To the Point

It's often said that compromise gives something to everyone but leaves nobody happy. Case in point is the bipartisan effort to replace "No Child Left Behind" with a new, federal education reform called, "Every Child Succeeds." We hear where and how Republicans and Democrats agree to disagree.

The climate change summit in Copenhagen six years ago was over-hyped and finally perceived as a failure. So, as almost 150 heads of state converge on Paris today, there's an effort to manage expectations. But despite many obstacles to international action, the sense of urgency is greater than ever.

Mandatory recycling has become a way of life in more and more places, but critics dismiss it as an easy way for politicians to make guilty consumers feel better about themselves. We hear both sides as the holiday season gets underway.

The practice of tipping after dining out began in medieval Europe, but it became a peculiarly American institution. Now there's a movement to ban it as unfair and discriminatory. Will customers give it up in exchange for service charges -- or higher prices? 

In just 12 days since the attacks in Paris, rhetorical attacks on Muslim Americans are rising toward a fever pitch. A religious database, special ID cards and surveillance of mosques are being proposed. Is it just the heat of the presidential campaign or something more troubling?

Immigration across the Mexican border is a major issue among Republican presidential candidates -- with Donald Trump calling for a massive increase in security. We hear that reality at the border itself is very different from the way it's depicted on the campaign trail. 

France wants the US to join a "grand and unified coalition" to strike back at ISIS. President Obama is already hearing calls from Democrats as well as Republicans to increase military action against the Islamic State. Terrorism is now Topic Number One for international diplomats and American politicians. But will US politics and diplomacy matter if Muslim countries don't lead the charge against ISIS on their own?

The Right to Life movement has changed its focus from overturning Roe v. Wade to regulating abortion clinics. Abortion supporters say the real goal is to deprive women of their Constitutional right to choose. We hear what the rules mean — especially for poor women — as the US Supreme Court considers a case with profound implications in blue states as well as red ones.

One major concern after the deadly attacks on Paris is that Western governments are losing the war against ISIS online. There's renewed debate about surveillance of electronic messaging as opposed to privacy rights—and calls for Silicon Valley to curb terrorist propaganda on social media.

The deadly violence in Paris has re-ignited America's ongoing debate over immigration. Traditional values, policies and procedures are up against fears about national security. Is a ban on Muslim refugees fleeing Syria's civil war and terrorism by ISIS needed to keep America safe?