People are wondering about the mechanics of the bailout. The AP's Martin Crutsinger has some of the details.

The plan announced Friday will supply secured funding to Bear Stearns for an initial period of 28 days, seeking to provide short-term relief for Bear Stearns.

Senior Federal Reserve staffers said the arrangement allows JP Morgan Chase to borrow from the Fed's discount window and put up collateral from Bear Stearns to back up the loans. JP Morgan, a bank, has access to the discount window to obtain direct loans from the Fed, but Bear Stearns, an investment house, does not.

This type of procedure, Fed officials said, dates back to the Great Depression of the 1930s but has rarely been used since that time.