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Apr 17, 2013

Marketplace for Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Fresh & Easy may be leaving town, but other British retailers are still trying to make it work in the U.S., like Fairway. Thieves are apparently not getting the toner at the market, but on the black market. We take a look at the latest product that’s being stolen. Plus, Freakonomics stops by for a chat about smoking and the workplace. Can workplaces really discriminate against smokers?

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Segments From This Episode

As Apple stock drops, Exxon back on top
by Kai Ryssdal
As AAPL hovers near $400, Exxon takes back the top spot as the most valuable publicly traded company on the planet.
Help wanted: No smokers need apply (Map)
by Marketplace Contributor
In many states, it is perfectly legal to not hire someone who smokes. Should employers also be able to weed out junk-food lovers or motorcyclists — or anyone who wants to have a baby?
Online gun sales take off
by David Gura
Failure of efforts to require background checks casts spotlight on online gun sales.
The economics of PG-13 rated movies
by Sally Herships
The MPAA responds to calls for better policing of violence in movies, by increasing the TYPE SIZE on existing explanations. Why? To protect its business at the PG-13 level.
When airlines outgrow their computers
by Queena Kim
American lost access to its computer system yesterday and had to ground hundreds of flights. Maybe it's time for the industry to hit the update button.
The strange and common things you can find for sale on the black market
by David Weinberg
The arrest of a man for selling $370,000 worth of toner cartridges is a reminder that there are all sorts of mundane materials and products that have a second life on the black market.
High-end versus low-end: How do you succeed in the grocery business?
by Stacey Vanek Smith
PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
Britain’s Tesco aimed for the low-end U.S. grocery market and crashed. New York’s Fairway chain went public, aiming at the higher end. Is there no middle ground?
Cupcakes meet bitcoins
by Kai Ryssdal
Baker Jennifer Longson runs one of a handful of retail businesses that accept bitcoins as payment. Where some see twin bubbles, she insists cupcakes or bitcoins are sticking around.
The Excel mistake heard round the world
by Kai Ryssdal
The flurry of budget deficit reduction talks we've heard in the past three years was based on faulty research–an Excel spreadsheet mistake.

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Marketplace for Wednesday, April 17, 2013

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Segments From This Episode

As Apple stock drops, Exxon back on top

Help wanted: No smokers need apply (Map)

Online gun sales take off

The economics of PG-13 rated movies

When airlines outgrow their computers

The strange and common things you can find for sale on the black market

High-end versus low-end: How do you succeed in the grocery business?

Cupcakes meet bitcoins

The Excel mistake heard round the world

Music from the episode