BY FERNANDO GALLO AND DANIEL MCGLYNN//

The economic downturn is having a devastating effect on companies and employees alike – news of layoffs comes almost daily. But at a local level, one group also dealing with the downturn is seldom mentioned: day laborers. These workers, the majority of which are undocumented Latinos, have little choice but to stand and wait for jobs that are never guaranteed. El Cerrito Focus visited the Home Depot parking lot on San Pablo Avenue twice recently to talk to laborers and find out how they are dealing with these tough times. Listen in on how they’re dealing with today’s economic crisis. Read the full story

The stock market has now closed, hours ahead of polling places across the country.

Today was a record-setting Election Day on Wall Street. The market posted 3.3 percent growth, which surpassed the previous Election Day record of 1.8 percent, set in 1984 when Reagan won a second presidential term, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read the full story

The audience at the Cerrito Speakeasy awaits the start of the debate

BY FERNANDO GALLO //

EL CERRITO, Calif. – Many of those in the mostly liberal crowd that gathered at the Cerrito Speakeasy Theater on Oct. 2 to watch the vice-presidential debate believed it would be the undoing of relatively unknown Republican Gov. Sarah Palin. But after she had battled Democratic Sen. Joe Biden for 90 minutes, some said that Palin not only exceeded expectations, but might have actually won some people over.

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