To the Point
Sugar Daddies, Super PAC's and Winning the White House
With campaign spending limits almost a thing of the past, candidates for the White House are lining up billionaires, giving a very few people unprecedented political power. Who are they? Is their influence a threat to democracy?
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenWith campaign spending limits almost a thing of the past, candidates for the White House are lining up billionaires, giving a very few people unprecedented political power. Who are they? Is their influence a threat to democracy?
Also, the deadly AmTrak derailment in Philadelphia impacts a Congressional funding debate. On today's Talking Point, are murdered bloggers in Bangladesh part of a free-speech crisis?
Photo: DonkeyHotey
In this episode
3 storiesDeadly Amtrak Derailment in Philadelphia Impacts Funding Debate
A black box has been recovered from last night's Amtrak derailment near Philadelphia, where seven passenger cars went off the rails on a sharp curve while traveling more than 100 miles an hour.
Read the story7 minSugar Daddies, Super PAC's and Winning the White House
The US Supreme Court has taken the lid off political spending, so presidential candidates are lining up billionaires to finance next year's campaigns. It's not just the South Carolina and New Hampshire primaries any more. There's the "Adelson primary" and the "Koch primary" facetiously named for Republican mega-donors.
Read the story32 minFree Speech Crisis and Bangladeshi Bloggers
Yesterday, masked men armed with machetes hacked a blogger to death in Sylhet. Three secular or atheist bloggers have been murdered recently in Bangladesh — a majority Muslim country. It sounds like it's far away, but the incidents are being seen as part of a worldwide pattern of attacks on free speech.
Read the story11 min
