Thursday, July 26, 2007
In this show. . .
Wall Street takes big hit. But why now?
The factors behind today's 311-point fall in the Dow were there when the index hit a record 14,000 last week. What changed? Bob Moon went looking for answers and found the roller coaster ride is likely to continue.
Ford profits make a U-turn
Ford reported its first quarterly profit in two years today, surprising most analysts. Kai Ryssdal talked to The New York Times' Micheline Maynard about what allowed for the automaker's good news.
Farm subsidies as seen from the farm
With the House considering a multibillion-dollar farm bill this week, we sought out the view from the tractor. Kai Ryssdal talks with Georgia farmer Stephen Houston.
Paulson: Farm bill bad for trade
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told the House today that the farm bill it's debating would damage relations with U.S. trading partners. John Dimsdale reports.
Schools study ways to keep teachers
In the summer months, many school districts struggle to fill open teaching positions. Jeff Tyler explores what drives many once-enthusiastic teachers out of the classroom -- and what the schools are doing about it.
Women lead protests in Zimbabwe
With inflation out of control and their country on the brink of economic collapse, women are taking to the streets of Zimbabwe to protest President Mugabe's policies. Gretchen Wilson reports.
Beyond 'Moby Dick'
Before crude oil, there was whale oil. Kai Ryssdal sits down with Eric Jay Dolin, who talks about the American whaling industry in his new book.
Simpsons got a little bit of Seoul
To get to the big screen, the Simpsons' needed the help of tireless writers, actors and animators. But while the creative end was produced in the U.S., much of the rest had a hand from South Korean outsourcing.
Kai Ryssdal's final note . . .
You are what you drink. And if you're a fan of Aquafina, turns out what you are is a whole lot of tap water. After months of lobbying, Pepsi, the owner of Aquafina, has agreed to make that fact more obvious on its bottles. Take a look at one of those bottles now and you'll see snow capped mountains. But soon, they'll carry a label that reads "public water source."
Aquafina's not alone in slippery water practices. Up to 40 percent of bottled water uses the tap as its source. The bottled water business may not be washed up, though. Last year alone, Americans spent $11 billion on bottled water.
Marketplace datebook for Friday, July 27, 2007
- In Washington, the Commerce Department releases the 2nd-quarter Gross Domestic Product report.
- The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on a redeployment plan for U.S. forces in Iraq.
- And people with sharp objects descend on Hayward, Wisconsin to compete in the Lumberjack World Championships. The "Olympics of the Forrest" include log rolling, tree climbing, chopping and sawing. With chainsaws and axes.
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Marketplace Confessional
"Will makes a great argument. The hostile reception, as indicated by the comments, should be unsurprising. If people actually understood how much immigration has historically benefited us then we wouldn't have the type of protectionist immigration laws we have. If the borders were opened one might see a drop in wages, but considering there would be a correlative drop in prices, it's doubtful there would be an overall harm and most likely considerable benefit..."
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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
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