Marketplace Morning Report

(Global edition) From the BBC’s World Service …  First steel, then copper. Now Japanese company Kobe Steel admits it may have fabricated data on iron powder products used to make car gears. The company - and the rest of corporate Japan - is now investigating the issue amid safety fears in the global industrial powerhouse. We look at where the scandal will head next. Also, more bad news from Equifax. The credit reference agency has admitted almost 700,000 customers in the U.K. had their data stolen this summer, close to double its original estimate. Then, more than seven thousand foreign businesses have operations in Catalonia. We ask the head of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain what these companies are thinking a day after Catalonia's president declared independence – only to immediately suspend it.

(Markets Editon) Fourty-seven percent of entry level employees in America are women, but women make up only one-fifth of chief executives. And black women are especially underrepresented in executive roles. Currently, no black women serve as CEOs at any of the Fortune 500 companies. That doesn't surprise Professor Ella Bell Smith. She joined us today to talk about the various institutional barriers that stand in the way of black women climbing the executive ranks. Also in this episode, President Donald Trump boasted in a tweet about "virtually unprecedented sock market growth since the election." So we talked with Susan Schmidt, from Westwood Holdings Group, about stock market growth and what those numbers really mean. Plus, we do the numbers, (like we do every day).

(Markets Edition) Stock in Kobe Steel dropped 22 percent after the Japanese firm revealed it falsified data on the strength of the aluminum and copper parts it sold around the world. We'll look at the companies could have been affected and what they're doing to tackle the issue. Afterwards, we'll talk with economist David Kelly, chief global strategist at JP Morgan Funds, about how the world economy is starting to pick up steam. Then, we'll discuss today's election in Liberia to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female elected head of state.

(Global Edition) From the BBC’s World Service … French unions are urging millions of public sector workers to join a one-day strike in the latest industrial action against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to cut jobs and freeze pay. While some airlines have cancelled flights, we look at why the French economy may be ready for reform. Also, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim warns humans to get ready for the rise of the robot to ensure they’re not left on the scrap heap. Ahead of the World Bank's annual meeting in Washington, we ask him why countries need a "crash course" in automation. Then, Nobel Prize in economics winner Richard Thaler has been praised for his work looking at everyday unconscious biases. We examine the gender bias in economics, and why there are fewer women in the profession than men.

(U.S. Edition) A new corporate scandal is rocking Japan today. Kobe Steel has revealed that its copper and aluminum, which went to the likes of Toyota and Boeing, have not been up to standard. We'll look at whether this could be as big of a problem as the Takata airbag recall scandal that began in 2013. Afterwards, we'll discuss one activist investor's push to get on the board of Procter and Gamble, and then look at the true costs of providing care for transgender members of the military (and how expensive it would be to hire replacements).

(U.S. Edition) Media tycoon Harvey Weinstein, a major player in Hollywood who's behind Oscar winners like "Shakespeare in Love," has been ousted from the company he founded. The move follows a New York Times article that published details on settlements he's reached for sexual harassment over the years. We'll recap these revelations, and then look at the financial standing of his company. Afterwards, we'll look at how schools on the U.S. Virgin Islands are coping following the recent hurricanes, and then we'll discuss how Minnesota is trying to limit runoff carried by the Mississippi River.

(Global Edition)  From the BBC’s World Service … Turkish stock markets have plunged and the value of the lira has fallen against the dollar after the U.S. and Turkey suspended non-immigrant visa services. We look at the implications of the political tit-for-tat. Then, Liberia heads to the polls in elections tomorrow as candidates bid to revive an economy ravaged by 14 years of war and the Ebola epidemic. We examine the economic outlook for the commodity-rich nation. Also, the price of diamonds is set to soar after one of Africa's largest diamond mining companies announced it is likely to breach the terms of its loans this year. We discuss the implications for Petra Diamonds. Finally, the winner of the 2017 Nobel economics prize has just been announced. We take a quick look at the work of American academic Richard Thaler, who won the prize for his contributions to behavioral economics.

(Markets Edition) And the 2017 Nobel prize in economics goes to ... Richard Thaler, for his work in behavioral economics. One economist who's not surprised by the results: Robert Shiller, who won the prize himself a few years ago. Shiller stopped by to chat with us the "revolutionary" Thaler, and the importance of using psychology and the social sciences to do economic research. Afterwards, we'll look recap how the markets are doing, and then discuss how rules on government business travel are plaguing members of Trump's administration.

(Markets Edition) The jobs numbers have been released and while the big news is a contraction of 33,000 jobs for September, we take a closer look at many factors, including the job growth the hurricanes spurred, promising car sales data and a drop in the unemployment percentage. Plus, Elon Musk wants to replace Puerto Rico's shattered electricity grid, and the GOP wants to reform intergenerational wealth transfer, dropping the tax on estates of more than 5.5 million per individual left behind.

Hurricane season this year was rough on the economy: Harvey and Irma likely erased September job growth, and half of Puerto Rico is still without running water two weeks after Maria struck. A silver lining for Puerto Ricans could be the repeal of the Jones Act, which blocks ships from docking on the island unless they are American-built and operated, and has been temporarily lifted in the wake of the storm. If it were repealed entirely, increased competition from foreign ships would drive down prices of deliveries to the island and speed up the long recovery ahead, but could negatively effect Florida's shipping and shipbuilding industry. On another note, we discuss sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein with an editor who's been on the prominent movie producer's case for a long time.