Now that royal baby watch is over, it’s time to focus our attention on another palace, Alexander Hamilton’s palace, the Federal Reserve. President Obama has a big decision to make this fall: who will he appoint to succeed Ben Bernanke as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. News outlets pushed the narrative this week that the field of contenders has narrowed to two: Larry Summers and Janet Yellen. This appointment is one of the most important appointments the president will make. First and foremost, the chairman, or chairwoman as it could potentially be, is the person at the helm of our economic recovery. The president has an opportunity to appoint the first female Fed chair, an historic action for an administration that has received criticism for its lack of gender diversity. The Fed chair serves a four year term, meaning whomever the president selects will be in power even during the next administration. On Sunday’s show host Melissa Harris-Perry and her guests will take a deep dive into the vital importance of the Federal Reserve and the person who leads it.
Once a month the Labor Department publishes its jobs report which has turned into a monthly reminder of the state of our economic recovery. But don’t let the numbers fool you, just because jobs are being created does not mean that the jobs allow individuals to work their way out of poverty. Many of these jobs don’t pay the bills and the practice of using prepaid cards as a way of doling out salaries is leaving some having to pay fees just to access their money. Our host and panel will discuss the ongoing struggle of living below the line in America and the daily obstacles facing the working poor.
Reaction to the George Zimmerman verdict continued this week. In New York, the lone minority juror, juror B29, spoke out about feeling that “George Zimmerman got away with murder.” Juror B29 identified herself as Maddy in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts where she admitted feeling torn between how she personally felt about the case and what the law obligated her to do. In Chicago, Rep. Robin Kelly took part in an Emergency Summit on Urban Violence where more than 200 individuals came to discuss strategies to curb gun violence. And in Washington, D.C., Tracy Martin addressed the first ever meeting of the Congressional Caucus on black men and boys. On Sunday’s show, Harris-Perry will discuss the continuing national reaction to the verdict from both the left and the right, including the public beef between Harry Belafonte and Jay-Z on the responsibility of celebrities to get involved in political activism.
Our host and panel will shift our race talk to address the fact that race relations are not limited to black and white. Earlier this week, Rep. Steve King let it be known that in his opinion, most undocumented immigrant children are criminals. Our host and panel will discuss the ongoing struggle in the U.S. to bridge our racial divide as immigration reform continues to embroil congress in a heated debate over boarder security, a pathway to citizenship, and opportunities for DREAMERS. Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 10 a.m. EST on msnbc! Also, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.
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