Former Secretary of State Collin Powell's endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama came as a surprise to many. But how much will it help Obama?

There's bad economic news out of China this morning, showing signs the financial crisis is affecting the Asian nation with the world's fastest growing economy. China's economy grew at a rate of 9 percent in the most recent quarter. That may not sound all that bad by Western standards, but ...

Until recently, Georgia's Senate race seemed like a shoo-in for Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss. But the state's economic woes have given a boost to Democratic challenger Jim Martin, who is beginning to seem like the candidate that may usher in Georgia's shift from away from a Republican stronghold.

In the 1966 film A Time for Burning, the burgeoning civil rights movement hit a dead end with the integration of a Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. The Takeaway talks with filmmaker Bill Jersey and subject Ernie Chambers about their experiences and what lessons the film holds for the 2008 election.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, many Americans have equated fear with terrorist acts. But new research shows that a greater fear has finally trumped terror: the current financial crisis.

Not only did Obama earn the endorsement of former Secretary of State Colin Powell over the weekend, but the Obama campaign also announced that it raised $150 million in September. That more than doubles the $66 collected in August.

Last week's whipsawing stock market and steady march of gloomy economic indicators were enough to make anyone's head spin. BusinessWeek's Jim Ellis helps The Takeaway start off the week with a clear sense of just where the economy is going, and what it's likely to mean for our everyday lives.

The next president will have the power to sculpt the legal landscape for decades to come through judicial picks.

Since the financial crisis hit, Americans have watched the stock market and their 401(k)’s plummet. They've stood by, trying not to panic, while Washington leaders craft a financial rescue. But can individual Americans do anything to pitch in and help save the economy? The Takeaway takes a question from listener Viki Rovere and talks to economist Jeffrey Sachs.

Election Day is November 4th, but scores of voters — for a wide variety of reasons — have already voted. The Takeaway talks with them about which presidential candidate they checked the box for — and why.

America's ballooning deficit was a source of concern even before the bailout. Now politicians and economists on both ends of the ideological spectrum are willing to look the other way while the economy's in trouble.