it happened to francine, after 25 years behind the counter at some of downtown seattle's nicest department stores, mounting bills from diabetes left her with a terrible choice. pay the rent or buy medicine. >> it just snowballed. >> reporter: she went through $6,000 in savings and ended up homeless. >> before these people got sick, they were middle-class americans. these were families who had done everything right that you are supposed to do in america. and yet once they got sick, they were in deep trouble financially. >> it took months and the help of the seattle ywca to help francine and donna get back on their feet. >> that's what i want people to be aware of. don't think you are immune to this. >> reporter: two women with a message echoed by experts. everyone shod know the details of their insurance coverage, and never assume the worst can't happen to you. chris jansing, nbc news, seattle. >>> a professor at harvard university, henry lewis gates jr. perhaps the best expert on african-american history in this country. he got home thursday from china where he was making a pbs documentary

francine? >> obama will be giving a speech at this economics university. what do you think -- how would that be -- how much of it will be allowed to be broadcast? how much will reach russians? what do you think you can do in terms of changing russian opinion about the united states? it is negative right now. >> i have not heard whether or not the request is in. >> it will be televised at a cable network. it is a very modest concession. >> this is an important speech, and he has to do a lot of different things. the opinion of the u.s. is quite negative. there is a difference between how people view americans and the bush in ministration policy. i think the kind of message that the president delivered to the u.s. to international audiences, he has been in the business of repairing the damage that has been done over the last eight years in how people view the united states. this is an administration that is much more interested in talking to critics, and that they are working specifically on changing policies that the bush administration adopted. the kind of

. >> it took months and the help of the seattle ywca to help francine and donna get back on their feet. >> that's what i want people to be aware of. don't think you are immune to this. >> reporter: two women with a message echoed by experts. everyone should know the details of their insurance coverage, and never assume the worst can't happen to you. chris jansing, nbc news, seattle. >>> a professor at harvard university, henry lewis gates jr. perhaps the best expert on african-american history in this country. he got home thursday from china making a pbs documentary and tried to get into his own home in cambridge, massachusetts, his front door was stuck he used his key in the back door. later the cops arrived, responding to a burglary call and he wound up under arrest. the charges have been dropped, but the stakes have just been raised. our report tonight from nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: a still photo, the 58-year-old professor in handcuffs, mug shots following his arrest and charge of disorderly conduct, inevitable headlines and the logical almost unavoidable speculation. >> a per

. >> francine keefer from the "christian science monitor." so obama's going to be giving a speech at this economics university. and i wanted to ask you what you thought -- how that would be -- how much would be allowed to be broadcast. i don't have a sense of what is actually going to reach russians. and what you think it can do in terms of changing russian public opinion which is pretty negative itself about the united states right now. >> they've asked that it be televised. i haven't heard whether or not that request has been -- is it? >> well, what i heard is that it's going to be televised on our tv1 which is a cable network with quite limited distribution. it's not going to be televised on the major national russian tv networks. so in a very modest concession, sort of reminiscent of the chinese, bill clinton. >> this is a very important speech. he's got to do a lot of different things. at the same time. you're right, the opinion of the u.s. is quite negative. but i'll tell that you in survey that we've done, there has been a difference b

>> well, francine, a number of student loans forgiveness programs in health care. the national health service corps is an example of forgiveness program for doctors and nurses who practice for a number of year. otherwise look at the american medical association of medical colleges and they have a database of state and other loan repayment programs for other school students. and, of course, if you have any other questions, send them to us at gerri@cnn.com and we'd love to hear from you and answer those questions just as we did every friday. >> thank you, gerri, have a great weekend. >> all right, you, too. >> gerri and the money team are the absolute best. poppy harlow, christine romans, ali velshi, stephanie elam get the expert analssis by logging on to cnnmoney.com. >>> health care reform, who pays? we'll hear some of your ideas next in the "newsroom." er... of pills compared to aleve. choose aleve and you could start taking fewer pills. just 2 aleve have the strength... to relieve arthritis pain all day. in the fridge it's a light and fluffy mousse... ...but put

. >> hi, francine kiefer from the christian signs monitor. so, obama's going to be giving a speech at this economics university. and i wanted to ask you what you thought -- how that would be -- how much of it would be allowed to be broadcast? i don't have a sense of what's going to reach russians. and what you think it can do in terms of changing russian public opinion which is pretty negative itself about the united states right now? >> they've asked that it be televised. i haven't heard whether or not that request has been -- is it? >> well, from what i heard is that it's going to be televised on -- it's going to be televised on rtv-1. it's not going to be televised on the major national russian tv networks. so very modest concession and sort of reminiscent, i think, of the way the chinese are treating speeches by bill clinton. >> i think, you know, this is a very important speech and he's got to do a lot of different things at the same time. you're right. the opinion of the u.s. is quite negative but i'll tell you that in surveys that we'v

. >> hi, francine kiefer from the christian signs monitor. so, obama's going to be giving a speech at this economics university. and i wanted to ask you what you thought -- how that would be -- how much of it would be allowed to be broadcast? i don't have a sense of what's going to reach russians. and what you think it can do in terms of changing russian public opinion which is pretty negative itself about the united states right now? >> they've asked that it be televised. i haven't heard whether or not that request has been -- is it? >> well, from what i heard is that it's going to be televised on -- it's going to be televised on rtv-1. it's not going to be televised on the major national russian tv networks. so very modest concession and sort of reminiscent, i think, of the way the chinese are treating speeches by bill clinton. >> i think, you know, this is a very important speech and he's got to do a lot of different things at the same time. you're right. the opinion of the u.s. is quite negative but i'll tell you that in surveys that we'v