President, River Twice Research
President of River Twice Research; author of Sustainable Excellence: The Future of Business in a Fast-Changing World and Superfusion: How China and America Became One Economy and Why the World's Prosperity Depends on It
The S&P Downgrade: Economics and Politics After a weekend of silence, President Obama addressed the S&P downgrade and the US economy this afternoon from a White House dining room. He said that the US will always be a AAA-country, and Standard and Poor's is the only ratings agency to downgrade its credit rating to AA+.
The S&P Downgrade: Economics and Politics Fingers of blame are being pointed in every direction as Wall Street and world financial markets react to history's first downgrade of America's credit rating. Standard and Poor's is taking its own licks for bad mathematics and because other ratings firms are keeping the US at AAA . Is President Obama at fault? What about Tea Party Republicans and European economies? Why are US Treasuries still the safest place to be? What's next for local governments and individuals with home and auto loans?
China: Before and After Election Day In this year's political campaigns, Democrats and Republicans are accusing each other of helping to cause America's economic decline. In the process, both parties are demonizing China.
China: Before and After Election Day Television commercials featuring Chinese music, pictorial characters and gongs suggest that China has morphed from a "Communist threat" to an economic menace. While Democrats claim free trade pushed American jobs to a foreign country, Republicans say "green" stimulus money is being used to buy Chinese products. Have both parties found the same scapegoat to blame for America's problems? Will policies change once the voting is over, or have US consumerism and profit-making combined to create an economic knot that can't easily be untied?
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.