Today - 15/10/2008

Presented by James Naughtie and Sarah Montague. Nick Bloom of Stanford University and Heather Alexander discuss Wall Street's reaction to the US financial bail-out plan. Roger Harrabin reports on whether the target of 20 per cent greenhouse gas cuts by 2020 will still be hit. Simon Reed of the Police Federation and Gavin Partington of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association discuss whether police resources are being stretched to breaking point. Poet Laureate Andrew Motion and Rachel Foss of the British Library discuss the Ted Hughes collection. Thought for the Day with the Right Rev James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool. Children's Secretary Ed Balls explains why national tests for 14-year-old school pupils in England are to be scrapped. Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, discusses what the effects of the financial crisis will be on UK businesses. Author Aravind Adiga discusses his Man Booker Prize-winning novel The White Tiger. Anna Holligan reports on allegations that the music industry is still unwilling to give black artists the same opportunities available to white acts. A group of shareholders is seeking legal advice over the rights issues earlier this year by HBOS, RBS and Bradford and Bingley. Roger Lawson, from the UK Shareholders Association, and Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrats' Treasury spokesman, discuss what this means for investors. Chloe Palfreman of interview coaching firm Oxbridge Applications and author Elfi Pallis discuss how to prepare for Oxbridge college interviews. Lord Donoghue and journalist Steve Richards discuss how the solutions of the 1970s have influenced the way the current financial crisis is dealt with.