To the Point
117 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 573 ratingsA monthly reality-check on the issues Americans care about most. Host Warren Olney draws on his decades of experience to explore the people and issues shaping – and disrupting - our world. How did everything change so fast? Where are we headed? The conversations are informal, edgy and always informative. If Warren's asking, you want to know the answer.
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Episodes
Should local police be warriors or guardians?
June 25, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourAfter killings and other violence recorded on camera, Black Lives Matter supporters are demanding police reform. Also an update on a potential travel ban from the European Union and the latest on the much anticipated June decisions from the Supreme Court.
Is the American identity undergoing a transformation?
June 18, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourLess than a month after the police killing of George Floyd, the protests around the country continue. Diverse Americans are expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Is the country undergoing a transformation? Also: Ezekiel Emanuel on what Americans can learn from other countries when it comes to health care.
KCRW Presents: Samaritans
June 13, 2020 16:00 - 22 minutesA four-part documentary series from KCRW. In the first episode of Samaritans, we meet Christine Curtiss, learn where she came from and what her everyday life is like on the street. She has a community of friends in Mid-City, LA who look out for her. One of them enlists the local government. Follow her story and unpack the homeless experience in LA.
The link between racial and environmental injustice
June 11, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourThe police killing of George Floyd has protesters focusing on another key issue — environmental injustice. Will a historically white environmental movement embrace racial justice and equality? Separately in the podcast, KCRW hears from two people who are anxiously awaiting this month’s Supreme Court decision on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
Melina Abdullah: It’s a mistake to equate what happens to property with what happens to black lives
June 04, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourThe killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis has inspired nationwide protests against injustice and police violence. Marchers are targeting cities of white affluence. What does all this say about confronting racism in America?
How dogs and tech can detect COVID-19
June 01, 2020 07:00 - 48 minutesTech titans like Apple, Google and Facebook are about to get low-tech competition to help detect the novel coronavirus. Labradors and Cocker Spaniels are being trained to sniff out COVID-19.
What makes cities vulnerable to COVID-19? Concentrated poverty, says econ professor
May 28, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourDisease has thrived among dense populations since cities began. But COVID-19 is the worst example since 1918, and New York City is America’s primary victim. Can New York and other cities survive this pandemic? Also, Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, explains what we can learn from history.
Will COVID-19 reshape political conventions?
May 21, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourParty Conventions nominated presidents since 1831. Will Covid-19 put an end to balloons, bunting and long-winded speeches? Will it also put an end to privacy?
Gene Sperling on economic dignity and wage gap for frontline workers
May 14, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourIn his latest book, “Economic Dignity,” former White House advisor Gene Sperling lays out the case for the dignity of work. Only when all workers are valued, he argues, will we do better as a society. Also, can the U.S. Postal Service survive? Some local post offices may be closing soon — what’s the impact on November’s election?
Digital Darwinism and COVID-19: Businesses must adapt or perish in new economy
May 09, 2020 16:00 - 35 minutesBrian Solis, digital anthropologist and a global innovation evangelist at Salesforce, talks about how the novel coronavirus will spark innovation, and how companies and businesses must “adapt or die” in the new economy.
How will COVID-19 leave its mark on health care?
May 07, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourThe coronavirus pandemic exposes collapsing medical systems around the world, as well as weaknesses with health care in the United States. Can COVID-19 force these systems to change for the better?
With demand for oil at an all-time low, will there be new opportunities for renewable energy?
April 30, 2020 07:00 - 59 minutesTwenty-seven massive tankers float off the Port of LA, loaded with oil that has no place to go. Demand has dropped so much during the economic fallout from COVID-19 that prices plummeted below zero for the first time in history. Does that create opportunities for alternative energy sources like wind, solar or nuclear?
The politics of stay-at-home orders, plus the ethics of online shopping
April 23, 2020 07:00 - 39 minutesThe coronavirus pandemic is changing the rules for the president in the White House and citizens sheltered at home. Should President Trump or 50 governors take charge of controlling disease? Also, is it right or wrong to shop online if it’s not for essentials?
What does COVID-19 mean for climate change long-term and Trump’s re-election?
April 16, 2020 07:00 - 44 minutesShutting down the economy means cleaner skies, but that good news for climate change won’t last, says scientist Katherine Hayhoe. And how will Trump’s handling of the pandemic influence his re-election prospects?
US farmworkers’ safety during COVID-19, plus a new model for mental health treatment
April 13, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourCoronavirus among farmworkers is a threat to America’s food supply chain. Are these workers being protected? Also, courts in Miami-Dade County are keeping people with mental illnesses out of jail.
Coronavirus pandemic realigns US democracy
April 09, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourAndy Slavitt helped save Obamacare. Now he’s tweeting to help the Trump White House cope with COVID-19. He says the pandemic is more important than partisanship. Does the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority agree?
Trump finally sees coronavirus as a pandemic. Will he take responsibility or leave that up to governors?
April 02, 2020 07:00 - 54 minutesPresident Trump has finally changed course, seeing COVID-19 as no longer a “hoax.” Experts predict the pandemic could kill up to 200,000 Americans. Is Trump providing leadership or leaving the responsibility to state governors?
How coronavirus reveals political differences in US
March 26, 2020 07:00 - 43 minutesAmericans see coronavirus in terms of politics more than public health. Blue states are enforcing “social distancing.” Red states are reluctant. Is President Trump dividing the country when it needs unity more than ever?
Coronavirus, climate change, and living in states of emergency
March 19, 2020 07:00 - 50 minutesThere’s been early denial and official inaction when it comes to both the coronavirus outbreak and climate change. Can either crisis teach us about the other?
Coronavirus continues to threaten public health and the economy
March 12, 2020 07:00 - 49 minutesA private lab in Southern California says it’ll still take another two months before we know the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. President Trump wants a payroll tax “holiday.” But that won’t diminish the possibility of an economic recession.
Coronavirus, public health and the economy
March 05, 2020 08:00 - 33 minutesThe coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will likely mean crowded hospitals, school closings and shuttered workplaces. It could even lead to a global recession. We hear about the symptoms of the disease, how government agencies are struggling to get control, and what’s in store if they don’t.
California primary’s impact on Democrats, big oil’s misinformation campaign
March 01, 2020 08:00 - 1 hourCalifornia’s Super Tuesday results could spell the end for some Democatic hopefuls. But climate change will live on in the presidential campaign. How did big oil use the mainstream news media to make a nonpartisan issue into a political hot potato?
In ‘Slaying Goliath,’ former privatization supporter fights for public schools
February 24, 2020 08:00 - 56 minutes”The education reform movement is not only a hoax, it’s dead,” says Diane Ravich. A one-time advocate of privatization, she’s now fighting “to save public schools.” Reform is a hot topic in next month’s LA Unified School Board election with a continuing struggle over charter schools.
Is President Trump a very stable genius?
February 20, 2020 08:00 - 27 minutesThe president calls himself a “very stable genius,” and stories from a new book by that name are already part of Trump lore. He was confused about Pearl Harbor. He didn’t know India had a border with China. Some aides doubt his fitness for office.
Sanders and 'socialism,' Trump and disinformation
February 13, 2020 08:00 - 49 minutesWith Bernie Sanders leading the Democratic candidates, Republicans are reviving a political dirty word: “socialism.” Meantime, the Trump campaign has weaponized digital media, assaulting voters with disinformation. Will Democrats respond in kind?
The US ‘rendered itself incapable’ of handling a disease epidemic
February 06, 2020 08:00 - 56 minutesChina has locked down an entire city to control the coronavirus, while President Trump has eliminated federal programs to cope with disease epidemics. Meantime, the Iowa caucus disaster means continued disunity for the Democratic party.
Super Bowl gambling behind bars
January 30, 2020 08:00 - 41 minutesJohn J. Lennon is a confessed killer doing time at Sing Sing Prison. He’s also published in the Washington Post, the Atlantic, and Sports Illustrated. He talks about illicit gambling behind bars and “escape” into fantasy football for this week’s Super Bowl.
Trump’s impeachment: politics and the Constitution
January 21, 2020 08:00 - 38 minutesDid President Trump abuse his power? That’s now up to the Senate. But is that even a crime? Democrats and Republicans agree on the facts, but not on the Constitution. Trump says he can do whatever he wants. At stake is the separation of executive and legislative powers basic to America’s founding document.
The climate debate and impeachment
January 16, 2020 08:00 - 47 minutesWhile Trump cuts environmental protections, Democrats debate climate change -- when reporters give them a chance. CNN didn’t ask until the second half of the latest debate. We hear what the candidates said. In the meantime, Chief Justice John Roberts will “preside”over the impeachment trial, but he won’t be a judge.
President Trump is trapped in history
January 09, 2020 08:00 - 33 minutesPresident Trump and Iran’s Ayatollah brushed with armed conflict this week. Did it all begin with the U.S. embassy takeover in 1979 or the violent replacement of Iran’s elected president in 1953? What will killing an Iranian general mean for America’s third president to face impeachment?
‘Homewreckers’: the demolition of the American dream
January 02, 2020 08:00 - 51 minutesIn 2008, the subprime mortgage crisis cost hundreds of thousands of American families their homes. A small group of predatory lenders ultimately made billions. They include not just some of Donald Trump’s inner circle but members of his presidential cabinet. Peabody-winning investigative reporter Aaron Glantz says it was probably legal.
The Whistleblower who came out into the cold...
December 27, 2019 08:00 - 51 minutesThe White House insider who blew the whistle on President Trump remains under federal protection. But whistle-blowing is a dangerous game. Warren talks with a whistle-blower who did prison time after his identity was revealed. Was he guilty of espionage--or being African-American in the CIA?
Artificial Intelligence and your life in the future
December 26, 2019 20:00 - 51 minutesThinking machines are finally able to think for themselves. In the US, it’s for money. In China, it’s to enforce state control. Futurist Amy Webb warns about “the steady erosion of humanity” if America’s “tech titans” don’t learn to share values with China’s.
Brexit: Britain’s history and America’s future
December 19, 2019 08:00 - 51 minutesConservative leader Boris Johnson won big in the Brexit election. Labor’s Jeremy Corbyn lost disastrously. Is there a lesson for America’s Democrats who are still divided over next year’s presidential nominee? With the failure of the UN Climate Conference in Madrid… are multilateral organizations losing their grip?
President Trump’s broken bromance with his generals
December 12, 2019 08:00 - 51 minutesDonald Trump took office with more generals in his cabinet than any previous president. It didn’t take long for all to resign or be fired. Peter Bergen’s new book is “Trump and His Generals: the Cost of Chaos.” He takes readers from the Pentagon’s secret decision room to the battlefields of Afghanistan, and assesses the consequences for the chain of command and America’s interests.
Deadly protests in Iran; divestment from fossil fuels
December 05, 2019 08:00 - 44 minutesWhen political protesters were gunned down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, was it a victory or a defeat for President Trump? Also on this episode: the rude disruption of this year’s Harvard-Yale football classic in the fight over climate change. Should their massive endowments divest themselves of fossil fuel stocks?
Draining the swamp -- for better or worse?
November 28, 2019 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MB“Draining the swamp” was a popular slogan, and President Trump has made good on his promise. Crucial firings and resignations have hit almost every department. Are Americans better off? Joel Stein gives his answer in a new book titled “In Defense of Elitism.”
Do TV debates help voters decide?
November 20, 2019 23:00 - 55 minutesPresidential debates have become reality TV, and performance is more important than substance. With 10 candidates onstage and two more in the wings, potential voters are far from consensus. Can the Democrats unite in time to take on the reality TV veteran now in the White House?
Climate change, the EPA and protecting medical privacy
November 18, 2019 16:00 - 14 minutesPersonal medical records behind public health regulations are now stamped "confidential." If they aren’t opened up, the Trump EPA says it will ignore them. Is that “transparency” really needed, or is it a way to avoid tough rules against new health risks that climate change is bound to require?
Is Trump dumping justice reform?
November 14, 2019 08:00 - 49 minutesWith support from Democrats as well as Republicans, President Trump agreed to release inmates from harsh prison terms due to the War on Drugs. But his own Justice Department wants them back behind bars. With 4700 former inmates already on the street, does the First Step Act have a future?
Climate change: Trump vs. California
November 11, 2019 08:00 - 13 minutesPresident Trump’s denial of climate change has him at war with California. Their battle over fuel emission standards has divided the auto industry as well as drivers. Meanwhile, 11,000 scientists say we’re facing a “climate emergency.”
Does facial recognition software threaten our freedom?
November 07, 2019 08:00 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MBSurveillance cameras are capturing what we do on the streets, at airports, in stores, and in much of our public space. Facial recognition software is touted as making us safer. Is it worth the risk of misidentification -- and the violation of privacy? Is the genie out of the bottle or can it be controlled?
Preparing for climate change fires in Los Angeles
October 31, 2019 07:00 - 20 minutesFire season now lasts all year long in Southern California, and residents of Topanga Canyon have set an example for how to get ready. Volunteers are on the alert to help their neighbors, save their homes and protect their animals, or to evacuate.
High crimes and misdemeanors: how much will they matter?
October 30, 2019 07:00 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBImpeachment by Democrats in the House may lead to trial in the Senate, with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding. Can he prevent the Republican majority from rushing to judgement? Whatever the outcome, will it restore or erode America’s faith in democracy?
Exxon Mobil goes to court
October 26, 2019 16:00 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBThe world’s biggest oil company is on trial in New York for defrauding investors out of $1.6 billion. It’s accused of hiding the real value of fossil fuels in the era of climate change. Will the case set an example for court action by other states and cities?
Trump’s Turkey debacle
October 24, 2019 07:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBRepublican U.S. Senator Mitt Romney says President Trump’s withdrawal of soldiers protecting the Kurds violated “American honor.” The military action took the Pentagon by surprise, but it was good news for Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. What’s next for ISIS and America’s diplomatic authority?
Controlling the message; American politics and new media
October 17, 2019 07:00 - 49 minutesPresidential campaigns aren’t just on TV anymore, they’re on countless digital platforms. While Democratic candidates debated on CNN, their strategists were on social media, nudging reporters and delivering instant analysis. And the ultimate nominee will face the maestro of Twitter in President Trump.
Why Republicans stand by their man
October 10, 2019 07:00 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBDespite mounting evidence, Republicans in the House and the Senate are defending President Trump or keeping their heads down. Veteran GOP conservatives accuse them of sacrificing morality for short-term political gain. Who do they fear most: Trump himself or the voters?
Human activity: as damaging as an asteroid
October 08, 2019 07:00 - 34 minutes66 million years ago, an asteroid caused Earth’s Fifth Extinction, destroying the dinosaurs and most other life forms. Now Earth is facing another extinction, as fish, plants and animals vanish forever. But this time, it’s not the asteroid, it’s us.
Donald Trump and Boris Johnson as Tweedledum and Tweedledee
October 03, 2019 07:00 - 47 minutesA cartoon on the cover of the Economist says it all: the elected leaders of the world’s two foremost democracies are scrambling to hold on. We’ll look at impeachment, Brexit and possible consequences on both sides of the Atlantic.