It's been called a crisis of confidence. It started with bad real estate loans and highly leveraged bets on those loans. Now it has frozen credit markets. Banks aren't lending to each other. Businesses can't get the short-term loans they need to finance day-to-day operations.

Secretary Hank Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke learned a lesson from Media Relations 101 the hard way when they introduced a plan of action to stem the financial crises and did not suggest a catchy name for it.

There's no doubt about it: Americans want choices. In education. In mail services. And in health care, too — even if the government is picking up the tab.

Within the span of a week, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke have gone from saviors to Satans.

Last year, Dennis Quaid's anguished visage was splashed across the tabloids. Like many Hollywood stories, this one revolved around drugs. But it wasn't the usual A-list overdose or contraband possession.

Forty-seven percent of registered voters say that health care is an extremely important consideration in their vote for president, according to a June CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll.

Candidates for public utility commissions are on ballots across the country this fall. Those who win seats will determine the regulations and rates that govern public utility companies. It's an important job.

Unemployment went up in August, and in the floundering real estate sector, qualified borrowers with prime loans who are having trouble making payments are beginning to slip into foreclosure. Consumer confidence improved a bit, but is still weak. Is this the bottom or are we still falling?

Although originally intended for campaign insiders, "It's the economy, Stupid" became an important slogan during Bill Clinton's first presidential run. That's not surprising.

From Google to Jet Blue and Patagonia to Trader Joe's, companies of all kinds are attempting to craft cultures and identities so idealistic that they could rightly be called "sacred." These companies are espousing these sacred ideals, values, beliefs, goals, behaviors and processes not only to at