WAMU 88.5 : The Big Fix

The Economics Of Marriage

Play associated audio

Host Al Lewis proposes a third type of matrimonial partnership that confers all the legal rights and obligations of marriage, while being open to both straight and same-sex couples. Jason Fichtner is open to the idea and says government should not decide who should be allowed to marry. Greg Anrig would like to continue pushing states to legalize same-sex marriage.

Fichtner proposes letting married couples decide whether to file their taxes jointly or separately. Some married couples pay more in taxes because they have to file jointly, which could discourage marriage - something both political parties want to encourage for social stability. Greg Anrig agrees that people should not be penalized on their taxes for being married, but he is not convinced that this is a significant problem.

Music: "Why Marry" by The Sweet Inspirations

NPR

Decades Later And Across An Ocean, A Novel Gets Its Due

John Williams' Stoner sold just 2,000 copies when it was originally published in 1965. It's now acknowledged as a classic work, is a best-seller across Europe and the No. 1 novel in the Netherlands.
NPR

Giant Renaissance Food People Descend Upon New York

Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a 16th-century artist who liked to play with his food, transforming it into the building blocks of many of his fantastical portraits. Artist Philip Haas has taken those portraits out of museums, reinterpreting them as colossal statues that interact with the natural environment.
NPR

Political Takeaways: Headaches For The White House

Controversies dominated this past week's political headlines, leaving the Obama White House on the defensive, trying to contain any lasting damage. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Mara Liasson.
NPR

Young Kenyans Build Mobile Apps For Local Use

College students and recent graduates crammed the top floor of a tech hub in Nairobi for a competition built around the theme "Solutions for the Next Billion Mobile Users." Africa has more than 600 million mobile phone users (approximately 11 percent of the global total) – and the number is growing.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.