National / International News

The slacker.  The gossiper.  The loud talker.  The incompetent boss. 

Let's face it.  There's probably someone at your job who can make your day miserable and a little less productive.  The latest reality venture from the folks at FOX TV is capitalizing off this frustrating fact of office life with a series about giving workers the opportunity to fire their colleagues.  It's called "Does Someone Have To Go?" and it premieres on the network tonight.

Cris Abrego, executive producer of the series, recently chatted with Marketplace Money host Adriene Hill about the premise.

"It's really about office personnel issues.  It's really about the toxic level of an office sometimes.  And in order to fix that sometimes, does someone have to go?" said Abrego.

His interview got us thinking about how fun it could be to fire fictional office nuisances we all know and love to hate from contemporary workplace TV shows.  Take a look at five characters we'd like to leave with a pink slip and help us decide who should pack up and go.

    

 

 

 

Manchester United has struck a new loan deal to cut the amount of interest it pays on its huge debts.

There is some political willingness, but because China is highly decentralized politically, the Communist Party has only limited influence over provincial governments and how they regulate their dirty factories. The powerful state-owned oil companies have also resisted pressure to produce cleaner-burning fuel.

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There is some political willingness, but because China is highly decentralized politically the Communist Party has only limited influence over provincial governments and how they regulate their dirty factories. The powerful state-owned oil companies have also resisted pressure to produce cleaner-burning fuel.

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The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., just a few miles from where the tornado hit Monday, had warned that bad weather was coming. But experts there say they're surprised the monster storm didn't cause more deaths, and they want to know why.

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A big chunk of private-sector infrastructure opens at New York’s JFK airport today. It's the new Delta Air Lines terminal, with its $1.6 billion worth of lounge area, gates, and services.

Delta’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Anderson, joins Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio to discuss the industry, mergers, passenger fees, and why Delta thinks its about to have its most profitable year ever.

On Delta's business performance:

Anderson: "Delta had a quite profitable year last year and 2013 will be the fourth year in a row of significant profitability. 2013 should be our most profitable year in our history. Fuel prices have come down, but it's almost the quintessential American story of aviation in the U.S., if you think back to 9/11. The industry was rocked by 9/11. Then we had fuel prices run from $20 a barrel to $150 a barrel. Then we went through the financial crisis. And through all of that, without a government intervention, we remade ourselves. And today, Delta is the most profitable airline in the United States, if not the most profitable in the world."

On consolidation, mergers and competition:

Anderson: "The industry went through -- after deregulation -- a fair amount of consolidation. Now, you essentially, if the US Airways-American merger when it's approved, will have four really big strong airlines in the U.S. And when you think about the necessity of having a strong airline industry, you can have a strong airline industry and at the same time have a very contestable, competitive marketplace because you have four big players that each have the capital to invest in their employees, airplanes, communities, and in customers."

On tech at Delta and why the company still uses older planes:

Anderson: "The best example and the best notion of how to explain this is that we think a mix of airplanes is appropriate when you are operating the airline for a return on invested capital.  When you think about it from a technology perspective, just think of it this way: The president of the United States flies around on some of the oldest aviation technology in the world -- that technology was invented in the 1960s-70s. We have a lot of new technology airplanes, but we also have a very good mix of airplanes -- both mature fleet and new fleet."

Click on the audio player above to hear more.

A big chunk of private-sector infrastructure opens at New York’s JFK airport today. It's the new Delta Airlines terminal, with its $1.6 billion worth of lounge area, gates, and services.

Delta’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Anderson, joins Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio to discuss the industry, mergers, passenger fees, and why Delta thinks its about to have its most profitable year ever.

On Delta's business performance:

Anderson: "Delta had a quite profitable year last year and 2013 will be the fourth year in a row of significant profitability. 2013 should be our most profitable year in our history. Fuel prices have come down, but it's almost the quintessential American story of aviation in the U.S., if you think back to 9/11. The industry was rocked by 9/11. Then we had fuel prices run from $20 a barrel to $150 a barrel. Then we went through the financial crisis. And through all of that, without a government intervention, we remade ourselves. And today, Delta is the most profitable airline in the United States, if not the most profitable in the world."

On consolidation, mergers and competition:

Anderson: "The industry went through -- after deregulation -- a fair amount of consolidation. Now, you essentially, if the US Airways-American merger when it's approved, will have four really big strong airlines in the U.S. And when you think about the necessity of having a strong airline industry, you can have a strong airline industry and at the same time have a very contestable, competitive marketplace because you have four big players that each have the capital to invest in their employees, airplanes, communities, and in customers."

On tech at Delta and why the company still uses older planes:

Anderson: "The best example and the best notion of how to explain this is that we think a mix of airplanes is appropriate when you are operating the airline for a return on invested capital.  When you think about it from a technology perspective, just think of it this way: The president of the United States flies around on some of the oldest aviation technology in the world -- that technology was invented in the 1960s-70s. We have a lot of new technology airplanes, but we also have a very good mix of airplanes -- both mature fleet and new fleet."

Click on the audio player above to hear more.

An Essex man is charged with two counts of possession of offensive weapons and affray over an attack on an Islamic centre.

Three soldiers are killed in an ambush by suspected militants in the Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir, officials say.

Shares in Japan have fallen again, adding to the global sell-off in shares seen on Thursday.

China has offered soldiers to the new UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, UN officials say.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland may have to pay out at least £50m to cover the costs of policing and security at the G8 summit in Fermanagh, it has been claimed.

A Stanford MBA who used to work for Google returned to Myanmar to be an Internet entrepreneur. But it's tough to start an Internet company in a country where the power goes out every day.

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A Stanford MBA who used to work for Google returned to Myanmar to be an Internet entrepreneur. But it's tough to start an Internet company in a country where the power goes out every day.

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Officers in Londonderry admit the Radio 1 event is their biggest police operation this year and they will "curb any anti-social behaviour".

Two mothers whose sons were killed during the first Gulf War talk about how they became friends after their sons died. The past 22 years would have been tough without the friendship, because, as one tells the other, "what's in our hearts we share."

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Some drugs taken to protect the heart may increase the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes, according to researchers in Canada.

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano expects the club to win five trophies in the next five years.

In an age when "extremely violent and sadistic imagery is two clicks away", school sex education is struggling to keep pace, a study suggests.

Lewis Hamilton talks about his passion for Monaco, helmet designs and his love of motorbikes