National Correspondent, New York Times
National Correspondent for the New York TimesPROFILE
Ian Urbina
Guest
FROM Ian Urbina
To the Point
The Oil Industry and the Government The Gulf oil spill is producing hundreds of lawsuits in several states, but federal judges are bowing out because of investments in the oil industry. Judge Martin Feldman, who threw out the President's six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling on Tuesday, recently held stock in Transocean and Halliburton. Meanwhile, two whistle-blowing scientists from the Mineral Management Service have talked to the New York Times about BP's plan to drill for oil off the shores of Alaska. The plan skirts the President's moratorium because its drill will be based on an artificial island three miles off the coast. So it's technically “on-shore.” We look at how the oil industry continues to wield influence even after the worst environmental disaster in US history.
Which Way, L.A.?
Help for Haiti?: The Work Has Just Begun In Haiti, humanitarian aid workers are finally getting systems in place to distribute aid. But many Haitians complain they still aren't getting the help they need a month after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the island. How is aid being distributed? How is the international community dealing with orphans, after the arrest of ten missionaries accused of trying to smuggle children out of the country? With such widespread devastation, what kind of rebuilding does Haiti most need to build a more secure future?
To the Point
Help for Haiti?: The Work Has Just Begun In Haiti, humanitarian aid workers are finally getting systems in place to distribute aid. But many Haitians complain they still aren't getting the help they need a month after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the island. How is aid being distributed? How is the international community dealing with orphans, after the arrest of ten missionaries accused of trying to smuggle children out of the country? With such widespread devastation, what kind of rebuilding does Haiti most need to build a more secure future?
Recommended
To the Point
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.
To the Point
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?
Left, Right & Center
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
To the Point
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.