- Social:
Bloomberg
Laura Blewitt is an energy reporter for Bloomberg. She is based in Houston, Texas.
PROFILE
Laura Blewitt
Guest
FROM Laura Blewitt
To the Point
Tropical Storm Harvey is in a class of its own The rain in Texas continues to set national records. Floodwaters are still rising and rescue efforts may last -- not just for days, but for weeks, into the future. Some 13 million people live in zones either flooded already or under flood watch — with one trillion gallons of water inundating Harris County in just four days. President Trump flew in for a briefing in Corpus Christie as federal agencies join state and local responders along with civilians. We hear how one family waded in chest deep water, pulling an aging relative on a rubber mattress.
To the Point
Venezuela in a major crisis: Are sanctions going to help? After months of deadly protest over living conditions and human rights abuses, President Nicolas Maduro is accused of running a phony election. Official results from Sunday's voting replaced the previous general assembly with a new one subject to his total control. President Trump has increased individual sanctions against Maduro and other powerful figures — and there's talk of interfering with the vital oil economy. Would that fend off a potential dictatorship — or give Maduro the scapegoat he needs -- possibly leading to civil war?
Recommended
Left, Right & Center
The week that wouldn't quit Will next week get even weirder? (Special one-hour episode)
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
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.