Barack Obama
Carbon experts forecast global trading agreement by mid-2011
The outlook for the COP-15 in Copenhagen this year has been buoyed by reduction target pledges by the US and China, despite almost unanimous agreement from experts that a legally binding treaty is unlikely to be concretised. Katie Holliday and Pauline…
Bernanke receives Obama approval for second term
US President Barack Obama has given his support to Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, for a second term as head of the regulator.
Doubt over Fed’s ability to limit systemic risk
The Obama administration’s proposals for safeguarding the financial system place the US Federal Reserve at the heart of a new regulatory regime for systemic risk, but some former regulators are sceptical of the Fed’s ability to carry out the job.
US regulatory reforms will target the big players
The Obama administration’s proposals on regulatory reform make it clear that, in future, size will matter to the regulation of US financial firms.
Obama reform plans show no progress on OTC derivatives clearing
The Obama administration's much-hyped regulatory reform proposals disappointed over-the-counter derivatives dealers and end users yesterday by again failing to provide new details on how OTC markets with mandatory central clearing would operate.
2010 revenue proposals include 25% dealer tax hike
The US government has unveiled tax proposals that would require commodities and options dealers to pay higher tax rates, by forcing them to treat their income as ordinary income rather than capital gains.
Obama ties executive pay caps to bail-out funds
President Barack Obama on Wednesday unveiled a compensation cap of $500,000 for top executives at firms receiving "exceptional assistance" from the US government.
Oil change
George W. Bush ruled that the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve was to be released in significant amounts only in a national emergency. But incoming US president Barack Obama could change that, finds Susan Arterian
Obama officially names Geithner next US Treasury secretary
US President-elect Barack Obama has officially named Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as his appointee for US Treasury secretary.
Paulson: buying MBSs no longer Tarp priority
Treasury secretary Hank Paulson closed the door to systematic US government purchases of illiquid mortgage-backed securities under its $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Programme (Tarp), during a briefing in Washington, DC today.