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The JOURNAL '09 Countdown

The arrival of a New Year is the occasion of assessment on many levels. Of course some of the top stories of 2009 are givens — the inauguration of the United States' first African-American president, the Copenhagen Climate Change talks, health care reform, the World Cup draw. We've checked our statistics and found out which of our features from 2009 were the most popular online. Topics range from deconstructing the financial meltdown to Bill Moyers' reflections on LBJ's escalation of the Vietnam War. You can watch them again in this video player. Also, you can get additional information on each through the links below.

And, don't forget to tell us what were your favorite episodes of the JOURNAL on The Moyers Blog.
HeadlinesWilliam K. Black
The financial industry brought the economy to its knees, but how did they get away with it? With the nation wondering how to hold the bankers accountable, Bill Moyers sits down with William K. Black, the former senior regulator who cracked down on banks during the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. Black offers his analysis of what went wrong and his critique of the bailout. Also, read William K. Black on The Prompt Corrective Action Law. (April 3, 2009)

HeadlinesSimon Johnson
Former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), MIT Sloan School of Management professor and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Simon Johnson examines President Obama's plan for economic recovery. Also, Simon Johnson and Michael Perino on a new Pecora Commission. (February 13, 2009)

HeadlinesSimon Johnson and Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Just over a year after economic calamity brought promises of reform from Washington, has Wall Street really changed? Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Simon Johnson and US Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) report on the state of the economy. (October 9, 2009)

HeadlinesLBJ's Path to War
Bill Moyers considers a President's decision to escalate troop levels in a military conflict. Through LBJ's taped phone conversations and his own remembrances, Bill Moyers looks at Johnson's deliberations as he stepped up America's role in Vietnam. Explore a multimedia timeline. (November 20, 2009)

HeadlinesDavid Simon
From crime beat reporter for the BALTIMORE SUN to award-winning screenwriter of HBO's critically-acclaimed The Wire, David Simon talks with Bill Moyers about inner-city crime and politics, storytelling and the future of journalism today. (April 17, 2009)

HeadlinesMoney-Driven Medicine
The film reveals how a profit-hungry "medical-industrial complex" has turned health care into a system where millions are squandered on unnecessary tests, unproven and sometimes unwanted procedures and overpriced prescription drugs.

HeadlinesMoney, Politics and Health
Bill Moyers looks at the influence of money and lobbying on health care reform efforts in Washington, D.C. (July 10, 2009)



HeadlinesCalifornia Nurses Association's Donna Smith
Bill Moyers speaks with advocate Donna Smith about how our broken system is hurting ordinary Americans. (May 22, 2009)



HeadlinesKaren Armstrong
With economic, political, and social strife across the globe, prominent religious scholar Karen Armstrong discusses our human commonalities and her work on an international charter for compassion. The renowned author of THE BATTLE FOR GOD and THE BIBLE: A BIOGRAPHY, Armstrong is a 2008 recipient of the coveted TED Prize. (March 13, 2009)