Kai Ryssdal talks to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to talk about how his department will help farmers affected by the drought. College costs are rising and now a new report shows that even upper-middle-class students are being hit hard. When a JCPenney shut its doors in San Fernando, Calif., recently, residents took to the streets. Bloomingdale’s is testing out a new virtual fitting room using the technology found in Xbox consoles. China correspondent Rob Schmitz reports on a pet project of Bo Xilai, a Chinese politician who’s now wrapped in scandal. And we kick off our new series on fun in the workplace.

Taxpayers helped bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and now after some strong earnings, they may start paying us back. Starbucks has joined forces with mobile payment company Square, which leads us to ponder about the future of cash. Campaign ads on local TV channels in crucial swing states are pushing out small businesses that rely on TV exposure. Oregon is embracing the new health care reform to give health care access to the poor and disabled without breaking the bank. Diet pill sales are actually hurting the weight loss industry. And Freakonomics Radio’s Stephen Dubner warns about the risky side of summertime fun.

A new study shows the number of children living in homes where neither parent has full-time year-round work has jumped sharply after the recession. The British bank Standard Chartered is being accused of illegally hiding secret transactions with Iran. A report reveals 15 percent of Mitt Romney’s Twitter followers are from fake accounts — is there a business there? The Waldorf Astoria in New York City is housing thousands of bees on its roof. Commentator Robert Reich contemplates what would happen if all Americans got extended vacation, and reporter Eve Troeh explores what’s happened to the traditional family resort in recent years.

Best Buy hasn’t fared well in the recession and now its founder is offering nearly $9 million to buy out the company. The Curiosity Rover has successfully landed on Mars — are humans the red planet’s next arrival? Harvard is considering canceling subscriptions to costly academic journals. In New York City, scavengers are stealing cardboard scraps and making millions. Kai Ryssdal talks to sports agent Evan Morgenstein about turning Olympic amateur athletes into sponsored, money-making machines. And we take a look at the metaphors we use to describe the economy.

The monthly jobs numbers are out and they show we’re doing the same amount of work but with a much smaller workforce. Tess Vigeland talks to Michael Kocher from the International Rescue Committee about where all the thousands of Syrian refugees are fleeing. The drought is still parching parts of the country, and with a government relief package, taxpayers may end up paying for the major losses in crops.  Clothing designer Lacoste just hit a milestone: 10 million likes on Facebook. And we say hello to Silicon Valley’s summer camp for techies.

Chick-Fil-A’s CEO is in hot water for his recent comments opposing gay marriage. Activists have taken to the streets to express their anger, but what happens to those stuck in the middle? The Olympic medal counts are big news for any country in the Games, but one particular country has a bad case of gold fever. Meanwhile, reporter Mark Garrison hands out gold medals to the people who correctly predicted the effects of last year’s debt downgrade. In the run-up to the presidential election, online ad space is running out. New York Times’ Amy O’Leary talks about sexual harrassment against women gamers. And we hear about monks in Cannes, France, who are taking advantage of the masses who come for the famous film festival there.

This summer’s drought is affecting more than just farmers — it’s been drying up supplies for food banks across the nation too. Meanwhile, genetically modified crops are creating a headache for famers and the tires on their equipment. We visit a microbrewery in Oakland, Calif., to see how the decrease in lending to small businesses has affected them. Krissy Clark reports on people who pick up a second job to help pay the credit card bills in our “Money Matters” series. And Kai Ryssdal talks to two big winners today: a physicist who just won $3 million for his work in particle physics; and a poker player who will be reimbursed for playing a site that was declared a type of Ponzi scheme.

Six hundred million people in India — about half the population there —  have been affected by the latest power outage. Meanwhile, outrage over NBC’s tape-delayed broadcast of the Olympic Games continues, even though ratings show that people are still tuning in. Ann Romney’s horse is competing in the Games, bringing attention to the elite sport. Also, Amazon expands to allow customers to pick up their purchases if they don’t have a physical address. And we hear about the labor dispute happening with low-paid janitors in Houston.

Apple and Samsung go to court today over a patent dispute, but before the jury makes a decision, wonky tech legalese will have to be translated into layman’s terms. Cash-strapped local governments may have found a creative way to create affordable housing: convince homeowners to rent out basements, garages and spare rooms. The U.S. Postal Service’s impending default on pension payments has some employees worried about their retirement benefits. Thousands in China this weekend violently protested the building of a new pipeline. A Senate committee released a new report today criticizing the quality of instruction and spending practices at for-profit colleges. And commentator Mark Bittman has a solution for those worried about climate change.