To the Point
Criminals, Cops and Assault Weapons
Local cops claim they're increasingly out-gunned by criminals with high-caliber automatic weapons. So they're beefing up their own armaments. The federal Assault Weapons ban expired three years ago. Has that produced an arms race in American cities? Was the ban really all that effective? Plus, Democrats plan to increase pressure on President Bush over his plan for increased troops in Iraq and, on Reporter's Notebook, the mainstream media are taking heat for over-covering Anna Nicole Smith. Did they have any choice?
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenLocal cops claim they're increasingly out-gunned by criminals with high-caliber automatic weapons. So they're beefing up their own armaments. The federal Assault Weapons ban expired three years ago. Has that produced an arms race in American cities? Was the ban really all that effective? Plus, Democrats plan to increase pressure on President Bush over his plan for increased troops in Iraq and, on Reporter's Notebook, the mainstream media are taking heat for over-covering Anna Nicole Smith. Did they have any choice?
In this episode
3 storiesSenate Democrats Plan to Revoke War Authorization
When Congress returns on Tuesday, Democrats in both houses will be keeping up the pressure on President Bush and his plan for increasing troops in Iraq. In the Senate, there's talk of revising the authorization to use force passed in 2002. John Donnelly reports for Congressional Quarterly .
Read the story6 minBuying, Selling and Using Assault Weapons in the US
The International Association of Police Chiefs reports that high-caliber automatic weapons are increasingly common on the streets of American cities.
Read the story35 minAnna Nicole Smith, Lowbrow Gossip or Classic Fiction?
The travails of Anna Nicole Smith --in life and death--have moved from the tabloids and cable TV to the Washington Post and New York Times . Media critics have wondered why the coverage now blankets all of journalism, from the sensational to the supposedly serious. John Sutherland, Professor of English Literature, says the Anna Nicole Smith…
Read the story8 min
