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In San Quentin prison, inmates can learn about money management and investing while behind bars. The teacher of the class is serving a life sentence and has earned the nickname, “Wall Street.” He learned to read as well as to trade stocks while he was in prison. There are several business school and financial experts that volunteer with the class. Many of the inmates will need financial management skills as they re-enter the outside world. Listen to hear about this program that helps inmates be more successful when they are released.
Story Length: 3:39
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November 9, 2015
3:39
Ideas are changing across the nation about who should be behind bars. Federal sentencing guidelines have recently changed. As a result, tens of thousands of people serving prison terms for drug trafficking will be released before their sentences end. These sentences are being cut short by an average of 2 years. There are thousands of undocumented immigrants in prisons, and deportation proceedings will begin in these cases. For others, probation officers are being hired to manage the increased work. Listen to hear more about how the United States government changed sentences for drug criminals, how this is affecting current inmates and what it could mean for the general public.
Read MoreSeptember 16, 2015
4:17
There is a phenomenon that drives everything from the stock market to orange juice prices. By taking the average of all guesses about something, you can collectively get the right answer. This was put to the test at a county fair using a cow named Penelope. People guessed the weight of a cow and the average of over 17,000 guesses was within 5 percent of Penelope’s actual weight. This story about the wisdom of crowds will help you explain how the stock market works.
Read MoreAugust 30, 2015
4:14
Since June 2015, the stock market in China has been posting losses, falling as much as 11% in one week. The crash in China has spilled over into global markets. Last week the Dow Jones, a U.S. stock market index, closed below 17,000 for the first time in almost a year, possibly due to fear that the plunging Chinese economy will bring others down with it. The government in China has been trying to manage its economy by cutting rates and announcing a surprise currency devaluation, but these efforts are not stopping the drop. What more can they do? Listen to hear from investment experts about the stock market crash in China.
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