One-ounce bags of medicinal marijuana are displayed at the Berkeley Patients Group March 25, 2010 in Berkeley, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Marijuana will remain classified under the law as one of the nation’s most dangerous drugs after a federal judge denied a motion on Tuesday challenging the constitutionality of its classification as a Schedule I narcotic.

Judge Kimberly Mueller of the Federal District Court in Sacramento said that while marijuana’s Schedule I status may be ruled unconstitutional at some point, now is neither the time nor the place for her do it.

The Drug Enforcement Administration defines Schedule I narcotics as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. In addition to marijuana, other Schedule I drugs include heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. Schedule II drugs, which are defined as having slightly less potential for abuse than that of Schedule I drugs, include cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxycodone.

Should marijuana be classified among the nation’s most dangerous drugs? What does this ruling mean for the pro and anti-legalization movements?

Guests:

Kevin Sabet, founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and director of the University of Florida Drug Policy Institute

Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). He was also the principal investigator for defense counsel in this case

Google Software Engineers, from left, Keith Ito, Nicholas Lee, John Leen and Yatin Chawathe work in a room with a view and a foosball table at the newly opened of Google Kirkland October 28, 2009 in Kirkland, Washington.; Credit: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

The world’s best-known search engine is also one of the world’s most desired place to work. Two million applicants put in their resumes to work at Google each year, only .4 percent get hired.

In the book, “Work Rules,” Google’s HR guru Laszlo Bock details the company’s efforts to attract, nurture, compensate, and retain the cream of the crop in the competitive world of tech and business.

Guest:

Laszlo Bock, author of “Work Rules: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead” (Twelve, 2015). He also leads Google’s people function, which includes all areas related to the attraction, development, and retention of employees

A photograph at the now-cancelled auction features Saikiko Shiga, the mother of AirTalk guest Yoshinori Himel, at one of the internment camps during World War II.

A New Jersey auction house has cancelled an auction of art and artifacts made by detainees at Japanese American and Japanese internment camp detainees during World War II.

Rago Arts and Auction Center in New Jersey said it’ll cancelled the planned auction originally slated for Friday. Japanese American activists, including actor George Takei, have called for the auction to be delayed or cancelled, equating the sale of the cultural and historical artifacts as exploitation. They want to see the collection donated to a museum or other cultural institutions.

The auction house says it’ll be working with the owner of the artifacts going forward, and says there are no plans for the collection now. Rago has not disclosed the identity of the consignor, but the collection once belonged to former Oregon state legislator Allen H. Eaton, who passed away in 1962.

The following is a statement from Rago Arts and Auction Center:

We have always wanted to see this property where it could do the most good for history. We’ve been working behind the scenes from day one to come to an agreement with our consignor. We returned to the consignor last night after a conversation with George Takei and persuaded him to withdraw.

There are no plans for the collection now. We will be involved in this planning going forward, working with the owner. We have spoken to George Takei. We are at the very start of this process.  

There is an essential discussion to be had about the sale of historical items that are a legacy of man's inhumanity to man. It extends beyond what is legal. It is something auction houses, galleries and dealers are faced with regularly. We hope this controversy will be the beginning of a discourse on this issue.

Guests:

Yoshinori Toso Himel, Japanese American living in Sacramento. He is one of the leaders of the protests against the auction of internment camp art in New Jersey

Patty Gerstenblith, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Art, Museum & Cultural Heritage Law at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. She specializes in cultural heritage law

The Beverly Hills lily pond with the city's famous sign is seen during a severe drought in Beverly Hills, California on April 9, 2015. On average wealthier neighborhoods like Beverly Hills consume three times more water than less affluent ones, according to the study by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Governor is calling for a reduction in water consumption by 25% statewide.; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Over 200 representatives of urban water suppliers and members of the general public have sent letters to the State Water Resources Control Board over the past week, criticizing the board’s plan to implement mandatory statewide water-use cuts ordered by Governor Jerry Brown this month.

Many of the suppliers claim they're being penalized for their earlier conservation success.  They want higher usage districts to cut more, before those that already made cuts cut further. We'll hear from those suppliers and ask how the water board might respond. local water districts throughout California are pushing back against proposed cuts from the state water board.  

Tomorrow, the Board is scheduled to release its draft regulations.  However, many water districts say the amount they're expected to cut isn't realistic.  They also question the fairness of pegging the cuts to usage last fall.  They say that doesn't take into account all the cuts made by responsible water districts long before they were mandated.

We reached out to the State Water Resources Control Board. Their Director of Public Affairs sent the following statement:

Following release of the framework last week, which was our proposed approach to meeting the Governor’s 25 percent water conservation mandate, we received more than 200 comments on the proposal.  We are going through those right now, with a goal of releasing a draft emergency regulations package by the end of Friday April 17.

In the meantime we don’t plan to comment on specific concerns raised by individual water districts or communities, based on the original proposed framework.  We ask that water districts and water users wait until we release the proposed package later this week. It is likely that there will be changes, due to the thoughtful feedback we have received from communities, water districts and water users.

Guests:

Chad Blais, Deputy Director of Public Works, Compton

David K. Luker, Desert Water Agency General Manager (Coachella, Palm Springs)

Joone Lopez, General Manager, Moulton Niguel Water District in Orange County

Bill LaHaye, Water Conservation Manager, Department of Water and Power, City of Big Bear Lake

Still from the film "Unfriended."; Credit: Blumhouse

Larry Mantle and film critics Henry Sheehan and Justin Change review this week’s releases, including Soviet-era thriller "Child 44," James Franco and Jonah Hill in "True Story," the wide release pictures "Unfriended" and "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2" and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Guests:

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

Justin Chang, Chief Film Critic for Variety

(L-R) US actors Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, South Korean actress Kim Soo-Hyun and US director Joss Whedon pose for a photo session during a press conference to promote Marvel's "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" in Seoul on April 17, 2015. The film will open in Seoul Korea on April 23, 2015.; Credit: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images

Blockbuster sequels will abound in the coming months.

First up for the May 1 weekend will be "Avengers: Age of Ultron" featuring the equally blockbuster cast of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and too many more to mention.

After the box office dollars roll in for the Marvel super troupe, the battle for biggest sequel will turn to "Mad Max: Fury Road," then "Jurassic World," followed by "Terminator Genisys," then "Mission Impossible."

If you're not into popcorn fare, keep an eye out for Sundance darlings including "Dope" and "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" in June and the August release of "Sleeping with Other People."

What else are you looking forward to on the silver screen, or VOD for that matter? Vote in our rankings below and add anything we missed!

Guest:

Sean Smith, Executive Editor at Entertainment Weekly; Current issue features the Summer Movie Preview

In this photo taken on Feb. 3, 2012, Chilean born host of the Univision network variety show "Sabado Gigante," Mario Kreutzberger, popularly known as Don Francisco, poses on the set of his show in Miami. Univision announced Friday, April 17, 2017 that the the beloved show “Sábado Gigante” will end on Sept. 19, 2015 after 53 years on the air.; Credit: Wilfredo Lee/AP

After 53 years, Univision is cancelling TV’s longest running variety show, ever.

A staple of many Southern California homes, where multiple generations watch "Sábado Gigante," and its host Don Francisco. We'll take your calls later with your favorite memory of the show.

Read the full story here.

Guest:

Félix Gutiérrez, former Professor of Journalism and Communication in the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and a Professor of American Studies & Ethnicity

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on a screen speaking via web cast from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London during an event on the sideline of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council session on March 23, 2015 in Geneva.; Credit: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

Wikileaks has published what it says are all the Sony Pictures materials taken in last year's massive cyberattack.  

That's more than 30,000 documents and more than 173,000 emails. They include personal information and communications between employees at all levels of the company. What's been most talked about are the emails of former studio head Amy Pascal, other execs, and producer Scott Rudin.  Pascal's since resigned her position.  

The Justice Department tied the attack to hackers working for the North Korean government.  The alleged motive was Sony's planned release of the comedy, "The Interview."  It spoofs North Korean President Kim Jong-Un. The movie's wide release was cancelled and it came out instead on video on demand a smattering of screens in select cities.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said his web portal created the searchable Sony database because the materials are newsworthy and belong in the public domain.  

Of course, Sony and the Motion Picture Association of America don't see it that way. A Sony spokesman said yesterday, "We vehemently disagree with Wikileaks' assertion that this material belongs in the public domain and will continue to fight for the safety, security, and privacy of our company and its more than 6-thousand employees."

What do you think?  Is it ethical for Wikileaks to publish materials that were illegally obtained?  If you support Wikileaks’ decision, do you think all corporations should be targeted for hacks so we can all see how they run their businesses and what their employees say to each other?

Guests:

Anita Busch, Film Editor, Deadline.com, an online publication that covers the entertainment news and the business of Hollywood

Denver Nicks, contributor to Time Magazine, author of the book, “Private: Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks, and the Biggest Exposure of Official Secrets in American History” (Chicago Review Press, 2012)

Eugene Volokh, Professor of Law at UCLA and a First Amendment expert

"Now and Then." As generations pass, how will the sound of language change?; Credit: Rising Damp via Flickr

The sounds of the English language and the way it is spoken has changed over the last 35 years and will likely change even more over the next 35.

From colloquialisms and slang all the way down to the way we pronounce vowel sounds, you’ll find a different pattern of linguistic evolution in just about every part of the country. As part of a series on America in 2050, an article in The Week this week explores what Americans will sound like 35 years from now.

How has the English language changed in your lifetime in terms of dialect, construction, and word use? Do you see regional accents becoming more or less prevalent?

Linguists use a text called "The Rainbow Passage" to compare the sounds of different dialects and accents applied to a standard text. We asked some friends and colleagues to read this part of it:

"When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act as a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These take the shape of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon. There is , according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond his reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

We recruited some friends and colleagues from different parts of North America to read this portion of the text. Listen to each of the samples and then take our quiz to see if you can identify all four accents.

Now, see if you can pick out where each of the speakers are from:

Guest:

Charles Boberg, associate professor of linguistics at McGill University whose research focuses on language variation and change and dialectology. He’s also a co-author of the book “The Atlas of North American English.”

A general view of the Maple Pure Water at the Boston Common Magazine And Audi Celebrate Fall Fashion With Saks Fifth Avenue At The Revere Hotel on September 26, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts.; Credit: Paul Marotta/Getty Images for Boston Common M

During this year's maple sugaring season in New England, harvesters weren't just collecting watery sap to boil into syrup, instead they have found a market for the pure maple waters to compete against the massive coconut water industry.

Maple water brands claim the drink is rich in vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and more, but just as is the case for coconut water, nutritionists say it is no better for you than drinking plain water. While the claims made by companies such as Vita Coco about coconut water were debunked in 2011, the companies enjoy greater profits and expansion on grocers’ shelves.

Even Trader's Joe's is expanding its specialty water offerings to include bottled alkaline water boasting a higher pH level, but why? What trendy waters do you drink and why? Is it better than the alternative of sugary sodas and juices?

Guest:

Kenneth Shea, Senior food and beverage industry analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence

Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D., Registered Dietitian based in the South Bay

Mr. Bert Dingley driving a car along a section of the immense aqueduct of Los Angeles in California on February 17, 1914.; Credit: Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

“There it is, take it,” William Mulholland proclaimed the day the Los Angeles Aqueduct opened in 1913, an engineering marvel that delivers water from the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains all the way to the City of Angels.

Without that precious resource, Los Angeles would never have become the land that it is. Writer and historian Les Standiford tackles the larger-than-life story of Mulholland in “Water to the Angels,” as well as his six-year, $23 million project that continues to transform the city and the region.

Les Standiford will be at Vroman's Bookst0re on 4/22 at 7:00pm to discuss and sign "Water to the Angels." For more information, click here.

Guest:

Les Standiford, author of many fiction and nonfiction books, including his latest “Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles” (Ecco, 2015). He is also the director of the Florida International University Creative Writing Program

Jayla, aged 4, plays with a 'My Friend Cayla' doll in the Hamleys toy shop on June 26, 2014 in London, England. Previous research has indicated that both black and white children prefer lighter skinned dolls; Credit: Rob Stothard/Getty Images

Attorney General Kamala Harris on Friday released the results of an internal California Department of Justice review looking at implicit bias and use of force in its special agent training programs.

She also announced the development of an implicit bias training program for law enforcement in the state, the first program in the country.

The concept of implicit bias – defined as unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that we’ve internalized that affect the way we act – has been gaining social and cultural traction after a series of police killings of unarmed black men.

But the debate over the theory is far from over. In this segment, we look at the competing science behind it.

Guests:

Sharon Davies, professor of law, Ohio State University; Director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, which publishes a yearly study on implicit bias called “State of the Science: Implicit Bias Review.” The latest edition came out in 2014

Gregory Mitchell, Professor of Law  at the University of Virginia, whose scholarship focuses on legal judgment and decision-making, the psychology of justice, and the application of social science to legal theory and policy. One of his research focus areas is implicit bias

People vote at a polling place at the lifeguard station in Manhattan Beach, California, November 4, 2014.; Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

In a creative attempt to reverse decreasing voter turnout, one non-profit believes it has the answer: enter voters into a drawing for cash.

The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project is betting that more people will come out to vote in a key election for the Los Angeles Board of Education if they offer a chance to win $25,000 to one lucky voter. All voters who cast a ballot in the May 9 election will be entered into the drawing.

As LA’s most recent election brought a paltry single digit voter turnout and the midterm election not faring much better at under a third of the electorate, civic groups are desperate to increase voter participation. Charter Amendments 1 and 2, ballot initiatives that lessen the frequency of elections so as to increase participation, passed in March, but the jury is still out on whether or not they will make a dent in voter apathy.

Is money the answer to increasing voter turnout? What do you think are the most effective and innovative solutions to addressing voter apathy?

Guests:

Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University

Jessica Levinson, professor at Loyola Law School, Vice President of the L.A. Ethics Commission

Dan Green fills buckets with recycled water at the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) residential recycled water fill station on April 8, 2015 in Pleasanton, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

After receiving over 200 letters from  urban water suppliers and members of the general public concerned about its plans to implement mandatory statewide water-use cuts ordered by Governor Jerry Brown this month, the State Water Resources Control Board on Friday released its revised plan for cutbacks.

The plans includes cutbacks in water conservation for city’s like Compton, which saw its proposed reduction drop from 20% to 8%, or the city of Beverly Hills, which saw its proposed reduction jump from 35% to 36%.

Many of the suppliers had claimed they were being penalized for earlier conservation success and wanted higher usage districts to cut more, before those that already made cuts cut further. Friday’s revised plan was supposed to take those concerns into account. We hear from the board and get reaction from some local water suppliers about the changes.

Check out our water tool to see how much water people in your area use per day.

Guests:

Max Gomberg, Senior staff scientist,  State Water Resources Control Board

Tom Tait, Director of Public Works Services for the City of Arcadia, which saw a jump in their proposed reduction

George Murdoch, Utilities General Manager/Co-Director, Municipal Operations Department, City of Newport Beach

A guard escorts an immigrant detainee from his 'segregation cell' back into the general population at the Adelanto Detention Facility on November 15, 2013 in Adelanto, California.; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

Since voters approved it during the November elections, law enforcement officials and public safety advocates all over California have been trying to gauge the effect that Prop 47 has had on crime across the state.

Early numbers appear to show jumps in incidents of domestic violence and rape, but the reason why remains a mystery. While it’s impossible to say whether there is a direct connection between Prop 47 and the rise in crime statistics, there are certainly questions surrounding what role Prop 47 may (or may not) play.

What effect, if any, has Prop 47 had on the rise in crime statewide? Where is the state at in terms of developing programs designed to be alternatives to incarceration, which was part of the Prop 47 legislation?

Guests:

Bill Lansdowne, former chief of the San Diego Police Department, retired last year. He’s also been a police chief in San Jose and Richmond. Along with San Francisco district attorney George Gascón, Lansdowne was one of Prop 47’s official proponents.

David McGill, Deputy Chief of the Newport Beach Police Department and 2nd Vice President of the California Peace Officers’ Association.

East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) water conservation technician Rachel Garza (L) inspects a water meter with home owner Michael Shain as she performs a water conservation audit of a home on April 7, 2015 in Walnut Creek, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Many local water districts' rate structures were dealt a blow yesterday by a state appellate court decision.

It ruled that San Juan Capistrano's tiered pricing was illegal.  The agency might have to refund millions of dollars.  Tiered pricing allows lower usage customers to pay less per unit than higher users. As a resident uses more water, the cost of the additional water increases - kicking customers into higher tiers as they go.

Although the court said tiered pricing isn't illegal, the tiers have to be justified by the actual cost of the water to the district.  Simply setting the tiers up as penalties for heavy water users don't comply with the law.

The impact extends far outside the south Orange County city. Governor Brown called the ruling a straightjacket on local government at a time when maximum flexibility is needed. How will water districts respond?

Read more here

Guests:

Sanjay Gaur, Senior Manager, Raftelis Financial Consultants, a utility consulting firm

John Perry, Co-founder of the Capistrano Taxpayers Association, which was the plaintiff in this Tiered Pricing lawsuit. Perry is also a City Councilmember

Tim Quinn, Director of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), which filed an amicus brief on behalf of the appellant, the City of San Juan Capistrano

Staff at Ainsworth Pharmacy make up homeopathic remedies on August 26, 2005 in London. British medical journal The Lancet has attacked the use of homeopathic treatments saying that doctors should be honest about homeopathy's lack of benefit. ; Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is in the midst of hearings to assess how to regulate homeopathic medicine and practice for the first time in a quarter-century.  

More than half a dozen proponents of homeopathy - which is based on the belief that disease symptoms can be cured by minute doses of a remedy that would, in larger amounts, produce in healthy persons symptoms similar to the disease - are testifying before the FDA, along with skeptics who think such remedies should be subjected to the same scrutiny as over-the-counter drugs.

Would that mean homeopathy would be subjected to clinical trials? How should labeling change? Is enough known about the side effects of homeopathic products?

Guests:

Michael De Dora, director of the Center for Inquiry's Office of Public Policy; a non-profit organization advocating for science-based policy; De Dora provided testimony to the FDA hearings on homeopathy oversight

Paul Herscu, ND & MPH, Licensed Naturopathic Physician and published author who writes frequently on issues in homeopathy

This picture taken on May 13, 2013 in the French western city of Rennes shows a woman choosing Google Search (or Google Web Search) web search engine front page on her tablet. ; Credit: DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/Getty Images

Starting today, websites that are optimized for mobile browsing will be getting some extra love from the Internet’s most popular search engine.

Google is updating its search algorithm to give preference to websites that are designed for viewing on mobile devices. Google changes its search algorithm frequently, but this time it warned website operators in February about the change and gave them tips on how to best prepare for it. With more users searching the web on mobile devices, Google is hoping the change will allow users to find relevant content in a simpler, more timely manner.

Some website operators aren’t as thrilled about the move as the rest of the tech world and have coined the term “mobilegeddon” to describe it. Small and medium-sized businesses often lack the resources or personnel to design a website optimized for mobile, and Google’s new algorithm would penalize their sites for not being streamlined for viewing on smartphones and tablets.

Guest:

Nick Mokey, managing editor at DigitalTrends.com. He tweets @NickMokey.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) greets Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as they arrive for Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to become the next Secretary of State in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill January 24, 2013 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

“Did you see how she styled her hair at that press conference?” “Will her gender play a role in her decisionmaking?” “Is she too ‘feisty?'”

Though the media at large may not intend it, sexism seeps into the national conversation through seemingly innocuous comments.

A cursory glance at the statements above may not bring up red flags for some, but polls consistently show that women lose ground when topics relating to their appearance and gender are brought to the fore. Instead of focusing on what positions the candidates stand for, discussions quickly hone in on what distinguishes female candidates as a woman instead of as a candidate.

As Hillary Clinton begins her second run for Democrats’ primary nomination and, ultimately, the presidency, she is already facing the issue head-on. In an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer last week, she stated about being judged, “It is just never ending. You get a little worried about, okay, people over on this side are loving what I’m wearing, looking like, saying. People over on this side aren’t...I’m done with that. I’m just done.”

Anti-sexism advocacy groups such as The Women's Media Center have put forward different tools such as “the reversibility test” and an infographic on how to identify and address sexist comments. But whether or not Clinton and other female candidates can escape the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) analysis and criticism of everything unrelated to their politics and policies is still up for debate and will be until 2016.

What tools do the media have to identify and prevent sexist comments and discussions from taking place? Is there a role for candidates in setting the terms of the conversations they will and will not have?

Guests:

Rachel Larris, Communications Director, Women’s Media Center, an advocacy non-profit organization focused on making women visible and powerful in the media; Media Guide to Gender Neutral Coverage 

Mark Barabak, Political Writer for the Los Angeles Times

; Credit: Don LaVange/Flickr

As mandatory water cuts become a reality in the state, one group of people say they are particularly feeling the pinch.

The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, a local group that represents landlords, is lobbying Mayor Eric Garcetti to back a proposal that calls for renters to pay for their water use, in exchange for slightly-reduced rents. The proposal would only impact rent-controlled buildings in Los Angeles.

Read the full story HERE

Guests:

James Clarke, Executive Vice President of The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, one of the largest rental housing associations representing landlords in the U.S. [The group is putting together a proposal which would make tenants in rent-stabilized units pay for their water usage]

Larry Gross, Executive Director of The Coalition for Economic Survival, a tenants rights groups