Mayer on the Rise While Spain and California Struggle

There were some big names in the news this week.

People have been buzzing around Marissa Mayer, a former Google exec tapped to become Yahoo’s new CEO, because she’s pregnant and will only take a few weeks’ maternity leave. Have an opinion? We’ve got a lively debate going on.

Also buzzworthy is Russell Wasendorf, CEO of Peregrine Financial, who may have embezzled over $100 million (and then attempted suicide).

A new name on the block: The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones FX Trader launched a new currency index this week, called The Wall Street Journal Dollar Index. The index measures the dollar against other major currencies like the euro and the yen. For more on what market indices are, read this.

Another name you should know: Compton, a city in California, is potentially nearing bankruptcy, which could make it the third city in Cali to file for bankruptcy protection.

And a steadfast friend we’ve all been watching: Spain, “the euro zone’s most precarious country,” as deemed by The Wall Street Journal, had another poor bond auction on Thursday morning, meaning that it had to pay a lot in interest in order to sell its government bonds. That’s a sign of investor wariness, and pessimism about Espana’s future prospects.

Here’s what we’ve got on tap for you this week in The Market …

Are Women