Professor of Economic Development, Harvard University
Professor of Economic Development at Harvard University; former Venezuelan Minister of Planning (1992-93), member of the Board of the Central Bank of Venezuela and Chief Economist at the Inter-American Development Bank (1994-00)
Will Voters Give Hugo Chávez All the Power He Wants? The King of Spain has asked Hugo Chavez to "shut up," but the President of Venezuela is making his voice heard--at home and around the world. First elected in 1998, Hugo Chavez has survived an attempted coup, a two-month general strike and a recall election. Last year, he was returned to office with more than 60% of the vote. On Sunday, Venezuelans will go back to the polls for a referendum that could make Chavez more powerful than ever, the chance to be re-elected for the rest of his life. Some former supporters call it dictatorship in the making. We find out why "socialism for the 21st century" has made Chavez so popular, especially with the poor, and hear about billions for neighboring countries, friendships with Castro and Ahmadinejad and hostility to the United States.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
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?
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.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.