Eleanor Roosevelt On Top in McClatchy-Marist Poll
In a sampling of 1,249 Americans a McClatchy-Marist poll found Eleanor Roosevelt was the top choice for a place on the new $10 bill. She was favored by 27% of the respondents, with Harriet Tubman (our winner) logging in second with 17%. Read the New York Times story here and see the full Marist report here. We like to think our sampling of more than half a million people across the country who came to our website, learned something about the candidates and voted, was a better way to take the public's temperature. In our two-round voting process, Harriet Tubman edged out Eleanor Roosevelt in the final round for the people's choice. But in the primary field of 15 candidates, Roosevelt came out on top, surpassing Tubman by 15,000 votes of the more than 750,000 votes cast (each of 250,000 voters was allowed 3 choices).
Could Jackson's Days Be Numbered?
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew declines to respond to reporters asking whether it's Hamilton or Jackson who will be getting the boot. But an announcement will be coming soon. Read the full story here.
U.S. Treasurer Rios Defends Decision to Keep Hamilton
From the Huffington Post:
Excerpt: "Rios, who described it as a kind of "renaissance" that a woman will be on the $10 bill at all, said the goal of featuring a woman on currency wasn't to spark a debate about the merits of different Founding Fathers, or to pit one president against another to figure out who should be bumped. Instead, she said, the idea was to promote a conversation about notable women in American history and who deserves recognition." Read the whole story.
The New Yorker Gets Behind Harriet
Is half a $10 enough? Here's what Amy Davidson of the New Yorker thinks:
Excerpt: "What would it mean to recognize Harriet Tubman with just five dollars? Maybe ask it another way: what would five dollars mean to Harriet Tubman? And what might twenty have meant instead?" Read the full story.
Jimmy Kimmel Money Madness
One of the stranger takes on the Treasury initiative from the late night funnyman.
New Money, New Model
From The Atlantic: our money speaks volumes.
Excerpt: "As Americans select a portrait for the new ten, they are also choosing a model for twenty-first century political womanhood. By selecting a political activist, they would acknowledge the value of women in American politics. National recognition of women’s historical activism is important because a society that esteems women with political power may encourage more women to enter politics. If the new $10 bill recognizes one of the many women who made modern politics possible, it will inspire those who aim to continue to revolutionize American society." Read the whole article.
A Global Accounting
Where does U.S. money stand on the global gender equality scale? Check out this unscientific study.
Excerpt: "What is there in common between an Egyptian Pharaoh, a Swedish zoologist, a Bolivian lawyer, a Chilean war hero, a Nigerian bank manager, a tenth century Korean king and Mahatma Gandhi? The image of all of them is on a banknote. Oh, yes, and of course they all are (dead) men."
Brian Lehrer Show Features W20
A money expert and Women On 20s give Brian Lehrer the lowdown on the new $10.
Give a listen by clicking here.