Today on AirTalk, we'll discuss the investigation of four Southern California men arrested in an alleged terrorist plot. We'll also look into the ways the Affordable Care Act affects small businesses and speak with Grover Norquist about tax reform. Later, Stephen T. Asma joins Larry to talk about his new book, 'Against Fairness.'
Suspects with Southern California ties arrested for alleged terrorist plot
Four Southern California men have been arrested as suspects in an alleged terrorist plot. According to a federal complaint, Sohiel Omar Kabir introduced Ralph Deleon and Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales to “radical and violent Islamic doctrine.”In 2010, Deleon and Santana converted to Islam; more recently, Arifeen David Gojali joined the group.
The men allegedly conspired to kill Americans overseas by joining al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The suspects, who utilized social media to contact one another, confided intent of “violent jihad” online to an undercover FBI agent. Their reported plans included plots to bomb military bases and government agencies abroad. Deleon, Santana, and Gojali had scraped together enough money for airfare to Afghanistan, where they allegedly planned to stay in mosques or in the homes of fellow jihadists.
They were arrested in California and attended a hearing in Riverside on Monday, November 19. Kabir was arrested in Afghanistan. If convicted, the men could serve a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. What role should online conversations play in the investigation and conviction of alleged criminals? What are the best measures to prevent these types of attacks from coming to fruition? Are intelligence stings always effective?
Guests:
John Asbury, breaking news reporter, The Press-Enterprise
Jessica Garrison, reporter at the Los Angeles Times
Brian Michael Jenkins, senior advisor to the President of the Rand Corporation
How will the Affordable Care Act affect small business health-care costs?
President Obama’s recent reelection assures that his signature first term legislative accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), will remain on its path to full implementation.
Resistance from some small business leaders has not abated in the aftermath of Obama’s win and some of the more vocal opponents have included representatives from Applebee’s, Denny’s and Papa John’s pizza chain’s CEO, John Schnatter, who has hinted that the pizza chain would reduce employee hours to offset additional costs that may be faced with the implementation of the ACA.
But most businesses aren’t as big as Papa John’s, and the new rules will have an effect on how they approach paying for health care for their employees. Research has shown that a significant percentage of small businesses are confused about the new rules of the ACA and may also be misinterpreting how it will affect their financial accountability.
But a House Ways and Means Committee estimates that small businesses stand to save billions – as much as $422 billion over ten years – if they get rid of their health coverage by 2014, the point at which part of the ACA goes into effect and the federal government will begin to subsidize health insurance for Americans earning less than 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.
Just how will the Affordable Care Act affect America’s small business owners and their employees? Will it change how you manage your business?
RELATED: Read our live chat about the Affordable Care Act
Guest:
Kavita K. Patel, adjunct assistant clinical professor at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine
Stuart Waldman, President, Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA)
Is Washington losing its religion for Grover Norquist’s anti-tax evangelism?
A lot of changes swept over Washington on November 6th. The Republicans’ hubris was exposed by simple electoral math, and some of the collateral damage of the Democratic victory may include the once-bulletproof influence of the poster boy for Republican hard-line, anti-tax dogma, Grover Norquist.
Norquist got his marquee start in the GOP in the Reagan administration when he founded Americans for Tax Reform, an advocacy group with the stated goal of simplifying and reducing taxes at a national level, in 1985. His stance on the reducing the size of government was once summed up when he said that his goal was to “…shrink it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."
Nearly every single Republican lawmaker at the national level signed Norquist’s “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” as a matter of course, but with the recent ideological shift at the polling booth, a struggling economy and a ballooning national debt, many politicos are beginning to question Norquist’s strategy.
Norquist still has a sizable war chest and plenty of influence in Washington – there are still 219 Republican names on his tax pledge although the number has been in decline – but newly reelected President Barack Obama has been leveraging his recent win with the goal of raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans to reduce the budget deficit and avert the upcoming ‘fiscal cliff.’ How can Grover Norquist fit into the new normal in Washington? Will raising taxes help or hinder America’s financial woes?
Guests:
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, a coalition of tax payer groups, individuals and businesses opposed to higher taxes at the federal, state and local levels
Pasadena approves plan that may bring the NFL to the Rose Bowl
Pasadena is one yard closer to hosting National Football League (NFL) games at the historic Rose Bowl. After more than five hours of debate, the Pasadena City Council agreed to amend necessary ordinances in order to begin negotiations with the NFL to bring professional football to the 90-year-old stadium for as many as five years.
Approximately 120 people packed Pasadena City Hall last night to attend the public hearing on the NFL prospect. Many residents are concerned about how the estimated 25,000 vehicles likely to swarm the area on game days will negatively impact the community. Leasing the Rose Bowl to the NFL could raise between $5 and $10 million for the venue per year, according to a consulting firm hired by the city.
The NFL would utilize the Pasadena stadium if plans to build a new professional football arena in downtown Los Angeles go forward. Would hosting NFL games be beneficial to Pasadena overall despite significant increases in traffic? What social and environmental concerns should the city take into consideration as it prepares to facilitate up to a dozen NFL games per year?
Guest:
Terry Tornek, councilmember for District 7, City of Pasadena
Why is it important to play fair?
Stephen Asma’s latest book, “Against Fairness” is not exactly what its title suggests. Asma’s philosophical take on reevaluating what is considered to be “fair,” addresses the topic of fairness in a refreshing way, eschewing the culture of rewarding everyone for favoritism. In the context of his own parenting experience, anecdotes about deciding what’s fair and what isn’t are especially resonant. Is it unfair for children to distribute Valentines to just the friends they care for the most instead of the whole class? Is equal opportunity as “fair” as unilateral equal treatment?
Guest:
Stephen T. Asma, author of “Against Fairness” and Distinguished Scholar and professor of philosophy and Fellow of the Research Group in Mind, Science and Culture at Columbia College in Chicago. His previous books include “On Monsters” and “Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads.”