The Keystone Pipeline Moves One Step Closer to Reality
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The White House found a way to delay a decision until after the President's re-election, but the pressure is on to say "yes" or "no" to the Keystone oil Pipeline from Canada. Either way, he'll please one element of his base while offending another. We'll look at the options and what they could mean for his legacy on energy and the environment. Also, the Dow's record high, and the "terror courts" at Guantanamo Bay.
Banner image: Forward on Climate protest against the Keystone XL Pipeline in Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, California, February 17, 2013. Photo by Steve Rhodes
Making News
What's Driving the Dow's Record High? ()
As we speak, the stock markets haven't closed today, but this morning, the Down Jones Industrial Average jumped 140 points to 14,198 — surpassing the record it set almost five and a half years ago. Columnist E.S. Browning has been watching the action for the Wall Street Journal.
Guests:
- E.S. "Jim" Browning: Wall Street Journal, @WSJ
Main Topic
The Keystone Pipeline Has the President Caught in the Middle ()
While actress Daryl Hannah and Sierra Club officials were committing civil disobedience outside the White House last month, the AFL/CIO was holding a conference call with the American Petroleum Institute. It was Hollywood and the environmental lobby versus organized labor, two major elements of President Obama's political coalition on opposite sides of the burning controversy over the Keystone XL Pipeline. The President's promised he'll make the final decision on whether oil from Canadian tar sands can be piped to the US for refining and export. One top scientist says the project's increased carbon emissions will mean "game over" for climate change. But the State Department says if there's no cross-border pipeline, Canada will find other means of transportation so Keystone won't matter. Organized labor sees thousands of jobs. We look at the President's options.
Guests:
- Neela Banerjee: Los Angeles Times, @neelaeast
- Michael Brune: Sierra Club, @bruneski
- Daniel Kish: Institute for Energy Research, @IERenergy
- Michael Levi: Council on Foreign Relations, @levi_m
Links:
- Banerjee on State Department's review Keystone's effect on the environment
- 350.org on Keystone XL
- American Petroleum Institute on Keystone XL
- AFL-CIO on energy and jobs
- Institute for Energy Research on Keystone, America's contradictory behavior
- Levi on President Obama's energy agenda
- Levi's 'Power Surge: Energy, Opportunity and the Battle for America's Future'
Reporter's Notebook
Rough Justice for Terrorists at Guantanamo Bay ()
In the aftermath of September 11, the Bush Administration began rounding up terrorist suspects and incarcerating them at Guantanamo Bay. Instead of trying them in civilian federal courts or military courts martial, officials established a parallel justice system, which is still operating. Wall Street Journal reporter Jess Bravin has been cited by the American Bar Association for enhancing understanding of "our most fundamental values and principles under law." Elsewhere he's described as "legitimately outraged" by what he uncovered during ten years of reporting on the trial of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo. That's the subject of The Terror Courts: Rough Justice at Guantanamo Bay.
Guests:
- Jess Bravin: Wall Street Journal, @JessBravin
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