Nation Institute
Sarah Posner is a reporter for the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute. and author of God's Profits: Faith, Fraud, and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters. She is a former associate editor at ReligionDispatches.org.
PROFILE
Sarah Posner
Guest
FROM Sarah Posner
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What is Alliance Defending Freedom? Attorneys arguing on behalf of cakemaker Jack Phillips are part of a massive legal organization called Alliance Defending Freedom. That’s a conservative Christian “legal army” committed to defending Christians whom – they say – are being punished for living by their religious convictions.
To the Point
Will Harvey bring Texas' 'rugged individualism' to an end? School's open today in parts of Houston, and it's the beginning of another work week for many people. But recovery from Harvey's death and destruction is expected to take many years, and that means many years of reliance on federal assistance.
To the Point
Trump's base: Why isn’t it crumbling? Donald Trump was an unlikely presidential candidate, whose confidence was unbounded. He once boasted, " I could stand in the middle of Fifth Ave and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters." Now he's president, with a substantial base of supporters still behind him -- despite scandals, legislative failures and public comments that divide the nation. Overall support is declining, but few fellow Republicans have been willing to call him out — fearing a backlash from those hard-core devotees. That's political reality in the short run, but how long will it last? We'll look at the consequences for the GOP as the electorate is relentlessly changing.
To the Point
Is Campaign Rhetoric Contributing to Increased Islamophobia? Terrorist incidents from Florida to California have increased fear, and Donald Trump has made that central to his campaign, while Hillary Clinton says diversity makes us safer, and mosques around the country are opening their doors to non-believers in the hope of increasing understanding. With immigration one of the major topics for tonight’s final presidential debate, we’ll look at Donald Trump’s call for banning people from Muslim countries in the interests of national security. But, with hate crimes on the rise, is he also stoking a strain of Islamophobia that can also lead to violence?
To the Point
What's Happening to "Value Voters?" One leader of the Southern Baptist Convention says that to back Donald Trump, Christian “voters must repudiate everything they believe,” but polls show millions of evangelicals are not demanding that Trump adhere to precepts of the once-dominating Moral Majority. They're supporting a profanity-spouting gambling-house owner who's been married three times with an inconsistent history on abortion and same-sex marriage. Cruz, Rubio and Kasich are passing the litmus tests, so why is Trump leading with voters who call themselves devout Christians?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Pope and Contraceptives Pope Francis just wrapped up a six-day trip to Cuba and Mexico. The Zika virus wasn’t on his agenda, but on his flight back to the Vatican last night, he was asked whether church teaching on abortion and contraception could be loosened to help stop the spread of the virus to babies. Zika is thought to cause microcephaly, a birth defect that results in shrunken heads and brains in infants. It’s been spreading through Latin America, which is heavily Catholic, and the church’s teaching on abortion and contraception is very strict. How is religion clashing with medical science? Photo by Alfredo Borba
To the Point
US Ambassador Killed in Libya, 11 Years after September 11 Ambassador Chris Stevens was considered a hero who helped liberate Libya from Moammar Gadhafi, but he died last night in an armed attack in Benghazi, the first such incident of its kind in 20 years. Three others were killed along with him. The US embassy in Cairo was also beset by protesters after a film, ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed, appeared on YouTube with Arabic subtitles. The film was produced in the US by a man claiming to be a developer in Los Angeles with dual US and Israeli citizenship. He's told the Associated Press that 100 Jewish donors provided $5 million. President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have condemned the incidents, but Mitt Romney is criticizing the Administration for its response.
Which Way, L.A.?
Todd Akin and Abortion on the Campaign Trail Republican Congressman Todd Akin has defied party leaders, including Mitt Romney , by insisting on staying in the race for the US Senate despite the furor over his comment on the issue of banning abortions even in cases of rape. We look at what it could mean for the rest of this year's political campaigns.
To the Point
Todd Akin, Abortion and the Presidential Campaign Missouri Republican Congressman Todd Akin now says he knows that rape can make a woman pregnant. Although he's backed away from saying the rape must be "legitimate," he also say he does "not apologize for being consistently pro-life." But he's defied party leaders, including Mitt Romney , by insisting on staying in the race for the US Senate . That decision guarantees continued attention to facts Republicans don't want to talk about. Paul Ryan 's voting record on women's issues is much like Akin's. The platform for next week's convention calls for banning abortions, even in cases of rape. Mitt Romney's now keeping his distance from that language. Democrats won't let voters forget, but will it really matter when Republicans and Independents go to the polls?
Which Way, L.A.?
Winners and Losers in the Budget Shutdown Showdown Democrats wanted a spending freeze, while Republicans demanded $61 billion in cuts. The final agreement was $39 billion, and the Republicans dropped efforts to undercut healthcare reform and family planning. Those are the broad outlines of last Friday's agreement , with the details yet to come, and even, perhaps, still subject to change.
To the Point
The Shutdown Showdown The government shutdown was averted on Friday night with only an hour to spare. Even though details have not been revealed, both sides claim victory. The Republicans got $39 billion in budget cuts, when the Democrats didn't want any. The Democrats held off assaults on healthcare reform and family planning. But that was just about this year's budget, and the big stuff is yet to come, with President Obama announcing his own plan for reducing the deficit on Wednesday. In the meantime, we hear how both parties are spinning the aftermath of a potential crisis and what comes next.
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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
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
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?
To the Point
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?