First Monday: What's coming up in June
— -- From TV to books to advice, here's your business briefing for the month of June:
June 3:General Motors holds its annual shareholders meeting amid speculation that CEO Rick Wagoner will announce further restructuring plans for the unprofitable automaker.
June 10:How high will they go? The Energy Department announces new third-quarter projections for gasoline and diesel prices. Last forecast: $3.71 a gallon for gasoline.
June 15:American Airlines begins charging most passengers $15 to check a single bag on domestic flights. Exceptions: elite-level frequent fliers, full-fare passengers and international travelers.
June 24:Federal Open Market Committee begins two-day meeting to discuss interest rates.
WATCH, LISTEN & READ
At the movies:
The Promotion
Opens Friday in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York; wide release June 13; R; Dimension Films
Assistant supermarket manager Doug (Seann William Scott) is a "shoo-in" to land the manager job at a new store until fellow underachiever Richard (John C. Reilly) transfers in from Quebec.
Quirky, subdued — and sometimes off-color — comedy ensues in what writer/director Steve Conrad calls a battle of former C students who are trying to do their best as adults.
Conrad, who also wrote The Pursuit of Happyness and The Weather Man screenplays, cites a real-life incident as his inspiration for The Promotion.
"I was watching an assistant manager try to move a gang off a supermarket parking lot, but he couldn't do it. He had no authority, as far as they were concerned," Conrad says.
"I watched him walk back to work, and I just thought a lot of him in that moment. I recognized some strength that I may not have, which is him going back to work and facing many days that are probably like this day," Conrad adds.
To motivate the actors, Conrad pointed out that although the characters were after what seemed like only a slightly better life, the promotion would mean a lot.
"They're trying to make the step from renting their house to being able to buy it, and that's the difference between making $45,000 and $60,000," he says. "And it's the fight of most people's lives."
On TV:
Biz Kid$
Airs on PBS stations (check local listings, pbs.org or bizkids.com).
The creators of Bill Nye The Science Guy are back with a fast-paced "edutainment" series that teaches kids about business and personal finance. Each episode combines profiles of kid entrepreneurs and comedic skits to tackle important but often overlooked themes such as "Cash and Credit," "Budgeting" and "Don't Blow Your Dough."
"Teaching kids about the business of their lives, whether they are going to be doctors or gardeners or construction workers or whatever their passions are, they still have to manage their money and grow their assets and understand how all of that works," says executive producer Jamie Hammond.
Coming up in most markets in June:
•Understanding Your Paycheck. This episode includes an animated detective dog on a mission to figure out where the money went.
•Social Entrepreneurs. One segment highlights a group of girls from Seattle who sell artwork to support two girls who are in school in Africa.
Young & Restless'in China
Airs on PBS, Frontline, June 17, 9 p.m. ET (check local listings, pbs.org) Produced, written and directed by Sue Williams.
To many Americans, China is a massive, economically powerful mystery. This absorbing documentary follows nine young Chinese over four years, giving viewers a rare perspective from inside what one budding business owner featured in what the film calls "the land of opportunity."
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