Week of March 6th, 2006

The number of billionaires jumped 15% this year over last, according to Forbes magazine. Eric Niiler tell us why more people have joined the exclusive club.

Many critics are already calling the inaugural World Baseball Classic a bust, but business of sports expert Diana Nyad tells host Scott Jagow the event is really more about the future than the present.

In the wake of Dubai Ports World's announcement to transfer operations of US ports to a US entity, Sam Eaton looks at whether the arrangement could be a template for future deals involving foreign control of US assets.

Lisa Napoli looks at the ramifications of the deal between the Tube Music Network and Tribune Broadcasting Corp. to offer digital multicasts to more than 14 million households by summer.

Marketplace Money for March 10, 2006

The Bank of Japan today ended a five-year policy that kept interest rates near zero. It's the first step toward an eventual rise in rates, something that's already happening in the U.S. and Europe. But Jocelyn Ford reports that the news isn't all bad.

Host Scott Jagow and personal finance expert Chris Farrell deconstruct the Oracle of Omaha's latest annual letter to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway holding company.

A new report indicates commuters spend more time using their cell phones than they do listening to the radio. Lisa Napoli reports.

Critics and supporters of efforts to facilitate Wall Street's practice of regulating itself are expected to turn out at a Senate Banking Committee hearing today. Amy Scott reports.

OPEC ministers gather in Vienna today to discuss future petroleum production. As John Dimsdale reports, the buzzwords at this meeting will be "political stability."

You say you want a revolution . . . in technology. Well, you might not have to wait long. Thousands of tech visionaries gather in Germany today to introduce new breakthroughs in electronic gadgets. How about high definition TV on your cell phone? Janet Babin has more.

The Winter Olympic torch may be extinguished, but enthusiasm for a nonprofit that became the unexpected poster child of the Games still burns bright. Melaina Spitzer has more from Turin, Italy.

More than 1200 retired GM autoworkers have lodged formal complaints against a deal between the automaker and the United Auto Workers to require pensioners to pay more for their healthcare. A federal hearing into the matter concludes today and Judge Robert Cleland has until April 1 to approve or reject the deal. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

The Treasury Department attempts to slow the accumulation of federal red ink today by issuing $7 billion in quick-turnaround bonds. Janet Babin reports.

Commentator Matthew Bishop looks at the motives besides altruism for corporations' charitable donations.

The World Trade Organization ruled that Mexico violated international trade rules by slapping a 20% tax on imported soft drinks that contain sweeteners other than cane sugar. The U.S. had opposed the tax. Dan Grech reports.

Newsweek Wall Street editor Allan Sloan tells host Scott Jagow his simple solution to the flap over Dubai Ports World.

China's Parliament kicked off its annual session yesterday. The hot topic: The rural poor. More than half of all Chinese people still live in the countryside, and they've been largely left behind by China's economic boom. Some have taken to the streets recently, and it appears the higher-ups have heard them. Premier Wen Jiabao outlined the plan to pump billions into rural areas to improve the living standards of its impoverished farmers. From Beijing, Ruth Kirchner reports.

Four out of ten federal workers telecommute at least one day a week. As Hillary Wicai reports, it's part of efforts to make the federal workforce more flexible and more secure.

It's been largely a bore so far, but the Enron trial is likely to get a lot more interesting this week, with expected testimony from ex-CFO Andrew Fastow on alleged accounting shenanigans at the collapsed energy giant. Alisa Roth reports.