Independent Producer
Gideon Brower is a humorist and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. His radio features, documentaries and commentaries air on NPR stations locally and nationally. He has contributed to Joe Frank's radio programs and sometimes fills in as producer on KCRW's To the Point and Which Way, LA? with Warren Olney.
The brave new world of genetic engineering Gene editing now used for agriculture and developing drugs can also prevent inherited human diseases. We hear the pros and cons of the latest breakthrough in medical science.
Will the US help Venezuela or hurt it? Venezuela is said to be on the verge of becoming a failed state, and President Nicholas Maduro has increased political instability by staging what's being called a fraudulent election. We hear about potential American sanctions; will they make things better or worse?
The isolation of the State Department in Trump's White House Career diplomats say the Trump Administration is "hollowing out" the State Department with no clear foreign policy from the Secretary of State or the White House. Congress is already showing impatience as the President has yet to sign a sanctions bill passed with veto-proof majorities.
Democrats and the lessons of a losing campaign Since their candidate lost a congressional race in Georgia last night, Democratic Party regulars are licking their wounds. But around the country, some party activists aren't just disappointed, they're planning to start something new.
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
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?
Rhetoric and brinksmanship on the Korean Peninsula For 25 years, the US has viewed North Korea's nuclear program with increasing alarm. Now President Trump says this country has lost its "strategic patience." We hear what he's actually doing… and what might come next.
Does 'hire American' mean fire a foreigner? US companies are allowed to hire employees from other countries with highly developed skills that can't be found here. President Trump says it's being abused as a way to find cheap foreign labor. We hear about the benefits—and the risks—of changing the H-1B program.
Trump picks Colorado judge to replace Scalia President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court fulfills a major campaign promise and lit a fire under Democrats still furious over the Republican stonewalling President Obama's own nominee. Guest host Barbara Bogaev explores whether a possible filibuster will take this fight all the way to Republicans launching the nuclear option -- and destroy the filibuster forever.
A 'special relationship' in the Brexit-Trump era Theresa May is the first foreign leader to sit down with Donald Trump as Commander in Chief. The British Prime Minister says it's to build on the "special relationship" between the US and the UK. There's even talk of a new Trans-Atlantic trade deal. But how's that going to fly in a post-Brexit world, with a White House bent on "buy American, hire American?" Guest host Barbara Bogaev looks at how the US withdrawing from global treaties and embracing Russia complicates the relationship.
Trump's executive order begins his immigration crackdown President Trump has issued orders to implement his promise to build a "Great Wall" on the Mexican border and penalize cities and other localities that try to protect undocumented immigrants from being rounded up and deported.
Bringing back the United Artists Theatre Downtown Los Angeles has seen a revival of historic theaters. The Million Dollar Theater, The Tower, The Globe, the Belasco. But there's one theater that stands out for its opulence and, now, its diversity of programming. The United Artists Theatre – now known as The Theatre at Ace Hotel – opened 89 years ago this week. Producer Gideon Brower has the story of the movie stars who created it, the showmen, preachers and entrepreneurs who ran it, and the generations of audiences that have walked through its doors.
The year in (fake) news News, politics and democracy in a post-truth world. It's an old problem that's worse than ever before. Guest host Barbara Bogaev explores what mainstream media, tech companies, and educators are doing to raise media literacy in a post-fact world.
US-China relations in the Trump Age Guest host Bonnie Bogaev considers what China’s seizure -- and return -- of a US naval drone means for the relationship between Beijing and a Trump White House. With the incoming administration pivoting towards Russia and taking a harder line on China, is a confrontation brewing?
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.
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
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?