To the Point

The Red Cross -- America’s primary disaster relief agency -- is on the defensive after reports that it’s more concerned about public relations than public assistance.  Is it hiding the truth or is it the victim of sensational journalism?  Is it prepared for future disasters, which could be bigger and harder to handle than those of the past?

Sunlight is free, and solar-power will soon be cheaper than oil, coal or natural gas — even in the United States. We hear what that could mean for current energy industries, public utilities, government regulators and the homeowners of America.

Amid reports of mass casualties in West Africa from Ebola, the death of a patient in Dallas caused widespread alarm in the US.  Since then, all seven other infected patients in this country have recovered.  But the President and several state governors disagree about what that should mean for healthcare workers back from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. 

There’s so much “outside” money in this year’s mid-term elections that, in some races, the candidates don’t really control their own campaigns any more. We hear about unlimited contributions, corporate spending and secret money.

When two nurses in a Dallas hospital contracted Ebola, it was a wakeup call for an ongoing problem. One out of every 25 patients admitted to hospitals in the United States every year picks up a deadly homegrown infection — because of the failure to follow standard procedures.   

There’s nothing new about women who want to have children delaying pregnancy until they’re actually ready. Some claim it’s easier than ever to beat the biological clock by egg freezing, while others argue it is not a guarantee.

New drilling techniques have made the US an oil exporter again: good for the economy; bad for the environment—and a nightmare for local culture. The sleepy town of Williston, North Dakota is one overcrowded boomtown with skyrocketing rents and new levels of violent crime.

Savvy prognosticators agree: the Republicans are favored to take back the US Senate in next month’s elections. But the GOP is divided—both between and within the houses of Congress—which creates uncertainty over what’s next. Can the Republicans seize the moment to gain the approval of a skeptical public?

Whatever you do on line — from filling out forms to making innocent requests for information — is subject to data mining. That can lead to unflattering profiles or put you on lists that can be damaging — even though the data is often wrong. We hear calls for transparency and regulation.

After three years of smooth sailing on Wall Street, investors were almost complacent, but then the New York Stock Exchange began to jump up and down. On October 8th, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had its best day of the year. Last week, it suffered its worst loss. Is worldwide economic recovery being put on hold?