Week of October 14th, 2013

Goldman Sachs economically engineered efficient eating, but it comes with a cost. Literally.

John Carney and Nela Richardson join the show to wrap up a tumultuous week in Washington.

The fracking boom is bringing in a surge of development — and tax revenue — to North Dakota. Now conservationists have a plan use some of that growth to protect the environment.

Ben Bernanke completes his term in January. Help us send him off!

Why personal finance classes are not mandated in high schools

That high price-tag holding you back from getting your hands on the latest tech gadgets? Some more affordable options could be the answer to your dilemma.

The business community helped elect some Tea Party Republicans to Congress — and they weren't happy with the shutdown and debt ceiling fight. The British government is trying to prohibit The Wall Street Journal from publishing the names of trades implicated in the LIBOR scandal. And, China's GDP is growing as leaders look to make economic reforms.

This Week: Financial Health.  Money can motivate us in all sorts of ways.  Change your job.  Pick one house over another.  And in some instances, change our behavior.  We spend time this week with two folks who have done that:  using money to lose weight. Workplaces are also getting into the act.  Using financial carrots and sticks to encourage healthier lifestyles for their workers.  Plus, how should we learn about personal finance?  With schools?  And get some answers to these personal finance puzzles:  When should you put a home on the market? What’s the math behind taking money out of your portfolio if you don’t want go back to work?

Employers are rolling out benefit programs that create financial incentives for healthier habits. But does it work?

The market is ga-ga for Google.

Shedding those holiday pounds can be tough, but maybe a financial incentive can give you that extra push.

Answering listener questions about personal finance.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

It takes a lot of people skills and knowledge of the intricacies of labor contracts to be a Federal mediator, like those called in to try to resolve the BART strike in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The British government is trying to prohibit The Wall Street Journal from publishing the names of trades implicated in the LIBOR scandal.

Mercedes buyers on average are several years older than those of competitors BMW and Audi.

More than 20 Senators and seven Representatives have begun work on a compromise budget that liberals and conservatives can live with, before new sequester cuts hit in January. A supercommittee was what created the sequester impasse in the first place, what will be different this time around?

Alabama has a new campaign to lure companies and tourists to the state. But first it's asking everyone to forget what they think they know about Alabama.

Miami is one of the cities most threatened by climate change. Will it be able to adapt in time?

The government is reopen! That means everything is great, right? Not quite. Our weekly wrappers Nela Richardson and John Carney look back at the tumultuous week and what to expect in the upcoming months from budget battles. A congressional supercommittee has been tasked with coming up with a budget plan both parties can get behind, but what makes this one different than the last supercommittee that couldn’t solve the sequester? Members of Congress give their advice. Mercedes-Benz has an aging problem, will they be able to target younger car buyers? And, commuters in the Bay Area are dealing with the latest BART strike between transit worker unions and management. The U.S. director of federal mediating couldn’t solve the impasse and went home. What’s a federal mediator do, anyway?

The business community helped elect some Tea Party Republicans to Congress — and they weren't happy with the shutdown and debt ceiling fight.

"The Lion King" will become the first Broadway musical in history to gross more than $1 billion.

Working remotely, but not from home.

China's GDP is growing as leaders look to make economic reforms.

The measure keeps the government paying billions to fund immigrant detention centers.

What the city sounds like with its workers back to work.

4 million songs. 82,857 address books. $1,999. $14,000 per square foot: Can you guess what these numbers mean?

In a post-Wikileaks world, it's harder than ever to be a whistleblower.

“The Fifth Estate” comes out today. The film is based on the real life events surrounding the website Wikileaks and the impact that document leaks had on the government, the press, and beyond. And, Google made investors happy yesterday with its quarterly earnings report. It turns out the online advertising business is still booming. Google’s net income was up nearly $800 million over the same quarter last year.

China’s economy is growing faster than expected. GDP is now running at an annualized rate of 7.8 percent, fueled in part by easy credit. With the debt ceiling raised for a while and the government reopened, President Obama is calling for lawmakers to buckle down and get to work on such sweeping matters as the half-trillion dollar farm bill and the overhaul of the immigration system. On that last one, there’s renewed attention to a little-known directive from Congress known as the “bed mandate.” And, the musical “The  Lion King” will break a Broadway record this week. It will be the first show to gross more than $1 billion. 

General Electric is shrinking GE Capital, betting on its heavy equipment manufacturing for industries like energy, airlines and medical equipment.

The government shutdown reminded us that there are some federal programs that we'll miss if they go away again.

Unlike personal checking and savings accounts, business accounts are not protected from hackers.

A hydrologist at the U.S Geological Survey says the backup of work is not good, but he's glad to be back.

In an industry of risk, Hollywood has to take the safe bet.

The founder of eBay gets into the news business, even recruiting Glenn Greenwald, who brings with him a trove of unpublished security documents from Edward Snowden.

There’s a better than average chance that the government could shut down again in a few months if Congress can’t come to an agreement, and that will mean that contractors will lose money — again. How are they factoring in uncertainty into their operations? Meanwhile, we lost two weeks of government data — data that helps economists study things and data that helps farmers plant stuff. Finally, Facebook is easing up on teens, giving them the ability to have their posts seen by anyone, not just friends. This catches up to rivals Twitter and Instagram, while opening teens to more advertising, at a time when Facebook appears to be losing popularity among teens.

The government shutdown is finally over, but it wasn't the only thing reopening today.

With Google set to report its earnings, the company is taking some heat about privacy issues.

The aftermath of the debt ceiling debacle: consumer confidence is shaken, companies aren't spending, interest rates will rise, the nation's credit rating is in jeopardy, and GDP growth takes a hit. Is Google’s strong-arming of advertisers to buy ads across multiple platforms paying off? And, in November, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that hinges on the definition of clothing.

Colleges are changing the admissions formula. Goodbye SATs?

A stock market for athletes. Not as in the athletes do the trading, but as in athletes are the stocks.

The aftermath of the debt ceiling debacle: consumer confidence is shaken, companies aren't spending, interest rates will rise, the nation's credit rating is in jeopardy, and GDP growth takes a hit.

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

We lost two weeks of government data — data that let economists know what to study and data that helps farmers know what to plant.

Facebook is easing up on teens, giving them the ability to have their posts seen by anyone, not just friends.

There’s a better than average chance that the government could shut down again in a few months if Congress can’t come to an agreement. That uncertainty is a problem for everyone from contractors to the entire US economy.

America's creditworthiness takes a hit in Asia, even with the debt ceiling raised and the government reopening.

A new study from Stanford University says giving teachers a big bonus for raising student test scores is effective.

Roundabouts are becoming increasingly common here in America, and in other countries.

One Marketplace Tech listener talks about why he hates what they did to his inbox.

A look at Intel's Global Innovation Barometer study.

The shutdown of the federal government is over and the debt ceiling has been raised. Furloughed federal workers are headed back to work starting today, and America will be able to pay its bills with borrowing authority extended through early February. The fight is over for now, but has the damage already been done? A credit ratings agency in China downgraded the U.S., despite the resolution to the fiscal battle. A new study finds that offering a bonus to teachers works — under certain conditions. And, New York’s Columbus Circle just won the coveted title of “Best Roundabout in the World 2013.” The award is helping focus American minds on the benefits of this typically British traffic management system.

Is Google’s strong-arming of advertisers to buy ads across multiple platforms paying off?

The next big tech company to release its earnings this week is Google. The company will report this afternoon. And the update for investors is all about Google’s bread and butter — advertising. Businesses still buy ads based on keywords like “teapot” or “crossbow,” but now, instead of bidding on one platform at a time, Google has been offering multiple platforms at once — tablets, phones, and PCs. So how’s that working out for them?

In five years, what role will audio play in your lives as a news consumer or journalist. Use the Marketplace Voice Mail to record and submit your answers.

In light of the U.S. debt scare, an editorial in China's state-run Xinhua news service calls for a world that is ‘de-Americanized.’

Congress reached a deal — and a process — to avoid a default on U.S. debt and the reopening of the government.

The Federal Reserve notes that pheasants in South Dakota can tell us a lot about the economy.

Washington's lottery has stopped making payments because of the government shutdown.

A new book chronicles the growth of Amazon and the personality behind its founder Jeff Bezos.

Local governments in China have taken the homes of at least 40 million people, selling that land to developers, in order to keep GDP growth figures well into the black.

Reports say the House and the Senate may have reached a deal — and a process — to avoid a default on U.S. debt and the reopening of the government. But when the federal government reopens its doors, the pent-up demand for government services may be huge. From fishermen needing permits to farmers applying for compensation for deceased cattle,  there will be a line around the block. Also, Twitter is out with more numbers about how it makes money, which includes picking up a fee everytime a user refreshes. How much is a refresh worth?

Apple used the rule to shelter $40 billion in profits.

The housing crisis hit many black families in West Oakland. One community activist thinks how the real-estate market is doing now doesn't match the neighborhood.

The deadline to raise the debt ceiling is less than 24 hours away. Toy analysts say Mattel's core brands and its progress in high-tech toys have helped it do better than some other toymakers. And, in Camden, New Jersey, one non-profit is using real-time hospital data to help locate people eligible for Obamacare.

But there are loopholes to the rule…

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

Toy analysts say Mattel's core brands and its progress in high-tech toys have helped it do better than some other toymakers.

“The unofficial economic indicator,” reports earnings tomorrow. Winnebago is selling RVs to older folks (duh) but also to thirtysomethings.

Some recent studies suggest that changing climates could produce dull colors in future years. How much might that hurt the economies of states like Vermont, North Carolina, and Wisconsin?

The deadline to raise the debt ceiling is less than 24 hours away, but the U.S. won't actually default until the end of the month.

In Camden, New Jersey, one non-profit is using real-time hospital data to help locate people eligible for Obamacare.

The ratings agency Fitch warned overnight Wednesday it may strip the United States of its AAA sovereign credit rating. Negotiations about the federal budget, the health care reform law, and raising the limit on federal borrowing are back in the Senate after the House’s plan collapsed on Tuesday. Despite that view in the markets, many are characterizing what could soon happen as “default.” And, instead of default, can we talk about pretty leaves for a second? Tis the season of changing colors in a lot of states. But some recent studies have raised an important question: Will climate change spoil the season?

Alton Brown, chef and host of the Food Network’s “Good Eats,” talks to Marketplace Tech about the cooking technologies he’s working on in his test kitchen, and the food tech we need to start 3-D printing quiches. Plus, a look at how the government uses data to track down the uninsured and get them signed up.

The Food Network star talks about his live show, gives a list of important kitchen innovations and talks about blending up cockroaches.

How a deal that delays the debt ceiling fight until Jan. 15 sets up a new fight on the sequester.

Treasuries come in all ages and levels of maturity.

In parts of Tennessee, about one third of working-age residents have a college degree. In a few counties, the rate drops to fewer than one in 10.

For the last century, candy has been associated with cavities, obesity, and diabetes.

The American League of Lobbyists rebrand.

Republicans in the House and Senate are debating what exactly should be in a deal to find a way out of the debt ceiling and shutdown mess. Still, any delay would set up a new fight on the sequester. And while most Americans are worried about what might happen if the U.S. defaults on  its debt obligations on Thursday, many argue the damage has already been done. Finally, Northwestern will hold its first peanut-free football game – in deference to those with peanut allergies. 

The paydays that could prompt a government default if a debt-ceiling deal collapses.

Whether or not Congress raises the debt ceiling in time, we may be headed for another economic slowdown. As Iran prepares for nuclear talks in Geneva, the current international sanctions still impact everyday life in Iran. And, United debuts an in-flight magazine, titled Rhapsody, for high-end and business travelers.

Sometimes, you just can’t a break. And neither, it seems, can Greece.

Is Apple now a luxury brand?

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

Whether or not Congress raises the debt ceiling in time, we may be headed for another economic slowdown.

United debuts an in-flight magazine, titled Rhapsody, for high-end and business travelers.

The clock is ticking, but Congressional leaders have yet to reach an agreement.

As Iran prepares for nuclear talks in Geneva, the current international sanctions still impact everyday life in Iran.

There will now be a direct trading link between the British pound and the Chinese renminbi — and that could be bad for the dollar.

A new study finds that vendettas can help job performance.

A new product is a sort of decoder ring for mass transit systems.

And not everybody is happy about it.