Assoc Research Dir at the Cntr for International & Security Affairs at the University of Maryland
Associate Director for Research at the Center for International and Security Affairs at the University of Maryland, College Park; former Executive Director of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Task Force and arms-control specialist in the State Department
Should the US Put Weapons in Outer Space? Late on a Friday afternoon before the long, Columbus Day weekend, the White House released the first updated space policy in 10 years. The Washington Post ran the story two days ago. It was a stealthy move that brought a long-simmering debate back into the open. Should space be governed by international treaties, or should the US seize the moment to pre-empt an arms race that's all but inevitable? The Bush Administration insists it is not advocating weapons in space, but critics say the new policy is more belligerent than it should be. Others complain that it's not aggressive enough to take advantage of American superiority while there's still time. (An extended version of this discussion was originally broadcast earlier today on To the Point.)
President Bush's New National Space Policy Late on a Friday afternoon before the long, Columbus Day weekend, the White House released the first updated space policy in 10 years. The Washington Post ran the story two days ago. It was a stealthy move that brought a long-simmering debate back into the open. Should space be governed by international treaties, or should the US seize the moment to pre-empt an arms race that's all but inevitable? The Bush Administration insists it is not advocating weapons in space, but critics say the new policy is more belligerent than it should be. Others complain that it's not aggressive enough to take advantage of American superiority while there’s still time.
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.
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.