Week of January 26th, 2015

In honor of our series on water, win a water bottle.

Expert says company is on the right path, owning the mistake and offering refunds.

Up next year: Super Bowl 50, because "Super Bowl L" wasn't pleasing to the eye.

Serving it on game day? Remember this: Nacho cheese is whatever you want it to be.

A drop in homeownership might — or might not — be a key economic indicator.

Pay, benefits costs grew at annual rate of 2.2 percent in 2014 – a telling trend.

Push to unionize workers in tiny town outside Seattle ignites a national cause.

A weekly roundup of what we learned at Marketplace.

David Lazarus talks with Katie Benner, a tech columnist with Bloomberg View.

A story of one very lucky hand.

What happens when a country's economy crashes?

This weekend, we focus on crashes, in the global economy, in our personal finances, and even in our cars. Marketplace’s Paddy Hirsch and guest host David Lazarus discuss what happens when a country crashes. Meteorologist Gary Dobbs tells his story of what happened when his world came literally crashing down around him. David talks with Patrick Markee about homelessness, and Darlene Bel Grayson talks about what it feels like to be homeless temporarily for the first time. David talks with Bloomberg’s Katie Benner about tech bubbles and bursts. We talk about crashes and recoveries — in Atlantic City, and for former professional gambler Josh Axelrad. On next week’s show, we’re talking about cheating. If you have a story about about how your personal economy changed because of cheating — financial cheating, romantic cheating, or even a time you cheated yourself — tell us. What happened? How did you make it through? Write to us here, on the web, or tweet us @MarketplaceWKND.

Airing on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015: Home ownership fell to its lowest level in many years. One reason for that? As households form, they rent before they buy, so housing can be a lagging indicator. Plus, in response to consumer outrage, Intuit has reversed changes to its TurboTax program that had effectively resulted in a 50 percent price increase for many filers. How did the company royally misread its market and can it recover?  

How do you move forward? How does it affect the way you look at things?

A new state law requires high school students to pass the U.S. citizenship test in order to graduate.

The latest GDP report, mass transit ridership numbers, and a new leader for the U.S.P.S.

As the Silk Road trial continues, emoji head to the courtroom.

Airing on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015: President Barack Obama will propose a budget Monday that calls for ending the sequester, that set of mandatory budget cuts that came into effect in 2013 after democrats and republicans couldn’t trim the budget on their own. We look at what the President will propose specifically. Plus, later this morning, the government releases its GDP calculation for the last quarter of 2014. It was a vigorous 5 percent annual rate summer to fall, but the forecasters are figuring something closer to 3.2 percent this time around. But with any GDP report, caveat emptor, as the Romans said. And more than a dozen brands will run first-time ever Super Bowl ads on Sunday including Skittles, Weight Watchers, and Always, maker of feminine hygiene products. That’s the most newcomers to hit the extravaganza of selling since the dawn of the millennium.  

Airing on Friday, January 30, 2015: First up on today’s show, we’ll talk to Anne Curzan, English Professor at the University of Michigan, about emojis in the Ross Ulbricht Silk Road Trial. Plus, we’ll also talk to Jon Resnick, DC policy representative for the DJI drone company, about blocking drones from taking off in no-fly zones. And how well have you kept up with the week in tech news? This week, Marketplace’s David Gura plays Silicon Tally with Deadspin writer and in-house stats man Kyle Wagner.

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

Mass transit providers are concerned that ridership numbers will dip.

Megan Brennan is about to take over the agency.

NBC finally sold its final Super Bowl ad spot four days before the game.

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

… including snow and ice removal, which averages $1.8 million per inch. Say what?

Under the deal reached this week, there will be monthly premiums of at least $1.

As many as 6 million households will be fined, but it's unclear how many will pay.

New CEO Steve Easterbrook has a lot on his plate — but can McDonald's be saved?

Spending cuts took a nibble out of the deficit.

"Juneuary" weather forces ski areas to employ a costly option, snowmaking machines.

Airing on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015: When he speaks to fellow Democrats tonight at a retreat in Philadelphia, President Obama will lay out some details about the budget he’s unveiling Monday. We look at what the sequester has (and hasn’t) accomplished. Plus, McDonald’s chief brand manager, Steve Easterbrook, will replace the chain’s outgoing CEO. The fast-food giant has been struggling as consumers increasingly demand fresher, healthier options. How will Easterbook play things differently now that he’s CEO?

Women earn more degrees than men at most levels of education.

Everything you need to know about Obama's latest budget battle.

Unemployment benefits, Shell earnings, and Amazon profits.

Satellite with moisture-sensitive sensors will orbit Earth to peer into the dirt.

Airing on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015: First up, there’s news this morning the Anglo Dutch company known as Shell managed to increase its profit even with gas prices collapsing. But Royal Dutch Shell stock is down in London because that profit was less than predicted. Some analysts blame this in part on the sharp downturn in Shell’s shale oil business in the US. More on that. Plus, without official explanation from the company, McDonalds CEO is abruptly retiring at the age of 51. McDonalds’ sales have been drooping in the U.S. for two years, with younger people going elsewhere for quick food. Some say its time McDonalds embraces both new technology and something as old as how we break our fast. And now that Detroit is out of bankruptcy and shed a crippling load of debt, you may have heard the positive buzz about creative types moving back, like the great Michigan city is now on a kind of Brooklyn, New York trajectory. The hope now is to bring in more jobs, investments and to rebuild neighborhoods.  

Airing on Thursday, January 29, 2015: First up on today’s show, Amazon reports its last quarter of fiscal earnings for 2014 on Thursday. Overall, 2014 was a disappointment for the Seattle-based electronic commerce company – not to mention its shareholders. Is it possible the company finished up the year on an upswing? We’ll also talk to Brian Blau, analyst at Gartner, about Facebook earnings. And Ted Henken, Chair of Baruch College’s Sociology and Anthropology Department and author of Entrepreneurial Cuba: The Changing Policy Landscape, joins us to talk about the secret internet in Cuba.

…and how Cubans manage without it.

Millions of households may have to pay a fine for lacking health care coverage.

Companies bet that "Made in Detroit" can outsell "Made in America."

Is it possible the company finished up the year on an upswing?

In response to low oil prices, oil companies may cut back exploration projects.

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

Lawmakers want to knock the 108-question student aid form down to two questions.

You can 'Party Like It's 1989,' but Taylor Swift owns the rights to it, and more.

Oil-refining businesses and decades-long outlooks cushion price swings.

Airing on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015: Apple’s iPhone is dominating its earnings while revenue from tablets and laptops languishes. Is Apple turning into a one-product company? Plus, as big multinational oil companies report earnings, analysts watch to see the effects of plunging oil prices. Finally, today marks the 30th anniversary of “We are the World,” the Grammy-winning song that helped pioneer charity recordings and multi-celebrity live music events.

You could turn to a hospital-rating company or mine these resources to make a decision.

Grammy winner helped pave way for all-star recordings, concerts that benefit charity.

Company pulled in $18 billion in profit last quarter, but may need to diversify portfolio.

Author Chad Broughton’s “Boom, Bust, Exodus” looks at globalization from both sides of the border.

More than half the members in The Association of American Universities will not participate in its national survey on campus sexual assault.

Harvard's big pay day, sponsored content in magazines, and resources for homeless students.

Airing on Wednesday, January 28, 2015: If you want to make money, dominate a global cultural phenomenon. Apple, the iPhone company, just made a staggering amount of money. More on that. Plus, the Koch brothers’ plan to raise nearly $900 million for next year’s elections isn’t broad-based fund-raising. It will focus money from a few hundred people on state and national races. And profits on Wall Street have been falling as of late; But JP Morgan and Bank of America have found one niche market where revenue is guaranteed: Federal prisons. 

Harvard raised a record amount last year for a U.S. school: $1.16 billion.

Government's definition of homelessness omits most children without homes.

Airing on Wednesday, January 28, 2015: First up on today’s show, we’ll talk to Rainey Reitman, director of the activism team at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, about EFF’s plan to stop Mass Surveillance. Plus, we’ll also speak with Matt Novak, author of Gizmodo’s Paleofuture blog, about how Back to the Future Part II imagined the future of communication.

Conde Nast joins the trend towards increased native advertising.

Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase have certain banking services on lockdown.

The numbers we're reading and watching for Wednesday.

There's a lot of talk about how the economy is improving. We want your story.

For first time in four months, an average gallon goes up – from $2.033 to $2.038.

What is the productivity cost of a city-wide shutdown? Who knows.

Airing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015: A strong dollar is causing some companies to lose money because it makes their overseas products more expensive, leading to falling demand. This impacts stock prices, which is a problem for all of us because America is now a shareholder economy. Plus, the Commerce Department reports core durable goods sales were down 0.6 percent in December, a bit more than had been expected. We unpack that number. Finally, snow days were once for playing outside or cocooning inside. Not anymore. Many of us can now work from home, keeping productivity fairly stable and the overall negative economic impact of a storm relatively low.

People working from home help keep storm's cost down to relatively low $500 million.

Long-lasting goods are one way to measure health of U.S. manufacturing sector.

Multinational corporations can be hurt when profits are "lost in translation."

They are funding a network of political groups gearing up to influence election.

All but six states funded local pre-K programs in 2014-2015.

Microsoft stock tumbles, an update on the steel industry, and backup generators in the U.S.

Airing on Tuesday, January 27, 2015: If you’re a global company based in the U.S., a strong dollar doesn’t necessarily benefit your business. More on that. Plus, the Irish airline Aer Lingus has approved the takeover bid by the parent company of British Airways. More on what happens next. And more and more healthcare is happening outside of hospitals. Often, that means patients are getting basic care at big retail stores. In Southern California, Kaiser Permanente recently opened four clinics inside Target locations. But when providers go out to meet patients where they are, can security get lost along the way?

Airing on Tuesday, January 27, 2015: First up on today’s show, we’ll talk with Pai-Ling Yin, from the Stanford Center for Economic Policy Research, about Apple’s success in the Chinese market. Also, we’ll talk about how more and more Americans are making their own power, either by installing solar panels, or in areas with frequent storms, backup home generators. Plus, we’re joined by Brendan Iribe, CEO of Oculus VR, to discuss making movies for virtual reality technology and when the Oculus goggles will finally reach consumers.

An estimated 7 percent of new homes come with a backup generator.

The growth of retail clinics is raising concerns about safeguarding patient data.

Virtual reality heads to Hollywood.

Foreign competition and a decline in oil drilling counter a strong U.S. economy.

Investors are looking for signs the strengthening U.S. dollar is hurting profits.

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

For decades, GDP growth has been an "obsession" for China's government. No more.

In New York, the price is up 27 percent from last year.

Bitcoin is extremely volatile, but the new exchange could level things out.

Dish goes after the cord cutters with Sling, a streaming service for $20 a month.

The decision to cancel flights in the face of a storm is complicated.

Airing on Monday, January 26, 2015: Dish goes over the top with Sling, and enters the growing universe of alternatives to traditional cable. We take a look at the competitive landscape on the other side of the equation. Plus, we check in on the health of the bitcoin market. With today’s introduction of a new bitcoin exchange, will we see a reduction in the currency’s volatility?

Leftist party wants to abolish austerity measures. Will other EU nations follow?

Program to move from fee-based to a quality-based payment system.

Levi Bettwieser's Rescued Film Project recovers untold history one photo at a time

Nearly a third of Americans older than 24 have at least a bachelor’s degree, up from 28 percent a decade ago.

First time homebuyers get a break, unequal 1-percenters, and the difficulty of sending money to Cuba

Airing on Monday, January 26, 2015: Microsoft Corp. kicks off the busiest week in the earnings season – 143 of S&P 500 companies report their quarterly earnings this week – when it releases its Q2 earnings for 2015 today. James McQuivey, VP & Principal Analyst at Forrester, tells us what to expect from the announcement. Next up is Slate’s senior tech reporter, Will Oremus, to discuss reports that Snapchat is tying up with major news organizations to publish content. It’s also been hiring reporters and bloggers to create original videos and text. We also talk  with Ryan Calo, Assistant Law Professor at the University of Washington and an affiliate scholar at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, about socially-responsible artificial intelligence. If you want to know what that means, you’ll have to tune in.   

Airing on Monday, January 26, 2015: A leftist coalition is taking power in Greece, now that the results are in from this weekends general election. The new government promises to ease what has become years of grinding austerity and to cut payments on Greece’s debt. More on that. Plus, you may be the exception, but odds are this weekend you did not go to opera, dance, live theater or the museum. The National Endowment for the Arts says attendance continues to fall. And those who show up are getting older. Through a series of reports, the NEA wants to give arts organizations new insights into the what patrons, dare we call them consumers, want.

The reduction could save two million homeowners an average of about $900 a year.

Some say we need to understand how AI can be harmful, even if it isn’t right now.

Artists are increasingly stepping off the stage and into the community.

The gap is narrower in states where wages are rising for the bottom 99 percent.