Week of March 24th, 2014

A 14-year-old kid in Pittsburgh has found a way to save the federal government $136 million.

Kai talks to John Carney from the Wall Street Journal and Leigh Gallagher from Fortune for the Weekly Wrap.

Marketplace Datebook for the week of March 31, 2014

Academics are increasingly releasing data that they hope will reach those in a position to hire, promote and pay older adults.

Discrimination persists in the workplace and can emerge when women act as their own advocates to seek a raise, experts say.

College graduates who started careers recently are having a hard time finding a good job.

Half the bankrupt city's residents are delinquent on their water bills. Businesses, schools and the city itself owe more than $50 million in unpaid water bills.

This week on Marketplace Money, guest host Lizzie O’Leary presents a special collaboration with the Your Money section of the New York Times called “Work in America.” Marketplace reporters Mitchell Hartman and Adriene Hill and Times reporters Tara Siegel Bernard and Paul Sullivan join the program to examine the personal finance issues surrounding young workers, temporary/freelance employees, gender discrimination in the workplace and mid-career workers who want to change professions. Also, Helaine Olen, author of “Pound Foolish” explores the challenges of being in the workforce at retirement age and Kimberly Palmer, author of “The Economy of You,” offers tips on how to successfully take on a side gig or start a second career.

About 10 million students have earned bachelor’s degrees since 2008. In 2012, almost half of recent college graduates were considered underemployed, working in jobs that typically do not require a bachelor’s degree. A look at a generation of college graduates who had the bad luck of beginning careers during the Great Recession and its aftermath. Meanwhile, almost half of the customers in Detroit are behind on their water bills. Now the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is starting to cut them off. But lots of businesses are in the red, too, as is the school system, and the city itself, which is in bankruptcy. Together, those players owe more than $50 million. And, CBS Outdoor is one of the largest advertising companies with  billboards seen practically everywhere. We look at how the company continues to do so well.

Billboard companies are turning a profit despite the challenge of measuring the effectiveness of the advertisements to influence consumers.

The director talks the first bio-pic to celebrate the history and accomplishments of activist Cesar Chavez and his movement.

Prices for limes and coconuts are up, thanks to bad weather and more demand.

Obamacare reaches another milestone with 6 million enrollees. And you're not crazy, your office really is giving you headaches.

Microsoft has now released versions of its Office software for the iPad. That news came in CEO Satya Nadella’s first press conference as the company head. Analysts say it’s been a long time coming — prevented by the company’s hope that Office could be used to boost sales of tablets based on the Windows operating system. Plus, play along with Marketplace Tech’s Friday numbers game: Silicon Tally.

The César Chávez  film opening on Friday is partnering with the makers of a new smartphone app that allows Spanish-speaking movie-goers to watch the English-language movie while listening to it in Spanish. For $2, consumers download Spanish-language audio track app that will play in synch with the on-screen film. Plus, Payscale’s new study has a pretty interesting and complex calculation of the return on investment for graduates — but is it the right way to measure the value of a degree? Many liberal arts schools argue that they’re penalized in studies like this because their graduates often work in the nonprofit sector or other lower paying lines of work—on purpose. Julie Beck of the Atlantic about the mechanics of office design, and how various studies have shown how overhead lighting can affect your aggression, office doors can impact your sense of control, and too much caffeine can be harmful to the introvert.

Enjoy some of our best radio interviews with multimedia and original reporting in a format for your iPad or iPhone.

Many liberal arts schools say they're penalized by rankings on graduates' earnings

myLINGO allows moviegoers to download film soundtracks in another language

By 2000, about two-thirds of U.S. workers spent their days in open-plan offices

After the failure of their music app, Twitter tries to get back in the game.

In the battle between open and closed systems in tech, the open ones win market share.

The purveyor of expensive novelty gadgets is on the skids.

Our regular quiz looking back at the week's tech news.

President Obama continues his tour of Europe.

A town in Georgia has a unique problem. Too many skilled high school graduates and not enough jobs.

Michael Price, co-executive producer and writer for TV show "The Simpsons," learned how to chase his dreams while still making his mom happy.

Marketplace Datebook for Friday, March 28, 2014

A California survey finds more food shops sell beer than milk.

Fast-food restaurants are mashing different foods together to expand their menus.

Say you’re in the food or beverage business and you want to get a lot of attention – or, even, come up with a new product that people might like. Mashing up seemingly unrelated foods and/or flavors is one strategy, like the one now at the center of Taco Bell’s breakfast push. Yes, we mean the waffle taco. And, Brookstone prepares to file for bankruptcy and be bought by Spencer (Gifts). We take a look at what did in the purveyor of massage chairs and eye-shades, and what Spencer looks like going forward. Meanwhile, the deadline for the Affordable Care Act enrollment is approaching and government officials are worried about the Latino population and their low numbers signing up.

The U.S. saw an uptick in GDP. And with 20,000 tech workers commuting daily from Santa Cruz to Silicon Valley, the city tries to start its own tech hub.

It's up to trusted members of the Latino community to sign up enrollees.

How to do we measure well-being?

Microsoft’s Satya Nadella will host his first press conference as CEO of the company. As its new leader, Nadella has his work cut out for him — while Microsoft’s business and cloud computing products have surged, hardware like its Surface tablet have not done so well. The new CEO might be about to announce that Microsoft Office software can now run on more devices. And it’s Spring Break. That means a lot of families are spending more time together than usual. And teens have a lot of extra time on their hands to overuse technology. But parents should remember: Those living in glass houses shouldn’t throw smart phones.

With President Obama’s meeting with Pope Francis in Vatican City, we’ll take a look at where they disagree – contraception, abortion, same-sex marriage – as well as their shared ground on fighting poverty and inequality. Plus, with Microsoft’s Office suite will available for iPad, we explain the potential impact in the market, and the risks Microsoft runs with this move. Also, we look at the GDP’s strengths and weaknesses as an economic indicator and how an organization called Measure of America aims to track well-being. We’ll also be taking a look at the efforts to stretch the tech industry into Santa Cruz, which is home to over 20,000 people who commute to the Silicon Valley for work.

Are teens any worse at being plugged in all the time than adults?

20,000 tech workers commute daily from Santa Cruz to Silicon Valley

The widening gap between rich and poor is decried by both the president and Pope

Microsoft has resisted making Office available on iPad for a long time.

More than 90 percent of limes we enjoy in the country are grown and sold in Mexico.

"Government affairs professionals," as lobbyists like to call themselves, say their job has changed.

With several high profile purchases in recent years, Facebook is operating more like a venture capitalist than a social media platform

Marketplace Datebook for Thursday, March 27, 2014

If theaters don't make money off admission, why do ticket prices seem so high?

An NLRB ruling that Northwestern football players are technically employees of the school.

Our advice to you? Stay healthy.

Mark Zuckerberg has been out shopping again: Facebook paid $2 billion for Oculus, a small virtual reality headset company. Random purchase or strategic move? And with its acquisition of WhatsApp and other companies earlier this year, is Facebook being a venture capitalist, or is there a long-term, coherent plan to future-proof itself with a stake in these areas of technology? Meanwhile, movie ticket sales are down but movie ticket receipts are up, thanks to inflation over the years and the higher prices for 3-D. We look at the business model of movie theaters and how ticket revenue fits in with the revenue from popcorn and candy bars. And, this is how the end arrives: The cessation of the slow drip-drip-drip of saline solution, because there is no saline solution. No jolting-back-to-life injection of nitroglycerin, because there is none. Why common everyday medical supplies can suddenly be hard to find.

Orders for durable goods are up. And, the first time in more than a century, Americans are eating more chicken than beef.

An annual report examining health in the U.S. count-by-county looked for the first time at factors like housing, transportation and food insecurity. We explain the links between these factors and overall health. Plus, with the IPO of King Digital, we take a look at the company’s strategy of making dozens of games that are free to download but have in-game costs. Also, a conversation with philanthropist George Soros about his new book, “The Tragedy of the European Union.” And these days, you may be asking, “Where’s the beef”? A 10% increase in sales of chicken over beef indicates that consumers are not only put off by the high prices of red meat, but also the health benefits of staying away.

King, the company that makes the wildly addictive mobile game Candy Crush, has its initial public offering today. The company’s been valued at as much as $7.6 billion. But like so many 80s bands you’ve heard and never heard of, King might be a bit of a one hit wonder. Beyond the company’s big game are the lesser knowns worth the dollar bills? Plus, the story behind the eight foot tall robots directing traffic in Kinshasa.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, two large robots have been installed to control traffic

As King Digital tries to raise about $500 million in IPO, we look at the company's strategy

We know smoking affects health. How about traffic and unemployment?

The investor says the U.S. could use oil as leverage in its dispute with Putin

Amid tensions over Russia, one museum dedicated to preserving artifacts from the Cold War sees an opportunity.

Disney's ABC has a new head. And he's got a hard row to hoe.

The Time Warner CEO will get $80 million in a severance package, but is that much really necessary?

In a document released Tuesday, the Internal Revenue Service says bitcoin is not legal tender. You can’t use it to pay your taxes. But the IRS says virtual currencies like bitcoin will be taxed like property as opposed to currency. Plus, the Obama administration is planning legislation to overhaul the National Security Agency’s collection and storage of phone records – which could now be kept with the phone companies. But as the burden then shifts to the telecom companies, what extra costs might they incur? And we continue our special collaboration with the New York Times on “Work in America.” Today we look at the gig economy.

A new book explores the possible disputes over who owns the South China Sea, and its oil reserves.

The individual results from Amazon's e-book price fixing settlement.

Online course pioneer hires former Yale University president as CEO.

Under proposals leaked this week, the National Security Agency would stop its blanket collection of phone-call data. Instead, phone companies would keep records, to be provided on court-sanctioned demand.

Freelance workers piece together a living in the temp economy.

Twitter is filled with Kindle e-book credit tweets that don't add up to $166 million.

Marketplace Datebook for Wednesday, March 26, 2014

A look at how the Fed measures inflation when deciding to adjust interest rates. And despite inheriting one of the toughest economic environments in years, Millennials are still optimistic.

A helpful instruction guide and a brief history of mistaken emails.

With a report from the New American Foundation showing a problematic 8 percent rise in debt levels for graduate students over the last four years, Marketplace puts the value of a law degree on trial. Plus, a look at a new report that breaks down by state the 32 million people in the U.S. who are underinsured, meaning they have health coverage but it’s not robust enough to keep them from shouldering high costs when they get sick. Also, a conversation about how millennials are approaching the twists and turns of the present day economy from mounting student loan debt to securing employment in a still rocky job market. And as part of our New York Times’ series, reporter Ann Carrns met with one young man who decided plumbing was the best way for him to get ahead.

Program description: You’ve heard plenty about cloud computing, but have you heard of the company called Box Inc? In the world of online storage and big data, Box is the David to online storage Goliaths like Microsoft and Oracle. We knew the company filed for an Initial Public Offering earlier this year. Well now Box has made the details of that filing public. 29-year-old CEO Aaron Levie and company hope to raise a cool $250 million, though Box isn’t profitable yet. Levie joins us to talk about his company.

The hours long and the hazards nasty, but fixing pipes can bring six-figure income

Law school applications are plummeting, so what are they worth?

How are millennials handling student debt and the difficulty of securing employment?

The most recent class of Y Combinator participants is 24% women

The deadline to sign up for health insurance approaches

CEO Aaron Levie and his company Box hope to raise $250 million in an IPO.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have been experimenting with graphene.

President Obama said Russia will have to "pay" more if things don’t change. Pay what?

It was a dramatic disaster to call attention to environmental risks, and 25 years later it stands out as an stark reminder of continuing environmental risks.

A partnership could create a streaming service with cable TV’s high picture quality, streaming’s large selection, and easy to use apps.

Russians actions are unacceptable, says President Obama, and if the situation escalates, we need to be prepared to impose a greater cost. But what is that cost, exactly, and if sanctions escalate – what will that eventually cost the US? Plus: The importance of reported talks between Apple and Comcast lies in what a partnership would deliver: a streaming service with cable TV’s high picture quality and streaming’s large selection and ease of use via apps. And: The Exxon Valdez was the perfect dramatic disaster to call attention to environmental risks, yet 25 years later it stands out principally as … the perfect dramatic illustration of continuing environmental risks.

A new book says surnames can tell us a lot about our social status

Complaining about the work habits of the young goes back to the ancients.

Hundreds of millions of Chinese have moved to the city, leaving behind farmer’s diets.

Marketplace Datebook for Tuesday, March 25, 2014

In the past two weeks, we've seen the most rapid fall in China's currency in decades.

With Russia excluded from the upcoming G-8, we explore the economic benefit that comes from attending these summits. Plus, after piloting the idea in a few dozen locations, Starbucks will begin to serve alcohol and small plates at thousands of locations in coming years. What are the risks to Starbucks’s new strategy? Also on tap is a look at mid-career switchers who are learning to code. Plus, more on how Cypriots are still struggling to recover from the bank collapse in Cyprus a year ago, and the recent finding of offshore reserves of gas in the eastern Mediterranean.

Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor at Sophos, joins us to talk about how PRISM will continue to affect the US tech industry abroad. Plus, what it’s like for mid-career switchers who are learning to code, and the advantages and disadvantages of being the oldest student in a class of coding “wizards.”

The company known for waking you up wants to offer more.

On the anniversary of the bank collapse in Cyprus, Cypriots struggle to recover

The future of the G-8 is in question

A cadre of students determined to master software engineering, even in their 50s.

Documents stolen by Edward Snowden reveal the NSA spied on Huawei