To the Point
Is Pre-school Education Being Oversold?
President Obama wants pre-school education for every child in America. Would that help break the poverty cycle? Are there other benefits to justify a new federal program?
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenPresident Obama wants pre-school education for "every single child in America." Would that help break the poverty cycle? Even if academic advantages might fade as kids grow older, are there other benefits to justify a new federal program? Also, the Republicans slam President Obama's stopgap sequester fix, and a multi-million-dollar diamond theft that sounds like a Hollywood movie.
Banner image: President Obama visits a pre-kindergarten classroom at the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center in Decatur, Georgia, February 14, 2013. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
In this episode
3 storiesRepublicans Slam Obama's Stopgap Sequester Fix
Congress is on a week-long recess with massive spending cuts scheduled to take effect at the end of next week. Washington is reportedly getting resigned to the so-called "sequester." At the White House today, the President warned of dire consequences.
Read the story7 minIs Pre-school Education Being Oversold?
In his State of the Union speech, President Obama made a proposal that hasn't been tried since the Nixon Administration: federally funded assistance for pre-school education. The President says universal pre-school education will boost high-school graduation, while reducing teen-pregnancy and violent crime.
Read the story33 minMultimillion-dollar Diamond Heist in Brussels
As a passenger plane was loading cargo at the airport in Brussels today, heavily armed and hooded thieves dressed as policemen drove onto the tarmac, flashing the blue lights of two black vehicles. Barely five minutes later, they were gone — with many millions of dollars worth of polished and uncut stones.
Read the story10 min
