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The Italian government will loan Alitalia about half a billion dollars to prevent the troubled airline's collapse. But Alitalia is losing $1 million a day and facing ever higher fuel costs. Stephen Beard reports from London.

Waits for disability benefit hearings now average 16 months. Today, Congress considers President Bush's request for $600 million to hire more judges and support staff. John Dimsdale reports from Washington.

On Tuesday, we ran a story about the so-called "Millionaires' Amendment." That federal law allows congressional candidates to accept larger contributions if opponents finance their own campaigns. We reported Congressman Tom Reynolds of New York qualified for larger contributions under this rule. But he didn't qualify and he didn't accept higher donations. We regret the error.

Food shortages and the subsequent spike in food prices have caused a U.N. program to stop providing meals to schools in three countries. Commentator Will Wilkinson says the U.S. political process contributed to the worldwide food crisis.

Government approval of a Delta-Northwest airline merger is pending, but today Delta Airlines flight attendants begin voting on whether to unionize. Ashley Milne-Tyte looks at what affect, if any, a union could have on the merger.

Today, Congress is considering extending a rule that would allow home builders to apply any current losses to tax returns up to four years back. That could set builders up for big rebates. Jeff Tyler has more.

Delta Airlines and would-be partner Northwest both reported losses for the quarter. Their market values dropped, too. Earlier in the week, United posted a bad quarter. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.

Crops such as corn and wheat have jumped 50% or more in price in the past year. Those prices are hitting everyone in the food chain, including a group stuck squarely in the middle -- grain elevator operators. Adriene Hill reports.

Contributions continue to grease the political skids in Washington. Jeanne Cummings of Politico tells host Kai Ryssdal that some of the key players in the subprime mess still have enough loose change to lobby for their causes.

Jim Buckmaster isn't much interested in maximizing profits. The chief executive of Craigslist says the rapidly growing website's business model is all about the social good. He talks with host Kai Ryssdal in our latest Conversations From the Corner Office.