To the Point
Will Crime Spikes Stall Criminal Justice Reform?
The US locks up more people than any other country — especially blacks and Hispanics imprisoned for non-violent drug crimes. Republicans agree with Democrats it's a waste of money, and bipartisan criminal-justice reforms are pending in both houses of Congress. Will they be stopped in their tracks by recent reports that crime is on the increase?
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenThe US locks up more people than any other country — especially blacks and Hispanics imprisoned for non-violent drug crimes. Republicans agree with Democrats it's a waste of money, and bipartisan criminal-justice reforms are pending in both houses of Congress. Will they be stopped in their tracks by recent reports that crime is on the increase?
Also, North Korea says it has restarted its main nuclear facility. On today's Talking Point, polar bears get creative to stay alive.
Photo: Tony Webster
In this episode
3 storiesNorth Korea Says It Has Restarted Its Main Nuclear Facility
Iran may have agreed to limit its nuclear program, but North Korea says it's getting back into business. It has announced the upgrading and restarting of all its atomic fuel plants — which could be a prelude for a rocket launch to test missile technology. Joshua Stanton blogs at One Free Korea and is a writer for Foreign Affairs magazine.
Read the story7 minWill a Reported Crime Wave Kill Criminal Justice Reform?
Law-and-order Republicans and liberal Democrats agree: federal prisons are overcrowded because tough sentencing laws in the 1990's went too far. Bipartisan criminal-justice reforms have emerged in the House and the Senate, but the pace is slow. Politicians can't survive the charge of being "soft on crime."
Read the story32 minViral Photo of Polar Bear Captures the Story of Climate Change
Among the most conspicuous victims of climate change are polar bears. Now, a disturbing photograph of a polar bear has gone viral. The creature is reduced almost to skin and bone, hobbling along a narrow ice sheet somewhere in the Arctic. It's a graphic illustration of the devastating impact of climate change on wildlife.
Read the story11 min
