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Chemical weapons in Syria: what should the international community do?

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SYRIA-CONFLICT

Syrian men inspect the scene of a car bomb explosion in Jaramana, a mainly Christian and Druze suburb of Damascus. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images

Conflict in Syria is escalating, with rumors circulating about the Assad regime’s possession of chemical weapons driving international diplomacy talks and intervention.

Unnamed American officials stated that the Syrian military has loaded the chemicals for sarin, a deadly nerve gas, into aerial bombs, ready to be deployed at Assad’s orders. Members of Assad’s regime have rebuffed the reports, insisting that they would never use such weapons against Syrians and claiming that chemical warfare is being used as an excuse for international intervention. A video allegedly shows the Syrian military using white phosphorous gas, which is legal if being used to light the sky at night, but illegal when used as a weapon.

President Obama has warned against the use of chemical weapons against the rebels, citing unspecified consequences. Secretary of State Clinton is discussing the crisis with her Russian counterpart, in hopes of a breakthrough that could preempt excessive violence. There have been reports of rebel advancements, but Assad’s regime has so far denied their validity.

What is the best way to pursue diplomatic relations in Syria? Is there a way to begin resolution before the use of chemical weapons? What would be the appropriate reaction from the U.S. and other nations if they were deployed in Syria?

Guests:

Joshua Landis, Director, Center for Middle East Studies, University of Oklahoma; Writes the blog SyriaComment.com

Mark Jacobson, Senior Transatlantic Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States


David Nasaw’s 'The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy'

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Historian David Nasaw looks at the remarkable yet turbulent life of Joseph P. Kennedy in his latest book.

In order to understand a dynasty, one must sometimes go back to the beginning. That is what historian David Nasaw does successfully in his latest book, looking at the remarkable yet turbulent life of Joseph P. Kennedy.

Nasaw is best known for penning biographies on captains of industry Andrew Carnegie and William Randolph Hearst. In “The Patriarch,” he was given unlimited access to the Joseph Kennedy papers at the John F. Kennedy Library and to the Kennedy family. In this unprecedented biography, Nasaw delves deep into the many careers and ultra ambitious life of the Kennedy patriarch.

The book chronicles Joseph Kennedy’s path from his beginnings in East Boston, to becoming one of the wealthiest and most powerful Americans in the twentieth century, to his final years, enduring the pain and suffering that comes with great tragedies.

Guest:

David Nasaw, author of “The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy” (Penguin Press HC) and Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York

Facebook puts voting to a vote

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Facebook users can vote to keep the existing policy and preserve their right to vote, or to accept the policy changes and relinquish voting rights.

Though many Facebooker may not have known it, the social networking site’s users have been partially in control of changes and additions to the policy and privacy. Users have had the option to vote on governing policy since 2009, but now, the company is on track to take back control, with proposed new documents that would disallow the user voting process.

One final vote will determine whether this new policy goes into effect – the catch is that, to prevent changes, the vote must reach 30% of Facebook users – about 300 million people. Considering past votes, it’s unlikely that users will do much to sway this decision. The most recent Facebook policy vote reached only about 380,000 users. The current vote to save voting rights has already surpassed that with over 400,000 votes and counting, but will users be able to reach the minimum in time to prevent change?

Facebook gave users one week, from December 3rd to the 10th, to cast their votes. Should users be allowed to vote on Facebook governing policy? If this vote is unsuccessful, do you trust Facebook with your privacy and content? Would you leave the site over these changes, or are they relatively unimportant?

Guest:

Will Oremus, staff writer and lead blogger for Future Tense, Slate’s tech blog

FilmWeek: Hyde Park on Hudson, Quartet, Rust and Bone, and more

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Actor Bill Murray, director Roger Michell, actress Olivia Williams, actress Laura Linney, and screenwriter Richard Nelson attend the "Hyde Park On Hudson" Premiere During The 50th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on October 13, 2012 in New York City. Credit: Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Peter Rainer from the Christian Science Monitor and Lael Loewenstein from Variety to review the week’s new film releases including Hyde Park on Hudson, Quartet, Rust and Bone, Playing for Keeps, and more. TGI-FilmWeek!

Hyde Park on Hudson:

Quartet:

Rust and Bone:

Playing for Keeps:

Guests:

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

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety


Royal radio prank culminates in apparent suicide of nurse

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A police officer stands outside the King Edward VII hospital in central London on December 7, 2012 after nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead at a property close by. A nurse at the hospital which treated Prince William's pregnant wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was found dead on December 7, days after being duped by a hoax call from an Australian radio station, the hospital said. Police said they were treating the death, which happened at a property near the hospital, as unexplained. Credit: CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images

A nurse at London’s King Edward VII Hospital has been found dead today of an apparent suicide. Jacintha Saldanha was unwittingly involved in a phone prank carried out by Australian radio hosts Mel Greig and Michael Christian. The DJs pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles calling to check up on the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who was hospitalized for acute morning sickness.

Saldanha, a duty nurse, answered the initial call from the radio hosts in the absence of a receptionist and forwarded their call to another nurse attending to the pregnant Duchess – this second nurse divulged several details of Middleton’s ailments on the air, much to the dismay of the hospital and the royal family. Greig and Christian have expressed remorse over the prank, and both the DJs and the royal family have publicly announced their sadness over Saldanha’s death.

This is not the first unsettling incident for the prank DJs, who were given a five year license probation in 2009 after a phony lie detector prank resulted in a 14-year-old girl admitting on live radio that she was raped. Should radio hosts and celebrity pranksters be held morally culpable for any ensuing chaos? If Greig and Christian work in the U.S., would their licenses be revoked? How much responsibility do public figures have to be sensitive to their audience?

Guest:

Clare Burton, News Correspondent, BBC News

The life and career of Lyle Talbot tells the story of American 20th century entertainment

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Margaret Talbot's memoir of her father revisits Hollywood's golden age.

New Yorker writer Margaret Talbot opens the gates to 1930s Hollywood’s in her new book “The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century.” The memoir is a portrait of Talbot’s father, actor Lyle Talbot, the titular entertainer.

A warm, personal remembrance, Talbot’s work touches not only on her father’s life and her own family history, the entertainment industry’s as well. With novelistic prose, Talbot tells stories of Hollywood’s golden years from a rare, intimate perspective. Talbot joins Larry to discuss her memoir, her father, and 20th century entertainment.   

Guest:

Margaret Talbot, author of The Entertainer: Movies, Magic and My Father’s Twentieth Century, writer for The New Yorker (Penguin)

Bad Yelp review? Tell it to the judge

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Yelp.com is a crowd-sourced review site. Credit: kurare/Flickr

A homeowner in Fairfax County, Virginia, disappointed in the contractor she’d hired, did what any normal person would do: she went on both Yelp and Angie’s List and gave the guy scathing, one-star reviews. In her screed, Jane Perez accused Christopher Dietz of damaging her townhouse, inflating charges and stealing jewelry.

Business owners from restaurateurs to dentists to hairdressers have long complained that they have no recourse against self-appointed online reviewers; like diamonds, a bad review is forever. But Dietz fought back- in the courts.  He’s suing Perez for defamation and asking $750,000 in damages. While he’s deciding the case, the Virginia judge has ordered Perez to remove certain online accusations and barred her from reposting them.  Free speech advocates warn of a slippery slope towards the stifling of constitutional rights. But merchants increasingly claim to be the victim of false and malicious reviewers, some of whom represent on the sites with fake identities.

Should online reviews require verification, and if so, how would it be done?  Does the law protect businesses that have been maligned online?  If you rely on review sites when choosing a service, how can you be sure the reviewer is being truthful?  Have you ever written a bad online review?

Guest:

 

Aaron Morris, partner, Morris & Stone law firm and President of the California Defamation Lawyers Association

Mark Goldowitz, founder and director, California Anti-SLAPP Project

SCOTUS to hear Prop 8 and Defense of Marriage Act cases

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Same Sex Marriage Advocates Rally At San Francisco Court Hearing

(L-R) Same-sex couples Kate Baldridge, Elizabeth Chase, Joe Alfano and Frank Capley look on during a demonstration outside of the Phillip Burton Federal Building on in San Francisco, California. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to take on a case involving same-sex marriage rights for the first time, announcing today that it will rule on the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, as well as New Yorker Edie Windsor’s Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) case.

The court had 10 same-sex marriage cases to choose from -- many analysts speculated that they might not address any of them, or would refrain from ruling on Prop 8 because of the broader implications the decision could have in the 39 states where same-sex marriage is banned. The court could still rule in a way that strikes down DOMA and/or Proposition 8 without addressing the broader legality of same-sex marriage itself. They have also left themselves an out -- the option to dismiss either case if they determine a ruling would have no merit.

Prop 8 has had a tumultuous history since it was passed by California voters in 2008. Later, a federal judge struck down Proposition 8, saying it violated the constitution's Equal Protection Clause. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision, but under narrower grounds, saying the state could not take from gay couples a right that they had already been granted.

A Supreme Court ruling on Prop 8 could have a widespread impact on marriage equality nationwide, and a ruling on Windsor’s DOMA case could set a  precedent for similar cases in other states. How might the Supreme Court address marriage equality in the near future? Could changing popular opinions and state votes affect their decision?

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear the Prop 8 case, how should the justices rule? Guests:


Greg Stohr, Supreme Court reporter, Bloomberg News

Robin Tyler, executive director of the Equality Campaign, and was the first plaintiff in the lawsuit in 2004 that went to the Supreme Court arguing for same-sex marriage

Laura Brill, Partner with the law firm Kendall Brill Klieger; Former Supreme Court Law Clerk for the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Brill's pro bono work focuses on same-sex marriage rights

John Eastman, Professor of Law at Chapman University


Singer Jenni Rivera died in plane crash at the age of 43

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2011 Winter TCA Tour - Day 9

Singer Jenni Rivera. speaks during the "I Love Jenni" lunch session during the NBC Universal portion of the 2011 Winter TCA press tour held at the Langham Hotel on January 13, 2011 in Pasadena, California. Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Millions of fans on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are mourning the loss of 43-year-old singer Jenni Rivera, known as “La Diva de la Banda,” who died in a plane crash on Sunday.

Rivera and at least five others were traveling from Monterrey, Mexico, where the singer had performed Saturday night, to Mexico City, where Rivera was scheduled to appear as a judge on Mexico’s version of the singing competition TV show “The Voice,” when the plane crashed outside the municipality of Iturbide. The crash happened after the 1969 Learjet 25 allegedly malfunctioned, but the exact cause of the failure is still under investigation.

Rivera was the mother of three sons and two daughters. Rivera, born in Long Beach, California, released her first official album in 1999 and was nominated for Latin Grammy Awards in 2002, 2008, 2010 and 2011. Rivera also starred in two reality TV shows and in October, “People en Español” included her on its list of 25 most powerful women.

On August 6, 2010, Rivera was named spokeswoman for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The Los Angeles City Council proclaimed August 6 “Jenni Rivera Day” for her charity work and community involvement.

How will you best remember Jenni Rivera?

Guest:

Randall Roberts, music writer for the L.A. Times

Betto Arcos, freelance music reporter and critic, he’s a frequent guest on PRI’s “The World”

Wendy Carrillo, pop culture writer and longtime fan of Jenni Rivera

Objects in telescope are closer than they appear

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"Near Earth Objects" by Donald K. Yeomans

While it seems that the occurrence of natural disasters is constantly on the rise, we can all be thankful that the worst possible scenario has yet to happen. Most people think of floods or earthquakes as the worst offenders to life and infrastructure, but the most potentially damaging threat is actually hanging above our heads.

Asteroids, and other “near-Earth objects,” could wipe out every single living thing if one of them were to crash into the planet. That’s why NASA created the Near-Earth Object Program Office as an effort to detect such threats to Earth and humanity. The manager of this program, Jet Propulsion Laboratory senior research scientist Donald Yeomans, has compiled some of the insight from his work in this field into a new book.

In “Near-Earth Objects: Finding Them Before They Find Us,” Yeomans details the relationship between our planet and these terrifying space rocks. He also points out that without them, Earth as we know it would probably not exist, as collisions in the past have drastically affected the evolution of our world. How often does one of these objects pose a threat to Earth? What would be done if a crash seemed imminent?  Is there anything to be gained from this for our benefit?

Guest:

Donald K. Yeomans, Fellow and Senior Research Scientist at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office, Supervisor of the Solar System Dynamics Group, and author of Near Earth Objects: Finding Them Before They Find Us (Princeton University Press)

Bringing a mountain (of sand) to Malibu

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A surfer enters the water at the iconic Malibu Surfrider Beach. Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

Residents of Malibu’s Broad Beach, concerned about the severe erosion of the beach in front of their houses, have banded together to try to solve the problem.  They hope to bring sand from another coast location to replace the 200-foot-wide beach that has eroded to almost nothing.  

The $20 million dollar cost will be paid for by a parcel tax that the homeowners have elected to assess on themselves. Likely spots for dredging the necessary 600,000 cubic yards of sand are within the Santa Monica Bay, Ventura Harbor, and beaches at Trancas, Zuma and Dockweiler.. The project is currently under review by the California Coastal Commission and the State Lands Commission, and open to public comment until December 21st.  

Several groups, including Heal the Bay and the Surfrider Foundation, have questioned the plan, saying the environmental ramifications haven’t been fully studied.  Concerns have been raised about the longevity and sustainability of a new dunes system in an area that will continue to be subject to storm activity.  

What lengths are Californians prepared to go to to save their beaches? Does salvaging one area come at a cost to others?  Is it environmentally feasible to restore parts of our coastline, or should we let nature take its course?

Guests:

Ken Ehrlich, project counsel for the Broad Beach Geological Hazard Abatement District, the homeowners’ association formed to address the erosion of Broad Beach

Mark Rauscher
, Coastal Preservation Manager for the Surfrider Foundation

Drug companies sue Alameda County over drug take-back program

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Prescription drugs. Credit: Mario Anzuoni-Pool/Getty Images

Big Pharma is fighting back against an Alameda County law that would require drug companies to fund take-back programs. Advocates of the new law say that unused pharmaceuticals are dangerous:  prescription drugs can easily fall into the hands of young children or experimental teens. Proponents also cite drug motivated home invasions and improper disposal as hazards – drugs flushed down the toilet pollute waterways.

The new statue in Alameda County, which includes Berkeley and Oakland, requires pharmaceutical companies to help pay for the drug take-back programs and proper disposal. The requirements were put in place this past July and require companies to put a plan in place by July 2013. The Alameda take-back program is modeled on similar programs in other countries, but the American pharmaceutical industry is protesting – three major pharmaceutical representatives have already filed suit.

In what ways could a drug take-back program be beneficial? Who would get the most out of it? Is it fair to ask drug companies based in other states to set up take-back and disposal programs in California? 

Guest:

Donna Ziegler, Alameda County Counsel

Fiscal cliff negotiations: what’s on the table?

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US President Barack Obama, with Vice President Joe Biden (L), speaks on the economy in the East Room of the White House in Washington on November 9, 2012. Credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner met one-on-one at the White House on Sunday to discuss a fiscal cliff resolution. Though the divide between the GOP and the President is still wide, there is increasing hope for compromise.

As the fiscal cliff approaches, it has become clearer to House Republicans that tax hikes are unavoidable – if the lame duck Congress refuses to raise taxes on only the wealthy, instead opting to let the Bush tax cuts expire across the board, President Obama may have the support needed to pass his new tax plan in 2013. If the President’s tax plan were to pass in the new Congress, it could prove a politically damaging loss for the Republican Party.

So, how will the parties compromise? One item on the table is a mortgage interest deduction, a long-treasured incentive for homeowners that critics say benefits the wealthy much more than the middle class. Realtors, homeowners, and potential homebuyers are worried that the deduction could be detrimental to the housing market, specifically in the urban centers of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, where home prices are higher.

The deduction would limit the benefits of owning a home, potentially lowering the amount that first time homebuyers could spend. Those who support the deduction cite high rates of homeownership in countries with lower prices on the housing market. They argue that the current deductions primarily incentivize homeownership for the wealthy, and that modifications could be a beneficial compromise during fiscal cliff negotiation.

How should the two parties handle the fiscal cliff as the end of the year approaches? Is there room for compromise on this issue? How much can deductions and spending cuts balance out tax increases? Is there hope for resolution before the year ends?

Guests:

Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times

Chris Thornberg, Principal, Beacon Economics

Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors

The Dodgers looking Yankee-esque in their shopping spree

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Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate a 5-1 win overr the San Francisco Giants to end their season at Dodger Stadium on October 3, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

What a difference a year makes. In a calendar year, the Los Angeles Dodgers went from a team with a reviled owner and a limited payroll to becoming on paper the team to beat in the National League. Once the new ownership group headed by Magic Johnson took over the reins at Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers front office has gone shopping. And this holiday season in Los Angeles, Christmas has come early.

Over the weekend, the Dodgers signed former Anaheim Angel Zack Greinke to a six year, $147 million contract and also signed highly sought after South Korean left hander Ryu Hyun-jin to a $36 million deal. This adds two more starting pitchers making an eight man rotation headed by Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw. These moves, along with the mid season acquisitions of Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett, the Dodgers are looking to build on what they have for not only a championship this next season but perhaps a dynasty for years to come. However, there are some concerns.

Left fielder Carl Crawford is still recovering from an injury and won’t be in the lineup until August. LA also has three different players who can play shortstop or third base and there are no clear cut starters for the 2013 season. Adding into the equation Cuban defector Yasiel Puig, it could make for a crowded outfield as well. There is also a question of team chemistry. It’s one thing to look great on paper. It’s an entirely different matter to play nine innings night in and night out for six months and win games. The Dodgers will have a payroll weighing in at a Yankee-like $230 million this next season so anything less than a championship might be looked at as a failure.

What do you think of these high profile moves? Do you think the team can win this next season? Will the pressure to win be a factor in their success or failure?

Guest:

Bill Shaikin, Sports columnist at the Los Angeles Times

What's next for space exploration?

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The SpaceX Dragon capsule in the grip of the robotic arm of the International Space Station (ISS) during a May 2012 test run. A fully-stocked Dragon will lift off tonight from Cape Canaveral on SpaceX's first official ISS supply mission.

SoCal local Joseph Acaba is an Inglewood-born astronaut with quite a career under his belt. Acaba was chosen to become a NASA astronaut in 2004 after working as a hyrdogeologist, a teacher, and a Peace Corp volunteer.

Acaba’s spaceflight experience began in March 2009 with the 36th flight of the Discovery shuttle and spent 123 days at the International Space Station as a flight engineer with a Soyuz spacecraft. In May 2012, Acaba supported the arrival of the first commercial spacecraft, SpaceX’s Dragon, at the International Space Station.

What’s next for space travel? Is commercial flight important to the future of space exploration? How are astronauts preparing for new developments in their field? Acaba joins Larry to discuss his experiences in space and the future of space travel.

Guest:

Joe Acaba, NASA astronaut, educator, and hydrogeologist. Acaba has logged a total of 138 days in space during two missions.


California Senator Ted Lieu proposes increased penalty for parolees who cut off GPS monitors

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Supreme Court To Rule On California's Overcrowded Prisons

Inmates at Chino State Prison walk the hallway. Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

California State Senator Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles) is working on legislation intended to decrease the number of parolees who avoid GPS monitoring. Lieu alleges that parolees cut off their GPS tracking devices, and that the lax punishment for doing so is encouraging more disobedience.

Although the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation does not track the number of parolees cutting off their GPS monitors, Lieu claims the number has gone up in recent years – the state database currently lists 800 parolees who are supposed to be monitored, but aren’t.  

Senator Lieu says that because there are too few consequences for parole violation, parolees who cut off their tracking devices are supposed to be sent back to prison for 180 days, but due to overcrowding, they are often released again right away. Lieu advocates changes to the policy regarding GPS monitors – if his legislation passes, it would make cutting off the device a felony.

Would Lieu’s proposed law deter parolees who consider breaking loose from their GPS bracelets? Should parole violation be considered a felony? How would this law affect rehabilitation for California parolees? Should parolees be tracked at all?

Guest:

Frank Stoltze, KPCC reporter

Celeste Fremon, Editor of WitnessLA.com; Senior fellow at the Institute for Justice and Journalism

Unmanned space drone takes flight for secretive mission

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Mystery Spacecraft

This April 2010 photo released by the U.S. Air Force shows the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle in the encapsulation cell at the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Fla. The U.S. Air Force's secrecy-shrouded X-37B unmanned spaceplane returned to Earth early Friday after more than seven months in orbit on a classified mission, officials said. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force) Credit: Anonymous/AP

The U.S. Air Force will launch its third unmanned space drone today from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The experimental robotic space plane looks like a small space shuttle and is piloted from the ground. The Air Force has been fairly secretive about the drone’s mission and those of its predecessors, saying only that the planes are used to test technologies in space.

The first space drone was launched in 2010 and spent 224 days in space – the second spent over a year and a half. The only information released about these space drone missions was the launch and return dates. While some industry analysts say the secret space planes could be a precursor to space drone weapons, the Pentagon insists that they are only a “test bed” for new technology.

The craft launching today is designed by Boeing to orbit for 270 days, powered by solar panels. The design and building process has been closely guarded, and it is unlikely that the drone’s mission will be any less secretive. What purpose could unmanned space planes serve in the future? Is drone technology the best way to test equipment? How could these missions contribute to space exploration or military technology?

Guest:

Brian Weeden, Technical Advisor for Secure World Foundation

Shaping the business of legal marijuana

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Los Angeles City Council Votes To Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

A budtender pours marijuana from a jar. Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

This past election cycle, both Washington and Colorado approved the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Supporters of legalization in both states celebrated by toking up in public. At the time, law enforcement agencies looked the other way.

But that approach can’t last forever. Now it’s  down to citizens, businesses, trade associations and lawmakers to figure out the best way to actually roll out regulations and licensing protocol to allow for the production, processing and retail of legalized marijuana. Beyond parsing out the details on the state level, Washington and Colorado also must figure out how to reconcile their own laws with those of the federal government.

The U.S. has made no concessions or changes to its stance on recreational marijuana use; it’s still illegal to be bought, grown, sold and smoked at the national level. It  remains to be seen how these sets of conflicting laws will interact.  

How will Washington and Colorado dole out licenses for marijuana production, processing and retail sale? Which state board will oversee the new marijuana economy? Who will be influencing this policy? How will things change for marijuana users in those states?  Could this development affect marijuana laws nationally?

Guests:

Muraco Kyashna-tocha, director of the Evergreen State Cannabis Trade Alliance, a registered non-profit committed to promoting a safe, legally regulated cannabis industry in Washington State

Kayvan Khalatbari
, part-owner of Denver Relief, a medical marijuana dispensary in Denver, Colorado

Are contact sports too costly a liability for schools?

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Eleven-year-old Robert Turner, a running back and cornerback, looks up as rain comes down during practice. Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Concussion liability costs may go up. Athletes suffering concussions after playing high-risk sports are insured medically, but should insurers be required to pay any legal fees if the injured parties sue?

The debate over who is liable for injury-related legal fees has sparked a debate between leagues and their insurance providers. As a result, insurers may raise premiums to compensate for the increased risk of lawsuits filed by players who suffer concussions. The increased costs of insuring players may be small change for sports giants like the NFL, but the effect on smaller leagues and school sports could be much more pronounced.  

Colleges, high schools, and club teams who can’t afford rising premiums may be forced to extreme measures: raising fees, requiring waivers from players, or even shutting down. How might holding primary insurance companies liable for legal fees change high-risk sports in the big leagues and in lower levels? Should insurers be held responsible for legal damages?

Guests:

Robert Boland, professor of sports law at New York University

William Wilt
, president of Assured Research, an insurance advisory firm

Tom Fox, athletic director, Villa Park High School, which competes in Southwest Division, they made it to the CIF finals this year

Michigan faces union opposition to right-to-work legislation

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Right To Work Michigan

Protesters gather for a rally outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. Credit: Paul Sancya/AP

Michigan, the home of the United Auto Workers, has always been a strong pro-union state.  That’s why the recent passing of anti-union legislation came as such a shock to Michigan’s workers, and to the rest of the nation.  

The new “right-to-work” bill would prevent public workers from being required to join a union as a condition of employment; a second bill, affecting the private sector, is currently under consideration.  Michigan’s House of Representatives approved the bill without public comment, floor debate or committee hearings, despite its being unilaterally opposed by Democrats.  Protestors in the thousands have descended on the state capitol in Lansing and outside the Ann Arbor home of Governor Rick Snyder to make their views known; Snyder is expected to sign the bill this week, making Michigan the 24th right-to-work state in the nation.  

Supporters of right-to-work say it will improve the business climate and give workers more freedom; opponents decry it as a tactic meant to diminish the financial and political strength of unions.  Similar anti-union legislation has recently passed in Wisconsin and Indiana.  

Is this a sign of things to come for the country’s unions?  Would you support a right-to-work law in California?  Do you think unions have too much clout, or do they provide a necessary balance of power between corporations and workers?

Guest:

Chris Christoff , state and municipalities reporter for Bloomberg News, speaking to us from the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan

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