From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Managing the economy and civil rights in Louisiana.

Hello again, I'm on an Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues, Americans care about most. In the wake of the subprime lending crisis, Ben Bernanke's Federal Reserve revived the stock

markets this week by cutting interest rates. The move was reminiscent of Alan Greenspan, who was

accused of creating bubbles by bailing out unwise investors all too often. On to the point, what will the cuts mean for middle-class people who want to buy homes or hold on to the ones they have?

What about the economy?

On an expanded notebook later on, today's massive demonstration in Gina, Louisiana.

Leaders call it a march for justice decades after the civil rights movement.

First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica

and from the Public Radio International Program Fund,

whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John D.

and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Mormon Alney, back with To the Point. The Federal Reserve's interest rate cut produced a sigh of relief this week in the stock markets.

On To the Point, what does it mean for homeowners and prospective buyers? Is it a bailout for speculators and unwise investors?

On an expanded reporter's notebook, the tiny town of Gene Louisiana,

is the site of a massive protest today.

Are there different standards of justice for blacks and whites?

First, this news update.

President Bush got ahead of the Congress today,

anticipating that it will send him an expansion of S-CHIP,

...