Marketplace 2/23/2005

NEWSCAST STORIES

* From Washington: After being jilted by MCI - some good news for Qwest. The company will not be barred from receiving government contracts.
* From New York: There's all this talk about dramatic plans to reform social security ... But a new study by Merrill Lynch suggests people are already changing the concept of retirement themselves.
* From Washington: Americans consume 40% of the world's diamonds. Some of the most precious gems come from Sierra Leone...
* From New York: This is a busy week for New York City's leaders. A team from the International Olympic Committee is in town to check out New York's suitability for hosting the 2012 summer games.
* From Los Angeles: Tonight PBS will air the film "Dirty War" - the fictional story of a terrorist group's attack on Central London. But wait - that film aired about month ago on HBO. Marketplace's Brian Watt explains what's going on.
* From Los Angeles: If you want to fly to China, you'll have some more choices soon. But they won't include Delta Airlines. As Marketplace's Scott Jagow reports, the U.S. government is going with somebody else.
* From London: The dollar has steadied on the currency markets this morning following yesterday's sharp falls. In European trading, the greenback edged up a half of one percent against the Euro. From London, Stephen Beard reports.
* From New York: Yes, we have bananas, but that's not all, Chiquita Bananas International announced this morning that it's buying Fresh Express, a maker of bagged salads for $855 million.

FEATURES
Listen to this storyUp, up and away
Crude oil charged up to a four month high in New York yesterday, closing at $51.15 a barrel. Cold weather in the eastern U.S. and in Europe are partly to blame. But there's another factor - the falling dollar. Marketplace Business Editor Cheryl Glaser explains. Also, higher oil prices can also reflect political turmoil in oil-producing nations. But commentator Sebastian Mallaby says sometimes, the higher prices go, the more problems for those countries.
Listen to this storyMedical bonuses
Workers in many companies get bonuses if they do well. But the idea of "pay for performance" is relatively new in health care, and it's not entirely popular. As Helen Palmer reports from the Health Desk at WGBH, the idea is giving some doctors heartburn.
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