Radio America Online News Bureau

We have Wednesday’s top news… What kind of caps is President Obama placing on firms that receive bailout money?  What is the purpose of this order?  What is Obama’s approach for a final stimulus bill?  Why do Republicans say the current version is unacceptable and who do they blame for that?  What happens now that Obama has signed S-CHIP expansion into law?  Is this just the tip of the iceberg in terms of government involvement in health care?  And what happened on Wall Street today?  We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Wednesday, February 4, 2009.

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On Wednesday, President Obama announced that executives of companies receiving taxpayer assistance through the TARP (or bailout) funds will have their salaries capped at $500,000 until the government is repaid the TARP loans.  Is this a way of promoting responsible use of taxpayer funds or guaranteeing the flight of top-level talent of executives to firms not saddled by Obama’s restrictions?  How are Wall Street firms reacting to this move?  Is this the start of even more government intrusion into the free market?  We ask Jack Gage, associate editor at Forbes magazine.  We also get Jack’s insights on the merits of the current economic stimulus plan before Congress, as well as the Republican alternative.

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Is the current economic stimulus plan a costly but necessary path to restoring our economic health?  Or is it just a massive pork plan designed to give away big bucks to political allies of the Democratic Congress and the new administration?  What if anything is good in the plan?  When will the provisions actually kick in?  And is the Republican plan much better?  We ask Dr. Tom Borelli, director of the Free Enterprise Project at the National Center for Public Policy Research.

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President Obama has made an early effort in his administration to ‘reach out’ to the Muslim world.  Why do some of his comments suggest a radically revisionist look at recent history and a soft posture against our enemies in the war on terror?  What have we learned about his overtures to Iran?  And is Obama really trying to cut a deal with Al Qaeda?  We ask Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy.  He is also a former Assistant Secretary of Defense.

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As the nation’s capital gets ready for a major auto show over the next four days, we check in with another of the Big Three to find out what its plan is to emerge from this industry crisis and survive and thrive in the years ahead. How important is the electrification of vehicles for the future of Ford? how are consumers reacting to these changes? Will greater fuel economy mean less safe materials in constructing our cars and trucks? And what kind of sales year is Ford projecting after a dismal performance in January? We ask Nancy Gioia, director of Sustained Mobility Technology at the Ford Motor Company.

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We have Tuesday’s top news…What are Senate Republicans, including John McCain, offering as an alternative to the massive stimulus plan being pushed by Democrats?  What do poll numbers suggest about shifting public opinion on the stimulus debate?  What are the Obama administration and congressional figures saying about Tom Daschle’s decision to withdraw as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services?  Who else is withdrawing from the Obama administration over tax issues?  Why is Obama picking Republican Judd Gregg as Commerce Secretary?  Why did Gregg accept the job?  What kind of sales report did we get from the major automakers on tuesday?  And what happened on Wall Street?  We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, February 3, 2009.

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On Tuesday, tax troubles scuttled the nomination of Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Tom Daschle.  Did Daschle bow out on his own or was he pushed by a White House reeling from cabinet selection controversies?  Why did Obama select Republican New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg to be Secretary of Commerce?  Will Gregg have a major seat at the table or be a faint voice in the background?  And who is Nancy Killefer – the other Obama nominee to bow out on Tuesday?  We ask Christina Bellantoni, White House Correspondent for The Washington Times.

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How much would the current economic stimulus plan actually stimulate the economy? What seems to be the philosophy behind the Democratic version of this plan? How real is the threat of major inflation if this plan is approved? Are Republicans smart to focus on fixing the housing crisis or does their ‘solution’ just repeat the original problem? What steps would stimulate the economy? Which tax cuts would do the most good? And should we pass a bill ASAP or would waiting a little while be a good idea? We ask Scott Hodge, president of The Tax Foundation.

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Open Doors USA has released its annual World Watch List – the ranking of the world’s worst persecutors of Christians.  Which countries are at the top?  Is persecution on the rise or on the decline overall?  Which democracy is becoming far worse for Christians?  And which communist nation is improving?  We ask Jerry Dykstra, media relations director at Open Doors USA, an organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted Christian church.

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This week, the nation’s capital will host a major auto show.  For the nation’s struggling automakers, this is a major opportunity to demonstrate viability and new products that will appeal to consumers and lead the way forward for the industry in the 21st century.  So what new vehicles show the industry is getting the message and changing in the right way?  Will it need more taxpayer help to stay alive?  Will the possibility of new emissions standards in some states crank up production costs to a dangerous level?  And what is the financial story for Chevrolet – one of key components of General Motors?  We ask Ed Peper, vice president of Chevrolet.

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