Week of June 17th, 2013

Things are heating up. And we’re not just talking about the official start of summer.  A lot of our listeners are hot under the collar about negative customer service experiences they’ve had.  The L.A. Times’ David Lazarus helps them assert their consumer rights and answers questions about how to achieve customer satisfaction.  Plus, we’ll look at the hot stuff that came out of the Federal Reserve’s meeting this week.  Here’s a hint: interest rates are on the rise along with the temperature.  Also, summer is camp time for a lot of kids, but not everyone can afford it. We’ll discuss how to get a good deal on a great camp. And we explore the challenge of finding first-time summer jobs and internships for today’s teens looking to gain work experience.

The Paris Air Show is one of the world’s largest aviation and defense showcases. But in this age of budget cuts, who’s buying planes? Facebook now allows users to record videos through Instagram, challenging Vine. And Instagram videos are 15 seconds longer than its Twitter-backed rival.   

With so many lawsuits popping up from interns claiming they were exploited by their places of work, it's a good time for a refresher on what your rights are as an intern.

The new TV show, "Devious Maids," is a soap opera aimed at a Hispanic audience, but some Latinos feel it trades in stereotypes.

Vine, on Twitter, lets you make a six-second video. Instagram, on Facebook, up to 15 seconds. What's nine more seconds worth?

The Fed chairman spoke about quantitative easing on Wednesday, and the possibility of tapering, and the markets reacted.

The Paris Air Show is one of the world’s largest aviation and defense showcases. The U.S. pavilion is always the biggest, and typically attracts an entourage of American governors and members of Congress. But in this age of budget cuts, scrutiny on the costs will be high.

My employee sponsored health care plan is about to kick in but that means I have some decisions to make… I work for a small company that will cover the first $200/month of the plan of my choosing. My husband does not currently have health care through his work (our short-term insurance will expire right around the time my employer starts paying for part of our new plan). I know it's unlikely that $200 will cover all of even a high-deductible plan, but we'd like to get dang close. We're considering a high deductible plan coupled with an HSA, but are nervous that this will create incentives for us not to schedule preventative doctor appointments. Another kicker is that our money is spread so thin right now (10% to IRAs, 4% to a 401k, 10% to down payment fund — it starts to add up!) that I'm worried we won't have much left over to put into an HSA. Even though we don't make a ton to begin with, we are very healthy, young people with fairly active lifestyles which I know helps our situation. Do we sound like an HSA is a good fit for us or is there something else we should be considering?

Web-only versions of popular soap operas may be back in production after a labor resolution.

Many young people are struggling to find jobs now that school is out for summer. The usual seasonal employment is being filled by older workers so what are teenagers to do to earn income?

University of Pennsylvania professor Dave Robertson writes about the company and how it recovered from its near-death experience.

Interest rates are going up. What does that mean for consumers?

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

The FAA is looking into allowing electronic devices to stay on during entire flights.

What to do when a negative customer service experience turns into a nightmare? LA Times consumer columnist David Lazarus discusses how to assert your consumer rights to achieve satisfaction.

Which is more important: updating train safety mechanisms or improving rail infrastructure?

City mayors question the nation's immigration policy. A look at the 30 million people who will still be uninsured after the Affordable Care Act takes effect. And the threat of piracy grows off the coast of West Africa.

The productivity loss of takeoff and landing.

Oracle is leaving the NASDAQ and moving over to the New York Stock Exchange.

Summer camp can be an unforgettable experience for kids…and a costly one for parents. But, there are ways for families to get a good deal.

Join the Public Insight Network and help us put the "personal" in personal finance.

Federal subsidies will make it easier for millions of Americans to buy health coverage, but millions still won't be able to afford it.

Industrial 3D printer maker Stratasys just bought a hot name in the 3D printing consumer market: MakerBot.

Facebook is adding videos to its photo-sharing app Instagram. It's the company's answer to Twitter's Vine app.

A new report out this week shows that while pirate attacks off the Somali coast have plummeted, there's a growing threat on the other side of the continent.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ supports immigration reform as a way to reduce city expenses and grow local economies.

For the past few weeks, we've been asking listeners in our Public Insight Network one question: What was your last fight over money about? Now, we want you to weigh in.

China is feeling a credit crunch, after China’s central bank froze lending between China's financial institutions this week.

Retailers create one more excuse for a holiday sale.

The Russian president claims he doesn't remember the incident involving Robert Kraft's Super Bowl ring.

Industrial 3D printer maker Stratasys just bought a hot name in the 3D printing consumer market: MakerBot. The pricetag? $403 million in Statasys stock. MakerBot’s desktop 3D printers cost about $2,000, while the machines Stratasys makes can cost over half a million. We talk to Stratasys CEO David Reis and MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis to hear what’s behind the merger.

Today is the first day of summer and that gets some retailers nervous. Shoppers are scarce in the season, so stores are rolling out the sales. In Los Angeles, the grocery store Ralphs is expected to close its doors forever. The store, which is in a low-income neighborhood, has some residents criticizing a disturbing pattern. And how will China’s credit crunch be felt abroad?

We asked you to tell us about your best and worst summer jobs. Read some of the stories, including that of 15-year-old Delaney Stokes, who just scored her first summer job.

The 51-year-old actor has just launched an environmentally-friendly paper product.

An argument for using data to figure out where to spend government money.

Critics say Ralphs fobs off lower-quality products on low-income neighborhoods, but Ralphs says it varies what's on sale based on what customers buy.

Back in 2010, the chief security officer for Facebook, Max Kelly left the company for the NSA.

Teen unemployment is at 24.4 percent, three times the national average. With opportunities so scarce, young jobseekers need to think about all the little things that could hurt their chances.

Ben Bernanke’s comments about the economy were optimistic — but the markets saw the bad news: No more punch bowl. Also, with the passing of actor James Gandolfini, it’s worth noting that television hasn’t been the same since Tony stepped outside and found ducks in his swimming pool. 

Sour foods and flavors are riding high at the moment, and our growing desire for them is changing the food industry.

The Supreme Court is expected to take a case on whether several recess appointments were constitutional — and that has implications for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

We're expecting movement today in the case that could decide whether college athletes share in the billions of dollars in broadcast and video game revenues

One of the hardest things to do in the wake of a disaster is communicate. Now researchers in Boston have a plan to address that with something called an ad-hoc network.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

The markets take a hit in the wake of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke’s “good” news about the economy.

A group of female senators has introduced an amendment to the immigration bill that would set aside 30,000 residency cards a year for fields typically dominated by women.

Television hasn’t been the same since Tony stepped outside and found ducks in his swimming pool.

The Fed looks ahead. The U.S. military leaves behind billions in military equipment in Afghanistan. And the crisis of long-term health care savings.

Adjunct and non-tenure track professors are joining unions, hungry for benefits and job security they currently lack. And in a twist, they're not always joining the unions you might expect.

American troops are on the way out of Afghanistan, but the Washington Post reports that much of their gear, some $7 billion worth, won't be coming home with them.

Nursing homes can run around $100,000 a year, and many aging boomers will not have the money.

For the thousands of residents in Moore, Okla., left without homes by the May 20th tornado, it took less than a minute to lose everything. To replace everything will take much longer.

Global markets are down this morning on news that the U.S. Federal Reserve may not continue its bond buying program, known as quantitative easing, in the long-term.

A psychiatrist in England is using digital avatars — almost like characters in a video game — to help people with schizophrenia put a face to the voices in their heads.

People who get their Internet from Verizon have reported having trouble with Netflix. It has to do with something called 'peering' — and it seems Verizon hasn't been to friendly to its peers of late.

The biggest search firm in the world is infamous for its, shall we say, tortured job interview questions.

FBI Director Robert Mueller says the FBI uses drones domestically, though rarely. He is calling for more discussion on drone use, while the FBI proceeds.

The Supreme Court could announce as soon as today whether it will consider a case on recess appointments made by President Obama. That decision could have a major impact on Washington’s consumer watchdog group. How is the Federal Reserve’s meeting playing abroad? Adjunct and non-tenure track professors are joining unions, hungry for benefits and job security they currently lack. And in a twist, they’re not always joining the unions you might expect.

One psychiatrist in England is building digital avatars — almost like characters in a video game — to help schizophrenic patients put a face to the voices in their heads. And Microsoft backs off new Xbox restrictions after outcry from gamers.  

Marketplace profiles people paid to do work that can make life miserable for others.

Sushi Yasuda argues that staff at the Japanese restaurant in Manhattan are paid a fair wage and don’t need tips to compensate for low pay.

The Fed kept its stimulus flowing — for now. Meanwhile, Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Mary Jo White is pushing for more admissions of wrongdoing in cases of widespread harm to investors. Is there an economic cost to admitting guilt? Finally, what do you get when you cross NBA basketball with Obamacare?

Catching you up on what you need to know about the Supreme Court rulings on cases concerning legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States.

One reason kitchen supplies are harder to keep stocked? U.S. companies have cut about a million office support positions.

Fast-fashion retailer H&M took a long time to start online sales in the U.S. When you start late, you have to get it right.

Why would a sports league — or any business — want to be identified with the controversial law that provides insurance to the uninsured.

With enough planning — and maybe some soundproofing — some are still finding ways to get their work done at home.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

Wall Street's top cop rethinks sweetheart settlements. What makes a bubble and are we in one? And all eyes turn to the Federal Reserve.

As soon as the value of something rises, skeptics roll out the B-word: bubble.

The British government says bankers who recklessly mismanage their banks could face jail time, according to a new proposal released Wednesday.

As far back as the early 1900s, rural farmers and ranchers — or you could call them hackers — set up their own phone lines themselves.

Facebook is gearing up to hold a big press event tomorrow. So far the topic is under wraps, but the company says "a small team has been working on a big idea."

"For his work in developing and improving genetically modified crops," said the president of the World Food Prize Foundation.

Many times when companies settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission, they don't have to admit they did anything wrong. That practice may be changing.

'Measure of America' is an index that wraps GDP, general well-being and access to opportunity into one number.

As the world awaits the birth of the next Royal heir, a look at what a celebrity baby photo is worth to magazines.

Vice-chair Janet Yellen is the front runner, but there are plenty of very good choices.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

The British government says bankers who recklessly mismanage their banks should go to jail. Who will take over the Federal Reserve when Ben Bernanke leaves? GDP, unemployment rate, the Dow — some economists think these numbers don’t tell us enough about how real people are actually doing. We take a look at a new measure of America: human development.

Most of us think about hackers as people who tinker with computers and make tech do things it wasn’t originally supposed to do. Some people trace hacking back to the 1950s and 1960s. That’s when the technologically curious started tricking telephone signal systems into unlocking free long-distance calling. But as far back as the early 1900s, farmers, ranchers — or you could call them hackers — started hooking up their own phone lines.

CEO of MTV Stephen Friedman says its success depends on their ability to connect with Millennials

The Midwest was once the industrial heartland of America — in many towns, local businesses and high schools were completely integrated into the industrial life of the region.

As many as 200,000 people have marched through Brazil’s major cities protesting economic imbalances. The Kremlinology of Ben Bernanke. And what Jay-Z’s deal to offer his new album to every new Samsung customer and what it says about the future of music distribution.

What began as small protests against bus price hikes has now escalated into nationwide wide protests involving hundreds of thousands of people. When an economy expands, people bristle at corruption and poor spending choices.0

What Jay-Z's deal with Samsung says about the future of music distribution.

The American Medical Association votes to classify obesity as a disease in a move that will broaden coverage for related treatments.

The pragmatic, down-to-earth vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board is said to be replacing Chairman Ben Bernanke.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

It's happened to all of us. Your phone loses its charge in that one place you can't plug it in. Now, New York City is about to get solar chargers in many of those places.

We are getting better at predicting the weather. Still, if prediction is half the battle, presentation is the other half.

Following the Fed play-by-play. Can co-ops remake America's economy from the ground up?

Delivering ultra high-speed Internet to users around the country is a challenge, but it's one that cable providers say they are ready and able to tackle.

Netflix is teaming up with DreamWorks Animation to create original content. But their partnership isn't for grown-ups, it's for kids.