Washington Bureau Chief, Alaskan Public Radio Network
PROFILE
Joel Southern
Guest
FROM Joel Southern
Which Way, L.A.?
Polar Bears, the Endangered Species List and Global Warming In 1973, the number of Bald Eagles was dwindling, and the national bird became a powerful symbol that helped lead to the Endangered Species Act . Protecting Bald Eagles required restrictions on pesticides and the banning of DDT—which helped promote the much broader environmental movement. Now the polar bear has become symbolic of another, much broader concern: Global Warming.
To the Point
The Politics and the Science behind the Endangered Species List The Endangered Species Act passed in 1973, based partly on a powerful symbol: the dwindling number of Bald Eagles. After the act passed, protecting the national bird led to restrictions on pesticides and a ban on the insecticide DDT. Keeping Bald Eagles alive helped promote a much broader environmental movement. Gray wolves went on the list in 1974, but except in Alaska, there weren't any left to protect. In 1995, 66 of the animals were "re-introduced" into national parks in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Now there are about 1500, ranging over some 113,000 square miles, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service is removing them from the List of Endangered Species, though not without controversy and possible legal action. Polar bears may go on the list but not because their numbers are dwindling—as yet. They're threatened by global warming. Are there really enough wolves? Can they survive legal hunting in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming? Is the polar bear being used as a powerful symbol in the broader debate about climate change?
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To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
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
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 Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.