Marketplace Morning Report

With one in five Americans on food stamps, some in Congress want to cut back on the program. There's talk in high places about the Fed ratcheting back on policies it hoped would add pep to the wheels of commerce. It's no surprise farmers and home builders want more immigrant labor, but horse breeders? Texas lawmakers decide whether to allow craft beer sales at grocery stores and brewery tours. It could mean a big boost for craft breweries.

Walmart sales are down and so are housing starts, but the weather could be to blame. Plus, a small film about breast cancer research gets an unexpected boost from Angelina Jolie's preventive mastectomy.

A look at how new retail figures impact the economy. After last month's collapse at a garment factory, retailers around the world are responding in different ways. The European Commission is investigating a potential price manipulation scheme among oil companies. A Senate committee on governmental affairs looks at 380 ways “to make Washington more efficient.”

A new report says North America will once again dominate fossil fuel production. Cell phone theft in this country is on the rise, but there’s not really any incentive for the industry to help curb the increase. Housing seems to be in recovery mode in places like Phoenix, Arizona. But it may be tough for homebuilders to lure back construction workers.

Retail sales inched up in April. Bloomberg News admits to allowing reporters to access private client data. And, the Air Force turns to rank-and-file members for cost-cutting ideas.