Marketplace: Friday, October 8, 2004

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A look at today's markets (closing numbers)
DOW 70.20 (0.69%) ; NASDAQ 28.55 (1.47%) ; S&P 500 8.51 (0.75%)

Newscast Okay, let's start with what we do know on this Friday, October 8th. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate held steady in September at 5.4 percent. Some 96,000 jobs were created last month. That's a lot less than Wall Street had been looking for. More and more companies are shipping their operations to low-wage countries like China and India. But a new study says off-shoring isn't as bad for the job market as you might think. Martha Stewart traded in her designer togs today for prison-issued khaki pants and steel-toed boots. She is serving a five month sentence for lying about a stock sale... Another day, another record high for oil prices. Crude oil futures climbed 58 cents to close at $53.25 a barrel. That, along with the new job figures, sent the stock market into reverse. Listen to all newscast items

Features Afghanistan's big election George Bush and John Kerry are still jockeying for votes with less than a month to go in the campaign. But Afghanistan's presidential race is heading into the homestretch. Sitting President Hamid Karzai is taking on more than a dozen challengers tomorrow in that country's first direct election since the fall of the Taliban. Reporter Scott Baldauf has been following the campaign in Kabul for The Christian Science Monitor. And he says economics are a big factor... Q + A: Cheryl Glaser with Scott Baldauf Related Story: Harsh test for Afghanistan's delicate democracy The Future - Prince Support Marketplace: Purchase this music from Public Radio MusicSource What to do in Iraq Now to the other war. NATO envoys in Brussels approved plans today for an officer training academy outside Baghdad. NATO's also contributing 300 military trainers. It's all part of a plan to help Iraqis boost security and defuse an insurgency before the elections scheduled for next January. There's another way to help Iraq, says commentator and writer Sebastian Mallaby.... Commentator: Sebastian Mallaby Related Story: NATO moves forward with Iraq training mission; appoints US commander Pictures of Success - Rilo Kiley Support Marketplace: Purchase this music from Public Radio MusicSource The week that was ... on wall Street Host Cheryl Glaser speaks to Hugh Johnson of First Albany Bank about the week that was on Wall Street. Q + A: Cheryl Glaser with Hugh Johnson Related Story: $50 Oil: Just A Warm-Up Pfizer's fight ... Drug maker Alpharma today started selling a new generic version of Neurontin--a popular treatment for epilepsy. Neurontin's patent holder, Pfizer, has asked the courts to block the new generic. But a district judge is expected to deny that request. In the meantime, Pfizer's cooked up another plan for trying to stop the potential flow of revenue. Marketplace's Lisa Napoli reports... Reporter: Lisa Napoli Related Story: How Serious Is Pfizer's Condition? Pharmacy - Firewerk Support Marketplace: Purchase this music from Public Radio MusicSource Selling high school football If you're in a small Texas town tonight - and the streets look kinda empty - chances are the local high school football team is playing a home game. It's not uncommon for more than ten thousand fans to show up for Texas ball. And high schools, both there and around the country, are trying to capitalize on the phenomenon by selling part of the campus. Reporter: Michael May Related Story: High school football - Friday night lite - Texas-sized differences between movie and Santa Cruz County's approach to football Say My Name - Destiny's Child Support Marketplace: Purchase this music from Public Radio MusicSource

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