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  • Gambling To Fix Pensions Can Lead To A Bigger Bind
    Public pension fund investing has changed a lot over the past few decades. Cities and states used to invest conservatively. Now, many are trying to rebuild pension funds by resorting to chancy investments in foreign currency, junk bonds and margin trades.
  • Earthquakes Not Shaking U.S. Insurance Concerns
    The earthquakes in Haiti and Chile have piqued Americans' interest in earthquake insurance — as usually happens after news of big quakes overseas. But there's little sign this interest will do much to increase the number of people who actually buy coverage. Will the government be on the hook when the big one comes?
  • Digg.com CEO Makes Content Curation Exciting
    Before the music portion of the South By Southwest festival this year, Austin's convention center was filled to the beams with digital creatives. Among them was Digg.com CEO Jay Adelson, who told host Liane Hansen about his company's history and future.
  • Pension Woes May Deepen Financial Crisis For States
    From Connecticut to California, pension funds for public employees lack the funding they need. A recent report from the Pew Center on the States put the tab for unfunded pension liabilities at $452 billion. The debacle could threaten the financial solvency of some states — and taxpayers are on the hook.
  • State Pension Underfunding Before The Great Recession
    How many years would it take for each state to make good on its pension promises if it spent all its tax revenue on pensions, and nothing else? In 2007, every state had some catching up to do. Since then, pension assets for some funds may have recovered, but liabilities have also grown.
  • Mom-And-Pop Site Busts The Web's Biggest Myths
    You'd think it would take an army to truth-squad the rapid-fire rumors of the World Wide Web. But at Snopes.com, that task falls to husband-and-wife myth debunkers David and Barbara Mikkelson.
  • Lunar Rover Is Spotted For First Time In 37 Years
    Video game developer Richard Garriott bought the broken Soviet lunar rover at an auction in 1993 — this week, thanks to new photos released by NASA, he's been able to see it on the moon for the first time.
  • Letter: Lehman's Accounting Tricks Possibly Illegal
    A Lehman Brothers whistleblower warned his bosses that accounting gimmicks the bank used before its collapse may have been illegal, his lawyer said Friday.
  • Obama Rallies: 'We Have Waited Long Enough'
    President Barack Obama packed the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Friday for one more health care rally. Speaking to students in a swing state, Obama hoped to put a bit of his campaign magic on the legislative drive to overhaul the nation's health care system.
  • 'American Idol For Nerds' Pits Inventors' Business Plans
    Georgia Tech has what some call an <em>American Idol</em> for Nerds. It's a competition to encourage undergraduates to invent usable items. Winners of "InVenture" get $15,000. Students must not only have a shiny invention, but also a marketing and business plan. This is the second year the college is having this competition. Susanna Capelouto of Georgia Public Broadcasting reports.
  • ABC News Under Fire For Payment To Murder Suspect
    The attorney for Casey Anthony, who is accused of killing her daughter, told a court Thursday that ABC News had paid Anthony $200,000 for exclusive rights to reproduce family photos and a video. Several journalists said ABC's failure to tell viewers of the payment for the pictures was an ethical lapse.
  • 'Repo Men:' Metaphor For Health Care Overhaul?
    Film critic Mia Mask says the new movie <em>Repo Men</em> is a science fiction flick that comments on two prominent policy issues: health care overhaul and the regulation of the financial industry. Mia Mask teaches film at Vassar College, and is the author of <em>Divas on Screen.</em>
  • FDA Restricts Marketing Tobacco To Youth
    The FDA has issued the first regulations since Congress gave the agency power to regulate tobacco. The regulations clamp down on the marketing of cigarettes to children and teenagers. The new rules prohibit a number of ad strategies like giving way hats and T-shirts with tobacco logos. Plus, no more selling of cigarettes in certain vending machines where kids can get at them.
  • Undecided Lawmakers Targeted For Their Health Vote
    On Capitol Hill, a few dozen House members are trying to decide how to vote on health care &mdash; while hundreds of advocates and thousands of e-mails are trying to sway them one way or the other. The House is expected to vote on its health care overhaul legislation on Sunday.
  • Universal Music To Test Lower Price Of CDs
    The world's largest music company is lowering the price of CDs. Universal Music is rolling out a test to see whether a $10 price ceiling will encourage consumers to buy more compact discs. Over the last decade, CD sales have dropped by more than half.

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