November 30, 2009
This Week in Congress: November 30 - December 4, 2009
This week Congress begins debate on a health care bill, considers extending the estate tax, and holds hearings on U.S. policy in Afghanistan.

November 30, 2009
Immigration Reform Is Good for Economic Recovery
Smart immigration strategies will increase tax revenue, help American businesses, and give a boost to all workers, write Angela Kelley and Gebe Martinez.

November 30, 2009
Getting the Job Done Right: Strengthening the Senate Bill to Fully Protect Competition
Soon after Thanksgiving the debate on health care reform begins in earnest before the Senate. Competition issues, normally a backwater concern for Congress, will be front and center. The Senate will grapple with the difficult question: how to make competition work in health care markets?

November 30, 2009
Job Creation in a Recession: The Basics
The federal government has done the right things to combat joblessness, but additional steps are necessary, writes Michael Ettlinger.

November 30, 2009
Clean Energy Will Help U.S. Ag
As Congress slowly moves forward on legislation to cut carbon pollution and put the nation on a cleaner and more sustainable energy path, farmers in Iowa and across the nation are being bombarded with conflicting messages about the likely costs.

November 30, 2009
Modifying Modifications
Treasury should authorize housing counselors to approve HAMP modifications, writes Andrew Jakabovics.

November 25, 2009
Statement on Obama's Upcoming Decision on Afghanistan
The Center for American Progress calls on Congress and the Obama Administration to make crystal clear to the American people their objectives and goals.

November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving for All Americans
Melissa Boteach of the Half in Ten Campaign and Jim Weill of the Food Research and Action Center call on Congress and the President to act by investing in nutrition assistance and job creation.

November 25, 2009
White House Confirms Obama To Visit Copenhagen
Andrew Light is in the Clean Skies News studio to discuss today's announcement from the White House that President Obama will travel to Copenhagen.

November 24, 2009
Teacher Support for Compensation Reform
Robin Chait offers analysis of new surveys that show less experienced teachers are more supportive of differential compensation.

November 24, 2009
The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Is Vital
Colin Cookman and Brian Katulis outline India’s strategic importance to the United States on global and regional issues as India’s prime minister arrives for the first state visit hosted by President Obama.

November 24, 2009
Lessons in Humanity (and Poverty Policy) Just in Time for the Holidays
Joy Moses discusses how the story of the "praying robber" shows us the important of the connection between fathers and families.

November 24, 2009
Note to the Financial Industry: Time to Put Up or . . . Well Just Put Up
It’s time for the financial services industry to chip in by paying higher taxes, writes Michael Ettlinger.

November 23, 2009
Clean Energy for the Wild Blue Yonder
Alexandra Kougentakis, Tom Kenworthy, and Daniel J. Weiss provide recommendations in this report on how the Air Force can expand its use of renewable energy.

November 23, 2009
Predicting the “Future of Faith”
A Progressive Book Club event discusses Harvard professor Harvey Cox’s new book on Christianity.

November 23, 2009
Senate Bill More Closely Preserves Abortion Status Quo
This chart from Jessica Arons shows how current health reform bills treat abortion funding, comparing the House and Senate bills to current law.

November 23, 2009
Public Opinion Snapshot: Public Backs Investment in Prevention
The public favors more investment in preventing diseases and other health problems, observes Ruy Teixeira.

November 23, 2009
The U.S. Needs Turkey for Its Middle East Agenda
When U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan meet in Washington, D.C. in early December, the two leaders will have no shortage of issues to discuss. Continued challenges in the broader Middle East and South Asia will most likely consume the majority of the leaders' time together.

November 23, 2009
Ask the Expert: Insurance Companies and Health Reform
Lois Quam discusses why private insurers should support a public option and how the industry has approached the health reform debate.

November 20, 2009
Economic Snapshot for November 2009
Policy attention should focus on job creation to ensure that the recent improvements are not short lived, writes Christian E. Weller.

November 20, 2009
Iran's Crisis of Resistance
Facing heavy domestic criticism, the Iranian regime could seek to recoup lost credibility by causing more trouble in the region, writes Matthew Duss in The American Prospect.

November 20, 2009
Weekly Round Up: November 16 -20, 2009
This week CAP released a new progressive agenda for national security, broke down the federal deficit, and analyzed the U.S.-China summit.

November 20, 2009
Teacher Incentive Fund Gets Respect
Congress should pay attention to the Gates Foundation’s recent selection of TIF schools for a new initiative, writes Raegen T. Miller.

November 20, 2009
Living in "Interesting Times"
The Center for American Progress talks with writer George Packer about his new book and living in a post-9/11 world.

November 20, 2009
Announcements of U.S.-China Cooperation Create a Path to Copenhagen Success
Agreements announced in Beijing this week show that international negotiations are still alive and well, write Julian L. Wong and Andrew Light.

November 19, 2009
Ask the Expert: Your Cell Phones Are Funding a Deadly War
David Sullivan talks about how conflict minerals are funding war in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and how Congress and the administration can help stop it.

November 19, 2009
Think Again: “History” Isn’t a Dirty Word
Obama’s “spending binge” should be put in context of what he inherited from the previous administration, writes Eric Alterman.

November 19, 2009
Time to Stop the Lies
Jeff Krehely fact checks Bishop Harry Jackson and other gay marriage opponents' claims about the proposed DC marriage law expansion.

November 19, 2009
Reconciliation with the Taliban
CAP and the New America Foundation bring together experts to discuss reconciliation efforts with the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.

November 19, 2009
How to Make the Afghanistan War a “Just War”
Susan Thistlethwaite and Brian Katulis argue that moral considerations should shape the Obama administration’s decision on the Afghanistan war.

November 19, 2009
A Job Saved Is as Good as a Job Created
Heather Boushey explains how Obama administration policies have improved economic growth and saved jobs.

November 18, 2009
Summing Up the U.S.-China Summit
President Obama persuades China to take some important baby steps toward meaningful international cooperation, writes Nina Hachigian.

November 18, 2009
Expanded Student Learning Time Show and Tell
CAP event brings together education innovators to discuss effective strategies for districts and unions to work together on expanded learning time.

November 18, 2009
It’s Easy Being Green: Spruce Up Your Furniture
If you’re considering new furniture these tips will help you green your space.

November 18, 2009
Union and District Partnerships to Expand Learning Time
Report from Melissa Lazarin and Isabel Owen examines three collaborations between unions and school districts to expand learning time.

November 18, 2009
Farmers Aren’t the Obstacle in the Global Warming Fight
Farmers and rural Americans stand to gain much from climate change legislation, writes Jake Caldwell.

November 17, 2009
Parenting with a Plan
A report from Joy Moses explains how the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family legislation can support positive parenting relationships and improve father involvement.

November 17, 2009
Breaking Down the Deficit
Michael Linden looks at how spending and tax revenues contributed to 2009’s federal budget deficit.

November 17, 2009
Pregúntele a un Experto: El Discurso de la Secretaria Napolitano Sobre la Reforma Migratoria
¿Recientemente la Secretaria Napolitano dió un discurso sobre la reforma migratoria, cuáles son los puntos más importantes de su discurso? ¿Por qué la legalización es una parte clave del cumplimiento de la ley? ¿Cuales son las partes claves de una reforma?

November 17, 2009
Turning Around High-Poverty Schools
Four panelists join CAP’s Cindy Brown to discuss how to improve low-performing schools.

November 17, 2009
Online Since the ’80s: An Interview with Andrew Feenberg on the Power of Online Communities
The lessons learned from the French Minitel network in the 1980s are still important as the FCC considers net neutrality today. Andrew Light talks with Andrew Feenberg, philosopher of technology, about the importance of digital democratic innovation.

November 17, 2009
Ask the Expert: Napolitano Makes the Case for Immigration Reform
Angela Kelley discusses Secretary Janet Napolitano's speech on immigration reform, plus why legalization is critical to effective enforcement, and the key components of reform.

November 17, 2009
The U.S. Clean Energy Economy
A fact sheet looks at several different elements of the growing clean energy economy in the United States.

November 16, 2009
National Service and Youth Unemployment
Strategies for job creation amid economic recovery from Melissa Boteach, Joy Moses, and Shirley Sagawa.

November 16, 2009
Stupak Amendment Changes Abortion Status Quo
This chart from Jessica Arons shows how current health reform bills treat abortion funding, comparing the House and Senate bills to the current law.

November 16, 2009
Public Opinion Snapshot: Public Resisting Conservative Slanders on Health Care Reform
Ruy Teixeira shows the public isn’t listening to conservative misinformation about health care reform.

November 16, 2009
Young Muslim American Voices Are More Important than Ever
Last week CAP launched a project with young Muslim American leaders to promote understanding of America’s growing religious diversity.

November 16, 2009
Bush Budget Bomb About to Blow
A tax loophole that will allow high-income earners to invest in Roth IRAs beginning in January 2010 is a shortsighted scheme that is fiscally irresponsible and economically backward, write Isha Vij and Michael Linden.

November 16, 2009
Integrating Security
Lawrence J. Korb, Sean Duggan, and Laura Conley present a new progressive agenda for national security in this report.

November 13, 2009
We Can Fix This
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano speaks at CAP on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

November 13, 2009
New York's 9/11 Trial Justice
Putting the 9/11 suspects on trial in New York is the right move, but seeking the death penalty would be a strategic error, writes Ken Gude.

November 13, 2009
House Health Bill Will Help Unmarried Women
As the Senate debates health reform legislation, it should look to several provisions in the House bill that would help unmarried women, write Liz Weiss and Page Gardner.

November 13, 2009
Weekly Round Up: November 9 - 13, 2009
This week CAP hosted DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, looked at the future of U.S-China relations, and released a report on innovation in education.

November 12, 2009
Carbon Offsets Would Be a Boon to Farmers
Several studies show that farmers could significantly profit from an offset market, says Tom Kenworthy.

November 12, 2009
Think Again: The Neverending Scandal of Howard Kurtz and The Washington Post
Eric Alterman wonders when The Washington Post will finally address the conflict of interest with its media critic Howard Kurtz.

November 12, 2009
The Next Phase
Trip report from a delegation to China led by John Podesta and findings on the future of U.S.-China relations.

November 12, 2009
Seniors' Stake in Health Reform
Report from Marilyn Moon defines what health reform would mean for Medicare beneficiaries.

November 12, 2009
Educators Speak Out on Pay for Performance
CAP interviews teachers and school leaders implementing compensation reform about their success and the utility of the Teacher Incentive Fund.

November 10, 2009
Staying Competitive
Report from Marc Goulden, Karie Frasch, and Mary Ann Mason looks at what we can do about the lack of family responsible benefits for America's researchers.

November 10, 2009
Choosing Between Family and the Military
American service members with undocumented spouses live with the added stress of worrying whether their family will face deportation, write Angela M. Kelley and Lawrence J. Korb.

November 10, 2009
Ask the Expert: Patching America's Leaky Pipeline in the Sciences
Mary Ann Mason talks about her new report on providing family leave policies to help keep women researchers in scientific fields.

November 10, 2009
States Fall Short on Key Education Indicators
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke at an event co-sponsored by CAP, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Frederick M. Hess of the American Enterprise Institute.

November 10, 2009
Honoring Our Service Members
A by-the-numbers look at the challenges facing American veterans shows problems with mental health, addiction, homelessness, and finances this Veterans Day 2009.

November 10, 2009
Getting Back on Track to Close Guantanamo
The closure of Guantanamo is within the reach of the Obama administration, but it still must take certain steps to get the detainee population down to zero, writes Ken Gude.

November 9, 2009
Hispanics Dodge a Bullet
Hispanics would have been hurt in critical ways by the proposed change to the census, writes Louis Caldera.

November 9, 2009
Public Opinion Snapshot: Public Backs Abiding by International Law
The public supports the Obama administration’s new attitude toward international law, observes Ruy Teixeira.

November 9, 2009
Let’s Roll Up Our Sleeves Again
Several provisions in current legislation would help the United States establish a clean-energy manufacturing strategy, argues Kate Gordon.

November 9, 2009
Will the U.N.’s Withdrawal Cancel Out the U.S.’s Civilian Surge?
On Thursday, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan announced that it would relocate hundreds of foreign staff out of the country in response to an attack targeting a U.N. guest house in Kabul last week. U.N. spokesman Dan McNortan told reporters that out of a total of 1,100 expatriate workers, 600 will be temporarily relocated for security reasons.

November 9, 2009
China's Evolving Engagement
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Nina Hachigian discussed China's new position as a global power at a CAP event.

November 6, 2009
China’s New Engagement in the International System
Report from Nina Hachigian explores China's relationship to the international system and role in tackling transnational threats.

November 6, 2009
Unemployment Rises Above 10 Percent for the First Time in 26 Years
There is some good news in today’s employment report, writes Heather Boushey, but the prospects for American workers remain grim.

November 6, 2009
Weekly Round Up: November 2 - 6, 2009
This week CAP hosted Vice President Joe Biden, provided several interactives on why we need health reform, and released a report on China's new role in the international community.

November 6, 2009
The Recession Brings Higher Unemployment to Unmarried Women
Unmarried women are seeing higher unemployment rates, write Liz Weiss and Heather Boushey. Extensions of Recovery Act provisions in Congress can help.

November 6, 2009
Interactive Map: American Workers Are Rapidly Losing Health Coverage
Interactive map shows that nearly one in five working adults lack health insurance, and 60 percent of the uninsured are employed.

November 5, 2009
Think Again: This Fish Rots from the Head Down
The embrace of crank politicians and scientists on the right quite possibly signals a conservative intellectual decline, writes Eric Alterman.

November 5, 2009
Interactive Map: Insurance Market Concentration Creates Fewer Choices
Interactive map from Karen Davenport and Sonia Sekhar shows that one carrier dominates the market in 17 states, and two dominate in 22 more.

November 5, 2009
Progressive People of Faith Call for Health Reform
Marta Cook highlights what faith groups across the country are doing to support health care reform.

November 4, 2009
The Impact of Community Schools
Saba Bireda explains how community schools help low-income minority students in their extracurricular activities.

November 4, 2009
It's Easy Being Green: Which Is Greener?
Do you know which of these pairings is greener? Take the quiz to find out.

November 4, 2009
A Changeless Faith for a Changing World
Address of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Orthodox Christianity.

November 4, 2009
Introduction of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Remarks from John D. Podesta at a joint Center for American Progress and Georgetown University event.

November 4, 2009
LGBT Equality Fight Continues
Maine voters rejected same-sex couple marriage rights yesterday, but other states are moving toward equality.

November 4, 2009
Grading Obama
After U.S. President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office, Foreign Policy invited some of its favorite bloggers, pundits, and political experts to analyze his foreign policy and help us create a report card for the young administration. The bulk of our respondents gave Bs, with a final score in the B+ range. FP repeated the exercise on the one-year anniversary of Obama's historic election, with much international affairs water under the bridge: his speech in Cairo, the leadership switch in Afghanistan, and the protracted back-and-forth with Israel over settlements, for instance.

November 4, 2009
Working Hard for Progressive Change
SEIU’s Anna Burger speaks at a Progressivism on Tap event about the importance of organizing workers and the close bond that progressives share with the labor movement.

November 4, 2009
A Revolutionary Faith
Statement on remarks from His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Orthodox Christianity.

November 4, 2009
Cooperation Is the Key
A proposal from John D. Podesta, Andrew Light, and Julian L. Wong on U.S.-China collaboration on climate technology.

November 4, 2009
A Roadmap for U.S.–China Collaboration on Carbon Capture and Sequestration
Fact sheet outlines how the United States and China will mutually benefit from collaboration on carbon capture and sequestration.

November 4, 2009
How Capable Is Obama After All?
This podcast reviews the first anniversary of Obama’s election and discusses his achievements and the challenges he faces in the next year. Werz argues Obama was as successful as one can possibly be given the unique problems that he did face when he took office and that the stabilization of the financial crisis was his first achievement in a time where he had to tackle several domestic and international crises simultaneously.

November 3, 2009
Expanding the Primary Care Workforce
Our primary care workforce is already stretched; Ellen-Marie Whelan offers solutions for coping with the shortfall, particularly if we achieve health care reform.

November 3, 2009
Why We Need Health Care Reform
Updated fact sheets show how our broken health care system affects people in each state.

November 3, 2009
A New Social Landscape
CAP brings together experts to discuss a report by Maria Shriver on women’s new economic role in society.

November 2, 2009
Schools for the Whole Community
Prime Minister Tony Blair, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Rep. Steny Hoyer visit CAP to talk about community schools.

November 2, 2009
Putting the Customer First in College
Louis Soares argues that we need an Office of Consumer Protection in Higher Education.

November 2, 2009
This Week in Congress: November 2 - 6, 2009
This week Congress debates health care legislation, considers extending unemployment insurance, and continues work on appropriations.

November 2, 2009
Health Care Reform Can Treat the National Deficit
Christina Romer explains the link between health care reform and the budget deficit at CAP.

November 2, 2009
Public Opinion Snapshot: The Blame Game: Conservatives vs. the Public
Conservatives want to blame Obama for our economic plight and difficulties with health care legislation but the public disagrees, observes Ruy Teixeira.

November 2, 2009
Extending Help to the Unemployed
Alexandra Cawthorne and Melissa Boteach discuss the need to extend unemployment insurance on The Hill's Congress Blog.

November 2, 2009
Ask the Expert: Health Spending Drives Deficits
Without reform, the federal government will spend more on health care in 2019 than any other category, including defense or social security, explains Michael Linden.

November 2, 2009
Using U.S. Leverage to Strengthen Afghan Governance
The Obama administration needs to work with its close NATO allies to set a clear plan aimed at outlining expectations for the Karzai government, writes Brian Katulis.

November 2, 2009
No Background Check? No Problem
The White House should commit to better enforcement of existing gun laws to make cities safer, writes Sam Fulwood III, and gun shows are a good place to start.

November 2, 2009
A Healthy Nation Starts with Equality in the Workplace
Women are poised to become half of all paid employees in the country by the end of this year, making them primary and co-breadwinners in more households than ever before. It is clear that women at all economic levels work in paid employment, either because they choose to or because they have to, and that change is here to stay.

November 2, 2009
Green Jobs: Opportunity for Latinos
There is an important and often overlooked benefit to investing in clean energy: it could create millions of good jobs at all skill levels, writes Raúl Arce-Contreras in Poder.