Airing on Wednesday, May 27, 2015: Severe floods in Texas have cost lives, inflicted major damage on the region economically and washed away hundreds of homes. We look at the economic cost, and the situation of affected homeowners who wonder whether their insurance will cover their losses. Plus, with the latest deadline in talks between the USPS and one of its unions looming Wednesday, we check on the biggest elephant in the room: the Postal Service’s pension obligations. Next: we talk to Hal Brill about his latest book, “The Resilient Investor.“

Airing on Tuesday, May 26, 2015: Just confirmed, a $55 billion merger in the internet and TV business. More on that. Plus, as the next durable goods report is released, we look at what durable goods are. Are there some products considered durable that aren’t actually all that durable? We explore. We’ll also talk to Sheila Bair, former head of the FDIC, about her new young adult novel, “The Bullies of Wall Street.”

Airing on Monday, May 25, 2015: After a dismal winter, many indicators are pointing to a pretty good late spring and summer for housing — typically the most important months both for home sales and new home construction. Next: funeral homes have long been accused of scamming customers, who are spending lots of money when they’re grieving and vulnerable. A recent Federal Trade Commission investigation found fraud increased last year. Plus, Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate … these are some of the economic indicators we look at regularly on this show to frame the big drop in oil prices and drilling rig counts. But as we find out, in the town of Williston, North Dakota, the nation’s second-largest oil producer, there are other telling metrics … like hot dogs and U-Hauls.   

Airing on Friday, May 22, 2015: The UK wants to rethink the relationship with the European Union. More on that. Plus, in the wake of the Ebola outbreak in Africa, a new plan has emerged to guard against future problems: re-insurance to help protect governments and insurance companies against the costs of epidemics. A San Francisco firm announced $30 million in funding for the idea this week. We explain the concept and investigate whether there’s a market. Next: Many of the jobs created by Baltimore’s Empowerment Zones disappeared when the recession hit and when industry changed. But there are small, shining examples of success. More on that in today’s show.

Airing on Thursday, May 21, 2015: In the housing market, there’s new data that costs related to renting went up more than owning this past year. We’ll talk more about the implications. And speaking of new data, we’ll talk about findings that few Americans are prepared for a sudden change in cash flow. Diana Farrell is President and CEO of the JPMorgan Chase Institute, which did the study, and joins us this morning to talk about the results. Plus, on the eve of Disney’s 60th anniversary, we look at its self-sustaining model: the circular loop of how its movies and characters create theme park attractions which are then translated into merchandise, which then feed back into the movies.

Airing on Wednesday, May 20, 2015: We’ll talk about the high price tag of a possible merger in the cable industry: Altice of France is in talks to buy Suddenlink, a U.S. cable company, for about $10 billion. More on that. Plus, the Senate Education Committee meets Wednesday. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who chairs the committee and is a former secretary of education, has proposed that colleges share in the risk of lending to students. He says this would lead to reduced student borrowing. How would it work if colleges had “skin in the game,” and how realistic is the proposal? We explore. Plus, in our next installment of our series “Pro Tool: Tools of the Professional,” we’ll talk about the notebook one writer says he can’t work without.

Airing on Tuesday, May 19, 2015: Wal-Mart announces its first quarter results on Tuesday. We look at what effect recent wage rises for Wal-Mart workers may have had on its bottom line. And the European Central Bank says it’s going to front-load its bond buying stimulus going into summer. We look at what effect that has on the European markets. Plus, “Swatting” isn’t a new prank, but new technologies are making it more common and more attractive to hackers. How big is the problem, and what are police departments and emergency call centers doing to fight it? 

Airing on Monday, May 18, 2015: First up on today’s show, we’ll talk about Chinese Premier Li Keqiang‘s visit to South America. Next: The tech sector in San Francisco may be booming, but the city’s homeless are still suffering. And with real estate prices skyrocketing, pressure on  the needy to find housing has intensified. Advocates say there is only one shelter bed for about every six homeless people, and the homeless and their neighbors are clamoring for solutions. So the city is trying something a little different—a shelter with fewer rules and more open space.

Airing on Friday, May 15, 2015: Cosmetics company Avon is apparently a victim of a phony takeover bid. More on that. And all this year, Marketplace has been reporting on the ways technology is changing the classroom. Our series, Learning Curve, is coming to an end in the next few weeks. But not before we hear from parents. Marketplace commissioned a national survey, and Adriene Hill joins us to share some of the results. Next, Pedialyte, best known as a kids’ remedy, is moving into the adult market by pushing itself as a hangover remedy. We look at the challenges of rebranding a kids’ product for grown-ups and moving into a crowded market.