Electronic Intifada
Co-founder of Electronic Intifada, a website that publishes news and commentary on Middle East issues; former research fellow at the Palestine Center in Washington, DC, an independent think-tank, and author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse; board member and former Vice President of the Arab American Action Network
Boston Marathon Bombings and Muslim Americans Three weeks after the Boston Marathon bombings, some members of Congress are calling for more surveillance of American Muslims. Some Muslims are calling for self-policing of their community and more cooperation with law enforcement. Others warn against accepting collective punishment for bloody violence as abhorrent to Muslims as to other Americans of different faiths. At today's Congressional hearing on the bombings , Republican committee chair Michael McCaul of Texas said the nation had been attacked by "radical Islamist terrorists." New York Republican Peter King echoed that sentiment. We hear a debate about how to increase security without either religious discrimination or an excess of political correctness.
Obama, Distancing Himself from Arab-Americans, American Muslims? Barack Obama has visited churches and synagogues during his presidential campaign but, so far, he has not been to a mosque. Does his message of unity extend to American Muslims? Many are not so sure. Would his sympathy for the Palestinians produce more even-handedness in the Middle East? Some Arab Americans don't really think so. A Christian candidate needs to quash rumors that he's a secret Muslim without offending Muslims themselves. While his hard-line support for Israel may appeal to Jews, it could turn off another constituency that's potentially crucial in several states. As Obama goes to the Middle East, we talk about political challenges at home.
In Mid-East Fighting, What's News? What's Propaganda? The war between Israel and Hezbollah is being fought not just on the ground but also in the media. Both sides are adept at propaganda--to persuade the other side it's losing and to influence the ideas and images reported in the rest of the world. Israel bombards southern Lebanon with phone calls, e-mails and leaflets that one reporter has called " propaganda bombs " that flutter to the streets "like confetti." Hezbollah provides "escorts" for western reporters. How do mainstream newspapers, radio and television stations sort it all out? We speak with journalists and Middle East experts about propaganda on both sides and ask how the mainstream media figure out what's true and what's false.
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.
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.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
