To the Point

Will Politics Stymie Progress on Global Warming?

Two weeks ago hundreds of scientists from eight nations with land in the artic circle warned that average temperature there is rising at twice the global average. In May, To the Point talked to critics who complained that the Bush administration was ignoring the science of global warming and to supporters who said America can-t afford a rush to judgment. We repeat that debate about the future of civilization and America-s economy in the short run. Is the US losing its lead in developing alternatives to fossil fuels? What are the consequences for shaping the energy economy of the future? (This segment was originally broadcast on May 28.) Making News: Doctors Want New Agency to Monitor Drug Safety The Food and Drug Administration-s associate director of science has told Congress his agency-s doing a poor job of reviewing new medical drugs after they-ve been approved. One such case is Vioxx, the arthritis pain medication recently pulled off the market when it was seen to cause heart problems. Phil Fontanarosa of the Journal of the American Medical Association says such evidence has moved JAMA to call for a new agency, independent of the FDA. Reporter-s Notebook: Constitutional Amendments After his re-election, President Bush said he'll "absolutely" push for a Constitutional Amendment to ban same-sex marriage. But since the Bill of Rights, the Constitution's been changed only 17 times. In February, we spoke with David Kyvig, a professor of history at Northern Illinois University and the author of Unintended Consequences of Constitutional Amendment, about the process, history and consequences of several Constitutional amendments. (This segment was originally broadcast February 24.)