solman has a somewhat off-beat explanation. ♪ my general theory made quite an impression i transformed the econ profession, you know me, modesty say it loud and say it clear, we're all keynesians now. >> lehrer: that's all ahead on tonight's "pbs newshour."

paul solman's report on the country's older job-seekers. and the latest ray suarez "patchwork nation" story comes from one of america's boom towns. that's all ahead but now, for some of the day's other stories, over to hari sreenivasan in our newsroom. >> sreenivasan: the president faced new questions today about leaving afghanistan. he told reporters in oslo he's sticking to his plan to start u.s. troop withdrawals in july of 2011. but he promised the pull-out will be gradual. >> i think it's very important to understand that we're not going to see some sharp cliff, some precipitous drawdown. our whole concept here is to train and partner with afghan forces and to transfer to them even as our troops are fighting alongside each other. >> sreenivasan: meanwhile, general mcchrsytal the u.s. commander in afghanistan, played down concerns about the timetable. he told a house hearing that insurgents will see the u.s. commitment and realize: "a date doesn't change anything". defense secretary gates has arrived in iraq from afghanistan. he met tod

. >> brown: then, a 'second look' as paul solman asks economists one central question about the recession: >> why didant -- why didn't the fed tell us? >> why didn't we warn you. >> yes. >> suarez: gwen ifill looks back at a dramatic decade in u.s. politics. with amy walter, andy kohut and michael beschloss. >> brown: and the poetic partnership between one of russia's leading writers and the husband who translates her. >> this gives a lot of advantages to the -- view. because he gets to translate poems that we lived through together. >> brown: that's all ahead on tonight's pbs newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> this is the engine that connects abundant grain from the american heartland to haran's best selling whole wheat, while keeping 60 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> chevron. this is the power of human energy. intel. supporting math and science education for tomorrow's innovators. the national science foundation. supporting education and research across all fields of science and engineering. a

on paul solman's "making sense" page, our series on the economic year ahead continues. tonight, what will be most surprising in 2010? and there's an update on the drug war in mexico from a reporter who was embedded with the mexican military. that's part of our collaboration with global post, an international news web site. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. jeff? >> brown: and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm jeffrey brown. >> lehrer: and i'm jim lehrer. we'll see you online, and again here tomorrow evening. thank you, and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: chevron, human energy. and by toyota. and monsanto. grant thornton. the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions ca

and on paul solman's "making sense" site, there's an excerpt of robert skidelskys biography of economist john maynard keynes. and from our series "on the economic year ahead," a look at conventional wisdoms that some economists now pronounce wrong. all that and more is on our web site: newshour.pbs.org. jeff? >> brown: and that's the "newshour" for tonight. i'm jeffrey brown. >> lehrer: and i'm jim lehrer. we'll see you on-line and again here tomorrow evening. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> what the world needs now is energy. the energy to get the economy humming again. the energy to tackle challenges like climate change. what is that energy came from an energy company? everyday, chevron invests $62 million in people, in ideas-- seeking, teaching, building. fueling growth around the world to move us all ahead. this is the power of human energy. chevron. >> we are intel, sponsors of tomorrow. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. and with

our economics correspondent paul solman interviewed paul samuelson a number of times over the years and begins with his own look back. >> reporter: paul samuelson, america's first nobel laureate in economics in 1970, and about as celebrated and twinkling a member of the discipline as ever there was. an mit professor for 69 years, his emphasis on math drove economics down a path that has made it more scientific, more technical, more abstruse. but his breakthrough, plainspoken textbook of 1948 also made economics accessible to millions and sold the ideas of england's john maynard keynes that government plays a key role in managing the economy. samuelson himself seemed to know and remember everything, everyone. nobel bob solow was among his best friends robert merton, one of his students. and last year at a boston university conference with both them, he was his usual dazzling, endlessly amused and forever young self in refusing to speak to the topic: "wt retirement means to me." >> what retirement means to me! i never obey instructions on what i should talk about because only after i grow

. >> brown: and the levance in our time of hn maynard keynes: "newshour" ecomics correspondent paul solman haa someat off-beat explanation. ♪ my general theory made quite a impression i transformed e econ profsion, you know me, modesty say it loud and say itlear, we're l keynesians now. >> lehrer: that's alahead on tonight's "pbs newshr." major funding for e pbs nehour is provided by: >> this is the enge that coects abundant grain from the american heartla to haran's best selling whole wheat, whe keeping 60 billi pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the enginehat connects us. monsanto producing more conserving more. improvinfarmers' lives. that's sustainablegriculture. moret producemoreconrvemore.com. >> chevron. this is the power human engy. and by toyota. vestas. grant thornton. and byhe alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, tenology, and improved economic perfmance and financial literacy in the 21 century. and with the ongng support of the institutions and foundations. and... this program was made poible by the corration for public broadcasting. and by co

paul solman's report othe country's older job-seers. and e latest ray suarez "patchwork natio story comes fromne of america's boom towns. that's a ahead but now, for me of the day's other storie overo hari sreenivasan inur newsroom. >> sreenivan: the president faced new questions today abt aving afghanistan. he told reporters in oo he's stking to his plan to start u.s. troop withdrawa in july of 21. but he promised the pull-out will be adual. >> i think it's very impornt to understand that we' not going to see se sharp cliff, some precipitous drawdn. our ole concept here is to train and partner with afghan forces a to transfer to them en as our troops are fightin alongside each oth. sreenivasan: meanwhile, general mcchrsal the u.s. commander in afanistan, played dn concerns about the timetable. he td a house hearing that insurgents wl see the u.s. coitment and realize: "a date doesn't change anything". defense secretary gatehas arrived in iq from afghanistan. he met today wh iraqi president jalal tabani to ofr u.s. help, after the ghdad

. >> lehrer: paul solman has a conversation about the connection between human health and biodiversity. >> the only -- anywhere in the world that raise their young -- are now extinct and the compounds that these make to keep themselves -- that information is gone forever. >> brown: and the weekly analysis of mark shields and david brooks. >> lehrer: that's all ahead on tonight's pbs newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> chevron. this is the power of human energy. and by toyota. and monsanto. grant thornton. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> lehrer: the climate change summit wound down today, and president obama claimed "an unprecedented breakthrough". it did not include legally binding targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

lehrer: paul solman has a convertion about the coection between human health anbiodiversity. >> the only -- anywherin the world at raise their young -- are nowxtinct and the mpounds that these make to keep themselves -- that information igone rever. >> brown: and the weekly analysis of mark shids and david broo. >> lehrer: thas all ahead on night's pbs newshour. major funding for thpbs newshour is provided by: >> chevron this is the poweof human energy. d by toyota. and monsanto. grant thornton. >> and by the bi and melinda gatefoundation. dedited to the idea that all people deserve the chae to live a healthy productivlife. and with the ongoi support of thesinstitutions and foundations. and... this program was made ssible by the corration for public broadcasting. and by contributions tyour pbs station om viewers like you. thank you. >> lehrer: the clima change summit wnd down today, and president obama claimed "an unprecedented breakthrou". it did not inclu legally nding targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissio. instd, the president said nations will set out goalsith a way to verify th

on paul solman's "king sense" page, our series on the onomic year ahead continues. tonight, what will bmost surprising in 2010? and there's anpdate on the drug war in mexico fm a reporter whoas embedded with the mexican mitary. that's part ofur collaboration th global post, an international ne web site. all that and more on our web site, nehour.pbs.org. jeff? >> brownand that's the nehour for tonight. i'm jeffy brown. lehrer: and i'm jim lehrer. we'll see you online, anagain here tomorroevening. thank you, andood night. major nding for the pbs newshour is provided by: chevron, human eney. and by toya. and monsanto. ant thornton. the william and flora hewlet foundation, workg to solve socialnd environmental oblems at home and around th rld. anwith the ongoing support of thesinstitutions and foundations. and... this progr was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions tyour pbs station from viewe like you. thank you. ptioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions caioned by mediaccess group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

paul solman went there elier th year to report about manufacturing towns hardit in this recession. he's posted a foow-up blog th shows things are looking up people are buying recreaonal vehicles again, and factories are ring. all that and moris on our web te, newshour.pbs.org. woodruff: and again to our honor ll of american service personnel killed in the aq and afanistan conflicts. add them as their deaths ar made official anphotographs come available. he, in silence, are ten more. anthat's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. >>rown: and i'm jeffrey brown. we'll seyou online, and again here tomorrow evening th mark shields d david brooks, among others. have a happy christmas eve thank u and good night. major funding for the pbs newsur has been provided by: >> this is thengine that connects abundangrain from the american heartland tharan's best selling whole wheat, ile keeping 60 billion pnds of carbon outf the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the engine tt connects us. monsanto producing re. conserng more. improving farmers'ives. that's sustainable agricultu. more at prodemor

our economics correspondent paul solman has spent much of this year trying to make sense of the current financial news of our day. but tonight he has a holiday story connected with the economic conditions of another era. >> 1, 2, 3. ♪ >> reporter: the handel and haydn society rehearsing the messiah at boston symphony hall. >> it's become the holiday piece hasn't it? every major city, in fact village, small town in the states all do messiah just as the same in england. everybody does it. >> reporter: everybody does it, because everybody else buys tickets. the messiah is a sort of savior of cash-strapped classical music. >> ♪ rejoice! rejoice! ♪ rejoice greatly! >> reporter: in fact, the link between the messiah and money goes back a long ways. it turns out composer george fridrick handel, which means "market in german, was not only a musical whiz, but an entrepreneurial one. >> the dominant pattern in the 17th century as handel got started was you either worked for the church or you worked for the nobility. >> reporter: harvard's mike scherer has written a classic on classical musi

our economics correspondent paul solman intervwed pa samuelson a number of times over the yearsnd begins with his own look back. >> reporter: paul saelson, america's firsnobel laureate in economics i1970, and about as celebrated and twining a member of e discipline as ever there was. an mit professor f 69 years, his emphasis on mathrove economics down aath that has madet more scientific, more technical, more abruse. but his breakthrough, plainspoken tebook of 1948 also made economs accessible to millions and sold the ias of england's johmaynard keynes that government ays a key role in managing the ecomy. samuelson himself seemedo know and rememb everything, everyone. nobel bob sow was among his best friends robert merton, one ohis students. and last year at aoston university conferencwith both them, heas his usual dazzling, endlessly amusednd forever young self in fusing to speak to the topic: "what rerement means to me." >> what retirent means to me! i never obeynstructions on what i should ta about because only after irow up will i generate notns about what my own retirement wl mean to

. >> hari: judy, on our web site today we've given economic correspondent paul solman's making sense series a makeover. you can watch a preview of his upcoming story about older workers in search of jobs. and ask paul questions about the recession. the president's plan for creating jobs or other economic topics on your mind. ray suarez has two video postcards from ann arbor, michigan. one on zingerman's deli and the other on the rise of digital media. and on jeffrey brown's art beat blog our correspondents pick their favorite books, movies and performances of 2009. all of that, and our new blog of news and insight it's called 'the rundown', and we update it throughout the day. you can find it all at newshour.pbs.org. judy. >> woodruff: and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. jim. >> lehrer: thanks, judy. we'll see you on-line and again here tomorrow evening. i'm jim lehrer. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> this is the engine that connects abundant grain from the american heartland to haran's best selling whole wheat, whil

paul solman went there earlier this year to report about manufacturing towns hard hit in this recession. he's posted a follow-up blog that shows things are looking up-- people are buying recreational vehicles again, and factories are hiring. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. >> woodruff: and again to our honor roll of american service personnel killed in the iraq and afghanistan conflicts. we add them as their deaths are made official and photographs become available. here, in silence, are ten more. and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. we'll see you online, and again here tomorrow evening with mark shields and david brooks, among others. have a happy christmas eve. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> this is the engine that connects abundant grain from the american heartland to haran's best selling whole wheat, while keeping 60 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the engine that connects us. monsanto. producing more. conserving more. im

and ask paul questions abo the recession. e president's plan for creating jobor other economic topi on your mind. ray suarez has twoideo postcards fr ann arbor, michigan one on zingerman's deli and e other on the re of digital mea. and jeffrey brown's art beat bl our correspondents pick their favote books, movies and performances of 2009. all of that, and our n blog of ne and insight it'called 'the rundo', and we update it throughout the day. you can find it all newshour.pbs.org. judy. >> woodruff: a that's the newshour foronight. i'm judy woodrf. jim. >> lehrer: thanks, judy. we'll see you on-le and again here tomorrow evenin i'm jim lehrer. ank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour is providedy: >> this is the eine that connectsbundant grain from the american heartland to han's best sellinghole wheat, while keeping 60illion pounds of rbon out of the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> what makes us an engineor theconomy? plants across america. nearly00,000 jobs created. weee beyond