TheLoop21.com

Do you have one of the highest-paying jobs?

by raechal
We may be in a recession, but some people are still raking in the money. CNNMoney.com's new list of the top-paying jobs shows anesthesiologists, for example, are earning a median salary of $292,000. Not too bad.

Read more about the list and what it — and the professions that aren't on it — says about our values.

Why not hand out $819 billion to taxpayers?

by Darrell Williams
Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed its version of the stimulus plan by a vote of 244-188. About one-third of that money will go directly to taxpayers, some in the form of a $500 tax credit per person or $1,000 per family. But the other two-thirds, or about $567 billion, is spending by the government.

Celebration tempered by realism on Inauguration Day

by Darrell Williams
Today is a triumphant day — the inauguration of the first African American President of the United States. It represents so many things — a triumph of the politics of inclusion over divisiveness; of intelligence over ignorance and fear; of personal integrity over political expediency. We now have a president who not only talks about American values like freedom of opportunity, the rule of law, and individual civil rights, but who actually believes that we should act in accordance with them. Indeed, in many respects, he personifies them. Like the rest of the world, I am honored to witness this day and its observance gives me cause for optimism about the future.