BTW News Briefs

Ted Kooser Named New Poet Laureate

Ted Kooser, a retired vice president of Lincoln Benefit Life insurance company in Nebraska, was named America's new poet laureate, as reported by the Washington Post.

The Post noted that the poet "writes straightforward verse about stars and cows and office secretaries and everything in between" and has published 10 books. Winter Morning Walks: One Hundred Postcards to Jim Harrison (Carnegie Mellon University) won the 2001 Nebraska book Award for Poetry. Kooser told the Post that, when the Library of Congress called with the news, he was thinking about what he might have for supper. "I was completely surprised," he said.

C-SPAN's Booknotes to End December 5

On August 10, C-SPAN announced that, just as it reaches the milestone of 800 author interviews, the long-running Booknotes series would end on Sunday, December 5. In a press statement, Brian Lamb, series host and CEO of C-SPAN, said that after 15-plus years he would like to reclaim some personal time and look for new and different interviewing challenges. Booknotes will live on via the Internet; as a resource for journalists, historians, and other researchers, all 800 interviews will remain archived at www.booknotes.org with searchable video and transcripts. Encore airings of Booknotes will continue to be seen on C-SPAN2’s Book TV, Saturdays at 7:00 p.m., and Sundays at 11:00 a.m. EST.

On Sunday, December 12, the cable network will debut a new Lamb interview tentatively titled "Q & A" in this same time slot. Featured subjects will come from many fields -- politics, science, history, medicine -- and occasionally authors. "We’ll look for different, but topical issues and people that aren’t being seen and heard elsewhere on TV," Lamb said.

Appeals Court Orders Tax Protester to Stop Selling Book

This week, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled that tax-protester Irwin Schiff cannot sell The Federal Mafia since it gives fraudulent advice and encourages people to evade income taxes, as reported by the New York Times. However, the court "hinted" that Schiff may be able to sell a new edition of his book if he takes out portions promoting his tax-evasion products and services, the Times article added.

In early April 2003, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada (ACLUN) filed an amicus brief in support of Schiff's right to sell the book and was later joined by the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, the Freedom to Read Foundation, and the PEN American Center. In June 2003, a federal judge banned the sale of Irwin Schiff's book, but the groups argued that the ruling improperly censored the book.

On August 9, 2004, the appeals court held that the book was central to the tax-evasion schemes that Schiff marketed, and, as such, was therefore commercial speech, the Times reported.

A New $50 Bill to Be Issued in September

The National Retail Federation reported that the Federal Reserve will begin issuing the new $50 bill, the second in the line of Series 2004 redesigned currency, on September 28, 2004. Like the new $20 bill that was issued in 2003, this bill will include enhanced security features and new background colors to help prevent counterfeiting.

The Federal Reserve has plans to issue a new design for the $100 note in the future, with a redesign of the $10 and $5 notes under consideration. The new $50 note will feature blue and red background colors on both sides. On the back of the note, small yellow 50s have been printed in the background. The face of the note features images of the American flag. The stars and stripes of the U.S. flag are printed in blue and red behind the portrait of Ulysses S. Grant. A field of blue stars is located to the left of the portrait, while three red stripes are located to the right of the portrait. A small metallic silver-blue star is located on the lower right side of the portrait.

For more information, visit www.moneyfactory.com/newmoney.