To the Point

If a city councilman voted against a new sports arena, would he be attacked because he's "a man?" We all know the answer. But, since five women council members voted that way in Seattle, they've been subjected to an onslaught of online attacks, leading to fear of violence -- because of their gender. Does that explain why so few women ever stand for election? 

As Brazil prepares to host this summer's Olympic Games, it's transfixed by a spectacle of a different kind. A divided legislature is ousting the President of a beleaguered country about to host international athletes and the crowds who want to see them.

America's long-time alliance with Saudi Arabia is fraying at the edges. There's the nuclear deal with Iran, Saudi aggression in Yemen and the long-time denial of human rights. Now a brash new Saudi leader is proposing major changes. We hear what the future might hold. 

The cost of day care is rising so fast that many new parents are quitting their jobs — only to find they can't meet basic expenses. It's a growing crisis with signs of becoming a partisan issue in this year's political campaigns. 

Two of Donald Trump's most hotly debated proposals are a ban on the entry of any Muslims into the country and the deportation of all undocumented workers. We get some legal surprises and some astonishing estimates of logistical challenges and impact on the size of government. 

The US and North Carolina have sued each over the state's new law restricting public bathroom use by transgender people. It's a conflict between civil rights and states' rights with shades of the 1960's.

At a time when political parties are expected to come together, Donald Trump has divided Republicans as never before. We hear about a lack of endorsements, advocacy of a Third Party, and fear of losing not just the White House but control of the House and the Senate.

The 50 states are central to America's political system, but real power now lies in the growing metropolitan regions that cross state boundaries. We hear how cities are getting together to overcome our national gridlock before unsolved problems reach the crisis stage.

Iraq appears to be reaping the negative consequences of both the Bush Administration's invasion and the Obama Administration's withdrawal. ISIS has exploited differences between Sunnis and Kurds, and the Shia are divided among themselves. For the US, are there any good options?

After yesterday's Republican primary in Indiana, it's all over for the US Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz. It's all but certain that a real estate magnate and reality TV star who's never held political office will be this year's Republican nominee for the White House.