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Surgeon General Nominee Could Change Face of Position
Since his inauguration in January, President Obama has not had the obstacle-free path he likely hoped for with his Cabinet nominees. From Tom Daschle to Judd Gregg, a roadblock always seemed to appear with one of the president’s choices.
When it came to Surgeon General, the story was much of the same. Obama reportedly wanted CNN’s Sanjay Gupta to take the job. The problem? Gupta didn’t want it.
Surgeon General nominee Regina Benjamin
Now, seven months into his presidency, Obama has made his choice for Surgeon General, in a decision that, it seems, will have more repercussions – mostly involving public exposure – than are usually associated with the office in question.
Jeffrey Levin, the Executive Director of Trust for America’s Health, said that Obama’s delay in making a choice was largely unimportant, and that the focus …
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The Banks are Back in Town, Part II
Yesterday, I wrote about the apparent resurgence of JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, two of the leaders of the pre-recession financial world. Today, news about two more large banks, albeit less prominent ones in the investment world:
Citigroup and Bank of America both recently announced large profits – like Goldman and JPMorgan – but experts have voiced doubts as to what these profits actually mean.
The banks, which earned $4.3 billion and $3.2 billion profits in the second quarter, respectively, directly and indirectly benefited from prodigious injections of government money, but have yet to pay back the billions of dollars lent to them.
According to the New York Times, the CEOs of both banks urged caution and patience, as “the second half of the year would be tougher than the first.”
The Times suggested that the banks’ close ties to everyday loans could hurt them as unemployment climbs and citizens find …
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Races in New Jersey and Virginia Heat Up
With a host of contentious governor’s races heating up in anticipation of next year’s elections, President Obama has started campaigning for the Democratic candidates. On Thursday, he stopped by New Jersey to voice his support for incumbent Governor Jon Corzine, who is locked in a tight race with former US Attorney General for New Jersey Republican Chris Christie.
Virginia is home to another one of the tight races, which pits State Senator Democrat Creigh Deeds against Republican Robert McDonnell, Virginia’s former attorney general. Obama has voiced his support for Deeds, but as in New Jersey, it seems the race will be closer than the president likely wants.
Pundits have recently speculated that since soon-to-be-former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has expressed interest in making a difference outside of her elected office, she would be spending time in Virginia and New Jersey in the upcoming months campaigning for McDonnell and Christie, respectively.
But even …
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The Banks are Back in Town
With JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs both reporting large profits in the latest quarter, the future of banking may not be as bleak as it once seemed.
JPMorgan, with a $2.7 billion profit, was behind Goldman, which finished with a $3.4 billion profit. The banks seem to once again be booming after the country’s financial crisis all but shut them down.
The last year notoriously sent college seniors scurrying for non-traditional jobs, and prospective bankers were left without potential employers. But does the resurgence of these banks make life easier for finance-oriented college and high school students?
Obviously, the answer is unclear, but with Goldman announcing that it would be paying each of its employees what amounts to $770,000 per year – on average – the companies appear to have money for hiring.
The executives at banks like Goldman and JPMorgan were often vilified during the worst of the recession (so far), with Rolling …
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More on Mark Sanford. Seriously.
As if the American people hadn’t heard enough about South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, he now seems to be missing out on state functions yet again.
Whereas before, Sanford disappeared without notice to see his lover in Buenos Aires, this time he canceled a meeting with an economic adviser in order to take a trip with his wife Jenny, who has not taken kindly to the Senator’s recently-announced affair.
The future of the South Carolina governor’s office seems less clear now than before. After admitting the affair, Sanford publicly vowed to get back to governing the state, but now he is taking “personal” time away from the office.
Republican State Senator Larry Martin, for one, said he understood that Sanford has issues to patch up, but still told the Associated Press that South Carolina would be better served without Sanford:
I think his preoccupation with his personal life right now
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