To the Point

Despite fading support from the public and Congress, President Obama will likely be asked for another increase in troops for Afghanistan.  We look at some difficult options, on the battlefield and on Capitol Hill. Also, the White House proposes tougher fuel standards, and a federal judge rakes Wall Street and federal regulators over the coals. 

The US Supreme Court says a defendant proven guilty after a fair trail does not have the same rights as a free man. Does that mean a condemned man should be put to death, even if new evidence shows he was innocent? We hear about capital punishment, due process and the Constitution.  Also,  President Obama today made the case for regulatory reform, and the rules of civility have been violated in Congress, at the US Tennis Open and at the MTV Music Awards. 

Eight years after September 11, the UK may be at greater risk than the US from Islamic extremists. Why are young British Muslims so ripe for radicalization? Did the US jeopardize British efforts to foil a plot that could have been more deadly than 9/11? Also, the media mistakes a Coast Guard training exercise for the real thing, and global warming and open seas.

Last night's address to Congress was called a "make or break" moment for the presidency of Barack Obama, but it's one part of an ongoing process. We look at the speech, the immediate reaction and what might happen next. Also, Sarah Palin, death panels and Afghanistan.

An attack film called Hillary: The Movie is at the heart of a case that could change the way political campaigns have been financed for more than 100 years. We hear about today's extraordinary session of the US Supreme Court, the first for the new Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Also, the capture of a New York Times Reporter illustrates the escalating danger in Afghanistan. On Reporter's Notebook, can the US afford human exploration in space? 

Congress is back after the August recess, faced with the same problems it failed to address in July. We hear about healthcare, global warming, finance reform — partisan Republicans and divided Democrats. Also, President Obama speaks to America's school children, and an official finding of widespread "fraud" in Afghanistan's presidential election.

Eighty million baby boomers are reaching their late 50's. Will an aging population burden the young or use the wisdom that comes from experience to create a better society? On this archived edition of To the Point, originally broadcast in April of this year, we look at the pros and cons of an aging America. Also, an update on healthcare reform, and a status report on the labor movement in 2009.

Programming note: This program will be not air on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by special Labor Day programming. It will be available as a podcast and on-demand, and will be archived online.

Scotland has released the only man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. Critics claim the British government was motivated by interest in Libya's oil reserves. Meantime, some observers still question the 2001 conviction of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who's now being treated in Libya for terminal prostate cancer. How much will ever be known about the actual Lockerbie incident and the release of the man sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of 270 people? Sara Terry guest hosts. Also, NATO airstrikes in Afghanistan kill scores of people, and reading, writing – and politics.

Barack Obama is attempting to regain control of the debate on healthcare reform. His proposals drew criticism from conservatives at a series of town hall meetings in August, and Republican senators, once considered potential partners in bi-partisanship, have openly attacked the plan. Guest host Sara Terry considers the prospects for reform, the President's strategy in his speech to Congress next week, and whose support he'll need to win. Also, Iran's parliament approves President Ahmadinejad's cabinet, and a look back at Teddy Kennedy -- in his own words.

The latest US strategy against the Taliban calls for winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. But complaints of election fraud threaten the credibility of President Hamid Karzai, and contractors guarding the US embassy, have shocked Afghan sensibilities. We update developments as support in the US is on the decline for what’s called "Barack Obama's war." Also, Pfizer is fined $2.3 billion for illegal marketing of drugs, and reassessing piracy.