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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Can the US 'Out-Innovate and Out-Educate' the Competition?

    In the urge to cut spending, states are reducing resources for public education. Is the US investing enough to maintain its competitive edge in the global economy?

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    By Warren Olney • Apr 4, 2011 • 51m Listen

    In the urge to cut government spending, states are reducing resources for public schools, including higher education. With China already past Great Britain in producing research, is the US investing enough to maintain its competitive edge in the global economy? Also, President Obama launches his 2012 re-election campaign and from Sarah Palin to organized labor, national interests are focused on tomorrow's election for a seat on Wisconsin's state supreme court. We find out why.

    Banner image: Professor Shi Yigong, who walked away from a top research position in the US to become the dean of life sciences at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University in 2008, poses beside bottles of bacterial culture in a university lab in Beijing. Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:00

      President Obama Launches 2012 Reelection Campaign

      A host of Republicans are so far reluctant to take the plunge in what could be the first billion-dollar political race in history. But their target kicked-off his own campaign today with emails to his supporters and a video testimonial from voters. Glenn Thrush is senior White House Reporter for Politico .

      Read the story
      8 min
    2. 7:47

      Will the US Invest in Its Own Future?

      President Obama says the US has to "out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world," and industry leaders agree. However, while state after state challenges educators to produce a competitive workforce, they simultaneously cut spending from K through 12 to grad school.

      Read the story
      37 min
    3. 44:47

      Wisconsin Judge Race Is a Proxy Election for Right vs. Left

      Wisconsin's new Republican Governor Scott Walker has galvanized the left as well as the right, and national interests on both sides have focused on tomorrow's election for the state supreme court. Conservative Justice David Prosser was expected to coast to re-election, but liberal JoAnne Kloppenburg has emerged as a serious challenger.

      Read the story
      6 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Darrell Satzman

      Producer

      NewsNationalPolitics

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:008 min

      President Obama Launches 2012 Reelection Campaign

    2. 7:4737 min

      Will the US Invest in Its Own Future?

    3. 44:476 min

      Wisconsin Judge Race Is a Proxy Election for Right vs. Left

    Back to To the Point