To the Point

President Bush in Europe

George W. Bush's first presidential trip to Europe will take him to Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia, bypassing Germany, France and Great Britain, America's "big three" European allies. World leaders who held President Clinton in high personal regard are said to be skeptical about his conservative successor. We review America's historical relationship with several European states, their response to increasing US unilateralism, and prospects for Bush's visit, with international journalists and political observers from England, Germany, the US, and Russia. Newsmaker: Falling Behind on Mortgage Payments - Battered by rising energy costs and unemployment, a small but increasing number of Americans are falling behind on their mortgage payments. Celia Chen, senior economist for Economy.com, expounds on the statistics and what they portend for our immediate economic future. Reporter's Notebook: Post Office Keeps Money-Losing Rural Offices Open - Despite the US Postal Service being more than a billion dollars in debt, a moratorium prohibits closing offices that can't pull their own weight. Robert Taub, former staff director of the House Postal Service Sub-Committee, defends our "national duty" to keep these offices open and to provide affordable and uniform postal service.