The United States government is now permitting ten of America's biggest banks to repay about $70 billion of the capital injected into them last fall. This decision followed the banks having passed the so-called "stress tests" of their financial viability, which the US Treasury demanded, and the success of some of them in raising the additional capital that the tests suggested they needed. Many people have inferred from this sequence of events that US banks -- which are critical to both the American and world economies -- are now out of trouble. But that inference is seriously mistaken.

There was a revolution in Iran in 1979 but did the people get what they wanted? It's said that the revolution against the Shah was against the monarchy, and for communism. This never happened, and it is believed that this was due to interference from the West. Islamic Rule was established. Now there is upheaval again, with the people taking to the streets, demanding that the election be annulled. In this context it is worth reading Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis. It gives one an insight into life in Iran. It is autobiographical and she tells her story through cartoons she has drawn herself. The sketches are simple and so is the language. There is humour, drama, emotion, feminism, and the history of a people and a nation, all in one.

In the first part we pointed the issues concerning the new Copenhagen protocol -- to replace Kyoto -- once it will expire in 2012. Regarding the new negotiating text in the Danish capital, however, the question is: Will be the results of the Copenhagen meeting next December as much impact as expected?

Technology Review, published by MIT, has an interesting article on the use of information technology in health care. As the article points out, the administration's economic stimulus package includes $19 billion for health-care IT spending. But it isn't clear that cost is the major obstacle to getting this done: The truth is that these folks could have digitized the whole industry ages ago.

Criminal behavior aside, City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, the wife of esteemed Congressman and House Judiciary Chair John Conyers may be one of the most disrespectful, egotistical, and inappropriately behaved elected officials we've seen around here in a long time and that's really saying something.

Since 2006 the US has imported 550 million pounds of drywall. It makes you stop and scratch your head and wonder why. Wallboard is cheap to purchase as a building material; it is easy to work with and easy to finish. I could understand importing products that are expensive, but drywall? Since the beginning there have been complaints of headaches and nosebleeds. Already there are 360 law suits consolidated into ten class action lawsuits involving drywall from China. There are also sixty cases outside of the class action suits that indicate that this just might be the tip of the iceberg.

Freedom of expression is one of the hallmark of a modern and free society. Rule of law is another. In Guatemala, both of the core tenets of democracy are heading for a collision course if the socialist government insists on prosecuting Jean Anleu for a tweet. The crime? Undermining the public trust in the country's banking system.

Ten major banks repaid almost $70 billion to TARP in recent weeks. But they aren't free from TARP just yet: Treasury still owns warrants to purchase their common stock.

How much is TARP costing American taxpayers? We know that Congress originally authorized up to $700 billion in TARP investments. And we know that $439 billion has been committed to various programs. But how much of that money are taxpayers likely to see again? And to what extent will they be compensated for making those investments?

"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people." " Eleanor Roosevelt. I wish to discuss an idea here. It's an idea about celebrity, and it follows an event that has become a black hole in nearly all media: the death of Michael Jackson.

Read Older Articles