According to the New York Times, one of Newsom’s expected items will be to expand California’s partially paid parental leave to an eventual, full six months. We also discuss what to expect from President Trump's primetime address tonight; examine Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposed tax hike; and more.
President Trump goes primetime to sell border wall in immigration address
Tonight, President Trump will address the nation on primetime television to make his case for a border wall.
Trump’s appearance is scheduled on day 18 of a partial government shutdown caused by a partisan disagreement over $5 billion in funding for the wall. Vice President Pence confirmed this week that the White House is mulling over declaring a state of emergency to bypass congressional approval and secure funding for the wall. Democratic leadership has requested equal airtime from networks carrying Trump’s address.
AirTalk discusses what to expect from Trump’s address and how the media is balancing pressure for fair coverage and the thorough fact checking.
Guests:
Stef W. Kight, politics and demographics reporter for Axios who has been following the story; she tweets
Jess Bravin, Supreme Court correspondent for the Wall Street Journal who has been following the story; he tweets
David Folkenflik, media correspondent for NPR and host of the NPR news and culture show, On Point; tweets
Economic impact of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 70% tax hike on the ultrarich
Newly elected Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is making waves with her proposal for a top marginal tax rate as high as 70 percent to fund green energy policies.
Supporters say increased taxing of America’s wealthiest is a logical solution to climate change and income inequality, while critics argue high taxation puts too large of a dent in the economy and forces socialism onto the market. Alan Greenspan has come out against Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal” citing “dire consequences.” Some researchers say higher tax rates mirror other successful economies including in our own country’s past.
AirTalk discusses how a higher tax rate would work as proposed by Ocasio-Cortez, and the potential economic costs and benefits.
Guests:
Kyle Pomerleau, economist and director of federal projects at the Tax Foundation, where he oversees the center’s research; he tweets
Michael Hiltzik, business columnist at the LA Times and author of the book, “The Plot Against Social Security: How the Bush Plan Is Endangering Our Financial Future” (Harper, 2005); his latest piece looks at Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal
Do Jewish caricatures go too far in ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’?
On Sunday, Rachel Brosnahan took home a Golden Globe for her role in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
Brosnahan plays Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a Jewish comedian in late 1950s Manhattan when women were near invisible in the world of stand-up.
But while the Amazon show (now in its second season) has received critical praise, a number of Jewish viewers say the comedy gets Jewish culture completely wrong.
Paul Brownfield wrote in the Los Angeles Times that the comedy “fails to grapple with the realities of the moment in Jewish American history it portrays” and its tone is but of “the shtick, the stereotypes, the comforting self-parody.”
But the world of comedy is full of stereotypes and caricatures of all backgrounds. If you’re of Jewish descent and have watched the series, what were your reactions? Are comedies obligated to be culturally accurate all the time? We want to hear your thoughts. Call us at 866-893-5722 or comment below.
Guest:
Paul Brownfield, magazine writer and former TV critic for the L.A. Times; he wrote the piece, “Shtick, stereotypes, and self-parody: How ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ gets Jewish culture wrong"
New CA governor expected to propose six months of paid family leave in first budget plan
On Monday, Gavin Newsom was sworn in as the 40th governor of California, which also means he’ll need to submit his first budget plan to the State Legislature this week.
According to the New York Times, one of Newsom’s expected items will be to expand California’s six weeks of partially paid family leave to an eventual, full six months — the longest amount of paid parental leave for any state in the country.
“We will support parents so they can give their kids the love and care they need, especially in those critical early years when so much development occurs,” said Newsom in his inaugural speech, though he didn’t mention a specific timeframe.
Supporters point to economic benefits by encouraging millions of women to join the labor force, but while both sides of the aisle have expressed support for increasing assistance for new parents, critics say the six month expansion is dramatic and unfeasible. Would the policy require a tax increase, let alone be approved by the Legislature? Could employers end up axing benefits and pay raises to account for total compensation? We hear from both sides.
Guests:
Jenya Cassidy, director of the California Work and Family Coalition, an alliance of community organizations that was one of the key groups involved in leading the passage of California’s Paid Family Leave insurance program in 2002
John Kabateck, California state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a nonprofit organization advocating on behalf of small and independent business owners
Kevin Klowden, managing economist at the Milken Institute, where he is also executive director of their California Center and Center for Regional Economics
Colleges are providing financial assistance for students to take a gap-year
Gap-years have previously felt reserved for affluent students who can probably afford a year of traveling across the world.
In an effort to make the gap-year accessible to students of all backgrounds, colleges across the country are offering financial assistance to incoming freshmen who want to take off for a year. Admitted students at several colleges including Florida State University, Tufts University, Princeton University and most recently, Duke University, provide students with the financial aid they might need to postpone their enrollment to travel and volunteer before heading into academia.
Proponents of the gap year say it gives students the time to grow, reflect and learn more about themselves. Research also shows that students who participate in a gap-year tend to graduate earlier and have higher GPAs.
Regardless of the benefits, finances often hinder students from reveling in wanderlust. So how might these programs help make a year abroad more accessible to all students, despite their socio-economic backgrounds? Should all colleges provide financial assistance to students who want to defer college for a year? After a gap-year, what effect does it have on students once they return to college? And if you’re someone who took a gap-year, what was your experience?
Guests:
Abby Falik, founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year, an Oakland-based gap-year organization
Christoph Guttentag, undergraduate admissions dean at Duke University; he tweets