Marketplace: Monday, May 31, 2004

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A look at today's markets (closing numbers)
DOW 00 (00%) ; NASDAQ 00 (00%) ; S&P 500 00 (00%)

Newscast Hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Day. On this 31st of May, markets were closed in London and New York. Despite the holiday lots of folks in the commodities business are worried. They're concerned about what's likely to happen tomorrow when the markets reopen and trading resumes in petroleum futures. A terrorist attack this weekend in Saudi Arabia left 22 foreign oil industry workers dead. Suspected Al-Qaida militants stormed a residential compound in the city of Khobar. Though many U.S. business were closed today, it wasn't all quiet. An affiliate of a major American private equity firm, Texas Pacific Group, has made a mark in history. The U.S. based company known as Newbridge has become the first foreign investor to acquire an interest in a Chinese government owned bank. Listen to all newscast items

Features Oceanside Marines In dozens of towns across the country, you'll find more red, white and blue bunting than you might expect. Many of these communities are neighbors to military bases. Occasions like Memorial Day allow locals to display their intense loyalty to the men and women in the armed forces. But as troops are deployed and returned home, the economies of these towns ebb and flow. For example the town near Camp Pendleton, a Marine base along the Southern California coast. Reporter: Karen Lowe Vetting The Contractors? Tens of thousands of civilians are working in Iraq to build bridges, guard buildings and people, interpret languages, and … as we learned at Abu Greb - even interrogate prisoners. Private contractors, paid by the U.S. military or other government agencies, hire these civilian employees. Turns out the supply of these workers is lagging behind the demand. Reporter: Hillary Wicai A Job Upon Return? Private security contractors in Iraq still offer top dollar to experienced law enforcement personnel. But will they have jobs back home when its over, over there? Case in point: A North Carolina city that's made it a little more difficult for cops who work as security officers abroad to reclaim their old jobs on the police force. Reporter: Leda Hartman The Best Ham of All! For seven years, The U.S. Department of Agriculture banned Spanish and French pork products. The complaint: a European swine fever epidemic. Now--the ban's been lifted. But it's not likely you'll enjoy what gourmets call the best ham in the world for your Memorial Day picnic. That's because the USDA still won't allow imports of what fans call the healthiest variety of the other white meat---what's called "Jamon Iberico". What makes it so special? Reporter: Jerome Socolovsky Adventure Camp The joys of summer camp -- cook-outs, nature walks, sleeping under the stars. But why should kids have all the fun? We decided to send Marketplace contributor Cash Peters to a grown-up equivalent of summer camp--a place where adults have a chance to do something fun and unusual, outside their regular routines. Reporter: Cash Peters

Coming up on Marketplace... Calling all doctors! The challenges of rural recruiting