Week of September 15th, 2014

Here's part of our Twitter chat about #studentdata from earlier this week.

A look behind the 'slow money' movement and BeetCoin with Christopher Wayne from Greenmarket Farmer's Market, and Vermont Public Radio's Angela Evancie.

This Weekend, Lizzie O’Leary and Marketplace’s Adriene Hill discuss the rise of data in education. What information is learned about your kids? Author Michael Harris explains what we’ve lost in the age of technology’s constant connection. Have you heard of the ‘slow food’ movement? What about ‘slow money?’ One shop owner explains why handmade goods are making a comeback. Comedian Andy Kindler learns to love his credit card debt and Nicholas Carlson from Business Insider and Bloomberg’s Venessa Wong join us for brunch.

If someone owns oil or gas beneath your home, they might displace you to get it.

The acquisition is worth $8 billion and will increase SAP's users to 50 million.

Workplace dress codes have gotten a lot more relaxed over the past few decades.

As Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce behemoth, debuts on the New York Stock Exchange we look at its ambitious founder Jack Ma and consider his significance. Plus, entrepreneur Jesse Herzog has designed a new kind of work suit and it’s a one piece suit with a twist. He calls it the suitsie. The concept might make you laugh (or not), but its creation begs the question: when did workplace dress codes, especially for office workers start to change? We investigate. Also, if your workplace has had you book travel plans on a website, chances are you used programming from the software company, Concur. Well, the Seattle-area based company is being gobbled up by another software giant, SAP. The cost of the deal for the German-based company? Over $8 billion. The acquisition is also expected to increase SAP’s number of users for its cloud-based technology from 38 to 50 million users.

The "no's" have it: the United Kingdom is still united as a kingdom.

Why some argue that too-high restitution fees hurt both victims and defenders.

Susan Wachter, Professor of Real Estate and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, explains the 'new normal' in the housing market.

Michael Harris on the value of being alone with your thoughts.

As Alibaba launches on the NYSE, we take a look at Jack Ma's antics and ambitions.

Thousands line up to get the iPhone 6… and return their Ray Rice jerseys.

Alibaba surges, Scotland stays and the other stories we're reading Friday morning.

While some think shares are priced low, others worry about the deal's structure.

Alibaba starts trading, UK interest rates, and the nuance of inflation.

First up, we have the money angle on Scotland’s decision to remain united with the kingdom. And continuing our series on the weird, delightful and destructive ways that prices have changed during that quarter century, we take a look at the current best-selling car in America: The Honda Accord. Adjusting for inflation, surely, it must have gotten more expensive. Think again.

Venessa Wong from Bloomberg and Business Insider's Nicholas Carlson chat about the week's news.

First up, there’s news that multinational computer company Oracle’s CEO Larry Ellison has stepped down. Or stepped sideways, really. He’ll now be the chairman, replaced by two CO-CEOs, Safra Catz and Mark Hurd. Plus, the anticipation has been building for weeks over Alibaba’s IPO, from a massive road show, to price changes, to plenty of speculation on what’s looking like the largest IPO ever. The Chinese Online Retail Giant’s adventures on the market today represent complicated seas for adventurous investors, but also some potential big changes for another tech company that is already invested…we’re talking about Yahoo. Santosh Rao is head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners, and joins us to discuss. And how well have you kept up with the week in tech news? It’s time for Silicon Tally! This week, host Ben Johnson takes on Jennifer Pahlka, the founder and executive director of “Code For America,” and recent Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the United States Government.

Parents are often in the dark about what’s being collected on their children.

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

Zillow's findings show an east-west divide for real estate.

We put the Honda Accord through our Marketplace Inflation Calculator.

The billionaire's space venture Blue Origin announced a new partnership with NASA.

The TV Guide Network is breaking away from the magazine of the same name and rebranding itself as “POP.” The new network is set to launch early next year. Their new demographic?  An 18 to 54 year old age range who are, “socially engaged and connected and who have a thirst for pop culture,” according to […]

The White House will unveil its new sexual assault awareness campaign on Friday.

Nearly half of all households in major cities don’t have enough money saved to cover essential expenses in an emergency, according to a new study from Corporation for Enterprise Developments. We look at how much people are benefiting from the recovering economy when a job loss or major medical bill can derail their financial lives. Plus, the commercial space race is getting an added boost. Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space venture, has announced a partnership with another space company to develop a new rocket engine. One that could potentially replace the Russian engines the US relies on – and gain an advantage over his rival, Elon Musk. Also, tomorrow the White House will unveil its campaign effort to curb sexual assaults on college campuses. It’s called “it’s On Us” and it focuses on the men’s role in preventing sexual violence. Schools have been responding with training programs, tighter security etc.  But there is a cost to getting these programs off the ground.

Student data is mostly test results and general demographics. Mostly.

Warnings about letting inflation loose stem from the 1970s and '80s.

Companies save money by implementing them. But employees bear most of the cost.

What does a tiny island nation have to do with streaming video games?

New research indicates even many middle class families don't have enough saved for an emergency.

Scotland, India and Apple: Here's what we're reading Thursday morning.

A pocket-sized history of the pocket, in honor of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The Fed's most recent moves, sunscreen gets an update, and corn has a strong year.

Survey results out this morning suggest many Americans who signed up for health insurance under what’s labeled the Affordable Care Act do actually find their coverage affordable. That’s particularly true for people with very low incomes who are paying less than $125 a month for a policy–on par with what many pay to get health coverage through their jobs. But for people earning over $30,000 a year, the premiums often seem expensive. And two weeks ago, Marketplace China Bureau Chief Rob Schmitz reported a story about how the professional-style social-network LinkedIn censors content from its members in China on its site throughout the world. Our correspondent figured this out when some of his own linkedin content was removed. Today, LinkedIn has announced it is now changing this censorship policy. Plus, New York City has gotten attention for its new city-funded pre-schools that just opened this month. But around the country the typical pattern is a private daycare run by people working out of their homes. These tend to hit the news when something awful happens, but many daycare workers are also supplying much-need social capital.  

First up, Molly Wood, Technology columnist for the New York Times, stops by to talk about the new iPhone and iOS8. Plus, Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures, on Detroit’s startup community and how tech is changing the auto industry.

The FDA has banned certain chemicals that other countries find perfectly legal.

Home childcare providers are vital to many, yet make as little as $22,000 a year.

Parents aren’t wild about linking teacher evaluations to student performance.

Censored content will continue to be blocked inside of China, but not outside.

A new survey suggests many Americans find their ACA coverage affordable.

Mobile game makers should learn from the past and make offline play available.

A record corn crop, paradoxically, means hard times for farmers.

We look at the power of sponsors as more distance themselves from the NFL.

Today's CPI numbers came in low despite Yellen's hint that interest rates could be on the upswing.

Minnesota utility couldn't get enough coal by rail to keep four plants operating

But how will they spend it?

Yahoo is one of the biggest investors in Alibaba and the company stands to gain billions in the coming IPO. So what will Yahoo do with all that cash? Plus, the Fed’s Open Market Committee meeting concludes its two days of meetings in Washington today. Fed Chair Janet Yellen has hinted that interest rates could soon be on the upswing. But today’s CPI numbers came in lower than expected, and inflation continues to hover below the Fed’s 2 percent target. How much do low inflation rates complicate the Fed’s plans to raise interest rates? Also, not a good time to be embattled NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Anheuser-Busch has fired a warning shot to the NFL, and hotel chain Radisson has pulled its corporate sponsorship from the Minnesota Vikings. But are some levers more powerful than others? 

Opponents of Scottish independence say emotion is getting the better of independence supporters.

We look at the power of sponsors as more distance themselves from the NFL.

Dropping the league — and the coverage that followed — was a marketing touchdown.

How Andy Kindler learned to love his credit card debt.

He has been in TV and movie reviewing business since the 1960s.

We're watching the Fed, mobile ad spending and vaccination rates Wednesday.

Big-money sponsors react to multiple cases of domestic abuse in the NFL.

NFL policy, the Yelp law, and Scotland's economic future.

First up, more on reports that China’s central bank is injecting the yuan equivalent of $81 billion dollars into its stumbling economy. The People’s Bank of China has not confirmed this but markets are moving on the reports. Plus, we’re just learning from the U.S. Census Bureau that the federal poverty rate has fallen, albeit slightly, for the first time since 2006. Last year, 14.5 percent of Americans were officially “poor,” down from 15 percent the year before. But a new report out today says far more families are financially insecure. And schools this fall are using data drawn from students in ornate ways. The idea is to personalize education, to figure out which teaching techniques are working and to make school services more efficient. As just one part of our series we’re calling “The Quantified Student,” Marketplace’s Adriene Hill went in search of the data driven…cafeteria.  

A state law signed by California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a new law that stops restaurants from pursuing legal action against customers who give them negative reviews. Why is this law necessary, and how will it impact businesses and the Yelp community at large? And Twitch CEO and Co-Founder Emmett Shear talks about selling to Amazon, and how mobile games are catching up with the company’s ambitions.

A new law stops businesses from banning customers from posting bad reviews online.

Tracking students in the cafeteria can make schools more efficient, but at a cost.

Nearly half of households in major U.S. cities are “liquid asset poor."

Complicated calculations are in store if Scotland votes to separate from the UK.

High school students weigh in on the best and worst changes to the exam

We’re holding a Twitter chat 9/18 from 5-6 p.m. PST. Join us!

Some scholars think postponing life-cycle decisions signals cultural shifts.

When your subscribers pay every month, you need a slate of addictive shows.

Anheuser-Busch disapproves of the way recent NFL incidents have been handled.

A report says the world is going to spend trillions on infrastructure either way.

Are declining revenues just a blip, or are competitors catching up?

Whether it’s due to a weak slate of Fall shows or competition from the Web, big television networks are seeing a worrying decline in advertising revenue this quarter. Optimistic network execs see it as a blip, but could it be a signal of a bigger shift in the future of advertising to the masses? Also, a report says the cost of addressing global warming shrinks considerably when you consider the trillions the world is generally spending on power generation, transportation and infrastructure. The report’s proposals, however, still butts up against political realities. We investigate.

Kai talks to Dan Strumpf from The Wall Street Journal.

Big data isn't killing TV ads, it's making them more targeted and less annoying

Poverty, Internet drones and space taxis; here are the numbers we're watching.

The country's largest public pension fund is pulling out of hedge funds.

The economy of climate change, cheap gas, and end of life apps.

First up, the California Public Employee’s Retirement System, better known as Calpers, is the country’s largest public pension fund with an enormous $300 billion in assets. So when Calpers acts, investors take notice. Now, Calpers has said it’s going to completely shed hedge funds from its portfolio of investments. Plus, it seems like student loan debt will never go away. Well, a new report from the Government Accountability office says, that can actually be the case. We investigate. Also, on Thursday the people of Scotland vote in a crucial referendum. They will decide whether they want to separate from the rest of the UK. Pro-independence campaigners claim that if they do, they’ll each be at least $1600 a year better off. But this rosy scenario is partly based on North Sea oil, whose ownership is up for debate.  

First up, Lindsey Turrentine, Editor-in-Chief of Reviews at CNET, talks about Microsoft buying the maker of Minecraft – Mojang – and why the user base is worth so much to the company. Plus, our coverage of TechCrunch Disrupt continues with a conversation with investor and Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban about investing in a startup scene that’s changing and growing.

The global glut of oil is pushing gasoline prices down.

Scottish independence advocates are banking on the country's oil resources.

The worldwide teaching workforce could use some fresh recruits.

Between 2004 and 2010, the number of seniors with student loan debt quadrupled.

A web-based system aims to use technology to ease end-of-life decision making.

The brewer of Budweiser is reportedly in talks to purchase its rival SABMiller.

They're really worried about texting-related collisions.

Philanthropists are taking the lead in the fight against the outbreak.

Why are retailers increasingly creating show branded clothing? Is it successful?

Clothing retailer ‘The Limited’ announced that it has teamed up with ‘Scandal’ star Kerry Washington and Lyn Paolo, the show’s costume designer, to launch a clothing line inspired by the hit TV series. We look at why retailers are increasingly going in this direction and how successful it’s been for them. Plus, Microsoft co-founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates have committed a collective $59 million to fight the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, substantially more than the U.S. government has so far put up to help end this Ebola epidemic. We explore what has changed and why philanthropies have felt the need to take the reigns in combating an acute international health crisis.

UK politicians say if Scotland becomes independent, it can no longer use the pound.

The National Highway Traffic Administration last ordered a recall 35 years ago.

A story of an out-of-work jazz drummer who is trying to make it work.

Millions of pieces of data are being collected on students everyday. How safe is it?

Home sales are picking back up. Are you looking to buy?

Showrunner Marlene King has caught lightening in a bottle with her mystery series.

GM, student data, and beer: Here's what we're keeping an eye on Monday.

Marriott wants to encourage guests to leave a tip for maids.

Educators believe more data will improve learning. But student privacy could suffer.

A preview to the Fed's meeting, tipping hotel workers, and the return of vinyl.

First up, more on U.S. and European sanctions against Russia for its role in Ukraine that are making it tough for Russia companies to borrow money. Today, Russia’s finance minister said Russia will set up an emergency fund to help ease the cash crunch, size as yet unknown. Plus, Federal Reserve officials are meeting this week. On the agenda is the big monetary question of the year: when does the U.S. get to the point that too many jobs have been created? In other words, when do policymakers have to raise interest rates? And kids are back in school and whether they or their parents know it not, they’re being mined…for their data. Increasingly, schools are introducing software to keep track of how kids learn and what they’re doing. Marketplace’s Adriene Hill is kicking off a series today we’re calling “The Quantified Student.”