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Economy Is Focus In Candidates' Second Matchup

NPR - 1 hour, 9 minutes ago

As John McCain and Barack Obama met Tuesday night in their second presidential debate, much of the conversation concentrated on economic issues, including taxes, spending and entitlement issues.

  • Economy Likely To Dominate Presidential Debate NPR - Tue Oct 7, 6:41 PM ET

    Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama will meet in a town hall-style meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Topics are supposed to be divided between the economy and foreign policy, but given the financial crisis more questions are expected to focus on the topic.

  • As Iceland Reels, Finance Minister Explains Crisis NPR - Tue Oct 7, 5:22 PM ET

    The global credit crunch is threatening the Icelandic economy. Its financial sector has assets worth 12 times the country's gross domestic product. Finance Minister Arni Mathiesen says a total bankruptcy, which has been predicted, would pull a large portion of society down with it.

  • In Minn., A Tight Race For U.S. Senate NPR - Tue Oct 7, 4:43 PM ET

    The nation's most expensive 2008 Senate race is playing itself out in Minnesota where comedian Al Franken is challenging Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Most polls suggest the race is a toss-up.

  • Amid Economic Woes, Reliably Red Ind. Turns NPR - Tue Oct 7, 4:42 PM ET

    Indiana is traditionally as red a state as can be found. But this year, the economic crisis has made the contest between John McCain and Barack Obama close.

  • Despite Bailout, Credit Markets Tight NPR - Tue Oct 7, 4:40 PM ET

    The TED spread is used to determine how tight the credit markets are. The signal it is sending right now is that credit markets became tighter even after the $700 billion financial bailout bill was signed into law.

  • Kenya Detains Author Promoting Anti-Obama Book NPR - Tue Oct 7, 4:34 PM ET

    Kenyan authorities have deported Jerome Corsi, the author of The Obama Nation: Leftists Politics and the Cult of Personality. Immigration officials said he didn't have a work permit. Corsi was detained at his hotel and ordered to leave the country.

  • Audience Holds Key In Second Debate NPR - Tue Oct 7, 4:28 PM ET

    John McCain and Barack Obama are clashing at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., in front of a crowd of undecided voters. Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll, says the way the candidates answer the questions may be more important than the audience's questions themselves.

  • Dow Falls More Than 500 Points NPR - Tue Oct 7, 4:20 PM ET

    Stocks had another dismal day. The Dow Jones industrial average has fallen by more than 500 points. Cary Leahey, senior economist with Decision Economics in New York, says though it may seem the Fed and Treasury have done all they can, the markets want more immediate action.

  • Bernanke Hints At Rate Cuts NPR - Tue Oct 7, 4:00 PM ET

    Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has signaled Fed policymakers will cut interest rates later this month. He said "downside risks to growth have increased," and that the outlook for inflation has improved.

  • Europe Unifies Over Bank Deposit Guarantees NPR - Tue Oct 7, 3:51 PM ET

    Finance ministers from the European Union settled on a modest agreement to guarantee bank deposits in all EU countries during a meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday. The ministers also decided to take "all necessary measures" to improve the stability of European banks.

  • Judge: Release Detained Chinese Muslims To U.S. NPR - Tue Oct 7, 3:27 PM ET

    A federal judge said the government has no authority to hold the 17 detainees, who are Chinese Muslims. The government has conceded the men would be tortured if they are returned to China.

  • Fed Considers Buying Commercial Paper NPR - Tue Oct 7, 1:00 PM ET

    The Fed and Treasury is considerig entering the commercial paper market, made up of unsecured corporate IOUs extended over a short period of time. We examine just how risky the unprecedented move is.

  • Nobel Honors Glimpse Into Universe's Design NPR - Tue Oct 7, 12:28 PM ET

    Three physicists, one American and two Japanese, share the prize for their pioneering work in exploring the universe's lack of symmetry — something that made life possible.

  • Fed Enters Commercial Paper Market; Eyes Rate Cut NPR - Tue Oct 7, 12:12 PM ET

    In a sign that the Federal Reserve isn't convinced that the $700 billion financial rescue package will get the economy back on track, the central back announced it would boost credit-market liquidity by buying commercial paper and opened the door to an interest rate cut.

  • Scandals Plague Japanese Sumo Culture NPR - Tue Oct 7, 12:04 PM ET

    Allegations of drug use and game rigging are troubling fans of Japan's national sport. Some blame foreigners for the problems, but one retired wrestler says the younger ones have left fame go to their heads.

  • Former Republican Senator Supporting Obama NPR - Tue Oct 7, 12:00 PM ET

    Former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee looks ahead to tonight's second presidential debate. The former Republican talks about switching political parties and why he now supports Sen. Barack Obama's bid for the White House.

  • Can A Water-Logged Lincoln Hit 200MPH? NPR - Tue Oct 7, 9:52 AM ET

    J.T. Nesbitt lost everything he had in the 2005 hurricane, including a thriving motorcycle design business. Now the motorcycle mechanic is hoping to put his life back together, by breaking a world land speed record in a car he salvaged from the floodwaters.

  • Federal Reserve Tries To Get Credit Moving Again NPR - Tue Oct 7, 9:52 AM ET

    The government announced Tuesday that it plans to buy huge amounts of short-term debts from companies. The Fed will buy "commercial paper," a short-term financing mechanism that many companies use to finance their day-to-day operations, like meeting payroll or purchasing supplies.

  • Fed Takes Drastic Step To Unfreeze Credit Market NPR - Tue Oct 7, 9:39 AM ET

    The Federal Reserve announced Tuesday a dramatic plan to buy massive amounts of short-term debts in an effort to break through the country's credit clog. Officials say the Fed will buy "commercial paper," a short-term financing mechanism that many companies rely on to finance their day-to-day operations, such as purchasing supplies or making payrolls.

  • European Ministers Plot Cure For Financial Crisis NPR - Tue Oct 7, 9:15 AM ET

    Finance ministers from the 27 European Union countries meet in Luxembourg on Tuesday to consider what, if anything, their governments can do together to stop the spreading financial crisis. Individual European governments disagree about what should be done.

  • Nano Production Hits A Pothole In West Bengal NPR - Tue Oct 7, 9:08 AM ET

    The Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car, was supposed to roll off an Indian production line this month. But that plan hit a snag when Tata Motors announced it had to build the car somewhere else. The company closed the new plant in the state of West Bengal after violent protests.

  • Great Expectations As Candidates Debate Again NPR - Tue Oct 7, 9:07 AM ET

    John McCain and Barack Obama will face each other in a town-hall-style format Tuesday night in which the audience asks the questions. They need to put on a show at least as good as their running mates did last week.

  • Credit Crisis Spreads To Hospitals, Colleges NPR - Tue Oct 7, 8:59 AM ET

    The credit crisis has moved from big institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to smaller institutions like hospitals, colleges and nonprofit organizations. Rising interest rates are limiting their ability to expand, and they warn that rising debt payments will cut into staff and services.

  • Candidates Mine For Rural Votes In Nevada NPR - Tue Oct 7, 8:54 AM ET

    Nevada is one of several states still up for grabs. Republican voters in the state's rural counties are enthusiastic about Republican presidential nominee John McCain. But Democrat-run voter registration drives are gaining ground in urban areas like Las Vegas. Neither campaign is taking the state for granted.

  • Europe Not United Over How To Resolve Crisis NPR - Tue Oct 7, 8:42 AM ET

    European governments are scrambling to shore up their banks. The governments promised to work together to solve the financial crisis, but so far, they have acted separately. Philip Coggan, a columnist for the Financial Times, talks with Ari Shapiro about the steps European officials are taking to reassure investors, and whether those steps are working.

  • Bank Of America To Modify Countrywide Loans NPR - Tue Oct 7, 8:38 AM ET

    In the boldest step yet by any bank to address the ongoing foreclosure crisis, Bank of America, which now owns mortgage giant Countrywide Financial, has settled with state prosecutors who sued Countrywide for predatory lending. Bank of America agreed to make loans more affordable for about 400,000 homeowners.

  • Taped Phone Conversations Played At Stevens Trial NPR - Tue Oct 7, 7:32 AM ET

    Jurors heard secretly recorded telephone conversations Monday in the trial of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens. The calls were taped in 2006 with the consent of witness Bill Allen, who admitted under cross-examination that he never tried to bribe the Alaska lawmaker. Stevens is charged with lying about money and gifts on financial disclosure forms.

  • Hurdles Remain In Iraq Security Agreement NPR - Tue Oct 7, 7:31 AM ET

    U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is making an unannounced visit to Iraq on Tuesday. U.S. and Iraqi officials have been negotiating a deal governing the operation of U.S. troops in Iraq, which expires this year. Iraq's foreign minister says it will take "bold political decisions" to overcome the final hurdles.

  • New Army Field Manual Is Road Map To Stabilization NPR - Tue Oct 7, 7:30 AM ET

    The Army has a new operations manual that emphasizes nation-building over conventional warfare. The Stability Operations Field Manual was put together at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the home of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. The new doctrine will drive Army resources, organization and training for many years to come.

  • Foreclosures Hit Rural America, But Quietly NPR - Tue Oct 7, 7:15 AM ET

    U.S. policymakers trying to fix the nation's housing crisis may have a blindspot: rural America. A company relied on for foreclosure data says it doesn't report on 900 rural counties. Critics say the omission may foil attempts to help homeowners.

  • Chicago Professor Shares In Nobel Prize In Physics NPR - Tue Oct 7, 6:44 AM ET

    A University of Chicago professor won a share of the Nobel Prize in physics Monday. Yoichiro Nambu, a Tokyo-born U.S. citizen, shares the prize with two Japanese scientists. Nambu gets half the prize for the discovery of spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics.

  • At Polls In S.C., Don't Wear Politics On Your Sleeve NPR - Tue Oct 7, 12:31 AM ET

    In some states, voters who show up at the polls with a candidate's name on a T-shirt or hat could be turned away. In South Carolina, this law has been in effect for more than 40 years.

  • Afghan Amputees Avoid Begging With Bike Service NPR - Tue Oct 7, 12:01 AM ET

    Most of the tens of thousands of people in Afghanistan who have lost legs to land mines have no way to make a living other than begging. But one group has come up with another way to feed its families: It operates a bicycle messenger service in Kabul.

  • Selling Spree Sends Dow Below 10,000 Mark NPR - Mon Oct 6, 5:27 PM ET

    As angst about the global economy grows, the Dow Jones industrial average fell by as much as 800 points Monday before recovering some losses toward the end of the trading session. Meanwhile, the Treasury released some details of how the $700 billion bailout will be administered.

  • Obama Video Highlights McCain's Keating Five Link NPR - Mon Oct 6, 4:45 PM ET

    Barack Obama's campaign has hinted that if the McCain campaign brings up Obama's association with Bill Ayers, it will fire back with reminders of McCain's association with Charles Keating. It has released a 15-minute video on the topic.

  • Obama's Links To Ex-Radical Examined NPR - Mon Oct 6, 4:44 PM ET

    The Barack Obama campaign finds itself back on the defensive over questions about his relationship with Bill Ayers, a 1960s-era radical.

  • Treasury Outlines Plan On Illiquid Assets NPR - Mon Oct 6, 4:42 PM ET

    Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has named former Goldman Sachs executive Neel Kashkari to head the $700 billion rescue program. Treasury also issued documents outlining how companies can become "asset managers" to handle illiquid assts on behalf of the government.

  • As Dow Plummets, A Trader Urges Calm NPR - Mon Oct 6, 4:41 PM ET

    The Dow Jones industrial average has plummeted, closing below 10,000 points for the first time in four years. Ted Weisberg, a floor trader at the New York Stock Exchange, says much of stock trading is driven by human emotion and the decision-making process is being driven by fear and concern.

  • Europe Works To Stem Banking Crisis NPR - Mon Oct 6, 4:40 PM ET

    More European governments are following Germany's lead by offering blanket deposit guarantees to savers in a frantic effort to calm fears among investors over the worst financial crisis in 80 years. Sweden became the latest to act.

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