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MID-DAY UPDATE: Economy added 216,000 jobs in March, NASDAQ puts the moves on NYSE

by Katharine Crnko
Friday, April 1, 2011 - 13:22

Here are today's top headlines from the Marketplace Morning Report and around the web.

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  • The nation's economy created 216,000 jobs last month. Sending the unemployment rate down slightly. White House economist Austan Goolsbee said Friday the March jobs reports showed signs of an improving U.S. economy but that surely there will be bumps in the road ahead. Here's Marketplace's coverage.

  • News this morning that NASDAQ and Intercontinental Exchange have made a joint offer to buy the New York Stock Exchange. The offer is about 19 percent higher than the one made by the German stock exchange.You can read Marketplace's coverage here.

  • Standard & Poor's has downgraded Ireland's credit rating amid concerns that bondholders may be forced to take greater losses.

  • Oil's gone above $107 a barrel in trading. Prices have jumped $20 a barrel since the Libyan uprising began.

  • The House is moving toward passage of a sweeping aviation bill packed with controversial safety and labor provisions. A final vote on the Republican-drafted bill is expected on Friday.

  • Out with the pizza, in with the donuts. Pizza chain Sbarro -- which has been around for a half a century -- may go into bankruptcy protection as early as next week after missing some payments on its debt. Meanwhile, Dunkin' Donuts is reportedly considering going public in the second half of this year.

  • The biggest company you've probably never heard of has gotten approval for an initial public offering. Glencore -- which is the one of the world's largest trader of commodities like copper, oil, and wheat -- reportedly hopes to sell more than $10 billion worth of shares. That would give the Swiss company -- which has been run by a small group of partners for the last four decades -- a $60 billion valuation. It would be one of the biggest IPOs ever.

  • Frugal Irish airline Ryanair is known for ideas such as selling standing-room-only tickets and charging for bathroom visits. Well Ryanair's announced starting later this year, some of its flights will be child-free. No more screaming babies, kicking seats or tugging clothes. I wonder -- coincidence that the date of the announcement is today, April First? Just sayin'.

    • You can read the rest of Marketplace's headlines here.

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