To the Point

Latest Episodes:

A Resurgent Russia and a 'Soft' Cold War? Jun 19, 2006

Show notes

Next month in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin will host the G-8 Summit, a gathering of the world's most highly-industrialized nations. Russia's inclusion originally was promoted as a means of "integration" into the western world after the Cold War. As the US prepares the summit, relations between the two countries are going sour. Presidents Bush and Putin are friendly, but Vice President Cheney has been publicly critical of Russia's democracy and its power plays with gas and oil. Has Russia given up on its effort to integrate with the West? Has European dependence on Russian resources given Putin extraordinary new power despite his country's military decline? We talk to experts in Moscow and the US about what to expect when it comes to Iran and other contentious issues. Making News: Prosecutor Urges Death Penalty for SaddamAt the trial of Saddam Hussein today, the chief prosecutor called for the death penalty. Scott Peterson is in Baghdad, covering the story for the Christian Science Monitor. He offers both an update on the trial and on the search for three missing America servicemen.Reporter's Notebook: Global Crop Seeds to Be Locked in Arctic VaultMany food crops around the world already are in danger of becoming extinct. Climate change or an asteroid strike could bring an end to them all. So, the "doomsday vault" is being built to safeguard enough seeds to resurrect the world's vegetation. Today, the prime ministers of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland laid the cornerstone near Longearbyen, Norway, inside the Arctic Circle. Cary Fowler is Executive Secretary of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, which will run the vault.

Does Ocean Monument Signal a Sea-change on Environment? Jun 16, 2006

Show notes

The Antiquities Act of 1906 allows presidents to designate national monuments. Carter, Clinton and Theodore Roosevelt used it more than 15 times. Nixon and Bush, Sr. never used it. Until yesterday, George W. Bush had used it just once, to protect an 18th century cemetery for emancipated slaves and blacks. Now, he's created the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, an area almost as large as California and bigger than all the national parks combined. Today, the United Nation's Environment Program says 60% of the world's oceans are at risk, while some fishing interests are saying the President acted too hastily after viewing a PBS documentary. Is there a change of heart for an administration condemned by environmentalists as one of the worst ever? What about parks, monuments and private interests in the continental US? Making News: House Passes Iraq ResolutionWhat's been labeled "Iraq Week" began with the President's surprise visit to Baghdad. It wrapped up today with fierce partisanship on Capitol Hill, where the House approved a nonbinding resolution to support American troops and not set a timetable for pulling out of Iraq. Maura Reynolds is reporting the story for the Los Angeles Times.Reporter's Notebook: Southern Baptists Take a Populist TurnThe Southern Baptist Convention is America's largest Protestant denomination. Since theological conservatives took over in 1979, the leadership has been unchallenged at annual meetings. This year, instead of the establishment's presidential candidate, delegates chose Frank Page, who promised some changes. After his election, the reverend told reporters he's not planning to undo the "conservative resurgence." Robert Parham is Executive Director of the Baptist Center for Ethics in Nashville, Tennessee.

Is the Crackdown on Crime a Failing Investment? Jun 15, 2006

Show notes

FBI statistics released this week show the first increase in violent crime in the past four years. Meantime, a bipartisan panel says Americans are getting a dismal return on the $60 billion they spend every year on prisons. Get-tough laws have led to massive over-crowding that allows gangs to take over; ex-convicts are returned to society without the resources to cope. What happens inside the prisons has a lot to do with what happens outside. Is it time for another look at rehabilitation? We hear from journalists, prison authorities, corrections authorities, social-justice advocates and a member of the prison commission, who says, "If these were public schools or publicly traded corporations, we'd shut them down."Making News: Iraq Declares the "Beginning of the End" of al-QaedaAs the death toll of American troops reached 2500 today, Congress staged a debate on Iraq, with Republicans using 74-pages of arguments prepared by the Pentagon. In Iraq itself, the new government claimed the "beginning of the end" to al-Qaeda in Iraq. Scott Peterson is in Baghdad for the Christian Science Monitor.Reporter's Notebook: President Bush Establishes National Monument around HawaiiEnvironmentalists are among the most outspoken critics of the Bush Administration, but today they're saying he's done something right. Today, President Bush created the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, the world's largest marine protected area. One environmentalist calls it "as important as the establishment of Yellowstone." Paul Rogers is reporting the story for the San Jose Mercury News.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

To the Point

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6