To the Point
Do Social Security and Medicare Need to Be Reformed?
Medicare and Social Security are issues in the presidential campaign. With young workers paying benefits for the elderly, who are better off, will that divide generations?
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenMedicare and Social Security are issues in the presidential campaign. With younger workers paying benefits for the elderly, who are better off, are they also issues that will divide generations of Americans? Also, an Afghan attack hits the aircraft of a top US general, and tax exempt groups supposedly promoting "social welfare" are the major source of anonymous contributions to this year's campaigns.
Banner image: President Roosevelt Signs the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935.
In this episode
3 storiesAfghan Attack Hits Aircraft of Top US General
The chair of America's Joint Chiefs of Staff had to leave Afghanistan later than scheduled today. His C-17 transport plane was disabled by rockets or other projectiles fired by insurants outside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield. Rich Oppel is in Kabul for the New York Times .
Read the story8 minIs the US Facing Generational Warfare?
The Obama and Romney campaigns are battling over Medicare and, less openly, the so-called "Third Rail of Politics:" Social Security . In 1940, there were 159 workers for every elderly recipient of Social Security, plenty of younger people to pay benefits for the old. An aging population has radically changed that.
Read the story33 minNonprofits Groups and Dark Money in the Presidential Campaign
In the case called Citizens United , the US Supreme Court took the limits off campaign contributions as long as the sources of money were made public. Since then, so-called super PAC's have received a lot of attention and so have their donors.
Read the story11 min
