- Social:
Weekly Standard
Mark Hemingway is a senior writer at the Weekly Standard. He is a former staff writer for the Washington Examiner and contributor to its Beltway Confidential blog.
PROFILE
Mark Hemingway
Guest
FROM Mark Hemingway
To the Point
Scientific uncertainty and the politics of climate change Last Friday, the New York Times introduced a new, conservative columnist: Bret Stephens, former editor at the Jerusalem Post and the Wall Street Journal. He's also a former climate-change denier, who now says he believes that human activity is responsible for global warming. But, in his first column he wrote that, "claiming total certainty about the science... creates openings for doubt [when] much that passes for accepted fact is really a matter of probabilities." The response has been deafening... from readers, including scientists, saying the paper's encouraging climate-change denial. The Times' Public Editor says readers need to hear different perspectives and it's time for "Busting up the paper's mostly liberal echo chamber." But scientists say climate change should be treated as an emergency that could be worse than predicted.
To the Point
Separating Fact and Fiction: Truth and Lies in American Politics Today Nobody should be surprised when politicians distort the facts or tell outright lies. In 2007, the St. Petersburg Times introduced a feature called PolitiFact . It's complete with a "Truth-O-Meter," and a range from "True" through "Mostly True" to "Mostly False," "False" and finally, "Pants on Fire." PolitiFact joined the Annenberg Public Policy Center's FactCheck.org . The Washington Post now has a regular feature called The Fact Checker . While such checkers promise to give voters the truth, they themselves are critiqued from the Right and the Left, accused of choosing the facts they check according to hidden agendas. Does one side lie more than the other? Do the media add to the confusion by trying to find "balance" between the two or are "facts" really what voters want to know? If so, why do they sometimes cling to beliefs in proven falsehoods?
Which Way, L.A.?
Obama 'All Fired Up' Again, but Is It Too Little, Too Late? President Obama is barnstorming for healthcare reform to be passed by Democrats only. But members of his own party still need convincing. Public opinion polls are not encouraging, and Republicans say, come November, any bill Democrats vote for "will be the issue in every race in America." After yesterday' s rally for healthcare reform in Pennsylvania, Democratic Senator Arlen Specter said, "That' s the most fiery I' ve seen him since the early campaign…"
To the Point
Obama 'All Fired Up' Again, but Is It Too Little, Too Late? President Obama is barnstorming for healthcare reform to be passed by Democrats only. But members of his own party still need convincing. Public opinion polls are not encouraging, and Republicans say, come November, any bill Democrats vote for "will be the issue in every race in America." We look at the "fixes" House Democrats are demanding in the bill passed by the Senate. Has the President waited too long to assume a dominant role? Will compromise be a historic achievement or a political trap for his party?
Recommended
To the Point
The Kavanaugh Factor and the Midterm Elections Republicans have secured their long-term goal: a right-wing majority on the U.S. Supreme Court. There are conflicting expectations for rulings on abortion, immigration, voting rights--and the powers of both the White House and Congress. In this divided nation, public trust in the rule of law is also at stake. How will the bitter battle over Brett Kavanaugh impact next month’s midterm elections?
Left, Right & Center
Left, Right & Center Live: Decisions, Decisions A special live broadcast of Left, Right & Center from INFORUM at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco
KCRW Features
A California car that takes solar power seriously Cars and trucks are some of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. And so a number of automobile companies are exploring ways to meet governmental - and consumer - demands for cleaner drives.
KCRW Features
As sidewalk gardens grow on Skid Row, homeless residents lose a sidewalk In a city with tens of thousands of people living on its streets, sidewalk space can be a hot commodity. Businesses want to keep the sidewalk clear for customers, but the city’s housing crisis means that for some people, the sidewalk is home. Some property owners have reportedly used sprinklers or private security guards to make sure no one sets up camp outside their doors. And in recent months, people living on the streets have noticed a new tactic – business owners effectively occupying a portion of the sidewalk themselves.