Week of April 27th, 2015

That's more than some big companies earned in profits last year.

Sudeep Reddy and Catherine Rampell join Kai Ryssdal to recap the week in business and finance.

Airing on Friday, May 1, 2015: Marketplaces collaborates with FiveThirtyEight to look at the world of podcast advertising. Turns out that the majority of ads in today’s podcasts are from mid-sized companies that sell online. Next: Tesla unveiled the Powerwall — a big battery for your home — on Thursday in California. The battery will operate by using energy that comes from your roof’s solar panels. 

Tesla's new home battery may be ahead of its time.

A first job that's a bit macabre.

A ceiling can mean so many things — shelter, an old way of doing business or even a glass one, to shatter. On this weekend’s show, a look at the deep economic divides in Baltimore. Plus, an injured Iraq war veteran discusses his home remodel, and we learn about the principle of Universal Design. Also, take an out-of-this-world trip with astronaut Chris Hadfield, who talks about what it’s like to push through Earth’s ceiling. We discuss challenging the ceilings inside us, and find that some ceilings we thought were there, might not exist anymore. 

Some cops like them, but other criminal justice experts are skeptical.

Prices vary, but universal, accessible design is becoming more mainstream.

A new bill aims to restrict how companies use personal info in education technology.

We listened to all of the top 100 podcasts. Here's what we found.

A look back at April, and the changing demographic of horse owners.

On Saturday, Uber will deliver clothing donations to Goodwill centers for free.

Airing on Friday, May 1, 2015: First up, electric-car maker Tesla says its developing a battery that will allow folks to store and use solar energy at home. But why is a car maker trying to disrupt the power grid as we know it? And between the Kentucky Derby and that boxing match, we’ll talk more about what will be a big weekend for gamblers and the betting industry. Plus, in most places around the country gas prices have been under $3 for the last six months, which put a chunk of unspent money in drivers’ pockets. But here’s the thing: that money doesn’t seem to have done much in the way of economic stimulus. We take a look at why that might be.  

Airing on Friday, May 1, 2015: First up on the show, Katie Worthman, Attorney at the FTC, talks about the deadline for AT&T customers to apply for a refund for extra “cramming” charges that were added to their bill. Then Adam Janofsky, reporter for the Wall Street Journal, joins us to talk about the Dorm Room Fund, a VC fund managed by college students. 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 Casey Johnson, who writes about technology and is an editor at The Wirecutter.

Most of the money bet on sports will be bet the old-fashioned way: illegally.

Spending less on a tank of gas doesn't fuel the economy.

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

More women are getting into horse racing by investing in syndicates.

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

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas were removed as caretakers of the Alamo.

The social networking app Secret, which keeps users anonymous, has just shut down. Investors will get some money back.

What's changed — and what's stayed the same — since the 1968 riots in Baltimore.

It's a new facial recognition tool, and so far it's pretty flattering.

Making banks more careful… by reassuring them.

Airing on Thursday, April 30, 2015:  China introduces deposit insurance on Friday. This has less to do with protecting Chinese bank customers’ money and more to do with the Chinese government controlling the amount of risk that Chinese banks are taking. Plus: Secret, a social networking app that keeps its users’ identities hidden, has just shut down. Now, Secret has announced it’s giving its investors their money back. We look at the reasons behind the unusual move and whether it will have ramifications for other start-ups.  

Billions of dollars are being invested in new online systems for ordering takeout.

A necklace with a comforting message

A Canadian astronaut talks about singing in space and the future of living away from Earth.

Unemployment numbers, aid in Nepal, and Ben Bernanke joins PIMCO.

The city hosts the event with much fanfare but at what cost?

The former Federal Reserve chairman comes on board as an adviser.

Airing on Thursday, April 30, 2015: There’s news the Wall Street powerhouse known as Goldman Sachs is investing heavily in Bitcoin. We look at why is a financial services titan going so “indie” by embracing a digital virtual currency. Next, for the first time in decades, the draft will be held outside New York, in Chicago. The city went after the event, which will be a three-day NFL marketing extravaganza as if it were the Olympics. We explore what’s in it for Chicago, and of course, what’s in it for the NFL. Plus, word is Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard boss, will launch a campaign for president probably on Monday. When will New Jersey governor Chris Christie announce? He’s not even said he’s running even though his public posture often has a candidate-like bearing. Which brings us to what is possibly a paradox. Marketplace regular and Washington Post columnist Allan Sloan and ProPublica have been looking into why Governor Chris Christie, fiscal champion, runs a state that’s had nine credit rating downgrades during his tenure.   

Airing on Thursday, April 30, 2015: First up, we talk to Marketplace’s Senior Tech Correspondent Molly Wood about Microsoft’s bid to woo developers, and how the company is blurring the line between phone and computer with its new Windows OS. We’ll also talk to Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, about Google’s challenges in the EU antitrust suit, and whether or not it’s possible for other search engines to compete with the Internet giant.

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

Q1 GDP growth is slower than the rest of the year, again, and lower than expected.

Warren Buffett sang to Coca-Cola shareholders at company meeting

Richard Stolley got his first job as a journalist at the age of 15.

What will be the economic impact of the social unrest happening in Baltimore?

Airing on Wednesday, April 29, 2015: The residents of Baltimore neighborhoods hit by rioting are still in cleanup mode today. There’s clearly an economic cost to the individuals whose property was damaged, but what about the broader economic impact of the social unrest there? We’ll look at Baltimore’s recent efforts to position itself as a tourism destination. Next: the Securities and Exchange Commission is going to demand that companies are more transparent about CEO pay, so that it’s easier for investors see how salaries line up with the companies’ stock performance. But CEO pay is already included in company reports. So what does this change, who does it benefit, and why is the SEC doing it now?  

CEO Satya Nadella touted Windows 10 — but the cloud is where the money is.

From the archives: You know who’s not worried about the fiscal cliff? Buffett.

Disappointing GDP, the SEC's new rules, ranking colleges by economic potential, and the NFL pays taxes.

Among the places riots are playing out: Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Instagram.

Neighborhood pharmacies were ransacked by looters Monday.

Airing on Wednesday, April 29, 2015: First up, we talk to Shyam Patil, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, about how Twitter’s user problem affects advertisers. Plus, social media may have been used to gather people to the swelling protests on Monday, but it was also used once violence broke out to spread information through the community to help those coping with the damage and chaos. More on that. Finally, we’ll talk to Marketplace’s Scott Tong about home batteries and why grid defection already makes economic sense in some states.

Airing on Wednesday, April 29, 2015: Greece is under pressure to come up with new plans to cut budgets and stimulate growth to repay the money it owes. Less visible today will be Greece’s finance minister: more on that. Plus, a conversation with George Zimmer, entrepreneur and former CEO of Men’s Wearhouse, on the subject of how we pay workers in America. 

Thousands of colleges are ranked by the economic benefit of degree programs.

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

A visual look at how aid money donated to Nepal is spent.

Amid riots, Wednesday's game against the White Sox will be closed to the public.

Eliminating routine antibiotic use is most challenging in cattle

Charles Koch's company won't ask applicants if they've been convicted of a crime.

Airing on Tuesday, April 28, 2015: Tyson announced that it will stop routine feeding of antibiotics to chickens. But the USDA reports the dispensing of antibiotics to livestock like cattle and hogs continues to grow. Plus, Charles Koch says his company, Koch Industries, will no longer ask job applicants to check a box attesting to whether or not they’ve been convicted of a felony in the past. He joins a national movement that seems progressive on its face, yet includes a number of prominent right-wingers. What’s in it for these companies to “ban the box”?

A little more money for the government, less transparency about executive pay.

Research and outreach at Roosevelt High is putting more kids in advanced classes.

Companies are negotiating with select hospitals to keep surgery costs under control.

Oil company profits, Japan's currency, and millennials in the suburbs.

Compare, by race, the percentage of students enrolled in your high school with the percentage enrolled in at least one an AP class.

How does aid money reach people on the ground?

Minority and low-income students are often overlooked for the toughest classes.

Some are claiming the Bank of Japan is manipulating currency.

Airing on Tuesday, April 28, 2015: You’d think the relatively low cost of gas would have changed this headline a little bit more…But nope. Oil companies BP and Total both announced better than expected earnings numbers today. More on that. Next, Nepal has been devastated by the weekend’s earthquake, which has killed thousands of people and damaged infrastructure worth billions of dollars. The country is calling for aid but how does the dollar given by a donor actually get to help people on the ground in one of the world’s poorest economies? And millions of high school students are nervously cramming for Advanced Placement exams, which start next week. But there won’t be nearly as many low-income and minority kids in those seats as there could be. This is what’s known as the participation gap. And it’s the reason a group of education and business organizations will today announce a $100 million initiative aimed at getting more minority and low-come students students into AP and International Baccalaureate classes.  

Airing on Tuesday, April 28, 2015: First up on today’s show, we’ll talk to Frank Gillett, analyst at Forrester, on Apple earnings. Then, Thibaud Marcesse, a PhD student doing field work near India’s border with Nepal, talks about using social media to check on friends after an earthquake in Nepal. And finally, we talk to Adam Ludwin, founder of Chain.com, about using the Bitcoin architecture to move money and other items-of-value online.

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

The IRC unveils a Yelp-like service for refugees

Animals raised on a GMO-free diet are too hard to come by.

Airing on Monday, April 27, 2015: For-profit Corinthian Colleges Inc. says it will close its remaining campuses, displacing thousands of students. The business has struggled since the Department of Education cut off access to federal student aid over graduation rates and allegations of falsified job placement rates. There are also state investigations, and a lawsuit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We check on government regulation of the industry, and on the broader for-profit education sector. Next: say you’re a restaurant chain, and you decide using non-GMO ingredients was a smart business strategy. What would it take? For Chipotle Mexican Grill, it took two years to be the first restaurant to have no GMOs, and it started with a fairly simple menu.

Corinthian Colleges Inc. says it will close its remaining campuses.

That's china, small-c, as in fancy dishes.

One woman remembers her first job.

An update on aid in Nepal, a look at retirement plans for veterans, and changes to the TVA.

A lack of adequate surgical care resulted in a nearly 17 million deaths in 2010.

Airing on Monday, April 27, 2015: First up, the once powerful leader of one of the controlling clans at the German automaker Volkswagen has resigned after provoking then losing a power struggle. More on that. Plus, insurance rates for vehicles vary widely from state to state, a new survey shows. We look at state regulations and other factors that explain the differences. And you know when you go to your Uncle Freddie and ask to borrow money? You know, instead of putting on a tie and going to plead at a bank? Renaud Laplanche is CEO of a San Francisco-based company called Lending Club where Uncle Freddie types with money to lend can mix and match with people who need money. We talk to Mr. Laplanche to figure out just how it works.

Airing on Monday, April 27, 2015: First up, we’ll talk to David E. Sanger about hackers who gained access to President Obama’s email. Plus, Marketplace Tech producer Meg Cramer talks about a new documentary that takes a look at the gender gap in the tech industry. 

Congress may pass a bill to lower 20-year military servicemembers' pensions.

A report from on the ground in Kathmandu.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is scaling back its plans for more nuclear power.

States with lots of lawsuits tend to have higher insurance rates.

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