This week we asked listeners to send us their haiku about the economy, and you responded in droves.  We also got one limerick by a listener calling himself "Dr. Goose."

The New American Dream

The Smiths of 212 Willow Lane
Thought their mortgage a terrible strain.
They defaulted and then,
moved next door to 210
Where they rent and are solvent a-gain.

We talk to listener David Lefkovits about how he started writing limericks for his blog, Limericks Economiques.

Between the 1910s and 1920s an unprecedented social change occurred in the United States when six million black Americans left the South and headed North and West in what came to be known as the Great Migration. Yesterday, we asked listeners to share their stories of the Great Migration. Della Beaver shares her family's story of why her parents moved from South Carolina to Chester, Pennsylvania, and what it was like to travel back to the South to visit their relatives.

Though the headlines this morning say the Tea Party won big last night, that narrative discounts the fact that those candidates aren't likely to win in the general election in November. So what do yesterday's primaries say about the nation's political climate?

Jeff Zeleny, national political correspondent for The New York Times, explains what the results from these state-wide races can tell us about the national political picture or whether they hinged on local issues.

Not many people on Wall Street were willing to speak out about the excessive risks that they saw on Wall Street as the financial meltdown began. Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for our partner, The New York Times, tells the stories of two men who pointed out the risks they saw, and paid the price for it.

Russian police have started cracking down on opposition groups by confiscating their computers, saying they might have pirated Microsoft software on them. Clifford Levy, Moscow bureau chief for our partner, The New York Times, describes the role that Microsoft has played in these crackdowns.

Last week's plan by a pastor in Florida to burn copies of the Quran on September 11th got you weighing in, long after Pastor Terry Jones's announced he would not go ahead with the event .

Concerns about the effects of the chemical bisphenol-A have grown in recent years. The chemcial can be found in the linings of cans and is used to make plastic bottles and containers. Half a dozen states have already banned it from children's products over fears that BPA mimics the effects of hormones. But the scientific community has not come to a clear consensus on how BPA affects human beings. Denise Grady, reporter for The New York Times, explains that the fight over what to do about BPA is now becoming political.

As the players ended the first week of the U.S. Open, many familiar faces moved on: Venus Williams advanced in straight sets, and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both won. Amy Eddings, host of "All Things Considered" on New York Public Radio, was at the U.S. Open on Sunday. She wraps up all the weekend's action.

In the last two years, the world has been shaken by the financial crisis that has affected all corners of the globe. Hugh Pym, correspondent for the BBC, discusses the findings of a study that looked at global recovery in 26 countries. The study focused particularly on how we differ when it comes to budget deficits. The poll asked how citizens felt about their government taking steps "in current economic conditions" to reduce the government's deficit and debt.

Former Lehman Brothers chief executive Richard Fuld testified before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission on Wednesday. He described his frustration that his firm did not get the help that other firms later got from federal regulators. Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for The New York Times, explains what we're learning from the FCIC, which is tasked with finding out what caused the financial and economic crisis in 2008.

President Obama declared the end of combat operations in Iraq last night. David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times, analyzes President Obama's address from the Oval Office last night, and explains what it reveals about the future of the U.S. in the Middle East. Sanger says that Obama's speech was interesting for its message that the commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan are not open-ended, and that there are bigger priorities at home, including the economy and job creation.

Since the financial crisis began in 2008, hundreds of banks have folded and federal regulators have become more cautious about the banks they approve to go into business. Hartie Spence is the President and CEO of Lakeside Bank in Lake Charles, La. He explains how Lakeside Bank became the only truly new bank to open this year.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is one of the nation's top orchestras. It has been facing financial problems in recent years, with corporate contributions and ticket sales down and an operating deficit that could reach $5 million this year. Now they are negotiating with the orchestra's musicians over a new contract. 

Earlier this month, former Mexican president Vicente Fox wrote that Mexico should consider legalizing drugs and current president Felipe Calderon has called for a debate on the idea. More than 28,000 people have died in Mexico in drug-related violence over the last 3 years. 

We look ahead to this week of Middle East peace talks, a new jobs report, and auto sales numbers. On Tuesday, President Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office as combat operations in Iraq officially end. On Wednesday, we'll hear about auto sales numbers for August, and on Thursday, a new round of Middle East peace talks will begin. Friday brings the anticipated jobs report from the Labor Department.

Bedbugs, once thought all but eradicated, have become resurgent all across America. This summer, we've heard stories about these pests spreading all over the country — from the Empire State Building to rural towns. But why does the problem continue to get worse? Recently, a major pest-control company releaseed a top-10 list of the most infested cities in America. However, even with the number of reported infestations continuing to climb, all hope is not lost.

In an article in Foreign Affairs, Deputy Secretary William J. Lynn III has acknowledged for the first time that there had a been major electronic attack on Defense Department computers in 2008. As the U.S. government organizations use new digital frontiers to both store and gather intelligence, a new frontier in stealing that intelligence opens up as well. How does the U.S. government protect it's information in the cyber age?

Being trapped in a confined space for an extended period of time is usually reserved as a punishment. The miners in Chile will have to deal with sharing their small, confined space with all 32 of their compatriots until rescue comes. While their situation is unique, people being trapped in small spaces for months is not new. An example? Astronauts.

Last week we spoke with New York Gov. David Paterson about his effort to negotiate a new site for Park 51, the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque — one that's further away from Ground Zero. Hundreds of people rallied at Ground Zero this weekend; some were there to support and some to protest the center. We hear your responses to Paterson's comments.

Lucille from Florida says:

People forget the reason this country began. The Pilgrims came because they were escaping religious persecution... This is a basic right to worship where we want. Islam did not kill people on 9/11. Radical al-Qaida terrorists did. Big difference.

On Tuesday, Florida's voters head to the polls to vote in primaries for U.S. Senate and governor. Sergio Bustos, state politics editor at The Miami Herald, and Kate Zernike, reporter for our partner The New York Times, describe how the races have been shaping up and what we can expect on Tuesday. Plus, we'll find out what the Sunshine State can tell us about the national political mood.