The National Rights Labor Board requires employers to put up posters about labor laws, but did they ask for too much?

This week, a federal appeals court said the National Labor Relations Board violated the free speech rights of employers by compelling them to post rules in the workplace about the right to unionize.

The poster rule went into effect in 2011. Employers already are required to inform employees about minimum wage, health and safety laws and a slew of other rights. The NLRB wanted to add information about unions because it found that young Americans and new Americans did not know about rights and protections under the law.

Business groups argue the NLRB over-reaches its powers in the workplace.

What are the highlights of the poster? Is the importance in what the poster says but also that it's there at all? Which industries and workers would be particularly impacted by the poster? Do you think it really serves to empower anyone who wouldn't get to that point for other reasons? Isn't it up to individuals to know their rights? What did some in the business community want to strike this down? There are a lot of posters required in the workplace - will those be subject to this ruling?

Guests:

Lynn Rhinehart, General Counsel, AFL-CIO

Karen Harned, Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center. NFIB is one of the plaintiffs in the case

Leonardo DiCaprio and Carrie Mulligan in "The Great Gatsby."; Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Larry and KPCC critics Wade Major and Henry Sheehan review this week’s releases, including The Great Gatsby, And Now a Word from Our Sponsor, Aftershock and more. TGI-FilmWeek!

The Great Gatsby

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

Aftershock

Guests:

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and Host/Producer, IGN DigiGods

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.com

A statue of the school mascot, the Trojan, stands on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

USC has lured a world-renowned neuroscience lab away from UCLA. Described as perhaps the world's premier lab when it comes to finding insights about the brain in massive amounts of data from image scans and genetic tests, leading professors Arthur Toga and Paul Thompson have reportedly been pursued by USC for years with promises to expand their research, connect with other schools and disciplines like medicine and engineering, and offer them upgraded facilities. UCLA's neurology chairman said he had known for months that they were talking to USC and other universities but that the professors never divulged specifics to allow UCLA to make a counteroffer.

This isn’t the first time that USC or another private university has poached professors from the UC system, but if reports are accurate, the professors will be taking nearly 100 members of their staff with them.

Does this spell doom for UCLA’s entire neuroscience department? Will it affect other departments at their school? Is private school poaching a trend that’s been picking up in recent years, or something that has always been a factor in higher education?

Guests:

Sanden Totten, KPCC Science Reporter

Dr. Paul Thompson, Professor of Neurology, starting at USC's Keck School of Medicine next fall

Robin Wilson, Senior Writer at the Chronicle of Higher Education

Fans react as they watch a men's football game.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Disgruntled cable subscribers tired of paying for channels they never watch have a new advocate in the form of Senator John McCain. The Arizona lawmaker yesterday introduced the Television Consumer Freedom Act 2013, which would give cable viewers the right to choose which channels they want to buy.

Currently, television networks like Viacom and Disney sell their channels to cable companies in bundles. The bill would force these networks to unbundle their products, giving cable companies the ability to purchase channels a la carte. The thinking is that cable companies would thus be incentivized enough to let customers do the same thing.

This is Senator McCain’s second attempt to rein in out-of-control cable bills. His 2006 bill fizzled and went nowhere.

Is giving consumers the right to cherry-pick which channels they want to pay for the best way to lower cable bills? Consumer groups think so, but the cable industry argues that a la carte would actually hurt consumers.

Guests:

Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog

Steve Effros, cable industry analyst and former head of the Cable Telecommunications Association

Groomer Byron Vasquez of Cerin Racing Stables washes a racehorse after a run on Friday morning at Hollywood Park Race Track. Each season, the team moves their staffers and horses to a different track. Cerin Stables just transported their 35 racehorses from Santa Anita.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

After 75 years of horse racing, Hollywood Park will have its last run on December 22 of this year. Track President Jack Liebau has told the California Horse Racing Board that Hollywood Park is not requesting 2014 racing dates and has notified current employees of the track’s closing.

Because of dropping profits, the land is going to be used for various new developments such as residential housing units, a park, a movie theater, offices and a hotel, according to the Associated Press.

"It had a neat history with the city's history and that's something that can't be replaced anywhere," said Steve Andersen, Southern California Correspondent for Daily Racing Form. "It's had a great role in horse racing as a vital venue in the spring and summer of each year...It really served well the people who lived on the Westside of town whether you were coming from Santa Monica or down to Torrance or Long Beach, so it was your local track for racing."

Hollywood Park opened in 1938 and once hosted Seabiscuit and the first Breeders' Cup in 1984. However, due to dwindling attendance at races, the rising cost of keeping horses and internet betting, the track has not been able to sustain itself. And it’s not alone—It’s the second horse racing track to close since 2008.

"I'm really surprised that it has gone all the way through to 2013," said Andersen. "In 2005, if you'd have said, 'OK lets have an answer how long will it go?' I would have said 2010. Of course that was before the recession hit, which made real estate and commercial and residential development almost impossible. Now they think they can develop this property in the next 12 months."

Can horse racing survive in California? What happened to the crowds that it once drew? What will happen to the more than 1,000 horses that the track houses?

Guest:

Steve Andersen, Southern California Correspondent, Daily Racing Form

The new documentary, “The Source Family,” explores the life of Jim Baker, his followers and the life that they shared.

Los Angeles in the 1970s was an era of many self-styled spiritual groups and communes. One of the most visible was based around the popular, celebrity-filled, Sunset Strip vegetarian restaurant, The Source. Owner Jim Baker was a former karate champion, World War II vet, and ex-con with a knack for the hospitality business. Once he underwent a spiritual transformation and became “Father Yod,” he also showed a knack for gaining followers. Baker staffed The Source with members of his spiritual community. Many of them lived together in a rented Los Feliz mansion.

The new documentary, “The Source Family,” tells the story of a man who saw himself first as a guru, then as God, and, finally, as a very flawed man. Members of the commune are interviewed about what drew them to the Family.  It’s a look back at an L. A. decade unlike any other. What was the appeal of commune living? Why couldn’t it sustain?

Guests:

Isis Aquarian, Source Family member

Electricity Aquarian, Source Family member

Jodi Willie, director of The Source Family

Tennis player Renee Richards on the tennis court, July 1977.; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s AB 1266 would allow transgender students in public K-12 schools to use bathrooms and participate in team sports that correspond to their gender identity. California law currently prohibits discrimination in education, and the Ammiano bill would take protecting trans students one step further, as the first bill in the country to address issues of restroom use and school sports. Last week, AB 1266 cleared a state assembly  and is headed next to the California Senate. It’s an issue that professional sports leagues  have had to wrestle with.

In 1997, Renée Richards sued the United States Tennis Association, and won, in order to play as a woman in the US Open. And mixed martial artist Fallon Fox came out in March as transgender, again raising the question whether she has an unfair competitive advantage over other female fighters. Both the International Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have implemented regulations for transgender athletes.

Is it competitively fair to allow transgender athletes to participate in team sports based on their gender? What do parents think of their kids possibly sharing a locker room with a trans student?

Guests:

Helen J. Carroll, leads the Sports Project at the National Center for Lesbian Rights; former head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of North Carolina-Asheville

Brad Daycus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties

Should LAUSD ban school suspensions for acts of "willful defiance"?; Credit: Photo by superterrific/dana byerly via Flickr Creative Commons

The LAUSD board will vote tomorrow on whether to ban suspensions for acts of defiance. The resolution would prevent suspensions for defiant acts like mouthing off to teachers, instead installing disciplinary measures that would take place while students remained in school.

If passed, the ban would mark a major shift from a zero-tolerance policy for willful defiance. LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy has been monitoring school suspensions and has made progress in reducing them. He and other backers of the ban argue that “restorative justice” is more effective in changing behavior without disadvantaging students.

The mediations required by new disciplinary measures take time and are more costly than suspensions – will LAUSD be able to manage financially if the resolution passes? How could a ban on willful defiance suspensions change things for students and teachers? Is it more appropriate for discipline to take place in school, or are suspensions effective in modifying behavior?

Guests:

Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention

Judith Perez, Ph.D., President of Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, the union that represents principals, assistant principals and other administrators at LAUSD

Tourists walk past the National Museum building in Phnom Penh on May 10, 2013. Cambodia is expected to receive 4 million foreign visitors in 2013, an expected 12 percent rise year-on-year.; Credit: TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP/Getty Images

Planning summer vacation is mostly about finding relaxation or excitement and beautiful places, but it can also be about what you’re avoiding: bad weather, poisonous snakes, picket pockets and palatable fear.

Are you a smart traveller or do you travel with abandon? How do you select your destinations? How do you know which excursion companies -- for zip-lining, bungee-jumping or insect-dining -- are thrilling in all the right ways? What are the best sources for the latest travel information? How extensive should travel insurance coverage be? What are some places that are perceived as risky, but in fact worth being on your bucket list?  What are your lessons learned?

Guests:

Brice Gosnell, Vice President of Publishing, Lonely Planet of the Americas

Interview Highlights:

On if there is a market for risky travel:
"I wouldn't necessarily suggest that there is a market, but one aspect of travel is that people like a 'brag factor.' The more experienced you are in terms of traveling you're also trying to raise the bar for yourself so you might be more comfortable trying something that might be a different type of travel for you and that could be perceived as risky. Then you get the advantage of coming back and telling all your friends, 'Well look where I went' and everyone says 'wow, I can't believe you went there!'"

On the value of State Department risk lists:
"I think they're valuable to give you a starting point. I think that if I've gone anywhere, any place where I've gone where I knew there was a perceived risk I always check out what the State Department says. Then you also have to put some of your own common sense, some of your own experience on top of that in terms of what additional information do you want to sort of flush out that risk, to decide whether or not that is a risk you are personally comfortable with."

On if crime (i.e. Mexican Drug Violence) in foreign destinations act as deterrents:
"You can underestimate the power of the media. Just speaking on the issues in Mexico for example, you know Mexico obviously has gotten a lot of bad press because of the drug violence there but in terms of the day to day violence that happens there versus the US, Mexico as a country is actually quite safe. What we're getting reports on is very targeted specific areas, most people understand this consciously, but at the same time when they're making the decision as to whether it's worth going to Mexico or another destination that might be a factor."

On what locations are sought out by adventurous American tourists:
"Some destinations that may have had a reputation as being not safe, those places have actually changed. A really good example is Nicaragua. I went to Nicaragua eight years ago and even at that time, it was very much starting to become a bit on the scene for people in the know, it had to more with people who were either retiring, because there's a certain area in Nicaragua where there are some retirees and surfers, but traveling there I felt completely comfortable the whole time."

The IRS apologized for targeting the tea party and other conservative groups in its screening process -- how should the IRS avoid politicization? ; Credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

The IRS has come under fire after senior official Lois Lerner announced that the group had inappropriately targeted conservative-leaning groups. The IRS has in the past been accused of politicizing the screening process for tax-exempt status application.

Conservative groups especially have said the IRS unfairly focuses on them, using keywords like “tea party” and “patriot” to aid in their search. The screening process is likely in violation of IRS policy. Lerner issued an apology to the tea party groups and Democrats and Republicans in the Senate Finance Committee, including Committee Chairman Max Baucus, have called for an investigation into the IRS’ actions.

Did the IRS break the law by inappropriately targeting conservative groups? How should they be held accountable? Is there any evidence they targeted other groups as well?

Guest:  

Josh Hicks, Washington Post reporter and “Federal Eye” blogger

State Department foreign service officer and former deputy chief of mission in Libya, Gregory Hicks arrives for testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee during a hearing titled, "Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage" in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill May 8, 2013 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Did the United States mishandle the September 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya? Was there a cover-up? Four Americans died when the U.S. diplomatic outpost was attacked, and some were outraged that there was no military response. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” this weekend and and stated that he would have handled the situation in the exact same way. And today, President Obama called media's renewed interest in Benghazi a "sideshow" and denied any sort of a cover-up.

Guests:

Nick Gillespie, Editor in Chief, Reason.com and ReasonTV, Co-Author of the book “The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America”

Nicholas Wapshott, Reuters columnist

Neil Harbisson gives a TED talk: "I Listen to Color."

Neil Harbisson was born completely colorblind, but with a machine he helped invent called the "eyeborg" he can now hear in color. Harbisson says he was inspired by the idea of expanding his perception: his eyeborg machine perceives a wide spectrum of colors, including some that the human eye can't detect, and translates them into sound. Each color matches up with a tone and pitch, and using bone conduction in the back of his skull, Harbisson is able to listen to the colors the machine is seeing. 

Harbisson has been wearing his eyeborg for more than a decade, and over time has adapted it to see more and more. The eyeborg can detect some colors that only insects and birds can see, as well as infrared, which Harbisson says is his favorite color because of its low tone.

Harbisson, a former music student, has used his expanded senses as a cyborg to contribute to his art. He paints famous speeches and works of music. He has spent time listening to famous faces -- Prince Charles has a nice sound to him -- and looking at beautiful vistas, though Harbisson says his favorite views are at the supermarket, where pure white light enhances bright colors. 

While many are fascinated by the eyeborg, Harbisson says that cyborgism hasn't quite caught on. There are developments to be made in the medical field for those wishing to use technology to enhance their sense. Harbisson has also been outspoken about cyborg rights; he has often been discriminated against by store owners and law enforcement officers who assume the eyeborg is a camera. 

What is the future of cyborgism? How can people enhance their perception with technology? Neil Harbisson joins us for a conversation about his experience as the world's first recognized cyborg. 

Guest:

Neil Harbisson, Cyborgist and Colorologist

Actress Angelina Jolie attends the Women in the World Summit 2013 on April 4, 2013 in New York, United States. Jolie spoke out this week about her preventative double mastectomy. How should women best screen for and protect against breast cancer? ; Credit: Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images

The actress made a stunning announcement in a New York Times op-ed that she underwent a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of contracting breast cancer. Jolie said she was a carrier of the “faulty” gene BRCA1.

The gene can be detected with a blood test and can alert patients to a higher-than-average risk of breast and ovarian cancers. What is the BRCA1 gene and how do you test for it? Are the tests reliable? If you are a carrier of the gene, what are your medical options? Is preventative surgery the best way to cut down your cancer risk?

Guests:

Dr. Nova Foster, surgical director of the UCLA Santa Monica breast center

Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California; Director of the USC Westside Cancer Center

Interview Highlights:

Dr. David Agus on what makes the testing process so difficult?
"If there isn't a history of breast cancer in the family and we look at the genes and there's an abnormal letter, we don't always know what it means. So we really only know how to understand it in the context of a family history of breast cancer."

Dr. Agus on why its so expensive to get tested:
"When you start to look at it, there's a company that patented the gene, and there's a Supreme Court case that should be decided in the next month saying 'should they be allowed to patent the gene?' because the test costs over $3,000. People who's insurance companies don't pay for, or don't have insurance, don't have the ability to look at their own gene. To run the test costs several dollars, yet they charge thousands of dollar. So should we be allowed to patent genes and not allow people without the resources to look at their own DNA. There is a cheaper version of the test for people of Ashkenazic Jewish descent because we know exactly where to look and we don't have to sequence the whole gene in those patients."

Dr. Agus on whether pre-existing conditions:
"Bush passed a law called GINA, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, so based on that nobody, whether an employer or insurance company an discriminate based on a preexisting genetic condition. That being said even before that law was passed, there aren't cases in the courts where people have discriminated against, but I'm glad that the protection exists, because it needs to. All of us need to be empowered with knowledge. With knowledge comes the ability to prevent."

Dr. Agus on how men factor into the discussion:
"A man, if he carried BRC1 or 2 has a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer [and male breast cancer], so they themselves need to be aware. They also need to be aware that they will pass it on to their children, so they need to be aware for themselves and their children. If a young girl, a teenager, goes on oral contraceptives and she's BRCA1 positive, you're going to have a dramatic increase in breast cancer before the age of 20, so it's an issue that society hasn't even addressed. These kids aren't old enough to consent to genetic testing, yet obviously if we know we can do things differently in these young girls to hopefully make them live a long and better life."

Dr. Nova Foster on the advances of reconstructive surgery:
"The aesthetics of the reconstructive surgery have made great advances in recent years...Angelina Jolie decided to go with an implant based reconstruction, you can also do reconstruction of the breast with autologous tissue, so you can harvest your own tissue from the tummy area or other areas if the tummy tissue isn't available or appropriate. but certainly the aesthetics of the reconstructed appearance are quite amazing these days and I think she's made a very important point in saying that it in no way diminishes her femininity."

Dr. Foster on why the decision to undergo a double mastectomy is so difficult:
"In our culture breasts are a huge part of one's self-image, and it's a significant thing to contemplate losing your breasts no matter how nice the reconstruction is, it's still a big emotional thing that women have to deal with. You certainly can't underestimate that."

Anti-abortion and pro-choice demonstrators argue in front of the Supreme Court. Both the pro-choice and pro-life camps claim that the Gosnell decision was a victory. Who's right?; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Doctor Kermit Gosnell was found guilty yesterday of murdering three babies and one female patient. He may face the death penalty. Authorities say the three babies were alive when they were delivered, but Gosnell then snipped them with scissors. Gosnell was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for a drug overdose given to the female patient.

Many abortion rights advocates believed Gosnell should have been convicted for his gruesome acts, but they argue that more abortion restrictions would only lead to more illegal practices. Anti-abortion activists say this case highlights what abortion truly is. Politicians have taken note of this case. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) is trying to move the Senate to review abortion policies.

Does regulating clinics make them safer or is it a plot to shut them down? Why did so many women go to Gosnell? Would more legislation drive women to questionable facilities? Are there more doctors like Gosnell or is he an outlier?

Guests:

Dr. Anne Davis, consulting medical director for Physicians for Reproductive Health

Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue

California Governor Jerry Brown in Washington, D.C.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Today, Governor Jerry Brown unveils how he plans to use the estimated $4.5 billion in extra tax revenue the state has collected in the first 8 months of the fiscal year. Some lawmakers want to use the money to restore cuts to social safety-net programs like Denti-Cal and state mental health programs, but Brown is on the record calling for lawmakers to practice fiscal discipline and work to pay down the state's massive debt instead. How should the governor spend this found money?

Guest:
Julie Small, KPCC reporter covering Sacramento

A man rids his bike against the win as giant wind turbines are powered by strong winds at sunset on March 27, 2013 in Palm Springs, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

In one corner, we have the California condor, one of the most endangered birds in the world that the Golden State has spent tens of millions of dollars to save from extinction. In the other corner, we have wind farms—a valuable alternative energy source in the state.

The Bureau of Land Management is considering giving a permit to the operators of Terra-Gen Power's wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains, about 90 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles, which would exempt them from being prosecuted for any turbine-related condor deaths. The Endangered Species Act forbids the killing and harassing of California condors. The decision will be made at the end of May.

Should wind farms be exempted? Is the decision counter-intuitive, given the amount of money California has spent on sustaining the California condor population?

Guests:

Kim Delfino, California Director at Defenders of Wildlife

Ashley Richmond, Director of Siting Policy at The California Wind Energy Association

A passenger walks through the Ontario Airport.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

If you've had a hard time booking flights at Burbank or Ontario airport lately, we now have hard data to attest to that. A new study from MIT researchers shows that while flights have decreased on the whole since the Great Recession, mid-size airports have been hardest hit. From 2007 to 2012 departing flights at Burbank dropped by 25% and Ontario had a bigger drop of 49%, while LAX experienced just a 7% decrease.

The analysts note, "As a result of a prolonged economic downturn, high fuel prices, and a new breed of airline strategy focused on increased load factors and capacity discipline, about 1.4 million yearly scheduled domestic flights have been cut from the U.S. air transportation system from 2007 to 2012."

Michael Wittman of MIT says "All this is making people in smaller communities feel antsy, because airports are a link to the global economy."

How is it affecting you? Is this new business model of airliners sustainable? How are smaller airports trying to retain airliners?

Guests:

Michael Wittman, Airline Researcher at Research Engineer in MIT’s International Center for Air Transportation - its recent study found a significant decrease in traffic at mid-size airports

Brian Sumers, Airports and Airlines Reporter, Los Angeles News Group

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has been criticized for federal investigations into the A.P. that included seizures of phone records. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Federal investigators secretly seized the phone records from editors and reporters for the Associated Press. Two months of office, home, and cell phone records were taken without notice – the A.P. is calling the seizure “serious interference with A.P.’s constitutional rights to gather and report the news.” Justice Department regulations require subpoenas for journalist records, and usually news organizations are given a chance to challenge these in court.

While investigators did have subpoenas for the A.P. records, the seizures were not disclosed – the Associated press was not informed until last Friday about the investigations. The A.P. and several other news organizations have spoken out against the Justice Department’s actions, saying that the widespread seizures violate the freedom of the press protected in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Should the federal government have the right to seized records from journalists? Was the nondisclosure in this incident a violation of the freedom of the press? How should these situations be handled in the future?

Guest:
Josh Gerstein, White House Reporter for POLITICO

LACMA's Urban Light exhibit, as featured by the Instagram Challenge winner stevenjay; Credit: Steven Gaskin

LACMA director Michael Govan joins AirTalk to talk about his redesign ideas. How it will affect the future of the Los Angeles art scene?

Guest:
Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Director

Florida Highway Patrol trooper Raymond Addison conducts a field sobriety test at a DUI traffic checkpoint June 4, 2007 in Miami, Florida. How many drinks would put your blood alcohol level at .05?; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The National Transportation Safety Board wants to lower the amount of alcohol it takes for a person to be considered a drunk driver. The NTSB voted to recommend that the legal blood alcohol level be reduced to 0.05 from the current level of 0.08. They say that at .05 BAC, some drivers can struggle with depth perception and other visual functions and be fully impaired at .07.

RELATED: Take Two: NTSB recommends lowering DUI limit to 0.05 percent

Although the number of deaths from drunk driving have dropped by half  in the past thirty years, the NTSB says that nearly 10,000 people still die annually in alcohol-related traffic accidents. The U.S. is among a handful of countries with a limit as high as 0.08 but restaurant and alcohol industry groups say that lowering the rate will not stop severely impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.

Should states follow the recommendation and lower the drunk driving limit to 0.05? Would lowering the limit make a difference in how many drinks you will have before driving? Would lowering the limit lead to fewer alcohol-related traffic deaths?

Guests:
Bruce Lee Livingston, executive director and CEO, Alcohol Justice, a national advocacy organization that campaigns against the influence of the alcohol industry

Sarah Longwell, managing director of The American Beverage Institute

Reaching Zero: Actions to Eliminate Alcohol-Impaired Driving by scprweb

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