White House Correspondent, Politics Daily
White House correspondent for Politics Daily, an online news magazine
PROFILE
Alex Wagner
Guest
FROM Alex Wagner
To the Point
Does Rhee's Departure Signal End to Teacher-Centered Ed Reform? As Chancellor of Washington, DC's notorious public schools, Michelle Rhee got national attention for closing 23 poor-performing schools and firing 500 teachers. But the poster-child for President Obama's " Race to the Top " has resigned after the mayor who hired her lost his bid for re-nomination. What will that mean for "Race to the Top" and school reform based on teacher accountability? Is it a win for teachers' unions and the seniority system? Are other factors just as important as teachers when it comes to improving the quality of public education? Our guests today include Davis Guggenheim, director of the school-reform documentary, Waiting for Superman .
To the Point
Immigration and the Fourth of July In the aftermath of Arizona's new immigration law , with the prospect of other states passing similar crackdowns, President Obama has made an impassioned plea for comprehensive immigration reform, although there's no chance of action before November's elections. Transparently courting the votes of Hispanics, he bashed the Republicans. But he also addressed all sides of an issue that is polarizing the nation. He wants accountability for the federal government's failures, the greed of employers and the lawbreaking by undocumented workers. Will his speech help resolve differences or make them worse? Will it stop other states from going the way of Arizona?
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To the Point
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?
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?