Kerkorian bids $4.5B for Chrysler; Dow up 30

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[Music] The bidding war for the Chrysler group is heating up and Kirk Kiran is entering the fray. The billionaire investor says he is prepared to make a $4.5 billion bid for Daimler Chrysler's money losing unit and will offer a hundred million for exclusive negotiating rights. Kiran was a key player in Chrysler's decision to merge with Daimler in 1998. Meanwhile, marketers are working like rabbits to multiply Easter sales. It's the number three retail season behind Christmas and Valentine's Day and is edging closer to the romantic holiday. Easter season retail sales are expected to be up 11% over 2006 to 14.3 billion this year. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average heading higher, up 30 points ahead of the long holiday weekend. The Nasdaq tacking on 12 points in the session. It's going to cost you more to satisfy your sweet tooth. Hershey is hiking the prices on its candy for the first time in 2 years. To counter rising costs for corn syrup and packaging. Twizzlers, Reese's and its namesake chocolate bars are jumping four to 5%. Rival Mars also raised prices about 5%. And have you ever wanted to design your own can of Pepsi? Well, the number two soft drink maker is letting consumers do just that. As part of its new design, our Pepsi can promotion, consumers can win $10,000 and have their winning design featured on 500 million Pepsi cans. That's your money watch. Log on to cbsnews.com for more in New York. I'm Claire Leica.

Merck's Vioxx successor Arcoxia faces FDA review; Chrysler lost $1.5B

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[Music] more than two years after the painkiller Vio was taken off the market because it was found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke its maker is asking the Food and Drug Administration to approve a vioc successor next week in FDA advisory committee will hold a public meeting on merc's arcoxia a new medication which is part of the same class of drugs as Vio called Cox 2 Inhibitors now the agency is expected to rule by the end of April on whether to approve arcoxia on Wall Street Wednesday the Dow gained nearly 20 points the NASDAQ closed up eight diimler Chrysler shareholders urged the company to sell its unprofitable Chrysler unit and focus on its Mercedes car group and other operations the shareholder comments came at the company's annual meeting after the auto giant confirmed it is in talks with unidentified buyers about the possible sale of Chrysler now Chrysler lost $1.5 billion dollar last year and it's the 10year anniversary of the Toyota Prius and to celebrate Toyota says it's offering up $2,000 discounts on 2007 Toyota Prius option packages the company is looking to offset a decline in tax breaks for Prius buyers while building on recent momentum for sales of gas electric hybrids the discounts are on specially equipped versions of the Prius which come with a base price tag of $22,000 and that's your money watch log on to cbsnews.com for more in New York I'm Claire Leica