To the Point
America Unprotected
Eight billion dollars for homeland security with no guarantee that the nation is any safer. That-s the verdict of the former 911 Commission. Wyoming gets more money per capita than target-rich California, and Columbus, Ohio used federal funds to buy body armor for fire department dogs. The Commission empanelled to study September 11th, says the nation is ill-prepared for another attack by terrorists - which it calls inevitable. One Commission member is Tim Roemer, a former Democratic Congressman from Indiana, who has said this: "the government is receiving failing grades in areas that will really determine whether we win the long-term war against radical jihadists." Making News: Condoleezza Rice Defends U.S. Policy in BerlinPresident Bush was asked today about America-s practice of "rendition" - which means transporting terrorist suspects to other countries, where critics say they might be tortured. Before the President spoke at the White House, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was in Berlin for a joint press conference with Germany-s new Chancellor Angela Merkel. Rice told Merkel the US obeys the law, but she refused to answer questions about reports that the CIA maintains Soviet-style prisons in Eastern Europe and that al-Qaida prisoners have been flown through European airports. Michael Naumann is publisher of the German news weekly Die Zeit has covered the story. Reporter-s Notebook: How Expert Are The Pundits? Political pundits are part of America-s love affair with expertise, and ingenious forecasts can make them rich as well as famous. But a new study suggests that their predictions become less accurate as they become better known. Philip Tetlock is a psychologist at UC Berkeley, and he-s been studying political experts for 20 years: the paid political experts who appear on TV and radio, write op-ed pieces and advise governments and businesses. His findings are reported in a new book called, "Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It?".
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenEight billion dollars for homeland security with no guarantee that the nation is any safer. That-s the verdict of the former 911 Commission. Wyoming gets more money per capita than target-rich California, and Columbus, Ohio used federal funds to buy body armor for fire department dogs. The Commission empanelled to study September 11th, says the nation is ill-prepared for another attack by terrorists - which it calls inevitable. One Commission member is Tim Roemer, a former Democratic Congressman from Indiana, who has said this: "the government is receiving failing grades in areas that will really determine whether we win the long-term war against radical jihadists."
Condoleezza Rice Defends U.S. Policy in Berlin
President Bush was asked today about America-s practice of "rendition" - which means transporting terrorist suspects to other countries, where critics say they might be tortured. Before the President spoke at the White House, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was in Berlin for a joint press conference with Germany-s new Chancellor Angela Merkel. Rice told Merkel the US obeys the law, but she refused to answer questions about reports that the CIA maintains Soviet-style prisons in Eastern Europe and that al-Qaida prisoners have been flown through European airports. Michael Naumann is publisher of the German news weekly Die Zeit has covered the story.
How Expert Are The Pundits?
Political pundits are part of America-s love affair with expertise, and ingenious forecasts can make them rich as well as famous. But a new study suggests that their predictions become less accurate as they become better known. Philip Tetlock is a psychologist at UC Berkeley, and he-s been studying political experts for 20 years: the paid political experts who appear on TV and radio, write op-ed pieces and advise governments and businesses. His findings are reported in a new book called, "Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It?".