McCain 2008 adviser Steve Schmidt tells Eliot Spitzer serious GOP 2012 presidential candidates are having to navigate through "a reality show" on CNN's "In The Arena."

Neurosurgeon Keith Black explains why children are at higher risk of getting brain cancer from using cell phones. FULL POST

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen discuss the economic and political implications of Wednesday's plunge on Wall Street with Eliot Spitzer "In The Arena" on CNN. FULL POST

U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) tells Eliot Spitzer on CNN's "In The Arena" that he supports repealing $6 billion in federal subsidies for ethanol production. FULL POST

Eatocracy is CNN.com's online home for smart, passionate conversation and information about food news, politics, culture.

Well, our Eatocracy collegues have a well-documented fondness of In The Arena host and former New York State governor Eliot Spitzer's devotion to the culinary offerings of the CNN Cafe. (That's our cafeteria on the 10th floor of the Time Warner Center in NYC.)  They were simply gobsmacked to find out that he's something of an expert jam maker as well.

Says Spitzer of the gratifying "ping" of a perfectly sealed jar lid, "I remember the first time we did it, we set them out on the table, Silda said they have to cool. Then they started, 'click click click, pop pop pop'. There's a feeling of great joy when you know that that the seal has worked has worked and you now have a completed project." FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s OFF-SET questions is Edward A. Mermelstein, real estate attorney and co-founder of international real estate law firm Rheem Bell & Mermelstein LLP, a multiservice real estate law firm with offices in New York and Moscow. Mermelstein is admitted to practice in the State of New Yorkand is fluent in English and Russian.

On Tuesday, the S&P/Case-Shilller housing index reported that home prices hit another new low in the first quarter, down 5.1% from a year ago to levels not reached since 2002. Prices are now down 32.7% from their peak set five years ago. From your point of view, what impact does this news have on the general economy?

There is no doubt that the decreased home prices have a significant impact on the economy, both financially and psychologically. We have become dependent on using our homes as the family piggybank. However, the report fails to highlight the bright spots in primary markets such as New York and Washington DC. FULL POST

Today's Number of the Day is 38,000.

There should be at least another zero after that number, because a total of 38,000 private sector jobs created in May–according to ADP, the payroll company–is a really ugly number.

Remember, we need around 150,000 new jobs created each month just to keep up with population growth, and with the public sector shrinking, the burden on the private sector is to create about 350,000 jobs a month if we’re going to make a serious dent in the 20+ million unemployed Americans.

Now ADP could be wrong, and we will get the more comprehensive Bureau of Labor Statistics number on Friday. FULL POST

HOUSE RELECTS DEBT CEILING – In a symbolic vote to send a message to budget negotiators, the House on Tuesday defeated a measure to raise the national debt ceiling without any accompanying deficit or spending reduction provisions. President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with congressional Republicans on Wednesday as part of the administration's ongoing debt-ceiling and related budget negotiations. Vice President Joe Biden has been holding similar talks with a bipartisan congressional delegation in recent weeks.

PAKISTAN MAY ATTACK MILITANTS – Pakistan appears to be making preparatory moves for an attack on North Waziristan, a tribal region that has become a base for Afghan Taliban militants, amid pressure from the U.S., The Wall Street Journal reports. FULL POST