Oregon State University
Richard Spinrad is a professor at Oregon State University's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. He is a former chief scientist at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
PROFILE
Richard Spinrad
Guest
FROM Richard Spinrad
To the Point
The politics of science and America's future Tomorrow's Earth Day March for Science , which will be held in Washington and 400 other cities across the country, was scheduled before President Trump formally proposed massive cuts in federal funding for research in medicine, public health, energy and the environment. That's complicated the original goal of March organizers: to stress the vital importance of what they do without being perceived as another unhappy, partisan interest group. Many scientists are alarmed about losing the benefits of their work — and America's advantage over other countries that might never be recovered. But others fear that public protest will politicize work that needs to be free of partisanship to be most effective.
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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?
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.
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
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.