University of Virginia
Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia and author of A History of Sin: How Evil Changes, but Never Goes Away
PROFILE
John Portmann
Guest
FROM John Portmann
To the Point
The Random Nature of Political Scandal New York Democrat Anthony Weiner resigned without any evidence he ever committed a crime. Was it because fellow Democrats didn't back him up, even though there's no evidence he was anything more than an Internet exhibitionist . Was it because he lied about tweeting those pictures? Louisiana's Republican Senator David Vitter was re-elected, despite being well known to patronize prostitutes. Was it because he never tweeted at all? Why is one public figure run out of town while another one rides out the storm? Is the private morality of public figures subject to double standards? Should Americans, their leaders and the media be less obsessed with the sex-life of politicians or are they just being human?
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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
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
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?