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In the Public Interest
Donald Cohen is the founder and executive director of In the Public Interest, a watchdog group that monitors privatization.
PROFILE
Donald Cohen
Guest
FROM Donald Cohen
To the Point
Is Trump 'reducing the size of government' or dismantling it? On his reality TV show, Donald Trump was famous for saying, "You're fired." As President, he's saying, "We don't need those jobs" in the first place. Republicans aren't the only ones who've complained that government is "bloated," but even after budget cuts, somebody has to be in charge. With high-level vacancies -- from the State Department to FEMA — will the US be prepared for an international crisis, a hurricane or an earthquake? Is it oversight due to inexperience — or top aide Steve Bannon's goal of "deconstructing the administrative state?"
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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
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.
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
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.