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WEALTH IN AMERICA REPORT: Rising oil, gas and food prices are hammering the American consumer, even the wealthy. Everyone knows high gas prices and falling real estate values have Americans hurting, but the current economic downturn is also hitting those making over $100,000 and who are considered "wealthy." Steve Liesman has the story... from America's opinion on the economy, to expectations about wages and inflation, debt levels and more.
| AMERICA PINCHING PENNIES: Whether consumers make $100,000 a year or $40,000 a year, price is the prime motivator for what they're buying. Gas has become the great equalizer across income levels - turning Nordstrom shoppers into first-time Wal-Mart customers. Americans are trying to make the most of their 'gas investment' by searching out 'one-stop shopping' and finding lower-cost options for groceries, clothing and staples. They're buying chicken instead of steak, peanut butter and pasta instead of perishable foods. As gas price pressures and the economic downturn creep up on the income scale, what is the new 'normal' for consumers? Margaret Brennan explains.
| REFINERY IN YOUR BACKYARD: Live near a refinery? Well, the idea won't sell houses, but it has become more palatable to many Americans who realize that investment in new energy infrastructure could be the long-term solution to high prices at the pump. Hampton Pearson builds off data from the breaking CNBC/Portfolio Wealth in America Report to look at whether the U,S. is ready for more nuclear plants and oil refineries.
| THE FUTURE OF HOME PRICES: Diana Olick gets an exclusive jump on a report from PMI Group, which looks at risks in the housing market and predicts what home prices will be in the next two years, market to market.
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