From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Can billionaire philanthropists change the world?

Hello again, I'm Armin Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues Americans care about most. Bill and Melinda Gates,

the Rockefeller Foundation, George Soros, and Google, all are spending big money on hunger, poverty,

and global warming. Supporters welcome a golden age of philanthropy, but at least one skeptic calls it

a tournament of billionaires, full of potential pitfalls. On to the point, the Green Revolution caused environmental problems in Asia and Latin America,

can that be avoided in Africa?

Can well-intended assistance bypass corrupt and incompetent governments and get to the people who need it?

Can philanthropy generate profits?

On reporter's notebook later on, Pope Benedict, Islam, and Holy War. First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John

D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Hello again, Mormon-Aulay, back with To the Poet. A growing

number of America's richest private foundations are challenging hunger, poverty, and global warming.

On To the Poet, is it a golden age of philanthropy or a tournament of billionaires? Can they

avoid the mistakes of the previous green revolution?

Can philanthropy make a profit? On reporter's notebook, Muslims are condemning Pope Benedict's comments about

holy war. The Vatican says he just wants respect and dialogue between religions. We'll ask about

the Pope's upcoming trip to Turkey. First, this update. Yesterday, the United

Auto Workers announced a buyout deal for all of the 75,000 hourly employees at Ford.

Today, Ford said it will cut 10,000 white collar jobs and close two more factories.

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