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Arab American Institute
Executive Director of the Arab American Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents the policy and community interests of Arab Americans
PROFILE
Maya Berry
Guest
FROM Maya Berry
To the Point
Portland train attach sparks Free Speech debate A pro-Trump and Free Speech Rally in Portland Oregon yesterday attracted a counter-protest across the street. Police made arrests, but nobody was injured. The events attracted national attention in the aftermath of a double murder on a train 10 days ago—raising questions about the city’s past and whether “hate speech” is protected by the First Amendment.
To the Point
Will the State of Emergency Never End? We’ve heard from Nice about the day after the 3rd major attack in France in just 19 months. Now, more on the investigation and what might come next…
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
America’s Muslim Icons The great boxer Muhammad Ali converted to Islam in the 1960s, changing his name from Cassius Clay. Ali was arguably ‘the greatest’ in boxing, for sure. And since his death last week, many have also called Muhammad Ali the greatest American Muslim. He was one of America’s most famous Muslims, but there are many notable American Muslims. Some are very public about their faith, some aren’t. And since it’s Ramadan – the holy month that most of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims are currently observing – we thought we’d talk about who some of America’s Muslim icons are.
To the Point
Reality Checks on The Donald Donald Trump has famously contradicted himself many times, but he's been relentlessly consistent on two major proposals. He wants a moratorium on any foreign Muslims entering the country, and he wants all undocumented workers to be deported. Both are crucial to Trump's base of support, and both have been roundly denounced — even by some members of the Republican Party. The moratorium has been called both un-American and unconstitutional, but we hear about some legal precedents that may surprise you. As to mass deportation, what would it take to round up 10 to 12 million people? What would it mean for the size of government and the economy?
To the Point
The Security Threat from Syrian Refugees: Rhetoric or Reality? America — the nation of immigrants — is divided again on yet another case of "huddled masses yearning to be free" after one of Friday's attackers in Paris was found to be carrying a Syrian passport. It's still not clear if the document was official or fake, but it's raised the possibility that one or more of the brutal terrorists crossed the French border disguised as a Syrian refugee. This year, the US has admitted 1800 Syrians who were fleeing civil war, and President Obama plans to admit 10,000 more. But that's created a political firestorm. Is a ban on Muslim refugees from Syria needed to keep America safe? Would it help ISIS recruiters show that the US is making war on Islam?
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[ ██████████ ] Mueller’s sentencing memo for Michael Flynn might have redacted “all the sexy parts,” but Josh Barro and Ken White speculate on the black bars.
Zócalo's Connecting California
Hot for the holidays The Coachella Valley is the next best thing to the Judaean Desert when it comes to Christmas.
KCRW Features
One Year Later: Rebuilding from the Thomas Fire This week marks one year since the Thomas Fire descended on the city of Ventura. It burned more than 500 homes within city limits. Since then, roughly half of those properties have received the green-light to start construction, but only a handful have actually broken ground. We visit one neighborhood where some of the first homes are getting rebuilt.