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Renita Jablonski: Recession? Not a recession? Markets up? Markets down? Real estate in shambles? Or not? With the tone of the news we’re hearing day in and day out about the economy, it’s hard to know what to think. Today, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson talks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce about the state of the economy. Will he have some insight? Alisa Roth reports.

Alisa Roth: Originally, Paulson was supposed to present a new plan to remodel the economy and the banking regulation system. But there’s too much else going on. His office says the new plan’s off today’s agenda.

Anne Mathias: So I think he’ll talk a lot about the housing crisis and a lot about the mortgage markets, and not so much about the overall economy.

Anne Mathias directs policy research at the Stanford Group. She expects Paulson to do some ministering, too.

Mathias: He’s pretty conscious and sensitive to the fact that a lot of what has been happening is psychological. So he may try to be reassuring.

The Chamber of Commerce is, of course, all business-y types. So, Mathias says, Paulson’ll probably give a more nuanced, detailed speech than he might if he were talking to you and me.

And, Mathias says, we might even get some politics. Paulson could take this opportunity to comment on proposed fixes from presidential candidates Clinton and McCain.

In New York, I’m Alisa Roth for Marketplace.