Week In The News: God Particle, Barclays, Health Care Fallout

Mitt Romney’s tax trap. The God Particle. Barclays bank scandal. Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

Sweet mystery of life, solved this week at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.  The “god particle,” the “cosmic molasses,” the Higgs boson – found by physicists, we’re told.  Hooray.

Meanwhile, sub-cosmic, Republicans fume as the Romney camp baubles on whether it’s a health care “penalty” or “tax.”  Obama makes his case in the face of rough new jobs numbers.  Another big bank, now Barclays, call its own behavior reprehensible.  And San Diego has a blowout display for the 4^th of July.

This hour, On Point:  our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.
-Tom Ashbrook

Chrystia Freeland, editor, Thomson Reuters Digital.

Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst.

The Guardian "Ratings agency Moody's has threatened to downgrade Barclays' credit rating because of the turmoil at the top of the bank following the Libor scandal, and the difficulty of replacing key senior staff including the former chief executive Bob Diamond."

The New York Times "The European Central Bank cut its benchmark interest rate to its lowest level ever on Thursday in perhaps its most aggressive move yet to unblock the flow of credit and prevent further deterioration of the euro zone crisis."

The Daily Dish "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."