Week of April 28th, 2014

Saving for college is a priority for many parents, but sometimes life gets in the way. What do you do with zero savings?

Kai talks to John Carney from the Wall Street Journal and Catherine Rampell from the Washington Post.

Surveillance society appears to have gone just a step too far.

This week, Marketplace Money host Lizzie O’Leary and personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi discuss her latest book, “When She Makes More,” and the rise of female breadwinners in America. Ron Lieber of the New York Times gives advice to parents who have kids heading to college in the fall, but no money to pay for it. Forbes contributor John Wasik tells us about ways to protect yourself from debit card fees. Louis Barajas and Lizzie O’Leary take questions from our listeners and Demetria Lucas tells us about the money lessons she learned growing up.

What will it take to get wages a-risin’?

OK, so the top line on the jobs number looks pretty good, but it’s clear that for the most part, wages are stagnant. And wage growth is an important part of the economic growth equation. Sabri Ben-Achour reports on why wages are still flat, and what it will take to get them a-risin’. Plus, Spidey hits the big screen today, and, there is lots riding on the $250 million investment by Sony.  We’re gonna get beyond the Hollywood-is-all-about-tentpoles angle and look at the degree to which movies have become companies unto themselves, and what’s at stake if they botch it.  In Sony’s case, a hedge-fund predator at the door, for starters.  Also, this week Georgia governor Nathan Deal signed a bill into law that allows drug testing of welfare applicants by state employees.  The idea is to save the state money by revoking assistance to those who test positive.  Georgia isn’t the first state to do this. How has it worked elsewhere? 

Spidey hits the big screen today, and, there is lots riding on the $250 million investment by Sony.

Farnoosh Torabi, author of "When She Makes More," explains how the rise of female breadwinners is changing relationships.

About one in eight Americans become part of the 1 percent for at least a year.

Marketplace Datebook for the week of May 5, 2014

Roughly 100 travel agents work as "accredited space agents" to sell seats for Virgin Galactic.

Who knew Greek yogurt could be a cream cheese substitute?

An emerging grassroots style of making things that's about craftsmanship, tinkering and innovation.

The April jobs report shows strong growth. Tesla needs a new battery plant. And, the history of marketing of Cinco de Mayo.

Today's hotel room is tomorrow's museum exhibit.

Tesla CEO needs one new mammoth battery plant, but will prepare for two.. or three.. or four.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has decided to run two operations in parallel producing his new battery for a certain period, and then, and only then, choose between them. It’s a new approach to the bidding process, and it sounds expensive. Plus, after a good 40-year run, the minibar is finally being phased out of hotels. Why are hotels taking our midnight pleasures away? And what are they replacing them with?

The April jobs report shows stronger employment growth than economists expected.

The day commemorates an obscure battle between Mexico and France.

The White House has released a new report this week on big data and our privacy. The report examines everything from how big companies are using data in marketing, to whether new technologies present challenges to current privacy policies. And Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has decided to build new battery factories for his popular electric cars in at least two different states. It’s a strategy that Musk says will help the company ramp up production of Teslas. Plus, play along with Marketplace Tech’s Friday numbers game: Silicon Tally.

Play Silicon Tally to find out how well you've kept up on this week's tech news.

A Belle in Brooklyn explains how her mother's advice paid off in the long run.

The IMF approves a $17 billion loan for Ukraine as separatists in Eastern Ukraine seize power and Russia threatens.

Giving away the Android operating system has almost been too successful for Google.

Some short-haul truckers say they're being cheated out of money by being misclassified as an independent contractors.

Who comes up with stuff like the chicken crust pizza? These guys.

Startups must navigate deftly when raising big money.

Jazz musician Lauren Kinhan decided to go online to crowdsource the money for her newly released solo album.

Western Union and Walmart are trying to add new money transfer customers.

Marketplace Datebook for Friday, May 2, 2014

The economy nearly stalled out from January to March. How LinkedIn is trying to stay afloat. And, foster care and Medicaid.

What's on former FCC head Michael Powell's mind? Cable mergers and net neutrality.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will talk sanctions with President Obama.

The Wall Street Journal reports a deal could give AT&T more heft to compete with a new Comcast-Time-Warner.

Female programmers at Hacker School receive $5,000 from Google.

Those who've aged out of foster care get Medicaid until age 26.

Some of LinkedIn's money comes from corporate recruiters and member fees.

German chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in Washington. She’ll meet senators and, on Friday, will sit down for talks with President Obama. On the agenda are sanctions against Russia. The U.S. is urging Germany and Europe to be tough, but Europe’s energy dependence on Russia may be an obstacle. Also, we look at how LinkedIn has managed expectations as it weathered the broader tech downturn and why it seems to fly under the radar when compared to other firms in its sector, namely Twitter and Facebook ahead of its earning release on Thursday.

Google has decided it can no longer just give away its Android operating system. Mission #1 is accomplished: Android phones dominate the smartphone market. But the Android’s money-making ability has escaped from Google. Google now wants to get back the benefit of owning Android by creating a premium operating system, in some ways a proprietary operating system, Android Silver. Also, the International Monetary Fund is giving Ukraine a 17 billion collar loan. How does the government decide how to allocate funds when parts of the country are no longer effectively under its control? Then, on the heels of a strike by truckers working out of ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, we look at the personal economics of being a trucker. They say they make minimum wage because they’re classified as independent contractors.  

We look at how LinkedIn has managed expectations as it weathered the broader tech downturn and why it seems to fly under the radar when compared to other firms in its sector, namely Twitter and Facebook. Plus, we hear about New York’s Hacker School and one student – Rose Ames – who took a grant from Google to attend.

A book about the inconsistencies between advice-givers and their own behaviors.

China is on track to be the world's biggest economy faster that economists thought.

China is rejecting a World Bank report predicting it will pass America as the world’s biggest economy. The reason? The Chinese government believes having the #1 title could put it under pressure to make compromises it may not want to make on its currency, climate change and trade. Plus, the Fed, which has been operating with four governors instead of its usual seven, will be down to just three by the end of May if the increasingly cantankerous Senate doesn’t act on new nominations before then. We explain what it means for the Fed to be working without a full bench. Also, when buying a sports team requires a buyer with so much money it doesn’t matter to him, how do you actually figure out a price that reflects what the franchise is worth as a business as opposed to a status symbol?

It's the latest protest against testing connected to the Common Core curriculum.

Clippers are suddenly hot, but what are they worth as a franchise?

The Fed will be operating with only three governors by the end of May. We explain.

Two stories today  in what may well be a sign of the crypto-currency’s slow rise to relevance: Bloomberg is going to start tracking the Bitcoin-U.S. dollar exchange rate on its data terminals.   And on a more interesting note, every undergraduate at MIT is going to get $100 in bitcoins thanks to the MIT Bitcoin Club. They raised […]

Why the Department of Justice is toothless when it comes to prosecuting bankers.

California grows almost all medium grain rice in the U.S. And prices are up.

Marketplace Datebook for Thursday, May 1, 2014

Spending on goods was down, but for services, consumer spending was up.

Walmart has a new service to compare premiums and get auto insurance.

A writing professor shows robo-graders love fancy words more than good ideas.

U.S. GDP in the first three months of 2014 increased by 0.1%

Like it or not, more and more Americans have their futures tied to Wall Street.

Donald Sterling's said to be worth almost $2 billion,most in real estate holdings.

Until this week, the in-flight internet business was dominated by Gogo.

Two big banks are reportedly about to face criminal charges.

Donald Sterling is worth a reported $1.9 billion. A chunk of that wealth is in the form of the LA Clippers (worth an estimated $430 million), but what about his other holdings? And: Starting late next year, AT&T will offer a better, faster Wi-Fi service on continental flights. A look at the competition between AT&T and other telecoms, as the rules for in-flight digital usage are relaxed, and the FCC frees up more wireless spectrum.

The notoriously cheap owner of the Clippers is a big donor. Of Clippers tickets.

On today’s show, a closer look at the competition between AT&T and other telecoms as the rules for in-flight digital usage are relaxed, and the FCC frees up more wireless spectrum. Also, Bethany Mota, host of a Youtube channel with almost 6 million subscribers, talks about making videos for teenagers and internet stardom. Plus, more on the debut of Amazon.com’s wearable technology store.

Having a following on YouTube can mean financial gain, as well as stardom

The (very) low cost airline reveals its new pricing structure.

Yahoo is jumping into the original content pool with Amazon, Hulu and others.

When Energy Future filed for bankruptcy, its total assets were $36.4 billion

Sterling spreads a modest amount in charitable contributions.

Korean pop is the anthem of rapid cultural and economic reform in Seoul.

Sterling’s made out to be a big deal, buying influence from the likes of the NAACP. In fact, he spreads a modest amount in charitable contributions among dozens of community groups, which in return for a $10,000 check every year are happy to attend his annual charity luncheon and bestow humanitarian awards on him. How central to local philanthropy are donors like Sterling and networks like his? Plus, Texas got a setback today when the Supreme Court ruled the EPA can order states like Texas to cut emissions in order to reduce air pollution in downwind states. But another milestone today was the holding company of Texas’s largest utility declaring bankruptcy. Nearly 10 years ago TSX was taken private in the biggest leveraged-buyout in U.S. history, renamed Energy Future, and loaded with debt, betting on natural gas prices to rise. Along came the financial crisis and fracking, and now Energy Future is the nation’s biggest bankruptcy, bigger than another Texas bust, Enron. Then, Yahoo is jumping into the original content pool with Amazon, Hulu and others by offering LiveNation concerts and a comedy series to viewers. Sabri Ben-Achour reports on what Yahoo’s latest content strategy is and what it might cost the company.

Both the U.S. and the EU are imposing sanctions on Russia. But they're targeting different Russians.

But no matter what happens, owner Donald Sterling will likely walk away with money in his pocket.

For many low-income, rural Americans, healthcare needs are still not being met.

Marketplace Datebook for Wednesday, April 30, 2014

As Oprah releases a new tea at Starbucks, a look at the power of branding. And, the business value of connecting with old flames, or "dormant ties."

Opportunities lie ahead for people suffering the effects of the Great Recession.

A little pepper. A little ginger. A Starbucks Chai Tea with Oprah’s name on it.

Toyota's move to Texas a big win for Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Some cities are experimenting with financial encouragement for green roofs

Toyota is moving from Torrance, California, to Texas. It’s a big win for Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who’s been working hard to lure companies to the Lone Star State, touting low taxes and a more manageable cost of living. Plus, a Chai tea with Oprah’s name on it will be sold starting Tuesday at Starbucks stores. The “Oprah effect” of her personal endorsements is well known. But this is new territory because it’s the first time Oprah has partnered with a company to endorse a product.

Hear more about how Twitter is trying to solve its ghost account problem: people who sign up and never tweet. Plus, Janet Vertesi, a sociologist of science and technology at Princeton University, talks about how and why she tried to conceal her pregnancy from the internet, and the consequences of trying to be an anonymous online consumer.

Is it possible to take your pregnancy off the grid?

Why there are copies of the game "E.T." for Atari buried in the New Mexico desert.

The NBA operates a bit like McDonalds – the owners of the teams are basically franchisees. And the franchisees run the NBA. So could the other owners oust Sterling because he threatens their bigger business model? Plus, high school graduation rates in the U.S. have hit a new high, 80 percent, after a nearly decade-long campaign to raise graduation rates. What was done to raise the rate, and how valuable is the degree that more teenagers are getting. Also, new U.S. sanctions target the head of the state-controlled Russian oil giant Rosneft. We explain how U.S. and multi-national companies with U.S. ties, including BP, Exxon and Shell, are finding themselves affected by the move, and what options they have to protect themselves.

New sanctions take aim at the head of a Russian oil company in which BP has a big stake. BP’s stock fell after new sanctions were announced.

The toxic discharge from coal plants beats Portland cement when used in concrete.

High school graduation rates in the U.S. have reached 80 percent. What was done to raise the rate, and how valuable is the degree that more teenagers are getting?

What it takes to reach "peak panda".

Fewer migrants crossing Arizona’s border mean a slump for towns that relied on the smuggling economy.

Inventors say badges let your boss know "how you really feel".

Marketplace Datebook for Tuesday, April 29, 2014

With owner Donald Sterling's alleged racist remarks, the Clippers are seeing sponsors withdraw support for the team.

We look at why breast-cancer survivors have a high rate of long-term unemployment. And, a look at the markets in the week ahead.

University of Michigan researchers say the rate can be 30 percent or higher several years after treatment.

What is it about some products that get us to wait in line?

What's the difference?

A service could cut off an escape route from the commercial break.