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Daily business news and economic stories
  • Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Joint Economic Committee on Capitol Hill June 7, 2012 in Washington, DC.
    Win McNamee/Getty Images

    Chairman Ben Bernanke's announcement yesterday that the Federal Reserve will expand the Operation Twist monetary stimulus program has left markets and economists unimpressed. As our country still continues to recover from the recession, Marketplace's economics correspondent Chris Farrell comapres where we are now to previous economic low points. And at tonight's perfect storm — the NBA finals matchup of the Heat and Thunder — ticket prices are going through the roof.

  • The Fed will wrap up a meeting today in Washington, and experts are guessing that policymakers will launch more monetary stimulus to boost the economy. With austerity still the hot button word in Europe, here in the U.S., the Postal Service could be going the way of Greece if Congress doesn't pass a restructuring plan to close a multi-billion dollar budget gap. And why public transit riders aren't so happy about Apple's new operating system for iPhones and iPads.

  • Heads of the G20 leading economies take their positions after arriving for the family photo of the G20 summit, at the convention center in Los Cabos, Mexico, on June 18, 2012.
    JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages

    Microsoft has unveiled its new tablet, called Surface. But will it be enough to compete with Apple and other tech giants? In a New York courtroom today, a famous Oklahoma City company called Kerr-McGee is being sued for $25 billion for environmental pollution. And speaking of the environment, tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, the United Nations is holding a big conference on sustainable development.

  • On the heels of Greece and Spain, Cyprus formally announced its request for a bailout from the euro zone this week.
    Milos Bicanski/Getty Images

    After weeks of uncertainty, it appears as though Greece will be staying in the eurozone… at least for now: the pro-bailout, pro-austerity New Democracy party narrowly beat the anti-bailout Syriza party in yesterday's elections. Critics say President Obama's decision to allow undocumented immigrants to work legally will make the job market here in the U.S. even tougher. Look out for sunburns today, as some new federal rules for sunscreen products that were supposed to take effect won't actually be enforced until December. And what Microsoft is up against when it finally releases its new tablet.

  • This weekend Greece will hold crucial elections that may determine its future in the eurozone, we lay out the possible Monday morning scenarios. A barbershop quartet and the countries of the eurozone have much more in common than you think. Nokia puts giveaways to the test with free smartphones for first-year students at Seton Hall University. With few regulatory teeth, the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continues to carve out a role as the place people go to air financial grievances.

  • The World Bank's outgoing president, Robert Zoellick, says that four years after eurozone debt became a problem, the world is entering a new and more precarious phase of the crisis. Starboard Venture has a 5 percent stake in AOL and now it wants three seats on the board of directors. Ahead of what's billed as a major speech by Barack Obama in Cleveland, Democratic strategists want the president to change his message to acknowledge slow growth.

  • The chairman and CEO of JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon, will be grilled on a huge trading loss by the bank's unit in London. Americans spend an average of $1,100 a year on clothes, and a lot of that is spent on cheap and trendy "fast fashion." Elizabeth Cline joins us to talk about the high cost of discount clothing detailed in her new book, "Overdressed." Verizon Wireless announced it's scrapping unlimited data plans which could force a change in our web surfing. And the popular '80s primetime soap, "Dallas," is getting remade with the all-important ad demographic of 18 to 35-year-olds in mind.

  • Global stock markets are turning their attention back to Greece and its elections this weekend that could lead to an exit from the euro. General Motors shareholders gather today for their annual meeting where one of the main questions will be: Why has the car maker's stock price been sagging in spite of its solid earnings? A new study that finds Americans paid $30 billion in overdraft fees last year despite efforts to curb them. Despite the shortened NBA season, basketball viewership is up thanks to the likes of Jeremy Lin and the 76ers.

  • Global markets are up — for now — on news this weekend that European leaders agreed to bail out Spain's banks to the tune of $125 billion. With California scheduled to vote on a budget this week, the question is: How did the state’s finances get so bad, so quickly? The Apple Worldwide Developers conference kicks off in San Francisco today where CEO Tim Cook will unveil the company's newest products. And a Syrian doctor in Istanbul set up a free hospital to treat Syrian opposition fighters, but middlemen ripped off his patients.

  • After the CEO of Chesapeake Energy was drilled by allegations of impropriety, angry shareholders are demanding change. Like the rest of us, companies are still uncertain of the economic future and holding on to their cash. But spending and investing could help to push the economy forward. The International Olympic Committee will provide live web coverage of the London games this summer to nations in Asia and Africa. And finally, what to throw out when, we give you a guide to food expiration dates beyond what's printed on the carton.

Mid-day Update