth nearly $2 billion in circulation. It's the ultimate Internet-age currency: Bitcoin circulates only online, trades anonymously and isn't regulated by any government.

In Neil Irwin's new book, "The Alchemists," central bankers conjure magic to bolster their economies after the financial crisis of 2008.

Toy store owner Steve Presser is optimistic about Congressional budget negotiations, but worries there won't be enough support for small business.

As much contention as there is in Washington, President Obama’s proposed budget actually has some policies in common with proposals from the Senate and the House. Meanwhile, commentator Robert Reich says that, when it comes to reforming Social Security, the president must change his approach. Facebook ads will soon get even more personal. And we hear about the most powerful currency in the world right now — the bitcoin.

Obama adds his budget to competing plans from the House and Senate. Is there any Venn diagram overlap?

The system continues to thwart some eligible workers at a time lawmakers mull expanding it.

A steady drumbeat of threats from North Korea is making the world's second largest economy assess China's relationship with its neighbor.

The White House unveiled its proposed 2014 federal budget Wednesday and it has at least one thing in common with your household budget: It's influenced by politics.

Obama's proposal to recalculate the rate of inflation hurts seniors who spend more on health care than the rest of us.

Maine lobster could get a marketing boost. Washington moves towards austerity. CEO of Airbus Fabrice Bregier shares his company's plans for the future and taking on the U.S. market.

School lunch programs with stricter nutrition standards may be helping to reduce obesity in children, especially those who receive free or reduced lunches.

David Kelly, chief global strategist at JP Morgan Funds, joins Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to explain Obama's proposed budget and how it differs from House Republican plans.

In July, interest rates on some federal student loans are set to jump from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent — and students are scrambling to stop the change.

The lobster industry in Maine has proposed higher fees in order to spend big bucks on advertising. Some lobstermen say that’s a waste of money, but others hope it will increase demand.

CEO of Airbus Fabrice Bregier joins Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to discuss their new assembly plant in Alabama and what's ahead for the company.

The Pentagon won't say what they are, but the Air Force has now officially designated six cyber technologies as "weapons."

A food hackathon in San Francisco brought together programmers, designers, and investors to work on ways to improve the food system.

Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier tells us what it takes to compete with Boeing and why his company is breaking ground in America. Bed Bath & Beyond will release its quarterly earnings report today — and unlike other big box retailers, analysts are expecting good numbers. And finally, a woman wakes up from a coma and has a surprising request.

In his budget, the president chose to tax one sin more than others.

Funding follows high-tech weaponry. The Pentagon won’t say what they are, but the Air Force has now officially designating six technologies as ‘weapons.’ Reuters reports the vice commander of the Air Force Space Command telling a conference, ‘This means that the game-changing capability (of) cyber is…going to get more attention and the recognition that it deserves.’  Recognition and more importantly money, since military budgets tend to favor weapons.

Nathaniel Rich's new book, "Odds Against Tomorrow," explores financial crisis and natural disaster.

Ron Johnson's ousting as CEO of JC Penney ends his bid to break retail's cycle of marking products up just to mark them down in sales. Shoppers rejected Johnson's strategy of keeping low prices instead of discounting.

The Washington perspective is that failure is failure. The West Coast thinks failure leads to innovation. What does that mean for West Coast-based Fisker Automotive, which took stimulus funds from Washington?

Arizona is deciding whether to start making gold and silver legal tender, just after Utah made the move. You won't be paying for groceries in gold coins, but how will it work?

After the JC Penney CEO switchout, we trace the pricing life cycle of an average piece of clothing, from factory to closet. Speaking of failure, the word is viewed differently on each coast: the west coast thinks failure fosters innovation, the east coast sees failure as…failure. How will Fisker’s looming bankruptcy be perceived? Plus, Arizona is the second state to start using gold and silver as currency again. Do you have 25 cents in silver for a pack of gum?

TV executives at major broadcasters won't likely leave the free TV airwaves soon. But a company that grabs their signal and beams it to your iPad or computer has the networks in a tizzy.

We've been going around the country since the beginning of the year, asking people to finish this sentence: You know you're wealthy, when…

No government emerges a month after Italy's last elections, markets seems to approve.

The year's almost up on the challenge from Boston's mayor for the city to lose one million pounds.

Glenn Hubbard, former Chair of the White House Economic Council of Advisers under President George W. Bush, discusses the entitlement reform, the economic recovery, and taxes.

A check in on corporate America. Former Bush adviser Glenn Hubbard talks entitlement reforms, and how to make them fair. And, were ousted J.C. Penney Ron Johnson's ideas so bad?

Juli Niemann, analyst with Smith, Moore & Company, joins Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to discuss the latest earnings reports and what they signal about the economy.

J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson has been given the boot after just 17 months as head of the struggling department store chain.

Four dozen trekked to the North Pole in a marathon that costs more than $15,000 to run in. Feel like taking a run on a polar ice floe? Here's what you need to know about the race.

The value of the Japanese yen fell to its lowest level in four years after a huge monetary stimulus package was unveiled last week, and the effects of the stimulus are starting to be felt far away from Japan.

A company called Purple Communications has new technology to help people who are deaf or hearing impaired communicate digitally through an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter.

Given that it is legal to manipulate other devices in a car, the court suggests that people should take it up with the legislature to change the law if the ruling seems arbitrary.

The 2013 NCAA men's basketball championship team from Louisville were told that going to see Louisville's women's championship game would be "an improper benefit."

States all across the country have been passing measures to combat gun violence. But in Rhode Island, some Republican lawmakers are hoping to lure gun manufacturers into the state. The value of the Japanese yen has fallen to its lowest level in four years after a huge monetary stimulus package was unveiled last week. The effects of the stimulus are starting to be felt far away from Japan — in fact, they’re having some impact on the European debt crisis. And, what will it cost you to run a marathon at the North Pole?

An appeals court in the Golden State has ruled it is illegal in California to use a handheld mobile phone to navigate while driving. The ruling suggested that if State law seemed arbitrary, given that it is legal to manipulate other devices in a car, people should take it up with the legislature to change the law. 

Mike Ullman has been named CEO of JC Penney after Ron Johnson was ousted.

In this latest installment of our series on disappearing jobs: the miracle of electronic toll collection comes at a human cost.

There’s no question the recently departed Margaret Thatcher remade the U.K. economy during her tenure, but how much of the Thatcher Revolution remains today? Plus, despite what you may think of Thatcher, hating her made plenty of folks rich. A look at the healthy business of hating Thatcher. Turning to the skies, airlines scored their second-best performance rankings in 23 years last year. How did that happen with all the mergers?