To the Point

After whistle-blowers told Congress the Federal Aviation Administration allowed Southwest Airlines to by-pass inspections, thousands of flights have been grounded. Is it really about safety, or is the FAA trying to reassert itself? Has the Bush Administration gone overboard with deregulation? Can the airline industry as we know it survive the skyrocketing price of fuel? Also, former President Jimmy Carter will meet with Hamas leaders in Syria. On Reporter's Notebook, will an atom smasher in Switzerland swallow the Earth?

The globalized economy means that America's financial problems could spread to the rest of the world.  The International Monetary Fund says there's a one-in-four chance of a global recession, as finance ministers meet in Washington to decide what to do. How closely linked are the world's economies?  Will there be winners as well as losers?  Should Americans be worried? Also, an update on the situation in Zimbabwe, and pirates, hostages and big money for ransom.

President Bush today gave General David Petraeus the pause in troop reductions he asked for. When the surge ends in July, American forces will remain 140,000 strong. Also, how does President Bush measure up to his White House mentor, Ronald Reagan?

Petraeus and Crocker are telling Congress to stay the course, but the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army says Iraq and Afghanistan are degrading US readiness for other contingencies with "significant risk to the all-volunteer force." Also, American Airlines cancels nearly half its entire schedule, and  the torch relay, China and the International Olympic Committee

General David Petraeus told a Senate Committee he wants 45 days after the "surge" ends in July -- and after that, still more time to determine when more troops can come home. Also, what's next for the Olympic Torch.

Congress wants to fence off the Mexican border by the end of this year. So, the Bush Administration has waived the Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts along with some 30 other environmental laws. Will completing the fence mean better border enforcement? Will it be worth the environmental costs? Also, Muqtada al-Sadr offers to disband his Madhi Army, and the Olympic Torch—extinguished in Paris. What's expected in San Francisco?

The German chancellor has decided to boycott the Beijing Olympics in protest of China's treatment of Tibet. The French president is considering the same. President Bush plans to attend the opening ceremonies, but has publicly expressed his concern about how harshly China has reacted to protests in Tibet. Guest host Lawrence O’Donnell explores how the protests will affect the Olympic Games as well as China's policy toward Tibet. Also, the final meeting between Presidents Bush and Putin, and how a 19-year old Miami masseur became a major international arms dealer.

The head of the World Bank says children as young as four or five are fleeing "the safety of their rural communities to fight for food in teeming cities." Food riots are happening already, with more predicted in 30 to 40 countries. One problem is the switch from food production to bio-fuels.  We hear about hunger, a global emergency. Also, the housing relief bill in the Senate, and questions about whether the FAA is too cozy with the airlines it’s supposed to regulate.

President Bush is in Bucharest, Romania for his last NATO summit. We hear about troops in Afghanistan, Russia's concerns about new member nations and the future of the NATO alliance. Also, Bernanke's sobering assessment of the US economy, and the Olympic torch will get a mixed reception next week when it comes to San Francisco.

The US Supreme Court told the Environmental Protection Agency to determine if greenhouse gasses are a danger to public health. That would require new mileage standards for cars and trucks. Would it also devastate the economy? Is the Bush White House holding back on the order to help mom and pop business or major industrial polluters? Also, an update on the presidential election in Zimbabwe, and the "war on terror" and the American justice system.