The Breakdown
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Obama signed the Frank-Dodd bill into law this week. What does the bill do to reform Wall Street, and will it prevent bailouts? Finance blogger Mike Konczal joins Chris Hayes to tackle these questions on this week's edition of The Breakdown.
Imagine that the cost you pay at the pump reflected not only the cost of gas without all of the government tax breaks and subsidies to the oil industry but also the political, health and environmental costs of drilling for oil.
Ever since his breakthrough keynote at the 2004 DNC, Barack Obama has been defined by his oratory skills. But has his rhetoric really advanced his policy goals? On this week's edition of The Breakdown, Chris Hayes talks to political scientist George C. Edwards III about the impact presidential speeches have on public opinion and political change.
Democrats have repeatedly conceded defeat on gun control issues and now would rather get out of the NRA's way than anger it. Christopher Hayes and Robert Spitzer investigate how the lobby came to hold such sway in Washington.
Is BP unique in its ability to create catastrophe? On this week's The Breakdown, Chris Hayes asks Greenpeace's Kert Davies whether the entire practice of offshore oil drilling is inherently dangerous, regardless of which company runs the rig.
Christopher Hayes asks environmental reporter Kate Sheppard whether it's still possible for this Congress to pass a cap and trade bill.
Last month, the House of Representatives took steps toward repealing the military's discriminatory DADT policy, pending the results of a Pentagon study on the issue. But what impact could the study have on the repeal of DADT?
As images of oil-drenched coastlines and stories of devastated industries and families flood the airwaves, how can we begin to reckon the real magnitude of the damage?
The Obama Administration has authorized the killing of American-born Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. If the administration can kill US citizens without due process, where does the slippery slope end?
The Senate recently defeated an attempt to weaken crucial regulations on derivatives. Why and how should derivatives be regulated?
The Senate has finally opened debate on Dodd's financial regulatory reform bill. Will the bill end bailout--or just reinforce a broken system?
The SEC has filed a civil suit against Goldman Sachs for their role in exacerbating the sub-prime mortgage crisis by producing risky investment options. On this week's The Breakdown, Hayes discusses the case with blogger, author and economist Simon Johnson.
Christopher Hayes asks Ken Ward Jr, reporter for the Charleston Gazette, whether this grave incident could be the catalyst for mine safety reform and regulator empowerment.
Fourteen states have filed suit challenging the healthcare overhaul, particularly the individual mandate, as unconstitutional. Christopher Hayes asks Columbia law professor Gillian Metzger whether this argument holds up.
This week on The Breakdown: The time for comprehensive financial reform and consumer protection has finally come. Christopher Hayes asks Demos's Heather McGhee, does Dodd's financial reform package deliver?
If incumbents are running scared, what does that mean for the phenomenon of the incumbency effect?
How will healthcare reform affect the economy? This week on The Breakdown, Christopher Hayes talks to Ezra Klein to correct the misperceptions.
In 2002, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, at the behest of the CIA and in conjunction with the White House, drafted a memo on acceptable standards of interrogation. Now the authors have been cleared of wrongdoing.
Could the Senate start getting things done, if only legislators didn't have to face filibuster threats? This week on The Breakdown: the history of the filibuster, and how to get rid of it.
Almost one year after the stimulus bill was signed into law, Christopher Hayes, with special guest Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute, assess its successes, failures and unknown future.
What effect will the reduction in troops in Iraq that Obama has promised have on defense spending?
The Obama Administration has announced a plan to reduce the budget deficit through a three-year freeze on non-security discretionary spending. What are possible long-term effects?
In the wake of the surprising loss in Massachusetts on Tuesday, the future of healthcare reform has become uncertain. The Nation's DC Editor Christopher Hayes and special guest Ryan Grim of the Huffington Post explore the legislative options for next steps.
Even if healthcare reform passes in 2010, many of its programs will only go into effect in two or three years. Why? Christopher Hayes says it's all an accounting trick.
Global warming is not just controversial, it's also pretty confusing. As world leaders debate in Copenhagen, politicians in Congress are pushing different plans to deal with climate change. Christopher Hayes breaks down the difference between cap and trade and a carbon tax.
