Illinois Wesleyan University
Professor of History at Illinois Wesleyan University. He lectures on the music of the 1960s, and teaches a travel course called "The Beatles and Their World," which takes students to England to retrace The Beatles' early history.
50 Years Since "Beatlemania" in the U.S. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was already at the top of the charts in the United States just 50 years ago today—when the Beatles boarded a plane from London. But they were still unaware they were about to cause a musical revolution in this country. As the Beatles’ plane was landing in New York City, word came back from the cockpit: “Tell the boys there’s a big crowd waiting to greet them.” Two days later, they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and the rest is history. We talk to Professor Michael Weis about the impact the Beatles have had 50 years later.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?