Weekly Round Up: September 28 - October 2, 2009

Economy

Deal with It

This week CAP put out a guide to better understanding the federal debt and deficit, including a report and a Debt and Deficit 101 from Michael Ettlinger and Michael Linden.

Sabina Dewan and Michael Ettlinger argued that social expenditures that are done well can reap significant economic rewards during times of economic crisis.

And Heather Boushey found that the unemployment rate for adult men hit 10.3 percent in September, higher than at any point since the end of World War II.
 
 

Domestic

Better Health Through Better Information

Also this week, we examined how comparative effectiveness research can improve health care quality and costs in a brief from Ellen-Marie Whelan and Sonia Sekhar and a column from physician and former White House Fellow Brian Alexander.

CAP also looked at how older Americans are more vulnerable to high health care costs and abusive insurance practices, and Senator Tom Daschle explained how heath care reform would help seniors in an Ask the Expert video.

Jessica Arons broke down how abortion care would be funded under the proposed health care reform bills, and in this week’s public opinion snapshot, Ruy Teixeira found that public support for health reform is increasing according to the latest polls.

Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich observed that conservatives are using the same smear tactics against Kevin Jennings that brought down Van Jones and ACORN, and Valerie Shen and Sally Steenland wrote that religious activists are embracing progressive issues such as health care reform and immigration reform, poverty, and climate change.

 

Energy and Environment

For Rural America One Answer Is Blowing in the Wind

Tom Kenworthy wrote that rural Americans could see a multitude of jobs, revenues, and other benefits from wind energy.

This week’s “Easy Being Green” looked at creative reuse centers across the country that reuse and recycle one person’s junk for another’s arts and crafts project.

And Julian Wong wrote about China’s climate challenge to celebrate the country’s 60th birthday.