Monday, August 27, 2007
In this show. . .
Time to toss around the R-word?
With 4.5 million unsold homes sitting on the market, could we be looking at a recession? Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to economists and takes a look into the markets.
Corporate bonds are the new old thing
With shaky trust in the housing market and a falling stock market not the safest bet either, where else can we put our money? What about corporate bonds? Tess Vigeland talks to Marilyn Cohen, author of "The Bond Bible."
Coming soon: Small-Mart
Wal-Mart's on the lookout for an executive to help shape a smaller-store strategy, and analysts have been expecting Wal-Mart to get bigger by going smaller with their new stores. Steve Tripoli reports.
Katrina's wrecks now Bolivia's headache
Cars damaged by Hurricane Katrina have been making their way into Bolivia for sale. "Katrina cars" are sold cheaply and look almost new on the outside, but have serious mechanical problems. Ruxandra Guidi has more.
Giving the U.S. bad rep by giving billions
Venezuela has been promising enough aid to its Latin American neighbors to make U.S. donations look a little paltry. But some U.S. policymakers say the country can't keep all of its promises. Dan Grech reports.
Paying to put out Greece's flames
Greek authorities have declared a state of emergency due to the country's forest fires, and they're offering a hefty reward to anyone who can help nab the arsonists. Tess Vigeland talks to Marketplace's Stephen Beard in London.
Moving mountains to mine coal
Last Friday, the Bush Administration introduced coal-mining policy change that would loosen the requirement that coal operators prove their strip mining doesn't damage streams and wildlife. Commentator Jeff Biggers sees devestating results in the form of mountaintop removal.
'Oh, so I was in an abusive relationship'
A South African group has added a twist to its mircofinancing practice by providing additional training to its entrepreneurs — which is allowing some women to say "no" to their husbands for the first time. Gretchen Wilson reports.
Tess Vigeland's final note . . .
As summer winds to a close, you may find yourself a bit nostalgic for those smells of summer. Bonfires, beaches, backyard grass clippings. Just head north to a certain liquor store in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They'll be pumping out scents to go with certain potent potables.
Feast your senses on coconut in the rum racks. French bread in the wine stacks. And cedar in the whisky section. No word on whether the new aromas are bringing the smell of success to the cash register. But the CanWest News service says the liquor seller is hoping to expand the "aromatherapy" to 15 more stores.
Marketplace Datebook for Tuesday, August 28, 2007
- In New York, the Conference Board reports its monthly index of Consumer Confidence.
- President Bush addresses the American Legion at their annual convention in Reno. Then he'll fly to New Orleans ahead of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
- And NASA announces the contractor selected to build part of the Ares 1, a new rocket to take humans to the moon, and perhaps eventually Mars.
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"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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