<P> After beginning her national journalism career at CNBC, she moved to FBN in 2012 and is currently the co-host of After The Bell weekday afternoons with David Asman . She is also an anchor of FNC's Happening Now newscast, has appeared as a periodic panelist on FNC's afternoon talk show Outnumbered . </P> <P> Born and raised in Los Angeles, Francis graduated from Harvard University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and served as executive editor of The Harvard College Economist magazine . She was also the captain of the Harvard Polo Team . </P> <P> Francis started her acting career on television before her first birthday, first appearing in a Johnson & Johnson shampoo commercial at 6 months of age . She was known for her role as Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, for two seasons . Other television appearances include two series regular roles: Morningstar / Eveningstar and Joe's World, and three films including Man, Woman and Child, where she played Paula Beckwith . She has also had appearances in the television series St. Elsewhere in 1986 and the 1988 film Bad Dreams, where she played young Cynthia . Melissa appeared in nearly 100 commercials during her acting career . She is reportedly the inspiration for the fictional character Avery Jessup (conceived of and played by Elizabeth Banks) in the show 30 Rock, although Banks herself has denied this . </P> <P> In January 2012, Francis became a financial news reporter and anchor for Fox Business Network . </P>

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