To the Point
3,167 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 575 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
After the Iran Nuclear Deal: Does Trump have a Plan B
May 10, 2018 20:00 - 52 minutes - 47.2 MBPresident Trump made good on a campaign promise. The U.S. is out of the “horrible” “one-sided” Iran nuclear deal. Can it stop Iran from restoring its nuclear program? Make diplomatic peace with allies in Europe? Convince North Korea the U.S. can be trusted?
Autocracy, Theocracy and… paperwork
May 03, 2018 20:00 - 46 minutes - 41.2 MBLast month in Berlin, Warren visited the archives of Stasi, the Communist secret police of East Germany. He learned that paperwork was almost as important to oppressive control as maintaining a climate of fear. Then he heard Rukmini Callamachi’s podcast, “Caliphate,” about gathering records from ISIS. The result is a riveting conversation between Callamachi and Dagmar Hovestadt, spokesperson for the Stasi Museum.
Cuban U.S. relations
April 30, 2018 20:00 - 45 minutes - 40.6 MBSince 1959 a member of the Castro family has led Cuba, but last week Cuba installed a new president, Miguel Díaz-Canel. This historic and highly anticipated event passed almost unnoticed, so what are the chances of meaningful change on the island or between Cuba and the United States? Also, the untold story of “intimate diplomacy” between ABC news anchor Lisa Howard and Cuba’s revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro.
Immigration enforcement and family breakups
April 26, 2018 20:00 - 34 minutes - 30.8 MBSeven hundred children have been separated from adults applying for asylum at the Mexican border. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says that’s what it takes to prevent immigration fraud--even if it means breaking up families. A federal court is deciding whether to end the practice.
Scott Pruitt and James Comey: In and out of the Trump Administration
April 19, 2018 20:00 - 42 minutes - 38.2 MBEPA Director Scott Pruitt is undergoing an ethics investigation, but his Obama-Era predecessor, Gina McCarthy, says the real scandal is that he “doesn’t know what he’s doing.” We’ll also tackle the backlash against fired FBI Director James Comey. Can his credibility survive angry public exchanges with President Trump?
What’s the global state of democracy?
April 13, 2018 20:00 - 25 minutes - 22.5 MBRoughly six months ago Swedish author and journalist Bruno Kaufmann set off on a democracy tour. He’s visited more than 20 countries on four continents; his mission was to assess the global state of democracy.
The internet, privacy and data protection
April 12, 2018 20:00 - 51 minutes - 46.3 MBMark Zuckerberg survived this week’s Congressional grilling. But Facebook still profits on free information: yours and mine. Three experts on big data explain how it works and lay out the risks as well as the benefits. Also, a veteran of Washington’s war games says President Trump is right to want U.S. troops out of Syria
Nuclear weapons in the 21st Century
April 04, 2018 19:00 - 47 minutes - 43 MBPresident Trump and Kim Jong Un have revived fears about weapons of mass destruction. But “tactical” nuclear weapons for use on the battlefield are still around, too. Is President Trump--like Barack Obama before him--relaying on a World War II technology ill-adapted to modern threats like cyber warfare? Also, Pulitzer Prize-winner Lawrence Wright on his new miniseries “The Looming Tower” about the FBI, CIA and September 11th.
Election integrity in 2018 and Truth Decay
March 29, 2018 19:00 - 50 minutes - 45.8 MBAfter the revelations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, do American voters have faith that this won’t happen again? As the lines between opinion and fact continue to be blurred, how do we learn to navigate the changing information landscape?
How to fix the future
March 22, 2018 16:00 - 51 minutes - 46.3 MBSilicon Valley has been the driver of tech innovation that has changed the world. But there’s been a backlash. Other countries are showing the way to transparency, enhanced privacy and consumer protection. In the meantime, will Facebook and Google help protect this year’s U.S. elections from Russian hacking?
Does universal health care have a future?
March 15, 2018 20:00 - 53 minutes - 48.1 MBDespite controlling the White House and Congress, Republicans have failed to repeal Obamacare. But they are chipping away. Some Democrats advocate universal coverage. So, what’s in store for this year’s midterm elections? Has either side come up with a way to cut costs? To achieve that goal, is it time for doctors to change their focus--away from health care to health itself?
Trump’s family ties
March 08, 2018 21:00 - 57 minutes - 51.4 MBThe Trump White House is rife with apparent conflicts of interest. Only Congress or Special Counsel Robert Mueller can determine whether they’re real. What’s at stake for America’s national interest when foreign governments are trying to manipulate Jared Kushner?
Parkland students take the lead on gun control
March 01, 2018 20:00 - 36 minutes - 32.9 MBYoung people around the country are all fired up after the Parkland shooting. Veteran observers say they’re changing the atmosphere of debate about gun control. How realistic are their expectations about one of America’s most controversial issues?
Conservatives booed at CPAC
February 27, 2018 21:00 - 29 minutes - 26 MBConservative columnist and political analyst Mona Charen was ready to fight at CPAC - the Conservative Political Action Conference. Now she says she was “glad to be booed.” On a special To the Point podcast, we’ll hear how her appearance went and why she and other conservatives feel betrayed by the Trump-Republican Party.
Ronen Bergman on Israel’s targeted assassinations
February 22, 2018 20:30 - 24 minutes - 21.1 MBIsraeli intelligence agents now admit Palestinian leaders have been officially targeted for assassination--2700 times. Author Ronen Bergman talks about the unusual assassination tactics and how he recently challenged the Prime Minister of Poland over the country’s role in the Holocaust.
Standing up for Democracy
February 22, 2018 20:00 - 28 minutes - 25.3 MBUS Intelligence agencies are unanimous: Russia is still meddling in US elections. President Trump has called it a “hoax.” Is he at risk of becoming an unindicted co-conspirator?
The Winter Games and Korean detente
February 15, 2018 21:00 - 1 hour - 58 MBAmericans have a lot to learn about North Korea. The conversation shouldn’t be only about nuclear weapons or handshakes.
Restoring public confidence in our institutions
February 08, 2018 21:00 - 57 minutes - 52 MBAre President Trump and allies in Congress eroding public trust in democratic government? Even a former Republican governor warns that attacks on Special Counsel Robert Mueller have gone too far. A constitutional scholar and a former FBI agent see real threats to both federal law enforcement and national security.
Has the ‘Year of the Woman’ finally arrived?
February 01, 2018 21:00 - 59 minutes - 53.7 MBWomen’s Rights are still not guaranteed by the Constitution, despite generations of effort. Will #MeToo, #TimesUp and backlash against President Trump make this a year of liberation? More women are running for office than ever before. And black women are especially energized. We’ll hear how times may be changing for women--in culture and at the ballot box.
The shutdown highlights a broken system
January 25, 2018 21:00 - 1 hour - 54.3 MB“To the Point” goes beyond the current blame game and explains the political calculations behind government shutdowns. You need to know, because the next one may be just weeks away. You’ll get the history of a self-defeating strategy the mainstream media don’t have time to tell you. On our Talking Point: the continuing Trump Campaign wears out the best of reporters.
What being American meant to Martin Luther King
January 18, 2018 23:00 - 50 minutes - 45.7 MBThis was the week the nation observed the birthday and celebrated the achievements of Martin Luther King. But, despite what he accomplished, King himself felt unfulfilled up to the time he was murdered. His goals had not been yet been met as told by David Garrow, King’s Pulitzer Prize winning biographer. Garrow’s anecdotes and insights include what was likely King’s greatest disappointment.
Justice for farmworkers
January 18, 2018 21:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBConditions for agricultural laborers in the US have been described by the UN as “appalling." But tomato workers in Florida have won their freedom from virtual slave labor.
An abdication from global leadership?
January 11, 2018 21:00 - 45 minutes - 40.7 MBDonald Trump may be withdrawing America from global leadership. But previous presidents have flubbed that role since the end of the Cold War. What will disengagement from the rest of the world mean for the U.S. and its allies in Europe?
Are millennials embracing democratic socialism?
January 04, 2018 21:00 - 56 minutes - 50.4 MBMillennials helped Democrats to a major upset in Alabama’s Senate race. Will their growing preference for socialism be a threat to party unity in this year’s Congressional elections? Idealists and realists disagree. Added Attraction: Robin Wright on the background and the future of instability in Iran.
Author David Garrow's critical look at the rise of Barack Obama
December 28, 2017 20:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBObama himself spent eight hours reading the manuscript. But Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama is very much an unauthorized biography. Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Garrow describes how the 44th president shaped his personal life to create the right political image.
What is the deep state?
December 21, 2017 20:00 - 40 minutes - 36.5 MBPolls show 48 percent of Americans believe a deep state of bureaucrats is out to sabotage President Trump. But the Deep State is much more than a right-wing conspiracy theory, and it's much older than last year's election.
After Alabama, what's next for the GOP?
December 14, 2017 20:00 - 43 minutes - 39.3 MBPresident Trump and some Republicans were licking their wounds after Democrat Doug Jones' stunning upset in Alabama's race for the US Senate. But others were positively relieved. Conservatives openly disagree about how much character counts.
A second nuclear age?
December 07, 2017 01:00 - 44 minutes - 39.7 MBNorth Korea, China, India, Pakistan and Iran all have nuclear programs, potentially threatening the US. Does nuclear non-proliferation still make sense?
How Putin helped Trump win
November 30, 2017 21:00 - 38 minutes - 34.7 MBIn his new book Collusion former Moscow bureau-chief for the Guardian, Luke Harding, lays to waste any doubt that the Kremlin aided Donald J. Trump to become President of the United States.
Sexual harassment: New rules to address age-old problems?
November 22, 2017 20:00 - 46 minutes - 41.5 MBIs this country finally turning a corner when it comes to sexual harassment?
Gun control, then and now
November 21, 2017 20:00 - 35 minutes - 31.5 MBAre there any effective strategies that work to curb gun violence?
From broadcast to podcast!
November 13, 2017 21:00 - 3 minutes - 1.94 MBTo the Point is a weekly 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 Big Tech improves and disrupts our lives
November 10, 2017 19:00 - 52 minutes - 47.1 MBToday, on our final radio broadcast, we look at how new technology has changed everything since we first went on the air in the year 2000. It's Google, the iPhone and much, much more.
Fake news, social media and a new news order
November 09, 2017 19:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBFrom broadcasting to cable news to Facebook, Twitter, websites and bloggers. We hear how technology has changed journalism since this program first went on the air in the year 2000.
US elections: How far have we come since Bush v. Gore?
November 08, 2017 19:00 - 52 minutes - 47.4 MBThis program began in the year 2000 with coverage of the contested election of President George W. Bush. Changes in the following 17 years were supposed to improve the integrity of the electoral process. Is the "guarantee" that every American has the right to vote more — or less — a reality?
The American military in the age of endless war
November 07, 2017 19:00 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBIn this last week before To the Point becomes a weekly podcast, and we're looking back at what's changed since our program began. During 16 of our 17 years, the US has been a nation at war. Today, we hear about the "military-industrial complex" Dwight Eisenhower warned about and how it's shaping the country.
How politicized is the federal judiciary?
November 06, 2017 19:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBThe US Supreme Court decided the Presidential election in the year 2000. The majority over-ruled the courts of Florida despite promises to uphold states rights. That was the first big story for this program. Today we look at what's happened since.
The winners and losers of the GOP tax reform bill
November 03, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBAfter failing to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, President Trump and Republicans in both Houses of Congress want reform of another kind -- before Christmas. Will they be able to pass their tax cuts that soon? What's at stake for next year's elections?
Russian trolls and American thinking
November 02, 2017 18:00 - 32 minutes - 28.9 MBBig Tech was on the defensive this week on Capitol Hill. Twitter, Facebook, and Google held back their famous CEO's and sent their lawyers to be grilled by members of both parties. But Republicans and Democrats may have learned more than expected. Russian disinformation is aimed at creating social upheaval not just at partisan politics.
Terror, ISIS and the political blame game
November 01, 2017 18:00 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBIn New York yesterday, a 29-year-old Green Card holder from Uzbekistan mowed down pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path near the rebuilt World Trade Center. Eight people were killed — at least six were tourists from Argentina and Belgium.
The US ramps up preparedness for nuclear war
October 31, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBBarack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize with his promise to work for an end to nuclear weapons—but he began "modernizing" the arsenal anyway. President Trump is accelerating the process. We hear progress reports and conflicting opinions about the first buildup since the end of the Cold War.
Indictments and partisan gridlock in Russia probe
October 30, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBOne-time Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was in court today to face charges including money laundering and conspiracy against the United States to avoid paying taxes. Also today, a low-level aide pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about trying to set up a meeting with Russians and the Trump campaign. We look for connections.
Make China Great Again
October 27, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBPresident Trump's trip to Asia will take him to Beijing -- as the President of that country, Xi Jinping, is being called the world's most powerful leader. We hear what that could mean for other countries, especially the US — and for the Chinese people.
Can a defeated ISIS keep its brand alive?
October 26, 2017 11:00 - 52 minutes - 46.8 MBISIS may have been defeated in Iraq and Syria, but the ideology that motivated the Islamic State isn't dead yet. We hear about ISIS "provinces" around the world… and about fighters who've returned to their home countries.
GOP Senator Jeff Flake 'no longer complicit or silent'
October 25, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47.1 MBTwo Republican Senators — Bob Corker of Tennessee, and now Jeff Flake of Arizona — say they won't run for re-election next year. It's all about what they call President Trump's outrageous behavior. Is the president losing his party, or are the dissidents conceding he's running the show?
Will massive tax cuts unite the GOP?
October 24, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MB"Tax reform" is a process that's full of political pitfalls. That's one reason it's only tried every few decades. President Trump has promised "the biggest tax cuts ever" — which is — even in times of bipartisan unity -- easier said than done.
Will the Harvey Weinstein scandal be a watershed moment?
October 23, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 46.9 MBIt's been decades since Hollywood liberals denounced the "casting couch" and vowed to end "sexual harassment." But revelations about Harvey Weinstein reveal the hypocrisy of the film industry… and much more.
Bannon, Moore storm the establishment barricades
October 20, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBDonald Trump appealed to the frustrated base of the Republican Party, and Steve Bannon rode Trump's train to the White House. Now, Bannon's out on his own -- fomenting revolution against the GOP establishment—especially leadership in the Senate. Where's President Trump as the battle lines are being drawn?
Sifting through the ashes: Cleanup and questions after the fires
October 19, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBWildfire is all too familiar in the Golden State, but last week's record-setting blazes in Northern California left behind something new — more property damage over a wider area with more human casualties than ever before. We hear about likely causes, the struggle to clean up and the possibility of prevention.
Political dueling and the future of the ACA
October 18, 2017 18:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBUncertainty about the fate of Obamacare grows by the day, with key factors including bipartisanship in the Senate, opposition deeper than ever in Congress -- and a president who veers from one side to the other. We talk with Maryland's attorney general and others about what's at stake from the state house to the doctor's office.