Week 9 - Radio

Unless you do a lot a driving you probably don’t rely on the radio much for your news. The prevalence of video-driven news content on television and the internet is probably more enticing for most of us when we want to keep informed.

But with the iPod phenomenon in full effect there are more choices than ever for audio news in the form of podcasts. Most are available for free and have relatively few commercial interruptions.

So without completely turning this post into a podcast endorsement, here now are a few of this week’s radio/podcast news stories about President Obama.

NPR and KCRW

Santa Monica based KCRW is our local radio source for NPR news and political commentary. Here are a few recently aired stories.

NPR: Story of the Day Podcast - Link

This story details the growing frustration that Americans are experiencing with the poor state of the economy. Some are frustrated with the Obama administration for failing to spark a major economic turnaround, others say he’s been in office for less than three months and to give him time. Obama reminds citizens that the turnaround process will take years and possible multiple attempts at different solutions. We need to be patient and turn our frustration into constructive energy.

To the Point - Link

The Obama administration’s delicate balance with Mexico. Tensions are growing over the increasing drug-related violence taking place in Mexico. Fears that violence is spinning out of control in Mexico and will spill over into the U.S. if actions are not taken. Over 7000 related deaths have occurred in the past 16 months.

Which Way L.A.? - Link

Here, Which Way L.A.? covers President Obama’s recent town hall style appearance in Los Angeles. While republicans on Capital Hill make up some of Mr. Obama’s most fierce critics, republican Governor Schwarzenegger appeared as one of his biggest supporters. Schwarzenegger said Obama’s stimulus plan will bring $51 billion to California. The mood of the meeting was more like a campaign event rather than a town hall meeting. People were ecstatic about meeting and talking to the President.

Television Podcasts

Meet the Press - Link

NBC’s weekly Sunday news television program is available in podcast form. This week they discussed the public outrage following the AIG bonuses and Gov. Schwarzenegger talks of collaborating with President Obama about retooling government infrastructure. Also covers the nation’s supposed frustration with Obama’s reform plans. The mood of the program is quite clear from the style of the intro, the music is dramatic and the announcer sounds frantic. Is the end near!?

NewsHour with Jim Lehrer - Link

PBS news program NewsHour’s style is almost the polar opposite of Meet the Press. A very calm and collected take on the news. This podcast covers how Obama is lobbying for democratic support of his budget plan while party leaders are seeking changes to it. Obama administration claims it will cut the deficit in half in five years, critics say it will lead us further into the red.

Is radio dead?

While some may think the radio platform is boring compared to video-driven news, it can be quite powerful in the right reporters hands. Just listen to the powerful imagery Edward R. Murrow provides in his historic report of the bombing of Trafalgar Square in London. - Link

Week 8 Print

March 19, 2009 -As Federal Reserves declared today that in order to boost up economy, it would buy $300 billion of long-term U.S. Treasury securities in the next six months and a hundred million dollars more in mortgage backed securities. The rate for credit worthy mortgage customers fell to 4.75% today, and the value of U.S. currency continued to reach the floor.
Federal Reserves Chairman, Ben Bernanke hope this move will push down long-term borrowing rates benchmarked to treasury bonds, but can also backfire and fuel fear that the Feds, by using their power to print money to help government's finances are kindling inflation, according to Wall Street Journal.

Some top employees of American International Group Inc (AIG) have agreed to pay back some the retention bonuses (amounting $165 million)they received, due to public outrage. Lawmakers of from both parties questioned Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner did not do more to derail the bonuses and two Republicans called him to resign. However, President Obama expressed his confidence in Geithner. "He is making all the right moves in playing a bad hand." The president took the ultimate responsibility saying, "I am the president, I'll take responsibility. The buck stops with me."
Surprisingly, some to the biggest critics were those who received the most campaign contributions from AIG, including President Obama ($104,332), Senate Banking Chairman Christopher Dodd (103,900).
Among Republicans, former President George W. Bush received the most from AIG in the amount of $200,000.

March 20, 2009 -House passed a bill that would impose a 90% surtax on bonuses paid this year to executives of Wall Street firms getting more than $5 billion in bailout.
A 90% surcharge on bonuses on top of other income taxes will be imposed on those who received bonuses after Dec.31, 2008 and those who make $250,000 or more in gross income.

President Barack Obama appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and discussed current AIG and financial crisis on Wall Street. "...it took us a while to get into this mess, and it will take us a while to get out. [The American people] will give us time," said the president. President Obama is the first president to appear on a late night show, according to NBC.

March 23, 2009 - Two Obama cabinet members will be working at home and abroad to alleviate concerns regarding the drug wars along the Mexican borders. Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolian will address the crisis for the first time on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton will visit Mexico the same day. The Obama administration has expressed constant support of Mexican President, Felipe Calderon's crackdown on drug lords who are warring the nation and fighting over territory to sell drugs and export them into the U.S.

March 24, 2009 -President Obama tried to ease tension and woes to Wall Street after weeks of outrage and criticism. The Obama administration is trying to work with top bankers on Walls Street on a bailout plan which will rely on public-private investments to soak up toxic assets.

March 25, 2009 - President Barack Obama held a press conference last night and did not shy away from answering questions and did not hold back on delivering his message. The president used prime-time news conference to defend his $3.6 trillion budget plan and tax proposals, one day before the plan begins to move in Congress. He pressed for renewable-energy development, education and health-insurance renovation for when the economy is healed. He called for new authorities to cease and dismantle non-bank financial institutions such as AIG. When questioned about his economic plans President Obama was firm on his stance. "The alternative is to stand pat, and to simply say we are just going to not invest in health care; we're not going to take on energy, we'll wait until the next time that gas gets to $4 a gallon; we will not improve our schools, and we'll allow China or India or other countries to lap our young people in terms of their performance," he said. The president does not have a detailed plan as how to bring down the deficit, however he said the key will be controlling health-care costs. President Obama's spending plan is under attack by many Republicans as well as some Democrat leaders. Many are attacking the president's proposal to limit charitable deductions. "I'm assuming that [the deduction] shouldn't be the determining factor in as to whether you're giving that hundred dollars to the homeless shelter down the street," said the president. When the president was asked why he took so long to react to the AIG retention bonuses, the president snapped, "because I like to know what I am talking about." President Obama also expressed his optimism between the Israel and Palestinian state and insisted on persistence.

March 26, 2009 -President Obama holds the first ever virtual web-hall meeting. President Obama discussed healthcare, education reform and discussed ways to create jobs for Americans. "No dream is beyond our reach."

Sources
Los Angeles Times http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2009/03/obama-stocks-us.html
New York Times http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html
The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123808005152848441.html

Week 9 - Television

Last week President Obama made a trip to Southern California and of course the media had lots of reactions to it. Here are some clips…

This is a news piece highlighting President Obama’s reaction to some struggling high school students in Pomona, CA

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Also, some reaction to President Obama’s college basketball predictions
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3868968&referralPlaylistId=cdf6b55bc33febfa6b639972645aa7895d35e3d1


Here’s some commentary from Fox News Channel, Glenn Beck on President Obama’s appearance on the Tonight Show



With President Obamas 3.6 trillion dollar budget being debated in Congress, President Obama holds his second primetime news conference. He mentions “out years” in this clip which refers to the years after the recession.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7165877

And here’s Bill O’Reilly’s take on the press conference…

http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/

Michelle Obama was also in the news…


Watch CBS Videos Online

Fox News first 100 days

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/index.html

Week 9 Entertainment

President Obama didn’t look burdened by his office on “The Tonight Show” on Thursday; he seemed detached.

As he described the problems of American International Group and the credit crisis to Jay Leno, Mr. Obama behaved less like a beleaguered president than the head of a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia reporting back to the main office -- concerned and engaged, but intent on maintaining his professional distance and neutrality.

At times, he may have seem a little too removed. When he described the plight of Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner ( “He understands that he’s on the hot seat, but I actually think that he is taking the right steps”) Mr. Leno jumped in and said teasingly, “Now, see, I love that it’s all his problem.” Mr. Obama tensed up and tried to correct himself, and it took him several beats to surrender to the joke and laugh along with the audience.

But overall Mr. Obama, the first sitting president to be a guest on “The Tonight Show,” delivered a familiarly smooth, winning performance in an unfamiliar setting – a fireside chat for the flat screen age.


http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/clips/president-obama-full-interview-319/1067541/


Stephen Colbert does a rap battle against GOP leader Michael Steele

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=222211

John Stewart grills Dick Cheney

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=220585

The Obama song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-yJBsjatW0

WEEK 8 (Print/Online)

Air Force One touched down at the Long Beach Airport today at 3:00 p.m. as Obama was headed to Costa Mesa for a town hall meeting. This was Obama’s first trip to the west coast since he was elected president.

Obama’s day was jammed packed with the town meeting, an appearance on the tonight show, the A.I.G thing, but the news in online entertainment was Barack-etology as the president filled out his NCAA tournament bracket.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3994021

Most of the focus of the local newspapers was the town hall meeting in Costa Mesa. The president mainly talked about A.I.G., and fielded some question from the audience. A teacher and a former automobile industry worker were some of the few that asked Obama questions, but still had hope. Even with all the problems the crowd was optimistic.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/

Week 8 Entertainment

In Entertainment News…So, unfortunately this is happening tonight so I can’t show you the clip, but Obama is going to be the first seated president to ever go on late night TV. He will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Thursday night.
Reuters reported, “NBC said it would be Obama's first sit-down talk show appearance in studio with a live audience since his election last year, and the first ever appearance by a U.S. president while in office on a late-night chat show.”

Read more about the “historic” interview here.

Jon Stewart (March 17)
Everyone is angry about everything. Apparently people are even protesting through tea parties a la Boston.

Believe in something...even if it's wrong.

Monday Night Roundup
Collection of video clips from the Huffington Post online from a variety of shows Monday night.

punching babies

Saturday Night Live
I always love weekend update but I’m not sure how I feel about Seth Myers doing it… but that is beside the point.

Obama 2.0

The Onion keeps an update on highlights from Obama's first hundred days- here is this week...

DAY 57: Secret service agent Ted Scharpling stumps fellow agent Neal Vianna when he asks Vianna what he would do if Michelle Obama came at the president with a modified Glock 19 automatic.
DAY 56: To mark St. Patrick's Day, most of the White House staff wears green, except for Joe Biden, who never makes it into work.
DAY 55: Several weeks after reportedly being bit by a sheep dog, Eric Holder transforms into the shaggy attorney general at a critical moment during a press conference.
DAY 54: Obama's personal aide Reggie Love informs The New York Times that he's changed a lot since his May 27, 2008, profile and suggests they do a follow-up.
DAY 53: White House luncheon guests share a moment of awkwardness when someone says, "Madame, first lady," and both Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama turn around.
DAY 52: After refusing to take some of his state's stimulus money due to disagreements with the bill, Mississippi governor Haley Barbour wakes up to another burning tire on his lawn.
DAY 51: Reaching a milestone common for new presidents, Obama spends the afternoon seeing who is the most important person he can get on the phone in

Week 8 (Television)

As you all have probably seen or read the issue with AIG and how President Obama is dealing with it. President Barack Obama declared Monday that insurance giant American International Group is in financial bind because of "recklessness and greed" and said he intends to stop it from paying out millions in executive bonuses.

Obama spoke out in the wake of reports that surfaced over the weekend saying that the financially straped AIG was paying substantial bonuses to executives.

AIG was recieving larg amount of federal aid from the federal government, Obama said he has asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner "to use that leverage and pursue every legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole."
the Treasury Department will "use a planned $30 billion infusion into AIG to compel the company to repay the bonuses promised to employees of its financial-products group,


Obama made a very good point and really gave a good prespective of what responsibility means. Obama said that "All across the country, there are people who work hard and meet their responsibilities every day, without the benefit of government bailouts or multimillion-dollar bonuses. And all they ask is that everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, play by the same rules."

"This isn't just a matter of dollars and cents," he added. "It's about our
fundamental values."



Mmany people feel that the amount of money that AIG was giving out in bonuses is something that is being delt with in to much depth.

Q:what is your opinion on this situation and is obama and the admistration putting to much focus in this issue.

Q:Do you feel that AiG has lost all there credibility with the governrmnt and what steps can AIG do to gain back there respect.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

The Notorious AIG

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer