Marketplace Morning Report

February jobs report shows no signs of COVID-19. What a state of emergency declaration actually means. How the T-Mobile-Sprint merger could affect cheaper, prepaid phone plans.

The stock market is not getting better Friday morning. Seasonal fluctuations in hiring to start the year. What businesses are doing to prevent outbreaks and avoid legal liability.

From the BBC World Service: Stocks are down yet again amid COVID-19 uncertainty. China prepares to release its latest trade figures. Ahead of International Women’s Day, why there are so few female central bankers.

How will COVID-19 be reflected in the jobs report? Michael Bloomberg spends half a billion dollars before dropping out of the 2020 race. What the employment contracts of 18th-century pirates can teach us.

Futures are down today after a Wednesday market boom. Saudi Arabia seeks cuts in oil production as OPEC meets. How COVID-19 is erasing Los Angeles economic activity.

From the BBC World Service: Crude oil prices are down 25% since early January. How Australia’s economy is recovering after the recent bushfires. U.K. regional airline Flybe blames COVID-19 in part for its collapse.

Can Super Tuesday results be seen in the stock market? Italy calls for two-week closure of schools and universities because of COVID-19. How Beijing is operating with the absence of migrant workers.

Investors flock to bonds. How Americans without health insurance will handle virus testing and treatment. Chinese migrant workers turn to their savings to combat the effects of quarantines.

From the BBC World Service: India has restricted the export of some drug ingredients and medicines because of COVID-19. Africa-based airlines have so far lost $400 million. How Beijing’s shopkeepers are faring in the face of the coronavirus.

Fed cuts interest rates by half a percentage point. Amazon cracks down on those selling COVID-19-related products at inflated prices. Quebec, Canada, as a potential giant storage battery to fight climate change.