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This year's Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences has gone to Paul Krugman for his theories on how economies of scale affect international trade. Krugman, a professor of economics and international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and a columnist for The New York Times, says he was stark naked, about to step into the shower at 6:40 a.m. when his cell phone rang with the news. He called the award "an awesome surprise."

John McCain has brought his presidential campaign to two states that have been reliably Republican, but this year seem too close to call: Virginia and North Carolina. He has attended rallies in Virginia Beach, Va., and Wilmington, N.C.

European governments have promised nearly $2 trillion of support for the banking system in Europe. After the British announcement of massive intervention last week, governments using the euro announced similar measures when they met in Paris Sunday night.

Britain has said it would provide up to $63 billion to boost the balance sheets of three of the country's largest banks but demanded in return the departure of some of the country's top bankers. Stocks in Britain rose at the news.

Stocks have rallied into positive territory, making their biggest-ever one-day gain. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up more than 900 points. Jason Weisberg, senior vice president of Seaport Securities, says Friday's close, the G-7 meeting and the European rescue plan all contributed to the surge.

Barack Obama has unveiled what his campaign is calling a major economic address in Toledo, Ohio. The state is crucial for John McCain's campaign. No Republican has won the White House without the Buckeye State, but polls have the state as a tossup.

Higher trading on Monday is thanks to an effort to pump more cash into the commercial banking system. Major European nations pledged to put up nearly $2 trillion to protect banks, but with some conditions, including keeping mortgage lending at 2007 levels.

Some middle-income families in Las Vegas are fighting off poverty in ways they never would have imagined. One woman recently found herself panhandling just to get her electricity turned back on.

After one of the worst weeks on Wall Street, stocks are trading higher. But Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer says experts suggest investing steadily — not going on a buying spree. In other words, don't sell or buy in a panic.

The latest poll numbers have Barack Obama in a double-digit lead over John McCain. But there are no guarantees when the election rolls around. Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving explains why poll numbers can fluctuate as voter opinions remain the same.

Leaders from the 15 countries that use the Euro as currency met at a summit in Paris over the weekend to plan a bailout for European banks.They've developed an international program in hopes of stimulating markets across Europe.

Victor Cha, director of Asian studies at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at the Pacific Council, explains the Bush administration's recent move to delist North Korea from the list of states that sponsor terrorism.

The Last Lynching, a new film by Ted Koppel, examines lives deeply affected by acts of hatred and racism and investigates the last recorded lynching. Surprisingly, it took place in 1981. How far has the U.S. come since then, and how far we still have to go?

Many are watching to see whether Taro Aso, Japan's new prime minister, can break through a tough political stalemate and overcome a flagging economy. The tough-line Aso is popular, but critics note that his party has seen a series of short-term leaders.

Paul Krugman has won the Nobel Prize in economics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences says the Princeton economist won "for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity." Krugman is also a columnist for The New York Times.. Reporter Curt Nickisch talks with Renee Montagne about Krugman's work.

Princeton economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman won the Nobel economics prize on Monday for his analysis of how economies of scale can affect trade patterns and the location of economic activity.

Jennie Drage Bowser of the National Conference of State Legislatures speaks with Andrea Seabrook about some of the ballot measures voters will consider next month. On the list: Massachusetts voters could abolish the state income tax, and Californians could regulate the care of farm animals.

Voters in Massachusetts are considering a ban on greyhound racing this election season. The ban would shut down the state's two tracks. Supporters of the ban say the industry industry abuses dogs.

One of the reasons the credit market has frozen is that money market mutual funds are not investing in "commercial paper" — that is, they're not making the short-term loans to businesses that those firms need to operate.

Europe is taking stronger, coordinated action to restore confidence in the continent's banking system. Fifteen euro zone countries have agreed to guarantee future loans among banks through the end of next year, according to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Barack Obama tried to shore up support in Pennsylvania on Saturday, a potential swing state in this year's election. The last two Democratic presidential candidates were able to secure the state — and political leaders in Philadelphia are trying to make that happen again.

John McCain tried to scramble back into contention Saturday in Iowa, a swing state that went Republican in 2004. Polls show that McCain is farther behind Barack Obama in Iowa than he is in Michigan, a state McCain has already ceded to his opponent.

After twenty years, North Korea has been taken off the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Why is it so important for North Korea to be removed from the list and why did the U.S. agree to do it? Liane Hansen speaks with NPR's Mike Shuster.

The fall meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank resume in Washington Sunday. At the top of the agenda, the financial meltdown that the IMF says could send the world into recession. NPR's John Ydstie has been following the story and has this report.

A Weekend Edition investigation shows that some unscrupulous auto repair shops and used-car dealers have victimized consumers by stealing or not replacing air bags. Get tips for spotting air bag fraud and see what one victim found inside her car.

After North Korea agreed to nuclear inspection demands, the U.S. took it off a terrorism blacklist.

Members of the G-7 have been meeting in Washington this weekend, trying to come up with solutions to the financial crisis. On Friday, they issued a five-point action plan, but it's unlikely to have an immediate effect on the turmoil in the financial markets. They met with President Bush on Saturday morning at the White House.

Tensions were palpable in Saturday's great pumpkin weigh-off in Warren, R.I. Steve Connolly has spent the summer feeding his pumpkin liquid fish and manure. Connolly's orange beast weighs nearly 1,800 pounds and he's hoping that's enough to edge out last year's champion grower.

Watching John McCain campaign Friday was like watching the stock market. The Republican presidential nominee alternated attacking Barack Obama and defending him.

On Oct. 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young gay college student, was brutally murdered in Laramie, Wyo. Residents there are still dealing with the legacy of the crime.

Finance ministers from around the world tried to show they are working in a coordinated way to tackle a global financial crisis that has proved to be far more serious than anyone anticipated.

President Bush was short of specifics in his brief statement after Saturday morning's meeting. Will the meeting itself be enough to calm the worldwide markets after the weekend, or will the finance ministers have to offer a concrete plan to stabilize the world's financial systems?

The report says Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband used their influence to try to settle a grudge against the governor's ex-brother-in-law.

A hand transplant patient is giving doctors a glimpse into how the brain can re-learn to use a hand, even decades after amputation. "We're entering a really exciting era right now where the ability to marry technology to the human brain is becoming a very real thing," one doctor says.

How can G-7 leaders or the five-point plan solve the financial crisis? Scott Simon discusses this week's economic news with NPR's John Ydstie.

But Obama is telling crowds that his Republican opponent isn't focusing much on their economic concerns these days.

A ballot initiative could make gay marriage in California illegal again. Proposition 8 asks voters to amend the state constitution so that marriage is defined solely as a union between one man and one woman. After trailing in the polls, the measure is now surging, partly due to national support.

An investigator working for the Alaska Legislature concludes that Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power when she fired the state's public safety commissioner. The probe centered on whether the firing was linked to Palin's feud with her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has said the government will go ahead with a plan to buy stocks in financial institutions. Meanwhile, The Group of Seven industrialized nations agreed to work together to fix the global economy.