The House Republican tax plan aims to tax tuition waivers as income for graduate students, raising questions about how it could affect the viability of higher education. We also round up this week’s political news; dive into the economics of major apparel deals in college sports after UCLA hired head coach Chip Kelly for $23.3 million; and more.
Week in Politics: Bocanegra resigns, CFPB fight, Flynn and the Russian probe, more
Larry speaks with analysts on both sides of the aisle on the latest political news, including:
Following sexual harassment allegations, CA Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra has resigned from office
Who has the authority to name the interim head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Senator Al Franken returns to work after being accused of sexual harassment
Represent John Conyers steps down from leadership position of the House Judiciary Committee amidst harassment accusations
Has Robert Muller managed to flip Michael Flynn?
Last-minute negotiations ahead of the Senate’s vote on its version of the tax plan
Guests:
Caroline Heldman, associate professor of politics at Occidental College and author of “Protest Politics in the Marketplace” (Cornell University Press, 2017)
Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and senior fellow at The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University; he tweets
Taxing higher ed: How will the GOP tax plan impact graduate students?
The newly introduced House Republican tax plan has left many wondering how graduate students could be affected if tuition waivers become taxed income.
As reported by NPR, many grad students do research or teach in exchange for these waivers. Some argue that in Ph.D. programs, obtaining a degree can be as consuming as a full-time job. And stipends currently may not cover the total cost of living. If the tax plan passes, the tuition grant will be seen as additional income.
Larry speaks to education experts today for a pro/con discussion on the impact of the plan on grad students.
Guests:
Mary Clare Amselem, education policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington D.C.; her research focuses on higher education policy
Pedro Noguera, distinguished professor of education in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA
CA Supreme Court to rule on case that could dramatically impact farm workers’ rights
A ruling today by California's highest court in a legal battle between the union launched by labor leader Cesar Chavez and one of the nation's largest fruit farms could dramatically reduce the power of organized farm labor in the state.
The California Supreme Court was expected to decide Monday whether a law allowing the state to order unions and farming companies to reach binding contracts is unconstitutional.
Read full story here.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Sudhin Thanawala, legal affairs reporter at the Associated Press; he covers federal and state courts; he tweets
Armando Elenes, national vice president of the United Farm Workers
David Schwarz, attorney for Gerawan Farming and lead counsel for the CA Supreme Court case; he's a partner at the LA-based firm Irell & Manella
Philip Martin, professor of agricultural and resource economics and farm labor expert at UC Davis
As UCLA football taps Chip Kelly as new head coach, the economics of major apparel deals in college sports
A new era of UCLA Bruin football starts on Monday when the school will introduce Chip Kelly as its new head football coach.
Kelly signed a five-year, $23.3 million deal. Kelly formerly coached the University of Oregon football team, building the program into a perennial powerhouse, before stints of varying success at the NFL level with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
The deal that Kelly signed is thanks in no small part to the deal UCLA inked with apparel giant Under Armour. At 15 years and $280 million, it’s the largest apparel deal in the history of college sports.
These kind of deals are not uncommon at the collegiate level. Nike has apparel deals with the Universities of Oregon and Texas and Under Armour also has deals with Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin.
But how do schools spend the money they get from these deals when they can’t use it to pay talent? And which schools are even in line to get these kind of deals? Will we see more and bigger deals with other schools in the near future?
Guests:
David Wharton, sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times
Victor Matheson, professor of sports economics at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts
Reza Aslan’s new book on the conflicting impulse to humanize the divine
The belief in one God has only existed for around three thousand years, but according to Reza Aslan’s latest research, humans have long been compelled to see God as a divine manifestation of the self.
In his new book, “God: A Human History,” Aslan explores the resembling virtues and vices of human nature found in the many versions - or unbelief - of God, assembled through historical and psychological studies, theological arguments and a personal timeline of the scholar’s own journey through religion.
Host Larry Mantle sits down with Aslan to talk about the book and his most challenging, compelling and controversial findings.
Reza Aslan will be discussing his book, “God: A Human History” tonight, at 7:00pm at the All Saint’s Church in Pasadena. The event is presented by Vroman’s Bookstore.
Guest:
Reza Aslan, religious scholar, professor, commentator and best-selling author of “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”; his most recent book is “God: A Human History” (Random House, 2017)