The Maersk cargo container terminal is idle at Los Angeles harbor as an eight-day strike by International Longshore and Warehouse Unions continues at busiest seaport in the nation on December 4, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Retailers and business owners across the Southland are feeling the pinch of a work slowdown at the nation’s two busiest ports. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez has been called in to mediate the dispute between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association.

The two sides began negotiations on a new contract in May. Over the weekend, employers locked out workers who they say have intentionally slowed down work to get an upper hand at the bargaining table. Work has resumed since Tuesday. A prolonged port shutdown could cost businesses as much as $7 billion this year, according to one analysis. 

If you are a business owner, how has the port dispute affected your business? What impact has it had on consumers?

Guests:

Justin Pritchard, reporter for the Associated Press based in Los Angeles who’s been covering the dispute

Kevin Klowden, economist and managing director of the California Center at the Milken Institute, a nonprofit economic think tank

A model of a drone on display as New Yorkers gather to protest Israel's military assault in Gaza during a rally at Foley Square July 24, 2014. ; Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

The Obama administration will allow the sale of both armed and unarmed drones to allied nations.

The announcement comes after an internal review of the U.S. drone framework and how to ensure that its standards are met as international use of UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) grows. While drones have quickly proliferated our culture and economy, they are most controversial for their military applications, thus making the government’s announcement about their export significant.

To date, the U.S. has only exported armed drones to the United Kingdom as well as unarmed drones to other NATO allies like France and Italy. Drone use abroad for intelligence efforts and military strikes has rapidly increased under the Obama administration, and the technology is now widely seen as an essential part of its counterterrorism strategy across the Middle East and North Africa.

Yet drones are not without its critics. Their arguments range from philosophical objections that the use of drones to kill is wrong to practical concerns about “blowback” from the strikes. Privacy advocates are alarmed at their domestic and international use for mass surveillance. And as the U.S. prepares to export this technology, issues of accountability, transparency, and legitimacy come forth regarding the potential use of drones by foreign nations.

Should the U.S. relax its restrictions on drone exports? Where should the line for exports be between armed and unarmed drones? Will this strengthen or weaken the U.S.?

Guest:

Christopher Harmer, Senior Naval Analyst, Institute for the Study of War - described as a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research organization dedicated to advancing an informed understanding of U.S. military affairs.

Steve Vladeck, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law; Vladeck has testified before the House Committee on the Judiciary on the subject of presidential powers and drones.

Heavy traffic clogs the 101 Freeway as people leave work for the Labor Day holiday in Los Angeles on August 29, 2014.; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Aggressive driving and its deadly consequences are back in the national spotlight after a Las Vegas woman was killed in an alleged road rage shooting.

It’s an invisible danger drivers face on the road, but reliable statistics on road rage incidents are difficult to come by. According to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, road rage accounted for 247 fatal accidentals in 2013. But those numbers fail to capture what really happens on the road, given that many cases of aggressive driving are not reported.

What contributes to road rage? Have you been a victim of road rage?

Guests:

Marie Montgomery, spokesperson for the Automobile Club of Southern California

Leon James, Professor of Psychology at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu; author of “Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare” (Prometheus Books, 2000)

Childcare provider Antonia Rivas works with 2-year-old Selena on a Valentine's Day art project at Rivas Family Child Care in Reseda on Friday morning, Feb. 13.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

The lack of sufficient child care has been an issue statewide.

In Los Angeles County, a recent study found only 2 percent of infants and toddlers have access to a licensed child care facility; for preschoolers, it's about 40 percent. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León introduced a new bill on Wednesday that he says would address the state's critical child care shortage by increasing the number of slots for child care vouchers and giving providers the right to unionize.

Read KPCC's coverage of the issue

Guests:

Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), Senate President pro Tempore, represents California’s 24th district, which includes Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Alhambra. He introduced the bill

Tonia McMillian, co-chair of Raising California Together, a coalition of child care providers, parents, educators, clergy, and business and community organizations. She is a child care Provider, Union Steward and Executive Board member of SEIU 99.

Don Wagner (R-Irvine), State Assemblyman representing California’s 68th district, which covers portions of Orange County including Tustin and the city of Orange.

Tourists use a "selfie stick" to take their photograph in front of the White House in Washington, DC, February 18, 2015. ; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Cultural institutions from the Getty Center in Los Angeles to the Met in New York have started banning the use of selfie sticks over worries that the retractable instrument would cause damage to the artwork and hurt other patrons. Selfies are still allowed.

The selfie stick is the latest manifestation of our culture’s obsession with capturing the perfect self-portrait. While the selfie stick has plenty of fans, it has also inspired ire.

Do you agree with the selfie stick ban? How has “selfie culture” affected you?

Guests:

Nicholas White, writer and editor-in-chief of the Daily Dot, an online news publication that focuses on Internet and online culture Read his piece titled “The life and death of the selfie” here

Drag queens Lil Miss Hot Mess (left) and Sister Roma join other activists for a news conference at San Francisco City Hall on Sept. 17 to speak out against Facebook's rule on using legal names for profiles.; Credit: Eric Risberg/AP

A debate about the significance of drag has been brewing on the internet since the beginning of the year and raising the question: is drag degrading to women?

It started when Mary Cheney, the openly lesbian and actively Republican daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, opined on her Facebook page, “Why is it socially acceptable—as a form of entertainment—for men to put on dresses, makeup and high heels and act out every offensive stereotype of women (bitchy, catty, dumb, slutty, etc.)—but it is not socially acceptable—as a form of entertainment—for a white person to put on blackface and act out offensive stereotypes of African Americans?”

The comparison roiled supporters of drag who see it as a subversive commentary that’s both a means of self expression and empowerment. But as the drag queen Miz Cracker recently penned in a piece on Slate, the discussion has raised “a question all queens and conscientious drag fans must contend with at one point or another: Is drag degrading to women?”

Has drag lost some of its shock value with shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and is now a moment to ask whether drag performances truly celebrate femininity or mock it? Has the social significance of drag performance changed?

Guests:

Miz Cracker, writer and drag queen living and working in Harlem, New York; author of this recent piece in Slate’s Outward section.

Meredith Heller, Ph.D., Faculty member in Women's and Gender Studies specializing in drag and performance at Northern Arizona University; Her blog is called The Saucy Scholar.

UTLA says it is at an impasse with the Los Angeles Unified School District over a new contract for its 31,000 teachers. ; Credit: Photo by Letsdance Tonightaway via Flickr Creative Commons

After 7 months of negotiations, the Los Angeles Unified School District and UTLA, the union that represents teachers, say they’re at an impasse.

The union said the district is "refusing to bargain in good faith on student learning conditions, and threatening educator layoffs as a scare tactic." LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines said in a statement that the district agrees the talks are at an impasse.

The differences between the two sides amount to more than $800 million, the district said in its statement. Cortines has maintained that the district is facing a deficit. The union insists the district has money. Other issues dividing the two sides include classroom size and teacher evaluations.

Read the full story here

Guests:

Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of UTLA, the union representing 31,000 teachers and health and human service professionals

Michelle King, Deputy Superintendent, LAUSD

Exterior view of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center during their Ebola virus readiness drill (closed to the media) to test their ability to diagnose and treat Ebola patients in Los Angeles on October 17, 2014. ; Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center says almost 180 patients may have been infected by a deadly superbug after being exposed to contaminated medical scopes.

The outbreak was discovered late last month while running tests on a patient, according to UCLA, and this week they started notifying 179 other patients who were treated between October and January. The superbug, known as CRE, is drug-resistant, and some estimates say that it has a 40-50 percent mortality rate if the infection spreads to the bloodstream. The medical equipment in question are special endoscopes that are inserted down the throats of hundreds of thousands of patients yearly to treat digestive issues. Medical experts say some of the scopes are notoriously hard to sanitize. Doctors at UCLA say they followed proper medical procedure in sanitizing the endoscopes, but somehow the bacteria survived.

How has the response been from UCLA to this point? Why didn’t the hospital start notifying patients as soon as they discovered the outbreak? Are hospitals and companies that make medical devices doing enough to protect patient safety? What is the effect on the medical industry and consumers from hospital-borne infections like this CRE superbug?

Guests:

Dr. Michael Gardam, MD, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada; former Director of Infectious Disease Prevention & Control, Public Health Ontario (2008-2010)

Dr. Emily Landon, hospital epidemiologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center

Lisa McGiffert, director of the Safe Patient Project at Consumers Union - the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports

In this Photo Illustration, a woman holds a cup of coffee on the street August 3, 2010 in New York City. ; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

New nutritional recommendations from the country’s top advisory panel wants Americans to eat less meat and more vegetables because of meat consumption’s negative environmental footprint.

The findings were released Thursday and the federal government still has to decide whether to adopt them in its revision of the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, due out at the end of 2015.

It’s the first time the panel has taken into account the environmental impact of a given food in devising these recommendations. Should that be a factor?

Guests:

Miriam Nelson, professor of nutrition at Tufts University and is a member of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee that came up with the recommendations

Daren Bakst, Research Fellow in Agricultural Policy at the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation

An explosion rocks Syrian city of Kobane during a reported suicide car bomb attack by the militants of Islamic State (ISIS) group on a People's Protection Unit (YPG) position in the city center of Kobani, as seen from the outskirts of Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border, October 20, 2014 in Sanliurfa province, Turkey. ; Credit: Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images

During remarks at a conference on “Countering Violent Extremism,” President Obama commented on what creates terrorism, attributing it to poverty and lack of opportunity.

In the past, the President and his administration have been careful to distance the religion of Islam from what the members of ISIS purport to practice. However, in a recent article by CNN’s national security analyst Peter Bergen argues that history shows terrorists are more often from wealthy or middle-class families. He also argues that despite the Obama Administration’s reluctance to do so, we have to acknowledge that ultra-fundamentalist facets of Islam, like the ones subscribed to by ISIS fighters, are a partial factor in the spread of terrorism.

What do you think are the root causes of terrorism? How much of a role does religion play in the brand of terrorism we often see today? Who is most vulnerable

Guests:

Graeme Wood, contributing editor at The Atlantic. His most recent article, “What ISIS Really Wants” is in the March issue of the magazine.

Rami Khouri, Senior Fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs of the American University of Beirut.

(L-R) Actors Rob Corddry, Adam Scott, Clark Duke and Craig Robinson arrive for the premiere of Paramount Pictures' 'Hot Tub Time Machine 2' at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, California on February 18, 2015.; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson and Peter Rainer review this week’s releases, including "The Duff," "Hot Tub Time Machine 2," "Kingsman: The Secret Service," and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Guests:

Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor

Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and chief film critic, LA Weekly

Actors Julia Roberts and James Gandolfini act in a scene in Dream Works Pictures 'The Mexican'. ; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

Think back to your favorite performance on stage or screen, perhaps a time when particular actor or actress captured a moment with which you perfectly identified.

How did they do it? Is there a reason you felt the connection? Did it shape something inside of you? If you can identify even one moment like this, then you know that the fundamental question is not, "Does acting matter?" but "Why does acting matter?"

The answer comes in the form of a new book by renowned movie critic and writer David Thomson - "Why Acting Matters." Through a reflection on the differences in acting between American and British, film and stage, and "good" and "bad," Thomson explores the human condition and why people connect with performance. The humanity of acting is uniquely human, and in a way, people are constantly acting and improvising and shaping their lives. He explains in the book, “Acting and the space in which acting occurs matter because they are the material of a ritual to be beheld while we give up our ghost.”

What types of performances have the most impact on you? Do you have a favorite moment in film or stage? Why do you think acting matters?

Guests: 

David Thomson, film and stage critic, as well as author of the new book, "Why Acting Matters" (Yale University Press, 2015)

Rendering released by the city of Carson at a press conference Friday morning. ; Credit:

From 20 years without an NFL team, to three teams now falling all over themselves to announce plans for LA -- how did we get here?

First it was the St. Louis Rams announcing plans for a stadium at the Hollywood Park site in Inglewood. Now, the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders have just announced plans for a jointly constructed, shared, stadium along the 405 Freeway in Carson.

There’s plenty of conjecture about how the final plan could shake out, what role the NFL will play in that, and where the money will come from. Could it finally be time for an LA football team?

Read the full story here.

Guests:

Matt Artz, Reporter at Oakland Tribune who’s been following the story

Vincent Bonsignore, sports columnist at the LA Daily News who was at the press conference in Carson this morning

The cast of Les Miserables take their bows. Margarent Williams Theater, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ, March 22nd, 2014.; Credit: Miguel Angel Nunez via Flickr

Think back to your favorite performance on stage or screen, perhaps a time when particular actor or actress captured a moment with which you perfectly identified.

How did they do it? Is there a reason you felt the connection? Did it shape something inside of you? If you can identify even one moment like this, then you know that the fundamental question is not, "Does acting matter?" but "Why does acting matter?"

The answer comes in the form of a new book by renowned movie critic and writer David Thomson - "Why Acting Matters." Through a reflection on the differences in acting between American and British, film and stage, and "good" and "bad," Thomson explores the human condition and why people connect with performance. The humanity of acting is uniquely human, and in a way, people are constantly acting and improvising and shaping their lives. He explains in the book, “Acting and the space in which acting occurs matter because they are the material of a ritual to be beheld while we give up our ghost.”

What types of performances have the most impact on you? Do you have a favorite moment in film or stage? Why do you think acting matters?

Guest:

David Thomson, film and stage critic, as well as author of the new book, "Why Acting Matters" (Yale University Press, 2015)

Host Neil Patrick Harris (L) and actress Anna Kendrick onstage during the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California. ; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

“Birdman” soared to four Oscar wins on Sunday night, including best picture and best director, while “The Grand Budapest Hotel” checked in with four wins as well, including best costume and production design.

On AirTalk today, we’ll take a look back at the winners, losers, surprises, and snubs from the 87th Academy Awards.

For the full story, click HERE.

Guests:

John Horn, host of KPCC’s The Frame, was at the Oscars last night.

Justin Chang, chief film critic for Variety.

A student takes notes as Vinton Cerf, whose pioneering work in computers has led him to be called a 'Father of the Internet' speaks at Temple University November 15, 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ; Credit: William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

Learning a second language isn’t easy, but research has shown that it’s worth every bit of effort.

Speaking a foreign language not only helps with brain development, it’s also becoming an indispensable skill in the global economy. But a report from the Modern Language Association has found a marked drop in the number of college students taking foreign language courses. So why?

Guest:

Rosemary Feal, executive director of the Modern Language Association, which put out the report

California’s vanishing safety net: how social services & welfare will survive the era of budget cuts; Credit: Getty Images

California Democrats want to overturn a state law that bars families from receiving more welfare money if they give birth to an additional child while on benefits.

This is the third time Senator Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles has introduced a bill to repeal the 20 year-old-law, which she says was meant to discourage welfare recipients from having children. Rather than accomplishing that, she argues, the welfare cap helped California achieve the nation’s highest poverty rate. The new state bill that would increase welfare payments to parents as they have more children, without a maximum. But republicans who helped passed the original law, like former Assembly Leader Jim Brulte, say the new law would offer people incentives to stay on welfare and have more children.

Read more here.

Guests:

Holly Mitchell, (D-Culver City) California Senator representing the 30th District, which includes Culver City and the communities of Century City and the Crenshaw District. She is author of Senate Bill 23

Mary Theroux, Sr. Vice President of the Independent Institute, a non-profit scholarly research and educational organization on social and economic issues based in Oakland

Under the Affordable Care Act, pregnancy isn't considered a "qualifying event" that justifies enrollment at any time.; Credit: /iStockphoto

Three out of four hospitals are not meeting standards for high-risk childbirths according to a leading nonprofit watchdog, The Leapfrog Group.

Babies born with very low birthweight (less than 3 pounds, 4.91 ounces) are more likely to survive and thrive in intensive care units where staff have ample experience dealing with very vulnerable newborns, so Leapfrog advises mothers to choose hospitals with proven capacity for high-risk deliveries. In California, 25% of hospitals meet the Leapfrog standards for risky births. A significantly positive finding in the new data shows fewer hospitals performing early elective births. In California last year, the average rate of early elective delivers was 2.5 percent approximately - a whopping decrease from the 10 percent rate in 2011. More data strongly demonstrates early births pose greater risks to mother and child.

On another positive note, episiotomy rates are improving. Sixty‐five percent of hospitals achieved the target rate of 12 percent or less for episiotomies—a once routine incision made in the birth canal during childbirth that is now recommended only for a narrow set of cases.

What would it take for more hospitals to improve care for high-risk births?

Guests:

Erica Mobley, senior manager of communications and development, The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit representing employers and other purchasers of health benefits advancing safety and quality in American hospitals.

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses members of the National Governors Association at the White House February 23, 2015 in Washington, DC. Obama's meeting with the nation's governors comes just days before the Department of Homeland Security's $40 billion budget is set to expire. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Unless Congress acts this week, the Department of Homeland Security will run out of money on Friday.

It’s the first major fiscal deadline the newly GOP-controlled Congress will face as they continue to fight the White House of the President’s immigration policies. Senate Republicans are still weighing their options but would most likely support a short-term extension of funding DHS. They want to write language into the long-term funding bill that would block President Obama’s recent executive action on immigration as well as stop his 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

What are the short and long-term implications for Congress if they neglect to fund DHS? Who would shoulder the blame if another government shutdown were to occur?

Guest:

Karen Tumulty, national political correspondent for the Washington Post

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Competitors wait for the start of the 2011 Virgin London Marathon on April 17, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images); Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The minimalist approach to running shoes with brands like the Vibram Five finger, promised a healthier approach to running.

Author Christopher McDougall championed barefoot running with his book, “Born to Run.”  But the latest trend is now extra cushion for running shoes, according to the New York Times.

Olympic medalist, runner Leo Monzano has been championing the new maximalist trend with a running shoe brand that touts double the cushioning than standard shoes. His plantar fasciitis disappeared after using more cushioned shoes. The shoe is designed to make the runner feel like they aren’t hitting the ground, but not ideal for those who want to run at top speeds.   They’re gaining momentum, selling more than 550,000 pairs last year.

Do you prefer more or less cushion when running? Will this be another trend  that will be forgotten within the next couple of years ?

Guest:

Jonathan Beverly, Shoe Editor, Runner’s World magazine and Running Times

Jay Dicharry, physical therapist and director of the REP biomechanics lab in Bend, Oregon. He’s also the author of the book, “Anatomy for Runners” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012)