MarketPlace
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5-23-13 Marketplace
Twitter has joined the likes of Facebook Apple and other tech giants in offering two-factor authentication. Should we call it "the death of the password?" Maybe. Also in tech desctruction, iPhone users have spent billions repairing their damaged and cracked screens since 2007. Repair costs aren't getting any cheaper either. Better protect your screens carefully. Plus, President Barack Obama spoke about drones today. Just how big is the domestic drone industry and will it be a boon or bust...
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5-23-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
A deal sweetener from SoftBank. Japan's markets plunge. And is it more money, more problems for professional athletes?
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5-23-13 Marketplace Morning Report
After an electrifying run over the past several weeks, stock markets around the world are down this morning. Ford Motor Company is calling it quits in Australia. The U.S. automaker says it will shut down its two factories down under and halt production in 2016. And for pro athletes, sometimes the biggest challenge is financial success and the family pressure that comes with it.
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5-23-13 Marketplace Tech: Outliving Earths Next...
Scientists may be fretting over global climate change or when the next asteroid will strike Earth's surface, and the threat of mass extinction such events would bring. But a catastrophic event doesn't necessarily spell the end for civilization. In fact, Annalee Newitz, author of the new book Scatter, Adapt and Remember, says that with the right mindset and proper preparation, humans have the capacity to thrive in a post-mass extinction world.
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5-22-13 Marketplace
How much data are you leaking? Lots of business are selling your data to others to help them all track you. How can you opt out? We find out. In the business of sports, golf and basketball and making rules changes, like raising the hoop to make it harder to dunk. What's the economic cost? Also, we take a trip to the tax-shelter island otherwise known as Manhattan to tell you about how some of Apple's untaxable billions aren't actually overseas.
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5-22-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
The value of autistic employees. Could the country's largest public power utility really become private? And who is Daniel Werfel?
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5-22-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Beijing is adding more than 50 miles of subway track by the end of next year, but will it really combat traffic, carbon dioxide and other pollution? After 10 years, how has Medicare Part D impacted the pharmaceutical industry? And, the country's most powerful banker gets to stay on as both CEO and Chairman at JPMorgan Chase. We talk to a shareholder that cast a vote.
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5-22-13 Marketplace Tech: Disaster Tech
Part of the promise of new technology is that it can help protect us when things go terribly wrong -- through prevention and appropriate reaction. San Francisco-based company Recovers is sending a group of employees to Moore, Oklahoma in the wake of Monday's tornado. They'll use tech skills and experience from other disasters to help.
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5-21-13 Marketplace
After yesterday's tornado in Moore, Okla. -- where residents got about 15 minutes of warning -- we ask if tornado prediction has gotten better, and how it can continue to improve. What would it have taken to get more than 15 minutes? In tech-ish news, Apple's tax issue comes to the Hill with Tim Cook. But Apple isn't the only company that has funds beyond the reach of the IRS. Also, before you order dinner, news is out that Grubhub and Seamless, two online delivery services, are merging....
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5-21-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Apple CEO Tim Cook tries to answer the $1.7 trillion question: How does the U.S. get corporations to repatriate their overseas profits? Microsoft unveils their new Xbox, and all it has to do is catch up with the last eight years of digital devices. Before 9/11, many local TV broadcasters transmitted from the World Trade Center. Now, they are being wooed by the Freedom Tower, but there's competition from other skyscrapers.
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5-21-13 Marketplace Tech: Spear Phishing and a New Xbox
Private security firm Mandiant says hacking attacks that originate in China have resumed after an apparent three-month hiatus. One form of hacking that is getting a lot of attention is something called spear phishing. Recently an organization calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army used spear phishing to attack several media organizations. And Microsoft will announce the latest Xbox gaming console. CNET's Lindsey Turrentine says it's about time.
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5-20-13- Marketplace
You've probably heard it already: Yahoo is buying Tumblr. The real question is: Can you buy cool? We ask if the acquisition will help make Yahoo any hipper. Plus, after that, will it make money? Also, Cirque du Soleil’s second Michael Jackson tribute opens soon. We look at how well, economically, MJ is doing in the afterlife.
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5-20-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Yahoo buys Tumblr. What will happen if the Federal Reserve backs off? And public pensions bounce back, but not enough for some.
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5-20-13 Marketplace Tech: Yahoo Buys Tumblr?
It's been in the pipeline for several weeks. But now it looks like a Yahoo purchase of the blogging website Tumblr is happening. Yahoo's board agreed on Sunday to pony up for Instagram-sized pricetag: $1.1 billion. For Tumblr and its 26-year-old founder David Karp, the buy could offer an influx of advertising and business savvy. The website AllThingsD first reported the deal. Kara Swisher, co-founding editor of AllThingsD, says this is a big part of a mission for Yahoo's new chief Marissa...
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5-20-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Things have been electric on the Japanese stock market recently, but the country is in need of energy and is hunting for it in innovative ways. Gold, a precious metal that was once seen as a durable hedge against the recession, has had a lousy spring. And a solar powered plane continues its cross-country flight.
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05-17-13 Marketplace
It's a big weekend in mental health — the diagnotic bible, the DSM5 is set to be released. Scientific controversy aside, what is the book really worth? On Wall Street,banks are taking on Bloomberg in the wake of news that the news service’s reporters snooped on clients through Bloomberg trading terminals. We look at the business implicatins for the company. Also, before you hit the road this weekend, car makers are setting up a new campaign to get you to stop texting and driving. How good...
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05-17-13 Marketplace Money
Debt. Don't let it ruin your life. Even if you feel like you're swimming in student loans or can't get ahead of what you owe to credit card companies, we've got some advice on what to do when you've got a mountain of debt. One tip: as much as you'd like to, don't hang up when a bill collector calls. And don't take your personal relationships for granted when money enters the mix. Debt doesn't have to destroy your ties with friends or family. Plus, a special report on why struggling military...
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5-17-13 Marketplace Morning Report
A probe by the European Commission into possible manipulation of oil prices has just gotten bigger. Finland's only refiner has also been asked to help with the investigation. And, with an aging population in the U.S., a look at the cost of an older person taking a fall.
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5-17-13 Marketplace Tech: Searching for Source Anonymity...
Aaron Swartz left behind a considerable online legacy before his suicide earlier this year at age 26. But a posthumously-released collaborationwith the New Yorker might be among his most profound innovations and it might just be the first step towards guaranteeing true onlineanonymity. Plus, why U.S. officials froze an exchange for the online Bitcoin currency, and what happens next.
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5-16-13 Marketplace
We've got former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the show to talk about the release of his new book, “Rumsfeld’s Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life," but in other news, the IRS scandal has heated up. How did it get itself into such a mess? Plus, Bitcoin again. The U.S. has made its first move to crackdown, by using anti-money laundering laws to freeze a bank account of the biggest Bitcoin exchange. What impact will that have and what’s yet to come?
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PODCAST: Weather to blame for low Walmart sales;...
Walmart sales are down and so are housing starts, but the weather could be to blame. Plus, a small film about breast cancer research gets an unexpected boost from Angelina Jolie's preventive mastectomy.
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5-16-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Today, hundreds of protesters shut down traffic in the Chinese city of Kunming to dramatize their opposition to a proposed petrochemical plant. It's the latest in a series of 'not in my backyard' or NIMBY protests in recent weeks throughout that country. And, we heard yesterday that military families have some extra protections when it comes to consumer credit -- the Military Lending Act caps interest rates and bans certain short-term loans. Butcreative lenders are still finding ways to prey...
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5-16-13 Marketplace Tech: Will Robots Replace the Middle...
Lately, it seems like we talk about Moore's law at least once a week on our show. It's the idea that our computing power jumps forward by leaps and bounds every two years -- so fast that soon our computers will be as smart as we are. Kevin Drum is a writer at the magazine Mother Jones. He's just written a long piece about intelligent robots. Drum thinks by the year 2025, they'll be smart enough to take almost all of our jobs. Don't worry though -- he says that's a good thing.
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5-15-13 Marketplace
The good news was the deficit is shrinking, but some think it's bad news and the deficit is shrinking “too” fast. How can that be? On television, the sitcom "The Office" ends this week. What happens at the end of a show's life and how can it live on? Overseas, France just entered a double dip recession which goes to show Europe is still struggling to find the fix for its economic woes.
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5-15-13 Marketplace Morning Report
New figures out today from euro zone countries show the European Union's economy has been getting weaker for six straight quarters -- a year and a half of contraction. France was officially in recession. We take you to the continent to find out what it all means. And, seven years ago, Congress passed the Military Lending Act to prevent financial abuse of soldiers. But is it helping? Creative lenders are still finding ways into this lucrative market, and military families continue to fall...
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5-15-13 Marketplace Tech: Google I/O kicks off
Today marks the beginning of Google's three day conference for developers, called Google I/O. Last year the company unveiled its tech-boosted spectacles, Google glass. It was perhaps one of the most extravagant unveilings in tech history -- glass-wearing Googlers streamed live video of themselves jumping out of a plane and riding into the convention on trick bikes. Plus, a look at TV's Upfronts, where the major networks unveil new programing for advertisers.
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5-14-13 Marketplace
Today we continue our series on the cycle of debt created by installment loans. In the news, Angelina Jolie's move to get a preventative double mastectomy will probably spur others to do the same. The problem? Only one company offers the genetic test and it costs $4,000 Plus, America will soon be energy independent – but what change, if any, does that signal for actual consumers? Or does this just mean more profit for energy exporters?
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5-14-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
A new report says North America will once again dominate fossil fuel production. Cell phone theft in this country is on the rise, but there’s not really any incentive for the industry to help curb the increase. Housing seems to be in recovery mode in places like Phoenix, Arizona. But it may be tough for homebuilders to lure back construction workers.
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5-14-13 Marketplace Morning Report
French politicians have their eyes on a potential new source of revenue: smart phones and tablets. France is considering the idea of putting a tax on these mobile digital devices in an effort to fund French culture. And, in China, controversy is swirling around the country's most celebrated movie director. Zhang Yimou faces a $26 million fine for fathering seven children, a violation of China's one-child policy. The case is stirring up public anger about inequality between China's rich and...
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5-14-13 Marketplace Tech: Pushing for anti-theft tech on...
Cell phone and smartphone theft is a problem that only seems to get bigger. The international black market of stolen phones is huge, lucrative, and not just for the thieves. Phone makers don't seem to be exactly in a hurry to protect customers from theft. Prosecutors in San Francisco, and most recently New York, are trying to change that. Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer reports. And, three drone stories from China, Canada and the U.S.
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5-13-13 Marketplace
Today begins our series "Beyond payday loans," a investigation in collaboration with Propublica that focuses on installment loans, a kind of loan that can trap borrowers in a cycle of debt for years. In Washington, D.C.,501(c)4 nonprofit groups are increasingly partisan lobbying machines on both the left and right. Who can get this tax-exempt status and what are the boundaries for political activism? Also, we track the life of a soybean -- sort of. A Supreme Court ruling protect Monsanto,...
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5-13-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Elections in Pakistan are expected to put Nawaz Sharif back into power, his third term as prime minister. Marketplace Morning Report looks at Pakistan's economy, and the old hand the incoming administration has chosen as the country's new finance minister, Ishaq Dar. And, we take you to the National Craft Championship in Birmingham, Alabama, the Associated Builders and Contractors trade group's competition for handymen and women all over the country.
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5-13-13 Marketplace Tech: The New 20 Dollar Bill Turns 10
It's been ten years since the U.S. introduced the "new" color $20 bill. According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the average life of the 20 is just two years before it wears out. But the reason for the color 20 was introduced wasn't just about wear and tear, it was about anti-counterfeiting technology. And, does your family have etiquette for using tech at the dinner table? Marketplace Tech speaks with a Cape Cod mother of five who is making rules to help her family navigate how to...
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5-10-13 Marketplace
In wake of the Great ATM Heist, we look at why a swipe card’s magnetic strip is vulnerable, and why U.S. banks haven’t moved to a more secure system. In other technology, media companies and wireless operators are working together to make sure you won't max out your data plan while watching you favorite sport or show. Is it a win-win? Plus, it's Friday, so get ready for the Weekly Wrap!
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05-10-13 Marketplace Money
Do you ever look at your bank statement at the end of the month and wonder where your money went? From morning lattes, to lottery tickets and lunch dates, we'll talk about how your money trickles away on little things as well as big ticket items, like medical procedures. We'll share tips for how to save at the hospital and at college, and offer some advice on how to stop up other spending leaks. Plus, it's Mother's Day weekend. Comedian Paula Poundstone joins us to discuss why she doesn't...
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5-10-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
The federal government will post a surplus for April 2013. The CEO of online retail giant Alibaba says he's too old for the job at 48. And, Obamacare's PR push is gearing up for prime time.
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5-10-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 7 big economic powers, including the U.S., gather in London today for informal talks about global economic recovery. Germany's finance chief is in for a roasting over the hot topic of austerity. Speaking of global economic indicators, Luxembourg's ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steel company, reported profits were down in the first quarter of 2013. And, amid the debate over immigration, consider the following. People who were born...
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5-10-13 Marketplace Tech: NASAs Adam Steltzner on future...
Today, the head of one of the world's largest e-commerce giants is stepping down. Jack Ma, chief executive of Alibaba says he's too old to run an internet company at the decrepit age of 48. Plus, all this week we're talking about the near future of tech, and today we look at what's coming in the next decade of space exploration. Marketplace Tech talks to Adam Steltzner, a NASA engineer who navigated the incredibly challenging landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover. Steltzner says it's about...
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5-09-13 Marketplace
"The Great Gatsby" is getting released soon and everyone is buzzing with excitement for the adaptation of the life of the rich. But, in reality, the life of the rich and poor is rarely anything like it is in the movies. In jobs numbers news today, jobless claims are falling and we wonder is that is a good thing or if it means employers have hit peak layoff. In world news, another factory fire in Bangladesh brings to light the fair trade movement. Does it hurt businesses and are consumers...
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5-9-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Legalize it, but tax it! Colorado seeks to regulate marijuana sales. Paid sick leave is coming to New York City. And stocks are up above 15,000, when will they come down?
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5-9-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Among the 844 pages of the Senate immigration bill are two bits that could complicate the goal of citizenship for many poor immigrants. Entertainment and electronics giant Sony has managed to make money, not lose it for the first time in five years.TV networks come out with their fall programs next week. But as more people tune in online, many marketers are finding that ads alone aren't enough.
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5-9-13 Marketplace Tech: Intels near future innovations
All this week we're talking about the near future of tech. Not artificial intelligence and storingconsciousness on computer chips, but what's coming in the next decade. Let's talk about hardware, and the world's biggest chipmaker, Intel. A week ago the company named a new CEO, Brian Krzanich. But the head honcho at Intel Labs, where the company invents all sorts of cool new stuff, is CTO Justin Rattner. His army of innovators is working on something called seeing through the rain.
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5-08-13 Marketplace
JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is shopping for votes lately in a bid to keep his other title: chairman of the board. How's his campaign going? In losses -- and not the stock market kind -- Manchester United is losing its longtime leader. We look at how a global brand manages that transition. Plus, historical homes are getting attacked by the paparazzi of the public, thanks to social photo sharing sites like Instagram.
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5-8-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Out of work Europeans move to Germany. Hospital charges vary widely for the same procedure. And should the government limit the amount of tax-free retirement savings?
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5-8-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Today the electric car company Tesla Motors is set to announce that it has turned a profit for the first time. That's in part because of the success of its Model S luxury sedan -- but Tesla has also made a pile of cash selling California Zero Emission Vehicle credits to other car companies. Will Google Glass end up being the mark of cool or doofus? And Brazil's Roberto Azevedo is set to become the first Latin American to run the World Trade Organization.
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5-8-13 Marketplace Tech: The Near Future of Media
All this week we're talking about the near future of tech. Not clones and robot servants, but what's coming in the next decade. Today we look at what's coming in our own industry: Media. More and more it isn't just a discussion of old forms, but new forms as well -- I know one of my go to news sites these days happens to be Twitter. Kara Swisher, the co-exectuive editor of AllThingsD, says any media company that wants a future needs to be thinking about going mobile in every way.
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5-07-13 Marketplace
Now that tax season is well over, we find out there's a proposal to raise taxes on airline tickets. How much do we already pay on taxes for goods and services? Health care costs are also on the rise, but at a slower rate than the past four years. We look at whether the recession is solely to blame or of there is more afoot. In money possibly not well spent, it turns out money slated for restoration on the Gulf by BP is not really being spent on things related to the oil spill at all.
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5-7-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Alleged discrimination against African-American temp workers. Jobs are opening up, but hiring is slow to follow. And what's got markets cheering around the world.
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5-7-13 Marketplace Morning Report
The king of college rankings is adding a new list to its empire. U.S. News World Report comes out today with its first ever ranking of online programs for veterans. The Obama administration directly accuses China’s military of cyber spying on U.S. government computer systems. And do some local zoning rules simply preserve neighborhood charm or work to discriminate against outsiders?
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5-7-13 Marketplace Tech
The price of natural gas has been dropping, and it's not just people turning off the heat for spring weather. It's cheaper and easier than ever to extract natural gas thanks in part to advances in controversial technologies like hydraulic fracturing. What does the next ten years of our energy consumption look like? And, a tale of middle school hackers.
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5-06-13 Marketplace
Just in case those emails weren't enticing enough, Pfizer has decided to buck a business trend and sell Viagra direct online to combat conterfeits. Will it work? In another "will it work" question, YouTube is rumored to be putting up paywalls for content. We check in on whether your favorite cat videos will be behind it. On your original (TV) screen, USA networks paid a hefty price for reruns of "Modern Family," a laugh track-less show. Does the canned laughter make a difference?
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5-6-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Could YouTube start charging? Summer vacation turns to college prep. And the least flexible part of the Workplace Flexibility Act.
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5-6-13 Marketplace Morning Report
India's high court gives the go-ahead for what will be that country's biggest nuclear power plant. Budweiser releases a new bow-tie shaped can. And, remember the flash crash -- that day in May when one enormous futures trade triggered a terrifying stock market sell-off, sending the Dow down about five percent in minutes? Automated trading got a lot of the blame. Exactly two years later, is the stock market safer today?
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5-6-13 Marketplace Tech: 3D printers at Staples and the...
If you make office supplies, you know you've arrived when your product hits the shelves at Staples. The retail chain says it will start carrying the Cube 3D printer made by 3D Systems.You can buy the Cube 3D online at Staples.com now, or wait until it hits stores in June. And, this week we'll be talking about the near-future of tech -- not flying cars and terminators, but what's coming in the next decade. Today, a conversation about free speech online. A year ago, George Washington Law...
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5-03-13 Marketplace
What do you do if you're a lobbyist and want to create a message for an audience of one? Get creative, apparently. We look at the unexpected ways interest groups have gotten the eye of the White House. In housing news, big investors have been snapping up foreclosed homes and turning them into rentals. But, now some of those investors are hoping to capitalize on their bottom feeding – and share the spoils with the general public – by going public.
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05-03-13 Marketplace Money
Does paying for getaways get you down? We welcome the challenge of finding the best summer travel deals and we're passing on some expert advice to you. Even if you're working in a trip around your kids' school calendars, aren't sure what kind of cash to carry abroad and live nowhere near a hub city, we have helpful tips for taking a vacation on the cheap. Plus, if it's lodging that's eating up your travel expenses, check out some of our suggestions for scoring a comfortable place to stay...
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5-3-13 Marketplace Morning Report
For the first time in history, the 17 nations that use the euro are headed for two years of back-to-back recession, according to the European Commission. And what are the kids doing these days? It's an age old question. But when it comes to technology, it's an important one. To get some insight, we went to the source -- high schoolers. We found out what apps they use (...Snapchat), what devices they like (iPhones, iPhones, iPhones), and whether they are concerned at all about privacy (that...
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5-3-13 Marketplace Tech: Quitting the Internet cold...
A slice of digital cold turkey: On May 1 of 2012, Paul Miller atthe tech site The Verge cut himself off from the Internet. Noweb, no streaming, no email, no texts or voicemails either. It's nowa year later, and Paul has just woken up. He says we should all be impressed at how well we use something as complex as the Internet, but also describes his own euphoria after cutting himself off.
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5-02-13 Marketplace
Tomorrow we’ll learn how many Americans were unemployed in April. Today, we explain what the rate at which Americans quit their jobs says about the labor market. On the web, GM and Mountain Dew have pulled ads perceived to be offensive. Were the ads the result of pressure to make a big, edgy splash; or weak vetting for digital ads; or possibly a more deliberate strategy?
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5-2-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
ESPN and the SEC team up for a new sports network. What's ahead for Mexico and the U.S.? And Facebook is making more money, but it's spending more, too.
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5-2-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Former CIA Director David Petraeus considers his next move. Will the European Central Bank follow the U.S. Federal Reserve's lead? And a new study out of Switzerland finds the corporate structure of carpenter ants has some similarities to our own.
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5-01-13 Marketplace
We love zombies as much as the next show, but zombie inflation? In February, we declared inflation dead after years of easy monetary policy and negligible consumer price increases. Today, as the Federal Reserve concludes another meeting likely to keep inflation six feet under, we ask is it time to bring inflation back from the dead? Plus, more haunting news, Freakonomics Radio stops by to tell us how your advanced degree may be hurting your chances at a job. Over in China, a different...
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5-1-13 Marketplace Morning Report
TV and video producers are trying to lock in advertising money for shows that will stream online at the Digital Content New Fronts. This year, some old-media players are in attendance. Today is International Workers Day, and to mark the occasion, protestors in Greece are rallying against austerity. And what is a 529 plan, and is it a good option for college savings?
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4-30-13 Marketplace
Siri is now up against some stiff competition. Google’s personal assistant, Google Now, has gone live on the iPhone, and we got the participants in this showdown to talk a little trash. In the world of states and money, state tax receipts are set to exceed the pre-recession peaks. So what are states spending that money on? Also, catch the next installment of our series on "raiteros" and the underground labor market in Chicago.
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4-30-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Home prices are up, Twitter has got the markets moving, and disaster apps are all the rage.
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4-30-13 Marketplace Morning Report
As the immigration debate continues in Washington, we take a look at people who are in this country illegally, people who work in the shadows, and who often face exploitation by employers because of their legal status. Can satellite radio win the long-term battle against Internet streaming services? And Best Buy says adios to Europe.
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4-30-13 Marketplace Tech: Disaster apps grow in number
It has been six months since the savage storm dubbed Sandy wrecked and flooded a stretch of the East Coast. As people increasingly carry smartphones and Internet-linked tablets, how can digital devices help during an emergency? Developers are creating a growing number of crowd-sourcing disaster apps in the hopes of making a difference during natural and manmade disasters.
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4-29-13 Marketplace
Our investigation into "raiteros" in Chicago with Propublica airs, looking into the bussing of temp workers around the city. Plus, where, oh where has the helium gone? It turns out the reserve’s low prices are a culprit in the looming shortage. Prices for the stored helium undercut the production of new helium and we take a look. We also look skyward to the new WTC1 in New York City. Are the four towers going to be economically viable?
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4-29-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Long running TV soap operas find new life online. EU leaders vote to protect bees. And the quiet impacts of the sequester.
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4-29-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Just as France's government is aiming to grow its economy with tax cuts, Greece is looking trim its debts with public sector layoffs. We get to know a company that many may have never heard of, but almost certainly interact with on a daily basis -- AppNexus. And Italy grapples with a shortage of pizza-makers.
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4-29-13 Marketplace Tech: A Growing Cell Phone Valet...
Apple and Samsung both reported quarterly earnings last week. Today we hear from the company that makes many of the gadgets they sell. That would be Taiwanese tech giant Hon Hai, or as we know it, Foxconn. And, New York City hasn't exactly gone easy on teenagers with cellphones. Its city-wide ban on phones in schools is just one example. But what may be a monumental inconvenience for teens has become an opportunity for a growing number of businesses, who are only too happy to store those...
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4-26-13 Marketplace
Apple's iTunes turns 10 this weekend. We're saying happy birthday with a look back at the digital music monster. Plus, kids these days: We're paying about $1,100 for prom on average, and poorer families are paying more. Should we really look down on folks who spend more on big life events? On a bigger picture, there was a 2.5 percent increase in GDP, but no one seems happy about it. We look at why that number isn't actually all that bad.
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04-26-13 Marketplace Money
'Fess up: You've been the victim of a scam. Whether it's losing money to someone with a sob story on the street, answering bogus emails, or getting swindled into donating to a fake charity -- scams are all around us. We're here to help you recognize when you're dealing with a con artist and help you steer clear of swindlers. Plus, remember the sequester? We prefer not to as well. But, sequester-related furloughs are happening -- and leaving unpleasant effects on people's personal finances in...
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4-26-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
U.S. GDP grew at an annual pace of 2.5 percent in the first quarter, disappointing investors and many economists. But why is GDP growth necessary? And can you get stock tips from Google search?
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4-26-13 Marketplace Morning Report
As businesses re-open in the area of the Boston Marathon bombings, some are likely to file insurance claims to make up for lost sales. But if the bombings are officially labeled a terrorist act by the Treasury Department, many businesses could be out of luck. Japan has given the green light to Boeing's Dreamliner. The plane has been grounded all over the world since January due to battery malfunctions. And when we use the phrase "tax expenditure" what are we really saying?
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4-26-13 Marketplace Tech: Re-imagining the Internet
The Internet is powered by vast banks of computers which eat up energy. That's expensive for the people who run these servers, and it has a cost to the earth, depending on how all the electricity is generated. Aaron Rallo is CEO of TSO Logic, which offers a software solution to this. Another company working to make the net more efficient is Joyent. Its chief technology office, Jason Hoffman, believes the demands are going to get so high on our digital systems -- given all the computer chips...
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4-25-13 Marketplace
Every workplace tragedy in the developing world elicits promises from U.S. companies to improve oversight of labor conditions. But there's also a business in creating plausible deniability by having layers of subcontractors. Also, has easy money contributed to America’s gun culture? We look at the world of financing a firearm purchase. In the world of healthcare, California has more uninsured people than other states have residents. In October, the state has to have its health insurance...
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4-25-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Airlines look to mitigate delays caused by the sequestration. Italy has a new Prime Minister and he doesn't like austerity. And who bears responsibility for sub-standard safety conditions in overseas factories?
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4-25-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Italy's political stalemate may finally be over. Enrico Letta, of the center-left Democratic Party,has been nominated as the country's next prime minister and will try to move away from austerity. Earnings season continues today, and so far most companies have reported positive results. But should we buy it? The history of 'Take our Daughters to Work Day' and why it now includes sons.
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4-25-13 Marketplace Tech: Taming the iPad tantrum
Is online retailer Amazon about to do to TV's what it did to bookstores? A published report says Amazon is coming out with its own box to attach to TV's. Businessweek says this would compete with Apple TV, Roku and -- possibly with cable and satellite companies. And from Britain comes the story of the four-year-old whose parents took her in for therapy when she became "distressed and inconsolable" without her iPad. Research about the early childhood effects of tech is ongoing, but it's an...
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4-24-13 Marketplace
Students at the Culinary Institute of America staged a protest yesterday because they feel their expensive degrees are being devalued by slipping standards and rising enrollment. Is it all the fault of shows like "Iron Chef?" Not to be cooked, Apple is borrowing money, while rewarding shareholders with higher dividends. We explain why this actually makes sense. Also, back to the sequester, we talk to an air traffic controller about what life is life lately.
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4-24-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Apple disappoints Wall Street. It's the half time show in the earnings game. And Walmart's PR guy explains his work on the company's image.
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4-24-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Though cigarette usage is dropping, the tobacco industry is expected to post profits. We take a look at their new product lines. Does the U.S. stand to benefit from Japan's territorial dispute with China? And, what does the word 'welfare' mean to you?
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4-24-13 Marketplace Tech: Twitter Hacks and Road Trips
Twitter can be hacked. Who cares, if Twitter is for fun. But consider this: Somebody hacked into the Associated Press Twitter account Tuesday and sent a fake tweet about a bogus explosion at the White House. Investors were watching and the Dow fell about about a percent before the tweet was retracted. Some experts believe the hack started with a tainted email sent to some unsuspecting AP employee. The strategy is called spearfishing and we are all urged to be alert for suspicious email. And,...
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4-23-13 Marketplace
Boston Strong started out as a call to support those in Boston, but now some are trying to trademark the phrase. Can you actually do that? And today's show heads tothe kitchen. We're talking to author Michael Pollan and a guy who set out to review hundreds of grills.
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4-23-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Netflix adds subscribers, DuPont earnings are up on drought-resistant seed sales, and after Boston, surveillance cameras are hot sellers.
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4-23-13 Marketplace Morning Report
The euro zone debt crisis may have lost some of the drama we've seen in recent years, but new figures out this morning show it is far from over. Peter Henry, dean of NYU's Stern School of Business, discusses his new book Turnaround: Third World Lessons for First World Growth. And a check in on the for-profit college industry as DeVry reports earnings.
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4-23-13 Marketplace Tech: Google Nows data mining coming...
Ever type a random search into Google and watch the system auto-complete just exactly what you were looking for? There is now a hint that Google could soon add even more predictive technology to its search page. A sharp-eyed blogger noticed some software code that suggest a Google Now predictive personal assistant could come to any old browser.
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4-22-13 Marketplace
Digital billboards were part of the city-wide effort to nab the Boston Marathon suspects, but many cities are trying to turn the lights off. Could this use save the future of digital billboards? As part of our BURN: An Energy Journal partnership, we look at the military’s Rapid Equipping Force, a think tank that uses technology to solve these problems as soon as possible. Also, how funny can six seconds get? A look at Twitter's upcoming comedy festival with Comedy Central.
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4-22-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Caterpillar shrinks, GDP grows, and Made in Italy -- but by China.
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4-22-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Is the once fast-growing, profitable reality TV machine sputtering? German airline Lufthansa has canceled most of its flights today due to an employee strike. And the word 'entitlement' is all over Washington these days, but what does it mean?
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4-22-13 Marketplace Tech: A New Supermaterial Called...
Today we take a look at a non-toxic construction and engineering material that's strong, saves trees, and could help reduce greenhouse gases. A lab at the University of Texas is working on a way to produce what's called nanocellulose in mass quantities. The technique involves altering the genes of bacteria that produce vinegar. What goes in is sunlight and what comes out is a goop-like material that can be made into houses, cargo ships, dressing for wounds, you name it -- if they can perfect...
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04-19-13 Marketplace Money
How can you help victims of the Boston bombings? We have tips on choosing charities. Plus, it's time for some spring cleaning. We're not asking you to go through your piles of old clothes or do the windows. We're looking at how to clean out your financial portfolio and tidy up your budgets. And it's time to reassess where your cash is going and straighten up the money issues we have with people in our lives -- like exes, siblings, children and more. Finally, what you're really getting for...
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4-19-13 Marketplace
With the manhunt going on, the city of Boston was placed on lockdown. It happened quickly and with purpose, but how? We take a look at the mechanics of stopping a city. But, not everyone has stopped. Jonathan Bush and athenahealth kept working, just remotely. In the world of business, Seaworld had a big IPO today, but the real story is on how theme parks are doing so well in a fragile economy.
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4-19-13 Marketplace Morning Report
As a manhunt for one of suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings intensifies this morning, authorities are asking residents of Watertown, MA., and other towns nearby to stay in their homes. And French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici joins us to discuss the state of the French economy, the euro zone, and austerity.
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4-19-13 Marketplace Tech: Could Smart Firearms Help with...
Gun control advocates are looking for new options, including some tech strategies. On Wednesday, seven measures failed in the U.S. Senate, including an amendment that would have expanded background checks. Some gun control advocates are now looking in new directions. So-called 'smart guns' are firearms that only authorized users can fire. But so far, there's not a single one on the market in the U.S.
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4-18-13 Marketplace
Many U.S. communities had been fighting to get fertilizer plants nearby. It brings plenty of jobs to town. With the accident in Texas, are they rethinking their hopes? Bill cramming, those strange charges on your phone bill, is back and mobile. The FTC has started taking a crack at these services.
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4-18-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Chinese consumers turn to imported foods. What's up with Apple's stock slide? And Germany approves a $13 billion bailout for Cyprus.
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4-18-13 Marketplace Morning Report
The Digital Public Library of America goes online today, with 2.4 million pieces of art and history. As Union Pacific reports earnings, we count what's in their freight cars.What's next for Venezeula? And a long standing real estate term gets a makeover.
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4-17-13 Marketplace
Fresh Easy may be leaving town, but other British retailers are still trying to make it work in the U.S., like Fairway. Thieves are apparently not getting the toner at the market, but on the black market. We take a look at the latest product that's being stolen. Plus, Freakonomics stops by for a chat about smoking and the workplace. Can workplaces really discriminate against smokers?
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4-17-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Gold prices, deflation, and your wallet. The state of global clean energy. And who needs consumer demand to make money anyway?
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4-17-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Farmers in Niuchong village in the Central Chinese province of Hubei are standing up to a local phosphate mining operation and fertilizer factory they blame for polluting the village's water and air, killing their crops and livestock, and leading to a sharp increase in cancer rates in the region. Britain's biggest retailer Tesco has just announced its first drop in profit in 20 years -- and it seems the U.S. is part of the problem. And the race for music sales is heating up as Amazon nabs a...
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4-17-13 Marketplace Tech: How One Computer Glitch Can...
Computer glitches at home can be frustrating, but what about when they keep an entire airline company from taking off? American Airlines had to cancel over 400 flights and deal with massive delays yesterday when employees couldn't access its computerized reservation system Sabre, which is used by multiple airlines, helps with scheduling, booking, printing boarding passes, and tracking checked bags.
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4-16-13 Marketplace
It's the day after in Boston and Mark Garrison talks to business owners and workers. A flood of footage from cell phones and other devices are flooding in to law enforcement; we talk to a lab that helps filter through the noise. Across the ocean, the London marathon is scheduled for next week and organizers there say they are on high alert. Plus, housing starts are in. What are the trends in housing?
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4-16-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Boston authorities investigate the bombing at yesterday's Marathon. The sequester could push some renters out of Section 8 housing. And has Marissa Mayer's acquire-to-hire strategy worked out for Yahoo?
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4-16-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Boston will not be back to business as usual today, a day after bombs killed three people and injured more than 130 at the Boston Marathon. Patent protection for the painkiller OxyContin expires today. Generic drug manufacturers hope that means they'll soon be able to grab a chunk of the nearly $3 billion market. And finally to a company called Zaycon Foods, which is offering a strange way for you to buy chicken.
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4-16-13 Marketplace Tech: Can You Really Hack a Plane...
A researcher used an smart phone app to hack the cockpit of a virtual airplane. The setting was a computer security conference in Amsterdam. The FAA and several makers of cockpit equipment say that feat would be much harder, if not impossible, in a real aircraft. We asked regular contributer Chester Wisnewski at computer security firm Sophos if he gives this much credence. He doesn't -- but he does think the story could make flying safer.
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4-15-13 Marketplace
Satellite TV pioneer Charlie Ergen is making a bold play for wireless telecom companySprint Nextel. Why the $25.5 billion move? It's about growth and that future of TV.Raj Chettywon the John Bates Clark Medal for economists under 40. We walk through one of the studies that got him the award. Plus, in case you thought we forgot, it's Tax Day. An excited accountant tells us why it's the best job ever.
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4-15-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Dish TV Network sets its sights on mobile with a $25 billion bid. It's no surprise that Google is expanding, and one place where they are growing fast is New York City.
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4-15-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Wal-Mart is requiring its producers to report exactly which factories they work with at home and abroad. Google's Chief Information Officer tells us about working in New York versus Silicon Valley and his journey from Wall Street to the tech world. And, what's got the price of gold down 10 percent since Friday?
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4-15-13 Marketplace Tech: Your Email and the IRS
Can the IRS look through your email without a warrant -- and does that run contrary to the Fourth Amendment? Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the ACLU seem to suggest as much, but the IRS has said it doesn't use email to target taxpayers. While millions of Americans pop their returns into the mail today, we look at issues of data, privacy and the law.
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4-12-13 Marketplace
Shareholders are mad that Amazon is putting its customers first, and CEO Jeff Bezos is running the company like a charity, citing marginal profits. In jobs news, drug company Eli Lilly is cutting jobs again. What does that have to do with tougher limits on sales practices? Other things we're wondering today: Are North Korea's threats real? The U.S. is alarms, but North Korea's neighbors aren't.
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04-12-13 Marketplace Money
Taxes are most often associated with death. How about a happier spin? We combine taxes and... poetry in celebration of National Poetry Month. Enjoy our listener-submitted tax poems. Plus, have you ever wondered how U.S. taxes compare to what people pay in other countries? And is it time to get rid of joint filing altogether now that many Americans are in non-traditional families? Also, property taxes are a big problem for some filers, especially low- and moderate-income families who have...
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4-12-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Can we stop worrying about the health of the financial system? Long-term auto loans, good or bad deal? And a look back at Disney's hand animation movies.
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4-12-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Starting today, checks are on the way to victims of wrongful foreclosures as part of a $3.6 billion settlement between banks and federal regulators. But for most of those borrowers, it won't exactly be Christmas in April. A big deal is brewing in the global coffee business. German investment group JAB is buying Dutch company D.E. Master Blenders for nearly $10 billion. And a NASCAR race called the 'NRA 500' ignites a sponsorship controversy.
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4-12-13 Marketplace Tech: Tech on Display During...
Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival kicks off the season of big summer music festivals across the U.S. and beyond. So what's on the festival's homepage? A link to the Coachella app, of course. But with friend locator apps and visual sharing apps like Instagram and Vine, the list of tech that will be front and center at concerts this summer is growing. But at Coachella, the list goes beyond applications -- there is cooling technology that goes into the festival too.
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4-11-13 Marketplace
McDonald’s says wants to be faster and friendlier after a report called them otherwise. We ask a few customers how fast they want their fast food. Also in food, gluten-free diets are all the rage and it's becoming a booming industry. Then, from the Wealth and Poverty desk, we wonder if social security benefits should be targeted toward the poor. Should the well-off benefit?
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4-11-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Water wars heat up in New Mexico. CEO of Biogen Idec discusses high drug costs, a new drug for multiple sclerosis and what's up with pharmaceutical drug names.
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4-11-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Biogen Idec, a Massachusetts-based biotech company, is hoping its new multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera will eventually bring in the hundreds of millions of dollars it cost to develop -- at least before a generic comes along and copies it. CEO George Scangos discusses his company's development process and pricing strategy. A new report from the research firm IDC says personal computer sales are falling fast all around the world. And in Phoenix, Arizona, new signs of a real estate bubble are...
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4-11-13 Marketplace Tech: The Tech Savvy of MLB.com
Baseball, with its passion for tradition, is higher tech than you think. Major League Baseball is now working with wireless engineering company Qualcomm to make sure that fans can use their smartphones while at the ballpark. And there's been much work over the last decade to insure that things go smoothly for people who pay to watch games online. MLB.com CEO Bob Bowman says things were different in the early, herky-jerky days of streaming.
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4-10-13 Marketplace
As much contention as there is in Washington, President Obama’s proposed budget actually has some policies in common with proposals from the Senate and the House. Meanwhile, commentator Robert Reich says that, when it comes to reforming Social Security, the president must change his approach. Facebook ads will soon get even more personal. And we hear about the most powerful currency in the world right now -- the bitcoin.
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4-10-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Maine lobster could get a marketing boost. Washington moves towards austerity. CEO of Airbus Fabrice Bregier shares his company's plans for the future and taking on the U.S. market.
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4-10-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier tells us what it takes to compete with Boeing and why his company is breaking ground in America. Bed Bath Beyond will release its quarterly earnings report today -- and unlike other big box retailers, analysts are expecting good numbers. And finally, a woman wakes up from a coma and has a surprising request.
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4-10-13 Marketplace Tech: The Funding Fight for Cyber...
Funding follows high-tech weaponry. The Pentagon won't say what they are, but the Air Force has now officially designating six technologies as 'weapons.' Reuters reports the vice commander of the Air Force Space Command telling a conference, 'This means that the game-changing capability (of) cyber is...going to get more attention and the recognition that it deserves.' Recognition and more importantly money, since military budgets tend to favor weapons.
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4-09-13 Marketplace
After the JC Penney CEO switchout, we trace the pricing life cycle of an average piece of clothing, from factory to closet. Speaking of failure, the word is viewed differently on each coast: the west coast thinks failure fosters innovation, the east coast sees failure as...failure. How will Fisker's looming bankruptcy be perceived? Plus, Arizona is the second state to start using gold and silver as currency again. Do you have 25 cents in silver for a pack of gum?
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4-9-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
A check in on corporate America. Former Bush adviser Glenn Hubbard talks entitlement reforms, and how to make them fair. And, were ousted J.C. Penney Ron Johnson's ideas so bad?
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4-9-13 Marketplace Morning Report
States all across the country have been passing measures to combat gun violence. But in Rhode Island, some Republican lawmakers are hoping to lure gun manufacturers into the state. The value of the Japanese yen has fallen to its lowest level in four years after a huge monetary stimulus package was unveiled last week. The effects of the stimulus are starting to be felt far away from Japan -- in fact, they're having some impact on the European debt crisis. And, what will it cost you to run a...
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4-9-13 Marketplace Tech: California Rules Against...
An appeals court in the Golden State has ruled it is illegal inCalifornia to use a handheld mobile phone to navigate while driving. The ruling suggested that if State law seemed arbitrary, given that it is legal tomanipulate other devices in a car, people should take it up with thelegislature to change the law.
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4-08-13 Marketplace
There’s no question the recently departed Margaret Thatcher remade the U.K. economy during her tenure, but how much of the Thatcher Revolution remains today? Plus, despite what you may think of Thatcher, hating her made plenty of folks rich. A look at the healthy business of hating Thatcher. Turning to the skies, airlines scored their second-best performance rankings in 23 years last year. How did that happen with all the mergers?
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4-8-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
A look back at Margaret Thatcher's economic legacy. A new report sheds light on the growing gap between private and public university salaries. And happy Q2 earnings season!
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4-8-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Immigration reform is expected to be front and center in Washington this week as lawmakers introduce their plans for an overhaul. One idea is to create an expanded guest worker program, but there are big questions about how that should be done. Portugal's economic future is in doubt this morning after the country's high court ruled that many of the government's bailout cuts are unconstitutional. And in California, beach fire pits are sparking a battle between private interests and public...
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4-8-13 Marketplace Tech: The Future of Mobile Television
Television stations have powerful transmitters. Instead of the sometimes slow and often expensive Internet, why not use those transmitters to get TV shows into smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The National Association of Broadcasters big show is going on right now in Las Vegas and one key development is called, simply 'Mobile TV' -- special smartphones or special add-ons for mobile devices so you can keep watching when you head out the door.
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4-05-13 Marketplace
Monthly job numbers were released, and there are fewer workers in the workplace again, many of them leaving the job hunt discouraged. We talk to a discouraged worker about that choice. Plus, Bank of America is creating a new relationship between you and their ATMs -- they'll let you live chat with “tellers” who can assist you. All $1 bills for your $100 deposit? They can make it happen. At the top of the corporate food chain, corporate heads have been rolling this week, as boards punish poor...
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04-05-13 Marketplace Money
Ahhhh, life on the job. First, we have tips on how to get one. Sound advice from a career counselor on how to ace your next job interview. Hint: choose your words carefully. Also, should your resume reveal your race? The hiring process can tread on some very sensitive ground. And, the crime scene better known as the office kitchen -- what missing food and dirty dishes say about workers and management. Plus, how to cope with the office meanies and what monkeys can teach us about how to behave...
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4-5-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
The unemployment rate fell in March, but is that a good thing? For many, long-term unemployment gets longer. And Larry Summers tells us what's ahead for the economy.
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4-5-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Season 6 of the hit drama series 'Mad Men' starts on AMC this Sunday. As fans flock to TV screens to catch up with Don, Peggy and Pete, businesses are trying to catch up with those fans. Officials in China announced today that a sixth person has died from a new strain of bird flu. 14 people near Shanghai have been infected, and today authorities there decided to close all of the city's poultry markets. And how is Brazil working to attract foreign skilled workers?
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4-5-13 Marketplace Tech: Ray Kurzweil on Our Brains and...
We've been reporting this week that the federal government wants to spend $100 million to unravel the complex of the human brain. Someone else who's been thinking a lot about the brain is a guy we've wanted to speak with for a long time: The legendary inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil. He's done pioneering work in optical character readers, flatbed scanners, electronic keyboards for musicians and beyond. Kurzweil has thought a lot about the ways technology and human beings are becoming more...
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4-04-13 Marketplace
Michigan's right-to-work law recently took effect. It's the latest blow to U.S. organized labor. But there is one industry where union membership is actually growing. We take a behind-the-scenes look. Plus, the politics of the Keystone XL pipeline are heating up again. A recent spill in Arkansas has environmental activists saying, we told you so. Meanwhile, opponents in the President's own party are donating big money to oppose the pipeline. And what's the difference between abone-in pork...
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4-4-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Japan central bank hopes a bold bond buy will solve an old problem. The high costs of Dementia are rising. And what is Mark Zuckerberg's donation to Newark public schools doing?
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4-4-13 Marketplace Morning Report
A new report finds 90 percent of Americans don't know they can start signing up for insurance through health exchanges in October. Japan is fed up with deflation and a sluggish economy, and its central bank is getting aggressive. Today, the Bank of Japan launched a sweeping bond-buying program to pump money into the economy. And a check in on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million donation to Newark public schools.
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4-4-13 Marketplace Tech: Mapping the Brain for New Tech
Literature and art help us explore the mysteries of the human mind. But understanding the minute circuitries of the human brain takes science, technology and according to the Obama Administration, quite a bit of federal money. You may have heard the administration is pumping $100 million into getting a detailed understanding of the brain, with the hope of treating or eliminating diseases such as Alzheimer's. But what you haven't heard about is the tech involved.
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4-3-13 Marketplace
President Obama is worried that the nascent housing recovery is leaving too many people, including young people, behind. His administration is moving to increase lending to homebuyers will risky credit. But the question is, should those homebuyers be part of the housing recovery. Also, rumors of a Facebook phone have early adopters interested. Facebook had struggled with mobile in the past. And finally, tax season is upon us, so we talk with Stephen Dubner about the Freakonomics of taxes.
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4-3-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
The SEC gives a thumbs up to social media, Bitcoin continues to spike in the wake of the crisis in Cyprus, and Monsanto targets Latin American agriculture.
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4-3-13 Marketplace Morning Report
An IMF delegation arrives in Cairo today for talks with the Egyptian government on a $4.8 billion loan. Tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea blocks South Korean worker access to an industrial zone along the border of the two countries. And with tax day less than two weeks away, we give you some tips to avoid an audit.
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4-3-13 Marketplace Tech: Tactonics Amazing Touch Screen...
They say the walls have ears. But what if the floors could feel where you are walking and how you are walking? A New York City startup called Tactonic Technologies has revolutionized the computer touch sensor, making them tough enough and cheap enough to turn an entire floor, maybe an entire gym or an entire theme park into a surface that senses footsteps.
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4-2-13 Marketplace
After losing $166 billion in four years, Fannie Mae just reported a $17 billion profit for 2012 -- a record. Some supporters are saying it's a real improvement for the behemoth mortage lender; critics say it is just a sign of how widely-exposed the agency is to housing market swings. Plus, as Washington continues to review differing budgets and budget priorities, one key overriding concern is how much to spend on the social safety net. Most of us would say we know what the phrase 'safety...
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4-2-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Carmakers kick it into high gear in March. The sequester hits, but unevenly. And H1-B visa are a hot ticket item this week.
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4-2-13 Marketplace Tech: Will There Be a Facebook Phone?
Facebook is only saying that it will have a 'significant mobile-focused announcement' on Thursday. Published reports suggest a custom mobile phone that comes in one flavor -- Facebook -- is on the way. But will the device be made in partnership with HTC, as is rumored? Or will it be something else?
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4-2-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Today the National Rifle Association releases its proposal for placing armed guards in all public schools. The unemployment rate in the 17 countries that use the euro has hit a new high -- 12 percent. And as New York City Michael Bloomberg serves his final year in office, we take a look at whether his personal wealth has protected him from political interest groups.
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4-1-13 Marketplace
The sequester officially "kicked in" one month ago, today. At the time, dire media warnings made it sound like we were going to hit an economic brick wall, but that hasn't happened. Why haven't the doomsday predictions come true? Also, April 1 is the deadline for most colleges and universities to let applicants know whether they've been accepted for admission. The tuition check is coming due. On top of that, there'a whole host of other costs that applicants have to pay nowadays.
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4-1-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
The resilient American consumer takes February. India's Supreme Court rejects a Novartis drug patent. And can you donate a roller coaster to charity?
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4-1-13 Marketplace Morning Report
A study from the Food Marketing Institute finds we are eating less meat for the first time in eight years. And among meats, beef is taking the biggest hit as more people trade their steak for chicken or pork. The supreme court in India has rejected an attempt by the Swiss drugmaker Novartis to patent an update to a cancer drug. And what kinds of April Fools' pranks are acceptable to pull at the office?
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4-1-13 Marketplace Tech: Is Bitcoin Legit?
Amid the banking crisis in Cyprus, an online-only currency called Bitcoin is getting new attention. Some argue it could be used as a safe-haven for people worried about have their deposits taxed in Cypriot banks. Evidence that people turned to Bitcoins amid the Cyprus mess is actually quite slim, although one company announced last week it wants to create the first Bitcoin ATM and to do it in Cyprus. Bitcoins haven't attracted much attention from regulators, until now. U.S. authorities have...
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03-29-13 Marketplace Money
What role do your emotions play when it comes to making financial decisions? In a special collaboration with the New York Times, we examine how our feelings influence our personal finances -- from the choices we make about the pets we care for to deciding who we spend the rest of our lives with. We look at why a realtor is sometimes a homebuyer's emotional partner, why some rich folks are giving away their wealth, and how some seniors are piling on debt to help their families. Plus, Kai...
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3-29-13 Marketplace
What do a $155 million Picasso purchase, a $60 million Hamptons home purchase, a $600 million fine and a trader in handcuffs have in common? The answer: a momentous week for high-profile hedge-fund titan Stephen A. Cohen. Plus, oil companies say new EPA rules on sulfur levels in gas will increase prices several cents a gallon, but higher refining costs could play out many ways: People could drive less or they could buy cars with higher mileage.
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3-29-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Turmoil at 'Today' show could spell big trouble for NBC. America's tallest structure could generate clean energy.
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3-29-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Banks are open for the second day in Cyprus after two weeks of closure. From the outside, things appear to be going okay. The president of Cyprus said this morning that the country will not leave the euro. An energy company wants to build the U.S.'s tallest structure. It's not an office building, but a giant tower aimed at producing clean energy. And how should the FDA regulate medical smartphone apps?
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3-29-13 Marketplace Tech: Digital Easter Eggs and Where
We feel compelled to do a story today about digital Easter eggs. They're about finding hidden things in the digital world and don't actually have to be egg-shaped.The Egyptian Navy says it caught three men trying to cut a big undersea Internet cable running into the Mediterranean. A military spokesman says the cable belonged to Telecom Egypt, the major phone and Internet company there. No motive was suggested. Experts say there have been Internet slowdowns recently in Egypt, and have noticed...
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3-28-13 Marketplace
As Cyprus puts limits on how much money people can spend or withdraw from banks, we look at how such restrictions would affect American businesses and individuals if imposed here. Also, Wal-Mart is reportedly considering using customers at its brick-and-mortar stores to deliver orders to online customers in an effort to compete with Amazon. And finally, how the company that makes those Peeps easter candies has built on the peepularity of marshmallow bunnies to renew and expand an old candy...
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3-28-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
BlackBerry is back in the black. Banks in Cyprus re-open today to long lines and eager customers. And President Obama meets with leaders of four African countries.
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3-28-13 Marketplace Morning Report
A hedge fund investor makes headlines with a $155 million Picasso purchase. Banks in Cyprus have just re-opened for the first time in two weeks. Although there are tough restrictions on just how much cash customers can withdraw and what they can do with that money once they have it. Today Michigan officially becomes the nation's 24th right-to-work state. Under the new law, workers can opt out of paying union dues and still retain benefits.
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3-28-13 Marketplace Tech: Clogging the Internet with Spam
If you found your Internet surfing coming up empty in recent days, it's possibly part of one of the biggest cyberattacks experts have seen. A non-profit that fights junk email has been getting clobbered for days. Spamhaus had blacklisted a web hosting company in the Netherlands for allegedly helping to spread spam. The Dutch company called Cyberbunker didn't like getting blacklisted and the result is clogging things all around the Internet.
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3-27-13 Marketplace
Today’s Supreme Court case on gay marriage focuses on the inheritance tax, which impacts only a fraction of Americans. But there are hundreds, if not thousands, of financial benefits for married couples, so we look at some that are below the radar and available to many Americans. Also, the Cyprus financial system remains frozen with banks planning to open, in limited fashion, tomorrow. One of the things that regulators are worried about is money launderers removing their capital from Cypriot...
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3-27-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Electronic tolls at the Golden Gate Bridge. Three reasons why Rhode Island's economy is down. And will Boeing or Airbus come out on top in the US Airways-American merger?
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3-27-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Lawyers who defend the poor in federal court say sequester cuts could jeopardize the fairness of the criminal justice system. Leaders of the BRICS nations -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- are wrapping up a summit today with a plan to create a new bank to fuel economic growth in the developing world. And is Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria the most hated man in baseball?
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3-27-13 Marketplace Tech: A History of the LCD Screen
All right, you struggling screenwriters.We're about to hand you a plot. It will start in an unlikely place: The fact that it's been 40-years since research was published that led to the development of LCD flat screens, which revolutionized computers and TV. British Chemist George Gray came up with a way to make liquid crystals that worked -- here was the trick -- at room temperature. Mark Lorch wrote about this in The Guardian. Lorch is also a chemist at Britain's University of Hull, and he...
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3-26-13 Marketplace
Struggling to compete against its bigger rivals like ATT and Verizon, T-Mobile has made an announcement that it is canceling new phone contracts that lock you in for wireless services. The practice is common among small companies, like MetroPCS, but T-Mobile would be the carrier with the largest footprint to make the switch. Also, our Wealth Poverty Desk begins a new series about the "safety net" that we rely on to take risks and sometimes make ends meet. And finally, how hard is it to make...
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3-26-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Home prices rise, but can they boost the job market? Pro-gay marriage PAC's lure moderate Republicans. And one woman tells us what her safety net looks like.
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3-26-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Banks in Cyprus are on lockdown and many ATMs are out of cash. We give you a look at the Cyprus crisis from the inside. St. Louis residents tell us what it means to be wealthy. And want a side of security with your waffle? Below the streets of downtown Atlanta, a Waffle House restaurant adds a 20 percent surcharge for a security guard.
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3-26-2013 Marketplace Tech: Everquest turns 14, Digital...
Video game years are kind of like dog years. And that makes the game Everquest, which turned 14-years-old this month, positively ancient. Everquest was one of the first big games to be an MMO -- Massively Multiplayer Online -- lots of people play against each other by Internet. Dave Georgesen of Sony Online Entertainment has watched these kinds of games spread using the so-called "free to play" model, where you can start without buying it. And, a new academic study shows it's quite easy to...
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3-25-13 Marketplace
Banks are back at it -- giving out home loans with no down payments. But this time, it’s wealthy buyers taking out those high-interest loans. A shortage of doctors means increased opportunities for nurses and others in health care. Apple’s latest acquisition could change things for consumers and marketers alike in the world of indoor mapping. Soccer star David Beckham visited China last week to root out corruption from Chinese soccer, but he's already made a slip-up. We look at the economic...
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3-25-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Cyprus strikes a deal, but who are the winners and the losers? And a new drug aims to help recovering addicts six months at a time.
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3-25-2013 Marketplace Morning Report
President Obama designates five new national monuments today, and communities around them could cash in. Cyprus makes a bailout deal, but what about the rest of Europe? And, high debt equals low growth, right? That's a widely-held belief among the political class, but many economists just don't agree.
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3-25-13 Marketplace Tech: Illegal Internet Research and...
Now that he has a federal license, the law school student who wants to use 3D printing to manufacture firearms remains wary the government could still shut him down. Cody Wilson goes to the University of Texas and is head of an enterprise called Defense Distributed. Even with the license, he's working on more permits and issues such as protection from liability. And, how a hacker 'researched' the stability of the whole Internet by creating a giant network of insecure online devices.
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3-22-13 Marketplace
The European Central Bankhas given Cyprus until Mondaytocome up with a plan to raise billions of dollars and avoid bankruptcy. Wetake a look at the long weekend ahead for the small island nation. And in the meantime, we examine a tax fraud case in the UK that calls to mind the award-winning movie Argo.Argo is the story of a fake Hollywood movieset up in order to rescue American hostages in Iran.But in the British case, the fake movie had a less noble aim -- collecting $4.2 million in free...
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03-22-13 Marketplace Money
Congratulations! You've just won a "foreign lottery," which means you've also won a chance to be scammed out of your savings and your safety. Exposing con artists targeting elderly Americans. Plus, it's never too soon to start thinking about saving for retirement, right? We talk to a trio of millenials about gearing up for the Golden Years. And if you're having trouble saving, perhaps you're in "present shock," a modern state of only focusing on the now, according to theorist Douglas...
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3-22-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Drillers and environmental organizations try to set fracking standards together. As Dell looks to go private, what is the company worth? And, the latest on Cyprus.
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3-22-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Casual dining takes a backseat to more informal restaurant chains. Mississippi River mayors unite to fight for federal infrastructure funding. And it's going to be another long weekend in Cyprus as the country's government scrambles to come up with a new bailout plan. How are countries around the continent reacting?
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3-22-13 Marketplace Tech: The Mobile Payment Wars
PayPal and Google see a future where you go into a store and use yoursmartphone to pay. These are called electronic wallets and recentlyMastercard, wary of the competition, said it will start charging acontroversial extra fee to some companies that want to run Mastercardtransactions through their e-wallets. But the card company isn'tstopping there. Mastercard's Ed McLaughlin says his company has a walletof its own.
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3-21-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
The pressure mounts on Cyprus, Youtube hits a billion monthly users, and why a Sim City debacle cost a CEO his job.
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3-21-13 Marketplace
The European Central Bank has given Cyprus four days to agree on a new plan to raise billions of dollars and avoid bankruptcy. As desperation sets in, we examine some of the plan B's, C's and D's that Cyprus has been considering.In the meantime, withMarch Madness underway, Stephen Dubner ofFreakonics Radio looks at the NCAA tournament andthe big bucks it brings in for TV broadcasters. Plus, we discuss the case of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky, who goes on trial Friday in Moscow for tax...
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3-21-13 Marketpace Morning Report
The European Central Bank has given the Cyprus just a few days to come up with a new bailout deal after the Cypriot parliament rejected a controversial tax on bank deposits as part of its original bailout plan. The government of Mexico is trying to reshape the country's phone and television industries by increasing competition and foreign investment. And, is there any sector -- retail, shipping, tech, intelligence -- that Amazon isn't involved in?
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3-21-13 Marketplace Tech: Sending Photos and Videos in...
South Korea is still recovering from an apparent cyberattack on Wednesday that shut down many cash machines, froze debit card transactions, and caused computers to go dark at banks and broadcasting companies. Power and transportation systems were not directly affected. South Korean officials suspect North Korea but proving that will be difficult. Last week, North Korea had accused the South of getting into its computers. Is this the new norm?
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3-20-13 Marketplace
The British Finance Minister unveiled his government's public spending plans today. Nobel-prizewinning economist Paul Krugmanis a keen student of Britain's economy and a stern critic of the way it's been managed. In light of the today's economic news from across the pond, we examine Krugman's case.Plus, the fashion market for fake fur has grown so fast that some suppliers are meeting the demand with real fur. Retailers as large as Nieman Marcus have been caught up in the faux faux fur...
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3-20-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
The latest from the Federal Reserve, the worst case scenario in Cyprus, and the pros and cons of banking at a credit union.
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3-20-13 Marketplace Morning Report
India is the world's largest gold importer. The government has hiked import taxes on gold to control the outward flow of cash, but the lure of the yellow metal is not fading. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is in Beijing this morning on second day of his visit to China. It's his first foreign trip as treasury secretary and the first high level talks between the U.S. and China in six months. And how are veterans doing in the job market?
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3-20-13 Marketplace Tech: Keeping our Text Messages in...
When you send a text message or an email, should your Internet or phone company hang onto them in case the police ever want to take a look? That is the discussion on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers look into overhauling the federal law that covers when the authorities can get access to electronic communications and when they can't. And software company Oracle is trying to move to the cloud.
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3-19-13 Marketplace
Keeping a close eye on the latest developments in Cyprus, where residents are revolting against a planned savings account tax. Plus, we look at why more homeowners are going from underwater to above water on their mortgages and what it means for the economy. That, and all the numbers from Wall Street and beyond.
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3-19-13 Marketplace Morning Report
The government in Cyprus is scheduled to vote on a controversial tax on bank deposits later today. Could the measure lead to a run on Cypriot banks? The travel industry is up and so are luggage sellers. And shares of yoga apparel maker Lululemon are down after the company announced some of its pants are see-through.
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3-19-13 Marketplace Tech: Time Warner Cozies Up To Roku
A company called Roku makes a little box. In goes the Internet, out comes loads of TV channels when you connect it to a screen. Something like this could terrify a cable company like Time Warner. But what's journalism without 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em' stories? There's word Time Warner is going to show up on Roku boxes, so its paying customers can watch TV on any screen connected to the little Roku instead of a clunky set top box. Is this the future of television?
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3-18-13 Marketplace
A look at why a bank run on a small European island is having so disproportionate of an effect on global markets, and on saver sentiment in other European countries. Plus, President Obama nominates Thomas E. Perez to head the Labor Department -- but what exactly does the Secretary of Labor do? And, Republican advisers have released plans to grow their party. Some high-profile conservatives say the party needs a message makeover to be competitive. How do corporate marketers view the challenge?
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3-18-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
An unusual bailout agreement in Cyprus calls for taxes on bank deposits. And, the Borgata casino in Atlantic City tries make customers more comfortable with online gambling.
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3-18-13 Marketplace Morning Report
Financial markets overseas are falling sharply today thanks to the unusual terms of a bailout in Cyprus where a tax of up to 10 percent on bank deposits has been proposed to defray the cost of the bailout. The Republican party looks for a new tech guru. And a test of your international business knowledge with our global leadership quiz.
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3-18-13 Marketplace Tech: A New Method of Desalination
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has discovered a way to make desalination 100 times more efficient. And that could have a big impact on bringing clean drinking water to the developing world. The process is called reverse osmosis, and the material used is graphene -- a lot like the stuff you smudge across paper with your pencil. The new material could make for smaller, cheaper plants that turn salt water into drinking water, but it could also have uses in warzones.
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3-15-13 Marketplace
President Obama today is unveiling a new energy policy. The White House was loudly criticized during the president's first term for its management of federal money to help jumpstart alternative energy, including the money that helped back Solyndra, the failed solar company. Now, the surge in oil and natural gas production in the U.S. offers real economic opportunities. One of those opportunities is money the government can collect when it leases land to energy companies. So how much are...
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03-15-13 Marketplace Money
How much do you know about immigration? For example, many immigrants to the U.S. bring ideas and customs that give them a financial leg up over Americans. Learn about community credit clubs, creative ways to earn money for an education and what some foreign-born folks would pay for a taste of home. Plus, we explore the challenges of throwing a wedding when the bride and groom come from different culutres. Also, after being hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, Atlanta's real estate market is...
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3-15-13 Marketplace Mid-day Update
Washington goes 'Whale' watching. Will President Obama's second term have a greener tint? And a generation of medical school students learn how to huddle.
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3-15-13 Marketplace Tech
Google says it's doing what it calls 'spring cleaning' and sending Google Reader out to the landfill on July 1. Netflix has a new system that lets customers connect to Facebook, so their friends can see what they're watching. And where is the economic center of the earth?
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3-15-13 Marketplace Morning Report
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has just announced that it wants to supervise some of the largest players in the $1 trillion student loan industry. European finance ministers are meeting in Brussels today, and at the top of their agenda is the small Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus. And New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tried to re-make a lot of the city over the last 11 years. But as he wraps up his third term, he's got his eye on an extreme makeover of one of...
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3-14-13 Marketplace
After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Conn., the head of the National Rifle Association, called on Congress "to put armed police officers in every school." But many schools already have "good guys with guns." They're called School Resources Officers. Also, in the immigration debate we often focus on low-skilled workers, but there is a whole other group of scientists and other highly skilled professionals that we want to hire too. A couple of Silicon Valley...
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