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NPR
Political reporter for NPR; former business and economics correspondent for Vox.com
PROFILE
Danielle Kurtzleben
Guest
FROM Danielle Kurtzleben
To the Point
Can voters believe that all their votes will be counted? Donald Trump is already raising questions about the outcome of the November election, telling supporters, "I'm afraid the election is going to be rigged. I have to be honest." While experts discount Trump's claims about "voter fraud," they concede that electronic voting is vulnerable to hacking. One advisor predicts a political "bloodbath" if Trump should lose, while the Clinton campaign calls him "a reflexive conspiracy theorist." Will the dispute lead voters to lose faith in the integrity of the electoral system? Is that the real threat to democracy in America?
To the Point
Free Trade: Obama's Legacy and Your Pocketbook The Trans-Pacific Partnership would be the biggest trade deal in American history. It started 13 years ago, with Chile, New Zealand and Singapore, and now involves the US, Japan and ten other countries, comprising 40% of the world's economy. It's being negotiated in secret, but enough is known to call it "insanely complex," so Congress will be asked to vote up or down instead of trying to amend it. It would bolster the President's "pivot to Asia," but many Republicans like it anyway. Liberal Democrats see a Wall Street giveaway and more lost jobs. We hear assessments of the potential impact on the US, the Pacific Rim and you.
To the Point
US Economy Added 295,000 Jobs in February The latest Labor Department report shows nonfarm employers added 295,000 jobs last month, while unemployment fell from 5.7 to 5.5 percent. Wall Street's looking for an increase in interest rates sometime this summer. But, not all the data are encouraging about the economy. That's according to Danielle Kurtzleben , economics and business correspondent for Vox.com.
To the Point
When Childcare Costs as Much as College In the last twenty years the cost of childcare has outstripped every other item in the family budget. Meanwhile the quality of care is lower than any other developed nation in the world. According to the latest Pew Research Center study , a growing number of parents are opting out of the workforce as a result -- and despite the Lean-In and feminist revolutions -- the parent dropping out of the workforce is still, usually, a mom. Is the exploding expense of childcare setting back the clock on the women's movement? Should the government subsidize childcare as aggressively as higher education? Should the United States have federally mandated paid parental leave and more subsidies for childcare?
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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
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.
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
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?