Week of May 6th, 2013

In her new book, "Don't Go Back to School," author Kio Stark discusses why scores of people think traditional higher education is a waste of money.

Lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it easier for online retailers to charge sales tax. If the legislation passes, how would it affect your online shopping habits?

World Finance, a billion-dollar company, peddles installment loans, a product that often drives borrowers into a similar quagmire of debt.

In wake of the Great ATM Heist, we look at why a swipe card’s magnetic strip is vulnerable, and why U.S. banks haven’t moved to a more secure system. In other technology, media companies and wireless operators are working together to make sure you won’t max out your data plan while watching you favorite sport or show. Is it a win-win? Plus, it’s Friday, so get ready for the Weekly Wrap!

Jennie Lamere just turned 18. Between classes and college applications, she developed an app to block the live tweets that were spoiling her favorite shows.

According to The National Retail Federation, consumers will spend $20.7 billion on Mother's Day gifts this year, but Paula Poundstone, comedian and mom of three, thinks everyone should save their money.

Over the last decade, Georgia State University has created a winning formula to boost graduation rates.

Thursday’s fatal capsizing of an America's Cup yacht has raised questions about faster, lighter, riskier boats. They're designed to make the competition more exciting, and appeal to younger TV viewers — and advertisers.

Despite knowing a swipe card’s magnetic strip is vulnerable, U.S. banks haven’t moved to a more secure system. Why?

Media companies are considering subsidizing data-plan costs so smartphone users will keep watching video, wireless carriers will keep data revenue, and streaming shows can sell more ads.

Whether it's lottery tickets, bar tabs or lunch dates, we all have something we spend money on that we think we shouldn't. But according to personal finance expert Paula Pant, waste is in the eye of the beholder.

Do you ever look at your bank statement at the end of the month and wonder where your money went? From morning lattes, to lottery tickets and lunch dates, we’ll talk about how your money trickles away on little things as well as big ticket items, like medical procedures. We’ll share tips for how to save at the hospital and at college, and offer some advice on how to stop up other spending leaks. Plus, it’s Mother’s Day weekend. Comedian Paula Poundstone joins us to discuss why she doesn’t want any gifts. And if you still need to get a gift — eek! –we have some ideas for how to shop on a budget.

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The federal government will post a surplus for April 2013. The CEO of online retail giant Alibaba says he's too old for the job at 48. And, Obamacare's PR push is gearing up for prime time.

The quest for engaged consumers is relentless (and annoying) in the new advertising world.

Pinch yourself. You're not dreaming.

Fannie Mae's paying $50 billion in dividends, so between that and the sequester, are our debt limit problems over?

A band of thieves working across two dozen countries has made off with $45 million. The caper reveals serious vulnerabilities in the banking system

Forget bank heist movies with ski masks and safe cracking. These thieves were high tech.

From what to do with your savings to how to budget for buying a new home, financial expert Gail Cunningham offers advice on how to plan ahead.

As the G7 gathers near London, austerity is on everyone's mind.

New data released by the federal government reveals that costs for identical medical procedures can vary widely from hospital-to-hospital. So to get the best deal, you might have to do some comparison shopping.

Emigrants are estimated to have $400 billion in savings, and some are investing the money at home.

NASA engineer Adam Steltzner, who navigated the landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover, talks the future of human space exploration.

Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 7 big economic powers, including the U.S., gather in London today for informal talks about global economic recovery. Germany’s finance chief is in for a roasting over the hot topic of austerity. Speaking of global economic indicators, Luxembourg’s ArcelorMittal, the world’s biggest steel company, reported profits were down in the first quarter of 2013. And, amid the debate over immigration, consider the following. People who were born in one country, but move somewhere else have an estimated $400 billion in savings — putting them in the position to lend money to their motherlands.

Goldman Sachs employees have raised concerns that Bloomberg News journalists could snoop on them through Bloomberg terminals.

The Affordable Care Act's PR push is gearing up for prime time.

A 73-year-old man in Japan used Microsoft Excel to create some striking images.

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Today, the head of one of the world’s largest e-commerce giants is stepping down. Jack Ma, chief executive of Alibaba says he’s too old to run an internet company at the decrepit age of 48. Plus, all this week we’re talking about the near future of tech, and today we look at what’s coming in the next decade of space exploration. Marketplace Tech talks to Adam Steltzner, a NASA engineer who navigated the incredibly challenging landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover. Steltzner says it’s about putting people on Mars. Also, he discusses looking for life on Jupiter’s moon Europa.

Can a partnership with the 49ers save the stagnant brand that is Levi Strauss jeans?

European steel giant ArcelorMittal announces its quarterly results today at a time when the global steel industry faces substantial challenges.

“The Great Gatsby” is getting released soon and everyone is buzzing with excitement for the adaptation of the life of the rich. But, in reality, the life of the rich and poor is rarely anything like it is in the movies. In jobs numbers news today, jobless claims are falling and we wonder is that is a good thing or if it means employers have hit peak layoff. In world news, another factory fire in Bangladesh brings to light the fair trade movement. Does it hurt businesses and are consumers really buying?

A Duke professor asks: What would happen if all the millionaires in public office joined a single political party? Answer: They'd control the federal government by a wide margin.

Following another tragic fire at a Bangladesh clothing factory, retailers are now ceding to consumer demand and putting the exact origins of their products on the label. But will this “fair trade” practice hurt the bottom line? And will those same consumers actually buy the more expensive fair trade products, or reach for the cheaper item on the next rack?

What does Google’s Bring Your Parents to Work Day say about the larger culture there?

Hi, My family took our first trip to Disney in December 2012 (which turned out to be great). We booked our flight with JetBlue and I discovered something by accident that really does not sit well with me. If you pick your flights and times online at the JetBlue site and then close your browser and re-open again, the price of the flight increases. For us that was about $100 more. Now, if you clear out the history and the cookies and close the browser then re-open again…magically…. the rates go back down to the original rate. I tried this on two other computers and achieved the same results. That to me is a very deceptive business practice! I have not tried this with other airlines but I suspect it is a common practice. Is this legal? Thank you, Greg

We asked listeners to weigh in with suggestions for names for our office meeting rooms.

An expansion of Medicaid is supposed to cover more of the working poor. But Republican-led states have been opting out and outlying areas in states like Tennessee may be the hardest hit.

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Consumers should expect wearable computers among other new products from the world's largest chip maker.

Legalize it, but tax it! Colorado seeks to regulate marijuana sales. Paid sick leave is coming to New York City. And stocks are up above 15,000, when will they come down?

The government wants to wiretap services like Facetime and Skype.

Last year, Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. Now it’s decided how to regulate it. The legislature approved a 25 percent tax on the sale of marijuana among other requirements.

New York's City Council has approved a bill requiring employers with 15 or more employees to offer five paid sick days per year to their employees. The bill, passed by a veto-proof majority, is the latest in a series of cities to take up the idea.

Japanese entertainment and electronics giant Sony has managed to make money, not lose it for the first time in five years. The company reported a net profit of $948 million.

Is there such a thing as an unemployment rate that is too low?

The new normal for the Dow Industrial average seems to be hovering around15,000 points. U.S. markets were down slightly this morning but still trading above the 15,000 mark.

How has the capital of Texas became a hub for innovation and job creation, and what can other aspiring cities learn from Austin?

The thieves also hit up 2,000 ATMs in Manhattan in a single day.

Among the 844 pages of the Senate immigration bill are two bits that could complicate the goal of citizenship for many poor immigrants. Entertainment and electronics giant Sony has managed to make money, not lose it for the first time in five years.  TV networks come out with their fall programs next week. But as more people tune in online, many marketers are finding that ads alone aren’t enough.  

Tucked away in the 844-page immigration bill is a provision that could thwart citizenship hopes for many undocumented workers.

All this week we’re talking about the near future of tech. Not artificial intelligence and storing consciousness on computer chips, but what’s coming in the next decade. Let’s talk about hardware, and the world’s biggest chipmaker, Intel. A week ago the company named a new CEO, Brian Krzanich. But the head honcho at Intel Labs, where the company invents all sorts of cool new stuff, is CTO Justin Rattner. His army of innovators is working on something called seeing through the rain. 

Three factors contribute to the ease of turning the web off.

Manchester United is a top British soccer team and one of world's most successful sporting franchises. Will the departure of its legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson harm its global brand?

One day, the signature of Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will appear on every U.S. dollar. But first, he needs a signature that fits the bill.

JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is shopping for votes lately in a bid to keep his other title: chairman of the board. How’s his campaign going? In losses — and not the stock market kind — Manchester United is losing its longtime leader. We look at how a global brand manages that transition. Plus, historical homes are getting attacked by the paparazzi of the public, thanks to social photo sharing sites like Instagram. 

The naming of the conference room can be a very important thing. And now, you can name Marketplace's two main meeting rooms.

Critics say immigration reform would cost the government trillions in safety net spending. Commentator Robert Reich says it would actually generate more revenue.

Some people like to go into old, vacant buildings to post photos and video of their exploits on social media sites like Instagram and Flickr. Sometimes, that can be an advantage for real estate agents.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is scrambling to keep his other title: chairman of the board. But the man who controls more assets than any other U.S. banker is in the market for one-year loans from his biggest shareholders: Their votes, call it political capital, at the upcoming shareholder meeting.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel enjoyed close relations with former French President Nicolas Sarkozy but not with successor Francois Hollande. Differences over austerity are part of the problem.

The public can search a database for prices for 100 common procedures at every hospital in the country, opening a window onto price differences.

After 19 hours in the dark, Syria is back online. Why it's not that hard to shut down the Internet there, but nearly impossible in the U.S.

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Out of work Europeans move to Germany. Hospital charges vary widely for the same procedure. And should the government limit the amount of tax-free retirement savings?

Share prices in Germany hit a new record high today. Asian markets were strong. But U.S. markets were down slightly this morning.

Allan Sloan, senior editor at large at Fortune magazine, explains why he thinks Obama's proposal to limit tax-free retirement savings is a bad idea.

You wouldn't dream of buying a new laptop without comparing prices — why should health care be any different? The government is releasing new data about what hospitals charge in various places for medical procedures, and the prices vary widely.

More than a million foreigners flocked to Germany for work last year, the biggest influx since 1995. Most of the migrants were from Eastern Europe, but many came from recession-hit countries elsewhere in the euro zone.

Skilling had been sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Luxury electric car maker Tesla is expected to report a profit on Wednesday. The profit comes not from the $100,000 cars, but from California Zero Emission Vehicle Credits that amount to thousands of dollars a car when resold to other car makers.

The media landscape is rapidly changing. Kara Swisher, co-exectuive editor AllThingsD, says any news outlet that wants a future must go mobile in every way.

How will News Corporation’s future earnings look once it's free of its newspaper division? The split is scheduled for next month.

The U.S. military has been thinking about the 'Internet of Things' — networks of devices that talk to one another. But there are some major obstacles.

It's rare these days that legislation flies through the U.S. Senate and gets bipartisan support in the House of Representatives — but the Internet sales tax bill could do both.

Brazil's Roberto Azevedo has been chosen to become the next leader of the World Trade Organization, he will be the first Latin American to head the international group.

People are starting to rise up against the ‘smuggery’ of Silicon Valley — even Valley insiders are taking shots on the web and on TV at those who created Google Glass.

Today the electric car company Tesla Motors is set to announce that it has turned a profit for the first time. That’s in part because of the success of its Model S luxury sedan — but Tesla has also made a pile of cash selling California Zero Emission Vehicle credits to other car companies. Will Google Glass end up being the mark of cool or doofus? And Brazil’s Roberto Azevedo is set to become the first Latin American to run the World Trade Organization.

All this week we’re talking about the near future of tech. Not clones and robot servants, but what’s coming in the next decade. Today we look at what’s coming in our own industry: Media. More and more it isn’t just a discussion of old forms, but new forms as well — I know one of my go to news sites these days happens to be Twitter. Kara Swisher, the co-exectuive editor of AllThingsD, says any media company that wants a future needs to be thinking about going mobile in every way.

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Microsoft announces a fix coming soon for their newest operating system. But will that be enough for customers?

President Barack Obama is proposing to increase federal tax and fees on airlines tickets. But before prices take off, here's a look at some other tax-heavy items you already pay more for.

There's a fine line that separates addicts from the rest of us, a new book argues. It's not just booze and cocaine you should be worried about, but Twitter and cakes.

Now that tax season is well over, we find out there’s a proposal to raise taxes on airline tickets. How much do we already pay on taxes for goods and services? Health care costs are also on the rise, but at a slower rate than the past four years. We look at whether the recession is solely to blame or of there is more afoot. In money possibly not well spent, it turns out money slated for restoration on the Gulf by BP is not really being spent on things related to the oil spill at all.

Health care costs have been rising at a slower rate for the last four years. Why? Hint: The answer is not the recession.

Last week, BP and five coastal states affected by the Deepwater Horizon spill announced $594 million in projects funded by BP for early restoration of the Gulf. A lot of the money is being spent on stuff not related to the spill at all, especially on repairing damage from various hurricanes.

More contractors getting into the cybersecurity business, creating more targets for Chinese hackers.

Hawaii is taking the offensive to lure Obama's future library or presidential center. Chicago appears to have the inside track, but Honolulu is offering up a beachfront site worth a cool $75 million.

Alleged discrimination against African-American temp workers. Jobs are opening up, but hiring is slow to follow. And what's got markets cheering around the world.

Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott, explains what's got markets running strong.

Somalia has struggled with famine, piracy, and insurgency in the past several years. But recently, Somalia has been making some progress on economic rebuilding.

Is Windows Blue an admission of failure or just an evolution for the new Windows 8 operating system?

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