Marketplace Morning Report for Tuesday, May 18, 2010

States across the U.S. are having to make some tough budget choices this year, including New Jersey. The state's Republican Governor Chris Christie came to power this year promising steep cuts across the board. Jeremy Hobson reports he's giving the voters exactly that.

You don't see many beer and liquor ads on primetime TV because the major broadcast networks and the alcohol industry have rules to limit them. But a new report says digital media have become a "wild west" for alcohol ads. Jeff Horwich reports.

GM posted its first quarterly profits since 2007. Meanwhile, Chrysler paid back some of its loan to taxpayers. But the government says it still expects to lose money on the deal. Read highlights of the interview between Alisa Roth and Steve Chiotakis.

A tube is helping British Petroleum siphon oil from a broken pipe in the Gulf. BP says it is collecting about 2,000 barrels of oil a day. But as the company tries to control the spill, the focus turns to the government. Today Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar heads to Capitol Hill to testify before two Senate committees about the fatal explosion and massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

In the debate over climate change, we often hear the term "coal state." You might think they are states that produce coal. But a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists says some of those states spend lots of money importing coal too. Sarah Gardner reports.

A businessman who was at one point the richest man in China is on his way to jail. What's that mean for U.S. companies who want to invest in China? Read highlights of the interview between China correspondent Scott Tong and Steve Chiotakis.

European leaders meet today to talk about cracking down on hedge funds. The U.S. dominates the hedge fund industry and has already come out strongly against the European proposal. Stephen Beard reports that a general agreement has been reached by European ministers.

Peter Cohan, from Peter S. Cohan & Associates, talks with Steve Chiotakis about why building permits feel sharply in May and why we aren't seeing inflation.

For the first time ever, the U.S. Census Bureau is counting same-sex couples who self-identify as married, even in states where gay marriage is illegal. Nathan Bernier reports on what that information could mean for marketers.