Why should we brace for a bigger mortage mess in 2009 than we saw in 2008? Why are consumers paying off other bills and loans before meeting their mortgage payments? How tough is it for responsible people to get credit these days? And how bad will the mortgage mess get before it gets better? We ask Ezra Becker, principle consultant in the TransUnion Financial Services Group.
What do Arabs see as the proper terms for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas? What about areas of compromise for long-term peace agreements? How can any common ground be found when the Palestinian factions can’t even agree with each other? We ask Laila Al-Qatami, Communications Director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
We have Thursday’s top news…Will we see a major escalation of the Middle East war? Why is the UN stopping humanitarian aid in Gaza? What clues is Barack Obama offering about his upcoming economic stimulus package? What are Republicans saying about the plan? And what happened on Wall Street today? We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Thursday, January 8, 2009.
Much of Europe, especially eastern Europe, is headed for a deep freeze now that Russia has ceased its delivery of natural gas to the continent through Ukraine. So how much of Europe is affected by this loss of heating fuel? How long could it last? Why is it happening? And how long could it last? We ask Ilan Berman, Vice President for Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council.
Reports on Monday confirm that Barack Obama will nominate former Clinton chief-of-staff Leon Panetta to be the next director of the CIA and retired Navy Adm. Dennis Blair to be the next Director of National Intelligence. So what are the track records of these two figures in the intelligence arena? What should be their top priorities if confirmed? And what is the biggest challenge for the intelligence community? We ask former CIA officer Larry Johnson, who also served as deputy director for the State Department’s Office of Counterterrorism.
Will income tax credits for millions of individual couples spark the economy? How about temporary business tax breaks and giving small businesses the chance to double their write-offs? Does this show fiscal sensibility on the part of the incoming Obama administration or are they completely overlooking the best way to trigger an economic recovery? We ask Georgia Rep. Tom Price, a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
Before you finish your Christmas shopping list, don’t forget to send some Christmas cheer to our amazing men and women in uniform. Move America Forward is spearheading “Honoring Heroes at the Holidays”. So how can you contribute to the care packages being sent to Iraq, Afghanistan and elswhere? How easy is it to do? What does your generosity mean to the service members who receive your gift? We ask Debbie Lee, mother of the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq who is working with the “Honoring Heroes at the Holidays” movement.
As Barack Obama announces former Sen. Tom Daschle as his choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services, what kind of health care reform do they intend to pursue? Are you ready for a Federal Reserve-type institution to be created to run health care policy? And what kind of pricetag are taxpayers looking at to provide additional coverage? We ask Amy Menefee, Director of Communications for the Galen Institute.
What should we make of the plan to give emergency taxpayer aid to General Motors and Chrysler? Why is Ford so confident some eventual credit from the government is all it will need to return to profitability? How does it compete with the foreign automakers which have much lower labor and legacy costs? And what should be expected in this congressional debate? We ask Joe Hinrichs, Group Vice President for Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs at the Ford Motor Company.
We have Monday’s biggest stories! What is the state of the auto industry rescue debate? Which company’s CEO should resign according to a key U.S. Senator? What is the latest group in Washington with their hands out for taxpayer money? What is Barack Obama’s take on the auto industry crisis? How did the markets fare on Monday? What is the latest legal move at Guantanamo for 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed? We answer all of these questions as we cover the biggest stories for Monday, December 8, 2008.
