Business, Economics and Finance

Lancaster, Ohio, the home of the Fortune 500 company Anchor Hocking, was once a bustling center of industry and employment. At its peak following World War II, Lancaster's hometown company was the world's largest maker of glassware and employed more than 5,000 town residents. Though Anchor Hocking remains in Lancaster today, it is a shell of its former self, and the once thriving town is beset by underemployment and drug abuse. Lancaster native Brian Alexander chronicles the rise and fall of his hometown in his new book, Glass House.

Author Lisa Servon says a growing number of Americans are giving up on traditional banks and relying instead on alternatives, including prepaid debit cards, check-cashing centers and payday lenders.

As told in a new documentary, The Real Dirt on Farmer John, the story of John Peterson is an allegory for the woes of family farmers — and the triumphant return to traditional artisan farming that is giving new life to small-scale agriculture.

Google, Forest Laboratories and other companies shave billions off their taxes by shifting their revenue through countries with lower income tax rates, Bloomberg News reporter Jesse Drucker says.

Sullivan's new book, Stop Getting Ripped Off: Why Consumers Get Screwed And How You Can Always Get A Fair Deal, is a guide to informed consumption. He joins Terry Gross to talk about the traps consumers fall into when dealing with credit card and cell phone companies, banks, and an old favorite: car salesmen. Sullivan is a New York Times best-selling author and a regular on CNBC's On The Money, NBC's Nightly News, and The Today Show.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gretchen Morgenson discusses the latest news in bailouts and banking — including the recent revelation that insurance giant AIG plans to pay $450 million in executive bonuses.

The rate of home foreclosure is now three times its historic rate — "so large that it threatens the entire economy." Congressional Oversight Panel chair Elizabeth Warren discusses the problem — and possible solutions.

Simon Johnson, former research director of the International Monetary Fund, analyzes the bank bailout plan and its alternatives.

Paul Eisenstein reports from the Detroit Auto Show on the state of the auto industry. Eisenstein has covered cars for over 30 years; he currently reports for the independent news service The Detroit Bureau.

N. Gregory Mankiw is skeptical that a stimulus plan centered around a large up-tick in government spending will effectively bolster the economy.