Kurdish Syrian representative in France Khaled Issa shows a map of alleged attacks against Kurdish forces as he accuses Turkey of "massively attacking" Kurdish forces trying to recapture Raqqa.; Credit: ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images

As local ground forces supported by U.S. led airstrikes close in on two of the Islamic State’s urban holds, Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq, there’s growing concern over how the U.S. will approach ISIS’s strategy of using human shields.

Civilian casualties have been a recent topic of controversy in the battle for Mosul, with Amnesty International saying the coalition didn’t take enough precautions in recent strikes, while others claim the moral responsibility for the deaths lies with ISIS.

We look ahead to the coming battle in Raqqa, where a win for the coalition would mean the destruction of ISIS’s main base in northern Syria. Currently, an estimated 300,000 residents are trapped there, used as human shields by the Islamic State. All men in the city have been forced to wear jihadi clothing, so it’s difficult to differentiate between civilians and militants.  

What should the U.S. strategy be in approaching ISIS’s use of human shields in Raqqa? Has our strategy changed under the new administration? What is the best approach, considering the humanitarian and military factors at stake?

Guests:

Sarah Margon, Washington director at Human Rights Watch

Nicholas Heras, Bacevich Fellow at the Center for a New American Security and expert on ISIS strategy and tactics

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

; Credit: Susan via Flickr Creative Commons

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D- San Diego) is putting forth a measure that would prevent employers from firing workers for having an abortion or giving birth out of wedlock.

A teacher at a San Diego Christian college was let go back in 2012 for becoming pregnant while unmarried. The religious education institution said she violated employee code of conduct, which explicitly prohibits premarital sex. Gonzalez Fletcher said the measure, which would protect personal decisions and reproductive rights, is not an attack any specific organization, but an antidote to the “inherent sexism” that’s embedded in the codes of conduct.

Host Larry Mantle sits down with Gretchen Borshelt, Vice President for Reproductive Rights and Health at the National Women’s Law Center, and Matthew McReynolds, Staff Attorney at Pacific Justice Institute, on the balance between reproductive rights and religious freedom at the workplace.

Guests: 

Gretchen Borchelt, the Vice President for Reproductive Rights and Health at the National Women’s Law Center

Matthew McReynolds, Staff Attorney at Pacific Justice Institute, a legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights and other civil liberties

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

House Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) (C) leaves the U.S. Capitol after a series of votes March 28, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes continues to be in the spotlight after the New York Times reported Thursday that two White House officials shared intelligence reports with the California Congressman, who then shared them with President Trump, showing that Mr. Trump and some people close to his campaign were inadvertently part of foreign surveillance by U.S. spy agencies.

Thursday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia’s potential meddling in the U.S.’s 2016 presidential election also made news when it was revealed that both House Speaker Paul Ryan and Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign were both targeted by Russian cyber attackers during the 2016 campaign.

Finally, former National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn says he’ll answer questions from Congressional investigators on the Russia probe, but only in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Flynn resigned from his post in the Trump administration last month after not being entirely truthful with Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about how much contact he’d had with Russian officials. The investigators are holding off on making any deal with Flynn until they are farther along in their investigation.

Guest:

Phil Ewing, national security editor at NPR. He tweets @philewing

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

; Credit: FrankvandenBergh/Getty Images

The rise of income inequality is not just a societal problem – it’s a threat to the American constitution and the government of the U.S.

That’s the premise of Ganesh Sitaraman’s “The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution: Why Economic Inequality Threatens Our Republic,” a work that encompasses history, philosophy, law and politics, to explore the implications of our shrinking middle class.

Host Larry Mantle talks to Sitaraman about the unprecedented ways in which America’s constitution is rooted in equality, why the middle class is the foundation of our republic and the difficult choices ahead for the U.S.

Guest:

Ganesh Sitaraman, associate professor of law at Vanderbilt Law School, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and author of “The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution: Why Economic Inequality Threatens Our Republic”

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

Carl Crawford #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs to first base as Carlos Perez #58 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim stands.; Credit: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Baseball is back in Southern California as Major League Baseball celebrates Opening Day 2017.

Both the Dodgers and Angels kick off their seasons today. Big Blue opens the season at home with ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound looking to return to Cy Young form as he and the Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres in Echo Park. They’re the odds-on favorite to win the National League West again this year but, as has been the case in recent years, they’ll no doubt have to contend with those pesky Giants for division supremacy.

Meanwhile, reigning American League MVP Mike Trout and the Angels hit the road to open the 2017 campaign for an evening tilt with the Oakland Athletics in the East Bay. The Halos will need to stay healthy and get consistent outings from their starting pitchers in order to remain a contender in an American League West Division featuring several tough teams with burgeoning young talent like the Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros, who many believe will win the AL West crown this year.

Larry sits down with L.A. Times baseball writer Bill Shaikin to preview the Dodgers and Angels’ seasons, talk about familiar names to watch for, some of the new faces you might see and the expectations for each.

Guest:

Bill Shaikin, baseball writer for the Los Angeles Times

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

A man boards a bus on a flooded street as a powerful storm moves across Southern California on February 17, 2017 near Sun Valley, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Monday, KPCC is airing “Drought to Deluge” special coverage of what this winter’s epic rain and snow -- right on the heels of a five-year drought -- has meant for water supplies in Southern California and how we manage water going forward.

AirTalk wants to hear from you about whether you’ve gone back to using more water because of the wet winter or whether, given memories of the drought, you’re still trying to watch your water use. Has water conservation become a way of life? Or with all the rain and snow we’ve had, is it OK to go back our water habits before the drought? Call us at 866-893-KPCC to weigh in.

Special coverage: 'Drought to deluge'

This story is part of a full day of special coverage examining what the wet winter has meant for our water supply. Check out the full coverage Monday, April 3 on...

Morning Edition: While a healthy snowpack will be good for imported water sources to Southern California, that’s not necessarily the case for local sources of water. Reporter Emily Guerin explains.

Take Two: Host A Martinez talks to state and local water experts about the lessons we’ve learned from the recent cycle of dry to wet and what that means for how we manage water going forward.

AirTalk: Host Larry Mantle takes your calls on whether the wet winter has caused you to rethink water conservation.

All Things Considered: Host Nick Roman takes a look at how the sudden change from parched to lush backcountry has affected local wildlife and habitat.

Guest:

Stephen Gregory, KPCC’s environment and science editor

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

Law enforcement personal investigate the shooting scene where an SUV crashed through the wall of a parking lot and hit several cars across the street from the Santa Monica College.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Despite seeking to reduce traffic fatalities by 20%  this year with an ambitious plan for road safety, the latest data from LA’s Transportation Department shows that traffic related deaths spiked sharply in the first full year Vision Zero. 

260 people were killed in traffic crashes on city streets, an increase of almost 43% over the previous year -- and that appears to be more than a one-year anomaly.

We break down the numbers with KPCC’s Meghan McCarty and talk about some of the possible causes, from distracted driving to cheaper gas.

Guests: 

Meghan McCarty, KPCC commuting and mobility reporter

Seleta Reynolds, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation

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

Neil Gorsuch testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on his nomination to be an associate justice of the US Supreme Court.; Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The fate of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch is before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning.

He's expected to move on to full Senate consideration after winning a party-line committee vote. Chances of a Democratic filibuster are good, as Dems say the judge isn't in the mainstream. The real battle will occur on the Senate floor, as it looks like Democrats will have enough opposition to filibuster. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell then needs to decide whether to change the rules and allow simple majority vote on this and future Supreme Court nominees.

Also this week, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visits the White House this week as President Trump tries to thaw relations between Washington and Cairo after his predecessor largely froze Egypt out because of its human rights record, halting aid and never inviting el-Sisi to the White House. 

The president will welcome another leader to the U.S. later this week as he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in Florida for a discussion that Trump has said will be “very difficult.” Among other issues, the two are expected to discuss the future North Korea’s nuclear program. President Trump has said he’s prepared to deal with the reclusive and erratic nation, with or without China’s help.

Guests:

Caroline Heldman, associate professor of politics at Occidental College and co-author of "Rethinking Madam President: Are We Ready for a Woman in the White House?" (Lynne Rienner Pub, 2007)      

Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco

Ilya Somin, professor of law at George Mason University; he specializes in constitutional and property law

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for New York Times Magazine and the Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law at Yale Law School; she authored the article, “The Government Gorsuch Wants to Undo”

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

An illustration of connections in a human brain.; Credit: Illustration by Holly Wilder/USC.

Past, present, future. These time concepts are universally familiar.

We put the past behind us, have hope for the future and grasp at life in the now. But research shows an internal “clock” isn’t responsible for how we understand the passing hours. So how do we keep track?

In his new book, “Your Brain is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time,” neuroscientist Dean Buonomano deconstructs the ways we experience time and it’s connection to reality. Things like distractions, stress and focus contribute to how we wrap our head around life’s moments. And does “here and now” differ from “way back when,” or is it all happening at once? Larry speaks to Buonomano today about the ins and outs of the human brain and demystifying concepts behind the way we feel time.

Guest:

Dean Buonomano, Ph.D., professor of behavioral science at UCLA and author of “Your Brain is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time” (W.W. Norton and Company, 2017); he tweets @DeanBuono

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

Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) arrives for a news conference following a hearing about sexual, emotional and physical abuse by USA Gymnastics officials.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A new statewide poll shows that more than half of those surveyed think that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) should not seek re-election in 2018.

The poll, conducted by Berkeley IGS Poll, finds that 52 percent thinks that the 83-year-old should skip seeking a fifth term in office. Feinstein has not declared another run, even though indications point to a high likelihood.

Feinstein has been a pioneer for women in politics, even though many in the millennial generation might not be familiar with her political accomplishments.

Do you want to see Feinstein go for a fifth term? If you are a millennial voter, what do you know about Feinstein?

Guests:

Carolyn Lochhead, DC Correspondent with the San Francisco Chronicle who has profiled Senator Feinstein; she tweets @carolynlochhead

Dan Walters, political columnist for the Sacramento Bee

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

U.S. President Mike Pence (R) and Taoisech of Ireland Enda Kenny (L) bow their heads during a prayer before breakfast at the Naval Observatory March 16, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

A Washington Post profile about Karen Pence revealed that Vice President Mike Pence won't dine with a woman alone other than his wife.

The VP won’t go to events that serve alcohol without his wife, either.

Originating from evangelical minister Billy Graham, these rules have sparked a slew think pieces on the VP's dining protocols. Detractors slammed Pence's conduct as sexist, arguing that it restricts female staffers' access to him and creates a toxic dichotomy, but women who had worked for Pence have defended the Veep, saying that he is merely doing so to avoid any perception of inappropriateness.

Do you think the "Billy Graham rule" is sexist or a valid strategy to marital longevity? Have you experienced employment barriers because of restricted gender access to your higher-ups? Do you have any similar negotiations within your marriage? 

Call 866-893-5722 to weigh in. 

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

President Trump has signed an order to begin building a new wall along the border line between Mexico and the U.S. Here, the border is seen from the community of Sasabe in Sonora state, Mexico.; Credit: Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images

Bids for the first design contracts on the Trump Administration’s plans for a U.S., Mexico border wall are due Tuesday.

And while it’s unclear how many contractors will apply, the Associated Press reports more than 200 companies signed up for email notifications on the project’s website for contractors lists. Chosen prototypes will be built on an approximately quarter mile strip of land in San Diego. Costs are estimated to reach $200,000 to $500,000 for each model.

But how effective will a wall really be? And what evidence can we draw on from past attempts at curbing illegal immigration?

Guests:

Jessica Vaughan, director of Policy Studies at Center for Immigration Studies

Konstantin Kakaes, fellow at the D.C.-based think tank New America

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

LAPD Sgt. Emada Tingirides mixes more traditional police work with building relationships in the Nickerson Gardens Housing Project in Watts, as part of the departments Community Safety Partnership program.; Credit: Frank Stoltze

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that arrests are way down throughout California.

According to their report, 2015 arrests were the lowest they've been in nearly 50 years. That's the most recent year for which we have numbers. There were 1.1 million arrests in 2015, down from 1.5 million 9 years earlier. LAPD arrests dropped 25% just between 2013 and 2015.

What's going on? Some speculate the drop is related the changes in drug crime policy that resulted from Prop 47, others point to the so-called Ferguson effect. Larry Mantle and guests discuss.

Guests:

Cindy Chang, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, where she covers the LAPD; she worked on the Times’ report

Frank Stoltze, correspondent who currently covers criminal justice and public safety issues for KPCC

Donny Youngblood, Kern County Sheriff and president of the California State Sheriff’s Association

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

A Lego version of Los Angeles City Hall stands as part of Jorge Parra Jr.'s Lego version of LA, which spans about eight by nine feet.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Los Angeles City Councilmembers recently voted unanimously to approve the construction of a $483 million office tower at the site currently occupied by the Parker Center, which once housed the Los Angeles Police Department.

The move is an initial step in re-imagining and, eventually, recreating the Los Angeles Civic Center Area in downtown, which encompasses ten city blocks and is bordered by Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and the Historic Core. Councilmembers also approved the Civic Center Master Plan (CCMP), drawn up by Councilman Jose Huizar, that lays out a vision for what the Civic Center might look like one day -- a bustling business and residential hub with multi-purpose buildings for commercial, residential, and office use. Councilman Huizar told AirTalk's Larry Mantle that with lots of new construction happening in downtown, the time is right to re-envision the Civic Center area, which he says basically shuts down at close of business every day.

"We want to turn this into a 24-hour area where it doesn’t only have activity during the day with people who want to have government service, etc, but also have some residential activity and some retail activity so this space doesn’t go dark at night, and that’s something that we see for all of downtown Los Angeles."

Huizar says in addition to realizing that vision, the CCMP would free up city money that's currently being used to pay off some of the buildings the city uses to house its employees, like City Hall East and City Hall South. He says it would also consolidate many of the offices for government services that are currently scattered throughout the Civic Center area, making it much easier for anyone with government business to get where they're going.

Some conservationists wanted to see the Parker Center preserved as a historic building, something the city's Planning and Land Use Management Committee voted unanimously against in February. Critics argue it is a nod to the LAPD’s racist past and should be demolished. Advocates for the Little Tokyo neighborhood are welcoming the plan as a way to open their community back up to downtown, something Huizar says is a main focus of his plan.

"The current Civic Center was built in such a way that its back is against areas like Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and El Pueblo." We want to open this up and make it more accessible.”

One structure in the Civic Center that looks like it will be preserved is the Triforium, something you've probably seen in downtown L.A. and, if you didn't already know, probably wondered what it was. Built in 1975, the structure has been dark an unused for the majority of its existence. Land use consultant and former L.A. City Planner Tanner Blackman wants to change that.

“The Triforium is the world’s first poly-phonoptic sculpture, meaning it is composed of light and sound as well as the 60 tons and six stories of lights and glass and concrete," says Blackman, who is now part of a coalition to save the structure, called 'The Triforium Project,' which just this year received a $100,000 grant to help reactivate the Triforium and actually keep it running this time.

"We think it’s a lovely piece of civic art that, unfortunately has been mostly dark in its 41 years because it was sort of technologically ahead of its time."

Blackman says the sculpture is run by a small bank of computers underneath the L.A. Mall and that he and his group plan to use the money to figure out an efficient, cost-effective way to keep it lit up.

"We believe that we could run all of the lights and sound and everything on something about the size of an iPhone today.”

As of right now, from a legislative perspective, CCMP is largely symbolic and represents Councilman Huizar’s vision for what the Civic Center area should look like. The Parker Center is the only building in the CCMP for which the city has done an environmental impact report (EIR), so the other buildings like the L.A. Mall and City Halls East and South would also need to go through the city before any concrete plans are made to renovate or demolish those buildings.

What would you like to see done with the L.A. Civic Center? Do you think the focus should be more on preserving the Los Angeles history or revamping the area to represent modern L.A.? Here's what some of our listeners said:

John in Downtown L.A.

"More of a recreational center would be nice. More shopping areas and things to do like that. Similar to what the Staples Center did, with more robust businesses nearby. LA also has the growing homeless problem, so they'll have to keep that in mind if it expands."

Ellen in Mt. Washington

"I spend a lot of my time in downtown L.A. and I also really value the fact that we have public transportation, but the traffic situation has really become unbearable in a lot of these communities that lead into and around downtown Los Angeles, based on new residential development. My concern is that the traffic situation won’t be addressed. I don’t feel like we have the road system that could really support getting in and out of there.”

Civic Center should have a giant thermometer that displays current temp. Always thought that's why weathercasters give the Civic Ctr temps. https://t.co/MkJaB4e1IF

— Militant Angeleno (@militantangleno) April 4, 2017

Guests:

Jose Huizar, Los Angeles City Councilmember representing District 14, which includes Downtown and Northeast Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, and El Sereno; he tweets @josehuizar

Tanner Blackman, partner at L.A.-based Kindel Gagan Public Affairs Advocacy and a member of The Triforium Project, a coalition seeking to preserve and restore The Triforeum in L.A.’s Civic Center; he’s also a former L.A. City Planner and planning director for Councilman Huizar; he tweets @tannerblackman

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

; Credit: Photo by Benson Kua via Flickr Creative Commons

A federal appeals court in Chicago ruled yesterday that Civil Rights Act of 1964 extends workplace anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ people, contradicting another decision handed down a month earlier by a different federal appellate court.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by Kimberly Hively, an instructor at a community college in Indiana who alleged that the school had fired her because she is a lesbian.

The conflicting decisions likely means that the case would go all the way up to the Supreme Court. California already has strong anti-discrimination laws in place for the LGBTQ community, but the outcome of the Hively case will have national significance.

Guest:

Douglas NeJaime, visiting professor of law at Harvard Law School

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

; Credit: Chris Potter via Flickr Creative Commons

A debate on government control of drug prices has been brought to the fore. That is, after a bill was introduced by Democratic members of Congress last week to curb prescription drug costs.

As reported by The Washington Post, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Rep. Peter Welch, two of the bill’s co-sponsors, have been in conversation with President Trump about decreasing rising drug costs by allowing the government to negotiate with Medicare. But will the plan create better options for patients or stifle innovation?

Larry speaks with experts from both sides of the aisle to find out more.

Guests:

Zeke Emanuel, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania

Paul Howard, director of health policy and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute

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

An exterior of the state capitol is shown on January 5, 2006 in Sacramento, California. ; Credit: David Paul Morris/Getty Images

A Republican president and a Republican-led Congress have not been enough to push the GOP’s Obamacare replacement bill out of the House.

The failure has exposed the internal divisions within the Republican Party.

California Democrats are facing a similar problem. Despite having a supermajority in the state legislature, it’s uncertain whether Governor Jerry Brown’s ambitious transportation package would get the votes it needs.

CalMatters reporter Laurel Rosenhall and political scientist Nathan Monroe join AirTalk to look at the internal factions within the California Democratic Party and Democrat-led state legislature.

Guests:

Laurel Rosenhall, reporter at the nonprofit journalism venture CalMatters, who covers California politics. Her latest piece looks at the divisions within the California Democratic Party

Nathan W. Monroe, an associate professor of political science at the University of California, Merced

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

A portrait of Lee Morgan from 1960 featured in the documentary "I Called Him Morgan," directed by Kasper Collin.; Credit: ©Val Wilmer/CTSIMAGES. Courtesy of FilmRise/Submarine Deluxe/Kasper Collin Produktion AB

In 1972, Lee Morgan was at Slug’s Saloon in New York City for a gig when a fight broke out.

Morgan grabbed the aggravator and threw her outside of the club, only to be shot in the chest with a pistol. Holding the pistol was his common law wife, Helen.

The events surrounding that snowy, February evening are pieced together in a haunting but beautiful new documentary: “I Called Him Morgan” reveals Helen was not only her husband’s murderer, but the same woman who nourished him out of a heroin addiction and into an incredible career as one of jazz’s greatest trumpeters.

Host Larry mantle speaks with the writer-director of the film, Kasper Collin, about its making and the impact of Morgan’s music on his life.

"I Called Him Morgan" is playing at the Laemmle's Playhouse and the Laemmle's Monica Film Center.

Guest:

Kasper Collin, writer and director of the documentary “I Called Him Morgan”

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

A Syrian man collects and bags the body of a dead bird, reportedly killed by a suspected toxic gas attack in Khan Sheikhun, in Syrias northwestern Idlib province, on April 5, 2017.; Credit: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images

The attack in Syria’s Idlib province Tuesday is raising questions about the Trump administration’s response.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the suspected chemical attack, which took the lives of at least 74 people has been blamed on the Syrian government. Now, lawmakers are speaking out on what the U.S. strategy toward Syrians should be.

Larry talks to experts on the Trump administration’s options going forward, and the impact of what this could mean for human rights on the ground in Syria.

Guests: 

Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post correspondent covering Syria; she authored the recent article, “Chemical attack kills dozens in Syria as victims foam at the mouth, activists say”

Jessica Ashooh, scholar at the Atlantic Council, specializing in Middle East strategy; she was a senior policy planning analyst in the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a participant in the Geneva II peace talks

Joshua Landis, professor of international and area studies and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma; Landis’ blog is SyriaComment.com

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

; Credit: Tax Credits/Flickr Creative Commons

Thanks to a federal tax deduction to state and local taxes that allows for deducting what you pay in personal property, real estate and income taxes Californians were able to pare down their taxable income in 2014 by $101 billion.

However, the rule that makes that possible is under threat of being axed as part of Republicans in the House of Representatives, who are moving forward with the GOP’s plan to turn its focus toward tax reform after their health care legislation failed last month.

The federal government say this year they’ll lose out on almost $100 billion in federal revenue thanks to the rule, and they say that getting rid of it will not only make the filing process easier but also backfill the revenue that would be lost to raising the standard deduction and lowering rates. Here in California, which benefitted financially more than any other states from the rule according to a study from the Tax Policy foundation, state and local officials worry that the burden of cost may be passed on to the average taxpayer.

What do you think of House Republicans’ proposal?

Guests: 

Alan Viard, resident scholar on federal tax and budget policy at the American Enterprise Institute

Edward Kleinbard, professor of law at the Gould School of Law at USC and former chief of staff of the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation from 2007-2009

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