Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories
  • The end of "shaken, not stirred?" Reports are out that James Bond will sip a Heineken beer in the latest movie.
    Dave M. Benett/Getty Images for Martini

    The Federal Reserve has released its latest minutes as well as the results of an investigation which found that the Fed didn't contribute funds to Watergate, or other scandalous causes. The U.S. is increasing pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear program, but India — a long-time U.S. ally — is reluctant to go along. And last year, Starbucks initiated the Create Jobs for USA Fund; because of its success, Google and Gap are ready to join in.

  • Almost 30 percent of new car sales are leases.
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    Car manufacturers report sales numbers for last month today, and one thing that might have hit them hard is gas prices. Next week will mark 100 years since the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, and we speak to Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic wreck in 1985, about the state of deep sea exploration these days. If you're a regular user of Facebook or Twitter, you're likely familiar with the KONY 2012 video — and now, the group behind it is preparing Kony 2012, Part 2.

  • A young boy smiles in Dublin, Ireland on March 17, 2012. A new study by the U.N. took happiness of countries into account for the first time.
    PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images

    A new report of the world's happiest countries helps point to factors besides GDP that help contribute to a happy population.

  • General atmosphere during Tim McGraw's launch of his new fragrance 'McGraw' with Coty and performs with his band at the Highline Ballroom on April 29, 2008 in New York City. Coty has tried to offer Avon a deal to take over the company, but Avon has refused thus far.
    Joe Corrigan/Getty Images

    Mayor of Chicago and former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel speaks about health care reform, inspiration from other mayors, and parking meters. The nation's largest manager of pharmacy benefit plans is getting even bigger as Express Scripts expects to finalize its merger with Medco this week. As Myanmar takes steps in the direction of democracy after decades of strict rule, big economic changes are also in store for the country. Right now, the Food and Drug Administration has very little power to police the cosmetics and personal care products industry. But three separate bills in Congress could change that.

  • A large box of Quaker Oats is displayed in a first-floor lobby window at Quaker''s headquarters in Chicago. Soon, the brand will get a facelift.
    Tim Boyle/Newsmakers

    The company that makes Apple products in China, Foxconn, is pledging to improve working conditions at its factories, saying it'll hike pay and limit work hours after an investigation found the firm was regularly violating labor rules. Here in this country, many jobs are being replaced by machines, and Economy 4.0's David Brancaccio is currently driving 3,200 miles across the country without interacting with humans. The amount of outstanding student loan debt in this country has reached $1 trillion, and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois is trying to address this issue at the federal level. And the Master's tournament tees off next week at the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

  • A bumblebee collects nectar from a flower during a warm spring sunny day. World bee populations have been dwindling, and two new research papers might have a reason why.
    SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images

    Bee populations in the U.S. — and even other parts of the world — have been on the decline, which has many worried. Well, two new studies out might have figured out a reason why.

  • Shoppers wait in line at a Best Buy store on November 24, 2011 San Diego, Calif. The company has announced that it is closing 50 big box stores after losing almost $2 billion over the last few months.
    Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

    Arguments for and against the legality of the Affordable Care Act wrapped up yesterday in the Supreme Court, and today, in our weekly Attitude Check, we look at how the average American feels about the law. The value of Mega Millions drawing has soared to a half-billion dollars. Lottery officials report strong sales in the 40-plus states that take part in the drawing, but if you go into a pool with co-workers, you might want to take a few precautions.

  • Digital music sales surpass CD and vinyl
    Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

    Official music industry sales numbers for the year of 2011 are out this week, and for the first time, digital sales are taking up the majority of the market.

  • The Dodgers have a new owner. The troubled franchise will be bought up by a group of investors, Magic Johnson among them.
    Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

    The Dodgers have a new owner. The troubled franchise will be bought up by a group of investors, Magic Johnson among them.

  • AAA reports the average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. topped $3.90 a gallon this morning. It's been going up every day for more than 2 weeks.
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    Research shows that over a quarter of the population isn't getting enough sleep, but what can be done? Research in Motion reports earnings tomorrow, and despite efforts to revamp the company and its BlackBerry product, the outlook is still grim. The health care debate continues into Day Three, and David Brancaccio continues his cross-country trip looking at robots that are stealing our jobs.