Business Columnist, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Business columnist at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Bill Virgin
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FROM Bill Virgin
To the Point
Tracking the Great Recession, Region by Region In Detroit, the median price of a home is now estimated at $7500, less than the lowest priced new car on the market. In Lehigh Acres, once a middle-class suburb of Miami, one out of every four people is now on food stamps. What's now being called the Great Recession comes hard on the heels of a massive boom in construction. Construction workers, mostly men without college degrees, are among those most likely to find themselves unemployed. Just as different sectors of the economy are hit to different degrees, so are different regions of the country. Wall Street's been hit hard by unemployment, but New York City is strong and diverse enough to rebuild. Other parts of the country may not be so lucky. We examine the impact of the recession in different regions and their different prospects for economic recovery.
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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
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?
To the Point
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.
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.