- Social:
author and journalist
Author of Living with Guns: A Liberal's Case for the Second Amendment; former reporter for the New York Times
PROFILE
Craig Whitney
Guest
FROM Craig Whitney
To the Point
Is Gun Control an Answer to Homegrown Terror? Investigators report that the female killer in San Bernardino pledged allegiance to ISIS on Facebook on the day the mass shooting occurred. It's not clear if the couple was directed by ISIS or only inspired, but it's more evidence that homegrown terrorism in the United States is a reality. The FBI and other agencies are monitoring hundreds of people in the hope of preventing similar crimes. Will all this increase the pressure for gun control, or will more Americans arm themselves in preparation for their worst nightmares?
To the Point
Is a Culture Captivated by Guns Ready for Change The National Rifle Association today broke the silence it's maintained since last week's elementary-school massacre in Connecticut. The NRA's top spokesman said, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," demanding that Congress pay for armed guards in every schoolyard. Much of Wayne LaPierre's lengthy statement today played on the fear that mass killers are planning more attacks on American children. He was defensive about attacks on his organization and what he characterized as the media's predisposition to be against guns. Earlier this morning, President Obama released a videotape urging public support for renewing the assault-weapons ban and other new regulations. Can a culture captivated by guns ready for change?
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To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.