US Envoy for Middle East Peace
Former Senator from Maine (1980-1985) and US Senate Majority Leader under Presidents George Bush, Sr and Bill Clinton; special advisor to President Clinton for economic initiatives in Ireland (1995-2000); Chairman of the Sharm el-Sheikh International Fact-Finding Committee to examine crisis in Middle East (2000-2001); author of Making Peace, about the Northern Ireland peace accord; chairman emeritus of the law firm DLA Piper
Can Blair Apply Lessons of Northern Ireland to the Middle East? Parts of Central London are locked down for a manhunt after a massive car bom b was found unexploded in the heart of the city. Such bombings were a part of life in London during many decades of so-called " Troubles " between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. One of the "outsiders" given credit for helping resolved what long seemed an intractable conflict is Tony Blair , who has just been named by the Quartet as a Special Envoy to the Middle East. Can the lessons of one intractable conflict be applied to the other? Does Blair have the authority to make a difference? Will American Jews play a supporting role the way Irish Americans did? Among our guests is former Senator George Mitchell , another "outsider" who helped shape what's now called the " Road Map " to end violence in the Middle East.
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
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.
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?
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?