University of the South
President of Sewanee: The University of the South; founder and former president of Choose Responsibility; founder of the Amethyst Initiative; President emeritus of Middlebury CollegePROFILE
John McCardell
Guest
FROM John McCardell
To the Point
Rising Cost and the Future of Higher Education Tuition and other expenses have gone up so much there's now a consensus that higher education costs too much, at the same time it's more necessary than ever. Two-thirds of students are taking out loans, and collectively owe a trillion dollars — more than the total of credit card debt. Do the loans themselves allow colleges to spend more than they need to? Why are public universities also charging much more? Will cheap, online courses now offered by Stanford, Harvard, MIT and Google transform the college experience and make campuses obsolete? We hear from educators and a graduate who owes $55,000 in student loans.
Which Way, L.A.?
Is It Time to Change the Legal Drinking Age? The acting Surgeon General of the United States says the drinking on college campuses is not the harmless rite of passage it used to be, but the cause of hundreds of thousands of injuries, rapes, other assaults and deaths. Now 120 college presidents want to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18—when kids can vote or join the military.
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To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
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
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.
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.