Erica Hill
AC360° Correspondent

One of my goals this year was to be a better listener. It’s not always easy, yet I learn so much just by keeping quiet. I am fascinated by people’s lives and their paths to the lives they create. It is the “average Joe” – six-pack optional – who always seems to have the most interesting story, not the celebrity du jour on the cover of the gossip rags.

Today, the stories of real people who we can all learn from, people not unlike the ones who may live next door or down the street: Families and young children, struggling to survive, taking life-threatening jobs to keep food in their stomach. Grandparents, opening up about the horrors of war, and the love that can grow out of misery. And reminders about just how bad things can get – and how lucky we are – from those who lived through the Great Depression. All are lessons that never grow old, and that we could miss if we don’t stop to listen.

I want to warn you the images and the details of this next story are disturbing. They are heartbreaking. And they are important. The images from Shehzad Noorani tell the tale of the “children of the dust” in Bangladesh. Their reality is documented in the book “What Matters.” Edited by David Elliott Cohen, the collection of photo essays explores environmental, economic and other issues around the world. The photos of the children of the dust will show you what child labor is truly like…and why trying to rid the world of it altogether may not be the answer.

I have always been drawn to stories of World War II, specifically, those of Holocaust survivors. I am in awe of the strength, courage and in so many cases, the forgiveness that the Greatest Generation – both here and abroad – continues to show, decades later. The lessons for us are many, but one man’s final words from his own father may be some of the best and most difficult advice yet: Don’t carry a grudge in your heart and tolerate everybody.

It is amazing how such incomparable beauty can come of such dark times, but the inspirational stories of humanity from every war are many. There are also countless stories of love born out of tragedy. It was Herman Rosenblat’s father who offered those wise words more than half a century ago. The story of Herman and his wife, Roma, is one of loss, sadness, and, ultimately, of a love and a connection that was meant to be; a couple united by the worst of circumstances.  Mr and Mrs Rosenblat recently celebrated their 50th anniversary.

My grandfather was the ultimate packrat. After he passed, my mother, aunt and uncle were cleaning out the basement; they found decades-old cardboard TV boxes, magazines, even coupons. He and my grandmother were smart with their money yet so generous with all of us. Coupons were always a big deal with my Grampa – and still are with my Mom. I admit, I, too LOVE a good bargain – with or without a coupon. But for my Mimi and Grampa, the reasons were different: they grew up in the shadow of the Great Depression. They lived through WWII and rationing. They knew what it was like to truly worry. When I was pregnant, my Mimi told me how she had one maternity dress when she was pregnant with my aunt – one dress. But she probably never complained. She’s an amazing lady, one I love to listen to.

As we hear so many cries of a “second Great Depression”, the lessons of the first one are once again en vogue…lessons we should probably all pay a bit more attention to in the boom times.

Erica Hill
AC360° Correspondent

I love learning more about my family’s safety in the skies, yet the news never seems to be as reassuring as I’d like. Like the fact that the US is operating on a World War II-era air traffic network that sends us on longer, more circuitous routes wasting not only time, but billions in fuel. I wonder if this is also the reason our recent flight from Atlanta to LaGuardia took us for a scenic aerial tour of Connecticut before finally landing. Normally, the pilot gets on the horn to let you know the tower needs the plane to circle. On this flight, however, nada…just a bird’s eye view of the yachts which may or may not be there come spring.

There is a newer, more accurate system available. It has a $35 billion dollar price tag (hmmm…not far from AIG’s second bailout amount) and snazzy GPS, which I hear is all the rage with the kids these days. Backers say the system would triple air traffic capacity, improve safety, curb greenhouse emissions and – I hope you’re sitting down – reduce delays by at least half. WOW. So why aren’t we making the switch?

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Erica Hill
AC360° Correspondent

Confession: I’m a little nervous about the teenage years, though not as worried as I would be if I had a daughter instead of a son. I was a teenage girl once, and while I wasn’t a complete horror show, I do remember those years…and I shudder a bit when I look back. Frankly, my behavior makes me love and respect my parents even more. While no teenager is a joy all of the time, I also know neither I or my sister were so terrible that my parents felt they couldn’t handle us.

Some parents don't have it so easy.

In Nebraska, a new law is making it a little easier for parents who do feel they can’t deal with their children, but this isn’t what lawmakers had in mind. The state’s "safe haven" law allows parents to anonymously hand over a child to a hospital and protects the parent from prosecution. One problem: the law was intended for infants, but it lacks an age limit, and parents know it. Since this bill became law in July, only four of the 17 children left by their parents are under the age of 10. One 14-year-old girl was even brought across state lines from Iowa.

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Erica Hill
AC360° Correspondent

The most interesting people in this world are rarely the famous ones. Celebrities and politicians may grab more airtime and more headlines – and more of our money – but in my experience, the family next door normally holds the most unexpected, inspirational and interesting tales. Need a little convincing? Try “The Oxford Project.”

In 1984, Peter Feldstein photographed almost all of the 676 residents of Oxford, IA. Twenty years later, he came back to capture them on film again. But he wasn’t alone. Stephen G. Bloom, a journalism professor at the University of Iowa, was there this time to record the stories behind the faces. Bloom says too often, we don’t hear these stories because we in the media are too focused on the power players and the big names. "The idea was not to talk to the decision makers, but talk to the people whose lives are affected by the decision makers," he says. "My job in Oxford was to talk to the voiceless, to people who don't have any voice who are the backbone of America."

The candidates could all benefit from a trip to Oxford, Iowa – but it would have to be a true visit, not a stop on the campaign trail. There are residents just like the hundreds of folks in Oxford all across the country. Many feel forgotten. They are struggling and searching for answers. They are the hard-working Americans candidates so often invoke in their stump speeches, the same people who hear the words and are waiting for the results. Will they get any answers tonight?

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I think nearly every teenager goes through a Salvation Army/thrift store phase. I did. I also enjoyed the French version, the “Kilo Shop,” where you would pay by the kilo…though somehow the cool leather jackets from the 70s we all coveted in high school were exempt from the weight bargain.

Bargain shopping is more in fashion than ever, but it’s not about being hip or edgy, it’s about being smart in a down economy.

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With all this talk of the economy and our dwindling bank accounts, who couldn’t use a getaway? Preferably one on the cheap, of course. Sit back, relax and take in the beauty of fall from around the country, courtesy of our iReporters.

Erica Hill
AC360° Correspondent

As our own Jack Gray said in his blog today, it is another manic Monday…and that ain’t a good thing. I decided today it was time to suck it up and check my 401(k) – wow. It probably looks a lot like yours. I think I’ll hold off checking in on it for a while… a long while.

But worrying about a retirement decades away seems trivial when you learn the number of homeless families in Massachusetts is skyrocketing, just as the unforgiving cold of a New England winter is arriving. In just one year – from September 2007 to September 2008 – the number of homeless families living in Massachusetts motels has jumped form 17 to 550. There are another 1,800 families in shelters. The executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless calls the current combination of our sinking economy, rising energy costs, rising unemployment and a shortage of affordable housing a “perfect storm”. Never a welcome term in these parts.

On top of those sobering numbers, for the first time, the state is now tracking how many families are ending up homeless because of foreclosures.

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Our colleagues at CNN Money has been working overtime to make sure you have not only the most current information on the financial crisis, but also the most useful. We all have questions about how this continued downturn (some 60% of Americans believe we’re headed for the other “D” word: DEPRESSION), CNN Money has answers in a special report online.

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I can’t imagine the agony this mother felt as she clung to her daughter 25 feet in the air, stranded on a carnival ride. As her daughter, Gracie, is pleading, “Help, Mommy!” this Florida Mom has to decide if the best way to help her 2-year-old is to let her fall, hopefully into the arms of someone on the ground. And it turns out, little Gracie wasn’t the only child stuck high above the ground, six more children were found in the ride when Gracie’s mom was rescued.

Erica Hill
AC360 Correspondent

A little over a year ago, we did a segment on my show titled “Does God Want You to Be Rich?” It’s a provocative question, with some very passionate views on both sides. The so-called Prosperity Gospel basically suggests that as part of the love God has for you, he wants you to prosper, and in many circles this prosperity is directly aligned with wealth and material goods. But could that push for prosperity be responsible for some of the foreclosures across America? Our sister publication, TIME, tackles this with the question “Did God want you to get that mortgage?”

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Melamine-tainted food and dairy products made in China have now turned up in Vietnam, Russia, Australia and the US. In Vietnam alone, the tally now stands at 18 tainted products from China and two other countries. Great. Now, the FDA says trace amounts of melamine are safe in most foods, except baby formula. Really? I’m thinking if it’s not good for the little ones, it certainly can’t be good for me, even in small doses. In my completely unscientific opinion, the less processed your food, the better. Not only is it better for you, you feel better, too.

Exhibit A: non-dairy powdered creamer. This stuff creeps me out. Not only does it give me terrible heartburn, but reading the list of ingredients makes my head spin. In addition to the unpronounceable on the label is the warning that this product is “Highly Flammable” – you’re instructed to keep this white stuff away from open flames and extreme heat. Riiiight, so we’ll put it right next to the scalding coffee pot slowly charring on the HOT plate. I feel safe.

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Most of us at AC360 were disgusted at the idea of the “fish pedicure” – who knew there was something even more disgusting than the cheese grater for your heels, the Ped Egg? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but while the Ped Egg will live on (you can’t miss the display at my local drug store – right when you walk through the door, BAM!), the fish pedicure is no more. Why, you ask? This may come as a shock, but a state licensing board says the practice of guppies nibbling on your tootsies is unsanitary. I told you, shocking.
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Apparently, Bubbe isn’t the only one who knows the benefits of a little chicken soup – Chinese zookeepers are using the original cure-all as a stress reducer for a couple of overworked pandas.

It’s been a rough week for “Hope” and “Greatness”. The three year-old pandas are a bit overwhelmed by the surge in visitors during this week’s National Day holiday – on Wednesday alone, some 30,000 people flocked to the Wuhan Zoo. A thousand of them jammed the panda enclosure, shouting at the pandas. Gee, I wonder why the poor animals were pacing. I hope they added some matzo balls to the soup – I think that’s where the real power lies in the chicken soup.

Erica Hill
AC360° correspondent

…but it’s not the only story you need to know about. Nor is the bailout/rescue plan/Capitol Hill debacle. Keep reading for a few tidbits that may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

Anthrax antibiotics brought to your door by the US Postal Service. Woah.

When I read the headline, I immediately flashed back to the two postal workers who were killed in 2001 after inhaling the spores on anthrax-laced letters. Forget snow, rain, and gloom of night, how about terror attacks not keeping letter carriers from their jobs. When you think about it – putting aside the uncomfortable irony for a moment – it makes great sense. These folks visit every home in this country every day. As a senior counselor to health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt points out, they can provide “a front-end quick strike”.

But do America’s letter carriers really want this gig?

Over the past two years, tests in Seattle, Philadelphia and Boston paired postal workers with police officers on their routes. In eight hours, 50 letter carriers got their test packets to some 53,000 homes. Next stop: Minneapolis.

To make the double duty more attractive for postal employees, the government would supply each volunteer’s family with enough doxycycline for themselves and their families in advance, so they can be ready the moment an outbreak happens.

Let’s just hope that no matter how successful these tests are, and no matter how brave the USPS may be, we never need to use this system.

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Erica Hill
AC360 correspondent

Confession: I've enjoyed every update on my BlackBerry today - from the confirmation that McCain will stick to the original plan, to word his plane was "wheels up", to the video alert of the candidates landing in Mississippi.
It's official: the pregame has sucked me in.

But what about the other pregame, the dress rehearsals for this shindig? Picure the candidates debating one of their own, channeling the opponent. No small feat.

Playing the part of "the other guy" isn't just about throwing policy and campaign slogans back at your own candidate; these guys – and ladies – have to make their candidate work hard and fight at the podium. They need to have the idiosyncracies, ticks and signature moves down to keep all surprises to a minimim come debate night.

New Hampshrie Sen. Judd Gregg played Al Gore and John Kerry for Republican candidates; he tells Time, "It was probably one of the most intense things I've ever done."
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A troubling tory here in New York has the City talking... and asking questions. A naked man was tasered twice the other night by police, then fell 10 feet to his death.

The lieutenant who told the officer to shock the man was stripped of his gun and badge. The officer who pulled the trigger on the Taser is now on desk duty while the investigation continues.

Several witnesses told local news no one tried to catch the distraught man as he fell from the shocks. A police department spokesman confirms their account. "None of the ... officers on the scene were positioned to break his fall, nor did they devise a plan in advance' to do so," he said. And they didn't wait for the inflatable mattress they'd called for to arrive, to break the man's fall.
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A $2 ping pong ball turns out to be a lifesaver. Who'da thunk it?
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Happy Weekend!

Erica Hill
AC360° Correspondent

We are a nation drowning in credit card debt. The total on our collective plastic is far more than the bailout Washington is trying to cobble together, and to many of us, the zeroes are incomprehensible. Americans now carry $850 billion dollars in credit card debt. WOW. I’m a BIG believer in personal responsibility, and I’d like to campaign this election season for more of it – from everyone. Yet, when I hear about banks and credit card companies knowingly pushing people further into debt, I can’t help but cut the victims some slack.

Two former account managers for a major credit card company tell CNN they were paid to aggressively push cash advances, even getting customers to max out their available credit. "I would say 90 percent of the time, people were pragmatic. They would say, 'I don't need $100,000,' and we would find a way to convince them they needed the money," one woman recalled. The other former employee called the entire system “a great big con.” Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

Could any bank or credit card company really get away with this? Are they actively pushing us to overextend, in order to increase their bottom line? Deb Feyerick has your answers.

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