Khalil Nasrallah, co-founder of Wadi Foods in Egypt, discusses how his food export business is recovering from the political unrest in Egypt.

Google's marketing chief in Egypt had been held for organizing Mubarak opponents. Google itself has taken activist stands on government controls.

Egypt's banks have opened after a week of closures. But Egypt still faces massive poverty, rising food prices, and high unemployment. The same troubles are present in Tunisia — where a new transitional government is working to address the country's serious economic problems. From Tunisia, Sabri Ben-Achour reports.

Bob Moon talks to John Carney from CNBC and Felix Salmon from Reuters about the unemployment problem in Egypt and also the effects that the protests may have on oil prices and the rest of the Middle East.

For more than three decades, Egypt and Israel have had stable relations and a secure border, but not much else between them. That could change depending on what happens next.

The shutdown of banks in Egypt is blocking Egyptians working overseas from sending money home. Remittances are nearly as important to the economy as tourism.

The demonstrations across Egypt have brought the possibility of political change to the country. And the economy has a lot to do with it.

As protests continue today in Cairo, citizens and businesses are reacting to a new political landscape. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has announced he'll step down later this year. And the Internet slowly returns to parts of the country.

Marcus Noland of the Peterson Institute for International Economics talks with Kai Ryssdal about how Egypt's economy was doing before the recent protests, the long-term issues it must deal with, and how much of a role the Middle East plays in influencing its economy.

S&P joins Moody's in downgrading Egypt, after similar moves for Tunisia. How costly a factor are ratings agencies in political change?