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University of California, Berkeley
Nicholas Dirks is chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley.
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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
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?
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
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.