To the Point

More Americans are losing faith in “Fake News.” So journalist Tom Rosenstiel is writing novels. His latest, The Good Lie, starts a conversation on what loss of trust in media means for the business of government, including national security.  

President Trump has made federal policy out of denying climate change. But state, county and city laws and ordinances are still on the books. A new handbook provides easy access to legal pathways for cutting 80% of emissions by 2050. Lawyers are organizing.

Unqualified kids are admitted to some of America’s most prestigious institutions. Parents, administrators and coaches face criminal charges.  Should higher learning be about more than status, money, prestige and power? Also: Boeing, the FAA and two deadly crashes.

After 17 years, the U.S. is trying to negotiate its way out of Afghanistan. One partner in the search for peace is the Taliban, once an enemy in the “War on Terror.” An Afghan-American describes how a military colossus has changed the country since 9/11, when he was 9. What has America learned about “perpetual war?”

Human civilization is threatened by climate change. But it also needs the energy from fossil fuels that now emit greenhouse gases. Are renewables like wind and solar developing fast enough? Is nuclear power still needed, or is it too expensive and too dangerous in both the present and in the future?

Liberal Jews are outraged. Even AIPAC has broken precedent, criticizing Netanyahu’s political allies in his effort to maintain power. Will President Trump’s Republicans replace the Democrats as Israel’s major supporters on Capitol Hill? Also: The impact of Michael Cohen’s case against President Trump.  

Senior officials in the Trump Justice Department really have suspected the president of allegiance to Russia. They considered invoking the 25th Amendment. That’s according to former FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe. Now, some Republicans want to investigate what they call an attempted “administrative coup.” On our Environmental Update: The Trump EPA proposes new rules for public health, claiming toxic substances are good for you.

The Green New Deal targets climate change--but that’s not all.  Because of other provisions, President Trump and Republicans are already raising a familiar political spectre: “socialism.” Democrats are divided, as always. Are big, bold ideas worth the risk in the next presidential election? What are the lessons from last year’s Democratic victories?

Ambassador Wendy Sherman admits she “lost it,” and broke down in “tears of anger and frustration” as lead negotiator for the Iran Nuclear Deal. But she persevered, and the deal got done. Now, the U.S. has pulled out. She talks about what that means and how women need to “reinforce each other” in a man’s world. Her new book is called, “Not for the Faint of Heart; Lessons in Courage, Power and Persistence.”