Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday, February 2, 2011

According to industry numbers, January sales of new cars and trucks increased 17 percent from 2010. Specifically, Americans were buying more trucks and SUVs. Scott Tong explains why.

As protests continue today in Cairo, citizens and businesses are reacting to a new political landscape. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has announced he'll step down later this year. And the Internet slowly returns to parts of the country.

Just weeks after northern Australia was covered by floodwaters, the same part of the country prepares for a massive cyclone. Flood-ravaged businesses and communities are ready, reluctantly, for yet another economic and natural disaster, as economist Brian Redican explains.

The famed EMI record label owns works by Pink Floyd and the Beatles. But it was also at the center of a flawed takeover deal that can used as a bellwether of the music industry as a whole. Stephen Beard explains.

Job placement firm Challenger Gray and Christmas on Wednesday reported January job cuts hit a record low. Employers cut 39,000 jobs last month -- that's the lowest January figure since tracking began in 1993. CEO John Challenger explains.

Jeremy Hobson speaks with Richard DeKaser, economist with the Parthenon Group, about two job reports out this morning. The payroll processing company ADP said private employers added 187,000 jobs last month. And job placement firm Challenger Gray and Christmas reported that employers laid off fewer employees last month than they have in any January month since record-keeping started in 1993.

With storms brewing across the country, winter weather is wrecking havoc on air travel. Airlines have canceled 4,800 flights so far today -- that's one out of every six departures. Coupled with the flights grounded yesterday, February is positioned to be the worst-ever month for cancellations. Scott Tong explains more.

Amazon.com already offeres online movie rentals, but the Internet giant is hoping introduce moving streaming, similar to Netflix.com. John Moe has more.

Americans are getting a boost in the form of payroll tax cuts, but spending and gas prices may outweigh the impact.

Honeycomb is Google's first software designed specifically for tablets. The company hopes to get Android software running on as many tablets as possible rather than building tablets itself.