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James Holmes faces 166 counts, including murder, in the shooting deaths of 12 people and wounding of another 70. His attorneys said they aren't yet ready to make a plea, so the judge did it for Holmes.

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A candidate has finally been declared the winner in Kenya's presidential election. But the votes were close and the main opponent says he'll fight the results in court. Could the election become Kenya's version of the Bush-Gore battle from 2000?

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Roller derby teams had distinct bacterial colonies on their arms before a bout, researchers found. After pushing and shoving on the track, those colonies were more similar. The research is part of the push to identify the microbes that live on (and in) us.

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Though an officer was convicted by a military panel, that decision was overturned. The secretary of defense says he does not have the authority to step in, and has asked for recommendations on whether the Uniform Code of Military Justice needs to be amended.

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Jupiter Hammon lived and died in slavery. But he still managed to become the first published African American poet. Now a newfound poem by him shows how complex his thoughts on religion and slavery really were.

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Republican Congressman Paul Ryan (WI) unveiled his federal spending plan in Washington this morning. It contains many of the same proposals Republicans offered before the election including lower taxes and less spending. If history is any guide, that probably won't be acceptable to Democrats. Just as their budget probably won't be acceptable to Republicans. So the goverment may end up without a budget for another year -- but does the U.S. really need a federal budget in the first place?

Today, the Senate Banking Committee considers President Obama's pick to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mary Jo White was a former federal prosecutor, but she was also a private defense attorney who, among other cases, represented JPMorgan Chase against charges stemming from the financial crises. Her defense work raises questions about whether she would have to recuse herself from some SEC prosecutions.

The average commute time is about 30 minutes. For the almost 8 percent of us that drive to work, it takes a whole hour. And for the fewer than 1 percent the Census calls mega-commuters -- poor mega-commuters -- it takes 90 minutes. How does your commute compare to the rest of America? Check out the interactive map.

Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) unveiled his federal spending plan in Washington this morning. It contains many of the same proposals Republicans offered before the election, including lower taxes and less spending. In a press conference on Capitol Hill, Ryan explained the philosophy behind his budget:

"We match revenues with expenditures, so our budget matches the spending with our income, just like every family and business must do throughout America."

If history is any guide, Ryan’s plan probably won't be acceptable to Congressional Democrats -- just as the Democrats’ budget probably won't be acceptable to Republicans. So the goverment may end up without a budget for another year.

But does the U.S. really need a federal budget in the first place? Marketplace's Scott Tong in Washington joins Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to explain the benefits of a budget agreement.

It's going to be a big budget week in Washington. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) released his spending plan today, and the Democrats are set to unveil their federal budget sometime in the next few days.

Juli Niemann, analyst at Smith Moore and Company, joins Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to discuss whether Washington's budget stalemate will be broken anytime soon.

The Iranian leader attended Hugo Chávez's funeral in Venezuela. Afterward, a photo surfaced that Iran's conservative clerics say shows him sinning — by touching a woman to whom he's not related.

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Imagine you’re traveling abroad. The to-do list can be long. Book your flight, pack a toothbrush -- and if you’re a musician like John Thomas, you may soon need a passport for your instrument.

Thomas is a law professor at Quinnipiac University, and the proud owner of a vintage 1943 Gibson guitar.

“It contains some rare and valuable materials, including this Brazilian rosewood,” says Thomas.

The wood is prized for guitars, but listed as threatened under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which is meeting in Bangkok this week.

Thomas says U.S. delegates have proposed passports for instruments made with exotic woods, old ivory or tortoise shell parts because, as it stands now, instruments can be seized if musicians don't have import and export permits for each country they visit.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upholds the convention on endangered species. Assistant Director for International Affairs Bryan Arroyo believes the current system is too burdensome. For example, touring symphony orchestras traveling with priceless violins and cellos face reams of paperwork.

“It would drive them nuts,” says Arroyo.

Instrument passports are meant to ease the burden.

“You know, we want to make sure that we can facilitate the great musicians of the world to be able to move from country to country without fear of losing their precious instruments,” says Arroyo.

Countries are expected to vote on the passport plan this week.

The committee, controlled by Democrats, is likely to approve expanding background to private transactions and to debate a renewed assault weapons ban.

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While "opponents will shout austerity," the Republican lawmaker says his plan would still let federal spending grow. It just wouldn't grow as quickly as now projected, he says, and would come into balance if the economy continues to expand and boosts federal revenue.

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It's international quiz time on the Marketplace Morning Report. Stephan Richter, editor-in-chief of the online international affairs magazine, The Globalist, brings us the question below. 

How many of the world's 3.1 billion workers live on just $1.25 per day -- the global poverty line as defined by the World Bank?

a. 50 percent
b. 25 percent
c. 10 percent
d. 3 percent

Scroll down to see the answer and click on the audio player above to hear more about the working poor around the world.

Answer: C, just over 10 percent or 384 million workers live on $1.25 a day.

Also: Sarah Palin is writing a book about Christmas; Rachel Aviv on the literary genius of Julian Jaynes; author Sarah Manguso on memoir.

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Also: Sarah Palin is writing a book about Christmas; Rachel Aviv on the literary genius of Julian Jaynes; author Sarah Manguso on memoir.

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In the Sistine Chapel, cardinals will begin voting. It takes the votes of two-thirds (77 cardinals) to become pope. If no one gets that many on the first ballot, the cardinals will be "busy murmuring in each others' ears over coffee and pasta" as they form alliances, NPR's Sylvia Poggioli says.

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Today, the Senate Banking Committee considers President Obama's pick to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mary Jo White was a former federal prosecutor, but she was also a private defense attorney who, among other cases, represented JPMorgan Chase against charges stemming from the financial crises. Her defense work raises questions about whether she would have to recuse herself from some SEC prosecutions.

The SEC Commission is made up of five members. If Mary Jo White has to recuse herself that would leave four votes.

“So to the extent that there is a 2-2 tie, that could very much hamper the commission’s ability to prosecute cases,” says former SEC Assistant Regional Director Robert Heim.

Most SEC prosecutions are unanimous votes but Heim says, “there can be controversial cases that could be impacted by Whites’ requirement to recuse herself from voting.”

But St. Johns University law professor Michael Perino says there is a much bigger obstacle to prosecuting individuals for their involvement in the 2008 financial crisis:

“The simple fact is that time is fast running out,” Perino says.

On Februrary 27, the Supreme Court ruled in a 9-0 decision that financial crimes cannot be prosecuted more than five-years after they are committed.

“For anything that happened in 2008 we’re almost out of time no matter how much Mary Jo White wants to pursue these cases,” says Heim.

White will no doubt have to answer questions about her close ties to the financial industry when her confirmation hearing begins today.

Both South Sudan and Sudan rely heavily on oil, which is pumped from the South through Sudan's pipelines for export. The South, which seceded from the rest of Sudan in 2011, will now begin oil production again under a deal negotiated in Ethiopia.

The BBC's Sudan Correspondent James Copnall joins Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to discuss the details behind the new oil agreement.

It's a crisp, cool morning at Hotel Bel-Air, in West Los Angeles. White swans greet a small group of writers and arts patrons. They sip coffee, nibble brioche, and hear author Eric Lax talk about his new book. It's a live breakfast reading for PEN.

Lax says for writers, few groups are more prestigious.

"Every living Nobel Laureate is member of PEN, many Pulitzer prize winners," he says.

But the publishing industry is unrecognizable from when PEN started 40 years ago. With fewer books published, and fewer published books making profits, there are fewer full-time, published writers. To claim it truly represents the entire world of writing, PEN has had to expand.

"It includes journalists, it includes screenwriters, it includes bloggers," Lax says. "The writer is someone who puts words out there."

A very traditional format -- the live reading -- is still the best way to bring all kinds of writers together, says PEN Center USA program director Michelle Meyering. She has simply added the twist of fun, historic or culturally significant locations, like the famous hotel.

She says when a book is paired with a venue, writers "have the opportunity to experience literature and also see a part of their city."

The core mission of PEN is to support free speech around the world. Attracting the next generation of members and donors is a challenge.

Hayley Berent, a brand strategist at the global firm Siegel Gale, says many impressive, powerful nonprofits face this problem.

"Being premium is a good thing, it's an honor, but it can seem distant," she says.

Younger creative activist types seek more personal experiences, and direct connections. They tend to associate "big" with "bureaucracy."

Why join some nameless, faceless organization "when I can go online through my personal network, see the impact firsthand, touch it firsthand," Berent asks.

A recent PEN reading got very personal. Gathered at a bar, authors read work on the theme "Love Sucks." Los Angeles writer Zoe Ruiz read about an unexpected Valentine's Day encounter:

"Princess Donna had on a short black skirt and a tight black top. Her boobs were pushed up and spilling out. I said: Oh. I paused and blushed...."

The room was dark. The story got racier as it went along. What did this have to do with staid, luminous PEN? Simple, said program director Michelle Meyering: Supporting true freedom of speech. 

This final note today, perhaps the ultimate in processed foods, just to pick up on the theme of processed foods we explored in our interview with Melanie Warner, the author of "Pandora's Lunchbox."

Twinkies are comin' back. Two private equity firms confirmed today they're the winning bidders in the Hostess bankruptcy auction. They reportedly paid $410 million for the brand.

Twinkies will be back on the shelves by summer. Though, if you had any left from when Hostess went broke in November, they're totally still good, too.