Thursday, July 12, 2007
In this show. . .
Alcoa loses Alcan bid to Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto has agreed to buy Canadian aluminum company Alcan for $38 billion, making Alcoa withdraw its hostile bid. Bob Moon has the story.
Will CEO's postings hurt merger effort?
The Federal Trade Commission has been trying to block organic grocery chain Whole Foods from buying rival Wild Oats, and it may have the ammunition it needs from CEO John Mackey's fondness for online chatter. Sam Eaton reports.
Gazprom picks French firm as partner
Russian energy giant Gazprom announced a deal with French company Total to help develop Shtokman, a huge gasfield in the Russian Arctic. Stephen Beard reports.
New peace brings need for an overhaul
Northern Ireland officials are worried their economy relies too much on public spending. Ashley Milne Tyte reports on the changes they're considering.
Afghans' opium harvest in full swing
Afghanistan's opium poppy crop is said to generate over $3 billion, more than half its GDP. And evidence is mounting that the money is funding the Taliban and government corruption. The New Yorker's Jon Lee Anderson went there and tells what he discovered.
CEOs can live on as artists
Instead of fading into retirement once they've reached their golden years, today's CEOs are redefining what they do. Commentator Harriet Rubin says creative rebirth is a good way to build a legacy.
I'll wear what she's wearing
A powerful public relations campaign is saving clothing company Steve & Barry's millions in advertising, thanks to the star appeal of Sarah Jessica Parker. Jill Barshay explores what makes such outreach so successful.
Kai Ryssdal's final note . . .
Military security in Iraq is the big priority these days. The president said exactly that during his press conference this morning. But banks could use a little beefing up, too.
The Baghdad branch of Dar Es Salaam bank was robbed yesterday. Early reports had the take at $300 million. But the bank's owner, HSBC, said it was less than a million.
Marketplace datebook for Friday, July 13, 2007
- In Washington, the Commerce Department reports on retail sales for June.
- The International Energy Agency releases its monthly oil market report on supply and demand around the globe.
- And love comics? Dungeon games? Can't stay off the Internet? Tomorrow is for you. It's Embrace Your Geekness Day. So just be yourself.
Most popular stories online
sponsor
Music From This Show
Marketplace Confessional
"I disagree with Diana Nyad, who told Bob Moon today that Americans are not interested in Wimbledon because there are so few Americans playing. I love watching tennis, no matter who is playing. I have watched tennis for years, but the networks toy with us, creating drama rather than showing the match. Oftentimes, televised matches end precisely when the allotted time expires, even if they have to cut and splice. When they don't, as happened in a Nadal match last weekend, we were left hanging at the end of two sets, as NBC switched to women's golf. I don't have cable TV, so I couldn't switch to MSNBC as was suggested. It's enough to make me turn off the TV and read about the matches online."
Your Host
Kai Ryssdal took the reins as host of Marketplace in August 2005 after hosting the Marketplace Morning Report for more than four years. Before joining Marketplace, Kai was … Full bio
sponsor
