U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel speaks with reporters after reading a statement on chemical weapon use in Syria during a press conference on April 25, 2013 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

Defense secretary Chuck Hagel announced on Thursday that the US has a "varying" amount of confidence that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons in its ongoing civil war. President Barack Obama has repeatedly said that if Syria ever used chemical weapons it would cross a "red line". The White House sent a letter to Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and John McCain, R-Ariz., on Thursday. saying that the Syrian government likely used the chemical agent sarin gas "on a small scale".

If the use of chemical weapons can be proved, does it justify US intervention in Syria? What type of proof should be required after faulty intelligence about the use of chemical weapons in Iraq? What should the "red line" be to justify US involvement?

Guests:
Danielle Pletka, Vice President of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute

Rudy deLeon, Senior Vice President for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress

Camila Alves, Matthew McConaughey, Andra Liemandt and Joe Liemandt attend the Cinema Society with FIJI Water & Levi's screening of "Mud" at The Museum of Modern Art on April 21, 2013 in New York City.; Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Lael Loewenstein to review the week’s new film releases, including Mud, At Any Price, The Big Wedding and more. TGI-FilmWeek!

Mud

?

At Any Price

The Big Wedding

Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety

Camila Alves, Matthew McConaughey, Andra Liemandt and Joe Liemandt attend the Cinema Society with FIJI Water & Levi's screening of "Mud" at The Museum of Modern Art on April 21, 2013 in New York City.; Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Lael Loewenstein to review the week’s new film releases, including Mud, Pain and Gain, The Big Wedding and more. TGI-FilmWeek!

Mud

?

Pain and Gain

?

The Big Wedding

Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety

Are doctors reckless in prescribing painkillers? ; Credit: Photo by Be.Futureproof via Flickr Creative Commons

California legislators are considering a bill to strip the California Medical Board of its powers to investigate problem physicians. The board has been criticized for failing to properly discipline doctors who are accused of harming patients, including recklessly prescribing painkillers.

The bill, co-authored by Sen. Curren Price (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Richard Gordon (D-Menlo Park) would hand the power to investigate and discipline doctors to the California attorney general, leaving the board to deal mostly with licensing doctors. Medical board President Sharon Levine has not yet commented on the legislation.

Guests:
Senator Curren D. Price, Jr., sponsored legislation to have the Medical Board’s powers removed; Senator Price represents the 26th district, which covers much of Los Angeles.

Henry Fenton, founding partner at the healthcare law firm Fenton Nelson LLC

The Los Angeles Times building on June 7, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The Tribune company, which owns many large media brands, is emerging from bankruptcy and considering selling its newspaper division, which includes, among other important U.S. dailies, the Los Angeles Times.

Billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, who are unabashed libertarians, are reportedly looking into purchasing the Tribune’s papers valued at $623 million. The thought of the Kochs and the Times linked together has had commentators speculating all week on how the sale could effect the fourth-largest newspaper in America, and this morning, NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik reported on the possibility of a sale.

Reason Editor Matt Welch, a former Los Angeles Times employee, told Folkenflik: “It would be such a culture clash, inevitably, between them and the newsroom there that it would be kind of open conflict for a long time. I would have a hard time imagining how they get out of that, how they calm that down in a productive way.”

Folkenflik reports that so far there is no official confirmation that the Koch’s are interested in buying the papers, and why would they be? Newspapers aren’t exactly gold mines these days, and the papers would be only a drop in the Koch’s revenue pipeline--the brothers businesses bring in a reported $115 billion annually.

So why are they interested? The brothers have been major donors to libertarian causes, and naturally many people are speculating that they will use these newspapers to spread their views. Others argue that changing the political tone of a paper like the LA Times is impossible, as its readers will simply flee.

So if the Koch brothers actually buy the paper, what will happen? Is this a subversive political move, or just another business venture? Furthermore, who else is bidding for the papers? And could a sale, regardless of buyer, trigger more cuts in a business that has seen its budgets slashed year after year?

Guest:
David Folkenflik, NPR media correspondent

Hospice volunteers caress the hands of terminally ill patient Annabelle Martin, 95.; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

It’s probably one of the toughest conversations doctors have to have with their patients: how to tell someone that he or she has a terminal illness. The latest issue of BMJ, an online medical journal, has turned the very topic on its head, by asking several doctors whether physicians should even tell their patients that they are terminally ill.

Proponents say information is power, that patients need to have that knowledge so they could make more informed medical and end-of-life decisions. Opponents counter by saying that the concept of “terminal illness” is not clearly defined and that prognoses can never be certain, so doctors could sometimes be doing patients more of a disservice by telling them that they are going to die.

Should doctors tell patients they are terminally ill? Would it make things easier, or harder? Do patients have a right to that information? How might they approach life differently?

Guests:
Peter Ubel, Physician at Duke University and author of “Critical Decisions: How You and Your Doctor Can Make the Right Medical Choices Together” (Harper Collins, 2012)

Leslie Blackhall, Physician and Section Chief, Palliative Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine

"The Friedkin Connection," by WIlliam Friedkin

Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin is out with a new book chronicling his rise from a poor urban neighborhood the the height of Hollywood elite.

Director of "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist," Friedkin gives readers a behind the scenes look at how his films came to life - from how the Exorcist's demon voice was created to whom he considered for the lead role of Popeye.

Guest:
William Friedkin, director of "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist" and more

Goose Island's India Pale Ale and Budweiser beer; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

For years, the medical community abstained from studying hangover cures because doctors didn’t want to be seen as encouraging overindulgence of alcohol. What helped change that was grasping the severity of the problem: it’s estimated that painful hangovers cost the U.S. economy $148 billion annually. Recovering revelers either call in sick or show up with headaches, nausea, decreased skills and general misery. Now, scientists are calling for more research into cures. What about tequila shots or a bottle of wine actually causes the pain of a hangover? Dehydration was blamed in the past, but that’s changing.

What are your homemade hangover cures and what do actual doctors recommend?

Guest:
Dr. Sharon Orrange, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at USC; Also has a private practice in Internal Medicine at USC

This April 18, 1995 file photo shows Lisa Marie Presley (L), the daughter of rock legend Elvis Presley, walking with her then husband Michael Jackson (R) as they go to greet children at his Neverland Ranch in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Opening statements start today in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson against concert promoter AEG. Jackson alleges the promoters of the King of Pop's comeback concert were ultimately responsible for his death. Lawyers for the Jackson family will argue that AEG was negligent by pushing the pop star too hard to prepare for his "This is It" tour. They also allege that the concert promoter hired and managed Dr. Conrad Murray, the doctor convicted of involuntary manslaughter after he prescribed Jackson a lethal combination of drugs. Jackson died four years ago at the age of 50.

The case is expected to shed light on the secretive pop star's final days. The witness list reads like a who's who of Hollywood elite - Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Lou Ferrigno and Spike Lee are expected to testify. Both of Jackson's ex-wives, Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, are listed as possible witnesses.

Is AEG responsible for hiring Conrad Murray? How much will be revealed about the pop star's personal life? It's been rumored that the Jackson family is asking for $40 billion in damages. How high could a settlement run?

Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers is consoled by Kobe Bryant after coming out of the game in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on April 28, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. The Spurs defeated the Lakers 103-82.; Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The season started out promising enough, but injuries proved to be the ultimate undoing  of the Los Angeles Lakers this year. The short-handed team—minus Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Metta World Peace and more—were swept out of the first round of the NBA playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs. Now plenty of thorny questions face the Purple and Gold. Will Dwight Howard stay? Will Pau Gasol be traded? With Kobe’s torn Achilles tendon and the difficulty of recovering from such an injury, who will be the future of the Lakers?

In other NBA news, Jason Collins, a 12-year NBA veteran, has become the first active male athlete in a major American team sport to come out as gay. He made the announcement in a first-person piece for Sports Illustrated. “I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand,” Collins writes in Sports Illustrated.

Members of Lambda Theta Delta (LTD), an Asian-American fraternity at UC Irvine, created a music video inspired by the Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z collaboration, "Suit and Tie," that shows one of the men in blackface.; Credit: Screenshot via YouTube

The University of California, Irvine, is looking into a video produced by the Asian-American fraternity Lambda Theta Delta that features one of its performers in blackface. The video shows three members of the fraternity dancing to the Justin Timberlake song “Suit & Tie.” A minute into the video, they are joined by a fourth member in blackface pretending to be the hip-hop star Jay Z.

The video went viral last week and sparked outrage on campus. Lambda Theta Delta has since issued an apology on Facebook. "This behavior is simply unacceptable and the individuals responsible for the video have already been reprimanded within the organization prior to the public outcry to which this formal apology is responding," the statement read. But some in the university community are calling for more than just reprimands.

Thomas Parham, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at UCI, has said that if school policy is found to have been violated, the fraternity or its members could face more severe sanctions. What should the punishment be?

Guest:

Sarah Menendez, opinion editor of the New University, UC Irvine's official newspaper, who’s been covering the story for the paper.

Should non-citizens serve on California juries? ; Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Under a law proposed by the California state assembly, the Golden State would be the first in the nation to allow non-citizens to serve on juries as long as they meet all the other requirements of jury service (jurors must be 18, proficient in English, and have no felony record).

While to opponents the idea sounds like a departure from one of the basic tenants of American life--the right to be judged by a jury of one’s peers--those in favor of the change argue that, in a state where one in seven residents are not citizens, the law is simply reflecting the reality of living in California. Supporters also site the need for a larger pool of potential jurors as a reason to open the criteria.

Does the inclusion of non-citizens on juries weaken or strengthen the verdicts they hand down? Would non-citizens fully grasp the importance of sitting on a jury, or might they take it more seriously than American citizens who sometimes consider jury duty a hassle?

Guests: 

Bob Wiecowski, California state assemblyman representing the 25th District, which encompasses parts of San Jose and the South Bay Area

Rocky Chavez, California state assemblyman representing the 76th District, which includes most of coastal northern San Diego County, including Oceanside and Carlsbad

A student talks with cafeteria worker Sophia Villareal as she picks up her breakfast at Brockton Elementary School.; Credit: Richard Hartog

LAUSD may eliminate a classroom breakfast program serving over 200,000 children. The program’s supporters argue that offering a nutritious breakfast at school is crucial for children who may not be eating at home, either because their parents can’t afford food for breakfast or because they leave for work too early in the morning to make sure something is on the table before school.

"Many kids have single parent families and the mom may be asleep because she had the night shift. They may be going to school with a sibling who goes to school at a different time. Any number of reasons that explain why they can't come in early enough to make use of the breakfast program before the first class," said William McCarthy, professor at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health. "I think every child should be assured to be well fed before the start of the first class of the day, otherwise they're not going to be taught."

The teachers union opposes the breakfast program, saying that it cuts too much time out of classroom instruction. In addition, the 10 minutes allotted to breakfast in the classroom has proven to be not enough time; 

"Setting up a 10 minute window in which to do 25 or 30 minutes worth of work is guaranteed to mean that something is going to lose out, either the nutritional side or the instructional side," said Warren Fletcher, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. "It's being rolled out poorly, it's being rolled out in a way that assures bad sanitation issues. Board member Monica Garcia said there needs to be some middle ground."

The classroom breakfast program was launched last year to increase the number of children eating breakfast after it was discovered that only 29 percent of children eligible for free or discounted food were eating before school in the cafeteria. With new breakfast numbers up to 89 percent, schools are reporting fewer tardies, greater classroom focus, and higher attendance.

What’s the way out of this dispute? Is there a way to make before-school cafeteria breakfasts more popular and effective?

Guests: 
Warren Fletcher, President, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)

William McCarthy, Professor, UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health; McCarthy specializes in nutrition and has devoted most of his 30-year career to intervention studies designed to encourage members of special populations to adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, center, mother of Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar, reportedly spoke of radical ideas with her eldest son in 2011. Anzor Tsarnaeva, the boys' father, is on the left. At right is the boys' aunt, Patimat Suleymanova.; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

What would lead a 19-year old student to carry out a bombing plot? Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s uncle, Ruslan Tsarni speculates that without close family ties and the lack of parental figures, Tsarnaev came under the influence of his older brother. Tsarnaev will undergo a mental health assessment in hopes of avoiding the death penalty.

The brothers’ mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, says her sons are innocent and claims no involvement, but she is being investigated by U.S. and Russian authorities. Did Tsarnaeva's more devout interest in Islam play a role? Or did Tamerlan Tsarnaev's dashed Olympic boxing dreams radicalize him?

Was Dzhokhar Tsarnaev neurologically influenced by his older brother or did the two brothers just encourage each other? What are the psychological similarities between Tsarnaev and DC sniper Lee Boyd Malvo?

Guest:
Deborah Kotz, reporter for the Boston Globe

Rebbi Jackson, sister of the late pop star Michael Jackson, arrived at Los Angeles Superior Court where the trial of Katherine Jackson and Michael’s children against concert promoter AEG Live is being held at Los Angeles Superior Court on April 29, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

Opening statements started Monday in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson against concert promoter AEG. Jackson alleges the promoters of the King of Pop's comeback concert were ultimately responsible for his death. Lawyers for the Jackson family will argue that AEG was negligent by pushing the pop star too hard to prepare for his "This is It" tour. They also allege that the concert promoter hired and managed Dr. Conrad Murray, the doctor convicted of involuntary manslaughter after he prescribed Jackson a lethal combination of drugs. Jackson died four years ago at the age of 50.

The case is expected to shed light on the secretive pop star's final days. The witness list reads like a who's who of Hollywood elite - Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Lou Ferrigno and Spike Lee are expected to testify. Both of Jackson's ex-wives, Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, are listed as possible witnesses.

Is AEG responsible for hiring Conrad Murray? How much will be revealed about the pop star's personal life? It's been rumored that the Jackson family is asking for $40 billion in damages. How high could a settlement run?

Guest:
Jody Armour, Professor of Law at the University of Southern California

A 4-day-old newborn baby lies in a baby bed in the maternity ward of a hospital.; Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued guidelines for delivering a baby outside of a hospital. Statistics show that more women, though still a small number, have been choosing midwives over maternity wards. So, doctors say they want to ensure best practices for newborns wherever they come into the world.

There is worry that mothers-to-be taking a naturalistic approach may also shun modern medical advice for newborns, including Hepatitis B vaccines, Vitamin K doses and screening for genetic diseases. Still they acknowledge a homebirth comes with hopes of a more family-friendly scene, more control and decreased intervention and cost.

Why are more women choosing homebirths? Why do doctors says  "a woman's choice to plan a home birth is not well supported in the United States?" What's your experience with the maternity ward or midwives?

Guest:
Dr. Dennis Woo, M.D., Doctor of Pediatrics, UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica

A box from Amazon.com; Credit: Flickr/Aurelijus Valeiša

In a battle of the digital world vs. the real world, Amazon the online retailer is battling Amazon the river over the rights to the .Amazon domain name. The Internet retailer wants to stake its claim to the domain but the governments of Peru and Brazil think .Amazon should be reserved for the protection of the river's environment, the advancement of indigenous rights, and other uses in the public interest. The two South American governments have taken their objections to the ICANN, the international body responsible for the Internet's naming system.

This isn’t the first time Amazon has run into trouble over snapping up broad domain names. The retailer also ruffled some feathers by buying the generic name .Book and not sharing it with anyone else. If two groups both stake a claim to a domain name, who gets it?

Guest:
Andrew Allemann, editor of Domain Name Wire.com

A plane coming in for a landing at LAX.; Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC

The Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote on proposed improvements for LAX. This nearly $5 billion set of changes includes additional terminals and a transportation center, but the most controversial change is moving a runway 260 feet closer to neighborhoods in Westchester and Playa del Rey.

This runway move is so LAX can add a center taxiway, which is supposed to help the airport manage air traffic and increase safety for large commercial jets. However, opponents are not happy and say this move would increase pollution, noise, and traffic and decrease the value of local homes. Councilman and mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti opposes the change, but these improvements have already been approved by most commissions, including the airport commission and the city's Planning Commission, according to the L.A. Times.

Will this runway move improve air traffic and safety? Are opponent concerns valid? Are there other options?

Guests:
Ruben Gonzalez, Vice President of Public Policy and Political Affairs at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce 

Ken Alpern, Boardmember of the Mar Vista Community Council and co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee

A female police officer poses as a prostitute on Holt Boulevard in Pomona, CA.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

In an attempt to stem prostitution, Orange County is turning to publicizing the names of those who are convicted of buying sex. Orange County District Attorney's office said in a news release that putting a spotlight on convicted "johns" will help, "Send a message to human traffickers and sex purchasers that they can no longer perpetuate this problem without suffering severe consequences."

"This is not just limited to this one aspect, human trafficking is all kinds of slavery, anything from trafficking for labor, trafficking for sexual favors in a slave type manor," said Tony Rackauckas, Orange County District Attorney. "We're talking about women, boys and little girls who work involuntarily as slaves. We should do whatever we can to reduce and stop that process."

O.C. is the latest to a list of cities across the country that feel that a little public humiliation goes a long way in putting an end to prostitution, which O.C. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has characterized as an increasing problem.

"I certainly think it will deter somebody whose from doing it again," said Rackauckas. "I would imagine that if a person's name goes up on the internet or on the air for purchasing sex, he'll probably never do it again."

Calling out so-called johns seems like it would be a good idea, but critics argue that publicizing the names can cause unnecessary grief for the families of those exposed. Laurie Shanks, Clinical Professor of Law at the Albany Law School in New York, says that only a john's loved ones should be notified. 

"I think that the outcome will be that people will lose their jobs, marriages will be destroyed, spouses and children will be humiliated," said Shanks. "You're really punishing the family members, you're really imposing a penalty that wasn't contemplated. What the prosecutor is saying in this case is, 'Well I'd like to add some penalties, and what I'd like to add is humiliation, what I'd like to add is the public thinking badly of this person, what I'd like to do is let his wife know,' and that's just not appropriate in my mind."

Shanks also says focusing on the johns in this case equalizes prostitution, not differentiating between child prostitutes working as slaves and adults working as prostitutes because of an economic reason.

"Those are two very very different crimes. To talk about some one purchasing say a five- or six-year-old, that's a very serious felony, that is a very different serious consideration," said Shanks. "The DA's press release makes it clear that some of the people that he's talking about have nothing to do with child slavery. This has nothing to do with protecting children or protecting people in a slave relationship, this is about shaming, this is like putting someone in the stocks or making them wear a scarlet letter."

Matt Lee contributed to this article.

Tell us what you think in the comments:
Does "john-shaming" work as a tactic in the battle against prostitution? What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? What are some possible negative consequences of this effort?

Guests:
Tony Rackauckas, Orange County District Attorney

Laurie Shanks, Clinical Professor of Law at the Albany Law School in New York

Voice therapist Robert Dowhy goes through a series of exercises that teach how to relax throat muscles, use vocal cords properly and breathe in ways that reduce voice strain.; Credit: Mae Ryan/KPCC

How you speak could be more important than what you say, according to a new study from Quantified Impressions, a communications analytics company. Everyone knows someone with a grating or annoying voice, and according to new research, they’re more likely to experience HR conflict at work.

Accents and vocal patterns are also important to the way people are perceived -- people with regional, ethnic, or foreign accents are often discriminated against for sounding uneducated or inexperienced. For example, people with Southern accents are frequently passed over for corporate positions in other regions, but their voices may sound more friendly and trustworthy in a sales setting, resulting in larger tips.

People who employ vocal trends like uptalk, vocal fry, or “crutching” are often stereotyped as young, or inexperienced, but it’s more likely to have an impact if they’re not looking for a job in California.

Do people who pick up vocal trends or have what are considered to be annoying voices suffer in the workplace and outside of it? How do trends like uptalking and vocal fry affect the way someone is perceived?

Guests:
Carmen Fought, Professor of Linguistics, Pitzer College, specializes in Phonology, bilingual language acquisition, sociolinguistics

Jayne Latz, M.A., CCC-SLP, President of Corporate Speech Solutions, with over twenty years experience providing speech therapy as a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist