2009 NOVEMBER
Nov. 24, 2009

Obama Decision on Afghan Strategy Said to Be 'Days Away'
A White House spokesman said Tuesday that President Barack Obama plans to reveal his decision on whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan "within days" after holding a late-evening meeting with his top foreign policy and military advisers.

Nov. 23, 2009

India's Economy Remains Robust Despite Global Downturn
Amid a global economic crisis, India's economy has managed to remain robust, fueling the growth of a large middle class. As Fred de Sam Lazaro reports, however, about 800 million residents in India still try to survive on less than $2 a day.

  

Nov. 23, 2009

Senate Debate on Health Care Will Put Lawmakers to the Test
While health care reform passed a key Senate hurdle over the weekend, the legislation still faces a full-scale floor debate. Judy Woodruff asks former secretaries of health to preview the road ahead for President Obama's top domestic priority.

  

Nov. 23, 2009

Other News: 4 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
In other news, four more American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan over the last 24 hours, and prospects for January elections in Iraq dimmed.

  

Nov. 23, 2009

Honduran Elections Come at Critical Point in Political Standoff
Presidential elections this Sunday give Hondurans a chance to vote on their next leader, but may do little to clear up the political crisis that has gripped the small Central American country for five months.

Nov. 23, 2009

Reid Prepares For Battle Over Senate Health Bill
Senate Democratic leaders celebrated Saturday when their health care reform bill passed a key procedural hurdle, but by Monday deep divisions over some key provisions of the $848 billion legislation were already back in the spotlight.

Nov. 20, 2009

Shields and Gerson Review Road Ahead for Health Reform
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson, who is also a senior research fellow at the Institute for Global Engagement, break down the biggest stories of the week, including health care reform moves in Congress and President Obama's pondering of a new Afghan strategy.

  

Nov. 20, 2009

News Wrap: Democrats Win Key Moderate's Support for Health Bill
In other news, Senate Democrats won over a key moderate as they move to bring health care reform to the floor, and a congressional ethics committee has formally admonished Illinois Sen. Roland Burris.

  

Nov. 20, 2009

Reporter's Podcast: Low-Profile Figures Picked to Lead EU
After weeks of internal negotiations, the European Union selected two "low-key consensus builders," as they have since been described, over big-name picks to lead the newly organized body.

Nov. 19, 2009

Complex U.S.-China Ties Took Center Stage on Obama's Asia Trip
President Obama concluded a four-nation Asian tour Thursday that marked a potential turning point in relations between the U.S. and an increasingly influential China. A panel of Asia experts discusses the trip's high points and low points with Jeffrey Brown.

  

Nov. 19, 2009

News Wrap: House Rejects Cuts to Medicare Payments
In other news, the House voted to spare doctors from a 20 percent cut in their Medicare payments, and Hamid Karzai was sworn in for a second term as president of Afghanistan.

  

Nov. 19, 2009

Senate Gears Up for Showdown Over Health Reform Bill
The Senate on Thursday inched closer to debating Majority Leader Harry Reid's $848 billion health care reform bill, despite stiff GOP resistance. After a report from Betty Ann Bowser, Susan Dentzer explains the details.

  

Nov. 19, 2009

Obama Asia Trip Yields Mixed Results
President Obama wrapped up a 10-day tour of Asia on Thursday, producing little by way of short-term gains, but establishing relationships with Asian leaders for dealings down the road, observers say.

Nov. 19, 2009

Senate Health Care Plan Would Cover 31 Million
The health care reform legislation unveiled Wednesday night by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would extend health insurance to 31 million more Americans at a cost of $848 billion.

Nov. 18, 2009

Reid Unveils Senate Health Reform Legislation
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid moved forward on a long-awaited version of health care reform legislation Wednesday night, telling reporters "tonight begins the last leg of this journey."

Nov. 18, 2009

In Bosnia, Tension Reigns Years After War's End
Although Bosnia and Herzegovina has repaired physically from its bloody civil war, its citizens are experiencing political and social challenges. The report is part of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting's Fragile States project, a partnership with the Bureau of International Reporting.

  

Nov. 18, 2009

Holder: 'We Need Not Cower' Facing 9/11 Suspect
U.S. Attorney General appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday to defend trying 9/11 suspects in New York. Kwame Holman has the story.

  

Nov. 18, 2009

Palin Takes 'Going Rogue' on U.S. Book Tour
Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is taking her new book, "Going Rogue," across the country. Judy Woodruff gets reactions.

  

Nov. 18, 2009

Afghan Corruption Complicates U.S. War Review
Gwen Ifill speaks with Afghanistan experts about the government's corruption and what that could mean for U.S. war strategy there.

  

Nov. 18, 2009

Other News: Senate Health Bill Estimated at $849B
In other news, Senate Democrats learned that the Congressional Budget Office estimated that their health reform bill would cost $849 billion over a decade and insure another 31 million Americans.

  

Nov. 18, 2009

Karzai Vows to Stamp out Corruption in Afghanistan
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the eve of his inauguration to discuss corruption. Gwen Ifill reports.

  

Nov. 17, 2009

In China, a Struggle for Rights, but Hope for Future
Jim Lehrer speaks with a human rights activist and a China expert about the state of the struggle for human rights in China.

  

Nov. 17, 2009

Other News: Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions Up 2%
In other news, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that global carbon dioxide emissions rose 2 percent in 2008, and Iran sentenced five people to death for inciting June's mass protests.

  

Nov. 17, 2009

Chinese President Vows Cooperation on Climate Change
Talks between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao yielded a promise of slowing down climate change and nuclear proliferation, but fell short of making progress on human rights. Kwame Holman reports.

  

Nov. 17, 2009

U.S. Presidents in China
From the first U.S. presidential visit to China by Richard Nixon to President Barack Obama's current trip, each president has weighed foreign policy priorities when dealing with the communist nation. Historian Richard Norton Smith describes the balancing act U.S. presidents have played over the years.

  

Nov. 17, 2009

Obama Unveils Financial Fraud Task Force
President Obama issued an executive order Tuesday establishing a multi-agency task force to crack down on financial fraud.

Nov. 17, 2009

TARP Watchdog: N.Y. Fed 'Severely Limited' Savings on AIG
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York ceded much of its negotiating power to AIG's trading partners during the insurance giant's rescue last year, according to a new report from the watchdog for the Troubled Asset Relief Fund.

Nov. 17, 2009

Obama Cites Human Rights, Currency in China
Talks between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao yielded pledges to cooperate on climate change and the economy, but little by way of human rights and upping the value of the yuan currency.

Nov. 16, 2009

Beijing Residents React to President Obama's Visit
GlobalPost correspondent Josh Shin gets reactions from Beijing residents about President Obama's three-day trip to China.

  

Nov. 16, 2009

U.S., China Explore Deeper Ties as Partners, Contenders
Jim Lehrer speaks with a panel of China experts about the political and economic implications of U.S.-China relations.

  

Nov. 16, 2009

Other News: Iran on Track for New Enrichment Plant
In other news, the U.N. nuclear agency reported that Iran plans to open a uranium enrichment plant by 2011, and the head of French forces in Afghanistan narrowly escaped a rocket attack in Kabul.

  

Nov. 16, 2009

In China, Obama Pushes for More Freedoms
During his visit to China, President Obama urged the government to scale back its censorship, but he also called for more cooperation with the U.S.

  

Nov. 16, 2009

Trip to Set Tone for U.S.-China Relations, Analyst Says
President Barack Obama met with Chinese President Hu Jintao Monday during his four-nation Asia tour. China analyst Ming Wan of George Mason University describes potential outcomes of the trip and how the country views Mr. Obama in a Web-only video.

Nov. 16, 2009

Report: House Bill Would Increase Health Care Costs
The health care reform bill that passed the House last week would increase U.S. health care costs by $289 billion over the next decade, according to a government report released this weekend.

Nov. 16, 2009

Obama Touts Internet Freedoms at Forum in China
President Obama, speaking Monday at a town hall-style forum with Chinese university students in Shanghai, made a pitch for greater access to the Internet and social-networking sites, calling such freedom a source of strength.

Nov. 13, 2009

Shields and Brooks Gauge 9/11 Trials, Afghan Troop Decision
Columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks break down the top political headlines of the past week, including Justice Department plans to try five Guantanamo Bay detainees in federal court in New York, and President Obama's Afghan strategy review.

  

Nov. 13, 2009

FDIC's Bair: Bank Bailouts Were 'Not a Good Idea'
In an interview with Paul Solman, FDIC chairwoman Sheila Bair discusses lessons learned from the financial crisis, and looks back on the federal bailout of institutions deemed "too-big-to-fail," saying, "In retrospect, I think it was not a good idea."

  

Nov. 13, 2009

On Asia Tour, Obama Tests New Dynamic With Japan
President Obama kicked off a nine-day trip to Asia on Friday with a visit to Japan, where the newly elected prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, is seeking a more "equal partnership" with the U.S. and the closing of an unpopular Marine base in Okinawa. Jeffrey Brown reports.

  

Nov. 13, 2009

News Wrap: Bombers Strike in Afghanistan, Pakistan
In other news, at least 24 people died in a suicide bombing near a U.S. military base outside of Kabul, and in Pakistan, a truck bomber killed at least 10 people outside the northwestern headquarters of the Pakistani intelligence services.

  

Nov. 13, 2009

Holder: 9/11 Trials Will Weigh 'Crime of the Century'
In an interview with Jim Lehrer, Attorney General Eric Holder discusses the decision to prosecute the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees in civilian federal court in New York, calling the stakes "enormous."

  

Nov. 13, 2009

Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Among Detainees to Face Trial in N.Y.
The Justice Department on Friday announced plans to try suspected 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees, in federal court. Ray Suarez reports.

  

Nov. 13, 2009

Reid Aims to Begin Senate Health Care Debate Next Week
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is aiming to bring a health care reform bill to the Senate floor next week, but several obstacles remain. NewsHour health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser discusses the week's health reform news.

Nov. 13, 2009

Mideast Political Uncertainty Stymies Peace Process
Barack Obama's first call made as president to a foreign leader went to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He told the beleaguered leader that he was firmly committed to working for Middle East peace, and that he saw Abbas as his partner.

Nov. 13, 2009

Obama Seeks to Reinforce Key Alliances on Asian Tour
President Barack Obama arrived in Japan on Friday at the start of his weeklong tour of key allied Asian nations. His visit is aimed at strengthening allegiances and tackling climate change, Afghanistan and the global economy.

Nov. 13, 2009

Holder: 9/11 Suspects 'Must Face Ultimate Justice'
The five men accused of plotting the Sept. 11 attacks, including the alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will stand trial in a civilian federal court in New York City, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Friday.

Nov. 12, 2009

The Overload Factor: Is President Obama Too Busy?
As President Obama departs for Asia, he leaves a full menu of unfinished business at home: two wars to manage, a struggling economy and his push for health care reform, to name a few. Jim Lehrer speaks to a panel of experts about the so-called "overload factor" for presidents.

  

Nov. 12, 2009

10 Years After Independence, East Timor Still Rebuilding
Special correspondent Kira Kay examines East Timor's ongoing effort to rebuild itself, 10 years after winning independence from Indonesia. The report is part of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting's Fragile States project, a partnership with the Bureau of International Reporting.

  

Nov. 12, 2009

Competing Philosophies Emerge in Review of Afghan Strategy
President Obama has ordered his top advisers to revise the Afghan war options they presented him. That word came after the top U.S. diplomat in Afghanistan warned against sending large new numbers of troops. Judy Woodruff talks to a reporter for more.

  

Nov. 12, 2009

Cost Estimates Prove Key to Health Reform Debate
This week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is waiting to hear back from one of the most influential yet least well-known figures in this year's health care reform debate: Douglas Elmendorf, the director of the Congressional Budget Office.

Nov. 12, 2009

Home Foreclosures, New Jobless Claims Decline
Foreclosure numbers dropped for the third straight month in October, and new claims for unemployment benefits dropped more than expected last week, according to figures released Thursday.