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Atlantic
James Fallows is a national correspondent for the Atlantic and the author of Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy and China Airborne. He was the chief speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter.
PROFILE
James Fallows
Guest
FROM James Fallows
To the Point
Guns: prayer or politics… or both? America's mass shootings are getting deadlier, and Sunday's atrocity in Las Vegas was the deadliest yet; it involved automatic weapons. The numbers are now 59 dead and more than 500 injured by a killer who stockpiled 42 weapons. But despite the initial shock, the aftermath is all too familiar: demand for gun control versus the claim that "control" means limiting access. There's real passion on both sides. Is there anything about the attack on a Country Music event that might alter politics as usual? Are mass shootings the inevitable "price of freedom," or can we find ways to limit gun violence without limiting the right to own guns?
To the Point
Is America's "pivot to Asia" a thing of the past? So many of his Department's top jobs are still unfilled that Rex Tillerson seems like a lonely Secretary of State, and as a diplomat, he's an amateur. His trip to Asia — just one reporter included — was full of contradictions, with tweets from the President adding to the confusion. It's not clear if he threatened North Korea, advocated nuclear weapons for Japan and South Korea--or if he'll seek common ground with China. And there's another big question: how much is the Trump White House running the show?
To the Point
The way forward in a post-truth world Fake news isn't new. It's about as old as news itself. What is new is the speed and potency of fake news in the age of social media, and the way in which it figured in this year's election. From stories about Hillary Clinton selling weapons to ISIS to claims by the President-elect that he won the popular vote… sensational and poisonous stories have spread rapid fire on Facebook and Twitter, helped along by ad sales and algorithms that propel fake news to the top of pack, occasionally with violent results. How damaging is fake news to democracy, and what role do mainstream media outlets as well as technology companies play in defusing it?
To the Point
The Atrocity in Orlando and the Presidential Campaign An angry President Obama today denounced “the presumptive Republican nominee,” making no secret he was talking about Donald Trump. He denounced Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigration, and scoffed at the idea that using the phrase “Islamic Extremism” would make any difference. He called the shooter at the Pulse club in Orlando one of many “small actors” who “only have to be right once” while similar attacks are being prevented. What are the administration and law enforcement doing to prevent attacks like the one in Orlando? Does language really matter?
To the Point
Cleaning the Barn and Passing the Gavel Today, Congress is likely to pass the first federal budget in five years. If the Senate agrees, the government will stay open and pay the bills until after the next election. For the most part, Democrats will be happy to go along, but Republican candidates for President and the right wing of the GOP are on the warpath against it . The likely new Speaker, Paul Ryan, won't have to deal with default or a government shutdown, but that looks like a curse to conservative colleagues. We hear how a temporary return to business as usual is dramatizing the Republican Party's radical change.
Which Way, L.A.?
Can the Bullet Train Get Back on Track? Governor Brown and other officials gave California's High-Speed Rail project a morale boost on Tuesday with a groundbreaking in Fresno. Critics say there's no way it'll ever reach expectations: a two-hour 40-minute ride from LA to San Francisco by 2028 at a cost of $68 billion. But, whatever it ends up costing, whatever the time required, Brown called it an obligation to future generations — like the cathedrals of Europe. There's no doubt it will be the most expensive public works project in state history — if it's ever completed.
Which Way, L.A.?
California’s High-Speed Rail: Construction Begins, But the Debate Rages On In 2008, California voters approved $9.9 billion for a high-speed rail from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Now, the projected cost is $68 billion, and public support has been declining. Faced with a race for re-election in November, Governor Jerry Brown is as enthusiastic as ever, while his Republican opponent, Neel Kashkari calls it the “crazy train.” James Fallows is national correspondent for the Atlantic magazine. He’s written a 7-part series calling California’s high-speed rail the most important infrastructure project in the nation. Despite lawsuits filed by Central Valley farmers, buildings already are being knocked down in Fresno to make way for high-speed rail construction. Last week, an appellate court ruled unanimously that the High Speed Rail Authority can begin to sell bonds to finance it. And tomorrow, the Authority will review the use of cap-and-trade money to pay the bills. But the tracks, to use an appropriate metaphor, are by no means clear. Carla Marinucci reports on politics for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Which Way, L.A.?
Online Comments: Freedom of Speech or the Bane of the Internet? Popular Science wants online comments to encourage learned debate but finds that so many are so wrong they damage the credibility of important research. So they've decided to ban reader comments online . The Huffington Post gets nine million comments a month, but 75% are so vile, mean or obscene they never get posted. We hear why some websites won't allow anonymity any more, while others are banning online comment completely. Does free speech have to be limited to expertise or good manners? Are 100 stupid, cruel or disruptive comments worth one that makes for good reading?
To the Point
Online Comments: Freedom of Speech or the Bane of the Internet? Popular Science wants online comments to encourage learned debate but finds that so many are so wrong they damage the credibility of important research. So they've decided to ban reader comments online . The Huffington Post gets nine million comments a month, but 75% are so vile, mean or obscene they never get posted. We hear why some websites won't allow anonymity any more, while others are banning online comment completely. Does free speech have to be limited to expertise or good manners? Are 100 stupid, cruel or disruptive comments worth one that makes for good reading?
To the Point
Online Comments: Freedom of Speech or the Bane of the Internet? Popular Science wants online comments to encourage learned debate but finds that so many are so wrong they damage the credibility of important research. So they've decided to ban reader comments online . The Huffington Post gets nine million comments a month, but 75% are so vile, mean or obscene they never get posted. We hear why some websites won't allow anonymity any more, while others are banning online comment completely. Does free speech have to be limited to expertise or good manners? Are 100 stupid, cruel or disruptive comments worth one that makes for good reading?
To the Point
Is China's New 'Charm Offensive' Doomed to Fail? For the second time in 20 years, the leaders of China have just completed a peaceful transition of power. Xi Jinping has become the Communist Party Chairman, Commander in Chief of the Army and—yesterday--President of the Country. All that took place, as usual, behind closed doors. Xi will be running an economic powerhouse with an inferiority complex about its lack of cultural influence. He says, "Just as China needs to learn more about the world, so does the world need to learn more about China." But, can he develop China's "soft-power" in the face of political censorship, limits on foreign tourism and military saber rattling? We hear about the contradictions that make the world's second most powerful nation harder to understand — and more frightening — than it wants to be.
To the Point
Politics in the Other Superpower While the world waits to see if there will be leadership change in Washington, in China it's guaranteed, but nothing is out in the open. The Communist Party is about to start meeting behind closed doors to endorse the tiny group who will run the number two superpower for the next ten years. The biggest turnover since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 -- and only its fifth generation of leaders since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 -- will have worldwide consequences, though nobody knows just what to expect. We hear about murder, corruption, public unrest and the uncertain future of the "economic miracle."
Which Way, L.A.?
Trading Barbs over Foreign Trade It's a pretty reliable applause line on the campaign trail: As President I will stand up to China. The US actually has brought an unfair trade case against China before the World Trade Organization, but a bill that would get tough on Chinese currency manipulation languishes in Congress with neither candidate's prodding his party to push it along. Can one country really bully around a trade partner that it owes $1.2 trillion? How unfair is the game that China's playing? We discuss the economics of trade, the reality of the Chinese economy and the realistic options for any American president.
To the Point
Trading Barbs over Foreign Trade It's a pretty reliable applause line on the campaign trail: As President I will stand up to China. The US actually has brought an unfair trade case against China before the World Trade Organization, but a bill that would get tough on Chinese currency manipulation languishes in Congress with neither candidate's prodding his party to push it along. Can one country really bully around a trade partner that it owes $1.2 trillion? How unfair is the game that China's playing? We discuss the economics of trade, the reality of the Chinese economy and the realistic options for any American president.
To the Point
President Obama Swings for the Fences and Fence-Straddlers Last night in Charlotte, President Barack Obama made his plea for a second term with a tone of humility. "I'm no longer just a candidate. I'm the President." The speech lacked the soaring rhetoric of candidate Obama in 2008. Instead, it was grounded in the prose of reality – what's been accomplished, what remains to be done. Nor did Obama match the impassioned, folksy delivery of Bill Clinton from the night before, but he did paint a definitive choice for voters, outlining the stark differences between the Democrats and the Republicans. Did he manage to persuade those important swing voters to give him more time? To the Point has been broadcasting live from the Democratic convention all week. You can find extended interviews, pictures and more at KCRW.org/election2012 .
Which Way, L.A.?
Bain Capital Woes Overshadow Romney's Campaign Mitt Romney is campaigning as a successful businessman who could create jobs and improve America's economy from the White House. That's based on the fortune he made at Bain Capital. He says he left the firm in 1999 to go run the Summer Olympics in Utah, so he was not responsible for Bain Capital companies that went bankrupt or laid off workers after that. But the Boston Globe says documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission show otherwise. We hear why fellow Republicans are urging transparency—for the sake of his presidential campaign.
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To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
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
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
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?