Week of August 17th, 2015

Steve Brown started his Bakken water-hauling business during the field's peak .

Georgia was one of the first states to allow this type of regulated crowdfunding.

The 92-year-old chef still shouts orders at Dooky Chase's Restaurant.

Cardiff Garcia from FT Alphaville and Leigh Gallagher of Fortune join Kai Ryssdal to recap the week in business and finance.

Take a deep breath. We talk through the day of apocalyptic markets in our Weekly Wrap; there are some numbers on the rise — the average FICO score; and volunteers pitch in to fight the West’s brutal wildfires.

Americans' FICO scores are on the rise. What's going on?

The experiment could be a model for managing disasters with limited resources.

Troy started performing as a child in a family and neighborhood of musicians.

This weekend, we head to the Crescent City to see how New Orleans has changed in the 10 years since Katrina: a trip to the legendary Dooky Chase’s Restaurant to meet owner Leah Chase; how rebounding employment numbers don’t tell the whole story; and Big Freedia shows us where she learned to bounce.

Louisiana comes up $20 billion short for its coastal restoration plan.

We do the numbers on demographics.

She’s also an author, producer, actor, decorator and has plans for more.

On today's show: stock markets, firefighters, and a paint store in New Orleans.

A conversation with showrunner David Simon on housing and segregation.

Quartz and Marketplace look at Donald Trump's immigration reform plan and Turkish whistling.

Airing on Friday, August 21, 2015: Asia’s stock market hit the skids again; HBO’s fair housing “Hero”; and the West scrambles for more firefighters.    

Airing on Friday August 21, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll explore what tech and science fiction have in common, why device makers are also making drugs, and how Google lost a part of its data storage. 

Wildfires are burning in 10 states, exhausting resources and manpower.

The fortunes of the equipment manufacturer are tied to the fate of their customers.

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

The brick building was home to men living on the edge, looking out for each other.

After horror stories, debate grows over how to keep users of new services safe.

A pharmaceutical company swoops in to buy the maker of the female libido pill; keeping the sharing economy safe; and catching up at York and Fig.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals is purchasing Sprout for $1 billion.

Washington's governor, U.S. Forest Service are asking for some federal relief.

It's National Catfish Month, and that means a lot to fish farmers in the South.

We return to Highland Park for the second episode of the gentrification podcast.

The CPI, palliative care and a check-in on a street in New Orleans.

A new index will help investors pick stocks that adhere to Catholic values.

Airing on Thursday, August 20, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about how to remain anonymous on a social network, and El-P of hip-hop group Run the Jewels joins us to talk about his sampler for the latest installment of our Noise Makers series.

Airing on Thursday, August 20, 2015: On today’s show, Valeant moves to buy the company behind the so-called “Viagra for women”; a new index adheres to Catholic values; and a conversation on cybersecurity.

Programs for the seriously ill have grown by more than 150 percent in 10 years.

Elysian Fields Avenue crosses from high ground to low, from wealthy to low-income.

Run the Jewels rapper and producer El-P talks about the sampler that started it all.

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

Gas consumption is up, and refineries are running near peak capacity. When one breaks down, gas prices jump.

An investor group is developing thousands of acres, watering the land with water pumped from wells.

Consumer prices move at a slow pace; adult affairs website Ashley Madison undergoes a data breach; and a look at prettying up politicans for the camera

The Federal Reserve wants inflation at about 2% steady inflation.

The myth of privacy on the Web has been exploded once and for all.

The company behind WeChat moves into North America's burgeoning messaging market.

Los Angeles has the largest Iranian community outside Iran. Persian businesses have had to work around the sanctions.

Kriss Blevens is makeup artist to politicos, including former Rep. Newt Gingrich.

Fed minutes, consumer prices, and rebuilding New Orleans.

Starbucks is rolling out an "evening menu," including beer, wine, and small plates.

Airing on Wednesday, August 19, 2015: The German Parliament approves giving money to Greece; raising the bar on Starbucks; and why the bond market is a shadow of what it once was.    

July's meeting minutes will provide some clues on coming interest rates hikes.

Airing on Wednesday, August 19, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about a no-contract world for phone owners; the jobs created by technology; and big data tracking vs discrimination.

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

Wal-Mart’s $3 billion “shrinkage” problem; the EPA wants to curb methane leaks; and a proposed power line across the historic James River is making waves.     

The company is fighting back against the problem of lost, spoiled and stolen inventory.

The EPA is issuing rules limiting methane leaks in the drilling, production and transportation of natural gas and oil.

…and two reasons why that $200 million could go to waste.

A need for modern infrastructure is weighed against preserving a famed river view.

Sprint is the latest to drop two-year contracts. Marketplace Tech's Ben Johnson explains why.

Rooms are scarce and demand is up, even with competition from Airbnb.

China's markets, viagra for women, and a check-in on Elysian Fields in New Orleans.

The agency is expected to rule Tuesday on what’s come to be called Viagra for women.

A convenience store chain learns of West Virginians' passion for the baked item.

Airing on Tuesday, August 18, 2015: On today’s show, the EPA’s new proposals for the oil and gas industry; the rise of the dollar store; and West Virginia’s famous pepperoni roll.

Airing on Tuesday, August 18, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about the financial relationship between the NSA and companies like AT&T; Republican presidential hopefuls in Silicon Valley; and how the TV show Mr. Robot has wooed the hard-to-please hacking community.

After a couple of corporate stumbles, Target hopes to get back on financial track.

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

Mitch Landrieu talks about the need to invest in infrastructure post-Katrina.

A listener wonders how the Senate's presidential candidates can work and run.

Even the perks at technology companies reinforce long hours.

Tech’s ‘depleted’ workers; New Orleans’ mayor on preventing infrastructure failure; and how do campaigning senators keep their day jobs?

Cameras and computers can increase the pace of street inspections and repairs.

A new study finds that education doesn't protect equally against financial shock.

An update on the markets, skyrocketing live music revenue, and the brutal work culture accounts at Amazon.

The top of the earnings list leans heavily on the back catalog.

New loans for cars and light trucks have surpassed $1 trillion for the first time.

Airing on Monday, August 17, 2015: A new study finds the racial wage gap exists even among those with college degrees; a look behind the surge in auto loans; and luxury brands look to flaunt their wares to the uber rich at a car show.    

Airing on Wednesday, August 17, 2015: On today’s show, we’ll talk about Uber’s China arm going public; Kasbersky’s alleged fake malware; and as part of our Noise Makers series on music technology, we’ll talk to Money Mark about hacking gear. 

The Concours d’Elegance, aka the Pebble Beach Car Show, runs for four days.

Money Mark talks about hacking gear to reveal what's behind the machine.

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

In honor of the world's longest nonstop flight, a quiz about travel.