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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Parallels

Spaniard's Song Brings YouTube Fame ... And Maybe A Job

Enzo Vizcaíno, a 24-year-old unemployed Spaniard, isn't singing for his supper. He just wants a job.

May 18, 2013 Enzo Vizcaíno looks like a busker, strumming away on his ukulele as he roams a Barcelona metro car. But he sings of his bachelor's degree and postgrad diploma. "I'm the King of Microsoft," he croons. He's not looking for a handout. He just wants a job. And his creative approach may be paying off.

Summary

Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Two-Way

In Depressed Spain, ATMs That Dispense Free Cash

A Spanish man bought two theater tickets and gave them to an elderly couple after he received free cash from an ATM set up by Coca-Cola.

February 28, 2013 For Coca-Cola, it was both a PR move and a social experiment. The company set up an ATM that gave out 100 euros ($131) and asked only that recipients share the money. A video of the campaign has gone viral.

Summary

Monday, January 14, 2013

The Two-Way

Flash Mob Brings Some Sunshine Into Spanish Unemployment Office

A woman sings "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles in an unemployment office in Spain as part of a flash mob organized to cheer up those waiting in the office to find work.

January 14, 2013 A performance of "Here Comes the Sun" brought smiles to a group of jobless Spaniards gathered to request government benefits.

Summary

Monday, December 31, 2012

The Salt

Green Grapes And Red Underwear: A Spanish New Year's Eve

Ringing in the New Year in Spain requires eating a dozen grapes and wearing a very specific kind of undergarment.

December 31, 2012 As a clock tower rings out 12 chimes, people all over the country will scoff a dozen grapes, hoping for good luck. With several seeds per grape and only a couple of seconds to swallow each one, the task is harder than it sounds. And then there's the bit about wearing a gift of red undergarments.

Summary

Monday, November 26, 2012

All Tech Considered

Spain Expands Renewables With Wave-Powered Electricity Plant

Residents of Mutriku, a fishing village on Spain's northern coast, lounge at their local beach, protected from fierce Atlantic waves by a cement breakwater that also houses Europe's first wave energy plant.

November 26, 2012 The Bay of Biscay, off Spain's northern coast, is notorious for its huge surf, which has claimed countless lives in shipwrecks over the centuries. Now Spanish engineers have found a way to harness the power of those big waves to produce electricity.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Monday, November 12, 2012

The Salt

To Get Around Tax Hike, Spanish Theater Sells Carrots, Not Tickets

At the Bescanó municipal theater in northeastern Spain, director Quim Marcé (center) and actresses Meritxell Yanes (left) and Elena Martinell (right) display carrots for sale.

November 12, 2012 Anybody want a carrot? In Spain, carrots are being sold in place of theater tickets as a way to avoid a 21 percent tax on the tickets. Many Spaniards say the "Carrot Rebellion" is a creative response to the country's unpopular austerity measures, but some simply call it tax evasion.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Two-Way

Spaniards, Who Usually Aid Others, Being Asked To Help Their Own

In June, people in Madrid came to a distribution center where those in need could get food.

October 10, 2012 For the first time, the Red Cross in Spain is looking to raise money so that it can get food to those who are suffering most because of the country's financial crisis. For decades, the organization has focused on helping starving people elsewhere.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Two-Way

Woman Who Ruined Fresco Of Jesus Now Wants To Be Paid

Three images: How the fresco should look (left); how it looked before the "restoration" (center); and what it looked like after Cecilia Gimenez was done.

September 20, 2012 Cecilia Giménez turned her Spanish church's 19-century work of art into something that looks more like a werewolf than Jesus Christ. But tourists have come to see it and the church as been collecting more money. Should she get a piece of the action?

Summary

Friday, June 29, 2012

The Two-Way

Europe's New Deal Has Markets Cheering

German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks with European Central Bank President Mario Draghi (left) and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti (right) during the summit of European leaders in Brussels.

June 29, 2012 At a summit in Brussels, leaders agreed to steps that were more bold than expected. A key part of the plan: Loans from a bailout fund will go directly to troubled banks in Spain. So the Spanish government won't pile up more debt.

Summary

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The Two-Way

Spain's Borrowing Costs Soar; Latest 'Ominous Sign' In Europe

The Spanish flag blowing in the wind in Madrid earlier this month.

June 19, 2012 Investors are demanding sharply higher rates. That's adding to the pressure on world leaders to do more to get Europe's financial crisis under control.

Summary

Monday, June 18, 2012

Planet Money

Another All-Downside-No-Upside Weekend For Europe

European Central Bank headquarters.

June 18, 2012 Every time, there's the possibility of disaster if things don't go well. If things do go well, it means only that the disaster is postponed.

Summary

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Planet Money

Why Germany Keeps Saying No

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to help the rest of Europe, but only if they play by the rules.

June 13, 2012 It's not just money. Germany fears a lack of control. German leaders think if they intertwine themselves more closely with the rest of Europe — without having some control over the actions of other countries — they will once again be on the hook for bailing out their neighbors.

Summary

Planet Money

Spain's Bank Matchmaker On What Went Wrong

Angel Borges, matchmaker.

June 13, 2012 Spain's plan to combine small banks didn't go so well. The man who helped make it happen explains.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Monday, June 11, 2012

Planet Money

Europe Solves A Debt Problem With More Debt

June 11, 2012 The money Spain is borrowing will likely be the first money it has to pay back. That may make other international lenders even more wary of lending money to Spain.

Summary

The Two-Way

'Relief Rally' Fades As Markets Study Spanish Deal

June 11, 2012 Financial markets have been on the rise in Europe and futures point to a good day on Wall Street. But some of the early gains have evaporated as traders look more closely at the package and look ahead to elections in Greece.

Summary

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