To the Point

Masha Gessen was born in Russia but emigrated with her parents to the United States. She returned in the early 1990s when political change was afoot. And since then, she’s become a leading observer - and critic - of Russian president Vladamir Putin. She fled Russia again in 2013. In this special podcast, Warren Olney talks with Gessen about her new book, The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia.

Most people in Puerto Rico are still without electricity, and some are drinking from a well contaminated by a superfund site. President Trump's accused of a "shocking lack of compassion" compared to speedy assistance after hurricanes hit Texas and Florida.  

President Trump is trying to make good this week on two campaign promises that upend the legacies of his predecessor. Jamil Smith guest hosts.

The list of women accusing Harvey Weinstein of everything from workplace harassment to rape keeps growing. Guest host Jamil Smith explores why Hollywood's "open secret" has spilled into public now. Is it about sex or power? 

Guest host Todd Purdum gets a rare first-hand look inside North Korea, the most isolated nation in the modern world. Is it the flash point of a new Cold War that might turn hot?

Guest host Todd Purdum discusses the Democratic Party's growing ideological – and generational – divide and its implications for the 2018 midterms and beyond.

Guest host Jamil Smith discusses journalism's battle to stand out amidst a flood of fake news and conspiracy theories, and what, if anything, Silicon Valley is doing to help.

A minor political player before last year's upset election is now a high-paid lobbyist with access to heads of state.  That's just one example of how the State Department's being hollowed out while Secretary Rex Tillerson and President Trump are reportedly at odds both publicly and personally.

Spain's central government cracked down brutally Sunday on voters during a referendum on independence in Catalonia, the country's wealthiest province. We hear what's happening there — and about potential consequences in other parts of the European Union.

President Trump showered sympathy and resources on Texas and Florida after they were struck by hurricanes. But it's not been like that for Puerto Rico — which may have been hit even worse. We hear about the rising death toll and the delay in military assistance.