Much of Europe, especially eastern Europe, is headed for a deep freeze now that Russia has ceased its delivery of natural gas to the continent through Ukraine. So how much of Europe is affected by this loss of heating fuel? How long could it last? Why is it happening? And how long could it last? We ask Ilan Berman, Vice President for Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council.
Democrats hope to pass an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. What is that and how much more do they want to spend on it? Why might the cost estimates be far lower than what the real pricetag could be? And what else do the Dems have on the health care horizon? We ask Grace-Marie Turner, President of the Galen Institute.
We have Tuesday’s top news…What happened when Illinois Democrat Roland Burris tried to become a U.S. Senator? How will the situation likely get resolved? Why is Norm Coleman contesting the results of the senate race in Minnesota? What did Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner say as the 111th Congress convened today? And what is Barack Obama saying about his priorities for his national intelligence team? We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, January 6, 2009.
We have more of Tuesday’s top news…What are the Bush administration’s demands for backing a Middle East cease-fire? What is the Egyptian proposal? What did President Bush say Tuesday as he bid farewell to the men and women of the U.S. military? What environmental announcement did Bush make today? How did the markets do? We answer all of those questions and we bring you more of Tuesday’s biggest stories and pay tribute to a former colleague here on Dateline: Washington.
As Israel retaliates against Hamas, many civilians are caught in the crossfire. What is the Christian minority in Gaza enduring while the hostilities continue? Why were they denied the chance to leave before the fighting began? And how have Christians in Gaza been treated by Hamas since it seized full control of the strip? We ask Dr. Carl Moeller, President of Open Doors USA, one of the leading organizations assisting the persecuted Christian church.
On Tuesday, Republican Norm Coleman announced he will contest the Minnesota ruling declaring Democrat Al Franken was the top votegetter in their extremely close senate race. What details might reverse the outcome for Coleman? Is he hurting Minnesota by prolonging this process? We ask Alex Conant, press secretary for the Republican National Committee.
The U.S. Senate refused to seat Roland Burris on Tuesday, since his credentials were not signed by the Illinois Secretary of State. Is Harry Reid passing the buck on this issue after saying weeks ago that he would not sit any senator appointed by scandal-ridden Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich? What happens now? Will a deal be struck or will Illinois be without a senator for as long as two months? And how has race impacted this standoff? We ask Shira Toeplitz of Roll Call newspaper.
We have Monday’s top news…What is the Bush administration doing to end the violence in the Middle East in a way that defends Israel? What are Palestinian leaders saying about Israeli tactics? What will likely be included in the Obama economic plan? Who was certified as the winner of the Minnesota senate race today? Why is one Obama cabinet nominee withdrawing his candidacy? Who is Obama tapping to lead national intelligence? And how did the markets fare on the first Monday of 2009? We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Monday, January 5, 2009.
What is the focus of Israeli forces in Gaza? What must be accomplished before the operation ceases? What lessons has Israel learned after the 2006 fight against Hezbollah? And how do Israelis react to international criticism that its military actions are execessive? We ask retired Israeli Brigadier Gen. Elihu Ben-Onn.
Reports on Monday confirm that Barack Obama will nominate former Clinton chief-of-staff Leon Panetta to be the next director of the CIA and retired Navy Adm. Dennis Blair to be the next Director of National Intelligence. So what are the track records of these two figures in the intelligence arena? What should be their top priorities if confirmed? And what is the biggest challenge for the intelligence community? We ask former CIA officer Larry Johnson, who also served as deputy director for the State Department’s Office of Counterterrorism.
