Week of July 7th, 2014

Ben Johnson and Lizzie O'Leary discuss the EU's 'right to be forgotten'

Ford, who died at 92, and her husband created the modern modeling industry

Reynolds and Lorillard, two big cigarette companies, are merging. You might think that with all the bans on smoking in bars, restaurants and public spaces, the cig business would be pretty small these days. But the fact is cigarettes are still huge, including in the US. We look at what this kind of merger means for smokes. Also, the White House is announcing a program to get companies to pay their small-business suppliers faster. Apple, Honda and Coca-Cola are among the 26 companies that have agreed to pay small businesses they contract with for parts and services faster – ideally within 15 days. We ask a small business owner how much of a difference does it make if they get paid a few days or a few weeks sooner. Plus, Eileen Ford, who created the Ford Agency, and along with it the modeling business as we know it—including the Supermodel–died yesterday. We look at how she made modeling an industry. And finally, an an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny new installment to our “Summer Brought To You By” series.

Big companies sign on to pay their small-business suppliers faster.

Reynolds and Lorillard are merging.

What happens to our roads and bridges?

This week, host Lizzie O’Leary and Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson explain what the EU’s ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling means for privacy and cenorship. New York Magazine contributing editor Jessica Pressler and Business Insider’s Executive Editor Joe Weisenthal discuss the meteoric rise of penny stock CYNK, what the minutes of the last Fed meeting say about the economy and how one man raised thousands of dollars in the quest to make potato salad. The U.S. Highway Trust Fund is running low on cash. And that trust fund, in part, sponsors the roads we all drive on. What’s that mean for the future of roads in America? Marketplace’s Sabri Ben-Achour explains the world of  high-paying tech internships. If you could go back in time, what could you tell your 18-year-old self about money? Lauren Berger chats about common money regrets and how to avoid them. Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio tells the story of his most regretful purchase for our segment “I Can’t Believe I Bought That.” And finally, Whiteboard host Paddy Hirsch explains ‘corporate inversion’ and why it’s good news/bad news.

David Branccaccio tells a story of his most regretful purchase.

It's that time again.

How war rations and atomic testing brought about the world's skimpiest suit.

Improving the image of foreign governments is big business for US PR firms.

Surpluses put corn prices at a four-year low. Can farmers sell it all?

The international airport in Caracas, Venezuela, is now charging for air.

Interest rates. How brands hook up with social media personalities.

A philosophical take on potato salad.

Another European debt crisis and dueling speakers at the Federal Reserve.

Some advertisers are using the World Cup to experiment with bilingual ads on English networks.

Wells Fargo has 17 quarters of positive earnings, but that might change on Friday.

Wells Fargo has 17 straight quarters of positive earnings, but that might change on Friday. Bank profits have been hit by lower-than-expected home sales, a cap on low short-term interest rates, and billions in settlements to the U.S. government in the wake of Wall Street’s collapse last decade. Plus, a few different advertisers are airing dual language ads during the World Cup. Also, as the World Cup Finals come to an end, we look at a group of women soccer players hoping to draw more women into the sport as players. And after, big brands are starting to advertise on the social media accounts of people with large followings on Instagram, YouTube, and Vine. And for these “influencers,” the advertising dollars are lucrative. But how do these two navigate social media and find each other? Enter the matchmaker. 

First up, Garrett Buhl Robinson from Brooklyn, New York, talks about his internet usage at the New York City Public Library. Then, Washington Post technology reporter Brian Fung joins us to talk about the FCC’s vote on proposed E-Rate reforms. Later, Will Oremus, senior tech columnist for Slate, stops by to discuss the binary messaging tools similar to the Yo app. Finally, Nando Vila, VP of programming for Fusion and host of Soccer Gods, joins Ben for a World Cup-themed Silicon Tally, our weekly quiz on the week in tech news.

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

Big brands want to advertise on the social media accounts of people with large followings. How do they find them? Enter the matchmakers.

A new study reports an increase in first-year students not returning to school.

A new study shows the drop-out rate among first-year college students is rising

News that Chinese hackers broke into databases holding personal information on government employees is confirmation that your information is not safe, whether it be in a bank or a government vault. Now it’s all up to the private sector to protect our information, and that’s creating huge opportunities for data security businesses. Plus, Europe’s troubled economies are in deeper trouble still. Today’s bleak news? Portugal is possibly heading for another banking crisis while manufacturing numbers from France and Italy are simply disappointing. Deflation, contraction, recession. As Europe struggles on, we compare and contrast and ask about the impact, if any, on the U.S. Also, Boeing forecasts an even rosier future for airliner sales, spurred by economic growth in developing countries that it predicts will double the number of annual fliers in 20 years. Most growth will be in Asia. As developing countries become wealthier, the growth in air travel also shows how expanding transportation will add to global carbon emissions. We investigate.

The Gini Index is the most common measure of wealth distribution within nations

Growth in air travel will also mean an increase in global carbon emissions.

As the European economic crisis persists, we look at the impact, if any, on the US.

Share prices skyrocketed over rumors of a revived Crumbs Bake Shop.

The hard winter doesn't skip toy stores. Now, it's bouncing back.

What it takes to get a pink mustache. Hint: You need a car, you can't be a felon.

A Chicago Fed paper proposes dividing trading sessions into half second periods.

Why temp workers could be at greater risk for injury.

The Fed's minutes, the VA's online filing system, and B-list social media stars.

India’s PM Narender Modi, who won a landslide victory at the polls two months ago, will make his first budget speech today. India offers a huge market for foreign investors, but its economy is beset by problems. We use the budget as a peg to look at what it’s like for foreign firms doing business in India, and what needs to change to pave the way for more foreign investment in the country. Plus, hundreds of thousands of electronic disability claims at the VA are languishing incomplete, but no one is sure why. We explain the problem and look at the follow-on effects of so many unprocessed claims. Also, we talk to Univision’s TomasOcana about an investigative report they’ve done on temporary workers in the US… There are now more than 2.9 temp workers in this country, and temp staffing business is one of the fastest growing industries. Univision has partnered with ProPublica to expose the sometimes deadly conditions temp workers are exposed to, often with very little, if any, training. Then, what’s the fewest number of followers you can have and still pique the interest of advertisers – 10k? How do the offers you’d get from advertisers to pitch for them change when you have 100K, 500K, 1 million followers?  We take a look at how companies and social media influencers find each other. And after, as the World Cup Finals come to an end, Julia Carneiro takes a look at a group of women soccer players hoping to draw more women into the sport as players.

Hundreds of thousands of electronic disability claims at the VA are languishing incomplete, but no one is sure why. Annie Baxter joins us to explain the problem and look at the knock-on effects of so many unprocessed claims. Then, Lindsey Turrentine, Editor-in-Chief of reviews at CNET, talks about LG’s kid-tracking device, KizON. Finally, what’s the fewest number of followers you can have and still pique the interest of advertisers – 10k? How do the offers you’d get from advertisers to pitch for them change when you have 100K, 500K, 1 million followers?  Tracy Samuelson takes a look at how companies and social media influencers find each other.

Advertisers are showing interest in social media stars with modest followings.

Vets may think their claims have gone through, but they're hung up in the system.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to make India attractive to foreign investment.

If Formula E is the future of racing, then it's going to be a rather quiet place.

The mobile revolution is nice, but it doesn't always mean progress.

Electronics-maker LG causes a stir with a new child-tracking wearable device.

How technology can help students handle what comes after the acceptance letter

The Bureau says employers are advertising more jobs. But are they actually hiring?

Alcoa's bid to brand itself an "innovation powerhouse" recalls its roots.

Mark Emmert defended the NCAA model…while proposing some changes.

Citigroup is close to reaching a $7 billion settlement with the Department of Justice over allegations that it sold shoddy mortgages. The J.P. Morgan Chase settlement back in November was $13 billion, which raises the question: How does the Justice department come up with sich a number? Plus, Alcoa, a mega producer of aluminum, is trying to go the route that other founding U.S. corporations have gone by getting out of the commodity business it was built on and moving into more specialized products with less competition and higher profit margins. Also, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says employers are advertising more jobs. But that doesn’t mean they’re actually doing the hiring for those positions. 

Google can delete articles from its search engine under a new ruling.

Parents in districts with “open enrollment” can have trouble picking a school.

A trip to a fast growing brewery in Los Angeles, Golden Road Brewing.

Decals originally to mark country-of-origin came to state resort-of-choice

Despite the hype, even tech grads can have trouble getting hired.

The not guilty verdict may mean insider trading convictions will be harder to get.

Tech revolution in the trucking industry to bring cheaper goods, cleaner air.

The economic effects of Brazil's loss, Uber's discounts, and energy efficient trucks.

The "Show About Nothing" put quite a bit of something into its creators' pockets.

The Global Business Travel Association has a report out today which says there’s been a recent upswing in business trips. American companies are spending more on both domestic and international travel, as well as conventions – which they take to be a sign of increased confidence in the economy. Plus, a report from Pew says overall healthcare spending in prisons is down, but the number of older inmates is up, meaning the most expensive patient prison population is soaring. We look behind the numbers in the report. Also, a new report says that more than half of the plants sampled from stores like Home Depot and Lowes are nothing more than pesticide laced bee killers, chock full or neonicotinoids – highly toxic to pretty, buzzy winged insects like bees and butterflies. Environmentalists are pushing for the EPA to take action and review the use of neonicotinoids but what about all the landscaping, petunia planting and azalea growing that’s happening around the country? Then after, there’s a technological revolution quietly underway in the trucking industry that’s bringing us cheaper goods and cleaner air.

First up, New York Times tech columnist Molly Wood talks about competing standards for the Internet of Things. Then, Dr. David Bates, Senior Vice President for Quality and Safety at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, talks about his study, out this week, about the most effective ways hospitals should be using big data to reduce healthcare costs. Finally, there’s a technological revolution quietly underway in the trucking industry that’s bringing us cheaper goods and cleaner air. Matt Baume joins us to break it down.

Pausing our regularly scheduled host-blogging for something a little different.

States cut costs of prison healthcare, but aging inmates could drive it back up.

Why "Big Data" may help hospitals deliver better care outcomes.

A new study says garden plants from big box stores contain a toxic pesticide.

As a sign of confidence in the economy, businesses are spending more on travel.

A new report says the Class of 2008 got out of school in the nick of time

California wants in on the marijuana market.

What are Silicon Valley interns doing to be making 5 to 7 grand a month?

After a blaze of success that propelled it into going public, the Crumbs cupcake company is going out of business. We look at the object lessons that other one-product businesses might take from the Crumbs saga. Plus, a new report looks at grads who came out in the early days of the recession and concludes they’ve done just fine. They have, but only because they got in before things really hit the fan. We look behind the numbers. Also, seems Silicon Valley interns get paid a lot of money. Like, six grand a month, in some cases. What do they do to make that kind of cash, and why would any company want to pay an intern that much? We report.  

Crumbs expanded quickly and even went public.

Workers over 55 are less likely to be laid off but more likely to stay unemployed.

Lonnie Johnson dreamed of inventing, but never knew he'd be famous for a toy.

Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal talks to New York Times's Neil Irwin about his recent piece "Welcome to the Everything Boom, or Maybe the Everything Bubble."

41% of homes in the US are mobile phone only, but cord-cutting may have plateaued.

Walmart versus the small business, cord-cutting slows down, and coding summer camps

Washington State starts retail marijuana sales this week. We look at how it’s different from Colorado, and what it learned from Colorado going first. Plus, Mexico is set to overtake Brazil as Latin America’s top automaker. Mexican factories surged ahead this year thanks to increasing demand from the US market and a slump in domestic sales in Brazil. It’s the first time in more than a decade that Mexican carmakers have taken the lead and it signals a rebound in the country’s lagging economy. Also, it’s summer and that means it’s time for summer camp! But a whole lot of kids are forgoing the great outdoors… For extra time in front of the computer. We investigate. And after, there was a time in China when men and women settled down – at the very latest – by their early twenties. But the country’s rapid economic expansion and urbanisation has changed all that. Many young, urban, middle class Chinese are still unmarried at 30. They’re busy working hard, enjoying the money they earn, and so haven’t got time for marriage. Many high-flying women seem to want a man who’s richer and more successful than they are – and many are struggling to find him, which has led to an explosion in online and face to face dating.

First up, Nate Elliott, a Social Media Analyst at Forrester Research, on whether or not social media is an effective way for government organizations to get their message out. Then, Kara Swisher, editor of the tech news site Recode, joins us for a preview of the Sun Valley conference. Finally, it’s summer and that means it’s time for summer camp! As Adriene Hill reports, now many kids are trading in the great outdoors for extra time in front of the computer.

Mexico is set to overtake Brazil as Latin America’s biggest auto producer.

As of today, both states offer retail marijuana sales. But how do they differ?

It is summer-camp season, and a lot of kids are trading campfires for computers.

The challenges of developing a social media strategy for the US government.

Escalation of the strike at this major port could have a nationwide impact.

Canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts…. and Facebook?

WWTPD?

ADM will buy Wild Flavors for almost $3 billion.

The repo market under strain

Banks needing cash temporarily pawn off treasuries to get it – usually just for a day or two. The system is under strain because the Fed has bought so many bonds and also because regulations require many financial institutions to hold bonds as collateral for deals. This is causing deals to fail at unprecedented rates. Plus, Archer Daniels Midland, a major US food processor has agreed to buy a company called Wild Flavors, which specializes in natural flavorings for food products. We pull back the curtain on the business of flavor, and along the way find out about what’s in, what’s out, and the tastes that are trending. Also, some foods are at recent highs, others are cheaper than they’ve been, but overall, the USDA reports, Americans spend far less on food than people in most countries – an average of 6.6 percent of income. Even poor Americans don’t spend appreciably more of their income. We look at what makes food in the U.S. so inexpensive.

The hardest part of creating the pool noodle? Explaining what to do with it.

Lawrence Lessig decided the only way to take down Super PACs… was to make one.

If you could go back in time to tell yourself advice, what would it be?

Schools are preparing for standardized tests on computers. Not everyone is ready

One man's security hassle is another's business opportunity.

The Highway Trust Fund could be slashed in August, unless Congress acts soon.

Transportation funding runs out of gas, women-owned businesses at Walmart, and a phone app as art.

Will a special logo for women-owned businesses combat or perpetuate stereotypes?