President-elect Obama's ambitious and optimistic recovery plan has both cheerleaders and critics. We're looking at the plan from both sides. The Takeaway talks to Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a Senior Fellow at The Hudson Institute and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, and James Galbraith, professor and economist at the University of Texas, Austin and author of The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too, about their take on the economic stimulus plan.

Faced with the same economic crisis currently gripping the rest of the globe, Britain has unveiled an economic stimulus plan of its own, with some striking similarities and differences compared to the American plan. The U.K. package offers cuts in the sales tax to spur spending among middle and low-income earners and raises the tax rate on the wealthy. The Takeaway also examines the short and long-term implications of President-elect Obama's recently-announced stimulus plan.

"You could walk through any store in Manhattan right now and you could bowl down the main aisle. There aren't any people." — Financial consultant Alvin Hall

The 2008 campaign season has come to an end and one thing that means is lots and lots of out-of-work politicos scrambling to find new gigs. Some of the winners will be headed to Washington, but for many, it's time to dive back into what's become an extremely competitive job market.
UPDATE: Marci Alboher wrote up a post on her blog, listing some points she didn't get to on air: http://shiftingcareers.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/politicos-scramble-for-new-jobs-like-so-many-other-americans/

The Takeaway continues its series on hot-button ballot initiatives that are making headlines around the country. In Nebraska, Initiative 424 could ban affirmative action in state government and universities. It's an initiative gaining traction throughout the country largely because of the efforts of one man.

Looking for work will be a challenging prospect in the coming months as the nation grapples with a wilting economy. Eric Janszen, president of iTulip Inc. and a former venture capitalist, joins The Takeaway to discuss the plight and repercussions of unemployment.

Hasidic Rabbi Aaron Rubashkin expanded his family's Brooklyn butcher shop into the largest kosher meat plant in the nation. The underside of his success was revealed this spring after an immigration raid at his Iowa plant, including violations of child labor laws.

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 stock market fluctuations are only the beginning of the recession story. Bob Brusca, Chief Economist with Fact & Opinion Economics, untangles the recession web of weak retail sales, weak industrial output and growing unemployment.

The economy is down, but attendance at religious services is up. One block from Wall Street in lower Manhattan, Trinity Church is offering counseling on dealing with stress and looking for a new job.

In my previous post about North Dakota's Bakken oil fields, I included a conversation with two young waitresses about their journey from opposite sides of the country to almost the dead northern middle. The girls had left their homes on the coasts with their boyfriends, searching for work in what they had heard was the beginning of an all-out oil boom.

Reverberations from the financial crisis are being felt all across the country — particularly in places where people normally spend their money. Auto dealers, restaurant, store and hotel managers, and even casino owners, are all reporting fewer customers and reduced spending.

The bailout has failed…for now. The markets are tumbling and then jumping up again. It’s harder than ever to get a mortgage, to get credit, to get a car loan. We all know where Wall Street is turning for help. But where should Main Street look for advice? The Takeaway continues the conversation with Harriet Johnson Brackey, personal finance columnist for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.

A first try at a bailout has failed in the House and the markets are volatile. It's harder than ever to get a mortgage, to get credit, to get a car loan. We all know where Wall Street is turning for help. But where should Main Street look for advice? The Takeaway turns to Harriet Johnson Brackey, personal finance columnist for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.

In the last two weeks Wall Street has taken a serious beating. Not only is the economy up for grabs, but jobs are too, especially for anyone working in the financial sector. For those who have already gotten their pink slip, or fear it’s en route, The Takeaway offers tips from Marci Alboher, who writes the New York Times' "Shifting Careers" blog. She’s been culling advice for financial professionals who are — or will be — pounding the pavement.