Week of May 19th, 2014

Students in some Illinois high schools are building them after hours.

We look at the limits of HUD, and the tools HUD has to help the housing recovery.

This weekend on Marketplace Money, guest host Barbara Bogaev talks with Travis Dorsch, sports psychologist and professor at Utah State University about how overspending on kids’ sports can lead to a decrease in the child’s enjoyment and motivation to play sports. Certified Financial Planner Louis Barajas stops by to help answer listeners’ financial questions and Ryan Lile, founder of Savvy Traveler and Frequent Flyer Academy shows us how to maximize our frequent flyer rewards while minimizing the headache of booking a flight. Then, Nicole Williams and Barbara Bogaev talk about common mistakes made on LinkedIn and how the platform differs from a traditional resume. Finally, comedian Hari Kondabolu talks about how Monopoly changed his life.

What is the largest age group in America, you ask?

The president is naming his new pick to be the head of Housing and Urban Development, Julian Castro, currently the San Antonio mayor. And while HUD is something of a giant bureaucracy, it has less influence than you might think over housing in the U.S. We look at the limits of HUD’s power, and the tools HUD has to help the housing recovery. Plus, Hewlett-Packard is cutting thousands more jobs. Is this founder of Silicon Valley at the stage of life where it’s best strategy is cutting jobs to prop up profits as long as it can? Or can it, um, re-invent itself? Also, online retailer Amazon  dislikes a book critical of its founder. It now lists the paperback edition of author Brad Stone’s book as  unavailable.  We explore whether Amazon’s current dominant role in book sales gives it certain responsibilities in terms of evenhandedness.

John Carney with the Wall Street Journal and Linette Lopez from the Business Insider join Kai to discuss the week in review.

The battle between Amazon and publishers gets dirty, and there are casualties

HP's innovation helped build Silicon Valley, but it's not had a giant hit since its printers 30 years ago.

Briefs that keep tabs on heart rate, breathing and activity levels.

Ukrainians head to the polls on Sunday. Well, maybe.

A tour of markets in London, brought to you by Marketplace and the BBC.

The good news is, sewers don't always smell so bad.

Geithner is spending a heck of a press tour defending his view. Is it working?

Can London hang on to its position as the heart of the global economy?

Marketplace went to London. Here's what we saw.

Can London hang on to its position as the heart of the global economy?

That’s on top of tens of thousands of layoffs already announced.

The trade deal could help auto sales but undermine environmental protections.

Round five of the EU-US talks are coming to an end.  But how have recent world events colored the conversation? And what’s at stake for US products like autos and natural gas? Plus,  back in the UK, we report on the history of the sewers of London and uncover their current plans to build a super sewer system there. Then later, we talk to the BBC’s Andrew Walker about David Cameron’s attempts to bring business from China to the UK and his goal of having London be one of the great capitals of Islamic Finance.

On today’s show, Will Oremus talks about Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, and the company’s goal of replacing the laptop. Plus, we have more on the ISEE-3 Reboot Project, a crowd-funded intiative to reboot and reclaim a 36-year-old space probe that on a trajectory past Earth. And last but not least: how well have you kept up with the week in tech news? Marketplace’s own Kai Ryssdal joins us for this week’s Silicon Tally. 

How well have you kept up on this week's tech news?

New census says seven of the 15 fastest growing communities in the U.S. are in Texas.

Two CEOs gave some jean-ous advice Thursday.

Ragu was heavily advertised in the '60s, bringing red sauce to Americans at large.

As Sears Canada today posts its steepest fall in quarterly sales in almost five years, we look at why Canada has proved such a difficult terrain for US businesses. Plus, Unilever is selling its Ragu brand to a Japanese conglomerate, the latest passage for the spaghetti sauce that brought Italian cooking into the mainstream in the U.S. We look at the cultural and culinary history of Italian-American food and its banner sauce (which is in fact a marinara, not a ragout). Also, new census figures say 7 of the 15 fastest growing communities in the U.S. are in Texas – places like Cedar Park, Frisco and San Marcos. But that growth doesn’t necessarily translate to wealth. In San Marcos, the median household income is just $26,000, far less than the state median of $49,000.

What miracle "superfood" trends mean for developing countries' agriculture.

Wherever you end up this summer, odds are that you’ll be posting about it on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook. But what about LinkedIn?

Talented filmmakers flock to the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France each year, hoping their masterpiece wins the covered Palme d’Or prize. But elsewhere at the festival, movies are bought and sold and distribution deals made in the most un-artistic-like fashion. “There are movies here and people need to see them and there […]

In the past, instability hasn't had much effect.

New York City has about 10,000 public payphones. But who's using them?

Today's attack on a market in Xinjiang killed 31. A look at Scottish independence.

There are only 39 gas stations left in Manhattan, echoing a national trend.

What could happen if Scotland separates from the UK?

Realtors like London's high home costs but others hope the 'bubble' will burst.

Chicago is competing with San Francisco to host a new George Lucas museum.

Today's attack on a market in Xinjiang killed 31, injuring at least 90.

But, of course, the web is tough for traditional retailers.

Best Buy reports earnings on Thursday, and sales are expected to rebound after a dismal holiday season. The big reason? Online shopping is up 20 percent in the U.S. We look at how Best Buy’s increased focus on e-commerce to compete with Amazon. Plus, Chicago is in the battle to land the new Star Wars museum — but competition is stiff. To what extent is Chiacgo’s economy based on tourism dollars? And what sort of difference could landing this sort of museum make? Back to London — realtors in one of its toniest districts boast that business is booming. The dramatic price rises of recent years have spread to most areas of the city. That leaves many wannabe homebuyers unable to buy a home.  Realtors want the buoyant market to continue but some Londoners are hoping the bubble bursts. 

A look at how Best Buy’s increased focus on e-commerce to compete with Amazon has led to a rebound in sales following a dismal holiday season. Plus, Anup Ghosh, CEO of Invincea,  on the three big hacking stories this week. Also, a conversation with video game voice actress Jennifer Hale about acting out of context and how the industry is changing.  

In an era of a thousand hacks how does nation of noobs tell when we're being lied to?

A grim indicator of Britain's inequality is the increase of paupers' funerals.

China and Russia signed a deal for $400 billion-worth of gas for the next 30 years

Russia and China have struck a big deal that assures Gazprom a very big market in China for many years to come. We explain what Gazprom is and its strategy as a state-owned enrgy giant. Plus, Google may be planning to put ads in unusual places like thermostats, glasses, watches and refrigerators because it hopes to put its operating systems into the places as well. But peopl are already tuning out ads on their devices and TVs. So how hard will it be to ignore an ad when it becomes a bigger- and unavoidable- part of your daily routine? And should the ad industry be worried?

The New York Times' David Sanger on what government spies look for in 2014.

Google may be planning to put ads in unusual places, like thermostats and watches.

GM says it has recalled close to 14 million vehicles this year.

Russia and China strike a natural gas deal that assures Gazprom a very big market.

For Hari Kondabolu, the board game Monopoly was a lesson about life.

You don't have to spend a lot to help your kids enjoy and succeed in sports.

Harvard Business School Professor says the pipeline is full of them.

What we can learn from one clinic's experiment with mammogram "marketing".

Kai Ryssdal thinks it makes cents to say goodbye.

A visit the 100 year-old Borough Market in London. And a look at London's lost title as the top financial city in the world.

T-Mobile partners with Univision to offer a phone service tailored for Latinos.

JPMorgan has planned to direct $100 million in investments at Detroit for homes, businesses and job training. What’s the bank’s goal in doing so and how much will this help? Plus, T-Mobile, already a favorite of Latinos in the U.S., is partnering with Univision to offer a phone service customized for Latino customers. Then, we head back to London where we discuss the massive influence wielded by London’s Stock Exchange, a rival to New York as the  number one financial center on the planet, and examine how this came about and whether London can maintain its current disproportionate status as a global financial hub. We also look at the increased use of food banks in London and a dramatic rise in use by members of the middle and upper classes who have lost jobs or can’t cope with their bills anymore.    

More on the news that T-Mobile, already a favorite of Latinos in the U.S., is partnering with Univision to offer a phone service customized for Latino customers. Plus, a new phone app which uses photos to locate pets available for adoption that resemble your recently deceased pet. Also, Michael Ibrahim, founder of the New York-based car service app Whisk, talks about competing with Uber and being part of the New York City startup scene.

App users can watch their ride fare in real time on their phone.

"Audience development" and an existential question about the future of journalism.

President Obama is touting companies that have made investments in the U.S.

The White House is touting its record of bringing foreign investment to the US. We evaluate the claims and explain the many factors at play when it comes to insourcing and outsourcing. Plus, Dairy Queen comes to Manhattan – what does the arrival of heartland America mean to the island of Duane Read, Carvel and Tad’s? Also, Google is buying Divide, a New York-based startup. Divide does just what it says on the tin: it allows users to separate work and play on their mobile devices. Useful for businesses because they’re able to better secure and control the work side of their employees mobiles. Better for individuals because they can secure their personal data.   

A recent survey of the telecommunications industry by the ACSI shows low scores.

Will this arrival bring more than a Blizzard?

Funded by a patronage-type system modeled on, well, history.

People are using their mobile devices for work and personal life interchangeably.

A new report tracks how states support education in rural districts — and which states need to do more.

I'm sure that cell phones are nothing like putting your head in a microwave.

A look at Brixton Market, in South London. And there's a clamor about high executive pay in the UK.

How much more should a CEO earn than his or her employee?

A contest for telecom dominance between cable and satellite in the developing world.

Charities say large numbers of poor Londoners are being priced out of the city.

"It was getting harder for Ohio to go compete against Singapore.”

We investigate the Latin American angle of the AT&T-DirecTV deal – how the stalling growth of satellite in markets like the U.S. makes developing markets more attractive and the challenges inherent in that strategy. Plus, on Tuesday, President Obama hosts business leaders at the White House to tout “SelectUSA, ” an initiative started in 2011 to offset companies leaving the U.S. for foreign tax shelters. Conrad looks at the “tools in the toolkit” — What are the carrots, what are the sticks, to bring and keep business in the U.S.? (Tentative angle)

Wall Street edges out London as top global finance hub but London is still strong.

We investigate the Latin American angle of the AT&T-DirecTV deal – how the stalling growth of satellite in markets like the U.S. makes developing markets more attractive and the challenges inherent in that strategy. Plus, with YouTube considering buying Twitch, a look at how professional gamers connect with fans online. Also, Sarah Wood, founder of the marketing technology company Unruly, join us to talk about immigration and recruiting for London’s tech economy.

As government welfare cuts take effect in Britain, food bank use increases.

Via GM's latest document stream: "grenadelike," "Kevorkianesque."

AT&T's advantage in selling regulators on the deal? Its small size.

The deal has been struck. AT&T announced it will aquire DirecTV for approximately $49 billion. We unpack all the pieces in play in this AT&T-DirecTV deal, and look at the sales job the company will have to do for regulators. Plus, Attorney General Eric Holder charged members of the Chinese military with “economic espionage.” We look at the reaction following Monday morning’s public announcement. Also, the U.S. is stepping up efforts to help Latin American coffee farmers fight a fungus called “coffee rust” that has been devastating coffee crops throughout the region. Finally, USAID today is announcing a $5 million partnership with Texas A&M’s World Coffee Research center to tackle the fungus, which has cost Latin American coffee farmers $1 billion and could drive up coffee prices in the US.      

The two companies offer phone plans with special content for Latinos

A peek at Frontline's documentary on the NSA, secrecy and private companies.

In New Orleans, an experiment in funding, manufacturing and art.

Cyber espionage is a growing problem, but it's not a new one.

Google is in talks to buy Twitch, a live video game streaming service.

We visit Smithfield Market in London. And a look at London's business environment.

AT&T is buying DirecTV, and the deal is all about bundling.