Sovereign Wealth Funds

Funds owned by foreign governments flush with money–China, Russia, the oil-rich Arab states–are now a major player in the world’s financial markets. Also on today’s show: Iraq, the Christmas Truce, Bethlehem word carving workshop, Dicken’s London and more…

Sovereign Wealth Funds

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Funds owned by foreign governments flush with money–China, Russia, the oil-rich Arab states–are now a major player in the world’s financial markets. The SWFs, as they are called, have recently acquired large stakes in several U.S. firms hit hard by the mortgage crisis, including marquee companies like Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Merrill Lynch. We’ll speak to Bob Davis, Wall Street Journal.

What’s next in Iraq

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Former Marine captain turned writer, Bing West, weighs in on the war in Iraq. West has been to Iraq more than a dozen times since the war started and is headed back after the New Year. West is the author of “No True Glory: a Front-line Account of the Battle of Fallujah” and other books.

Christmas Truce

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We look back at another war — World War I — and what happened when British troops heard the enemy singing Christmas carols. Folksinger John McCutcheon tells the story.

Bethlehem

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For 1700 years, one family in Bethlehem has been making souvenirs for pilgrims who journey to Bethlehem to see the birthplace of Jesus. Here & Now’s Daniel Estrin visits the family’s word carving workshop and sends us an audio postcard.

Dickens London

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Here & Now’s Michael Goldfarb takes us on a tour of the same London streets walked by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit,and Tiny Tim. He finds that the source material for Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol” was anything but nostalgic and sentimental.