Week of December 1st, 2014

We talk "York & Fig" on a national level and good news from the Labor Department.

How do cheap mom & pop shops, check cashing places, and appliance repair stores get replaced by hot yoga studios, vegan-friendly restaurants, and third wave coffee shops?

Krissy Clark talks with Marketplace Weekend about her reporting in Highland Park

Three Highland Park residents talk about their changing neighborhood.

Go have a beer.

Airing on Friday Dec. 5, 2014: Tesla is building a battery factory outside of Reno that has electric companies scared. The idea is to build batteries that can store the solar power collected by rooftop solar panels. Plus, Starbucks has plans to open dozens of stores selling pricey craft coffees. The gourmet coffee trend is spreading to hip neighborhoods across the country. 

Book Show's odd, unknown, fringe, and quirky collection finds a home.

This week, we took a little field trip to explore how big businesses move into gentrifying neighborhoods. Think about chains. Starbucks, Panera Bread, Chipotle…. They mean something different in communities and cities across the country. Jed Kolko, chief economist at Trulia, has studied why chains open where they do. He joined Marketplace Weekend at Starbucks … from 3,000 […]

 Last week we asked you to tell us your stories about the hidden cost of the holidays.. and whether and how you budget for them. Many of you answered. Lizzie O’Leary is joined by Lauren Lyons Cole, a contributor to TheStreet, and a certified financial planner, to talk about tips and tricks for budgeting during the holidays. Tell […]

This weekend, Lizzie O’Leary talks with Krissy Clark and Lindsay Foster Thomas of Marketplace’s Wealth and Poverty desk, about York & Fig, a project focusing on gentrification. Michael Bashaw of Whole Foods explains how the chain chooses locations, and Lizzie and Trulia economist Jed Kolko go to Starbucks…on opposite sides of the country. Ben Johnson explains how to understand gentrification using Google Maps. And, how does gentrification impact your personal finances? 

A look at Highland Park, California's demographic shift.

Graduating on time is not the norm at most colleges and universities.

A positive jobs report for November, and why Chanel bags have gotten so expensive.

Jonathan Zittrain, law professor and co-founder of Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, talks about body-worn cameras and how technology might change the relationship between police officers and communities. And how well have you kept up with the week in tech news? This week, host Ben Johnson takes on with Rusty Foster, who writes the Today in Tabs newsletter for Silicon Tally.

Aired on Friday Dec. 5, 2014: The November Jobs Report is released Friday. We look at what the figures tell us about the present state of unemployment and the the economy. Plus, the US Postal Service is out with a new stamp honoring Wilt Chamberlain. It’s another move toward the marketing of celebrity and popular culture stamps, as a way to boost sales. We examine that trend. And all this week, Our Wealth and Poverty Desk has been bringing us stories about gentrification. And as we find out, when old businesses get new landlords, that can lead to some very difficult conversations.  

A strong hiring season for seasonal retail jobs is also expected.

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

For brands like Chanel, high prices are about more than adjusting for inflation.

Here are the numbers we're watching and reading on Friday.

Pro basketball player joins a list of recent postal honorees who don't have squeaky-clean pasts.

We asked, you answered: what does gentrification mean for your personal finances? It could be higher rent, or higher property values. A larger variety of stores, meaning sometimes, residents spend more when they shop in their neighborhood. Pricier coffee, less parking, a wide variety of economic changes.  Marketplace took a special look at gentrification and neighborhood transformation […]

In many gentrifying neighborhoods, the story of how the change got started often involves a cute little café/

The website Regulations.gov breaks it down.

Airing Thursday Dec. 4, 2014: The US fertility rate edged down last year to a record low. The now-5-year-old economic recovery has yet to translate into an upturn in births. Plus, if someone were to pen the story of Barnes & Noble today, booksellers would probably file it under mystery. We take a look at the future of the Nook.

Bookseller bought back Microsoft's stake. But it's still unclear if company might split in two.

Fertility rates are at a record low in the US.

Experiment in housing for homeless is completed in L.A. – and health-care costs fall.

Between 3.5 and 6.5 percent of workers are making less than they should.

Farmers are stoked about reviving an age-old crop. But they don't like the rules.

New research shows summer reading programs have little effect on test scores for most students.

ECB leaves interest rates alone, simplifying healthcare costs, and free trade between states.

Hundreds of college presidents and other education leaders share ideas at the second White House College Opportunity Day of Action.

On today’s show, more on Russia’s President state of the union address. Plus, what if the key to improving health and lowering cost is right in front of us? The Peterson Center on Healthcare thinks so. And more of the Marketplace Wealth and Poverty Desk’s exploration of the economic forces behind gentrification: the sudden influx of wealth in to a formerly low-income neighborhood. Some of the first signs of gentrification often appear when the cafes and trendy stores pop up. But as we find out, there can sometimes be more here than meets the eye.  

First up on today’s show, NASA is set to launch an unmanned test flight later this week of a craft designed to carry humans. It’s a reminder that the U.S. space program has no way to get astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The preferred option right now is to hitch a ride, often on Russian spacecraft, at a cost of $72 million. Plus, Jeremy Tomlinson, from Kansas City, joins us to talk about his 8 year-old daughter Chloe, who used Made With Code’s tools to program the lights for the White House Christmas tree. And BBC technology reporter Dave Lee talks about startup funerals; events where founders mourn the death of their company and learn from their failures.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare – which is launching today – thinks so.

It’s also a reminder that U.S. astronauts have to hitch a ride to the International Space Station.

Here are the numbers we're watching and reading for Thursday.

Robots go more mainstream, shipping packages and vacuuming. But they're not smart enough to stage a coup.

Brownie Wise pioneered sale of products at home parties. Then Tupperware fired her.

It's been a banner year for corporate bond issuance and American stocks. Meanwhile, commodity prices are falling precipitously. What unites them all? Investors.

It brims with economic tidbits on such things as hotel rates and e-commerce.

Money, and an inability to compromise.

Aired Dec. 3, 2014: The House is voting on whether to bring back certain tax credits that expired at the beginning of the year. It raises the question: Why do they expire in the first place?

Congestion is mounting in the biggest airports in the U.S.

Cigarette smoking among American middle and high school students is on the decline, but the use of other products follows a different trend.

A so-so job market, streaming music gets counted, and tour guides fight for their rights.

First, the Supreme Court hears arguments in a case about the rights pregnant workers have when it comes to being offered light-duty assignments. We look at the potential ripple effects for businesses. And the European economy is in the doldrums, its sails slack, the boat listing. The European Central Bank meets tomorrow and market players are anticipating word about a new stimulus, large scale purchasing of bonds, to bring down interest rates and prompt lending. More on that. Plus, today is the 30th anniversary of the world’s worst industrial disaster. On the morning of December 3rd 1984, lethal gas leaked from a fertilizer plant in Bhopal, India killing thousands in their sleep. The plant, then-owned by Union Carbide of the U.S., is now part of Dow Chemical. We look at what to do about the children of victims;  the lack of clean up and accountability even now, 30 years later; and the increasing attention of at least some institutional investors. 

Billboard releases the first streaming numbers after deciding to incorporate them into its charts. What will the results mean for music companies and musicians? Plus, Lama Nachman, senior staff researcher in Intel Labs Interaction and Experience Research, joins us to talk about Intel’s approach to designing accessibility technology. And we look at how renewable energy costs compare to fossil fuel costs – and why they’re going down.

But how much will it change album rankings?

Tour guides in popular vacation spots say that requiring them to take tests and obtain licenses violates their free-speech rights.

If the former UPS worker wins, employers could face an avalanche of pregnancy-discrimination lawsuits.

The numbers we're reading and watching for Wednesday.

Could North Korea have carried out the hack against Sony Pictures? Probably not, says an observer who offers another theory.

A chat with comedian, podcaster, writer and Highland Park resident Marc Maron.

Auto sales rack up their strongest November in a decade, thanks in part to a strong lineup of cars by the Big Three.

That's twelve zeros.

What’s a country to do as its currency collapses? Russia basically needs to weather the storm.

Struggling with falling oil prices and continued sanctions, the Russian ruble just suffered its biggest one-day fall against the U.S. dollar in more than two decades. Plus, newly reported auto sales figures are strong. We look at the factors driving sales, including the improving economy and heavy discounts. Finally, working out can benefit your body and your bank account, beginning this month in Massachusetts. Pact Health is an add-on benefit that lowers your insurance deductible if you work out while wearing a health-tracking device.

In Massachusetts, working out can benefit your body and your bank account.

A new report shows which countries are the top for training workers.

Hedge Funds on the way out, Netflix plays Marco Polo, and Biz Stone talks graphic design.

A conversation on graphic design, new ventures and the future of marketing.

Netflix’s newest original series ‘Marco Polo’ may be the most expensive TV show in the world. Netflix hopes the 10-part extravaganza will help expand its international audience which could make up for the lower than expected growth in its U.S. subscribers. Plus, Lindsey Turrentine, Editor-in-Chief at CNET.com, joins us to talk about Amazon’s warehouse robots. And Danielle Citron, a law professor at the University of Maryland and the author of Hate Crimes in Cyberspace, talks about this week’s Supreme Court hearing on hate speech and social media.

First up on today’s show, we’re talking about Russia, where there’s news of recession. Plus, in the coming hours, we’ll hear from the car and truck companies about their sales last month. Many expect the holidays to come early for automakers, with the economy up and gas prices down. And yesterday, the gods (small “g”) proclaimed we were supposed to buy things on the internet for Cyber Monday. Today, Giving Tuesday, for charity. Picking up this theme, let’s turn to a leading light of online social media who argues that in the near future, companies will spend most of their advertising money on … philanthropy. We talk with Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter and now CEO of Jelly.

The numbers we're reading and watching for Tuesday.

And just like the titular explorer, Netflix has global ambitions.

Analysts expect the holidays to come early for automakers.

With the big holiday shopping days out of the way, here comes Giving Tuesday.

The reason behind Marketplace's first pop-up bureau? The opportunity to study gentrification in a Los Angeles neighborhood called Highland Park.

Consider the power of idealistic consumption.

We’re launching our gentrification project about the Highland Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. Use the hashtag #GentrificationIs on Twitter and Instagram to show how your neighborhood is changing. Plus, one option under consideration for keeping the government running beyond Dec. 11? Congress could pass an omnibus spending bill that would solve the problem for only nine months and affect every agency except the Department of Homeland Security, which would be kept on a shorter funding leash. Finally, Facebook makes a money grab by making small businesses and certain political outfits pay for things they used to get for free. 

They're changing the rules about all those promotional posts in your feed.

Hybrid word combines “omnibus” spending bill and a continuing resolution, or “CR” – two funding stopgaps.

The cyber-criminals seem to be looking for information that could affect the stock market.

Black Friday slumps, the Ferguson Commission meets, and a retired doctor heads to Sierra Leone.

The National Retail Federation calculates that only 133 million people shopped in stores and online over the four day Thanksgiving holiday; that’s down more than 5 percent from last year. Some retail analysts say the proliferation of special shopping days is causing the events to lose their significance and their power to bring in buyers.  More on that. And delegates from around the world are meeting in Peru’s capital, Lima, for two weeks of UN negotiations on climate change. The goal? Big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, to be finalized in Paris next year. Plus, among the definitions of gentrification: when new people move into a working class neighborhood, often with more money at their disposal. This can transform a place for the better … and for the worse. This week, Marketplace’s Wealth & Poverty team is exploring some of the economic forces behind gentrification. We take a look at this long-term project that will continue from this year into next. 

First up, NY Times tech columnist Molly Wood joins us to talk about online shopping for gadgets. Then, we talk to YouTube power user Mike Tompkins about his acapella remixes of popular songs.

As holiday sales expand, discounts are less important than the ritual of shopping. One winner: Cyber Monday.

Commission is given a big task: Make the region a “fairer place for everyone to live.”

The numbers we're reading and watching for Monday.

Lowell Gess and his wife spent 20 years in Sierra Leone. Now, he's headed back.

A look at Highland Park in the past and present.