Mickey and jenny porter file a joint tax return, and they itemize deductions. the porters incur $2,000 in investment expenses. they also incur $3,000 of investment interest expense during the year. the porters’ income for the year consists of $150,000 in salary and $2,500 of interest income.
a. what is the amount of the porters’ investment interest expense deduction for the year? b. what would their investment interest expense deduction be if they also had a ($2,000) long-term capital loss?

answerskimming;

two years ago, when picking flowers in the mountains back of yosemite valley, i found a book. it was blotted and storm-beaten; all of its outer pages were mealy and crumbly. the paper seemed to dissolve like the snow beneath which it had been buried, however; many of the inner pages were well preserved. and although all were more or less stained and torn, whole chapters were easily readable. this is the condition of the great open book of yosemite glaciers today; its granite pages have been torn and blurred by the same storms that wasted the castaway book.

two years ago, when picking flowers in the mountains back of yosemite valley; i found a book. it was blotted and storm-beaten, all of its outer pages were mealy and crumbly. the paper seemed to dissolve like the snow beneath which it had been buried, however, many of the inner pages were well preserved. and although all were more or less stained and torn; whole chapters were easily readable. this is the condition of the great open book of yosemite glaciers today, its granite pages have been torn and blurred by the same storms that wasted the castaway book.