The fifth anniversary of the markets’ bull run will soon be upon us. On the principle that “all good things come to an end,” is it time to expect a correction? Later: Sears is closing its store in downtown Chicago, and we take this occasion to consider what Sears and its competitor, Montgomery Ward, were to consumers in the late 1800s: Amazon. And finally: Butterfinger’s newest peanut butter-stuffed candy looks – or rather, tastes – familiar. Why would they try to challenge the icon of their industry? We break down this “better” Reese’s.

With mass credit card hacks in the news (looking at you, Target and Nieman Marcus), we take a look at who picks up the tab for fraud. Who’s got a financial interest in credit card safety? Later, oil consumption in the U.S. grew more than in China last year, though thirst remains high in both countries. Finally, as departing Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke weighs where to rest his hat, we look at a likely option: think tanks.

What do traders and market-watchers do when some major global markets, like Wall Street, close and others remain open? Only a small number of uninsured people have signed up through the government healthcare exchanges so far. What will that mean for the future of the ACA? Wish you had Fridays off? Malaysia’s southern state of Johor is making Friday officially part of the weekend. The unintended consequences of using chemicals to kill rats, and a look at the latest technology that can help job seekers and employers find their perfect match.

The NSA announcement is sucking up a lot of the oxygen today – but what should we be more worried about, the government holding data – or the likes of Target? Next,  we look at the cost of the nickel, which the U.S. Mint says hovers around ten cents. Changing the formula could cost the zinc folks, the vending machine vendors, and other coin-operated industries. Finally, California has gotten through a number of dry years without much fuss, thanks to the Sierra snowpack. But last year’s rainfall was the lowest since 1877, it hasn’t rained at all yet this “rainy season,” fire watch started in January, and the snowpack isn’t there to melt. There’s a drought emergency in this giant agricultural state.

Kids’ pizza palace Chuck E. Cheese sold for almost $1 billion today. We dig into the rather curious story of the buck-toothed mouse, the business empire extraordinaire, and the equally unusual leader behind it. Then, we look at how tech companies and the individuals who run them want President Obama to restrict the NSA’s data collection and spying. Finally, news out today suggests that traditional retail is in trouble — Best Buy produced some horrendous earnings results, and JC Penney appears on the verge of collapse. The closure of these kind of stores would doubtless cause us some pain: Many people would be laid off. But otherwise, how much do these kinds of stores really matter to the economy? 

Bank earnings look good, and big banks’ shares are doing well in the markets today. But for some years now, a significant contributor to earnings is simply the release of loss reserves set aside during the Bad Days. When accounting affects earnings so greatly, what’s the value of these earnings reports? Next, the conservative Koch brothers have been spending money for fall campaigns already. They’re targeting vulnerable Congressional Democrats who supported the ACA. But most campaigns say a dollar spent this early is a dollar spent unwisely. And finally,Viacom’s new My Nickelodeon Jr. takes personalized TV to the younger set – well, to their parents. Parents can program the TV their kids will watch  – sounds a bit like Netflix.

So much for neutrality. A federal court said today the FCC can’t force broadband companies to treat all content equally. That means giants like Verizon and AT&T — as well as cable companies — can pick favorites on the web, by slowing traffic from some sites and boosting the speed of others. Also, as American Idol opens its new season, it’s easy to forget how influential the show was when it began more than a decade ago. Just as “The Sopranos” changed cable, American Idol shook up the networks. And finally, the Seattle Seahawks are limiting playoff tickets to credit card holders in the region – which rules out 49ers fans with California address. Does engineering a bigger home-field advantage work?

Target took weeks to reveal details of its data breach. Neiman Marcus, too. How do companies decide whether and how to reveal details of data breaches to the public? Next, we look at the updated situation in West Virginia, as residents question whether their water is safe just days after a chemical leak.  Finally, we begin our new series that answers your economic questions, like “Why does one rotisserie chicken cost less than two chicken breasts?” and “Why do hotels give you a sewing kit, but not a toothbrush?” Today we examine why your zipper probably has three letters on it: YKK.

The Labor Participation Rate hasn’t been this low since the late 1970s.  Who’s in? Who’s out? Target has upped the total number of customers impacted by its two-and-a-half week data breach to 70 million. A staggering figure that’s a reminder of the volume of shopping that happens in the U.S. consumer economy. California’s state budget famously sank during the recession. Now that the state has just as famously turned it around and has a revenue surplus, Gov. Jerry Brown wants the state to pay down debts it piled up during the bad years.