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Michael Pollan's latest piece in the New York Times Magazine, "Why Bother?" tells us why we should bother....

Should candidates up against millionaires be allowed to raise more money than campaign finance laws permit? The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments against the so-called "millionaires amendment" today. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.

In Washington today, small-town water suppliers compete in an annual taste test. Sam Eaton from Marketplace's Sustainability Desk reports that the real battle in many rural communities is dealing with polluted sources.

Banks haven't been doing so well this earnings season, to put it gently. But a good number of companies, from drug maker Merck to toy maker Hasbro -- have been doing well. What do they have in common? Customers overseas. Alisa Roth reports.

Some of the world's poorest consumers in Africa and Asia have rioted recently over rising prices of wheat and rice. Economist Jeffrey Sachs, author of "Common Wealth," talks with host Kai Ryssdal about how more food riots and skyrocketing energy costs may be on the way.

American businesses save tons of money buying parts and products from overseas suppliers. But sometimes they're buying worries, too -- from tainted pet food to poisonous toothpaste -- which have led some to work on ethical supply chains. Curt Nickisch reports.

A low-budget comedy movie in France with no big-name stars and little marketing is setting box-office records. Critics say the response to its feel-good message is a backlash against President Sarkozy's flamboyance, or to fears of globalization. John Laurenson reports.

Commentator and economist Peter Lindert says that for all the talk about a Social Security crisis, the real problem is with private pensions and the risks they hold for retirement.

It would stand to reason that countries with oil would be trying to increase production so they could cash in on the increasing prices. But that's not the case, as Jeff Tyler reports.