Marketplace Morning Report

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … President Trump has extended the deadline for negotiation with some countries on steel and aluminium tariffs. But has the president’s forceful strategy worked to his advantage and given him the results he wants in the realm of trade from key allies? Then, a look at why protesters against a Canadian pipeline will be outside today’s Barclay’s annual shareholder meeting in London. Afterwards, Rupert Murdoch has built a media empire over his decades in the business, but what’s behind his method, and how has it changed with increased competition? We chat with his right-hand man and author of a new biography called "The Murdoch Method."

(Markets Edition) The U.S. wants Europe and other countries to limit what they send over here, calling them "voluntary restraints." On today's show, we'll look at some of the criticisms that economists have lobbed against this quota-based system. Afterwards, we'll discuss the Federal Reserve's plans to raise interest rates this year. While annual inflation hit the Fed's target of 2 percent in March, they're not expected to accelerate any hikes. Then, we'll discuss what to look for in Apple's quarterly earnings report. Many tech companies have seen unexpected changes in their income statements because of a new rule mandating that they report the value of stocks that they hold in *other* companies.

(Markets Edition) With T-Mobile and Sprint planning to merge, we'll discuss the types of deals that you will (or won't) be offered from them, along with why the development of 5G wireless served as a catalyst for the planned deal. Afterwards, we'll look at what the dollar value of volunteer time is to nonprofits, and then talk about Home Depot's $50 million investment in apprenticeships to help with the construction labor shortage.

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … As its rivalry with Amazon continues to simmer, Walmart has been shifting its focus to more international growth markets like India. So, what does a deal in the U.K. mean for the world’s biggest retailer? Then, immigration is a hot topic from coast to coast – not just in America, but in Britain as well. A group of immigrants, called the Windrush generation, are told they’re living in the country illegally because of a lack of official paperwork. Now, the nation’s home secretary has resigned over mishandling. What does it mean for the future of British immigration policy?

(U.S. Edition) T-Mobile and Sprint have announced an almost $27 billion merger that would form a company to rival Verizon or AT&T.  We'll look at previous deals these two companies have tried to strike with one another over the years. Afterwards, we'll discuss limitations the Trump administration may place on Chinese investment in the U.S., which would be similar to Chinese restrictions on U.S. companies. Plus: We'll talk with Jeanine Poggi, a media reporter for Ad Age, about the large amount of time devoted to commercials during broadcast TV — and what some networks are trying to do to change that.

(U.S. Edition) North and South Korea have pledged they will never fight another war — but are these truce talks too good to be true? We'll take a look at their decision to pursue "complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." Afterwards, we'll talk about the percentage of GDP that Germany spends on defense, and how it's committed to hitting a 2 percent target by 2024, like all NATO countries. Plus: We chat with political science professor Diana Mutz about her recent study arguing that the 2016 presidential election was not, as prevailing narratives suggest, driven by economic frustration.

(Global Edition) From the BBC World Service … A historic joint statement from the leaders of North and South Korea caps an equally historic day in the border village of Panmunjom. We’ll take you there and hear from the two leaders. Then, to Liverpool of Beatles fame. The city gets around 62 million visitors a year, but we’ll hear from a guide there who says formal tours to the Cavern Quarter are ticking down.

(Markets Edition) The U.S. GDP's growth figure is out for the first quarter, showing that the economy grew at a rate of 2.3 percent — a slowdown from 2.9 percent during the previous quarter. We'll hear from Chris Low — chief economist at FTN Financial — about the reasons for this, and why this percentage is still actually better than many people expected. Afterwards, we'll talk to Marketplace Weekend host Lizzie O'Leary about Puerto Rico's housing crisis.

(Markets Edition) On Friday, we'll get the first government reading on economic growth from January to March. We'll hear from Diane Swonk, chief economist at the consulting and accounting firm Grant Thorton, about what should we expect. Afterwards, we'll look at how Facebook fared in its first-quarter earnings report, and then we'll visit the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, China — one of the world's largest import and export trade fairs — about how manufacturers are reacting toward the threat of U.S. tariffs.

(U.S. Edition) As Amazon gets ready to report its first-quarter earnings today, we'll look at the online retailer's massive success, which includes a milestone of 100 million Prime members and the growth of its cloud storage service. But can it keep up with this pace? Then, ahead of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit with President Trump on Friday, we'll discuss what Merkel hopes to get out of these talks. Plus: How informal housing in Puerto Rico has made it harder for the territory's residents to get FEMA money to rebuild.