To the Point
Obama's Budget and the Politics of Poverty
In this year's budget debate Democrats and Republicans will have make public their priorities, revealing internal divisions before the primaries and November election.
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenLast year's rare, bi-partisan deals on spending limits and extending the debt ceiling eliminated threats of pushing the country over a "fiscal cliff." But this year's budget debate will be more interesting, rather than less. Both parties will have to reveal their priorities, at the risk of revealing internal divisions in the run-up to primary contests and November's general election. Also, the Crimean parliament votes to join Russia and hold a referendum. On today's Talking Point, why is the College Board making big changes in the SAT?
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In this episode
3 storiesCrimean Parliament Votes to Join Russia and Hold Referendum
President Obama today ordered sanctions that could apply to both Russians and Ukrainians, a move to "impose a cost on Russia and those responsible for the situation in Crimea." No specific names of individuals covered by that order have been announced.
Read the story8 minThe Federal Budget: What's Important and What's Not?
The federal budget is all about priorities, and President Obama says economic inequality is the defining issue for America's next generation. He wants to escalate the War on Poverty by closing tax loopholes. Republicans call that a tax increase that makes poverty worse and rewards refusal to work.
Read the story35 minWhat's Behind the SAT Overhaul?
The Scholastic Aptitude Test administered by the College Board has no shortage of critics. The multi-campus University of California threatened to dump it in 2005, after which the Board added a written essay. Now, one of the latest changes will be making the essay optional.
Read the story8 min
