Business and Finance

• Rebate Checks Also Stimulating the Porn Industry
  This year's tax-rebate checks sent out to boost your bank account are also boosting the porn industry. A company that tracks the online adult entertainment market says many sites report a 20 percent to 30 percent increase in membership since May. About a third of these members said the stimulus checks were a factor in their decision to join or renew.
• What 'Bear Markets' Mean For The Economy
  Some economists are saying that the economy has slumped into a "bear market," but what does that term really mean? Co-host Ari Shapiro talks with David Wessel, economics editor of the <em>Wall Street Journal</em>, who says that the way experts talk about the economy can have a significant impact on it.
• Saudis Refuse To Boost Output As Oil Summit Ends
  A meeting of oil producers and consumers has ended in Madrid, with little hope of any reduction in the price of fuel.
• Luxury Retailers Want eBay To Police For Knockoffs
  A French court ruled this week that eBay must pay Louis Vuitton more than $60 million in damages for allowing fake goods to be sold through its site. Co-host Ari Shapiro talks with Chris Sprigman, a professor of intellectual property law at the University of Virginia, about the implications of the ruling.
• Before Microsoft, Gates Solved A Pancake Problem
  Before Bill Gates became a household name, he went to Harvard. His sophomore year, he was assigned a complicated mathematics problem, which &mdash; no surprise &mdash; he solved. His paper on the solution was published, and until recently it remained the best solution to that problem: stacking pancakes.
• All That And A Bag Of Beer Chips
  Co-host Renee Montagne has today's Last Word in business.
• Prices And Demand Skyrocket, Not Fireworks
  A series of supply and production problems in China have caused cities across the U.S. to curtail or completely cut their fireworks shows this Fourth of July. The problems have even affected commercial sales, driving prices sky-high.
• Median Net Worth Declines
  The Fed's report in June said the net worth of Americans showed the biggest decline since 2002. Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics at Moody's Economy.com, says when the value of assets fall, it makes it harder to reach financial goals.
• Employers Cut Jobs For Sixth Straight Month
  The U.S. economy lost jobs for the sixth straight month in June. The Labor Department says employers cut 62,000 jobs from their payrolls. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.5 percent. The data were in line with economists' expectations.
• Employers Cut More Than 60,000 Jobs In June
  Some 62,000 jobs were cut from company payrolls in June, and the number of laid-off workers seeking benefits also rose sharply last week. The figures are further signs of a slowing U.S. economy.

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