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

Violence, propaganda, diplomacy, and eastern Ukraine.

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.

The Ukrainian government claims two of its helicopters were shot down today.

Separatist forces agree, but nobody knows exactly what happened.

President Obama and German Chancellor Merkel have issued a new warning to President Putin.

Don't allow disruption of Ukraine's election on May 25th.

We'll hear what they might do next to isolate Russia and we'll get a report from eastern Ukraine.

Later on, gun violence is on the rise again, but Congress has blocked federal research into the cause and effect.

Could that help prevent what's being labeled an epidemic?

Or is it gun control advocacy in disguise?

First, here's the news.

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Program Fund. Hello again, Warren. I'll be back with To the Point. After the mass shooting at

Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, some Republicans agreed it was time to lift the 20-year-old congressional blockade of federal research into preventing gun violence.

Since the first of this year, there have been more than 5,000 shootings and 3,000 deaths.

Is there an epidemic?

Good efforts to stop it, stop short of gun control.

First is news update amid reports that two Ukrainian helicopters were shot down today.

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