Weekly Round Up: November 2 - 6, 2009

Economy

Vice President Joe Biden Discusses Challenges Facing the Middle Class

On Thursday Vice President Joe Biden hosted leading scholars at the Center for American Progress to discuss the challenges facing America's middle class in the 21st century economy. The vice president and the panel discussed the many economic developments and trends affecting middle-class families, including changes to the overall labor market in recent decades, shifting gender roles and the need for work-life balance in today's economy, economic inequality and mobility, and the increased gap between productivity and wages.

Unemployment rose to 10.2 percent in October 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Heather Boushey observed that job losses are slowing, which is certainly a positive sign, but we need strong job gains to begin to absorb all those needing a job. And Boushey and Liz Weiss highlighted the spikes in unemployment for unmarried women.

Also, Michael Linden spoke about how health care spending is driving deficits in an "Ask the Expert" video.

Health care

Why We Need Health Care Reform

The most recent census data confirms that our health care system is failing to deliver for millions of American families. CAP provided updated fact sheets that showed how our broken health care system affects people in each state.

An interactive map showed that nearly one in five working adults lack health insurance, and 60 percent of the uninsured are employed. And another map from Karen Davenport and Sonia Sekhar showed that one carrier dominates the market in 17 states, and two dominate in 22 more.

Marta Cook highlighted what faith groups across the country are doing to support health care reform, and Ellen-Marie Whelan focused on the need to expand the primary care workforce.

National security

China's New Engagement in the International System

China is in the international ring, but it's punching below its weight, wrote Nina Hachigian, Winny Chen, and Christopher Beddor in a new report on China's relationship to the international system and role in tackling transnational threats.

And Brian Katulis argued that the Obama administration needs to work with its close NATO allies to set a clear plan aimed at outlining expectations for the Karzai government since the Afghanistan’s Independent Electoral Commission cancelled the second round of the presidential elections.

Energy

Cooperation Is the Key

CAP and the Asia Society released a roadmap for U.S.–China collaboration on carbon capture and sequestration, complete with a fact sheet and a column by John Podesta, Andrew Light, and Julian Wong. Plus, this week's "It's Easy Being Green" asked "which is greener?" in an interactive quiz.