University of Virginia
Nicole Hemmer is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia's Miller Center and the author of Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics.
PROFILE
Nicole Hemmer
Guest
FROM Nicole Hemmer
To the Point
Steve Bannon may be out, but 'Bannon-ism' lives on After being ousted as presidential adviser , Steve Bannon is back in charge at Breitbart News and in no mood to lay down what he calls his weapons. Bannon's influence on president Trump is up for debate, but not his intention to pursue the goals of economic and social nationalism that helped propel Trump to the White House. With powerful financial backers still ready to support his divisive world-view, what will Bannon - and his team at Breitbart - do next? Is his bond with the president truly broken or has it just taken a different form?
To the Point
The way forward in a post-truth world Fake news isn't new. It's about as old as news itself. What is new is the speed and potency of fake news in the age of social media, and the way in which it figured in this year's election. From stories about Hillary Clinton selling weapons to ISIS to claims by the President-elect that he won the popular vote… sensational and poisonous stories have spread rapid fire on Facebook and Twitter, helped along by ad sales and algorithms that propel fake news to the top of pack, occasionally with violent results. How damaging is fake news to democracy, and what role do mainstream media outlets as well as technology companies play in defusing it?
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To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
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
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.
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?