Top Stories
Obama's pledge to not raise middle-income people's taxes could prevent a tax overhaul, reports Lori Montgomery: "President Obama's refusal to raise taxes for the vast majority of Americans will prevent him from pursuing a broad overhaul of the tax code and is making it difficult for him to achieve his goals for reducing the budget deficit, according to administration and congressional sources. Barely a month after Obama's fiscal commission laid out a road map for reining in the soaring national debt, the president's resistance to tax increases for families making less than $250,000 a year has ruled out a key prescription: a plan to reduce cherished but expensive tax breaks for individuals."
Polls show strong public opposition to raising the debt ceiling: http://reut.rs/fWO7Ic
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner expressed doubt that the government can identify "systemically important" financial institutions, reports Tom Braithwaite: "Tim Geithner, the Treasury secretary, has questioned the feasibility of identifying financial institutions as 'systemically important' in advance of a crisis, just as the regulatory council he chairs is supposed to start doing precisely that. A report by a government watchdog into the rescue of Citigroup quotes Mr Geithner as saying: 'What size and mix of business do you classify as systemic?...It depends too much on the state of the world at the time. You won’t be able to make a judgment about what’s systemic and what’s not until you know the nature of the shock.'... Mr Geithner’s comments on systemic risk are published a week before a new Financial Stability Oversight Council, which he chairs, is due to consider which companies are big enough or interconnected enough to present dangers to the entire financial system."
The House will hold a vote on health care reform repeal next week, reports Felicia Sonmez: "The House will begin debating the health-care repeal bill next week, following a week during which legislative action came to a standstill in the wake of the Tucson shooting tragedy. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) office announced Thursday that debate on the bill, which passed a procedural hurdle late last week, is expected to begin when the House convenes early next week. A vote is expected Wednesday. 'As the White House noted, it is important for Congress to get back to work, and to that end we will resume thoughtful consideration of the health-care bill next week,' Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring said."
Karaoke interlude: Björk sings Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" for charity.
Want Wonkbook delivered to your inbox or mobile device? Subscribe!
Got tips, additions, or comments? E-mail me.
Still to come: Congress' TARP oversight panel has given a mixed review to the auto bailouts; a health care repeal vote is set for Wednesday; Rep. Carolyn McCarthy's new gun control bill is tougher than the Clinton-era assault weapons ban; GM and Chrysler are lobbying against fuel economy rules while still owned in part by the government; and a baby elephant plays on the beach.
Economy
A Congressional report gives a mixed assessment of the auto bailouts, reports Brady Dennis: "The Treasury Department's bailouts of General Motors, Chrysler and their major financing arms will cost taxpayers far less than initial estimates and have placed the firms on what appears to be 'the path to financial stability,' a watchdog group says in a report due out Thursday. But the bipartisan Congressional Oversight Panel warns that even as the government's 'ambitious actions' have put the companies on 'a promising course,' the bailouts of the nation's automotive sector continue to place taxpayer money at risk and create moral hazard that will outlive the recent crisis."
S&P and Moody's have expressed concern about the US' future debt rating: http://on.wsj.com/hIbys9
Treasury is moving into the endgame of the AIG rescue, reports Brady Dennis: "The federal government on Friday is poised to take a major step toward recouping the massive taxpayer investment in American International Group as the long-troubled insurance giant moves closer to regaining its independence. Treasury Department plans to convert its preferred shares in the company into nearly 1.7 billion shares of common stock, giving the agency a 92 percent stake in AIG that it hopes to sell over the next two years. If the company's stock continues to perform well, the government stands to make billions on its AIG investment over time."
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is pushing back on China's trade, IP practices, reports Michael Birnbaum: "Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Thursday called for China to make its economy more open to international investment and to respect intellectual property laws, on the same day his department released November figures that showed an unexpected narrowing of the U.S. trade deficit...Locke praised China for its growth and increasing openness over the past 20 years, but he said its old policies of protecting domestic industries would no longer suffice. 'The gross trade imbalances between our countries...threaten global stability and prosperity,' Locke said. Locke made the remarks in a speech given to the US-China Business Council ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit next week."
Obama ignores that the US is fundamentally divided on economic issues, writes Paul Krugman: "Commentators who pine for the days of civility and bipartisanship are, whether they realize it or not, pining for the days when the Republican Party accepted the legitimacy of the welfare state, and was even willing to contemplate expanding it. As many analysts have noted, the Obama health reform -- whose passage was met with vandalism and death threats against members of Congress -- was modeled on Republican plans from the 1990s. But that was then. Today’s G.O.P. sees much of what the modern federal government does as illegitimate; today’s Democratic Party does not...What we’re talking about here is a fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government."
Reaching the debt limit won't cause default, writes Greg Ip: http://econ.st/eZNOHH
Wall Street's dependence on algorithms makes it hard to regulate, write Felix Salmon and Jon Stokes: "Algorithms, like most human traders, tend to follow a fairly simple set of rules. But they also respond instantly to ever-shifting market conditions, taking into account thousands or millions of data points every second. And each trade produces new data points, creating a kind of conversation in which machines respond in rapid-fire succession to one another’s actions. At its best, this system represents an efficient and intelligent capital allocation machine, a market ruled by precision and mathematics rather than emotion and fallible judgment. But at its worst, it is an inscrutable and uncontrollable feedback loop."
Weird parallels interlude: A Calvin and Hobbes/Fight Club mash-up.
Health Care
Investors doubt health care reform will hurt insurers: http://politi.co/gI8YRn
Obama should make a deal with business on health care, writes Steven Pearlstein: "The Business Roundtable was an early backer of a bipartisan reform effort, along with the AARP and the Service Employees Union, and it never expressed outright opposition to the final legislation. Even now, the Roundtable's focus is on 'trying to be helpful to make an imperfect bill better,' according to Larry Burton, its executive director. Another natural ally would be the National Business Group on Health, whose 300 corporate members provide health insurance to 50 million American workers, retirees and family members. President Helen Darling says that although her members are concerned the legislation doesn't go far enough in controlling health costs and improving quality, they understand the new system will be better than anything that would result from outright repeal."
California is cracking down on insurer rate increases: http://on.wsj.com/eS2ae3
Domestic Policy
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy's new gun control bill is tougher than the Clinton-era assault weapons ban, reports Shira Toeplitz: "The fiercest gun-control advocate in Congress released the text of a bill she plans to introduce next week that would outlaw high-capacity magazines like the one a gunman used to shoot 20 people in a matter of seconds in Arizona this weekend. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy’s (D-N.Y.) bill also goes further than than the assault weapon ban that expired in 2004, outlawing the sale or transfer of clips that hold more than ten rounds, even those obtained before the law takes effect, according to a copy of the bill obtained by POLITICO. The bill closes a loophole in the expired assault weapon ban that let gun owners buy high-capacity magazines made before the ban took effect in 1994."
Abortion rights groups might fight filibuster reform: http://politi.co/fpsmL6
Net neutrality will likely face a court challenge, reports Eliza Krigman: "Despite spending more than a year hashing out a so-called 'compromise' on measures to protect the open Internet, the Federal Communications Commission will most likely have to defend its recent net neutrality order in court, industry insiders predict. If challenged, the controversial net neutrality order -- supported by the commission’s three Democratic Commissioners and fiercely opposed by the two Republican commissioners -- may face the same court that last year ruled against the FCC’s earlier net neutrality attempt. In April, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned the FCC’s order for Comcast to stop interfering with file-sharing traffic."
The State of the Union may feature a bipartisan seating arrangement: http://politi.co/fjahav
Republicans shouldn't try to reform Social Security or Medicare yet, writes Ramesh Ponnuru: "Reform is impossible this year or next unless President Obama takes the lead on it. What’s more, Republicans have no mandate for reform, and a failed attempt will only set back the cause...Republicans have gotten a painful shock every time they have decided it’s finally safe to take on entitlements. Ronald Reagan suffered a defeat in his first year when he tried cutting Social Security’s early retirement benefits. Newt Gingrich’s 1995 Republican revolution fizzled when President Bill Clinton fought him over Medicare cuts. President George W. Bush’s effort to reform Social Security in 2005 ended any political momentum he brought to his second term."
Adorable animal in the sun interlude: A baby elephant plays on the beach.
Energy
GM and Chrysler, still owned in part by the federal government, are lobbying it, reports Peter Whoriskey: "General Motors and Chrysler, the bailed-out automakers still partially owned by the government, have joined an industry coalition that this week lobbied against proposed federal rules on fuel efficiency. The attempt to push back against regulations pursued by environmental groups follows the automakers' efforts last year in which they opposed measures in an auto safety bill, which had been supported by the Obama administration. The notion of federally owned companies lobbying the government - at times on the opposite side of the architects of their bailout - has drawn repeated criticisms from environmental organizations, safety advocates and watchdog groups."
Environmentalists are suing the Interior Department to block oil and gas development in Alaska: http://bit.ly/f7sYMM
We should eliminate all energy subsidies, writes Jeffrey Leonard: "It would be better for national security, the balance of payments, the budget deficit and even, yes, the environment if we simply wiped the slate clean and let all energy sources compete for the future. And with anti-pork Tea Partyers loose in Washington and deficit-cutting in the air, it's not as politically inconceivable as one might think. As an investor in clean and green energy, I don't make this suggestion lightly. But as environmentalists are realizing, the energy providers of the last century (oil and coal), and a few politically wired new energy interests (such as corn-based ethanol and nuclear), always seem to come out the big winners in the $20 billion annual energy subsidy game." Read more here.
Closing credits: Wonkbook is compiled and produced with help from Dylan Matthews, Mike Shepard, and Michelle Williams. Photo credit: White House.
Social media and blogging have become such an important part of small businesses, particularly those operated online. So we’ve put together another edition just to share some of the latest tips, tricks and tools for this incredibly important new approach to small business marketing sales and even management. Hope you enjoy.
How to
Making your WordPress blog more social. WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms available and making your blog more social with posts more easily shared on social networks is a great way to begin creating your own community around your brand. It’s a great example of how blogging and social media work together. Here are some simple plug-ins to get you started. Simple But Creative
Success Stories
Does social media really work? Need proof that use of social media is a truly effective marketing tool? This article looks at some real and measurable success from best selling author Timothy Ferriss. Ferriss has demonstrated the effectiveness of social media marketing on its most basic level in both the promotion of his first book The 4-Hour Workweek and more recently in promoting The 4-Hour Body, his latest book. Watch as even traditional media takes notice. Financial Times
Trends
Why Facebook might not be your best bet for social media marketing. A surprise contender seems to have surpassed Facebook for sheer volume of social referrals. Data suggests StumbleUpon has become a viable player along with other social media front runners and if you need further evidence of the increased impact this site is having you need only check the stats. Forbes
Tips for local social media marketing. Examples of local businesses using social media marketing are everywhere. If your business is not yet using them, well, you may be missing out. Check out this post from Phyllis Zimbler Miller with both examples of local social media marketing and ideas for what you could do to put your best social media foot forward. Miller Mosaic Social Media Marketing.
Three ways to boost your brand with social media. No matter what platform you use on social media, one of the key missions you must undertake is brand building. In simple terms, this means creating not only an awareness of your business product or service, but also a sense of what you stand for with a community who you hope will either become customers or create referrals for you. But how do you create this brand and what is the best way to start? BizSugar
Blogging
Why every small business owner needs one. Of course, blogs can certainly be small businesses in themselves, Jeannette Paladino, Writer-in-Chief of Write Speak Sell, argues these days your business really shouldn’t be without one. Jeannette helps businesses market themselves with social media and build brands online. Here’s why she thinks your business could benefit from blogging. Bloomberg BusinessWeek
So now you’ve got a business blog. But are you really getting the results that your want? If not, what steps could you take to improve your results? If you are already getting great results, what steps could you take to make those results even better. (Hey, there’s nothing wrong with improvement, no matter how well you’re doing.) Sometimes the simplest changes, say, the three steps suggested in this post, are all you need. webbed ink
Branding
Working on your online personality. When your social media account or blog becomes the main manifestation of your company, it can save a lot of huge marketing decisions and missteps (like spending money for TV ads or billboards that don’t adequately represent who your company is and what you represent) and replace them with lots of smaller mistakes that happen every time you sit down to create a post. Here are some keys to establishing an online personality that reflects your business in a better light every day. Technorati
10 tips to rock your blogging/social media world. Blogging is the original social media, before Facebook, Twitter or any of the rest. So, it’s not too surprising that some of the tips for improving your business blog have to do with making it interactive. Always keep your readers in mind and think about what they need…and what will make them want to come back for that next post. SearchEngineWatch
10 things wrong with your business blog. Conversely, there are a few things that will definitely hurt your blog, so don’t think just because your business has one everything is fine. It’s true that creating a blog is the first step to success in social media marketing and branding online. But remember that a bad blog will create a poor impression of your brand in the same way a good blog will create a good one. Make sure you don’t commit these deadly errors, or you will undo any positive impact your business blog might have. Daily Dose
rock tops granite rip off, rock tops granite horrible experience, rock tops granite, rock tops granite horrible experience, rock tops granite, rock tops granite, rock tops granite, rock tops granite scam, rock tops granite horrible experience, rock tops granite scam, rock tops granite scam, rock tops granite rip off, rock tops granite scam, rock tops granite scam, rock tops granite, rock tops granite scam
Good <b>News</b> for Katie Holmes! 'The Kennedys' Miniseries Finds a Home <b>...</b>
Finally some good news for Katie Holmes! Her highly anticipated miniseries 'The Kennedys' might have been dropped by the History Channel, but it's fou.
Egypt crisis: Protests peaceful away from square; 1 dead, 400 hurt <b>...</b>
Read full coverage of the unrest in Egypt updated continually by CNN reporters worldwide. Send your photos and video to iReport and see CNN in Arabic here. See also this strong roundup of timely, insightful views on the wave of upheaval ...
Was Fox <b>News</b> really straw that broke Camille marriage's back <b>...</b>
Was Fox News really the straw that broke Camille and Kelsey Grammer's 14-year marriage's.
No comments:
Post a Comment