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?
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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.
To the Point
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.
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
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.