On Monday, President Obama detailed his plan to get more credit and loan money into the hands of small business owners. How significant will this effort be? How much will it help business owners? What other help could business owners use when it comes to regulation or taxes? And what will keep consumers coming back in a tough economy? We ask Iowa Rep. Steve King, a member of the House Small Business Committee.
We’ve heard about the drug cartel-related violence throughout Mexico and its impact along our southern border. But the problem is far worse than we think? How far are Mexican cartels pushing drugs and drug-related violence into the U.S.? Why is there an explosion of drug-related violence now? What are U.S. authorities doing about it? Are you safe if you’re not mixed up in drugs or are there plenty of people getting caught in the crossfire? And what happens if the Mexican government falls? We ask Eve Conant, Washington Correspondent for Newsweek. Her article on the drug violence appears in the latest issue of the magazine.
As the U.S. Senate prepares to consider the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, why are many social conservatives worried? What is the Sebelius record in Kansas? Why do her critics say she takes positions on abortion far more radical than even most pro-choice politicians? What policies would foster the kind of unity on this issue that President Obama promised? And what should senators consider before voting on confirmation for Sebelius? We ask Lou Engle, founder of The Call, an effort to bring all Americans together in prayer for the United States.
We have Friday’s top news… What is President Obama asking from Americans as this economy remains in the tank? What is Obama’s top economic adviser blaming in part for this crisis? What worries China about our current economic mess? How is it impacting our trade deficit? What happened on Wall Street Friday? And what is the latest news in the protracted Minnesota senate recount? We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Friday, March 13, 2009.
Is the Obama administration really looking for another stimulus package? Why do they think the first one was insufficient? Why did Obama sign the earmark-infested spending bill this week when he campaigned against earmarks? How is the Obama team reacting to an F grade from economists in The Wall Street Journal? What does Obama want in his health care plan, which he says is vital for our economic future? How big of a backlash will he face in trying to install a cap and trade system that will jack up our energy bills? We ask Christina Bellantoni, White House Correspondent for The Washington Times.
On Monday, President Obama ordered much more federal funding into embryonic stem cell research. He says the research holds much promise, but what is the real record on embryonic stem cells to date? Why are adult stem cell therapies far more successful? Will the successful work in adult stem cells be hindered by more research money flowing into the work with embryos? And how soon could we see adult stem cell therapies if the work can continue on its present course? We ask Dr. Christian Depeau, one of the pioneers of adult stem cell research.
Why is North Korea planning to launch a rocket next month? Why is Japan threatening to shoot down the rocket if it feels endangered? Is North Korea still a major nuclear threat? What is its long-term goal? And what will be Obama administration position on North Korea? We ask Bruce Klingner, a CIA and DIA veteran who is now a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
We bring some levity at the end of the week by examining the options of the beleaguered auto industry. The song is “Help Me Honda” and our guest is Steps star and co-founder Elaina Newport.
We have Thursday’s top news…How is President Obama defending his stimulus plan to business leaders? What is he focusing on for long-term economic growth? How is Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner answering criticism of Obama’s huge budget for the next fiscal year? What did Republicans say in response? What happened to Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff in federal court today? What happened on Wall Street? And what is the Obama plan for the drug violence along the Mexican border? We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Thursday, March 12, 2009.
As Congressional Democrats take the first steps toward another massive stimulus bill, Louisiana Sen. David Vitter and Arizona Rep. John Shadegg are introducing their No-Cost Stimulus plan. How do they plan to raise huge revenues and create millions of jobs without spending another dime of your tax dollars? Why is energy production the answer? What specific steps do they believe would trigger that kind of economic boom? Will the Democrats go along with it? Will Democrats succeed in passing another huge spending bill? What should we make of the Obama budget blueprint? And can Republicans really do anything to stop the Democratic agenda? We ask Sen. David Vitter in this wide-ranging interview.
