September 11, 2008 (Thursday): Can Lehman Find a Buyer?; Palin Says She's Ready

With investors apparently unconvinced that Lehman Brothers can solve its woes stemming from exposure to the subprime mortgage crisis, the investment bank is scrambling to find a buyer. Potential partners include Bank of America and the British bank, Barclays PLC. Before investors started selling off Lehman in droves, CEO Richard Fuld Jr. has vowed he would never sell the company. Shares skid another 42%. (For more on this news, click here and here.)

In her first in-depth news interview since joining John McCain’s GOP ticket, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin tells ABC’s Charles Gibson she is ready. "I answered him yes, because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can't blink," Palin says. "You have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we're on, reform of this country and victory in the war." The interview prompts sniping from the left, especially when Palin stumbles over a question about the so-called Bush doctrine. (For more on this news, click here and here.)

Today it’s the U.S. trade deficit, which hit a 16-month high. The Commerce Department says the U.S. imported $62.2 billion more in goods and services than it exported in July. That’s a 5.7 percent increase from June. In other bad news, the Labor Department reports that there are 3.53 million Americans on the unemployment rolls, near the number’s five-year high. (For more on this news, click here.)