Jennifer Ludden, here ... Sitting in for Michel.

Okay, I've interviewed a lot of different people over the past two decades, including a bona fide "star" here or there. So when the TMM folks told me they'd booked Elmo (of Sesame Street), I didn't think much of it.

Cute gimmick. I thought, sure, I'll play along, it'll be fun.

Well, when we actually sat down in the studio, and there he was across from me in all his red-fuzziness, I was completely unnerved!! The man who's been the voice of Elmo for more than two decades -- Kevin Clash -- is about the last person in the world you'd imagine in that role.

He's large, and -- you'd think -- an imposing presence. But he somehow managed to fade into the background (I think Kevin kept his head tilted down to avoid eye contact with me, but I'm not sure since I couldn't keep my eyes off Elmo).

All I can say is, Elmo came to life ... like Frosty the Snowman or something. He was LOOKING at me, tilting his head, fumbling with the water bottle. It felt like I was having a conversation with a sweet little toddler (and I think I sounded like it, which is kind of embarrassing in retrospect).

But hey, sometimes you're thrown for a loop when you least expect it.

Now, what did we interview Elmo about? We talked to him about his upcoming PBS special "Families Stand Together" (airing Wednesday, Sept. 9) by Sesame Workshop, which explores how children and their families are coping with the bad economy. We also spoke with Gary Knell, president and CEO of Sesame Workshop.

I hope you'll tune in for some good tips, if you're not sure how to talk to your kids about these hard times.

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Lee Hill, here ...

As you know, this summer we've turned our attention to issues in education -- from the highly debated success of charter schools to today's conversation exploring why graduation drop out rates among Latinas are disturbingly high.

The latter discussion stems from a recent report, which indicates that 41 percent of Hispanic female students do not complete high school "on time" with a standard diploma (pdf), part of which is attributed to Latinas having the highest teen pregnancy rates of "of any racial or ethnic group."

But while issues of poverty and socioeconomic standing are among the long list of variables said to influence these statistics, Latinas are hardly alone in watching the distance that lies between money saved and a dream deferred deepen with the times.

Tomorrow, we focus on more news that prospective college students in the U.S. -- across the board -- are rethinking their high hopes of a college education in this economy? Why? The thought of student loan debt (I can so relate), shrinking financial aid packages and a shaky job market have some opting to pass on a four-year degree and cast their nets elsewhere, such as, say, community college or trade school.

Can you relate? Have you decided to "skip" college because it's too expensive? Are you afraid of getting into debt with student loans in a tough economy? If so, drop us a line and tell us your story.

Meet you back here tomorrow.

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Lee Hill, here ...

As you know, this summer we've turned our attention to issues in education -- from the highly debated success of charter schools to today's conversation exploring why graduation drop out rates among Latinas are disturbingly high.

The latter discussion stems from a recent report, which indicates that 41 percent of Hispanic female students do not complete high school "on time" with a standard diploma (pdf), part of which is attributed to Latinas having the highest teen pregnancy rates of "of any racial or ethnic group."

But while issues of poverty and socioeconomic standing are among the long list of variables said to influence these statistics, Latinas are hardly alone in watching the distance that lies between money saved and a dream deferred deepen with the times.

Tomorrow, we focus on more news that prospective college students in the U.S. -- across the board -- are rethinking their high hopes of a college education in this economy? Why? The thought of student loan debt (I can so relate), shrinking financial aid packages and a shaky job market have some opting to pass on a four-year degree and cast their nets elsewhere, such as, say, community college or trade school.

Can you relate? Have you decided to "skip" college because it's too expensive? Are you afraid of getting into debt with student loans in a tough economy? If so, drop us a line and tell us your story.

Meet you back here tomorrow.

Monika Evstatieva, here...

Today, we looked at several facets of the economic recession. We started with a conversation about food stamps. According to the U.S. government, an amazing 34 million Americans use food stamps today. That's one in every nine people. But we wanted to find out what exactly that is like. We caught up with Damond Smart from Elkhart, Indiana. We've been checking in on Mr. Smart occasionally to see how things are going for him throughout the recession. Smart, who works in a beauty salon and also designs T-shirts, enrolled in the food stamp program last month. Unemployment in his hometown reached 16.8% in June.

We also invited Democratic Congressman James McGovern of Massachusetts. Back in 2007, he and his wife participated in the Food Stamp challenge, for a week, eating only what they would have been able to afford with food stamps.

Mr. Smart told us, you need to ask for help and enroll in the program, because although it is not a huge benefit, it helps him feed his family.

And Congressman McGovern addressed some of the problems that might arise from the long waiting process, as more and more people sign up for the program. Check out the conversation.

And finally we want to hear more from you -- Are you facing some of the same challenges as Mr. Smart? Or do you have relatives, who you are helping out while they struggle to feed their families? If you are part of the Food Stamp program, what has your experience been? We would love to hear from you...

Blog to you soon.

I hope you got to enjoy some part of the weekend--we did. In fact, we made a special effort to get to the fireworks. Knowing that many cities and towns have cancelled their displays because of budget woes made it an even bigger treat than usual. It's a shame, but I wonder if we will remember to be grateful when things turn around. Isn't that human nature, though? Why is it so hard to maintain an attitude of gratitude?

And gratitude was just one of the emotions I experienced when I read Laura Sessions Stepp's piece in this week's Washington Post Magazine. We try to hold a conversation about something in the magazine just about every week because we think they hit it just right. They balance the personal story with the larger narrative, and this week's story really hit us where we live. It profiled a young dad named Bobby who became a father at 19 and is--was--seemed to be--determined to try to live up to what he thinks that role and title mean. At the time Laura caught up with him, he was taking care of three small children, one he had with his girlfriend Lori and two she had had with previous boyfriends. Lori had been able to find a job, but he had not. And living was a struggle, as you might imagine.

Why did I feel grateful? Because someone is paying attention to Bobby and his family, because it doesn't seem, as our other guest professor Maria Kefalas said, that too many people are. And, who am I kidding? That there but for the grace of God go I...

Here are some stats on teen pregnancy and births outside of marriage.

The Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid sport utility vehicle is driven at the General Motors Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. in 2006. The Vue Green Line is the first hybrid vehicle produced in Tennessee. AP

 

Jennifer Ludden, here ... I'm sitting in for host Michel Martin, who returns on Monday.

I grew up in Columbia, Tenn., just down the road from Spring Hill, a place you never would have heard of if General Motors hadn't picked it as the site for its revolutionary Saturn plant back in 1985. (In fact, I was a cub reporter for a local radio station that year, on summer break from college, and filed a piece about the GM decision for NPR.)

At the time, no offense meant, but Spring Hill wasn't even a stop on the road! Blink, and you missed it. It was truly just those rolling green hills that GM played up when it announced its decision to build a "different kind of car."

Spring Hill's recently elected mayor, Michael Dinwiddie, told us on today's program that the population back then was about 1,000 people. Today -- because of the GM plant and a snowball of spin-off development that followed -- it's 24,000. Things grew so fast the mayor said infrastructure development couldn't keep pace. A lot of people moved from up north, and I've heard from high school friends that the once tiny Catholic community had to build a bigger church because of the influx.

But now things are happening in reverse.

In 2007, GM moved its Saturn production to Mexico, taking several thousand jobs with it. The Spring Hill plant still produces the Chevy Traverse, but only at 24% capacity. And now people are waiting to hear if a GM bankruptcy will mean more job losses, and a reverse ripple effect.

Will the south one day have its own version of the "rust belt"? The mayor seemed optimistic.

It's strange to think how much one business decision can utterly transform a place. And once that happens, you can't just go back, at least not without a lot of pain somewhere.

-- Jennifer Ludden

TMM Executive Producer Marie Nelson Robert Sachs/NPR

Marie Nelson, here ...

A rainy Friday here in our neck of the woods, but nonetheless we press on ...

In our weekly political chat, we took note of how -- while much of the attention is being focused on President Obama's trip to Europe -- a lot of attention is also being focused on this week's White House shakeup of General Motors (as we reported on Tues -- I'll add the link).

We spoke with NPR's Frank Langfitt, who breaks down the GM story and talks us through the new unemployment numbers released today, which signal the nation's highest unemployment rate since 1983.

And, what's with all the Michelle Obama frenzy across the pond? Europe is going nuts over the new first lady. We turn to Washington Post style maven Robin Givhan for the scoop.

Other "must-hears" from today's program: why some groups are upset about superstar former NFL coach Tony Dungy being asked to join the White House council on that focuses on faith initiatives; a new look inside the Black Power movement; and the Barbershop guys are back (well, most of them). What's on their minds this week? With the recent GM shakeup, they want to know if the White House is going to fix our cars? And of course they give us their picks for the NCAA Finals. Shop regular Arsalan Iftikhar is going for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team.

Arsalan says, "Empricially, they are the team to beat."

And before I go, I have a bit of sad news (for me anyway). Just as I've come to enjoy my Friday postings with you, I have to step away for a few weeks of medical leave. But never fear -- I am leaving you in great hands. Teshima Walker, TMM's Supervising Senior Producer, will be filling in for me and will continue to post the Friday show blog. Believe me, you are in for a treat!

Until we meet again, be well.

Let me say, we realized we started the week off on what might be, for some, a very depressing note -- two different stories about the deaths of two young people. We apologize if this is more than some of you could take, but the timing was such that we felt both pieces needed to air today.

Our condolences to both families, and we hope that sharing your stories helps others to heal, and you as well.

The wealth gap story fascinates me because it offers a very real and concrete explanation for so many of the "deep stem" issues in American life. It's not quite a T.O.E. (theory of everything) but it is substantial.

Here's the executive summary (pdf) for the conference we talked about.

And now, books. I'll bring this up again to remind you, but we are starting to get a lot of book submissions for the summer, all kinds of novels, along with the usual self-help and political books. As you may have noticed, we don't spend a great deal of time talking about fiction, a part from our occasional visits with our "book lady," Loriene Roy of the American Library Association. But summer is coming and, for many people, that means more time to read. And, frankly, even if your finances mean you'll be partaking of a "staycation" this year instead of lounging in Provence (or the Jersey Shore), a good book is probably going to be part of your plans.

TMM Summer Reading Series

We'd like your help in organizing our summer reading series. My preference is to stick to a genre or a theme. The question is, what theme?

I was thinking, new fiction out of Africa? What about new fiction from South Asian women writers? What about new books about Politics (we could start with Gwen Ifill's new book Breakthrough: politics in the age of Obama)? What about novels set in the middle east? What about new and classic novels set in the Middle East?

You get the idea.

We're not trying to get you to do our work for us, but I love to hear from you.

What books should we dig into this summer? Let us know and if we pick your idea we'll find a way to include you in our conversations.

On we go ...

Hi. Cheryl Corley, here ... sitting in for Michel.

First a request. This month is women's history month and we profiled the words of a few women who've been on Tell Me More in the past: actress Rita Moreno, Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Let us know who you'd like to hear from this month.

We had a rollicking conversation with some of the women we've come to depend on for their savvy advice. Our "moms" showed up to talk about how to motivate kids to stay in school. The dropout rate for high schoolers, particularly in many communities of color, is startling -- by some accounts, 10 percent for African-Americans, and more than 20 percent for Latinos. Our moms offered tough love, as well of words of encouragement. And of course, we talked about money, how can you not when it comes to kids and motivation? But should money be used to encourage children when it comes to school? Our moms had their say.

The financial state of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (or HBCUs) continues to look grim. That's what we learned during an update on the financial health of HBCUs. Spelman College President Dr. Beverly Tatum has had to cut staff and restructure programs to make ends meet. University of Pennsylvania Professor Marybeth Gasman, who tracks HCBUs, says the tough situation for Spelman, a reknowned women's college, is even more dire for other universities -- in light of lower enrollment, falling endowment revenue and donor gifts.

Money Coach Alvin Hall also joined us to talk about the cost of health care and what we might expect from the reforms being offered by the Obama Administration.

Plus, the latest on the push for residents of Washington DC to have a voting representative in the U.S. House. Maybe some day, DC residents will be able to change the motto on their license plates from "taxation without representation" Our guests suggest that might be a battle though that may be played out in the Supreme Court.

All for now,
Cheryl

John Moore/Getty Images

We've been thinking a lot about how to stay on top of the stories related to the economic downturn. This is not an abstraction for us. As you may remember, NPR itself has downsized; we are losing 64 of our colleagues, many of whom are starting to leave us this week. It has not been a pleasant experience watching these trusted and, in many cases, loved colleagues walk out the door.

But it's not about us, or not just about us.

We're not alone in this. So we decided to spend most of the day talking about what's going on in the business world. We spent some time with outgoing Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, got an update on the Univision trial and then "had a good visit" as our soon-to-be former President liked to say, with three young women -- all college graduates -- who are all having trouble finding jobs, or have lost jobs in this tough economy.

And, yes, we know that college grads aren't the only ones hurting! More stories as we go. ...

Mark Szelagiewicz stands at the DHL airport hub entrance just moments after he was layed-off December 18, 2008 in Wilmington, Ohio.

John Moore/Getty Images

If you listen to us in the morning, I hate to start your day off with grim news. But we really wanted to check in with someone from Ohio. Ohio, along with Michigan, seems like ground zero for bad economic news. The General Motors plant in Moraine closed last week after 27 years because of poor SUV and truck sales, and express shipping company DHL is closing its hub in Wilmington as it scales back U.S. operations and focuses on business overseas.

We decided to check in with the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, Lee Fisher. If positive thinking can turn things around, then Ohio might be okay. Listen for yourself.

But, then it was on to murder.

Some things cannot be ignored. A new study (pdf) by one of this country's preeminent researchers on crime and violence, James Alan Fox at Northeastern University, reports that murders are actually surging among black teen males, while the homicide rate is falling or stable for others. This is not going to be a shock to some of you who live in certain communities or who read certain newspapers, or who watch the local news in some cities.

The question is ... why? We need to talk more about this.

You might also find interesting today's conversations about avoiding financial scams ... and how to keep your teens safe on New Year's Eve.

I know I'm dating myself, but what did that old sergeant say on that long ago police drama, "Hill Street Blues"?

"Be careful out there."

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Lee Hill, here ...

Since our broadcast today, we're learning that a financial rescue deal for the nation's struggling big three automakers -- GM, Chrysler and Ford -- could be agreed upon by Congress and the President by the end of today. The prospect of an automotive bailout bill, and the extent to which it could help rejuvenate a stricken economy, carries with it a grand jury verdict-like anticipation.

GM, Chrysler and Ford -- and their home City of Detroit -- warn of dire economic consequences if sufficient aid does not come from the government. On the other hand, there are strong opinions about a government's role as "superman" to big business in distress. Those opinions were underscored by the two not-so-warm-and-cuddly appearances by top brass on Capitol Hill, where their pleas for aid were met with tough scrutiny by lawmakers.

Today on the program, we focused on a group that you may not have heard much from in the general media frenzy surrounding the crisis: minority auto dealers. They're looking at this through the lens of their own unique concerns. Take a listen to learn more.

I also came across a report today about how the stakes of what happens next are even higher for some rural auto dealers. Check it out to learn more about yet another unique group of stakeholders in all of this.

And what about you?

Do you make your living working for, or dependent upon, a U.S. automaker? What are you thinking and hoping right now?

And, if you don't work in the industry, do you live in Detroit, Indiana or a place where automotive is primary player in the local economy? Have you noticed anything different about your economy or attitudes around town?

Tell us more ...

Jasmine Garsd here ...

Today's program discussed the issue of educational vouchers, an issue that is rooted in a larger, ongoing debate in America.

That debate challenges whether the public sector should be expanded and improved through state intervention, or stick firmly to the capitalist credo that unbridled competition among private sectors makes for better institutions for everyone. In fact, it's the thread that runs through all the issues that have been debated in the presidential campaigns -- most notably the state of the economy and access to health care.

And the follow-up question is natural: Is there such thing as a "free" market?

What do you think about educational vouchers? Should the government get involved in this way? What has your experience been?

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) attends a news conference on Captiol Hill September 29, 2008 in Washington, DC. The House failed to pass the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, 205-228. Wall Street immediately reacted with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping by more than 700 points.

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Whoa! What can you say but, whoa! Yesterday was one of those days where you'd be having a perfectly normal conversation with somebody and all of a sudden their eyes would drift off and start staring at the TV screen over your shoulder and you'd be like, what, what ... what just happened?

What just happened? Let's see ...

The House defeated the President's economic rescue plan, voting 225 to 208.

Then the Dow started to slide and slide, and slide, ending the day DOWN a record 778 points -- the largest one-day drop in history.

Then, Wachovia Bank got sold to Citigroup, the second time in five days that a major US bank was erased by fleeing depositors.

... The Asian markets began to slide.

And, to add insult to injury ... The Mets choked against the Marlins, 4-2, and were shut out of the post season, again.
(OK, so that happened Sunday, but I was in denial for a day.)

We were lucky to have two Members of Congress with us who are on either side of the question. We thought it was interesting to have two Democrats -- two members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), both with some experience on financial committees -- Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, who is on Financial Services, and Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott of Virginia, who is on the House Budget Committee. Scott came out on the OPPPOSITE side of the bill, and was against it. Meeks was for it.

What did you think?

And one thing I'm curious about: are you one of those people who actually contacted a Member of Congress to weigh in? We kept hearing from members that they were inundated with feedback from constituents. But I've never met anybody who actually called one. So, if you did, what did you say? Where do you come out on this and what made you feel strongly enough to call your elected official and weigh in?

We had a very interesting piece of information about Black women and money and, I have to tell you, I was and remain a bit squeamish about this report and wonder what the reaction will be. Here's why: anytime you single out a group, and make observations about the group, you will always make some people uncomfortable. They'll wonder, why are you singling out this group? Does this information hold this group up to negative evaluation by others? And, is it truly representative of the whole group? But, since I am a lifetime member of the "truth will set you free" school. I felt that once we had this information we owed to it ourselves to report it. It is by a reputable company with no apparent agenda, and the data collection method was sound.

The results are worrisome:

It suggested that African-American women, although they are often the prime decision makers for their households, are too often making these decisions without the benefit of guidance. More often than not, they do not have access to professional financial advice. And, the thing here that may ring true for many people, I am sure: they are inveterate givers. Black women often give and give, even if it means they have fewer savings to invest for their own needs, like retirement. And let's be real about the spending: many of these women report that they continue to spend no matter what -- until they can't spend any more.

And they don't like themselves for doing it.

Read the more about study for yourself.

Does this ring true in your life? ... And what can we do to help?

Let us know.

And, speaking of keeping it real, spanking and paddling. Were you spanked? Do you spank? Check out today's discussion. What, if anything, more should we do about it?

The obvious dilemma when you are in the middle of a big story: stay with or move on? And when?

The country's economic problems are front and center for a good reason. If you remember our conversation with NPR's Adam Davidson on Monday, you recall he said there was a point last week at which there was no lending going on at all -- none of the major creditors were willing to part with their cash.

So, yes, big deal here.

But, you can't live on economic policy alone, so we are trying to figure out when is the right time to veer off and for what.

I hope we got it right today.

We are committed to our regular features but sometimes you have to step off. That's why we decided to hold off on the Mocha Moms yesterday and bring you that conversation next week. We decided to stick with the Magazine Mavens today because the segment only airs once a month and we thought they surfaced some timely issues.

We also decided to stick with our planned interview with Geoffrey Canada and Paul Tough because the subject matter is so very crucial. The interview was about Tough's new book detailing Canada's work on trying to address persistent underachievement in poor neighborhoods.

And, of course, our lede was right on the news -- the opening of the annual Congressional Black Caucus convention and the ongoing economic crisis came together nicely in our conversation with Rep. Andre Carson. The Democrat from Indiana is the second youngest member of the House and the newest member of the Black Caucus and Carson sits on the House Financial Services Committee--bonus!

UPDATE: Also, we're learning that Barack Obama has responded to John McCain's proposal earlier today to postpone Friday's presidential debate in light of the nation's financial problems. Obama said it's more important than ever that he and McCain sit down for a debate. McCain also announced he's suspending his campaign to work on the economy.

Obama says he believes participating in tomorrow's debate and taking on the current serious economic challenges can both be accomplished without compromising effectiveness.

(L-R) U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke, and Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission Christopher Cox wait for the start of a hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee September 23, 2008 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

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Lee Hill, here ...

Breaking News: The Associated Press reports that the FBI is now investigating the extent to which fraud may have been a factor in the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's $700 billion bailout plan for the recent financial catastrophe on Wall Street has many on Main Street scratching their heads about the priorities of some of those elected (or appointed) as executors of law and order in this country.

More specifically, there are spirited conversations taking place that question what types of catastrophic events in the U.S. trigger the swift, immediate attention of the nation's foremost senior leaders, and that wonder what types of implosions -- which, no doubt, threaten the fabric and vitality of world society -- are able to so abruptly summon leaders of a nation into one room to brainstorm a plan on how to restore, calm and uplift a seriously flawed system.

Or, to phrase it differently, what types of crises in the U.S. might not warrant such an aggressive focus among government ... but should?

Is anyone else having these conversations at their kitchen table? At the barbershops? ... The water cooler?

... Or, are such ponderings absurd?

Please, tell us more.

A woman holds up a sign near Wall Street in the Financial District September 22, 2008.

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I'm back in the office after a terrific quick visit to Smith College (having forgotten how college kids dress, I felt slightly inappropriate without more piercings ... and why did I feel the need to wear pantyhose and pumps?).

But now that I am back, I find that I have more questions than I can answer in one sitting:

Where's the pain? Who's feeling it?

Lehman Brothers is going bankrupt and Merrill Lynch has been sold.

The CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are out.

No golden parachutes for them.

What about the employees, especially those close to retirement?
(Full disclosure: I have a member of the extended family who works for Fannie Mae, but he is so young -- so far from retirement, and so far from the front office -- it's hard to see the long-term impact on his career. In other words, it ain't his fault!)

Are you buying a house? Trying to sell one? What's it like? A childhood friend of mine is trying to sell her family home so she can use the proceeds to help support her father's long-term care. The sale just fell through, but why? Did the buyer's financing fall through or did he/she just get cold feet looking at the headlines?

Are you a small business owner? If so, are your credit lines in jeopardy?

Are you trying to START a small business, or restart one? And what about rebuilding after the recent hurricanes?

We want to know what's happening on the ground, whether that ground is Wall Street, or the proverbial Main Street. (And we interpret Main street perhaps more expansively than some might.)

What's your story? What are your questions? If there's something you just don't understand about what you're reading and hearing, let us know. Chances are we want to know also.

Finally, in memoriam: Nancy Hicks Maynard. She died over the weekend at the age of 61. She was a major and, in my view, an underappreciated figure who advanced diversity and excellence in the media. We did not have an opportunity to tell you more about her accomplishments today and we hope to do so later in the week.

I am running to the airport. I am visiting Smith College later this afternoon, and now I am wondering why I didn't remember to wear socks and why I am wearing this stupid jacket. And just how cold is it going to be, anyway?

Sigh, this is what happens when you become a mother. Now, you can believe my KIDS have on socks and a jacket, and their lunch.

... And I have on backless mules to go to New England ... in September.

Whatever.

We're trying to figure out what direction to go in for Monday. I don't think there's any question that the WORLDWIDE economic turmoil is the story. But what's our piece of it?

If the Fed chairman called, we would talk to him, trust me. But we think the most important job on this show is talk to the people who aren't grabbing the headlines.

So who are you and what's your phone number (call our listener comment line -- 202.842.3522 -- to leave an actual phone number, PLEASE don't leave it for the world to see on our blog!), and what effect is the turmoil having on YOU?

Are you, say, a first year MBA student wondering what the heck you just got yourself into?

Do you own a small business? Are your customers drying up?

Are you a manufacturer? Are you feeling:

a) vindicated, thinking that these people who make money-pushing transactions around on paper are finally getting their just desserts -- it's back to value, dammit! Or,

b) scared to death because those people are your customers, and if they're broke so are you?

Are you at the helm of a non-profit organization (like NPR), and are your donations in the dumps?

Are you in real estate? ... Construction? Is there any work?

Or, how about this, is your business going GANGBUSTERS? And are you hiring?

Let us know. Have a good weekend.

Lee Hill, here ...

For tomorrow's program, we're planning to somehow break down the latest financial catastrophe to hit Wall Street -- the massive folding of Lehman Brothers and the sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America.

Send us your questions.

Are you wondering what all this means for you and your assets?

Are/were you an employee of any of these financial institutions?

How are you processing Wall Street's meltdown?

Tell us more ... fast!

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It's Lynn Neary filling in for Michel Martin while she takes some much-needed time off. I'll be blogging here throughout the week, so feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

So I am not crazy, after all.

Like a lot of people, I've been feeling like I have less money than I used to.

Turns out I'm not imagining things.

Even aside from the stock market tanking and house prices sinking, there's the pesky little fact that, while the cost of living is marching every upward, wages are not heading in the same direction. And as William Spriggs, chairman of the Howard University Department of Economics explained on today's show, even economists are surprised by the economy these days.

But our "Money Coach" Alvin Hall had some good advice for those of us who thinking the time has come to live within a budget. Hall says there is nothing to fear about living on a budget. ... Don't approach it like you are going on a diet and will be deprived of your favorite foods. Instead, make a budget that makes sense for you and your life style. If you like movies, don't cutback on cable. Otherwise you might find you are spending more on going to a movie theatre and, God forbid, buying a bag of popcorn and a coke.

And by all means, Hall says write your budget down. Apparently, there's something about seeing it in black and white that makes it more real and makes you less likely to cheat.

--Lynn Neary

A morning from hell.

A guest did not show up. We had no idea where he was, or what happened. We talked to him last night.

(Do men think like this? As a female, your first thought is, like, does he hate me? Why is he doing this to me? ... And then you get a grip.)

Our second guest had to carry the conversation for many minutes. Although she was not expecting to, she was a trooper. We redid the conversation for the second feed (for our afternoon stations), only to be beset by technical problems the entire way through. Again, the guests were total troopers.

Also, a film I have been trying to watch for days, in preparation for an interview, was so corrupted I could not see any of it (and, no, I did not buy it from a guy selling incense at the Metro station ... the nerve).

And, NPR.org, our Web site, crashed earlier.

The good news: the coffee was good this morning.

Sigh.

We decided we will, barring breaking news, do a conversation about the controversial short film from Denmark that some consider a deliberate provocation. We decided it's a media conversation. In other words, what's our job in this?

Also, we're still following events in Zimbabwe. ... And, might it not be time to check in on Kenya after all the post election drama there?

And Chad, which put down a coup attempt earlier this year?

There's some extra support from our Money Coach Alvin Hall today; he's got a special Q and A to try to answer your questions about the credit crisis. If you have any questions for him ... for the Mocha Moms, or questions for any of us, for that matter, send them our way. We might not get to them right away, but we will read them.

I'm dashing off to try to finish two books in preparation for conversations this afternoon.

... And, see if I can get some more of that coffee.

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., addresses a crowd at Paris' Sport Palace in 1966.

Getty Images

First let me say Happy Birthday to you, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. We are standing on your shoulders, and we can't help but wonder what might have been...

Today is the Michigan presidential primary. Most Democrats didn't campaign in Michigan because the party objected to the state's decision to move its primary day to an earlier date -- only Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd (who dropped out of the race) are on the ballot there. It's considered a big test for the Republicans -- John McCain and Mitt Romney are both on the ballot, as well as Mike Huckabee.

Anyway, if you're wondering why we didn't go with more political news today, it's because many news organizations shy away from reporting on campaigns (except for color commentary) on the days when actual voting is taking place. The thinking is: what if we make a mistake? We can't fix it. It's hanging out there. It's not fair, etc., etc.

All organizations don't take that position. In the Internet age, they figure you can always update ... the news is always happening. It's a close call, so today we're following the guidelines set by news management here.

Not that it's easy, because there's a lot to talk about ... Waaah

We're still interested in that whole debate over race and gender. There's interesting stuff brewing on the blogs and other programs. If we can get the guests we want, we'll revisit the subject.

Big news on the financial markets, too, which we happened to catch because of a previously scheduled visit with our regular contributor Alvin Hall. He watches the big picture for us, as well as our (puny) wallets.

When you hear that Citigroup is writing off $18.1 billion because of bad loans, do you think, OK, that's them? Or, do you think, holy smokes?...

I think it's holy smokes time. Although analysts say it could be worse, it's a very important story with ripple effects throughout the economy. We are determined to stay on top of it...

Switching gears a bit, a sad local story in Washington ...

Continue reading "A Short Break from Politics" >

Hello everyone, it's Cheryl Corley. I'm in from the windy city of Chicago ... subbing for Michel for a few days, so it's nice to be with you.

Money. Money. Money. Today was definitely a money show -- starting with our discussion about the rebuilding efforts taking place in Mississippi. The Mayor of Gulfport, Brent Warr, and Ashley Tsongas from Oxfam America were on the show. They have totally different views and had a spirited, but measured, discussion about how the money is being spent in Mississippi and who's getting it. Tsongas and a number of community groups say too many of the poor are being left out in places like Gulfport where the focus is on rebuilding shipping ports and helping people who are more well-off. As you might imagine, the mayor has quite a different take. Take a listen.

We continued our discussion about the Pew Charitable Trusts study that reported on the economic mobility of black and white Americans. Lots of folks weighed in with their thoughts about why so many middle class blacks spiraled downwards. There was the conversation with Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson and author Omar Tyree, the Mocha Moms discussion and, of course, our money guy, Alvin Hall chimed in. It's an important conversation, so we thought it'd be a good idea for you to check everyone out.

Transferring wealth was one of the major issues raised in the PEW study and it's a concern more women will face. By some accounts today's women control more than half of the personal wealth in the United States and are set to inherit trillions of dollars as the World War II generation begins to shift its wealth to children. It's a subject philanthropist Abby Disney -- you know, the niece of Walt -- knows and she joined us today too. She heads an anti-poverty group in NY and she's asking women of means, whether they inherited their money or earned it, to join her in raising millions more for foundations which focus on providing help to disadvantaged women and girls.

And then there's the shopping to come after Thanksgiving. Black Friday it's called, and while merchants hope the sales will keep them in the black, money coach Alvin Hall says stick to a list and don't let your emotions sway you, so you don't end up in the red. Hard advice for some ... but Alvin says you'll be much happier after the holidays if you do.

More tomorrow,
Cheryl