Joan and Jim discuss the issues that are making our economy somewhat fragile and what it will take to get things back on track. They go on to discuss other topics, including funding for bridge inspections and maintenance, retirement for airline pilots, and how demographics and mathematics will affect future elections.

Joan and Jim begin with a discussion of current political news, and then move on to discuss some of the regulatory issues the Federal government will be working on. Next they discuss new regs on benefits for retiring workers, then move on to talk about what the Federal Reserve will do in regard to the credit sector challenges. Finally, they discuss issues merchants are facing with credit card security and card issuers.

Joan and Jim talk about what the Fed is doing to make a positive impact on the current credit crisis that's circling the globe. They also talk about the global and national economy, oil prices, mandatory arbitration, new immigration rules and clearing customers on a return from overseas.

Why is the approval rating of our governmental organizations so low? Joan and Jim talk about this, plus what tax laws will be altered this year. They also discuss compliance with immigration laws, and how the economy is doing, among other things.

After a general discussion of the current economy, including housing, energy, credit and global business, Joan and Jim also talk about the antiquated air traffic control system, regulatory compliance help for small businesses, the presidential election campaigns, and venture capital trends.

Are all of the leveraged buyout transactions creating a potentially dangerous scenario for the U.S. and global economy? Joan and Jim talk about this issue, plus the transformation of the retail big boxes, the outlook for shipping in '08, the value of Health Savings Accounts for small businesses, and new energy legislation for small business.

Joan and Jim talk about how the economy's going to do the rest of '07 and '08, including growth, housing, jobs create and business spending. They also talk about price floors dictated by manufacturers, increase emphasis on biofuels, and how small businesses can get loans from individuals.

Joan and Jim begin by reviewing the Immigration Bill being debated. They move on to talk about the water challenges much of the U.S. is dealing with -- either too much, or not enough, plus business opportunities that may come from all of this. They move on to talk about opportunities that may be found for home-buyers who know how to negotiate. Next they discuss Fred Thompson as a presidential candidate, and why small businesses should be concerned about what the IRS calls the "Tax Gap."

Joan joins Jim to talk about the most recent issues covered by Kiplinger, including the impact of rising inflation, how the economy is handling it, new ads being pushed to cell phone users, simplifying regulations language into plain English, whether Al Gore will run for president, and finally, new information about Health Savings Accounts.

Joan joins Jim to talk about whether a recession is in the cards for the U.S. anytime soon, as they cover several economic indicators. They go on to talk about the reducing deficit and Jim explains that it's because supply-side economics and dynamic scoring is working in reality. Next up they talk about the Supreme Court and business and something called desktop manufacturing.