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Law professors debate Trump’s executive actions on immigration, how CA might fight back

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Maya Casillas,7 (R), joins migrant rights groups during a vigil to protest against US President Donald Trump's new crackdown on "sanctuary cities", outside the City Hall in Los Angeles on January 25, 2017.
; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

For the last two days on AirTalk, we’ve been discussing different aspects of President Trump’s executive actions on immigration, including the directive to begin construction on a border wall with Mexico and a threat to pull federal funding from sanctuary cities.

A number of cities, including Los Angeles, have responded by saying local law enforcement won’t cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Today, we’ll hear from opposing viewpoints on what legal standing President Trump has to issue these executive orders, whether he’ll really be able to enforce them, how the state of California might respond, and the tools available to push back against the federal government.

Guests: 

Seth Davis, assistant professor of law at the UC-Irvine School of Law; he recently co-authored an op-ed for The Washington Post on President Trump's immigration plans

John Eastman, professor law and community service and director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence at Chapman University

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.


What to know about President Trump’s meeting with Theresa May, phone call with Enrique Peña Nieto

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President Trump Meets With British PM Theresa May At The White House

British Prime Minister Theresa May shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump in The Oval Office at The White House on January 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

AirTalk®

President Trump rounded out his first full week as President of the United States with his first meeting with a foreign head of state.

British Prime Minister Theresa May joined Trump at the White House on Friday morning for a chat and a press conference, following which would be a working lunch. May and Trump are said to have discussed trade, security, and the future of the two countries’ relationship.

Another head of state, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto was also scheduled to visit the White House to meet with President Trump, but that meeting was scuttled after President Trump’s claims that Mexico would pay for the border wall on which he directed construction to begin in an executive order earlier this week. The White House followed up by threatening a 20 percent tariff on imports from Mexico, though it walked back and said it was just one option to pay for the wall. Trump and Peña Nieto reportedly spoke on the phone for an hour Friday morning, though details of the discussion weren’t made public.

Guest: 

Shane Goldmacher, chief White House correspondent for POLITICO; he tweets @ShaneGoldmacher

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The American who climbed the ranks of ISIS

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A flag of the Islamic State (IS) is seen on the other side of a bridge at the frontline of fighting between Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Islamist militants in Rashad.; Credit: JM LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

ISIS has inspired millions to fight for its dark causes.

One of their avid followers is Yahya Abu Hassan, who has quickly risen up the ranks to become part of the terrorist group’s brain trust. Yahya, as The Atlantic’s Graeme Wood has discovered, is also an American.

In his newest book, “The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State,” Wood traces the journey a wealthy Texas kid named John Georgelas took to become Yahya Abu Hassan.

Guest:

Graeme Wood, contributing editor at The Atlantic and author of the book “The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State” (Random House, 2017)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Debating constitutionality, intent and efficacy of Trump Executive Order on immigration

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Fuad Sharef Suleman holds the passport of his family members in Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq, on January 30, 2017 after returning to Iraq from Egypt, where him and his family were prevented from boarding a plane to the US following US President Donald Trump's decision to temporarily bar travellers from seven countries, including Iraq.; Credit: SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

President Trump signed the executive order Friday.

Chaos followed at airports around the country. Immigration officials weren't clear on how widely the moratorium was being applied. Some Green Card and visa holders from those seven countries weren't being allowed in. Protesters stormed several airports, including LAX, where traffic was stopped and backups extended for miles.

The ACLU got a few judges to order the release of some people being held at airports. The President defended enacting the ban immediately, saying if there'd been one-week notice, "the 'bad' would rush into our country during that week." What's not clear is why there wasn't coordination with immigration officials enforcing the ban. Today on AirTalk, we debate the constitutionality, intent and efficacy of the executive order.

How does the Trump administration want to tighten its vetting process in the next 120 days? Why did it choose these 7 countries and not others? And what impact could this move have on US counterterrorism efforts? 

Guests: 

Nahal Toosi, foreign affairs reporter for POLITICO; she tweets @nahaltoosi

Charles Moran, Republican political strategist and the immediate past chairman of the California Log Cabin Republicans, and organization representing gay and lesbian Republicans; he tweets @OxyChaz

Ed Espinoza, director of Progress Texas, a political communications firm based in Austin, TX. Former Western States Director for the Democratic National Committee in California and a superdelegate in 2008; he tweets @EdEspinoza

Peter Spiro, a professor of law at Temple University who focuses on immigration and constitutional law

Josh Blackman, an associate professor of Law at the South Texas College of Law who specializes in constitutional law. He is the author of “Unprecedented: The Constitutional Challenge to Obamacare” (Public Affairs, 2013).  

Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Advisor to the President of the Rand Corporation and one of the nation's leading experts on terrorism and homeland security. He tweets @BrianMJenkins

Erroll Southers, Director of Homegrown Violent Extremism Studies at USC

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

What President Trump could mean for Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Olympics

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Lionel Richie Closes Olympics

American singer Lionel Richie performs a nine-minute version of his song 'All Night Long' at the closing ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles.; Credit: Steve Powell/Getty Images

AirTalk®

In what is already shaping up to be a tight race to secure host city privileges for the 2024 Summer Olympics, the U.S. will almost certainly have to deal with the implications of President Trump and his actions when the International Olympic Committee votes on which city - Paris, Los Angeles, or Budapest - should host the 2024 Games.

President Trump’s executive order banning people from certain countries from entering the U.S. raises questions about whether athletes, coaches, fans and others from those countries would be able to enter the U.S. for the 2024 Games and, maybe even more pressing, whether they’d be able to attend qualifying events for the Games depending on where those qualifying events are located. There are also concerns about how the IOC views President Trump and whether further criticism from local elected officials about President Trump’s policies might make the federal government rescind about $2 billion that it’s supposed to get to defray security costs.

The other two cities bidding for the Games, Paris and Budapest, have their own hurdles to clear. National security issues and terrorism concerns in France combined with a national election featuring a candidate leading many polls who is almost as polarizing as Trump.

The IOC is set to vote on the host city for the 2024 Olympic Games this coming September in Lima, Peru.

How could President Trump’s policies affect the way the International Olympic Committee votes? What are the issues that matter most to IOC voters when considering a host city? Are there other Olympic bids that have been hamstrung by national politics?

AirTalk contacted LA 2024, the organizing committee for Los Angeles' bid for the 2024 Olympic Games, but they were not able to provide someone to speak with us at the time we requested. They sent the following statement from Mayor Eric Garcetti:

“LA 2024 has assembled an outstanding, responsible bid on behalf of our City that strengthens the Olympic Movement for the future. If selected, we will show the world a sustainable and low-risk Games that gathers nations together, showcases American values, and brings benefits, not burdens, to our community. I am confident that the IOC will evaluate our bid on these merits, and I am more committed than ever to bringing the Games back to L.A. in 2024.”
 

Guests:

Ed Hula, editor in chief of Around the Rings, a publication devoted to covering the Olympics

Mary Hums, Professor of Sports Administration, University of Louisville; she has worked at a half dozen Games

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Debating Sally Yates’ decision and Jeff Sessions’ expected confirmation

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Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates speaks during a press conference to announce environmental and consumer relief in the Volkswagen litigation at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

This morning, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee boycotted votes for cabinet nominees Steve Mnuchin and Tom Price.

Mnuchin is the President's pick to head the Treasury Department. Price was nominated to run Health and Human Services. Without any Democrats, Republicans were procedurally blocked from voting. Democrats say they want more information on both nominees. The move follows last night's firing of the acting Attorney General by President Trump.

Sally Yates announced earlier in the evening that she would not allow the Justice Department to legally defend the President's order for a temporary ban on people from seven Muslim-dominant countries. President Trump appointed Dana Boente the new acting AG. Yates' order was immediately rescinded. With Senator Jeff Sessions poised for confirmation as new AG, Boente may not be in the job for long.

Read Sally Yates' full statement on President Trump's executive order below:

 

Guests:

Steve Shepard, chief polling analyst for POLITICO; he tweets @POLITICO_Steve

Michele Jawando, vice president of Legal Progress at the Center for American Progress; she is former senior Senate staffer for Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

John Eastman, Henry Salvatori professor of law and founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence at Chapman University

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

What to expect with Steve Bannon in high-ranking position on National Security Council

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Nikki Haley Sworn In As United Nations Ambassador

Steve Bannon, Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to U.S. President Donald Trump attends the swearing in ceremony for Nikki Haley as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations January 25, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

AirTalk®

President Trump has signed an executive order putting his chief strategist, former Breitbart News Network executive Stephen Bannon, in the "principals committee" of the National Security Council and reduced the roles of the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It’s a move that has raised eyebrows and concerns, as the position is usually one filled by a high-ranking military officer. Trump has since said that the CIA director will be reinstated as a regular on the principals committee.

There are worries that a political adviser serving in a role that has similar authority to that of an intelligence adviser or even some cabinet members could create a conflict of interest or cloud judgment. It’s no secret that Bannon, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, is one of the president’s most trusted councilors.

In the past, those in Bannon’s position — like David Axelrod in the Obama administration or Karl Rove in George W. Bush’s presidency — have stayed away from NSC proceedings, with Rove even being instructed to do so by the then-White House Chief of Staff.

Guests: 

John Bellinger, III, Partner, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer; former legal adviser to the National Security Council at the White House from 2001-2005 (George W. Bush administration).

Stephen Vladeck, professor of law at the University of Texas School of Law, co-editor-in-chief of the Just Security blog and a contributor to the Lawfare blog.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

What Trump budget cuts could mean for future of arts, public broadcasting

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The headquarters for National Public Radio, or NPR, are seen in Washington, DC, September 17, 2013. ; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Matt Dangelantonio | AirTalk®

The future of federal funding for the arts, humanities and public broadcasting could look a lot different in the not-too-distant future if the Trump administration follows through with some deep federal spending cuts

As reported by The Hill, President Donald Trump’s transition team staff met ahead of the inauguration to plan federal bureaucracy cuts, which reportedly included privatizing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

The plan is drawn from a blueprint from conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, which is helping Trump’s transition to the presidency. The "Blueprint for Balance" also suggests cuts to the departments of Transportation, Justice and State and would amount to a $10.5 trillion reduction in federal spending over 10 years. Heritage fiscal and economic expert Romina Boccia said the federal funding lost would be just a drop in the bucket, because the NEA and NEH together only provide about $300 million in funding to the arts compared to charitable contributions, which total about $17.5 billion.

“What that means is that the federal funding portion really isn’t even a rounding error," Boccia said. "What we know is that American people support the arts, as evidenced by their private contributions, and they will continue to do so. I even think that eliminating federal funding altogether might increase charitable contributions to the arts, because right now many people probably think they don’t have to give as much because there’s federal funding. They might not even know how small a portion that federal funding is, and in the absence of it they might be willing to give more.”

Boccia said if the CPB were privatized, the stations that were able to continue to support themselves on private contributions would do so. Those who could not would have to figure out a way to pay the bills on their own — or risk going completely dark.

But Southern California Public Radio founding president Bill Davis said the impact would be much different for stations in small or rural areas than it would for a station like KPCC, which is in an urban center, because the amount of money each station gets from CPB differs. He worries that privatizing CPB could mean some public radio stations that get a majority of their funding from the feds could be forced to shut down.

“So for KPCC, our CPB grant comes to about 5 percent of our overall operating budget. For stations in Alaska, for stations in a number of rural states, it’s as high as 40 percent," Davis said. "So there’s a real disparity in the impact that would have between rural and urban stations, and I think from a public policy perspective, that’s a concern.”

Davis added that clearing CPB criteria is somewhat like a seal of approval because it’s an added level of confidence that the money donated will be used, and privatizing it would eliminate that leverage for many stations. He said that KPCC gets about $1.2 million a year in federal funding, which it would lose if CPB were to be privatized.

“My guess is that many of our donors would respond positively to that, so then the question would be what the subsequent impacts are on smaller stations in rural areas, the impact on NPR itself, and would NPR be looking to us to pay a greater level of that," Davis said. "There’s a systematic effect that I really can’t say, and I don’t want to speculate on what our donors would do.”

Davis said that if CPB funding were cut, stations like KPCC, WNYC in New York and/or KQED in San Francisco would end up paying much more for NPR programming than they already do, essentially cross-subsidizing the smaller stations that were struggling financially.

Beyond public radio and television, there are many other important arts and humanities-based organizations who operate in areas ranging from arts education to addressing homelessness that could be heavily impacted if federal funding were eliminated, according to Los Angeles County Arts Commission executive director Laura Zucker.

“Small-sized organizations with budgets under $350,000 a year receive 30 percent of the National Endowment for the Arts’ direct grants," Zucker said. "These are organizations that can’t just turn around and raise money from private individuals. Forty percent of NEA-supported activities take place in high poverty neighborhoods across the country, so it’s the kind of funding and the kind of projects that are supported that cannot be replaced.”

Zucker said that when you look at everything that Heritage has slated to eliminate in their plan, it’s clear that this is not about money for them, but rather pushing an ideological agenda.

“Eliminating these organizations, which this is a thinly-veiled attempt to do, is not about saving money or about where else money might come from, and it’s not about privatization — it’s about commercialization," Zucker said.

Heritage’s Boccia disagreed, saying this is about prioritizing the things that are really important for the government to focus on with spending, and that the arts and public broadcasting would be better managed at the state, local and/or private level.

“I also would think that the arts … would want to be independent of government control," Boccia said. "One of the worries with the current funding mechanism of using that federal stamp of approval to leverage other funding sources is that you might end up with politically-correct art. Is that really what we want from the arts? I think they should be independent, I think they should be as creative as possible, and they should be free from political interference.”

As of right now, Boccia said, Heritage has not met with any members of Congress to discuss the implementation of their blueprint, nor is it clear whether these cuts will even make it into President Trump’s first budget. Until we know that, Davis said, it doesn’t hurt to get an early start.

“What we’ve said before is that irrespective of whether you’re a proponent of federal funding for public broadcasting or you don’t think that should happen, the message from Washington is pretty clear: if you’re a listener, you should probably support," Boccia said. "I’d suspect that’s true for arts and humanities group as well.”

Guests:

Romina Boccia, leading fiscal and economic expert at The Heritage Foundation, where she focuses on government spending and the national debt

Laura Zucker, executive director at Los Angeles County Arts Commission

Bill Davis, founding president of Southern California Public Radio

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.


Lawmakers debate making California a “Sanctuary State”

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Protesters gather at the Los Angeles International airport's Tom Bradley terminal to demonstrate against President Trump's executive order on banning citizens from seven Muslim majority countries.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

The California legislature is considering making the entire state a so-called “sanctuary” for immigrants here illegally.

Several California cities, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, have policies sharply limiting cooperation between their police and federal immigration authorities. Under a bill introduced by Democratic state senate president pro tem, Kevin de Leon of LA, such a policy would extend statewide. But non-sanctuary parts of California don’t like the idea. We hear two perspectives on the issue.

Guests:

Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles),  California Senate President Pro Tem and State Senator representing the state’s 24th District; he introduced Senate Bill 54

Jeff Stone (R-Murrieta), State Senator for California’s 28th State Senate district, including Indio, Murrieta, Palm Springs, and other parts of Riverside County, and a member of the Senate Budget Committee

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

In divisive political times, and days out from the Super Bowl, how should businesses position themselves?

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Football Fans Rush To Buy Latest Televisions Ahead Of Super Bowl

A Best Buy customer looks at a display of flat panel televisions at a Best Buy store February 1, 2007 in San Francisco. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

AirTalk®

The Super Bowl is once again upon us and in addition to what is expected to be a high-octane football game, there’s also the annual Ad Bowl, where companies try to out-advertise one another for the unofficial title of best Super Bowl ad.

The tone that companies will be taking this year promises to be interesting, thanks to the current divisiveness of the American political climate. Budweiser is already previewing a Super Bowl ad that tells the story of Anheuser-Busch co-founder Adolphus Busch and his journey from Germany to America to brew his beer.

Budweiser 2017 Super Bowl Commercial | “Born The Hard Way”

Corona, made by Cerveceria Modelo in Mexico, is airing an ad calling for unity among people across North America, though it's not clear whether the ad will air during the Super Bowl.

Corona Ad "America Great Again"

With tens of millions watching across America and the world, it will be interesting to see whether more companies go political and risk being depressing and anxiety-inducing on a celebratory day or stay completely out of the fray and focus on the escapism we’ve come to expect from some companies’ super bowl ads.

How are businesses positioning themselves in the midst of divisive politics? What are the pros and cons of doing so? What risks are associated with going political?

Guests:

Rama Yelkur, Ph.D., dean of the School of Business at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY

Sasha Strauss, founder and managing editor at Innovation Protocol, a management consulting firm focused on brand marketing and a professor at UCLA & USC; he tweets @SashaStrauss

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Debating Neil Gorsuch as Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, plus Democrats’ strategy

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President Trump Announces His Supreme Court Nominee

Judge Neil Gorsuch delivers brief remarks after being nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump to the Supreme Court with his wife Marie Louise Gorshuch.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Speaking to reporters today, President Donald Trump asked US Senators for swift consideration of his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch - and said Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) should employ the so-called "nuclear option" if Democrats attempt a filibuster.

As reported by the Associated Press, Democrats signaled they will challenge the choice, insisting that Gorsuch, 49, prove to them he is a mainstream nominee. If confirmed, the Denver-based jurist, currently on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, would be the youngest justice on the court and could be shaping decisions for decades.

Where does the nominee stand on the major Constitutional battles of our time? How should Senators approach the hearings?

With files from the Associated Press.

Guests:

John Yoo, UC Berkeley Professor of Law; former deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice (2001-2003), former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas

Caroline Frederickson, President, American Constitution Society; formerly of the American Civil Liberties Union 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

In wake of Quebec City shooting, Muslim leaders in Southern California come together

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People place candles near a mosque that was the location of a shooting spree in Quebec City, Quebec on January 31, 2017.; Credit: ALICE CHICHE/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

A gunman on Sunday night opened fire in a mosque in Quebec City, Canada, killing six people and critically wounded many more.

The suspect was later identified as Alexandre Bissonnette, a French Canadian with far-right, nationalist views. Bissonnette was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.

The shooting capped a frantic weekend for Muslims around the globe that saw the signing of an executive order by President Donald Trump to ban travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

AirTalk invites Muslim Americans in Southern California to join us to talk about these recent events.

Guests:

Imam Mustafa Umar, Islamic Institute of Orange County. He tweets from @mustafaumar

Amjad M. Khan, National Director of Public Affairs for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community based in Chino, a leader at the San Bernardino County-based Baitul Hameed Mosque; tweets  @AmjadMKhanEsq

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The mounting legal challenges to Trump’s travel ban

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Protestors Rally Against Muslim Immigration Ban At LAX

Protesters hold signs during a demonstration against the immigration ban that was imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump at Los Angeles International Airport on January 29, 2017.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

AirTalk®

In yet another legal challenge to President Trump’s immigration executive order, L.A. federal judge Andre Birotte, Jr. issued a stay that would, for long, allow people from the seven Muslim-majority countries in the ban to enter the U.S.

AirTalk looks at the legal challenges that are mounting against the President’s controversial travel ban.

Guests:

Ahilan Arulanantham, legal director and director of advocacy at the ACLU of Southern California

James Copland, director of legal policy and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Youth football officials reportedly planning drastic safety changes for child athletes

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Punter Ray Guy, No. 8 of the Los Angeles Raiders, kicks the ball past the Denver Broncos' rush during a 1985 game. Guy has officially been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Punter Ray Guy, No. 8 of the Los Angeles Raiders, kicks the ball past the Denver Broncos' rush during a 1985 game. ; Credit: George Rose/Getty Images

AirTalk®

To help allay worried parents, U.S.A. Football, the national governing body for youth football, plans to phase in drastic rule changes aimed at making kids football safer for children, as reported by The New York Times.

“Among the rule changes: Each team will have six to nine players on the field, instead of 11; the field will be far smaller; kickoffs and punts will be eliminated; and players will start each play in a crouching position instead of in a three-point stance.”

However there are critics who think the modifications are not safe enough, while others say kids can’t get ready for high school football in a highly modified format.

Guest: 

Brad Garrett, Assistant Executive Director, Oregon School Activities Association - an official partner of USA Football’s Heads Up program

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

What putting Iran 'on notice' means for foreign policy, security

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Donald Trump Speaks With Australian PM Turnbull From The White House

President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Also pictured at right, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Trump’s National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn said yesterday that "Obama administration failed to respond adequately to Tehran's malign actions" and put Iran "on notice," without elaborating on what actions may be taken.

President Trump followed up with a series of tweets today: "Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile...Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!" Iran responded Thursday by promising to "vigorously" continue its missile activity.

How concerned should the US be about Iran’s activity, and how aggressively should the administration respond?

With files from AP.

Guest:

Daryl Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association (ACA), a private, non-profit membership organization dedicated to public education and support of effective arms control measures pertaining to nuclear, chemical, biological, and conventional weapons; he tweets @DarylGKimball

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.


Financial planners debate whether wealth management responsibilities lie with the client or the adviser

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Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing On Carried Interest

(L-R) Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) listen to testimony during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill September 6, 2007.; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

AirTalk®

In light of the lawsuit actor Johnny Depp filed against the company he hired to manage his finance and the countersuit the group filed alleging that Depp spent money recklessly, New York Times columnist Charles Duhigg wrote a column looking at some of the concepts behind the lawsuit and how it connects to an ongoing debate at the federal level about the fiduciary standard, a set of regulations requiring financial advisers to give advice based on their clients’ best interest instead of advice based on what the adviser believes will get them the highest fee.  

The Obama Administration asked the Department of Labor to start forcing financial advisers across the country to abide by these rules in 2015, but their implementation was left incomplete upon President Obama’s departure from the presidency, and it remains unclear how the Trump Administration will proceed with either continuing to implement the rule or dismantling it.

While the lawsuit itself is an anomaly in the sense that Mr. Depp is an insanely wealthy actor with a massive fortune to oversee, it does raise the question of where responsibility for managing money lies when someone hires a financial planner, especially when questionable spending or investing practices are at play. Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with a couple of local financial planners about the pros and cons of a universal fiduciary standard, the concerns that critics have, and what might happen next with the federal fiduciary standard.

Guests:

Delia Fernandez, fee-only certified financial planner and investment advisor with Fernandez Financial Advisory, LLC

Victor Robinette, certified public accountant, certified financial planner, and principal and owner of the South Pasadena Raymond James branch office

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Trump says he wants to expand political activity of tax-exempt religious organizations

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at the Bethel United Methedoist Church on September 14, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images); Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

As reported by the New York Times, at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday, President Trump said he would take away political speech restrictions in tax-exempt churches.

The move would overturn the Johnson Amendment, which forbids churches from working on a political candidate's campaign without losing their tax-exemptions.

Under current law, churches may not openly endorse candidates, but that would change should President Trump move forward with this plan, which could strengthen his religious conservative supporters. Congressional approval would be required to move forward with overturning the law.

Guest:

Julie Zauzmer, religion reporter for the Washington Post who wrote the recent article, "Trump said he’ll ‘totally destroy’ the Johnson amendment. What is it and why do people care?"; she tweets @JulieZauzmer

 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

What Trump’s new sanctions mean for US relationship with Iran

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani prepares to speak during a press conference on January 17, 2016 in the capital Tehran after international sanctions on Iran were lifted.
; Credit: ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

As reported in Reuters, the U.S. is imposing new sanctions on Iran in response to that country’s recent ballistic missile test.

The sanctions will affect 13 individuals and 12 entities including those based in United Arab Emirates, China and Lebanon. This is Trump’s first strike against Iran since his presidency began.

Larry speaks to Reuters Correspondent Arshad Mohammed for the latest on this move, and who the sanctions will impact.

Guest: 

Arshad Mohammed, diplomatic correspondent at Reuters; he has been reporting on the story and tweets @ArshadReuters

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

What new South Coast AQMD smog rules could mean for future business, pollution in SoCal

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Southern California Continues to Battle Air Pollution

The downtown skyline is enveloped in smog shortly before sunset on November 17, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

AirTalk®

In the hopes of reducing smog pollution over the next 15 years, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is expected to approve a new pollution reduction plan today that, rather than start with a more traditional approach of setting blanket regulations, will allow the industry to regulate itself.

Rail yards, warehouses, the ports, and more will be able to set their own emissions goals, provided that they meet certain standards and are enforceable. AQMD is also expected to adopt a stricter policy on refineries, ports, and other big facilities that produce much of the pollution in Southern California.

Proponents welcome the changes as a way to get more done by including everyone at the table in a collaborative effort to cut emissions. Critics argue that the plan is a step backwards with regards to previous work the AQMD did to reduce and regulate emissions in the nation’s smoggiest region. They also question how much federal oversight there will be under the Trump Administration when it comes to California’s pollution reduction standards.

Guests: 

Evan Gillespie, a campaign director for Sierra Club who is at the meeting this morning

Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

First fortnight flashback: reviewing Trump’s last week in office

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President Trump Holds Policy Forum With Business Leaders

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers opening remarks at the beginning of a policy forum.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Lots has happened under the new Trump administration.

President Trump’s executive order on a travel ban for people from seven Muslim-majority countries dominated the week in news. But that’s not only action coming from Congress and the new administration.

Larry Mantle recaps the week with Doyle McManus from the LA Times and Eli Stokols of POLITICO.

Guests:

Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the LA times

Eli Stokols, White House reporter at POLITICO

 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

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