Week of September 8th, 2014

It's like cash from a helicopter, but some don't think it'll work.

NASA's mohawk guy sounds like he has a dream job, but his days in the office are a lot like the terrestrial jobs on earth.

A startup does for home offices what Airbnb does for spare couches.

Kai talked with Felix Salmon and Leigh Gallagher about the week that was.

Who drinks more coffee, cops or journalists?

Advertisers aren't targeting the show's demo, but that could be short-sighted.

The activist hedge fund eyeing Darden's board suggests adding salt to pasta water.

Can America effectively damage the fund-raising efforts of a non-state actor?

As the U.S. prepares to attack ISIS militarily, what implements of financial mass destruction does America have at its disposal to damage the fund-raising efforts of a non-state actor? Plus, logic suggests that a television show that receives high ratings, even on a cable channel, would have some longevity. But that’s not the case with the A&E show, Longmire. The show was abruptly cancelled after three seasons, despite millions of loyal viewers. Why did they pull the plug on Longmire? Also, the boardroom battle between Starboard  and Darden, parent of Olive Garden, is heating up as a shareholder vote nears. Starboard, the activist hedge fund trying to take control, released a 300-slide presentation yesterday on what it will do to increase shareholder value. Get ready for fewer breadsticks and saltier pasta water. 

Lizzie O’Leary talks with to Cameron Whitten, Community Advocate and Vivian Satterfield, Associate Director of OPAL in Portland, Oregon.

If I spend one more dollar on this car…Give it up! Go car free! Could you?

Lizzie O’Leary talks with Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson about the future of start-ups.

James Ellis and Steve Fritz on taking risks, not playing by the rules, and Guns n' Roses.

Huffington Post's Ben Walsh and NY Mag's Jessica Pressler round up the week in news.

U.S. milk and butter prices have risen to record levels this year.

A legacy of Sen. George Murphy, "an old song-and-dance man" with a sweet tooth.

This weekend, a trip through Portland: What happens when a city once affordable starts growing up? Then, could you give up your car? A person who lives in the autopia of Los Angeles says goodbye to freeways. Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson tells us what the future of technology looks like from TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. Did you ever want to work for NASA growing up? We talk to one person about the not so glamorous side of space travel. And Huffington Post’s Ben Walsh and Jessica Pressler from NY Mag join us for brunch. 

The Pistorius trial, Ebola and HBO: Here's what we're keeping an eye on Friday.

FEMA asks for a refund, Walmart has a new uniform, and a primer on inflation.

Later today we’ll know more about ways the U.S. and Europe will apply new sanctions against Russia for supporting separatists in and around Ukraine. Financial, energy and defense are expected to get targeted. And Russian officials are working on some interesting sanctions of their own. As part of Marketplace’s 25th birthday, we look at the surprising, sometimes delightful and sometimes destructive ways that prices have changed during the last quarter century. Saul Zabar, of the famed Upper West Side establishment Zabar’s, couldn’t remember what he was charging for smoked salmon 25 years ago. But a magazine from 1989 lists a Zabar’s sale price: $15.95 a pound, Scotch salmon, pre-sliced. But as we’ll be reminding ourselves during this series, ya gotta adjust for inflation. $15.95 is more than 30 dollars a pound in today’s money. Today, routinely, with no special sale, Saul charges under 24 dollars a pound. In real terms, that’s a 22 percent decline in 25 years. Now we shouldn’t forget that farming salmon can have environmental costs. And there are two parts to the price equation, not just supply but also demand. We take a closer look at the raw material that goes into smoked salmon.  

First up, Dan Wisneski, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Saint Peter’s University, talks about his study that used a smartphone app to explore people’s experiences with morality in their day-to-day lives. And how well have you kept up with the week in tech news? It’s time for Silicon Tally! This week, Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson takes on reporter Queena Kim in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Not everything has gotten more expensive over time. Case in point: smoked salmon.

Pediatricians think that many don’t, and early school times are to blame.

How well have you kept up with the week in tech news?

The retailer's employees complain about the cost of new clothes.

A primer from the name on the front of your macroeconomics textbook from college.

Forget sneezing into your elbow.

Near-zero interest rates have Twitter turning to bonds to raise cash.

The SEC employs an enforcement strategy coined in the 1980s.

The league makes billions through a wide network of tie-ins with big corporations.

The NFL is arguably the country’s most powerful sports league. We look at the wide range of NFL corporate tie-ins and business interests that make this behemoth a multibillion-dollar concern. Plus, the SEC is going after the small fry. As part of its “broken windows” policy, it’s fining companies and individuals for small infractions and reaping small sums. But this is about more than just reminding Wall Street that the SEC is out there. It’s about showing how the agency, and its attitude toward enforcement, has changed under new management. Also, Twitter goes to the bond market in an effort to raise as much as $1.5 billion. This is likely an attempt to build up its advertising business, but Twitter remains unprofitable and borrowing is cheap. So what does this tell us about the economy?

Spending is different for the wealthy, and that means getting them to spend is, too.

A new study finds Motor City drivers pay big to insure their cars.

9/11, U2 and M16s: Here's what we're reading Thursday morning.

It's made up of a combination of drugs used to treat depression and addiction.

A weak job market, but Kroger is hiring, and teaching becomes more prestigious.

It’s a week before Scots vote on independence from Britain. Today, the Royal Bank of Scotland said it has plans to move its tax headquarters from Scotland to London if independence were to actually come about. RBS, it should be said, is something of a tarnished jewel. It nearly went out of business during the financial crisis five years ago and had to be nationalized by the British government. More on the politicking here, ahead of the vote. And then we check in with the near-future. The host of our program Marketplace Tech, Ben Johnson, is in San Francisco at Tech Crunch Disrupt, which is — in part — a kind of battle of the bands for startup companies looking for money and attention.  

Elevating prestige is part of a larger effort to keep teachers in the classroom.

First up, Pai-Ling Yin, a researcher at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, talks about what the Apple Watch means for developers thinking about entering the wearable device market. Then, Jordan Pearson, a technology and culture writer and contributor to Motherboard, joins us to discuss how texting can be used to improve healthcare services across a community.

Airlines used to struggle with a public fear of flying around September 11.

Kroger, known for groceries, is one of the biggest retail chains in the world.

Teachers compare their workloads at new jobs to their old teaching jobs.

The banking industry is taking in fewer profits from fees, but that doesn't mean they're going anywhere.

Outside Duluth, Minnesota, a greenhouse grows tilapia and lettuce side by side.

Last week's leak led to enough page views to power Reddit for almost a month.

Nearly the same number of employers are offering coverage; nearly the same number of workers are enrolling.

Many carriers are offering new plans to lure customers who want the newest iPhone.

In the larger scheme, a $6 billion investment against ISIS is war on the cheap

Today, President Obama is expected to discuss his plan for sustained military operations against the Islamic State, or ISIS. We explain why that could be a game-changer for the U.S. defense industry. Plus, carriers that have traditionally subsidized the cost of phones, like Sprint and Version, have released new phone plans for the iPhone 6. But how do they keep their margins high whilst ensuring affordability for their customers? We a take look at how mobile phone carriers have responded to the release of the iPhone 6. Also, a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the Affordable Care Act has made few waves in the employer-based insurance market where 58 percent of all Americans get their health coverage. And while it may be a long way off. How employees get their insurance could look very different than it does today.    

They're clamoring to buy your old iPhone and sell you a new one at a deep discount.

A survey shows low-performing kids benefit most from gaming at school.

All of the business in Washington is a lot to tackle in three days.

One year later, lower-income residents have been slow to return to Lyons, Colorado.

The price tag for Mojang sits at $2 billion.

As Obama preps for action in Syria, here are the numbers we're watching.

With President Obama’s prime-time address about national security tonight ahead of the September 11 anniversary, U.S. officials are looking at ways to curb the power of ISIS insurgents by cracking down on flows of cash. Plus, American small businesses are often cast as the engines of the economy, and there’s new data this week showing that optimism among the people who run smaller enterprises has hit a post-recession high. This from the National Federation of Independent Business, drawn from surveys in August. But what about hiring at small businesses? Not so much optimism there. And when a company moves to lower its U.S. tax bill through a controversial maneuver called an “inversion,” this can become a kitchen table issue. Marketplace regular Alan Sloan joins us to explain.

A number of websites will slow down their offerings in some way, to make the point that inhibiting net neutrality could have a negative effect on consumers’ viewing experience. Is altruistic punishment effective as a consumer motivator? Plus, Molly Wood, Tech columnist at the New York Times, talks about news from the Apple event. And video game voice actress Jennifer Hale joins us to talk about Gamergate and challenges facing the gaming community as it comes to terms with sexism within the industry.

A cautious market stance, net neutrality protests, and Minecraft's big pricetag.

Gifting legitimate alcohol is serious business in Chinese culture.

Many websites are simulating slowdowns on Wednesday to advocate for net neutrality.

Even with sky-high tuition, college is still a good investment for most people.

Small-business optimism is back to pre-recession levels, but owners are cautious.

More employers are requiring college degrees for jobs that don’t really need them.

More employers are requiring college degrees for jobs that don’t really require skills learned in college — and are held mostly by people now who don’t have degrees, according to a new study. Why? Because they can. Does that mean we’re producing too many grads for the jobs available to them? Plus, Home Depot’s stock price is taking a beating after hackers breached the company’s payment systems last week. Are retailers, like Target and Home Depot, doing enough to protect themselves and their customers from credit card hackers? We explore.

Cyberthieves are still after your credit card information, and the pressure is on retailers to get ahead in the cyberwar games. But are they?

Stocking up on cats instead of shares? You're not alone.

Wedding clothes rentals are officially online.

He has built Virgin into a huge conglomerate by keeping himself front and center.

Ethical thinking declines when employees work against their natural sleep schedule.

Apple shares closed in the red for the day, down 37 cents.

Yes, there's a new iPhone coming. Here are five more numbers to keep an eye on today.

What these services do and do not do for you as a consumer.

A new book looks at the different ways Americans define their economic standards.

Frictionless payment, the JOLTS report, and measuring economic security.

What will an Apple device you can wear look like? Will it have new Apple mobile payment systems, health care software, or home automation? These are some of the questions that are supposed to get answered today, now that the Cupertino, California, company has drawn the attention of the world’s media for its product launch event in a few hours. As for the health of the company behind today’s planned razzmatazz? We’re joined by Adam Lashinsky, who covers Silicon Valley for Fortune and is the author of the book “Inside Apple,” to discuss. Then to West Africa, where a rapper is part of a debate over economic policy. The latest hit by one of Africa’s biggest rap artists, Sarkodie, criticizes the president of Ghana for mismanaging the economy. Ghana had become one of the continent’s shining lights in recent years. But now the economy has soured with its currency down by about a third against the dollar this year. Ghana has reached out to the International Monetary Fund for help, as foreign investors are concerned about the economic crisis, which Sarkodie the rapper emphasizes is hitting poor people hard.  

First up, Apple looks set to reveal its ‘iWatch’, which, is rumored to have technology, called ‘Near Field Communication’ (NFC), that enables data transfer and mobile payments on smart phones. NFC already exists on Android smart watches – and more broadly, European consumers already make internet payments without using their credit cards, so why has the US been so slow to make the move toward credit card-less online transactions? Plus, Karen Collins, the author of two books about sound design in video games and an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, talks about the evolution of music in video games.

Why has the U.S. been so slow to move toward cardless transactions?

Some believe that winning at life begins in the sandbox.

What this report tells us outside the numbers.

In case you needed data to prove it.

Monday was the last day of a month-long public comment period set up by the USDA.

Alibaba isn't a Chinese version of Amazon.

What does that money buy, and how do you know you're not equipping the wrong people?

The costs for caring for the elderly are rising. How do you cope?

A commentary from McSweeney's.

President Obama has asked Congress for $500 million to “train and equip appropriately vetted elements of the moderate Syrian armed opposition.” So, what do you get for $500 million? And how do you ensure your spending is not equipping the wrong people? Plus, the Chinese company, Alibaba, is having trouble helping potential investors understand just what it is the company does. The vast majority of its business is done overseas in a different language. So, what does it do? Also, today’s the last day to comment on a proposal that would make the revenue of stores, both super and corner, from food stamps public. We explain why it’s an issue and what the public has to say.

The purchase benefits both Electrolux in the U.S. and GE's appliance division.

Millennials prefer debit, Congress cooperates, and salsa grows in popularity.

Atlantic City attempts to reinvent itself as more than just a gambling hub.

A new report says millennials are making savvy use of debit cards to avoid debt.

First up, more on news that the British pound is down 1.3 percent to both the U.S. dollar and the Euro right now. That is a sharp drop for a currency that had been running very strong, and the reason has a lot to do with a referendum in Scotland next month. And New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will hold a summit today on the future of Atlantic City. We take a look at what impact the closings of three of its big casinos will have on the city’s future, and how the downfall of the gambling mecca is a little bit of history repeating itself.

First up, Chester Wisniewski, security expert at the cybersecurity firm Sophos, joins us to talk about cultural changes that need to happen within the security and technology industries to better protect consumer data. Plus, we take a look at what’s driving the increasing popularity of salsa music. Salsa digital downloads rose 14 percent in 2013 compared to 7 percent for the overall market. Could the Latin market single-handedly save the languishing music industry?

Countries that spend a lot don’t always get much more than everyone else.

Salsa, an infectious tropical dance, is gaining followers in the U.S. and abroad.

History repeats itself in the city's fall from big business to financial hardship.

What will and won’t be happening in Congress in advance of midterms.

Inflation through the lens of smoked salmon.