May 3, 2012

Marketplace Morning Report for Thursday, May 3, 2012

After last year's tsunami in Japan, millions of tons of debris floated across the Pacific, some of it reaching all the way to the West Coast of the U.S. Now, someone is going to have to pay to clean it up. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are in China today and some of the focus is on on a blind Chinese dissident who took refuge at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. And this election year, you're going to hear a lot about government regulations, and whether they're too tough or not tough enough.

Segments From this episode

Clinton, Geithner in China for talks

by Rob Schmitz

May 3, 2012

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner are in China this morning. They're supposed to be talking about issues like trade. But instead, everyone's focused on a blind Chinese dissident who took refuge at the U.S. embassy in Beijing and is now asking for asylum in the United States.

Japan's quake

Tsunami trash headed to our Pacific shores

by Adriene Hill

May 3, 2012

And no one has clue who will pay for the clean-up of tons of debris.

Older workers facing softening job market

by John Dimsdale

May 3, 2012

A record level of unemployed workers are dealing with long-term unemployment -- including one particular group.

Mid-day Update

Mid-Day Extra: Starbucks gets into the money-lending business

by David Brancaccio

May 3, 2012

Starbucks is working with a pioneer in microlending in developing countries - the Grameen Foundation - to lend money to small coffee farmers.

Attitude Check

Who Americans trust with big economic decisions

by Marketplace Contributor

May 3, 2012

Bill Clinton is warning Europeans that the prescription of austerity, quote "continues to be pushed in the face of evidence that it won't work." For those not inclined to accept this kind of economic advice from an ex-U.S. president, the question arises: who do Americans trust to handle these matters?

Maps: Jobs

Planned job cuts up 7 percent in April, education hard hit

by Jeremy Hobson

May 3, 2012

State and local budget deficits led to a surge in job cuts in education, and high gas prices hobbled the transportation industry, sending monthly planned layoffs up in April, according to job firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas

CEOs get a raise; average pay up 15 percent

by Marketplace Contributor

May 3, 2012

CEOs in the U.S. earned nearly $6 million on average, up 15 percent over last year and 28 percent the year before that.

Mid-day Update

Podcast: CEO pay up, teacher layoffs are too

by Jeremy Hobson and David Brancaccio

May 3, 2012

CEOs get a raise as average pay goes up 15 percent. Meanwhile, planned job cuts rose 7 percent in April, with the education sector hardest hit. The head of the European Central Bank said today that economic growth has to be central to the plan to get Europe out of its debt crisis. But a shift away from austerity will be easier said than done. Plus, Clinton and Geithner meet in China for talks; Tsunami trash headed to our Pacific shores; and older workers facing softening job market.

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Regulation at the state level

by Nancy Marshall-Genzer

May 3, 2012

States are trying to make it harder for new regulations and rules to be enacted in the first place.

European Debt Crisis

Europe shifts away from austerity, but that's easier said than done

by Jeremy Hobson

May 3, 2012

The head of the European Central Bank said today that economic growth has to be central to the plan to get Europe out of its debt crisis

Is SpongeBob SquarePants losing popularity?

by David Brancaccio

May 3, 2012

The cartoon character is a huge cash cow for Nickelodeon, but are there signs that SpongeBob is falling out of favor with kids?

After last year’s tsunami in Japan, millions of tons of debris floated across the Pacific, some of it reaching all the way to the West Coast of the U.S. Now, someone is going to have to pay to clean it up. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are in China today and some of the focus is on on a blind Chinese dissident who took refuge at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. And this election year, you’re going to hear a lot about government regulations, and whether they’re too tough or not tough enough.