To the Point
The New Congress, the Deficit and the Pentagon
The new House majority wants to reduce federal spending, and every commission on the deficit has called for cuts in the Pentagon. So, why are they off the table? How much could be saved without endangering national security? Also, Mark Twain and the "N" word.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenThe new House majority wants to reduce federal spending, and every commission on the deficit has called for cuts in the Pentagon. So, why are they off the table? How much could be saved without endangering national security? Also, new editions of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have been edited to eliminate the "N" word. Will that make them more accessible to contemporary readers? Does it distort America's racist past?
Banner image: Legislators of the 112th US Congress say the Pledge of Allegiance prior to roll call votes on the election of the next Speaker of the House January 5, 2011 in Washington, DC. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesSpeaker Boehner Sworn In as New Congress Opens
Republican John Boehner has been elected Speaker of the House of Representative. Democrat Nancy Pelosi now leads the minority. Michael Crowley is senior correspondent for Time magazine.
Read the story7 minThe New Congress, the Deficit and the Pentagon
In his farewell speech warning about the "military-industrial" complex, President (and former Army General) Dwight Eisenhower said that defense spending has to be weighed in the balance along with every other national program. The new House majority, led by newly sworn in speaker, Republican John Boehner , wants to cut $100 billion from next…
Read the story36 minNew Edition of 'Huck Finn' Purges the 'N' Word
In Mark Twain’s 1884 classic, Huckleberry Finn , the "N" word appears no less than 219 times. But in New South Books' upcoming edition , it doesn't appear at all. Does replacing the "N" word with "slave" make Twain accessible to young readers or is it censorship that distorts the realities of 19th Century America?
Read the story7 min
