Political Columnist
Ruben Navarrette, Jr. is a contributor to CNN, a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group and host of the podcast Navarrette Nation. He is the author of A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano.
Recapping One Year Later Each of One Year Later’s hosts choose their favorite episode.
What does the film 'Coco' mean for the Latino community? The film Coco has resonated with Latinos in the US who have been battered by the anti-Latino rhetoric coming out of the White House. Can a Pixar hit and it's loveable protagonist boost a community's self esteem?
Immigration crackdown shifts to country's interior As a candidate, President Trump promised to round up and deport "bad hombres." But a spike in deportations and arrests are also sweeping up immigrants with deep ties to the United States and minor or no criminal history. Seizures in the interior of the country have increased 42 percent over last year. Grassroots groups and clergy have stepping up to try to shield immigrants.
Elitism in America Much of the criticism of liberals after the 2016 election revolved around coastal elites and the media being disconnected from white working class Americans. Are the "Blue Coasts" still mocking the flyover states -- and helping empower Trump in the process?
Are immigrant workers bad for the working class? Populists on the Left and Nativists on the Right seem to agree on one thing: that a ready supply of immigrant workers is undermining American workers. But with unemployment at new lows, are US workers just scapegoating immigrants?
What’s next for Roy Moore? Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for US Senate in Alabama is facing allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault. The Washington Post published a blockbuster story last Thursday featuring allegations from four Alabama women whom Moore allegedly made sexual contact with or tried to seduce in the 1970s, when he was in his 30s and they were teenagers. The youngest, Leigh Corfman, was 14 at the time. Monday, another accuser, represented by attorney Gloria Allred, brought claims against Moore — this time concerning sexual assault.
Politics After Paris The Syrian refugee crisis has become a political football since the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday . Republican presidential candidates and governors are now saying the U.S. needs to stop taking in Syrian refugees.
GOP Debate The GOP presidential candidates gathered at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley yesterday. One of the hot topics was immigration. But they touched on a lot of issues during the three hour debate.
Republican Debate Roundup The first Republican Presidential debate raised more questions than it answered. Did he really say that? What did he mean? Do those two hate each other as much as it seems? And the main question: What is happening in the Republican Party? One thing is clear - the debate was a ratings bonanza. According to Nielsen, 24 million people tuned in, making it the most watched primary debate ever.
GOP Debate Preview The first Republican debate takes place this Thursday night. Ten of the 17 contenders for the GOP presidential nomination will face off on Fox News, but all eyes will be on Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump.
Courting Latino Voters If you compare the field of Democratic and Republican presidential candidates - they couldn’t be more different. The Democrats have a clear front-runner. The Republicans have a dozen or so candidates fighting to distinguish themselves from the pack. One thing both parties do have in common - they’re aggressively courting the Latino vote. According to the Pew Research Center, 25 million Latinos were eligible to vote in the midterm elections. And that number is expected to be even higher in 2016.
Villaraigosa Won't Run for Senate Antonio Villaraigosa announced today that he would not enter the race for Barbara Boxer’s seat in the US Senate. The former mayor of Los Angeles said, "I am humbled by the encouragement I've received from so many to serve in the United States Senate, but as I think about how best to serve the people of this great state, I know that my heart and my family are here in California, not Washington, DC."
President Obama Opens a Door to Cuba More than 50 years after the US ended diplomatic relations with Cuba, President Obama made history today — renewing ties that were ended before he was born. There have been 18 months of secret negotiations, ended by a phone call with Raoul Castro, the President of Cuba. The Administration will open an embassy in Havana, ask Congress to end the trade embargo and use other means to improve Cuba's human rights record. We hear how the deal came about, the role of Pope Francis, and sample political reaction.
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.
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
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?
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.