Stormy weather continues in Southland. The fate of the START treaty. Regulating the Internet - the vote on Net Neutrality. Possible cuts in the mortgage interest deduction. 2010 Census results are in - there are 308.7 million of us.
Stormy weather continues in the Southland
Wet enough for you? As if the weekend’s downpour wasn’t enough, the first of three powerful storms blew into town last night and the deluge is expected to continue over the next two days, tapering off by Thursday. The warm Pacific storm system, the likes of which only shows up every 10 to 15 years, has already drenched the state, producing snowfall, floods, mudslides, power outages and record-breaking precipitation. What can we expect from the skies over the next few days? What areas are most in danger of flooding, mudslides or worse? Aside from waxing up those skis, how can Southland residents prepare?
Guests:
Stuart Seto, Weather Specialist at National Weather Service
Lucy Jones, Chief Scientist, Multi-Hazards Project, U.S. Geological Survey
Officer Terry Liu, Public Information Officer with the California Highway Patrol
Will the Senate START or stop?
The New START Treaty is scheduled to be voted on today. The White House and Democratic leaders say they are confident they'll have the 67 votes needed for approval. Republican leaders, however, took an aggressive stance against the proposed arms control treaty this past Sunday, casting new doubts over its chances of approval. Proponents of the treaty are saying that the treaty is too critical to our national security to delay. Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, a supporter of the treaty, suggested that failure to ratify the treaty would have an "unsettling impact" on international relations, and that, "[this] committee's decision will affect the prospects for peace for a decade or more." Detractors, such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), believe that the treaty should not be forced through before the end of the year, and suggest that the treaty would limit U.S. missile defense options. Is the treaty being rushed? Or is it too important to delay?
Guests:
Laura Rozen, Chief Foreign Policy Writer for POLITICO
Max Bergmann, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress
Baker Spring, F.M. Kirby Research Fellow in National Security Policy at The Heritage Foundation
Divided FCC approves net neutrality rules
Should phone and cable companies be able to charge different rates depending on what and how much you download? They may very well be able to now. The Federal Communications Commission officially adopted controversial Net neutrality rules today, but the fight is far from over as the FCC's authority to create and enforce these rules may still be questionable. Supporters of strict Net Neutrality, such as Sascha Meinrath, director of New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative, support a full ban on providers charging different rates or squeezing bandwidth for heavy users. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wants to allow providers to manage network congestion and charge according to usage. Is neutrality needed to maintain the Internet’s free-flow of information? Or do the regulations themselves limit the freedoms they’re trying to protect?
Guests:
Cecila Kang, technology reporter for the Washington Post
Declan McCullagh, chief political correspondent for CNET
Mortgage interest deduction might be cut
The family home and the two-car garage: it’s the American dream, right? And since 1913, it’s also part of the American tax system. The ability to deduct mortgage interest payments helps people get started on their first home. At least that’s the theory. Well, in 2008, the “American Dream” became a real-life nightmare, as widespread mortgage defaults started a cascade of financial collapse…which has lawmakers asking, does it really make sense to incentivize people to take out loans? And might the elimination of this deduction go a long way towards reducing the deficit? On the other hand, what impact would that have on the already beleaguered housing market?
Guest:
Richard Green, Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate
Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors
Census: 308.7 million people live in the U.S. but population growth is at its lowest rate since the Great Depression
According to Census Bureau data released today, the population of the United States grew 9.7% to 308,745,538 over the past decade. This is the slowest rate since the Great Depression. But strong population growth continued in the South and West. California is the most populous state with 37.2 million residents. As a result of the new census count, Texas will gain 4 congressional seats; Florida will gain 2; Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina, Utah, Washington and Nevada will each gain an additional congressional district. California won’t be gaining or losing any seats, but a shift to the Inland Empire and Central Valley is likely. What’s behind the slow population growth? Could this be a silver lining to the great recession? What will the political impact of the census be?
Guests:
Kitty Felde, KPCC Washington Correspondent
Thomas Mesenbourg, Deputy Director, U.S. Census Bureau
John Malson, Assistant Chief of the Demographic Research Unit, California Department of Finance