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Asia Foundation
Country representative for the Philippines and Pacific Island Nations at the Asia Foundation
PROFILE
Steven Rood
Guest
FROM Steven Rood
To the Point
The "Trump of the Philippines" Wins Its Presidency This week's votes have been counted, and a mayor called "the punisher," who's joked about rape and killing, is now the president-elect of the Philippines. Today, Rodrigo Duterte promised to stamp out "criminality, drugs and corruption" in six months -- using politically loaded language. "I will be a dictator no doubt about it, but only against the forces of evil." Steven Rood, the Asia Foundation 's country representative for the Philippines, joins us from Manila.
To the Point
Pope Francis Goes Green, but Will the Flock Follow? Climate change activists have an influential new ally who could bring along more than a billion followers. This week the Vatican held a summit on how environmental crises hurt the poor. A top Vatican official and point person for Pope Francis announced at the summit that increasing use of fossil fuels is disrupting Earth on an "almost unfathomable scale" and cautioned that a "full conversion" of hearts and minds is needed if global warming is to be conquered. The summit is widely seen as a lead-in to the Pope's upcoming encyclical framing the fight against global warming as a moral responsibility -- a first of its kind. Activists hope the Catholic Church will inject the largely secular climate change movement with a spiritual infusion. However, It could put the Pope and the church at odds with conservatives -- Catholics included, some of whom deny the existence of global warming and believe religion has no place in this political battle.
To the Point
The Race to Provide Typhoon Relief Aid to the Philippines In the Philippines, the estimated death toll from Typhoon Haiyan has been reduced from 10,000 to roughly 2,000, but the humanitarian crisis is enormous and aid groups are facing major challenges. We get updates from Margaret Aguirre, who's in Santa Monica with the International Medical Corps , and Steven Rood, the Asia Foundation 's representative for the Philippines, who joins us from Manila.
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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
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
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.