Fallout: The Financial Crisis

President Obama wants to tackle Medicare in his first budget, a program he calls "unsustainable." The issue is a tough sell politically, but could be easier if rising health care costs are managed. Sarah Gardner reports.

A leading British lawmaker is suggesting the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyd's banking group go into complete public ownership. Stephen Beard reports why bank nationalization might be a risk, but a good one.

U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy Geithner is appearing before a Senate committee to answer questions about his own tax life. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports how he could have avoided self-employment taxes for so long.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will ask for some mercy for businesses today in the form of income-tax relief. This would help businesses get out of their debt and spend again. Mitchell Hartman explains how it works.

Nearly $700 billion in corporate debt will be due in 2009, which is sending firms scrambling to refinance. But with banks struggling and investors afraid of lending, many companies will have a difficult time coming up with the cash they need. Steve Henn reports.

Our listeners weigh in this week on a bevy of topics. From interviews with a marketing executive and management consultant, to stories about vinyls and techies, listeners give us their opinions.

To help the banking sector and restore lending, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled a second financial rescue package. Stephen Beard reports on one of the bailout's main elements — an insurance scheme.

As Bank of America and Citigroup continue their downward slides in the market, calls for a "bad bank" and rumors of nationalization have been growing. Kai Ryssdal speaks with MIT Professor Simon Johnson about what can be done with the banking system.

Washington, D.C. tends to get a boost from increased government spending when faced with tough economic times, and the current unemployment rate is low. But the region is not immune to hardship. Ronni Radbill reports.

Barack Obama wants bipartisan support for his economic plans. What do the conservatives think? Scott Jagow talks to the American Enterprise Institute's Kevin Hassett about what Obama's priorities should be.