Why are Americans increasingly pessimistic about the future of our economy and their own economic conditions? How does that pessimism impact the performance of our economy? Why are attitudes about our economy still framed by one’s political affiliations? And how confident should we be in the Obama administration’s plans to use the remainder of the Wall Street bailout funds? We ask Terry Jones, associate editor at Investor’s Business Daily.
Florida’s Republican Gov. Charlie Crist introduced President Obama at today’s town hall event on the economy in the Sunshine State. But is Crist just in the spirit of bipartisanship or does Florida hope for some major dollars in the stimulus plan? What program has the Florida government seeing nightmares? What do officials there want from Washington? What’s the best fix for the problem? We ask Eli Lehrer, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Insurance Project.
On Monday, New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids, between 2001-2003. How big of a blow is this to the integrity and popularity of baseball? What does it mean for A-Rod’s place in history? Should he and others under the steroid cloud lose postseason awards won during years they broke the rules? And should we learn who else tested positive in these secret tests back in 2003? We ask Phil Wood, co-host of ‘Talkin’ Baseball” on the Radio America network. He’s also an analyst for Washington Nationals baseball on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.
We have Monday’s top news…What was the Senate vote this evening on ending a Republican filibuster attempt? What message did President Obama have in pushing for the stimulus plan Monday in Indiana? Why are most Republicans refusing to support the plan? What part of the Senate compromise is not sitting well with Obama? How popular is the stimulus plan with the public? What made this the deadliest day of the year for U.S. forces in Iraq? Why does a prominent Democratic senator want to create a Truth Commission? What did Yankees star Alex Rodriguez say today in response to allegations he tested positive for steroids in 2003? And what happened today on Wall Street? We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Monday, February 9, 2009.
The economic stimulus plan calls for $125 billion in spending for America’s schools. But where exactly will the money go? Why is the largest recipient of the money likely to make bad decisions with it? Will the quality of education improve for your kids? What would be the best ways to allocate this money for our schools? We ask Jay Greene, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and professor of education at the University of Arkansas.
On Tuesday, Israeli voters will choose their next prime minister. Former leader Benjamin Netanyahu is locked in a tight race with Tzipi Livni, the standard bearer for the incumbent Kadima party. So what are the main messages from these candidates? How has the recent fighting in Gaza impacted the race? And how much is the unpopularity of the previous prime minister likely to influence the vote? We ask Josh Goodman, director of research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
The U.S. Senate is moving the stimulus debate forward and President Obama will probably have a final version on his desk in a number of days. But will this plan stimulate the economy? What is the real track record of government spending and expansion on the economy? What is the track record of tax cuts? What would happen if there were no stimulus plan at all? And what will happen with the economy this year, regardless of any stimulus plan? We ask Brian Wesbury, former chief economist for the Joint Economic Committee of Congress.
We normally think of terrorist training camps being conducted in remote areas in distant countries. But we now have evidence compiled by the Justice Department that as many as 35 terrorist training camps right here in the U.S. What group is sponsoring these camps? What violent acts has it already committed? What are trainees being taught? Where are these camps? Why isn’t the government cracking down? We ask these questions and more to Ryan Mauro, terrorism analyst for the Christian Action Network, which uncovered the Justice Department report and a training video from these radical camps.
We have Friday’s top news…What deal have Senators reached to pass a compromise version of an economic stimulus bill? How did the new unemployment numbers add urgency to this debate? What’s the new plan for how to spend the rest of the TARP money? What happened on Wall Street Friday? What was President Obama explaining to families of 9-11 victims and those killed in the USS Cole attack? And what horrific story is behind an abortion doctor being punished in Florida? We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Friday, February 6, 2008.
How will huge job losses impact the ability of Americans to meet their mortgage payments? How weak is the housing market right now? What does that mean in terms of finding bargains? Why should people consider buying a home when job security is shaky these days? Should the stimulus package address the housing crisis? How should it be addressed? What else ahould be included in the stimulus plan? We ask Dr. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. Dr. Yun was named one of the nation’s top three economists by USA TODAY.
