KCRW's To The Point Podcasts

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PodcastDirectory / Regions / NA / USA

Hosted by Warren Olney, "To the Point" is a fast-paced, news based one-hour daily national program that focuses on the hot-button issues of the day, co-produced by KCRW and Public Radio International. Primary Format : Public Radio Language : English Also Listed as: City : Santa Monica State/Province : CA Country : USA Region : NA User Tags: User Votes: RSS Feed Website People found this Podcast Searching for: View this Podcast on a Google Map. Podcast iTunes Link Text Only listing of KCRW's To The Point Podcasts Methings.com listings of KCRW's To The Point Podcasts If you like this podcast, you might also like:

Is Gun Control Dead? Gun violence has made recent headlines ? most conspicuously in Tucson, and in other cities as well. But there's no new debate about restrictions on deadly weapons. We talk about gun rights, victims' rights and increased concerns about the intrusive powers of government. Also, President Obama taps GE's CEO to chair his new jobs panel, and the Navy's treatment of a soldier accused of passing secrets to WikiLeaks. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What Next for Efforts to Repeal Healthcare? Healthcare reform is front and center again on Capitol Hill with big-time political risks for both Democrats and Republicans. We look at Republican efforts to repeal the President's healthcare reform. Also, President Hu of China meets with Congressional leaders, and Michelle Obama, Walmart, and healthy foods. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cyber Attack Reportedly Slows Iran's Nuclear Program The New York Times reports that the US and Israel tested equipment just like that in Iran's nuclear program, which was partly disabled by the Stuxnet computer virus. Is Stuxnet the future of cyberwarfare? What are the risks of blowback and the immediate consequences for renewed talks with Iran? Also, House Speaker John Boehner has turned down his invitation to tonight's state dinner. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tunisia Uprising and the Arab World The rulers of the Arab world are watching and so are their subjects, as an unprecedented revolution plays itself out in Tunisia. We get the latest. Also, "Baby Doc" Duvalier is taken into custody in Haiti, and the battle over health reform begins again in the Congress. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The US and China: Face to Face at the White House As President Hu Jintaou arrives tomorrow for a White House visit, the US and China are being compared to two aircraft carriers that can only be moved from the very top. We hear how both countries have been preparing. Can personal connections resolve the increased tensions of recent years? Also, "Baby Doc" Duvalier returns to Haiti, and Martin Luther King, Jr., then and now. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Supreme Court and the Bankrupt: Is Debt the American Way? US consumers scaled back in the first years of the Great Recession, but now they're buying again and getting extended credit. Are the laws written to encourage debt? Are Americans born to shop, even when they can't afford to? Also, Tunisia's president flees the country amid mounting protest, and John Paul II on a fast track to sainthood. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The President's Speech and the Politics of Tragedy President Obama delivered an emotional tribute last night to the victims of Saturday's shooting in Tucson. Will he succeed in changing the tone of America's public discourse? Also, the rising foreclosure rate, and a new look at Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The State of Mental Healthcare in America Mentally ill people may threaten violence. Most never come through. But should laws protecting their privacy and their freedom be changed, just in case? Would that mean treating sick people like criminals before they've done anything wrong? Also, the first anniversary of Haiti's earthquake. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Guns and Politics in Arizona In the aftermath of Saturday's shooting, Arizona is a state divided. Should gun laws be strengthened or made more permissive? Have the economy and illegal immigration created a "toxic atmosphere" for political dialogue? Also, the Presidents oil spill panel recommends tighter rules, and Verizon gets the iPhone. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shooting Rampage in Tucson There's been no change in the condition of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, two days after she was shot while conducting a townhall on Saturday. Doctors in Tucson say that's good news. In Washington, Congress has suspended business for this week, including the vote on repealing the President's healthcare reform. But in print, on TV and on the Internet, debate rages over what led to a shooting rampage that killed six, including a 9-year old girl, and wounded 18 others. Did vitriolic politic ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Reading the US Constitution, Then and Now Republicans now controlling the House claim the Constitution demands reductions in the size of government. Is America?s founding document all that clear? We get a variety of opinions reflecting how open it is to different interpretations. Also, Obama's economic team and unemployment, and "citizen scientists" outclass computers. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is There Such a Thing as Internet Privacy? Tracking consumers on the Internet and selling detailed profiles is a $400 million business expected to double this year. Advertisers have real-time access to whatever you're doing on-line. Will new privacy laws be needed to restore consumers' confidence? Is there any good news about this kind of intrusion? Also, a historic reading of the Constitution in the Congress, and shake-ups at the White House. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The New Congress, the Deficit and the Pentagon The new House majority wants to reduce federal spending, and every commission on the deficit has called for cuts in the Pentagon. So, why are they off the table? How much could be saved without endangering national security? Also, Mark Twain and the "N" word. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Republicans in the House: A New Era on Capitol Hill Tomorrow's Republican takeover of Congress will be heavy with symbols appealing to Tea Party stalwarts and other enemies of "Big Government." We hear about the strategy, the agenda and the prospects for Democrats to fight back. Also, the Governor of Pakistan's Punjab Province is assassinated, and an innocent man is exonerated after 30 years in a Texas prison. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Economic Stimulus: The Promise and the Reality In two years, President Obama's stimulus package has not produced the infrastructure projects many people expected. Is that what it was really designed to do? We hear from two state "stimulus watchdogs" and others. Also, Goldman Sachs friends Facebook, and cold weather and global warming. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Israel's Building Could Derail Peace Talks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been talking tough about settlements in East Jerusalem and a US threat of military action over Iran's nuclear program. Have last week's midterm elections changed the diplomatic dynamic for President Obama? Also, Iraq's government impasse is broken, and the US national debt and public sacrifice. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Judicial Independence, Elections and Provocative Rulings Different states select their judges in different ways, including appointment and a variety of election systems. When three Supreme Court justices were rejected last week, the decision of Iowa voters was celebrated as a rebuke of judicial overreach and decried as a threat to judicial independence. We hear about same-sex marriage and judicial selection. Also, GM posts largest quarterly profit in 11 years, and how America's top achievers in math compare to the rest of the world. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Change: Politics versus Science of Global Warming After last week's elections, Karl Rove told a conference of shale-gas developers not to worry about efforts to limit greenhouse pollution. Fifty-percent of new Republicans in the Congress are climate-change skeptics. We look into what that could mean. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu pushes new settlements, threatening peace talks. On Reporter's Notebook, will Charlie Crist make rock ?n roll history? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Foreign Policy and the New Congress Barack Obama's election was celebrated in Europe, and he opened his hand to Russia ? even Iran. What has he accomplished so far? What new obstacles will he face from empowered Republicans? Also, the President endorses a Security Council seat for India, and "the decider" reflects on his decisions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can Barack Obama Enrich Ties with India? When President Obama arrives in India, he?ll find a country growing four times faster than the US and relishing its new role as an international competitor. We look at the challenges and possible benefits of his visit to Mumbai and Delhi. Also, the US economy adds jobs in October, and the $1,000 genome and "personalized medicine." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Lame Duck Congress and the Republican Agenda Republicans claim a mandate to cut spending, but which programs do this week's voters want sacrificed? The GOP will be in control of the House, and the Senate Minority Leader wants Barack Obama to be a one-term president. Will the White House be looking for compromise? Also, stock investors love the Fed's big bond buy, and Florida's rising Republican star. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Voters Choose Divided Government President Obama now faces a divided Congress, with Republicans taking over the House and Democrats barely holding on to the Senate. We talk about what happened yesterday and what it might mean for the future. Also, California goes in a different direction. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Anticipating Al Qaeda's Next Bomb Plot Intelligence agencies are revealing more about the plot to send package bombs to Chicago. We hear about a possible dry run in September, about al Qaeda in Yemen and about the threat to worldwide shipments of air cargo. Also, the ugly campaigns and angry voters of 2010 midterm elections. On Reporter's Notebook, Iran, nuclear talks and international sanctions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Election Preview around the Country Republicans are looking to takeover Congress tomorrow and possibly even the Senate. We hear about major races from Pennsylvania to Florida to Nevada and California. Also, the latest on the cargo plane bomb plot. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The 2010 Election Season Was 'Barely True' With the US facing two wars and a flagging economy, are this year?s midterm campaigns facing facts or creating mythologies? Are the media doing their job of keeping politicians honest? Also, the FBI searches UPS planes for suspicious packages, and Google--beyond the Internet. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Tea Parties and the Congress Tea Partiers don't like either political party, but their candidates are Republicans as a matter of political reality. Not many are expected to make it to Capitol Hill, but could they have influence beyond their numbers? Also, poor oversight of billions in Afghan reconstruction funds, and the President and the comedian.> Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website An Age of Austerity: Can It Happen Here? Global economic realities are leading to big changes in the welfare states of Europe. Will the US see an Age of Austerity after next week's elections? Also, Indonesia devastated by a double whammy of both a tsunami and volcano. On Reporter's notebook, dozens of animal species face the threat of extinction worldwide, as decades-old promises of significant action are not being met. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Does WikiLeaks Cause Damage by Shedding Light? WikiLeaks has caused another international sensation by releasing classified documents about the Iraq war. We ask what we know now that we didn't know before. Are WikiLeaks and its whistle-blowers a curse or a blessing? Also, Iran begins to fuel its nuclear reactor, and new revelations about BP. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Votes on Legalizing Marijuana Will California be the first state to legalize pot? Will the Obama Administration reverse the will of the voters? Win or lose, what will Proposition 19 mean for the rest of the country? Also, WikiLeaks releases nearly 400,000 secret documents from the Iraq War, and a preview of a very unlikely world series. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in Legal Limbo While the courts and Congress decide what to do about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the Pentagon says it's trying to clear up the confusion. Has it created even more? Also, French police push back against protestors. On Reporter's Notebook, is it the end of the high-tech fence on the Mexican Border? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Much at Stake in 2010 Governors' Races This year's campaigns for Governor range from most expensive to the most ridiculous. We get a representative sample and hear how important state governors can be nationwide. Also, Also, the $60 billion US-Saudi arms deal, and what cutting government really means. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Germany Reignites Debate on Multiculturalism, Integration Turkish immigrants and national identity in Angela Merkel?s Germany. Also, one-quarter of ballots are nullified for fraud in Afghan elections, and Don't Ask, Don't Tell in legal limbo ? and so are potential recruits. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Fast-Growing China: A New Crop of Leaders, New Five Year Plan Far from threatening to overtake the US anytime soon, China is wrestling with major problems that threaten internal stability. We hear what new leadership and the latest five-year plan could mean for China itself and its relations with the rest of the world. Also, Bank of America thaws frozen foreclosures, and Insurance companies and healthcare reform. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website America's Anti-China Syndrome In November election campaigns, both parties are blaming China ? in different ways -- for America's declining economy. Would new policies make a difference? Is it time for a trade war or is the US responsible for its own problems? Also, protests heat up in France over pension reform, and an update on Chile and its trapped miners. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website School Reform: Politics and the Movies An advocate of the President's Race to the Top has lost her job in the City of Washington. What's the impact on school reform based on teacher accountability? Also, a dispiriting draw in the Nevada Senate debate. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Robo-Signers, Foreclosures and the Battered Housing Market Massive foreclosure fraud threatens economic recovery, and it?s exposed a disturbing question: who really owns the mortgage on your home? Also, talking with the Taliban, and a surprising call for press freedom in China. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Oil Spill, the President and Public Perception Five weeks after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, President Obama interrupted his Chicago homecoming today for his second trip to Louisiana. He picked up tar balls on beaches, drove past sign-waving residents and met with a who?s who of local and regional officials. We hear what he had to say. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Obama on Oil in the Gulf; Gays in the Military As scientists concluded today that the Gulf oil spill is the worst in the nation?s history, President Obama spoke to reporters who asked him again and again if federal response has been too little, too late. We have more on his news conference and a progress report on "Top Kill." Also, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" compromise on Capitol Hill. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will 'Top Kill' Prevent a Disaster from Getting Worse? President Obama will announce new deep-sea oil regulations tomorrow, and Friday he'll visit the Gulf coast for the second time since the spill. Will BP finally have plugged the oil gusher? We get a progress report today on what's called ?Top Kill.? Also, retiring the Space Shuttle Atlantis. On Reporter's Notebook, why are 1200 National Guard troops are on their way to the Mexican border? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Synthetic Biology about to Make Life in a Laboratory? A renowned geneticist claims a major advance toward creating life in a laboratory. We look at the possible benefits and drawbacks, as well as ethical and religious questions raised by "synthetic biology." Also, stocks dive on financial and political worries, and South Africa and the World Cup. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Defense Spending, Military Needs and the Federal Deficit Defense Secretary Robert Gates has advised President Obama to veto spending for projects the Pentagon doesn't want. But Gate's own proposals mean the Defense Budget might not decline after all. Are tough questions about the growing deficit going unanswered? Also, South Korea seeks UN Action against Pyongyang, and Facebook, sharing and privacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Gulf Oil Spill: Pollution and Politics As thick ooze begins to wash up on the Gulf coast, tensions are rising between BP, the Obama Administration and independent scientists. What?s in store for marine life, human health - and regulatory authority? Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Senate?s finance reform means, ?the joyride on Wall Street will come to a screeching halt.? Will the House go along? And, with jittery investors looking on worldwide, Germany today agreed to spend almost a trillion dollars to bailout the rest of ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Drug Violence, Illegal Immigration and the President of Mexico Brown oozed has begun to show in marsh grass on the coast of Louisiana, and part of the oil slick has entered the ?loop current,? which could take it around Florida and up the East Coast. Felipe Calderon got a standing ovation today from a joint session of Congress when he pledged to continue his all out war against violent drug cartels, however critics say his actions could be counterproductive. Also, another major art theft in Europe. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Votes Are In. Now It?s Time for the Spin. President Obama called Arizona?s immigration law ?misdirected,? and said it?s the federal government?sresponsibility to pass what he calls ?comprehensive immigration reform. Also, did Tea Partiers in Kentucky send a message to Republican Party leaders in Washington? Did President Obama get a slap from organized labor in Arkansas? Did Democrats in Pennsylvania demonstrate more strength than expected?at the same time showing a preference for new blood as opposed to the old? And on Reporter' ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will the Senate Get Tough on Finance Reform? After the House passed finance reform last year, it was widely assumed that the Senate would produce a kinder and gentler measure. But, think again. Incumbents of both parties are facing tough challenges in this election year, and Goldman Sachs has been charged with consumer fraud. Also, We'll talk about the the US Supreme Court and justice for juveniles. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Fear and Loathing as Well as Praise for Arizona BP has been able to siphon up some of the crude oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. Arizona has stirred a political hornets? nest with its new law against illegal immigration. Over the weekend, Sarah Palin gave the new law her blessing. Meanwhile, has Iran found a solution to its nuclear standoff with Western nations - or only another tactic aimed at derailing new sanctions? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Supreme Court Without a WASP: Good or Bad for American Values? If Elena Kagan?s nomination is confirmed, it?ll be the first time in history there?s no white, Anglo-Saxon protestant on the US Supreme Court. There will be 6 Catholics and 3 Jews and nobody who did not go to law school at Harvard or Yale. Do religious background and education determine how a judge sees the law? What about ideology, legal philosophy?and sexual orientation? Does the high court?s changing makeup mark the end of white, Anglo-Saxon protestant domination of a country founded by ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Gulf Oil Spill and Climate Change in an Election Year Because of the Gulf oil spill, polls show increased support for climate change legislation among American voters. But Senate Republican leaders say they?ll oppose a compromise measure unveiled yesterday by Democrat John Kerry and Independent Joe Lieberman. The bill would provide incentives for offshore oil exploration?while also allowing states to veto drilling in the waters of neighboring states. What else would it do? We?ll hear more today about nuclear power, so-called ?clean coal? and ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Karzai Comes to Washington After a campaign of tough love that appeared to go nowhere, President Obama has turned on the charm for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Has this visit produced a plan for what happens next? Also, a House committee in Washington probed the cause of the Gulf oil spill, a new containment box was lowered over the gusher 5000 feet down. And, a day after cobbling together an unlikely coalition, Britain?s new Prime Minister pledges ?a government that will last.? How long? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Gulf Oil Spill and the Blame Game At a Senate hearing in Washington today, three companies pointed fingers at one another for what?s shaping up as a world-class disaster. Democrats, as well as Republicans, said offshore oil drilling still makes sense?if it?s made safer. Forensic investigators now report there were warnings of trouble and arguments over how to proceed before the deadly explosions 3 weeks ago. In the Gulf itself, the oil slick continues to grow as changing winds are pushing it west toward Louisiana. And on R ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Greece Gets the Money. Kagan Gets the Nod Stock markets were up all over the world today on news that Greece and other European economies won?t be allowed to fail?at least for the moment. Over the weekend, almost a trillion dollars was pledged to protect the Euro. Has a potential global crisis been resolved?or only postponed? Also today, President Obama has named Solicitor General Elena Kagan to replace John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court.Liberals say she?s not progressive enough. Conservatives don?t like her record on Don?t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Homegrown Terrorism Blowback From The Predator Drones? President Obama has increased the number of CIA-drone strikes in Pakistan. Insiders claim they?ve taken out hundreds of militants dangerous to the US. But has that apparent success created a new threat?on American soil? Was Faisal Shahzad?s failed bombing in Times Square attempted revenge? Supporters of the drone program concede there?s a toll on innocent Pakistanis. Nobody really knows how much collateral damage there is. What do American Muslims?Pakistanis and others?think about that? ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Race against the Great Gulf Oil Spill More today on desperate efforts to limit potential damage from the Gulf Oil spill that could extend from the Mississippi Delta all the way to the Eastern seaboard. We?ll also hear about unsettling questions being raised in Washington. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Failed Bombing Plot: What Are the Lessons? The failed bombing of Times Square led to speedy arrests in the US and Pakistan. It's also raised many questions about how the incident came about and how it's been handled. We look for answers. Also, one leak has been sealed off in the Gulf oil spill, and yesterday's political primaries and November's general election. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will the Latest Airline Merger Mean Friendlier Skies? The merger of United and Continental will leave the US with just four major airlines. Will the combined carriers stop losing money? Will they reduce passenger options and charge higher fares? Also, the FBI arrests a suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing, and the US Supreme Court and courthouse security. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Gulf Oil Spill: The Environment, the Economy and the Politics BP says it's responsible for whatever cleanup the Gulf oil spill requires. As the oil slick moves closer to show, we hear what could be in store for wildlife, economic interests and America's continuing appetite for energy. Also, the US and Iran joust over nuclear nonproliferation, and Greece gets a bailout. Will it save the Euro? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Use and Abuse of a New Technology: Unmanned Aircraft The use of un-manned, remote-control aircraft by the Pentagon and the CIA has created bitter controversy overseas. What's in store for the same technology applied here in the US for border control, local law enforcement and other civilian applications? Also, the battle to stop oil coming ashore in Mississippi River Delta, and an infamous increase in medical insurance rates has been cancelled. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Finance Reform: Public Anger and Partisan Politics With voters outraged about Wall Street's perceived role in the financial crisis, Democrats and Republicans appear to be playing "chicken" over finance reform. We look at the likely product of sausage-making in an election year. Also, Goldman Sachs in the hot seat, and challenges to Arizona's new immigration law. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Change, Immigration Reform and California After a disappointing conference last year in Copenhagen, this was billed the year for the US to get tough about global warming. But a US Senate compromise may be on the rocks, and the nation's breakthrough state law is under challenge in California. Also, a massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico, and for the first time since the 1930's Britain may see coalition government. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website US Senate Elections and the 'Soul' of the Republican Party It's conventional wisdom that Democrats will be taking it on the chin come November, but divisions within the GOP have political forecasters taking another look. Will Republican nominees be so far right they repel Independents whocan be the final "deciders?" Also, hopes of finding 11 missing workers fades after an oil rig sinks in the Gulf of Mexico, and free speech, death threats and censorship. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Volcanic Disruptions: Past, Present and Future This week's volcanic eruption is a wake-up call for the airline industry and regulators unprepared to deal with the consequences. It's also a lesson in humanity's inability to control nature. How likely is a much bigger eruption? Is there any way to get ready? Also, President Obama is in New York pushing financial reform. On Reporter's Notebook, is Earth Day a great time to go shopping? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran, the Bomb and American Policy Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that the US does not have long-range plans in case Iran develops the capacity to build a nuclear bomb. Gates denies that it was a "wake-up call." So, what was he up to? What are the options? Also, Obama meets with senators on Supreme Court picks. On Reporter's Notebook, is Detroit making a comeback? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Goldman Sachs, Public Anger and a Possible Crackdown on Wall Street Democrats and Republicans are trying to use public anger at Wall Street to boost their chances in this year's elections. We hear how Goldman Sachs has become the poster child for finance reform. ALso, flights resume but the European travel chaos continues, and the US Supreme Court and cruelty to animals. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Arizona Steps In Where Washington Fears to Tread Like George W. Bush before him, Barack Obama wants immigration reform. But that's a third rail on the track to November's elections. Arizona's a border state where traffic in guns, drugs and people is increasingly violent ? and Republicans are demanding a crackdown. We hear the pros and cons. Also, a rescue for travelers stranded in Europe, and trust in government hits a new low. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Celebrities, Prescription Drugs and the Candy Man Prescription drug abuse is being called "epidemic," even in rural Ohio and West Virginia. How do we get the benefits of modern pharmaceuticals without giving in to the dangers? Also, the SEC sues Goldman Sachs for securities fraud, and the politics of gay rights and hospital visitation. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will the Space Program Come Down to Earth? President Obama is trying to promote his vision for human space flight today. Opponents claim he has no vision at all. Will cancelling a return to the Moon mean getting to Mars both cheaper and faster? Also, taxes: the protests and the realities. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website After the Nuclear Summit, What Happens Now? Russia's Medvedev calls Obama's nuclear summit a "complete success," but adds, "I hope we won't just go home feeling happy." What will it take to sustain agreements to "lock down" nuclear materials? Is the threat of nuclear terrorism overblown? Also, a major earthquake strikes the Dalai Lama's hometown, and climate change and a tax on gasoline. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Nuclear Terror and Finance Reform The Senate is back in Washington, ready to take up finance reform. In this election year, will Democrats and Republicans re-play the debate over healthcare? We look at the similarities -- and the differences. We also get a progress report on the President?s summit on nuclear terrorism. Also, the former CEO of Washington Mutual testifies before Congress. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Roman Catholic Future, in the US and Around the World The Roman Catholic Church is an ancient institution in a fast-moving world. After the sex-scandal, what's next in America and Europe? Is the future in Africa, Asia and Latin America? Also, President Obama's nuclear summit, and Poland's democracy on trial. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can the US Afford to Get Rid of Coal? Can It Afford Not to? This week's disaster in West Virginia dramatizes the human cost of coal mining underground. Surface mining's already the subject of new environmental regulations. What's the future of coal in a country with a boundless appetite for energy? Also, Supreme Court Justice Stevens will step down, and modern politics and the Civil War. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A New START for Nuclear Disarmament In the Czech Republic today, the US and Russia signed a new treaty to cut back on nuclear weapons. Will it make the world safer? Is the diplomacy as important as the military strategy? Also, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner meets with Chinese officials today in Beijing, and the treatment of livestock in America?s food supply. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Splitting the Difference on Nuclear Weapons President Obama's Nuclear Posture Review is drawing fire from both hawks and doves. How does it propose to deal with proliferation, the threat of terrorism and the ambitions of Iran and North Korea? Also, GM's loss following bankruptcy, and America's worst coal mining disaster in 25 years. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website US Strategy in South Asia: Is It Really Working? Are Taliban militants really on the run in Pakistan? Is President Karzai on the same side as the US and other countries providing Afghanistan with troops and money? We look for answers to some challenging questions. Also, President Obama proposes a shift in us nuclear strategy. On Reporter's Notebook, will the space program be privatized? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Apple Does It Again, but Does the iPad LiveUp to Its Hype? Apple has a knack for creating things we didn't even know we needed -- or wanted. Some three hundred thousand Apple lovers bought iPads this weekend. Guest hostSara Terrylearns what Apple's latest device delivers and where it falls short. Also, the Taliban attacks the US Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Michael Steel Rocks the boat at the Republican National Committee. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Human Genetics: Medicine, Money and Law The biotech industry has been shaken to its financial foundations by a judge's decision that human genes cannot be patented any more. We find out what could happen to the new world of genetic medicine if that decision is upheld. Also, good news on the labor front, and a trifecta for sports fans between now and next Monday. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Drills for Consensus on Energy The President says his offshore oil-and-gas proposal is designed to "break out of the broken policies of the past," but he's set off a familiar debate over energy needs and environmental protection. Will it lead to another stalemate or a breakthrough on global warming ? in an election year? Also, Afghan President Karzai weaves an international conspiracy theory, and Census Day is not an April Fool's joke. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pedophile Priests and the Challenge to Catholic Authority The worldwide scandal of pedophile priests has reached into the Vatican. Lay Catholics are asking the Pope himself to reveal what he knew, when he knew it and how he responded. We look at the details in the context of 2000 years of institutional history. Also, the Obama Administration clears way for expanded offshore drilling. On Reporter's Notebook, has the Special Relationship between the US and Britain come to an end? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can Democracy Survive in Iraq? This month's parliamentary elections have left Iraq politically divided between two strong leaders with similar goals but no desire to compromise. Can either one form a government before violence returns? Will US troops be able to pull out on schedule? Also, President Obama signs the "fix it" on healthcare reform and student loans, and Republicans and the Sex Club Scandal. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Tea Party Activists Derail before November? With a former GOP vice presidential candidate calling for followers to "re-load" and not retreat, questions are being raised about Tea Partiers' tactics and whether their words are inciting violence. Guest hostSara Terrylooks at the Tea Party movement and its growing momentum. Will the frustration that's feeding the movement turn into long-term political activism? Also, deadly bombings hit the Moscow subway, and President Obama goes to Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website As Google and China Square Off, What's the Fallout ? Google has moved its search operation offshore to Hong Kong, citing government censorship in mainland China. If the world?s biggest search engine is willing to leave the biggest Internet market, will other companies follow suit? Guest hostJudy Mullerexplores the diplomatic and economic fallout from the China-Google faceoff. Also, the White House modifies its mortgage rescue plan, and Sarah Palin is campaigning for John McCain, who is in a tight race for his Senate seat. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is the Internet Making School Kids Experts or Idiots? In the Age of the Internet, school districts are laying off librarians. Is that an appropriate way to save money, or will it deprive kids of the critical skills they need to assess and evaluate a welter of information? Also, threats and vandalism over the healthcare bill, and new guidelines for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Student Loans: Does Public Money Need Private Administration? When the House passed the reconciliation bill Sunday, healthcare wasn?t the only subject. Also included was a massive overhaul of the student-loan program. Republicans call it a government takeover. What will saving more than $60 billion mean for struggling students? Also, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu tests President Obama?s White House diplomacy, and drugs and guns in the US and Mexico. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Sex Abuse, Celibacy and Politics in the Roman Catholic Church In America, the healthcare debate caused a schism between Roman Catholic bishops and 59,000 nuns. In Europe, the sex-abuse scandal has reached into the Vatican. What's the role of priestly celibacy? Is there a crisis of confidence in all-male authority? Also, President Obama signs healthcare reform into law, and China strikes back at Google's move to Hong Kong. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform: Will a Milestone Turn Into a Millstone? Healthcare reform was an uphill battle for the President and Democrats in the Congress. Will the Senate go along? Will Republicans be the real winners, or will the bill turn out to be a lot more popular than expected? Also, Secretary of State Clinton reassures Israel, but stands firm on objections to new settlements. On Reporter's Notebook, will disputed election results mean a return to sectarian violence in Iraq? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The US Supreme Court: Free Speech and Money in Politics From Tea Partiers on the Right to MoveOn.org on the Left, Americans are losing confidence in Washington. Is public policy for sale in Congress? Has the Supreme Court made things worse by taking the limits off campaign spending by special interests? Also, it's down to the wire on the healthcare bill, and the Pope and sex scandals in the Roman Catholic Church. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Obesity a Problem that's Too Big to Solve? One billion adults are overweight worldwide and obesity is a major public health threat in the United States, especially to children. We hear about a growing problem, what's being done to deal with it now and what might be required in the future. Also, the healthcare bill gains new momentum, and Hillary Clinton's in Moscow. We hear about nuclear arms reduction and sanctions against Iran. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The US and Israel: How Deep Are the Differences? The Obama Administration is making nice with Israel today -- at least in public, but tensions are still high over housing plans in East Jerusalem and American credibility in the Middle East. We hear from Jerusalem and Washington. Also, the Senate passes the jobs bill, and the number of inmates in state prisons is down for the first time in almost 40 years. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Debate on Healthcare Goes Down to the Wire The US has the world's most expensive system of healthcare. Is it also the best? Would proposed reforms being debated on Capitol Hill make sure the country gets what it's paying for? Also, the Democrats maneuver for votes on healthcare. On Reporter's Notebook, what did the Fed know about Wall Street?and when did it know? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Unemployment: How Long Can This Go On? With Fed Chief Ben Bernanke warning about the dangers of long-term unemployment, 13 Senate Republicans joined Democrats to support a jobs bill worth $35 billion. How does it look to small business and unemployed people themselves? Should the government spend even more to create jobs or get out of the way of the private sector? Also, New York's troubled politics, and from Canada to Russia, the Winter Olympics and the environment. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare: Policy and Partisan Politics With Barack Obama presiding, Democrats and Republicans hashed out the details of healthcare reform for several hours across the street from the White House. We look at the possible impact of today's televised "summit." Also, the Afghan flag is raised over Marjah, and a gruesome incident at Sea World in Florida raises new demands to release whales from captivity. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Toyota: On the Capitol Hill Hot Seat Before hearing from the CEO of Toyota today, members of Congress grilled the Secretary of Transportation about why regulators were so slow to act on sudden acceleration. We hear about auto safety, Toyota's future and the economy of Japan. Also, health insurers justify rate hikes, and a struggling Rhode Island high school fires all of its teachers. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are the Democrats Going to Fall Out of Power? Unemployment, bank bailouts and government gridlock have created a nightmare scenario for the party in power. Some Washington pundits are suggesting the Democrats might lose control of either the House or the Senate. We get an early rundown of this year?s elections. Also, hearings on Toyota begin in the House, and President Hamid Karzai makes a political move that alienates his western supporters. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Obama Finally Comes Up with a Plan For the first time in the lengthy debate on healthcare reform, President Obama has come up with his own plan. Would it increasecoverage and cut costs? Can it break the partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill? Also, another rough week ahead for Toyota, and US computer analysts close in on the hackers of Google. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Academics of Textbooks Get Political Back in 1925, the Scopes trial raised the question of what should and should not be taught in school ? specifically, evolution versus creationism. Eighty-five years later, that debate is still going strong. In Texas, questions are being raised about if and how the political and religious beliefs of elected officials should influence classroom content, from science to history. Also, more help for struggling homeowners, and making amends to African American farmers.Chery Glaserguest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Revving Up the Debate over Nuclear Energy President Obama has made it clear that nuclear power must play a role in America's drive for a clean energy future. By backing nuclear power, the President seen as trying to win GOP support for his bigger environmental and climate goals. But did he give away something for nothing? What?s he getting in return? But should the government pay to make that happen? Also, the President's meeting with the Dalai Lama, and the Winter Olympics get hip.Chery Glaserguest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Takes the Healthcare Debate Public Is it just bravado or is President Obama really as confident as he seems about next week's bipartisan White House summit on healthcare reform? Guest hostLawrence O'Donnelltalks about what advantages Republican leaders will have in the unprecedented televised negotiating session. Will it be the President's final meeting on healthcare reform or the beginning of a new bipartisan strategy to pass a bill? Also, Toyota considers another recall, and the judge who changed the face of Little League ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Trying to Root Out the Taliban The US launched a major new offensive in Afghanistan this weekend. But just four days in, questions are already cropping up about the challenges troops face and their odds of long-term success. The mission depends heavily on cooperation from both Afghan forces and the Afghan government. Guest hostChery Glaserlearns whether they're up to the job. Also, revving up the debate over nuclear energy, and a bombshell in the world of figure skating. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Has President Obama Failed to Match the Potential of Candidate Obama? One of the most popular sports in Washington these days appears to be the blame game. With the loss of the Democrats' filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and healthcare reform struggling in the final lap, questions are cropping up about who's to blame. Guest hostChery Glaserspeaks with some critics of Barack Obama's inner circle who say that the Obama White House is more focused on campaigning than governing. Also, NATO and Afghan forces go on the offensive in Helmand Province, and st ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Going for the Gold: Winter Olympics Kick Off Tonight Tonight is the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Despite the rain, the games will go on. Who's set to bring home the gold? What's up with super-skier Lindsay Vonn, who suffered a recent injury, and what about snowboarder Shaun White? Which athletes have the opportunity to redeem themselves after poor showings in the last games? Guest hostSara Terryponders whether in Women's Luge, it could be the year for an American. Also, China protests the Dalai Lama's White House vis ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Revolution Day in Iran Splits Populace On the thirty-first anniversary of the Islamic revolution, Iran is marked by ongoing turmoil. There's pressure within from a protest movement that wants regime change, and pressure without from an international community that wants to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. Guest hostSara Terryexplores how the revolution has changed Iran and Iranians. What role do the clerics who led the revolution play in the country today? Also, an "angry" dissatisfaction with Washington, and an anniversary of a d ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Help for Haiti?: The Work Has Just Begun It's been almost a month since a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti. Aid workers are still struggling to cope with a situation that some have described as worse than the 2004 tsunami. Guest hostSara Terryexplores humanitarian efforts. What aid is reaching people? Who still needs help? What are the biggest challenges? Also, Greeks strike over austerity measures, and revising the psychiatrists' ?bible? and what that means for diagnosing disorders. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Putting on the Brakes: Are Government Regulators Doing Their Job? With its Prius recall and problems with a sticking accelerator pedal, Toyota is front and center in the news. But regulations run far and wide in the life of the American consumer. There are hundreds of state and federal agencies that are supposed to make our lives safer. Guest hostSara Terryasks whether they really do the job. Also, of tea and Sarah Palin. Checking in with the grassroots right. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Terror on Trial: Politics as Usual In a mid-term election year, is political rhetoric obscuring the real issues in the debate of trying the alleged Christmas Day bomber? Republicans have attacked the Obama Administration's decision to prosecute Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in civilian court, and administration officials are fighting back. Sara Terry guest hosts. Also, Iran raises international alarm with its uranium enrichment plans, and thanks to the Saints, New Orleans will "let the good times roll." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The War Is On; Where's the Army? The Obama campaign motivated some 13 million volunteers, but many now feel abandoned by the Obama White House. Has he failed to build a movement to push his agenda or has Washington changed him more than he has changed Washington? Also, the President's Q&A with the GOP, and Tony Blair in a public defense of Britain's role in the war on Saddam Hussein. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The State of the Union: 'We Don't Quit...I Don't Quit' During last night's State of the Union Address, President Obama admitted mistakes while defending his first year in office. What does he want for the future, and what is he likely to get? We sample opinions. Also, President Karzai's new priority, reaching out to the Taliban, and Toyota's struggle to stay on top. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Does Democracy in Iraq Have a Future? US combat troops are scheduled to leave Iraq starting in August, presuming that violence is down and that a stable government has been established by fair elections. This week's renewed bombings in Baghdad suggest that the scenario might not be so rosy. Also, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is grilled by a House committee on the AIG bailout, and you know the iMac and the iPhone. Get ready for the iPad. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website After a Full Year in Office, Obama Speaks to the People One year ago, Democrats were talking about a new political era. Now, President Obama faces a nation of angry voters. We set the scene for his first address on the State of the Nation. Also, a second day of bombs in Baghdad. On Reporter's Notebook, will France ban the veil for Muslim women in public places? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The US Supreme Court and Partisan Politics Has the US Supreme Court scored a victory for free speech or increased the influence of money in politics? We hear about last week's 5-to-4 decision on the rights of corporations. Also, executions, bombs and political turmoil in Baghdad, and Haitian refugees and US immigration policy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Avatar: Science Fiction Channels the Culture Wars James Cameron'sAvataris more than a 3-D blockbuster. The New York Times says it has "burrowed into the cultural consciousness" from the US to China. It's even accused of causing a heart attack in Taiwan. We hear from critics and fans. Also, a possible power shift at the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve, and the Winter Olympics are scheduled to open three weeks from today. Where?s the snow? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Google in China and Cyber-espionage Google's claim of cyber attacks in China has turned into an international incident with Hillary Clinton calling today for "consequences" and "condemnation." Is China's government trying to steal Google's secrets? Is it threatened by the growth of organized activism on the Internet? Also, the Supreme Court weighs in on free speech and campaign limits. On Reporter's Notebook, President Obama proposes cutting Wall Street down to size. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Massachusetts Changes the Game After Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts, Senate Democrats can't stop Republican filibusters any more. What does that mean for health care reform? And what's the message for both parties for elections later this year? Also, is zero tolerance for terrorism an impossible goal? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website America's Commitment to Haiti: How Much for How Long? As the US launches a massive rescue effort in Haiti, right-wing critics are saying that resources and money are wasted in a country that's already too dependent on the rest of the world. President Obama has promised to help "to the very end." We ask what that could mean. Also, were official "suicides" at Guantanamo Bay really deaths caused by torture? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What's Happening in Massachusetts? President Obama has made a desperate effort to save one Democratic vote in the Senate, which could mean life or death for healthcare reform and the rest of his agenda. We hear about tomorrow's special election to replace Ted Kennedy, the late Senator from Massachusetts. Also, Haiti?s vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters and the vicissitudes of foreign aid Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Haiti: a Victim of Natural Disaster...and Much More When Haiti was struck by a massive earthquake, its fragile government was unprepared to respond. How did it get that way? Had there been real progress in recent months? What does the future hold for people who?ve shown extraordinary resilience despite corruption, neglect and continued natural disasters?  Also, how to distinguish effective charities from scams. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website On Trial in a Federal Courtroom: The Tradition of Marriage Gays and lesbians can raise children, but in most states they can't be married. California's ban on same-sex marriage is on trial in a case that may end up in the US Supreme Court. We get a progress report on the issues being raised in a San Francisco courtroom and the impact of the public proceedings on same-sex parents and their children. Also, disaster relief in Haiti. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Haiti's Humanitarian Disaster; A Different Disaster on Wall Street The death toll may be as high as 500,000 in the biggest earthquake to hit Haiti in 200 years. We hear about US rescue and relief efforts. Plus, on Wall Street a disaster of a different kind. What caused the economic recession? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will 'Race to the Top' Leave No Child Behind? President Obama's "Race to the Top" in Education features charter schools and standardized tests to evaluate teacher performance. Will it improve the much-criticized "No Child Left Behind" or is it the same, only more so? Also, Iraq uncovers bomb and assassination plots. On Reporter's Notebook, abortion, manslaughter and first-degree murder in a Kansas courtroom. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are 'Tea Parties' Real Politics? Can They Make a Difference? One element of the "tea party" movement will stage a national convention next month where it?ll cost $549 to hear Sarah Palin make the keynote speech. Will the event help to organize a disparate political movement or alienate grassroots protesters who don?t have that kind of money? Who are the tea-partiers, anyway? Also, the Proposition 8 trail begins in federal court, and  the politics of race makes a comeback. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website This Year's Mid-Term Elections: Which Party Will Party? At the approach of this year's mid-term elections, Democrats are stepping down from the Senate and Congress?but so are Republicans.  Does either one have theadvantage?  Will the results in November determine if President Obama succeeds or fails? Also, a glimmer of hope despite a disappointing December job report, and Arnold Schwarzenegger begins his last year as Governor of California. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Double Agent, the CIA and al Qaeda When a double agent turned into a suicide bomber, seven US intelligence agents were killed. How much expertise did the CIA lose? What does the incident say about the abilities of al-Qaeda ? and the quality of US intelligence? Also, the Obama Administration wants to crack down on smog. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Federal Action Making the Housing Crisis Better or Worse? Despite federal efforts to "modify" mortgages, America's housing crisis is getting worse. Without greater protection, will more people walk away from their loans? Should banks and other lenders take the hit? Is economic recovery at risk? Also, Democratic Senator Chris Dodd decides against running for a sixth term, and the world's largest trade show for consumer technology. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Should Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Be Sent Home to Yemen? With the Christmas Day bombing attempt now tied to Yemen, Yemeni prisoners could delay the closing of Guantánamo Bay. Should they be returned to their home country? Sent to northern Illinois? What about "re-education" programs like those in Saudi Arabia? Also, Democrats prepare to merge health bills behind closed doors, and airport security and body scanners.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Security in the Skies and Politics in Washington Yemen is now being described as a hotbed of terrorists, as debate continues over the near-bombing of a US airliner on Christmas Day. We update the latest security measures and the political infighting. Also embassy doors shut in Yemen, in response to terrorthreats, and professional basketball and guns. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Negative Impact of Positive Thinking The key to achieving the American dream is often said to be positive thinking, but Barbara Ehrenreich's new book argues that ?Positive Thinking has Undermined America.?  For example, was the current  financial collapse the result of self-delusion from the top to the bottom? Also, the 2010 census, and the high cost of visiting penguins in Antarctica.     Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Was This Really the Decade from Hell? If the 1900's were "America's Century," the first ten years of the 21st Century may belong to somebody else. Or will a decade of disasters pave the way to recovery in economics, politics, foreign affairs, and national security? We sample some authoritative opinions. Also, Yemen-al Qaeda ties complicate plans for Guantánamo. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran: A Nation in Turmoil The government of Iran today blamed the US and Europe for growing unrest and staged counter-demonstrations to reassert its authority. What changes might be in store? Does the US have a role? What about the nuclear buildup?  Also, the President acknowledges intelligence warnings about Umar Abdulmutallab, and the President has ordered years of secrets to be revealed. How committed is he to "open government?" Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Airline Security: Nine Years after September 11 New airline security measures are in effect and old ones are being re-examined in response to the Christmas Day bombing attempt. We hear about new rules, body scanners, behavioral profiling and a new source of potential terrorist bombers, Yemen.  Also, Russian Prime Minister Putin issues a warning on arms talks, and Republicans seize the security issue in an election year.   Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website At the Height of the Holiday Season: Is It Safe to Fly? Yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was quoted as saying the air-travel security system "worked" to prevent a tragedy on Christmas Day. Today, she said her comment was taken "out of context," and that a lot went wrong. We begin with a discussion on airline security.  Later, the biggest problem for most Americans is still the economy. We hear about the growing numbers, including children, who can't get enough to eat. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Religion in the 'Modern' World Secularism is a defining characteristic of the "Modern: world. So why is there such an increase in religious belief? In this archived segment ofTo the Pointand with two major religions celebrating holidays, we look at faith in America and other parts of the world. Also, a former Marine recalls Christmas in Afghanistan. On Reporter's Notebook, is there a gene for religion?This archived edition ofTo the Pointwas pre-empted by special holiday programming. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Last Battle Is Over, Let the Next One Begin Congress is one step closer to the biggest expansion of healthcare coverage since Medicare was enacted four decades ago. Can the bill passed by the Senate this morning be merged with the House version? We hear about politics and those devilish details. Also, the real cost of cheap clothes made in Cambodia.   Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The High Price of Saving a Single Soldier Israel may be on the verge of swapping a thousand Palestinian prisoners for one kidnapped soldier who's become a cause célèbre.  We look at the dilemma faced by right-wing Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and the possible consequences, both good and bad. Also, a new delay in President Obama's plan to close Guantánamo. On Reporter's Notebook, will a Rhodes scholar be the next poster child for the NFL?    Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Gets a Senate Healthcare Bill for Christmas As a somewhat battered and bruised healthcare reform bill makes its way to what appears to be certain passage in the Senate, critics from both parties are complaining about the bill. What deals did the Democrats make to keep it alive? What battles lie ahead when the House and Senate meet to create the final piece of legislation? Also, airlines will pay for making travelers wait, and cybersecurity at the White House and a possible hacking at Citibank.Sara Terryguest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The 'Missing' Stories of 2009 Call them the "missing" stories of 2009, important events that didn?t really register in the mainstream media. From new global alliances to simmering conflicts, guest hostSara Terrylooks at some of the stories that could well be shaping the year ahead. Also, the Senate healthcare bill could be passed by Christmas, and a cleric, a funeral and renewed protests in Iran. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website After Copenhagen: What's Next for Climate Change? After some tough talk from President Obama, frenzied negotiations are under way to save the climate change talks from total failure. We get a progress report from Copenhagen and hear what might happen next. Also, climate change and the prospect of mass migration. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Looming Deadline for Healthcare Reform On Tuesday, President Obama was "cautiously optimistic" about his Christmas Eve deadline for healthcare reform from the Senate. Since then, a "kill the bill" movement?s been gaining force among Democrats. We get a progress report.  Also, the US expresses readiness to join $100 billion climate aid fund, and Islamic militants intercept spy videos from Predator drones. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Predator Drones: Fighting the Covert War in Pakistan Predator drones have become the US weapon of choice in the war againts the Taliban in Afghanistan. Now the Obama Administration will explore expanding their use in Pakistan. Guest hostConan Nolanconsiders the advancing use of such drones, overseas and here at home. Also, Iran tests and upgraded, faster missile, and stunning images of our universe from the Herschel Telescope Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Science, Religion and Public Policy The Roman Catholic Church is conducting a campaign to show that the Bible is compatible with Darwin's theory of evolution. But polls show almost half the American people don't buy it. If belief in God means doubting science, what are the consequences for public policy?  Also, the US brokers a deal to restore the deposed President in Honduras, and Capitol Hill ethics investigations are accidentally revealed. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The 'Public Option' Stays Alive for Another Day Rumors that the "public option" was dead "were greatly exaggerated," according to one senior Democrat. Now, both the House and the Senate will debate healthcare reform bills including a government-run insurance plan. We hear about that, about cost control and other issues today. Also, the economy's improving, but still dependent on economic stimulus, and President Obama bears witness to the return of casualties from Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Swine Flu: Mixed Messages and Public Anxiety Mixed messages about swine flu and the availability of H1N1 vaccine have led to confusion and unexpected public anxiety. We hear from parents, doctors and medical researchers today. Also, reports that the CIA is paying Hamid Karzai's brother. On Reporter's Notebook, will California be the first state to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In China, the Recession Is Over ? or Is It? China will soon pass Japan as the world's second largest economy, but it's not easy to cope with such rapid expansion. How long can the growth continue? Can the US and China afford to be adversaries or will global problems force an uneasy partnership? Also, the deadliest month since the war began in Afghanistan in 2001, and healthcare reform, the public option and politics in the State of Nevada. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is It Time Wall Street Was Paid for Performance? Pay cuts for corporate executives and new rules for banks are designed to protect against another recession.  Are the right people being punished? Is government intervention too little, too late? Also, tensions are high after a deadly day in Baghdad, and Walt Disney is compensating parents whose kids did not become geniuses from watching Baby Einstein. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Negative Impact of Positive Thinking The key to achieving the American dream is often said to be Positive Thinking, but Barbara Ehrenreich?s new book argues that ?Positive Thinking has Undermined America.?  Was the current  financial collapse the result of self-delusion from the top to the bottom? Also, NATO supports a new strategy for Afghanistan, and the passenger jet that overshot its destination by more 100 miles. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Local Politics with National Impact With the last national election twelve months ago and the next one twelve months away, the political world is focused on state contests less than two weeks from now. What will races for Governor in New Jersey and Virginia mean for President Obama and Democrats in Congress? Will Maine change the momentum on same-sex marriage? Also, the 'Pay Czar' cuts executive pay, and Twitter and Facebook are what they are but, even in the age of the Internet, television still rules. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Afghanistan, US Troops and the Run-off Election The White House says President Obama may decide about troops for Afghanistan even before the run-off election on November 7. But a lot depends on security, how the voting's conducted and the outcome. We look at the prospects.  Also, Iran strikes a nuclear deal, and  violence in Rio as Brazil tries to raise funds for the 2016 Olympics. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pakistan and the Taliban Pakistan's army is finally taking on the Taliban in South Waziristan. Will the much-delayed offensive help the US and NATO against the Taliban in Afghanistan? Is Pakistan more interested in its historic conflict with India? Also, President Karzai is forced into a run-off election in Afghanistan, and the Obama Administration and medical marijuana. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is It Time to Bust the Trusts Again? Big name economists, including Alan Greenspan, are saying it's time to break up financial institutions that are "too big to fail." Is it too late even to regulate the banks and brokerages that caused the financial meltdown?  Does a new agency for consumer finance protection have a chance? Also, a UN-backed commission says that Afghan President Hamid Karzai failed to win re-election, and both carrots and sticks to persuade Sudan to end Darfur's humanitarian crisis. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama and the Military-Industrial Complex In deciding what to do in Afghanistan, President Obama faces more than the question of how many troops. It's the clout of the military in a society where the civilian government is supposed to be in charge. After all, it took a former general, President Dwight Eisenhower, to coin the term "military-industrial complex." Also, a run-off election for Afghanistan, and the boy who wasn't in the balloon after all. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The President and The Big Easy President Obama touched down in New Orleans today, and the Big Easy seemed to be saying, "It's about time." We hear about reconstruction, flood protection, race and political partisanship. Also violence creates chaos in the the cultural hub of Pakistan, and women's rights in Saudi Arabia. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The US and Russia: Iran and Nuclear Weapons Hillary Clinton's in Moscow to talk about Iran's nuclear program and renewing the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, not to mention Afghanistan. We hear about diplomacy and nuclear weapons.  Also, after taxpayer bailouts, Wall Street bonuses jump, and despite wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, military recruiting is setting historic records.   Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Comes Out of the Closet President Obama wants to revoke "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," but Congress will have to repeal the ban on gays in the military. We hear about morale and civil rights in the military. Also, more troops for Afghanistan, and the Senate Finance Committee on healthcare reform. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Afghanistan: War and Peace in the Graveyard of Empires Does al Qaeda in Afghanistan threaten US security? What about the Taliban? What will it take to establish a credible civilian government? Should the US send more troops or begin conducting a graceful withdrawal? We look at some of the questions facing the latest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Also, insurers suddenly push back against the healthcare reform bill, and football, concussions and memory-related disease.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Blame It on Rio: Chicago Loses 2016 Olympic Games The International Olympic Committee today granted the 2016 Summer Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro, with Chicago eliminated in the first round of voting. The historic decision takes the games to the South American continent for the very first time. Also, unemployment continues to climb, and re-writing the book on evolution, based on a startling new discovery in the African desert.Conan Nolanguest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website FBI Makes an Arrest in a Case of Domestic Terrorism It is being called one of the most serious terrorist threats since 9/11. Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year¬old Afghan entered a plea of ?not guilty? this week to charges of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. His arrest came amidst a number of other terror related cases. How serious were these threats? Are they the result of improved law enforcement? What role did the Patriot Act play? Also, the US and its allies talk to Iran about its nuclear program. On Reporter's Notebook, could mas ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website US and Iran, Face-to-Face for the First Time in 30 Years In Geneva tomorrow, the United States will sit down for direct negotiations with Iran for the first time in three decades. The US, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany will push for greater transparency on Iran's nuclear program, and threaten sanctions if President Ahmadinejad refuses to cooperate. What can the West hope to achieve at the talks? Will Russia and China agree to stepping up the pressure on Iran? Also,  earthquakes and tsunamis strike Samoa, and pitching the Olympic ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website H1N1: What You Need to Know, What You Need to Do As the US government prepares to hand out more than 250 million free doses of vaccine for the H1N1 virus, health officials are confronting fear and misinformation. What is the H1N1, or swine flu, as it's commonly known? Who should take a vaccine against it? By taking early precautions to combat the flu, has the government caused more anxiety than necessary? Also, Also, terror suspect, Najibullah Zazi, enters a plea, and startling news about the placebo effect. Sara Terryguest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Reassessing Afghanistan As President Obama weighs his options on the war in Afghanistan, public support for his policies there is on the decline. What can a troop surge accomplish? How will politics in Afghanistan -- and in Washington ? affect what the United States does? Does Obama face a new Vietnam in the making? Also, Iran's "preventative and defensive operations." On Reporter's Notebook will Roman Polanski be extradited to the US on a 32-year-old statutory rape charge?Sara Terryguest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The G-20 and the Future of the Global Economy One year after the global recession hit its peak, the leaders of 20 nations are meeting in Pittsburgh to talk about preventing the same thing from happening again. But is the current "recovery" real for millions of people? Is the G-20 likely to make things better or worse? Also, covert evidence of an Iranian nuclear facility, and persuasive evidence of a real terrorist plot on American soil. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A New Thrust against Nuclear Weapons In another departure from the policies of George W. Bush, President Obama has put a ban on nuclear weapons back on the agenda for the US and for the United Nations. We hear about today's unanimous resolution by the UN Security Council. Will its provisions be verifiable? Will it make the world safer? Also, Ted Kennedy last wish granted as a temporary senator is named for Massachusetts, and a hoard of gold and silver that goes back to the days of Beowulf in 7th Century England. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama at the UN: New Approaches or More of the Same? President Obama has made his first address to the UN General Assembly, with more than 120 world leaders on hand. We hear some of the highlights.  On Reporter's Notebook, will US forces in Afghanistan be increased or scaled back? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website World Leaders Take on Climate Change On his first day at the United Nations, Barack Obama addressed a multitude of issues, starting with climate change. Can he help set the stage for international action? Is it already too late to prevent life-changing developments all over the world? Also, Obama urges Netanyahu and Abbas to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and new rules for net neutrality.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform: Is the President Doing It Right?or Not? Recent reports say healthcare reform is in trouble, but the American Medical Association has done an about face. After decades of opposition, why is Washington's most potent lobby running TV ads that favor a government overhaul? Can the doctors get the public on board? Also, an urgent need for more troops in Afghanistan, and three arrests in what might or might not be a terrorist plot linked to Al Qaeda. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Russia, Iran and Missile Defense in Europe Vladimir Putin calls it "right and brave."  John McCain says it is "seriously misguided."  President Obama's decision not to locate a missile shield in Eastern Europe.  What are the military consequences?  What about Iran?  Is it time for a "new beginning" for relations with Russia? Also, The soft sell of First Lady Michelle Obama, and the flap over ACORN. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Incivility, Racial Hostility and Dissent in America Attacks on America's first black President and his proposals have inflamed America's ongoing controversy about race and politics at a time of economic anxiety. We look at the possible consequences. Also, the US drops the proposed missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, and public lands and public trust during the Bush Administration.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website One Year after the Wall Street Meltdown It's been a year now since Lehman Brothers was allowed to go bankrupt, and the financial meltdown really got under way. Since Barack Obama took over, has there been more continuity than change? Could it happen all over again? Also, Senator Max Baucus releases his long-awaited healthcare bill, and mysterious "double eagles" have turned up again. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Politics in America and Reality in Afghanistan Despite fading support from the public and Congress, President Obama will likely be asked for another increase in troops for Afghanistan.  We look at some difficult options, on the battlefield and on Capitol Hill. Also, the White House proposes tougher fuel standards, and a federal judge rakes Wall Street and federal regulators over thecoals.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Capital Punishment, Due Process and the Constitution The US Supreme Court says a defendant proven guilty after a fair trail does not have the same rights as a free man. Does that mean a condemned man should be put to death, even if new evidence shows he was innocent? We hear about capital punishment, due process and the Constitution.  Also,  President Obama today made the case for regulatory reform, and the rules of civility have been violated in Congress, at the US Tennis Open and at the MTV Music Awards.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Islamist Terrorism: Eight Years Later Eight years after September 11, the UK may be at greater risk than the US from Islamic extremists. Why are young British Muslims so ripe for radicalization? Did the US jeopardize British efforts to foil a plot that could have been more deadly than 9/11? Also, the media mistakes a Coast Guard training exercise for the real thing, and global warming and open seas. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Pitch Is History, Did He Make the Sale? Last night's address to Congress was called a "make or break" moment for the presidency of Barack Obama, but it's one part of an ongoing process. We look at the speech, the immediate reaction and what might happen next. Also, Sarah Palin, death panels and Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Big Money and the Right to Free Speech An attack film calledHillary: The Movieis at the heart of a case that could change the way political campaigns have been financed for more than 100 years. We hear about today's extraordinary session of the US Supreme Court, the first for the new Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Also, the capture of a New York Times Reporter illustrates the escalating danger in Afghanistan. On Reporter's Notebook, can the US afford human exploration in space?  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The August Recess Is Finally Over Congress is back after the August recess, faced with the same problems it failed to address in July. We hear about healthcare, global warming, finance reform ? partisan Republicans and divided Democrats. Also, President Obama speaks to America's school children, and an official finding of widespread "fraud" in Afghanistan's presidential election. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Medical Miracle with Conflicting Consequences Eighty million baby boomers are reaching their late 50's. Will an aging population burden the young or use the wisdom that comes from experience to create a better society? On this archived edition ofTo the Point, originally broadcast in April of this year, we look at the pros and cons of an aging America. Also, an update onhealthcare reform, and a status report on the labor movement in 2009.Programming note: This program will be not air on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by special Labo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Convicted Bomber Released but Lockerbie Case Far from Over Scotland has released the only man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. Critics claim the British government was motivated by interest in Libya's oil reserves. Meantime, some observers still question the 2001 conviction of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who's now being treated in Libya for terminal prostate cancer. How much will ever be known about the actual Lockerbie incident and the release of the man sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of 270 people?Sara Terryguest h ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform 2.0: Obama Prepares to Re-charge the Debate Barack Obama is attempting to regain control of the debate on healthcare reform.His proposals drew criticism from conservatives at a series of town hall meetings in August, and Republican senators, once considered potential partners in bi-partisanship, have openly attacked the plan. Guest hostSara Terryconsiders the prospects for reform, the President's strategy in his speech to Congress next week, and whose support he'll need to win. Also, Iran's parliament approves President Ahmadinejad's ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are Hearts and Minds Being Won or Lost in Afghanistan? The latest US strategy against the Taliban calls for winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. But complaints of election fraud threaten the credibility of President Hamid Karzai, and contractors guarding the US embassy, have shocked Afghan sensibilities. We update developments as support in the US is on the decline for what?s called "Barack Obama's war." Also, Pfizer is fined $2.3 billion for illegal marketing of drugs, and reassessing piracy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Too Big to Fail - and Still Growing Banks that were "too big to fail" were rescued from the consequences of bad decisions with taxpayer money.  They're beginning to pay it back but, at the same time, they've grown bigger than ever. What does that mean for consumers? Can government get the banks under control before they get reckless again? Also, an update on the fires that are ravaging southern California, and big change in Japan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hurricane Katrina and Medical Choice in Extreme Emergencies The US is faced with a possible flu epidemic this fall, and plans are being made for extreme emergencies. If medical facilities are overwhelmed, who gets access first?  Who makes that decision? What can be learned from what happened in New Orleans after Katrina? Also, an update on deadly Los Angeles-area wildfires, and President Obama's commanding general assesses Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Offshore Wind Power: The Promises and the Realities Offshore wind is an alternative energy source touted by the Obama Administration. But plans may be delayed by controversy over a project planned for waters off Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, where the President's on vacation. We hear about green power and global warming, natural beauty and the tourist economy, and what's at stake for America's energy future.  Also, Iranian President Ahmadinejad wants opposition leaders prosecuted, and a kidnapping victim is found -- 18 years later. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Concierge Doctors: Primary Care and the Well-to-Do The concierge doctor is a relativelysmall but growing practice aimed at cutting out the middle man and delivering medicine directly to the patient?for a price. Meanwhile, the number of doctors going into family practice has dropped dramatically, even though healthcare analysts say general practitioners are essential as the backbone of an efficient and accessible national healthcare system. Guest hostJudy Mullerexamines  the disparity and wonders what Ted Kennedy would have thought. Als ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iraq's Future: The Battle Continues Massive truck bombs in Baghdad last week dramatized sectarian differences, even as Prime Minister al-Maliki claimed to have security well in hand. Will political instability lead to civil war?  Will Iran extend its influence in Iraqi affairs? Should the US continue its troop withdrawal? Also, Senator Edward Kennedy, who died of brain cancer last night. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Prisoner Abuse and National Security The Inspector General's report describes CIA interrogators menacing suspects with guns and power drills and threatening to rape their wives and kill their children.  Did Bush White House officials authorize torture? What's next for the CIA, the FBI and efforts to protect America's national security? Also, President Obama nominates Fed Chair Bernanke to a second term, and Scotland, Libya and the Lockerbie bomber. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A New Look for America's Terrorism Interrogations President Obama has set up a new team to question terrorist suspects, with less authority for the CIA and more for the White House and the Justice Department. Meantime, more details are being revealed about past abuses, including the use of a gun and a power drill. Will a special prosecutor reopen investigations? Also, industrial agriculture produces huge quantities of meat and grain, but are they as cheap as they seem? Is there damage to land, water and even human health, including human o ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website How Much Does Vacation Matter? Hard as it is to get away from his job, President Obama is spending a week on Martha's Vineyard. But most American workers are cutting back on vacations this year. We hear what that could mean for both mental and physical health ? and the economy. Also, polls show rising opposition to healthcare reform, and athletic performance and gender determination. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Afghan Election: Democracy in Wartime The polls are closed and the vote count is under way in Afghanistan, where a national election has been held in the midst of bloody fighting. We look at the turnout, the possible outcomes and the potential consequences for US diplomacy and military commitments.  Also, the Lockerbie bomber is released, and Whole Foods and healthcare reform. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Dream of Home Ownership Is Becoming a Nightmare A record pace of home foreclosures is taking its biggest toll on blacks and Hispanics. Did big lenders conduct a new kind of housing discrimination by pushing sub-prime loans to minorities hoping for a piece of the American dream? Also, violence surrounds Afghanistan's presidential election, and combat soldiers and training in mental health. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Major Problems with State Prisons and Local Medical Care The Legislature's back in the Capitol.  We update the battle over prison overcrowding, medical care and money.  On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, with homelessness on the increase, cities are passing laws that make it harder to survive on the streets. Is Los Angeles really America's "meanest city?" Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is It a Crime to Be Poor and Homeless in America? At the same time homelessness is on the increase, some cities are passing laws that make it harder to survive on the streets. Is poverty being criminalized in the midst of a recession? Also, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak comes to Washington, and public protest and the right to bear arms. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform: Angry Crowds and the 'Public Option' Two weeks into the Congressional recess, angry crowds are still showing up to vent their anger against healthcare reform. Is the Obama White House caving in on a controversial provision?  Will it lose liberal Democrats in the effort to appease Republicans? Also President Obama discusses the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with vets, and third world conditions in one of America's major cities. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Woodstock: The Myths and the Realities Forty years ago this month, Woodstock was a music concert that became both a cultural "happening" and a political moment that still inspires passion on the Left and the Right. We find out why it's still worth talking about today. Also, the Dow takes a nosedive. On Reporter's Notebook, can Barack Obama do for health care what Franklin Roosevelt did for Social Security?  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform and Questions of Faith As the Congressional recess continues, debate over healthcare reform is becoming more polarized and extreme. President Obama?s approval ratings are taking a hit. Both sides contend it all boils down to morality. Are they open to reason or is it a matter of faith? Also, good news bad news on the economy, and global warming and hurricanes in the North Atlantic. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Big Banks, Big Bonuses and Big Government A federal judge has accused two Wall Street firms of "lying to their shareholders" about executive compensation. At the same time, big banks that got taxpayer bailouts are resuming the practice of guaranteeing multi-million-dollar bonuses that don't depend on performance. Are new regulations needed? Also, documents show that Karl Rove played a key role in the firing of US Attorneys. On Reporter?s Notebook, how much do the Taliban and al Qaeda depend on the drug trade?  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shedding Light on the Dark Side Attorney General Eric Holder is reportedly close to appointing a special prosecutor to investigate charges that terror suspects were tortured during the Bush Administration.  What would be the consequences for the CIA, the Department of Justice, the White House and the Obama agenda? Also, more house arrest for Aung San Suu Kyi, and the President fights back on healthcare.Note: During KCRW?s Summer Sign-up, we are airing the complete rebroadcast of today?sTo the Pointin place ofWhich Wa ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Afghanistan Takes Another Shot at Democracy In more than a fourth of  Afghanistan, voters might be risking their lives by participating in next week's national election. But the Obama Administration is hoping the outcome will lead to better governance.  Also, drugs, trade and flu at the Three Amigos Summit, and Westchester County will create low-cost housing in New York City's wealthy, white suburbs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Who's Opposed to Healthcare Reform? With Congress, and now the Senate, at home for the August recess, what's the status of healthcare reform? Why is it being proposed in the first place? Why are angry protesters gathered around the country, before President Obama has even signed on to a final proposal? Also, the July jobs report may signal a new direction, and international politics and yesterday's outage at Twitter. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Dangerous Assignments, Risky Travel and Government to the Rescue Two American journalists have been released by North Korea. Three other Americans are in custody in Iran. What are the rights and obligations of tourists, reporters and the governments on both sides of closed borders? Will a new generation of travelers and journalists provoke more international incidents? Also, the President checks in on Senate healthcare bill, and ?snail mail? is in trouble again. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Politics, Prisoners and Nuclear Technology, from Iran to North Korea Iran's President Ahmadinejad has been sworn in for a second term. We look at the political, economic and diplomatic obstacles he'll face in the next four years. Also, a high-profile assignment has Bill Clinton back on the world stage. What are the implications for Kim Jong Il, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cash for Clunkers: Does Haste Make Waste? Cash for Clunkers has run through almost a billion federal dollars in just ten days. With the Senate poised to come up with another two billion, are taxpayers funding a consumer frenzy that would have happened anyway? Also, Bill Clinton Meets Kim Jong Il in North Korea, and there's more trouble for the Large Hadron Collider, the world?s most expensive and most ambitious machine for studying Physics Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and Don't Rush into Anything President Obama promised to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the ban on gays and lesbians in the military. Now many supporters are getting impatient. We hear about equal rights, military morale, conflicting court decisions and shifting public opinion. Also, balancing California's budget, and the price of gasoline is going up, but don't blame the oil companies. Blame the banks. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website National Security: Refining the Differences It's being called the debate that was lacking in last year's presidential campaign.  We hear the contrasting views of President Obama and former Vice President Cheney in dueling speeches today on national security.  Also, four arrests in conspiracy to use MWD in the US, and guns, credit cards and the Democratic majority. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A California Drama without a Hollywood Ending Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has lost another round in his ongoing battle with his own Republican Party, the Democrats and the voters ofCalifornia.  We look at yesterday’s crushing election results and the bleak future of a state with a deficit of $21 billion. Also, the credit card reform bill is "armed" and ready to go, and the "missing link" as media blockbuster. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Hubble and the Future of Space Exploration The astronauts are ready to come back to Earth on Friday. We hear about upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope, what age-old questions it's now prepared to address and whether manned space flight has a future. Also, President Obama announces the first-ever national emissions standards, and Britain's expense account scandal takes a political toll. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is There a New Road to Middle East Peace? Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is at the White House today for the first in a string of meetings that will help define President Obama’s policies in the Middle East.  Also, Sri Lanka’s rebel Tamil Tigers are routed and their leader killed, and the Bush Administration and the Rumsfeld legacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website GOP Identity Crisis: Is There a New Elephant in the Room? The Grand Old Party is going through a bit of an identity crisis,trying to position itself for the years ahead. Should the GOP lean tothe center? Lean to the right? There's certainly a lot of fightinggoing on, especially for a party which holds Unity as a cherished partyvalue. Guest hostSara Terryasks whether whether Republicansare heading for a split. Also, with consumer confidence up, have we finally bottomed out? Plus, it's been bedlam in the playoffs. Whyhaven't things gone according to ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Afghanistan Be President Obama's Vietnam? With new commanders and a focus on counterinsurgency, President Obama is making Afghanistan“his” war.  With al Qaeda now next door in Pakistan, what are the goals?  Will Democrats agree they’re sustainable and worth the cost in troops and money? Also, Nancy Pelosi and torture, and the inside story of Tiananmen Square. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cracking Down on Credit Card Companies During good times, credit card companies were denounced for offering easy credit. Now they're under fire for tightening up. We hear the pros and cons of a bipartisan credit reform bill President Obama says he wants to sign. Also, Senate hearings into torture allegations, and Predator drones in Pakistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Papal Visit: Religion and Politics in the Middle East This week's pilgrimage to the Holy Land by Pope Benedict XVI hasturned somewhat contentious.  We hear the assessments of Jews,Palestinians and Roman Catholic Christians.  Also, Richard Holbrooketestifies before Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and repairing the Hubble, a risky mission with an extraordinary goal.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Fast Track to Same-Sex Marriage President Obama is just one supporter of gay rights who draws the line at same-sex marriage.  We talk about a movement that's been picking up speed and about the developing efforts by some to keep it going and by others to slow it down.  Also, Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi is released, and healthcare reform gets serious as the industry reaches out to the White House. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Who Should Be Next on the US Supreme Court? Liberal or Moderate? Man or Woman? Black, White or Brown? Should the next Supreme Court Justice have judicial experience or a record of service in other branches of government? We hear different as President Obama gets ready to pick his first nominee. Also, the pace of unemployment slows, and Pope Benedict visits the Middle East. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The High Cost of Higher Education The rising cost of tuition and fees makes college inaccessible for millions of young Americans while others graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. We look at their plight, their prospects and President Obama's plan to take over student loans and create a big, new entitlement program. Also, the stress test results, and the best record in baseball and performance-enhancing drugs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Afghanistan, Pakistan and American Security In Washington, the Obama Administration is hosting two weak leaders from strategic countries threatened by militant fundamentalists. Can the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan make common cause against the Taliban? Also, stocks rise on latest Labor Department report, and the so-called "torture memos" and possible legal discipline. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What's Next for the 'Two-State Solution?' The newly elected leaders of the US and Israel will meet later this month to tackle the ongoing struggle for peace in the Middle East. Will they agree to disagree on coping with Iran's nuclear program and about a so-called "two-state solution" with the Palestinians? Also, banks get stress test results, and cracking down on the Cayman Islands. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Today, It's Chrysler... Tomorrow, GM? Chrysler's been forced into bankruptcy with hopes of merging with Fiat in just a few weeks.  Presuming that all goes well, will American drivers take to Italian cars? Also, Obama's plan to curb corporate tax havens, and the underground world of steroids for the brain. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Detroit Revs Up One More Time The latest news from Detroit includes Chrysler's efforts this weekend to make deals that will keep it from heading to bankruptcy. Meantime, General Motors announced a revised business plan today, as well as the closure of historic Pontiac line.  What concessions did the unions make? What does Chrysler need to do to convince creditors not to pull the plug? What's next for the big three? Also, the swine flu pandemic, and journalists in jail. Who’s watching out for the watchdogs?Sara ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Medical Miracle with Conflicting Consequences Some 80 million baby boomers are reaching their late 50's. Will an aging population burden the young or use the wisdom that comes from experience to create a better society? Also, the Big Three automakers are tottering, and stopping a plague of crickets with hard rock music. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Torture Memos: Truth and Consequences Pressure is building to prosecute former Justice Department lawyers for supporting harsh interrogation techniques. We look at that and other issues posed by the release of controversial legal memos. Also, an update on yesterday's voter turnout in South Africa and the prospects for change.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Stress Tests: Economics and Politics So-called "stress tests" on nineteen big banks have postponed decisions that could be politically unpopular for the Obama Administration. Now that the results are due, we hear what the consequences might be. Also, Secretary Clinton goes back to Capitol Hill, and transportation produces almost a quarter of all greenhouse gases. Will garbage help to reduce global warming? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Pakistan Ripe for an Islamic Revolution? Recent events in Pakistan have increased alarm that a country with nuclear weapons is vulnerable to a Taliban-style Islamist revolution. We talk with Pakistanis and American experts. Also, Bush Administration officials may be tried for torture after all, and the former vice president who won't keep quiet.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Same-Sex Marriage: The Law, Religion and Politics Same-sex marriage has been legalized in 4 states and proposed in several others, but it's a long way from becoming a US institution. We talk about Constitutional rights, religious objections and political calculations. Also, today's UN racism conference sparks protests, and torture and war. What's the difference? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tea Parties, Terrorism and Political Partisanship Conservative bloggers and some Republican leaders accuse the Obama Administration of trying to silence their voices in the name of homeland security.  What do reaction to a report on right wing extremists and this week’s Tax Day “tea parties” reveal about the direction of partisan politics? Also, the EPA on the regulation of greenhouse gases, and brutal interrogation methods and possible consequences. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is a Wave of Foreclosures Heading Our Way? Just as the Obama administration’s “homeowner rescue” plan finally gets into gear, home foreclosures are on the rise. Also, the insurance agent AIG spends taxpayer money for PR to clean up its image. On Reporter's Notebook later on, women’s rights—or the lack of them in Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A New President Goes South of the Border President Obama will stop in Mexico on his way to the Summit of the Americas.  Will it be a symbolic exercise or the start of a new era in US relations with Latin America? Also, the politics of tax day, and attempted piracy has been foiled today in the Indian Ocean. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Piracy: The Legacy of a Failed State Four more ships have been seized by Somali pirates who threaten vengeance for those killed during hostage rescues. We hear how instability in the Horn of Africa has bred international lawlessness. Should the merchant nations resort to force or help the region solve economic and political problems? Also, President Obama speaks hard truths about the economy and opens a crack in the door to engagement with Cuba.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Piracy on the High Seas and Gun Control in America Despite a rash of mass killings, calls for increased gun control are falling on deaf ears.  Has the NRA prevailed in Washington and state capitols?  Will American guns continue to flow to Mexican drug cartels?  Also, the US resolves to do what's necessary to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Religion in the 'Modern' World Secularism is a defining characteristic of the "Modern" world.  So why is there such an increase in religious belief? With two major religions celebrating holidays, we look at faith in America and other parts of the world. Also, "glimmers of hope" for the economy, and America's electrical grid and cyberspies. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Behavioral Science and Political Change Scientists of human behavior helped Barack Obama get to the White House. Now they're helping him "nudge" Americans to make "better" choices.  We hear the pros and cons of a new form of leadership. Also, stocks continue rebound on good news about banks, and a proposal for small investors to get in on bank bailouts.  What are the benefits and the risks? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama and Fidel Castro's Cuba In Latin America and in Washington there's pressure for changing the policy of isolating Fidel Castro's Cuba. As President Obama prepares for the Summit of the Americas, how far is he willing to go? Will he insist that Cuba change its repressive ways? Also, a hijacked crew retakes its ship from Somali pirates. On Reporter's Notebook, are Nevada politicians embarrassed to tax legal prostitution? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Wars of the Future and the Wars of the Past Defense Secretary Gates says cutting the F-22 jet fighter was "not even a close call,” but the project provides jobs in no less than 44 of the 50 states. We hear about upcoming battles over a defense budget that reorients the Pentagon from conventional warfare to counterinsurgency.  Also, President Obama greeted warmly in Iraq, and Vermont becomes the fourth state to recognize same-sex marriage. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tough-on-Crime Policies Overwhelm Shrinking State Budgets State prison budgets have quadrupled in the last 20 years, out-pacing every state government spending category except healthcare. Guest hostLawrence O'Donnellconsiders the price of being tough on crime and what changes states are making to run corrections systems that they can afford. Also, President Obama unveils his strategy for Afghanistan. On Reporter's Notebook, who is taking advantage of  rock-bottom home prices? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Does Obama Have a Strategy for Victory in Afghanistan? President Obama wants to dial down in Iraq andup the ante in Afghanistan. His plan to send 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan is meeting increasing resistance from his liberal supporters at home and skepticism from some allies. Is there a better strategy? What alternatives has the President considered? Does history prove that Afghanistan cannot be tamed?Lawrence O'Donnellguest hosts. Also, the administration calls for expanded oversight power of financial system, and the spread of new Hoover ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Administration's Delicate Balance with Mexico President Obama got no questions about Iraq or Afghanistan in last night’s press conference, but was asked if the raging violence of drug cartels in Mexico is “a national security threat.” Guest hostLawrence O’Donnellexplores the new tensions in US relations with Mexico and what the Obama Administration hopes to achieve with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s meeting today with Mexican President Felipe Calderón.  Also, Obama meets with Senate Democrats on ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website American Populism: 21st Century Style Some AIG executives have given their bonuses back, but the fires of populist anger have already been lit.  Can Republicans credibly lead the charge against Wall Street?  Will leftists turn on the Democrat in the White House?  Can public outrage be harnessed to help fix the economy? Also, Geithner and Bernanke face hostile questioning on Capitol Hill, and American cops are giving up codes for plain English. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Bailout Backlash The bailout of America's financial system began last fall, but the Bush Administration is history.  Now the Obama Administration is faced with growing outrage over the use of public money to rescue failed private companies. Also, the cheapest car in the world goes on sale in India. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Great Recession and the Erosion of Trust With the onslaught of the Great Recession, public confidence has all but evaporated in money managers, investment advisors and financial institutions, public and private.  We ask a variety of observers, who can you trust now? Also, President Obama reaches out to Iran, and General Scott Gration will be Obama's special envoy to Darfur. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare and Information Technology The Obama recovery plan contains $19 billion to help American doctors computerize their records. Will Information Technology reduce the costs of healthcare and the incidence of medical error or make things worse? Also, the Fed may be saving credit markets, but who'll save the Fed? On Reporter's Notebook, America's veterans on the sixth anniversary of the war in Iraq. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website AIG: Political Outrage and Financial Stability On Capitol Hill today, it was all about AIG. We hear about millions in executive bonuses, billions in bad debt and proposals for new regulatory authority.  Also, Senate Democrats declare their independence. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Auto Industry: In Survival Mode GM and Chrysler may be on the verge of bankruptcy, but auto sales are declining so fast the entire industry is in trouble. We assess the prospects for its survival and what the future might look like. Also, Capitol Hill outraged at AIG, and democracy and instability  in Pakistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Credit Card Economy Comes Home to Roost Two thirds of the US economy depends on consumer spending, and credit cards account for a big proportion of that. But with more and more people struggling to pay their bills, credit card companies are now making it harder. Is anyone looking out for consumers? Is there a need for reform? Also, AIG audaciously issues $165 million in bonus payments, and endangered languages. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama: Doing Too Much or Too Little? President Obama says he has no choice between getting the economy moving now while simultaneously rebuilding it over the long term. So he’s being criticized for doing too much and for not doing enough. We update the first eight weeks. Also, signs of life in the economic darkness, and Cramer versus Stewart on cable TV. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bernard Madoff: Behind Bars Bernard Madoff violated the trust and burned up the fortunes of 4800 people. He's likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars. But until now, has he been protected -- by a de-regulated financial system and a culture of greed? Also, the Iraqi shoe-thrower gets three years, and another Obama appointee steps down, this time from a high-level intelligence job. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Change and Nuclear Power Climate change and the need for clean energy might revive America's nuclear industry but, will it?  High cost and the fear of terrorism are still major issues, and without Nevada's Yucca Mountain, deadly nuclear waste has no place to go. Also, President Obama's big earmark problem, and the UN has been marking time on illegal drugs.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Global Recession Brings Global Insecurity Forget the "axis of evil."  Economic recession now threatens political upheaval in important parts of the world, with national security consequences here in the US. We look at potential sources of trouble today. Is Washington paying attention? Also, stocks rally on news from Citibank, and the Dalai Lama calls Tibet a "hell on earth." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Income Redistribution: Basic Fairness or 'Class Warfare?' The Obama budget and tax plan would shift America's wealth from the top down. Is it time to close the gap between rich and poor or would increased taxes stifle growth by removing incentives for the wealthy to keep on working?  Are there other causes of income inequality? Also, a turnaround on stem-cell research, and a promise to crack down on defense contractors.  Is Obama up to the job? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama, Technology and the Internet Telecommunications technology is changing so fast that federal regulators can barely keep up.  We talk about Internet access, neutrality and openness as seen by the Obama Administration. Also, unemployment reaches an“astounding” level, and the return of daylight savings. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Could AIG Wreck the Global Economy? American Insurance Group, the world's biggest insurance company, is getting history's biggest bailout.  But where are almost $200 billion in taxpayer dollars ending up? The Federal Reserve told a senate committee today that going public could destroy AIG, putting at risk the world's financial system. We update the hearing and get the background. Also,“substantial doubt” about GM's ability to survive, and Russia and Iran are on the agenda as Hillary Clinton attends her first m ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tracking the Great Recession, Region by Region No place in America is recession proof, but some places are being hit much harder than others.  Today we find out where it's worst and why, and ask what communities will need most to help them to bounce back.  Also, new details on the Obama Administration's foreclosure prevention program, and a sitting head of state is indicted for crimes against humanity. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website America's 'New Path' in the Middle East The Obama Administration says it's cutting a "new path" toward Middle East peace. With Israel and the Palestinians both divided among themselves, we hear about outreach to Syria, Turkey and even Iran. Also, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown becomes the first European leader to visit President Obama, and the Church of Rome and the Theory of Evolution. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is It Time to Cease Fire in the War on Drugs? Three former South American presidents are among those who’ve asked the United States for a "paradigm shift" in the so-called "War on Drugs." New York and California are already moving in that direction. Is it wasting billions of dollars while addiction and violence increase? Would legalization perpetuate a dangerous cycle and make matters worse? Also, the government tries to keep AIG afloat, and lost Chinese relics and Yves St. Laurent.  Who's the real owner. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Religious Violence and Political Turmoil in Pakistan More US troops will go to Afghanistan, but US diplomacy is focused on that country together with Pakistan.  We hear about Pakistan’s deal with Muslim extremists and ask best-selling author Greg Mortenson what he’s telling the US military about the remote provinces of both countries.  Also, the President outlines the end to the war in Iraq, and the Obama budget as a massive political gamble. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website National Security and American Values Suspected terrorists have been held for years in US military prisons with no charges and no trials, creating a conflict between constitutional rights and national security. As soon as next month, Barack Obama will face tough choices about presidential power. We hear about a US Supreme Court case which could have dramatic and long-lasting consequences. Also, Obama’s $3.6 trillion budget blueprint, and Mexican drug cartels — all over the US. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Public Speaking and Public Policy After weeks of grim predictions of hard times to come, President Obama tried to lift the mood of the nation in last night's address to a joint session of Congress.  Also, a decision on Iraqi troop withdrawal may be forthcoming this week. On Reporter's Notebook, will the District of Columbia get a vote in Congress?   Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Nationalizing' America's Banks: Rumors and Realities The Obama Administration says the banking system will remain private. But at the same time, it's taking steps that could lead to government ownership. Would that be "nationalization" under another name? What's in store for the taxpayers? Also, the President prepares to address Congress, and methane gas released by melting ice in the Arctic creates a feedback loop for global warming.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Getting to Know You: The Obama Administration and China Human rights and currency manipulation were on the back burner for Hillary Clinton’s visit to China. The Secretary of State emphasized economics and global warming. Also, President Obama discusses the stimulus package with the governors, and Hollywood and Bollywood at last night’s Oscars.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Does News Have a Future? As of last year, more people were getting their news for free on the Internet than were paying for newspapers and magazines.  We hear proposals for preserving journalism as we've come to know it and for creating new ways of serving consumers of information. Also, President Obama warns mayors against misusing stimulus-package funds, and Hollywood and the Oscars. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama Crosses the Border Barack Obama leaves the country for the first time as President. We hear about free trade, troops in Afghanistan and environmental protection from the US and Canadian points of view.  Also, California’s budget madness sort of comes to a close, and universal healthcare – Canadian style. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Obama and the Home Mortgage Crisis President Obama wants to stop foreclosures and slow the slide in homeprices. Is that a good idea? Will $75 billion be enough to meet hisobjectives? Also, the nightmare in Detroit continues. On Reporter's Notebook, did Illinois' US Senator Roland Burris lie under oath?  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama, Back on the Road Bipartisanship didn't work on Capitol Hill, but the massive stimulus bill passed anyway.  Now the President is back on the road.  Also, a US military leader says Obama's plans to withdraw from Iraq is optimistic, and the State of California runs out of money. We look at the politics and economic recovery. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website More Troops for Afghanistan, but What's the Mission President Obama wants more troops in Afghanistan, but the US presence is increasingly unpopular. So is the country's corrupt and ineffective government. We hear about the challenges of shifting America's focus on terror from Iraq to South Asia. Also, the Obama Administration awaits the Big Three's auto-industry restructuring plans and, on her first trip in a new job, Hillary Clinton arrives in Japan.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website This Time It's Peanuts: Food Scares and Food Production Contaminated peanuts have been linked to deaths and illness, and have landed owners of a peanut-processing plant in front of a House subcommittee. Since 2002, there've been more than half a dozen bacteria-related food contaminations. Guest hostSara Terryexplores the vulnerability of the nation's food supply. How rigorous are the standards for protecting it? Also, Judd Gregg pulls out, eroding President Obama's efforts of bipartisanship, and trashed in space. When satellites collide, who cle ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can President Obama Organize America? Barack Obama transformed political campaigns by creating a grassroots network of 13 million people. Can they be mobilized to help accomplish Obama's agenda? The effort begins this weekend, and we get a preview of what could be a sea change in the way that America is governed. Also, the Senate works on the stimulus bill as the economy sheds jobs, and with unemployment on the rise, states are cutting welfare. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama: Shareholder-in-Chief After the stimulus bill, the President's next economic challenge will be another massive bailout. We talk about how much federal control should come with increased federal ownership of America's major financial institutions.  Also, hot and heavy politicking over the stimulus bill, and faith-based initiatives— Obama style. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ethics and Accountability at the Obama White House Two of President Obama's top appointees withdrew yesterday because they failed to pay federal taxes.  Is "changing the culture" of Washington easier said than done?  Will the political distraction interfere with efforts at policy change? Also, tighter restrictions on executive compensation for companies getting federal bailouts, and an about-face on global warming from the new Secretary of Energy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform without Tom Daschle Can the US afford to reform a failing system of health care in the midst of an economic crisis? Can it afford not to? We hear what's in the stimulus bill and how it could shape debate on questions of life-and-death. Also, former Senator Tom Daschle withdraws his nomination for Health and Human Services Secretary, and the case for private jet planes for busy corporate executives. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Stimulating the Economy, Now and in the Future Bill Clinton declared the Era of Big Government "over." Well, it'sback, with a stimulus package big enough to start re-shaping theeconomy.  We look at the possible impacts now and in the long term. What will it mean for free trade and the global economy?  Also, a bumpy road ahead for Obama cabinet picks, and theIraqi elections and US troop withdrawals. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Does Bipartisanship Really Matter? Barack Obama won big, but he's been spending his first few days in the White House reaching out to Republicans.  So far, they haven't reached back.  Whatever ends up in the stimulus package, the economy's likely to get worse. Also, the US economy shrank last year, though not as fast as expected. On Reporter's Notebook, private jets and executive bonuses, what can the public do? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is the Fight against Global Warming a Losing Battle? Scientists now say climate change can’t be reversed for 1000 years, even if greenhouse gases are cut to pre-industrial levels. What does that mean for green technology?  Should the consumer economy be reduced instead of expanded?  Also, Governor Blagojevich on his impeachment trial, and the Postal Service is threatening to drop a day of deliveries.  Is it crying wolf? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Job Cuts Are Taking Their Toll Some 2.5 million Americans lost their jobs in 2008, and this year three million more are likely to be laid off.  We look at the impact of unemployment across the country.  What will it take to get the next job in a restructured economy? Also, President Obama's envoy is in Jerusalem as fighting flares, a Super Bowl ad is more than just a commercial.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Economic Stimulus and the Promise of Bipartisanship Barack Obama said he'd restore the economy in a bipartisan way, but debate over his stimulus package sounds all too familiar. Also, President Obama and George Mitchell reach out to Arabs. On Reporter's Notebook, the first bill likely to be signed into law by President Obama. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Why Are US Troops in Afghanistan? Barack Obama promised to get US troops out of Iraq and send more to Afghanistan. Vice President Biden says more casualties should be expected. We hear about deteriorating conditions and the risks of escalation. Also, President Obama directs the EPA to review fuel standards, and financial troubles for America’s premier newspaper, the New York Times. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website America’s Capitol City and Urban Problems Nationwide Washington, DC is a divided city. High officials, government workers and diplomats live and work in prosperous neighborhoods. The majority black population lives somewhere else. Barack Obama says he wants to bring the two together. Also today, two diplomatic envoys for troubled parts of the world. What’s in store for the Middle East and South Asia? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will the Banking Crisis End with Nationalization? Nobody wants the US government to take over the banking industry, but more and more people are saying it might happen. Three hundred billion dollars given to banks by the Bush Administration is hardly small change, but bank losses may add up to two trillion anyway. On Reporter's Notebook, opening up the records. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Inaugural Address Heard Around the World Tens of millions of people watched Barack Obama take office. News coverage, commentary and public opinion are as diverse as the audience. Today we’ll hear what’s being said in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. On Reporter's Notebook, fast action on Guantanamo Bay and growing problems with Mexico. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website America’s 44th Peaceful Transition of Power After taking the oath of office on Abraham Lincoln’s bible, President Barack Hussein Obama called it “a moment that will define a generation.” On our program, we’ll discuss the Inaugural Address in the context of history and contemporary politics. And we’ll talk about what comes next. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Dreams and the Realities of Black Americans Barack Obama won 95% of the black vote in November’s election, but African Americans are anything but unanimous on what his election will mean. On Reporter's Notebook later on, a surprise Obama advisor and confidant: John McCain. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Controversial Presidency Comes to an End George W. Bush enjoyed 90% approval ratings after September 11th. There was widespread initial support for his war in Iraq. But he leaves office less popular than any outgoing president since Richard Nixon, and since the November elections he has tried to shape his own legacy. On Reporter's Notebook later on, jet airliners and migrating birds. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Big Change in Store at the Department of Justice Barack Obama’s nominee for Attorney General told a Senate Committee today that “water-boarding” is torture. But Eric Holder also admitted mistakes during his service in Bill Clinton’s Department of Justice. We’ll hear some of today’s questions and answers and talk to supporters andskeptics about one of the incoming president’s most important cabinet choices. On Reporter's Notebook, Steve Jobs and the future of Apple. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Bush Administration and Possible War Crimes Should Bush Administration officials be investigated for war crimes? Barack Obama has been lukewarm toward that idea, but today an Administration insider is saying there was "torture" at Guantánamo Bay. Should somebody be called to account? Where should the buck stop? Also, Egypt struggles to mediate the Gaza conflict, and the future of "don't ask, don't tell" in America's military. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hillary Clinton's Confirmation Hearing Finally freed from the politics of holding a New York Senate seatand running for president, how will Hillary Clinton's foreign policyviews change now that she's on the verge of Senate confirmation asSecretary of State? Also, Barack Obama goes to Capitol Hill to sell hisstimulus plan, and the Detroit Auto Show. It's one gloomy party.Lawrence O'Donnellguest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can Barack Obama Follow the Money? The first half of last year's $700 billion financial bailout was so badly handled that Congress is reluctant to hand out the second half. If Barack Obama can't make the case that he can do better, he may suffer his first defeat before he's even in office. Also, alleged Ponzi-schemer Bernard Madoff free despite violating his bail, and the US and Mexico: immigration and drug cartels. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama, the Middle East and Iran As the fighting continues in Gaza, Barack Obama is choosing a team to deal with the Middle East, including Iran. Today he repeated his campaign pledge to rely on diplomacy. Also, unemployment jumps over the moon, and what's next for Rod Blagojevich, who's been impeached for abusing his powers as Governor of Illinois. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Political Salesman Lays It on the Line Barack Obama began a tough selling job today with an urgent warning about years of recession if Congress fails to enact a massive stimulus program. We look at the state of the economy and how different it might look, even after recovery. Also, the UN suspends food aid to Gaza, citing danger to its staff. On Reporter's Notebook, does the Internal Revenue Service have a heart after all? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Israel, Gaza and the Prospects for Peace Responding to mounting international pressure, Israel today opened a three-hour "humanitarian window" in Gaza. After that, the fighting resumed. We hear from Gaza itself, update efforts to achieve a ceasefire and talk with American Jews with conflicting opinions.  Also, President-elect Obama says the stimulus must not bust the budget, and Russia, Ukraine and natural gas for the European Union during a bitter cold-snap. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can Barack Obama Save a Failing Economy? Barack Obama wants government spending and tax cuts big enough and soon enough to revitalize the economy. We hear debate about what might happen if he gets his stimulus plan -- or if he doesn't. Also, Roland Burris and the US Senate. On Reporter's Notebook, is it time for an outsider to run the CIA? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website There Is No Let-up in the Fighting in Gaza Israel's invasion of Gaza continues and so does Hamas rocket fire. We hear from both sides today and update the fighting and the diplomacy. Also, as Barack Obama arrives on Capitol Hill, it's still not clear just who will be in the Senate. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Wall Street, Main Street and Economic Crisis Wall Street's received a lot of the blame for the financial crisis, but taking advantage good deals is an American tradition. We look at Main Street's contribution to the nation's economic troubles.  Also, the challenges President-elect Obama has inherited, and regrets and betrayals in New York's High Society. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Internet Reading Speeding Us Up by Dumbing Us Down? More and more kids spend long hours on the Internet.  At the same time, reading scores are declining. Is there a connection? Does the brain work differently with a book than with a computer?  What’s the impact on reading proficiency? Should schools recognize that young people are on the Internet and teach them how to use it well? Also, will Barack Obama be a special challenge for stand-up comedians? (This edition ofTo the Pointwill be pre-empted by holiday programming, but wi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Politics, the Economy and Lifestyles: Predictions for 2009 A black man won the White House, while a white woman from Alaska won the hearts of conservatives. The economy imploded as financial scandals rocked the headlines, and Americans began to rethink their consumer ways. 2008 was definitely one for the history books. Guest hostSara Terrylooks at what's ahead in 2009. Also, the political pitfalls of filling four senate seats, and kicking off the new year on the gridiron. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Re-Regulating a Failed Financial Industry In 2002, when Wall Street scandals like Enron and WorldCom rocked the business world, the government prosecuted 513 cases of securities fraud. In the first eleven months of 2008, there were just 133 prosecutions. Also, Israel continues its Gaza offensive, and Little Bill Clinton's American Life, a year-long story about a young refugee from Africa.Sara TerryGuest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Israel Continues to Pound the Gaza Strip As Israeli jets continue to fire on the densely-populated Gaza Strip, guest hostSara Terrylooks at the impact in Gaza, the region and around the world. What is Israel trying to accomplish?  What pressures do the attacks place on Arab leaders and the US? Will Israel's actions fuel Islamic militancy around the world? Also, Barack Obama's rise to the presidency. A reporter looks back at her own coverage of the race. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Money: The Key to Happiness or the Root of All Evil? Is money the key to happiness or the root of all evil? If growth and prosperity don't provide a sense of wellbeing, what will? With a fiscal crisis already under way, we take a new look at the way happiness is measured and how it's achieved in the US and other parts of the world.  Also, the inventory glut on store shelves and at frozen ports, and overcoming the fear of numbers. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Meat and Milk from Cloned Animals in America's Food Supply? Twelve years after scientists produced Dolly the Sheep from the cells of another animal, the FDA says milk and meat from cloned livestock is safe to eat. Is the world ready? Critics say cloning's expensive, inefficient and cruel. What about the quality of the food and the "yuck" factor? Also, a business editor on stimulating the economy, in early American history, Christmas was banned by Christians. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will the 'Nanny State' Be Replaced by the 'Daddy State?' Mexico has seen a dramatic reduction in poverty with a program that pays poor mothers to keep their families healthy and keep their children in school. Will it end what's called "the culture of poverty?" Would it work in the US? Also the winter weather turns worse on travelers, and despite new violence in Gaza, Bethlehem is crowded with tourists. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barack Obama and 'Universal' Healthcare Reform Barack Obama says America's healthcare system is a contributor to the country's economic decline. There's a growing consensus that recovery can't happen without healthcare reform. If costs are cut, can quality be maintained? How much should government be involved in setting standards as well as paying the bills? Also, despite falling prices, thehome sales dropped more than expected last month, and Europe warms up to Obama when it comes to Guantánamo Bay. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Preserving Wall Street, the Auto Industry and the Income Gap Everybody understands the hourly wage contracts the United Auto Workers agreed to with GM and Chrysler. But only Wall Street knows how or why investment bankers get bonuses worth tens of millions of dollars. Are Washington's bailouts punishing transparency, rewarding stealth and preserving the income gap? Also, Toyota expects its first operating loss since 1941, and another White House tries to control the historical record. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Has Barack Obama Split the Difference on Education Reform? Barack Obama has picked a secretary of education who’s endorsed both sides of the raging debate over how to improve American schools. Will he become an agent of change or will splitting the difference reinforce the status quo?  Why is Obama so focused on early childhood education? Also, the White House steps in to bail out automakers, and despite an international military crackdown, another band of Somali pirates is about to collect millions in ransom money. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Has Barack Obama Split the Difference on Education Reform? Barack Obama has picked a secretary of education who’s endorsed both sides of the raging debate over how to improve American schools. Will he become an agent of change or will splitting the difference reinforce the status quo?  Why is Obama so focused on early childhood education? Also, the White House steps in to bail out automakers, and despite an international military crackdown, another band of Somali pirates is about to collect millions in ransom money. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cyber-warfare and Weapons of Mass Annoyance As many as 15 million infected computers may be sending spam and disrupting Internet networks around the world. Cyber-warfare is a real threat to national security and the economy. We talk about how it works, who should take charge of cyber-defense and how civil liberties can be protected. Also, Barack Obama picks a a securities-industry regulator to lead the SEC. On Reporter's Notebook, will the Kennedy dynasty rise again?   Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bernard Madoff: Wall Street's One-Man Wrecking Crew Sophisticated people and institutions worldwide fell victim to Bernard Madoff’s Wall Street Ponzi scheme, not to mention the Securities and Exchange Commission.  How come they all got taken for $50 billion dollars when others so clearly saw fraud? Also, Governor Rod Blagojevich vows to break his silence as impeachment proceedings proceed, and 63 percent of Americans say the country's in the midst of long-term economic decline. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will the Outgoing Administration Be Called to Account by the New One? Last week a unanimous bipartisan Senate report accused high Bush Administration officials of approving abusive interrogations. Now Vice President Cheney confirms that he was on board. Will Barack Obama investigate or leave the recent past to future historians? Also, Obama's cabinet continues to take shape. On Reporter's Notebook, does the Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate still matter? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Federal Money Mean Economic Recovery? Barack Obama wants big federal spending to rebuild infrastructure, promote green technology and create or save 2.5 million jobs.  We look at the benefits and the risks of what he calls a "jolt" to the flagging economy? Also, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is likely to face impeachment, and the shoes that shook the Arab world. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In American Politics, Is Corruption Business as Usual? Is politics for public service or personal gain? That’s one of the many questions raised when a US Senate seat is put up for sale. We talk about what constitutes corruption in a political system based on trading favors. Also, the latest on the Big Three bailout, and Bush, Obama and closing Guantánamo Bay. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Washington Rescue Detroit's Big Three? As debate began in the Senate today, Republicans still opposed the Big Three bailout passed last night in the House. Are Southerners unwilling to prevent an economic disaster in the Midwest? Is more "nationalization" really a bad idea? Also, Barack Obama picks Tom Daschle to head the Department of Health and Human Services, and the US wants the UN to track down Somali pirates on land as well as by sea.   Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Price of Gasoline: Good News and Bad Next week, OPEC will be meeting about the price of oil: down from $147 a barrel last July to $44 today. Meantime, the price of gasoline in the US just might go to a dollar a gallon. That's good news for consumers, but trouble for global warming and international stability. Also, the White House and Congressional Democrats make a deal on the auto bailout, and the latest on the political scandal in Barack Obama's home state. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Mexico Losing Its War on Drugs? New official statistics reveal the cost of Mexico's drug wars: Five thousand have been killed this year, one thousand during last month alone.  What's the risk of brutal violence crossing the border? Also, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been taken into federal custody, and Blackwater security guards are charged in a US court with manslaughter in Iraq.   Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Federal Bailouts and Double Standards A bailout of the Big Three automakers now seems likely, but why is Detroit being asked for more concessions than Wall Street? We look at the double standard for federal bailouts and ask whether a real industrial policy would make things better or worse. Also, Pakistan has moved against the mastermind of the group that attacked Mumbai, and more bad news for the news business in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Higher Education and the Global Economy Even when the recession is finally over, the US may have problems competing with the rest of the world. That's because of a growing education gap. Family incomes aren't keeping up with rising cost of higher education. We hear what that means for competition in the global economy.  Also, unemployment climbs faster than expected, and OJ Simpson has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Detroit Pleads for Survival...Again The Big Three automakers have updated their plans and increased what they’re asking in federal help for survival. Instead of $25 billion, now they want $34. We hear how their latest appeals were received by a Senate Committee today. Also, Canada's newly elected, conservative Prime Minister has nearly been forced out of office, and US Senate candidates in Minnesota may have to draw lots to see who won.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shifting Focus in the War on Terror President Bush has often said that Iraq is the "central front" in the war on terror.  Barack Obama says it's Afghanistan, and even Defense Secretary Robert Gates seems to be coming around to that point of view. But no easy transition is possible from one to the other. Also, the UAW agrees to reopen contract talks asautomakers go back to Capitol Hill, and George W. Bush talks about his "greatest regret" as President of the United States. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Aftermath of What's Called 'India's 9/11' Last week's deadly terrorism in Mumbai has increased tensions between India and Pakistan, nuclear powers that have gone to war three times in the past 50 years. We update events and ask if one target was Barack Obama's foreign policy goals. Also, the Big Three submits plans to Congress in a second attempt at a rescue, and in Tijuana, 38 people killed in three days as Mexico's drug wars continue. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Obama Cabinet: Change and Continuity Barack Obama today appointed what's called his "team of rivals," including a defeated primary opponent, a holdover from the Bush Administration and a former commandant of the Marines. Will Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates and General James Jones work together or does Obama face unintended consequences? Also, tensions between Pakistan and India increase after the attacks in Mumbai, and Eric Holder as Barack Obama's choice to reform a troubled Justice Department. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Wall Street, Home Foreclosures and the Presidential Campaign With a crisis on Wall Street and home foreclosures soaring, does the US economy need more government or less? Recent statements make Obama and Clinton seem far from McCain. Does the rhetoric reflect the reality? We talk with all three campaigns. Also, President Bush says Iraq has reached a "defining moment." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Battle for Basra and the Race for the White House President Bush has high praise for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's crackdown on Shiite militias, but there's a lot at stake for both leaders. Maliki's political future and US troop withdrawals are both at risk. What could it all mean for McCain, Obama and Clinton? Also, US officials are accused of "meddling" in Pakistan, and the African president who won't leave. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Medical Care for the Elderly and Poor Be a Broken Promise? The federal government promises healthcare for the elderly and the poor, but Medicare and Medicaid are steaming toward a "fiscal train wreck." The law requires the next president to resolve a problem that's been building for years. Also, Iraq's escalating violence. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Political Comebacks and Shifting Opinions Last week political pundits had Barack Obama on life support because of his pastor, Jeremiah Wright. This week, they're asking when Hillary Clinton will quit the campaign. Do primary victories really determine who's likely to win in November? What's behind the sudden swings in conventional wisdom? Also, the US military admits a big mistake, and a surprise Obama endorsement from a conservative Republican. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Fighting Terrorism with Tactics from the Cold War Osama bin Laden and other terrorists are harder to get close to than the Soviet leaders during the Cold War. US agencies want an increase in "soft power" to get inside the heads of extremists and potential recruits. We hear the pros and cons and ask if al Qaeda is running a better propaganda machine than the western alliance. Also, the Mayor of Detroit is charged with felony crimes, and the Olympic Torch begins its trip from Greece to China. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website China, Tibet and the Summer Olympics The Olympic games are providing an international forum for Tibetan grievances against Chinese rule. During a week of violent protest, China has cracked down. What's the international reaction? Will the incident make life better or worse in Tibet?  Also,  Obama wins another endorsement, and presidential candidates and passport files. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Patriotism and Political Dialogue in America The furor over Barack Obama's church has pushed his presidential campaign into the most dangerous possible political territory -- questions about his patriotism. Has the founding fathers' notion of American exceptionalism created to an exceptionally patriotic country?  Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell talks about the defining role patriotism plays in American politics and what role patriotism plays in the politics of other countries. Also, President Bush signs legislation to protect the U ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The African American Church: Intersection of Race, Religion, Politics Race, religion and politics collided in Barack Obama's presidential campaign yesterday as they do every Sunday in many African American churches. Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell talks to the reporter who sparked the controversy, and discusses the roots of the black church in the US and its current role in African American society. Also, President Bush marks the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, and how the Panama Canal helped create the Reagan Revolution. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Gun Battle in the US Supreme Court Today the Supreme Court hears arguments in the case of a Washington, DC security guard that could re-define America's relationship to guns. Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell explores whether the Second Amendment grants each of us an absolute individual right to bear arms and how likely it is that the court will find all gun control laws unconstitutional and return the country to an unfettered free market in guns. Also, Barack Obama on his former pastor, and the crisis in Tibet. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website After Five Years in, Where Do We Stand in Iraq? With US troops now on the ground in Iraq for a period longer than World War II, what do we have to show for their efforts? Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell explores progress in Iraq and American response to our efforts there. Also, the Bear Stearns collapse: how a crisis on Wall Street affects the economy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Democratic Party: Stuck in the Mud? Democrats are increasingly worried that the nasty campaign between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is destroying what's supposed to be their race to win in November. Is it just them or is the party itself divided on race, gender, age and social class?  What does it all mean for November? Also, a bailout for Bear Stearns, and the Vatican adds to the list of sins. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Energy Security and Global Warming US energy demands are rising as the price of oil goes through the roof and foreign sources are increasingly uncertain. Canadian tar sands and domestic coal would provide energy security, but at the risk of increased global warming. Can renewables be developed in time? How high is the price of economic growth? Also, the Secretary of the Treasury wants to rein in mortgage markets, and Florida Democrats and the presidential nomination.  What a mess! Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Historic Changes in New York; Boeing Takes off the Gloves Boeing is challenging the Air Force over a $40 billion contract to a team led by European manufacturers. How many jobs will go overseas? Is it a threat to national security? What was the role of John McCain and lobbyists in his campaign? Also, ethics crusader Eliot Spitzer is driven from office by long-time association with expensive prostitutes, and one of the Pentagon's top commanders resigns. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In New York, a Sex Scandal, and Sanctions against Iran Since yesterday's brief public apology, New York Governor Elliot Spitzer has been holed up in his 5th Avenue apartment. Will he resign or face impeachment? Then, will UN sanctions persuade Iran to slow down its nuclear program? Is Iran more interested in Iraq? Has Iran's long-running confrontation with the US turned into a new Cold War? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website NAFTA, the Canadian Government and the Democratic Campaign Obama and Clinton are focused on tomorrow's vote in Mississippi, but the hangover from last week's NAFTA flap in Ohio is not over yet. We hear about the role of the Canadian government.  Does renegotiating NAFA make sense? Also, pharmaceuticals in America's water supply, and the latest update on the oldest story of all: the age of the universe.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Has Oprah, but Clinton has �Saturday Night Live�� Hillary Clinton�s new momentum has political junkies fixated on the influence of popular culture on politics. Gushing videos by Obama supporters prevailed on YouTube until a satirical TV comedy skit made Clinton seem victimized by reporters. Did that influence news coverage of the campaign? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website After Ohio and Texas: What's Changed and What's the Same? Hillary Clinton has bounced back again with a big win in Ohio and a squeaker in Texas, enough to make sure that she and Barack Obama will be campaigning for weeks to come.  We analyze the results and look to the future.  Also, Mike Huckabee calls it quits, and another fake memoir. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Peace Prospects in the Middle East, and in the Democratic Party Ohio and Texas might settle the Democratic nomination today -- and then they might not.  Can Secretary Rice get the Annapolis peace process back on track?  Will the contest between Obama and Clinton come to an end or continue for weeks to come? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may cost America $3 trillion, a far cry from the $50 billion estimated when combat began.  How did the expenses get so high? How long will it take to pay them off? Will the benefits be worth the money?  Also, Florida and Michigan lobby to seat Democratic delegates, and saber rattling and diplomacy in South America. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pakistan, Afghanistan and America's War on Terror Pakistan's newly elected opposition parties have joined forces against President Pervez Musharraf. They want talks with Islamic militants, including the Taliban. What's the future of a Bush Administration ally in the war on terror? What's the likely impact on Afghanistan, where NATO forces are struggling against a tough enemy and among themselves? Also, hot times for both parties on the presidential campaign trail. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website George W. Bush Goes to Africa President Bush is in Africa this week, where he's more popular than he is in most other places. What will his anti-AIDS and malaria programs mean for his legacy? Do other countries need more help than the five he's visiting? Does the US plan a military presence in Africa, a major supplier of oil? Also, John McCain takes aim at his apparent rival, and the Navy takes aim at a failed spy satellite. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Big Changes from Cuba to Pakistan There are big changes in store for Cuba and Pakistan. Fidel Castro has resigned from office. Pervez Musharraf has been soundly defeated in parliamentary elections. We talk with reporters and others in both countries and the US. What's the likely impact on American interests in South Asia and 90 miles from the beaches of Florida? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Senate Passes Record Defense Budget, but Are We Safer? Is big money making America safer? Plus, a suicide bombing rocks Afghanistan, and ABC-TV and the politics of September 11th. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Housing Bubble Losing Air? After 911 and during the war on terror, the housing market has helped keep America�s economy going. Monday, this Labor Day, we broadcast an archived edition of To the Point on whether the housing bubble is losing air. Will the promise of short-term profit leave homeowners facing long-term debt? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Senate Passes Record Defense Budget, but Are We Safer? Is big money making America safer? Plus, a suicide bombing rocks Afghanistan, and ABC-TV and the politics of September 11th. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Housing Bubble Losing Air? After 911 and during the war on terror, the housing market has helped keep America�s economy going. Monday, this Labor Day, we broadcast an archived edition of To the Point on whether the housing bubble is losing air. Will the promise of short-term profit leave homeowners facing long-term debt? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran and Nuclear Brinksmanship Now that Iran has refused to stop enriching uranium, the US is building the case for economic sanctions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Katrina and the Role of Government In New Orleans, the removal of bodies is under way, and officials say the city has finally been secured. But Americans have been jolted by government failure to prevent and cope with disaster, and for the first time since September 11 they're telling pollsters that domestic issues are more important than the war against terror. After 25 years of demanding government cutbacks, even conservative commentators are predicting a"progressive resurgence." Has Katrina accomplished what the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Flawed Planning, Katrina Resources Directed Elsewhere Military vehicles have moved in to control the violence in New Orleans as the Army Corps of Engineers feverishly works to shore up the city's main levee. While meals and other supplies are coming into Mississippi towns, yet many are still without basic staples, even water and necessary medicine. Five days after Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, flights have begun taking people out of New Orleans; busloads of people are heading west to Houston's Astrodome, which may be their home for sever ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Katrina: America's Worst Disaster and the American Red Cross Charitable donations in the aftermath of Katrina are unprecedented in US history--more than a billion dollars, with three-quarters going to the American Red Cross. But is the Red Cross providing immediate relief for hurricane victims as mandated by Congress? Small-town officials say the organization was nowhere to be found. Was it overwhelmed by the magnitude of the disaster? Did local laws and priorities get in the way? Will the Red Cross reimburse local churches and other charities th ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Googled! Will the Internet Come Back to Haunt You? The Internet is often called"virtual" reality, as if it had nothing to do with the real world. But because it stores vast amounts of information about almost everyone, the Internet can have tangible impact on everyday life. The CEO of Internet search engine Google didn't like it when personal information about him was published by a reporter who spent 30 minutes on Google. Yahoo, Microsoft MSN and other search engines know whom you talk to, what you talk about and what you're thi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website It's Down to the Wire for Iraq's New Constitution Iraq is currently governed by a temporary constitution, which stipulates that if a new constitution is not agreed on by midnight tonight, the interim government will go out of existence and new elections will have to be held. But Sunni Arabs who ruled under Saddam Hussein fear that Kurds and Shiites are making a deal to monopolize Iraq's oil. If they're not part of the action, the Sunnis could fuel an increasingly violent insurgency for a long time to come. After last-minute postponements, ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Do American Farm Subsidies Have a Future? Four years ago, in Doha, Qatar, the US and other major world economies vowed to reduce tariffs and subsidies that distort free international trade. Two years later, the talks dissolved in chaos. The last chance for agreement comes in December, and this week US Trade Representative Rob Portman announced that the US will cut subsidies by 60% by 2010, if Japan and Europe cut theirs by 80%. US farmers say their safety net is being given away, developing countries say the US and Europe are playi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What Does GM-UAW Deal Mean for American Workers? The US auto industry once led the manufacturing world, providing high wages, adequate health benefits and generous pensions. Now, auto-workers are among those getting squeezed out of what's called"economic recovery." After looking at General Motors'financial situation, United Auto Workers Union leaders have agreed to $15 billion in healthcare reductions. Delphi, the parts maker spun off from GM seven years ago, wants to impose a two-thirds pay cut to help the company out of bankrup ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Press, Karl Rove and a Stolen Election The Grand Jury is still out on whether Karl Rove committed perjury, obstructed justice or exposed a CIA agent. But Washington reporters are taking heat for protecting confidential White House sources when the real story should be the identity of a leaker. The media also are being questioned for playing down a Democratic report that Republican dirty tricks helped President Bush win Ohio last year. Are reporters trading their independence for high-level access? Is Rove the master of media man ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Harvest of Shame in America's Breadbasket? Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is perpetually at odds with the Democrats who control California's state legislature, but they've come to agreement on one thing. After four farm workers died from exposure last month, there was bipartisan support for emergency regulations to require protection from blistering heat. The incidents also cast new attention on the living and working conditions of the men and women who put the food on America's tables, 40 years after Cesar Chavez made ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Bush Administration's Woes and Its Image Abroad During the first term of his presidency, riding a post-September 11 crest of domestic popularity and with his party in control of both houses of Congress, President Bush set the US on a unilateral path in international relations. Today, on a wide range of foreign policy issues, and with his administration weakened by scandals and the post-war failures in Iraq the President -- and America's position in the world --- is different. His opponents at home and abroad may take joy in his chastenin ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Have Crimes Been Committed Inside the Bush White House? Lewis"Scooter" Libby has resigned after his indictment for perjury, making false statements and obstruction of justice. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald says the chief of staff to Dick Cheney"endangered national security" by revealing the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame. The Vice President, who accepted the resignation with"deep regret," reminded that Libby is presumed innocent until a contrary finding is made by a jury." Karl Rove, top political aide ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Political Thunderbolt: Hamas Wins Palestinian Elections After decades in power, the late Yasser Arafat's Fatah party has been ousted by Palestinian voters. Hamas, dedicated to the destruction of Israel, will now form a new government. Hamas won 76 of 132 seats in parliament; Fatah, the losing party of President Mahmoud Abbas, won just 43. At the White House today, President Bush called it"healthy" evidence of democracy in the Middle East, but said the US will not deal with an armed political group that advocates violence. Is Hamas pr ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iraq and the Prospect of All-Out Civil War After last week saw the worst sectarian violence since the US invasion, talks on forming a unity government in Iraq broke down. Now, a daytime curfew in Iraq has been lifted and the streets of Baghdad and other cities are quiet by current standards, although powerful tensions remain. Iraqi security forces are on high alert, but have been infiltrated by Shiite militias. Sunnis want militias of their own. Are political leaders--or religious clerics--really in charge? Will conflicts that da ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Dubai, Port Security and Ethnic Stereotyping Dubai Ports World won't take over terminals at six American ports until the Bush Administration has tried a selling job on the Congress. The State of New Jersey and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are going to court to stop it and Congress may pass legislation as soon as next week. Still, President Bush insists he'll veto any new law and that that treating Dubai as less trustworthy than other countries sends a"signal to the Middle East" that would be"disastrous.&q ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Dubai Ports Deal: Politics and National Security Democrats have dreamed about a chance to outflank President Bush on national security. Now, his own administration may have handed opponents an issue. At his cabinet meeting today, President Bush again defended allowing an Arab company to control terminals at ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. He called Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates,"a valuable partner" in the war on terror. But Republican leaders in Congress, right-wing talk r ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Dubai Ports Deal: Politics and National Security Democrats have dreamed about a chance to outflank President Bush on national security. Now, his own administration may have handed opponents an issue. At his cabinet meeting today, President Bush again defended allowing an Arab company to control terminals at ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. He called Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, "a valuable partner" in the war on terror. But Republican leaders in Congress, right-wing talk ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bird Flu, the Next World Pandemic? Bird flu is turning up all over the world--in birds. So far, the only humans affected are those in immediate contact with birds, but the virus is deadly. Of 170 humans that have been sickened by bird flu, 92 have died. But the spread of the virus in birds--from Asia to Africa and to Europe--has led to fears that it could mutate so it could pass from human to human, which could lead to an outbreak worldwide. Researchers simply don't know if bird flu will do that or just disappear. What t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bird Flu, the Next World Pandemic? Bird flu is turning up all over the world--in birds. So far, the only humans affected are those in immediate contact with birds, but the virus is deadly. Of 170 humans that have been sickened by bird flu, 92 have died. But the spread of the virus in birds--from Asia to Africa and to Europe--has led to fears that it could mutate so it could pass from human to human, which could lead to an outbreak worldwide. Researchers simply don't know if bird flu will do that or just disappear. What t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Has Guant--namo BayOutlived Its Usefulness? The treatment of prisoners at Guant--namo Bay"was clearly abusive" and"contrary to everything we were ever taught about American values." That comes not from a human rights group but the recently retired General Counsel for the United States Navy. President Bush has said repeatedly that the US does not"torture" so-called"enemy combatants" in the war on terror, but Alberto Mora, a Bush appointee, says there's no moral or practical distinction between Pentago ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Greenland's Glaciers Melting Fast Another alarm about Global Warming came with last week's report that glaciers in Greenland are melting faster than ever. Skeptics already are raising questions, adding that air and water pollution are much more immediate threats than rising sea levels. Some scientists claim that Earth is reaching a"tipping point," beyond which no conceivable effort will make a difference. Others say human beings will adapt to whatever happens. In the meantime, why not launch a satellite that cou ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Has Guant--namo Bay Outlived Its Usefulness? The treatment of prisoners at Guant--namo Bay"was clearly abusive" and"contrary to everything we were ever taught about American values." That comes not from a human rights group but the recently retired General Counsel for the United States Navy. President Bush has said repeatedly that the US does not"torture" so-called"enemy combatants" in the war on terror, but Alberto Mora, a Bush appointee, says there's no moral or practical distinction between Pentago ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Greenland's Glaciers Melting Fast Greenland's glaciers are melting into the oceans three times faster than they were ten years ago. Is global warming reaching a tipping point? Monday, on To the Point, can human efforts slow the rate of climate change... before it's too late? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Does Vice President Dick Cheney Have Too Much Power? Five days after last weekend's shooting accident in Texas, President Bush said Vice President Cheney's handling of it was"just fine" with him. But during the interim, it appeared there was growing tension between their staffs. Today, Cheney spoke out about it again during a speech in Wyoming. Outside the White House, even Republicans are asking if Cheney's unprecedented power and independence is damaging to the President. Has Cheney become a sort of"co-president" whose penc ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Does Vice President Dick Cheney Have Too Much Power? Five days after last weekend's shooting accident in Texas, President Bush said Vice President Cheney's handling of it was "just fine" with him. But during the interim, it appeared there was growing tension between their staffs. Today, Cheney spoke out about it again during a speech in Wyoming. Outside the White House, even Republicans are asking if Cheney's unprecedented power and independence is damaging to the President. Has Cheney become a sort of "co-president" whose pe ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Starving Out Hamas On Saturday, the newly elected Palestinian parliament will be sworn in, with Hamas in the majority for the first time. Hamas will not renounce violence or recognize the right of Israel to exist. So Israel plans to freeze $50 million a month in taxes and customs duties, money the Palestinian Authority needs to pay 140,000 employees, who support a third of the population. The US and Europe regard Hamas as a terrorist organization, which means a large portion of their aid to the Palestinians w ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Federal Response to Katrina Called'National Disgrace' Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff got a grilling today from Senators of both parties. Why did disaster workers run around"like Keystone cops" in response to Hurricane Katrina? At the same time, a committee of House Republicans called the federal response"a national disgrace." Even the Bush White House is said to be preparing a scathing report on the federal response to Katrina. There's a lot of tough talk on Capitol Hill, but will multiple, ongoing investigatio ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Starving Out Hamas On Saturday, the newly elected Palestinian parliament will be sworn in, with Hamas in the majority for the first time. Hamas will not renounce violence or recognize the right of Israel to exist. So Israel plans to freeze $50 million a month in taxes and customs duties, money the Palestinian Authority needs to pay 140,000 employees, who support a third of the population. The US and Europe regard Hamas as a terrorist organization, which means a large portion of their aid to the Palestinians w ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Unhappy Returns for American Veterans Medical advances and better armor mean that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are surviving wounds that killed soldiers in previous wars, but many who have not been disabled physically are coming home with other problems. The Army's Surgeon General says 30% of veterans have mental health problems three or four months after coming home. Reservists and National Guard members often don't get their jobs back, and unemployment for the youngest veterans is triple the national average. Senators of ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Federal Response to Katrina Called'National Disgrace' Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff got a grilling today from Senators of both parties. Why did disaster workers run around"like Keystone cops" in response to Hurricane Katrina? At the same time, a committee of House Republicans called the federal response"a national disgrace." Even the Bush White House is said to be preparing a scathing report on the federal response to Katrina. There's a lot of tough talk on Capitol Hill, but will multiple, ongoing investigatio ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Internet: Public Trust or Center for Private Profit? Telephone companies and cable operators, which invest billions in the electronic hardware that brings the Internet to consumers, want to change the way customers pay for that access. Instead of the current flat fees, they want different users to pay different amounts, according to how much they go on line and how fast they get service. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and eBay are among the Internet providers who claim that means corporate censorship of the marketplace of ideas. Consumer groups to ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Internet: Public Trust or Center for Private Profit? Telephone companies and cable operators, which invest billions in the electronic hardware that brings the Internet to consumers, want to change the way customers pay for that access. Instead of the current flat fees, they want different users to pay different amounts, according to how much they go on line and how fast they get service. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and eBay are among the Internet providers who claim that means corporate censorship of the marketplace of ideas. Consumer groups to ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Unhappy Returns for American Veterans Medical advances and better armor mean that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are surviving wounds that killed soldiers in previous wars, but many who have not been disabled physically are coming home with other problems. The Army's Surgeon General says 30% of veterans have mental health problems three or four months after coming home. Reservists and National Guard members often don't get their jobs back, and unemployment for the youngest veterans is triple the national average. Senators of ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative After the Soviet Union fired the first satellite into orbit, a crash program led the US to revolutionize science and technology. Now, among high school seniors in the world's top countries, the US ranks 16th in science and 19th in math. China, India--even South Korea and Singapore--are putting the US to shame, turning out highly skilled, innovative PhDs in science and engineering, pushing unfettered inquiry where the US once was unrivaled. President Bush says his Competitiveness Initiative ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative After the Soviet Union fired the first satellite into orbit, a crash program led the US to revolutionize science and technology. Now, among high school seniors in the world's top countries, the US ranks 16th in science and 19th in math. China, India--even South Korea and Singapore--are putting the US to shame, turning out highly skilled, innovative PhDs in science and engineering, pushing unfettered inquiry where the US once was unrivaled. President Bush says his Competitiveness Initiative ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are America's Top Executives Paid Too Much Money? With business leaders on trial and in prison, there's growing concern about executive compensation. American CEO's get more than 300 times the pay of an average worker. Golden parachutes, stock options and free use of company jets are hidden away in proxy statements or not reported at all. Some pay packages encourage decisions that are good for top executives but bad for their companies. We talk to business reporters, legal experts, contract negotiators and union strategists about CEO dema ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are America's Top Executives Paid Too Much Money? With business leaders on trial and in prison, there's growing concern about executive compensation. American CEO's get more than 300 times the pay of an average worker. Golden parachutes, stock options and free use of company jets are hidden away in proxy statements or not reported at all. Some pay packages encourage decisions that are good for top executives but bad for their companies. We talk to business reporters, legal experts, contract negotiators and union strategists about CEO dema ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bush's 2007 Budget: Guns and Butter in an Election Year The hundreds of billions of dollars involved in President Bush's latest budget are beyond the comprehension of most American taxpayers and most of the beneficiaries of federal programs. It proposes to cut domestic programs and increase defense spending, with still more money later on for Iraq and Afghanistan. The White House plan would also make tax cuts permanent and increase the deficit. Is defense spending driven by real security needs, the requirements of big corporations that live on f ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Domestic Spying: The Law and the Politics After Senators of both parties spent yesterday grilling the US Attorney General, even some Republicans say that President Bush is making an illegal power grab by claiming authority to wiretap Americans communicating with suspected terrorists overseas without a court order. Among them is Republican Committee Chair Arlen Spector, who said he was"not persuaded" by Alberto Gonzales. Democrats are treading carefully so as not to seem weak when it comes to the threat of terrorism on Ameri ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bush's 2007 Budget: Guns and Butter in an Election Year The hundreds of billions of dollars involved in President Bush's latest budget are beyond the comprehension of most American taxpayers and most of the beneficiaries of federal programs. It proposes to cut domestic programs and increase defense spending, with still more money later on for Iraq and Afghanistan. The White House plan would also make tax cuts permanent and increase the deficit. Is defense spending driven by real security needs, the requirements of big corporations that live on f ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Furor over Cartoons Mocking Prophet Mohammed Last September, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten challenged cartoonists to draw the Prophet Mohammed, claiming it wanted to test whether the artists would censor themselves due to fear of violence from radical Islamic immigrants. Islamic clerics then circulated the drawings in Muslim countries, reportedly adding cartoons that were much more offensive than the originals. In Europe itself, re-publication in the name of press freedom has sparked Islamic protests that, in turn, have provoke ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Domestic Spying: The Law and the Politics After Senators of both parties spent yesterday grilling the US Attorney General, even some Republicans say that President Bush is making an illegal power grab by claiming authority to wiretap Americans communicating with suspected terrorists overseas without a court order. Among them is Republican Committee Chair Arlen Spector, who said he was "not persuaded" by Alberto Gonzales. Democrats are treading carefully so as not to seem weak when it comes to the threat of terrorism on Amer ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Furor over Cartoons Mocking Prophet Mohammed Last September, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten challenged cartoonists to draw the Prophet Mohammed, claiming it wanted to test whether the artists would censor themselves due to fear of violence from radical Islamic immigrants. Islamic clerics then circulated the drawings in Muslim countries, reportedly adding cartoons that were much more offensive than the originals. In Europe itself, re-publication in the name of press freedom has sparked Islamic protests that, in turn, have provoke ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is the US'Winning'the War in Iraq? President Bush said Tuesday night, there's"a clear plan for victory" in Iraq and that"we are winning." He said,"The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home," but he did not say just what he meant by"winning." Today's Washington Post editorializes that his"actions... do not match the rhetoric," and that if the troops come home too soon they"will have lost." We get different views of what"winning" might look like and ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The State of the Union in an Election Year White House speechwriters reportedly worked on 30 drafts before completing last night's State of the Union address. President Bush spoke in the aftermath of the bungled response to Katrina, the failure to reform Social Security and the mess in Iraq. By comparison to his past State of the Union addresses, this one contained modest proposals. His statement that"America is addicted to oil" got a lot of the headlines, but there was little detail about getting off the petroleum economy ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is the US 'Winning' the War in Iraq? President Bush said Tuesday night, there's "a clear plan for victory" in Iraq and that "we are winning." He said, "The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home," but he did not say just what he meant by "winning." Today's Washington Post editorializes that his "actions... do not match the rhetoric," and that if the troops come home too soon they "will have lost." We get different views of what "winning" might look li ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The State of the Union in an Election Year White House speechwriters reportedly worked on 30 drafts before completing last night's State of the Union address. President Bush spoke in the aftermath of the bungled response to Katrina, the failure to reform Social Security and the mess in Iraq. By comparison to his past State of the Union addresses, this one contained modest proposals. His statement that "America is addicted to oil" got a lot of the headlines, but there was little detail about getting off the petroleum econom ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What's Up with the Democrats? Judge Samuel Alito was confirmed today to the US Supreme Court, and tonight President Bush gets the bully pulpit for his State of the Union address. For Democrats, the President's many weaknesses provide a moment of opportunity, but the Alito nomination showed how divided they are. Some call today's failed filibuster a good idea. Others say it'll hurt Democrats in Red states. Angry liberals are asking why a conservative Virginian was picked to respond to President Bush. We hear about the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Bush and the State of America's Healthcare Since President and Hillary Clinton's ill-fated proposals in 1993, the cost of healthcare has doubled and more people than ever have no health insurance at all. In tomorrow's State of the Union Address, President Bush is expected to propose a plan derived from his ideas about ---an ownership society,--- like last year's Social Security reform. As always, the devil is in the details. Health Savings Accounts would shift the costs of medical care from corporate employers to patients themselv ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What's Up with the Democrats? Judge Samuel Alito was confirmed today to the US Supreme Court, and tonight President Bush gets the bully pulpit for his State of the Union address. For Democrats, the President's many weaknesses provide a moment of opportunity, but the Alito nomination showed how divided they are. Some call today's failed filibuster a good idea. Others say it'll hurt Democrats in Red states. Angry liberals are asking why a conservative Virginian was picked to respond to President Bush. We hear about the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Six-Party Talks Resume In the year since disarmament talks were suspended, North Korea claims that it's been constructing more nuclear weapons. As China, Japan, South Korea and Russia all prepare to resume six-nation discussions tomorrow in Beijing, the US has publicly acknowledged bi-lateral consultations with North Korea. While that's what Pyongyang has long demanded, the US official in charge says they were"just trying to get acquainted." If the talks fail, how dangerous might North Korea become? We ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website More London Bombings as Congress Debates the Patriot Act London today experienced what police call"attempted" bombings with eerie similarities to those of two weeks ago, but this time, there were no deaths and only a single injury. As police investigate possible links, Prime Minister Blair is urging Londoners to get on with their lives. Today's incident comes just as the Congress considering possible amendments to the Patriot Act, passed just 45 days after September 11, with"sunset" provision that will go out of effect unless the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Dis-organization of American Labor Yesterday, the AFL-CIO consisted of 56 unions. Today, as the organization continues it 50th birthday celebration in Chicago, the Teamsters and the Service Employees International have taken away some 25 percent of the AFL-CIO-s working members and a lot of its budget, creating the biggest split in the labor movement since the Depression. Other unions may follow. Is this week-s split about principle or personality and money? Can the dissenting unions re-start the organized labor movement ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Energy Bill and America's Future Congress has passed the energy bill. If the Senate does too, President Bush says he-ll sign. It-s a massive piece of legislation, but what ordinary Americans are likely to see is an extension of daylight savings time. While Republican leaders call it a -great first major step- toward energy independence, even supporters concede the bill won-t cut gasoline prices or reduce dependence on foreign oil. It bypasses global climate change altogether. Is it a blueprint for a safer America or a mi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Super Human? When he won his seventh consecutive Tour de France on Sunday, he was called a freak of nature, able to use oxygen more efficiently than any other human being. Geneticists, neuroscientists and other specialists are working on innovations that could make any of us into a Lance Armstrong. From robots that will enter our bloodstream to devour cancer cells and near-infrared wavelengths that will heal a soldier's wound right on the battlefield to a pill that could improve a child's SAT score by 2 ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website London Bombings, Transit Safety and International Terror British police killed a man in a London subway today and released closed-circuit TV pictures of four suspects in yesterday's aborted bombings. President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair have insisted that terrorists are motivated not by their policies, but by an ideology of hatred against the western lifestyle and values. Though the Independent says senior ministers have dismissed the Iraq connection by disparaging their critics, the London paper now says that"an authoritative report ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Terrorism, Shoot-to-Kill and America's Local Police After transit attacks in London, terrorism is considered inevitable in the United States, with the burden falling on local police. That means 18,000 separate departments with little specialized training and no access to the centralized intelligence said to be"key" to preventing attacks. Is it really possible to stop a determined suicide bomber? Will ethnic profiling antagonize moderate Muslims at the time they're most needed in the fight against Islamic extremists? We hear about c ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Bush and the State of America's Healthcare Since President and Hillary Clinton's ill-fated proposals in 1993, the cost of healthcare has doubled and more people than ever have no health insurance at all. In tomorrow's State of the Union Address, President Bush is expected to propose a plan derived from his ideas about ---an ownership society,--- like last year's Social Security reform. As always, the devil is in the details. Health Savings Accounts would shift the costs of medical care from corporate employers to patients themselv ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hamas Victory, a New Political Reality in the Middle East In Gaza today, angry demonstrators blamed President Mahmoud Abbas for his Fatah Party's stunning defeat in Palestinian elections. In the West Bank, Abbas himself asked the winning Hamas to form a new government. The stunning victory of the militant group has set off blame-games in both Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and has become the major issue in Israel's election campaign. Will the burdens of governance force Hamas to abandon violence and accept Israel's right to exist? Will ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hamas Victory, a New Political Reality in the Middle East In Gaza today, angry demonstrators blamed President Mahmoud Abbas for his Fatah Party's stunning defeat in Palestinian elections. In the West Bank, Abbas himself asked the winning Hamas to form a new government. The stunning victory of the militant group has set off blame-games in both Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and has become the major issue in Israel's election campaign. Will the burdens of governance force Hamas to abandon violence and accept Israel's right to exist? Will ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Political Thunderbolt: Hamas Wins Palestinian Elections After decades in power, the late Yasser Arafat's Fatah party has been ousted by Palestinian voters. Hamas, dedicated to the destruction of Israel, will now form a new government. Hamas won 76 of 132 seats in parliament; Fatah, the losing party of President Mahmoud Abbas, won just 43. At the White House today, President Bush called it"healthy" evidence of democracy in the Middle East, but said the US will not deal with an armed political group that advocates violence. Is Hamas pr ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Hunt for Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden's been heard from again, sounding weak and unhealthy after four years on the run and the loss of top-level supporters, but students of al Qaeda say word that he's still alive could inspire other terrorists to carry out threats he can't make good on himself. After meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, President Bush said he'll visit Pakistan in March. Bush has said nothing in public about the recent air strikes that killed 13 Pakistani civilians, but not their ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Do Ford and Other US Auto Manufacturers Have a Future? The Ford Motor Company is following General Motors with factory closings and brutal cutbacks in North American operations. Henry Ford invented assembly-line mass-production and paid his workers enough that they could buy the cars they were making. Now great-grandson Bill is laying off some 30,000 North American workers, because the cars they produce aren't selling. While the CEO says he plans to fight Toyota and win, skeptics say he's not confronting the real cost of union labor, and that ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Do Ford and Other US Auto Manufacturers Have a Future? The Ford Motor Company is following General Motors with factory closings and brutal cutbacks in North American operations. Henry Ford invented assembly-line mass-production and paid his workers enough that they could buy the cars they were making. Now great-grandson Bill is laying off some 30,000 North American workers, because the cars they produce aren't selling. While the CEO says he plans to fight Toyota and win, skeptics say he's not confronting the real cost of union labor, and that ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Hunt for Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden's been heard from again, sounding weak and unhealthy after four years on the run and the loss of top-level supporters, but students of al Qaeda say word that he's still alive could inspire other terrorists to carry out threats he can't make good on himself. After meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, President Bush said he'll visit Pakistan in March. Bush has said nothing in public about the recent air strikes that killed 13 Pakistani civilians, but not their ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Search No Evil: The Bush DOJ, Internet Porn and Google The Bush Justice Department has subpoenaed four Internet search giants for information on what users search for on the web. Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL have all complied, but Google has refused to supply information about millions of search queries by its users. While the government says it's trying to protect children from the booming business of online pornography, privacy advocates worry that the request may set a precedent for more invasive Big Brother-type demands. Just how private is t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Search No Evil: The Bush DOJ, Internet Porn and Google The Bush Justice Department has subpoenaed four Internet search giants for information on what users search for on the web. Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL have all complied, but Google has refused to supply information about millions of search queries by its users. While the government says it's trying to protect children from the booming business of online pornography, privacy advocates worry that the request may set a precedent for more invasive Big Brother-type demands. Just how private is t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What Happens When Women Take Power? Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria has written that"one of the quiet, unreported tidal waves of the past decade is the rise of women in public life." The past few weeks have seen the first women heads of state in Africa and South America and the first woman Chancellor of Germany. Iraq's new parliament will be 25% female. In 1990, Mary Robinson became the first female President of Ireland. For the next seven years, she increased the profile ofan office with limited powers. In 1997, she was ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Lobbying: Will Congress Reform Itself? Today's Wall Street Journal editorializes that both Democrat and Republican lobby reforms of the practices that produced the Jack Abramoff scandal and brought down Tom DeLay are"hilariously predictable." Others agree, partly because the reforms would limit what lobbyists do, rather than members of Congress themselves. What about"earmarking" money on behalf of special interests? Does refusal to deal with campaign financing create a major loophole? We look at proposals from ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What Happens When Women Take Power? Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria has written that "one of the quiet, unreported tidal waves of the past decade is the rise of women in public life." The past few weeks have seen the first women heads of state in Africa and South America and the first woman Chancellor of Germany. Iraq's new parliament will be 25% female. In 1990, Mary Robinson became the first female President of Ireland. For the next seven years, she increased the profile of an office with limited powers. In 1997, she wa ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran, Diplomacy and the Military Option Iran is adamant about research that could lead to nuclear weapons, so Western Europe is no longer playing"good cop" to America's"bad cop." In just two weeks, the International Atomic Energy Agency's policy board will meet to decide if Iran should be referred to the UN Security Council. Israel is the latest nation asking Russia to approve in advance a package of sanctions if Iran continues the research program that could lead to nuclear weapons. Even if Russia and China go ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Brave New World of Nanotechnology Nanotechnology means manipulating atoms to make things that are a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Most Americans may never have heard of it, but it's already an important part of many consumer products. Cosmetics, stain-resistant fabrics, golf balls and computers all contain these manufactured components that are invisible to the human eye. Medical cures and pollution controls could be next, producing a one trillion-dollar industry by 2015--unless some unexpected ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran, Diplomacy and the Military Option Iran is adamant about research that could lead to nuclear weapons, so Western Europe is no longer playing"good cop" to America's"bad cop." In just two weeks, the International Atomic Energy Agency's policy board will meet to decide if Iran should be referred to the UN Security Council. Israel is the latest nation asking Russia to approve in advance a package of sanctions if Iran continues the research program that could lead to nuclear weapons. Even if Russia and China go ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Brave New World of Nanotechnology Nanotechnology means manipulating atoms to make things that are a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Most Americans may never have heard of it, but it's already an important part of many consumer products. Cosmetics, stain-resistant fabrics, golf balls and computers all contain these manufactured components that are invisible to the human eye. Medical cures and pollution controls could be next, producing a one trillion-dollar industry by 2015--unless some unexpected ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Future of Stem Cell Research, The Aftermath of Outright Fraud Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk really did clone Snuppy the puppy, but his claim of creating stem cells from human patients turned out to be faked. His admission of fraud cast doubt on predictions that stem cell research might lead to treatments or cures of human diseases. It's also cast doubt on the credibility of Science magazine, which published his claim. America's Catholic Bishops are among those now ridiculing stem cell research itself as the chasing of"miracle cures" for the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Future of Stem Cell Research, The Aftermath of Outright Fraud Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk really did clone Snuppy the puppy, but his claim of creating stem cells from human patients turned out to be faked. His admission of fraud cast doubt on predictions that stem cell research might lead to treatments or cures of human diseases. It's also cast doubt on the credibility of Science magazine, which published his claim. America's Catholic Bishops are among those now ridiculing stem cell research itself as the chasing of"miracle cures" for the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Blueprint for Rebuilding New Orleans Unveiled President Bush said yesterday that New Orleans is making progress, but ignored angry protests over the city's latest plans for renewal. Mayor Ray Nagin's Commission to Bring New Orleans Back would give residents four months to prove they can rebuild devastated neighborhoods--or lose their property. The New Orleans Times Picayune says"the most controversial question [is] whether the city's footprint should be made smaller to reflect a population expected to reach only half its pre-Katrin ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Blueprint for Rebuilding New Orleans Unveiled President Bush said yesterday that New Orleans is making progress, but ignored angry protests over the city's latest plans for renewal. Mayor Ray Nagin's Commission to Bring New Orleans Back would give residents four months to prove they can rebuild devastated neighborhoods--or lose their property. The New Orleans Times Picayune says"the most controversial question [is] whether the city's footprint should be made smaller to reflect a population expected to reach only half its pre-Katrin ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Presidential Power in Wartime In today's final round of questions, Senate Democrats pressed Judge Samuel Alito about presidential power, especially in wartime. Torture, domestic spying and the war in Iraq itself raise constitutional issues that could find their way to the US Supreme Court. One issue that hasn't been raised--but which has become part of the public debate--is the power to declare war itself. Does the Constitution really mean that only Congress can declare war or can the President do what he wants to pro ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Reporters, Sources and Confidentiality Weeks after Judith Miller got out of prison, the argument over confidential news sources continues on Capitol Hill. Such sources provide reporters with information only if they're promised they won't be identified. Though in 1972 the US Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment does not protect anonymity in federal cases, prosecutors have been reluctant to pursue reporters unless there's no other way to obtain information they need. Now, prosecutors and judges all over the country are de ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Presidential Power in Wartime In today's final round of questions, Senate Democrats pressed Judge Samuel Alito about presidential power, especially in wartime. Torture, domestic spying and the war in Iraq itself raise constitutional issues that could find their way to the US Supreme Court. One issue that hasn't been raised--but which has become part of the public debate--is the power to declare war itself. Does the Constitution really mean that only Congress can declare war or can the President do what he wants to pro ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Changing the Rules on Washington Lobbying A Washington firm has shut down its lobbying operation due to press reports about its ties to Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff. Under indictment in Texas, DeLay's given up his post as House Majority Leader, and Abramoff's talking to the FBI, but House Speaker Dennis Hastert still is promising major reform. Has the growth of government, combined with human nature, made corruption inevitable? Reformers say it's time to abandon that cynical view and get on with the job of cleaning up Capitol Hil ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Reporters, Sources and Confidentiality Weeks after Judith Miller got out of prison, the argument over confidential news sources continues on Capitol Hill. Such sources provide reporters with information only if they're promised they won't be identified. Though in 1972 the US Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment does not protect anonymity in federal cases, prosecutors have been reluctant to pursue reporters unless there's no other way to obtain information they need. Now, prosecutors and judges all over the country are de ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Changing the Rules on Washington Lobbying A Washington firm has shut down its lobbying operation due to press reports about its ties to Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff. Under indictment in Texas, DeLay's given up his post as House Majority Leader, and Abramoff's talking to the FBI, but House Speaker Dennis Hastert still is promising major reform. Has the growth of government, combined with human nature, made corruption inevitable? Reformers say it's time to abandon that cynical view and get on with the job of cleaning up Capitol Hil ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Israel and the Middle East after Ariel Sharon Despite three brain surgeries in less than a week, Ariel Sharon shows signs of life. He is able to breathe on his own and has responded to pain tests, but his own surgeon says he will not return as Prime Minister of Israel. It will take days to awaken him from an induced coma and doctors will then pass their assessmentsto Attorney General Meni Mazuz. Until Sharon is finally declared incapacitated, his chair will be left empty at cabinet meetings as it was yesterday with Ehud Olmert presid ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Israel and the Middle East after Ariel Sharon Despite three brain surgeries in less than a week, Ariel Sharon shows signs of life. He is able to breathe on his own and has responded to pain tests, but his own surgeon says he will not return as Prime Minister of Israel. It will take days to awaken him from an induced coma and doctors will then pass their assessments to Attorney General Meni Mazuz. Until Sharon is finally declared incapacitated, his chair will be left empty at cabinet meetings as it was yesterday with Ehud Olmert presi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Judging US Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito President Bush's latest nominee is a mainstream conservative to supporters, but liberal opponents call him a dangerous ideologue way to the right of retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The American Bar Association, no special friend of the Bush White House, gives Alito its highest recommendation, but his opponents say their concerns go all the way back to his application for work in the Justice Department of President Ronald Reagan. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Judging US Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito President Bush's latest nominee is a mainstream conservative to supporters, but liberal opponents call him a dangerous ideologue way to the right of retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The American Bar Association, no special friend of the Bush White House, gives Alito its highest recommendation, but his opponents say their concerns go all the way back to his application for work in the Justice Department of President Ronald Reagan. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Abramoff, Washington Lobbyists and the Business of Government The Jack Abramoff scandal has exposed how the growth of lobbying has made Washington a profit center for American corporations. Some $2 billion to $6 billion a year are being spent on influence peddling, which means opportunities for both legal profit-making and widespread corruption. Do ordinary citizens have a chance of being heard by their elected officials? What does it mean for America's role as a model democracy? We speak with lobbyists and others about how the system works, how it ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Abramoff, Washington Lobbyists and the Business of Government The Jack Abramoff scandal has exposed how the growth of lobbying has made Washington a profit center for American corporations. Some $2 billion to $6 billion a year are being spent on influence peddling, which means opportunities for both legal profit-making and widespread corruption. Do ordinary citizens have a chance of being heard by their elected officials? What does it mean for America's role as a model democracy? We speak with lobbyists and others about how the system works, how it ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Change in Strategy at the Department of Homeland Security Columbus, Ohio, used homeland security money on body armor for firehouse dogs. Newark, New Jersey air conditioned its garbage trucks. The State of Wyoming and North Pole, Alaska--which got $500,000 to protect just 1700 people, get more per capita to prepare for terrorism than New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. Now, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says funds to fight terrorism aren't"party favors to be distributed as widely as possible," asserting that"tough choices ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will the New Year Bring a New Reality to Iraq? The final election results might not be official for two weeks, but Iraqi politicians already are making deals as they work to form a new government. One Sunni group is bargaining with Shiites and Kurds, cutting out other Sunnis and America's secular favorite, Iyad Allawi. Meantime, current Iraqi officials say a US air strike killed 12 family members, including two children. Is this the recipe for a stable democracy or a prelude to civil war? Will Iraq's neighbors begin to get in on the a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Change in Strategy at the Department of Homeland Security Columbus, Ohio, used homeland security money on body armor for firehouse dogs. Newark, New Jersey air conditioned its garbage trucks. The State of Wyoming and North Pole, Alaska--which got $500,000 to protect just 1700 people, get more per capita to prepare for terrorism than New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. Now, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says funds to fight terrorism aren't "party favors to be distributed as widely as possible," asserting that "tough choic ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will the New Year Bring a New Reality to Iraq? The final election results might not be official for two weeks, but Iraqi politicians already are making deals as they work to form a new government. One Sunni group is bargaining with Shiites and Kurds, cutting out other Sunnis and America's secular favorite, Iyad Allawi. Meantime, current Iraqi officials say a US air strike killed 12 family members, including two children. Is this the recipe for a stable democracy or a prelude to civil war? Will Iraq's neighbors begin to get in on the a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website America's Energy Future Makes for Strange Bedfellows Despite Republican and Democrats'claims to"do something," the price of gasoline is by no means under control and the jury's still out on this year's energy bill. Meantime, two unlikely allies are pushing for cars they claim could get 500 miles to the gallon--with available technology and alternative fuels. Environmentalists want to clean up the air. Hawks and neo-cons say dependence on fossil fuels is a threat to security. Would the technology really work? Would it require mo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Movies Get Political From the battle between Joseph McCarthy and Edward R. Murrow, to terrorism and oil in the Middle East, the recent films coming out of Hollywood seem like a throwback to the days of the politically charged Network and China Syndrome. Just a year or two ago, Good Night and Good Luck or Syriana might have been called un-American. Not today. Steven Spielberg's Munich, which opened just a week ago, has already prompted an outpouring of reactions to its tale of Israeli revenge against terrorists ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website America's Energy Future Makes for Strange Bedfellows Despite Republican and Democrats' claims to "do something," the price of gasoline is by no means under control and the jury's still out on this year's energy bill. Meantime, two unlikely allies are pushing for cars they claim could get 500 miles to the gallon--with available technology and alternative fuels. Environmentalists want to clean up the air. Hawks and neo-cons say dependence on fossil fuels is a threat to security. Would the technology really work? Would it require ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hollywood's Summer of Discontent Hollywood's dismal box office has been widely reported this summer, but there's a vast range of differing explanations. Edward Jay Epstein's new book, The Big Picture, contains some stunning statistics. In 1948, 90 million Americas, or 65 percent of the population went to the movies. Last year, the number was down to 30 million or 10 percent. Whatever the reason, 73 percent of respondents in one poll said they'd rather watch movies at home. Is it home-entertainment centers, economic unce ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shuttle Trouble Space-walking astronauts replaced a gyroscope on the International Space Station today, while NASA was trying to determine if trying to fix Shuttle Discovery would make its re-entry into the atmosphere safer or riskier still. Meantime, despite 2 1/2 years and $100 million, NASA admits that it launched Discovery without solving the foam-tile problem that led to the Columbia disaster 30 months ago. Has the Shuttle program outlived its usefulness? Are its missions worth the risk? Would gro ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What Happened to the Atkins'Diet? Dr. Robert Atkins was a cardiologist who determined that low-fat foods with high carbohydrates led to obesity. By experimenting on himself and his patients, he found they could lose weight by cutting carbohydrates and getting protein from meat and other foods full of fat. Atkins'Diet Revolution sold 20 million copies in more than 20 languages, spawning an industry based on low-carb foods, but the craze has suddenly declined, so much that Atkins Nutritionals has declared bankruptcy. Why has ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website War of Terror Becomes Struggle against Global Extremism After September 11, President Bush said a"war on terror" would bring the nation together. Others in the Administration argued that"war" didn't fit the reality of the threat faced by America. Last week, at the National Press Club, the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he never liked the idea of calling it"war" because"the long term problem is more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military." Richard Myers and other administration offi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are Pharmaceutical Companies Selling Sickness? Millions of Americans are using a rising number of prescription drugs for conditions ranging from teenage shyness to menopause. In 1993, the average number of annual prescriptions per person was seven; in 2004, it was 12--and growing. Once, we were grateful for a prescription to soothe a migraine headache or extreme stomach flu. Now, our medicine cabine