Thursday, April 29, 2004 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 Detroit: After 107 years in production, the last Oldsmobile rolls off the assembly line in Michigan today. It's a collector's edition Alero. But you've got to go back a few years to find the Oldsmobiles that are really in demand. From Washington: The Senate votes today on whether to allow states to tax Internet access. Right now, there's a ban on those taxes. But states argue it's not just about getting on the Internet anymore. From Boston: The government announced a new plan yesterday to beef up defenses against bioterror attacks. From Los Angeles: Chick-lit hero Bridget Jones calls them "smug marrieds" - couples who have it so great because they don't have to deal with dating. And if the bill that passed the House yesterday makes it through the Senate and becomes law, they'll have another thing to be smug about. From Washington: The Bush administration has put a stop on efforts by U.S. manufacturers and labor groups to pressure China to cut its currency loose from the dollar. From New York: Mattel has sued a former employee. It's accusing him of working for a competitor while he was at Mattel, and walking off with one of the hottest doll designs out there. From Washington: As more widows - and widowers - are created by the war in Iraq, military family advocates see this as the right time to tackle an issue that's bothered them for years. From Tokyo: Major ethics scandals and a huge fine from the U.S. Air Force haven't kept Boeing down. The aerospace giant announced better than expected earnings this quarter. It also got a boost earlier this week from Japan's All Nippon Airways, which placed a $6 billion order. From London: Some of the Eastern European states that will join the European Union this weekend have criticized the Germans for the way they're handling their economy. Features Saving for College: Parents hoping to send their kids off to college have a variety of savings plans to prepare them for that day. Marketplace’s money expert Chris Farrell talks to host Kai Ryssdal about some of the more popular ones and describes their pros and cons. Wordcraft: A brand name can make or break a product or business. Host Tess Vigeland gets some examples from Alex Frankel, author of "Wordcraft: The Art of Turning Little Words Into Big Business". WGA Talks: Contract talks are winding down to their final hours for Hollywood’s TV and movie writers. Reporter Rachel Myrow reports despite the low-key tone in this round of talks, some vital issues hang in the balance.