IRS to allow political endorsements by churches, reversing a decades-old ban
The IRS says pastors who endorse political candidates from the pulpit should not have to risk losing their tax-exempt status. The move effectively calls for a carve out for religious organizations from the rarely used IRS rule called the Johnson Amendment, put in place in 1954 and named after then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson. In a joint court filing intended to end an ongoing case against the IRS, the tax collection agency and the National Religious Broadcasters Association — an Evangelical media consortium — and other plaintiffs have asked a federal court in Texas to stop the government from enforcing the Johnson Amendment against the plaintiffs. The Johnson Amendment is a 1954 amendment to the U.S. tax code that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates. Today on AirTalk, we’ll discuss the implications that come from this with Fatima Hussein, treasury reporter for the Associated Press, and Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, professor of law at the University of Notre Dame.
What is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation?
American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food, according to accounts and videos obtained by The Associated Press. Two U.S. contractors, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were revealing their employers’ internal operations, said they were coming forward because they were disturbed by what they considered dangerous and irresponsible practices. They said the security staff hired were often unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed and seemed to have an open license to do whatever they wished. They said their colleagues regularly lobbed stun grenades and pepper spray in the direction of the Palestinians. One contractor said bullets were fired in all directions — in the air, into the ground and at times toward the Palestinians, recalling at least one instance where he thought someone had been hit. The testimonies from the contractors — combined with the videos, internal reports and text messages obtained by the AP — offer a rare glimpse inside the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created, secretive American organization backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip’s population. Last month, the U.S. government pledged $30 million for the group to continue operations — the first known U.S. donation to the group, whose other funding sources remain opaque. So, what is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation? And how did they become one of the main aid distributors in Gaza? Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Alexander Cornwell, senior correspondent covering Israel and the Palestinian Territories for Reuters.
With files from the Associated Press
Cole’s French Dip is closing. What does it say about the state of downtown LA restaurants?
The historic Cole’s French Dip in downtown Los Angeles is closing its doors on Aug. 3, citing a “litany of reasons” that the owner didn’t see a way of overcoming. “After exhaustive deliberation and numerous attempts at last-ditch efforts, our beloved Los Angeles institution, Cole’s, Originators of the French Dip, has made the difficult decision to close its doors,” owner Cedd Moses said in a statement. He pointed to the pandemic and the recent Hollywood actors’ and writers’ strikes as events that put a strain not only on his establishment but others in the area as well. Today on AirTalk, Cole’s French Dip owner, Cedd Moses, and executive director of the Independent Hospitality Coalition, Eddie Navarette, join the program to talk about the restaurant closure and the state of local downtown eateries overall.
Young men series: how they approach education and employment
This week on AirTalk, we’re exploring the experiences of young men in America and issues impacting them. Today, we’re looking at how they are faring in the labor force — and how they are entering it. When it comes to college, young men are enrolling and completing college at lower rates than women, with about 37% of men ages 25-34 holding bachelor's degrees compared to about half of women, according to Pew Research. That’s not necessarily new — the undergraduate gender gap has been around for about 40 years. And the situation for trades isn’t looking that much better. Working class men overall, the stats aren’t any better: they are less likely to be employed than they were four decades ago, and less likely to get married and have children — two things that money sure does help with. So what’s going on with young men in the workforce, and the paths they can take to get employed? Joining Larry to answer those questions and more is professor of Counseling at California State University at Fullerton, and director of the university’s Center for Boys and Men, Matt Englar-Carlson, economist and freelance economic policy consultant, Kathryn Anne Edwards, and business representative for SMART Local 105, Anthony Campos.
What we know about the connection between political affiliations and well-being
In the world of political psychology, there tend to be a lot of questions surrounding one’s well-being and whether there’s any correlation with their political ideology. Political statistician and analyst Nate Silver recently dug into 2022 data on the subject matter, which seemed to imply that conservatives reported better well-being than more liberal-minded respondents. Yet, the data from the Cooperative Election Study (CES), and its sample of 60,000 respondents may actually be a bit more complex. As Tufts University professor Brian Schaffner shares in findings he shared in April, the responses seem to be tied more with the language applied in the questions as opposed to an inherent difference. So what are the main takeaways from the research? And is there any correlation between a person’s well-being and political affiliations? Schaffner joins to help make sense of the research.
