Sanctuary City Ruling, Vouchers, NFL Stadiums and Taxes

Court Deals Blow to Trump Immigration Order Guest: Kari Hong, JD, Professor of Law, Boston College A federal judge in San Francisco dealt another blow to the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Tuesday. You’ll recall the Trump’s ban on travel from certain Muslim-majority countries was blocked by the court. Now his plan to withhold federal funding from cities and towns that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities has been temporarily halted. President Trump’s response on Twitter was similar: he criticized the court for overreaching and pledged to take the case to the Supreme Court. Food is Medication Guest: Regina Brown, MD, Medical Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado, Denver Rice and beans are a staple food around the world. They’re affordable and plentiful and an environmentally friendly source of protein. Eating a lot of beans and rice may help prevent colorectal cancer, too, which is great news. Except that not many Americans are keen to work a lot of beans and rice into their diet. Dr. Brown has a plan to change that. Voucher Programs Don’t Help Test Scores Guest: Martin Carnoy, PhD, Professor of Education, Stanford University, author of “Vouchers and Public School Performance” The school year is winding down, but principals are already busy assembling class lists for the fall. Students, and more particularly, parents, who are unhappy with their child’s school may be looking at other options. A range of choices has become the norm in many districts: charter schools, magnet schools and publicly-funded tuition vouchers might be available to help cover the cost of attending private school.  US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has pledged to make school choice – and vouchers, in particular - the norm nationwide, calling it the key to improving American education. But, a recent study published by the Economic Policy Institute finds vouchers are not a panacea for student performance. Apple Seed Guest: Sam Payne, Host of BYUradio's "The Apple Seed" Sam Payne joins us in the studio sharing tales of tellers and stories. Broadway's Lea Salonga Blurs Musical Genres in Busy Career Guest: Lea Salonga, Tony-Award-Winning Broadway Performer Tony-award winning Broadway star Lea Salonga recently visited BYU as part of the Bravo! Performing Arts Series. Salonga blazed a trail for other Asian women on Broadway as the first actress to perform the lead role of Kim in “Miss Saigon” and the first woman of Asian descent to perform the roles of Eponine and Fantine in “Les Miserables” on Broadway. Her most recent Broadway appearance was in “Allegiance,” which Salonga says was a “show that we as Asian people needed to do. To be able to say, yes, you see Asian faces, but these are Americans on this stage.” Salonga's new album, "Blurred Lines" is out May 5. NFL Stadiums Funded with Tax Dollars Guest: Roger Noll, PhD, Professor Emeritus in Economics, Stanford University These last few years have been a period of stadium renovation and relocation drama in the NFL. Pro-football teams playing in stadiums built in the 1990s are itching for an upgrade, and where do they turn first for the cash? Taxpayers.  But public wallets haven’t opened so quickly this time around and that’s led to some shuffling: San Diego voters in November rejected a tax increase to build a new stadium for the Chargers. So now the Chargers are moving to Los Angeles, where they’ll share a stadium with the Rams, which are moving from St. Louis and leaving taxpayers there on the hook to pay off an old stadium that no longer has a team. Meanwhile, elected officials in Oakland, California refused to foot the bill for a new stadium so the Raiders just announced they’re headed to Las Vegas where taxpayers are willing to pitch in to the tune of three-quarters of a billion dollars. Are taxpayers right to balk at the cost of new stadiums, or are they missing out on an investment opportunity?