To the Point
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To the Point
A monthly reality-check on the issues Americans care about most. Host Warren Olney draws on his decades of experience to explore the people and issues shaping – and disrupting - our world. How did everything change so fast? Where are we headed? The conversations are informal, edgy and always i...
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Nicholas Kristof on good news in a bad world; Steve Lopez on aging
Despite war and pandemic, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof finds good news in a “stunning” decline of worldwide poverty and “extraordinary” i...
For the first time in Iran’s history, women are leading a counter-revolution
Writer and author of The Great Revolution: Turmoil and Transformation in Iran, Robin Wright says that after weeks of protest on the streets of Iran, “...
Can the news media help save democracy?
Former New York Times and Washington Post Media Critic Margaret Sullivan says America faces a threat to democracy. In her new book, “Newsroom Confiden...
Will Trump run for White House again, can PG&E keep lights on?
Will Trump run for the presidency again? And in the aftermath of California’s deadly wildfires, can the state’s largest utility, PG&E, mend its ways?
Diablo Canyon: Can the nuclear plant work safely for 10 more years?
What are the risks of keeping the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant open? And an atheist and Muslim agree on what happens when people find religion th...
Is catastrophic news coverage fit for human consumption?
Does the news really have to be all that bad, or does our addiction to catastrophe drive outlets to deliver what sells? How might today’s media be fix...
SCOTUS strikes down concealed-carry law. Is gun control in danger?
What to expect of the Supreme Court’s decision to ease conceal-carry restrictions, Biden’s new gun safety law, and the Sandy Hook lawsuit? Then, does...
Baby formula crisis reveals dangers of too little competition in US economy
Why does America’s baby formula shortage continue? Also, Norm Eisen’s new book traces corruption from the Trump White House to the rest of the country...
UN won’t end Russia-Ukraine war, diversity can threaten democracy
The United Nations can’t stop Russia’s war on Ukraine. And author Yascha Mounk says more diversity is a threat to democracy, but he’s still hopeful.
Ukraine faces ‘bloody stalemate’ — and 4 other scenarios
Russia’s assault on Ukraine is the most destructive event in Europe since World War II, and though it’s hard to determine how or when it might end, a...
Will sanctions against Russia make Putin more volatile?
What does the first week of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine say about the likelihood of a cyber and nuclear war? While the West imposes heavy san...
Why protesting at politicians’ homes may help undo climate change
An environmental activist is calling on like-minded advocates to build an “adamant nonviolent movement” to rapidly reach zero emissions.
California is no longer climate change leader, says assembly speaker
California is losing its leadership position in the effort to mitigate climate change, and politics and other disasters may be to blame, according to...
California breaks promise to clean up radioactive pollution from nuclear meltdown
A nuclear meltdown near the San Fernando and Simi Valleys was kept secret for 20 years. Despite a cluster of rare childhood cancers in nearby communit...
Sports superstars increasingly refuse to ‘shut up and dribble’
Celebrity athletes are shaping American politics and culture, says Jane Coaston of the New York Times. And even before this month’s UN climate confere...
Abortion and climate change: What will upcoming decisions mean in the long haul?
When the U.S. Supreme Court refused to stop a draconian new Texas abortion law, especially since Roe v. Wade is already on the high court’s caseload,...
The recall in California goes on as nation building in Afghanistan comes to an end.
California’s recall makes sense, but the electoral system as a whole needs reform, according to columnist Joe Matthews. Also in this episode, author R...
Fighting the Delta variant and California’s drought
Andy Slavitt, who was President Joe Biden’s former COVID advisor, talks about the recent Delta variant surge and best safety practices. The second par...
LA’s 1970s pop culture affects today’s politics. Plus controlling wildfires with fire
CNN’s Ron Brownstein says LA was so creative with music, movies, and TV in the 1970s that it’s still shaping American politics today. He writes about...
Supreme Court could outlaw abortion once again
For most of American history, abortion has been legal, outlawed only from 1867 to 1973. Now the U.S. Supreme Court might outlaw it again by overturnin...
In Our Backyard No. 6 (bonus): Warning! This is your Tortoise Service Announcement
With rising heat, deadly drought, and erratic storms, the desert tortoise needs your help. And there are many things you can do, especially if you are...
In Our Backyard No. 6: Life in the desert demands resilience, especially when lightning strikes
California deserts are unique in the world, but heat and drought threaten plants and animals with extinction. At the same time, desert windmills and s...
In Our Backyard No. 5 (bonus): Melting icebergs are the least of your worries when it comes to rising seas. Satellites prove it
Rising seas got you confused? Severine Fournier from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab explains the basics of our warming ocean as a result of climate change...
In Our Backyard No. 5: Sea level rise means life on California’s beaches is ending up on the rocks
Scientists say that all 800 miles of California beaches may disappear in the next 80 years because of sea level rise caused by climate change. Scienti...
In Our Backyard No. 4 (bonus): Are you ready for the next wildfire? Get set for the hottest tips on preparedness when it’s time to go
California wildfires are dangerous, but they don’t have to be deadly. Don Butz, Lakeside Fire chief and San Diego Fire Safe Council president, says w...
In Our Backyard No. 4: Fire is part of California’s natural landscape. We’ll always be waiting for the next, inevitable smoke out
Native Californians used fire to fight fire for thousands of years, but the cultural burning was virtually banned when settlers arrived. Since then, m...
In Our Backyard No. 3 (bonus): Heat islands are killers, but they don’t have to be
Live in a heat island? Want to know more? This is a special third bonus episode to In Our Backyard: Heat is the deadliest aspect of climate change. It...
In Our Backyard No. 3: Heat is the deadliest aspect of climate change. It’s turning some underserved LA neighborhoods red hot
Redlining and other forms of discrimination have turned LA’s Black and Brown neighborhoods into “urban heat islands” that are especially vulnerable to...
‘Black community’ implies homogeneity and people are more libertarian than they think, says Jane Coaston
KCRW’s Warren Olney talks with Jane Coaston, host of the New York Times podcast “The Argument,” about politics and race.
In Our Backyard No. 2 (bonus): Fresh air is hard to find in the big cities. Here are tips to keep you safe
Pollution blows. Here are some helpful ways to keep your lungs healthy. This is a special second bonus episode to In Our Backyard: Greenhouse emission...
In Our Backyard No. 2: Greenhouse emissions we can't see are often out of mind, causing pollution power lines
LA smog isn’t as visible as it used to be, but what’s out of sight can’t be out of mind. Air pollution is a major component of greenhouse emissions, a...
In Our Backyard No. 1 (bonus): Sherman Indian High School, from an institution of cultural genocide to a place of healing
Sherman Indian High School was once part of systematic genocide against Native Americans. Now, it’s a place of healing. This is a special bonus episod...
In Our Backyard No. 1: Warren Olney looks at the changing climate in Southern California
Southern California has a unique relationship with climate change. So what’s happening now? How did we get here? And what can we do? This first episod...
Introducing 'In Our Backyard'
In Our Backyard is a six-part series that explores how Southern California is changing in the face of global warming, and how we can respond.
Everything must change when it comes to climate, says author
KCRW’s Warren Olney talks with Ben Ehrenreich about his recent New Republic article titled “We’re Hurtling Toward Global Suicide.” Ehrenreich is a fre...
Texas blames blackouts on the Green New Deal, and Joe Biden says ‘America’s back’
Warren Olney talks about the blackout during the Texas deep freeze with meteorologist John Morales and USC energy expert Kelly Sanders. Andrew Bacevic...
Right-wing US terrorists go global as Janet Yellen copes with climate crisis
Warren Olney talks about the globalization of America’s right-wing extremists with ProPublica’s Sebastian Rotella and American University professor Ca...
Political and religious violence at the US Capitol
Warren Olney talks about the U.S. Capitol insurrection with presidential historian Tim Naftali and David French, an evangelical Christian and columnis...
What’s next for Biden, climate change and Trump’s big lie?
KCRW’s Warren Olney talks with Harvard law professor Jody Freeman and Princeton international affairs professor Michael Oppenheimer about Biden’s clim...
Authoritarianism in America: What it means for Republicans and Democrats
Win or lose, Joe Biden has a personal story of tragedy and ultimate survival. KCRW’s Warren Olney talks with Evan Osnos, author of “Joe Biden: The Lif...