To the Point

After their first face-to-face confrontation on Friday night, John McCain and Barack Obama are both claiming credit for improving the Wall Street rescue. We hear from them. Also, Congress begins debate on the rescue plan, and the investigation continues into possible crimes at the Bush White House and the Department of Justice.

The Wall Street rescue is still up in the air, but the presidential debate will be held tonight at the University of Mississippi. We talk about the financial crisis, the political drama and the candidates' views on foreign policy.

After many hours behind closed doors, congressional leaders say they

The Bush White House today warns of economic "calamity" if Congress won't bail out Wall Street, but Ben Bernanke and Henry Paulson are facing a skeptical Congress. Also, an unmanned American drone has crashed in Pakistan, where anger rages over this weekend's terrorist bombing and the Army is battling militants. On Reporter's Notebook, North Korea

President Bush says the whole world is watching to see if

Americans are likely to see another presidential election so close that very few votes will make the difference. Meantime, new machines, new rules and a massive number of newly registered voters could lead to trouble in many states, and both parties are warning about dirty tricks. Also, an update on Congressional action in the financial bailout, and why Wall Street will never look the same.

President Bush wants to put up hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to save the financial system. He says failing to act would be riskier still. We look the possible consequences of a massive bailout in an election year. Also, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman talks about a grander vision for government spending .

The financial crisis is being called the worst since the Great Depression, but the leaders of the Senate and Congress said today they'll adjourn for the election without taking action. We ask what the presidential candidates propose to do if and when they take office next year. Also, the US apologizes for civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve drew the line at bailing out Lehman Brothers, but the world's biggest insurance company was another matter. We hear why AIG will be backed up with $85 billion in taxpayer money. Also, in just two months, the skyrocketing price of oil has gone into a nosedive.

After yesterday's big sell-off, Wall Street was waiting for today's market reports. Could America's biggest insurer survive a ratings cut? Would the Federal Reserve lower interest rates? We get an update on today's developments, what they could mean for ordinary Americans and what changes McCain and Obama might have in mind.  Also, the chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff is in Pakistan to talk about an inflammatory border dispute.