The Nation
Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and Professor of English and Journalism at Brooklyn College; media columnist for The Nation and Daily Beast; author of When Presidents Lie: A History of Official Deception and Its Consequences, What Liberal Media?: The Truth about Bias in the Media and Kabuki Democracy: The System vs. Barack Obama
Public Broadcasting in the Cross Hairs Republicans in Congress have de-funded public broadcasting, and the cuts include $94 million the Corporation for Public Broadcasting gives to public radio stations, which then help to fund NPR. Two embarrassing incidents have made NPR's struggle to get the money restored more difficult than it had to be.
Public Broadcasting in the Cross Hairs The Republican Congress has voted to eliminate federal money for public broadcasting, including $94 million the Corporation for Public Broadcasting gives to public radio stations, which then help to fund NPR. Republicans see NPR as too liberal, and felt vindicated when NPR fired Juan Williams for comments on Fox News. Now, in an ambush interview , an NPR fundraiser called Tea Party conservatives anti-intellectual racists, and NPR's president has been ousted . Is NPR really biased? Is it ready for damage control? What about public stations that need federal money but don't even carry NPR News?
How the Planned Koran Burning Caught Fire in the Media The Vatican calls it "outrageous," Hillary Clinton " disgraceful ," Sarah Palin finds it an " unnecessary provocation ," and Muslims are demonstrating all over the world. How did a Florida pastor with a congregation of 50 people, create an international incident? Terry Jones says he might reconsider burning copies of the Koran tomorrow if he hears directly from the White House or the Pentagon. Eric Alterman is media columnist for The Nation, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and Professor of Journalism at Brooklyn College.
Day Three of the DNC: Joe Biden's Night Hillary Clinton's much awaited message last night was billed as her chance to demonstrate party loyalty by putting an end to the much reported "tensions" resulting from a primary season that was dramatically historic and dramatically close. Hillary might be a hard act for Bill Clinton to follow, but that's his job tonight. Barack Obama reportedly told him to say whatever he wants to. The rest of the night is choreographed to highlight vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and America's relationship to the rest of the world. Are continued tensions between Obama and Clinton forces exaggerated by reporters hard up for a story? What does Biden bring to the ticket and how was he chosen?
Is There Constitutional Confrontation in the Works? Early this week, 3000 pages of internal Justice Department e-mails and other documents were turned over to Congress in the matter of the firing of eight US Attorneys. Three of the President Bush's closest advisors are deeply involved: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales , former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and political advisor Karl Rove. Today, a House subcommittee took the first step toward subpoenas for Rove and other top White House aides. The President says they can testify privately without any transcript being made, but Congress wants sworn public testimony--on the record. Insisting that there was no wrong-doing, Bush emphasized that he'd go to court to prevent his aides from testifying under oath. Whether or not the issue ends up in court, it will be judged in the court of public opinion. Has the Department of Justice lived up to its name or become a political arm of the White House ? We update today’s action with journalists and legal experts.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
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.
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.
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?