Segments From This Episode

• U.S. may be facing a credit downgrade

  Jeremy Hobson speaks with Stephen Beard about government credit ratings, particularly in regards to Spain and Belgium. But one British fund manager believes that the U.S. could face a credit dip as well.

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• Ghana to begin coastal oil pumping

  by David amanor

  The African country of Ghana joined a very exclusive club today. The country began pumping oil of its coast — an oil field the country hopes will bring in $1 billion per year.

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• Wells Fargo calls for tougher regulation

  by Janet Babin

  Financial times reports Wells Fargo wants banks to keep more of the loans they make on their books — rather than selling them to investors. Janet Babin explains.

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• Time names Mark Zuckerberg Person of the Year, see past winners

  by Marketplace Staff

  The founder and CEO of Facebook beats out trapped Chilean miners and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to earn the venerable magazine's annual award. Listen to our interview with Jim Frederick, the Managing Editor of Time.com, and check out our slideshow of the past decade's winners.

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• The Tankan survey worries Japan

  by Roland Buerk

  There's some bad news for the Japanese economy. A closely watched index of how confident businesses are feeling about the future has gotten worse for the first time in nearly two years.

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• Obama speaks to CEOs

  by Marketplace Staff

  President Obama meets with some of the nation's CEOs to discuss what it will take to encourage job growth.

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• Where is "middle America"?

  by Marketplace Staff

  Ten years ago, Cuba, Mo., was considered "middle America" according to U.S. census data. Economy 4.0's David Brancaccio revisits the city today to see if it still fits the type.

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• Rule-making begins for Dodd-Frank

  by David Gura

  Federal agencies are beginning to shape the rules under Congress's financial overhaul, also known as the Dodd-Frank law. And it's set to be a long process, reports David Gura.

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• Was "Green the Capitol" a waste of money?

  by Nancy Marshall-Genzer

  Nancy Pelosi's "Green the Capitol" initiative was supposed to reduce the House's carbon footprint. But it wasn't wholly successful, and critics complained it was a waste of money. It may be on the chopping block once the GOP takes over the House.

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• U.S. set to return to rare earth industry

  by Sarah Gardner

  Rare earths are the metals commonly found in cell phones and hybrid cars, and the U.S. is ready to jump back into the industry. Molycorp Inc. is re-opening a rare earths mine in California, and Sarah Gardner got a first-hand look.

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