Professor of Law, UCLA
Professor of Law at the University of California at Los Angeles, and an expert on bribery in politics
PROFILE
Daniel Lowenstein
Guest
FROM Daniel Lowenstein
To the Point
Illinois Governor Blagojevich and the Politics of Corruption On Monday of this week, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested and charged with offering Barack Obama's senate seat for sale to the highest bidder. The President-elect, himself a product of Chicago politics, made a distinction yesterday between what he called two separate traditions: public service and "what's in it for me." But, in a political system that's based on wheeling and dealing, what constitutes breaking the law? Just how did Blagojevich step over the line? Does the incident reveal anything about Obama? With the US preaching democracy, how does it look to the rest of the world?
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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
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
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.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.