Mid-day Update

China has just surpassed the United States as the biggest smartphone market in the world. Smartphones here at home are helping consumers to find the best deal this holiday season. Holiday travel could be hindered by fewer flight delays and cancellations, thanks to new government penalties.

We speak to the President of Panama Ricardo Martinelli about how the debt crises in the U.S. and Europe are affecting his country, and how Panama is continuing to grow. Reporter Mitchell Hartman shows us one place that was shaken to its core by the housing crisis. And what does the OWN network need to do to succeed?

Talks are winding down at the Congressional super committee, and so far, no deal has been made. Spain has a new government after elections were held over the weekend. Hewlett-Packard reports earnings today, the first time since Meg Whitman took the reins. And Tyson foods, the big meat producer, reported even bigger quarterly losses.

President Barack Obama is in Indonesia today, and will attend the signing of a deal that could bring 110,000 jobs to the U.S. Reporter Scott Tong concludes his three part series from the Horn of Africa. In the ongoing European debt crisis, Spain is the latest hot-button country. And store employees fight back against Black Thursday openings.

The Twilight movie was released early this morning. Why do so many fans line up at midnight to see big blockbusters?

In today's Mid-day Update, we look at the ongoing debt crisis and Europe and its potential effects on U.S. banks. Meanwhile, the deadline for the Congressional super committee is not far off. And poverty numbers among the elderly are rising.

A new program set to launch in January will have preschoolers learning basic business and finance skills at the Chicago Public Library. The program is inspired by a Sesame Workshop multi-media kit.