Is the Tea Party doing away with the two-party system? Pollsters Doug Schoen and Scott Rasmussen talk about their new books and argue that the new party is remaking politics. Plus: UFT president Michael Mulgrew on the new NYC schools chancellor; the role environmentalism plays in Islam; how Google street view captured drug suspects and what it means for our own privacy; and presidents and the languages they speak, including a look at how Obama fared with Indonesian.
Union Take on the New Schools Chancellor
Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, offers his take on the next schools chancellor, Cathie Black.
NYC Crime Stats
New York City police fired fewer bullets last year than in any other year on record. Sean Gardiner, crime reporter for the Wall Street Journal, talks about the shooting statistics. Plus: the city's increase in violent crime compared to last year's record-breaking low, and a Brooklyn precinct that reportedly sets quotas for traffic summonses.
Islam and the Environment
Blogger, community leader, and The Takeaway contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin discusses his new book, Green Deen: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet.
Tea Party: The End of the Two-Party System?
Doug Schoen, former political strategist for Michael Bloomberg, and Scott Rasmussen, founder of the polling firm Rasmussen Reports discuss their new book Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System.
Following-Up: Political Prediction Contest Winners
Before last week's election, we asked you to play pundit and pick the winning candidates and make other predictions. We now ask two contest winners to discuss their picks: Nick Rizzo, a freelance journalist who regularly writes about politics for Capital New York, and Jennifer Ambler, a Queens-based actress who also works as a temp/tax preparer/math tutor.
Google Street View
Google street view was used to nab drug suspects in East Williamsburg this week. Kim Zetter, technology writer for wired.com, adresses the nature of the technology used, and the implications of its use for law-enforcement.
Following Up: Presidential Second Languages
Ben Zimmer, On Language columnist for The New York Times, follows up on President Obama's knowledge of Indonesian with a discussion of other presidents' second languages.
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