From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Money for nothing, the case for universal basic income.

I'm Barbara Bogay, sitting in for Warren Olney, and this is a special rebroadcast of To the Point.

Food stamps, housing vouchers, unemployment,roadcast of To the Point. Food stamps,

housing vouchers, unemployment, their mainstays of the American safety net. But as technology

in the gig economy eat away at wages, more people fall through the cracks. Both liberals and

conservatives are taking a new look at an old idea, giving every American a basic income, and scrapping some or all government

benefits.

$10,000 in every pot, would it make a difference?

We'll hear the debate.

And today's talking point, 2016 was a year that professional forecasters would like to forget.

Author Chuck Klosterman helps us think about the present like it's the past. First News.

Check out KCRW's All News Channel News 24, programming from KCRW, NPRW, NPR, the BBC, and more 24 hours a day.

Go to KCRW.com slash news 24, or you can listen on KCRW's app.

Support for To the Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International Program Fund.

This is To the Point, a Barbara Bogave in for Warren. All-Ne and Happy New Year, everyone.

Just ahead on the show, Universal Basic Income, it's an anti-poverty program that both the left and right have kicked around for decades.

We'll revisit a recent debate we had on this show about the left and right have kicked around for decades, we'll revisit a recent

debate we had on this show about the pros and cons of Uncle Sam, cutting everyone a check.

And later on today's talking point, 2016 is in the books, and it was a year of epic failure

by expert forecasters. We'll ask author Chuck Klosterman how to think differently about the present

and the future. First, this story, get ready to hear a lot more about religious liberty issues

...