Some indicators say the U.S. economy is pulling out of its tailspin, but as winter approaches, the number of people who have lost their homes is on the rise. Libby Hayes, executive director of Homes for Families in Boston, says homelessness is a lagging indicator. The economy might be improving, but jobs haven't come back, yet. We're joined by Vannessa LaBarca and James Foresteire, both homeless and having trouble finding work. Steve Berg, from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, says the Obama administration's relief plan is starting to trickle down to families, but it will be a slow process.
President Obama hits the campaign trail this week, stumping for some vulnerable Democrats. He starts his trip fundraising among Wall Street bankers, a group the White House is simultaneously chastising. Also, with his overall approval rating down to 51 percent, how much will the president's appearances help other candidates? We speak to New York Times Washington correspondent David Kirkpatrick; Bob Hennelly, who covers New Jersey for WNYC; and Ted Mann, political reporter for New London Day in Connecticut.
_small_image.jpg "Afghan President Hamid Karzai cast his ballot in the capital on August 20 in a tense election that has been riddled with corruption charges, but could deliver him a second term in office.")
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Afghan President Hamid Karzai is expected to respond today to the findings of an independent commission on the country's disputed election. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has urged President Obama not to wait for the final result of the Afghan election before deciding about sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Joining us with more details is Nick Childs, defense and security correspondent for our partners, the BBC.
Employees goofing off and wasting time at work is always a concern for bosses. But Takeaway contributor Beth Kobliner says that as the economy tightens, employees are taking on extra responsibilities and that blowing off steam in creative ways can actually help maintain ones overall focus. She tells us why, with David Rock, author of "Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus and Working Smarter All Day Long
"We're taxing a part of the brain that we've never taxed like this before. The prefrontal cortex and our working memory was supposed to be used once in a while. Just ten years ago we didn't use it nearly as much, before email hit the ground in a big way. Now we're trying to focus on very complicated things for hours and hours on end, and our brains aren't really built to do it."
—David Rock, author, on the physiological reasons why taking mental breaks during the workday may be necessary
Even before the era of Alexander the Great, winter weather has posed severe challenges for anyone fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Now American soldiers are entering their ninth winter in the region. Major General Rashid Qureshi, former spokesman for the Pakistani military and for President Musharraf, says the Pakistani military is hoping to reclaim South Waziristan from militants before the harsh conditions set in. Captain Jared Wilson fought in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and he tells us about the challenges of winter from a U.S serviceman's point of view.
"What the winter months did is it limited our ability to patrol certain regions based on soil conditions and vehicles and we had to be able to get out and dismount into those areas and sometimes the snow would limit that process. But that's an impact on the enemy in the area as well."
—Capt. Jared Wilson, who fought in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, on how the U.S. military gets on during winter months
With state governments around the country under increasing budget pressure, some are looking to save money on prisons by releasing prisoners before their term ends. Early releases began last month in Colorado when the Department of Corrections set free 10 felons, including a convicted sex offender and a drunk driver put away for vehicular homicide. Michigan, Illinois, Texas and Mississippi are just a few of the other states planning early releases.
We talk with Ari Zavares, executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections; Christine Donner, executive director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform coaltion; and Robert, a convicted felon who was released on parole earlier this year.
Scientists from the European Space Agency have just discovered 32 "exo-planets" — planets in other solar systems, most of them much larger than Earth. For an explanation of what we know about these planets and what this discovery means to the scientific community, we talk with Miles O'Brien, a freelance science and aviation reporter.
As more and more of us choose to go online for our news, the question persists: Are news outlets — whether digital, broadcast, or paper-and-ink — financially sustainable in the long-term? Nick Lemann, the Dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, thinks they can stay afloat with help from the government and philanthropists. Phil Balboni, of the entirely online news outlet GlobalPost, isn’t entirely sure this type of funding is the best way to go.
Read the report on the future of journalism that Nick Lemann commissioned, "The Reconstruction of American Journalism."
Today's Takeaway: Big Night for Rick Santorum
Today's Takeaway: Multi-Billion Dollar Foreclosure Settlement Imminent
'Tebow Bill' May Allow Home-Schoolers to Play on High School Teams
Newly-Discovered Recordings Shed Light on a Young Malcolm X
Is Our Constitution Out of Date?
Multi-Billion Dollar Foreclosure Settlement Imminent
Results from GOP Contests in Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri
Today's Takeaway: What's Next for Syria?
Contraception Coverage Draws Criticism from Catholic Bishops
A Lesson on Making Better Home Movies
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