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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep.

Lawmakers in Riverhead, New York heard the voice of the people, a very loud boo. The town board made news by banning people from booing at meetings, which apparently met with criticism since Newsday reports they have revised the rule. You may boo at meetings now, but there is still a prohibition against disruptive behavior. So, how to boo without being disruptive? Maybe this way: Wait your turn to speak and then say: My name is Steve. Boo?

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What better place to play video games than in a man cave. That's our last word in business today. It's how Real Estate website Zillow describes a Cold War-era bomb shelter in South Florida, now on sale for just under half a million dollars - 30-inch thick, steel-reinforced concrete walls, decontamination showers, and 17-foot high ceilings. There's even some milk solids and canned sugar left over, and it's allegedly could be turned into a home. The listing agent describes the property as something out of an old Japanese Godzilla movie.

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NPR's business news starts with high debt and low wealth.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

INSKEEP: Since the financial crisis, many Americans have been saving money and paying down debt. Many are in better financial shape than a few years ago. But when you look at the longer term, it is clear that Americans as a whole have not regained all the ground they lost.

The Census Bureau compared Americans in 2011 with their wealth and debt burdens in that seemingly long-ago year, 2000.

NPR's John Ydstie reports.

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With his journey, the president temporarily left behind a changing American political scene. The Republican Party is struggling with that change. Public opinion on immigration and gay marriage is changing quickly. That forces Republicans to try a balancing act, as NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson reports.

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All this week on MORNING EDITION, we've been marking the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. That invasion was followed by years of war and reconstruction, the war and reconstruction taking place at the same time.

And today, to get a better idea of the monetary costs, we speak with Stuart Bowen once again. Since 2004, he has been the Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. And earlier this month, he released the final report from his office.

Stuart Bowen is in Baghdad. Welcome back to the program.

President Obama is urging both Israelis and Palestinians not to abandon long-stalled peace talks. The president has been practicing some low-key shuttle diplomacy this week.

For eight decades, Daily Variety has been a Hollywood must-read for everyone from studio heads to actors looking for a big break. But the days of assistants running out to grab the "trades" are over: This week, the Los Angeles institution published its last daily edition.