NEAL CONAN, HOST:
That is TALK OF THE NATION. I am Neal Conan, in Washington. Day by day on this program, we attempt to deal with the discuss of the nation, a very powerful, probably the most compelling tales, like landmark Supreme Courtroom choices, civil warfare in Syria, local weather change, politics and hard instances.
On our final day, we expect it is acceptable so that you can set the agenda. Name, inform us: What is the discuss of the nation? It is likely to be a giant worldwide story you have been following for weeks, or an area information occasion that has your neighborhood abuzz. We have additionally invited a couple of of our favorites right here at NPR to affix us. And later in this system: What’s the greatest goodbye card you ever acquired? You possibly can electronic mail us on that now: discuss@npr.org.
And if you wish to inform us what is the discuss of the nation, our cellphone quantity is 800-989-8255. Electronic mail us: discuss@npr.org. It’s also possible to be a part of the dialog on our web site. That is at npr.org, and click on on TALK OF THE NATION.
And let’s have a look at if we are able to get Heather on the road. Heather’s with us from Tampa.
HEATHER: Hello, sure. I feel one of the crucial necessary issues that is happening proper now is definitely the particular session in Texas to attempt to push by abortion restrictions.
CONAN: And the filibuster the opposite day by State Senator Wendy Davis.
HEATHER: Proper, which is totally unimaginable. She deserves unimaginable help and simply recognition for that effort. I feel that was a very great stand for girls’s rights.
CONAN: And you recognize that the governor plans to name one other session, I feel, as quickly as subsequent week, to deliver again the invoice. And I feel the nice expectation is that it is going to go fairly simply.
HEATHER: I do know that, and I am extremely disillusioned in Governor Perry’s resolution to try this.
CONAN: I ponder additionally, there’s been some allegations of hypocrisy. Democrats and other people on the left have generally been impatient with Republican filibusters, significantly in america Senate.
HEATHER: Proper, and I can perceive that, however I feel there is a distinction to be made. It is one factor to face up and really discuss for 11 hours. It is one other factor to place by form of a procedural filibuster that does not in any manner take any braveness. It is basically a strategy to simply form of weasel out of getting to have a dialogue on the matters of debate.
CONAN: Heather, thanks very a lot for the decision.
HEATHER: Thanks.
CONAN: And because it occurs, we now have NPR senior Washington editor Ron Elving with us right here in Studio 42. And Ron, good to have you ever again, as all the time.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Neal. You are one in all my favorites.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: Oh, effectively, thanks very a lot for that. And Heather’s level, the procedural filibuster, this has turn out to be an establishment in america Senate, the place anyone merely has to threaten a filibuster, then hastily you want 60 votes to get something handed.
ELVING: Heather makes a complicated distinction right here about totally different sorts of filibusters – refined, however one I feel we are able to all relate to, and that’s the distinction between truly getting up Jimmy Stewart-style and holding the ground for prolonged intervals of time. Wendy Davis did this for, I imagine, 11 hours, with out the good thing about with the ability to contact a bit of furnishings to lean on, as a result of that was forbidden by the foundations, denied a again brace and so forth, and compelled to make her stand on her toes.
And that form of bodily braveness I feel individuals do respect. In addition they see that there is a sure bodily restrict to it, whereas the form of digital filibuster that we now have in the present day in america Senate is an excuse, actually, for individuals to simply put the kibosh on something that they do not like and put such an unimaginable penalty by way of time on attempting to cope with it that the Senate will again off. And we see that on a regular basis.
CONAN: Do we expect Rand Paul goes to put on pink sneakers the subsequent time he tries it?
ELVING: And I ought to say Rand Paul is the final man we have seen rise up and do a multi-hour filibuster within the fashion that Wendy Davis did down in Austin, Texas. He did it as a Republican senator against a few of the makes use of we’re seeing of automated tools, drone, NSA form of surveillance and points which have turn out to be actually fairly salient since he did it.
CONAN: And I’ve to ask you, the discuss of the nation in the present day in Washington, D.C. appears to be in america Senate, the place it appears to be like as if the immigration invoice might go as quickly as in the present day.
ELVING: This can be a week of historic days. And the historic day within the Senate, with respect to immigration, already in the present day they’ve invoked cloture, ending a filibuster try – or at the very least the specter of a filibuster – with 68 votes, greater than the 60 which can be required to chop off debate. In order that makes it fairly clear the invoice goes to go.
And in a while in the present day, the Senate may have its last vote on its immigration overhaul. That is one thing roughly that is been within the works for a decade or extra, again to the final invoice of its sort in 1986. It’s fairly momentous. It might imply a fantastic deal to a large number of Individuals and potential, potential Individuals. And it is also going to be an enormous controversy when it will get to the Home.
CONAN: The place one of many Home members of the management, the Republican management, mentioned in the present day this invoice is useless on arrival.
ELVING: As written by the Senate it’s, at this stage of the method. The query is: Will the Home go something in any respect? If the Home passes some form of an immigration invoice of its personal, one thing it likes higher, that the Republican majority likes higher because the speaker says he will not deliver anything to the ground, then can that invoice go to a convention with the Senate? That will produce a convention report. That would come again to the Senate and – excuse me, come again to each the Senate and the Home and conceivably be handed in a bipartisan style by each chambers.
CONAN: Within the meantime, there isn’t a strategy to keep away from these different historic days, the place the Voting Rights Act was basically gutted by america Supreme Courtroom, after which yesterday, momentous choices on homosexual marriage.
ELVING: That is right. And apparently, for all these individuals who watch the Supreme Courtroom – significantly those that watch it with some jaundiced eye – we heard a lot the identical objection to every of these choices by these whose ox had been gored.
We noticed the conservative bloc of justices – that’s to say Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Roberts and Justice Kennedy – all collectively in voting on the Voting Rights Act. And we noticed all of them collectively opposing the transfer on homosexual marriage, apart from Justice Kennedy, who simply 10 years earlier, on the exact same day – this was the tenth anniversary – had written the historic Lawrence case opinion, by which he struck down legal guidelines that banned homosexual intercourse.
That was a giant, watershed second, and at the moment, Justice Scalia mentioned that was an overreach and that in 10 years, we might be taking a look at legalizing homosexual marriage. Individuals thought on the time Scalia was being hyperbolic. He was not solely being predictive, he was exactly predictive, to the day.
CONAN: And it is attention-grabbing: He additionally predicted in yesterday’s dissent on the Protection of Marriage Act that it is a false entrance, and we’re simply organising for the opposite shoe to drop and for this majority on the court docket to ban – ban bans on homosexual marriage, to legalize homosexual marriage throughout the board.
ELVING: Properly, David Boies – who was one of many attorneys for the plaintiffs on this case, who had been attempting to determine a proper to marriage for homosexual {couples} – has mentioned that this actually does give them the chance to guage legal guidelines in opposition to homosexual marriage in these states which have them. I imagine it is 31 states have handed bans on homosexual marriage.
CONAN: Thirty-eight, I feel.
ELVING: Properly, the totally different…
CONAN: Completely different ranges of ban.
ELVING: …totally different definitions of what is a ban, however an outright ban in 31. And have a look at these, and put them in opposition to the rules that had been laid out by the court docket on this resolution yesterday and say, gee, this does not appear to go constitutional muster, based on Justice Kennedy and his different 4 voters on the liberal facet.
CONAN: And let’s get Bambi(ph) on the road, Bambi with us from Charleston.
BAMBI: Hello. Thanks a lot for taking my name on the air. So many issues within the information. I really like the present, will actually miss and need I had – weren’t so many necessary issues, so we might categorical sentiments alongside these traces. However I did need to increase the difficulty of the change in Voters Rights Act. As a born and raised Southerner, I’ve had the chance to dwell everywhere in the United States, and thus I garnered my liberal tendencies.
I’ve to say that till these justices stand in a voting line in states similar to South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, they’re clearly clueless. I’ve seen voters denied directions on casting provisional ballots. I’ve seen African-American voters turned away and instructed they need to drive to headquarters within the night – which is clearly closed – in different to get these provisional directions.
And I’ve stood ahead many instances, given directions myself or reprimanded people who find themselves not permitting legitimate IDs. It is unreal, simply blows my thoughts. Till they stand in these traces and see black voters turned away, they’re clueless as to what is going on to occur with this new deal.
CONAN: Ron, it is attention-grabbing: To return to the opinion there – and this was, once more, Chief Justice Roberts writing for almost all, saying it is not a query, after all there’s nonetheless racial discrimination on voting. He mentioned that may be a reality. The opposite query, although, is whether or not the idea on which this regulation is being held – and he talked in regards to the areas that had been chosen for enforcement, that had not been up to date for 40 years. And he mentioned that is merely not the case in the event you have a look at turnout figures, in the event you have a look at the variety of African-American and minority officers who’ve been elected.
ELVING: That is proper. There was change. No query that there was change. The query is: Does that imply that the mechanism by which a lot of that change has been achieved must be eliminated? Or does it imply that that mechanism must be, in some sense or one other, altered? What does it imply? If the change that we now have seen within the final 40 years is one thing that the court docket approves and Congress approves – and Congress reauthorized this regulation again in 2006, unanimously within the Senate, and virtually unanimously within the Senate, 90 % of the Senate voted…
CONAN: Within the Home, you imply.
ELVING: Within the Home, they voted 90 % for this. So there does appear to be some approval of the change that is taken place, largely due to the Voting Rights Act. So does that imply that we should always not want the Voting Rights Act anymore, or does it imply that it is achieved an excellent job and it must be retained? That is, I feel, an argument that is going to go ahead.
The opposite query is: Is it honest to simply have a look at the 9 states that had been completely below this explicit onus of getting to take all their voting legal guidelines to the Justice Division? Components of a number of different states needed to do it, as effectively. Is it honest to solely put them within the penalty field? Or wouldn’t it make extra sense to plan a broader system? Or presumably simply say that every one 50 states must have their voting rights pre-cleared by some authority that retains the Structure of america in thoughts?
CONAN: It was attention-grabbing, additionally, to listen to John Lewis – after all, the member of Congress from Georgia and the civil rights pioneer – to speak about what makes us assume that rights given can’t be taken away, take a stroll in my footwear. Bambi, thanks very a lot for the decision.
BAMBI: Thanks. I recognize you addressing it.
CONAN: And a few emails on that topic. That is from Scott: In the present day, I am unable to assist interested by the Supreme Courtroom, which overturned key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – unspeakably unhappy. And that is from Maroila(ph) – Mavoila(ph), excuse me. It’s wonderful to me the Supreme Courtroom might really feel race is not necessary in voting points the identical week that TV meals icon Paula Deen is below a microscope for being a Southern belle who used racial slurs. How might there be such totally different views of the state of affairs?
We get the purpose. It isn’t fairly what the court docket dominated, however we get the purpose. It is attention-grabbing, Ron, as we go forward, it appears to me the court docket has already determined it is not going to take up one other homosexual marriage case. It in the present day dominated there have been two potentialities on the docket, not subsequent 12 months.
ELVING: Not subsequent 12 months, though we shall be taking a look at affirmative motion once more subsequent 12 months due to a case coming from the state of Michigan. Which may give the court docket a chance to weigh in once more on a problem that it additionally dominated on this week, sending an affirmative motion plan from the state of Texas again all the way down to an appellate court docket for an additional evaluation.
There’s nonetheless some roiling on the court docket with respect to their perspective in direction of affirmative motion.
CONAN: Ron Elving, as all the time, thanks very a lot.
ELVING: And Neal, let me simply say the moments I’ve spent talking with you in your present have been a few of the happiest moments of my working life.
CONAN: Thanks for that, Ron. We recognize it.
ELVING: Going to overlook it.
CONAN: Senior Washington editor Ron Elving, right here with us in Studio 42. Once we come again, effectively, we’ll verify in with two extra NPR reporters, however extra of your calls, as effectively. What is the discuss of the nation in the present day? 800-989-8255. Electronic mail us: discuss@npr.org. Stick with us. I am Neal Conan. It is the TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR Information.
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CONAN: That is TALK OF THE NATION. I am Neal Conan. In the present day, for the final time on this system, we’re doing – effectively, we’re doing what we do. We’re speaking about you are speaking about round your dinner desk, within the automotive with the children, as you stand in line on the grocery retailer or verify in on Twitter. You could not understand it, however you have all the time helped set out agenda day-after-day. Once we refill our planning board with the matters we’ll cowl at 2 PM Japanese Time, your voices rang in our ears.
So inform us, yet another time, what is the discuss of the nation? 800-989-8255. Electronic mail us: discuss@npr.org. It’s also possible to discover us on Twitter. That is @totn. And let’s go to Bob, Bob with us from Gainesville.
BOB: Thanks, Neal. I discover that the Edward Snowden case has actually been the discuss of the nation. However the underlying points behind this are very a lot attention-grabbing to me and plenty of others, the concept as as to whether or not – what the federal government is doing encroaching on our civil liberties and studying into our cellphone traces and whatnot. Whether or not or not that’s achieved within the title of safety is a really attention-grabbing dialogue.
I really feel that we should always not commerce our liberties for safety, and, after all, the precedent for this was 9/11. Many would possibly worry that we’d have one other 9/11 assault, and 9/11 being the falsified assault that it was, with Constructing Seven being a constructing 47 tales tall that fell in freefall pace in a matter of seconds, was not hit by every other airplane…
CONAN: Ah, I see we now have a truther with us.
BOB: Sure, effectively I feel that is a really derogatory time period, and maybe in your final present…
CONAN: It is derogatory since you’re speaking scientific nonsense. I’ve to – I am sorry I’ve to upbraid you – I am sorry to upbraid you. I’m sorry to upbraid you. Please, I attempt to hear with respect to callers, besides after they have their information flat flawed.
BOB: Do you assume Constructing Seven is just not a really telling incident, sir?
CONAN: I feel it fell for various causes, and the scientific group agrees with me. Properly, extra to the purpose, I agree with them. What do I learn about Constructing Seven? The actual fact is…
BOB: Properly, truly, the architects and engineers all are in a consensus of…
CONAN: No they don’t seem to be, Bob, and I am sorry…
BOB: Sure, there is a group known as Architects and Engineers…
CONAN: Bob, I am hanging up on you, as a result of that is nonsense. Thanks. Let’s transfer proper alongside. Paula’s on the road with us from Tucson.
PAULA: Hello. I am glad to be on the air in the present day. We’ll miss you very a lot. Wendy Johnson is actually one in all my new heroines, however residing down right here close to the border, I needed to speak a bit bit about immigration.
CONAN: And also you’re proper on the frontline there.
PAULA: Proper on the frontline, and, you recognize, residing round and amongst many Mexican immigrants and immigrants from Latin America, you get a really totally different perspective than individuals in different elements of the nation. One of many issues that has actually stunned me about this entire dialogue is nobody appears to see how backwards we now have it. Even our personal senators, McCain and a few of our representatives, appear to assume that the very first thing you must is quote-unquote “safe the border,” when in truth, if we set up a guest-worker program, if we set up a manner for individuals to return right here legally, it erodes the very want for any kind of resistance to individuals coming right here illegally
CONAN: I hear what you are saying, however there’s a facet of this by which at the very least some – and maybe I am studying between the traces right here – on the Republican facet say with the intention to get Republican votes, we now have to have this component within the invoice, in any other case it is not going to get handed. And that necessary component that many progressives need, the trail to citizenship for the 11 million or so already right here, that is not going to go anyplace.
PAULA: Properly, I perceive that, and I – to me, that simply factors to the dysfunction of our system and the best way we do management on this nation. To place 20,000 extra individuals down right here the place our border patrol can barely keep the wants that it has already, after which to construct a fence that, fairly frankly, you recognize, I do not assume you’ll be able to construct a wall excessive sufficient to maintain determined individuals out of this nation. And I feel it is time we realized that.
And we’re additionally – what occurs with the border fence? In addition to creating an environment of militarization and hostility and suspicion amongst individuals, it’s destroying plenty of very important elements of the environment down right here. And it is a very delicate ecosystem within the Southwest.
So there are such a lot of causes to not go that path and so many causes to begin taking a look at how we are able to begin welcoming individuals into this nation who need to be right here, who’re contributing, who need to work. And I suppose my final level can be to all these well-meaning individuals in my camp who level to the truth that Mexican laborers are keen to do jobs nobody else needs to do, why ought to an individual need to comply with do slave labor to be welcomed into this nice nation? So that is what I’ve to say. Thanks.
CONAN: Thanks very a lot for the decision, Paula. Marilyn Geewax, our senior enterprise editor for NPR, is right here. And we all the time love an opportunity to speak together with her. She joins us one final time in Studio 42. Good to have you ever with us, Marilyn.
MARILYN GEEWAX, BYLINE: Hello, Neal, it is nice to be with you.
CONAN: And this time final week, there was one thing akin to panic setting in, because it was Ben Bernanke saying, effectively, possibly by even the tip of the 12 months, we’d be capable of begin winding down that quantitative easing, cease shopping for so many bonds and wean the system off these injections of federal cash that we have been utilizing for therefore lengthy.
And hastily, the bond market and the inventory market went (makes noises).
GEEWAX: And that large bomb is hitting on lots of people who’re attempting to purchase houses proper now. Rates of interest, the long-term charges, those that you just use to purchase a house with, 30-year mortgages, they’ve actually risen loads previously month. We have seen rates of interest on these residence mortgages go from about one thing within the vary of three and a – three-and-three-quarters of a % up, to about four-and-a-half %, even past that. Now it is beginning to appear to be it might rise up to five %.
So in the event you had been interested by shopping for a house, possibly hastily, understanding that your month-to-month mortgage cost goes to be $100 extra, possibly $200 extra, that is actually inflicting lots of people to both rush into shopping for a house earlier than charges go even greater, or possibly begin to change their thoughts and assume possibly renting some time longer is not such a foul thought.
So this subject of residence affordability is turning into a bit bit extra of an issue in spite of everything this time with low rates of interest. So I feel that is actually been the large fallout from the upper rates of interest. Whether or not or not that is a short lived phenomenon, and possibly it’s going to simply form of die down, however it might begin to derail a few of this housing restoration we have seen this 12 months.
CONAN: And attention-grabbing, Mr. Bernanke made this announcement as a result of he mentioned, effectively, you recognize, the economic system, it is getting higher. And I feel in the present day, we’re even seeing some encouraging employment numbers.
GEEWAX: Oh, it is all the time so difficult with the economic system, as a result of this is the factor: He is saying sure, the rationale rates of interest are going to begin to drift greater is as a result of the economic system is definitely getting stronger, and that is good. We might love a stronger economic system. However, you recognize, a giant a part of the rationale why the economic system is getting stronger is as a result of the housing market has been gaining.
When individuals purchase houses, in addition they get landscaping companies, and so they purchase furnishings, and so they do issues that create jobs for different individuals. So how do you handle to begin to increase rates of interest to maintain the economic system on extra regular footing, to get charges again to one thing that appears extra traditionally in line? And that may be a little bit greater. 5 % is extra according to what’s regular for mortgage charges.
But when the housing market will get weaker, and possibly we begin to backslide once more, and the job development that we have seen in building begins to ease off, can we get proper again into the soup? Can we slide again? , Neal, it has been 4 years precisely. It was in June of 2009 that the economic system circled and started to develop after the large plunge for the recession.
So we have had 4 years of development, however it’s nonetheless very weak, and plenty of it’s tied to that housing market coming again. So it is a precarious second.
CONAN: Are you inspired broadly in regards to the U.S. economic system? Do you assume that is – regular development goes to have the ability to proceed?
GEEWAX: It is such a sophisticated time proper now. Once I look out throughout it, there are such a lot of issues which can be so encouraging within the power sector, and my goodness, the brand new applied sciences that we’re popping out with, the brand new methods of producing, there are simply so many thrilling issues on the market, whether or not it is agricultural or simply issues which can be popping out of the high-tech sector. There’s a lot to assume, boy, that is – this might be an actual turning level. The economic system would possibly actually take off.
However then I look the opposite path, and there is nonetheless – we have got virtually 12 million individuals long-term unemployed, and the – is about half of that, virtually. So it is – we have got lots of people on the lookout for work and plenty of child boomers who misplaced earnings and misplaced wealth throughout this. Individuals are transferring in direction of retirement, a really massive cohort of Individuals.
CONAN: I want you would not point out that.
GEEWAX: Yeah, proper about – one thing like 75, 78 million Individuals are steaming in direction of retirement. And their houses are possibly not again to the place they as soon as had been by way of the worth. Their retirement financial savings, after you modify for inflation, are nonetheless depressed. Lots of people misplaced jobs and took jobs for decrease pay. So you have acquired a giant chunk of the inhabitants transferring in direction of retirement, not within the form of form that that they had hoped to be in.
And you continue to have an terrible lot of individuals with no jobs in any respect, or underemployed, or these long-term unemployed of us. It is – it stays a really uneven and really robust economic system, and I really feel like I would not be stunned if two years from now, the economic system’s again in a foul recession. And I would not be stunned if two years from now, development is 4 or 5 %. It, both manner, appears completely believable to me.
CONAN: Marilyn Geewax, as all the time, thanks very a lot in your time in the present day. We actually do recognize the time you have spent with us.
GEEWAX: Oh, thanks, Neal. It is all the time simply been a pleasure and an honor to be with you.
CONAN: NPR’s senior enterprise editor Marilyn Geewax, with us right here in Studio 42. This is a few emails. The congressional gridlock and animosity is my vote for necessary subject. That from Joyce. And that is from Corey(ph): I am trying ahead to the nation’s technique to speak about tax reform. It won’t be as attention-grabbing as immigration reform, but it is likely to be simply as necessary.
And that is from Victor Singing Eagle(ph): This is one thing we must be speaking about, seeing how native points often get overshadowed by bigger points. I am unsure exactly what went down, however I learn that the Supreme Courtroom made an necessary ruling on the ICWA, Indian Youngster Welfare Act. May also help – anyone assist me perceive, as I made – I might exit in a limb. This was an adoption case the place a baby was put up for adoption by an Indian girl. Her father had renounced any curiosity. The Indian girl put the kid up for adoption. She was adopted by a Caucasian couple, I feel, in North Carolina, after which her father put in his declare below the ICWA, the Indian Youngster Welfare Act.
He was given custody. The adoptive dad and mom sued. Their case was upheld by the Supreme Courtroom. They will now attempt to get their custody again. It acquired despatched again to the courts in North Carolina. It isn’t sure that they are going to get custody, however as I perceive it, it was determined roughly on a technical foundation and never on a broad foundation. However I’ll stand corrected if I am flawed. Within the meantime, let’s get Claudia on the road, Claudia with us from Denver.
CLAUDIA: Hello. Neal, to start with, I need to say that I feel that is one of the best present on NPR, and I’m going to overlook you a lot day-after-day.
CONAN: Thanks.
CLAUDIA: And also you’re simply a unprecedented host. So – however I used to be calling in regards to the wildfires in Colorado, and, I imply, they’re simply devastating the state, and never solely this state, however all the pieces round us. The wildfires have been brought on, to such a fantastic extent, by beetle kill, which is brought on by the truth that we have not had chilly sufficient winters to kill off the beetles.
CONAN: These are bark beetles, and as you recommend, in earlier intervals, they had been killed off by excessive chilly through the wintertime. That chilly is just not as chilly because it was once, and people beetles are killing massive swaths of timber, not simply in Colorado, however throughout the West.
CLAUDIA: That is completely true. And it is – I imply, this a part of the nation is so lovely and has so many beautiful ecosystems. And what we’re seeing is a lot being burned to the bottom. One of many different issues is that folks have determined to dwell, for example, within the Black Forest space in Colorado Springs. They’ve determined to construct houses there. They actually do not perceive the surroundings right here, and they also do not do something to mitigate the possibility of fireplace. , they maintain all these big, outdated timber round their houses…
CONAN: As a result of they’re lovely, however they’re additionally tinder.
CLAUDIA: Precisely.
CONAN: Claudia, I can see you are having a bit downside along with your throat, so we’ll allow you to go.
CLAUDIA: Sorry.
CONAN: Thanks very a lot for the sort phrases, and thanks very a lot for the decision.
CLAUDIA: Thanks for the present. Bye.
CONAN: We’re speaking about, effectively, what is the discuss of the nation? That is TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR Information. And NPR science correspondent Richard Harris is with us. An ideal introduction, Richard.
RICHARD HARRIS, BYLINE: Hi there, Neal. Sure.
CONAN: And it’s on every week the place we now have seen the president of america provide you with an formidable coverage to cut back carbon emissions. That will, in flip, cut back, we hope, world warming, or at the very least the pace at which the Earth is warming.
HARRIS: Sure. Even possibly to a small extent. Clearly, it’s a world downside. And if the U.S. will get on board and could be very critical about it, it could make some distinction. However clearly, you want cooperation from around the globe, as a result of we’re not the main wrongdoer in emissions of carbon dioxide, however we actually produce nonetheless an enormous quantity of it, and we’re accountable for lots of the carbon dioxide that is within the air. So it was attention-grabbing to see this form of scattershot method that the president took to attempt to form of say what – the place can I make an effort?
And it’s scattershot, as a result of the Congress has principally determined they don’t seem to be going to behave on this. And so the president and his workforce determined to say: Properly, the place can we make a distinction with no need new legal guidelines, with no need Congress to be concerned? And so you find yourself with a form of spectrum of concepts that he put out.
CONAN: And plenty of them concerned emissions from coal-fired crops, both new ones – and people laws, I feel, at the moment are accepted, and it is – as we maintain listening to, it makes it nearly not possible to construct a brand new coal-fired plant utilizing current expertise.
HARRIS: Proper. And people laws are nonetheless within the works. They had been proposed and introduced again – pulled again a bit bit, however he known as for them to maneuver ahead once more and be finalized later this 12 months, after which to use that very same customary to energy crops which can be current…
CONAN: Current, yeah.
HARRIS: …energy crops. And that is a difficult one, as a result of he did not specify how a lot they should be reined in, however it’s extraordinarily troublesome, if not not possible, usually, to take carbon dioxide from an influence plant and cut back it in any important manner. There are some actually soiled energy crops that you may enhance considerably, however you’ll be able to’t make them as clear as pure fuel except you do one thing tremendously dramatic, like seize the carbon dioxide and bury it underground. And that is extraordinarily costly, additionally.
CONAN: After which there was the point out of the Keystone XL pipeline, which lots of people did not anticipate. He mentioned we’re not going to approve this except it proves to not have a big impact on carbon emissions. And a few individuals say, effectively, it relies on the way you have a look at it.
HARRIS: Completely. That is going to be a really attention-grabbing dialogue, as a result of that – it was – the phrases had been ambiguous, and, after all, the Canadians instantly argued, oh, effectively, this isn’t going to considerably exacerbate local weather change. People who find themselves against the pipeline mentioned: What are you speaking about? You would be tapping into this big useful resource of fossil fuels that actually ought to remain underground endlessly. And in the event you begin – in the event you discover a strategy to deliver it to the market, you may inevitably going to have an effect on local weather change. In order that’s going to be very attention-grabbing to see how that rhetorical twist will get – performs out within the coming weeks and months.
CONAN: It is so attention-grabbing. Richard, thanks for being with us. Usually, we now have Richard when there’s some actual catastrophe happening on the planet to clarify to us in regards to the oil leaks within the Gulf of Mexico and such issues. And that is solely a slow-motion disaster, solely a slow-motion practice wreck. So it is all the time good to have you ever on this system.
HARRIS: It is all the time a pleasure, Neal.
CONAN: Let’s examine, yet another electronic mail, this from Alicia in Madisonville, Kentucky: I’ve heard NPR discuss elevating minimal wage and the results that may make. I, together with so a lot of my friends, are working in minimal wage or barely above minimal wage jobs. Now we have bachelor levels, or greater. We’re having such issue discovering full-time work the place we are able to make a residing. Most of us need to take out scholar loans to get this training. Now we’re unable to pay it again. What are we to do?
And this from Darren(ph): I am unable to imagine the starvation strike in Guantanamo Bay has been happening since February. Nearly all of Individuals do not appear to know or care that lots of the individuals we’re detaining have been cleared of any wrongdoing, but are being held indefinitely. The latest use of metal-tip feeding tubes for putting detainees to demoralize them makes me ashamed of my nation and my president.
There are such a lot of individuals who wrote. There are such a lot of we known as. I am sorry we’re not going to have the ability to get to extra of your calls in the present day. And thanks a lot for carrying sufficient to contact us. Once we come again after a brief break, we’ll be speaking with David Ellis Dickerson from Greeting Card Emergency, so electronic mail us. What’s one of the best goodbye card you ever acquired? That is at discuss@npr.org, or give us a name: 800-989-8255. Stick with us. I am Neal Conan. It is the TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR Information.
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