The government's mega-rescue plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac boosted stock markets around the world. But what's in it for the American consumer? Will it loosen up the housing market? Janet Babin reports.
The takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could cost taxpayers $200 billion, but could also help the housing and credit crunch. Host Bob Moon turns to Thomas Stanton of Johns Hopkins University to sort this all out.
For a middle-class family in Houston, homeownership should be a sure bet. Homes prices and the cost of living are below average. But some homebuyers are still finding it hard to make a deal. Kate Archer Kent reports.
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has announced he will step down when the new president is sworn into office in January. Commentator Bill McConnell has some thoughts on what's in store for the next Treasury secretary.
Unemployment hit 6.1% last month — the highest in nearly five years. It was the 8th-straight month of fewer jobs, with a total drop of 600,000 jobs this year. But some economists believe the real story is even uglier. Steve Henn reports.
Last month, the economy lost more than 84,000 jobs. And the losses are no longer just in housing-related industries, they're spreading into manufacturing, retail and business services. Steve Henn has the story.
When OPEC ministers meet next week, they will face a dilemma over oil prices — should they decrease production to boost the price or stay the course? Brett Neely asks energy experts what to expect.
American workers' productivity in the last quarter was way up, according to a government report. But another report says labor costs decreased. That may be good news for those worried about inflation, but not so good for workers. Janet Babin reports.
The so-called Beige Book contains the Fed's assessment of the country's economic health. John Dimsdale learns that the report doesn't brighten the dark economic climate as we already know it.
With many communities hit hard by foreclosures, schools are reporting spikes in the number of homeless students this fall. Mhari Saito reports on how those districts — and their students — are coping.
