Newscast for Thursday, September 10, 2009

Congress reacts to Obama´s healthcare speech
Six-hundred thousand more Americans have no health insurance, according to new figures by the US census Bureau.  This brings the number of uninsured in the country to 46.3 million people. The data only covers the first half of 2008, so it does include the poor economic conditions of the second half of last year.  Census officials expect uninsured numbers to rise.

This news comes less than a day after President Obama presented his plans for health care reform to a joint session of Congress.  Last night´s speech was praised by Democrats who called it inspirational and criticized by Republicans who called it divisive. Some congressmembers say they have their “marching orders” to move health care forward. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

US Ambassador to Iraq says troop withdrawal on schedule
In Iraq, a suicide truck bomber killed 19 people today in a Kurdish village, in what appears to be part of a string of attacks against ethnic minorities.  As ethnic violence and other attacks unfold, the US ambassador to Iraq is visiting Washington.  He testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee today and assured  congressmembers that despite the recent wave of violence, US troop withdrawal is on schedule.  FSRN´s Karen Miller has more.

Getting by in America´s Rustbelt: Youngstown shrinks sustainably
FSRN´s Daniel Denvir has been travelling across the most economically depressed areas in America´s Rustbelt, speaking to people who have found creative ways to face the crisis.  Today, Denvir reports from Youngstown on a bold plan to sustainably shrink a post-industrial city.

Congress resumes Madoff inquiry: SEC faces tough questions
Also in Washington, Congress has resumed its inquiry into Bernard Madoff´s multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme.

The Senate banking committee held a hearing with the SEC´s Inspector General, David Kotz, Thursday afternoon.  Kotz recently released a 500 page report that says that over a period of 16 years, the SEC turned a blind eye on several major complaints against Madoff´s financial schemes.  The Inspector´s report says the SEC failed to stop Madoff´s Ponzi schemes due to a string of administrative mistakes, but it says SEC staff did not collaborate with Madoff.

To learn more about this report, FSRN spoke with University of Mississippi Professor, Mercer Bullard.  Bullard specializes in securities regulation and he´s worked at the SEC.