Rich joins Jim to report on his recent trip to observe the elections in Afghanistan and how that fledgling democracy is doing. The go on to talk about the aftermath of the two recent hurricanes and the role the federal government should play in the recovery.

Jim is so excited to have Mr. Kiplinger back on the show to celebrate his 87th birthday and the Kiplinger Letter's 82nd anniversary. Mr. Kiplinger is a witness to a century and you don't want to miss what he has to say about everything from the economy to old and new politics to hurricanes to how the publishing industry has changed. This is a very special interview with someone Jim considers to be a national treasure.

Rod reports on interviews he's conducted with small business owners who have survived a disaster and who offer their advice on how to deal with such an event. Rod also reports that his organization has set up a blog to help small businesses affected by the hurricanes.

Joan and Jim talk about energy conservation, including some of the new energy efficient technologies that are available, plus how to talk with your customers about fuel conservation. They go on to discuss the emergence of liquified natural gas. Also discussed is continued challenges of the legacy airlines, including Delta and Northwest's recent bankruptcy filings. Finally, they talk about how politics is being impacted by mother nature, in the form of the recovery effort following the 2005 hurricane season.

Don joins Jim to discuss the rare occurrence of Senate hearings for a Chief Justice of the United States, and how nominee John Roberts did a masterful job in those hearings, and will be confirmed soon.

Jim O joins Jim B to talk about the recovery process in the Gulf States, plus the extended impact of Hurricane Katrina on the rest of the U.S., including tax policy, Fed policy, the price of goods and services. They go on to discuss implications of the upcoming elections in Germany. They also talk about the importance of keeping older workers on by making shceduling and benefits adjustments once they reach retirement age.

Robert talks with Jim about how he founded and launched his business magazine in such a highly competitive environment. He also reveals how he decided that he couldn't be successful if he charged to subscribe to his magazine, but decided that he could succeed if he gave it away.

The Jims discuss the long-term impact of Hurricane Katrina on the region from a recovery standpoint, and on the economy from a national perspective, including the impact on interest rates, petroleum, insurance, and construction.

Rich joins Jim from Baton Rouge, where he's volunteering with the FEMA effort to help the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast. <br></["br"]>

Don and Jim talk about the politics of responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They go on to discuss the most likely business on the table for Congress when they return after Labor Day.