各大媒体2011年度总结
本帖最后由 lilyma06 于 2011-12-27 22:18 编辑赫芬顿邮报
2011 in Review: The Good, the Bad, and What's Ahead in 2012 for Voting Rights http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-m-brandon/2011-in-review-the-good-t_b_1163866.html
Over the past year we have seen numerous attempts by legislatures across the country to pass laws that will make it harder for seniors, youth, people with disabilities, low-income workers, and minorities to access the ballot box. These cynical, anti-democratic tactics that could disenfranchise millions include shortening early voting periods and eliminating them altogether on the weekends before elections, ending Election Day registration, placing onerous restrictions on community-based voter registration drives, and requiring photo identification that many do not have or cannot afford.
This year, more than 20 states have attempted in some way to scale back access to the vote. Voting rights advocates were successful in pushing back in many states while the political forces proved too strong in others. We have seen governors take strong stands in their states by vetoing restrictive legislation. We have also heard strong warnings about attacks on voting rights from Congress as well as U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., who said in a speech last week that protecting access to the ballot for all eligible voters "must be viewed not only as a legal issue but as a moral imperative."
Here I have summarized what has happened with regards to voting rights in 2011 and what we should be prepared for in 2012.
Looking Back -- Good News
From legislative advocacy to governors' vetoes to citizen-led repeal efforts, we have seen examples of strong coalition building and successful efforts to defend our voting rights from relentless attacks.
Photo identification bills introduced in Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, and North Carolina were vetoed by Democratic governors. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer also vetoed a bill that would have eliminated Election Day registration (EDR). In Maine and Ohio, citizens used initiative processes to put voter suppression laws passed by state lawmakers on the ballot for voters to judge. As a result, Mainers voted overwhelmingly to save EDR in November, and Ohioans will get the chance to repeal a bill that eliminates a period of same day registration and shortens early voting, among other things, in November 2012.
In Tennessee, legislation has been introduced to repeal the new photo ID law, and the Protect the Vote TN coalition is collecting petition signatures to make sure legislators know that voters don't want to be blocked from the ballot box by unnecessary laws. The governor, Bill Haslam who signed the photo ID legislation into law, raised concerns recently that the law might make it "unnecessarily hard" for voters to cast ballots. Unfortunately, he didn't consider that before he signed the bill.
Nationally -- and even internationally -- voter suppression efforts have increasingly garnered attention. On Dec. 13, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., gave a speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in Austin, Texas, to "call on our political parties to resist the temptation to suppress certain votes in the hope of attaining electoral success and, instead, achieve success by appealing to more voters." Last month, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and others held a forum on new state voting laws. This followed a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights in September (read FELN's testimony here). Looking ahead to January, the Senate Subcommittee will hold a hearing in Tampa on Florida's new voter suppression laws.
This heightened attention will help combat new legislation that will likely spring up in 2012.
Looking Back -- Bad News
Photo ID was the big story of 2011, with eight states passing new photo ID requirements into law (Ala., Kan., Miss., R.H., S.C., Tenn., Texas, Wyo.). The new laws will be in effect as of Jan. 1 in Kansas and Tennessee. Wisconsin implemented a confusing "soft" launch of its new photo ID law during recall and special elections this year, and will fully implement the new requirement starting with the spring 2012 primary. However, three separate lawsuits have recently been filed challenging Wisconsin's new law. South Carolina and Texas intend to implement their new ID requirements in time for the 2012 elections, but they must receive federal approval under the Voting Rights Act first.
Voter suppression efforts didn't stop with photo ID. Kansas and Tennessee have put burdensome new proof of citizenship requirements into place, and Alabama passed a proof of citizenship requirement that must receive federal approval under the Voting Rights Act. Community registration drives were seriously curtailed in Florida and Texas, early voting opportunities were reduced in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia, and the governors of Iowa and Florida used executive actions to rollback the voting rights of individuals with past criminal convictions who had served their sentences.
With the exception of the felony disenfranchisement action, Florida's recent changes are pending federal approval under the Voting Rights Act with respect to five counties covered by the Act. In the meantime, Florida has implemented the changes in the remaining 62 counties. As a result, Florida will likely operate its January presidential primary under two different sets of rules, no doubt leading to further confusion, unequal access, and voter disenfranchisement.
What's Ahead for 2012
What's on the horizon for 2012? Only time will tell. But here are some of the biggest items on the radar for the New Year:
Maine: Hopefully the resounding citizen's veto success has curbed the enthusiasm Maine legislators had for voter suppression in 2011, but we can't afford to stop paying attention. It may very well be that the Election Day registration battle has only toughened the resolve of photo ID proponents, and a careful eye should be kept on proposals to amend the residency and domicile laws in ways that limit the franchise.
Michigan: A package of election reform bills, promoted by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, includes legislation to place harsh new restrictions on community voter registration drives and a proposal that would allow the Department of State to challenge the absentee ballots of students and others temporarily living outside of Michigan. The Michigan Senate left town without voting on the bills but we expect them to take them up when they come back in January.
Missouri: Legislators have put the question of whether to amend Missouri's constitution to require photo ID on the ballot for voters to decide next year. However, FELN, Advancement Project, and the ACLU have brought a legal challenge that could thwart the effort.
New Hampshire: Legislators in both the House and Senate are reportedly examining various ways to restrict the franchise by redefining residency for voting purposes. It's likely these changes will be tied up in a package with a renewed photo ID effort, so watch out for a double-whammy!
North Carolina: Republicans in North Carolina may try to override Democratic Governor Bev Perdue's photo ID veto -- again.
Pennsylvania: Despite a last minute effort last week by the Senate State Government Committee to get an amended bill to the Senate floor, the 2011 session ended without a full Senate vote. However, Pennsylvania voters aren't out of the woods yet, as the legislation will carry over into 2012. This means lawmakers can pick up right where they left off when the session resumes in January. The modified bill now allows for IDs from PA-accredited colleges and universities, as well as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and is rumored to have the support of the original House sponsor. Interestingly, the Senate State Government Committee, Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, stated he has not seen any proof of people illegally casting ballots.
Virginia: A bill requiring voters who can't prove identity to vote by provisional ballot has been pre-filed, and could be the start of voter suppression shenanigans in Virginia for 2012.
While this year we have seen setbacks in several states, we also have seen citizens standing up against attempts to make voting more difficult. We can take the lessons we have learned this year and come out battling in 2012 against these efforts to stop the vote for political gain. At the same time, it's important to continue the work that has been done over the past decade to make voting more convenient -- including expanding early voting, same day and online registration, and passing the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Act. These reforms, unlike the others, will make voting more convenient and increase access and participation in safe, secure and representative elections.
卫报：2011年度经济事件
Economics review of the year 2011 The eurozone's future hung in the balance, the US saw its credit rating downgraded, Japan's earthquake rocked markets and fiscal failings forced out two prime ministers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/25/2011-review-economics?newsfeed=true
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/12/23/1324657874477/Nicolas-Sarkozy-Angela-Me-007.jpg Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, and France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy, spent much of the year in emergency talks attempting to rescue the eurozone. Photograph: Remy De La Mauvinere/AP
January
The year begins with a prediction. "We have to save the euro over the next six months," says Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, as the country starts its six-month turn heading the European Union.
In the UK, the economic data shows inflation shooting up to 3.7% in December, prompting growing speculation that the Bank of England will raise interest rates by the spring.
It is revealed that the UK economy shrank by a shock 0.5% in the last quarter of 2010 as Britain's recoveryfaltered in the pre-Christmas snow.
At the annual get-together for world leaders in Davos, George Soros – the speculator who famously "broke the Bank of England" – warns that the UK faces recession unless its austerity package is relaxed. Cynics muse that Soros might be talking up his own strategy, rather than expressing concern.
February
News that inflation rose to 4% in January, the highest annual rate in more than two years, prompts a predictable response. Deputy governor of the Bank of England, Charles Bean, warns that interest rates may have to rise, and is joined by Andrew Sentance - a soon-to-depart member of the Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC). City wags, concerned that his medicine might finish off the UK, dub him "Death" Sentance.
No such concerns in China, which becomes the world's second-largest economy after taking the title Japan had held for more than 40 years.
March
The last thing the world's economy needed in March was a shock, but that's what it got. An earthquake and tsunami in Japan rock financial markets.
Meanwhile, having spent the runup to the financial crisis insisting there was nothing risky about stuffing sub-prime mortgages into collateralised debt obligations, the credit ratings agencies awake. Moody's slashes Greece's rating by three notches to B1, while also downgrading Spain's to Aa2. Borrowing costs for weaker members of the eurozone continue to rise, raising fears that further rescue packages will be needed.
The agency also has words for George Osborne following the chancellor's "budget for growth". It says Britain could lose its prized AAA credit rating if growth forecasts prove too optimistic.
April
The ratings agencies are developing a taste for this downgrading lark. Standard & Poor's snips US debt outlook from stable to negative for the first time since the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.
Meanwhile, China raises its interest rates for the second time in 2011, adding to concerns that its economy is overheating.
A shutdown of the US federal government is averted with a late deal on spending cuts, but the gold price hits a new record of $1,500 an ounce as investors seek safe havens.
May
With the world looking for firm financial leadership, Dominique Strauss-Kahn is arrested in New York on sexual assault allegations, forcing his resignation as the head of the International Monetary Fund (the charges are subsequently dropped).
Portugal negotiates a €78bn (£70bn) bailout deal, while the economic thinktank, the Paris-based OECD, says the UK will have to start raising interest rates to prevent inflation.
June
The Orbán timescale still looks valid. Five months after Hungary's prime minister warned Europe had six months to save the euro, a Berlin meeting between Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, prompts headlines: "45 minutes to save the euro".
Meanwhile, the rudderless IMF supports the UK's austerity measures, but stock markets fall sharply on the imminent prospect of a Greek default.
Greek bonds hit record levels after riots add to the pressure on the government.
July
What a relief. "At the 11th hour, a new solution to save the euro has emerged," reports the Wall Street Journal, after European leaders hammer out a new deal including a "Marshall plan" to stimulate the Greek economy.
In the UK, a second royal wedding, an earthquake, hot weather, heavy snowfall and the Olympics are all lined up to excuse poor second-quarter GDP figures.
French finance minister Christine Lagarde is appointed the new head of the IMF.With the post again going to a European, emerging nations argue it should be filled on the basis of competence, not nationality. Whatever next?
August
Congress passes a new US debt ceiling deal, but it's still not a great month for Barack Obama. The president is rocked as ratings agency Standard & Poor's carries out its threat to downgrade the US's gold-plated triple A rating to AA+, as it judges that a deficit reduction plan is too tame.
Switzerland moves to counteract the "massive overvaluation" of the Swiss franc.
In the UK, the MPC members suddenly agree. Dissenters Martin Weale and Spencer Dale fall back into line in a unanimous vote for interest rates to remain at their record low of 0.5%.
September
Having solved the problem in July, the world's leaders start doubting whether they really have saved the euro. Leading central banks are to flood the financial system with US dollars, in a co-ordinated action designed to boost market confidence.
In the UK, public sector job cuts send unemployment back through the 2.5m barrier,and having backed the coalition government's austerity drive in June, the IMF hedges its bets. It cuts UK economic growth forecasts and warns that David Cameron may have to slow his deficit reduction programme.
October
Merkel and Sarkozy hold emergency talks in Frankfurt to cement a deal to save the eurozone (again). Sarkozy flies to Germany rather than stay with his wife, Carla, for the birth of their first child – underlining either the scale of the panic or his fear of maternity wards.
Inevitably, Europe's leaders claim another victory after increasing the firepower of the main bailout fund - the European financial stability facility (EFSF) – to around €1tn.
The Bank of England takes action to kick-start Britain's flatlining economy by pumping £75bn more into the banking system – more, and earlier, than economists had expected.
November
The much-heralded October eurozone victory suffers a setback. The Merkozy eyebrow arches as Greek prime minister George Papandreou proposes a referendum on the deal. The plebiscite is subsequently crushed, as is Papandreou, who quits.
He's not alone. Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, also says he's off as interest rates on Italian bonds rise above 7%.
In the UK there is some good news, as figures show GDP was stronger than expected in the third quarter, growing by 0.5%, while inflation is also starting to fall. But there's bad news too: in his autumn statement, Osborne concedes the UK will barely grow next year.
December
UK unemployment hits a fresh 17-year high of 2.64m.
The tension between the US and China over international trade escalates when Beijing imposes additional duties on cars imported from the United States. EU leaders agree a "fiscal compact" after David Cameron vetoed a revision of the Lisbon treaty.
And the year ends with a happy new year message from the IMF: the world, warns Lagarde, is at serious risk of sliding into a 1930s-style slump.
http://bbs.m4.cn/xwb/images/bgimg/icon_logo.png 该贴已经同步到 lilyma06的微博
本帖最后由 武大郎 于 2011-12-30 23:40 编辑
斗胆给马大姐补充下（蓝色字体是链接，不过粘不过来，只能去原文点啦~~）：
卫报2011经济回顾
链接：http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/25/2011-review-economics
Economics review of the year 2011
The eurozone's future hung in the balance, the US saw its credit rating downgraded, Japan's earthquake rocked markets and fiscal failings forced out two prime ministers
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/12/23/1324657874477/Nicolas-Sarkozy-Angela-Me-007.jpg
Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, and France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy, spent much of the year in emergency talks attempting to rescue the eurozone. Photograph: Remy De La Mauvinere/AP
January
The year begins with a prediction. "We have to save the euro over the next six months," says Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, as the country starts its six-month turn heading the European Union.In the UK, the economic data shows inflation shooting up to 3.7% in December, prompting growing speculation that the Bank of England will raise interest rates by the spring.It is revealed that the UK economy shrank by a shock 0.5% in the last quarter of 2010 as Britain's recovery faltered in the pre-Christmas snow.At the annual get-together for world leaders in Davos, George Soros – the speculator who famously "broke the Bank of England" – warns that the UK faces recession unless its austerity package is relaxed. Cynics muse that Soros might be talking up his own strategy, rather than expressing concern.February
News that inflation rose to 4% in January, the highest annual rate in more than two years, prompts a predictable response. Deputy governor of the Bank of England, Charles Bean, warns that interest rates may have to rise, and is joined by Andrew Sentance - a soon-to-depart member of the Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC). City wags, concerned that his medicine might finish off the UK, dub him "Death" Sentance.No such concerns in China, which becomes the world's second-largest economy after taking the title Japan had held for more than 40 years.
March
The last thing the world's economy needed in March was a shock, but that's what it got. An earthquake and tsunami in Japan rock financial markets.Meanwhile, having spent the runup to the financial crisis insisting there was nothing risky about stuffing sub-prime mortgages into collateralised debt obligations, the credit ratings agencies awake. Moody's slashes Greece's rating by three notches to B1, while also downgrading Spain's to Aa2. Borrowing costs for weaker members of the eurozone continue to rise, raising fears that further rescue packages will be needed.The agency also has words for George Osborne following the chancellor's "budget for growth". It says Britain could lose its prized AAA credit rating if growth forecasts prove too optimistic.April
The ratings agencies are developing a taste for this downgrading lark.Standard & Poor's snips US debt outlook from stable to negative for the first time since the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.Meanwhile, China raises its interest rates for the second time in 2011, adding to concerns that its economy is overheating.A shutdown of the US federal government is averted with a late deal on spending cuts, but the gold price hits a new record of $1,500 an ounceas investors seek safe havens.
May
With the world looking for firm financial leadership, Dominique Strauss-Kahn is arrested in New York on sexual assault allegations, forcing his resignation as the head of the International Monetary Fund (the charges are subsequently dropped).Portugal negotiates a €78bn (£70bn) bailout deal, while the economic thinktank, the Paris-based OECD, says the UK will have to start raising interest rates to prevent inflation.
June
The Orbán timescale still looks valid. Five months after Hungary's prime minister warned Europe had six months to save the euro, a Berlin meeting between Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, prompts headlines: "45 minutes to save the euro".Meanwhile, the rudderless IMF supports the UK's austerity measures, butstock markets fall sharply on the imminent prospect of a Greek default.Greek bonds hit record levels after riots add to the pressure on the government.
July
What a relief. "At the 11th hour, a new solution to save the euro has emerged," reports the Wall Street Journal, after European leaders hammer out a new deal including a "Marshall plan" to stimulate the Greek economy.In the UK, a second royal wedding, an earthquake, hot weather, heavy snowfall and the Olympics are all lined up to excuse poor second-quarter GDP figures.French finance minister Christine Lagarde is appointed the new head of the IMF. With the post again going to a European, emerging nations argue it should be filled on the basis of competence, not nationality. Whatever next?
August
Congress passes a new US debt ceiling deal, but it's still not a great month for Barack Obama. The president is rocked as ratings agencyStandard & Poor's carries out its threat to downgrade the US's gold-plated triple A rating to AA+, as it judges that a deficit reduction plan is too tame.Switzerland moves to counteract the "massive overvaluation" of the Swiss franc.In the UK, the MPC members suddenly agree. Dissenters Martin Weale and Spencer Dale fall back into line in a unanimous vote for interest rates to remain at their record low of 0.5%.
September
Having solved the problem in July, the world's leaders start doubting whether they really have saved the euro. Leading central banks are to flood the financial system with US dollars, in a co-ordinated action designed to boost market confidence.In the UK, public sector job cuts send unemployment back through the 2.5m barrier, and having backed the coalition government's austerity drive in June, the IMF hedges its bets. It cuts UK economic growth forecasts and warns that David Cameron may have to slow his deficit reduction programme.
October
Merkel and Sarkozy hold emergency talks in Frankfurt to cement a deal to save the eurozone (again). Sarkozy flies to Germany rather than stay with his wife, Carla, for the birth of their first child – underlining either the scale of the panic or his fear of maternity wards.Inevitably, Europe's leaders claim another victory after increasing the firepower of the main bailout fund - the European financial stability facility (EFSF) – to around €1tn.The Bank of England takes action to kick-start Britain's flatlining economy by pumping £75bn more into the banking system – more, and earlier, than economists had expected.
November
The much-heralded October eurozone victory suffers a setback. The Merkozy eyebrow arches as Greek prime minister George Papandreou proposes a referendum on the deal. The plebiscite is subsequently crushed, as is Papandreou, who quits.He's not alone. Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, also says he's off as interest rates on Italian bonds rise above 7%.In the UK there is some good news, as figures show GDP was stronger than expected in the third quarter, growing by 0.5%, while inflation is also starting to fall. But there's bad news too: in his autumn statement, Osborne concedes the UK will barely grow next year.
December
UK unemployment hits a fresh 17-year high of 2.64m.The tension between the US and China over international trade escalates when Beijing imposes additional duties on cars imported from the United States. EU leaders agree a "fiscal compact" after David Cameron vetoed a revision of the Lisbon treaty.And the year ends with a happy new year message from the IMF: the world, warns Lagarde, is at serious risk of sliding into a 1930s-style slump.
Nature的回顾：
http://www.nature.com/news/365-days-2011-in-review-1.9684
由于大部分涉及自然科学，和论坛整体聚焦话题，不发全文了，就当是学工的人发的特色楼吧~ 真精神！！！！！！ 来看看.... 看看，飘过。
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