May 24, 2006

Marketplace PM for May 24, 2006

Stories You Might Like U.K. budget watchdog meets with PM The economics of kidnapping The costs of living in an oil-based economy It’s time to talk tech as India PM Modi heads to Washington Fleece power vests are big business "As we go on/We remember/All the debt we/Accrued together"

Segments From this episode

Congress needs to flush obsolete programs

by Marketplace Staff

May 24, 2006

The House is looking at government waste, setting up a bipartisan commission to get rid of federal programs that aren't worth the money. Commentator Steve Moore looks at some outdated government programs that need to go.

You can be Art Brut 102

by Jane Lindholm

May 24, 2006

British band Art Brut has adopted the corporate franchise model, only with a twist. It's giving away its name and music for free. Jane Lindholm reports.

MasterCard IPO

by Alisa Roth

May 24, 2006

MasterCard is going public Thursday, and it's expected to be one of the biggest IPOs in years. About $2.8 billion. Alisa Roth reports on the company's transition — and where all that money's going.

Students flock to derivatives oracle

by Eleanor Beardsley

May 24, 2006

The high-finance world of derivatives is all the rage these days at one French school. One teacher's students have been so successful that getting into her class is almost as hard as its subject matter. Eleanor Beardsley reports from Paris.

Housing bubble still intact — for now

by Tess Vigeland

May 24, 2006

New home sales rose 4.9% last month. But the housing market is showing signs of strain. The price of homes sold last month dropped at the same time the number of unsold homes rose to a record high. Tess Vigeland reports.

Scott Olson (c) Getty Images

GM to subsidize gas guzzlers

by Bob Moon

May 24, 2006

General Motors will subsidize gas purchases in Florida and California to boost SUV sales in those states. It will cap gas prices at $1.99 per gallon for new buyers of some 2006 and 2007 vehicles. Bob Moon reports.

Negroponte given power to waive SEC rules

by Kai Ryssdal

May 24, 2006

President Bush has granted his intelligence czar the authority to exempt publicly traded companies from reporting requirements — in the name of national security. Kai Ryssdal talks with BusinessWeek reporter Dawn Kopecki.