To the Point

War in the Horn of Africa: what does the conflict there mean for the region, and the world? Plus, former President Gerald Ford, dead at 93, and a look at the life of African-American activist Max Yergan.

The United Nations has cracked down and Iran has snapped back. Will sanctions have any effect? Plus, the US military reaches another grim milestone in Iraq, and the assault on the middle class of America and why one author says the Democrats should pay attention. Sara Terry guest hosts.

A long-time student of American politics says the Republicans have become America's first religious party.  On this archived edition of To the Point, we hear Kevin Phillips debate Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Does religion drive foreign policy in the Bush White House?  What about the separation of church and state?  Plus, a conversation about the booming business of Christmas and a conversation about whether conservatives are more generous than liberals.

• This edition of To the Point will not be heard live on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by special holiday programming.

As President Bush looks for a new strategy in Iraq, some experts say the military has not come to terms with a new kind of warfare. Will new military leadership re-examine the complex challenges of the "war on terror?"  Is it really a "war" at all? Plus, weather problems trap thousands of holiday travelers, and LA's Democratic Mayor Villaraigosa loses a battle despite the support of Republican Governor Schwarzenegger.

Instead of a single Person of the Year 2006, Time magazine has picked the entire community of the Internet.  Are Internet users "changing the way the world changes" or is Time trying to get back the readers it's losing to alternative media? Plus, Denver is shut down by a major snow storm, and  news about the growing number of active-duty military personnel who've signed a petition to bring the troops home from Iraq.

President Bush has held what’s likely his last press conference of 2006. We get the highlights and talk about his long-term military plans. Also, the waiting game in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Should the US relax its embargo or get tougher still?

Meat-packing plants in six states were involved last week in the biggest workplace-enforcement operation in US history. Were legal workers caught up in raids that divided parents and children?  Will Swift & Company be charged for hiring illegal immigrants?   Plus, Robert Gates is sworn in as Defense Secretary, and the National Basketball Association's leading scorer is suspended for 15 games.

Unexpected brain surgery has focused attention on the delicate balance of power in the US Senate.  Is the Democrat's one-vote margin in jeopardy?  We hear about politics and advancements in medical treatment. Plus, friction increases between rival factions after an assassination attempt on the Palestinian Prime Minister, and televised soccer unifies Iraq, if only for a single moment.

• Note: Today's edition of To the Point will not be heard on KCRW as it is pre-empted by special holiday programming.
  

Newspaper circulation is falling from coast to coast. Are they about to go extinct? With Democratic Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota in intensive care, the control of the Senate hangs in the balance. Plus, who's up and who's down in the early 2008 presidential polls. Marc Cooper guest hosts.

India defied the US and the rest of the world when it tested an atomic bomb. Now, Washington's agreed to sell India nuclear fuel and technology. The world's largest democracy is growing fast and needs energy badly. Will this be a bonanza for business and a boost for security? Will it mean the end of efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons?  Plus, President Bush and the Pentagon discuss strategies for victory in Iraq, and former President Jimmy Carter's being called "cynical" and "anti-Semitic" for a new book that criticizes Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.