Long Beach Police raided seven medical marijuana dispensaries Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012. Several of the dispensaries operated elaborate marijuana growing facilities.; Credit: Long Beach Police Department

Voters will decide the fate of pot shops in Los Angeles in Tuesday’s election when they choose between three propositions that will regulate medical marijuana dispensaries. Propositions D, E and F will either limit the number of dispensaries in the city or allow more to open with tighter regulations and higher taxes.

The vote comes two weeks after a Supreme Court decision that allows cities and counties to shut down marijuana shops, which many have already done. The city approved a ban of the shops last year that was soon repealed.

Will L.A.’s attempt to regulate dispensaries work this time? Where do people go for medical marijuana if shops are closed? What is the best way to regulate marijuana in L.A? Should it be an open market?

Guest:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC politics reporter

Mason Currey's book "Daily Rituals" chronicles the routines of famous artists.; Credit: Daily Rituals book cover

Many know all too well the feeling of staring at a blank computer screen, cursor blinking, as your hands fidget with nearby objects. Your mind is racing, unable to focus, yet it is absolutely blank at the same time. You type in some words. Delete. And repeat. Well, rest assured that you are not the only writer who has ever suffered from writers’ block.

Writer and former editor Mason Currey found himself in the same dilemma while working on a writing project. His preferred method of procrastination that day was to research what other writers have done to focus, and he ended up discovering strange habits of famous writers. Currey’s new book, “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work” is a collection of 161 routines of famous artists. Ranging from strange habits to helpful ones, Currey joins AirTalk to discuss how he cured his writers’ block.

Are you a writer or artist? How do you force yourself to be inspired? What rituals do you have? What works and what doesn’t?

Guest:

Mason Currey, writer and author of, “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work”

An attendee tries Google Glass during the Google I/O developer conference on May 17, 2013 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

It’s the hottest tech toy since Apple released the iPhone back in 2007. But while many tech observers think Google Glass – the tech giant’s newest wearable computer in the form of a pair of eyeglasses – would revolutionize the consumer tech industry, privacy advocates and lawmakers are worried about its abilities to record people and map faces.

Last week, eight members of Congress sent an open letter to Google CEO Larry Page detailing their concerns and set June 14 as the deadline for the company to add privacy protections into Glass. Caesars Palace in Las Vegas has banned the use of Glass on its premises, as well as some movie theaters and a watering hole in Seattle.

Google Glass won’t be widely available until later this year at the earliest, but a derogatory term has already been coined to describe those with access to the device who abuse its usage: Glassholes.

How does Google Glass work? What are some of the privacy concerns?  Are these concerns overblown?

Guests:
Will Oremus, staff writer at Slate.com

Kurt Opsahl, Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Flipped vehicles are piled up outside the heavily damaged Moore Medical Center after a powerful tornado ripped through the area on May 20, 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma.; Credit: Brett Deering/Getty Images

At least 24 people were killed after a massive tornado pounded an area outside of Oklahoma City yesterday afternoon, according to officials. The suburb of Moore, with a population of over 50,000, bore much of the damage.

Rescue workers have been sifting through the debris and wreckage for survivors since last night and about 100 people have been pulled from under the rubble. The twister, reported to be two mile wide at one point, flattened buildings and destroyed entire neighborhoods.

Officials first put the death toll at 51, but that number has since been revised to 24. Nine of the fatalities are children. President Obama has declared a major disaster in the state, making federal aid available for local and state recovery efforts.

Guests:
Cullen Bieger, was in Moore, Oklahoma when the tornado hit yesterday; he is a native Oklahoman

Kelly Dyer Fry, editor of The Oklahoman and newsok.com

A medico-technical assistant examining cells under a microscope.; Credit: Carsten Koall/Getty Images

Most of us have grown up thinking that germs are disgusting. Antibacterial soaps, sprays and detergents have tried to eliminate germs and microbes from our daily lives. But now scientists are starting to convince people that the 100 trillion bacteria that inhabit the human body are actually beneficial. The success of new treatments called fecal transplants and the new citizen-science initiative, the American Gut Project, are highlighting the importance of germs to our health and well being.

Why do germs make us so squeamish? What’s the latest research into the helpful side of germs? Why have they gone from something we want to kill at all costs to something we want to protect and preserve? How can ‘germ management’ affect our health?  

Guest:

Rob Knight, biochemist at the University of Colorado at Boulder and lead researcher for the American Gut project

Will Arnett and Jason Bateman with "Arrested Development" fans.; Credit: Marion Curtis

Fans may have been late getting on board with the TV series Arrested Development but once they fell, they fell hard. The Fox series was canceled in 2006 after three seasons but a hardcore cult of fans kept demand alive.This Sunday, the show is returning on Netflix for fifteen brand new episodes starring the majority of the original cast, including narrator Ron Howard.

RELATED: There's an 'Arrested Development' banana stand in Los Angeles and a stair car on the loose (PHOTOS) 

How did Arrested Development fans manage to convince network executives to give the show another shot? What other TV shows have been revived after disappearing from the airwaves for years? Is there a formula to these “cult classic” TV shows that have such loyal fans?

Guest:

Robert Thompson, professor of radio, film and TV at Syracuse University and Director, Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture

Tuesday, May 21: The "Arrested Development" banana stand is taking a place at the Grove on Tuesday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Apple CEO Timothy Cook delivers opening remarks while testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Investigations Subcommittee about the company's offshore profit shifting and tax avoidance in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill May 21, 2013 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Apple CEO Tim Cook got a grilling this morning in a hearing called by the U.S. Senate to investigate the tech giant’s paying of its taxes on foreign sales. According to a Senate investigation, Apple Operations International reported $30 billion in income over four years but did not filed an income tax return in any country and has no employees. Similarly, Apple Sales International, based in Ireland, had $74 billion in sales income from 2009-2012 but paid almost no taxes.

Cook told the Senate committee that his company did nothing wrong, and followed tax laws, stating, “We are proud to be an American company, and we are equally proud of our contributions to the U.S. economy.”

Cook went on to criticize the U.S. tax code for not keeping pace with the digital age and called for a simplified corporate tax code that would lower the rate paid on foreign earning, which currently stands at 35 percent and is one of the reasons many large corporations site for using offshore subsidiaries.

Should Apple be required to pay the full tax bill owed for it’s revenue in foreign countries? Should the U.S. government update the tax code to make it less painful for American companies to pay what they owe on sales abroad?

Guests:
Alex Brill, researcher at the American Enterprise Institute where he studies the impact of tax policy in the U.S. economy; former policy director and chief economist of the House Ways and Means Committee; he also served on the staff of the President's Council of Economic Advisers under George W. Bush.

Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; served as the Chief Economist and Economic Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden from 2009-2011

“My Name is Jody Williams: A Vermont Girl’s Winding Path to the Nobel Peace Prize,” is Jody Williams' memoir chronicling the ups and downs of her life.

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jody Williams tells AirTalk about her new memoir that chronicles the ups and downs of her life. She begins by going back to her hometown in Vermont, where she defended her deaf and mentally ill brother against bullies. After attending college and marrying a man that she was not romantically in love with, Williams became very politically active concerning the wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador.

In her memoir, she opens about her sexual assault by a member of the El Salvador death squad and all the triumphs and failures that led to an international ban on landmines, a ban that led to the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. In her book, “My Name is Jody Williams: A Vermont Girl’s Winding Path to the Nobel Peace Prize,” Williams presents herself as an “ordinary person,” hoping to spark others to pioneer change.

Guest:

Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, co-founder and chair of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, and author of “My Name is Jody Williams: A Vermont Girl’s Winding Path to the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Eric Garcetti delivers a speech on May 21, 2013.; Credit: Mae Ryan/KPCC

 City Councilman Eric Garcetti beat out opponent Wendy Greuel to become the city's newest mayor. He took 54% of the vote compared to Greuel's 46% in preliminary results. Turnout was estimated to be about 19% and some 345,000 votes were cast in all the races.

In other races, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich was unseated by former Assemblyman Mike Feuer; Monica Ratliff bested Antonio Sanchez for the 6th District seat on the Los Angeles school board. Measure D, which would limit the number of marijuana dispensaries in the city, passed with 63% of the vote.

Guests:
Fernando Guerra, professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University where he is Director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles

Raphe Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at CSU Los Angeles

Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, Senior Fellow, School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California

Marcy Stech, National Press Secretary, Emily’s List

Peter Hanson of Sweden lines up a shot with his belly putter on day 2 of the 4 day 2012 Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City on November 30, 2012.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Professional golf’s two governing bodies -- the R&A and the USGA -- have banned something called “anchored putting,” a technique that’s favored by four recent major golf tournament champions, including Keegan Bradley, who won the 2011 PGA Championship by using a belly putter.

The new rule bars against any golfer from anchoring the club against their bodies, which gives them better control over a putt. Tiger Woods has thrown his weight behind the move. But opponents say anchored putting doesn’t give them a competitive edge over other competitors and it’s more of a preference than anything else.

At issue is what exactly constitutes a legitimate golf stroke. USGA and R&A say anything short of someone picking up a club, gripping it with two hands and making a free swing away from the body should be questioned. Despite yesterday’s decision, the debate over anchored putting would likely persist in the golf community. The PGA Tour has its own congress and says it will deliberate whether to also implement a ban.

Guest:
Jeff Ritter, senior producer at Golf.com

Rick Ross, also known as Freeway Rick, is featured by L.A. magazine as a reformed former drug dealer.; Credit: Wikipedia

It's a L.A. story seemingly far from Studio City and Hollywood lots. The story of a one-time drug kingpin who emerged from prison still very much an entrepreneur but stripped of criminal intent and, somehow, renewed with optimism. In the new issue of Los Angeles magazine, profile writer Jesse Katz tracks Ross’ complicated navigation of life, possibly with hopes of truly making it in Hollywood.

Katz writes, "[Ross] had grown up on 87th Place, where it dead-ends at the Harbor Freeway, which is how he earned his nickname: Freeway Rick. It was not uttered in awe, at least in the beginning. To be poor and illiterate in the shadow of the 110 was to be a junky-ass freeway boy. Later, when he emerged as the first crack boss of the cataclysmic 1980s, after he went from slanging $25 rocks to wholesaling $1 million loads, that moniker sounded like a Southern California joyride: slick, agile, unfettered, one step ahead of the law."

What influences steered Ross in a new direction - before he was thrown into prison? How did he come to terms with the pain wrought by crack cocaine? Why does his name and his image still sell? Is it enough to make someone in Hollywood buy it?

Guests:

Rick Ross AKA Freeway Rick, former drug dealer; entrepreneur with a clothing business and record label at freewaysocialmedia.com

Jesse Katz, writer; profiled Rick Ross for Los Angeles magazine; byjessekatz.com

Vinny Del Negro of the Los Angeles Clippers watches play during the game at Staples Center. ; Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro confirmed on Tuesday that his contract with the team was not extended for next season. The Clippers and Del Negro have had some differences over coaching style this season and the move isn't a huge surprise.

Del Negro is the latest in a string of LA coaches and managers who have spent time in the hot seat lately. UCLA basketball's Steve Alford, the Angels' Mike Scioscia, Dodgers' Don Mattingly and more have been defending their records, and their jobs, in the wake of intense criticism.

What is in the water for LA's coaches? Why are so many teams dissatisfied with their management? Who will be the next to go?

Guest:

Bill Plaschke, sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times

The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a markup session on the immigration reform legislation in the Hart Senate Office Building on May 20, 2013 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The immigration bill passed a major landmark yesterday with a 13-5 approval vote in the bipartisan Senate. The bill will now undergo further debate in the Senate. However, the immigration bill still faces another challenge in the House, where it may be harder to pass, but lawmakers are hoping to soon have similar legislation.

 This bill provides a 13-year pathway to citizenship, but over 100 amendments were made to bring both parties to the table. One division has been whether the bill should allow gay Americans to sponsor green cards for their foreign-born spouses. How will this affect the passage of the immigration bill?

What can we expect in this next month of debates? Will Democrats and Republicans try to undo some of the amendments? How will the parties trying to gain more Latino and minority voters influence this bill?

Also, join AirTalk this evening at 6:30 PM for further debate on the immigration bill.

Guests:
Kitty Felde, KPCC Washington Correspondent; Felde joins us from outside the House Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration

Lisa Mascaro, Congressional Reporter, Los Angeles Times; Mascaro joins us from outside the House Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration

The group of senators known as the "Gang Of 8" hold a news conference on immigration legislation in April.

It's a critical time for immigration reform in this country. Washington is getting set to make major changes, the likes of which haven't been seen since the 1980's under President Ronald Reagan. The issues affect families every day, alter economies for years and touch every aspect of American life. We are, after all, a nation of immigrants.

Who has the power to shape this new legislation? How will problems of border security, visas, cultural differences, family unification and more be solved? Why are lawmakers keen to enact change now? Has there been a paradigm shift? AirTalk's Larry Mantle speaks with stakeholders and audience members during this timely discussion, sponsored by Community Advocates, Inc.

Guests:
Professor Gabriel J. Chin, Professor Chin is a professor of law at the University of California, Davis Law School. He is a scholar of immigration law, criminal procedure and race and the law. He has been widely published in law journals and in lay publications on the issue of immigration.

Jessica Vaughan, Ms.Vaughan serves as Director of Policy Studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, DC-based research institute that examines the impact of immigration on American society. Her articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, The Economist, In the National Interest, Providence Journal, Hartford Courant, Arizona Republic and other publications.

Professor Dowell Myers, Professor Myers is professor of policy, planning, and demography at the University of Southern California, where he also directs the USC PopDynamics Research Group. Professor Myers is an interdisciplinary scholar well known for his research on the interaction between demographics and many aspects of public policy. He also is the author of the award-winning book Immigrants and Boomers: Forging a New Social Contract for the Future of America.

Mickey Kaus, Mr. Kaus writes the Kausfiles, a blog at the Daily Caller. In 1999 he was among the first American political bloggers on the internet. He was a candidate for the California Democratic nomination for the US Senate in 2010. Kaus is the author of The End of Equality and has worked as a journalist for Newsweek, The New Republic and Washington Monthly, among others.

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about his administration's drone and counterterrorism policies and the military prison at Guantanamo Bay at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. on May 23, 2013.; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

President Obama delivers a major speech on his administration's counterterrorism policies today and sheds light on the decision process for carrying out unmanned drone strikes. This is seen as a clear step toward fulfilling the President’s promise at greater government transparency. Just yesterday, the administration admitted for the first time that four American citizens have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen since 2009.

Guests:

Phil Mattingly, Justice Reporter, Bloomberg News

David Kaye, Professor of law,  UC Irvine, specializing in international law and human rights law; former Staff Attorney at the U.S. Department of State 1995-2002

Danielle Pletka, Vice President for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute

Michael Rubin, American Enterprise Institute’s resident scholar

Cast members, (L-R) Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper, Heather Graham, director Todd Phillips, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong and Zach Galifianakis as they arrive for the European Premiere of 'The Hangover Part 3' in London on May 22, 2013.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Larry and KPCC critics Andy Klein, Henry Sheehan and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including Fast & Furious 6, Before Midnight, Epic and more. Also, Variety critic Justin Chang recaps Cannes. TGI-FilmWeek!

Fast & Furious 6

Before Midnight

Epic

The Hangover III

Guests:
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and the L.A. Times Community Papers chain

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.com

Charles Solomon, film critic and animation historian for KPCC

Justin Chang, senior film critic at Variety

Santa Monica Beach got an A rating from Heal the Bay.

Heal the Bay has released its 2013 ratings for California beaches after extensively gathering information about bacteria in the water. The ratings reflect the likeliness of contracting an illness at various beaches on the California coast, and take into account three indicators: summer dry weather, yearly dry weather, and wet weather.

The beaches have received higher ratings this year than in previous years – Hermosa Beach, Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, and the Wedge in Newport Beach received A+ ratings. While the A-F grades are generally good indicators about how dangerous a certain beach might be to one’s health, the standards are the same no matter how susceptible a person is to disease.

What are your favorite SoCal beaches? Which ones are safest? How can you protect yourself against illness at the beach – would you take a small child or an elderly family member to a middle-rated beach?

Guests:

Kirsten James, Science and Policy Director, Water Quality at Heal the Bay

The Boy Scouts of America's national leadership voted Thursday to allow openly gay Scouts in its ranks.; Credit: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images

The Boy Scouts of America’s National Council voted Thursday to allow openly gay youth members into the scouts. The vote, which passed with 60% approval, overrules a previous policy banning openly gay youth members from the Boy Scouts. A ban on LGBT scout leaders still stands.

The decision to allow gay youth members into the BSA follows an aggressive lobbying campaign from LGBT rights advocates and slowly changing views from the Mormon Church, a major BSA supporter. The 1400 voting members of the National Council have been divided on the issue for months, with some representatives concerned about upholding conservative values and more liberal members upset over what they consider to be exclusionary practices. 

What does the future hold for the Boy Scouts? Does the decision to allow gay members make room for LGBT leaders – is that an inevitability? Should the scouting organization’s values reflect changing social norms?

Guests:

Peter Sprigg, Senior Fellow with the Family Research Council (FRC), a non-profit organization that aims to advance faith, family and freedom in public policy and the culture from a Christian worldview

Rabbi Sarah Hronsky, senior rabbi at Temple Beth Hillel in Valley Village, the temple is the charter organization of both a Boy Scout troop and a Cub Scout pack

The sixth Fast & Furious premiered this week. How does the movie keep drawing large audiences?; Credit: Fast and Furious movie poster

It's the beginning of another summer full of sequels.  This week "The Hangover III," "Fast & Furious 6," and "Before Midnight" all open. But coming soon is another Superman movie, and Hugh Jackman is once again playing Wolverine. Meanwhile, "Pirates of the Caribbean" is working on its fifth installment.

When should a movie franchise just call it quits? Which movie sequels are your favorites? Which ones didn't work at all? What makes a good sequel?

Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold has picked L.A.'s top 101 restaurants in order, published on Thursday.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Because of its sheer size and the diversity of its cuisine, Southern California is a challenging place for a diner seeking to find the best of the best. This daunting task requires a skilled navigator, and that's where Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold comes in: He has been creating the ultimate list of where to eat in SoCal for years (formerly in the LA Weekly, now in the Los Angeles Times).

Gold's latest list — the 101 Best Restaurants in SoCal — came out Thursday in the Los Angeles Times. His top picks:

1. Providence in Hancock Park
2. Urasawa in Beverly Hills
3. Spago in Beverly Hills
4. Mozza in L.A.
5. The Kogi BBQ truck

In last place? The Apple Pan in West L.A. was No. 101.

In the rest of the list, you can see that Gold's passion for everything from classic, five-star WeHo restaurants to Boyle Heights taco trucks to San Gabriel Valley xiao long bao soup dumpling joints has made him the foremost voice on Angeleno eateries. 

We take a peek behind of scenes of how the list is compiled, which new restaurants made it this year, which eateries failed to make it, and how to decide who finishes No. 1.

View Jonathan Gold's 101 Best Restaurants on latimes.com

Did your favorite restaurant make Gold’s list? Do best-of lists inspire you to explore or is it all just white noise?

Guest:
Jonathan Gold, Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Times