Monday, August 3rd

National: Drug Industry to Run Ads Favoring White House Plan
$150 million dollars is being given to lobbyists of the drug industry by the drug industry for TV commericials supporting Obama's health care overhaul. This announcement has helped to clear some confusion about the deal between the White House and the drug industry that it would contribute $80 billion dollars over 10 years, the terms of the deal were not released. The officials of the drug industries' trade group, PhRMA, are meeting sometime in August to finalize the plans for the fall...the budget could end up being more or less than previously announced. It is interesting that the industry is spending so much supporting Obama because he spent $236 million on TV ads during his campagin while McCain only spent $126 million. The supporters of the overhaul plan are expected to gain much more support than the opposers, hopefully putting the money to good use. The commericals echo Democartic reform ideals about healthcare such as medical care for all and consumer protection. I think that it is hard to say right now whether spending this much money is a waste and that no one will really be able to decide how useful it was until the commericals start airing and the industry gets feedback.

Kirkpatrick, David D. "Drug Industry to Run Ads Favoring White House Plan." New York Times: Money & Policy. The New York Times, 09 Aug. 2009. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/health/policy/09lobby.html?scp=1&sq=&st=nyt.


International: Clinton and South African Discuss Somalia and Sudan
Hilary Clinton. on her tour around South Africa, met with the president of the country, Jacob Zuma, to discuss regional issues such as the war in Somalia and the violence in Sudan. Clinton and Zuma both agree in taking the relationship between the U.S. and South Africa to a "higher level". Because South Africa is a powerhouse in Africa, Clinton wants the area to ahve a larger affect not just in Africa but in the world. The relations between the two countries had previously been strained by former president Thabo Mbeki's take on AIDS and his refusal to shut down autocratic leader Robert Mugabe. During her visit through the continent, Hilary Clinton not only bonded with the natives but also gave them a sense of hope, tying them in closely with the U.S. by President Obama's relation to Kenya. Hilary's trip around Africa definately had a positive affect on us and them and hopefully we can restore relations with not only South Africa, but with other nations in the continent.

Gettleman, Jeffrey. "Clinton and South African Discuss Somalia and Sudan." New York Times:World. The New York Times, 09 Aug. 2009. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4D81E30F93AA3575BC0A96F9C8B63&scp=7&sq=&st=nyt.

Economic: Mansions Go Under the Gavel
With our economy in the place that it is today, many people who have indulged in the real estate market, such as Jack Warner, are now being punished for it. Warner explains how he finally acquired his dream house looking onto the Florida Gulf but is now being forced to sell it with no other options. Jim Gall, the president of Auction Company of America, says that homeowners who have mansions that were on the market for $4-$7 million dollars are now calling him and begging him to help. Mr. Warner is in the same boat as many Americans today, his first company was liquidated and his second one filed for bankruptcy, making his assets fall under court rule. Aspen, Palm Beach, the Hamptons, and California are the biggest auction areas in the U.S. currently. Although the homeowner will usually make some money by auctioning their stuff, it is usually never enough. Warner only made $2.5 million on a house that was appraised for $14 million one year ago. The article really brought into view how desperate some people are because they indulged when the economy was falling. However, some people get lucky and make enough money off the acutioning to not end up broke.

"Mansions Go Under the Gavel." New York Times:Economy. The New York Times, 08 Aug. 2009. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/business/economy/08auction.html?scp=17&sq=&st=nyt.