Search results for

Across the country, communities are turning abandoned big-box stores like Kmart and Wal-Mart into churches, schools and libraries. Julia Christensen, an artist and professor, visited many of these sprawling structures to see how they are being repurposed.

The London Stock Exchange has been digesting news that the British government will inject some $65 billion into three of the country's main banks. Stocks are up sharply in London, and elsewhere in Europe, as other European Union countries followed suit. President Bush announced Tuesday that the U.S. government will purchase shares in ailing American banks.

Tensions were palpable in Saturday's great pumpkin weigh-off in Warren, R.I. Steve Connolly has spent the summer feeding his pumpkin liquid fish and manure. Connolly's orange beast weighs nearly 1,800 pounds and he's hoping that's enough to edge out last year's champion grower.

Since slipping behind in the polls, Republican hopeful John McCain has been intensifying his attacks on Democrat Barack Obama. Mindful that the economy is uppermost in voters' minds, McCain repeated Wednesday the proposal he floated in Tuesday's debate: having the government come directly to the aid of people whose homes have lost value and who can't meet their monthly payments.

Europe is engaged in its own bank rescue bailouts. The governments of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg rescued financial firm Fortis over the weekend to prevent a domino-like spread of failure. Britain is nationalizing mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday about the $700 billion rescue plan for the financial sector. They stressed that it was urgent that lawmakers pass the bill this week. Many committee members were not swayed.

The debate over a proposed $700 billion bailout of the nation's financial system has intensified. Lawmakers, including Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, say they want answers to how the situation became so dire. Brown says there's going to be no blank check.

Joan Baez's sterling voice, the songs she sings and her commitment to society's underdogs have had a profound influence on American culture. Baez talks about her new record, Day After Tomorrow, and performs songs from the album at NPR's New York studio.

Bill Melendez, the animator who gave life to Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts characters on the small and big screens died Tuesday. He was 91. Melendez animated TV specials such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and was the voice of Snoopy.

The brunt of the storm largely missed New Orleans this time around. As Hurricane Gustav was losing steam, people who stayed behind as others evacuated surveyed the damage.