Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of Hidden Iran: Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic
PROFILE
Ray Takeyh
Guest
FROM Ray Takeyh
To the Point
New UN Sanctions against Iran Last week's UN Security Council vote to sanction Iran for nuclear development was just one vote short of unanimous. But the sanctions themselves were much weaker than the Bush Administration had wanted as proof that Iran is isolated from the international community. Will the sanctions against program help to isolate a major regional power? Is Iran more interested in what's happening next door in Iraq? Are the US and Iran engaged in what amounts to a Cold War in the Middle East?
To the Point
Will America's Next War Be with Iran? Iran is expanding its influence in Iraq, supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and threatening Israel's right to exist. This week, the President, Vice President and Secretaries of State and Defense have warned Iran to back off. At the same time the US is doubling its air and sea power in the Persian Gulf, a move one calls " gunboat diplomacy " aimed at Iran. What is the likelihood of a wider war in the Middle East? Would the President need the approval of Congress for strikes against Iran? If the US fails to attack Iran's nuclear installations, will Israel do the job? We hear from journalists, economists, political scientists and Middle East experts.
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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.
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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
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.