The Nation
Contributing writer and blogger at The Nation and Feministing; Knobler Fellow at The Nation Institute
PROFILE
Mychal Denzel Smith
Guest
FROM Mychal Denzel Smith
To the Point
Who's Accountable for Police Killings? In New York, the medical examiner called a videoed killing "homicide" by chokehold, but the grand jury did not return an indictment. In Ferguson, there was no video, and testimony conflicted, but there's been outrage nationwide because there was no indictment and no public trial. Now in Cleveland, there are troubling new revelations about the white policeman who killed a 12-year old black boy playing with a toy gun in a public park. President Obama wants to outfit cops with body cameras. Will that help restore lost confidence in the justice system?
To the Point
America: Democracy or Oligarchy? The evidence is overwhelming. The wealth gap in America is growing. A new study claims that the wealthiest 10% of Americans influence public policy in this country more than any other group. Of that 10%, the top one percent pocketed nearly the entire gains from the recovery from the financial crisis. Yet many pay a lower tax rate than middle class. The top selling book on Amazon is a re-working of Marx's Das Kapital. It argues that income inequality is an inevitable result of free market capitalism, and that it threatens our democratic institutions at almost every turn. Is that just capitalism at work? Has income inequality eroded democracy to a vanishing point? If our country is indeed controlled by the very few and the very rich, how do we level the playing field?
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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?
Left, Right & Center
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.