Manhattan Institute
Heather Mac Donald is afellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think-tank in New York City. She is co-author of The Immigration Solution: A Better Plan Than Today's and author of Are Cops Racist?: How the War Against the Police Harms Black Americans.
Jeff Sessions: New sheriff in town Violent crime's at an all-time low, and President Trump's Attorney General says he wants to keep it that way — by removing federal limits on local police. Critics fear Jeff Sessions is going back to the "tough on crime" days and mass incarceration of non-violent drug offenders in American jails and prisons. But federal law-breakers are just 10% of the nation's criminals — and even Red States are cutting costs by reducing incarceration without increasing crime. Other, states have legalized recreational marijuana. Is America facing a cultural crisis over another "war on drugs?"
Obama Pushes Immigration Reform and GOP Rushes to Embrace It Has the moment finally arrived for "comprehensive immigration reform?" Election returns have Republicans focused on the growing Latino vote, as President Obama calls for bipartisanship on immigration reform. At this week's news conference, he emphasized that it "has not historically been a partisan issue…so we need to seize the moment, and my expectation is that we'll get a bill introduced… the process very soon." While stressing the need to secure our borders and enforce our laws, House Speaker John Boehner acknowledged, that "a comprehensive approach is long overdue" and expressed confidence the there was common ground to resolve the issue. Even influential, conservative Fox News columnist Sean Hannity says he's done a complete about face. But "legal status" for undocumented workers sounds like "amnesty" to hard liners. What about sealing the border and setting "skill levels" for newcomers?
The Supreme Court Takes Up Arizona's Immigration Law Arizona's notorious law targeting illegal immigrants goes under the legal microscope in the nation's highest court today. At issue is the power of the federal government over states' rights and whether the law encroaches on federal authority over immigration policy. Arizona sparked a huge national debate two years ago when it took immigration into its own hands, passing the controversial law known as SB 1070. Several other states followed suit with laws of their own, legal challenges were filed, and now four parts of the law are under consideration by the Supreme Court . How will this case affect similar laws in other states? What impact will a court ruling have in an election year? At a time when immigration from Mexico has fallen sharply, is there even a need for such laws?
Fear, Loathing and Huzzahs for Arizona's Immigration Law Arizona has stirred a political hornets’ nest with its new law against illegal immigration. Undocumented aliens are accused of crimes up to and including murder, and the state’s accused of racial profiling, ethnic cleansing and Nazism. Over the weekend, Sarah Palin gave the new law her blessing. Today opponents are making another effort to stop it in court. We’ll talk with the man who wrote the new law. We’ll hear about the US Constitution and the lack of action on Capitol Hill. We’ll also get the perspective of a veteran Mexican diplomat.
The GOP Tries to Get Down to Business With Hurricane Gustav a diminishing distraction, John McCain's convention is trying to get back on track. President Bush will speak live from the White House and former Senator Fred Thompson and former Democrat Joe Lieberman will speak in prime time, but the delegates and news media are focused on Sarah Palin . Did her daughter's pregnancy and a corruption investigation take McCain by surprise? As the torch passes from Bush to McCain inside the Excel Center, we hear about yesterday's protests and the police response outside.
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.
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.
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?