Week of April 13th, 2015

Kai's weekly chat about the week in business news.

Global sales for BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are at a record high.

Leaked emails show Sony was looking for "Official Razor of Alex Trebek's Mustache"

Dealing with collective outrage in the digital age.

Stores track who's wearing what so that there are no repeats come prom night.

An outage at the financial-data giant shows how much some traders rely on it.

Airing on Friday, April 17, 2015: German luxury car companies BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi have reported record-high global sales for the first quarter of 2015. Though these carmakers started out in the upscale market, they’re now pushing for a more inclusive customer base.  Will entering the mass market hurt their prestige? We explore. Next, an outage at financial-data giant Bloomberg shows how much some traders rely on it. The event led some markets to stop trading and caused the U.K. government to delay certain bond sales. We take a look at why the ripple effect happened. 

On this episode of Marketplace Weekend, guest host David Lazarus has the need, the need … yes, for speed. Author and journalist John Ronson speaks about the lightning-fast world of internet shaming. We discuss speed in our economy — in the market, in retail, in fast food and even in music. Marketplace’s new fill-in host and correspondent Molly Wood explains high frequency trading, Marketplace Tech’s Ben Johnson talks fiber-optic internet, and DJ The Gaslamp Killer tells us his secrets to a fast-paced, heart-pumping playlist. Plus, we discover how to take advantage of flash sales and cheap airfare on the fly.

Slow and steady doesn't always win the race.

How one DJ plays with speed to shape your dance experience.

Tell us: where do you hide your money?

Tacos take time to make these days.

Researchers have discovered factors that may help economic mobility.

As this week comes to an end, we have a consensus that the fed will not raise the cost of borrowing in June anymore. But then came some inflation data today. For more on that, we consult Christopher Low, chief economist at FTN Financial in New York. Next, Yale University’s med school is weighing its next move […]

Accreditors deny Yale University's plan to offer a master's degree program online.

Airing on Friday, April 17, 2015: With support from the Obama Administration, lawmakers in Congress have introduced a bill to streamline approval of a sweeping trade treaty. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is advertised as liberalizing trade with the US and Canada, Mexico and Chile on this side of the ocean and Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore on the other. Trans-Pacific negotiations have been proceeding in secret. Next, the promise of America has always been the chance to move up, regardless of where you come from. While statistics show that too often the circumstances of parents dictate the later circumstances of their children, the goal of economic mobility remains an crucial one. And one of the things that stands out as really helpful for mobility is called “social capital.” 

Airing on Friday, April 17, 2015:  First, we talk with Edith Ramirez, Chairwoman of the FTC, about regulating the sharing economy. And this week, we play Silicon Tally with Annalee Newitz, Editor-In-Chief of Gizmodo. 

Unemployment claims have doubled in Texas as the oil industry sheds workers.

"Social Capital" is one key factor influencing economic mobility.

For many festival-goers, what they wear is almost as important as what they hear.

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

Merritt Watts hated her first job as a telemarketer. But it taught her something.

Chad Dickerson talks about heading up the internet's largest artisan marketplace.

LAUSD wants its money back for iPads loaded with Pearson software that is sub-par.

Affectiva is using video footage to gauge emotional reactions.

Airing on Thursday, April 16, 2015: A judge rules that General Motor’s bankruptcy shields the company from lawsuits over defective cars built before the bankruptcy. We sort out the consequences of the decision if it stands. Next, the Los Angeles Unified School District  wants its money back for iPads loaded with Pearson software that is sub-par. This is yet another expensive chapter in LAUSD’s disastrous $1 billion-plus classroom tech effort. It’s also another stumbling block on the larger road to the digital classroom. Marketplace reporter Nova Safo uses the LAUSD debacle to talk about what’s at stake as schools convert to digital classrooms and  companies vie for their share of the multibillion-dollar ed-tech market.  

The crafty commerce site ended the day at $30 a share.

Dayton, Ohio can teach us a lot about mobility and the American Dream.

A judge says GM can't be sued over defective switches in cars sold pre-bankruptcy.

Hillary Clinton is working to refresh her image after a long career.

Airing on Thursday, April 16, 2015: There’s word today that Japan has overtaken China as the number one foreign holder of US treasuries. I’m speaking of Japanese pension funds, the Japanese government and other Japanese investors. We consult Adolfo Laurenti, chief international economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago on the shift to US debt. Plus, […]

Airing on Thursday, April 16, 2015:  First up, we talk to Santosh Rao, head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners, about Etsy’s IPO. Next up is James Grimmelmann, Law Professor at the University of Maryland, talking about the antitrust charges Google is facing in the EU. Finally, we take a look at what happens when PayPal is incompatible with another country’s banking system.

A federal court in Washington hears a challenge to the EPA's Clean Power Plan.

Groups around the country are refurbishing used bikes to help low-income people.

“Pay securely. Here, there, anywhere.” That’s the slogan currently on PayPal’s website, and one of the central promises for digital payments of all kinds. But so far, the promise isn’t accessible “anywhere.”  For instance: Nicaragua.  On the country’s Pacific coast, in a remote beach town, there is a Spanish school called Pie de Gigante. It draws an […]

The car maker announced plans to build plants in Mexico and China.

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

The world's fastest-growing economy is pumping the brakes.

"Freakonomics" author Stephen Dubner explains what keeps diamonds valuable.

The Federal Reserve released its eight-times-a-year regional look at the American economy.

Airing on Wednesday, April 15, 2015:  Stephen Dubner, the author of “Freakonomics,” rejoins the Marketplace team to discuss the value of diamonds and their hard resale value. High jeweler markups and a limited buyer’s market for diamonds have created what’s called a “thin market” for the good. Next, some tax preparers are charging high fees and making dubious loans to vulnerable clients. We look at some of the controversial practices these businesses are employing during tax season. Also, the European Union has brought antitrust charges against Google, with claims that the company has taken advantage of the European market by using its search engine to boost its shopping service. Are monopolies always necessarily a bad thing? We explore. 

The European Union has brought an antitrust case against Google.

Airing Wednesday, April 15, 2015: One week into the spring season for companies to reveal profits, losses and reveal plans for the future, we check in with our regular Brian Reynolds for the morning open. Plus, there is news today that the Chinese economy grew at its slowest rate in six year. The numbers are for […]

The European Union goes after Google.

Because today is tax day

Airing on Thursday, April 16, 2015:  The finance minister of debt-burdened Greece is in Washington today for a round of meetings that includes some face time with President Obama. Yanis Varoufakis has new trouble today, after a downgrade for his country’s debt. More on that. Biking to work is cool and doesn’t burn fossil fuel unless you ate fossil fuel for breakfast. But we should remember that many people have to bike if they can’t afford the car, the insurance, the parking. A new program in Savannah, Georgia is helping people in the second group get the bikes they need.

Airing on Wednesday, April 15, 2015: The news today that the Chinese economy grew at its slowest rate in six year. The numbers are for January to March, and annualized it’s down to a 7 percent growth rate. Magnificent by U.S. standards but lackluster by China’s standards which has to keep creating jobs for people pulled into the economy from the hinterlands. Next, with the patents and trademarks people celebrating the 225th anniversary of the Patents Act this month. we reach out to Michelle Lee, the newly confirmed director at the U.S. Patent and Trade Office, about the so-called patent trolls. This is kind of patent holder who is less interested in using a patent and more interested in holding up other people for licensing money even if they haven’t actually infringed.     

Airing on Wednesday, April 15, 2015: First up, we talk to Carissa Christensen, managing partner at the Tauri Group, about the Space X launching and landing. Next, Marketplace’s Molly Wood explains why the Apple Watch is a beta version of smartwatches to come. We’ll also talk to Walter Woodman, co-director of the short film Noah, about the challenges of directing a movie where every scene unfolds on a computer screen. 

Intellectual property, abusive litigation, and social innovation.

…and why faking Facebook in a movie is harder than it sounds.

Callers impersonating IRS agents have scammed thousands.

Federal regulators are proposing new rules to protect retirement savings. As part of Obama’s stated plan to bolster the middle class, the Labor Department proposed changes to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The rules are designed to protect retirees from investment brokers who put their own financial interests above their clients and eliminate conflicts […]

Critics say rules on nutritional content make the meals unappealing and costly.

Here are the numbers we're watching for Wednesday.

Airing on Tuesday, April 14, 2015: We’ve been talking a lot about the drought out here in California and just who should get how much water and for what purpose.  One of the ways the state’s dealt with shortages in the past is through the spot market, where farmers with strong water rights sell their water to thirsty cities and farmers with more junior rights.  But as Sarah Gardner reports from the Marketplace Sustainability Desk, the state’s drought is causing that market model to come up short.  Next, IBM has teamed up with Apple, Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic to launch its “Watson Health Cloud,” a service that will use data to create health profiles for patients. We look at the profit motive for each. Plus, a recent draft report from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee suggests that red meat consumption in the U.S. can be bad for one’s health and the environment. The suggestion has caused controversy over whether sustainability concerns should have factored into the committee’s report. 

A report suggesting limitations on red meat consumption stirs up controversy.

Apple, IBM, Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson are partnering up.

Sam Weiner and Daniel Kibblesmith are here to save you money come tax day.

Data show varying levels of pay disparity between men and women across the U.S.

The market model for farmers in California who sell water is coming up short.

There are more than 50 percent fewer rigs drilling new wells than a year ago.

As TV networks pitch ad buyers, a new model could upset stalwart Nielsen ratings.

Airing on Tuesday, April 14, 2015: We were out buying new sheets and pillow cases, khaki pants, Adirondack chairs, Ford Fusions and two by fours last month. That’s what the numbers suggest from the Commerce Department this morning, with retail sales up 9-10ths percent in March. Analysts see this as new evidence it was the […]

Airing on Tuesday, April 14, 2015:  There’s news today of merger talks between two telecommunications equipment makers, Nokia of Finland and Alcatel Lucent of France.  And there are a few strands of American DNA in there. Lucent is descendant of the old AT&T, bell labs, the people who invented the laser. Plus, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo report earnings today. The news from General Electric last week implied that the bloom has come off the rose for finance: it’s no longer the sexy, risky, vast-amounts-of-money-making machine that it used to be, and many firms that aren’t banks want to get out of it. But what about companies that have finance as their core business? Finally, we speak to our own producer Josh Woo about what his Wheel of Fortune win means for him this tax season.     

Airing on Tuesday, April 14, 2015: First up, we talk to Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSI research, about Intel and the chip market for the Internet of Things. We also talk with Kelly Goldsmith, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, about The Reddit Button. And Sara Sorcher, Cybersecurity Editor at The Christian Science Monitor, joins us to talk about why states are trying to lure companies to create the Silicon Valley of Cybersecurity.

As luck would have it

…and no one knows what happens when the timer reaches zero

With the dollar creeping up on the euro, Americans are finding bargains in Europe.

How are companies with finance as their core business faring?

How did the Pentagon’s F-35 fighter jet program, which was originally thought up as a way to cut costs, end up becoming the most expensive weapons program in history? Mackenzie Eaglen, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, says policymakers boxed themselves into this expensive fighter jet. “By canceling the F-22 air superiority fighter,” […]

Here are the numbers we are watching on Tuesday.

Fed expressed concerns that "flash crash" could become more common

Many taxpayers will receive a refund averaging $2,800. That's free money for the government.

"Game of Thrones" is the most pirated show in existence. Will HBO Now help or hurt?

Airing on Monday, April 13, 2015: A study finds that nearly three out of four recipients of Medicaid, food stamps and other aid are members of families headed by someone who works –meaning, someone who works but doesn’t earn a wage high enough to keep them out of poverty. The study says this amounts to a $150 billion subsidy of low-paying employers. This comes as several companies have raised their minimum pay to $9 an hour ($18,720 a year), and unions and others advocate for a minimum wage of $15, as median incomes haven’t grown in 20 years or so. Next, a historic handshake this weekend between Presidents Obama and Castro at the Summit of the Americas has helped to fuel optimism over warming relations with Cuba. But – handshakes aside – what obstacles remain to trading with Cuba for businesses both small and large? We explore. 

For U.S. companies looking to do business in Cuba, the ice is very slowly melting.

A majority of Americans who use certain aid programs are from working families.

Jordan Spieth signed a 10-year endorsement deal with the brand earlier this year.

A tornado generates huge amounts of energy.

Airing on Monday, April 13, 2015: The attorney general of the state of New York is putting big retailers like the Gap and Target under scrutiny. Warning letters went out over the weekend. The question is, are they violating state law when they use a system known as “on-call”scheduling? For context, we turn to Thomas Kochan […]

Listen to some bonus audio before the whole conversation airs Friday.

Airing on Monday, April 13, 2015: Etsy, the online site for handmade and vintage goods, is taking a new approach to its initial public offering. According to sources close to the deal, the retail platform plans to target small investors and keep big investors to a minimum. Reportedly, this is part of the Brooklyn-based website’s effort to stay true to its “socially responsible business practices.” Is this a risky tactic? Next, the feds have issued a critical, but short-of-scathing report that, despite investing billions, not enough patient data is being shared. We look at whether this new report puts any serious pressure on vendors to step up and make it easier (and cheaper) to share the data. Plus, we talk to art critic Blake Gopnik about the idea of selling art in museums to make money.

Airing on Monday, April 13, 2015: First up, we talk with Amanda Lotz, Associate Professor of Communications Studies at the University of Michigan, about Google’s anti-spoiler patent. Next, we hear about a bill passed last week in Gerogia to renew tax credit for video gaming companies for another three years. WABE’s Tasnim Shamma reports on why that’s just one reason more and more gamers are choosing to call metro-Atlanta home. We’ll also hear from Marketplace’s Meg Cramer about the circus at the Apple Store on the first day of Apple Watch try-ons.   

A report shows employers may be building their pay around taxpayer support

There are now more than 70 video gaming companies located in the Atlanta area.

What it's like to be one of the first to try out the Apple Watch.

Museums get in the business of selling their masterpiece?

Etsy plans to target small investors and keep big ones at a minimum.

The feds say they aren't getting their money's worth.

Here are the numbers we are watching on Monday.