With this being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Joan and Jim begin their discussion talking about breast cancer awareness. As a five-year survivor, Joan has a few things to say about this topic. They move on to talk about the shaky condition of Iraq these days, and how the next couple of weeks will be pivotal. Next up they talk about the economy and how the price of petroleum is impacting growth. Finally, they talk about the choice of the next Fed chairman, telemedicine, and the government's involvement in rebuiilding the Gulf states.
Joan and Jim begin their visit by talking about the civics lesson that is the circumstances around House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's indictment by a Texas grand jury. They move on to discuss the challenges American small businesses are having in finding qualified employees. Next on the agenda is how hurricane relief is going to effect the political pork most members of Congress are so good at taking home. They wrap up with a bit on obesity, the airline industry and what's in the future for FEMA.
Joan and Jim talk about energy conservation, including some of the new energy efficient technologies that are available, plus how to talk with your customers about fuel conservation. They go on to discuss the emergence of liquified natural gas. Also discussed is continued challenges of the legacy airlines, including Delta and Northwest's recent bankruptcy filings. Finally, they talk about how politics is being impacted by mother nature, in the form of the recovery effort following the 2005 hurricane season.
Joan and Jim first talk about Kiplinger's projections for the 2006 economy. They go on to discuss legislative actions likely to come up in the fall session of Congress in '05. Next they discuss the lobbying influences of businesses in Congress, as well as China's attempt to influence Congress by hiring a lobbying firm. Finally, they discuss new levels of gift tax exclusion, which will be beneficial for tax planning.
Joan and Jim talk about the current state of the budget and tax revenue that Congress will be dealing with when they return after the Labor Day break. They also talk about some of the good new as well as the challenges of the economy. Among other topics, like the price of gasoline, they discuss the differnet tax reform options that will be debated over the next year.
Joan and Jim talk about some of the challenges of developing trade agreements around the globe. They go on to discuss changes coming at the U.S. Postal Service, as well as the confirmation process of Judge John Roberts, to the Supreme Court. They wrap up with a discussion about the tax credits to be available to purchasers of hybrid cars.
Joan and Jim talk about the new changes planned for the Homeland Security Agency to make us safer from terrorist. They move on to talk about how the IRS plans to focus more attention on small businesses that are successful but whose owners don't take much W-2 income. Another topic discussed is the progress being make to solve the explosion of identity theft.
Joan and Jim talk about how twists of fate are going to influence the political environment in Washington D.C., specifically, how the Supreme Court vacancies will detract attention from some of the other issues and allow Mr. Bush to get some of his agenda pushed through. They go on to talk about the economy, the cost of insurance, small business banking, and inflation.
Due to the attacks on London public transportation system, Jim and Joan are joined by Leslie Kossoff who lives in London, to report on this event. Joan and Jim go on to discuss global warming issues, current economic indicators, trends in limiting medical malpractice jury awards, the impact of oil prices on the economy, and recent Supreme Court rulings.
Joan and Jim begin their visit talking about the economy, including specifics on several economic indicators. They go on to discuss intellectual property issues, as well as several current political developments.
