To the Point

Pleas for Peace amid Escalating Mid East Violence

Secretary of State Colin Powell has endorsed the report of an international commission headed by former US Senator George Mitchell, which calls for an immediate end to violence and poses serious challenges to the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Compliance could be difficult since concessions are likely to alienate the constituencies that keep both in power. We consider the report's implicit and explicit demands and prospects for US involvement in bringing an end to the violence. We'll hear from both sides as well as a former US diplomat who thinks there will be no progress until the violence gets even worse. Newsmaker: Century-Old Ford-Firestone Relationship Severed - Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone were "inseparable partners in business, whose children were bonded in marriage." Since last year's tire recall, their progeny have done little more than point fingers. Susan Carney, of The Detroit News, talks about the surprising dissolution of "one of corporate America's most lasting, enduring relationships." Reporter's Notebook: Taiwanese President "Passing Through" US as China Fumes - With US relations with China rocky already, two high-level visitors to this country may make them even worse. The Dalai Lama and the President of Taiwan are both in the US. China's protesting. Jim Mann, who's written on America's "curious relationship" with China, explains public reactions and private concerns associated with the two visits.