In Washington on March 8, 2010, US President Barack Obama and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou met and discussed economic issues concerning Greece’s attempts to surmount a severe debt crisis. The Prime Minister arrived in Washington after visits to France and Germany as part of efforts to generate support for his economically crippled nation.

In his initial address to the public during his arrival, Papandreou called on the U.S. to clear out on speculators submitting to reports that some US funds have placed big bets against the euro currency. The European monetary unit has come under market pressure since it was revealed that Greece’s public debts have increased to €300 billion, or $408 billion, over its yearly financial output.

Papandreou revealed that the consequences of any speculative attacks on the euro would also be damaging to the United States. The Prime Minister said that both nations must proclaim that “enough is enough” to parties that constantly focus only on instant returns without considering the effects on the larger economic front, specifically on issues relating to foreclosed homes and job loss.

PM Papandreou met with President Obama at the Oval Office on March 9. Economic issues took the spotlight during their meeting.

Papandreou is doubtful to request for financial assistance from the United States although his Socialist government has proposed it could petition to the International Monetary Fund for help if they are snubbed by the European Union.

After talks with the Greek leader on March 8th, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed that neither the prime minister nor the country has requested anything from the United States. Clinton further said that Papandreou wished for the United States to petition for economic reforms in the emerging nations.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on the other hand, assured the Greek leader that the United States will stand by Greece in its most critical period.

As the global economic recession is believed to have finally met its end, the United States economy has grown at its fastest pace in the fourth quarter of 2009 as most businesses aggressively boosted their spending and held on to their inventories longer. This growth in the country’s Gross Domestic Product or GDP has pleasantly surprised many economists.

The growth was also seen as a positive sign that the economy is headed in the right direction and is moving towards sustainable growth before the government stimulus budget dry out. On Friday, January 29, 2010, the US Commerce Department revealed that the GDP expanded at a 5.7% annual rate. It was a good and strong ending for 2009, which saw the US economy shrink by 2.4%, its worst recession since after the Second World War.

According to Stuart Hoffman of the PNC Financial Services Group based in Pittsburgh, the information shows that the change from government stimulus to private sector is important for the country’s economic expansion.

The growth is primarily a result of many companies significantly lowering their inventory turnover, which is still not the way that many observers would have wanted the growth to occur. Many analysts wanted an upsurge in demand, but several of them still think that the news is very good for the country.

Getting the economy stable again after being rocked by the worst recession since the Great Depression has been one of the main agenda points for the Obama administration since he took over the White House in January of 2009. In his first State of the Union Address, President Obama again stressed the administration’s efforts in creating jobs and further nurturing the US economy.

As a result of this positive news, US stocks rallied in the opening of the stock markets, but dwindled and struggled at the end with the news of credit troubles in Europe greatly affecting the market surge. Despite this, the US dollar rose against other major currencies upon closing on Friday.

The government released its job report for January on Friday, February 5th 2010.

According to the official White House blog, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama travelled to Killeen, Texas on Veteran’s Day where they met with families of the fallen soldiers from the Fort Hood tragedy that occurred Nov. 5.

Here are some excerpts from the President’s speech.

“We come together filled with sorrow for the thirteen Americans that we have lost; with gratitude for the lives that they led; and with a determination to honor them through the work we carry on.

This is a time of war. And yet these Americans did not die on a foreign field of battle. They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great American community. It is this fact that makes the tragedy even more painful and even more incomprehensible.

For those families who have lost a loved one, no words can fill the void that has been left. We knew these men and women as soldiers and caregivers. You knew them as mothers and fathers; sons and daughters; sisters and brothers.

But here is what you must also know: your loved ones endure through the life of our nation. Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life’s work is our security, and the freedom that we too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – that is their legacy.

Neither this country – nor the values that we were founded upon – could exist without men and women like these thirteen Americans. And that is why we must pay tribute to their stories.”

Photos from the event can be found here. Watch the speech here.

Vice President Joe Biden released the following statement after the Nov. 5 attack.

“Jill and I join the President and Michelle in expressing our sympathies to the families of the brave soldiers who fell today. We are all praying for those who were wounded and hoping for their full and speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the entire Fort Hood community as they deal with this senseless tragedy.”

During a White House gathering of representatives of nonprofit programs all around the U.S., President Barack Obama praised grassroots organizations for a job well done and vowed governmental support for their efforts.

“Solutions to America’s challenges are being developed every day at the grassroots. And government shouldn’t be supplanting those efforts, it should be supporting those efforts,” Obama told over 100 members of the nonprofit community.

Obama made these remarks after the project presentations of four nonprofits – Bonnie CLAC (Car Loans and Counseling), a New Hampshire organization that helps people own fuel-efficient, reliable and low-cost vehicles; Harlem Children’s Zone, which helps children acquire a good education; Genesys Works, a Houston-based nonprofit that trains and assists low-income high school students get entry-level work in major corporations; and HopeLab, a California program that helps chronically ill young people.

Obama called on big business, foundations and philanthropists to become involved in what he calls a “new kind of partnership between government and the nonprofit sector.”

“If we work together, if we go all-in here, think about the difference we can make,” the President added.

He pledged his administration’s support for grassroots initiatives, citing two examples that have already been included in the economic stimulus package: the $650-million “What Works” fund launched by the Education Department that will be invested in high schools and communities; and a new project by the Health and Human Services Department that will send nurses and health care professionals to provide services to troubled homes.

Mr. Obama has recently signed into law a $50-million Social Innovation Fund which is managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This fund will provide financial support to community nonprofit organizations. He announced that White House officials, led by domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes, will comb the country in search of the “the most promising nonprofits in America” that will be awarded grants.

A February 18, 2009 article from Reuters reported President Barack Obama’s plan to solve America’s housing crisis as a part of his serious initiative to revive the nation’s economy. The President pledged up to $275 billion as assistance to at least nine million American families. These families will be given the chance to restructure or refinance their mortgages to avert foreclosures.

The home mortgage crisis is a major factor in the economic meltdown. Numerous American homeowners are burdened with home mortgages they are unable to pay, subjecting their homes to foreclosure. In fact, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, just over 9% of all home loans in the United States were in arrears or in foreclosure at the end of 2008. Moreover, Credit Suisse reported that 16% of all households with mortgages could end up facing foreclosure by 2012 – that is equivalent to a total of 8.1 million homes in the United States.

In a speech addressed to an attentive audience in Mesa, Arizona, President Barack Obama articulated the interconnection of the housing crisis, the financial crisis, and the even broader economic crisis.

Another article, this one from The New York Times, revealed that the housing plan comprises three parts. The first component seeks to aid homeowners who are up-to-date on their payments but are paying high interest rates and have no way of refinancing due to insufficient equity in their homes.

The second part would provide incentives to lenders who would change the loan terms to make them affordable for the straining borrowers, thus helping around four million people who are at risk of foreclosure. To make this possible, a $75 billion program will be created to subsidize loan modifications that allow a reduction of the household’s monthly payment to as low as 31% of the family’s gross monthly income.

The last part would consist of $200 billion worth of additional financial backing to government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae was created to buy mortgages from approved mortgage sellers, securitize them, and sell the resulting mortgage-backed security to investors in the secondary mortgage market with a guarantee that principal and interest payments are appropriately passed over to the investor. Freddie Mac was established to expand the secondary market for mortgages in the United States. Freddie Mac purchases mortgages on the secondary market, pools them, and sells them as mortgage-backed securities to investors on the open market. By buying mortgages, both GSEs provide banking and other institutions ensure that funds are constantly available so buyers can make new loans.

With this plan, as much as five million homeowners who are still making payments but cannot qualify for conventional refinancing will be able to refinance through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

According to the BBC News, Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu expressed his positions on Barack Obama’s presidential victory, the risk of wasting the goodwill Obama’s election has generated, his call for the United States to reach out to other nations, and Britain’s role in the “war on terror.”

Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu recounted his jubilance over the presidential victory of Barack Obama, referring to Obama’s election as an “epoch making event” that gave the world hope that change may be at hand. The archbishop said that he wanted to “dance and jump and shout” after watching the U.S. election results that came in. Nevertheless, he cautioned the new president of possibly dissipating the goodwill the presidential election has brought forth. Additionally, Archbishop Desmond Tutu encouraged Obama to be tough on African dictators and urged the U.S. president, as well as the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to renew ties with other countries and listen to them.

Moreover, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said it would be wonderful if President Barack Obama apologized, on behalf of the American people, for the invasion of Iraq led by the United States. The South African activist further noted that Britain’s cooperation with the United States in the “war on terror” has definitely injured Britain’s status in the world. Even so, he commended the British Council’s endeavor of helping Nelson Mandela’s government with the reformation of the post-apartheid diplomatic service and the training of black teachers.

About Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu is an Anglican Archbishop emeritus who gained worldwide attention for his remarkable efforts in opposing the apartheid during the 1980s, which led to his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

He was born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal, South Africa in 1931. In 1960, he was ordained as an Anglican priest. Following his theological studies, his teaching stint and his theological work in South Africa, Desmond Tutu became Bishop of Lesotho and then went on to become the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) from 1978 to 1985. He soon became Bishop of Johannesburg and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996.

As a peace advocate, Desmond Tutu has served as chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; patron of the World Campaign Against Military and Nuclear Collaboration with South Africa Beacon Millennium and Action from Ireland; and patron of American Harmony Child Foundation, among others. He currently serves as Chairman of The Elders. In addition, Desmond Tutu founded the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation with an aim to seek funding for the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre located in Cape Town; and the Desmond Tutu Foundation USA, to collaborate with universities nationwide in creating leadership academies.

More news on Desmond Tutu:

• The Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation and the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu condemning the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
• Nobelprize.org features an interview of Desmond Tutu.

President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (or the Stimulus Bill) last Feb. 17, 2009. Prior to the signing, there were many speculations with regard to the provisions included. However, energy and environment advocates have found several worthy green provisions. Actually, the bill is loaded with a number of laudable renewable energy benefits.

Under the Stimulus Bill, the Department of Energy will have $39 billion for use in developing clean energy. A significant portion of the amount is meant for creating jobs in demonstration, research, and deployment. An additional $8.5 billion targets renewable energy projects as well as expanded electric transmission.

Research, development, deployment, and demonstration activities in energy efficiency and renewable energy are allotted an estimated $2.6 billion. This funding also focuses on picking up the pace in terms of developing technologies aimed at energy supply diversification.

Another noteworthy provision is the $4.6 billion allotted for fossil energy research and development. This clean energy initiative is divided into several spectrums like zero emissions from power plants, carbon capture and storage projects, and clean coal projects.

With the Stimulus Bill already approved, energy efficiency and conservation takes a big boost with its $4.2 billion funding. Federal building repair for better energy conservation and efficiency is likewise prioritized with $2.5 billion. Working on buildings will greatly help advance energy efficiency because these structures are some of the biggest violators of clean living and environmental sanitation.

There are other notable green provisions in the bill including those that deal with coming up with more efficient government vehicles and the development of better car batteries.

President Obama’s main concerns for the stimulus package are the improvement of the country’s economy and the saving and creation of more jobs. With the inclusion of clean energy and green jobs in the bill does more than just boost the economy, it also drives the country towards a more sustainable, energy-independent future.

Official Department of Energy breakdown of the stimulus package.

Obama’s stimulus bill green lights green spending.

U.S. stimulus bill likely to revive green power.

Former New York Senator and First Lady Hillary Clinton was in Japan last February 16 as part of her four-nation Asian tour. Her trip marks her first overseas since becoming US Secretary of State.

Leading to her visit, there had been cresting Japanese fear that America was poised to swap its alliance with Japan for China. Hillary Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, skipped a visit to Japan in 1998 after a weeklong stay in China.

On her arrival Monday night, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her reassurance and consoled Japanese sensibilities, even touting the country as a “cornerstone” in diplomatic efforts.

Hillary Clinton used the trip, among others, to personally deliver an invitation from her onetime presidential rival Barack Obama, to Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso. The US President wants his Japanese counterpart to visit Washington D.C. on February 24th.

That would make Aso the first world leader to visit the White House under Obama’s administration.

On the second day of her visit, Hillary Clinton had dinner with the Prime Minister and afterwards, managed to meet with Ichiro Ozawa, the PM’s rival. Head of Japan’s Democratic Party, Ozawa reportedly told Clinton he wanted a more visible role for Tokyo, even if it meant sidestepping American ties.

Her meeting with Ozawa demonstrated a visit marked by “balance” and “harmony,” words she used to describe a Shinto shrine in relation to Barack Obama’s foreign policy. That morning, she came to the shrine for a welcoming and purification ritual.

Some 200 US Embassy workers accompanied her to the shrine, dedicated to Emperor Meiji. Later she distributed gifts and drank tea.

Hillary Clinton had more teatime that afternoon, this time with Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace.

Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone interpreted Hillary Clinton’s state visit as Obama attaching importance to Japan-U.S. relations.

Together, Nakasone and Hillary Clinton signed a Bush-negotiated agreement that would relocate 8,000 of 50,000 US marines in Okinawa, Japan to Guam, a US territory. The move is largely funded by Japan.

For the rest of her visit, the Secretary of State moved under the shadows of the threat of nuclear aggression by North Korea. America’s top diplomat tackled the North Korea problem when she presided over a town hall meeting. Families of Japanese abductees trooped to Tokyo University for the rare engagement.

Since the 1970s, some Japanese citizens have been reported missing and were presumably held against their will by North Korean agents.

For half an hour, Clinton listened to relatives’ plights and vowed to help look for answers regarding the abductees. Beyond that, Hillary Clinton committed to nothing.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departed for Jakarta, Indonesia on Wednesday. Her next trips are scheduled for Seoul, South Korea and Beijing, China.

Related Sources:

Washington Post report on the State Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Japan visit.

The BBC reported on Hillary Clinton’s first visit abroad as state Secretary.

NBC News interviewed State Secretary Hillary Clinton in Tokyo.

Los Angeles’ Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa turned down the invitation of President-elect Barack Obama to become one of his secretaries. Obama wooed the mayor when he phoned him to offer support after November’s wildfires in California.

Villaraigosa expressed love for his job and stressed that he is bent on staying in Los Angeles to resolve the city’s financial crisis and to work on his reelection campaign.

Obama’s move is seen as deference to mounting pressure by the vast Latino community for greater representation in his administration. Villaraigosa, born of a Mexican immigrant father and a Mexican-American mother, seemed a likely pick for the Cabinet. Initially, Villaraigosa was considered for the position of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, then for the position of Secretary of Labor.

Villaraigosa is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since 1872. He came to power after beating incumbent James Hahn in the 2005 race, although only 24% of registered voters turned out. On July 2005, he was sworn into office as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles.

Hahn defeated Villaraigosa during the latter’s first bid for Mayor in 2001, after which Villaraigosa accepted a fellowship at UCLA and USC. There, he jointly wrote a policy blueprint for urban sprawl.

Villaraigosa rebounded in 2003 by being elected to the 14th District Los Angeles City Council. When John Kerry ran for president the next year, Villaraigosa became his campaign’s national co-chairman.

Mayor Villaraigosa was born Antonio Villar in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles on January 23, 1953. Eldest among four children, he grew up without a father. In 1987, he wed Corine Raigosa and has since adopted “Villaraigosa” for surname.

During his troubled youth, Villaraigosa actually dropped out of high school. He only resumed after his mother sent him a missive urging him to do so. Eventually he graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School and secured a history degree from UCLA. In 1985, he earned a doctorate in jurisprudence from the Peoples’ College of Law.

At the young age of 15, Villaraigosa was already affiliated with the labor movement. He later became the organizer of the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA). In 1990, he served in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority and stayed until 1994, when he was elected to the California State Assembly.

Article Source: Los Angeles Times.

Profile of Antonio Villaraigosa on About.com.

Antonio Villaraigosa recently appeared on Mayor TV.

Ever since his election as the 64th Attorney General of New York State on Nov. 7, 2006, Andrew Cuomo has proven himself a forward-thinking man of integrity; one with a well-conceived strategy for addressing systemic problems prevalent in the state. To achieve the vision he has set for himself and his good office, Cuomo paid attention to the “voice of the people.”

In the first year of his term, he took on individual cases with the mindset of using what he learned to solve the bigger problems. His most lauded efforts were in industry-wide investigations which exposed malpractices in mortgage, healthcare and even the student loan sectors.

In line with this drive for integrity in the government, he is following up on the institutions who have requested for bailouts in order to tide the crisis. Upon reports of some companies wasting corporate expenditures, Cuomo made it his own crusade to set things right.

Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, AIG, all other Wall Street firms have been under the scrutiny of the office of the Attorney General. All the major institutions who have received federal financial aid were requested by Cuomo to disclose compensation information. Non-collaboration would be taken to mean that the company has no concern for the affected investors, taxpayers and other stakeholders.

Last December 8, he sent a firm letter to the board of directors of Merrill Lynch to discuss the justification for the executive corporate compensations, specifically the issue regarding Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain’s declaration that he ought to be paid $10 million for his outstanding performance. Cuomo places this in contrast to Goldman and Sachs, whose Board has agreed to forego bonuses in order for the rest of the employees to get their pay, and to reduce having to let go of people.

Andrew Mark Cuomo, son of former New York Governor Mario M. Cuomo, graduated from Fordham University and accomplished his Juris Doctor at Albany Law School. His most prominent assignment prior to his current position was as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton from 1997-2001. A true-blue Democrat, Cuomo’s take on his office reflects an emphasis on the policymaking aspect first. He views the law as a tool to resolve systemic issues.

Article Sources: Money.cnn.com, Bnet.com

Mario Cuomo’s famous speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention.

Quotes by Mario Cuomo on Brainy Quote.

Mario Cuomo compares Barack Obama to Abraham Lincoln.

Thomas Lauren Friedman, renowned New York Times Foreign Affairs columnist, presents world-wide issues in a simplified text. The 55-year old three-time Pulitzer Award winner wrote perspective-changing works on the Middle East, foreign business policies, September 11, and globalization. Among his prominent and award-winning books are The Lexus and The Olive Tree, The World Is Flat and most recently, Hot, Flat and Crowded.

Friedman is yet again proving his value as a visionary communicator whose insights and opinions are widely respected. Last December 9, 2008, in CNN’s segment “No Bias, No Bull,” he professed his confidence in President-elect Obama’s plans for America to become the leader in the environmental revolution. Both share the same vision of change, especially in creating green-collared jobs and green homes as depicted in his most recent book. Renewable Environmental Technologies (ET) is going to be the next great global industry according to the writer. This means a demand for clean water, clean power, and clean energy. “It simply has to be – otherwise, we’re not going to survive as a planet” Friedman emphatically concludes.
(December 10, 2008)

Friedman points out that it is now up to the president-elect to create the means to his ends through multi-sector reforms. There has to be a systemic change in how things are being run at present. Friedman goes on to illustrate this in how, for example, building environmental friendly homes with solar panels would require changing building codes across the country before implementation.

Tom Friedman graduated with an AB degree in Mediterranean studies from Brandeis University. He received his Masters of Philosophy degree in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Oxford. His career took off when he was dispatched to Beirut as part of his work for United Press International. He was reassigned there when he got hired by The New York Times as a reporter. It was Friedman’s coverage of the Israeli war, most notably the Sabra and Shatila massacre, which gained him recognition for the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. His second Pulitzer in the same category was for his coverage of the First Palestinian Intifada in 1988. Friedman claimed his third Pulitzer in 2002 for Commentary on Foreign Policy and Economics.

Article Source: Newsbusters.com.

Official site for Thomas Friedman.

A collection of New York Times articles written by Thomas Friedman.

On Jan. 24, 2009, the politics section of FoxNews.com released a report that outlined several pieces of the plan laid down by U.S. President Barack Obama in his commitment to revive the nation’s struggling economy.

Taking a look into the current U.S. economic situation, 1 in 10 homeowners are at risk of foreclosure; manufacturing is at a 28-year low; and the value of the dollar is on a downward slope. Another devastating fact is that the nation lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008, the highest amount in any single year since World War II. President Barack Obama’s economists also speculate that unemployment could reach 10% before the recession stops.

In the hope of helping President Barack Obama reverse the economic slide and fulfill his campaign pledges, the Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives earlier proposed an $825 billion economic stimulus package that includes spending and tax cuts. On Friday, January 23, 2009, President Barack Obama met with lawmakers, Republican and Democratic alike, urging them to support the stimulus package. Citing details from an article by the Associated Press, the pending economic stimulus package will combine approximately $550 billion in federal spending and $275 billion in tax cuts. Energy-related proposals would include over $20 billion in tax cuts and $32 billion to upgrade the electrical distribution system.

President Barack Obama also made sure that voters would comprehend the rationale behind his economic plan, thus early on Saturday, January 24, 2009, the White House released President Barack Obama’s 5-minute address over the radio and Internet. According to President Barack Obama, his economic plan will double the nation’s renewable energy capacity within three years, increase security at 90 ports, and add 3,000 miles of electrical lines. President Barack Obama stressed that “a bad situation could become dramatically worse” if actions would not be taken boldly and swiftly. Additionally, in his manner of setting realistic expectations, President Barack Obama reminded the audience that results would not happen instantly.

In addition, President Barack Obama’s economic team released a report that sketched out the benefits of the plan and thus bolster support. Some pieces of the plan will include:

* Shifting to electronic medical records and investing in preventive health
care by providing health care coverage for 8.5 million Americans.
* Increasing the federal portion of Medicaid and children’s health insurance so
that state would no longer need to turn away any of the 20 million children.
* Creating 3 to 4 million jobs over the next years.
* Upgrading 10,000 schools and advancing learning among 5 million students.
* Tripling the number of undergraduate and graduate fellowships in science.
* Saving $2 billion each year through making federal buildings energy-
efficient.
* Doubling the amount of energy generated from renewable resources within three years.

Based on the plan, at least 75% or over $600 billion will be used up within the first 18 months, injecting a huge amount of money to support either infrastructure projects as proposed by Democrats or tax cuts preferred by Republicans.

On June 21, 2009, the Senate confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton as the 67th United States Secretary of State. It was the first day in office for President Barack Obama and while he was busy engaging himself in several affairs, Hillary Clinton’s nomination for the post as Secretary of State was finally confirmed in the full Senate by a vote of 94-2.

The two senators who opposed the confirmation were Republicans David Vitter of Louisiana and Jim DeMint of South Carolina. Prior to the confirmation, hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee commenced on January 13, 2009. By January 15, the said body voted 16-1 to approve Hillary Clinton.

Both Republicans and Democrats in general share the same sentiment that such prompt confirmation was essential for the new president to be able to start with his work in dealing with the current major and critical foreign policy issues such as Iran’s nuclear threats and the increasing violence in the Middle East, particularly the wars in Gaza and Iraq.

As a result of the confirmation from the Senate, Hillary Clinton was sworn in as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State in her office, which is located in the Russell Senate Office Building. Present at the private ceremony was her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and her Senate staff. On the same day, Hillary Clinton resigned from the Senate, submitting her resignation letters to Vice President Joe Biden, president of the Senate; and New York Governor David Paterson.

A few Republicans expressed their concerns over conflicts of interest that may arise considering that the fundraising efforts for Bill Clinton’s foundation included donations overseas. Nevertheless, both parties in Congress greatly supported Hillary Clinton for the post.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Maine East High School and then entered Wellesley College from where she graduated in 1969 with a B.A. degree in political science with departmental honors. Hillary Clinton then obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1973. Back in Yale, she served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Review and Social Action, worked for the Yale Child Study Center, interned with Marian Wright Edelman, and met Bill Clinton, whom she married in 1975.

Following graduation, Hillary Clinton practiced law, working as a staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund in Cambridge, Massachusetts and as Consultant to the Carnegie Council on Children. She also joined in the impeachment inquiry staff advising the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate scandal. In 1975, she taught at the University of Arkansas Law School and then joined the Rose Law Firm in 1976. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. She held the title “First Lady of Arkansas” for twelve years (1979–1981, 1983–1992) when her husband Bill Clinton became governor of the said state twice. Hillary Clinton was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001; she then served as a U.S. Senator from 2001 to 2009. Hillary Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2008 election but lost to Obama.

• Official State Department biography of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton.
• Secretrary Hillary Clinton faces a tough job in securing Mideast peace process.
• Hillary Clinton criticizes George W. Bush on North Korea policy.

An article from USA Today presented a full account of Barack Obama’s first day as the 44th President of the United States of America.

In the face of an ongoing recession, wars in Iraq and Gaza, the threat of terrorism, and at this desperate time when America has duly entrusted its fate to this man, Barack Obama is sending a clear message that there is certainly no time to waste. Barack Obama’s first day as president was indeed a chock-full of must-dos reflecting his commitment of bringing change to America.

*January 21, 2009, Wednesday, 8:35 a.m. – Newly inaugurated President Barack Obama walked into the Oval Office and spent 10 minutes alone to contemplate. He read a personal note left behind by his predecessor, George W. Bush. The note was placed inside an envelope inscribed with “To: #44, From: #43.” White House staff, however, did not disclose its content. The note was a presidential tradition that started when Ronald Reagan left a note for George H.W. Bush.

After a quiet moment alone, President Barack Obama was ready for a full day of carrying out his presidential duties.

*Morning Service and Open House. The President, along with his wife Michelle, attended the National Prayer Service, a tradition following the Inauguration Day that started when George Washington took office. The couple was seated in front, joined by Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, as well as former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. In the afternoon, the first couple greeted 200 selected guests, in their effort of making White House accessible to the public.

*Executive Orders. President Barack Obama signed several executive orders in his first day of office. One was to freeze the salaries of around 100 White House staff members who make $100,000 a year or more, for the duration of the financial crisis. The President also imposed strict ethics rules such as banning lobbyists from giving gifts to any member of his administration, and staff members being barred from becoming lobbyists for two years after leaving his administration. President Barack Obama also issued another executive order to promote transparency by limiting the ability of past presidents to obstruct the release of records of their administrations. He also had his aides disseminate a draft executive order that would close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba within a year as well as suspend military trials of terror suspects who have been held in the said facility, pending a review of the military tribunals. On January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the executive order that would close the said prison.

*Middle East Diplomacy. President Barack Obama called four Middle East leaders from Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, and informed them that his administration will address serious peace issues among Israelis, Palestinians, and Arabs. President Barack Obama also expressed his commitment to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas fighters and to help in the reconstruction effort for Palestinians in Gaza. The President then met with his military advisors over the issue of Iraq, reiterating his intention to withdraw combat troops from Iraq in 16 months.

• Official White House biography of President Barack Obama
• Article about Barack Obama’s years at the Harvard Law Review.
• A current anaylsis of the President’s economic stimulus package.

President Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package, approved by Congress and signed by the president into law on Feb. 17, 2009, includes federal funding for research and development – a reason for Bay Area research universities to celebrate.

The stimulus plan is said to allocate $21.5 billion for federal research and development to be invested within two years, for which most of the support will be directed to climate research, biomedical matters, and energy. This funding is the realization of President Barack Obama’s promise of restoring science to its rightful place.

After years of sluggish funding for basic research in various sciences, local research universities in Bay Area, San Francisco acknowledged that the financial aid coming from the stimulus plan would bolster education, research, and future businesses. Bay Area research universities, principally Stanford University and the University of California-Santa Cruz, stated that they are the leading candidates for funding, based on their notable track record for research grants secured. They added that several under-funded projects have suffered in the recent years.

The government has been funding majority of scientific research except for studies on some specific diseases and embryonic stem cells. However, funding has been sluggish and inadequate over the years and a number of labs were forced to stop their work and close. One concrete example is the gravity reference sensor project of Stanford University that could have been utilized by future space missions. The project lost funding and had to be stopped. Another example is Stanford chemistry department chairman Richard Zare’s research project involving the creation and destruction of chemical bonds, whose progress had slowed down since he could not secure federal funding for six months in 2007.

With the funding on hand, a brighter future awaits the world of science, especially since these local research institutions will be able to use the money on renovation of facilities, equipment, financial aid, new construction, research support, and new technological advancements in local laboratories. According to Bruce Margon, vice chancellor for research of the University of California-Santa Cruz, the research university is recognized in the 21st century to be “just as important as the steel mill to the economic strength of our country.”

Research and development funding included in the stimulus plan consists of $140 million for the U.S. Geological Survey for natural science research and $1.3 billion for facility renovation and purchase of equipment. In addition, it also allocates $1 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; $1.6 billion for Department of Energy’s Office of Science; $3 billion for the National Science Foundation for fundamental science and engineering research; and $8.2 billion to the National Institutes of Health for biomedical research.

Related Sources:

An MSNBC article features President Barack Obama’s signing of the economic
stimulus package into a law.

Stanford University is featured in an article in The Time Herald.

The New York Times features details of the final economic stimulus package
passed by Congress.

A Feb. 18, 2009 article from Reuters reveals President Barack Obama’s plan to solve America’s housing crisis as a part of his serious initiative to revive the nation’s economy. The President pledged up to $275 billion as assistance to at least nine million American families. These families will be given the chance to restructure or refinance their mortgages to avert foreclosures.

The home mortgage crisis is a major factor in the economic meltdown. Numerous American homeowners are burdened with home mortgages they are unable to pay, subjecting their homes to foreclosure. In fact, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, just over 9% of all home loans in the United States were in arrears or in foreclosure at the end of 2008. Moreover, Credit Suisse reported that 16% of all households with mortgages could end up facing foreclosure by 2012 – that is equivalent to a total of 8.1 million homes in the United States.

In a speech addressed to an attentive audience in Mesa, Arizona, President Barack Obama articulated the interconnection of the housing crisis, the financial crisis, and the even broader economic crisis.

Another article, this one from The New York Times, revealed that the housing plan comprises three parts. The first component seeks to aid homeowners who are up-to-date on their payments but are paying high interest rates and have no way of refinancing due to insufficient equity in their homes.

The second part would provide incentives to lenders who would change the loan terms to make them affordable for the straining borrowers, thus helping around four million people who are at risk of foreclosure. To make this possible, a $75 billion program will be created to subsidize loan modifications that allow a reduction of the household’s monthly payment to as low as 31% of the family’s gross monthly income.

The last part would consist of $200 billion worth of additional financial backing to government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae was created to buy mortgages from approved mortgage sellers, securitize them, and sell the resulting mortgage-backed security to investors in the secondary mortgage market with a guarantee that principal and interest payments are appropriately passed over to the investor. Freddie Mac was established to expand the secondary market for mortgages in the United States. Freddie Mac purchases mortgages on the secondary market, pools them, and sells them as mortgage-backed securities to investors on the open market. By buying mortgages, both GSEs provide banking and other institutions ensure that funds are constantly available so buyers can make new loans.

With this plan, as much as five million homeowners who are still making payments but cannot qualify for conventional refinancing will be able to refinance through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Related Sources:

The Wall Street Journal features an article on the housing bailout plan.
An article from MSNBC features a consumer’s guide to the president’s housing plan.
An article from Reuters features FDIC talking about Obama’s housing plan to have impact in March.

An article from BBC News, released on Feb. 19, 2009, talks about Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu expressing his positions on relevant topics including Barack Obama’s presidential victory, the risk of wasting the goodwill Obama’s election has generated, his call for the United States to reach out to other nations, and Britain’s role in the “war on terror.”

Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu recounted his jubilance over the presidential victory of Barack Obama, referring to Obama’s election as an “epoch making event” that gave the world hope that change may be at hand. The archbishop said that he wanted to “dance and jump and shout” after watching the U.S. election results that came in. Nevertheless, he cautioned the new president of possibly dissipating the goodwill the presidential election has brought forth. Additionally, Archbishop Desmond Tutu encouraged Obama to be tough on African dictators and urged the U.S. president, as well as the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to renew ties with other countries and listen to them.

Moreover, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said it would be wonderful if President Barack Obama apologized, on behalf of the American people, for the Iraq invasion led by the United States. The South African activist further noted that Britain’s cooperation with the United States in the “war on terror” has definitely injured Britain’s status in the world. Even so, he commended the British Council’s endeavor of helping Nelson Mandela’s government with the reformation of the post-apartheid diplomatic service and the training of black teachers.

About Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu is an Anglican Archbishop emeritus who gained worldwide attention for his remarkable efforts in opposing the apartheid during the 1980s, which led to his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

He was born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal, South Africa in 1931. In 1960, he was ordained as an Anglican priest. Following his theological studies, his teaching stint and his theological work in South Africa, Desmond Tutu became Bishop of Lesotho and then went on to become the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) from 1978 to 1985. He soon became Bishop of Johannesburg and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996.

As a peace advocate, Desmond Tutu has served as chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; patron of the World Campaign Against Military and Nuclear Collaboration with South Africa Beacon Millennium and Action from Ireland; and patron of American Harmony Child Foundation, among others. He currently serves as Chairman of The Elders. In addition, Desmond Tutu founded the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation with an aim to seek funding for the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre located in Cape Town; and the Desmond Tutu Foundation USA, to collaborate with universities nationwide in creating leadership academies.

Related Sources:

- Visit the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation website and learn more about its
programs and the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.

- BBC News features an article on Archbishop Desmond Tutu condemning the
Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

- Nobelprize.org features an interview of Desmond Tutu as he discusses about
leadership.

Although a Republican, former Secretary of State, National Security Advisor and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell loudly announced his support for Barack Obama, the Democrats’ candidate for the 2008 Presidential Election. He is reported to have donated significant amount to the fund Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign but decided to withdraw his support in favor of the Democratic Party’s standard bearer.

Colin Powell expressed that though he regrets his action, it does not mean he does not have as much respect for Sen. McCain as for Barack Obama. Colin Powell said the country is in need of a generational change and has seen Obama as the transformational figure that change needs. Powell added that Obama’s innate ability to inspire as well as the inclusion promised in his campaign convinced him to support the young senator from Illinois.

About Colin Powell

General Colin Powell is a distinguished military officer. As a military man, Colin Powell has always looked for less violent means to resolve conflicts. As much as possible, Powell used military tactics that secured victories with little casualties. This zeal was soon dubbed as the ‘Powell Doctrine.’ Colin Powell applied the said approach during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, where he used an overwhelming force, prompting the other side to hasten their surrender.

Colin Powell quickly rose in his ranks and was signed by the late President Ronald Reagan as his National Security Advisor from 1987 to 1989. But prior to that, he already served as a White House Fellow under President Richard Nixon. When President George H.W. Bush took oath, Powell was raised to full general status and was named as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Under President George W. Bush, Colin Powell became the 65th Secretary of State. But even with President, Colin Powell was still resilient with the Bush Administration’s policies on the 2nd Iraq Invasion. In an interview in 2007, Colin Powell tried his best to dissuade President Bush to invade Iraq but failed.

Colin Powell is an active supporter of the America’s Promise, an organization he founded n 1997 to help children from all socioeconomic sectors to have better lives.

On Nov. 06, 2008, International Business Times reported that Rep. Rahm Emanuel has accepted President-elect Barack Obama’s offer to be his White House Chief-of-Staff. Obama’s selection of Emanuel was the first major decision he made in public after being elected as president.

Rahm Emanuel made his decision after weighing important issues like public service and what he wanted to do as a parent. He also revealed that he has taken it upon himself to devote his life to public service. Rahm Emanuel also believes his knowledge about the White House is one of the reasons why President-elect Obama chose him.

Born on November 29, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois, Rahm Emanuel graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 and received his master’s degree in speech and communication in 1985 from Northwestern University. As an undergraduate, Emanuel worked for the congressional campaign of Chicago’s David Robinson.

Rahm Emanuel is notable for his “take-no-prisoners attitude” so much so that some people have taken to calling him “Rahm-bo”.

The new chief-of-staff’s political career began with an organization called Illinois Public Action. Then in 1984, he joined Paul Simon’s campaign for a seat in the U.S. senate. In 1988, he became the national campaign director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The following year, he played an important role – as senior advisor and chief fundraiser – for the victorious mayoral campaign of Richard M. Daley.

Rahm Emanuel’s vast knowledge about fundraising; including the identification of the country’s top donors as well as potential donors within the Jewish community. He helped Bill Clinton’s presidential primary campaign raise a whopping $72 million.

When Clinton assumed the presidency, Rahm Emanuel became the senior advisor to the president; a role which he diligently played from 1993 to 1998.

In 1988, Rahm Emanuel resigned from his White House post and took on the job of an investment banker at Wasserstein Perella (presently known as Dresdner Kleinwort).

Prior to running for congress, Rahm Emanuel was one of the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Freddie Mac. Rahm Emanuel is the Democratic Caucus Chairman of the United States House of Representatives.

The Los Angeles Times’ Top of the Ticket for Nov. 21, 2008 reports that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has finally decided to accept President-elect Barack Obama’s offer as the United States Secretary of State.

Reports revealed that the senator is giving up her Senate seat in order to prepare for her new role as the country’s top diplomat. Talks between the former first lady and the president-elect have been progressing steadily since Hillary Clinton was first asked to fill in the position in mid-November.

When the Obama administration takes over the White House, Hillary Clinton will become only the 3rd woman in U.S. history to serve as Secretary of State, after Madeleine Albright and Condoleeza Rice.

View the article about Hillary Clinton added to Obama’s Cabinet at Secretary of State.

About Hillary Clinton

The former first lady was born Hillary Diane Rodham on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She was an active student at Maine East High School where she was selected for the National Honor Society. She finished her senior year in high school at Maine South High School as a National Merit Finalist. Hillary completed her Bachelor of Arts in 1969 at Wellesley College with departmental honors in political science. She received her law degree from Yale Law School in 1973.

Before marrying William “Bill” Clinton in 1975, Hillary Clinton worked as staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund in Cambridge, Massachusetts; as consultant to the Carnegie Council on Children; as an advisor to the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate scandal; and taught at University of Arkansas’ School of Law where Clinton was also a faculty member.

Prior to becoming first lady of Arkansas, Hillary joined the Rose Law Firm and specialized in patent infringement, intellectual property law, and pro bono in child advocacy.

When Bill Clinton won as Governor of Arkansas in 1978, Hillary became Arkansas’ First Lady. She actively supported her husband via various committees and projects. She took on the same role when Clinton was re-elected in 1982.

Hillary Clinton was the 1st First Lady to have a post-graduate degree when Clinton took on the presidency in 1993. She has been a senator of the United States since 2001. Hillary Clinton ran for the office of United States President in 2008.