Mid-day Update

PODCAST: Germany votes yes, and free coffee

Mary Dooe Sep 29, 2011

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

In Berlin this morning, German Lawmakers said yes to expanding the size of the European bailout fund. The vote was closely watched because the bailout fund is seen as a crucial part of solving the European debt crisis.

Here at home, the economy grew slightly more than previously reported in the second quarter — GDP was up 1.3 percent.

New claims for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to their lowest level since April, although government statisticians had problems seasonally adjusting the data.

Apparently there are enough newly jobless folks to warrant a new market for greeting cards. One card in Hallmark’s new line features a cute dog saying — don’t think of it as losing your job — think of it as a time out between stupid bosses. The cards are reportedly flying off the shelves.

Speaking of holidays — Happy National Coffee Day. In today’s podcast extra, we ask what businesses like 7-11 have to gain from handing away their goods for free. Milk and sugar?

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