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Marketplace Report for Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Oct 15, 2008

Marketplace Report for Wednesday, October 15, 2008

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Marketplace Report for Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Segments From this episode

Can bailouts keep panic at bay?

Oct 15, 2008
The bailout plans from the U.S. and other countries do seem to be calming nerves in the financial sectors at least a little bit. Kai Ryssdal asks MIT economist Simon Johnson if this is the beginning of the end.

Santa could be hauling a lighter load

Oct 15, 2008
The economy is keeping shoppers out of stores and retail numbers prove it. They dropped to a three-year low. The downward trend is likely to keep holiday shopping lists on the small side this year. Danielle Karson has more.

Now, the shipping news is bad

Oct 15, 2008
The latest indication of global economic slowdown comes from something called the Baltic Dry Index. It tracks the price of hauling commodities like oil and grain. Those prices are at the lowest point in five years. Jeremy Hobson reports.

Can cheap commodities be a bad thing?

Oct 15, 2008
With oil prices slipping below $75, prices for corn, gold and other commodities are also down. That's good news for consumers, but what about the overall economy? Will it spark inflation? Nancy Marshall Genzer has answers.

Where's this bailout cash coming from?

Oct 15, 2008
The Fed soon starts lending directly to corporations, plus it's pledged unlimited dollars to foreign central banks. So, just how much is this gonna cost, and where's the Fed getting the money? Steve Henn finds out.

Tech advances fuel solar industry

Oct 15, 2008
The credit crisis is taking its toll on businesses, but there's optimism in the solar energy sector. Sarah Gardner reports that new technolgies and cheaper materials have improved solar's market potential.

Letters

Oct 15, 2008
The Marketplace mailbox this week received not only comments, but questions -- good ones. Kai Ryssdal rounds up Senior Business Correspondent Bob Moon to answer some of them.

Cities can't afford loans for basics

Oct 15, 2008
Local governments are feeling the pinch from the credit crisis. Water, sewer and road repairs are taking a backseat as governments try to scrounge up enough cash to keep cities running. Sylvia Maria Gross reports.

Marketplace Report for Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Music from the episode

Someone To Love Fountains Of Wayne
I Saw the Bright Shinies The Octopus Project
Light & Day / Reach For The Sun The Polyphonic Spree