Charlie Herman

A week ago, Osama bin Laden was found and killed by American special forces in Pakistan. A hefty amount of information has been retrieved from the compound, enough information to fill a "small college library," according to Tom Donilon, President Obama's National Security Adviser. A number of videos of Osama bin Laden were released to the public, including one, which shows the late terrorist watching videos of himself on a small television. Callie Crossley, host of "The Callie Crossley Show" on WGBH in Boston, looks at what all this intelligence will tell us about bin Laden, and how this affects the U.S. role in Afghanistan.

Despite promises of reform from both the Syrian and Yemeni governments, demonstrations — and serious bloodshed — rage in both countries. NATO continues to support the rebels in Libya while some U.S. Senators call for Gadhafi's ouster. Marcus Mabry, editor-at-large of the International Herald Tribune, looks at protests throughout the Middle East and NATO's role in Libya. Middle East turmoil has also led to rising oil and gas prices in the U.S. Oil companies are set to release their earnings this week and Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC, looks at rising oil profits and potential price gouging investigations.

In the same week that marked the one year anniversary of the BP’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a spill of another sort was happening hundreds of miles away in Pennsylvania.

Kai Wright, editor of Colorlines, and Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC, bring us the agenda for the week.

The number of homeowners falling into foreclosure fell to a three-year low in March. But don't celebrate just yet.

President Obama is set to deliver a much anticipated speech 1:30 p.m. at George Washington University in Washington. The speech will detail his long-term plans for reducing the nation's deficit. Todd Zwillich, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent says that the president will have to prepare the public for tough decisions as he faces the debt.

Last Friday night, with a government shutdown staring them right in the eyes, Congress was able to come to temporary resolution over the 2011 budget crisis. President Barack Obama will lay out the details for reducing the deficit in a speech Wednesday night. What's the next big showdown in Washington? Raising the debt ceiling. Charlie Herman, business and economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC Radio, sees the debt debate as "bigger and more troublesome" than what just transpired over the budget.

As the budget deadline draws near, many citizens and businesses are wondering what will happen if Congress fails to agree on a budget before Friday at midnight. Paul Kane congressional reporter for The Washington Post, and Charlie Herman WNYC's business and economics editor, outline what actually happens if the Federal government shuts down, which workers would get paid, and how it would affect everyone else.

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Congress continues to battle over the nation's budget. Could the government be headed for a shutdown? Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC Radio, and Callie Crossley, host of The Callie Crossley Show on WGBH, look ahead to the week in news.

Private employers, the backbone of the economy, drove nearly all of the gains last month, adding 230,000 new jobs. This comes on top of the 240,000 added in February and was the first time private hiring topped 200,000 in back-to-back months since 2006. There was good news about unemployment numbers too, as the unemployment rate dipped from 8.9 percent in February to 8.8 percent in March. The rate has fallen a full percentage point over the last four months, the sharpest drop since 1983. Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC Radio, analyzes the news.

With support from coalition forces in the air, Libyan rebel forces have been able to recapture recent losses and are pushing towards Col. Moammar Gadhafi's strongholds. However, the U.S. is committed to passing responsibility on and Defense Secretary Robert Gates told NBC's "Meet the Press," "beginning this week or within the next week or so, we will begin to diminish the commitment of resources that we have committed to this." Marcus Mabry, editor-at-large of the International Herald Tribune, looks at how the impact of a U.S. drawdown could impact the situation in Libya.

Wages for county employees will be frozen in Nassau County after a state oversight board declared a fiscal emergency in the wealthy Long Island community.

The state oversight board that took control Nassau County's finances could decide Thursday to declare a fiscal emergency in the county and freeze public employee salaries.

Charlie Herman, WNYC business and economics editor, continues the discussion of inflation numbers and fields calls about where you see costs on the rise and how it may be changing your behavior.

Listeners: Where do you see prices rising? How is it changing your behavior? Call us up or tell us here!

WNYC business and economics editor Charlie Herman discusses inflation numbers and fields calls from business owners about how higher prices are affecting business.

Listeners: Are you seeing higher prices? Business owners, are higher prices affecting the way you're operating. Tell us about it!

Operation Odyssey Dawn began Saturday with coalition missiles targeting Moammar Gadhafi's tanks and air defenses. Is the United States leading this effort? Meanwhile, relief and rescue efforts continue in Japan and time is of the essence as over 12,000 people are still missing and 8,000 have been confirmed dead so far. 

With the president traveling in Latin America and Congress on recess, there's no one issue driving the economic agenda and markets this week. As a result, investors will be pay close attention to the allies' air assault in Libya as well as other developments in the Middle East and what they mean for oil production and prices.

People will bet on just about anything.

If there is no major fallout from the damaged nuclear reactors, the economic effect of Friday's earthquake and resulting tsunami is largely expected to be limited to Japan. Spending t...

As recovery efforts continue in Japan and rescuers keep searching for the injured, dead and missing, the growing nuclear crisis has the country — and the world — on edge.  Just how successful Japan is at preventing a possible meltdown at the reactors will spell the difference between a short-term, immensely tragic event and a long-term, global disaster.