To the Point

Pharmaceutical start-ups are increasingly using drug patent loopholes to jack up prices on old drugs. It's just one example of the wild west of drug pricing. Unlike Europe and Canada, the US doesn't negotiate the price of drugs or provide caps. Guest host Barbara Bogaev asks whether costs are out of control, and explores what should be done about it.

As college application deadlines loom, parents, educators and mental health professionals are asking if the amped up pressure on kids to get into elite schools has pushed students to the breaking point.

America's crackdown on crime is giving way to concern about the high-cost of mass incarceration. President Obama wants to give Pell Grants for college to inmates in prison — to find out if higher education makes them less likely to commit new crimes. Researchers say he already knows the answer.

Tech companies claim that analyzing big data can predict crime and help to prevent it. That sounds like science fiction, but police agencies around the country are buying into it — with federal assistance. Critics say it's science fiction after all — with the risk of violating civil rights and eroding public confidence. Is it making law enforcement more efficient and more effective or reinforcing the biases that are leading to the erosion of public trust? 

Online shopping is the big story this holiday season… and that means Amazon. We hear how it's become an unstoppable force in ecommerce…and what that means for a changing economy.

"Smart Cities" are designed to scale up "The Internet of Things" to better manage local transportation, energy, healthcare, water delivery and waste disposal. Can Big Data really improve the quality of life for residents and their neighbors?

Since the US and Cuba renewed diplomatic relations a year ago, a new wave of migrants has been leaving the island. We hear about conditions there and how they're determined by the policies of the US and the Castro regime.

Violent incidents from the Middle East to Middle America have created widespread fear of what might happen next — generating an atmosphere ripe for political exploitation. We look for a reality check.

Saudi Arabia says it's leading a coalition of 34 Muslim nations in a fight against terror. That's welcome news to the US, but skeptics are asking if it's really as good as it sounds.

With just six weeks left until the Iowa caucuses, there were still nine Republican presidential candidates in last night's debate in Las Vegas. According to public opinion polls, it was Donald Trump and eight others. We hear what happened and what might be next.