• FinReg Becomes Law of the Land

    Jul 21, 2010

    President Obama, using multiple pens, just signed the financial reform bill into law. After long months of work, the most sweeping overhaul of the financial sector has become reality. Before the signing, ND20 contributor and consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren had this to say today:

    President Obama, using multiple pens, just signed the financial reform bill into law. After long months of work, the most sweeping overhaul of the financial sector has become reality. Before the signing, ND20 contributor and consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren had this to say today:

    "Today, the President will sign into law the strongest set of financial reforms in three generations.  It was a hard fight, but the leadership of the President, Chairman Frank, Chairman Dodd, and so many tireless, hard-working advocates for reform has paid off.  For the first time, families will have a tough, independent cop in Washington to help clear out the tricks and traps hidden in consumer credit agreements."

    Consumers will see positive changes because of this bill, the strongest from the newly-established Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Will it be strong enough to protect us against another financial crisis? That answer is less clear, as it may not end Too Big To Fail, adequately handle derivatives, or change executive compensation. Read reactions to the bill from ND20 contributors here.

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  • ND20 Alert: Warren, Konczal & Parramore to Speak at Netroots Nation

    Jul 21, 2010

    netroots-nation-150Out of the NYC frying pan and into the Vegas fire. What we do for our jobs! This year's Netroots Nation conference is coming up this week in Las Vegas, and New Deal 2.0 contributors will be on hand.

    netroots-nation-150Out of the NYC frying pan and into the Vegas fire. What we do for our jobs! This year's Netroots Nation conference is coming up this week in Las Vegas, and New Deal 2.0 contributors will be on hand. The action happens on July 22-25 at the Rio Hotel & Casino and will include panels led by national and international experts; identity, issue and regional caucuses; prominent political, issue and policy-oriented speakers; a progressive film screening series; and the most concentrated gathering of progressive bloggers to date. Check out our contributors if you're at the event, or watch video of their presentations on the Netroots Nation website

    ND20 Contributor Elizabeth Warren

    Building a Progressive Economic Vision, Saturday, July 24 11:45am

    Four speakers will discuss big ideas and long-term solutions addressing all facets of the economic debate.

    The Forgotten Foreclosure Crisis, Saturday, July 24 1:45pm

    The panelists will discuss what went wrong in the fight for bankruptcy modification in 2008 and what steps must be taken to prevent a future housing crisis.

    Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal

    Curbing Wall Street: The Next Stage, Thursday, July 22nd, 4:30pm

    The panel explores the next round of protests, prosecutions, and policy reforms needed to make Wall Street once more the servant, not the master of the real economy.

    Editor Lynn Parramore

    Think Tanks and Netroots: Best Practices for Working Together, Friday, July 23rd 4:30pm

    The session will address how think tanks and bloggers are already working well together and ways they can continue to build pipelines for progressive ideas, policies and messages.

    And read up on recent posts by these authors:

    The Fight for Vital Consumer Protections by Elizabeth Warren

    Treasury versus Progressives on the Financial Reform Bill by Mike Konczal

    Trading Places: A North/South Reversal on Civil Rights by Lynn Parramore

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  • ND20 Alert: Mike Konczal to speak on New America Panel

    Jul 12, 2010

    alert-button-150Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal will be appearing on a panel at New America tomorrow called Dodd-Frank: How Will Financial Services be Transformed from Main Street to Wall Street.

    alert-button-150Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal will be appearing on a panel at New America tomorrow called Dodd-Frank: How Will Financial Services be Transformed from Main Street to Wall Street. The panel promises to tackle key questions such as: Will FinReg end “too big to fail”? Will it stifle or stimulate innovation? How will it alter the financial services landscape from Wall Street to Main Street?

    The panel is at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC and will take place Tuesday, July 13, 2010 (tomorrow) from 10:00am - 11:30am. Hope to see you there!

    Meanwhile, read up on some of Mike's recent ND20 posts:

    Getting the Best of Both Bills: A Conference Committee Report

    Treasury versus Progressives on the Financial Reform Bill

    Underwater Mortgages and the Odd Definition of the Experian Study

    The Case for Regulating Interchange and Banking Accounts

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  • ND20 Alert: Tom Ferguson joins "On Point" Tomorrow, 10am ET

    Jun 23, 2010

    alert-button-150Senior Fellow Tom Ferguson will join NPR's On Point radio show tomorrow morn along with Paul Singer of Roll Call and Nick Allard, head of Patton Boggs' lobbying wing.

    alert-button-150Senior Fellow Tom Ferguson will join NPR's On Point radio show tomorrow morn along with Paul Singer of Roll Call and Nick Allard, head of Patton Boggs' lobbying wing. Focus will be on finreg + lobbying and the culture of Washington, campaign finance and the NRA exemption, BP, and Obama's overhaul efforts. Tune in online or on the radio.

    Also check out Ferguson's white paper on the midterm elections and recent New Deal 2.0 posts:

    MIDTERM STORM BREWING? Ferguson and Chen Reveal Real Story of Massachusetts Election Upset

    And these:

    Ask Holder to Be Bolder: Resolving the Mysteries of AIG

    New Agenda for America: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

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  • ND20 Alert: Eliot Spitzer to Co-Host CNN Show

    Jun 23, 2010

    alert-button-150The Sheriff of Wall Street to wear a new hat.

    alert-button-150The Sheriff of Wall Street to wear a new hat.

    New Deal 2.0 congratulates Eliot Spitzer, the former New York Governor and a New Deal 2.0 contributor, on today's announcement that he will be co-hosting a new hour-long news show with Kathleen Parker starting in the fall. The sure-to-be-riveting show will air at 8 p.m. and will function as a roundtable discussion as we head into the 2010 midterm elections. Kathleen Parker describes herself as a "rational" conservative (and we could sure use more of those), while Spitzer is known for his aggressive prosecution of Wall Street abuses.

    We're psyched to see his sharp political mind put to the task of analyzing today's issues.

    While you wait for the show to air, catch up on Spitzer's New Deal 2.0 posts, and stay tuned for tomorrow's co-authored post w/ Bill Black on the BP disaster and regulatory reform.

    How Obama Can Bounce Back

    Time for Truth: Three Card Monte is for Suckers

    Lehman Scandal: Where's the Follow Up?

    Ask a Banker! Top Ten Questions for the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission

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  • ALERT: Arianna Huffington joins new radio show, BOTH SIDES NOW

    Jun 22, 2010

    alert-button-150Media phenom Arianna Huffington joins exciting new radio show, Both Sides Now, hosted by Mark Green.

    alert-button-150Media phenom Arianna Huffington joins exciting new radio show, Both Sides Now, hosted by Mark Green.

    New Deal 2.0 congratulates media sensation Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post, as she joins the new radio talk show, Both Sides Now.  She will be squaring off on politics and current affairs with former Bush-Cheney White House aide and conservative pundit Mary Matalin weekly.  Mark Green will act as host of Both Sides Now.

    Roosevelt Senior Fellow Jeff Madrick, author of The Case for Big Government, and ND20 contributor and former New York Gov Eliot Spitzer were on hand at the NYC launch party to raise a glass in honor of the new program.

    We'll be tuning in to hear the sparks fly between these two. The show launches to national syndication this week.

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  • ND20 Alert: FCIC Announces Hearing on Derivatives

    Jun 17, 2010

    alert-button-150The FCIC is ready to tackle the financial weapons of mass destruction.

    alert-button-150The FCIC is ready to tackle the financial weapons of mass destruction.

    The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission today announced that it will hold its next hearing, “The Role of Derivatives in the Financial Crisis," on June 30th and July 1st, this time to investigate derivatives. Warren Buffett himself has warned of the danger of these products, as they tap into the human tendency to gamble with more money than we should. Will the FCIC help uncover the mistakes made and crack down on their use? Tune in to find out!

    Before the hearing, read up on New Deal 2.0's coverage of derivatives reform:

    "Nailing Down Derivatives, Part One"

    "Nailing Down Derivatives, Part Two: Clearinghouses"

    "Joe Stiglitz on Derivatives Reform and Section 716"

    "How Goldman Will Keep Gaming the System"

    "Michael Greenberger on Over-the-Counter Derivatives"

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  • Elizabeth Warren Wants the CFPA to be a Car You Can Drive

    Jun 16, 2010

    Elizabeth Warren appeared on Fox News today to discuss the Consumer Financial Protect Agency and a potential carve-out for auto dealers. In her view, car dealers shouldn't be exempt, because their consumer products have the same "tricks and traps" as any others. The key aspect of the agency will be that no one gets off the hook: "The rules are going to be the same for everybody."

    Meanwhile, the fate of the agency itself hangs in the balance as the conference committee stitches together the bills from the House and Senate. The CFPA in each bill is mostly strong, with some "dings," she said. But "if they pick the weakest parts from each of the two bills we've got a real problem. If they pick the strongest parts, then I think we've got an agency that works."

    And speaking of car dealers, the ultimate question for this agency will be, "Is this going to be a car that you can drive?" Will it actually work? Watch the full interview:

    Elizabeth Warren appeared on Fox News today to discuss the Consumer Financial Protect Agency and a potential carve-out for auto dealers. In her view, car dealers shouldn't be exempt, because their consumer products have the same "tricks and traps" as any others. The key aspect of the agency will be that no one gets off the hook: "The rules are going to be the same for everybody."

    Meanwhile, the fate of the agency itself hangs in the balance as the conference committee stitches together the bills from the House and Senate. The CFPA in each bill is mostly strong, with some "dings," she said. But "if they pick the weakest parts from each of the two bills we've got a real problem. If they pick the strongest parts, then I think we've got an agency that works."

    And speaking of car dealers, the ultimate question for this agency will be, "Is this going to be a car that you can drive?" Will it actually work? Watch the full interview:

    And read up on Elizabeth Warren's New Deal 2.0 posts:

    The Fight for Vital Consumer Protections

    Feminomics: Women and Bankruptcy

    "Real Change: Turning up the heat on non-bank lenders"

    New Agenda for America: The Great Lesson"

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  • ND20 Alert: Memorial Day Weekend Events at the FDR Library

    May 28, 2010

    alert-button-150Looking for something to do, but don't want to rush to the beach with the rest of the world? Head to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. Events that promise to make you feel like you're in the New Deal will take place during the whole weekend. On the docket:

    alert-button-150Looking for something to do, but don't want to rush to the beach with the rest of the world? Head to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. Events that promise to make you feel like you're in the New Deal will take place during the whole weekend. On the docket:

    Friday, May 28: USO Show, 7p.m. An evening that promises to "transport visitors back to the Roosevelt days" through comedy, historic film footage, and music from the 1940s.

    Saturday, May 29 & Sunday, May 30: Bivouac - Living History Encampment, 10a.m.-4p.m. The lawn in front of the library will be transformed into a World War II encampment, complete with military vehicles, soldiers in battle dress, and re-enactments of military equipment.

    Sunday, May 30: Special Presentation - "The USS ROOSEVELT (DDG 80)", 3p.m. Commander Robert B. Chadwick II, USN, Commanding Officer of the USS ROOSEVELT (DDG80), will "introduce attendees to the capabilities and operations of the Guided Missile Destroyer USS ROOSEVELT (DDG 80), named in honor of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt."

    Monday, May 31: Graveside Memorial Service, 2p.m. Congressman Scott Murphy and Commander Robert B. Chadwick II will present remarks in the Rose Garden at the Home of FDR National Historic Site.

    Check out the full schedule and event descriptions for more information.

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  • ND20 Alert: FCIC Hearing on Ratings Agencies

    May 25, 2010

    alert-button-150Tune in to the next chapter of the FCIC hearings.

    alert-button-150Tune in to the next chapter of the FCIC hearings.

    The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission announced today its next hearing, titled, "Credibility of Credit Ratings, the Investment Decisions Made Based on those Ratings, and the Financial Crisis.” The ratings agencies had quite the part to play in the financial meltdown, by branding risky mortgage-backed securities AAA, which instilled confidence in investors. They also take their fees from the very companies they are meant to rate -- quite the conflict of interest. But they have so far escaped a lot of scrutiny. Will the FCIC show some teeth as it goes after them?

    The hearing will be webcast live at FCIC.gov and there is room for the general public to attend -- RSVP at  FCIC.gov/contact by Friday, May 28. New Deal 2.0 will be on hand, reporting and keeping an eye on this Commission, which we are ever-hopeful will show some of the hutzpah of its predecessor, the Percora Commission of FDR's day.

    Meanwhile, read up on what New Deal 2.0 contributors have to say about ratings agencies:

    "Jerome Fons speaks about the Ratings Agencies"

    "Lawrence White on the Credit Rating Agencies"

    "Rule 436(g): What's Missing from Rating Agency Reform"

    "LeMieux Ratings Agency Amendment Passes"

    "Spitzer & Black: Questions from the Goldman Scandal"

    "Progressive Values and Financial Reform"

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