U.S. Economy in Crisis (23 images)

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson departs after delivering a plan for sweeping changes to American financial institutions and financial markets in the Cash Room at the Treasury Department in Washington on March 31, 2008. Paulson suggested major changes to legislation including some that would affect the housing and lending industries. (UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg)

Traders conduct business in the oil trading pit as the price per barrel hover around $85 per barrel as U.S. crude inventories rose again at the New York Mercantile Exchange on October 24, 2007 in New York City. (UPI Photo/Monika Graff)...

A Chinese man walks past a large billboard, featuring images of U.S. dollars, advertising a new international business complex in downtown Beijing, China on December 10, 2007. China's currency, the yuan, hit a new high against the US dollar last week, according to the Chinese Foreign Exchange Trading System. (UPI Photo/Stephen Shaver)

A sign displays the logo of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange outside of their building in Chicago on March 18, 2008. The CME announced Monday that they will buy NYMEX Holdings, the world's largest physical commodities exchange, in a cash and stock deal worth about 9.4 billion dollars. (UPI Photo/Brian Kersey)