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Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:43:51 -0800

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Cutting through the clutter

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:41:51 -0800

Since we all get sick and we all need a doctor now and then to help us get better, let’s dive into the health care reform proposals thus far on the table in Congress and take a look at where it’s all going.

First, the facts

47 million Americans uninsured
Annual overall U.S. spending on health care is $2.2 trillion
Annual U.S. costs per person is about $7,000
The tab for reforming health care is expected to be about $1 trillion over 10 years
Obama wants to pass health care legislation before Congress goes on vacation in August

Ok, on to where we are with the proposed bills
Two versions of legislation moved forward this week, one in the House and another in the Senate. There’s a third proposal still sitting in the Senate Finance Committee (remember a bill usually begins in a House or Senate committee where it is “marked up” and then voted on so that eventually the full chamber can vote on it), which you’ll likely hear more about next week. The House version could be put to a full vote in the next couple of weeks.

The main details to take away
Both of the versions so far include: 1) a government-subsidized health-insurance option, and 2) a penalty charge on small businesses that don’t provide coverage to their employees. They’re also both meeting criticism over methods to pay for the program. So far the votes have been largely down party lines with a few Democrats voting with Republicans against the plans.

The House bill is taking heat because it proposes taxing top earners in the United States—individuals making $280,000 and above and couples making $350,000 and above. The more you make, the more you're taxed, ranging from 1 to 5.4 percent.

House Democrats (who have the majority) say these charges would cover about half the costs and the rest would come in spending cuts on Medicare and Medicaid. Either way, the Congressional Budget Office, which analyzes initiatives with budget implications on the government, says the measure would actually add to U.S. health care costs.

What exactly a government-provided health insurance option would look like is still a little murky but the idea is that it would not discriminate based on previous health conditions and would offer affordable options plus government subsidies for people who aren’t covered by a job in particular. We hope to hear more details about this soon.

The big picture
The fear among some is that this is nationalizing health care and that a government option will kill competition among private insurers. The flip side says there’s already plenty of competition. The Congressional Budget Office’s analysis in fact found that premiums in the government option would be about the same as private options. And there are many questions about how much the government would pay to health providers, another big concern of those in the medical field.

Taxing the wealthy has been a major point of contention for many people. The famous economist Robert Shiller however this week said he thinks high-income earners should pay more in taxes and suggested Americans need a better sense of community. Other politicians assert that there are other ways to reform health care without creating a government option—they talk about Health Spending Accounts where you set aside your own money in a savings account and pay for portions of health care out of that account.

We’re in for a busy few weeks in Washington as this reform gets hammered out. There are a lot of moving parts and many points of contention, to include many not wanting to add to the national debt, which is already $11.5 trillion.

Summer news equals a weird week

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:19:11 -0800

It was such a weird week.

Sarah Palin quit her post as governor of Alaska for reasons yet to be revealed to us—and maybe to herself, and instantly became the top-read, top-searched story again on most news sites. Man, the media loves to hate her.

Michael Jackson’s memorial was attended to with interest and care deserving of a head of state, broadcast live on CNN, and then over and over again.

California began issuing IOUs to “pay” its bills because it’s almost entirely out of cash, and Al Franken, otherwise known as the Saturday Night Live character Stuart Smalley, was sworn in as a Senator.

Google announced that it’s launching an operating system just weeks after Microsoft unveiled a new search engine (who does what again?). Media moguls met in Sun Valley and talked about how Twitter might make money (do we care?).

Meanwhile, serious things happened

Obama traveled to Russia, Italy and Ghana. In Russia the two countries agreed (again) to scale back on nuclear arms. In Italy the G8—the eight most powerful nations—met and agreed that it would be a really bad thing if the world’s climate rises by more than a couple degrees Celsius. China’s president left early to address uprisings in the Uighur region of China where the ethnic minority people are demanding better treatment.

Congress came back from vacation and began tackling health care reform and how to pay for the estimated $1 trillion program. The latest news says perhaps a 2% tax on the wealthiest Americans would pay for it while other proposals have suggested taxing corporate-provided health care benefits.

The administration seemingly wants a public option that you and I could opt into without fear of being turned away for pre-existing conditions and for less money than we might pay for private insurance.

But enough about this week

Next week the Senate takes up the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court. You can expect that the death penalty, abortion, guns, and affirmative action will all be topics under consideration, giving us all plenty to talk and think about.

Hot dogs and the news

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:03:35 -0800

A short week but a busy one as the nation pauses to celebrate July 4 on Friday. As you nibble on hot dogs--over 150 million are consumed on this holiday--here are some conversation nibblers, too.

The markets head into the second half of the year 25% higher than where they were in March
So that's good, yes, but don't get too excited--all said stocks are still down some 25% from their highs in 2007. The next month will be important to see where stocks go from here as U.S. public companies report how well they did or didn't do in the last three months. Expectations are that overall profit fell by 35% from last year (there's still growth on average, it's just much lower than in recent years). If they do much worse than that benchmark forecast, stocks could fall. If they do better, stocks could get a boost. But don't expect to see 14,000 again on the Dow anytime soon.

Outside of earnings, the consumer will be interesting to watch in the second half as well. In May they closed their wallets and saved at a rate of 7 percent, up from zero just about a year ago, and their confidence was weak. Consumers are getting hammered by job losses, which scares them into not spending. That's bad for the housing market because they may hold off on big purchases like a home, which as we've talked about here many times before is pivotal to the overall economic recovery. More job losses could mean more foreclosures and so on. Enough... let's get back to the party!

This is the 233rd birthday of the United States
As the United States marks its independence and democratic freedoms this weekend, it seems especially poignant in the face of recent happenings around the world.
U.S. troops pulled out of major cities in Iraq this week, giving Iraqi forces control. How well it goes is certainly TBD but the move clearly marks a step forward in Iraqi independence.

Iran is still threatening to crack down on protesters still contesting the recent election results, and this week Honduran soldiers orchestrated a coup, crawling under a fence at the President's home and forcibly sending him into exile (in his pajamas). The president, who aligns himself with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, was attempting to hold a referendum seeking to stay in power longer than the Constitution there allows for. The Honduran Supreme Court sanctioned the military moves and the congress appointed a new president. Juxtapose those situations with the fact that the last of the 2008 U.S. Senate races was just decided this week after recounts and legal briefs determined Al Franken the winner of that race in Minnesota by a few hundred votes.

Independence and food
So the Census Bureau estimates that some 70 million people barbeque on July 4, and that got us to wondering why Americans tend to eat the same thing on holidays. Ok, the turkey is obvious, but hot dogs? While we couldn't trace back exactly when this food became the norm (along wth burgers), we did learn that the Nathan’s Annual International July Fourth hot dog Eating Contest on Coney Island—last year’s record eater gobbled 59 in 10 minutes—dates back somewhat unofficially to 1916!

On our culinary history quest we asked Cheryl Tan, a food expert and blogger with a book on the way called "A Tiger in the Kitchen" about learning to cook from her aunts in Singapore. She says we eat the same things because it's part of the ritual: "We tend to eat the same things on holidays because it's society's way of marking an occasion. Food tends to have symbolic meaning and this is a way to give some added meaning to a special day. Marking these holidays with specific foods is also a way for families to pass down traditions from grandmother to mother, mother to daughter, in the kitchen. Too much of that is lost these days, with people being too busy to cook, much less cook with their families. Such holidays are a good way to keep some of those traditions--and recipes--alive."

We also learned a bit about her native Singapore where they don't eat the same thing on their independence day, but do at most other holidays. Singapore, though, is still very young as an independent country--it was a British Colony up until 1959. Perhaps they're still searching for their version of the hot dog.

Next week
Obama and family are off to Russia, Italy and Ghana next week, a seemingly strange itinerary. Everything from cyberspace issues to Iran and North Korea at the G8 summit in Italy to a meeting with the pope, are on the agenda.

Happy 4th, and here's to the second half of 2009! Now go have a hot dog and pass on that potato salad recipe.

Summer lovin': Sanford, Ensign and the Republicans

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:01:42 -0800

If you felt a tinge of déjà vu when South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford stood in front of news cameras this week and admitted to an extra-marital affair, it might be because you saw a different version of the same story just two weeks ago when Nevada Senator John Ensign admitted to the same kind of indiscretion.

Unlike the Spitzer affair and others, their wives spared us the painful moments of standing next to them as these two apologized and asked for forgiveness.

On the trail
At first the Sanford story seemed a bit like nosey press following a guy who needed a break. He had a spat with the state legislature over how to spend federal stimulus money—Sanford wants to retire state debt; the legislature wants to spend the money on education and other programs. But the Appalachian-Trail-trip-turned-Argentina-getaway quickly became a major mess not just for Sanford and his family but for the Republican Party.

Are we really talking about the 2012 election?
Both Ensign and Sanford were viewed as short-list Republican contenders for the 2012 presidential election, and news of the affairs is a setback to the party as it tries to redefine itself after the huge Democratic win in the 2008 campaign.

In addition to being rumored as a possible running-mate for John McCain last year, Sanford gained national attention this year for publicly opposing Obama’s $700 billion federal stimulus bill. He was also chairman of the Republican Governors Association, though he resigned from that position on Wednesday.

Ensign had already made the requisite “I might be running but then again maybe not” pre-campaign swing through Iowa this year, prompting speculation that he would run for the President. He was also chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, a post he resigned from after announcing his affair.

The big picture
It seems so early to be talking about 2012 but as you’ll recall we started writing about the last election a well ahead of the actual contest itself! Having these two young-ish, rising stars—whose names were often mentioned together as if on a ticket—knocked off the ladder is a real blow. If Republicans want to be organized heading into 2012 they’ll likely need to start identifying serious contenders in the next year. Some of the names you might see surfacing are Mitt Romney, Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush. And, of course, there’s always Sarah Palin.

Iran: The Supreme Leader

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:22:21 -0800

Twitter-mania reached a new high this week as a key means of communicating the events in Iran, where the aftermath of last week’s presidential election is still playing out.

The State Department asked the service, which has yet to make money and that many people are still trying to figure out how to use, to delay scheduled maintenance so that information could keep flowing as Iran cracked down on media inside the country.

And while it is modern methods the protesters are using to voice opposition to the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the battle they’re fighting is really quite old.

To better understand the events of today and what happens from here, let’s take a look back.

The power structure in Iran

First, it’s important to recognize that Iran’s president is only the second most powerful person in the country. The real authority lies with the Supreme Leader—currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—the top religious and political figure, who in turn appoints many of the leaders in the various governing bodies in Iran and also the head of the state media. Khamenei is the one who called for an investigation into last week’s election after announcing support for Ahmadinejad, and is the one who now says no fraud occurred.

Democracy and religion intersect heavily in Iran andclerics hold many key posts in government, including on the powerful Guardian Council, a 12-member body that can disqualify political candidates and veto legislation passed by parliament. The council is controlled by conservatives. This is the group that reviewed the results of the latest election.

The 1979 Iran Revolution

Iran’s unique government structure dates back to the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Leading up to the revolution Iran was led by the Shah, a monarch who tried to westernize Iran and who came to power with help from the U.S. CIA. While Iranians experienced more social freedoms under the Shah, his rule was also repressive and clashed with traditional norms in the Islamic country and he was eventually ousted in a popular uprising.

After the revolution, a new constitution formally brought Islam into the nation’s political structure. Its first Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, railed against Western powers and famously labeled the U.S. the “Great Satan.”

Many of us remember the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, when 52 Americans were taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran for 444 days. A military attempt to rescue the hostages in 1980 failed and they were released the same day Ronald Regan took office in 1981.

Life in Iran and Western relations

Religion has always played a central role in Iran despite the Shah’s attempts to separate it from government. The revolution put much of the country’s power into clerics’ hands. Since 1979 life inside Iran has become quite strict. Women once again had to wear veils and lost the right to divorce and even the right to hold certain jobs (like judges). Inflationsoared, the country has suffered under some Western-backed sanctions, and despite being oil-rich, the poverty rate is high. The revolution marked the end of U.S. diplomatic relations with Iran.

The big picture

The protests in Iran are really symbolic of the freedoms many Iranians hope for. An estimated 70% of Iran’s population is under the age of 30, meaning they haven’t experienced the social freedoms that existed prior to 1979. For now those hopes seem wrapped up in the one man—Mir Hossein Moussavi—who has at least so far lost the election.

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Constitutionally speaking: Sotomayor, gay marriage in focus

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:43:06 -0800

Constitutions were in focus this week from the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor as Obama’s pick to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter, to the California Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a ban on gay marriage, to Congress revisiting the second amendment by making it legal to carry concealed weapons inside national parks (starting in February).

The California ruling upholds a recent state vote to define marriage between a man and a woman, saying the proposition that voters approved with a 52% majority in November allowed for exceptions to the state constitutional rights. Already a team of attorneys is appealing to the U.S. Federal Court and says they could take it ultimately to the Supreme Court. The Court did uphold the 18,000 marriages between same-sex couples that took place between May and November.

On to Sotomayor
Of course the main focus this week was on the U.S. Constitution and how the new nominee will interpret the law. Is she too liberal? Is she not liberal enough? The claws came out on both sides and will continue to be bared through the confirmation hearings.

But a few things struck us this week while reading about Sotomayor—first her journey from the projects in the Bronx to Supreme Court nominee and second that if confirmed, she would be only the third female justice to serve out of the 110 since the court was formed.

Beyond that it was a simple quote that caught our eye, and her lean experience on the abortion rights issue, one of the cultural hot-buttons of the last 30 years that is certain to face the courts in years to come.

First, the simple quote
When nominated to the Manhattan District Court in 1992, Sotomayor told the New York Times, “I’m not going to be able to spend much time on lofty ideals. The cases that shake the world don’t come along every day. But the world of the litigants is shaken by the existence of their case, and I don’t lose sight of that, either.”

As she potentially moves from a court that heard thousands of cases a year—the Federal Appeals Courts (she was on the Second) heard a combined 61,104 cases last year—to one that hears about 100 a year, she may have time for more lofty ideals. But it’s the sentiment of her quote above—empathy for people—that Obama has said he hopes she will bring to the court. Conservatives responded saying empathy is just another word for activist.

Issues in focus
The confirmation will certainly be interesting. Since Sotomayor has not had to make many decisions on abortion there will be some pressing to hear more about her stance as recent decisions around the issue have divided the court 5-4. Abortion rights groups are pushing lawmakers to ask these questions.

The big picture
While the nuances of Constitutional interpretation seem almost too large to wrap one’s brain around, it’s the realities of life that the interpretations of the law are applied to that matter—like if after becoming pregnant a woman can choose to have an abortion or not, or if a girl can marry a girl or a boy can marry a boy. It’s these everyday realities that suddenly become very large when they go before the highest court in the land. And it’s the judicial decisions around these realities that end up shaking lives.

Oh to be an American Idol!

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:16:40 -0800

While Californians failed to show up at the polls for a statewide special election this week—just 19% of the 30 million or so people who live in Golden State cast ballots—American Idol watchers voted in the droves with more than 100 million tallied. Ok, so people can vote multiple times and it’s mainly teenage girls, but to put it in perspective there are 300 million people in the United States.

The Californians who did vote struck down five of the six ballot measures that were meant to only partially help pull the state out of its budget debacle, and consequently the state is still stuck with a $21 billion deficit. Just thinking about how a budget shortfall gets that big is mind boggling.

Meanwhile American Idol watchers crowned a new star and closed the chapter on another season of a show that’s become a marketing machine, reportedly reaping almost $1 billion for Fox last year in ad revenue alone.

Another vote of note this week

In Washington the Senate was very clear with its vote, defeating President Obama’s request to close Guantanamo Bay prison 90 to 6.

That led to Thursday’s Obama/Cheney showdown, with Obama underscoring his position that Guantanamo and the U.S. approach toward terrorism has made the U.S. less safe and defies American ideals, and Cheney arguing that the prison has made a difference in national security. Read Obama’s speech and Cheney’s speech.

Elections that don’t matter

Burma, also called Myanmar, is to hold its first general election since 1990 next year. The election is already in focus because of the arrest of the pro-Democracy opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, an internationally known peace activist who has been under house arrest since 1988. She’s the Nobel Peace prize winner whose party won the 1990 elections, but the military government refused to acknowledge the win.

With the 2010 elections nearing and Suu Kyi’s house arrest set to end in May, she is on trial again, this time after a man from Missouri (of all places) swam across the lake by her house and spent the night, breaking the terms of her house arrest. Both Suu Kyi and this man are currently on trial in Burma. Civil rights watchers say the arrest is suspicious given the upcoming elections.

Both Suu Kyi’s mother and father were public figures. When her mother died, at the same time the military regime was rising in Burma, Suu Kyi vowed to serve the Burmese people.

The big picture

We realize none of these elections really have anything to do with each other. It’s just interesting to think about political elections held in the United States where people don’t show up and juxtaposing that with places like Burma where any signs of democratic leanings are squashed and election results are simply ignored. In 1990, Suu Kyi’s party won the general election with 82% of the vote. There’s already fear that the next elections will be rigged so that the military junta will win.

Here comes Rachel Alexandra

Fri, 15 May 2009 06:59:31 -0800

We’re taking a break from hard news this week to focus on what’s just simply a good story—one that pairs well with one of the best-read New York Times articles of the week, about women bullying women in the workplace. Except this story has a better outcome.

When the gates burst open at the Preakness Stakes this Saturday in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the 13 horses—actually the one on the outside who drew the 13^th spot from the rail, will look a lot like the rest of the horses: well trained, fast as lightning, a winning record under the saddle.

Except that she’s a girl.

Here comes Rachel Alexandra

If you haven’t yet heard the name Rachel Alexandra, a 3-year-old filly, you may not be able to forget it after Saturday’s 135^th run of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown. This “super filly,” as some have called her, now is the favored horse in the race, with 8-5 odds. Owners of other horses that have run against her talk of “chasing” her down the track. She’s good.

She didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby a couple weeks ago but she did run the night before in the traditional girl’s race, the Kentucky Oaks. She tore up the field and won by more than 20 lengths. Watch the race here.

The drama

Since she won the Oaks, she’s been the center of a lot of drama. Her new owner within the last two weeks, Jess Jackson of Kendall-Jackson wines, decided he wanted to run her in the Preakness. Horses who are nominated before the Triple Crown challenge begins are given favored status as entrants, so Jackson paid a $100,000 supplement to have her entered.

But she still almost didn’t make it in the race. For one, the jockey who rode her to victory in the Oaks on May 1 then went on to win the Kentucky Derby the next day on Mine that Bird, a horse that went from last to first to win the race and has been the focus of much attention since his incredible win.

That jockey—Calvin Borel—decided if Rachel Alexandra ran the Preakness, he’d ride her. Of course Mine that Bird’s owners want Borel on their horse. So they nominated another horse to the lineup, and so did another owner, hoping to keep her out.

But then enter the two-legged lady. Horse ownerMarylou Whitney, along with her husband, said, “ladies first,” saying they would pull their horse Luv Guv if it meant Rachel Alexandra wouldn’t run. The other owners backed down, making room for the girl.

The big picture

The last time a girl ran the Preakness was 10 years ago, and she didn’t finish. Filly Rags to Riches won the Belmont, the last of the Triple Crown races, two years ago. But when it comes to the Triple Crown, it’s truly a boy’s sport. Since 1867, only 10 fillies have ever won one of the races, and none have won all three. In the same week that all this drama unfolded, the New York Times had a top-read story called “Backlash: Women Bullying Women,” which discussed how women’s progress in the workplace is often, strangely enough, impeded by other women. We thought it only fitting this week to show an example of female chivalry, in the story of Marylou Whitney and Rachel Alexandra. In the end, it took a girl to let a girl in.

Banking on Innovation

Fri, 08 May 2009 06:00:39 -0800

Seems like everywhere you turn these days, something needs money.

The U.S. says 10 of the big banks need a combined $75 billion on top of the billions they’ve already received. General Motors says it’s still burning through cash—about $110 million a day—and has until June 1 to avoid bankruptcy. California could need about $20 billion to close another budget gap, and the list goes on and on.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government isn’t asking for money but it certainly is busy spending it. On Thursday, President Obama revealed details of his proposed 2010 spending budget to the tune of $3.5 trillion. The budget does include 121 different spending cuts that amount to $17 billion.

Some of the cuts include money for hydrogen-fueled cars as electric cars gain momentum, and a $632,000-per-year educational attaché in France among others. Excuse me?

The Defense Department gets the most money in the new budget—$664 billion, and the Environmental Protection Agency gets the biggest boost, up 35%. Of all 11 agencies, Health and Human Services was the only one that saw a budget cut, by 2%. See breakdown.

Inside the budget and the White House, charity

Somewhere in this massive proposal is a request for $50 million to start the Social Innovation Fund to help some non-profits grow. Michelle Obama announced this tidbit on Monday in New York, at an event honoring the 100 most influential people as chosen by TIME Magazine.

The Obamas bring strong public service backgrounds to the White House—she was executive director of the non-profit Public Allies in Chicago; he was a community organizer. The family hosted a national day of service the day before taking office, and in April Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law. The act provides billions of dollars to grow AmeriCorp from 75,000 members to 250,000 strong by 2017. Michelle Obama has been volunteering since arriving in Washington, and recently caught flak for wearing expensive designer “tennis” shoes to a soup kitchen.

In her remarks about the new fund, Michelle Obama said, “The idea is simple: to find the most effective programs out there and then provide the capital needed to replicate their success in communities around the country that are facing similar challenges. By focusing on high-impact, result-oriented non-profits, we will ensure that government dollars are spent in a way that is effective, accountable and worthy of the public trust.” Read her full remarks.

The big picture

In general it was a big week for philanthropy. In addition to the Social Innovation Fund, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced $100,000 grants to 81 projects employing innovative strategies to improve health conditions in developing nations. And the Ford Foundation is said to be donating $50 million to a group that helps cities buy foreclosed homes. At a time when so many for-profit organizations are seeking a little charity, it’s nice to see that some money is going toward new ideas and people in need. Seems like some of those for-profit organizations might benefit from a little innovation too.

The female factor in Washington

Fri, 01 May 2009 06:51:47 -0800

The news swirled this week around everything from swine flu to Obama's 100th day in office to word that after 30 years as a Republican senator, Arlen Specter is now batting for the Democrats, and that Justice David Souter plans to retire after the Supreme Court’s session ends in June.

Specter’s move inches Democrats closer to filibuster-proof status in the Senate, and Souter’s departure will open an opportunity for a Democratic president to name a new justice for the first time in 15 years.

But quietly buried in all this louder news of sorts was a small, fleeting ceremony in Washington that caught our eye, one with historical and current significance.

The ceremony

On Tuesday, 159 years after the former slave and outspoken abolitionist Sojourner Truth delivered her famous "Ain't I a Woman" speech in 1851 at the Ohio Women's Convention, she became the first black woman to be honored with a permanent statue at the Capitol.

Born in 1797 as Isabella Baumfree, Truth changed her name after escaping from slavery (she walked away and did not run, she emphasized) and became a crusader on abolition and women's rights, and a published author.

The growing female power circle in Washington

Almost as significant as the unveiling was who did it—the first black first lady Michelle Obama, the first female Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the first serious female contender in a presidential race, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

On the same day as the unveiling, the Senate added another woman to Obama’s top team—former Kansas Governor Katherine Sebelius was confirmed as Health Secretary, making her the fourth female cabinet member. In addition to Clinton and Sebelius, former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano is Homeland Security chief, and former California congresswoman Hilda Solis is Labor Secretary. Three other women hold key appointments on his team.

The Senate sped up the Sebelius confirmation as swine flu news intensified, finalizing Obama's cabinet just one day before his 100th day. Sebelius is known as an insurance regulation expert--a key ingredient for an administration pushing universal health insurance. She supports abortion, which held up her confirmation process.

The big picture
In terms of the size and scope of the news this week, it was a big one. It was a major shakeup when Specter switched parties, and it’s a huge deal that Obama will choose a new Supreme Court Justice—especially as it’s widely expected that he’ll nominate a woman. But it’s important to not overlook the other events. It took 150 years to get a statue of a black woman in the Capitol. It took 150 years to elect a black man to the presidency after emancipation. And while a woman has yet to be president, if this growing circle of power women is any indication, hopefully that time is not too far off. In the meantime, we can’t wait to see what these women do.

The stress test

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:03:05 -0800

You’re going to be hearing a lot about “the stress tests” during the next week, so we’re explaining why.

First off, the stress tests are an analysis conducted by the government on how healthy the nation’s 19 largest banks would be if the economy worsened. The banks under review received TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) funds last year, in some cases up to $45 billion.

What’s happening?
On Friday the government will release details of the test methods used, and will reveal preliminary findings to each bank privately. Final, public results are expected on May 4.

Why are the stress tests so important?

The government says the stress tests will help determine: 1) if it’s ok for the banks to pay back the TARP money, or, 2) which banks may need more money to stay afloat. The banks will have until Tuesday to dispute the results.

The test results are important to the banks, some of whom would like to unload their TARP funds. Holding on to government money subjects them to potential restrictions on compensation and bonuses—something most banks want control of themselves. If the results reveal weakness, some worry that the government, which has shown a willingness to take shares in the banks, could require management changes like they did at General Motors.

The results will also likely be important to the markets, which are looking for signs of recovery in the financial sector.

How are the banks doing?

In the last two weeks several major banks reported that they made money in the first quarter of this year, giving some reason to feel encouraged that the industry is making headway toward stabilizing and pulling itself out of this quagmire.

The big picture

The stress tests are cause for stress between Washington and Wall Street. Banks want their autonomy and the government wants to ensure that the economy doesn’t collapse. Washington wants to know that there’s enough money at banks to keep loans flowing and avoid another freeze-up. But by refusing to take back TARP funds they maintain some power over the banks. You can bank on a battle once the results are released.

So..........we're twittering! We're posting links to interesting stories everyday on Twitter so you can keep up with us and the news through the week: www.twitter.com/discussiondivas

Women at risk

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:57:26 -0800

Like President Obama, we've been minding domestic affairs at the WeeklyDIVA while checking in on different parts of the world. Of course outside of the new dog Bo at the White House, the big domestic news this week was again mainly focused on the economy.

Otherwise, much of Obama's focus lately has been on international affairs, to include handling the recent hostage situation with modern-day pirates on the seas off of Somalia, while also making appearances around the world.

This week he traveled to Mexico where he urged the U.S. Senate to pass a stalled gun-trafficking treatythat could help stem border violence, and then headed to the Summit of the Americas, where 34 Western states (largely in North and South America) will meet to talk about global and economic issues on the tiny island of Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela. U.S.-Cuba relations are expected to be a center focus at this meeting. (Keep up with the meeting here.)

Staying on foreign affairs, there are a number of recent happenings affecting women in the Middle East, and that's where we're focusing this DIVA.

“We want our rights!”

We'll start in Afghanistan, where women marched this week demanding their rights and denouncing a new law that was signed recently by President Hamid Karzai that made it illegal for Shiite women to deny sex to her husband at least once every four days, or leave the house without his permission, among other things. The UN called it legalized rape and after much international pressures, good news: Karzai says thelaw will be repealed.

Sharia law

Meanwhile, in neighboring Pakistan, the video of apublic flogging of a 17-year-old girl by the Taliban has brought to light the horrific treatment women often face there and ignited public outrage over the situation. The Supreme Court there is investigating the incident, which took place in a region where the nation's president recently agreed to allow Sharia law, or traditional Islamic law, to exist in an effort to bring peace with the Taliban—a decision he’s been criticized for.

You can read more about Sharia law here, but it is essentially a strict legal code that provides for harsh repercussions for breaking the law (i.e., adultery), and women must be accompanied by a male relative at all times, fully covered, and aren't treated equally to men in many ways.

Another female journalist in jail

Finally, in a very different situation, but in a country where women's rights are also limited, a female Iranian-American journalist has been charged and tried with espionage. She's 31 years old, grew up in North Dakota, and worked for the BBC and NPR among other news organizations. She was originally picked up for buying wine earlier this year.

While a verdict is still to come, her trial comes during a key point in U.S.-Iran relations and there’s concern because she's being held at Evin prison where several detained journalists and bloggers have died, including a Canadian woman who was beaten to death in the prison.

And lastly, as we've written about before, North Korea is still holding two female Current TV journalists and plans to try them.

We'll wrap it up there for this week. See you next Friday.

Coming soon! We'll be debuting our first book reviews in the next week or so--we have two great summer reads for you!

New beginnings: Obamas mark Passover and Easter

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:30:58 -0800

On Thursday night the non-Jewish Obamas hosted what is thought to be the first Passover Seder dinner ever held at the White House. On Monday they will host the traditional White House Easter egg roll, one day after celebrating Easter. Between the two events they will have marked two very important holidays for two different religions, very publicly. Religion and the public life of politicians is always at issue, and seemingly much more intertwined in the United States than it is in Western Europe and many other developed nations. It’s no different for President Obama, who fought off whispers on the campaign trail that he is Muslim, who offended many supporters with his choice of the evangelical minister Rick Warren to deliver the prayer at his inauguration, and whose religious and non-religious beliefs are cause for headlines today.

A sampling of latest headlines on Obama and religion
Beyond following where the Obamas will celebrate Easter and hosting the Seder dinner, news networks are monitoring the Obamas search for a permanent church to worship in while living in Washington. They are said to have friends trying out different churches in the city.

Meanwhile, his pro-choice stance on abortion and support of stem-cell research is rattling some at the University of Notre Dame, where he is to give the commencement speech this spring. The Catholic Bishop whose territory includes Notre Dame won’t attend graduation in protest, some students are holding rallies on campus to show their disapproval of the invitation, and some alums have been critical. At the same time, he also has supporters on the campus and around the country.

Separately, speaking in Turkey earlier this week, Obama made it clear that the U.S. seeks a new and different relationship with the Muslim world, one based “upon mutual interest and mutual respect,” he said. In an important moment, he reminded the Turkish Parliament that some of his relatives are Muslim, drawing applause.

The big picture
Religion is one of those topics where it’s difficult to win—nobody will ever agree. And because religious life is so public with politicians in America, it often drives a lot of headlines. Interestingly, a recent survey says many Americans are feeling less religious. The number of people claiming no religion almost doubled to 15% between 1990 and 2008. Regardless, what Obama’s message seems to be is that it’s important to keep the dialogue open despite differences. By celebrating both the recent holidays, he seems again to underscore that message.

Have a good week!

Worldly thoughts: G20, climate talks, Arab Summit

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:55:23 -0800

From talks about climate change to the global financial crisis, there was a world of big events this week, quite literally. Here’s a quick wrap of the big ones and the key takeaways from each:

Climate Change Talks in Bonn, Germany

About 2,000 representatives from around the world gathered in Bonn, Germany to discuss global climate talks. Think of this as the meeting before the meeting before the meeting to decide how much is too much when it comes to global emissions. It’s a preparation meeting for another one at the end of the year—the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the international community aims to establish a global climate treaty.

Key takeaway: This meeting marks the return of the United States to the negotiating table on global emissions. The existing agreement—the Kyoto Protocol—was signed in 1997 but the U.S. ultimately refused to accept its terms because of a lack of mandatory emission levels placed on developing countries like China and India, among other issues, which essentially stalled talks.

The Obama team is now full steam ahead on reaching an agreement with the international community, and later this month will host talks with the top 17 economies that produce 80% of the world’s emissions. Their hope is to breathe new life into the negotiations and ultimately craft a new treaty at Copenhagen that reaches beyond emission levels and trading to increase the supply of clean energy, create financial incentives, and help fund technologies for developing countries.

Arab League Summit in Doha, Qatar

Keeping track of who's who and what's what at the Arab Summit in Doha, Qatar this week proved complicated: Iran's President was kept away so that Saudi Arabia would attend; Egypt’s president did not attend because of differences over Qatar's stance in the latest Israeli/Palestinian conflict (Qatar sided with the Palestinians, Egypt sided with Israel); and Syria's president talked of wanting peace with Israel while at the same time urging militants to keep up the resistance.

Key takeaway: The meeting of these oil-rich nations yielded little news as it was cut short from three days to one. The main outcome was a vote of solidarity for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the International War Crimes court for crimes against humanity in Darfur. Basically, the vote is a message to the global community that they consider the ICC to be meddling in affairs. Sudan has kicked out all aid groups from the country since the warrant was issued.

The G20 in London, England

Aside from all the protests against capitalism ahead of the G20 meeting, and the hubub surrounding Michelle Obama’s fashion choices and touching the Queen, the main ideas from the Group of 20 meeting addressed the global economic crisis.

Key takeaways:

1. More money for loans for poorer countries

Group of 20 members will make contributions to bring the International Monetary Fund’s coffers to over $1 trillion, giving it more room to lend money to countries suffering in the downturn. (Background: The IMF was created in 1944 as an international financial facilitator, helping to stabilize currency exchanges and to serve as a lender of last resort for countries needing money. Its 185 members fund it.)

With many of the world’s bigger economies suffering, their decreased buying power is taking a toll on smaller economies that rely heavily on them. The hope is that the IMF can fill in some holes.

2. More money to promote global trade

An additional $250 billion was set aside to finance trade around the world.

3. More regulations on financial institutions

The G20 came together on new rules for regulating hedge funds and lifting the veil of secrecy around tax shelters.

And that’s a wrap! We’ll see you next week.