CNN Radio News Day: March 4, 2013

CNN Radio News Day is an evening news program providing an informative, thoughtful and creative look at the day's events. It's posted Monday through Friday at 4:30 pm ET.

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(CNN) – Welcome to CNN Radio News Day.

• Last week the Dow came very close to hitting its all-time high.  Many Americans think it's odd for the stock market to be doing so well, especially now that the forced spending cuts are a reality. So, what's the real story? What can those of us with a 401(k) or some extra cash invested in the stock market expect in the weeks and months ahead? CNN Business Anchor Christine Romans explains stocks remain attractive, in part, because of the Fed's stimulus efforts:

"Imagine this: A big huge fire hose of money, spraying out the windows of the Fed, everyday, to the tune of $40 billion a month, that's how much money the Fed is pushing into the economy, and some of that money is finding its way into the stock market."

• Same-sex marriage has been legal in Iowa for four years. But, married gay couples there face an unusual dilemma when they have a child: The state refuses to recognize both spouses as parents on a newborn's birth certificate. It's a problem no other state is facing, and it's what gay rights advocates call 'The Iowa Anomaly.' Melissa Gartner’s name was erased from her daughter’s birth certificate. Heather Gartner, who was the biological mother, was the only one listed:

“When you have somebody tell you that your marriage is not equal to your counterparts, because of who you’re married to, you can’t be a parent to this child – it’s very hurtful. I mean, honestly, when the first birth certificate came, it felt like someone had smacked you,” says Heather Gartner.

• Today Catholic Cardinals from around the world gathered at the Vatican to begin the process of choosing a new pope. More than 100 men held their first meetings to discuss the issues involved in selecting the next Holy Father, and on when to begin the papal conclave that will elect the new pope. But the odds makers are already at work.  Feilim MacAnlomai with the online betting site PaddyPower, says people are laying their money down on several pope possibilities:

"We firmly believe as a business that it's going to be the biggest non-sporting event that we've ever had betting on. The last time we were betting on the last pope back in 2005, we took over a million euro, and we certainly expect to exceed that amount this time around."

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