US Marines running towards a Bell (UH 1) Huey helicopter and crew in the Tay Ninh area of Vietnam.; Credit: Terry Fincher/Getty Images

As the Vietnam War drew to a close in late April of 1975, the North Vietnamese Army began to surround Saigon as the last remaining factions of the South Vietnamese resistance faded away.

The U.S. began withdrawing its troops as it became increasingly more clear that Communism would prevail, but some members of the American military were concerned about their South Vietnamese counterparts, who would face imprisonment and possibly death upon the U.S. evacuation of the country.

“Last Days In Vietnam” chronicles the untold story of the members of the South Vietnamese military who tried to escape Saigon as the war drew to a close and the heroic Americans who risked their lives in a desperate effort to save as many lives as possible.

Director Rory Kennedy joins AirTalk to talk about the making of the film, the overwhelming response it got, and what she learned from it all.

Guest:

Rory Kennedy, director and producer of the film “Last Days In Vietnam,” which earned an Oscar nomination for best documentary.

TV personality Bruce Jenner speaks onstage at the Reality Rocks Expo Fan Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on April 9, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Reality Rocks

Bruce Jenner’s alleged gender transition has been the subject of much tabloid speculation and coverage in recent weeks.

As the transgender community fights for civil rights and mainstream acceptance, will Jenner’s name and status open more eyes to the realities of transitioning? Or will it further sensationalize the transgender community?

We talk with an entertainment reporter and a transgender writer about how the media is handling the story and what it means for the transgender narrative in mainstream America.

Guest:

Kevin Fallon, Entertainment Reporter, The Daily Beast; (Briefly) a Red Carpet Reporter for US Weekly; “Is the Media Capable of Covering Bruce Jenner’s Transition With Respect?”

Thomas Page McBee, author of "Man Alive: A True Story of Violence, Forgiveness, and Becoming a Man." He’s contributed stories about gender and culture to The New York Times, the Atlantic.com, BuzzFeed, and VICE. He is currently the growth editor at the news site Quartz.

The first all-women mosque has opened in Los Angeles. ; Credit: Adrian Snood/Flickr

The nation’s first women-only mosque recently opened its doors in L.A. Founders  Sana Muttalib and M. Hasna Maznavi wanted a place of worship for Muslim women where they feel welcome.

Worshippers don’t have to enter through a different door or sit away from the men. The downtown mosque also does away with the traditional dress code requirement: women don’t have to wear headscarves and can wear what they feel comfortable in. More than 150 women showed up for last Friday’s inaugural service, with some traveling from as far as New Jersey to attend.

Female-only mosques exist in China, the Women’s Mosque is believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Will it spread to other cities in the U.S.?

Guest:

M. Hasna Maznavi, a cofounder of the Women’s Mosque in L.A., a single-gender prayer space in Downtown L.A. for Muslim women that opened last Friday. Meetings are held monthly. She’s also a comedy writer and director.

Fairlife Milk, Whole, by Coca Cola, 1/2015; Credit: Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on Youtube (via Flickr)

Coca-cola is unveiling a premium milk that has more protein, less sugar, zero lactose and twice the price.

The national rollout over the next several weeks is gambling that fortified, functional beverages will fill the void created by the unpopularity of soft drinks.

Who is the target market - families, athletes? What are the health pros and cons?  Would you be interested in buying it?

Child getting vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); Credit: Photo by Sanofi Pasteur via Flickr Creative Commons

Three state lawmakers Wednesday proposed ditching the law that allows parents to not vaccinate their children based on "personal belief."

State Senators Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) and Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) say they will introduce legislation that will repeal the Personal Belief Exemption.  Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) has signed on as a co-author.

Back in Washington D.C., U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) also urged California’s Health and Human Services Secretary to reconsider the state policy allowing exemptions.

For the full story click here.

Would you support repealing a law allowing personal exemptions from measles vaccination?

Guests:

Sen. Richard Pan (D - Sacramento), State Senator representing California’s 6th district. Along with Sen. Ben Allen, he’s introducing legislation to repeal California’s vaccine exemption law. He's also a pediatrician.

Brad Dacus, President of Pacific Justice Institute, a non-profit organization that defends religious liberties and parental rights with offices throughout California

Dick Costolo of Twitter attends TechCruch Disrupt SF 2013 at San Francisco Design Center on September 9, 2013 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch

The microblogging site is copping to having a problem with trolls.  It's rolling out new measures to rein in harassment and abuse.

But can the Internet's most entrenched villains be tamed? What have other sites done to contain the problem? How have you dealt with being trolled?

Guest:

Karen North, Director of the Annenberg Program on Online Communities, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

A publicity image from "Selma."

This year’s Oscar nominated best films include several stories of highly politicized issues from civil rights to the Iraq War. But does an Oscar nod, or even a win, mean much for a social cause?

Is a vote for The Imitation Game a vote for gay rights? Is a vote for Selma a vote for the #BlackLivesMatter campaign that circulated after Ferguson and Eric Garner? Is a vote for American Sniper a vote for American troops? We talk to film critic Henry Sheehan and writer Gregg Kilday about the nominees for the 87th Academy Awards and the political movements associated with them.

Guests:

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

Gregg Kilday, film editor for The Hollywood Reporter and author of “‘The Imitation Game:’ Finally Plays the Gay Card”

Cubicle Office; Credit: Photo by Robert S. Donovan via Flickr Creative Commons

If you're chained to a work desk, you don't have to be chained to a chair: options abound for standing, perching, walking, even pedaling at the office.

The stand-up revolution kicked off in the last few years when "sitting can kill you" articles went viral from cubicle to cubicle.

The most recent analysis, published last month in the Annals of Internal Medicine, pooled data from 41 international studies. The Toronto researchers found that regardless of regular exercise, the amount of time a person sits during the day is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and death.

The data is a boon for smarter ergonomics products include stability balls, perching desks, treadmill desks and more.

Injury prevention expert Jennifer Mempin will explain the pros and cons of each option.

Have you changed your desk habits? What effects did you notice?

Guest:

Jennifer Mempin, Injury Prevention Program Manager at UCLA’s Health System

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler listens during an open meeting to receive public comment on proposed open Internet notice of proposed rulemaking and spectrum auctions May 15, 2014 at the FCC headquarters in Washington, DC.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The news that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler is advocating the reclassification of the Internet is sure to create political fallout in Washington.

Wheeler had said he was looking for alternative approaches to a Title II reclassification. President Obama came out in support of one in November of last year, and it appears Wheeler has jumped on board.

As Republicans in Congress fight to take the power to enforce strong Internet protections away from the F.C.C., a plan that doesn’t have support among Democrats, what will the political fallout be?

Guest:

Brooks Boliek, technology reporter at POLITICO

View from Rumangabo over the Volcano section of Virunga National Park, on August 2, 2013 in Democratic Republic of the Congo. UK company Soco International PLC is planning to explore for oil in DRC's Virunga National Park, a protected World Heritage Site and most biodiverse park in Africa.; Credit: Brent Stirton/Getty Images

The original plan was to shoot a nature documentary in the Virunga National Park in the Eastern Congo, looking at the good progress that park officials had made in encouraging tourism and development in the area.

But the film that writer, director, and producer Orlando von Einsiedel ultimately created, was anything but your typical nature documentary.

“Virunga” writer, producer, and director Orlando von Einsiedel joins AirTalk to share the stories of the caretakers he met, the conflict he unearthed, and the majestic mountain gorillas that roam Virunga National Park.

Guest:

Orlando von Einsiedel, writer, director, and producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Virunga.”

From the cast, actor Eddie Redmayne poses on arrival for the Los Angeles Premiere of the film "Jupiter Ascending" in Hollywood, California on February 2, 2015. The film opens on February 6.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

Larry and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Henry Sheehan review this week’s releases, including ‘Jupiter Ascending,’ ‘Seventh Son,’ ‘The Spongebob Movie’ and more. Plus, film critic Peter Rainer joins us from the star-studded Santa Barbara Film Festival. TGI-Filmweek!

Guests:

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA today

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor joins us from the Santa Barbara Film Festival

Moderator Brian Williams watches a video which pays tribute to late moderator Tim Russert during a taping of "Meet the Press" at the NBC studios June 22, 2008 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images for Meet the Press

Famed NBC newsman, Brian Williams, went on an apology tour this week after a story he has told repeatedly involving a shot-down helicopter in Iraq was exposed as a lie. Williams cites faulty memory.

Can someone misremember an experience as traumatic and searing as being in a helicopter in a war zone that was shot down?

In light of Williams' apology, our friends at Ranker have put together a poll asking you who you think the most trustworthy celebrities in the world are. Cast your vote below!

Guests:

Elizabeth F. Loftus, Professor of Social Ecology, and Professor of Law, and Cognitive Science at UC Irvine. She is a cognitive psychologist and an expert on human memory.

Dan Ariely, Professor of Business at Duke and behavioral economist. He is the author of numerous books, including “The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone--Especially Ourselves” (Harper Perennial, 2013)

California Department of Motor Vehicles customers sit in the parking lot after finding out that the DMV is closed July 10, 2009 in Corte Madera, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A California Assembly member is working to give Californians another reason to be glued to their smart phones with digital drivers licenses that can be accessed through a secure app.

The proposed legislation introduced in Sacramento Wednesday by Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Encino) is behind similar efforts by Iowa and Delaware. The bill, AB221, would allow those interested in going digital to access their IDs through a secure PIN, however going digital would be voluntary.

Iowa is still working out the kinks with its digital ID shift. For instance, if a person is pulled over by an officer, what can prevent the officer from looking through an individual’s personal information on the phone?

How would this be funded? Could this switch to digital open vulnerability to hacking? 

Guest:

Matt Dababneh, (D - Encino), State Assemblyman representing California’s 45th district, which covers most of the western San Fernando Valley. He’s also author of the bill that would allow digital ID cards.

An exterior view of the Anthem Health Insurance headquarters on February 5, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. About 80 million company records were accessed in what may be among the largest healthcare data breaches to date.; Credit: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

CA's largest for-profit health insurer suffered a massive hack announced yesterday.  Today the questions are about how the stolen personal information of Anthem customers could be used.  

The company claims no health records were accessed, but 80 million Social Security numbers were. It turns out the hacked database wasn’t encrypted but cyber security experts are wondering if  that even would have made a difference.

Consumer Watchdog and Patient Privacy Rights are now calling on Cal INDEX, the health information database created by Anthem and Blue Shield of California, to allow consumers to opt-in rather than force them to opt-out.

What value does that information have for hackers? Why are healthcare companies becoming more attractive targets? Should we take solace in medical records being left alone, or does this raise red flags about protecting that information?

If you are an Anthem customer and you're worried that your data might have been stolen as part of the breach, it is recommended that you initiate a fraud alert with one of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion. 

Guest:

Sean Hoar, a partner with the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, where he counsels health care clients and others on information security and cyber security threats; he’s the former lead cyber attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon

The Opening Ceremony at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.; Credit: Steve Powell/Getty Images

L.A. lost out to Boston as the U.S. candidate to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. But maybe that’s a good thing.

Sports economist Andrew Zimbalist lays out all of the reasons in his new book “Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup.” According to Zimbalist, even though national pride is at stake, hosting bids are driven by private economic interests. In order to accommodate these games, billions of dollars will be borrowed to build out infrastructure. Often times, the wealthy are the only ones to reap the benefits of these investments.

That isn’t to say there haven’t been winners in the past. We’ll take a microscopic look at what the circumstances and policies need to be in place for a successful event.

Guest:

Andrew Zimbalist, Professor of Economics at Smith College and author of the new book, “Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup” (Brookings Institution Press, 2015)

People are led on a tour of the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass, in 2012. ; Credit: Elise Amendola/AP

Harvard University announced last week that it is banning professors from having any “sexual or romantic relationships” with undergraduate students.

The new policy replaces an old one, which looked down on undergrad-professor relationships but didn’t outright ban them. There number of U.S. universities that ban these kind of relationships is unclear, but according to the L.A. Times, USC “strongly discourages” physical relations between professors and students in its 2014 student handbook, and Stanford outright prohibits them.

So what do you think? Is this necessary?  Is it a problem for professors to have relationships with undergrads who aren't, and won't be, their students? Should other universities enact such a ban?

We’re opening our phone lines to take your calls!

Lt. Mike Baute from Florida's Child Predator CyberCrime Unit talks with a man on instant messenger during the unveiling of a new CyberCrimes office March 7, 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A group of California psychotherapists is suing the California Attorney General over a law (AB 1775-Melendez) passed last year that requires all therapists to report to law enforcement any patient who has ever seen child pornography online.

Bill Owens, who is also suing LA County over the law, says the bill was well-intended but it means law enforcement resources are being misdirected to innocuous incidents and therefore fewer real cases of child sexual abuse are being investigated. The office of Assemblymember Melissa Melendez says mandatory reporters always have been required to report such incidents, but her bill updated the language to include Internet porn.

In your opinion, should all “mandatory reporters,” such as psychologists, doctors, and teachers, be required to report any and all access to porn with minors? Would it violate therapist-patient privilege? Or is the benefit of targeting child porn worth the cost of patient privacy?

Guest:

Mark Hardiman, Attorney and Partner, Nelson Hardiman; suing the state and LA County over AB 1775

Tim Shannon, Lobbyist of Shannon Government Relations, advocated for AB 1775 on behalf of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

A view of the Palace Theatre at Lucent Dossier Experience's Show celebrating the 100th birthday and recent renovation of the historic Palace Theatre July 28, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Los Angeles has a rich theater scene, beyond the major productions at the Ahmanson, Taper, Geffen, and Pasadena Playhouse. For years, 99-seat and smaller theaters have given actors and playwrights a chance to work and to receive valuable audience feedback.

These small theaters have been able to cast union members of Actors Equity and avoid paying them the scale rate that larger theaters have to pay.  Equity actors often receive just $7 a performance at these little houses. However, some Equity members are unhappy with that. They want actors and other theater personnel to be paid at least minimum wage for the hours they perform and rehearse. What impact would that have on LA theater?

Guest: 

Doug Clayton, actor, director, writer, producer and long-term member of the Los Angeles theater community

Bill Brochtrup, actor and artistic director of Antaeus, an actors collective in North Hollywood

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and U.S. President Barack Obama hold a joint news conference in the East Room after meetings about the situation in Ukraine and other topics at the White House February 9, 2015 in Washington, DC. Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko are due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Belarus to continue talks aimed at de-escalating the war in Ukraine. ; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

As fighting continues in Ukraine, peace talks are expected to restart among the major players.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits Washington today to speak with President Obama about the crisis, and world leaders have increased their attention on the issue in hopes of a diplomatic solution.

Russia is currently under sanctions from the US and the EU, yet sanctions have not stopped Russian support of opposition fighters in the separatist-held area of Donetsk. EU leaders are considering ramping up sanctions, but they have decided to preliminarily wait in order to give diplomacy a chance. On the domestic front, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) supports arming Ukraine, and President Obama has made it clear that supplying weapons has not been taken off the table.

It is at present unclear if President Obama and EU leaders will succeed in their diplomatic efforts or how they will address the crisis if diplomacy fails. Some have suggested creating a demilitarized zone between the separatist region and Ukraine. Others have proposed a ramping up of sanctions. But the West is encountering the two-fold problem of stemming a crisis that has left thousands dead in Europe and tackling an emboldened Russia that is continuing to expand its presence after its annexation of Crimea.

Can diplomacy solve the crisis in Ukraine? What should the West do if diplomacy breaks down?

Guest:

Angela Greiling-Keane, White House correspondent for Bloomberg News. She was at the Obama-Merkel press conference this morning.

Robert English, Director of the USC School of International Relations; he’s an expert on Ukraine and the politics of Russia and former Soviet states.

An 'Amber Alert' sign over I-85 North in metro-Atlanta alerts the public to keep an eye out for a 1994 blue Chevy pickup truck thought to have been stolen by murder suspect Brian Nichols. March 12, 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia.; Credit: Davis Turner/Getty Images

Tomorrow, L.A. City Councillors will vote on expanding alerts for severe hit-and-run car collisions, so that social media, law enforcement, even UBER, taxi and Metro workers would be notified about suspects.

The motion does not go as far as a California bill being considered in Sacramento. Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D - 43) reintroduced AB 8 in December which would spur "Yellow Alerts" on LA freeway billboards with details of hit-and-run suspects, similar to AMBER alerts for child kidnappings. The effectiveness of such alerts is an open question. Criminology professor Tim Griffin of the University of Nevada says AMBER alerts have been effective in familial abduction cases, but not stranger abductions.

What are the implications of his research on Yellow Alerts? Last year, Governor Brown vetoed Gatto's last iteration of this bill due to cost concerns. Has Gatto addressed that issue?

Guest:

Mike Gatto, California Democratic Assemblymember for District 43, including, Burbank, Glendale, and parts of Los Angeles including East Hollywood and Silver Lake; Author of AB 9 - yellow alerts for hit-and-run incidents.

Tim "Skip" Griffin, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at University of Nevada; studied AMBER Alerts