Executive Director of the National Priorities Project
Executive Director of the National Priorities Project,
a nonprofit research organization that analyzes and clarifies federal
data so that people can understand and influence how their tax dollars
are spent
The White House Confronts Congress over Domestic Spending Last Friday, President Bush told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi he still plans to veto expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program , despite overwhelming approval in Congress and the advice of a lot of conservative allies. Pelosi said she's praying that he'll change his mind, but Democrats are rubbing their hands over what they see as a political opportunity. So many Republican Senators face trouble next year that the upper house gave the bill a veto-proof majority. We hear the pros and cons of extending government coverage to four million uninsured kids for five years. How does it compare to funding wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year alone?
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
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?
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.
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.