McDonald’s hopes to boost sales by expanding its options for value-conscious customers. Airfares are likely to remain high throughout this decade and expected to double in 20 years. Gallup’s Frank Newport talks about American opinion on the government’s role in job creation. The author of a new Vladimir Putin biography dicusses what it means for Russia now that he’s back in power. And we continue our series looking back at the Japan earthquake and tsunami one year later, with recordings from the nuclear plant disaster.

It’s been about a year since an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant. We hear from an American engineer who was inside the plant and lived to tell about that day. Apple made its big announcement on the new iPad today, but what will happen to the old ones that users discard? Commentator Robert Reich says a college education is still key to a brighter future, even as it becomes harder to come by. And Freakonomics Radio takes a look at the power of the president.

On Super Tuesday, we explore how the extended, expensive GOP primary race could help state primaries that never mattered before — in big media markets like California and New York. A new report says student loan debt now tops U.S. credit card debt. IBM’s Watson will use its talents on Wall Street in a Citigroup deal. GM has announced that it’s temporarily suspending manufacture of the Chevy Volt. And Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Mark Fiore offers some super PAC satire.

Ahead of Super Tuesday, we’re in Atlanta exploring the city’s economy. Mayor Kasim Reed weighs in on how Atlanta’s new $1.4 billion international terminal can help the city bounce back. Graduating students from Emory University discuss what the future holds. And reporter David Gura brings us the story of one couple who went from middle class to working five part-time jobs to stay afloat.

Attention AT&T users: It’s the end of the line for truly unlimited data on your phone. Find out how that might impact you. And could you live without Google for a day? Reporter Jennifer Collins tried it out. We look at how some businesses are finding opportunities in the health care reform law. And one commentator tells us what the Jeremy Lin story is really all about — here’s a hint, it’s not basketball.

How’s the weather where you are? A new survey says recent good weather is making the economy seem better than it really is. In the latest from our Attitude Check series, we look at how Americans feel about health care reform. One commentator says the government needs to step up its role in regulating our sugar intake. And the film “The Lorax” — based on the 1971 Dr. Seuss book — is opening this weekend. How much of an impact will its story have in today’s environmental world?

More dramatic developments in the scandal surrounding Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, as Murdoch’s son James Murdoch quit as News International’s executive chairman. There’s been a slight thaw in the icy relations between the U.S. and North Korea as the government there agreed to suspend its nuclear weapons programs in return for the resumption of U.S. food aid. Our new Wealth and Poverty desk hears from two small-business owners who are doing relatively well compared to their fellow Americans. And a Silicon Valley start-up says it has  a new battery that could greatly increase the range of electric cars — and cut their price.

As many Americans head to the polls next week for Super Tuesday, we look at just how much the economy does — or doesn’t — affect elections, and the economic issues that have impacted recent presidential races. We continue our coverage from the new Wealth and Poverty desk by exploring the middle class in America. And we look at why NASCAR should thank the rain, the business of reality TV casting, and a good reason why you should name your kid something simple.

We launch our new Wealth and Poverty Desk with the voices of two people struggling to make ends meet; tomorrow: people talk about life in the economic middle. Home improvement sales were better than expected this quarter — could that mean good news on the horizon for home sales? Gas prices inevitably turn into campaign fodder during an election year, and over the weekend Newt Gingrich stumped in front of signs that promised $2.50 a gallon. Plus, Warren Buffett said his successor has been picked, but he didn’t identify the future CEO.