Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke before Congress today. He gave his assessment of the American economy and proposed new potential measures to foster economic growth. The Takeaway has been speaking with Americans about their experiences since the beginning of the recession, and followed up with three on their economic outlooks.
Harley Helms  is a long-distance truck driver;  Keirsten Huth  is the vice president of United Transcription, a medical transcription company in Charlotte, N.C.;  and Torya Blanchard is the owner of the Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes restaurants in Detroit, Michigan.