KQED's California Money: Recent Episodes
KQED
Shares of San Francisco-based Wells Fargo fell 2 percent today, following a court ruling in Massachusetts. Also, United Airlines flight attendants angry about the pace of contract negotiations rallied at San Francisco International airport today.
Blue Shield of California has confirmed its plans to raise rates by an average of 30 percent for almost 200,000 of its individual policy holders.
A deal between Facebook and Goldman Sachs has prompted federal regulators to consider revising their financial disclosure rules for privately held companies. Also, a new report predicts the market for tablet computers will continue to explode this year.
Bankruptcy filings in California surged 19 percent last year, despite a slowdown nationwide. Bay Area unemployment rates are also on the rise.
The Goldman Sachs investment in Facebook is expected to reverberate throughout Silicon Valley. It all depends on what Facebook decides to do with $500 million.
Shortly after the New Year, some say no later than Valentine's Day, Apple is expected to roll out an iPhone that works on Verizon's network.
New federal food-safety rules could generate business for some high tech companies, specifically, companies that make software to track outbreaks of food-borne illness.
Local merchants are still crunching the numbers, but most are expecting to report an upbeat holiday shopping season.
Local merchants are still crunching the numbers, but most are expecting to report an upbeat holiday shopping season.
Holiday shoppers are still grabbing last minute deals off store shelves this Christmas Eve.
The Federal Trade Commission has approved Intel's acquisition of McAfee, the Internet security company.
The real estate market may still be in the doldrums, but a San Francisco-based real estate web site is booming.
Scruffy beards and pink granny glasses are the tip-off you're in the virtual Pot Farm -- a game now on Facebook.
A recent survey found giving by San Francisco residents jumped 56 percent during the holidays compared to the rest of the year -- the biggest increase of any major city.
The Bay Area's median home price dropped last month to $380,000, down nearly 2 percent from a year ago.
Chevron just announced it's giving $1 million in grant money to seven Richmond-area nonprofits. Also, Oakland-based Sungevity is going national.
A federal judge has dismissed a high-profile patent lawsuit against Silicon Valley firms including Apple, Google, Facebook and Netflix.
California's population growth has slowed to a crawl, according to recently released numbers from the state Department of Finance. Also, Genentech announced promising news today.
Procter and Gamble, the world's biggest advertiser, is moving its ads from daytime soap operas to Twitter. Also, Republican governors in two states are saying "no" to $1.2 billion in federal high-speed rail funds -- and that's a good thing for California.
Members of a budget committee in San Francisco are still debating the merits and costs of hosting the America's Cup sailing race.
Economists with the closely-watched UCLA Anderson Forecast say the state's unemployment rate isn't likely to dip below 10 percent for another two years.
Palo Alto-based social networking giant Facebook is rolling out a major redesign of its user profile pages. Also, Apple employees in Cupertino may be getting some extra-fancy new digs.
The national unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to a seven-month high in November, and new hiring stalled. But at least some companies in the Bay Area are expanding -- and even hiring.
Researchers at UC Davis today released a study looking at gender diversity among the state's 400 largest public companies. They found that men still hold roughly nine out of every 10 of the highest-paid management and board positions.
Sales figures from Cyber Monday show that buyers pounced on online deals and promotions, and Groupon announced the acquisition of San Mateo-based advertising and commerce company Ludic Labs, and plans to bolster its Silicon Valley presence.
The European Commission is investigating Google for possible antitrust violations in how it ranks its search results and ad listings.
She was once known as Queen of the Net. Investment analyst Mary Meeker is leaving Morgan Stanley to join one of Silicon Valley's most influential venture capital firms, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers.
Bay Area bargain hunters braved crowds, all-nighters and near freezing temperatures to pick up Black Friday deals.
The California Supreme Court has handed a victory to the San Francisco Bay Guardian in its antitrust lawsuit against SF Weekly.
A federal jury in Oakland awarded the German software company SAP to pay rival Oracle $1.3 billion for copyright infringement.
Netflix appears to be pushing customers to get more of their movies through online streaming.
California added 39,000 non-farm jobs in October. But the state's jobless rate remained unchanged at 12.4 percent.
Bay Area home sales continued to slide in October, according to new figures from MDA Dataquick. Also, Gap today announced its third-quarter profits fell 1 percent. But the clothing chain said increases in online and international sales helped drive revenue up 2 percent.
Biotech pioneer Genentech is facing job cuts over the next two years. Swiss parent company Roche today announced it plans to cut 6 percent of its workforce. Also, the explosion of smart phones is having a profound impact on businesses.
San Francisco's mayor today unveiled new electric vehicle charging stations that may signal the future for electric cars. In its own bid to recharge its faltering business, Yahoo! today announced an alliance with the hot web discount broker, Groupon.
Facebook is getting a lot of attention today with the announcement of a new messaging system. The social networking giant has also grown enough to nudge aside eBay to become the third largest Internet-only company in the U.S.
Facebook is expected to unveil an email system that's reportedly being called a "Gmail killer" within the walls of the Palo Alto social networking company. Also, auction house Christie's is hoping to get $160,000 for an original Apple-1 computer.
The state may have financial problems, but the people of California are doing a pretty good job of managing their debt loads. That's according to the latest survey by Credit Karma, a San Francisco-based credit monitoring service.
Virgin America turned its first profit since the San Francisco-based low-cost airline started three years ago. Also, the hotel industry is still facing tough times.
The U.S. hemp industry says it's grown to $360 million in annual sales. But according to the Hemp Industries Association, that growth is hampered because American farmers aren't allowed to grow the plant.
San Francisco-based Gap surprised analysts with better-than-expected sales last month. Also, this week state voters soundly defeated a measure to repeal corporate tax breaks enacted by the Legislature during the depths of the recession.
The election may be very good news for local businesses with Jerry Brown as governor and Gavin Newsom as lieutenant governor. So says the nonpartisan business group, the Bay Area Council.
As San Francisco gets ready to celebrate the Giants' World Series victory with tomorrow's ticker tape parade, many local businesses are enjoying an early holiday rush.
The Bay Area economy will not recover from this recession until at least 2015. That's according to a new forecast released today by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute.
According to a real estate tracking service called Foreclosure Radar, foreclosure sales are down 42 percent in Arizona, California and Nevada -- the states hardest hit by the real estate crisis.
Bay Area transportation officials hope to speed the adoption of electric vehicles with $14 million in grants. Also, green tech jobs appear to be among the reasons Silicon Valley is leading the rest of California in consumer confidence.
Wells Fargo today admitted to paperwork errors in thousands of foreclosure cases. Also, California state government reformers were given a $20 million boost today.
PayPal has announced big plans to give payment giants like Visa and MasterCard a run for their money.
San Jose is putting its money where its mouth is. The city says it's diverted more than $1 billion out of Bank of America because of its record on foreclosures and loan modifications.
Imagine paying off your mortgage on time, every month, and then receiving a letter in the mail that read, "a notice of default was filed against your property initiating the foreclosure process."
South Korea's ambassador to the United States was in San Francisco today calling for the passage of a free trade agreement.
In a speech at the Commonwealth Club, Geithner defended the Obama administration's economic stimulus policies.
Verizon announced today that it's going to start selling Apple's iPad at the end of this month.
Google's high profile vice president of search, Marissa Mayer, will now be leading the company's promising geo-location business.
Shares of Gymboree soared this week in response to news of a whopping $1.8 billion buyout of the San Francisco children clothing retailer.
Tomorrow, Electronic Arts will introduce a controversial version of its video game, "Medal of Honor."
Bank of America said today it would stop foreclosures in all 50 states. This follows reports that major lenders have allowed foreclosures to go through without proper documentation.
Shares of San Jose-based Adobe Systems soared today on a report that Microsoft is considering buying the company. Also, according to a recent study, the recession has hit California's suburbs surprisingly hard.
Facebook's CEO made his first public appearance today after the release of the film "The Social Network," but today's event in Palo Alto focused only on new features the site is rolling out.
Sales of new Android smartphones are outpacing both Apple's iPhone and RIM's Blackberry. Also, about 100 people including firefighters, nurses and teachers gathered in front of San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital today to voice their opposition to Proposition B.
San Francisco-based Twitter has a new chief executive. Also, a new and quite different kind of big box chain is expanding beyond the Bay Area.
Palo Alto-based Hewlett-Packard has announced a former executive from German software firm SAP as its new CEO.
Tens of thousands of Californians could find themselves out of work after today if Congress lets a federal jobs program expire.
A lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross aims to stop the insurer from limiting the number of physicians in its networks. Also, a new report paints a good news/bad news picture of the state's economy.
A new report suggests two out of every five adults living below the poverty line in the East Bay are actually working full or part time.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is in Oakland today, trying to help people facing foreclosure.
Two new reports show that many California cities offer big pay packages to their city managers. Also, it's been a dismal year for San Francisco's Cruise business, but port officials are looking forward to a rebound next year.
Apple announced earlier this summer that more than half of the Fortune 100 are using or testing the iPad. Also, former state treasurer Phil Angelides returned to his hometown of Sacramento today for a public hearing on the housing market meltdown.
Shares of San Jose-based Adobe Systems plunged more than 20 percent during today's trading. Los Gatos-based Netflix saw its shares soar on reports that rival Blockbuster is on the verge of declaring bankruptcy.
The last couple years have been a trying time for wine growers and producers. But it turns out that's good news for consumers.
Hewlett-Packard says it's settled its lawsuit against Oracle. HP had filed suit to prevent former CEO Mark Hurd from working as Oracle's co-president.
Continental shareholders approved a $3 billion merger today with United Airlines, and a study out today on restaurant workers in San Francisco's Chinatown uncovers more evidence of widespread wage violations.
The U.S. Senate today passed a bill to help community banks boost their lending to small businesses.
It's getting harder for California's senior citizens to maintain a dignified standard of living. That's according to a new UCLA report.
The Port of Richmond today celebrated Honda's return after more than 40 years, and a campaign is underway to bring the 2020 World Expo to Silicon Valley.
PGE officials announced today they're creating a $100 million fund to help victims of the San Bruno gas explosion. But is that enough to repair PGE's reputation?
For the first time, Apple has revealed the guidelines it uses to decide what programs will be accepted or rejected for its App Store.
Hewlett-Packard today sued ex-CEO Mark Hurd to prevent him from taking a job at rival Oracle.
As Californians continue to struggle with a jobless recovery, some are turning to eBay.
More than four million Californians will be traveling this Labor Day weekend, an increase of 11 percent from a year ago. Also, a new report sheds more light on why Hewlett-Packard wants to pay more than $2 billion for data storage maker 3PAR.
Hewlett-Packard has won a three week bidding war for data storage provider 3Par. HP's final bid of $33 a share knocked Dell out of the running. Also, hundreds of transit and community advocates rallied at the Oakland Career Center today to call for increased funding for buses and other forms of mass transit.
After unveiling a variety of updated iPods today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced a cheaper version of the Apple TV. Also, a new survey of California small business owners suggests most fear a double-dip recession.
San Francisco home prices shot up in June, but the gains may prove difficult to sustain. That theme was repeated today at a Chamber of Commerce summit.
San Francisco officials today began calling for partners to help develop one of the city's last large parcels of land. Also, the U.S. Justice Department says Hewlett-Packard has agreed to pay $55 million to settle claims.
Intel says disappointing PC sales in the U.S. and Europe have forced it to slash its quarterly sales forecast, and Facebook says it will "vigorously" fight a lawsuit brought this week by two California teenagers.
Hewlett-Packard today raised its bid for the data storage firm 3Par by a whopping 11 percent above Dell's latest offer.
Officials with the California State University system today acknowledged that campus foundations are having accounting problems
State fire officials are telling some 3,000 California gas stations to disable the hands-free latches on their pumps.
Apple has applied for a patent that would add extra security to its iPhones and iPads, and Hewlett Packard today jumped into a bidding war with rival computer maker Dell.
California's unemployment rate held steady in July at 12.3 percent. That means more than two million Californians are looking for work. Also, San Jose's Mineta Airport can't seem to get rid of a foul smell linked to a renovation project in Terminal A.
Hewlett-Packard today issued its first earnings report since the sudden ouster of CEO Mark Hurd, and shares of security software maker McAfee jumped on news that it's becoming a part of Intel.
Several California-based projects to expand broadband Internet access heard today they're getting federal stimulus grants. Also, for years a half-finished building in downtown Oakland was the face of the housing crash -- but no longer.
Mortgage delinquencies in the Bay Area edged up slightly last quarter. Also, an online news service owned by AOL is in the midst of a major hiring campaign this year in California communities.
Shares of Fremont tech startup 3Par soared a whopping 85 percent today, and prominent California property developer and venture capitalist Edmund Shea Jr. has died at the age of 80.
Beginning Sunday, banks will no longer be able to charge certain overdraft fees unless the customer gives explicit permission. Also, HP faces a legal battle stemming from its board's ouster of CEO Mark Hurd.
Shares of San Jose-based Cisco Systems took a 10 percent hit today, after the company urged caution on its outlook. Also, hundreds of Chase mortgage customers showed up at an Oakland hotel today to see whether they can negotiate new terms.
Wells Fargo says it plans to appeal a federal court order to pay California customers $203 million for unfair overdraft fees -- and California credit card holders are carrying higher balances than a year ago.
PGE says it will continue its push to install smart meters in Northern California homes despite public relations troubles, and Netflix shares jumped on word of a new online film streaming venture.
Google and Verizon today unveiled a joint policy proposal on the controversial issue of net neutrality. Also, shares of Hewlett-Packard plunged as investors tried to make sense of CEO Mark Hurd's sudden resignation.
Hewlett-Packard announced this afternoon that CEO Mark Hurd has resigned effective immediately -- and Christina Romer, chief economic adviser to President Obama, is leaving her post and returning to UC Berkeley.
Federal regulators are abandoning their recent effort to negotiate a compromise on net neutrality rules -- and a former Google employee can go forward with his age discrimination suit.
Santa Clara-based Intel has agreed to settle a federal antitrust lawsuit -- and venture capital investment in U.S. clean tech companies soared last quarter.
Consumers are still being careful about spending, but that hasn't stopped Oakland-based Clorox from increasing profits in the last year -- and the Port of Oakland reports business is improving.
Intel and General Electric are teaming up to form a health care company, and California's construction industry continues to shrink even as many other states begin to see a recovery.
Facebook may not be headed for an IPO next year, as was previously expected, and San Ramon-based Chevron saw its profits triple in the second quarter.
The electric vehicle industry got a boost today from the California Public Utilities Commission, and Netflix paid $66 million to movie studios last quarter, seven times what it paid a year ago.
A new survey of Bay Area venture capitalists suggests their confidence is flagging. Also, cars are getting most of the attention at this week's "plug-in" conference, but many businesses are focused on ways to recharge them.
GM announced that the Chevy Volt is officially on the market, at a base price of $41,000. Also, the founding CEO of Solyndra has stepped down.
The government today removed a legal cloud from a practice known as "jailbreaking," the business of unlocking and modifying smart phones. Also, the Cal State University system is celebrating the largest cash donation in its history.
A cell phone trade group has filed a lawsuit aiming to block San Francisco's ordinance requiring stores that sell mobile phones to post the level of radiation each phone emits.
Google has pulled the plug on its Nexus One smart phone, Safeway's profit dropped 40 percent last quarter, and and nearly half of California's small business owners don't believe the worst of the recession has passed.
Wells Fargo beat analyst expectations in its earnings report today, and Facebook says it has 500 million active users, but a survey shows customers are not satisfied with the site.
Bay Area drugmaker Genentech is defending the use of its drug Avastin for breast cancer treatment, and Apple's earnings jumped sharply in its third quarter.
If the America's Cup regatta comes to San Francisco, it could bring three times as much money to the Bay Area as the Super Bowl would.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs defended the iPhone 4 to the international press today, and said all users will get free cases so they don't cover the antenna when holding the phone.
Venture capitalist Joseph Lacob and movie mogul Peter Guber have bought the Golden State Warriors for a record $450 million.
Minority-owned businesses are fueling California's economic engine, according to new Census data.
Kicking off earnings season with a bang, Intel beat analyst expectations by posting its biggest profit in a decade.
Businesses in downtown Oakland are assessing the damage after a peaceful protest turned violent last night, following the verdict in the Oscar Grant BART shooting case.
Bay Area retailers are bracing for possible violence in reaction to the verdict in the murder trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle.
Despite some signs of an economic recovery, Bay Area small businesspeople are still feeling the recession, and Tesla Motors shares continued to fall from their post-IPO surge.
San Francisco's tourism industry is holding its own in what continues to be a challenging market.
High-tech stocks lost ground in the second quarter amidst uncertainty over Europe's economy, and transit agency officials in San Francisco hold a public hearing tomorrow to discuss restoring recent service cuts.
The flap over reported reception problems with the new iPhone took an unexpected turn today.