U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks as Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and other congressional Republicans listen during a press event on tax reform September 27, 2017 at the Capitol in Washington, DC.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Originally set to be released Wednesday by House Republicans, the tax bill draft is now delayed until Thursday.

Some of the sticking points seem to be the corporate rate cut, whether there will be limits on 401(k) contributions and the parameters of the top income threshold.

Other parts of the plan seem to be more clear. The condensing of the current seven tax brackets into four, a minimum tax on some of the profits made by U.S. companies abroad and, as we learned Tuesday, a repeal of the estate tax, albeit with some delay.

So what’s in the current draft? What are the points of contention and why? And how likely are we to see a draft by tomorrow morning?

Guest:

Richard Rubin, U.S. tax policy reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Washington D.C., focusing on the intersection of taxes, politics and economics; he tweets @RichardRubinDC

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

Investigators work around the wreckage of a Home Depot pickup truck, a day after it was used in an terror attack, in New York on November 1, 2017.; Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

Authorities say Sayfullo Saipov, the man responsible for Tuesday's deadly truck attack in Manhattan, planned the attack for weeks, and left behind a note in his rental truck declaring his support for the Islamic State.

John Miller, deputy commissioner of the NYPD, said the letter, written in Arabic, stated that ISIS will "endure forever." Miller said investigators are still working to reconstruct the suspect's actions over the last few weeks as he prepared for the attack.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo described the incident as a "classic case of a radicalization of a domestic jihadist who associated with ISIS," telling CBS on Wednesday that "the best evidence we have is that he was a 'lone wolf.'"

Read the full story here.

Guests:

Reuven Blau, reporter for the New York Daily News who’s been following the story; he tweets @ReuvenBlau

Camila Domonoske, breaking news reporter for NPR in DC who’s been following the story; she tweets @camilareads

Colin P. Clarke, political scientist at the Rand Corporation specializing terrorism and counterterrorism; he tweets @ColinPClarke

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

Members of the National Organization for Women (NOW) hold a news conference and demonstration outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on October 13, 2017 in New York City. ; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Since gaining traction as a result of sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the #MeToo hashtag has garnered both praise and criticism.

A recent Los Angeles Times Op-Ed argues the latter. The piece is written by Cathy Young, a contributing editor at Reason, and she argues about the potential negative effects to come out of the Weinstein fallout, the #MeToo campaign, and the various rhetoric surrounding it. She suggests that there may be some conflation between questionable conduct and sexual assault or even rape.

Young doesn’t excuse sexual harassment in the workplace, and writes that boorish behavior should be discouraged, but she also questions whether every gross remark amounts to harassment, and whether someone should automatically lose his or her career or reputation as a result.

What are your thoughts? Is the #MeToo movement “Weinsteining” people who’s actions don’t rise to the level of sexual harassment? Or is #MeToo a long overdue vehicle for having victims voices heard?

Guests:

Amy Alkon, author of the science-based book, “Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say the F-Word” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2014)

Alyssa Rosenberg, pop culture writer for The Washington Post’s opinion section; she authored the article, “The 6 worst things men have said about sexual harassment in just one month” 

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

The Los Angeles Dodgers watch the ninth inning from the top step against the Houston Astros in game seven of the 2017 World Series at Dodger Stadium on November 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Everyone in Los Angeles knew it. This was the Dodgers’ year. And then it wasn't.

The boys in blue, who had the best record in Major League Baseball, never threatened Wednesday in a Game 7 World Series loss to the Houston Astros.  And people who thought they would be watching a parade through the city streets this week will have to turn their thoughts to next spring, again.

Read the full story here.

Larry and KPCC’s baseball fanatics convene one last time to talk about last night’s Game 7 before next season.

With files from the Associated Press

Guests:

A Martinez, host of KPCC’s Take Two; he tweets @amartinezla

Rebecca Nieto, senior producer, News, Broadcast & Digital at KPCC; she tweets @beccanieto

Nick Roman, host of KPCC All Things Considered; he tweets @Romanontheradio

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

House Way and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (L) (R-TX) and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R) (R-WI), joined by members of the House Republican leadership, introduce tax reform legislation November 2, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Thursday, House Republicans unveiled the first draft of the tax bill which outlines big tax cuts as well as the nixing of some certain popular deductions.

Some notable points include a restructuring of the tax brackets from seven to four, cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent, a full repeal of the estate tax as of 2024 and no changes to the limits of 401(k) contributions.

We dive into what’s in the plan, and debate the proposal with three guests across the political spectrum.

What would this proposed tax overhaul mean for the American economy? Does the bill have a chance of passing? And what’s likely to be changed in upcoming drafts as negotiations take place?

Guests:

Anna Edgerton, Congressional reporter at Bloomberg; she tweets @annaedge4

Chris Edwards, an economist and director of tax policy at the Cato Institute; he is also editor of DownsizingGovernment.org, a Cato project that focuses on federal spending

Alexandra Thornton, senior director of tax policy  at the Center for American Progress, a left leaning research think tank

Scott A. Hodge, president of the Tax Foundation, a Washington D.C.-based tax policy think tank

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

This undated photo provided by Eric Paddock shows his brother, Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock.; Credit: /AP

Stephen Paddock’s violent actions remain a mystery, but we might be on the verge of finding out more.

The Las Vegas shooter, who killed 59 people at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival last month, killed himself on the night of the attack. But pathologists at Stanford University are trying to salvage some clues to what biologically could have gone wrong with Paddock. As reported by The Bay Area News Group, Las Vegas-based investigators have an agreement with Stanford to keep the details undisclosed. The university lab studies about 250 brains per year. 

Las Vegas authorities so far have not found any warning signs from the shooter leading up to the attack. On a macro level, there haven’t been any signs that could point to Paddock’s behavior. Charles Whitman, the University of Texas shooter, had a malignant brain tumor which was discovered during his autopsy. Whitman climbed the school’s tower in 1966 and killed 13 people with a sawed-off shotgun.

In light of this, scientists are looking at minor changes in Paddock’s brain chemistry by performing microscopic exams. While potential abnormalities would be unable to answer every question, they could inform us about any hereditary traits to look out for, and help create more effective medical therapies.

Larry speaks to forensic experts today to learn more about what Paddock’s brain could reveal.

Guests:

Kate Termini, Psy. D., a neuropsychologist who specializes in forensic neuropsychology at Fifth Avenue Forensics in New York   

Judy Ho, associate professor of psychology at Pepperdine University; she is also a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist in Manhattan Beach, Calif.; she tweets @DrJudyHo

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

U.S. Army Sgt. Robert Bowdrie "Bowe" Bergdahl is transported from the Ft. Bragg military courthouse after the prosecution and defense rested during his sentencing proceedings on November 2, 2017 in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.; Credit: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images

A military judge has found that Bowe Bergdahl should serve no prison time for endangering his comrades by walking off his Afghanistan post.

The judge also gave Bergdahl a dishonorable discharge, reduced his rank to private and said he must forfeit pay equal to $1,000 per month for 10 months. The judge made no other comments.
Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and had faced up to life in prison. The judge had wide leeway because Bergdahl made no deal with prosecutors to limit his sentence.
Prosecutors had sought stiff punishment because of wounds to service members who searched for Bergdahl after he disappeared in 2009. He was held captive by Taliban allies for five years.

The defense sought to counter that evidence with testimony about Bergdahl's suffering during five years as a captive of Taliban allies, his contributions to military intelligence and survival instruction and his mental health problems.

With files taken from the Associated Press.

Guest:

Rachel VanLandingham, retired lieutenant colonel; former judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force (USAF); she is currently an associate professor of law at Southwestern Law School. She tweets @rachelv12

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

Flanked by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and House Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), President Donald Trump kisses an example of what a new tax form may look like as he speaks about tax reform legislation in the Cabinet Room at the White House, November 2, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The Republican tax plan has significant implications for Californians.

Eliminating the state and local income tax deduction hits hard here. CA is a high tax state. Capping the deduction on mortgage interest also disproportionately affects high cost housing states like ours.

Larry discusses these issues and more with economists Robert Kleinhenz and Jerry Nickelsburg.

Guests:

Robert Kleinhenz, economist and executive director of research at Beacon Economics

Jerry Nickelsburg, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast and professor of economics   

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

Recent studies have sparked controversy in the medical community regarding heart stents.; Credit: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images

A new study published in Lancet raised questions about the efficacy of heart stents to relieve chest pain.

Heart stents are small wire cages used to open blocked arteries. As reported by the New York Times, inserting stents to relieve chest pain is a common procedure, and the study’s findings have caused some in the medical community to rethink their use. Stents can save lives when implemented to open arteries when patients have a heart attack. Worldwide, more than 500,000 people per year have the procedure done.

Larry speaks to two doctors today to find out more about the study’s findings, and what you need to know about heart stents.

Guests:

Dr. Rita Redberg, M.D. professor of medicine and cardiologist at UC San Francisco

Dr. David Maron, M.D., clinical professor of cardiovascular medicine and director of preventive cardiology at Stanford

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

US actor Ben Affleck poses at a photocall for the film 'Justice League' in central London on November 4, 2017.; Credit: TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images

As the reverberations of Weinstein’s sexual misconduct and the #MeToo campaign continue to spread, we want to know whether the national conversation has led you to reassess your own past behaviors.

Last month, Ben Affleck apologized for groping actress Hilarie Burton in 2003 and in an interview Sunday, he said he’s reevaluating his past actions and is now hoping to become a “part of the solution.” There have been calls in think pieces and social media to engage people, men especially, to call out sexual misconduct, in themselves and in others.

As more people share their stories via #MeToo, are you reconsidering jokes, comments or behaviors that you once thought harmless? Have you apologized to someone from your past or decided to start acting differently? If you’re a man, is the conversation about harassment changing the way you talk or call out behavior in your male-only circles?

Call us at 866-893-5722.

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

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) during a news conference at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on November 6, 2017. ; Credit: AFP Contributor/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump is in the middle of a big trip through Asia with a focus on security, trade and strengthening diplomatic relations with some of the U.S.’s closest allies in the area.

After a short stop in Hawaii, President Trump flew to Tokyo over the weekend where he met with Japanese royalty as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to talk about trade as well as the Japanese-American alliance in facing the North Korean nuclear threat. We’ll look at the goals President Trump aims to accomplish during the trip and preview the other countries he’s slated to visit, including South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, where he’ll attend a political summit.

We’ve heard a lot about turmoil within the GOP in recent weeks, but the Democratic Party is dealing with internal issues of its own after an excerpt from former interim Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile’s forthcoming memoir was published last week. A memo has since surfaced detailing a deal between the DNC and Hillary For America (HFA) where the campaign agreed to help raise money in exchange for control over certain DNC decision-making. The excerpt has raised questions about just how much control the Clinton campaign had over the nomination process and what the impact might have been on then-candidate Bernie Sanders’ campaign.

We’ll also preview Tuesday’s highly-contested governor’s race in Virginia, explain how Special Counsel Robert Mueller has enough evidence to bring charges against former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and examine reports of ties between U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and companies with links to the Kremlin.

Guests:

Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies; he is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets @RodStrategies

Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and senior fellow at The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University; he tweets @Pete4CA

Nomiki Konst, correspondent for The Young Turks Network and a former Bernie Sanders surrogate in 2016; currently sits on the DNC's Unity Reform Commission

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

Law enforcement officials gather near the First Baptist Church following a shooting on November 5, 2017 in Sutherland Springs, Texas.; Credit: Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

On Sunday, a gunman dressed in black opened fire outside First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a small town about 30 miles east of San Antonio with a population of just under 500.

The gunman then entered into the church in the midst of its service and proceeded to spray bullets, killing 26 victims, the youngest reported to be 18-months-old.

The shooter, who eventually killed himself after attempting to escape by car, has been identified as 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, a resident of New Braunfels, Texas. But new details released by Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt Jr. have confirmed that the incident is a domestic issue and not racially motivated, although details surrounding the shooter’s motive are still unclear.

Kelley, a member of the U.S. Air Force before being court-martialed for assaulting his then wife and child, had sent threatening text messages to his ex-mother in law. She is a regular member of the church, but was not at Sunday's service.

We get the latest from two reporters on the scene in Sutherland Springs.

Guests:

Caleb Downs, crime reporter for San Antonio Express News who is in Sutherland Springs and following the story

Silvia Foster-Frau, reporter for the San Antonio Express News; she has been speaking to members of the church community; she tweets @SilviaElenaFF

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

Personal care brand Dove has apologised for an ad that showed a black woman removing a top to reveal a white woman underneath, following accusations of racism. ; Credit: DANIEL SORABJI/AFP/Getty Images

The 2018 Toyota Camry campaign is striving to appeal to a diverse pool of consumers, with four commercials aimed at different racial groups.

As reported by The New York Times, the ads target Asian-Americans, African, Hispanic and “Transcultural Mainstream” consumers. Toyota worked with specialized ad agencies to keep up with the country’s demographics shift.

But it’s hard to say if these commercials hit the mark. There hasn’t been backlash against the Camry ads, but there have been numerous controversy surrounding others, like the Pepsi commercial earlier this year featuring Kendall Jenner, which depicted imagery from the Black Lives Matter movement. The ad was pulled after public criticism, accusing the ad of trivializing protests: 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/dA5Yq1DLSmQ

There was also backlash over a Dove ad, when the company was pegged as enforcing an offensive depiction of black people:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL4b-Il3EnE

So what would you like to see in a diverse ad? What are some ads that hit the mark, and what were some epic fails?

Guest:

Sapna Maheshwari, reporter covering advertising for The New York Times; she wrote the recent article, “Different Ads, Different Ethnicities, Same Car”

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

A server delivers food to customers at a Corner Bakery Cafe October 4, 2005 in Glenview, Illinois.; Credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images

The Trump administration is seeking to overturn an Obama-era rule which specified that tips are the property of workers.

The Department of Labor’s rule in 2011 said that tips are the property of the server, but Labor Department under Trump wants to rescind the rule making tips the property of the employer instead. This would allow employers to redistribute tips among all staff.

The rule change is supported by the National Restaurant Association, which says this will allow for pooled tips and will help create equity between front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house staff. Opponents are concerned that making tips the property of employers will undermine workers and might lead to wage theft.

If you’re in the restaurant business, whether in the back-of-house, front or as an employer, we want to hear your thoughts.

Call in at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Paul DeCamp, lead counsel for plaintiffs challenging the Labor Department’s “ban” on tip pooling; previously, DeCamp ran the Wage & Hour Division of the Department of Labor (2006-07); he’s currently a member with law firm Epstein Becker and Green in Washington D.C.

Raj Nayak, director of research for National Employment Law Project, advocacy group for low-wage and immigrant workers; he was in the Obama administratio when the 2011 rule was enacted

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

An employee sits at her desk.; Credit: ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/Getty Images

Former “O.C. Weekly” editor Gustavo Arellano says the alt-weekly is dead after a “dark autumn” of outgoing hyperlocal publications.

Arellano points to a long list including NYC’s “Village Voice,” Seattle’s “The Stranger” and “The Baltimore City Paper,” and argues that the “slow, pitiful death” of alt-weeklies is ultimately self-inflicted and a bitter end to what should have endured through a younger, sharper generation.

Arellano himself resigned from the weekly after being asked to layoff half his staff, with echoing fallout from LAist and L.A. Weekly.

But if the landscape is really changing, is there more fault coming in from aggregate sites like “Yelp” or Google ratings? If you’ve given up on reading weeklies, why? Or if you’re an avid supporter, what keeps you thumbing through local news and reviews?

Guests:

Gustavo Arellano, former editor and “¡Ask a Mexican!” columnist of O.C. Weekly; he tweets @GustavoArellano

Sue Cross, executive director and CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News, a consortium of journalism organizations promoting investigative reporting and public service media

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

Journalists from the Los Angeles Times have been barred from Disney film screenings due to an article the paper published last month outlining Disney's ties with the city of Anaheim. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Society of Film Critics, and two other critic groups are wading into the conflict between Disney and the Los Angeles Times, saying in a joint statement they won’t consider Disney movies for awards until the company lifts its blackout on Los Angeles Times journalists attending Disney advance screenings.

This all stems from news last week that Disney won’t allow Times’ journalists to cover advance screenings of its films in response to what it felt was unfair reporting on a story about its business ties with the city of Anaheim. Disney contends that despite supplying Times’ reporters with facts and information, the journalists proceeded with their own narrative that Disney said was “biased and inaccurate.” The Times says it reached out to Disney but they were not forthcoming with information.

Disney has several films that could be in the running for awards consideration, including its live action Beauty and the Beast remake, the upcoming animated movie Coco, Disney-Pixar’s Cars 3, and of course the highly-anticipated Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which releases in December.

KPCC FilmWeek critic Amy Nicholson is a member of the National Society of Film Critics; she joins Larry Mantle on AirTalk to explain the critics groups’ decision to boycott Disney.

AirTalk reached out to Walt Disney Company for comment, but they did not respond to our request.

Guest:

Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and host of The Canon podcast; she tweets @TheAmyNicholson

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

The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert Iger delivers remarks during an event introducing Disney's new 'Magic of Healthy Living' program at the Newseum June 5, 2012 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Continuing its quest to compete with the Netflixes and Amazons of the world, Walt Disney Company has reportedly been in discussions to buy a significant portion of 21st Century Fox.

While the sides are not currently in talks according to CNBC, who first reported the story, and there’s no indication that the talks will lead to a deal, the implications for the overall media landscape are potentially huge. Preliminary details suggest the deal would send 20th Century Fox movie and TV production operations, the National Geographic and FX channel groups, and Fox’s array of international outlets to Disney, which is trying to become more of an independent player in the streaming market. Recently, the company announced it would be pulling its content off of Netflix’s platform in order to start their own over-the-top streaming services, one for sports and one for franchises like Star Wars and Marvel. Acquiring the Fox entities would no doubt mean a huge boost to the amount of content Disney would be able to provide on its streaming services.

Is this potential purchase a sound strategy for Disney as it wades into the over-the-top streaming market? What does this mean for other companies like Netflix and Amazon? Would you be more likely to pay for Disney’s streaming service if you could access 21st Century Fox content as well?

Guest:

Cynthia Littleton, managing editor for TV at Variety; she tweets @Variety_Cynthia

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

Marijuana grows under lights at a medical marijuana "club" in West Hollywood, California, 20 June 2006. ; Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

On Monday, West Hollywood City Council took a big step forward with its city’s pot laws.

The new ordinance would grant up to eight first time licenses for each type of marijuana business operation, comprising recreational stores, medical dispensaries, edible lounges, smoking and vaping lounges and local delivery services.

Meanwhile, Pasadena further tightened its codes against recreational marijuana use on Monday night as well.

AirTalk rounds up the latest on California pot regulations. California cities have less than two months to meet the Jan. 1, 2018 deadline for approving laws to govern recreational marijuana businesses.

Guests:

John Duran, mayor pro tempore of West Hollywood; Civil Rights Attorney

Terry Tornek, mayor of Pasadena

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

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stands next to Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) during a campaign event at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts on July 5, 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina.; Credit: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images

On the basic spectrum of political ideology, people might identify themselves as liberal or conservative or libertarian, Republican or Democrat or Independent.

But as this year’s report from the Pew Research Center on political typology shows, the divisions between people within those categories are wide enough to identify eight separate categories of political ideology.

The survey, comprised of responses from more than 5,000 adults over the summer, categorizes respondents as follows, from most conservative to most liberal: Core Conservatives, Country First Conservatives, Market Skeptic Republicans, New Era Enterprisers, Devout and Diverse, Disaffected Democrats, Opportunity Democrats, and Solid Liberals.

So, where do you fall on Pew’s spectrum of political typology? Take the official quiz here and share your results in the comments below. Do you agree with them? Why or why not?

Guests:

Domenico Montanaro, politics editor at NPR; he tweets @DomenicoNPR

Mindy Romero, political sociologist at UC Davis and founder and director of the California Civic Engagement Project; she tweets @MindySRomero

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

A palace worker measures the distance between chairs with a tape measure ahead of a high tea at the Sultan of Brunei's Palace on November 2, 2017 in , Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. ; Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

If you can’t resist the opportunity to tell someone that “irregardless” isn’t a word, or that gyro is actually pronounced “YEE-roh” – we should talk.

Corrections are an essential part of life, but no one likes to be put on blast. Other times, people just don’t care. Like one family’s 90-year-old Florida relative who keeps referring to Miami as "Miama," despite all the times she’s been told otherwise.

Whether it’s the awkwardness of a mispronounced word, or hitting reply all to that company email that misspelled “calender,” how do you rectify a situation with grace and class? Host Larry Mantle sits down with an etiquette expert to parse through when an error is actually worth addressing, and tips on how to confront (or ignore) the grievances of loved ones, coworkers, children and more.

Guest:

Maralee McKee, a manners mentor and author of “Manners that Matter for Moms: The Essential Book of Life Skills for Your Kids” (Harvest House Publishers, 2012)

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