Empty anti polio vaccine dispensers are seen in a medical tray during an immunization initiative coordinated by the World Health Organization in Cairo. Vaccination is key to preventing polio from returning to the United States. While there is no vaccine to protect you from a non-polio enterovirus, frequent hand-washing and avoiding contact with those who are sick can help. ; Credit: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images

About 20 cases of a polio-like syndrome have been found in California children since 2012, causing severe weakness or paralysis in one or more limbs—and physicians and public health officials are still scratching their heads trying to determine what exactly is ailing them.

Dr. Keith Van Haren, a pediatric neurologist at Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, is part of the team investigating the illness. He says it’s not polio, as those affected had been vaccinated against the disease. He will present the cases of five impacted children at the American Academy of Neurology's upcoming annual meeting.

Scans of patients spinal cords showed damage patterns similar to those found in polio sufferers.  Several of the children have tested positive for enterovirus-68, a virus that is usually associated with respiratory illness but has also been linked to polio-like illnesses. The children, whose average age is 12, have not recovered mobility of their paralyzed limbs.

Polio is a vaccine-preventable illness that has disappeared from much of the world—including the United States—but it continues to affect people living in developing countries. The 18 cases of polio reported so far this year were in southeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Those investigating the California illness are urging physicians to report new cases of acute paralysis as they work to determine a cause.

For more resources and contact information you can visit the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health website.

Guest: 
Dr. Keith Van Haren, a pediatric neurologist at Stanford University. He and his fellow researchers will present findings of these infections at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in Philadelphia next month.

Dr. Thomas Mack, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine, USC

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) participates in a news conference on the 50th anniversary of the start of the War on Poverty at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center January 8, 2014 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

An G.O.P. plan to overhaul the nation’s tax plan is expected to call for a lower tax on the top corporate income rate -- a reduction from 35 percent to 25 percent. The plan would also reduce the number of income brackets from seven to two, at 10 percent and 25 percent.

Republicans behind the proposal aim to simplify the tax code. The current plan is the result of nearly three years of work and is reflective of the tax overhaul goals in the Republican-passed budget.

For 99 percent of tax filers, the new plan would mean tax rates at or below 25 percent, with the one percent whose income is above $450,000 paying a 10 percent surcharge on certain types of income. The surcharge notably excludes earners whose income comes from production, manufacturing, and farming.

While Republican Rep. Dave Camp, the man behind the proposal, is excited about his promise to reduce the highest individual tax rate to 25 percent, some G.O.P. leadership has discouraged him from moving forward with the tax plan. Critics have noted the likeliness that the proposed cuts will require the elimination or reduction of popular tax breaks.

What is the best way to reform the tax code to fit in with the U.S.’s fiscal model? How will G.O.P. leadership negotiate the roll out of this new proposal? Could the lower rates be effective?

Guests: 

Lauren French, Tax Reporter for POLITICO

Gordon Gray,Director of Fiscal Policy at the American Action Forum, a non-profit and self-described center-right policy institute that provides research and analysis on tax, budget, and healthcare policy issues. Former Deputy Director of Domestic & Economic Policy for Senator Jon McCain’s 2008 Presidential campaign.

Rebecca Wilkins, Senior Counsel for Federal Tax Policy at Citizens for Tax Justice, a 501 (c)(4) public interest research and advocacy organization founded in 1979, focusing on federal, state and local tax policies and their impact upon our nation.

The Los Angeles skyline is seen during twilight on August 21, 2013 in California. ; Credit: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

A new, ambitious survey of Southern California finds residents and policy makers are optimistic about 2014.  Released Tuesday, “Forecast LA” from LMU finds that LA County can expect three to four percent growth this year and that most residents feel like the region is on an upswing.  

The survey combines an economic forecast with an opinion poll in which 2,400 Angelenos and their local elected leaders were interviewed.  So what’s driving the optimism and what’s changing block-by-block around the cities in this county that has people feeling better?

Guests:

Fernando Guerra, Director of The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of  Los Angeles and Professor of Political Science, as well as Chicana/o Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He's also a SCPR Board of Trustees member

Andre Quintero, Mayor of El Monte

Pam O’Connor, Mayor of Santa Monica

Austin Beutner, former Deputy Mayor, Los Angeles, and co-author of LA 2020 report

Jeff Cooper, Mayor of Culver City  

Fernando Vazquez, Mayor of Downey  

Singer Beyonce performs onstage during the 56th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

In a set of graphs published in the Los Angeles Times last week, data artist Nickolay Lamm tracked the usage of words in pop music through the years, honing in on an increasing trend for musicians to focus on sex.

Lamm tracked the use of certain drugs, alcohol, sexual terms, and more as he cataloged musical trends, finding songs from the past to be more chaste than today’s sexual pop tunes, though perhaps more focused on protest -- war, drugs, and other topical issues. Music has always been a sign of the times -- musicians can frequently become the voice of an era, a movement, or a group of people.

But to what extent does the pop music we listen to reflect our society and culture? And to what extent does our society and culture impact the language musicians use in their songs?

LINK

Guest: 

Lorraine Ali, music editor at the Los Angeles Times

A view of Marina del Rey.; Credit: Pedro Szekely

The docks, restaurants and signature lighthouse of Fisherman's Village in Marina del Rey is about to get a major facelift. The Los Angeles County Dept. of Regional Planning is working on a master plan to redevelop and modernize the whole area around Marina del Rey.

The marina has seen better days and the kitschy, maritime décor is no longer attracting tourists to the waterfront. The area has suffered economically with shuttered restaurants and ice cream shops lining the marina.

The new plans are still in development but the county hopes to finalize them by the end of the summer. The new proposals include a wider promenade and more pedestrian space as well as moving the boat ramp.

The new, improved Marina del Rey is designed to appeal to pedestrians and tourists who want to stroll and sit along the waterfront. The county has a lot of leeway to redevelop the marina in whatever way it would like since the county itself is the landowner.

So how will the new designs sit with business and resident groups? Will the makeover bring tourists back to the region? What would locals like to see out of a new, improved marina?

Guests:

Supervisor Don Knabe, represents the 4th district, which includes Marina del Rey

Gina Natoli, supervising regional planner for the Los Angeles County Dept. of Regional Planning

Jon Nahhas, co-founder of The Boating Coalition

LINK

Dadrin Day, age 7, participates in a 42 station, 60 minute circuit class 29 November 2006 at the Youth Visions Fitness Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. ; Credit: TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images

Federal authorities reported Tuesday that the obesity rate for pre-school aged children has dropped forty three percent over the last decade. A federal health survey shows the first substantial decline in obesity in children ages two to four in the last ten years, promising findings in the fight against the obesity epidemic which often takes hold young and may lead to life-long struggles with weight management and disease.

The causes for the decline are still unclear, but many theories suggest that lower consumption of sugary beverages and increased breast-feeding during infancy may have been catalysts. Overall calorie consumption has decreased in the past decade by seven percent for boys and four percent for girls, although health experts said those decreases were too small to have made such a difference.

Supporters of state, local and federal policies aimed at reducing obesity claim that such programs contributed to do the decline in obesity rates, and an overall change in lifestyle and environment may be having an effect. Most experts agree that further research is needed in the coming years.

Guests:  

 Elizabeth Lopatto, Science Reporter with Bloomberg News  

Michael Goran, Director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center at the USC Kick School of Medicine

A row of parking meters line O'Farrell Street on July 3, 2013 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A federal court will decide whether parking tickets in Los Angeles violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments’ prohibition of excessive fines. Two L.A. residents with similar stories are suing after being charged what they call exorbitant penalties for late payment on parking tickets.

The tickets, issued in downtown Los Angeles at $63 each, but after the two-week deadline for payment passed, the fines went up to $175. According to the attorney for the two plaintiffs, the fees amounted to 174.4 percent of the median daily wage for L.A. residents and 336 percent of the median daily wage for Latinos.

Angelenos aren’t the only ones griping about the high price of a parking ticket. Other cities have dealt with heavy fines by allowing violators to make payment plans, extend payments, or volunteer to pay off their debt.

Are parking ticket fines unconstitutional? How long should people have to pay off their tickets, and what penalties should late payment incur? How will this case fare before the court?

Guests: 

Donald Norris, founder of Norris and Galanter LLP and attorney in the L.A. parking ticket case

Beth Colgan, Thomas C. Grey fellow at Stanford Law School and former  Managing Attorney of the Institutions Project at Columbia Legal Services in Seattle, Washington

Read the full complaint below:

LINK

The FDA proposed changes to nutrition labels on packed foods. Here is an example of what could change.

The nutritional information on the back of packaged foods is about to undergo a major overhaul to bring it more in line with the way Americans actually eat. The proposals, unveiled this morning by Michelle Obama at the White House, are designed to help parents and other consumers make healthier food choices.

The changes include bigger, bolder calorie counts at the top of the label; more realistic portion sizes and grams of added sugars, whether they come from corn syrup, honey etc, will be shown in one number.

Advocates for better food labeling have long argued that serving sizes are unrealistically small (who shares a bag of M&Ms, really?) and gives people a false sense of how many calories they're actually consuming.

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that an increasing number of Americans are relying on nutrition labels when picking food at the grocery store.  

RELATED: First look: The FDA's nutrition label gets a makeover  

About 42 percent of working-age adults and 57 percent of older adults now say they consider the FDA's nutrition label when they're shopping. Even more say they would use the information if it were provided at restaurants.

If approved, will the new labels help people make better food choices? How would you like to see the new labels redesigned? Do you pay attention to nutritional labels when shopping?

Guests:

Andrea Giancoli, registered dietician with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Kathleen Keller, Phd, Assistant Professor, Department of Health and Nutritional Sciences and Food Science at Penn State University

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announces his unexpected retirement on January 7, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Baca has decided to leave the beleaguered sheriff's department at the end of January rather than fight for a fifth term. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Writer Celeste Fremon details the fall of Lee Baca in the latest issue of Los Angeles magazine. The story also focuses heavily on Paul Tanaka, a candidate for Los Angeles County Sheriff, and the work culture Baca and Tanaka created.

"Sheriff Lee Baca fancied himself a visionary. His number two, Paul Tanaka, considered himself a force to be reckoned with. Together they allowed one of the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agencies to drift into a morass of scandal that compelled both to retire," Fremon writes.

Statement from Campaign Spokesman Reed Galen:

"We fundamentally disagree with the story and how it portrays Paul Tanaka’s character and his record with the Sheriff’s Department. We cooperated with Ms. Fremon on multiple occasions, providing insight and clarity to some of her attacks and little to nothing was used of those conversations. Ms. Fremon’s story is a one-sided hit piece that explores old and tired attacks on an individual who has dedicated over 30 years of his life to public safety in Los Angeles County. She has built her career by tearing down public safety officials and it is clear this story is no different.” 

Statement from Paul Tanaka: 

LINK

Guest:

Celeste Fremon, creator and editor of WitnessLA.com and an award-winning journalist specializing in gangs, law enforcement and criminal justice. She is the author of “Downfall,” which details the fall of Lee Baca, in the March issue of Los Angeles magazine.

Sketches of pupils with their English and Hawaiian names, circa 1980. ; Credit: John Titchen/Getty Images

A new, UC Irvine-led study found that people trust strangers with easier-to-pronounce names more than strangers with difficult-to-pronounce names – even when those strangers are from the same foreign country.

What’s more, people are more likely to trust claims when attributed to strangers with easier names. For example, the assertion that “macadamia nuts are in the same evolutionary family as peaches” was more believable when attributed to “Andrian Babeshko” than when it was credited to his countryman “Czeslaw Ratynska.”

The findings appear in the current issue of the journal PLOS ONE.

Guest: 

Eryn Newman, a postdoctoral fellow in UC Irvine’s Department of Criminology, Law & Society and the study’s lead author

A crew sets up cameras for the filming a mobile phone commercial on-location on November 18, 2006 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

California has lost more than 16,000 jobs in an eight-year period due to film and television production leaving the state, according to a new analysis released today.  

The Milken Institute report says mounting job losses are coming from staggering competition from states like New York that lure production away from California with generous tax credits. Among the most recent poachings is “The Tonight Show,” which was lured by new incentives in the Empire State.  

New York created its credit a decade ago and since then, it’s tripled and Governor Andrew Cuomo added some new language: For “relocated television productions” that spent “at least five seasons out of state,” “with an audience of 200 or more,” "that incur at least $30 million in annual production costs in the state.”  

Sounds like an awful lot like the Tonight Show, no?

Guest: 

Kevin Klowden, director of the Milken Institute’s California Center and co-author of “A Hollywood Exit: What California Must Do to Remain Competitive in Entertainment – and Keep Jobs.”

Jessica Gould, reporter for public radio station WNYC in New York

New Yorkers and tourists on 5th Avenue in New York October 31,2011. ; Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

It’s called “normcore” and it’s apparently taking the streets of New York by storm, according to New York magazine.

Consciously eschewing high-end labels, the cool kids in the fashion capital of the world are now raiding their folks closets and donning dad jeans and Patagonia fleece and a pair of comfy sneakers. Essentially, “normcore” says dressing "normal" is the ultimate fashion statement. The trend forecasting firm K-Hole widens the fashion concept to a larger social attitude, which New York magazine sums up as "embracing sameness deliberately as a new way of being cool, rather than striving for 'difference' or 'authenticity.'"

Guest: 

Emily Segal, a cofounder of K-HOLE, a trend forecasting group in New York.

The Google Maps app is seen on an Apple iPhone 4S on December 13, 2012 in Fairfax, California. Three months after Apple removed the popular Google Maps from its operating system to replace it with its own mapping software, a Google Maps app has been added to the iTunes store. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California drivers legally can use cellphone maps to navigate as they drive behind the wheel, according to yesterday's ruling from the 5th District Court of Appeal. The case stems from a Fresno man who was ticketed while using his iPhone's map application. Steven Spriggs fought the $165 ticket and the judges agreed that current California code only bars adult drivers from talking, texting or emailing on a handheld phone.

The court's opinion highlights that the law is different for minors: "[S]ection 23124 prohibits drivers under the age of 18 'from using a wireless telephone or other mobile service device even if used in a hands free manner while operating a motor vehicle,' including 'talking, writing, sending, reading or using the internet, or any other function such a device may enable.'" Attorney Todd Clement says legislators could draft a new law that applies to adults, too.

Do you think they should? How does the distraction from map applications compare to talking or texting? Police officers could still cite you if phone use leads to reckless driving, so is a specific law necessary?    

LINK

Guests: 

Todd Clement, Trial Lawyer, The Clement Firm based in Dallas; writes the DistractionLawyer.com blog

Julie Mossler, Spokesperson and Head of Global Communications at Waze - a smartphone map application that relies on crowd-sourced traffic reporting

An Oscars statue is seen before the start of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards Nominations Announcement January 25, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. The 83rd Annual Academy Awards will be held in Hollywood on February 27, 2011. ; Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Larry Mantle and the KPCC film critics tell you how and why to mark your viewing-party ballots for awards-worthy films.

For the 11th annual “FilmWeek on AirTalk” Academy Awards preview,Larry was joined by Wade Major of Boxoffice.com, Tim Cogshell of Box Office Magazine, Alynda Wheat of People Magazine, Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor, Henry Sheehan of Dearhenrysheehan.com, Charles Solomon of Amazon.com, Lael Loewenstein, KPCC Film Critic and Justin Chang of Variety.

The freshly painted Hollywood sign is seen after a press conference to announce the completion of the famous landmark's major makeover on December 4, 2012 in Hollywood, California. ; Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

For the past decade and a half, California has seen its position as the center of the global entertainment industry come under siege.

California is losing film and TV jobs as its workers are lent out to states like New York and Louisiana that subsidize production and post-production. New technology is making the relocation trend easier than ever.

A new bill has been introduced by California state lawmakers earlier this year that would expand the state’s film and TV tax credit program. Currently, California provides about $100 million in tax credits a year to film and TV productions.

No monetary figure is attached to the new bill sponsored by Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) and Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), but entertainment industry-types want to see a sizable increase that could rival New York’s $420-million program.

Guests:

Fred Baron, Executive Vice President of Feature Production, 20th Century Fox

Rajiv Dalal, Director, Office of Motion Picture & Television Production Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

Kathy Garmezy, Associate Executive Director, Government & International Affairs, Directors Guild of America

Joseph Henchman, Vice President, Legal & State Projects, The Tax Foundation

Kevin Klowden, Managing Economist & Director of the California Center at the Milken Institute; co-author of “A Hollywood Exit: What California Must Do to Remain Competitive in Entertainment – and Keep Jobs.”

Director Alfonso Cuarón (L), winner of Best Achievement in Directing for 'Gravity', and actress Angelina Jolie pose in the press room during the 86th Academy Awards on March 2nd, 2014 in Hollywood, California.; Credit: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

Hollywood’s biggest night delivered plenty of glamor, eloquent speeches and the world’s best selfie, thanks to host Ellen Degeneres. 

While Degeneres’ star-studded selfie broke a re-tweeting record, her hosting performance earned mixed reviews. Even with some lukewarm reviews overnight ratings estimates for the Oscars are up seven percent from last year’s show making it the highest rated Academy Awards since 2005.  

The biggest winner of the evening was Gravity, which garnered 7 Oscars, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron.  

The coveted Best Picture Oscar went to 12 Years a Slave. The drama also won two additional awards, Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong'o and Best Adapted Screenplay to John Ridley.

With 10 Oscar nods American Hustle tied Gravity for most nominations but went winless at last night’s ceremony.

How did Degeneres compare to previous hosts? Could the Academy improve the Oscar’s entertainment value? Were there any award snubs? What were your Oscar highlights?

Guests:

Tom O'Neil, Editor and CEO of GoldDerby.com

Mary McNamara, TV Critic, Los Angeles Times

Armed men in military armed block access to a Ukrainian border guards base not far from the village of Perevalne near Simferopol on March 3, 2014. ; Credit: ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images

Washington is facing a tough foreign policy challenge now that Russia has escalated the conflict in Ukraine by seizing control of the country's strategic Crimean peninsula.

There are concerns that Russian president Vladimir Putin might go even further and send Russian troops to Russian-speaking regions of Ukraine, sparking even more hostilities.

Ukraine has been struggling with a violent conflict that overthrew the president, Viktor Yanukovych, and killed at least 88 people. Washington is now faced with how to respond to the escalation. Neither Washington or other world leaders are considering a military response but Secretary of State John Kerry called Putin’s move into Ukraine "an incredible act of aggression."

Yesterday, Kerry outlined some possible international repercussions for Russia that included possible visa bans and economic sanctions. Kerry is scheduled to leave tonight for a trip to Ukraine to meet with the transitional government and the Ukrainian people.

What should the American response be to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine? How can the US make it clear to Russia that there will be global consequences? Should the response be purely economic?

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

Christian Caryl, Washington-based senior fellow at the Legatum Institute, described as an independent public policy organisation advancing ideas and policies in support of free and prosperous societies and contributing editor of Foreign Policy magazine.

A Utah teacher is shown how to handle a handgun by instructor Clint Simon (R), at a concealed-weapons training class to 200 Utah teachers on December 27, 2012 in West Valley City, Utah. ; Credit: George Frey/Getty Images

Orange County Sheriff's Department has seen a huge influx of applications for concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits.

This follows the department's announcement that it would ease permitting in response to last month's federal appeals court ruling that found San Diego's restrictions on CCW permits - similar to many in California - were unconstitutional.

Adam Winkler, California-based 2nd amendment scholar, says gun control advocates are left wondering how to minimize the number of guns on California streets. He wrote in an LA Times opinion piece, "Lawmakers who support gun control might want to consider another option [to appealing]: Rewrite state law to allow people to carry guns openly."

Open carry is the norm in many states, and until three years ago, that included California. Winkler argues allowing open carry would mean lawmakers legally could ban people from carrying concealed weapons. 

Guest:

Adam Winkler, Constitutional law professor at UCLA; author of “Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America” (2011); writer for The Huffington Post & Daily Beast

New York University (NYU) students attend NYU's 177th Commencement at the Yankee Stadium in New York, May 13, 2009. ; Credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

A new survey from Gallup Education shows that only nine percent of business leaders consider the school an applicant attended to be “very important” when it comes to hiring decisions.

Instead, businesses are placing more emphasis on relevant skills and knowledge in the field.

Business leaders feel similar apathy when it comes to applicants’ college majors. While there are still pronounced trends towards hiring applicants from high-ranking schools in certain fields, a general shift towards more skills-focused and experience-based hiring seems clear in the business community.

The public is still catching up on the trend -- 30% of Americans think that higher-education institutions are very important to their job applications.

When might the college you attended be most considered in a job application? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of a skills-focused hiring market? What is the best reflection of how well a new employee will fit in in the workplace?

Guests:

Brandon Busteed, Executive Director, Gallup Education  

John Boudreau, Ph.D., Professor and Research Director at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and Center for Effective Organizations; co-author of 'Beyond HR: The New Science of Human Capital'

A generic photo of prescription drugs taken March 20, 2009. ; Credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

A new proposal from the FDA may require generic drug makers to update the labeling and health risks on their packaging as new information becomes available. Currently, generic companies rely on brand name versions of their drugs to update consumers on relevant new health information and are not allowed to update their own labels right away.

Because generic companies have had less responsibility to to provide information about health risks associated with their drugs, the Supreme Court ruled in 2011 and 2013 that businesses that make generic pharmaceuticals aren’t legally liable for injuries sustained after using generic medications.

Consumer advocates argue that this leaves consumers who take generic medication without legal recourse. The FDA’s new proposal would level the playing field, but the Generic Pharmaceutical Association is skeptical -- according to a study they sponsored, the proposed requirements would inflate the cost of generic drugs by $4 billion, pricing some generic drug makers out of the market and raising prices.

Should generic drug companies be held to the same standards as brand name groups? What kinds of legal protections should consumers have when it comes to generic medication?

Guests:

Allison Zieve, Director, Public Citizen Litigation Group where she focuses on public health litigation, regulatory law, open government, the First Amendment and more; Public Citizen is a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on citizen rights and consumer safety; Zieve will testify on this issue before Congressional lawmakers

Ralph G. Neas, President and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association

Planned testimony from the Generic Pharmaceutical Association and Public Citizen available here.