St. Louis American
Columnist for the St. Louis American, a historic African-American weekly newspaper
PROFILE
Kenya Vaughn
Guest
FROM Kenya Vaughn
To the Point
Is Ferguson a Microcosm of the USA? Ferguson, Missouri erupted last night after a grand jury held that white Officer Darren Wilson’s killing of black teenager Michael Brown was not a crime. Asked if refusing to take the matter to trial was passing the buck, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch released all the trove of evidence the grand jury looked at in making its decision. “No one can just file charges and go to a jury trial… We’re gathering evidence, presenting it to the grand jury. We do this every day, day in and day out. It’s certainly not passing the buck” Benjamin Crump, attorney for Brown’s family, vigorously disagreed, “The process is broken, the process should be indicted.” After months of media coverage, the nation was ready for the decision, violence in Ferguson and protests in other cities. We get an update on reaction to last night’s decision, look at the process, the mountain of evidence and what the incident could mean for the country.
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To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
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?