The economic crisis is on the minds of nearly every American, and affecting everyone from the average investor to the family already struggling to put food on the table. Count on WJBF-TV News Channel 6’s Paige Tucker to tell us what local financial advisors are saying, and how some people are being financially proactive to make it through.

The government says Citigroup will acquire the banking operations of Wachovia in a deal facilitated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FDIC says Wachovia didn’t fail, and that all depositors are protected and there will be no cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund.  Washington Mutual Inc. - the largest bank failure in U.S. history.  Wachovia has been among the banks hardest hit by the ongoing crisis in the mortgage market.

House GOP leaders say they support the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry and will try to get fellow Republicans to back it.

President Bush is welcoming the $700 billion financial rescue deal reached by congressional leaders and his administration. He says the measure would help protect the nation’s economy from a systemwide breakdown. Bush says the cost to the economy could be disastrous without the rescue plan.

It looks as though we’ll head into the weekend without a bailout plan for the nation’s ailing financial markets. Intense efforts from both parties, and cheerleading from President Bush, have failed to produce an agreement. Now, lawmakers are putting in overtime. Christianne Klein has the latest.

While the world waits for the U.S. to agree on a financial rescue plan, there is mounting economic pressure, overseas. Many foreign leaders are refusing further help, and say the U.S. is on its own, but there are persistent concerns that if Wall Street fails, global markets will follow. ABC News’ Gloria Riviera has more.

The future of the first Presidential debate is still up in the air. This comes after Senator John McCain announced he won’t debate until a bailout agreement is reached. Senator Barack Obama says he’ll be there, one way or another. Linsey Davis has more, as we take a look across America.

There is a great deal of concern about the big national economic bailout. In fact, one of your U.S. Senators, Lindsey Graham, says its a choice between two options…one bad…the other…catastrophic. WJBF-TV News Channel 6’s Capitol reporter, Robert Kittle, tells us how the plan could affect you.

Senate Democrats are proposing to add government help for homeowners and limits on executive compensation to the government’s $700 billion financial bailout of Wall Street.