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University of California, Berkeley
Nicholas Dirks is chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley.
PROFILE
Nicholas Dirks
Guest
FROM Nicholas Dirks
To the Point
Ann Coulter: Now you see her… now you don't Ann Coulter is a right-wing provocateur who was scheduled to speak last week at UC Berkeley, where the "Free Speech Movement" began in the 1960s. University officials say they cancelled her appearance due to fear of violent protest — then re-invited her at a quieter time on campus. After angry exchanges about hypocrisy and media manipulation, Coulter rejected their invitation. That set off an angry dispute reflected on other campuses as well, based on conservative claims that institutions of higher learning are bastions of liberal thinking that won’t tolerate anything else. Are students being shielded from challenging ideas — or are ideological agitators using the threat of violence to market their way of thinking?
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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.
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
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?
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.