The president made a big speech about his economic growth plans. He used the phrase ‘middle class’ more than 20 times. As the low-paid service sector grows and the old middle class shrinks — can the “middle out” approach help service workers? And American companies have helped employ more U.S. military veterans in the past few years.

The Senate Banking Committee is holding a hearing on bank investments in things like warehouses and oil refineries, and commodities such as metals and oil. Banks have jumped head first into the commodities markets. And more interestingly, news of a company divesting in a market. Taco Bell is getting rid of its kid’s meals. The fast food chain says packaged meals for kids don’t make enough money.

Eight years after laying out the challenges for America’s middle class, President Obama returns to Knox College in Illinois to revive his push for economic growth. The past eight years have also been some of the roughest for middle class Americans, if you look at a number of specific benchmarks. Also, is Detroit’s tumble into insolvency the future for other American cities? Or was Motor City just unable to reinvent itself, the way Pittsburgh and Cleveland have?

Automakers GM and Chrysler were Detroit’s last big bankruptcies, but they were able to emerge from Chapter 11 in a matter of months. Detroit’s bankruptcy, a Chapter 9, probably won’t be as quick. And we look at some of the economic discussion sparked by George Zimmerman’ acquittal. In some situations, do minorities in the U.S. have to spend more money than others in order to look more respectable?

Detroit files for bankruptcy. J.P. Morgan Chase is reportedly in negotiations with federal regulators over charges the bank manipulated energy markets in California and around the country. The energy market — and the federal enforcement actions — are things that would have looked very different before the Enron scandal a decade ago. Also, Dell shareholders are deciding whether to approve a buyout involving the company’s founder — most of these deals go through, but will this one? Finally, a conversation with Ryan Schreiber, founder of Pitchfork, about the music industry in the digital age.

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke is visiting Capitol Hill to explain to Congress the nation’s monetary policy and the Fed’s outlook on reducing economic stimulus. Wall Street is watching closely. But the financial world is also paying attention to bank earnings: Bank of America is the latest major U.S. bank to report good news on that front. But for the rest of us, do bank earnings mean anything for our well-being? Also, Google is reportedly in talks to stream TV channels over the internet. The future of TV may just be, simply, the internet.

In an effort to spice up boring earnings calls, Yahoo will add live video stream of Marissa Mayer today. Netflix will stream a conversation with Reed Hastings moderated by an analyst and a CNBC journalists. But are these improvements or an attempt to control information? In a more overt display of industry boosterism, the greeting card industry has devised a plan it says could help rescue the U.S. Postal Service. Key to the plan is something called “cluster boxes” that would replace more expensive door-to-door to delivery.

Fabrice Tourre, who dubbed himself ‘Fabulous Fab’ back when he was a Goldman Sachs trader, goes on trial today for alleged fraud during the financial crisis. With so much alleged wrongdoing during the financial crisis, why are relatively low-level bankers the only ones in court? Plus, Google bought Frommer’s travel guides only last August, but the 83-year-old founder just took back his company. And finally, Hamburger Helper is dropping the word ‘hamburger’ from its title — how do you rebrand yourself when people change they way they use your product?

As the week wraps up, Congress seems to be stymied again by its own inaction. Was this week a waste of taxpayer dollars? Or a savings? We analyze why Wall Street continues to be in such a happy mood. And when it comes to health care, 10-minute physicals and keeping track of reimbursements don’t just make patients mad, they drive doctors crazy too. So across the country, thousands of doctors are ditching insurance and taking a hint from luxury hotels.