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NPR
Political reporter for NPR; former business and economics correspondent for Vox.com
PROFILE
Danielle Kurtzleben
Guest
FROM Danielle Kurtzleben
To the Point
Can voters believe that all their votes will be counted? Donald Trump is already raising questions about the outcome of the November election, telling supporters, "I'm afraid the election is going to be rigged. I have to be honest." While experts discount Trump's claims about "voter fraud," they concede that electronic voting is vulnerable to hacking. One advisor predicts a political "bloodbath" if Trump should lose, while the Clinton campaign calls him "a reflexive conspiracy theorist." Will the dispute lead voters to lose faith in the integrity of the electoral system? Is that the real threat to democracy in America?
To the Point
Free Trade: Obama's Legacy and Your Pocketbook The Trans-Pacific Partnership would be the biggest trade deal in American history. It started 13 years ago, with Chile, New Zealand and Singapore, and now involves the US, Japan and ten other countries, comprising 40% of the world's economy. It's being negotiated in secret, but enough is known to call it "insanely complex," so Congress will be asked to vote up or down instead of trying to amend it. It would bolster the President's "pivot to Asia," but many Republicans like it anyway. Liberal Democrats see a Wall Street giveaway and more lost jobs. We hear assessments of the potential impact on the US, the Pacific Rim and you.
To the Point
US Economy Added 295,000 Jobs in February The latest Labor Department report shows nonfarm employers added 295,000 jobs last month, while unemployment fell from 5.7 to 5.5 percent. Wall Street's looking for an increase in interest rates sometime this summer. But, not all the data are encouraging about the economy. That's according to Danielle Kurtzleben , economics and business correspondent for Vox.com.
To the Point
When Childcare Costs as Much as College In the last twenty years the cost of childcare has outstripped every other item in the family budget. Meanwhile the quality of care is lower than any other developed nation in the world. According to the latest Pew Research Center study , a growing number of parents are opting out of the workforce as a result -- and despite the Lean-In and feminist revolutions -- the parent dropping out of the workforce is still, usually, a mom. Is the exploding expense of childcare setting back the clock on the women's movement? Should the government subsidize childcare as aggressively as higher education? Should the United States have federally mandated paid parental leave and more subsidies for childcare?
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KCRW Features
Idaho or Bust – Californians Make an Impact in Boise The housing crisis is pushing Californians out of the Golden State and into cheaper housing markets around the country. Boise, Idaho, has become the fastest growing metro area in the nation… and a lot of those newcomers are former Californians.Our dollars go a lot further there, but that’s causing a bit of friction with the locals.
To the Point
California Gets Back into Presidential Politics In 1972, California clinched the presidential nomination for Democrat George McGovern. Since then, the biggest state has become an ATM for candidates of both parties. But starting in 2020 all eyes will be on California as it moves its primary up to a month after the Iowa caucuses.
KCRW Features
One Year Later: City of Ventura Faced the Thomas Fire When the Thomas Fire hit the city limits, residents fled for their lives. They recall midnight evacuations and near misses.
KCRW Features
As migrants arrive in Tijuana, some see a threat and others work to help Migrant caravans have been traveling north through Mexico for years. But the most recent group of Central Americans is different, in large part because president Trump made it a central issue in the midterm campaign. But it’s also getting a lot of coverage in Mexico. And much of the local coverage is negative. But one woman is trying to help.