George Washington University
Economist and Professor of Law at George Washington University
PROFILE
Neil Buchanan
Guest
FROM Neil Buchanan
Which Way, L.A.?
Will the Senate and Congress Pass the Debt-Ceiling Deal? Late last night, the President and Congressional leaders announced a debt-ceiling deal . The trade-off is deficit reduction that relies entirely on spending cuts and no increases in taxes. It still may not pass both houses, but here's how it stands. Almost no Democrats are willing to go past tomorrow's deadline without raising the debt ceiling. But a lot of Republicans are willing to risk the first default in American history. It's a dynamic that doesn't create a deal so much as it creates a "ransom." We hear what the President and leaders of Congress agreed to and what it could mean for their partisan rank and file, the American people and the global economy.
To the Point
Will the Senate and Congress Pass the Debt-Ceiling Deal? Late last night, the President and Congressional leaders announced a debt-ceiling deal . The need for last night's so-called compromise was forced by Tea Party Republicans ready to risk the first default in American history, but they still might not vote for it. The President says he had no choice but to reduce the debt with drastic cuts and no revenue, so angry liberal Democrats might not vote for it either. It's a dynamic that doesn't create a deal so much as it creates a "ransom." If it does pass, the spending cuts might further slow the economic recovery. It won't create jobs, and it lets unemployment extensions expire for 14 million Americans. We hear about the terms of the deal and what might happen if it passes — or fails.
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To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
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?
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.