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Does the new planet discovered by NASA’s Kepler telescope actually look like Earth?

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New Planet

This illustration shows Kepler-186f, the first confirmed Earth-sized planet found in its star's habitable zone, where water could potentially exist.; Credit: NASA/Ames Institue/JPL-Caltech

Scientists manning NASA's Kepler space telescope have discovered a distant planet orbiting a star 500 light years away that may turn out to look a lot like Earth. The planet appears to be made of rock and is orbiting close enough to its star that it is in the 'habitable zone' where the temperature would be just right to sustain liquid water. 

Where there's water, there could be life, according to researchers. But don't start packing your bags to move to 'Earth's cousin' anytime soon. The 'Kepler-186f' - as the new planet is unceremoniously known - orbits a type of star known as an M-dwarf, which emits high levels of radiation. Any type of life able to withstand such intense radiation would be very different from anything we know on Earth.

The planet is also so far away that it's nearly impossible to study, leaving a lot of unanswered questions about whether it is home to water or any type of life. But if there is at least one Earth-like planet out there, might there be more?

What would it take for scientists to identify signs of life on a planet as distant as the Kepler-186f? What does this discovery mean for planetary science?

Guest:

Sanden Totten, KPCC science reporter


Popular LAUSD science teacher on being suspended due to controversial experiments

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Suspended science teacher Greg Schiller ; Credit: via Change.org

A high school science teacher at Grand Arts High School in Los Angeles was suspended from the classroom in February, after two of his science fair students turned in projects deemed dangerous by the administrators. 

Greg Schiller teaches AP biology and psychology at the school--formerly known as Ramon C. Cortines School for Visual and Performing Arts. He said  he’s been overseeing science fairs for 15 years—and was surprised when two projectile motion projects were flagged and confiscated before he had a chance to grade them.

One project was a marshmallow shooter—which uses air pressure to launch projectiles. The other was an AA battery-powered coil gun—which uses electromagnetism to launch small objects. Similar projects have been honored in past LA County Science Fairs and even demonstrated at the White House.

Schiller said Los Angeles Unified School District officials accused him of “supervising the building, research and development of imitation weapons.” He has been reporting to a district administrative office since March 6, as he waits for LAUSD to conclude its investigation.  

Grand Arts High School officials did not respond to requests for comment on Schiller’s suspension.

LAUSD communications director Thomas Waldman issued the following statement:

"There is an ongoing investigation, therefore,  we cannot comment. It is the practice of the Los Angeles Unified School District to reassign an employee to a non-classroom setting when there are allegations related to student safety. We will always err on the side of protecting students.  On the other hand, the District does not reassign employees on a whim.  The reassignment of employees is taken very seriously. For this reason, there is a rigorous decision making process associated with the reassignment of employees."

Schiller’s school community has rushed to his defense, staging protests outside the school and launching a Change.org petition and “Free Schiller” Facebook page.

Did Greg Schiller act irresponsibly in allowing these projects to be developed on his watch? Do these particular science projects pose serious risks to students? Is it difficult for today’s science teachers to balance scientific inquiry with safety concerns? Do you think school and District administrators went too far?

Guests:

Greg Schiller, biology and psychology teacher at Grand Arts High School, suspended in February 2014.

Ken Roy, Ph.D., Chief Safety Compliance Consultant for the National Science Teachers Association; Director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Connecticut

Dustin Lance Black strikes back at PCC

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Dustin Lance Black

Screenwriter, director and gay rights activist Dustin Lance Black wrote the play, "8," looking at the federal trial over Proposition 8.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Dustin Lance Black is hitting back after his alma mater Pasadena City College dis-invited the screenwriter from their commencement ceremony.

Black was supposed to speak at this year’s commencement but PCC’s Board President Anthony Fellow intervened, citing intimate photos of Black and an ex-boyfriend leaked online in 2009. Fellows argued that because the college has had a few sex scandals this year, it was “the wrong time” to have Black as a commencement speaker.

Black, in a letter to the student body, says that if were he straight and the maliciously stolen and posted photos were of him with a woman, this might be a non-issue. In his letter, the Milk screenwriter says he refuses to be shamed for the photos any longer. Since the pictures were posted online, Black has sued those responsible for stealing and posting them.

What kind of message is PCC sending by dis-inviting Black? To what extent is someone responsible for intimate photos or information that appears publicly without their consent? How should the college proceed in handling this situation?

Guest:

Christine Michaels, Editor-in-Chief of PCC Courier who’s been following the story.

 

Paramount Drive-In re-opens tonight after being closed for more than 20 years

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A uniformed drive-in theater attendant hands a clip-on speaker to the driver of convertible while the car's other passengers watch, New York, early 1950s. ; Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The drive in movie theater is making a triumphant return to Los Angeles after the screens last went dark in 1991. Glenn Bianchi, the son of Joseph Bianchi who first opened the Roadium Drive-In theater in 1947, has refurbished the lot and will show the first double feature tonight. 

The independent theater owner spent $1 million renovating the old drive in, which now fits 800 cars, features two 75 foot screens, digital projection with FM radio sound, several restrooms and full snack bar.

Now known as the Paramount Drive-In, it will be only the second of this type of theater in the greater LA area. Compare that to the 1950s when there were more than 4,7000 drive-in theaters nationwide.

Bianchi said he hopes that demand for affordable family entertainment will spark renewed interest in the old style of moviegoing.

Do you remember the drive-in's heyday in Los Angeles? Is it time for a revival of the drive-in theater?

Guest:

Glenn Bianchi, Owner, Paramount Drive-In Movie Theater

Should doctors consider the cost of treatment when they make medical decisions?

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San Francisco Plans To Expand Access To Health Care For Uninsured

Dr. George Sawaya examines patient Susan Lehr at the UCSF Women's Health Center June 21, 2006 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Medical groups nationwide are beginning to consider the cost of treatment alongside effectiveness in making healthcare decisions. Though it’s controversial for doctors to broaden their roles beyond the realm of care, some see it as a necessity as healthcare costs rise.

The American College of Cardiology recently announced their intent to use cost data to rate the value of treatments, and across the country, taskforces are popping up to examine how to allocate resource and weigh cost as part of medical decisions.

Should doctors consider cost as part of medicine? As cost transparency becomes a larger part of healthcare, should primary caregivers be the ones to make financial recommendations, or should those decisions come from a separate group within a hospital or practice? Would you like your doctor to consider the cost of treatment?  

 

Guest:  

Dr. Paul Heidenreich, Chair of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measurement, professor at Stanford University School of Medicine,  co-chair of the writing committee for the cost methodology paper

 

Does the FDA’s food waste proposal jeopardize recycling?

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FRANCE-AUTO-ENERGY-GAS-ENVIRONNEMENT

A photo taken on October 23, 2012 in Morsbach, western France, shows waste food products stocked at the Methavalor factory.; Credit: JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty Images

Each year, billions of pounds of food waste are diverted from landfills to help feed livestock. But a proposal from a 2011 FDA food safety overhaul could limit the way reusable food resources are used, sending that food back to landfills.

The proposal is intended to keep animals and people safer, and would require stricter sanitation and record-keeping in feed production. Critics argue that the requirements would be cost prohibitive, and warn that many business would be unable to keep recycling.

Food companies in particular have vocalized unhappiness with the feed regulation, saying it would be bad for the environment and provide little to no safety benefit.

What kind of food safety overhaul is appropriate and cost effective? How can the U.S. utilize the billions of pounds of reusable food waste that goes into landfills? Would the benefits of the FDA’s proposed regulations on feed outweigh the costs?

"Getting Wasted: L.A.'s Food Excess" provides a closer look at food waste in Los Angeles and some efforts to curb food waste in the L.A. area. 

Guests:

Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety at Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)

Gail Tavill, vice president of sustainable development for ConAgra Foods

 

Driverless cars, ehail services, car share programs: are these enough to make you rethink owning a car?

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The driverless car "Made in Germany" (MI

The driverless car "Made in Germany" (MIG), which from the outside looks like a regular Volkswagen Passat with a camera on top, is being put through its paces at Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport, October 13, 2010. German scientists unveiled the latest self-driving car, a phenomenon that its proponents say will sharply reduce accidents, help the environment and transform cities. The car, dubbed the "MIG" by its engineers at Berlin's Free University (FU), uses cameras, laser scanners and satellite navigation to "see" other vehicles and pedestrians and deal with traffic situations.; Credit: ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images

The past few years have brought big changes to car use and ownership. E-hail services like Lyft and Uber and car share programs like Zipcar have transformed the concept of mobility. Millennials have stopped buying cars, public transportation use is on the rise, e-hail services and car shares are growing exponentially.

It may be easy to flag down a ride on a smartphone or to share a car for only a few hours a week, but are these programs enough to make people rethink car ownership? Are cars a utility, or a pleasure?

For those who enjoy cruising along the freeway with the top down, or strapping a surfboard to the roof and chasing the best waves down PCH, Lyft and Zipcar may never content with car ownership. But for eco-conscious city dwellers with e-resources and viable public transportation or bike services, a car might be less and less important.

Who needs and loves their cars the most? Are e-hail services and car share programs enough to make you reconsider your ride?

Guest:

 Mimi Sheller, Director, Center for Mobilities Research and Policy; Professor of Sociology at Drexel University

 

Should detained immigrants be granted bond hearings?

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ICE Holds Immigrants At Adelanto Detention Facility

A blind detainee walks with a fellow immigrant at the Adelanto Detention Facility on November 15, 2013 in Adelanto, California. The facility, the largest and newest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), detention center in California, houses an average of 1,100 immigrants in custody pending a decision in their immigration cases or awaiting deportation. The average stay for a detainee is 29 days. The facility is managed by the private GEO Group. ICE detains an average of 33,000 undocumented immigrants in more than 400 facilities nationwide. ; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

Immigrants facing deportation could be granted bond hearings in a move that could release several thousand people from jails and slow the pace of deportations. The Obama administration is considering a proposal to allow judges to grant bond in the cases of immigrants in prolonged detention. Immigrant rights groups say the bond hearings could slow the pace of deportations because the cases of detained immigrants are often expedited. Activists say that granting bond hearings will make the deportation process more fair by allowing detained immigrants to see a judge and have their day in court.

A California court decision now requires immigration agents to involve a judge only when a person has been detained for longer than six months. Obama has been criticized heavily by immigrant rights groups for overseeing a record number of deportations. Many of those deported, activists say, would be eligible for legal status under the immigration bill that passed the Senate but stalled in the Republican-led House of Representatives.

Since hope of bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform seems to be dimming, the administration is looking to make small administrative changes that would reduce the number of deportations in the short term. The Department of Homeland Security is also looking at deportation policies to make them more humane.

Will granting bond hearings make the deportation process more fair or will it only slow the pace of deportations that would have been granted anyway? How will the system track those facing deportation while they are out on bond? Should the Obama administration make changes to the deportation process without the approval of Congress?

Guests:

Claudia Valenzuela, associate director of litigation for the National Immigrant Justice Center. She represents non-citizens before the Department of Homeland Security.

Mark Krikorian, Executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies

 


Why is the Common Core curriculum splitting conservatives?

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Common Core tests get a trial run

A teacher welcomes pupils in a classroom at David Johnston primary school on September 4, 2012.; Credit: Pierre Andrieu/Getty Images

The Common Core standards, which were introduced four years ago in 44 states and D.C. with the backing of Republicans and business groups, have become a divisive issue within the conservative movement.

The standards were adopted by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to raise in 2010 students’ math and English proficiency. But of late, many Republicans who had backed the program have switched course. Indiana became the first state in the nation to opt out of Common Core after adopting it. Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has said he wants his state to come up with its own educational goals. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been questioning whether teachers should be evaluated through these new standards. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is also having a change of mind. Ted Cruz of Texas, Kentucky’s Rand Paul and Florida’s Marco Rubio all oppose the new curriculum. The conservative faction supporting the standards, which has quickly dwindled in size, include former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

In 2009, the Obama Administration linked the adoption of Common Core to  “Race to the Top” grant money, fueling criticism that this is another yet instance of government overreach. Do you support Common Core?

Guests: 

Charles Sahm, the deputy director of the Manhattan Institute’s Center for State and Local Leadership, where he directs the Institute’s education reform efforts. His piece, “The Incredibly Stupid War On The Common Core” is in today’s Daily Beast

Lindsey Burke,  Will Skillman Fellow in Education, The Heritage Foundation

Airlines try to squeeze even more seats into your plane

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The interior of the economy class of the new Airbus A350 XWB is pictured during a presentation in Hamburg, northern Germany on April 07, 2014. European aircraft manufacturing company Airbus presented the interior of its future A350 which - according to the company - will offer "more personal space, flexibility and comfort" than other aircrafts in its class. ; Credit: PATRICK LUX/AFP/Getty Images

You might think that air travel can't possibly get more uncomfortable but, ladies and gentlemen, it just might get worse.

Airlines and aircraft interior design companies gathered this month at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, to show off the latest and greatest ways to squeeze even more passengers into the already-overcrowded planes.

More than 500 exhibitors were at the expo showing off everything from lightweight seat belts to save on fuel costs to flip up, stadium-style seating that would make it easier to board and exit the rows. Some of the more popular proposals made major changes to the standard airplane interior.

One company showed off a staggered, diagonal layout that would give you some extra space away from your neighbor but could make traveling with families difficult.

How far will airlines go to squeeze in even more passengers? And how much more discomfort will travelers put up with for a cheap ticket? How uncomfortable would an airplane seat have to be to get you to shell out more money for an upgrade?

Guest:  

Seth Miller, author of the Wandering Aramean blog, which focuses on travel, frequent-flier news and the experience of airline passengers

 

Connecting the genetic ties between impulsiveness and procrastination

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Late

Do genetics play a role in procrastination?; Credit: Evan/Flickr

Are you putting off a project at work, mailing a bill, or getting started on spring cleaning? You may be able to blame your parents.

Researchers at the University of Colorado have found that procrastination is almost half-heritable, and that it shares genetic factors with traits for impulsiveness. While the two attributes may seem unconnected, studies have shown they are closely related, and that they share a key factor -- deviation from long-term goals.

The University of Colorado study used identical and fraternal twins in their early twenties to examine tendencies towards procrastination and impulsivity. Results of the study indicated that about half of reported instances of procrastination and impulsivity were caused by genetics, with the other half caused by environmental influences.

The study authors hypothesize that procrastination may be a byproduct of impulsive behavior. How and why do humans inherit impulsive behavior? Could it once have been genetically beneficial to procrastinate or to act impulsively?

Guest: 

Daniel Gustavson, Psychological Scientist, University of Colorado Boulder; Study author of the "Psychologist Science" journal study.

 

Is Hillary Clinton's 2016 silence hurting other female candidates?

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Hillary Clinton Addresses Recycling Industries Trade Conference In Las Vegas

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers remarks at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries conference on April 10, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Clinton is continuing on a speaking tour this week with the stop at the recycling industry trade conference.; Credit: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images

She's been notoriously mum on the biggest political question of the year but is Hillary Clinton's refusal to announce her 2016 candidacy for president hurting other women's chances?

Women have made major gains in American politics - from Governors mansions to plum committee chairs- but the Oval Office has still proved elusive. Clinton may be womens’ best chance of running the country but she still hasn't taken the plunge and announced that she's running. Her silence may be blocking a number of high profile Democratic women who would have a shot at either the presidency or the vice presidency in 2016.

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten E. Gillibrand and Gov. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire have all been tossed out as possible names on the ticket. But if Hillary Clinton takes the presidential nomination it would make it less likely that another women would be tapped for VP.

Is there any chance that Clinton would choose a female running mate? If Clinton isn't going to run in 2016, should she step aside now so another woman candidate can have the spotlight? Might an all-female presidential ticket be the fresh change that Americans are looking for?

Guests:  

Lara Brown, associate professor in the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University, and the author of "Jockeying for the American Presidency: The Political Opportunism of Aspirants." (2010)

Jennifer Pihlaja, partner in the political media-consulting firm McKenna Pihlaja and former political director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

 

Sacramento lawmakers consider reserve fund ahead of schedule

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Governor Brown Declares Statewide Drought Emergency

California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during a news conference on January 17, 2014 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In light of the state’s budget surplus, Governor Jerry Brown wants to pay down the debt and increase California’s rainy day fund. And, as things go in Sacramento, Democrats and Republicans are at odds on how best to do so.

Governor Brown has called for state legislators to debate his new proposal tomorrow in a special meeting. He wants to replace the current proposal set to appear on the November ballot with one that would increase deposits to accommodate fluctuations in “volatile” capital gains revenues.

The new proposal would also create a special reserve for California schools, allow supplemental payments toward paying off California’s debt when the state is in the black, and raise the maximum size of the rainy day fund to ten percent of general fund revenue.
As the proposal stands now, three percent of annual revenue is funneled into a reserve fund, even in years when California is running a deficit, but there are no restrictions on how often that fund can be accessed for state expenditures.

How should California handle its reserve fund? Is it possible to pass this legislation without the Democratic supermajority? Will state politicians be able to collaborate on the rainy day fund and other upcoming proposals?

Guests:

Assemblywoman Connie Conway, (R-Tulare) leader of the California Assembly Republicans, representative of the 23rd assembly district

Assemblyman Mike Gatto, assemblymember for California’s 43rd district, which include Silver Lake, Atwater Village, and Burbank

 

 

Director of LA’s Child & Family Services questions recommended overhaul

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DCFS foster care

The blue ribbon commission votes on the language of a final report that took a critical look at L.A. County's foster care system on April 10, 2014. It is set to be presented to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors later this month.; Credit: Karen Foshay/KPCC

A Los Angeles County commission has recommended sweeping changes to the embattled Department of Children and Family Services. The commission asked the LA County Board of Supervisors to appoint a new oversight body for DCFS.

The department’s director, Philip Browning, says they have an oversight body already - the Board of Supervisors. He says many of the ideas have been instituted already - “about 96% have been partially or fully implemented.”

He goes on to say new social-worker training incorporates home-call simulations and promotes critical thinking and common sense. Was the Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection more of the same - or critical to overhaul DCFS? What will the Board of Supervisors decide?

Guest:  

Philip Browning, Director, Department of Children and Family Services, Los Angeles County

 

What are multichannel networks and why does everyone from Disney to AT&T want a piece of them?

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UCLA/The Wrap Sundance 2013 Panel - Park City 2013

(L-R) Slated co-founder and CEO Duncan Cork, Maker Studios Chief Development Officer Chris M. Williams and director Rick Rosenthal speak during UCLA and The Wrap Sundance 2013 Panel at The Claim Jumper on January 21, 2013 in Park City, Utah. ; Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

In March, the Walt Disney Co. Offered to buy the Culver City-based Maker Studios for $500 million in cash. Depending on the company's performance, it could get an additional $450 million more from the Mouse House.

So what is Maker, you might ask? The 5-year-old company is a multichanncel network (MCN), meaning a producer and distributor of online video on YouTube. It's responsible for 55,000 YouTube channels with more than 380 million subscribers and 5.5 billion monthly views--hands down the most popular MCN out there. One problem though: Maker’s not exactly profitable. With the acquisition, Disney is following in the footsteps of a couple big purchases by other companies. In 2013, DreamWorks,  threw down $33 million for AwesomenessTV, a competitor to Maker. Last month, Warner Bros. pumped $18 million into the Machinima network, despite the fact that the niche network has been losing viewers. Media conglomerates aren't the only ones wanting a piece of the pie. AT&T has rolled out plans to create a new MCN.

Is the Maker Studios deal worth close to $1 billion, one of Disney's biggest acquisitions in recent years? What does it give Disney over its competitors? Are we likely to see more of these blockbuster deals in the future?

 


FDA’s proposed e-cig regulations: Too much or not enough?

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Catharine Candelario, an employee at the newly opened Henley Vaporium, vapes, or smokes an electronic cigarette, on December 19, 2013 in New York City.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The e-cigarette industry has hitherto been untouched by federal regulation. That changed Thursday with a set of recommendations the Federal Food and Drug Administration has proposed to rein in the industry.

The proposed rules seek to ban sales of e-cig devices to anyone under 18 and would require that e-cig products be FDA-approved. In addition, e-cig manufacturers would need to disclose the chemicals used in their products and will be banned from giving out free samples. There would also be new health warnings raising awareness about the addictiveness of nicotine.

RELATED: LA's e-cigarette ban takes effect: What you need to know

The proposed e-cig regulations are less stringent than the ones in place for traditional cigarettes. And critics of the new rules charge that they don’t do enough to curtail manufacturers from targeting minors by banning flavoring or television advertising.

The public can comment on the recommendations for the next 75 days.

Guest:

Tom Burton, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who covers medicine and the Federal Food and Drug Administration for the Wall Street Journal.  

FCC to allow Internet 'fast lanes' for company’s willing to pay

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FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler gives testimony before the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on 'Review of the President's FY2015 funding request and budget justification for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 27, 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

The Federal Communications Commission is set to propose new Internet rules that would allow Internet service providers to charge content companies for faster delivery of their services over the so-called "last mile" connection to people's homes.

The agency also proposes to enhance government oversight of such deals to ensure that they don't harm competition or limit free speech, according to a senior FCC official familiar with the matter. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is scheduled to present the proposed rules to the agency's four other commissioners on Thursday.

So-called "net neutrality" rules have been hotly debated among policymakers, Internet providers and content companies such as Netflix. Without regulation, say consumer advocates, giant conglomerates -citing business or political reasons- could limit consumers from freely accessing certain types of content.

But some policy analysts are unhappy with the FCC's current proposal. The draft rules kick off a policymaking process that involves commissioner votes and a public comment period before a final vote sometime this summer.

How will this affect the long-term innovation of Internet companies, and, ultimately, consumers? Will current content providers have an edge over new ventures? Will this mean consumers pay more for using sites with faster connections?

With files from the Associated Press.

Guests:

Rosyln Layton, Visiting Fellow, Center for Internet, Communications, and Technology Policy at the American Enterprise Institute 

Craig Aaron, President and CEO of Free Press

Should taxpayers help foot the bill for advanced degrees?

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A students reads, on February 4, 2014 in one of the rooms of the library of a research institute 'Ecole Francaise de Rome ' (EFR) at the Palazzo Farnese, in Rome. ; Credit: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

The Congressional Budget Office has released projections for the Department of Education’s profits over the coming decade. The U.S. Department of Education is expected to generate $127 in profit on loans to students and their families. About three quarters of that profit is expected to come from graduate students, despite the fact that students pursuing advanced degrees make up a smaller portion of the lending market.

Loans to undergraduates and their families are less profitable than those to graduate students, partially because grants and subsidies make funding easier. But does the government have a responsibility to keep advanced degree programs more affordable?

Should taxpayers help foot the bill for grad students, who make up a much smaller percent of the population and frequently go on to earn more than enough to pay back their loans?

Should the private sector fund graduate education on its own through an independent borrowing program or in-program subsidies? Do students seeking advanced degrees deserve the same amount of government support as undergrads -- is it fair for the government to profit on these loans? And as advanced degrees become more commonplace (or even necessary), how will the government adapt?

Guests:

 
Justin Draeger, President and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)

Neal P. McCluskey, Ph.D., Associate Director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute

FasTrak pay lanes on 10 and 110 may become permanent; Metro votes today

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Traffic on the northbound and southbound lanes of the 110 Harbor Freeway starts to stack up during rush hour traffic on February 5, 2013 in Los Angeles.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

A comprehensive study by the Federal Highway Administration says FasTrak-lane pilot projects“are accomplishing their goals and objectives.” 

Paid access to the HOV (high occupancy vehicles) lanes was introduced on the 110 Freeway in 2012 and the 10 in early 2013 – with tolls based on congestion levels. Disdainfully referred to as “Lexus lanes” by some, the report says 10 Freeway commuters who switched to pay lanes had their average travel times cut by more than 17 minutes in the morning and nearly 14 minutes in the afternoons.

RELATED: FasTrak Express Lanes could continue on 10, 110 freeways

The transponders cost $40 for the first four, then tolls range from 25 cents per mile to $1.40 per mile. Today, the Metro board will vote on a proposal to make the lanes permanent.

What has been your experience on the freeways since FasTrak was introduced? If they become permanent, will more drivers purchase transponders? If more drivers get on the FasTrak, how will it affect travel times, emissions and the goals of Metro?

Guest:

Laura Nelson, who writes about local transportation for the Los Angeles Times

Study: Teen binge drinking linked to liquor brand mentions in pop songs

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Music artist Sean "Diddy" Combs appears as he hosts a party at the Wet Republic pool at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino September 4, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ; Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for MGM Resorts Int

Listened to music on the radio today? Chances are you’ve heard at least one alcohol brand mentioned.

Brands from Patron to Jack Daniels are regularly name-dropped in songs of all genres. It sure seems, as Lorde says in her smash hit “Royals,” that “every song’s like gold teeth, grey goose, tripping in the bathroom…” But does the popularity of songs about alcohol and drinking influence listeners behavior?

A new study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has found a link between teenagers listening to music containing alcohol-brand mentions and their alcohol related behavior.

On average, a teenager in America listens to two and a half hours of pop music a day and hears eight mentions of brand alcohol. Researchers collected information from more than 3,400 males and females between the ages of 15 and 23.

The study found that teens who listened to the most alcohol-brand-mentioning music were twice as likely to have engaged in binge drinking.

How much influence does music have over a teenager’s behavior? Can teens avoid being influenced by the alcohol mentions in their favorite music?

Guests:

Dr. Brian A. Primack, MD, PhD; Associate Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Clinical and Translational Science; Director, Program for Research on Media and Health University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Renee Hobbs, Professor and Founding Director of the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island; Leading authority on media literacy education

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