Editor's Note: Tuesday’s American Morning audience sharply rejected the idea of racism as the impetus for discontent with President Obama. Most denounced Mr. Obama’s position on the issues and remarked that President Bush received the same treatment.
How do you suggest Americans move away from the negativity so that we can unite and solve our most pressing issues? Do you think race has a place in the conversation?
Consumer Reports surveyed more than a thousand consumers and found they learned big lessons from the Great Recession and vowed to permanently scale back their spending.
A whopping 71% of Americans purchased only what they absolutely needed this year, 53% percent used credit cards less and 39% said they put more money into savings.
Consumer Reports calls this “intelligent thrift.”
How do you rank?
CNN Business Correspondent Christine Romans has
created this quiz to help you decide whether you
are the smart, thrifty consumer or the bubble
consumer.
How many questions did you answer with yes?
6?
You are a financial overachiever
4-5?
You are a frugalista
2-3?
You are a bubble consumer
0 to 1?
You need a money intervention
Program Note:
Watch Christine Romans on CNN's
"American Morning," weekdays from 6-9 a.m. ET.
And check our her daily "Romans' Numeral."
(CNN) — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is standing by his recent prediction that President Obama may be headed for a massive electoral defeat similar to that which President Carter faced in 1980.
[It] may happen again," Crist told CNN's John Roberts on American Morning Tuesday. "What I think has occurred is that in 1976 the people wanted a change…I think the same thing sort of happened last year in America." Read more
WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Obama faces a daunting fall to-do list against the backdrop of an American public losing enthusiasm on a variety of issues.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/29/obama.full.plate/art.obama.tues.gi.jpg caption="President Obama's top priorities this fall are health care and financial reform."]
Obama's agenda ranges from dealing with Iran's nuclear ambitions to traveling to Copenhagen to pitch Chicago for the 2016 Olympics - a trip the president said two weeks ago he could not take because he was working on health care.
"Health care reform has been his No. 1 priority issue here domestically. He wanted to make sure that if he went, that it wouldn't have an adverse impact on that, so he's going for just a day," said senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
And health care will still be at the top of the list when the president gets back. This fall, his priorities are health care and financial reform, one Capitol Hill source said.
But health care reform will require a hands-on approach. The Senate Democratic leadership is looking for presidential guidance in creating one bill out of two very different ones - all the while holding onto enough votes to pass it.
CNN is taking journalism to a whole new level today with the new CNN iPhone app. It includes live video, personalization tools and the ability to upload iReports.
It costs just $1.99 at the app store. Watch as John and Kiran give it a spin on the "Magic Wall."
Check it out: CNN.com/iPhone
The data broker business is a multi-billion dollar industry that makes its money digging up dirt on people. But what happens if a company hired to do a background check on you makes a mistake?
In our special series, Watching You 24/7, our Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis has the story of rap sheets on the wrong people.