Radio America Online News Bureau

The Washington Times is reporting that estimates for government revenue through the Cap and Trade program in President Obama’s budget could well triple the $646 billion figure quoted in the budget blueprint.  That means energy producers and industry could be paying Uncle Sam close to $2 trillion over eight years.  How will this work?  And why does this plan and others like it mean serious increases in your energy bills?  We ask Dan Simmons, Director of State Affairs at the Institute for Energy Research.

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Are members of Congress more interested in showing the American people how angry they are at AIG’s $165 million in taxpayer-funded bonuses or actually getting to the bottom of the problem?  What sort of legislation could be on the House floor as soon as Thursday to address the AIG issue?  Are the calls for Tim Geithner’s resignation having any impact?  We ask Roll Call staff writer Jennifer Bendery.

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls immigration raids “un-American” because they separate families.  She also says enforcement of existing immigration laws needs to be handled much differently.  So how should we interpret Pelosi’s comments?  What is the economic impact of the government’s failure to enforce the immigration laws?  What is the future of the e-verify program that confirms workers are here legally?  And could we be looking at an amnesty bill by this summer?  We ask Roy Beck, executive director of Numbers USA.

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We have Tuesday’s top news…What are Republicans and Democrats in Congress saying about AIG doling out $165 million in executive bonuses? Why will tomorrow bring huge fireworks for AIG on Capitol Hill? How is President Obama defending his $3.6 trillion budget plan? What happened on Wall Street Tuesday? What are lawmakers saying about the infusion of drug-related violence coming across the border from Mexico? We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, March 17, 2009.

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Official Washington is aghast that insurance giant AIG spent $165 million of its $170 billion in bailout money on executive bonuses.  Is this justified outrage at wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars or much ado about very little since the bonuses make up less than one tenth of one percent of the bailout money?  Is spending money on retaining key executives a worthwhile investment?  What should lawmakers have done differently in setting up the Wall Street bailout?  Will AIG be prevented from failing?  How will it recover in the long term?  We ask Neil Weinberg, executive editor at Forbes magazine.

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In his new budget proposal, President Obama says he wants private insurance companies to reimburse the government for any treatment for a disabled disabled veteran who has a private insurance policy.  Why is Obama doing this?  Why is the American Legion outraged?  What will happen to the cost of private insurance premiums for veterans, their families and their employers?  And what is the fate of this policy on Capitol Hill?  We ask Craig Roberts, spokesman for the American Legion.

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How close did a four-inch piece of space debris come to colliding with the International Space Station?  How much damage could be done by a piece that size or even smaller?  Is this a common threat to the space station?  What is the focal point of the current space shuttle mission to the station?  And what kind of space walks are scheduled?  We ask Bill Jeffs, a NASA spokesman at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

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On Tuesday, President Obama defended the contents and the $3.6 trillion price tag.  But what do you need to know about the plans in this budget?  How much will your energy bills skyrocket because of Obama’s ‘cap and trade’ system designed to curb carbon emissions?  Is Obama right in continually blaming the Bush administration for our nation’s fiscal woes and failures to address energy and health care reform?  And what rights will workers lose if the union-backed card check bill is approved?  We ask South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee.

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We have more of Monday’s top news!  What do prosecutors want now from admitted Wall Street swindler Bernard Madoff?  What happened Monday on Wall Street?  What tough words does former Vice President Dick Cheney have for the Obama administration on the economy and the war on terror?  Why did the U.S. shoot down an Iranian drone in Iraq?  What troubling conclusion is at the heart of a new report about the number of HIV/AIDS cases here in Washington?  We answer all of those questions as we bring you extended coverage of Monday’s top news.

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We have Monday’s top news…What is President Obama doing to assist small businesses?  What does he see as the greatest hindrance to small businesses right now?  What tax incentive is he including in his budget to help small business owners?  What is the small business community saying about this plan?  What is Obama’s reaction to AIG shelling out $165 million in executive bonuses with taxpayer money?  We answer those questions as we bring you the biggest stories for Monday, March 16, 2009.

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