To the Point

Nuclear Weapons and the 'Axis of Evil'

Was a huge explosion in North Korea last week a nuclear weapons test? Are South Korea's covert activities an embarrassment to its ally, the United States? As the International Atomic Energy Agency meets in Vienna this week, concerns are also increasing about Iran's nuclear program, and whether the Islamic republic is trying to develop a nuclear weapons program. How effective has diplomacy been? Can the West agree on a course of action? Guest host Sara Terry examines international concerns about nuclear programs in Iran, North Korea and South Korea with journalists, experts in defense and economic development, an official of the IAEA, and a key player in America's 1994 nuclear freeze agreement with North Korea. Making News: Hurricane Ivan Raises Public Health Concerns As Hurricane Ivan continues its approach to the southern US, New Orleans is preparing for the possibility of a direct hit. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the city, which is in particular danger because most of it lies below sea level. Ivor van Heerden, director of Louisiana State University's Center for the Study of Public Health Impact of Hurricanes, says flooding would be a nightmare-come-true because of the danger of water contamination. Reporter's Notebook: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America In 1654, 23 Jews sailed from Brazil to New Amsterdam. Governor Peter Stuyvesant wanted to force them to leave, but his superiors at the West India Company overruled him. Thus, the first wave of Jewish immigrants settled in what would become New York. Richard Siegel of the National Foundation for Jewish Culture discusses how Jews have shaped American culture, and how that same culture has shaped them.