Reuters

Maya MacGuineas in Reuters | 'Bush Policies Limit Next President's Options'

Communications — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:07:00 -0400

New America in the News:
...Democratic candidate Barack Obama has outlined a range of ambitious programs, from rebuilding the nation's bridges to extending health care to the nation's 47 million uninsured, that could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

Republican John McCain hopes to make Bush's 2001 and 2003 income-tax cuts permanent, cut the corporate tax rate and simplify the tax code. These measures could dramatically slash federal revenue.

"While each of them is running on one agenda, whoever wins, the day they enter office another is going to be presented to them," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Budget and a budget expert with the New America Foundation... LINK

Daniel Levy in Reuters | 'Olmert Woes, Dwindling Time Cloud Rice Mideast Trip'

Communications — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:28:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Daniel Levy, an analyst at the New America Foundation, said the administration did not yet appear willing to concede defeat, but argued that Israel was simply in no position to conclude a peace deal given the cloud over Olmert.

"It's not actually helpful to try to force a piece of paper through because the Israeli political system cannot absorb such a development," he said. "Politically speaking, fortunately or not, fairly or not, Olmert is a dead man walking." LINK

Len Nichols in Reuters | 'U.S. Health Insurers Pitch Policy Changes'

Communications — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:00:00 -0400

New America in the News:
..."I think the important lesson is - they get a range of savings that is reasonable. It suggests there is a growing consensus that these elements are what are needed for change to happen," said Len Nichols, a healthcare economist at the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan research group...LINK

Len Nichols in Reuters, the Guardian, National Post | 'U.S. Health Insurers Pitch Policy Changes'

Communications — Thu, 29 May 2008 06:07:00 -0400

Steve Burd in Reuters | "U.S. Student Loan Bill Advances, Bush Will Sign"

Communications — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:46:00 -0400

New America in the News:
. . . Stephen Burd, senior research fellow at think tank New America Foundation, said some lenders were having financing problems. "We just don't think the government should let the loan industry define the terms of the intervention." . . . For the complete article, go to Reuters.com.

Foundation for Child Development Study in Reuters | Obesity and Low Birthweight Mar Health of Kids

Communications — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:59:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Reuters | Obesity and Low Birthweight Mar Health of Kids

Rising obesity rates and a large percentage of children born with low birthweights are dragging down the overall health of American children in their first decade of life, according to a report tracking the health and well-being of young children in the United States.*

While U.S. children overall have seen improvements in their well-being in recent years, American children aged 6 to 11 are four times more likely to be obese than similarly aged children in the 1960s, the report found.

The report, led by researchers at Duke University in North Carolina and the Foundation for Child Development, a private advocacy group, looked at the well-being of children in early childhood, those from birth to age five, and middle childhood, or those aged 6 to 11, from 1994 to 2006.

The researchers found obesity among children in middle childhood is nearly four times more common than in children of the same age in a national survey in 1960s. For children aged 2 to 5, it is three times higher. . .

*The New America Foundation Workforce and Family Program convened an event for the release of the report by the Foundation for Child Development.

Maya MacGuineas in Reuters News | 'Simmering Domestic Issues Face Next U.S. President'

Communications — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:49:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Simmering Domestic Issues Face Next U.S. President (Reuters News)

. . . "It is an agenda waiting for the president, rather than an agenda the president gets to set," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan group that advocates fiscal discipline. more

Daniel Levy in Reuters | 'Gaza Crisis Complicates U.S. Peace Efforts'

Communications — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:07:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Gaza Crisis Complicates U.S. Peace Efforts (Reuters Africa)

...Several Middle East experts said the United States was naive in believing it could ignore Hamas.

"Wishing Gaza away will not work," said Daniel Levy, a former Israeli negotiator now with the New America Foundation.

"You have to somehow have an arrangement that does not exclude Hamas and invite them to be the spoiler. If you don't do that, the elephant will keep sticking its trunk out the room and the room will get smashed apart," he said. ...

Maya MacGuineas in The Guardian | 'Budget Gap Set to Climb Steeply'

Communications — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:42:00 -0500

New America in the News:
U.S. budget gap set to climb steeply this year (The Guardian)
... Referring to the prospects of growing budget deficits this year, Maya MacGuineas, head of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said, "Every billion is a big deal."

Daniel Levy in Reuters Story on Israel's 'Settlement Move'

Communications — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:41:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Israel confirmed on Friday that the United States asked it to explain a plan to build new homes on occupied land in the Jerusalem area, a move Palestinians say could wreck peace talks launched just last week in Washington.

A senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said asking for explanations was not enough and demanded that U.S. President George W. Bush's administration force Israel to abide by an agreement to halt all Jewish settlement activity. ...

The United States agreed at Annapolis to adjudicate on how far each side was meeting commitments. Israel's main demand from the Palestinians is that Abbas curb militant attacks on the Jewish state before any final peace settlement is agreed.

Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdainah said Washington must act now: "Asking them to explain is not enough. The Americans must pressure the Israeli government to stop settlement activities.

"Settlements are an obstacle for the negotiations and peace process. They weaken trust between Israelis and Palestinians."

On Thursday, after three days in which the U.S. State Department had avoided substantive comment on the matter, a U.S. official said: "We don't want any steps taken that would undermine the confidence of the parties. This is an issue that we have been concerned about and we have sought clarification."

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said: "This new tender for 300 new homes in eastern Jerusalem, so soon after the Annapolis Middle East peace conference, I think is not helpful."

Daniel Levy, an analyst at the New America Foundation, said the incident showed Washington needed to pay closer attention: "It indicates the need for the kind of U.S. babysitting that's been absent seven years and apparently is still not there." ...

For the complete story, click here.