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The article reports that the U.S. Treasury Department has suspended operation of a fund it created alongside TCW Group for the purpose of managing a portion of its Public-Private Investment Program. Days earlier TCW fired its top investment executive, Jeffrey Gundlach, who was going to manage the fund.

The article discusses challenges facing the U.S. government's Public-Private Investment Program (PPIP). Aimed at helping banks sell distressed assets, PPIP has been viewed skeptically by banks who fear they could be forced to sell assets at unduly low prices. Some private investors are also reluctant to participate due to concerns any profitable involvement could attract public criticism from Congress.

The article discusses a measure pending before the Pennsylvania state legislature that would lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to private investors, who would maintain the roadway and collect tolls. Proponents of the measure say a lease would provide financial benefits to the state. Officials in other states are contemplating their own leases of public assets.

The article discusses lawsuits filed against AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., and BellSouth Corp. by consumers who charge the companies with violating their privacy rights. The issues are that domestic calling records were given to the National Security Agency illegally and plaintiffs could win billions of dollars in damages. There is speculation that the NSA surveillance program will be given "state secrets" privilege by the George W. Bush administration.

Reports that United States legislators are increasingly involved in trips funded by corporations. Statement that House majority leader Tom DeLay traveled to Hawaii to participate in an aviation conference of the American Association of Airport Executives; Report that Congressional rules forbid travel financed by registered lobbyists and foreign agents; Statement that corporations and business associations sponsored more than 1,900 trips for legislators in 2004; Trip of Representative Joe Barton to Las Vegas, Nevada, funded by the Consumer Electronics Association; Changes made to the campaign-finance rules in 2002; Report that the House of Representatives paid $3.36 million for legislators to travel in 2004.

The authors present their opinion on how U.S. military veterans can become gainfully employed upon returning to civilian life after a tour of service, focusing on how private businesses can work with government organizations to help place veterans on career tracks.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles from previous editions, including the review of the book "Coolidge," by Robert Merry from the February 9, 2013 issue, "How to Untangle an Incoherent Drone Policy," by Michael Mukasey from the February 9, 2013 issue, and "Take the Public-Private Road to Efficiency," by Chris Edwards in the February 20, 2013 issue.

The author argues that public-private partnerships should play a greater role in building and maintaining infrastructure in the U.S., and cites several projects that involve cooperation between industry and the state of Virginia including toll lanes and a tunnel under the Elizabeth River.

The article notes criteria set forth by the Connecticut Policy Institute for effective incentive programs in the U.S. under which states provide economic benefits to private companies for the purpose of job creation or retention, and describes examples of both good and bad programs.

The article discusses a public-private fund to be established in the U.S. with the backing of investment bank Morgan Stanley, the Kresge Foundation, and the nonprofit organization Local Initiatives Support Corp. that will make available $100 million for the construction of community centers close to public housing.

The article focuses on public-private partnerships (PPP) as a key element in rebuilding and revitalizing the transportation system in the U.S.

The authors call for proactive collaboration between the U.S. government and private companies to protect information networks against cyberwar in their proposed legislation called the Cybersecurity Act of 2010.

The article reports on the growing consensus among academics, investors and housing experts on the long-term role of the federal government in the U.S. mortgage market and the retention of the public-private partnership that has defined home mortgage providers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Center for American Progress calls for explicit federal guarantees on some mortgage-backed securities and federal regulation to make sure that mortgages offered to the public are safe.

The article discusses public-private partnerships in the U.S. An example of which is the move by the Open Society Institute and Soros Foundations Network owned by global financier George Soros to give 35 million dollars to New York state to provide cash payment to poor families having school children. It is inferred that public-private partnerships allow philanthropists to leverage their dollars while providing the government with additional capital. Another example of such partnerships can be seen in the federal economic stimulus package and its grants.

The author reflects on how the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will neutralize the business lobby under the administration of President Barack Obama. She correlates the political leadership of Obama with the so-called Chicago way, which was popularized in the movie "The Untouchables." She describes how the hostile attitude of the Obama administration to the business lobby is compromising his promise to deliver a new kind of politics.

The article reports on the extensive contacts made by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner with an exclusive group of Wall Street executives since taking the helm of the Treasury. According to calendars released by the department, more than 80 contacts were made by Geithner with several financial titans including Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs. Geither has acknowledged that he had kept such executives as bay due to public anger towards banks.

The article reports on a series of private lunches hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama with company executives in an attempt to resolve rifts with the business sector. The rifts were caused by the intervention of the Obama administration in the private sector. Among the chief executives who attended the meeting on October 8, 2009 were Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com Inc. and Lew Hay of FPL Group Inc.

The article focuses on a call from several Republican members of the U.S. Congress for the Census Bureau to terminate a 2010 Census partnership with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or Acorn. Acorn has been accused of voter-registration fraud in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Among the Republican lawmakers who are critical of the Census partnership are Representative Patrick McHenry of North Carolina and Representative Jason Chaffets of Utah.

The author reflects on the challenges and benefits of the Public Private Investment Program (PPIP) unveiled by the U.S. Treasury in March 2008. He explores the feasibility of more leverage and securitization as a means to counter the impact of the credit crisis. He discusses four legal concerns of hedge-fund managers and other investors that must be addressed. The author also considers the PPIP as the most financially plausible proposal to date.

The author offers his opinion on the financial rescue plan of U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. He states that the final piece of the plan is the public-private investment partnerships (PPIP) that are supposed to buy toxic loans and securities from troubled banks. He claims that the secret to financing the plan is not private money but government money that does not require congressional approval. He also cites the impact of the failure of the plan on taxpayers.

The author explains his plan for bad bank assets aimed at increasing the flow of credit and expand liquidity in the U.S. He describes the three essential design features of the funds established under the Public-Private Investment Program. He emphasizes the need to promote the public trust and utilize taxpayer money to boost the financial system. The author also cites the need to establish an environment wherein it is possible for investors to take risks.

The article reports on the plan of the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama to create multiple investment funds intended to purchase bad loans and other distressed assets affected by the financial crisis. It notes that part of the bailout plan for banks is a partnership with the private sector to buy distressed assets worth $500 billion to $1 trillion. It mentions that a possible final structure for the private-public financing partnership is the creation of separate funds to be operated by private investment managers.

The article discusses the key elements of the U.S. bailout plan and how they work. The plan offers a financial cushion for banks and encourages them to lend. It also purchases toxic assets by creating a public-private investment fund to buy bad loans that are causing bank losses. The plan also help homeowners and expands a Federal Reserve program.

The author comments on the plan of U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to establish private-public partnerships to buy troubled bank assets. He argues that the notion of an aggregator bank may be hard to promote if investors are expected to take minority equity stakes in an entity they can not control. He also mentions the importance of the shadow banking system for credit creation. The author also discusses some problems associated with the economic recovery plan.

The author reflects on the privatization of highways, airports and other transportation infrastructure in the U.S. He says that promoting public-private partnerships became one of the great causes of the U.S. Department of Transportation under the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush. The author believes that Americans will have to pay much higher toll fees to cover the expensive debt private companies incurred when they took over the toll roads.

The article reports that U.S. Representative Gary Miller introduced on September 27, 2008 a bill promoting the formation of regional public-private partnerships that could buy homes in their geographic area from the Treasury. Officials in Southern California are determined to avoid a repetition of the massive selloff of distressed real estate in the area 20 years ago. Entire neighborhoods of what had been homeowners turned into largely rental communities, further depressing property values and delaying an economic recovery.

The article reports on the call of the U.S. government for new highway tolls and more private funding of road and mass-transit projects. The government claims that more tolls and public-private partnerships can solve the nation's problem in infrastructure. It cites the move of several states to turn to business consortiums to finance, build and operate new highways, bridges and tunnels. According to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, gas-tax rates, private money and toll revenue can address needed increases in funding.

This article criticizes U.S. House Transportation Chairman James Oberstar for sending letters to all 50 states officials warning them against entering public-private partnerships (PPPs) for local road projects. It explains that PPPs are collaboration between a public agency and private entity to fund highways and other public projects. It contends that PPPs are beneficial to the public and to local governments contrary to the concern of Oberstar.

The article encourages U.S. government officials and the private sector to compete in the era of globalization by using the lessons learned from a period of American financial innovations from the middle of the 1960s to the middle of the 1980s. The author asserts that the U.S. must recognize the reality of globalization in order to remain competitive in the 21st century. He cites three major studies that conclude that America is losing its dominance in world securities markets.

Focuses on outsourcing of jobs from America with particular attention paid to Sykes Enterprises Inc., which set up national call centers in Kentucky. Amount in cash and tax incentives given by the state of Kentucky to lure Sykes Enterprises; Number of Sykes' national call centers that have closed or are in the process of being closed in the past two years; Assessment of new call-centers opening the United States, indicating limited options for displaced call-center workers in Kentucky, according to Brad Cleveland, head of Incoming Calls Management Institute, a consulting and training company; Comments from Russell Staiger, president of Bismarck-Mandan Development Association, regarding the incentives Bismarck (N.D.) put together to lure Sykes.

Focuses on the operations of discount airline AirTran Airways in Wichita, Kansas. Growth of the airline during a period in which other airlines suffered from the effects of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and a general economic downturn; Efforts of chairman Joe Leonard to promote the public-private partnership between AirTran and Wichita; Business turnaround of AirTran; How Wichita officials convinced the airline to operate in their city.

Discusses how private companies are being allowed to sift through declassified military technology in the United States to find things that could become profitable in the public sector. Focus on Milcom Technology, which has found useful technologies at Lockheed Martin Corp., Raytheon Co. and others.