Marketplace: News Archives

Tuesday, March 4, 2003 Listen to the entire show in RealAudio

Newscast Today: Dow falls 132.99 (1.70%); NASDAQ drops 12.52 (.95%); S&P 500 stalls 12.82 (1.54%) Greenspan: “It's likely fewer of us will be borrowing against our houses this year, and that could result in less consumer spending.” Warren Buffett calls derivatives "time bombs" No severance for Frank Quattrone

Features Music Bridge: Like Dylan in the Movies - Belle and Sebastian Purchase this music from PRMS.org Bush & Medicare White House reveals a few more details in its plans to revamp Medicare: President Bush’s proposed $400 billion Medicare overhaul would encourage seniors to switch to subsidized private insurers to get full coverage for prescription drugs. It has been reported that although some drug coverage will be added to traditional Medicare, the administration's real push is to get seniors to embrace the private sector because seniors would have to pay $4,500 to $7,000 before they get a single penny in coverage. Democrat lawmakers proposed a drug benefit for Medicare with a limit of $2,000 on out-of-pocket drug costs.

Commentary - Medicare Reform Commentator says that in overhauling Medicare, voters and corporations should not enter into the decision: Experts agree that Medicare needs an overhaul, but Marketplace health commentator Jonathan Weiner argues that in doing it, policymakers should be careful not to pander either to voters or corporations. Music Bridge: Fairenheit Fair Enough - Telefon Tel Aviv

EU “Hard Sell” Transatlantic disputes over Iraq expose differences in the ways both sides deal with rogue nations: Members of the European Parliament are delivering what they call a “last-ditch message of peace” to the American people: an effort to avoid war in Iraq. Their view is not that Iraq’s not a risk, but the way to deal with that risk is by embracing them, trading with them, even having diplomatic relations with them. The U.S. view tends to be more one of isolation and cauterizing them. The delegation's mission exemplifies the growing rift between Europe and the U.S. caused by differences over how to deal with Iraq. Music Bridge: It's Not the End of the World? - Super Furry Animals Purchase this music from PRMS.org

Interview with Michael Dell on Corporate America & War Marketplace host David Brancaccio talks with founder and CEO Michael Dell about doing business during tough times: It's the current fashion for companies to blame the threat of war in Iraq for business being bad. But one company that's not using the war to explain its performance is Dell Computer. Marketplace host David Brancaccio talks with founder Michael Dell about how a company can succeed even in times of economic insecurity. Music Bridge: Escape from the City - Ithaka

AIDS in S. Africa series: The Business of Death Overwhelmed funeral homes are attracting a new breed of unscrupulous entrepreneur: South Africa has been devastated by AIDS, and one out of every nine people is infected with HIV. Thousands of them are beginning to die now, putting a severe strain on the country’s workforce, healthcare system and families affected by the disease. But there are a growing number of people who are actually benefiting from the rising death toll. In the first installment of this 2-part series, we look at an industry that’s getting rich as more people begin to die. Links:   View a slideshow

Tomorrow On Marketplace... In South Africa, AIDS is exacting a heavy price from the local population, with the death count expected to keep climbing by 20% each year. The overwhelming cost of burying the dead is having a sobering economic impact on families and communities.