Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Meredith Whitney famously predicted the collapse of several big banks in 2007. And after an ominous prediction about the municipal bond market, Whitney was called as the star witness at today's hearing on Capitol Hill. Roben Farzad of Bloomberg Business Week explains how Whitney made a name for herself, and the meaning behind her absence from today's hearing.

Officials from the London Stock Exchange Group PLC and Toronto based TMX group Inc. announced the merger today. Bringing the two companies together will produce the second largest mining- and resource-exchange in the world. Christopher Werth explains.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of grain. But after severe winter droughts in the northern breadbasket region, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warns of a global wheat shortage that will drive up the cost of foods like noodles and cereal. Rob Schmitz has more.

A U.S.-bound oil tanker was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia this morning. The incident occurred just hours after the Associated Press reported that Somali pirates have released a South Korean ship seized four months ago. David Gura reports how the costs of pirate attacks affect the global economy.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be on the chopping block this week. According to the Wall Street Journal, one idea is to phase out the two companies and not replace them. David Gura explains.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will defend the Fed's $600 billion bond buying program today when he testifies before the House Budget Committee on Capitol Hill. Jeremy Hobson speaks with economist Richard DeKaser about the expected outcome of today's hearing.

Alessandro di Pietro, host of the Italian daytime show "'Occhino alla Spesa" (which translates as "keeping an eye on the shopping") urged his viewers to boycott Sicily's famous Pachino tomatoes. di Peitro claims the mafia is controlling distribution of the popular food.

Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are asking EPA head Lisa Jackson to testify today.

Compromises between landlords and tenants are helping the commercial real estate market improve.

The cable news network based in Qatar has been broadcasting developments in Egypt around the clock. It says that millions of Americans are being deprived of the opportunity to watch the network.

When protests hit one nation, like Egypt, some tourists avoid the whole region. Marketplace's Alisa Roth is in Jordan and she reports that tourism revenues in that country have slumped by a quarter in recent months.