Politico magazine
Michael Grunwald is a senior writer for Politico magazine and the author of The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise and The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era. He previously served as correspondent for both Time magazine and the Washington Post.
Why James Comey fired for mishandling Clinton emails or investigating Trump and Russia? This afternoon, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, “The president has accepted the recommendation of the Attorney General and the deputy Attorney General regarding the dismissal of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” The bureau’s director was fired. Was he fired for mishandling the Clinton emails, or because he was investigating the Trump campaign’s Russia ties?
Obama Farewell Speech President Obama addressed an adoring crowd last night in Chicago, where he began his public career as a community organizer. He touted his accomplishments after eight years in the White House. He also spoke to the likely disappointment of his supporters in his elected successor. But Michael Grunwald, senior writer for Politico magazine and author of The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era , says Obama might have been well served by taking one page from Donald Trump's playbook.
Obama’s Finished Business The Republican presidential candidates lobbed plenty of zingers at the president during last night’s Republican debate. With President Obama now in the final year of his presidency, many people are taking stock of his record. Obviously, the Republicans hoping to succeed him are focused on the failures. We hear from a journalist who takes a sunnier view.
Is America on the Rise… or on the Decline? President Obama deployed his oratorical skills last night in his final State of the Union address to Congress. The speech was dramatically upbeat and scornful of Republican predictions of doom and gloom. He spoke to the unease among Democrats that's fueled the campaign of Bernie Sanders -- while the official response dramatized divisions within the GOP. The stage is set for the campaign to choose Obama's successor. President Barack Obama acknowledges applause from Cabinet members during a reception after his State of the Union address on January 12, 2016. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
The Highway Trust Fund Encounters Congestion in Congress America's transportation system is falling apart. More than half of all roads, highways and bridges are "obsolete" or "at high risk for catastrophe." The American Society for Civil Engineers says the cost of repair will be $3.6 trillion — if money's available over the next five years. But the Highway Trust Fund will run out on Friday, with Congress leaving for summer vacation. In both the House and the Senate, long -term funding has been caught up in short-term politics. We look at the consequences of falling behind — compared to what's possible for "the world's most advanced nation."
A Lack of Global Consensus in the Fight against Global Warming In a 5-to-4 ruling this week, the US Supreme Court ruled against the EPA's regulation of toxic emissions from coal and oil-fired power plants. For the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia said the monetary cost to power-plant operators was not worth "a few dollars in health or environmental benefits." That could mean trouble for President Obama's clean air agenda . Meantime, a Dutch court says its government must increase cuts in emissions -- regardless of cost -- in the interest of health and safety. Conflicting court rulings dramatize conflicting approaches to the environment and global warming.
Bank of America, Literally It was adventure on the high seas: Four ships had gone off-course in the Gulf of Mexico and on the Eastern Seaboard. Government officials were hot on their trail, but not because of any danger or crime. The U.S. marshals on the case were essentially acting as repo men, tracking the ships because their owners had defaulted on a government loan. In fact, the federal government is the biggest creditor in the country; how did that happen? And why isn’t there anyone in charge of the literal Bank of America?
Taking Stock of the First Debate In last night's debate , Mitt Romney was an aggressive challenger, not afraid to accuse a sitting President of not telling the truth. The consensus is that an aggressive Romney won the debate against Barack Obama , a President who was defensive and lacking in energy. We sample early reaction and ask how it might influence the remaining month of a close and hard-fought campaign.
Will Last Night's Debate Change the Momentum? In Colorado this morning, President Obama gave an energetic stump speech, but even Democrats agree he was uninspired in last night's debate compared to Mitt Romney . Republicans are cheering Romney's aggressive performance, and both sides are wondering why the President failed to seize several obvious opportunities. Was he out of practice? Was it part of his campaign strategy? Will a different Obama turn up the next time around? In the meantime, can Romney use positive news coverage to establish a lead among potential American voters?
Another Mass Shooting: Guns in America At least 12 moviegoers are dead and 58 wounded after a gunman in a gas mask shot up the Batman premier at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. The suspect, James Holmes, is 24 years old, said to have been a graduate student in neurosciences, and he left sophisticated booby traps in his apartment. We hear witnesses describe the scene, which has already set off debate about America's epidemic of gun violence. (We hear the voices of Shayla Roader and Jennifer Seeger on CBS News and Trey Fremon and Deshantay Harris recorded by NBC.)
President Obama's Support Is Evaporating Republicans presidential candidates dominated this weekend's political news while President Obamas approval ratings sank to their lowest point since he took office. Today it was his turn to visit Iowa , part of a three-state tour to shore up support from crucial constituencies. Obama has been denounced for filling the White House with Wall Street bankers and defended for doing the best he can with the bad hand he was dealt by George Bush and Republicans in Congress. But Independents are among those giving the President ratings so low he's vulnerable to the Republicans.
Whatever Happened to 'Hope' and 'Change?' As the field of Republican challengers appears to be taking shape, President Obama's approval ratings are at their lowest point ever. Liberal Democrats, who expected a tough leader, say he's capitulated to Wall Street bankers and Tea Party extremists in Congress. Independents also perceive a lack of leadership and failure to keep the promise to tame Washington's mean-spirited partisanship. Defenders say Obama inherited two wars and a collapsing economy, but still got some stimulus, healthcare, and finance reform, despite Republican opposition. Does the President still have time to bring Congress together, shore up the economy and regain his credibility with taxpaying voters? Segment image: Supporters 'stand up' for candidate Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign. Photo by Michal Czerwonka/AFP/Getty Images
Can Man Control the Mighty Mississippi River? Since the great flood of 1927 killed hundreds of people, the Army Corps of Engineers has built 2000 miles of levees to tame the Mississippi. Now the system's being tested as never before, as the Corps is faced with opening spillways to devastate some places in order to save others. At stake either way are homes, businesses, billions in property damage and entire communities. Is the River untamable after all? We hear from the Corps and its critics and from the Mayor of Vicksburg, Mississippi, one city that's bracing for a catastrophe.
Has Flood Control Led to a False Sense of Security? The Mississippi watershed is the world's third largest after the Amazon and the Congo. Since record flooding in 1927, the Army Corps of Engineers has spent billions of dollars on an intricate 2000-mile system of levees, spillways and flood zones designed to allow homes, farms and industrial development to thrive along the river and its many tributaries. Now that system is being severely tested, as the Corps is faced with opening spillways to devastate some places in order to save others. At stake either way are homes, businesses, billions in property damage and entire communities. Is the river untamable after all? We hear from the Corps and its critics and from the Mayor of Vicksburg, Mississippi, one city that's bracing for a catastrophe.
Flood Worries Prompted Blast of Missouri Levee The Army Corps of Engineers is trying to manage the Mississippi River, the world's third biggest watershed after the Congo and Amazon. But blasting two miles of levees to ease a threat to Cairo, Illinois means flooding farms in Missouri, and there's rising concern down the river all the way to Louisiana and Mississippi. Flood levels have dropped in Illinois, but Missouri farmers are going to court, and there've been precautionary evacuations in Tennessee. Last week, Governor Haley Barbour started warning about possible flooding in Mississippi. Michael Grunwald writes about efforts to manage water resources for Time magazine.
'The Big Uneasy' Five years ago, the Washington Post reported that “Louisiana's top hurricane experts have rejected the official explanations for the floodwall collapses that inundated much of New Orleans…and that the city's flood-protection system should have kept most of the city dry.” Those experts have since lost their jobs and Louisiana State University's Hurricane Center has now been shut down. That's just part of what's reported in the documentary, The Big Uneasy . Was Katrina really a “natural disaster” or largely man-made? Were levees built by the Army Corps of Engineers so poorly constructed they made it worse than it needed to be? What about recent efforts to protect New Orleans from future hurricanes? Are they based on sound engineering or pork barrel politics?
Who will get displaced by a new Santa Barbara police station? The city of Santa Barbara says it needs a new police station, but building one means displacing either farmers or lawn bowlers. The Woolsey has not only destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate, but it’s displaced a diverse mix of wildlife. And a new contemporary art exhibition takes a deep dive into the most famous art heists in history.
California Wildfire Special A live, one-hour special brought to you by KQED and KCRW.
Too rich for our own good Affluent communities put their futures as risk when they become unaffordable for everyone but the wealthy.
Tiny Desk Talks NPR Music is proud to introduce their newest series, “Tiny Desk Talks” fueled by Lagunitas Brewing Company. Featuring one of their talks in collaboration with KCRW for an intimate conversation on music in film with composer Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, Atlanta, Creed) and music supervisor and KCRW DJ Liza Richardson (Barry, Narcos), moderated by KCRW’s Jason Bentley. Watch the conversation below.
