To the Point
A Looming Fiscal Showdown
Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are divided over whether to push the Democrats so hard for budget cuts that the government shuts down next Friday...
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenRepublican leaders on Capitol Hill are divided over whether to push the Democrats so hard for budget cuts that the government shuts down next Friday. What do Planned Parenthood, healthcare reform and NPR have to do with it? Also, President Obama pushes for lower oil imports, and Japan gives up on four troubled nuclear reactors.
Banner image: Social Security supporters attend a rally in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill March 28, 2011 in Washington, DC. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesPresident Obama Pushes for Lower Oil Imports
President Obama is trying to kick off a major effort at "energy security" with a speech to students at Georgetown University. He said he's the latest president since Richard Nixon to raise the danger of US dependence on oil.
Read the story8 minPublic Spending and Political Brinksmanship
When Democrats dominated Capitol Hill last year, they failed to pass a budget for this year, providing an opportunity for Republicans after they took the House. But the GOP is divided on whether to shut down the government if Democrats don't agree to more spending cuts than they want. Democrats insist on freezing spending at last year's levels.
Read the story36 minJapanese Consider Entombing Four Malfunctioning Reactors
"Decommissioning" nuclear reactors means cleaning up all radioactivity and progressively dismantling the plant. But after the worst nuclear disaster in 25 years, and despite three weeks of trying to bring four damaged Fukushima reactors under control, Japan is officially under "maximum alert."
Read the story7 min
