Top fashion designers launch a campaign today to help raise money for President Obama’s re-election, but when fashion gets political, there can be some complications. Marketplace’s Economy 4.0 correspondent David Brancaccio explains the Fed’s beige book. And a look at the Haiti earthquake, which took place two years ago today, shows where all that donation money went.

The morning after the New Hampshire primary, the decisions made by independent Super PACS could have the biggest impact on the race going forward. We take a look at how the Glock changed gun culture in America. And John Moe helps untangle what’s been going on at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The consumer electronics show is all about gadgets, but this year, it’s also all about advertising. One organization is making strides to recycle all the unused soap from big hotel chains. And earnings season begins with a poor showing from bellwether stock Alcoa, a major U.S. aluminum producer.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is on his way to Asia today with a goal of getting Japan and China on board with new economic sanctions against Iran, as tensions between that country and the U.S. continue to grow. The Consumer Electronics Show is underway in Las Vegas and there will be plenty of hype and hooey regarding a zillion new tech products being displayed.

The economy continues to add jobs, but not fast enough to make campaigning easy for President Obama. The government is about to reveal how many hours people work on average each week. Many businesses aren’t happy about a move to start registering an expanded number of web suffixes next week. Alternative sentencing through special problem-solving courts is better for the job prospects and earning potential of offenders.

Boeing will close a military aircraft factory in Wichita, Kansas, laying off 2,000 workers over two years. The European Union could soon begin cracking down on how online companies use personal data. And in this week’s Attitude Check with Gallup, we look at the extent to which the 2012 election will focus on economic issues.

With the Iowa caucuses over and President Obama beginning his campaign, Jeff Tyler looks at whether labor unions with be a campaign issue in 2012. Auto makers in the U.S. are optimistic for car sales in the upcoming year. A mild winter means cash-strapped governments save money, but lack of snow can be costly for others.

Today’s Iowa caucuses mark the start of the 2012 election season. While the car brand Cadillac is expecting a strong year ahead, with a focus on becoming a global brand — but Ford’s Lincoln isn’t going to be quite so lucky. Manufacturing hiring is finally picking up, but this time around companies are looking for more skilled workers. And Steve Chiotakis heads to the junk yard with Paddy Hirsch to understand junk bonds.

The change of leadership over the weekend at IBM puts a fresh spotlight on the ongoing struggle women face landing top corporate jobs. The University of North Alabama has decided to spend $3.4 million to jump up to the NCAA’s Division I. Will the sports move help or hinder other students?