New York Times
National correspondent for the New York Times, covering military and veterans affairs
PROFILE
James Dao
Guest
FROM James Dao
Which Way, L.A.?
Veterans and the VA: Worst Backlog in Washington Here's the kind of decision required of the Veterans Administration: is that traumatic brain injury from high school football or a roadside bomb in Iraq? Questions like that are just one reason the VA is so far behind in processing claims. While President Obama, Mitt Romney and politicians on both sides of the aisle agree that American veterans should get the benefits they deserve, many veterans are frustrated.
To the Point
The Worst Backlog in Washington Despite all the issues that keep them apart, President Obama, Mitt Romney and every other American politician agree that American veterans should get the lifetime benefits they deserve. But the Veterans Administration has been infamous for its "backlog" in processing claims, going back to before September 11. Despite 4000 new workers since 2008, less than 80 percent of the work has been done, frustrating veterans of Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, Korea -- even World War II. Are still more workers needed? How about shifting from paper files to computers? We look at the problem and some proposed solutions. This story was informed in part from sources in the Public Insight Network. You can find out more at www.kcrw.com/insight .
To the Point
Another Atrocity in the War in Afghanistan It's one of the worst war crimes by an American soldier: Sergeant Robert Bales is accused of leaving his base in a remote part of Afghanistan, brutally murdering 16 civilians, including 9 children, and trying to set their bodies on fire. Bales reportedly returned to base afterward and asked for a lawyer. He'll likely be tried by the military at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Does he have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Is he himself a kind of war victim, or is he a cold-blooded killer who can't be excused in any way? These and other questions will haunt the longest war in American history until long after it's over. We hear some of the early answers today.
Which Way, L.A.?
Coming Home from the Iraq War From the deep South to the Midwest to California and Washington State, military bases and surrounding towns are bulging these days with the last combat soldiers coming home from Iraq. "The returns are moments of celebration and relief, but tension and peril can lie ahead." That’s according to a report co-authored by James Dao in the New York Times.
To the Point
The Joys and Sorrows of Coming Home America's combat role in Iraq has ended, and tens of thousands of returning troops are repopulating military bases and nearby towns all over the country. But history shows that many joyous welcomes are bound to go sour with marital problems, crime and suicide likely to increase in the months to come. Are the military services and the Veterans' Administration ready to help so many people recover from wounds and shake off the mental burdens of combat? Will civilians recognize their sacrifice? Will ongoing controversy over the war itself tarnish the rewards of coming home?
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To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
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
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.
To the Point
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.