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  • Could Big Donors Break Obama's Fundraising Record?
    The Obama presidential campaign rewrote the playbook for raising campaign cash in 2008. The Supreme Court may change it again before 2010: An upcoming decision could potentially curb the growing influence of small donors in favor of corporate America.
  • Wary Employers Keep Jobless Numbers High
    A 10.2 percent unemployment rate is like a gut punch. It's just such a big number, a level of joblessness we haven't experienced here in the U.S. since the early '80s. This, even as the economy is actually growing again. But many employers just aren't ready to start hiring yet.
  • Worried Consumers Continue To Shun Credit
    Consumers borrowed less for a record eighth straight month in September amid rising unemployment and tight credit conditions. Economists worry the declines in borrowing will drag on the fledgling recovery. The Federal Reserve said borrowing fell at an annual rate of $14.8 billion in September.
  • Money In A Bottle: The Celebrity Scent Business
    If you walk down the cosmetics aisle of any big store, you might mistake the perfume collection for the guest list to a Hollywood party. But star-studded scents account for only about 10 percent of fragrance sales; their value is the publicity.
  • U.S. Economic Steps May Be Leading To Bubble
    The global economy is slowly recovering after the worst financial crisis in decades, but government efforts to stimulate growth, including the Fed's move to drive interest rates down to zero, may be creating another problem. Prices for assets — gold, stocks and real estate in Asia — are soaring, leading to warnings that a new bubble could be forming.
  • Jobless Rate Highest Since 1983
    The government says the nation's unemployment rate hit 10.2 percent last month, the highest since 1983. Economists had expected the figure to rise to 9.9 percent.
  • Health Overhaul Could Make Chain Restaurants Post Calories
    A little-noticed provision in the health overhaul bill would cause chain restaurants and vending machines to post calorie content for all food.
  • Jump In Jobless Rate Puts Spotlight On Obama
    News that the jobless rate has crossed the psychologically important 10 percent mark comes in the same week that Democrats suffered a sobering Election Day. Some experts say it dims Democratic prospects not just for 2010 but for the health care vote this weekend.
  • Jobless Rate 10.2 Percent, Casts Doubt On Recovery
    Little over a week after the government said the economy has begun to grow, the unemployment rate climbed to 10.2 percent, the first time it has hit double digits since 1983. That, along with the loss of an additional 190,000 jobs in October, shows the economy is still struggling to emerge from recession.
  • CDC: Make Sure Swine Flu Vaccine Goes To Neediest
    The CDC told health officials to make sure that scarce swine flu vaccine goes to priority groups, such as kids and health-care workers, after some criticized doses being delivered to Wall Street firms.
  • Wal-Mart, Amazon Price War Extends To DVDs
    Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is trimming the online preorder prices of some upcoming DVDs following last month's price cut on books. The move led rivals Amazon.com Inc. and Target Corp. to reduce some DVD prices, which pushed Wal-Mart to take a few more cents off its offerings.
  • Boosted By Bailout, AIG Racks Up Profitable Quarter
    AIG said it posted profits for the second quarter in a row as its core insurance operations continue to stabilize after the company's government bailout last year. American International Group Inc. also got a lift from the increasing value of investments it still holds that soured last year and helped drive it to the brink of collapse.
  • U.S. Insider Trading Probe Widens
    Federal authorities accused the founder of the Galleon hedge fund and five others of making millions of dollars illegally by using insider information to make trades. The six have denied wrongdoing. Authorities have charged 14 more people with insider trading. The suspects are not only from hedge funds but also from large corporations like Intel and IBM.
  • Monthly Unemployment Rate Tops 10 Percent
    The Labor Department says the jobless rate hit 10.2 percent in October. That's the first time it's gone over 10 percent since the recession of the early 1980's. The economy shed a net total of 190,000 jobs in October.
  • Why Do Countries Rich In Oil Still Have Poverty?
    This week's Planet Money report deals with what economists call the "paradox of oil." We'll meet two men who work in the African nation of Angola. One is an American, who makes big money in the oil business. The other is an Angolan who sells chewing gum on the street.

Tune-in to Marketplace with Kai Ryssdal weekdays on KJZZ at 6pm.