Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Senior economist and Assistant Director of the Center for Study of Innovation and Productivity at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
PROFILE
Daniel Wilson
Guest
FROM Daniel Wilson
To the Point
Will Fixing the Infrastructure Help Repair the Economy? The collapse of the Skagit River Bridge on Interstate 5 in Washington State has shut down a major artery between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada. All it took was a truck with an oversized load. A pickup truck and an SUV fell into very cold water. Both drivers and a passenger escaped with minor injuries, but the incident has refocused on aging infrastructure all over the country. State officials say hundreds of other bridges are vulnerable. Is America's vital infrastructure crumbling from age and neglect? President Obama wants public investment to fix it and stimulate the economy. Is that as easy as he makes it sound? Where's the money?
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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
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
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.