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Mar 9, 2011

Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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Segments From This Episode

Congress to examine federal employee pay
by John Dimsdale
Conservative think tanks say federal employees are overpaid in comparison to their private sector peers. The chief of the Office of Personnel Management, however, says such comparisons are often misleading.
Sprint, T-Mobile resume merger discussions
by Gregory Warner and Jeremy Hobson
Stock prices jumped yesterday on the announcement that Sprint and T-Mobile resumed discussions of a merger. A merger of the two companies would combine the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless providers.
U.K. wants to deposit Libyan oil money in escrow
Despite a global freeze on Muammar Gaddafi's assets, analysts believe Libya is making at least $150 million a week in oil profits. The U.K. says it has a solution to benefit the Libyan people.
Cocoa prices near record high
by Marketplace Contributor
Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gdagbo has effectively nationalized the country's cocoa farms — something chocolate lovers should be worried about.
Mortgage applications hit three month high
by Gregory Warner
The good news from the Mortgage Bankers Association comes just ahead of a Senate hearing on the state of the housing market.
Muni bonds could hit an 11-year low
by Jeremy Hobson
New data from Thompson Reuters today shows municipal bond issuance is headed for the worst quarter in 11 years. Richard DeKaser, an analyst with the Parthenon Group, explains how increasing rates and the end of the Build America Bonds program have affected the market.
Have micro credits reached the end of the line?
by Anbarasan Ethirajan
Muhammad Yunus won a Nobel Peace Prize for getting microfinance off the ground and into the mainstream. But after Yunus was fired due to Bangladesh's mandatory retirement age, many question the future of micro-credit loans.
What NPR chief’s resignation means for public broadcast funding
by Steve Chiotakis
In the wake of NPR CEO Vivian Schiller's resignation, Steve Behrens, editor of The Current, examines the future of funding for public radio stations and productions.
Don’t show me the money, some in Missouri say
by Nancy Marshall-Genzer
Federal stimulus money would make up for state education cuts, but some legislators want to give it back and deal with the budget cuts now, not later.
Chemistry that’s less toxic, and profitable too
by Sarah Gardner
"Green chemistry" was introduced more than two decades ago, but now one of its founders is trying to prove its profitability along with its usefulness.
Looking at the future optimistically
by Steve Chiotakis
Mark Stevenson, the author of "An Optimist's Tour of the Future," discusses how to remain positive about what's ahead.