KCRW's To the Point

Religion and Warfare: Does God Choose Sides?

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST

The Fort Hood shootings have raised disturbing questions about Islamic radicalism in the US military. What about Evangelical Christianity? Does it pose its own kind of dangers, especially with US troops on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan? Also, the first EU president, and Oprah Winfrey calls it quits ? at the same time she plans for the future.

Will Healthcare Reform Get to the Senate Floor?

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:13:07 EST

Democrats finally have a healthcare reform bill they want to get to the Senate floor before next week's Thanksgiving vacation. Republicans will use all available parliamentary maneuvers to prevent that from happening. We hear how the bill compares to the House version and assess its chances. Also, Afghan President Karzai's inauguration, and a judge says the disaster following Hurricane Katrina was man made. Will the federal government be on the hook for billions in damages?

Global Warming: Can it Still Be Turned Around?

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:12:47 EST

The international consensus is that next month's meeting in Copenhagen will not produce the expected binding agreement for action on Global Warming. What happened to the sense of urgency? Can President Obama take the lead without both houses of Congress? Also, the Attorney General is grilled about his decision on 9/11 trials, and the President and the Secretary of State on what's next for Afghanistan.

Closing Guantanamo: Easier Said than Done

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:55:05 EST

To make good on his promise to close Guantanamo Bay, President Obama needs to re-locate more than 200 prisoners. One likely location in northwestern Illinois has set off a political firestorm, and there's ongoing dispute over how to clear up all those cases. Also, the President's trip to China, and British soldiers are ordered to pay off the Taliban.

'Job One' for the President: Creating Jobs

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:36 EST

Bill Clinton won the White House by never forgetting that "it's the economy, stupid." Now unemployment looms as big or bigger for Barack Obama than healthcare or climate change. What more can the government to do create jobs? Can it happen before next year's mid-term elections? Also, President Obama's town-hall meeting in Shanghai, and Sarah Palin, the book the Presidency and the polls.

A Trial for Terrorists in New York City

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of 9/11, will be tried in the federal court just blocks from where the World Trade Towers once stood in New York City. On Reporter's Notebook, former US diplomat Peter Galbraith reacts to claims he had a conflict of interest while helping to write Iraq's new constitution.

The President's Trip to Asia: Substance and Symbols

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:45:52 EST

As President Obama visits Asia, the US is still in deep trouble while China is riding high. What does America want, and what can it provide in the newest world order? Also, the US ambassador to Afghanistan says hold that surge, and chimpanzees, human beings and the genetics of speech.

Iran: Complications and Contradictions

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:26 EST

Political divisions inside Iran appear to be threatening a nuclear deal with the West, even though both Iranian factions may want it to happen. We ask, what are its chances?and what's liable to happen if it doesn't go through? Also, paying tribute to America's veterans, and the ravages of PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Could the Fort Hood Shootings Have Been Prevented?

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:17:07 EST

Twelve American soldiers and one civilian were gunned down last Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas. Were they victims of terrorism? Could the incident have been prevented? What does it mean for military diversity in a world plagued by cultural and religious confrontations? Also, North and South Korean ships exchange fire, and nuclear disarmament produces nuclear power.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: The Fall of the Berlin Wall

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:50:20 EST

There are huge celebrations in Berlin, as world leaders gather to mark an event that changed the face of the world. It was twenty years ago today that the Berlin Wall came down. Guest host Sara Terry asks whether the past two decades have lived up to the promise of that moment, and how the end of the Cold War era shaped the political and economic realities of today. Also, the Supreme Court considers life sentences for children, and why pro-choice activists are upset with the vote on healthcare reform.

Stress in the Military

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Two of the biggest issues faced by soldiers and combat veterans are stress and mental health. At Walter Reed Hospital, doctors have enlisted psychiatric service dogs to help treat soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. What role does man's best friend play in healing? What can be done to catch signs of an impending breakdown before it's too late? Guest host Sara Terry gets an update on yesterday's shootings at Fort Hood, looks at the role stress might have played and learns about the evolving role of psychiatric service dogs.

Global Warming and National Security

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:53:00 EST

Nobody doubts that dealing with global warming will be expensive, so supporters of climate change legislation are raising questions of national security. Is that a diversionary tactic or will climate change increase terrorism, force mass migration and destabilize entire regions? Also, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas threatens to retire. On Reporter's Notebook, we ask the man who ran Barak Obama's "perfect" campaign what happened on Tuesday.

Local Elections and National Politics

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:57:00 EST

Republicans took governorships from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. A Democrat took a congressional seat from Republicans in upstate New York. Maine voters said "no" to same-sex marriage. What messages?if any--do so-called "off-year elections" carry about national politics? Also, an Italian judge convicts 23 Americans in a renditions case, and Warren Buffett and America?s railroads.

Settlements, War Crimes and Middle East Peace

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:11:35 EST

In the Middle East, Hillary Clinton has walked into the familiar buzz-saw of Arab-Israeli politics, and Congress is about to condemn the UN's "Goldstone Report." What's happening to President Obama's "new start" with the Muslim world? Also, Afghan President Hamid Karzai takes office, and healthcare reform and "spiritual healing."

A 'Credible' Afghanistan?; The Cost of Renewable Energy

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST

How clean are the "clean" fuels being subsidized by the Obama Administration? Also, Afghanistan and President Obama?s decision on whether to send more American troops.