Brookings Institution
Thomas Wright is director of the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution and a fellow in its Project on International Order and Strategy. He is author of All Measures Short of War; The Contest for the 21st Century and the Future of American Power.
Two Oval Office conversations: One big mess for the White House President Trump delivered today's commencement speech to the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut. As he praised the accomplishments of the graduates, he listed some of his own… and made reference to reports that he leaked intelligence to the Russians and tried to shut down an FBI Investigation into his associates. "You will find things happen to you that you do not deserve and are not warranted, but you have to put your head down and fight! Things will work out just fine. Just look at the way I have been treated lately." But many Republicans say they're concerned about Trump's leak of intelligence to the Russians and his alleged effort to shut down an FBI investigation of his associates. Even White House staff members are reportedly fighting among themselves over unpredictable behavior that leaves them contradicting their boss and each other. For the first time on the House floor, a Democrat today called for impeachment. We update the President's troubles as he prepares for his first trip overseas.
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
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.
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?
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.