Mary Dooe

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There are some really simple ways to reduce your credit card debt.

Yesterday Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke laid out the Fed's new economic stimulus plan. It's round 3 of so-called quantitative easing, and the Fed will buy $40 billion worth of mortgage-backed securities every month. A year ago Monday, a group kicked off what would become the gphenomenon of Occupy Wall Street. Occupy raised a surprising pile of money -- but how was it spent? And it used to be, if you ordered something off the Internet, you didn't have to pay state sales tax. But now Amazon is now charging sales tax in a growing number of states; California goes on that list this weekend.

The Federal Reserve wraps up its two day policy meeting today. It's expected to announce whether it will pump more stimulus money into the U.S. economy. That would make a third round of so-called "quantitative easing." Directors at Ford Motor Company are meeting today. There's word the agenda could include the first step toward a change in management at the company. And in case you missed the big launch, Apple's iPhone 5 was unveiled last night. Fifty million iPhone 5s could get snapped up by the end of the year. And each one is a potential cash cow for the wireless carrier the iPhone customer chooses.

The House of Representatives could vote as soon as tomorrow on legislation to fund the government for the next six months and avoid a shutdown. That temporary funding would keep the government going. But would mean some uncertainty for federal agencies. In Germany, a top court has rejected calls to block Europe's new rescue fund, ruling that the fund is legal under German law. And the iPhone 5 is expected to be unveiled at a press conference later today. Today, Apple's iPhone is a major object of desire -- but it wasn't always that way.

Today in Chicago, day two of the teachers' strike begins. The city and the teachers union failed to agree on a new contract, and around 30,000 educators are on strike. It's a rocky second day for another big organization: After a seven-year effort to open a part of the Arctic Ocean to oil drilling, Shell Oil has already hit a snag. And Apple is expected to unveil the new iPhone 5 at a huge press conference tomorrow in San Francisco. Of course, no one pitched a new product like Steve Jobs -- but what does it take to make a great pitch?

A big week for the European Debt Crisis starts off with some not-so-great news: manufacturing in the region fell last month for the 13th straight month. There are going to be a lot of people on the highways today heading home from Labor Day weekend festivities. And they'll be spending a little more on gas than they did a year ago, but how do our gas prices stack up globally? And the drug company Pfizer is getting ready to sell shares of its animal health business Zoetis -- which distributes medicines for pets and livestock -- to the public.

Notes from a Fed meeting earlier this month were released yesterday and they seem to indicate more stimulus is on the way. And while the Chinese economy shows some signs of slowing, not that everyone is suffering. Workers at state-run companies in China receive not just good salaries, but all kinds of perks -- from mortgage payments to fancy cars.

After nearly two decades of negotiations, Russia is now officially a member of the World Trade Organization. It's an economic boon for Russia. Greece has officially asked for more time to make financial reforms required by its bailout agreement with Europe. And late night TV is about to go where it's never gone before. ABC says starting in 2013 it's moving Jimmy Kimmel Live a half hour earlier, to compete head-to-head with Letterman and Leno.

Apple has hit a major milestone. The electronics giant is now the biggest public company ever measured by stock value. It's back to school shopping season and despite the weak economy, luxury retail has been doing well. And kids clothes are no exception. And here in the U.S., our doctors are "burned out," according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic.