Week of February 13th, 2017

How to spend down the money you've saved. It's harder than you might think.

NASA is the government’s space agency, but not all of what NASA does is linked to space. A good portion of its work is more inward looking and has to do with our own planet — things like weather and climate change. Some Republicans are talking about rebalancing NASA’s priorities and moving away from that […]

U.S. food company Kraft Heinz offered $143 billion for the British-Dutch consumer goods conglomerate Unilever. Unilever rejected the proposal, but Kraft Heinz said it looks forward to reaching an agreement on the terms of a transaction. If the deal does eventually go ahead, it would be one of the largest acquisitions on record. It’s just […]

Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal talks with Leigh Gallagher of Fortune and Sudeep Reddy of Politico.

Americans are having trouble paying back their auto loans. We'll look at whether these delinquent payments pose risks to the financial system. Next, we'll discuss why there's been a rise in activism among athletes — especially among NBA players — and a plan in Washington that would keep water flowing to high-value crops.

In which they discuss food poisoning and curfews.

It’s been a turbulent week in Venezuela. On Wednesday, the government ordered cable operators to take the Spanish-language version of CNN off the air, after objecting to its reporting. Last Monday, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s vice president, calling him a “drug kingpin.” But perhaps the biggest headache for Venezuela is the dire […]

The 66th NBA All-Star Game tips off  Sunday night at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The league moved it from Charlotte, North Carolina, to protest the Republican-controlled legislature’s so-called “bathroom bill” that required transgender people to use the facilities corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificates. Players, coaches, owners and the NBA […]

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis was in Brussels today, meeting with defense ministers from the 28-member NATO alliance. Mattis told the allies that they needed to step up their defense spending or else America might moderate its commitment to NATO.  What does the current U.S. stance mean for the future of the alliance and how many NATO members […]

This week, we travel to Dalton, Georgia, to talk with its mayor and find out how this manufacturing town is dealing with automation and changing demographics. Marketplace’s Andy Uhler and the Los Angeles Times’ Andrea Chang go long and short on the week’s news. Plus, the band Electric Guest takes the Marketplace Quiz.

President Donald Trump announced that he’s got a new pick for Labor secretary, R. Alexander Acosta. Recall his previous nominee, Andrew Puzder, dropped out after a good deal of backlash and potential looming scandals. Acosta is formerly of the National Labor Relations Board and the Department of Justice, and, most recently, dean of the law […]

Snap, the parent company of the social network Snapchat, laid out a preliminary valuation for its highly anticipated IPO today in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The maker of the disappearing-photo application puts its market value in the range of $16 billion to $18.5 billion. This is down considerably from the […]

There was a time when a North Korean missile launch, a Russian spy boat, a resigned national security adviser and a couple of disastrously rolled out executive orders might have been very bad news for Wall Street and stock prices.

President Donald Trump has said he wants to roll back much of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law that Congress passed after the financial crisis. Smaller regional banks have honed in on one part of Dodd-Frank they would like to change: the rule on how big a bank has to be for it to be considered […]

Janet Yellen took a trip to Capitol Hill this week, with the message that the U.S. economy is entering 2017 better than it did a year ago. What does this mean for the Fed's future plans? Next, we'll discuss why Boeing workers in South Carolina decided to shoot down a plan for unionization, and then look at a new study that says some ER doctors are more likely than others to prescribe opioids.

President Donald Trump sought rights to the Trump trademark for construction services in China for years. Trademarks in China operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and someone else beat Trump to the punch. But this week, after years of refusal, China’s Trademark Office awarded the rights to Trump. The president’s legal win is raising hackles […]

As Wendy’s releases its earnings, we take a look at the fast food chain’s hunt for a tastier chicken. The company is prepared to spend $30 million on smaller chickens in hopes they’ll provide more tender, less rubbery meat. Turns out, quality is an important consideration for legacy fast food companies, as they try to […]

Many immigrant workers are will protest today and businesses may be closed.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to pay a visit to a Boeing factory in South Carolina this Friday. Boeing, it just so happens, is a big fan of something called the Export-Import Bank. It’s a trade-promoting agency that some Republicans have worked very hard to kill.  In fact, some senators have kept the bank only […]

Americans throw out 40 percent of the food they buy. One estimate puts the monetary value at $29 billion a year, not to mention the carbon footprint. One reason? Food going past confusing “use by” labels. Now food industry groups are recommending new guidelines which clarify if a food is unsafe to eat, or just […]

Sallie Krawcheck was one of the highest ranking women on Wall Street before she was fired. Now she's the CEO of an investment platform for women. Her new book explores why women's success in the business world has stalled, and what to do about it.

Why Trump has signed a law that would let mining, oil and gas companies pay foreign governments without disclosing their actions; a discussion about when the Fed could next raise interest rates; and a cafe that's allowing patrons to pay how much they think their meals are worth.

PepsiCo reports its earnings today. It’s a pivotal time for the company as it continues to move away from the shrinking market for sugary drinks and into the growing market sector of bottled water, worth $42 billion last year. This month the company is launching a new premium brand of bottled water – Lifewtr. It’s […]

Chief executives of some of America’s largest retailers will meet with President Donald Trump today to talk about job creation and the economy. They’re also bending the ears of members of Congress to express opposition to a possible border adjustment tax, which is part of a House Republican blueprint for tax reform. The proposal would, […]

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis is in Brussels today for a meeting of defense ministers from the 28-member NATO alliance. It’s the first NATO meeting for Mattis since he took office. The U.S. contributes some 70 percent of the overall defense expenditure of NATO countries, and the issue of defense spending will likely be front […]

Toshiba, a fixture of Japan Inc. for more than a century, is in big trouble — to the tune of $6.3 billion. The company announced that whopping loss after the market closed in Tokyo today, and that may not be the worst yet. Some news reports say Toshiba might not survive in its current form. It is, […]

Toshiba, a fixture of Japan Inc. for more than a century, is in big trouble — to the tune of $6.3 billion. The company announced that whopping loss after the market closed in Tokyo today, and that may not be the worst yet. Some news reports say Toshiba might not survive in its current form. […]

House Republicans are mulling an overhaul to the tax code, specifically, how businesses are taxed. One possibility? Businesses that import items would see higher taxes on those goods — as much as 20 percent — and exporters would have the money they make off those exports exempt from taxes. Domestic manufacturers favor the plan, but […]

Janet Yellen testified to Congress today about banking, interest rates and the economy. One issue she also addressed: vacancies on the interest-rate setting Federal Open Market Committee. Daniel Tarullo, Federal Reserve governor, resigned last week, leaving President Donald Trump with three openings to fill on the seven-member board. Tarullo was the point man on bank […]

This week, the one thing the Trump administration isn't talking about, David Frum answers our Make Me Smart question, and Part 2 of how to trust government numbers

A look at the Trump administration's vow to be pro-small business; how Mexican immigrants are fighting back against the possibility of deportation; and an exploration of how much say Snapchat shareholders will get when the company goes public next month.

Immigrant rights groups are condemning the detention of hundreds of people over the past week in what they are calling evidence of a crackdown by U.S. authorities. President Trump said he’s just keeping his campaign promises to expel criminals. But the tougher U.S. position is sparking a backlash in Mexico and among immigrant groups in the U.S. […]

Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, and President Donald Trump’s pick for head of the Small Business Administration, will sit for her Senate confirmation hearing today. The Trump administration has pledged to be pro-small business, lightening the regulatory burden to encourage entrepreneurship and job creation. What will that mean going forward? […]

The trade association representing cosmetology schools seeks to block enforcement of the Obama-era regulations.

President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed their “profound shared economic interests” as they met for the first time today. At one point in his press conference with Trump, Trudeau said the North American Free Trade Agreement is a real concern for many Canadians because their jobs depend on trade with the […]

We're talking about trade, Trumponomics and trying to run the United States government like a business.

Janet Yellen is set to brief Congress this week on the state of the economy, and there are some market participants who are excited by this. But Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment company Stifel Nicolaus, joins us to explain why she has some reservations about her testimony. Next, we'll look at Japan's strength with exports and its weakness with business at home. And afterwards, we'll look at how weather analysis is being incorporated in the curriculum at some fashion schools.

The world oil glut that has been driving down oil prices is easing. That’s in part because OPEC and non-OPEC oil-producing countries have so far been complying with an agreement to reduce production as a way to cut world oil supplies. But if that agreement holds, will it be enough to rein in the global […]

Today, the Senate is scheduled to vote on President Donald Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin. It looks like he’ll make it through the vote and be the Treasury secretary before the day is done. What might his confirmation mean for the American economy? Click the audio player above for […]