Monday, June 29 2009

This Week's Agenda with Marcus Mabry and Jonathan Marcus

In this week's agenda segment: U.S. troops pull out of key Iraqi towns and cities, Bernie Madoff is sentenced to prison, the Supreme Court holds its last session before break and monthly unemployment numbers are out. For analysis, The Takeaway talks to Marcus Mabry, International Business Editor of The New York Times and Jonathan Marcus, Diplomatic Correspondent for the BBC.

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Spend or Save? The Paradox of Thrift

New figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce show that in May, Americans saved more of their income than they have since 1993. But the only way to get a floundering economy to pick up is for people to spend their money rather than hold onto it. Wall Street Journal Reporter Kelly Evans talks to The Takeaway about this paradox of thrift.

"Having more of that money in the U.S. available for businesses to invest and to be loaned back out reduces our dependence on other sources of that income, particularly foreign sources of that borrowing that's also been part of the boom."
— Kelly Evans on the importance of spending

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Iraq: Ready for the U.S. Troop Reduction?

The U.S. military is scheduled to stop patrolling Iraq’s cities under a planned agreement with the Iraqi government. Big questions remain about whether or not Iraqi forces can cope on the ground, particularly in light of the increase in violence in recent weeks. The New York Times Baghdad Bureau Chief, Alissa Rubin, joins The Takeaway, along with Don Gomez, an Iraqi War vet who served two tours of duty there in 2003 and 2005.

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Moonwalking in Baghdad: Iraqis and Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s death last Thursday dominated nearly every single media outlet in the U.S. This non-stop coverage irritated people who wanted to hear news about two ongoing wars involving American troops, unrest in Iran or any other topic. Did the media overdo it? Or did Iraqis care about Michael Jackson, too? Joining The Takeaway is Don Gomez, an Iraq War Veteran and Spokesperson for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

"To capture our attention, they'd start moonwalking in front of us just to make us look at them. It was kind of a goofy thing to see, but it's Michael Jackson."
— Iraq veteran Don Gomez on Michael Jackson's influence in the Middle East

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Andy Borowitz: How Madoff Can Survive in Prison

When comedian Andy Borowitz read that Bernard Madoff’s relatives were looking for a guide to help Bernie survive life in prison, he jumped at the chance to help the disgraced billionaire. He wrote a book called “Who Moved My Soap: The CEO’s Guide to Surviving in Prison.” Borowitz joins The Takeaway with a few helpful hints for Madoff’s time on the inside.

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Environment: Climate Bill Narrowly Passes in Congress

It was down to the wire on Friday night when the House passed a bill to curb global warming. It took eight Republicans to tip the balance in the Democrats’ favor. One report said Capitol phones were at capacity with so much last-minute jockeying between Congress members. Joining the show is The Takeaway's Washington Correspondent Todd Zwillich to explain details of the bill.

"[Liberals] don't want cap and trade. They want cap. Then if you're a polluter, you pay for the right to pollute. And that's not really what this bill does at first."
— Todd Zwillich on the new climate bill

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How Are Airport Stimulus Funds Being Spent?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has nearly finished awarding $1 billion in stimulus funds to cities and towns across the country to improve airports. Even though the agency has urged 11 of the country’s 30 busiest hubs to drastically improve safety standards on runways, that isn’t where the money went. Joining The Takeaway are two investigative reporters who have been following the stimulus money: Mike Grabell from ProPublica, The Takeaway partner in the Shovelwatch project, tracking and reporting on stimulus spending; also on the show is Sharyl Atkinson of CBS News who reported with Michael about the airports' stimulus funds.

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Madoff's Victims Speak Out

Bernie Madoff could spend the rest of his life in prison after his sentencing this morning. Joining The Takeaway are two victims who were financially wiped out by Madoff: Carol Baer, the owner of Popover Café in New York City, and Cynthia Crane, a Cabaret singer.

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Swine Flu Cases in U.S. Hit 1 Million

The Center for Disease Control said on Friday that at least one million people in the U.S. have contracted the H1N1 virus known as swine flu. The Takeaway is talking to Donald McNeil, a science and health reporter for The New York Times who has been following the outbreak of H1N1 from the beginning. Zoom out on the image below to see a map of the U.S. as a whole.

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All is Forgiven? New Student Loan Repayment Plan

Roughly 50 percent of all college graduates leave school with what can be years' of student loan debt. But relief is in sight. On July 1, a new income-based repayment plan goes into effect. For a look at who is eligible for this financial lifeline, The Takeaway is joined by personal finance expert Beth Kobliner. She is the author of The New York Times best-seller "Get a Financial Life." Also joining the show are two people who are saddled with student loan debt. Austin Light is a journalist who shares over $100,000 of debt with his wife. He joins us from Charlotte, North Carolina. Colleen Hansford joins The Takeaway form Colorado Springs. As a single mother of three, she is struggling to scale down the $66,000 in debt that she’s incurred.

Go to the Income Based Repayment site IBRinfo to get more information about this repayment plan.

"After 25 years, the government forgives all your debt."
— Beth Kobliner on income-based repayment of student loans

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