President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today that calls on the government to 'buy American, hire American' whenever possible - we debate the pros & cons and its impact on the H-1B visa program. We'll also take a look at a new bill attempting to reform California's bail system; whether baseball is too boring; and more.
H-1B Executive Order: Debating the economic feasibility of ‘Buy American, Hire American’
President Trump is in Wisconsin today to sign a "Buy American, Hire American" executive order. The order takes aim at H-1B visas heavily used by the tech sector to import Indian and other international employees. It also calls on the government to use American materials whenever possible.
The H-1B visa program is controversial. Employers in tech and some other sectors claim they need to hire international workers for positions there aren't enough Americans to fill. Critics deny there aren't enough Americans to do those jobs. They claim employers use the H-1B so they can hire from elsewhere at lower salaries.
Guests:
Rob Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a research group sponsored by several tech companies
Ron Hira, an associate professor of public policy at Howard University, and author of the book, “Outsourcing America,” which looks at the economic implications of the offshoring of high-skilled jobs
Brian Riedl, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute; he was director of budget and spending policy for Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign and also spent six years as chief economist for Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman
Who wins in the privatization of air traffic control
President Trump is proposing to privatize the country’s air traffic controller system, and he is looking to our northern neighbor for inspiration.
The system air traffic control system currently being used by Canada is run by a non-government entity and is entirely funded by airport user fees - and that’s what Trump wants the US to do. Supporters of the idea see this as a system free from funding cuts and Washington politics, while opponents see it differently, that privatization could favor commercial airlines and big-city airports.
Guests:
Baruch Feigenbaum, assistant director of transportation policy with Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank that backs the proposal
Selena Shilad, executive director, Alliance for Aviation Across America, an organization that represents farmers, crop duster pilots and other rural groups
Weighing the stakes between public safety and punishing the poor with state bail reform
A bill to reform the way the state administers bail bonds making it’s way to Sacramento this week.
As reported by Bay Area News Group, AB 42 would enable people to be released at no cost while waiting for trial. The bill will be heard Tuesday before California’s State Assembly Committee on Public Safety. Under the proposed legislation, judges would be able to decide whether individuals would need to be held until their court date.
The bill’s author, Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), argues that high bail fees punish those who cannot afford to be released. But opponents say this bail reform may not keep serious offenders away from the public. Is this the right reform for California’s bail system?
Guests:
Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), California assemblyman representing District 18; he authored AB 42
Eric Siddall, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney; vice president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, a collective bargaining agent representing nearly 1,000 Deputy District Attorneys who work for Los Angeles County
In controversial move, President Trump congratulates Turkey's president on latest win
Despite a controversial referendum including internationally condemned voting irregularities, President Trump became the first Western leader to congratulate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his win, which greatly expands his executive powers as president.
The two leaders also discussed Turkey's support of the U.S. response to a Syrian chemical weapons attack and efforts to counter the Islamic State group, according to the White House summary of their phone call Monday. Trump’s congratulations stand in stark contrast with many European leaders as well as a statement issued by the US State Department warning against further repression by the Turkish government of its political opposition.
What does Trump’s congratulations signal for future U.S - Turkey relations and for political power in that region?
Guest:
Nahal Toosi, foreign affairs reporter for POLITICO
AirTalk asks: Is professional baseball boring or just in need of rebranding?
Baseball is at a crossroads, faced with the challenge of making changes to speed the pace of games and make them more appealing to new, diverse and younger audiences while not infringing too much on parts of the game that baseball’s older, more traditionally-minded fan base that wants to keep the purity of the game intact.
After the NY Times asked its readers to share their thoughts on whether baseball is boring and what they’d do to make it more interesting, thinky-type articles from outlets like NPR, Huffington Post, and ESPN started appearing, taking a look at why baseball might be seen by some as ‘boring’ and what the league could do to fix that. MLB has introduced rule changes in the last several years that are designed to speed up the game. Just this year, the league eliminated the need for pitchers to throw four pitches for an intentional walk, instead allowing managers to signal that they plan to walk a batter. Just today, reports surfaced that MLB is considering having umpires be on microphone to explain instant replay decisions, much like referees do in the National Football League.
Do you think baseball needs a makeover to make it more interesting or do you think the issue is with the people who think it’s boring, not necessarily the game itself. What would you change about the game to make you more interested in watching?
Guest:
Rob Arthur, baseball columnist at FiveThirtyEight; he tweets