WBUR Newsroom Election 2008 CommonHealth Blog Boston Weather BBC World News NPR Top Stories NPR's Morning Edition NPR Topics: Books NPR Topics: Movies Fresh Air All Things Considered Marketplace Submit a Story Idea RSS Feeds Podcasts  Top Stories Automakers Request $34 Billion In Loans Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0500 The Detroit auto companies made another pitch to the Senate Banking Committee for massive loans to keep operating. They were more contrite than last month and offered a lot more details. But it is still unclear whether they will get the $34 billion they say they need to keep going. The auto executives will appear before the House Financial Services Committee Friday. Real | Windows Detroit Bailout A Matter Of National Security Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0500 One of the arguments made for a bailout of the auto industry is that it is a matter of national security. To learn more about the connections between the Big Three and the military, Renee Montagne talks with retired Lieutenant Colonel Dakota Wood of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Real | Windows Bernanke: Foreclosure Trend Needs To Stop Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0500 Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is urging more be done to stem the flood of foreclosures. Bernanke called on the government Thursday to get more involved, and hopefully spare the U-S economy even more damage. Real | Windows O.J. To Be Sentenced In October Conviction Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0500 OJ Simpson faces at least six years in prison when he is sentenced Friday in Las Vegas. The state parole agency is calling for at least 18 years. In October, a jury found Simpson guilty of 12 felonies related to a robbery that he and six other men committed last year. Real | Windows Where Did The Money In The Housing Market Go? Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0500 Over the past year, the collapse of the U.S. housing market has left many homeowners dazed. Their biggest asset is suddenly worth thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, less than it was worth just a couple years ago. So where did all that money go? Real | Windows Fence Affects Border Town Culture, Relationships Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:16:00 -0500 The border fence between Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico, is forging a physical barrier between towns where culture and economy are closely related. The fence, which has met strong opposition from the mayor of Eagle Pass, has strained relations between the towns. Real | Windows Happiness: It Really Is Contagious Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:02:00 -0500 A new study finds that when one person becomes happy, the effect can spread up to 3 degrees in a social network — reaching friends of friends. Researchers say this is evidence that because our lives are interconnected, so too is our emotional health. Real | Windows Little Support For Trafficked Women In Russia Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Russia has become a prime source, transit point and destination for trafficking in women — what the U.N. defines as abuse of women involving force, fraud, coercion and deception. And some say the government isn't helping victims. Real | Windows In A Recession, Can Consumers Afford To Skimp? Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:01:00 -0500 The confirmation that the U.S. economy is now officially in recession has the potential to shift people's thinking and spending habits. Penny-pinching in response to hard times can have an effect on the real economy, and some economists warn that could make it harder to dig out of the downturn. Real | Windows Automakers' National Security Claims Questioned Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:11:00 -0500 In making their case for a $34 billion government bailout, the Big Three automakers have warned Congress that allowing them to go bankrupt would hobble the nation's economy. They also say it would be devastating to national security — an argument many defense experts say is dubious. Real | Windows Test-Driving A Hummer H3, In Baghdad Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:39:00 -0500 The American Hummer, made known to Iraqis through U.S. military operations, is now being advertised and sold as a status symbol to young, wealthy Iraqis. NPR's Ivan Watson test-drove an H3 on the streets of Baghdad and picked up compliments along the way. Real | Windows GM CEO Outlines Company's Plans Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:10:00 -0500 GM CEO Rick Wagoner is back on Capitol Hill this week with the chief executives of Ford and Chrysler to convince Congress that the automakers need federal help and are prepared to make sacrifices in return for taxpayer money. Real | Windows				Sponsor