Recently in OBAMA Category

President Barack Obama warned Wall Street this afternoon against returning to the reckless behavior that threatened the nation with a second Great Depression. Even as he noted the U.S. economy and financial system were pulling out of a downward spiral, he warned financial titans that they could not count on any more bailouts. In marking his determination to prevent a repeat of the crisis that nearly brought down the global financial system last fall, Obama said he was attacking the problem on several broad fronts, including asking Congress to approve new rules to protect consumers.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx will host a district-wide telephone town hall on the topic of healthcare reform for 5th district constituents on Thursday.

Foxx claims we need sensible healthcare reform that is patient centered, not government-centered or insurance company-centered.

Constituents can call into the town hall meeting by dialing 1-877-850-4133 at 6:30 p.m. and enter the password 3699 or Foxx. Those who call will be connected to a live conference call with Representative Foxx and other constituents in the 5th district.

Do you have something to say about our healthcare? Send a tape or write a letter expressing your personal story and it will go directly to those in Washington.... even to the president. This is part of the "share your health-care story drop-in" which will be held in the commissioners conference room in the county's Administration Building in Boone from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 23rd.

All stories, whether written or taped, will be bundled and delivered to Senators Burr and Hagan, Representative Foxx, and to the president. The non-partisan event is being sponsored by the Watauga County Democratic Party, and everyone is invited to participate.

American flags were waving in the wind with people holding signs saying "we want our country back," "give me liberty," and "stop big government." These people were protesting Tax Day Reform which was on April 15^th. High Country residents stood in the cold and rain at the Hardees parking lot in Boone for what is known all across America as the Tax Day Tea Party. We have had enough is what many were chanting in the crowd. And although there was a large gathering.... some ASU students disagreed on the Tax Day Tea Party....claiming it was organized by republican talking heads. But people speaking to the crowd say this tax day is not about being a Republican or a Democrat. Many also encouraged the crowd to make a difference and sign petitions so they can be sent off to local government officials.

Senator Steve Goss recently announced that the federal stimulus is expected to provide funding for summer work opportunities for youth ages 16-24 in the region. Goss urged potential employers to consider proposing a summer work program for youth in their communities. Funding will be made available as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the local workforce development board to put youth to work this summer. The existing program get REAL stands for, Resources, Employment, Advancement, Learning will place kids in summer jobs while building career readiness skills. The program is targeted to youth ages 16-24 whose family income falls below the federal poverty level and who face certain barriers to employment. Wages are paid by the program while young people get the opportunity to earn marketable job skills, and work sites gain temporary workers. For further information call Steve Goss at 828 265-2943, go to senatorstevegoss.com.

A national poll indicates that nearly two out of three Americans approve of the job president Obama's doing, but the survey suggests that people appear to be split on how he's handling some aspects of the economy. Obama's job approval rating stands at 64 percent in a CNN/Opinion Research Survey recently released... and when asked about the economy, 59 percent of respondents approve of how Obama's performing, with 40 percent disapproving. But Americans appear to be split on how the president is dealing with the massive federal budget deficit, the problems facing the major US. Automakers, the federal bailout of Wall Street and the major American banks. The poll indicates that the vast majority of Americans, hope that Obama's policies will succeed. If the economy does not improve over the next year, 54 percent said they'll still blame former President Bush and the Republicans for the mess, with 32 percent putting the blame on Obama and the Democrats who control Congress.

President Barack Obama is repealing a policy that former President George W. Bush enacted. The policy limited federal tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research. Obama's move overturns an order signed by president bush in 2001 that barred the National Institutes of health from funding research on embryonic stem cells beyond using 60 cell lines that existed at that time. Obama also signed a presidential memorandum establishing greater independence for federal science policies and programs. Obama's action is part of a broader effort to separate science and politics and restore scientific integrity in governmental decision-making. At the time, Bush argued that scientific advances allowed researchers to conduct groundbreaking research without destroying human embryos. Bush's actions led to democratic criticism that he had put politics over science. Obama's order will direct the National Institutes of Health to develop revised guidelines on federal funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research within 120 days. Stem cells have the potential to turn into any organ or tissue cell in the body, and research advocates say they could yield cures to debilitating conditions such as Diabetes, Parkinson's disease and spinal injuries. But because work on embryonic stem cells involves the destruction of human embryos, many conservatives supported the limits Bush imposed by executive order in 2001.

The high country may not be the only place building a wind turbine...President Obama's stimulus bill may help other places breathe easier. The bill provides a 30 percent investment tax credit to consumers who buy small wind turbines, which are typically used to help power homes or small businesses. The association predicts the federal subsidy could help the small-turbine market grow by 40 to 50 percent annually. Small wind turbines have a capacity of 100 kilowatts or less and are designed to operate on the consumer side of the power grid, often in combination with solar panels. The United States is already the world's leading manufacturer of small-wind technologies, holding roughly two-thirds of the world's market share. The turbines are an investment in clean energy and one way to ease America's dependence on foreign oil. However, some experts say physical and regulatory problems view the urban wind movement in cities such as New York and San Francisco as misconceived. One expert says there are pockets of usable wind in cities, but they're very hard to find, and they're a lot more limited than you might think. it is most often not worth the time and expense.

President Barack Obama called upon skeptics and health care figures to the white house Thursday to debate ideas for overhauling the nation's costly system known as healthcare. Obama called it a health care summit which showed the new president's push for expanded health insurance. The U.S. system is the world's costliest and leaves an estimated 48 million people uninsured. Although he wants coverage for all, the president suggested a willingness to compromise even if it means not fully meeting his goal. Obama is setting a rigorous timeline to address the "crushing cost of health care this year, in this administration." his advisers say he's determined to pass legislation in his first year in office, and they say while he hopes for a bipartisan measure, he won't be deterred by ideological fights. On Capitol Hill, democratic leaders in both the house and senate rallied behind him, saying Thursday that they hoped to have a health care reform measure passed by the end of the summer. Unfortunately, there is still the line between democrats and republicans over the role of government in the health care system.

The Obama administration's Foreclosure Prevention Program is open for business. The fix calls for companies to help as many four million struggling borrowers by modifying loans so monthly housing payments are no more than 31 percent of monthly gross income. Separately, homeowners who haven't missed a payment can refinance into lower-cost loans even if they have little or no equity. This is expected to help up to five million homeowners. The $75 billion loan modification plan will provide incentives to borrowers and loan servicers and investors to urge mortgage modifications. The government will also subsidize interest rate reductions to get borrowers to affordable monthly payments. Borrowers can now contact their servicers to see whether they are eligible for assistance. The loan modification plan focuses on people who are behind in their payments or are at risk of default. federal officials clarified the definition of "at risk" as those: suffering serious hardships, declines in income or increase in expenses; facing an interest rate hike; having high mortgage debt compared to income; owing more than their house is worth, or demonstrating other reasons for being close to default. The modification program will be in effect until the end of 2012, but loans can only be adjusted once.