Sep 19 Fed, Congress, President Review Plans to Aid Flailing Financial Markets By PBS News Hour President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson pushed Congress Friday to cooperate with a plan to rescue the country's markets by authorizing the government to purchase failing mortgages at highly discounted rates. Continue reading
Sep 18 Watch Government Reshapes Role in Financial Sector With Bailouts The financial crisis gripping Wall Street this week has led to an unprecedented level of government intervention. Policy experts examine the government's role in the crisis. Continue watching
Sep 17 Watch Government's Rescue of AIG Fails to Calm Nervous Investors The government's bailout of AIG failed to boost stock markets Wednesday, with the Dow dropping more than 400 points. Economic analysts examine the government's decision to aid the insurer and the state of financial woes. Continue watching
Sep 09 Watch Senators React to Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae Rescue Plan After the U.S. Treasury's decision to take over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Senate Banking Committee members Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Richard Shelby, R.-Ala., provide Congressional perspective on the rescue plan and assess the road ahead. Continue watching
Aug 05 The "experts" all seem to be on the side of the status quo. Why can't we hear from people inside the industry who really want to reform it? Question/Comment: With all the discussion of the mortgage crisis, there is still hardly any mention of actually cleaning up the mortgage industry. The "experts" all seem to be on the side of the status quo, but maybe this is contributing… Continue reading
Jul 30 Watch On the Campaign Trail, Candidates Talk Energy Prices Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain each outlined their positions on the debate over allowing more off-shore drilling to ease energy prices and overall voter concerns on energy costs. Continue watching
Jul 09 Watch Senate Rejects Cut to Doctors' Medicare Payments The Senate passed a bill Wednesday blocking a 10.6 percent drop in Medicare payments to doctors treating elderly, troops and veterans. Susan Dentzer discusses the short and long-term implications of the move by Congress, which President Bush will likely veto. Continue watching
Jun 20 House Easily Approves New Wiretapping Law By PBS News Hour After a prolonged partisan standoff, the House easily approved a bill Friday to overhaul wiretapping powers in the war on terrorism -- a measure President Bush had urged action on as an essential security tool. Continue reading
Jun 18 President Urges Congress to Lift Offshore Oil Drilling Ban By PBS News Hour Amid soaring gas prices and increased debate over energy policy, President Bush urged Congress Wednesday to end a 27-year ban on offshore drilling in U.S. coastal waters before its Fourth of July recess. Continue reading
Jun 02 Watch Lawmakers Struggle to Agree on Plan for Emissions Cuts, Energy Policy A new climate bill on Capitol Hill aims to reduce carbon emissions by creating a hotly-debated carbon cap-and-trade system. Senators on both sides of the debate weigh the pros and cons of instituting such a system and how it could… Continue watching