A new study by the Brennan Center for Justice has found voters across the country are being purged through a process that is shrouded in secrecy, prone to error and vulnerable to manipulation. The Brennan Center is calling on states to develop and publish uniform, non-discriminatory rules for purges; provide public notice of pending purges; make purge lists publicly available; and develop rules for individuals to challenge the purge list.

Ohio is a key swing state that ended up deciding the outcome of the 2004 election. But the state was riddled with voting problems, ranging from breakdowns in electronic voting machines to accusations of widespread voter disenfranchisement. We speak to Democrat Jennifer Brunner, who was elected Secretary of State of Ohio in November 2006.

BBC investigative journalist Greg Palast travels to New Mexico, Michigan and Colorado to investigate how both Democrats and Republicans are accusing each other of trying to steal the election. Palast also discusses his new comic book Steal Back Your Vote, co-written with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Partial Nationalization of US Banks Considered, Central Banks Cut Rates in Unprecedented Coordinated Action, Fed to Lend $38 Billion More to AIG, Sheriff Refuses to Evict Residents from Foreclosed Homes in Chicago, Mexico to Invest $4.4 Billion in Infrastructure to Combat Financial Crisis, National Debt Clock Runs Out of Space, CodePink Protests on Wall Street, Robert Fisk: Iraq Carries Out Secret Executions, US Intel Analysis: Sectarian Tensions in Iraq Could Unleash More Violence, US Report: Afghanistan in a “Downward Spiral”, Bush Signs India Nuke Deal, FCC to Probe Pentagon Propaganda Program, Court Blocks Release of Chinese Guantanamo Prisoners, New Documents Reveal “Effort to Create a Gitmo Inside the United States.”, San Francisco Bars Sale of Cigarettes in Pharmacies, Bush Signs Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act

While the state of the economy dominated the opening portion of last night's debate, the focus later shifted to foreign policy. Voters questioned Senators Barack Obama and John McCain about Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Israel and Iran. [includes rush transcript]

It was no surprise that the economy dominated last night’s presidential debate. We play excerpts and get reaction from Pulitzer-winning journalist David Cay Johnston, author of Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill). [includes rush transcript]

As stock indexes plunge across Europe and Asia, Britain unveiled plans today to inject up to 50 billion pounds -- close to $90 billion -- into its biggest retail banks. Recent efforts to bolster world credit markets have failed to stem fears that the spreading financial crisis could lead to a global recession. We go to Rome to speak to economist Loretta Napoleoni, author of Rogue Economics: Capitalism’s New Reality. [includes rush transcript]

McCain, Obama Hold 2nd Presidential Debate, Obama: Healthcare “A Right for Every American”, McCain Claims New Proposal to Refinance Mortgages, McCain Calls Obama “That One”, Fed Hints at Interest Rate Cut as Market Plunge Continues, Britain Launches $90B Bank Bailout, Market Decline Wipes Out $2T in Retirement Savings, Treasury to Begin Private Outsourcing of Wall Street Bailout, AIG Execs Held Luxury Vacation Days After $85B Taxpayer Bailout, Judge Orders Release of 17 Gitmo Prisoners, Study: US Lags in Compensation Payments to Afghan Victims, After Denials, Pentagon Admits 30 Afghan Civilians Killed in US Attack, Widow of Iraq Vet. Sues US Gov., 300 Workers Arrested in South Carolina Immigration Raid, Md. Police Added Peace Activists to Terrorism List, Bush Approval Rating at 25%

In a barely noticed development, a US Army unit is now training for domestic operations under the control of US Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command. An initial news report in the Army Times newspaper last month noted that in addition to emergency response the force “may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control.” The military has since claimed the force will not be used for civil unrest, but questions remain. We speak to Army Col. Michael Boatner, future operations division chief of USNORTHCOM, and Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine. [includes rush transcript]

Along with so-called clean coal technology, both of the major presidential candidates also supporting expanded offshore oil drilling. We speak to Antonia Juhasz, author of the new book The Tyranny of Oil: The World's Most Powerful Industry -- And What We Must Do to Stop It. [includes rush transcript]

While John McCain and Barack Obama have painted clean coal as a panacea that will help solve the nation's energy problem, many environmental and scientific groups have questioned whether the burning of coal can ever be clean. We host a debate between Rainforest Action Network director Michael Brune, author of the new book Coming Clean: Breaking America's Addiction to Oil and Coal, and Joe Lucas of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. [includes rush transcript]

Fed Mulls New Financial Rescue as Markets Plunge, Crowd Member Yells Obama Threat at Palin Rally, Aides: McCain Seeks to Avoid Economy Talk, McCain Sat on Board of Group Linked to Central American Death Squads, McCain Would Cut $1.3 Trillion from Medicare, Medicaid, Lehman Bros. CEO Defends Exec Payments, Supreme Court Delays Ruling on Troy Davis Appeal, Mumia Abu-Jamal Denied New Trial, 7-Year Anniversary of US Invasion of Afghanistan

As the world reels from the financial crisis on Wall Street and the taxpayer-funded $700 billion bailout, we spend the hour with Naomi Klein on the economy, politics and "disaster capitalism." The Shock Doctrine author recently spoke at the University of Chicago to oppose the creation of an economic research center named after the University's most famous economist, Milton Friedman. Klein says Friedman's economic philosophy championed the kind of deregulation that led to the current crisis. [includes rush transcript]

Bush Signs Wall St. Bailout After House Passage, Kucinich: Bailout “Largest Single Act of Class Warfare” in US History, Ex-Goldman Sachs Exec to Steer Bailout, Bailout Spending to Begin in November, Countrywide Reaches $8.7B Mortgage Settlement, US Loses 159,000 Jobs in September, McCain Campaign Touts Obama Ties to ‘60s Activist, Dems See Gains as Voter Registration Deadline Arrives, 11 Iraqis Die in US Raid, State Dept. Outsources Investigations of Contractor Crimes, UK Commander: NATO Can’t Defeat Taliban, 24 Killed in US Strike in Pakistan, Palestinian Olive Harvest Begins Amidst Settler Harassment, Half-Million Gallons of Spilled Crude Oil Among Ike’s Environmental Damage, Catonsville 9 Member John Hogan Dies at 73

On Capitol Hill, the House is preparing to vote again on the revised $800 billion Wall Street bailout plan after rejecting a similar bill on Monday. All 432 seats in the House are up for election next month, and many "no" votes on Monday reflected lawmakers' fears of a voter backlash for the unpopular bill. An array of “pork barrel” projects have been inserted into the legislation to win support from nervous incumbents. [includes rush transcript]

We play excerpts of the much-anticipated showdown between Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and get reaction from two vice-presidential candidates excluded from the debate: Matt Gonzalez, running mate of Independent candidate Ralph Nader, and Rosa Clemente, running mate of Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party. [includes rush transcript]

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman has become the first journalist to receive the Right Livelihood Award, established to honor those “offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today." The annual prize, also known as the Alternative Nobel, will be awarded in the Swedish parliament in December. The other winners were Indian activists Krishnammal and Sankaralingam Jagannathan, women's rights advocate Asha Hagi of Somalia, and sexual violence victims' advocate Monika Hauser of Germany. [includes rush transcript]

House to Vote on $800B Wall Street Bailout, Biden, Palin Hold Lone VP Debate, Obama Aide Suggests Gates Could Stay on as Defense Sec., McCain Campaign Gives Up on Michigan, Suicide Attacks Hit Baghdad Mosque, US Soldier Jailed for Iraq Shootings, Firms Awarded $300M for Pro-US Propaganda in Iraq, Officer Who Ordered Fatal Tasering Takes Own Life, Tens of Thousands Mark 1968 Student Massacre in Mexico, US Barring Contraceptive Distribution in 6 African Countries, Naomi Klein Takes “Shock Doctrine” to Colbert Report

Robert Fisk is Britain’s most celebrated foreign correspondent and has borne witness to countless tragedies in the Middle East for over three decades. With the publication of a new collection of essays, Fisk joins us to talk about the US elections and their bearing on Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Israel-Palestine. [includes rush transcript]

The Obama and McCain campaigns jointly negotiated a detailed secret contract dictating the terms of all the 2008 debates. This includes who gets to participate, as well as the topics raised during the debates. We speak to Open Debates founder and executive director George Farah. [includes rush transcript]