Council on Foreign Relations
Senior fellow in Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States, and the Road Ahead
PROFILE
Shannon O'Neil
Guest
FROM Shannon O'Neil
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why did Peña Nieto invite Trump to Mexico? Donald Trump will clarify his immigration policies in a speech in Arizona Wednesday ; but first, he’ll make a pit stop in Mexico City to meet privately with Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto. The Republican presidential candidate is very unpopular in Mexico; but so is Peña Nieto , whose approval rating hit a record low of 23 percent this month. Peña Nieto once compared Trump to Hitler, so why would he welcome him to Mexico now?
To the Point
Venezuela on the Brink of Collapse In Venezuela, an economic crisis is causing a public health crisis and President Nicolas Maduro has imposed a state of emergency amid real concern that his government is on the verge of collapse. Nicholas Casey is in Caracas, reporting for the New York Times . Photo: President Nicolas Maduro ( Agencia de Noticias ANDES )
To the Point
Mexico: the Partnership and the Problems Mexico's new President wants to shift attention away from severed heads, mass graves and bodies hanging from bridges to a growing economy. So does President Obama on today's visit to the "Aztec Tiger," which is booming enough to attract foreign investors after years of paralysis. But the drug wars are not over. Four thousand people have died since Enrique Peña Nieto took office, and now vigilantes are taking the law into their own hands. Will stepped-up US enforcement aid still be welcome? Will security be the elephant in the room?
To the Point
Mexico's New President, a Shaky Economy and the Ongoing Drug War Tomorrow, Mexico will inaugurate its newly elected president without either much fanfare or political protest. Enrique Peña Nieto , who won with a plurality of just 38 percent, will preside over an economy full of potential but held back by corruption, poverty and a drug war that's killed 60,000 people. The US has poured $2 billion into that conflict, but it rages on. Will Peña Nieto look for changes after marijuana legalization in two American states? What about illegal immigration? Are tough new border restrictions making it harder to implement NAFTA and the promise of prosperity for this country's nearest neighbor? President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico in the Oval Office, November 27, 2012. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
To the Point
Is Illegal Immigration a Burden or a Blessing? The President's latest proposal for immigration reform now includes stepped up border security and tamper-proof ID cards for guest workers. But the road to legal status and citizenship for illegal immigrants still bothers members of both parties--especially Republicans. With immigration reform seemingly stalled this year on Capitol Hill, cities and towns around the country are finding their own ways of dealing with newcomers. We hear about "zero tolerance," with fines for employers and landlords of undocumented workers, and about places revitalized by illegal immigrants, who are opening stores, paying taxes and cooperating with local police.
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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.
To the Point
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
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.