Ukrainian marines of Ukraine's only marine battalion, carry their belongings as they leave their military unit for home in the eastern Crimea's port city of Feodosiya on March 24, 2014. Ukraine ordered today its outnumbered troops to withdraw from Crimea after Russia's lightning annexation of the peninsula as world leaders met for emergency talks on the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Ukrainian troops have begun steady withdrawal from Crimea as Russian military forces seize bases and reinforce the border. Ukraine’s national security council made the decision to evacuate troops and their families. 

Although Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia has no intent to move troops into Eastern Ukraine, global criticism about military movement in Crimea is strong. NATO’s top military commander has expressed concern about the forces on the Ukrainian border, and the U.S. and E.U. have expanded on sanctions against Russia.

Will sanctions and criticism be enough to keep Russia from expanding military occupation into Eastern Ukraine? How will Ukraine handle suggestions to create more independent regions within the country? How will military tension resolve in Crimea?

Guest:

Will Pomeranz, Deputy Director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center

Prime Minister of Malaysia (C), Najib Razak leaves after an ad hoc press conference on March 24, 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Prime Minister Najib Razak spoke at the press conference to announce that fresh analysis of available satellite data has concluded that missing flight MH370's final position was in the southern Indian Ocean. French authorities reported a satellite sighting of objects in an area of the southern Indian Ocean where China and Australia have also reported similar sightings of potential debris from the flight that went missing on March 8. ; Credit: Rahman Roslan/Getty Images

Two weeks after its initial disappearance, the fate of missing Malaysian flight 370 is now less of a mystery. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced on Monday that the missing jetliner crashed into a remote area of the Indian Ocean.

This announcement comes after a new analysis of satellite data which indicates that the plane, carrying 239 people, flew “to a remote location, far from any possible landing sites.” The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has said it is working with Inmarstat, the British satellite company, to determine the search area for the airliner.

A spokesperson for the UK AAIB said, "As set out by the Malaysian PM today, we have been working with the UK company Inmarsat, using satellite data to determine the area on which to focus the search. We are not able to comment further on this investigation, which is being led by the Malaysian authorities."

Although the search area for the plane has narrowed, many questions remain in the wake of this new discovery. What actually happened on Flight 370? Can the missing plane be found? What does this mean for the future of airline security?

Guests:

Al Yurman, Retired Field Investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board

Simon Boxall, Ph.D., Oceanographer with Southampton University’s National Oceanography Centre

A handout photograph taken taken on March 16, 2013 and released on March 18 by the African Union-United Nations Information Support Team freshly caught swordfish lined up for sale inside Mogadishu's fish market in the Xamar in the Xamar Weyne district of Mogadishu.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Hundreds of thousands of dolphins, whales, sharks, sea lions, turtles and fish are ensnared accidentally in fishing nets and tossed back into the ocean every year. Most of that 'by catch' - creatures that are caught up in fishing nets or lines - are killed as collateral damage of the commercial fishing industry.

A new report out by ocean conservation organization Oceana identifies nine of the 'dirties' fisheries in the US that toss out the most by catch. Two of those fisheries are in California, which still allows the controversial fishing technique of 'drift gillnets' in federal waters off the state. The gillnets are large nets primarily catch swordfish, common thresher, shortfin mako.

New legislation was sponsored recently to ban the already-limited practice because of threats to sea turtles, whales and other wildlife. California fisheries who use the technique say they already do everything they can to reduce the amount of by catch since it's not in their interest to toss out tons of seafood or ensnare large sea creatures in very expensive nets.

Why are 'gillnest' still used to catch swordfish? Do you pay attention to how the seafood you eat is caught? Should we ban the fishing technique if it's leading to so much by catch?

Guests:

Ben Enticknap, Pacific project manager and senior scientist at Oceana, an international ocean conservation organization, and co-author of Wasted Catch: Unsolved Problems in U.S. Fisheries

Tom Ross, independent swordfish fisherman on the Diane Susan vessel

US actor Philip Seymour Hoffman arrives for the screening of 'The Master' during the 69th Venice Film Festival on September 1 , 2012.; Credit: TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images

When an actor or actress dies during the filming, production teams are often left at a crossroads. Can they continue on and adapt the film to fit with the footage they have? Will they have to scrap everything and start from scratch?

After the tragic deaths of actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Walker, rumors have started about how production of their films (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts I and II and The Fast and the Furious 7, respectively) will proceed. Reports about both sets of productions have speculated that the films will use technology to fill in the gaps -- from CGI to voice recreation and body doubles.

In the past, directors have used different tactics to keep a deceased actor in a film, including editing, recasting, and digital recreation. Is using movie magic to bring an actor “back to life” onscreen ethical?

How is digital manipulation or editing in this kind of situation different from other tricks of “movie magic” -- we’re used to seeing stunt doubles, body doubles, and CGI in film, but is there a line drawn when it comes to death? How will production companies and actors deal with rights of publicity after death in the future?

Lionsgate and Universal declined to comment.

Guest:

Robert Thompson, Director, Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture at Syracuse University

A man shows the smartphone photo sharing application Instagram on an Iphone on April 10, 2012.; Credit: THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images

Smartphone users are accustomed to the ever-changing social rules that govern apps. Certain apps may broadcast your location to earn you points, delete your photo and video messages in ten seconds, or pair you with other users based on romantic matching. The common theme is social networking -- interacting with others. But Cloak, the so-called “antisocial network” purports to do the exact opposite. 

Using the location tracking tools integrated with other apps, like Foursquare and Instagram, Cloak helps users avoid their virtual friends in person by sending notifications when a flagged contact is nearby.

Other apps play on anonymity to attract users on a different level -- Secret, created by two former Google engineers, aggregates anonymous statements made within a social network -- you know that the person gossiping on the app may be a co-worker, but you don’t know who said what. Whisper and other anonymous apps are after the same thing -- intimate confessions and discussion in a faceless forum.

How is social networking changing to accommodate privacy and anonymity? Would you use an anonymous app, or one intended to help you avoid unwanted in-person interaction?

Guest:

Karen North, Director of the Annenberg Program on Online Communities at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, expert in social media and internet privacy

Guests enjoy the 2012 vintage Beaujolais Nouveau wine in Tokyo on November 15, 2012, after the embargo on the wine was removed at midnight.; Credit: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images

Women in the U.S. are consuming more alcohol than they have in decades past, and they face greater health risks for doing so. For one, a woman's body has fewer enzymes for breaking down alcohol and less water weight to diffuse its effects. That means women are at greater risk for liver disease.

Researchers also say drinking increases a woman's chances of getting breast cancer, as studies have shown that alcohol can raise estrogen levels. They also say that the way women are drinking today — binge drinking, foregoing meals — is cause for concern. Experts say the rise in risky drinking is due to increased social acceptability, gender equality, culture and even a preference for hard liquor over beer.

Women are also being arrested at an increasing rate for driving under the influence. A recent report by KPCC analyzing 20 years of California DMV records shows a significant increase in the number of women being arrested for driving under the influence.

The DMV reports that women made up about 24 percent of DUI arrests statewide in 2011, the last year statistics are available. That's an increase over the 11 percent of DUI arrests in 1989.

What's behind this increase in alcohol consumption among women? Should more be done to educate women about the dangers of alcohol?

Guest:

Elizabeth Aguilera, KPCC Health Reporter

U.S. President Barack Obama gives a statement on the situation in the Ukraine in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on March 17, 2014 in Washington, DC. The U.S. and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Russian and Ukraine officials in response to their actions that supported the referendum for Crimean separation. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images); Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

A new proposal by the Obama administration would end the National Security Agency's widespread collection of Americans' phone data, as reported first by the New York Times.

If approved by Congress,  the legislation would end the program as it is and leave phone data in the hands of phone companies. The phone companies would not be required to keep records longer than the 18 months federal regulations already require.

The NSA would still be able to access phone data, but only after approval by judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Once given the green light, the data for a particular number would be available to NSA officials on in realtime.

The program would still only collect telephone numbers, call times and dates, not the content of the calls.

Is this change sufficient enough to ease American's anxieties about NSA data collection? Does this change hamper the government's ability to keep the U.S. safe? Should the program be scrapped altogether? Is this a step in the right direction?

Guests:

Rep. Adam Schiff, Democratic Congressman representing the 29th District, which include Atwater Village, Burbank and West Hollywood

Robert Turner, Associate Director of the Center for National Security Law at the University of Virginia

Activists hold signs outside the Supreme Court March 25, 2014 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court heard arguments today in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc if for profit corporations can refuse to cover contraceptive services in their employee's healthcare for religious beliefs. ; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The Supreme Court appeared split during today’s oral arguments weighing whether employers’ religious views can exempt them from providing contraceptive services in employee health plans, as required by the Affordable Care Act. 

Under the law, religious nonprofits were exempted from this requirement, but for-profit businesses were not.

The companies involved in the high court case are Hobby Lobby Stores Inc.—a chain of craft stores run by an evangelical Christian family and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp.—a business operated by a Mennonite family that sells wooden cabinets.

These plaintiffs object to certain types of birth control which they consider to be abortion-inducing—like morning after pills and IUDs. They argue that a 1993 federal law on religious freedoms protects businesses as well as individuals—and the contraceptive mandate infringes on their religious rights.

The Obama administration and its supporters say a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the businesses could undercut laws governing immunizations, Social Security taxes and minimum wages.

The decision could hinge on perennial swing vote Anthony Kennedy, who today voiced concerns about the rights of female employees. He asked what rights women would have if employers ordered them to wear burkas—the full–length robe worn by some conservative Muslim women.

Kennedy also raised questions about the government’s arguments. The health care law states that health plans must cover all forms of birth control that have been approved by the FDA at no extra charge. Kennedy challenged the government on how that logic would apply to abortions. "A profit corporation could be forced in principle to pay for abortions," he said. "Your reasoning would permit it."

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan asked whether companies should be allowed to refuse to cover procedures like blood transfusions or vaccines, if employers had a religious objection to such medical treatments.

A decision in the case is expected by late June. How would you like to see the case play out? What do you make of the arguments on either side? Should for-profit businesses have religious rights? What might be the implications of this decision?

Guests:

Sarah Posner, Journalist with Religion Dispatches - a daily, online magazine that focuses on the intersection of religion, politics and culture; Posner was in the Court for today’s hearing.

David French, Senior Counsel, American Center for Law and Justice - an advocacy group focused on religious freedoms

Emily Martin, Vice President and General Counsel, National Women’s Law Center - an advocacy group focused on laws and policies that affect women

University of California President Janet Napolitano is seen at an event on expanding college opportunity in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House on January 16, 2014 in Washington, DC.; Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The University of California system is weighing its options for how to deal with a budget shortfall of more than $120 million.

At a recent Board of Regents meeting, board members expressed skepticism that they would be able to make up the funding gap while holding tuition down to 2012 levels, at $12,500 a year.

Governor Jerry Brown's budget proposal allocates an extra $142 million in state funds to the 10-campus system but that still leave the university more than $100 million short. Brown's offer to boost funding to UC and CSU by 5 percent this year, a 5 percent increase next year and 4 percent increases in the subsequent two years are conditional on the university keeping a freeze in tuition.

UC president Janet Napolitano confirmed this week that she's committed to not raising tuition through the current school year but it's unclear where the university will find the extra revenue needed to make up the shortfall.

During the same speech on Monday, Napolitano also questioned the value of online education courses saying they're a 'tool' but that even when done right "doesn't save all that much money."

How can the University of California system make up its budget shortfall while still being committed to tuition hikes? How long can UC sustain the tuition freeze?

Guest:

Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California; former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Jan. 2009 - Sept. 2013)

Youth backpackers of Spain study a map outside the Circus hostel Berlin on July 19, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. Millions of youth people taking a gap year between high school and college to see the world. Backpacking is the cheapest way to travel the world.; Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Traveling the world with nothing more than a passport and a backpack has long been the norm among college-bound kids in Europe. Now students at Tufts University are being offered a helping hand to indulge in a little wanderlust.

Starting this fall, Tufts will provide funds for up to fifty students to travel abroad before entering their freshman year. Tufts is not alone. Princeton offers gap-year aid based on need. The University of North Carolina offers $7,500 to gap year applicants, as reported by the Associated Press.

According to the American Gap Association, a gap year overseas can cost up to 30 thousand dollars. By removing the financial barrier to overseas exploration, it's hoped participants will broaden their worldview through a variety of volunteer and education programs. Gap year studies also suggest that a constructive break away from traditional education can boost a student's academic performance.

Europeans encourage young people to take gap years - why have Americans been more reluctant? Should all students be offered financial assistance to take a gap year before college? If you took one, how did it help or hinder you on your return? After a gap year, are students more focused and less likely to switch majors and career goals?

Guests:

Ethan Knight, Executive Director, American Gap Association

Bob Clagett, Director of College Counseling at St. Stephen's Episcopal School and former senior admissions officer at Harvard College. He's conducted research into the impact on gap years on students

Russia's President Vladimir Putin takes part in a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Ala-Archa state residence in Bishkek, on September 13, 2013. Putin said today the global community should welcome Syria's decision to join a ban on chemical weapons, saying it shows the 'serious intentions' of Damascus.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

With the Russian annexation of Crimea complete, tensions in Eastern Europe are high. The Russian military has overtaken Ukrainian military bases in Crimea and has bolstered its presence along the Ukrainian border.

Sanctions against politicians and threats of economic sanctions have had little effect on the Russian government. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s insistence that Russia has no plans to invade other parts of Ukraine or other Russian speaking nations, NATO, the U.S., and the E.U. have vocalized concern that certain pro-Russia areas may be absorbed into the Russian Federation.

One area of particular interest is Transnistria, a region within Moldova with pro-Russia tendencies and a nearby Russian military presence. Comparisons to Cold War tensions have inspired dialogue about reassessing diplomatic relationships even as experts dismiss the threat of violence.

How will things proceed for Russia? What is the future of U.S./Russia diplomacy? Will the threat of greater sanctions keep Russia from expanding?

Guests: 

Stephen Sestanovich, George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; former U.S. ambassador-at-large for independent states of the former Soviet Union (1997-2001); author of Maximalist: America in the World from Truman to Obama (Knopf 2014)

Nina Tumarkin, professor of history at Wellesley College

California State senator and candidate for San Francisco mayor Leland Yee greets a friend in front of his campaign headquarters on November 7, 2011 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) has been detailed on public corruption and bribery charges as part of a major FBI crackdown in the Bay Area, according to the San Jose Mercury News. 

Search and arrest warrants have been served throughout the Bay Area this morning. Besides Yee, a San Francisco Chinatown gangster Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow” has also been arrested. Chow had been arrested and had served time in prison before for racketeering. He allegedly has ties to a Hong Kong triad called Wo Hop To.

Yee is running to become the next Secretary of State and his indictment puts his candidacy in jeopardy.

Guest:

Josh Richman, San Jose Mercury News reporter who has been following the case

This December 2, 2013 photo shows a woman reading the HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace internet site in Washington, DC.; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

The White House has extended the deadline to sign up for health plans under the Affordable Care Act. The deadline, March 31st, has been push to mid-April for users who have begun the process of signing up and checked a box asking for an extension.

For frustrated users who have encountered online glitches and long phone waits, the new deadline is a relief, but critics say that the extension is another sign that the problems with the ACA are persistent, and the latest move is a poor reflection on the new healthcare plans.

Covered California has often tweaked its own deadlines to match the national extensions, but has also kept some some of its own policies, including a state timeline about when to implement new health plans. Covered California will not be extending its deadline for sign-ups, despite the White House announcement -- the California deadline is March 31, Monday.

How will the national extension affect consumers? What does it say about the ACA? Should Covered California extend its deadline?

Are you an Obamacare expert? Take our quiz here to find out!

Guests:

Joanne Kenen, Health Care Editor for POLITICO

University of California President Janet Napolitano is seen at an event on expanding college opportunity in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House on January 16, 2014 in Washington, DC.; Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The University of California system is weighing its options for how to deal with a budget shortfall of more than $120 million.

At a recent Board of Regents meeting, board members expressed skepticism that they would be able to make up the funding gap while holding tuition down to 2012 levels, at $12,500 a year.

Governor Jerry Brown's budget proposal allocates an extra $142 million in state funds to the 10-campus system but that still leave the university more than $100 million short. Brown's offer to boost funding to UC and CSU by 5 percent this year, a 5 percent increase next year and 4 percent increases in the subsequent two years are conditional on the university keeping a freeze in tuition.

UC president Janet Napolitano confirmed this week that she's committed to not raising tuition through the current school year but it's unclear where the university will find the extra revenue needed to make up the shortfall.

During the same speech on Monday, Napolitano also questioned the value of online education courses saying they're a 'tool' but that even when done right "doesn't save all that much money."

How can the University of California system make up its budget shortfall while still being committed to tuition hikes? How long can UC sustain the tuition freeze?

Interview Highlights: 

You said there's not going to be a tuition increase next year. How else can you close that gap?

"We have a lot things that we can look at, but let me say it again, we are not raising tuition in 2014 and 2015 and we're very insistent on that. That doesn't mean that we don't need to continue to look for ways to tighten our belts and maybe not be able to do some of the things we would like to be able to do to continue to maintain the University of California as the leading public research university in the country, if not the world. But we will not raise tuition this year." 

Assembly Speaker John Pérez says Cal State might get more than the Governor proposed, what are the prospects for you getting more than the 5 percent in his proposed budget?

"In his proposed budget we would get 9 percent more next year, of course, obviously, we like that budget better than the governor's, but there's a lot of things that go into budgets and as you know they re-estimate the revenues coming into the state in May, and that may have some impact as well, both on the legislature and on the governor's perspective. I think where we need to start off is saying, look, University of California is this unique treasure. It contributes in myriad ways to the economic and social well being of California. What do we need to do to support it and maintain its excellence?"

Have you spoken yet today at the Cal State meeting in Long Beach?

"Yes I did, I spoke there this morning. The three heads of the higher education legs in California — community colleges, Cal State and myself as the UC — all spoke together." 

I know some students were planning to protest. Were there many of them outside the auditorium?

"No they had not assembled by the time we were speaking, so they may be there now, but they weren't there when we were speaking."

They're against what are called student success fees to pay for more classes, faculty and other services at CSUs. Dominguez Hills considering a $280 per semester fee for students, like UC students. They've absorbed big tuition increases. Do you think CSU potentially doing this on select campuses violates the governor's demand that state universities freeze tuition?

"I don't know enough about the issue to express an opinion. I do know enough about the University of  California to say that we have a very specific process by which fees can be raised, and they can only be used for certain student activities and student purposes. That process is, indeed, voted on by the students themselves, so we adhere to that process and again with respect to tuition, we will not raise it this year.

Let me make another point, however, and that is this. The reason the three of us are speaking together is to make the point that the expectation that higher education in California has been there since at least the master plan, 50 years ago, and we have to fight to make sure that the next generation of Californians has the same kind of opportunity that those who came before did.

That can't rely just on tuition dollars. There has to be an active participation and partnership with the state, and I think increasingly with the private sector and private philanthropy as well. If we are really going to meet the challenges and the need for higher education in California."

RELATED: Students say Cal State broke tuition freeze promise 

One of the approaches that Governor Brown has touted, and many in higher education as well, is online learning as a way to more inexpensively provide basic education courses. A couple of days ago, you were speaking at a Sacramento lunch and you expressed skepticism about online learning taking a significant percentage of that out of the classroom. Why are you skeptical?

"I was skeptical for two reasons. Number one, I think online learning, originally when it was conceived, was going to be these kind of mass online courses that thousands would take and it would solve all of the capacity issues in higher education. As people have delved more into it, they've found out that, no, sitting in front of a computer screen is not the same as sitting in a classroom with a professor, a teaching assistant, others, and having that engagement there and with your fellow students... It is and has a very useful purpose.

It turns out that it's most useful purpose is probably not at basic or remedial coursework where students really do need extra attention. That's why they're taking it. In some of our upper division courses, where students are already in a major they already know where they're going, there are ways we can offer courses at one of our campuses that students at other campuses can take, and that's the way  of using online most productively. We've got 33 dozen or so courses that are being piloted now in that regard."

I guess I'm thinking of survey courses, introductory level courses where you've got 500 students sitting in an auditorium far distant from the professor or TA. Wouldn't it be just as good to have a student at a computer as opposed to sitting in a massive lecture hall?

"In terms of watching a lecture, yes, but then you also then have to have the follow up, which those big lecture halls do with smaller sections and breakouts with teaching assistants and the like, so, in terms of being a big money saver or something of that sort, which is what online was looked at to be, a lot of the associated things that go with a big lecture still must be done." 

When you were chosen for this position, there was significant pushback among some from the UC in feeling that you were not the right person for this job. Do you feel that you've overcome that skepticism in your six months or do you still feel like there's some who are very resistant to you?

"I think that when the regents selected me they were looking for someone with a proven track record of leading huge, complex organizations. I'm really, if you think about it and the way the UC is organized, I'm kind of like a CEO. The chancellors of each campus run the academic missions of the campuses. I support them and make sure that they are, and I fight for getting them the support they need to do their jobs. So the job of president of the University of California is a little bit different than I think people perhaps perceive.

There are some who I think will never be accepting of thinking outside the box to have someone like me in a role like this, but my experience over the last six months has been more and more people are excited. There's new energy, there are new ideas, there's new things we can do. It's a great time to come to California and to really help lead higher education now."

In a nutshell, what do you think is going to be the most important task you're going to carry out in the next six to nine months as you lead the UC?

"I've announced a number of initiatives, beginning with tuition, that I want to bring to fruition and I want to begin having us think three years, five years, down the road in terms of what do we need to do to educate the next generation of Californians and maintain the kind of excellence that's always been the hallmark of UC."

"A Call to Action: Women, Religion Violence and Power" the new book by President Jimmy Carter.

“A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power” documents various crimes and human rights abuses against women and girls, including slavery, genital cutting, child marriage, honor killings. Abuses against women aren’t limited to the developing world, and examples are just as prevalent in the U.S. today, think sexual assault cases on college campuses and in the military.

Carter places special emphasis on the role religion can play in perpetuating the discrimination of women. “The relegation of women to an inferior or circumscribed status by many religious leaders is one of the primary reasons for the promotion and perpetuation of sexual abuse. If potential male exploiters of women are led to believe that their victim is considered inferior of 'different' even by God, they can presume that it must be permissible to take advantage of their superior male status. It is crucial that devout believers abandon the premise that their faith mandates sexual discrimination,” he writes.

President Carter will be signing copies of his new book, A Call to Action, tomorrow at noon at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove

Guest:

President Jimmy Carter, the thirty-ninth President of the United States (1977 to 1981), Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2002, and the author of over two dozen books, including “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violences, and Power” (Simon and Schuster, 2014)

Leo W. Gerard, President of the Steelworkers, (R) and Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter answer questions at a press conference on January 28 2014 at The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago Illinois. Citing what they deem as the NCAA's abdication of responsibility to protect athletes from injury, the College Athletes Association (CAPA) announced the creation of the new labor organization to represent college football and basketball players. ; Credit: David Banks/Getty Images

A regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled Wednesday that college football players at Northwestern University have the right to unionize. The College Athletes Players Association, formed by Northwestern football players, argued that scholarship students are “employees” and should be represented by a union -- the players sought a “seat at the table” for collective bargaining.

Northwestern has already announced that they will appeal the decision to the Washington D.C. chapter of the NLRB, the beginning of what is expected to be a long appellate process, but the initial decision has already sparked more interest in the conversation about unionized college sports.

If the ruling stands, private colleges nationwide could be impacted (the NLRB has no control over public universities). But what seems like an issue for big sports schools competing nationally in high-stakes, big-money games may also affect smaller programs within athletic departments.

How will non-scholarship athletes fare? Will smaller teams or less prominently featured sports form unions? Will the NCAA, universities, and states adapt their rules to accommodate “paid,” unionized players? How will public schools adapt to these changes?

LINK

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Guest:

Pat Haden, Director of Athletics at the University of Southern California

Zev Eigen, Associate Professor Law at Northwestern Law School and Associate Professor of Management & Strategy (by courtesy) at Kellogg School of Management

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

The backlog of applications for concealed weapons permits in Orange County has surged to nearly 3,000 since the county eased its requirements to obtain such permits following a February 13 federal appeals court ruling that California’s urban communities were too strict in issuing them.

Orange County Sherriff Sandra Hutchens says her office has had to hire more staff to process all the new applications, but some applicants report they’ve been told it may take years for their applications to be processed—with some permit interview appointments set for mid-2016.

Since the February ruling, the Sherriff’s Department has received more than four times the concealed carry permit applications it typically receives in a whole year, reports the Los Angeles Times. Earlier this month, Hutchens said she’d eliminate the in-person gun inspection from the application process to speed things up. Applicants would still be required to pass background checks and take firearm safety training classes before obtaining a permit.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision challenged San Diego County’s concealed carry permitting policy—which determined that an applicant had to face some danger greater than that faced by an average member of the public to have “good cause” for carrying a hidden gun in public.

When the defendant in the case—San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore—announced he wouldn’t appeal the decision, California Attorney General Kamala Harris intervened—calling on the court to review and reverse the decision.

The controversial court decision is stirring debate among those on either side of California’s gun debate—particularly in Orange and Ventura Counties—which have loosened their restrictions to comply with the ruling.

What do you think concealed carry laws should look like in places like Orange County, San Diego or Los Angeles? What should be required of those seeking permits? How can Orange County make its permitting process more efficient?

Guest: 

Sandra Hutchens, Orange County Sheriff

California State senator and candidate for San Francisco mayor Leland Yee smiles while campaigning along Hayes Street on November 7, 2011 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

State Sen. Leland Yee was arrested on corruption and firearms trafficking charges yesterday, as part of an extensive FBI operation that netted 26 people across the Bay Area.

Yee, a prominent Asian American political leader in California, was arraigned on seven charges. An indictment unsealed by prosecutors yesterday accused Yee of accepting campaign donations from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for political favors. He is also accused to trying to help an undercover agent get weapons.

If convicted on all counts, Yee could face up to 125 years in prison. This is the third high-profile scandal facing California Senate Democrats this year. In January,a Los Angeles County jury found Sen. Rod Wright of Baldwin Hills guilty of eight counts of voter fraud and perjury. Sen. Ron Calderon of Montebello is facing corruption charges alleging that he took kickbacks while in office.

Yee’s indictment sparked shock and outrage across the state. Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg has called for Yee's immediate resignation. "We're going to demand that Leland Yee -- yes, innocent until proven guilty -- leave the Senate and leave it now," Steinberg said at a news conference, adding that the Senate is ready to suspend him.

Guests:

Mattias Gafni, Investigative Reporter, Bay Area News Group

Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, Democratic Assemblymember representing the 58th district including Bell Gardens, Artesia and Norwalk and chair of Assembly ethics committee.

Harmeet Dhillon, Vice Chair of the California Republican Party; co-founder of the San Francisco-based law firm Dhillon and Smith

Carla Marinucci, Senior Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle

Dan Walters, Political Columnist, The Sacramento Bee

David Lee, Director, Chinese American Voters Education Committee,  based in San Francisco; Lee has worked with Yee in the past.

Actors Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and director Darren Aronofsky attend the New York Premiere of "Noah" at Clearview Ziegfeld Theatre on March 26, 2014 in New York City. ; Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Larry and KPCC film critics Andy Klein and Claudia Puig review this week’s releases, including Noah, Cesar Chavez, Sabotage and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Noah

Cesar Chavez

Sabotage

Guests: 

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

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today

Real estate agent Maurice Dolan (R) hands out information on a home for sale during an open house on July 30, 2013 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The real estate market has come full circle in some Southern California cities. DataQuick, a real estate data firm, finds that home prices in certain SoCal zip codes have surpassed their housing bubble peaks. Most of these areas are concentrated in the San Gabriel Valley and the Westside--driven largely by Asian buyers and high tech professionals, respectively.

Trulia, a real estate website, recently released their rankings on the most overvalued housing markets in the nation. Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside-San Bernardino made the top 5.

Is California in the midst of another housing bubble?

Guests:

Richard Green, Director and Chair of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate

Chris Thornberg, Principal, Beacon Economics