New America Foundation
Michael Lind is a co-founder of New America (formerly the New American Foundation) and the author of the The American Way of Strategy: US Foreign Policy and the American Way of Life and Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States. He is a former columnist for Salon and a former research assistant to William F. Buckley.
Kathleen Sebelius on the Hot Seat, Obamacare under Fire President Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services was grilled for more than three hours today on Capitol Hill. Kathleen Sebelius apologized to the American people and vowed to solve the problems of Healthcare.gov -- but Republicans were not cutting her any slack. She took responsibility for the "debacle," but said the Affordable Care Act will be good for America. We hear excerpts from the proceedings and look at charges and counter-charges about President Obama and his most-prized achievement. Has he told the whole truth? Are Republicans attacking a plan that's of their own making?
America's Economic Resilience Former chief executive Bill Clinton has been campaigning for current President Barack Obama, but Clinton’s latest comment on the economy might not help Obama in the November election. As bad news piles up, more and more people are taking a dim view of America’s economic prospects. Is it really that bad? We hear that there is another side to the story.
Is There Good News about the Economy? Former chief executive Bill Clinton has been campaigning for current President Barack Obama, but Clinton's latest comment on the economy might not help Obama in the November election. As if to prove the point, the Labor Department announced today that American productivity fell by 0.9 percent , slightly more than had been anticipated. Yet, despite high unemployment, low home sales, troubles in Europe and a drop in consumer confidence, the US economy still has strength and resilience. Some economists say the half-empty glass is also half full, as major corporations stop out-sourcing jobs and start bringing them back to America. That doesn't mean there won't be trouble ahead. Economics is still the "dismal science." We hear about some hopeful signs and the importance of government action.
'American Exceptionalism:' Myth or Reality? Almost since the revolution that created the United States, Americans have considered themselves as a nation apart. "American Exceptionalism" is now a standard theme for Democrats and Republicans. With economic and military expansion, world leadership has been seen as an obligation. But, for all its contributions to human progress, does the US really behave that much better than other nations? Are there dangers in that kind of thinking? Should the US recognize its weaknesses as well as its strengths or, if it focuses too much on past mistakes, will it fail to take the actions required for the future? We hear an argument crucial to the assumptions that dictate national policy. How does America look to the rest of the world?
Obama Takes Over America's TV's For 30 minutes of prime time on broadcast and cable outlets last night, Barack Obama made what was inevitably called the " closing argument " of his presidential campaign. It featured a retiree cheated out of his pension, an elderly couple faced with high medical bills, a widow concerned with her kids’ education and a couple looking at layoffs from a Ford automobile factory. Obama promised to help them all. What did it say about his view of the country and possible role in the White House? Michael Lind, senior fellow at the New America Foundation, is author of The American Way of Strategy .
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
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?
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.