Environmental Reporter, Mobile Press-Register
Environmental reporter for the Press-Register in Mobile, Alabama
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Ben Raines
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FROM Ben Raines
Which Way, L.A.?
The Oil Spill and the Oil Economy After a meeting with Congressional leaders today, President Obama said the first order of business was the Gulf oil spill. Given the oil industry's power and importance, what are the chances that new laws and regulations will be approved and implemented?
To the Point
The Oil Spill and the Oil Economy President Obama today called the response to the Gulf oil spill the biggest thing of its kind in American history. But what about advance preparation? The Associated Press has found that BP’s disaster plan for the Deepwater Horizon rig was approved last year despite stunning errors, omissions and miscalculations. At the same time, there’s concern over what the President’s moratorium on deep-water exploration will mean to the Gulf Coast economy. Given the oil industry’s power and importance, what are the chances that new laws and regulations will be approved and implemented?
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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
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.
To the Point
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.
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.