Big Proposals for Small Businesses
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The President put the focus on small businesses last night with three proposals: giving $30 billion of Tarp bailout money to help community banks make loans, a new tax credit to help small businesses hire, and eliminating all capital gains taxes on small businesses. Binyamin Appelbaum, banking reporter for the Washington Post, explains what the president’s proposals might mean for small businesses.
A Small Businessman Reflects on the President’s Promises
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President Obama said last night that people were frustrated, because Main Street suffered while Wall Street prospered. Geoff Zeamer is founder of the small technology company, Abbess Instrument & Systems in Holliston, Mass. He tells us what he thinks of the president’s ideas to help small businesses like his.
New Eyewitness Account Suggests Possible Cover Up At Guantanamo Bay Prison
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A former Guantanamo Bay sergeant is speaking out about events he witnessed the night of June 9, 2006, when three prisoners died suddenly. The military has labeled the deaths suicides, but new eyewitness accounts point to 3 possible homicides and a cover-up by the Bush White House that continued under the Obama administration. We speak with Scott Horton, who broke the story for Harper’s Magazine.
Amid Economic Doom, Irish Emigrate Again
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Ireland’s Celtic Tiger economic boom led some to believe that the nation’s long history of emigration was over. But now, with Ireland’s economy mired in recession, more people feel they’ve no choice but to leave the country. The BBC’s Paul Moss reports from Dublin.
Super Bowl Ad Kicks up Controversy
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The Super Bowl is 11 days away but a game-time commercial is overshadowing football in the spotlight. CBS plans to air a spot that features college football star Tim Tebow [TEE'-bow] and his mother Pam talking about how, during her difficult pregnancy, she declined medical advice to have an abortion. A coalition of women’s groups says the spot contradicts policy against advocacy ads during the Super Bowl. We talk with Here & Now media analyst John Carroll about the controversy.
Coming Soon to the U.S.–Scottish Haggis
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Lovers of haggis, the Scottish national dish that’s a type of sausage made of sheep organs, are cheering because the U.S. is soon expected to lift an import ban on it. The dish is a staple of annual celebrations held at this time of year to commemorate 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns, who wrote an ode to haggis. We speak with Margaret Frost, who runs the Scottish American Society in Ohio.
Remembering Historian Howard Zinn
Author Howard Zinn at Emerson College in 2008 . (AP)
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The famed historian, political activist and author of “A People’s History of the United States” died yesterday of a heart attack. We revisit Robin Young’s August 2008 conversation withHoward Zinn.
Music from the show
- Sea and Cake, “Seemingly”
- U2, “Mothers of the Disappeared”
- Trad, “The Skylark’s Ascension,” Battlefield Band
- The Album Leaf, “Gust of …”
Though I appreciated the statement the president made about repealing the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy, I wished he would have spent more time on the topic. I do wonder if he is the first president to bring up the topic during a state of the union.
Posted by jason, on January 28th, 2010 at 12:23 pmMaybe I mmissed it, but I did not hear a disturbing content warning before the Guantanamo story. I had to leap across the room to turn down the radio before hearing the horrible description of what was alledged to have been done to the prisoners. Please, those warning are so much appreciated! Thank you for great programming.
Posted by Shelley Lowenberg-DeBoer, on January 28th, 2010 at 12:29 pmAfter hearing about the advocacy commercial to be broadcast during the Super BGwl, I have just emailed CBS that I will not watch the Super Bowl for the first time in years. I know it won’t make any difference to the bazzillions of dollars made but I will feel better.
Posted by Sheryl, on January 28th, 2010 at 12:37 pmLISTEN UP, CBS.
Posted by V.R Heflick, on January 28th, 2010 at 12:42 pmYou can be as hypocritical as you want to bein your advertising policies.
I’ll watch the Super Bowl and make a note of all the sponsors.
Then I’ll BOYCOTT ALL THE SUPERBOWL ADVERTISERS until next year’s SuperBowl.
V.R – Good Idea!
Posted by Sheryl, on January 28th, 2010 at 12:47 pmHoward Zinn will be greatly missed. His unique insight into this wonderful country, good and bad, had a balance that most of us see but cannot articulate well. He was right when he said that young people need to be taught to question the ideas that they hear from the voice of authority, any authority. Young people today do not seem interested in their own ideas or the ideas that float around them in the information society. Our schools, colleges and parents (and we as the adult society) are short-changing our young people with our educational system. Howard Zinn was a man of the people.
Posted by F. J. D. MacKinnon, on January 28th, 2010 at 5:50 pmI’m no fan of most of NPR’s news reporting, but I am definitely one of “Hear and Now.” Thank you for the thoughtful tribute to Howard Zinn, a great teacher for all of us. Your program was far, far better than the disgusting “remembrance” Dr. Zinn broadcast on ATC on the same day.
Posted by James Vos, on January 29th, 2010 at 7:04 pm