The economy adds many new jobs but the unemployment rate rises too. Wall Street was more calm on Friday but still down. Greek debt crisis still spooks investors, but Obama says help is on the way. No British party wins a majority in parliament, triggering the first coalition government in decades. All three Navy SEALs are now exonerated for their handling of an Iraqi terrorist. Out of wedlock births skyrocketing in the U.S. And we mark a momumental anniversary.
A bad stretch on Wall Street briefly descended into sheer chaos on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial average plummeted nearly 1,000 points before gaining much of it back. So why were investors on edge to begin with? How will Thursday’s problems be resolved? How will the Greek debt crisis impact the markets? And will the jobs report have much of an impact in the days ahead? We ask Forbes magazine executive editor Neil Weinberg.
British voters delivered a strong rebuke to the ruling Labour Party on Thursday, but while the Conservatives won the most seats, they did not win a majority. How big of a disappointment is this for the Tories? Will the party be able to find help in taking control of parliament? When will all of this get sorted out? And what role will Queen Elizabeth II have in this process? We ask Amanda Bowman, CEO of Atlantic Bridge and close ally of MP Liam Fox, who may be the next secretary of defense.
The Capitol Steps provide a double feature today as they wonder how Gulf Coast residents feel about the return of FEMA and speculate about why North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il visits China. Our guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.
The Department of Labor reports 290,000 jobs were created in April but the overall unemployment rate actually rose to 9.9 percent. So how encouraging are the additional jobs? What should the numbers look like now that the economy has grown substantially for the past two quarters? What is the ‘real’ unemployment rate when factoring in part-time workers who would like to be full-time and those who have given hopes of finding work? How will the new health care laws stifle job creation? And how does the immigration debate influence the jobs picture? We ask Diana Furchtgott-Roth, former chief economist at the Department of Labor and former chief of staff for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers.
John Gizzi of Human events tackles the week’s biggest issues. Why does he see the latest terror threat more as luck than good government prevention? How will the politics of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill play out? How will the Greek debt crisis impact the U.S.? Which party will win the British parliamentary elections? Did David Obey retire from Congress on his own terms or because he thought he would lose? And which veteran Dems might follow his lead?
Thursday is the National Day of Prayer, an event proclaimed by the government for generations. But as hostility towards people of faith intensifies and a federal judge even declares the day unconstitutional, what should we really know about the founding fathers and their beliefs? How important was faith in the public square to the likes of George Washington and John Adams? What about supposed deists like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson? What have presidents had to say about faith throughout our history? How did the movement to stifle religious expression gain momentum? And how vital is it for the American people to pray for our nation? We ask Mathew Staver, chairman and founder of Liberty Counsel, a leading defender of religious freedom.
Last week, the House of Representatives approved legislation calling for a non-binding vote of Puerto Ricans on the issue of statehood. Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz is leading the fight against the bill. Why is he concerned? Why would voters on the mainland be allowed to vote on Puerto Rican statehood? How have Puerto Ricans voted in the past? What’s the real reason for this push? How are supporters using a convoluted process to accomplish their goals? And what happens next? We ask Rep. Chaffetz.
Election Day has arrived in the United Kingdom. The majority Labour party is fighting furiously to keep control of parliament, Conservatives are confident they will return to power for the first time in 13 years and the upstart Liberal Democrats threaten to throw everything into chaos. So which party has the momentum? Why is the public so upset with Labour? Will any party win a majority or will it take a coalition to rule? We ask former British diplomat Jonathan Clark, now a senior fellow with the Carnegie Council.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey announces he will not seek re-election, California Rep. Dan Lungren rips terrorism interrogation and prosecution policies. Greek debt could begin devastating domino effect in Europe. Baseball legend Ernie Harwell dies.
