Economy

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave one of his first public speeches last night. He didn't tip his hand much on interest rates. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

Yesterday, the Senate raised the debt ceiling by another $800 billion. So now the United States owes $9 trillion. Hillary Wicai puts this in perspective.

Congress is poised to raise the nation's debt limit. The White House wants to boost the ceiling by hundreds of billions of dollars. Commentator Robert Reich says there's nothing wrong with debt, but it's what you spend it on that counts.

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.

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

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.

Today more than 400 economists and other academics will call on US Census officials to spare a $40 million survey to find out how federal programs help needy families. Scott Tong reports.

Scott Jagow talks to author Gucharan Das about the economic transformation President Bush is likely to see as he starts his visit to India today.

Hillary Wicai looks at an innovative state program to encourage poor residents to save up for home ownership.