JFK awards given to 2 who warned of finance crisis

BOSTON -- Two U.S. federal regulators who sounded early warnings on the financial crisis and a Liberian peace activist have received the 2009 the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

The awards were presented Monday by Caroline Kennedy at a ceremony at Boston's John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Among those to receive honors is Sheila Bair, chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., who was one of the first to warn about the subprime lending crisis.

Brooksley Born, former chairwoman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, was also honored for warning a decade ago about unregulated financial contracts.

Leymah Gbowee (LAY'-mah BOH'-wee) received an award for organizing a multifaith group of woman to help end Liberia's civil war.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)