Wednesday, August 15, 2007
In this show. . .
Whole Foods' secrets are out of the box
Documents detailing Whole Foods' proposed takeover of the Wild Oats chain, accidentally left exposed on a court website, provide a glimpse into how the natural food chain is playing hardball against Wal-Mart. Bob Moon reports.
Fox deal with writers has got buzz
20th Century Fox has reached agreement with a group of top screenwriters that would pay them smaller advances in exchange for allowing them a percentage of the profits if their movies get made. Lisa Napoli reports.
iRate over iPhone bills
Some iPhone users are getting more than they bargained for -- like 300-page phone bills from AT&T. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
U.S. increasing pressure on Iran
The Bush administration is reportedly taking steps to list Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which has substantial business operations, as a terrorist organization. The move would also put pressure on countries still doing business with Iran. Stephen Beard explains.
Beach reads: 'Little Dorrit'
Commentator David Frum offers up a Dickens classic that's all about the markets.
Jumbo loans feel subprime weight
Some in Congress and the mortgage industry want the government to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy up bigger loans. So far, no deal. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports on how that's affecting potential homebuyers in some of the country's most expensive housing markets.
What score do rating agencies get?
There are lots of bogeymen in the subprime crisis -- lenders, brokers, investors, even homeowners. And here's another one: credit rating agencies. Kim Clark of U.S. News and World Report explains their role.
Wildfires snuff out business
Smoke and flames have forced the U.S. Forest Service to close two popular stretches of the Salmon River in Idaho. And that's left quite a few businesses up a creek. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.
Tess Vigeland's final note . . .
The Simon Cowell scowl has arrived on Wall Street. It's just awful. Terrible. Can't carry a tune — or a buyout. The New York Times reports shares of CKX, the company that owns the Idol franchise, are down 25 percent from their high in June.
That's got CKX's chairman thinking twice about taking the company private. He's still got one hope of topping the profit charts, however: CKX also owns the image and likeness of Elvis Presley, and may be opening a king-themed hotel in Viva Las Vegas.
Marketplace datebook for Thursday, August 16, 2007
- In Washington, the Commerce Department reports on new home construction for July.
- The Population Reference Bureau releases its 2007 World Population Data sheet. It includes demographic, health and environmental information for all countries. They'll also discuss malnutrition around the world.
- And Viking releases a 50th-anniversary edition of a Beat Generation fave — Jack Kerouac's "On the Road."
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Music From This Show
Marketplace Confessional
It's probably too late to do anything about it, but I want my word back. That word is "camp." The story about shopping camp at a Louisville Mall was the last straw. I should have spoken up earlier when band and football practices started to be called camps. Then sending kids to sit inside in front of a computer screen for several hours was called technology camp. But now we have passed the point of no return. I want my word back. Camp to me means outdoors, nature, and burning wood. . . . "
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
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