The president focused his weekly Saturday YouTube address on two major issues with hotly contested, competing interests: Health care and energy policy.  He discussed the need to bridge our differences, and talked about his successes so far in doing so.  Here's a nice little segment from near the end of the speech:

I have always believed that it is better to talk than not to talk; that it is far more productive to reach over a divide than to shake your fist across it. This has been an alien notion in Washington for far too long, but we are seeing that the ways of Washington are beginning to change. For the calling of this moment is too loud and too urgent to ignore. Our success as a nation – the future of our children and grandchildren – depends upon our willingness to cast aside old arguments, overcome stubborn divisions, and march forward as one people and one nation.

The New York Times has an article looking at a phrase that seems to have become a constant in Obama's recent speeches: "New foundation." Will this be his equivalent of the "New Deal?"

Watch his address below, or check out the transcript here.

Leader: Deceit

- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged yesterday that she knew that the Bush Administration had approved harsh interrogation tactics six years ago, while at the same time accusing the CIA of misleading members of Congress about their activities.

- Dan Balz sees this accusation as either a calculated escalation of a long-running feud, or a reckless act by a politician in a tight spot. Or maybe both.

- According to an aide to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, a principal goal of the brutal interrogation tactics used by the CIA was not to prevent another terrorist attack, but to gain evidence connecting al Qaeda to Iraq.  And if that's your goal, it doesn't much matter if it's true, does it?

Politics

- In the year ending in August 2008, immigration from Mexico was down 25% from the previous year.  This data confirms what we heard yesterday about declining immigration from Latin America and Asia.

Mexican and American researchers say that the current decline, which has also been manifested in a decrease in arrests along the border, is largely a result of Mexicans’ deciding to delay illegal crossings because of the lack of jobs in the ailing American economy.

- Tom Frieden, an anti-tobacco crusader, has been chosen to run the CDC.

Economy

- Chrysler will be shuttering a quarter of its car dealerships in the US.  GM indicated that if they file for bankruptcy, they'll do it in a manner similar to how Chrysler did it. But perhaps that won't be necessary, as late-breaking reports indicate that GM is close to a deal with the UAW that would save the auto manufacturer billions.

- The Euro-zone economy shrank by 2.5% in the first quarter this year, a much bigger loss than the 1.4% they saw in the fourth quarter last year.

International

- Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanhayu is coming to visit President Obama, and he'll presumably try not to repeat his last visit, when he pissed off President Clinton in the utmost.

- Paul Krugman and Michael Moynihan both wrote about climate change yesterday.  Krugman wrote that China would have to do its part in any emissions regime, and Moynihan, picked up on Grist, called for cap and market legislation to be passed this year.

New From NDN

- Did you notice that this website is new? Be sure to check out the NDN front page, as well, which is superfly.

- Simon was featured on the front page of the Huffington Post yesterday, with his new essay about putting everyday consumers at the center of the economic debate.

- Rob Shapiro wrote about the various health care plans emerging from the White House, and respectfully asks for more details:

So the Administration’s health care focus, goals and priorities are right in the ways that matter. Now they need to provide a more detailed blueprint of how they intend to reach those goals and achieve those priorities.

One More Thing

- Trivia nerd like me? Then you'll be tickled pink that David Axelrod will be testing his wits on "Wait, wait... Don't Tell Me."

- Last, the Daily Show comments on "don't ask, don't tell":

Leader: Torture, Abuse, Indefinite Detention

- The Senate held a hearing yesterday investigating the torture of detainees, and the session quickly deteriorated into partisan bickering, according the Washington Post. Former State Department counselor Philip D. Zelikow and retired FBI agent Ali Soufan both claimed to have tried to stop some of the more questionable interrogation methods. 

- The Obama administration is reportedly considering maintaining the Bush Administration policy of detaining certain terror suspects indefinitely on US soil.  The President has clearly not yet answered the question of how to make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, while still maintaining the security of the nation.

- President Obama said yesterday he would seek to block the release graphic photographs depicting the abuse of detainees held by the US overseas.  Obama had initially agreed not to block the release of the photographs, but reversed his decision after hearing warnings from military commanders overseas that releasing these photographs could expose US troops to renewed danger.

Politics

- President Obama is catching flak from the left on his national security policy, largely for the recent moves detailed above.

- New Census data suggests that, due to our flailing economy, immigration of Hispanics and Asians has slowed considerably.  This will affect the Census projections of when our country will become majority minority-- last estimated to be 2042.

- An affiliate of the Boy Scouts is training young teenagers in all the assault tactics they need to know to become effective border patrol agents, anti-terror agents, and just general heavily-armed agents.  How do you say... creepy?

- President Obama spoke at the Arizona State commencement yesterday, and promoted national service in his speech to the graduates.  This is right in line with the arguments of our fellows Morley Winograd and Mike Hais.

Economy

- The Administration yesterday asked congress to move quickly on legislation that would apply strict new regulations on the complex financial instruments that booby-trapped our economy. This should be a bipartisan issue, right?

- Two op-eds in today's NY Times talk about the decline of the dollar, relative to China's RenMinBi. Nouriel Roubini and Victor Zhikai Gao make more or less the same point: This century, at least in financial terms, may well be Asia's century.

International

- Burmese Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, is facing a military trial that will likely tighten the grip of Myanmar's junta over the country and its oppressed population.

- Two American journalists will be put on "trial" in North Korea, on charges of "illegal entry" and "hostile acts." It doesn't seem likely they'll get the result that Roxana Saberi got in Iran-- where an appeals court threw out her conviction.

New From NDN

- Simon has a new essay arguing that the economic debate is changing, and that regular, everyday consumers are now at the heart of it all.

- Michael Moynihan wrote yesterday that we need to avoid a "GM Trainwreck," and keep them from collapsing completely.

One More Thing

- This couldn't quite qualify for the "politics" section above.  Apparently, the RNC is planning a marketing campaign to rebrand the Democratic Party as the "Democrat Socialist Party."  Seriously.

- Last, here's Stephen Colbert's recommendation to the GOP:

Leader: Insolvent Entitlement

- The Trustees of Social Security and Medicare revised their estimates of how long the two foundation institutions of the American retirement system can remain solvent-- both have deteriorated rapidly in the past year.  Medicare is expected to run out of money in 2017, two years sooner than projected last year, and Social Security funds will be exhausted in 2037, four years earlier than previously projected. This revision is (obviously) due to the downturn in the economy in the past year.

- The announcement has led to calls from Congress for the Administration to recalibrate its focus on fixing Social Security, at a time when health care reform is the top domestic priority for the White House. These estimates already take into account expected cuts in entitlements.

- The Onion reports that the entitlement programs have released a new plan to offer "early-death incentives."  Could be just what we need.

Politics

- Michael Gerson writes in the WaPo about the GOP's "driving desire to lose."  It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it, right?  Mike Huckabee is the latest Republican with a passion for defeat-- scoffing at Eric Cantor's effort to remake the Republican Party around more popular issues.

- Harry Reid will be facing a tough election in 2010.  Assuming, of course, that somebody runs against him.

Economy

- April saw 342,038 foreclosure filings-- a leveling off from the previous month, but also the highest number in history.

- The European Commission has launched a $1.45 billion antitrust suit against Intel for shutting out competition.

International

- The US military is incorporating the Pakistani military in its Predator drone assaults on Taliban and Al Qaeda hideouts in northern Pakistan. Pakistan had previously objected strongly to the drone attacks, but now that they have some control over the routes, targets, and decisions of whether to fire weapons, the two militaries are getting along better.

- While swine flu wins all the headlines, Argentina has been struggling with Dengue Fever this year. 23,000 cases of the mosquito-spread virus have been identified around the country.

One More Thing

- Last, The White House hosted a poetry slam last night.  Pretty cool, if you ask me:

Leader: McKiernan's Ouster

- Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced yesterday that General David McKiernan, the top American commander in Afghanistan, would be forced out, and replaced with Lt. General Stanley McChrystal, who was recently in charge of all special operations in Iraq.  The move is widely believed to indicate a shift toward the counter-insurgency tactics that have succeeded in Iraq, and away from the conventional military approach in which McKiernan was schooled.

- This move will "probably" end McKiernan's career in the military, said Gates in the press conference yesterday.  Most reactions to the shift have been positive, as Spencer Ackerman found in his talks with military commanders who served under McChrystal in Iraq. Fred Kaplan at Slate notes that Afghanistan is now, unequivocally, "Obama's War," and argues that this shift could make or break his presidency.

- Earlier today, a group of Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attacked government buildings in eastern Afghanistan, killing six and taking an unknown number of hostages.  This is just one in a series of brazen attacks by Taliban militants; let's hope General McChrystal can begin to bring about some security in this country.

Politics

- President Obama brought together leaders from the health care industry and interested groups yesterday, as they committed to $2 trilion in cost reductions over the next ten years.  The NY Times skeptically notes that their commitments may not yield the projected savings.

- A soon-to-be-released report written by the CIA's Inspector General in 2004 will show that waterboarding was both ineffective at gaining actionable intelligence and used more frequently and intensely than had been deemed medically safe.  So much for you, Dick Cheney.

- Florida Governor Charlie Crist will announce his bid for Senate today, a small piece of good news for the GOP in what has been a dark period.

Economy

- In April, Chinese exports fell 22.6% from their level a year earlier. This number is a fair bit larger than anybody expected, and is yet more evidence that this global recession is far from over. Andy Kessler wrote on the WSJ's op-ed page today that the recent rise in stock market was nothing more than a "sucker's rally."  Arianna Huffington agrees.

- The White House Office of Management and Budget has revised projections for the 2009 fiscal deficit up to $1.84 trillion, or 12.9% of the economy-- the largest since 1945. 

- Ford Motor Co. will offer 300 million shares of stock to help raise capital, which it will use largely to fund its retiree health care trust.

- Bank of America sold off a big chunk of China Construction Bank, and raised $7.3 billion in the process.  This gets them about 1/5th of the way toward the $34 billion the government has asked them to raise.

International

- Journalist Roxana Saberi, accused of espionage by the Iranian government, was released from Evin prison in Tehran yesterday, after four months of imprisonment. An appeals court threw out her eight-year sentence, demonstrating the deep divides within the Iranian government.

- I'd like to pause for a moment to be amazed, and sort of impressed by Silvio Berlusconi.  The guy is unbelievable.

New From NDN

- NDN got big play in a SF Chronicle piece by Carla Marinucci today, in which she talks about Meagan McCain, Millennials, and the future of the Republican Party.  NDN Fellows Morley Winograd and Mike Hais are quoted, and our event to be held in San Fran tonight gets its own sidebar.  Are you coming to our event tonight? Have you considered flying to San Fran to come to our event tonight?  Please consider RSVPing before you do.

- NDN got a nice shout-out from our pal Sergio Bendixen-- one of the most important men in politics you haven't heard of-- in an interview with Real Clear Politics.

One More Thing

- Last, Rachel Maddow interviews an Arabic linguist who was booted from the military for being gay.  Worth watching:

Leader: Cutting Costs

- A group of health care industry groups will unveil today a plan to wring $2 trillion in projected cost increases from health care expenditures in the coming decade.  The plan will take advantage of new efficiencies to cut costs from rising 1.5% per year. Half a dozen health care industry leaders will make their case to the President in a White House meeting today. 

- This could be an important step toward major health care reform this year.  One senior White House official called it a "game changer" in the health care debate. The leaders represent groups from across the health care playing field, and interests that often clash.

- Paul Krugman calls this "some of the best policy news" he's heard in a long time.  Hopefully, it will live up to expectations.

Politics

- Sen. John McCain thinks the GOP needs to be more inclusive, and not demand the kind of ideological fealty that currently seems to be a requisite for Party support.

- Dick Cheney seems to take a different view, as he said yesterday that he would choose the Republican Party of Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell's version.

- Morley and Mike weighed in on this subject in an op-ed in yesterdays LA Times, chastening the Republican Party that it ignores Millennials at its own peril.

Economy

- The Obama Administration is looking to strengthen anti-trust laws that atrophied under the Bush Administration, which tended to favor the defendants in anti-trust cases.

- A GM bankruptcy is "almost inevitable," according to experts.  To avoid Chapter 11, the auto manufacturer will have to convince creditors to swap $27 billion in debt for stock shares-- a risky investment, considering the state of affairs.

International

- Al Qaeda has shifted its efforts from planning terrorist attacks against the West to fomenting chaos in Pakistan, and promoting the cause of fellow Islamist groups as they battle government forces.

- The US military is beginning to take cyberwarfare very seriously, as we see in this NY Times article that reports on war games between West Point cadets and NSA agents.

New From NDN

- Simon wrote this morning that the Obama Administration is right to be seeking to curb credit card debt in America. 

- Be sure to check out Jake's backgrounder from Friday, responding to the release of the stress test results, and linking to some of our recent work on the subject.

One More Thing

- Last week, Molly the Cow's epic adventure through the streets of Queens captured the imagination of millions of Americans.  Or something like that.  This week, Molly's efforts will be honored as she is sent to a cow sanctuary further out on Long Island, and is spared the unsavory fate of becoming a double quarter-pounder.  No bull!

- Last, Barack Obama was funny at the WH correspondents' dinner on Saturday:

Leader: Stress Release

- The full results of the "stress tests" conducted on 19 of the nation's largest banks by the Treasury and the Fed were released yesterday, and 10 of the banks have been ordered to raise an additional $75 billion in capital between them.  The results were close to the hints that leaked in recent days, with results generally more favorable than had been widely expected. 

- In the worst-case projections for the economy, the 19 banks could collectively lose nearly $600 billion, and the extra $75 billion is meant to shield against those potential losses. James Surowiecki of the New Yorker notes that this projection is, more or less, in line with similar projections made by the IMF.

- Paul Krugman is afraid that these results will lead to nothing but the banks going back to doing just what they were doing before.

Politics

- President Obama is looking to cut $17 billion ineffective dollars from the federal budget, but is running into opposition from within his own party. 

- The NYT Editorial page comments on the character assassination that has already begun against the people Barack Obama might choose to replace David Souter on the Supreme Court.

Economy

- The unemployment rate rose to 8.9% last month, but the number of job losses is less than in previous months, and this may represent a leveling-off-- an inflection point, to a mathematician-- in the still-rising graph of unemployment.

International

- Steven Lee Myers of the NY Times reports on the Iraqi security forces.  They're stronger than ever, but still suffering from myriad faults, defects and shortcomings.

- Remember the swine flu that we were all going to die from last week?  In the world, 2,384 people have it, and 46 people have died-- all but two in Mexico.

New From NDN

- Rob published a new essay on short-selling, and how we can properly regulate this part of our market.

- Melissa released a backgrounder of our extensive work on politics and the Millennial Generation (best generation ever!).

One More Thing

- A quartet of pols dominated two teams of journalists in a trivia match.  I suspect corruption.

- Did Gauguin cut off Van Gogh's ear? Scandal! (Semantic question: Did Gauguin 'Tyson' Van Gogh, or did Tyson 'Gauguin' Holyfield?)

- Last, the Tribe comments on the results of the stress tests (h/t: Ezra):

Leader: I'm a Little Stressed

- The results of the stress tests will be released later today, but news about them continues to leak. "At least seven" of the 19 will be asked to raise additional capital (Citigroup and Bank of America are likely on that list), and "at least half a dozen" are off the hook-- including J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. Most note that the results seem to be better than expected, and the markets have responded accordingly.

- Tim Geithner has an op-ed in today's NY Times, calling these tests "an important step forward in President Obama's program to help repair the financial system."

- So is all this good news or bad news? The NY Times and the WaPo put on a clinic showing how all reporting is inherently biased.  From the NY Times lede:

"The leaks seem to confirm what many bankers feel in their bones: despite all those bailouts, some of the nation’s largest banks still need more money."

And from the WaPo:

"Long-awaited results of the government's stress test of 19 major banks show that nearly all, including several that verged on collapse during the financial crisis, now have enough money to weather the recession."

Politics

- The WaPo reports on National Security Advisor Jim Jones, who is evidently having a slow time getting cool with all the campaign people who run the White House.  He reportedly bikes home for lunch every once in a while, which seems a little odd.  UPDATE: The NY Times also profiles Jones today.  Curious.

- Andrew Rasiej and Micah Sifry have an Ideas piece in Politico, writing about the rise of Government 2.0.  From Twitter to Facebook to MySpace (when can we stop taking MySpace seriously?) the wired White House is engaging on all fronts.

Economy

- A FT op-ed co-authored by Noureil Roubini suggests that insolvent banks should feel the pain of the risks they took.  Simon addressed this question last week in his post "Should We Try to Save the Damaged Brands?"

International

- The Red Cross has warned of the possibility of a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, caused by the fighting between Taliban insurgents and the Pakistani military.  As many as half a million civilians have already been uprooted by the conflict.

- Dexter Filkins reports on said humanitarian situation from a refugee camp in Pakistan.  Filkins is always worth reading.

New From NDN

- Simon will be in San Francisco next week.  Join him on Tuesday for a discussion of my ever-more powerful Millennial Generation!

- Andres writes that E.J. Dionne almost got it right in his column on immigration earlier this week.  Almost.

One More Thing

- Last, are you tired of all that socialistic-y-ish government stuff?  Come to Somalia!:

Leader: Border Security

- The LA Times reports that senior administration officials are saying President Obama will seek $27 billion to bolster security along the country's border with Mexico, and only once this is accomplished will he seek immigration reform.  That amount would constitute an 8% increase over last year's spending, and would be designed to make good on a promise to the Mexican government to stem the flow of weapons out of the US. 

In devoting more money to security and enforcement, Obama may be creating some political space needed to revamp the immigration system. The president risks alienating many conservatives if he doesn't emphasize strong border and immigration enforcement before taking action on a reform package that would create a path to legalization for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

Politics

- A small group of senior advisors to the president are working to find a replacement for Supreme Court Justice David Souter, and say it will be a "careful and deliberative" process.  They may have a nominee as early as next week, but I'm not hopeful. 

- A week after switching to the Democratic Party, Sen. Arlen Specter has been stripped of his seniority on the five committees he serves.  Despite assurances to the contrary from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a voice vote in the Senate left Specter as the least senior member in four of his five committees, and the second from the bottom in the last.

Economy

- Bank of America will need $33.9 billion to weather this economic storm, according to a senior executive at the bank. If they cannot right their ship by selling stock or otherwise raising capital, they may need to be once again bailed out by the government.

- Martin Wolf writes in his column that central banks should have a broader mission than simply targeting inflation, and calls for a new approach to monetary policy.

International

- A second American died of swine flu, but US government officials have amended their recommendation that schools close if any students become infected.  The disease has still not proven particularly deadly outside Mexico.

- The Pakistani Army is preparing for a major push into the Swat Valley, to battle the Taliban insurgents who have taken control of the region. This is as Pakistani President Zardari visits Washington to convince President Obama that he is serious about taking on these militants.

New From NDN

- Remember Simon's 7 reasons Congress should pass immigration reform this year?  Well, Heritage targeted his piece for a point-by-point takedown.  It's an honor, really.

One More Thing

- Last, a new reality show-- Republicans, The Lost Party:

Leader: Loop the Loop

- The President announced a plan yesterday to close tax loopholes widely exploited by American corporations to evade billions in taxes. President Obama estimates that closing these loopholes would bring in an additional $210 billion to the budget over the next ten years.  Many corporations argue that these actions would force them to pay much more in taxes than they would in other countries, and would incentivize them to move overseas.

- The NY Times reports that one commonly used loophole, "transfer pricing," has been left wide open.

Politics

- Tuesdays have gotten more interesting since Ross Douthat joined David Brooks on the the NYT op-ed page.  Today, they play tug-o-war with the Republican Party: Brooks laments the loss of community and order as the foremost values of the GOP, while Douthat thinks the Party can do without moderates willing to compromise-- like Arlen Specter.

- E.J. Dionne has an interesting piece in the WaPo and TNR about immigration reform.  He concludes that the President's message is "yes we can, but not right now."

Economy

- Stocks rallied yesterday, largely on better-than-expected news from the bank stress tests. Ten of the 19 banks need to raise additional capital, according to the tests, but generally less than everyone thought.  The S&P 500 is in the black for the year, riding mainly on bank stocks!  So the recession is over, right?

International

- The Georgian government quashed a coup plot, and they accuse the Russian government of working behind it.  Russian President Dmitri Medvedev called the allegations "too stupid for us to comment on."

One More Thing

- The WaPo's Dana Milbank wonders if Barack Obama is the one.

- Happy Cinco de Mayo!

- Last, Erin Burnett thinks it is the obligation of a good American company to pay as little in taxes as possible: