Director, RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy
Director of the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy and author of the forthcoming Asia, America and the Transformation of Geopolitics
PROFILE
William Overholt
Guest
FROM William Overholt
To the Point
Explosive Growth in China Causes Explosive Pollution Problems As China strives to be an economic colossus, hundreds of thousands of people are dying prematurely from un-breathable air and contaminated water. During next summer's Olympics , auto traffic and manufacturing will be curtailed in greater Beijing, and nearby coal mines may be shut down. American athletes may be housed in South Korea and flown to Beijing only to participate in their events. The International Olympic Committee says the marathon and other endurance contests may be postponed altogether. But the basic problem remains, that of mind-boggling expansion in the world's most populous country with few controls on waste and emissions. What does it mean for the rest of the world? What's China trying to do about it?
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To the Point
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?
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?
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
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.