- Social:
Service Employees' International Union
David Rolf is president of the Service Employees' International Union 775NW, international vice president of SEIU, and the author of The Fight for Fifteen: The Right Wage for a Working America.
PROFILE
David Rolf
Guest
FROM David Rolf
To the Point
Gunfire brings calls for unity on Capitol Hill A shooting spree targeting Republicans practicing for a charity baseball game this morning in Northern Virginia, brought a declaration of unity from House speaker Paul Ryan. "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us." But as the Era of Donald Trump gets underway, Democrats are divided. Liberal activists dream of impeachment and enacting a single-payer health system, while party regulars just want to get back to governing. Yesterday, the primary election for Governor of Virginia was a test for both factions. When they get back to business as usual, can Democrats formulate a common strategy for upcoming elections? We hear what happened as both parties call for unity — at least for the moment.
To the Point
It's the "Gig Economy," Stupid… When Hillary Clinton said she was worried about insecurity in the workplace, Jeb Bush scoffed and promised to “hail” an Uber to go to his next event. Bush was supporting the “sharing economy” — and Clinton does, too, despite her reservations. The “sharing economy” is also being called the “gig economy,” because it’s changing the relationship between employers and employees, turning full-time jobs into part-time “gigs” -- liberating executives and workers, but without traditional worker protections. That’s raising questions about taxes and government regulation -- questions that presidential candidates are being asked. Uber is just one of the new companies that “poses a challenge to longstanding notions of what it means to hold a job,” according to Noam Scheiber of the New York Times.
Recommended
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
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
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
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.