Wednesday, September 17, 2003 The Marketplace Morning Report with Kai Ryssdal and Tess Vigeland is a series of seven 9-minute business news modules airing weekdays. This timely report delivers a global business newscast and a hard-hitting feature report. Visit the archive to browse previous stories. Note: Each of the broadcasts contains some of the newscast items below and one of the features. Since only a few radio markets get all seven broadcasts, we've made them available below.

Broadcasts Listen: 2:50 | 3:50 | 4:50 | 5:50 | 6:50 | 7:50 | 8:50 (times are a.m., Pacific Standard Time)

Newscast Stories From Los Angeles: Jeff Tyler has the latest regarding the mounting pressure on the NYSE’s Dick Grasso to step down: Big pension funds call for Grasso’s resignation. From Los Angeles: Catherine Fenollosa examines the significance of yesterday’s court ruling barring HMOs from collecting damages from tobacco companies. From Rio de Janeiro: Amy Radil has the story on the closing of the Disney Travel Agency in Brazil. From New York: Ashley Milne-Tyte explains why states are teaming up with the IRS to crack down on tax cheats. From New York: Judy Martin looks at whether the Dalai Lama’s New York visit this week will put the usual strains on trade relations between the U.S. and China. From Albany, New York: Greg Dahlmann reports that college students are paying off their student loans at a record levels. From Tokyo: Jessica Smith finds that Japan’s rising divorce rate is causing pension plan changes. From Washington, DC: Amy Scott ponders whether the switch to broadband will create millions of new jobs Features Commentary - “Manufacturing czar” is a pre-election ploy The White House announced this week that it’s going to establish a “manufacturing czar” to help protect manufacturing jobs in the U.S. But Marketplace commentator Robert Reich calls the president’s move just a lot of political hoopla.

Changes afoot in the business of fashion Trendsetters are deciding what’s hot and what’s not as part of Fashion Week now in New York. To get up to date on today's fashion industry, host Tess Vigeland talks with Lisa Marsh, author of "The House of Klein: Fashion, Controversy and a Business Obsession." Web resources: Marsh's book "The House of Klein: Fashion, Controversy, and a Business Obsession" is available on Amazon.com. Your purchase helps support Marketplace.

Economics and politics go together It’s not easy separating economics from politics these days. So says noted economist Paul Krugman, who states that much of what is happening in the economy today is colored by political maneuvering.