WaPo Style Page Finally Notices Conservative Happy Hour Event, Five Years After Its Inception
June 6, 2011 No Comment
The Washington Post Style page, as we at NewsBusters can attest, finds all things liberal or “progressive” stylish. Conservative political and social functions, not as much. So it was a bit amusing this morning to read Dan Zak's decent coverage of “dueling happy hours on Capitol Hill,” one a five-year-old happy hour series called First Friday, the other an upstart hosted by liberals called “First Thursday” — couldn't they think up something a little more original?:
Continue reading …Vince Cable pledges investigation into private equity firms supplying public services
June 6, 2011 No Comment
Business secretary describes financial turmoil at major care home provider Southern Cross as ‘shocking state of affairs’ The business secretary, Vince Cable, has asked officials to investigate the role of private equity firms supplying public services after describing the financial turmoil at Southern Cross, the country’s largest provider of care homes, as a “shocking state of affairs”. Cable also promised the GMB union that he would consider a motion, debated on the floor of its annual conference in Brighton, that the crisis at Southern Cross “should serve as a warning of what happens when we forget our basic approach to economic policy and the role of the state”. The GMB puts the blame for the plight of Southern Cross – the country’s biggest care homes company, which is responsible for looking after 31,000 elderly residents across just over 750 homes – on “scandalous financial engineering”. The union published a 61-page dossier on the troubles at the care group provider, which has announced that it will underpay its rent for the next four months as it struggles with a £230m annual rental bill. The dossier said major UK and US financial institutions were involved in buying into the sale and leaseback model for Southern Cross, which had now “blown up”. The union claimed rents for the care homes were £100m higher than they should be, and that this was at the heart of the current problems. The US private equity firm Blackstone is estimated to have made £600m in a four-year period on secret financial dealings on the care homes, which are now run by Southern Cross. The report said the “debacle” involved Jeremy Haywood, the permanent secretary to David Cameron, who was co-head of UK investment banking at Morgan Stanley. The company acted as financial advisors and lead managers during the sale. The dossier complained of a “lack of transparency” over who owns the care homes and the financial returns to the “ultimate owners” of the properties. Blackstone, meanwhile, had previously issued a statement denying that it had anything to do with Southern Cross’s problems. Cable – who was overseas on a trade delegation when the crisis began last week – indicated that he was looking at the general issue of private equity stakes in public service delivery. “I’ve asked my department to see whether there is an underlying problem with private equity companies supplying public services,” he told the GMB. “The provisional view is that this is very much a matter for the sector regulators – the care quality commission and Monitor – but I will continue [to see] whether we can pursue that further.” In comments that will raise eyebrows of Conservative cabinet colleagues, Cable also cited Liberal Democrat concerns about the “general lessons” of private sector involvement in delivering public services. He said they were “one of the reasons why the Liberal Democrats have taken a distinctive and tough line in privatisation in relation to the NHS”. Last week, the government gave reassurances that it would take steps to ensure there was “effective protection” for anyone affected by the Southern Cross problems. The emergency debate at the GMB conference ended with a call on the government to appoint a cabinet minister to help secure the future of staff and residents at Southern Cross. The union said it was time for a “fresh start” and a different social care model for looking after the elderly and vulnerable. In comments made after delivering a speech that prompted heckling over its warnings of possibility of beefed up anti-strike laws, Cable found common ground with the union as he agreed that “very compelling points” had been made by delegates during the debate. Cable told the audience there were “several issues” around private equity companies in the supply of public services, and said these should be looked at. “The basic reason why private equity flourished was because of favourable tax treatment given to loan finance,” he said. “The chancellor and I are both concerned about this distortion in the system and of course there was a lot of, frankly, tax dodging. “When we got into the coalition government, one of the things we insisted from day one was substantially increasing capital gains tax as a way of stopping the tax dodging that was going on in the private equity sector. “There are bigger issues here. I heard your debate, I heard your resolution and I undertake to take it back and look at very seriously at the proposals you made.” Helen Ewan, who works at a Southern Cross home in Mansfield, told the conference employees were having to work longer hours, being “blackmailed” by managers to cover for staff shortages. The GMB official Justin Bowden said the fate of 31,000 residents was “hanging in the balance” because profit had been put before people. “Time is long overdue for a new standard of care that guarantees the weak and vulnerable the dignity and respect they deserve,” he said. Vince Cable Trade unions Private equity Public services policy Older people Hélène Mulholland guardian.co.uk
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Former head of IMF will face trial and remains under house arrest in New York accused of raping hotel maid Dominique Strauss Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, has pleaded not guilty to charges he raped a hotel maid. The one-time French presidential hopeful will face trial over the allegations that cost him his job and sent the IMF into crisis. He will be back in court on 18 July. At a brief hearing at Manhattan criminal court he pleaded not guilty in a strong voice, standing between his defence team and watched by his wife, the millionaire former journalist Anne Sinclair. Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers said they needed six weeks to assess evidence that has been collected by the US authorities. DNA matching Strauss-Kahn’s has reportedly been found in semen on the maid’s clothing and on a section of carpet from his hotel room. Experts say the defence will probably argue that any sexual contact between the maid and Strauss-Kahn was consensual. Strauss-Kahn was released on $6m bail three weeks ago. He has been staying in a $50,000 a month townhouse in Tribeca, Manhattan. The former IMF boss is wearing a electronic tag that monitors his movements and must pay $200,000 a month for a private security team that is authorised to use force should he attempt to flee. He is under curfew between 10pm and 6am and allowed out only for court, doctors’ visits and religious services. Prosecutors must be notified at least six hours before he goes anywhere. Under his terms of house arrest he can receive up to four visitors at a time besides family. Last month a moving company picked up 44 boxes of furniture, clothes, art and a rug from Strauss Kahn’s $4m Washington DC home and delivered them to the Tribeca townhouse. At the time of his 14 May arrest the 62-year-old economist had been considered a leading contender to run against the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Dominique Strauss-Kahn United States France Dominic Rushe guardian.co.uk
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Click here to view this media Howie Kurtz did a segment on the media’s coverage of Anthony Weiner’s Twitter story on CNN’s Reliable Sources. Jeff Jarvis was the voice of reason in a lot of ways. I like Gawker and expect them to have a good time with this story–because there’s nothing Gawker likes better than a political sex scandal–and they have Maureen O’Connor defending the merits of their coverage. Kurtz set up her opening by saying that Gawker can get away with using salty language on their site and she responded by saying the word “dick” on TV and although it made it on the telecast, it was deleted out on CNN’s transcript page . Transcripts must never be seen by children. They may go blind. MAUREEN O’CONNOR, WRITER, GAWKER: Well, I personally only cover Capitol Hill for the underwear scandals. This is what we do. And, you know, is this relevant to Anthony Weiner’s career as a politician? Maybe. But it’s an interesting story. And from our perspective, this is what we do. We cover human interest stories. We cover the strange case of a person, a powerful person, ending up falling to the exact same ridiculously follies that everyone does, taking a picture of his (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and getting caught doing it. ‘Doing it’ is still not a given yet and the Congressman hasn’t admitted to that, but Howie was stunned for a second and then turned to Jarvis and asked him how journalists handled the story. KURTZ: OK. As I was saying, Gawker does have a different way of talking about these things. Not a word that I would use on the air. Jeff Jarvis, I know you’re not embarrassed to talk about these things. We’ve talked about your prostate operation on this program. How did journalists do on this story, particularly on figuring out what happens with a Twitter account, whether it can be hacked and whether a photo can be sent without your knowledge? JEFF JARVIS, FOUNDER, “BUZZ MACHINE”: Well, Howie, I disagree with you when you say the media had no choice. Yes, there’s a choice. It’s a fine story for Gawker, absolutely. It’s a fine story for Jon Stewart, who point out the bloggers actually did some reporting on this. But all in all, what’s the real story here? You know, that a congressman has a penis? Let’s stipulate that, there’s no news in that. That he wears underwear? Who cares. That he might have accidentally sent out the wrong photo on Twitter? OK, big deal. We have to find some medium ground here behind the American Puritanism of, oh, my God, congresspeople are sexual, and the European view that, of course they’re sexual. There’s some middle ground. This is not a story, Howie. The amount of effort that was put into this was just pathetic. KURTZ: Jeff, I take your point that perhaps we have overplayed it. But the reason I said we have no choice is because Congressman Weiner kept giving interviews in which he clearly could not answer basic questions, including the clips I just played about, well, I have no idea whether that guy and that picture of some guy in underwear is me. JARVIS: OK, but carry it so the extreme. So what is the story? JARVIS: If he had sexually harassed someone, then maybe there’s a legitimate story. But if, at the most, he sent out a photo from his hard drive with his photo on it, what’s the big deal? What’s the news there? What’s the impact on democracy and how we live our lives? Zippo. Jarvis tried to make some sense of the MSM feeding frenzy. But there’s little sense to be found. John Ensign, whose affair is fast becoming legendary for its insanity and depravity didn’t face the feeding frenzy that this story has. Tom Coburn has been given a pass by the MSM and it appears he was deeply involved. Murray Waas did at least get a comment out of him. The media has no idea how Twitter works and what the “Follow” function does and they immediately equated it to stalking. Most people don’t know who’s following who on Twitter and how to use the many functions available to users unless they are pretty committed to it. And with so many people online and using aliases as many blog commenters do, it would have been helpful to explain how ignorant the media is about Twitter and maybe explain how it’s used. I still ask my team a lot of questions about how to use Twitter better since I’m so busy and it’s another software platform I have to learn. As Jon Stewart told CNN, how about doing some reporting since you’re a news organization . STEWART: Well I guess that’s the end of it. By the way, those liberal and conservative blogs having an all out war, they’re probably not doing anything about this story, except showing that the EXIF tags from the photo don’t match the camera Weiner normally uses, although analysis of the actual yfrog image shows no signs of manipulation although it’s very odd that the only person who image in the tweet has a history of sending harassing messages to the woman who had received the tweet and others who follow the Congressman on Twitter. Wow, those blogs, that sounds a lot like reporting. Slow down Woodward and Blogstein let the big boys at CNN handle this with their trademark “I guess we’ll never know.” To be fair, they’re not just going to let a guy come on and speculate saying Congressman Weiner might be some sort of sexual predator or pedophile, particularly if the accuser is someone who has openly and publicly sworn that his life’s mission is to destroy those people on the institutional Left.
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Much-praised Sarah Burton gown, plus bride’s shoes and jewellery, to remain on show to public all summer For anyone who was on another planet at the time and missed its first outing, and for the millions who sighed and cooed over it and yearned for a closer look, Buckingham Palace has announced that the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress will go on public display this summer. The dress, created by a contemporary British designer using centuries-old craft techniques in the minutely detailed handmade lace and embroidery, was hailed by the fashion press and public as a triumph. The identity of the designer – it was Sarah Burton of the late Alexander McQueen’s studio – remained a secret until the bride was first seen being packed carefully into a limousine in a blizzard of lace and ivory satin on 29 April. The dress will now be the star attraction in the summer opening of Buckingham Palace, from 23 July to October. In previous years displays have included the wedding gowns worn by the Queen, her mother and Queen Victoria. Visitors will be able to study the dress from top to toe. The display will include the veil appliquéd with lace rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs; the Queen Mother’s 1936 Cartier tiara, which was loaned to the bride; and the satin and lace shoes also made by the McQueen team, hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. Also on show will be diamond oak leaf and acorn earrings incorporating the Middleton family’s new coat of arms . These were commissioned by the bride’s parents and formed a wedding gift. Any wedding guests wondering why they did not receive a party bag containing a piece of the cake will be able to see why: a tiered fruit cake decorated with sugar flowers, displayed during the dinner and created by the cake designer Fiona Cairns, will also be on show in the palace’s state dining room. Royal wedding Kate Middleton Prince William Monarchy Alexander McQueen Weddings Fashion Maev Kennedy guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …[If this video won't play, try this C-Span link and start at about 10:12:09] One of the aspects of the current Medicare debate that just drives me crazy is how the Beltway pundits treat it as “bold, new, and courageous.” I’ve written a lot on that particular frame in the past, but I ran across something tonight that reminds me of just how not-new it really is. During the Medicare Advantage debate, Sherrod Brown said this, as recorded in the Congressional Record : [Privatization] has really been the thrust. From President Bush to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) to Speaker Gingrich a few years ago, to back in 1965, Republicans really wanted this system turned over to the insurance companies. Privatize Medicare and give it to the insurance industry. Go back to 1965, out of roughly 200 Republican Members of the House and Senate, only 23 voted for the creation of Medicare. Gerald Ford in 1965, a future President, voted against it. Congressman Dole, future Senator Dole, Republican Presidential candidate, voted against it. Senator Strom Thurmond voted against the creation of Medicare. Congressman Donald Rumsfeld in 1965, later Secretary of Defense and the architect of this plan, I put in quotation marks, of the rebuilding of Iraq, voted against the creation of Medicare. Then in 1995, the first time Republicans had an opportunity to do something about Medicare, the Republicans under Speaker Gingrich tried to cut it by $270 billion in order to give a tax cut to the most privileged Americans, the same old story. Speaker Gingrich said in October 1995 that he hoped Medicare would wither on the vine. Gosh, that sure sounds familiar. But wait, there’s more, from Rep. Cardoza: This motion instructs the Medicare conference committee to r eject the controversial and risky privatization scheme of premium support and reallocate that money to increase the payment to physicians who care for Medicare beneficiaries. Let me first discuss the issue of premium support and why I am concerned that this scheme could potentially dismantle the program of Medicare. I am concerned about subjecting a proven health care delivery system like Medicare to the uncertainty of the private market. I am especially hesitant about the system that relies on HMOs to provide this service to our seniors. And this, from Rep. Pete DeFazio: It is a funny thing here, we are being told that the Republicans want to inject competition into the insurance market. Well, if they really want to do that, why do they not support my bill to lift the antitrust exemption from the insurance industry? Now we are going to throw our seniors onto the tender mercies of this collusive, anticompetitive industry. O, that is great. My seniors already had this experience. We had Medicare+Choice, HMOs. Oh, this is going to be great. You are going to get more benefits than under fee-for-service. Well, the companies were not able to collude and set the prices quite high enough to satisfy their profits, so they up and left with very little notice. My seniors were left in the cold. Now there’s much, much more in this particular section of the Congressional Record. I urge you to read it. But in a day where 24 hours seems too long for news cycles to last and memories to reach back, this is a really important piece of history in the long, protracted debate over Medicare for seniors and indeed, Medicare for all. The Affordable Care Act basically repealed most of what Republicans did in 2003 with Medicare Advantage. It stripped away the bonus payments to insurers and established an outcomes-based system of reimbursements. Republicans are now trying to reverse that process yet again and ratchet it back up to their original dream: Full privatization of the Medicare program, lock, stock and barrel. The part of the debate that’s not happening in a meaningful way right now is really the answer to the “problem” of Medicare costs. Medicare costs are rising because it is, by definition, a program designed for adverse selection. It covers the disabled and elderly, a group that will generate the highest costs and the highest need for health care, but the young and healthy are covered under private insurance at far greater cost. If the Beltway pundit class has a need for a ‘bold, strong plan’ then progressives should play the Medicare for All card much harder than they are right now. Countering with “don’t repeal the Affordable Care Act” is not strong enough. This nonsense about Paul Ryan’s ‘innovative, bold plan’ is just that — nonsense. What makes sense is to counter it with sensible arguments for Medicare for all, and it should be countered with boldness and facts as to why that, and that alone, will save Medicare and lock it in as something untouchable by conservatives in the future. Republicans are terrified of Medicare for all because they know they will never be able to undo what has been done. It will be too popular, too right . As long as they can keep Medicare in the realm of adverse selection and costly, they have a chance to kill it.
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Tune in for a week of Domino Radio, featuring Wild Beasts, Franz Ferdinand and – oh yes – the Guardian Music team If there’s anyone you’d want running a radio station then it’s Domino Records, the label whose roster boasts everyone from Austra and Arctic Monkeys to Tricky and Robert Wyatt. The station takes over the airwaves for a week-long stint today and the good news is there will be no Chris Moyles. Instead, expect shows from artists including Wild Beasts, Cass McCombs, Rough Trade’s Jeanette Lee, Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, who promises to bring “a box of records and a box of wine” (Monday 6 June, 20:00 GMT). There will also be a show from Guardian Music’s Rosie Swash and Tim Jonze (Monday 6 June, 13.30 GMT), who will be playing songs they grew up listening to. They’re also taking requests for another show on Thursday 8 June (17.30 GMT), so make sure you post your picks here . Enjoy the show and let us know what you think. SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY 6 JUNE 7am – JUSTIN SPEAR PSYCHEDELIC JAZZ 8am – HEAD NOD MUSIC – RYAN AND MIKE 9am – THE LONDON STORY 10am – BREAKFAST SHOW WITH JAMES ENDEACOTT 12pm – JACK SHANKLY – LIQUID LUNCH 1pm – JENNIFER HERREMA RTX – PARTY JAMS 1 1:30pm – GUARDIAN SHOW WITH TIM AND ROSIE 2:30pm – WILD BEASTS 3:30pm – STEVE MASON & DENNIS BOVELL 5pm – ARCTIC MONKEYS’ MATT HELDERS 7pm – JAMES FORD 8pm – FRANZ FERDINAND’S ALEX KAPRANOS 10pm – AUSTRA 11pm – BEAT STEVIE RADIO ft. MIKE SKINNER SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY 7 JUNE 12am – OWEN PALLETT 1am – ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT 2am – TWIN SISTER 3am – THE NIGHT BUS – MILO MEROK RECORDS 4am – REKORDS REKORDS 4:30am – SECOUSSE FAMILY MIX 5:30am – DEAD AIR w/ ANDREW 6:30am – SMITH WESTERNS Indie Pop and rock Electronic music Dance music Urban music guardian.co.uk/music guardian.co.uk
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IMF tells the chancellor that the post-crisis repair of the British economy is underway The International Monetary Fund has come out in support of George Osborne’s austerity measures, saying the stability of the UK financial system is a “global public good” that requires close supervision. At the same time, John Lipsky, the acting managing director of the IMF, proposed “temporary tax cuts” if weak economic growth and high unemployment persist. In the IMF’s latest report on the UK , Lipsky told the chancellor that the post-crisis repair of the British economy is underway. He noted that weak economic growth and the pick-up in inflation over the last few months had been “unexpected”. “This raises the question whether it is time to adjust macroeconomic policies. The answer is no as the deviations are largely temporary,” said Lipsky. “The stability and efficiency of the UK financial system is a global public good due to potential spillovers and thus requires the highest quality of supervision and regulation.” He added that there are “significant” risks to inflation, growth and unemployment. “If they materialise, the policy response will depend on the nature of the shock.” The IMF has repeatedly downgraded the UK growth forecast for this year and cut it again on Monday, to 1.5% – down from 2.5% forecast in April 2010. Inflation is likely to remain above 4% for most of this year, it said, before gradually returning near the Bank of England’s 2% target. The comments come at a time of growing criticism of the chancellor’s drastic spending cuts . Official figures have painted a bleak picture of the economy, which flatlined over the fourth quarter of 2010 and first quarter of this year. George Osborne strongly defended his austerity measures on Monday, saying they would provide much-needed credibility and stability for the UK economy. More than 50 academics said the economy was too fragile and demanded in a letter to the Observer that the government pursue a “plan B” to boost jobs and growth. Other critics include Jonathan Portes, the director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, who until February was chief economist at the Cabinet Office and Vicky Pryce, who was head of the government’s economic service before becoming a director at FTI Consulting. Two experts who had previously publicly backed the coalition’s cuts have also expressed profound concerns over the direction of Treasury policy: professor John Muellbauer of Oxford University, an expert on the housing market and Tim Besley, a former Bank of England monetary policy committee member. The chancellor defended his plans on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, expressing confidence in the future of the British economy. “We have flexibility built into our plan. But what our plan provides is credibility where there was no credibility, stability where there was no stability, confidence that actually the British economy is getting its act together.” IMF Economics Global economy Economic growth (GDP) Economic policy George Osborne Liberal-Conservative coalition Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
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A new photo exhibition by artists Julie Henry and Debbie Bragg records the rise of community gardening in post-industrial locations
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Several large drug firms have announced big cuts to the amounts they charge for their vaccines in the developing world Some of the world’s leading pharmaceuticals companies have announced deep cuts in the price of vaccines for people in poor countries, in a move that will start to address a multibillion-dollar funding gap at the heart of the international effort to vaccinate children against killer diseases. GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Crucell and Sanofi-Aventis all offered new prices for vaccines that they supply to Gavi, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation body set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. GSK discounted by 67% a rotavirus vaccine, which protects against diarrhoea diseases that kill more than 500,000 children a year, and Merck also offered a deep discount on a rotavirus vaccine. Two other India-based firms Serum Institute and Panacea Biotec also offered vaccine price cuts. The price cuts won praise from aid agencies. But although they are likely to help save lives, they will only go a small way to help fill a $3.7bn (£2.2bn) shortfall that Gavi is facing. Helen Evans, Gavi’s interim chief executive, said: “These are promising offers that demonstrate industry commitment to work towards affordable and sustainable prices.” Save the Children’s chief executive, Justin Forsyth, called the big pharma initiative “a landmark move, potentially saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children”. But he added: “It’s important that Gavi now uses this to spur other vaccine producers to reduce prices and work to foster greater competition amongst producers to drive prices down even further and help even more children.” Oxfam and Médecins sans Frontierès, whose doctors give vaccines in the field, blame the $3.7bn black hole in vaccine funds on a system in which Gavi bulk-buys vaccination programmes at unsustainable prices from western companies. David Cameron is hosting a funding conference in London next Monday, which Bill Gates is due to address. “At a time when Gavi is asking for more money, it is very important to look at these issues,” said Daniel Berman of MSF. He believes there should be more focus on basic vaccines, such as the very effective one against measles. “In some countries there is a failure of routine immunisation,” he said. Mohga Kamal-Yanni, Oxfam senior policy adviser, said: “Gavi’s funding of immunisation programmes makes a vital contribution to improving health in poor countries. We want to see this good work continue, but they could do so much more. The high prices Gavi currently pays for vaccines is one of the reasons behind the financial pressures it faces. Publishing the prices it pays for vaccines, and doing more to negotiate lower prices would drive down costs and ensure millions more people can be immunised against killer diseases such as hepatitis B, whooping cough and measles.” In the other price cuts announced, Serum and Panacea offered discounts on the price Gavi pays for pentavalent vaccines, which protect against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. Crucell and Sanofi Pasteur said they would extend Gavi prices on pentavalent vaccines to 16 additional countries. Sanofi Pasteur also said this would also apply to its yellow fever vaccine and a rotavirus vaccine being developed by its Indian subsidiary Shantha. Vaccines and immunisation Health Pharmaceuticals industry Bill Gates GlaxoSmithKline Aid Hepatitis B Charities Sarah Boseley guardian.co.uk
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