Week In The News: Secret Service, Afghan Violence, CEO Pay

54:47

April 20, 2012

A Secret Service prostitution scandal. A Taliban push in Afghanistan. Shareholders say “no” to a big CEO pay package. Our news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

The Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, flying over Washington skyline, including the Washington Monument, as seen from a NASA T-38 aircraft, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Discovery, the longest-serving orbiter will be placed to its new home, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. (AP)

Prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia got their fifteen minutes of fame this week. Sadly, it was with the U.S. Secret Service, as paying customers, on the eve of the arrival of the President of the United States. Not good.

In Afghanistan, fierce attacks by the Taliban and rough photos of the 82^nd Airborne. In Ohio, Romney and Obama, nearly nose-to-nose, neck and neck. The Buffet rule goes down. Citigroup shareholders say no on CEO pay. Dick Clark and Levon Helm sign off.

This hour, On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.
-Tom Ashbrook

Guests

A. B. Stoddard, associate editor and columnist at The Hill.

Yochi Dreazen, senior correspondent for National Journal Group covering military affairs and national security.

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst.

From Tom's Reading List

Los Angeles Times "President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that a speeded-up departure of Western troops from his country is the only way to prevent a recurrence of "painful experiences" such as the sight of American soldiers posing with the body parts of dead insurgents."

CBS News "Officials are still in the early stages of their investigation, but three of the 11 Secret Service members accused of misconduct have already been forced out. One agent was fired, another forced to retire. Both were supervisors. A third officer resigned."

New York Times "In a stinging rebuke, Citigroup shareholders rebuffed on Tuesday the bank’s $15 million pay package for its chief executive, Vikram S. Pandit, marking the first time that stock owners have united in opposition to outsized compensation at a financial giant."

This program aired on April 20, 2012.

week in the news