Human Rights Watch
Nik Steinberg is a senior adviser to the president of Columbia University. He formerly served as a senior researcher in the Americas Division at Human Rights Watch, and as a counselor and speechwriter to then-Ambassador Samantha Power.
Trump, Tillerson and a fragile state of affairs There's no doubt that the President and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have their differences on more than just foreign policy. The President publicly rebuked the Secretary for saying he's "talking" to North Korea. Tillerson has not denied he once called Trump a "moron." In the meantime, high-level jobs at the State Department have not been filled, and professional diplomats are reportedly leaving in droves. All this, as major decisions have to be made. Next week, the President faces a deadline on the Iran nuclear deal. What's in store for US foreign policy without their expertise? Are lobbyists who profit from their connections now more important than ever before?
Mexico: the Partnership and the Problems Mexico's new President wants to shift attention away from severed heads, mass graves and bodies hanging from bridges to a growing economy. So does President Obama on today's visit to the "Aztec Tiger," which is booming enough to attract foreign investors after years of paralysis. But the drug wars are not over. Four thousand people have died since Enrique Peña Nieto took office, and now vigilantes are taking the law into their own hands. Will stepped-up US enforcement aid still be welcome? Will security be the elephant in the room?
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?
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.
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.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.