Sunday, March 29, 2009

US Banks to Replace Bailout Money Avoiding Attached Strings

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said, March 29, the government will have about $135 billion left after banks give back some bailout money and declined to say whether he will ask Congress for more. Treasury expects the banks this year to return about $25 billion of money that they received from the government, because they were able to replace it with private capital or decided that they do not want money with strings attached. The Washington Post / Reuters
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Friday, March 20, 2009

USA & Iran – New Beginning’s Promise Offered by Barack Obama

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President Barack Obama reached out to Iran today -- the start of the Iranian New Year -- in a video message offering "the promise of a new beginning" that is "grounded in mutual respect."

The message is a dramatic shift in tone from that of the Bush administration, which included Iran, along with North Korea and Iraq, in an "axis of evil." It also echoes Obama's inaugural speech, in which he said to the Muslim world, "we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

In today’s video, Obama said: "The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right, but it comes with real responsibilities. And that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization."

There was no immediate response from Tehran to Obama's message, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last month that his country would welcome talks with the United States "in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect." ... CNN, Washington
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Shrinking Global Economy \ Stem-cell Field’s US Leadership

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The global economy is likely to shrink for the first time since World War II and trade will decline by the most in 80 years, the World Bank said on March 8. Its assessment is more pessimistic than an International Monetary Fund report in January predicting 0.5 percent global growth this year.

Stem-cell companies surged after President Barack Obama lifted restrictions on federal funding for embryonic research and called on Congress to provide more money to make the U.S. a leader in the field. Excerpts, Bloomberg, New York
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited CeBIT 2009

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International technology trade fair in Hanover, Germany

During his two-day CeBIT Exhibition promotional tour, the Governor met with various business and elected officials including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Lower Saxony Minister President Christian Wulff and Hannover Lord Mayor Stephan Weil.


In his meeting with Chancellor Merkel, discussions focused on economic stimulus and California’s desire to collaborate with other nations like Germany on climate change.

Schwarzenegger also spoke to 2,000 people, toured the exhibition fairgrounds and received an award from a German trade association for enhancing the relationship between the the U.S. and Germany. By Michael Rothfeld, Los Angeles Times


“Nicht einmal im Traum hätte ich jemals gedacht, dass ich einmal als kalifornischer Gouverneur nach Deutschland zurückkommen werde.“ Seinen Auftritt beendete der ehemalige Action-Schauspieler mit Blick auf Bundeskanzlerin Merkel mit dem kühnen Gruß: "Hasta la vista, Baby!" Focus-Online

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