Week of October 21st, 2013

I am a retired doctor, married, with net worth over $1.75 million and an annual income of about $150,000. To support women's equality over the years, my wife and I put many of our credit cards, utilities, and accounts in my wife's name. Almost all our credit cards have her as the primary account holder and me as an "add-on," all with very high limits that we built up over the years. Her credit report looks excellent. I ended up with just one small credit card ($4,000 limit) in my own name. I find it annoying to have to use my wife's credit cards for larger purchases. Before applying for cards with higher limits, I requested a free annual credit report. Unlike my wife, I was asked for data about monthly payment amounts and loan holders for a mortgage and vehicle loan paid off nine years ago. I was asked to apply by mail, sending copies of my driver's license, utility bills, etc. It's as if I have no credit record. This is insulting and could be problematic should my wife be incapacitated. What should we do to merge the credit rating data? How else can I build an equally strong rating as my wife without starting over?

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Ten years ago this week, the Concorde — the supersonic passenger airliner operated by British Airways and Air France — made its last flight across the Atlantic.

One robust sector of the economy is how much we're spending on our pets.

Painkillers are some of the most abused drugs on the market. The FDA has been looking for ways to stem that abuse. Now it has reclassified certain painkillers as Schedule II, which means everyone involved needs to jump through more hoops to get the drugs. Plus, Instagram has come up with an obvious way to generate revenue: It’s going to start including advertising in users photo feeds. Finally, Spalding is rushing to make basketballs with the new NBA commissioner’s autograph so they’re ready when he takes office.

Lobbyists pound the pavement ahead of two big deadlines.

Recapping the shutdown's effects on the economy and the future of J.P. Morgan.

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In the town of Eastport, Maine, a gamble on natural resources could revive a flailing economy.

A little good news on the economic front. Maybe. Maybe? No matter how many handsets Samsung sells, Apple may always dominate the conversation. And, the number of Vermont microbreweries has doubled in the last five years. There are now 32 craft breweries, and several more are being planned.

This week: Money Secrets. Shhh…. Secret bank accounts.  Hidden credit cards.  Hard to find investments.  Fifteen percent of Americans—with merged finances—admit to having a financial account their partners don’t know about.  We talk with two listeners who have squirreled away money.  Also, a conversation with Carmen Wong Ulrich, the new Marketplace Money host.  She talks about why we keep secrets and also answers listeners questions.  Plus,  your brain on money.  Poverty, wealth, and decisions:  Surprising new research about the mind’s financial eye.

If you're a former high ranking intelligence official giving an anonymous interview bashing the Obama administration on a train, make sure no one with a Twitter account is in earshot.

Painkillers are some of the most abused drugs on the market. The FDA has been looking for ways to stem that abuse.

The FDA recommends making hydrocodone a Schedule II narcotic, like its more powerful relative, oxycodone.

A little good news on the economic front. Maybe. Maybe?

The U.S. airline industry is expected to earn a whopping $6.5 billion this year.

No matter how many handsets Samsung sells, Apple may always dominate the conversation.

The number of Vermont microbreweries has doubled in the last five years. There are now 32 craft breweries, and several more are being planned.

About half of public school children today qualify for free and reduced-price meals at school. A new federal option allows high-poverty schools to feed all students at no charge.

Prices are up in Japan — and that's a good thing.

$0, $9 billion, over 376,000 versus 613,000 followers, 6 years in prison: Can you guess what these numbers mean?

A look at the practice of "sock puppetry" on Wikipedia, where users maintain multiple accounts to trick other editors.

Inflation in Japan is near a 5 year high — up 0.7 percent. That’s actually a positive headline. The world’s third largest economy has been trying to climb out of a fifteen year hole of sputtering growth, and prices so low that they hurt the currency. And, roughly half of the kids who head off to public school this morning will qualify for free or reduced-price meals. For a family of four, that means living on less than $44,000 a year. Every fall, schools scramble to make sure as many eligible kids as possible are signed up for those lunches. Now, some schools are trying out a new approach.

It’s time for the Twitter road show — that thing where the social network company tours the country to get investors pumped up about its initial public offering. The excitement over Twitter has the whole tech industry buzzing, and that could be great news for up-and-coming social media companies.

A new documentary film chronicles the journey of minority boys through a predominantly-white, private education system.

After the Deepwater Horizon debacle, the Obama administration decided that it would integrate all complex contracts in-house, and have one person coordinate  big projects like that. It hasn’t worked, mainly because the very people who are qualified to do that job, would rather make the big money in the private sector.  Cable television nearly did in TV Guide Magazine. But a few years ago a private-equity firm took it over and remade it. And German Chancellor Angela Merkel is outraged at possible bugging of her mobile phone by the U.S.   European leaders meeting in Brussels will discuss how to respond to allegations of U.S. spying. Possible retaliations include suspending the transfer of  bank data and withdrawal of cooperation on an EU-U.S. free trade deal.

For our American Futures series, Kai & co. head to the easternmost city in the U.S.

USAA goes to unusual lengths to ensure its staff understand their customers.

What should we talk about when we talk about hiding money in a relationship.

Can it compete in a crowded marketplace?

Amazon is looking to grow and dominate, and is willing to sink billions into risky ventures like its streaming video service. New rules will require brokers to disclose signing bonuses. And, the price of natural gas so cheap, manufacturing is coming back to America.

Rooftop solar installations cut into utilities' revenue, but still use their expensive grid and and rely on them for backup power.

Some stockbrokers consider the new rules an invasion of their privacy.

After problems with the Coast Guard's massive Deepwater acquisition program, the federal government has moved away from hiring outside systems integrators, opting to coordinate big projects in-house.

Cable television nearly did in TV Guide Magazine. But a few years ago a private-equity firm took it over and remade it.

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With the price of natural gas so cheap, manufacturing is coming back to America.

The Army will close R.O.T.C. programs at 13 universities, more than half of which are in the South.

At a meeting in Brussels, European leaders are discussing possible retaliations, including suspending the transfer of bank data and withdrawal of negotiations over free trade.

Allegations that the NSA tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone are threatening the relationship between Germany and America.

The contractors behind HealthCare.gov will testify before a Congressional panel. We asked a few observers what questions they want answered.

A new co-working space in Harlem aims to bring more tech to the neighborhood.

Google's East Coast think tank unveiled some new tools all designed to make internet access easier where it's now hard to get.

Amazon is looking to grow and dominate, and is willing to sink billions into risky ventures like its streaming video service.

A new report from German magazine Der Spiegel claiming that the U.S. monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone is overshadowing a gathering of European leaders in Brussels today. By now, you’ve heard about the sloppy — some say disastrous — debut of the federal health insurance exchanges. Representatives of the four lead contractors who designed and built that system will be on Capitol Hill today for the first of many hearings on the flawed roll out of the Affordable Care Act. And, some colleges in the South are unhappy with the U.S. military. The Pentagon wants to put more of its ROTC recruiting programs into urban areas and plans to pull out of some more rural Southern campuses.

Amazon reports quarterly earnings today. But while the company’s reach is global, it’s not exactly known for profit. And that’s not just a joke about Jeff Bezos buying The Washington Post. For now the company seems happy to keep prices low and ventures plentiful. Is it working? 

Different services can be a big help in keeping a budget, but are they worth putting all your information at risk?

More than half of public school children now qualify for free and reduced-price meals. But getting kids to actually eat school meals can be tough.

A jury in Manahattan found Bank of America guilty of a single count of civil fraud related to defective mortgages sold by Countrywide Financial.

President Obama promised that no one who had health insurance would have to change because of the new health care law, but hundreds-of-thousands of people who have individual policies are receiving cancellation notices from their insurers. In many cases, though, they will be offered new policies that are more comprehensive and no more expensive. Plus, as online retailers fight for a piece of the customer pie, the ability to deliver goods quickly and cheaply is key. eBay has bought the same-day delivery service Shutl and Amazon tries to lock in customers with its Prime service that allows “free” shipping with an annual subscription. Finally, investing in nascent companies has, for the most part, been the preserve of the wealthy. Until now. A new law will allow people of average means to play venture capitalist. 

Britain has just approved construction of its first new nuclear power plant in 20 years.

The SEC considers rules for allowing companies to raise money online. The city of Detroit tells a judge it can't pay for the $18 billion in long-term liabilities it has accumulated.

As online retailers fight for a piece of the customer pie, the ability to deliver goods quickly and cheaply is key.

President Obama promised that no one who had health insurance would have to change because of the new health care law. He meant employer-sponsored insurance.

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The World Series starts and big sporting events like this still bring what advertisers want — live viewers.

Nudity is still not okay, though.

The city says it can't pay for the $18 billion in long-term liabilities it has accumulated.

How's the real estate market doing in 2013?

Can Jezebel make the leap from web to print?

The biggest of the banks is reportedly gearing up for another massive settlement, but that may not be JPMorgan's biggest problem.

Australia's debt ceiling debate didn't look too much like America's.

The SEC considers rules for allowing companies to raise money online.

A federal probe into a Virginia household wood company has revealed a larger, worldwide problem with poached wood.

It's hard to have a conversation with LeVar Burton about Reading Rainbow without getting the show’s iconic theme song stuck in your head.

LeVar Burton sits down to talk with Marketplace Tech. Plus, check out our LeVar Burton quiz. We'll give you a plot line, and you tell us: Is it a "Star Trek" episode? Or a "Reading Rainbow" book?

Blackberry Messenger was downloaded over 5 million times in eight hours when it was made available for iPhone and Android.

If you were waiting for Tim Cook to debut a revolutionary smart watch or television, yesterday wasn't your day.

The debt ceiling debate is back. But don’t worry, this time it’s in Australia. The newly elected conservative government there needs to raise its limit on new borrowing, and there are echoes of the debate that brought the U.S. to the brink of default last week. JPMorgan Chase, the biggest of banks, is reportedly close to paying $6 billion to settle claims by big institutional investors that they were sold bad mortgage-backed securities. That’s not to be confused with the other settlements JPM is confronting, including the possible $13 billion one with the federal government. And, tonight is game one of the World Series. In an era of TV that’s easy to time-shift, people watching live is a big deal for advertisers.

Most actors are lucky to play one iconic role over their careers. LeVar Burton has played at least three. Besides his breakthrough role in 1977’s “Roots” and his career-defining turn as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” for over 20 years, Burton was best known to a few generations of American children as the host of PBS’s “Reading Rainbow.” The series went off the air in 2005, but Burton keeps “Reading Rainbow” alive as an app and an educational company. Plus, a look at the new iPad, and a discussion of why Blackberry Messenger will outlive the Blackberry phone.

Many people in Bangladesh want to see a change to building code and safety regulations

George Washington University is changing how it describes its admissions policy – and admitting it does wait-list some students in part because of inability to pay tuition.

Economist Lawrence Klein predicted that the U.S. economy would roar back after World War II.

Roughly half of public school children today qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and that number drives billions of dollars in other benefits for schools. But critics say the program is prone to error and fraud.

A lackluster jobs report has many economists worried about a slowing economy, especially since the partial government shutdown. Also, the George Washington University has basically been fibbing about its admissions policy, saying it is “need blind,” when in fact, students are admitted based, in part, on their ability to pay. Finally, Yahoo just hired David Pogue from the New York Times and appears once again to be taking the plunge into original content. But Yahoo has trodden this route several times before, and struggled before.

A new study claims that eldest children are the smartest and highest achieving in families because parents are able to spend the most time with them.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the economy added 148,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate fell to 7.2 percent. And, new exposé in The Huffington Post describes startling allegations of abuse and neglect at for-profit juvenile prisons.

Does Silicon Valley have, in the words of a New York Magazine writer, a "dysfunction fetish"?

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Jason Furman, chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, reacts to today's jobs report.

Yahoo just hired David Pogue from the New York Times and appears once again to be taking the plunge into original content.

A lackluster jobs report has many economists worried about a slowing economy, especially since the partial government shutdown.

A new exposé in The Huffington Post describes startling allegations of abuse and neglect at for-profit juvenile prisons.

The delayed October jobs report is out today, to be followed sooner than usual by the November report.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the economy added 148,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate fell to 7.2 percent.

Melting ice and new technology have opened up the Arctic to more shipping, fishing, tourism, and oil and gas production.

Six months after a factory collapse killed 1,100 people, there's a new international effort to help improve working conditions for garment workers in Bangladesh.

President Obama says the nation's top techies will work to fix the Obamacare website quickly, but do they have enough time?

More people than ever are using apps and sites to hookup.

The U.S. government put out its long delayed employment report for September on Tuesday morning. The report, which usually is released on a Friday, was supposed to be out nearly three weeks ago, but furloughed Department of Labor statisticians weren’t allowed to crunch the numbers in a timely fashion. The International Labor Organization and the government of Bangladesh are launching a campaign starting Tuesday to improve working conditions at clothing factories. It will use money from British and Dutch governments to boost worker’s rights and make factories safer, about six months after a factory collapsed killed 1,100 people. And, looking to train for the job of the future? Hope you like the cold, because the latest ice-breaking technology could spark a new era of commerce in the far north. 

If you’re looking for the holiday gift of 2013, no, it still isn’t fruit cake. It’s tablets. Gartner projects tablet sales will rise 53 percent this year, while PC sales will drop 11 percent. Today, Nokia, Microsoft, and Apple are all releasing new tablets — and the stakes are high. What’s one thing people seem to be doing more and more on their tablets and other devices? Hooking up. There’s a new Pew report out on dating in the digital era and research suggests attitudes toward dating online are improving.

The blog pundittracker tracked 63 talking heads in the sports world to see who correctly picked the World Series.

In a speech today, President Obama addressed the the problems Americans are having with the Affordable Care Act website.