What’s The Speak Of Your Nation? : NPR

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

That is TALK OF THE NATION. I am Neal Conan, in Washington. Each day on this program, we attempt to tackle the discuss of the nation, a very powerful, essentially the most compelling tales, like landmark Supreme Court docket selections, civil battle in Syria, local weather change, politics and difficult instances.

On our final day, we expect it is applicable so that you can set the agenda. Name, inform us: What is the discuss of the nation? It may be an enormous worldwide story you’ve got been following for weeks, or an area information occasion that has your neighborhood abuzz. We have additionally invited just a few of our favorites right here at NPR to affix us. And later in this system: What’s the greatest goodbye card you ever received? 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 telephone quantity is 800-989-8255. Electronic mail us: discuss@npr.org. You may as well 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 probably the most essential issues that is happening proper now is definitely the particular session in Texas to attempt to push by way of abortion restrictions.

CONAN: And the filibuster the opposite day by State Senator Wendy Davis.

HEATHER: Proper, which is completely 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’ll go fairly simply.

HEATHER: I do know that, and I am extremely dissatisfied in Governor Perry’s resolution to do 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 the USA 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 way of kind of a procedural filibuster that does not in any means take any braveness. It is primarily a approach to simply kind 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 at all times.

RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Neal. You are one among my favorites.

(LAUGHTER)

CONAN: Oh, nicely, thanks very a lot for that. And Heather’s level, the procedural filibuster, this has develop into an establishment in the USA Senate, the place anyone merely has to threaten a filibuster, then swiftly you want 60 votes to get something handed.

ELVING: Heather makes a complicated distinction right here about completely different sorts of filibusters – subtle, however one I feel we are able to all relate to, and that’s the distinction between really getting up Jimmy Stewart-style and holding the ground for prolonged intervals of time. Wendy Davis did this for, I consider, 11 hours, with out the advantage of having the ability to contact a chunk 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 ft.

And that sort of bodily braveness I feel individuals do respect. In addition they see that there is a sure bodily restrict to it, whereas the sort of digital filibuster that we now have in the present day in the USA 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 making an attempt to take care of 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 following time he tries it?

ELVING: And I ought to say Rand Paul is the final man we have seen stand up and do a multi-hour filibuster within the type that Wendy Davis did down in Austin, Texas. He did it as a Republican senator against among the makes use of we’re seeing of automated gear, drone, NSA kind of surveillance and points which have develop into 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 the USA Senate, the place it appears to be like as if the immigration invoice might go as quickly as in the present day.

ELVING: It is 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 might 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 could have its closing 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 variety 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 sort of an immigration invoice of its personal, one thing it likes higher, that the Republican majority likes higher for the reason that speaker says he will not deliver the rest to the ground, then can that invoice go to a convention with the Senate? That might 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 vogue by each chambers.

CONAN: Within the meantime, there isn’t a approach to keep away from these different historic days, the place the Voting Rights Act was primarily gutted by the USA Supreme Court docket, after which yesterday, momentous selections on homosexual marriage.

ELVING: That is appropriate. And curiously, for all these individuals who watch the Supreme Court docket – significantly those that watch it with some jaundiced eye – we heard a lot the identical objection to every of these selections 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, through which he struck down legal guidelines that banned homosexual intercourse.

That was an enormous, watershed second, and at the moment, Justice Scalia mentioned that was an overreach and that in 10 years, we would be legalizing homosexual marriage. Folks 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 establishing for the opposite shoe to drop and for this majority on the courtroom to ban – ban bans on homosexual marriage, to legalize homosexual marriage throughout the board.

ELVING: Nicely, David Boies – who was one of many attorneys for the plaintiffs on this case, who had been making an attempt to determine a proper to marriage for homosexual {couples} – has mentioned that this actually does give them the chance to evaluate legal guidelines in opposition to homosexual marriage in these states which have them. I consider it is 31 states have handed bans on homosexual marriage.

CONAN: Thirty-eight, I feel.

ELVING: Nicely, the completely different…

CONAN: Totally different ranges of ban.

ELVING: …completely different definitions of what is a ban, however an outright ban in 31. And take a look at these, and put them in opposition to the rules that had been laid out by the courtroom on this resolution yesterday and say, gee, this does not appear to go constitutional muster, in keeping with Justice Kennedy and his different 4 voters on the liberal aspect.

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 like the present, will actually miss and want I had – weren’t so many essential issues, so we might categorical sentiments alongside these traces. However I did wish to increase the problem 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 comparable 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 informed they must 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 isn’t a query, in fact there may be 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 legislation 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 take a look at turnout figures, in the event you take 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 needs to be eliminated? Or does it imply that that mechanism needs to 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 courtroom approves and Congress approves – and Congress reauthorized this legislation again in 2006, unanimously within the Senate, and nearly unanimously within the Senate, 90 p.c of the Senate voted…

CONAN: Within the Home, you imply.

ELVING: Within the Home, they voted 90 p.c 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 finished a great job and it needs to be retained? That is, I feel, an argument that is going to go ahead.

The opposite query is: Is it truthful to simply take a look at the 9 states that had been solely underneath 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 nicely. Is it truthful to solely put them within the penalty field? Or wouldn’t it make extra sense to plan a broader components? Or probably simply say that each one 50 states have to have their voting rights pre-cleared by some authority that retains the Structure of the USA in thoughts?

CONAN: It was attention-grabbing, additionally, to listen to John Lewis – in fact, the member of Congress from Georgia and the civil rights pioneer – to speak about what makes us suppose that rights given can’t be taken away, take a stroll in my sneakers. Bambi, thanks very a lot for the decision.

BAMBI: Thanks. I respect you addressing it.

CONAN: And a few emails on that topic. That is from Scott: Right this moment, I am unable to assist occupied with the Supreme Court docket, 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 superb to me the Supreme Court docket might really feel race is not essential in voting points the identical week that TV meals icon Paula Deen is underneath a microscope for being a Southern belle who used racial slurs. How might there be such completely different views of the state of affairs?

We get the purpose. It is not fairly what the courtroom dominated, however we get the purpose. It is attention-grabbing, Ron, as we go forward, it appears to me the courtroom has already determined it isn’t going to take up one other homosexual marriage case. It in the present day dominated there have been two prospects on the docket, not subsequent yr.

ELVING: Not subsequent yr, though we shall be affirmative motion once more subsequent yr due to a case coming from the state of Michigan. That may give the courtroom a possibility 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 right down to an appellate courtroom for an additional evaluate.

There’s nonetheless some roiling on the courtroom with respect to their angle in the direction of affirmative motion.

CONAN: Ron Elving, as at all times, thanks very a lot.

ELVING: And Neal, let me simply say the moments I’ve spent talking with you in your present have been among the happiest moments of my working life.

CONAN: Thanks for that, Ron. We respect it.

ELVING: Going to overlook it.

CONAN: Senior Washington editor Ron Elving, right here with us in Studio 42. After we come again, nicely, we’ll verify in with two extra NPR reporters, however extra of your calls, as nicely. 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.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CONAN: That is TALK OF THE NATION. I am Neal Conan. Right this moment, for the final time on this system, we’re doing – nicely, we’re doing what we do. We’re speaking about you are speaking about round your dinner desk, within the automobile with the youngsters, as you stand in line on the grocery retailer or verify in on Twitter. You could not understand it, however you’ve got at all times helped set out agenda each day. After 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, another time, what is the discuss of the nation? 800-989-8255. Electronic mail us: discuss@npr.org. You may as well 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 lots 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 telephone traces and whatnot. Whether or not or not that’s finished 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, in fact, the precedent for this was 9/11. Many may concern that we would 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 velocity in a matter of seconds, was not hit by some other airplane…

CONAN: Ah, I see we now have a truther with us.

BOB: Sure, nicely 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 suppose Constructing Seven shouldn’t be a really telling incident, sir?

CONAN: I feel it fell for various causes, and the scientific group agrees with me. Nicely, extra to the purpose, I agree with them. What do I learn about Constructing Seven? The actual fact is…

BOB: Nicely, really, the architects and engineers all are in a consensus of…

CONAN: No they aren’t, Bob, and I am sorry…

BOB: Sure, there is a group referred to 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 among my new heroines, however dwelling down right here close to the border, I needed to speak somewhat bit about immigration.

CONAN: And also you’re proper on the frontline there.

PAULA: Proper on the frontline, and, you recognize, dwelling round and amongst many Mexican immigrants and immigrants from Latin America, you get a really completely 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 suppose that the very first thing it’s essential is quote-unquote “safe the border,” when in reality, if we set up a guest-worker program, if we set up a means 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 may be a facet of this through which at the very least some – and maybe I am studying between the traces right here – on the Republican aspect say so as to get Republican votes, we now have to have this component within the invoice, in any other case it isn’t going to get handed. And that essential 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: Nicely, 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 suppose 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? Apart from creating an environment of militarization and hostility and suspicion amongst individuals, it’s destroying numerous very important elements of our surroundings 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 route and so many causes to begin how we are able to begin welcoming individuals into this nation who wish to be right here, who’re contributing, who wish to work. And I assume my final level could be to all these well-meaning individuals in my camp who level to the truth that Mexican laborers are prepared to do jobs nobody else desires to do, why ought to an individual must conform to 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 at all times 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, nicely, perhaps by even the top of the yr, we would have the ability to 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 thus lengthy.

And swiftly, the bond market and the inventory market went (makes noises).

GEEWAX: And that huge bomb is hitting on lots of people who’re making an attempt to purchase houses proper now. Rates of interest, the long-term charges, those that you simply use to purchase a house with, 30-year mortgages, they’ve actually risen loads prior to now month. We have seen rates of interest on these dwelling mortgages go from about one thing within the vary of three and a – three-and-three-quarters of a p.c up, to about four-and-a-half p.c, even past that. Now it is beginning to appear to be it might stand up to five p.c.

So in the event you had been occupied with shopping for a house, perhaps swiftly, realizing that your month-to-month mortgage cost goes to be $100 extra, perhaps $200 extra, that is actually inflicting lots of people to both rush into shopping for a house earlier than charges go even increased, or perhaps begin to change their thoughts and suppose perhaps renting some time longer is not such a nasty thought.

So this situation of dwelling affordability is changing into somewhat 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 brief phenomenon, and perhaps it will simply kind of die down, nevertheless it might begin to derail a few of this housing restoration we have seen this yr.

CONAN: And attention-grabbing, Mr. Bernanke made this announcement as a result of he mentioned, nicely, 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 at all times so difficult with the economic system, as a result of here is the factor: He is saying sure, the explanation rates of interest are going to begin to drift increased 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, an enormous a part of the explanation 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 increased. 5 p.c is extra in keeping with what’s regular for mortgage charges.

But when the housing market will get weaker, and perhaps 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? Will we slide again? , Neal, it has been 4 years precisely. It was in June of 2009 that the economic system rotated and commenced to develop after the large plunge for the recession.

So we have had 4 years of development, nevertheless it’s nonetheless very weak, and numerous 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 suppose that is – regular development goes to have the ability to proceed?

GEEWAX: It is such an advanced time proper now. After I look out throughout it, there are such a lot of issues which might 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 might be popping out of the high-tech sector. There’s a lot to suppose, boy, that is – this may very well be an actual turning level. The economic system may actually take off.

However then I look the opposite route, and there is nonetheless – we have got nearly 12 million individuals long-term unemployed, and the – is about half of that, nearly. So it is – we have got lots of people searching for work and numerous child boomers who misplaced earnings and misplaced wealth throughout this. Individuals are shifting in the 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 the direction of retirement. And their houses are perhaps not again to the place they as soon as had been by way of the worth. Their retirement financial savings, after you regulate for inflation, are nonetheless depressed. Lots of people misplaced jobs and took jobs for decrease pay. So you’ve got received an enormous chunk of the inhabitants shifting in the direction of retirement, not within the sort 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 nasty recession. And I would not be stunned if two years from now, development is 4 or 5 p.c. It, both means, appears solely believable to me.

CONAN: Marilyn Geewax, as at all times, thanks very a lot to your time in the present day. We actually do respect the time you’ve got spent with us.

GEEWAX: Oh, thanks, Neal. It is at all times 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 essential 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 may not be as attention-grabbing as immigration reform, but it may be simply as essential.

And that is from Victor Singing Eagle(ph): This is one thing we needs to 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 Court docket made an essential ruling on the ICWA, Indian Little one Welfare Act. May help – anyone assist me perceive, as I made – I’d 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 underneath the ICWA, the Indian Little one Welfare Act.

He was given custody. The adoptive mother and father sued. Their case was upheld by the Supreme Court docket. They will now attempt to get their custody again. It received despatched again to the courts in North Carolina. It is not 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, initially, I wish to say that I feel that is one of the best present on NPR, and I’m going to overlook you a lot each day.

CONAN: Thanks.

CLAUDIA: And also you’re simply a rare 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 things round us. The wildfires have been prompted, to such a fantastic extent, by beetle kill, which is attributable to the truth that we have not had chilly sufficient winters to kill off the beetles.

CONAN: These are bark beetles, and as you counsel, in earlier intervals, they had been killed off by excessive chilly in the course of the wintertime. That chilly shouldn’t be as chilly because it was, and people beetles are killing massive swaths of bushes, 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 stunning and has so many pretty ecosystems. And what we’re seeing is a lot being burned to the bottom. One of many different issues is that individuals have determined to dwell, as an example, within the Black Forest space in Colorado Springs. They’ve determined to construct houses there. They actually do not perceive the atmosphere right here, and they also do not do something to mitigate the prospect of fireplace. , they preserve all these big, previous bushes round their houses…

CONAN: As a result of they’re stunning, however they’re additionally tinder.

CLAUDIA: Precisely.

CONAN: Claudia, I can see you are having somewhat drawback 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, nicely, 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: Howdy, Neal. Sure.

CONAN: And it’s on per week the place we now have seen the president of the USA provide you with an bold coverage to cut back carbon emissions. That might, in flip, cut back, we hope, international warming, or at the very least the velocity at which the Earth is warming.

HARRIS: Sure. Even perhaps to a small extent. Clearly, it’s a international drawback. And if the U.S. will get on board and may be very critical about it, it will possibly 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 kind of scattershot method that the president took to attempt to kind of say what – the place can I make an effort?

And it’s scattershot, as a result of the Congress has mainly determined they don’t seem to be going to behave on this. And so the president and his staff determined to say: Nicely, the place can we make a distinction while not having new legal guidelines, while not having Congress to be concerned? And so you find yourself with a kind of spectrum of concepts that he put out.

CONAN: And numerous them concerned emissions from coal-fired crops, both new ones – and people rules, I feel, are actually accepted, and it is – as we preserve listening to, it makes it nearly not possible to construct a brand new coal-fired plant utilizing current expertise.

HARRIS: Proper. And people rules are nonetheless within the works. They had been proposed and introduced again – pulled again somewhat bit, however he referred to as for them to maneuver ahead once more and be finalized later this yr, after which to use that very same customary to energy crops which might be current…

CONAN: Present, yeah.

HARRIS: …energy crops. And that is a difficult one, as a result of he did not specify how a lot they must be reined in, nevertheless it’s extraordinarily tough, if not not possible, generally, to take carbon dioxide from an influence plant and cut back it in any important means. 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 gasoline 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 count on. He mentioned we’re not going to approve this except it proves to not have a major impact on carbon emissions. And a few individuals say, nicely, it is determined by the way you take 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, in fact, the Canadians instantly argued, oh, nicely, 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 eternally. And in the event you begin – in the event you discover a approach to deliver it to the market, you will 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. Typically, we now have Richard when there’s some actual catastrophe happening on this 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 at all times good to have you ever on this system.

HARRIS: It is at all times a pleasure, Neal.

CONAN: Let’s have a look at, another electronic mail, this from Alicia in Madisonville, Kentucky: I’ve heard NPR speak about elevating minimal wage and the results that may make. I, together with so lots of my friends, are working in minimal wage or barely above minimal wage jobs. We’ve bachelor levels, or increased. We’re having such issue discovering full-time work the place we are able to make a dwelling. Most of us must take out pupil 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 consider 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 hanging 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 referred to 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. After we come again after a brief break, we will be speaking with David Ellis Dickerson from Greeting Card Emergency, so electronic mail us. What’s one of the best goodbye card you ever received? 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.

Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional info.

Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts could range. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its authentic broadcast or publication. The authoritative file of NPR’s programming is the audio file.