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Dec 29, 2011

Marketplace Morning Report for Thursday, December 29, 2011

As the Iowa caucuses approach, we look a little deeper at the economic policies of Republican candidate Mitt Romney. New York is threatening to strip some funding from struggling schools that don’t install new systems for evaluating teachers. A hacker collective known as Anonymous stole credit card and other info from security firm Stratfor. And in today’s Attitude Check, we look at how approval of Obama’s economic policies stacks up to presidents of years past.

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Segments From This Episode

Mitt Romney’s policies in the public and private sectors
by Adriene Hill
How did Mitt Romney approach business and economics as both a private businessman and as the governor of Massachusetts?
Attitude Check: Obama and the American economy
by Frank Newport
Heading into the election year, we speak to Frank Newport at Gallup about how Obama's economic policies are faring in the American public, and why the economy will be the biggest issue in 2012.
‘Anonymous’ hackers expose weak computer passwords
by Bob Moon
A hacker collective known as Anonymous stole credit card and other info from security firm Stratfor. Here's the lesson for our own online security.
McDonald’s shuts down in Bolivia
by Adriene Hill
Fast food chains seem to continuing popping around the globe, so why are all of the McDonald's in Bolivia actually shutting down?
European bond, debt issues wear on
by Andrew Walker
In Greece, tax collectors are on strike to protest benefit cuts while in Italy, the government was able to borrow $9 billion to help pay for services, but banks willing to lend also demanded a high return.
Kraft product nibbling at Hamburger Helper market share
by Nancy Marshall-Genzer
For years, Betty Crocker's Hamburger Helper dominated that market, but a new product from Kraft called Cheesy Skillet has recently started nibbling away.
Plastic surgery peaks during the holidays
by Adriene Hill
It's the most wonderful time of the year… At least for cosmetic surgeons.
BP oil engineers could face felony charges
by Steve Chiotakis
The U.S. government could soon bring criminal charges against some BP employees in the company's huge 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
New York schools could lose millions
by Amy Scott
New York threatens to strip some funding from struggling schools that don't install new systems for evaluating teachers. As states roll out new evaluation systems, teachers and administrators are often at odds over how to measure good teaching.
PODCAST: Gold prices drop, Kraft’s ‘liquid gold’
by Mary Dooe
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
As the Iowa caucuses approach, we look a little deeper at the economic policies of Republican candidate Mitt Romney. New York is threatening to strip some funding from struggling schools that don't install new systems for evaluating teachers. A hacker collective known as Anonymous stole credit card and other info from security firm Stratfor. And in today's Attitude Check, we look at how approval of Obama's economic policies stacks up to presidents of years past.
Mid-day Extra: Calendars still selling in 2012, and beyond
by Adriene Hill
While many Americans now do their scheduling on computers and smart phones, the printed calendar business is far from obsolete in 2012.
Jobless picture slowly improving in U.S.
by Adriene Hill
The number of people applying for unemployment rose slightly last week, but the monthly average fell to its lowest level since 2008.
Gold prices have worst month in years
After record highs earlier this year, gold prices are sharply dropping in the U.S. as people lose faith in its value.
Weekly jobless numbers conflict with employment trend
by Steve Chiotakis
The Labor Department says jobless claims were up by 15,000 last week, to 381,000. But as Richard DeKaser explains, the bigger picture still shows things looking up in the job market.