While politicians and the media war over "the public option" and "bending the cost curve," acclaimed actress-playwright Anna Deavere Smith and her one-woman play "lET ME DOWN EASY" give voice to questions of life and death, sickness and healthcare. And, the JOURNAl visits a new home in New York City for contemplation and celebration of poetry.

Anna Deavere Smith

Veteran journalist Bill Moyers returns to PBS with Bill Moyers Journal, a weekly program of interviews and news analysis on a wide range of subjects, including politics, arts and culture, the media, the economy, and issues facing democracy.

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How did Big Finance grow so powerful that its hijinks nearly brought down the global economy – and what hope is there for real reform with Washington politicians on Wall Street's payroll?  Bill Moyers talks with authors Simon Johnson and James Kwak, two of the nation's most respected economic experts and authors of the new book 13 BANKERS: THE WALL STREET TAKEOVER AND THE NEXT FINANCIAL MELTDOWN.  Also, a Bill Moyers essay on the true costs of war.

Achieving Financial Reform

In the months before his death, Dr. Martin luther King Jr. had expanded his focus on racial justice to include reducing economic inequality. On this week's 42nd anniversary of King's assassination, Bill Moyers sits down with attorneys Bryan Stevenson and Michelle Alexander to discuss how far we've really come as a country, how poor and working class Americans have been falling behind and what America must do to fulfill Dr. King's vision.  And a Bill Moyers essay on inequality in America.

Michelle Alexander and Bryan Stevenson

Eighteen months after the economic meltdown, and following successful drives for stimulus and health reform legislation, why has Washington been unable to deliver serious financial reform and rein in Wall Street?  Bill Moyers speaks with financial journalist Gretchen Morgenson for a candid look at the obstacles facing substantive reform of the financial system and what Washington's proposed legislation would – and wouldn't – accomplish.  Morgenson, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, writes the Market Watch column for The New York Times.  Also on the program, Bill Moyers takes a closer look at the newly signed health bill and explores why some say that reform is not yet done with The Nation Washington correspondent John Nichols and National Organization for Women president Terry O'Neill.

Is it Reform Yet?

Dr. Jane Goodall. Despite dire warnings for our endangered planet, Jane Goodall says all is not yet lost - we can change course if we act now. And, the Jane Goodall institute's global youth program, Roots and Shoots.

Dr. Jane Goodall

Bill Moyers sits down with NYU president and modern renaissance man John Sexton for a wide-ranging conversation about God, baseball, and the importance of thoughtful discourse in society.  Previously a champion debate coach and scholar of religion and law, Sexton discusses his unique take on theology, contemporary politics, and the evolving role of universities throughout the world.  Born to a struggling Catholic family in Brooklyn, John Sexton still teaches undergraduates in addition to his work as president of one of the world's largest and most prestigious universities.

Anna Deavere Smith

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