Credit cards are pictured on a computer's keyboard on February 5, 2013 in Rennes, western France.; Credit: DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/Getty Images

Do you keep financial secrets from your spouse or significant other? If you do, you are not alone.

A recent survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that 1 in 3 couples with combined finances admit to lying to their partner about money. According to the NEFE, the percentage of couples cheating financially has increased from 31 percent in 2010 to 33 percent.

From hidden purchases and secret credit-card spending to undisclosed bank accounts, financial deception can be damaging to a couple.  Of the survey respondents who admitted to financial cheating, 76 percent said it affected the relationship.

Have you ever lied to your significant other about finances? What impact does financial cheating have on a relationship? How can you avoid financial infidelity? How can a couple resolve financial dishonesty?

Guest: 

Tina Tessina, licensed psychotherapist, author of 13 books including: “The Commuter Marriage”

A policeman aims towards protesters in central Kiev on February 20, 2014. Hundreds of armed protesters charged police barricades Thursday on Kiev's central Independence Square, despite a truce called just hours earlier by the country's embattled president. Protesters pushed the police back about 200 metres and were in control of most of the square they had occupied at the start of Ukraine's three-month-old political crisis.; Credit: LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images

Despite initial truce negotiations between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s regime and opposition leader, both protesters and riot police officers used firearms in the deadliest day of the three-month political crisis.

Escalating violence in Kiev has ignited fear that President Yanukovych may deploy military forces. Reports from municipal health authorities say that at least 39 people have been killed on Thursday, bringing the three-day death toll up to 67. Unconfirmed reports of hundreds injured and more dead from the opposition’s lead medical staff suggest that the violence may be even more intense.

The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on Ukrainian officials deemed “responsible for violence and excessive force.” The EU’s decision follows the announcement that the United States will impose sanctions against 20 civilian and political leaders in Ukraine.

What would a state of emergency mean for the protesters in Kiev? How will negotiations with foreign diplomats impact the Ukrainian government’s dealings with the opposition? What steps are necessary to reduce violence, death, and injury in Kiev?

Guests:

Matt Rojansky, Kennan Institute Director at the Wilson Center and former Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Hellmuth Tromm, Bloomberg News Editor in Kiev

Susan Kushlin poses with a concealed-carry handbag that her company, Gun Girls, Inc., created for women that enjoy guns on October 21, 2013 in Boca Raton, Florida. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchins is easing requirements needed to obtain a concealed-weapon permit. The move comes one week after a federal appeals court ruled that urban communities in California were too strict in issuing such permits. 

RELATED: Federal court strikes down Calif. concealed gun ban

Now, local residents only have to say they need the permit for self-defense or personal safety. Before the ruling, applicants needed to show "good cause," such as the need to carry large sums of cash or valuables, or people who could show proof of a mortal threat. 

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling highlighted the differing practices in issuing permits between urban and rural areas. According to the Associated Press, the Sheriff's office has received several inquiries from people interested in getting permits since the February 13 court ruling. 

San Diego County, the defendant in the case, has until February 27 to appeal the decision. 

Guest:

Lieutenant Jeff Hallock, Spokesperson for Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens

: Governor from Arizona (L) Jan Brewer speaks on the microphone during roll call for nomination of president of the United States at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, on August 28, 2012 during the Republican National Convention. ; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

A controversial bill that allows business owners to use their religious beliefs to refuse service to gay patrons passed the Arizona legislature on Thursday. Supporters of the bill say the legislation is a way for churches, businesses or individuals to maintain their religious freedom by not being forced to do something that violates their religious beliefs.

The bill was written by the conservative advocacy group Center for Arizona Policy and the Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom. Opponents have called the bill a license to discriminate and say it could effectively ban gays and lesbians from entering businesses or being employed by companies based solely on their sexual orientation.

Gays and lesbians are not protected from discrimination under Arizona law. Similar legislation has been brought up in several other states including Kansas and South Dakota but the Arizona bill is believed to be the first of its kind to pass.

The bill is now being sent to Gov. Jan Brewer for a signature but she has not indicated whether she will sign it. A signed bill will likely lead to a long and costly court challenge. 

Should Gov. Brewer sign the bill knowing it will likely lead to an expensive court battle? Does the Arizona bill go too far in protecting religious liberties?

Guests: 

Andrea Kelly, Government and Politics Reporter, Arizona Public Media

Jude Joffe-Block, reporter with KJZZ

A doctor at the Accident and Emergency department of the recently opened Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital on February 7, 2011 in Birmingham, England.; Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

It’s grown increasingly customary to check Yelp reviews before trying a new restaurant, browse Angie’s List before hiring a plumber, and now, to read up on doctors before a check up.

Multiple sites, including HealthGrades, ZocDoc, and others host reviews of medical practitioners, and according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a quarter of the population uses online physician reviews to help choose a doctor. But are the reviews accurate?

Dr. David Hanauer, lead author of the study, says that while ⅔ of people are aware of the online reviews and a quarter read them, only 5% of patients actually write reviews of their doctors.

The result? A potentially unbalanced portrait of practitioners.

Is it possible that as online reviews become more mainstream, analysis of physicians may be aggregated into one review site? Would the AMA or insurance groups take responsibility for hosting reviews? And even then, would it be effective for patients with limited knowledge of the medical field to review expert physicians? Do you trust online reviews of doctors?

Guests: 

Dr. David Hanauer, M.D.,  Associate Professor, University of Michigan Medical School, author of Public Awareness, Perception, and Use of Online Physician Rating Sites, published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association

California Governor Jerry Brown (R) listens while US President Barack Obama meets with locals at the San Luis Water Facility February 14, 2014 in Firebaugh.; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Governor Jerry Brown unveiled a $687 million proposal this week designed to tackle the ongoing drought problem in the state.

The package includes funding for projects to conserve, capture and manage water as well as financial assistance to hard-hit communities. The measures still have to be approved by the legislature and will be paid for with voter-approved bonds and money transferred from other funds. 

RELATED: Gov. Jerry Brown on his plan to ease California's water woes

Controversially, the legislation does not include funding to build new water storage facilities, which some Republicans see as key to a long term strategy. Two leading Republicans in the Assembly, Connie Conway of Tulare and Frank Bigelow (R-O'Neals) called Brown's measures a "drop in the bucket" that would do little to address the long term drought problem. Conway and Bigelow submitted their own proposal on Thursday for a statewide water bond.

A Democratic version of the bond is now scheduled to go to voters in November 2014 but is still being finalized. The Republican plan would authorize nearly $8 billion in general obligation bonds to fund water storage and sustainability projects in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. 

So far, Brown has tried to keep the statewide water bond separate from the immediate drought relief package, but should the two be intertwined? Does Brown's plan do enough to address long term issues like water storage?

Guests:

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-6th District (most of Sacramento County)

Connie Conway (R-Tulare), California State Assemblywoman representing the 26th Assembly District, including Tulare, Visalia and Mountain Park. Conway co-authored a competing statewide water bond measure released on Thursday.

Director McG, actor Kevin Costner and executive producer Tucker Tooley pose at the after party for the premiere of Relativity Media's "3 Days To Kill" at Aventine Restaurant on February 12, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Larry, KPCC film critics Henry Sheehan and Charles Solomon and Variety film critic Justin Chang review this week’s releases, including 3 Days To Kill, Pompeii, The Wind Rises and more. TGI-Filmweek!

3 Days To Kill

Pompeii

The Wind Rises

Guests:
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

Justin Chang, film critic for Variety

Charles Solomon, animation film critic for KPCC and author and historian for amazon.com

State Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, left, holds a brief news conference during first appearance at the Capitol since the FBI investigators raided his offices in Sacramento, Calif. Sen. Calderon was a no-show with an unexcused absence after at least a half-dozen FBI agents carted boxes from his Sacramento offices following a more than six-hour search in June 2013. Sen. Calderon did not answer any questions and no details have been given for the search and no charges have been filed. ; Credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

The FBI has announced charges Sen. Ronald S Calderon (D-Montebello) and his brother, Tom, on corruption and money laundering charges.

RELATED: Calderon, brother indicted on public corruption charges following FBI raid

Sen. Calderon has been the subject of a year-long corruption investigation. The FBI raided the lawmaker's Sacramento in June last year as part of the investigation. Al Jazeera television network broke the news of the probe four months later, publishing a leaked affidavit alleging that the 56-year-old senator had accepted $88,000 in bribes from an undercover agent and a hospital executive.  

His older brother, Tom, is charged on money laundering charges.

Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg was on AirTalk to discuss Gov. Brown's water plan when news broke of Calderon's indictment:

RELATED: Calderon corruption charges: Who's who in the investigation of Calif. State Sen. Ron Calderon

According to the indictment:

• Calderon "executed a scheme to defraud the citizens of the state of California of their right to the honest services of their elected officials through bribery and kickbacks, and the concealment of material information."
• Ron Calderon sought bribes and kickbacks for himself, his children, the Calderon Group (this is Tom's consulting group) and Californians for Diversity (a nonprofit run by Tom Calderon)
• Michael Drobot, former chief executive of Long Beach's Pacific Hospital, is alleged to have paid bribes to Ron Calderon. Calderon also allegedly sought employment from Drobot for his son, got trips on private planes, ate at expensive restaurants and played golf at high-end resorts
• Drobot, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts in a scheme in which he billed workers’ compensation insurers hundreds of millions of dollars for spinal surgeries performed on patients who had been referred by dozens of doctors, chiropractors and others who were paid illegal kickbacks, the Department of Justice said. Drobot was cooperating with federal prosecutors. He faces a possible sentence of 10 years.
• Calderon's son was hired by Drobot to work in the summers of 2010, 2011 and 2012. Each summer, the son was paid $10,000, and each summer he worked just 15 days. 
• Regarding bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as film studio executives, Calderon took trips to Las Vegas, received meals and got employment for his daughter. Eliminating the spinal pass-through could have saved California taxpayers $60 million.

The Calderons are an influential political family in Southern California. Tom is a former Montebello assemblyman and has worked as a political consultant since 2002. Charles, another brother, is a former assemblyman and state senator from Whittier. Ian, Charles' son, became the assemblyman representing Whittier in 2012.

Full indictment below:

LINK

Guests:

Frank Stoltze, KPCC politics reporter joining us from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Downtown LA 

Alice Walton, KPCC politics reporter 

Fernando J. Guerra, PhD., Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University; SCPR Board of Trustees member; 

Former Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks, a council member representing the 8th District in South Los Angeles, rides in the 29th annual Kingdom Day Parade on January 20, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

The city of Los Angeles is considering a proposal from Councilman Bernard Parks that would pass the cost of retrofitting apartment buildings on to tenants. Currently, only 50% of major renovation costs may be passed along to tenants, with landlords and building owners paying the cost of retrofitting.

Parks’ proposal is intended to incentivize retrofitting by allowing landlords and would make it legal for tenants to pay the whole cost of rehabilitation over a “reasonable period of time.”

Tenants rights advocates say that placing the burden of retrofitting costs on renters would exacerbate income inequality and force people out of their homes. The council is already exploring a state bond measure that would help owners pay to rehabilitate their properties, but Parks is encouraging the city to evaluate simpler solutions.

Should tenants pay to retrofit buildings? Who should carry the burden of rehabilitation?  

Guests: 

Larry Gross, executive director of The Coalition for Economic Survival, a tenants rights groups

Councilman Bernard Parks, Councilmember, 8th District, which includes Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, West Adams, and other parts of South Los Angeles

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks during a joint press conference with British Secretary of State for Defence Philip Hammond following meetings at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on May 2, 2013.; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

A proposal from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will shrink the United States Army and eliminate a class of Air Force attack jets in the first Pentagon budget to step away from war footing since 2001.

The new U.S. Army would be smaller than it has been since World War II -- Pentagon officials describe the proposed forces as capable of defeating any adversary, but too small for prolonged occupation. Hagel’s proposal is based on fiscal and political logistics in line with military spending cuts and President Obama’s pledge to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But some critics fear that a smaller army could be risky -- there could be more casualties, success might take longer, and adversaries might be more keen to attack. Pentagon officials says that the smaller forces will be prepared, but that the Defense Department should be sized according to current military needs.

Are the cuts to military spending appropriate? How should the armed forces handle their budget and size?

Guests:

William Hartung, Director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. He is the author of Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex

Mackenzie Eaglen, Resident Fellow at the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute

US President Barack Obama speaks to the members of the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2014.; Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

The Obama administration has proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage plans for next year.

Medicare Advantage is a private insurance option to Medicare. According to the AP, about 16 million people are currently enrolled in these programs, some 30 percent of over Medicare users. Medicare Advantage offers lower out-of-pocket costs and a wider range of benefits, but with more limited choices.

The proposed cuts Friday set off immediate criticism from Republicans, who attribute the cuts as a direct result of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told the AP, “the best solution would be to recognize ObamaCare for the historic mistake that it is, repeal it, and replace it with commonsense reforms that will protect America’s seniors and families from the seemingly never-ending consequences of this terrible law.”

What are the political implications of these cuts as we head into the midterm elections? Are fears and anger toward the cuts overblown? How would these cuts affect seniors?

Guests: 

Chad Terhune, Healthcare reporter at LA Times

Avik Roy, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Policy Institute; In 2012, Roy was a health care policy advisor to Mitt Romney

Shana Lavarreda, Director of Health Insurance Studies, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Dave Itzkoff's new book "Mad as Hell."

New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff’s “Mad As Hell” takes readers behind the scenes of “Network,” screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky’s Oscar-winning masterpiece.

Nearly 40 years ago, Chayefsky’s script imagined the future of television news as a grimy industry, hell-bent on profits and prone to sensationalism. Using the screenwriter’s personal papers, interviews, and film logs, Itkoff delves deeply into the greatness of one of Hollywood’s most literary writers.

Itzkoff reveals just how Chayefsky’s satire was able to predict the troubling changes in journalism in the decades that would follow.

“Network”--directed by Sidney Lumet--inspired Academy Award winning performances from Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch, as TV anchorman Howard Beale.

What went into the making of “Network”? What does Chayefsky’s satire say about modern media?

Itzkoff will be in conversation with Aaron Sorkin! Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 25 at 7pm at The Paley Center for Media.

Guest: 

Dave Itzkoff, Author, “Mad as Hell: The Making of ‘Network’ and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies;” Culture Reporter, The New York Times; Previous books are “Cocaine’s Son” and “Lads.”

Lab technicians for Myriad Genetics of Salt Lake City, Utah work on DNA samples from the New York State Police, 20 September, 2001. ; Credit: GEORGE FREY/AFP/Getty Images

The first genetic biomarkers - or biological indicators - for depression have been discovered by researchers in the UK. Brain scientists have found that people with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol who also showed signs of mild depression were up to 14 times more likely to suffer from clinical depression later in life.

The breakthrough could lead to a simple saliva test to determine who is most likely to suffer from clinical depression. The test has so far only proven to be effective for teenage boys. The research suggests that teenagers could be easily screened to assess their risk level for developing clinical depression.

Early detection could lead to better treatments but how will the teens and their parents react to finding out they have a high risk for depression?

As a parent, would you want to know if your child was likely to suffer depression? Could this lead to stigmatization of those deemed to be a higher risk?

Guest:

Dr. Paul Schneider, MD, president of the Southern California Bioethics Committee Consortium

A policewoman stands at her post in front of the Supreme Court on March 27, 2013 in Washington, DC.; Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

Should a person convicted of possession of child pornography be held liable for full restitution for a specific child who is harmed, even if the convicted individual was not involved in the production or distribution of the image? Even if there are other individuals in possession of the same image?

The Supreme Court is looking to decide just that in a recent appeal case, Paroline v. United States, in which Doyle Randall Paroline was found guilty of having a collection of illegal pornographic images, including two of a woman who goes by the name of Amy in court documents.

Paroline is currently being held liable for $3.4 million - the total damages claimed - for what "Amy"s attorneys call his contribution to the aggregate harm suffered by the woman who was only eight years old when her uncle started raping her and seventeen when she found out the sex acts had gone viral.

The Violence Against Women Act provides that people whose images are used in child pornography can sue those found in possession of that pornography, in addition to the producers and distributors. This case is one of more than 3,200 criminal cases in the United States that involves Amy’s image.

Paroline's attorneys argue in his appeal that there is no proof that he alone caused her harm.

Another case decided on January 27 could now impact the final ruling in Paroline v. United States. In Burrage vs. United States, the federal law at issue is that which makes it a crime to sell heroin, but then also adds to the punishment if the person who used the drug dies.

In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court decided that the enhanced punishment may only be imposed if prosecutors prove that the one drug which was sold was the actual cause of death, when the person actually had used several drugs. In response to this ruling, Paroline's Houston attorney Stanley G. Schneider, now seeks a new brief in his case, arguing that Paroline should only be assessed for his share of the crime.

To recover restitution, must a victim establish a causal relationship between the defendant's conduct and the victim's harm or damages? Can the victim be awarded full restitution from one defendant even if thousands of other current or future defendants may exist?

Guest:

Lisa McElroy, Associate Professor of Law, Drexel University

Circa 1932: American film actress Polly Moran whispering to a friend.; Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Could it be true that secrets really are no fun, unless you share with everyone?

Research indicates that secrecy can be a source of both mental and physical distress, since keeping secrets requires continual effort. It appears that more meaningful secrets require more effort to keep.

One recent study found that when subjects were asked to conceal their sexual orientation during an interview performed more poorly on spatial tasks and reacted more rudely to criticism.

All this mental exertion could actually wear your body down. Some scientists have indicated a link between keeping emotionally charged secrets and illnesses as common as a cold to more serious chronic diseases.

Do you struggle with keeping secrets? Have you felt the burden of concealing an important secret?  How have you dealt with keeping a meaningful secret?   

Guest: 

Atlantic Magazine’s Sarah Yager, Associated Editor, Atlantic magazine, who’s the author of the piece

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer attends the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 28, 2012 in Tampa, Florida.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer still has not come out publicly and said whether she will sign the state's controversial religious freedom bill (SB 1062) that passed the legislature last week. The Governor is now under increasing pressure from corporations and business groups to veto the bill over concerns that it will hurt the state's economy. 

The bill allows business owners and employees with strong religious beliefs to deny service to gays and lesbians. Companies from American Airlines to Apple, which announced last November that they will build a sapphire glass plant in Mesa, AZ,  urged Gov. Brewer to quash the bill.The new Apple plant could bring an estimated 2,000 jobs to the state.

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council have also asked the Governor to veto the bill over concerns that it would be a setback to the state's economic recovery. There is some data to back up their concerns. Research from the progressive think tank Center for American Progress showed that a boycott sparked by an immigration crackdown in 2010 cost the state $141 million in lost contracts and convention business.

Will pressure from corporations and business groups affect Gov. Brewer's decision? Will signing the bill lead to any measurable economic loss?

Guest:

Jeremy Duda, Governor’s Office Reporter for the Arizona Capitol Times

The sign for McDonald's restaurant is seen October 7, 2010 in Hudson, Wisconsin. ; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Breakfast on the go is big business for the fast food chains that dominate the early morning drive-thrus. The Golden Arches might be most people's first stop for an early morning sausage biscuit but they're going to be facing new competition from an unlikely source.

Taco Bell is encroaching on McDonald's turf with the introduction of its new national breakfast menu starting on March 27.  The menu is designed to appeal to its customer base of young men with items such as a waffle taco, the A.M. Crunchwrap and breakfast burritos.

The company's president Brian Niccol said in an interview that he thought the taco chain could go up against the Egg McMuffin and "turn the breakfast conversation into a two-horse race.”

The kicker is that you'll be able to get your Taco Bell munchies all the way until 11am - a half hour longer than you can get breakfast at McDonald's. But now, possibly from the incoming threat of competition, McDonald's is looking into extending their breakfast hours until 11am.

McDonald's USA president Jeff Stratton noted recently that cutting off breakfast on the weekends at 10:30 a.m. "doesn't go very well" with the millennial generation. Biscuits, Hotcakes and other items bring in roughly 20 percent of the company's U.S. Sales.

Will McDonald's sales suffer once Taco Bell is on the scene? Will the new menu become a game changer in the fast food breakfast business? And, importantly, how long will it be before you can get an Egg McMuffin for lunch?

Guest:  

Sam Oches, editor of the fast food industry publication QSR magazine.

Emlyn Louis, MD speaks with Julia Herrera as he examines her at the Broward Community & Family Health Center on April 20, 2009 in Pompano Beach, Florida.; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A new study authored by Dr. Steven Narod at the University of Toronto shows that women with BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutations may benefit from early screening and even prophylactic removal of their ovaries to avoid ovarian cancer.

The study found that if women with these mutations have their ovaries removed by age 35, they can reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by up to 80 percent.

The study findings were so overwhelming that researchers think that ovary removal women with the BRCA 1 should become standardized. Other oncologists support the study findings in a more reserved way, saying that routine screening for women with familial history and evaluation of options, including early prophylactic oophorectomies, could save lives.

Is early ovary removal the best way to prevent ovarian cancer for women under 35 with BRCA mutations? Are there other options for women who may want to wait to have children? How will this study affect oncology and gynecology in the future?

LINK

Guests:

Dr. Joyce Liu, MD, MPH, instructor in medicine, Harvard University,

Dr. Noah Kauff, Director, Ovarian Cancer Screening and Prevention, Gynecology Service, Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital

The bitcoin website is shown on the computer of the proprietor of a shop selling vinyl records and that accepts bitcoins for payment on April 11, 2013 in Berlin, Germany.; Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Leading Bitcoin exchange and storage site Mt. Gox has apparently collapsed today after a week of tumultuousness and a year of business trouble. The site, initially built to digitally trade Magic cards, evolved into a transaction and storage site for Bitcoin.

Cyptocurrencies like Bitcoin used in online transactions have made waves in recent years as acceptance of virtual money has evolved. Bitcoin grew from a less-than-pennies way to pay for online services into a bartering tool accepted by some banks, casinos, and businesses. The currency reached a high point when one Bitcoin was valued at about $1000 and has since fluctuated vastly. 

Disruptions in trade of Bitcoin on Mt. Gox have raised questions about the currency’s stability -- could a shutdown or hack like this undermine the entire currency? What makes currency -- in any form -- valuable? Can virtual money be devalued by virtual problems? 

Guests

Chris O’Brien, technology reporter, Los Angeles Times, who’s been covering the story. 

Bhaskar Chakravorti, Ph.D, Senior Associate Dean for International Business and Finance and Executive Director of the Institute for Business in the Global Context (IBGC) and Council on Emerging Market Enterprises at the Fletcher School at Tufts University

A disabled woman in a wheelchair takes part in a training session with a guide dog, on December 1, 2012, during a fair dedicated to services to the elderly and the disabled, at the Porte de Versailles congress hall in Paris.; Credit: FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images

Guide dog advocates are pushing California lawmakers to do something about the growing problem of dog owners fraudulently presenting their pets as “service dogs” in order to take the masquerading mutts places they’re not otherwise allowed.  

Service dog harnesses, badges and vests can all be purchased online—and phony service dogs can be a nuisance to businesses and those who depend on genuine service animals. 

Misrepresenting a pet as a service animal is already a misdemeanor in California, but enforcement is difficult. Business owners are not allowed to require proof of the service dog’s legitimacy. 

In a Senate committee hearing Monday, legislators listened to concerns from members of the disabled community, guide dog trainers and business owners to determine whether policy changes are necessary to address to problem. 

Have you seen dogs dressed as service animals misbehaving in public spaces? Should more be done to ensure that all animals presented as service dogs are the real deal?

Guest:

Marc Mason, Acting Executive Officer, State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind, which licenses guide dog schools and guide dog instructors in California