journalist and author
Beijing-based journalist who specializes in civil society, culture and religion, and author of Wild Grass: Three Portraits of Change in Modern China; former writer for the Wall Street Journal, he won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China
Alternative Education Catches On in China For a century, European and American parents looking for an alternative, arts-based education for their children have embraced the principles of Waldorf Schools , developed in 1919 by an obscure Austrian mystic. Now the movement is catching on in a place famous for routine, highly structured learning. After taking power in 1949, China's Communist Government eliminated illiteracy in that vast country -- a historic accomplishment. But now, education is one of the biggest problems facing the country. One consequence is the Chinese Waldorf movement , according to Ian Johnson in this month's New Yorker magazine.
Alternative Education Catches On in China For a century, European and American parents looking for an alternative, arts-based education for their children have embraced the principles of Waldorf Schools , developed in 1919 by an obscure Austrian mystic. Now the movement is catching on in a place famous for routine, highly structured learning. After taking power in 1949, China's Communist Government eliminated illiteracy in that vast country -- a historic accomplishment. But now, education is one of the biggest problems facing the country. One consequence is the Chinese Waldorf movement , according to Ian Johnson in this month's New Yorker magazine.
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.
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.
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.
