Pelican Bay inmate Todd Ashker a legal force behind prison hunger strike; Looming strike could spell bad news for Bay Area commuters; Hans Lienesch, the Ramen Rater, on what makes a perfect bowl of instant noodles; US Air Force aims to combat pilot shortage; On the Lot: Blue Jasmine, Star Wars, plus much more.
The history of prison hunger strikes in California
More than 600 inmates are protesting solitary confinement through a mass hunger strike that began July 8th. But it's not the first time California prisoners have refused food to seek concessions from prison officials.
With more on the history of prison hunger strikes in California and beyond is Professor Keramet Reiter, who solitary confinement teaches criminology at the University of California at Irvine.
'Refeeding syndrome' poses danger for those ending a hunger strike
The hunger strike has become the biggest protest of its kind in California history. Many strikers have dropped in and out, forgoing just a few meals, and the longer the protest continues, the more people drop out altogether.
But for those hanging in, the risk rises with each passing day. For the California Report, Elaine Korry has the story.
Looming strike could spell more bad news for Bay Area commuters
In just one week's time, the Bay Area's public transportation system, BART, may face the second strike of the summer. Last month, a 4 1/2-day strike caused gridlock in the streets and led to long lines for buses and ferries.
The strike came to an end when two of BART's largest unions, Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, agreed to a 30-day contract extension.
No word yet on how talks are going, but the situation does shed some interesting light on the complicated relationship between organized labor and Silicon Valley.
Kevin Roose of New York Magazine joins the show with more.
Why sexual harassment complaints aren't more common in DC
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner recently announced that he would be checking himself in for two weeks of therapy in August, but would not be resigning. This after four additional women, including a retired Navy rear admiral and a dean at San Diego State University, accused him of unwanted sexual harassment.
All seven of the women who have accused Filner of inappropriate behavior are in California. So far, no accusations have come from Washington, DC, where Filner served for two decades in Congress.
KPCC's Washington Correspondent Kitty Felde reports.
Take Two listener on how power plays into political sex scandals
We've been covering the Bob Filner sexual harassment allegations since it broke several weeks ago. On Friday's show, we talked about it with Mark Sachleben, a professor of political science at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, who's working on an upcoming book about political sex scandals.
Sachleben said one reason politicians engage in these kinds of sex scandals are that they're surrounded by "sycophants" and they're seldom told no, so they think they can get away with inappropriate behavior.
But one Take Two listener believes there's a lot more going on in the case of Bob Filner. Charisse L'Pree just completed her doctoral studies at USC researching the relationship between media and psychological development and identity. She joins the show to explain.
On the Lot: Blue Jasmine, Star Wars and more
Time for On the Lot, our weekly summary of news from the movie business with LA Times reporter Rebecca Keegan.
The iconic X-Men character Wolverine won the box office sweepstakes this weekend, but the film everyone is talking about is Woody Allen's latest feature, "Blue Jasmine."
Some people are already saying Cate Blanchett is sure to be on the list of best actresses at next years Oscars. In Woody Allen's new film she plays a once-wealthy woman who's now down on her luck. Besides Blanchett, there's a pretty interesting supporting cast, some stars familiar to HBO viewers, and...Andrew Dice Clay?
Woody Allen has made something like 50 films. Why do his films get this kind of limited release? "Blue Jasmine" will only be in about 60 theaters next weekend.
News about another Hollywood veteran: Roman Polanski. He was convicted of having sex with an underage girl back in 1978, and fled to Europe where he's been ever since. Now the victim is planning to publish a book with a pretty startling cover photo.
Samantha Geimer has said on a number of occasions that Polanski has already paid the price for his actions, and at times she's said she just wants to put all this behind her. So, it begs the question: why write a book about this, and why now?
The composer who wrote the Imperial March, or Darth Vader's theme, from "Star Wars," has signed up for the new Star Wars film, "Episode Seven." This Star Wars will be directed by J J Abrams, the man behind the TV series "Lost." He's directed two "Star Trek" films, so how does that sit with the dogmatic Star Wars fans?
"Sharknado," the schlock TV movie that became a social media phenom a few weeks ago is headed to movie theaters?
Hans Lienesch, the Ramen Rater, on what makes a perfect bowl of instant ramen
What do you think of when someone says, "instant ramen?" A quick meal on the run or bliss in a bowl? Crunchy noodles that soften after a few minutes of cooking? The garish packaging?
Whatever it is, odds are you probably don't think of instant ramen as high cuisine. Hans Lienesch, better known as the Ramen Rater disagrees.
He's tried and reviewed more than 1,100 different types of instant ramen from around the world, and has catalogued their intricacies, strengths and flaws on his website.
Lienesch joins the show to give us the lowdown on which brands are the best are which you can pass by in the ramen aisle.
What does Pope Francis' stance on sexual orientation mean for the church?
On a plane ride home to Vatican City from his recent trip to Brazil, Pope Francis held an 80 minute news conference. During that conversation, he said he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation.
He is quoted as saying, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"
For more on the context and significance of the pope's remarks, we turned to Diane Winston, Knight Chair in media and religion at USC's Annenberg school for Communication and Journalism.
LA gay bars boycott Stoli, other Russian vodka brands
When the Supreme Court struck down DOMA and California's Prop 8, LGBT people in the US scored a victory for gay rights, but activists are now taking the fight to Russia.
Gay pride events there have been scarred with violence and last month the country passed a law where tourists or foreigners could be arrested for being perceived as gay or "pro-gay."
In response, gay columnist Dan Savage called for a nation-wide boycott of Stoli and other Russian vodkas. This weekend several bars in West Hollywood got into the act.
RELATED: Gay bars in West Hollywood boycott Russian vodka over anti-gay laws
Even though Stoli is a business, not a government that can enact policy, WeHo councilman John Duran told us why he supported the move by his city's businesses.
"I mean I think that a boycott has two primary reasons, one of which is to target and protest where injustice is occurring, but also to raise public awareness."
For look at how well boycotts work, and the economic power of LGBT people in the US, we're joined by Lee Badgett. professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and research director at UCLA's Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy.
Stoli Responds To The Attempted Boycott Of Russian Vodka
Long Beach summer camp teaches science to homeless kids
According to national statistics, homeless kids are nine times more likely to repeat a grade and four times more likely to drop out of school. Five years ago, a Long Beach professor started a science camp to try to change that.
KPCC's Jed Kim has this story from the first week of camp.
Pelican Bay inmate Todd Ashker a legal force behind prison hunger strike
Convicted killer Todd Ashker has been described as the legal brains behind the California prison hunger strike.
Along with three other inmates representing the Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia and the Black Guerrilla Family, Ashker originally called for the mass protest, and has been instrumental in keeping it going.
He's earned a paralegal degree while behind bars, and has worked on more than 50 federal lawsuits against the California prison system since 1987.
Journalist Paige St. John wrote a profile of Todd Ashker, and she joins the show with more.
US Air Force aims to combat pilot shortage
In 1986, Tom Cruise played a cocky fighter pilot in the film "Top Gun," sparking a national interest in military aviation.
Almost 30 years later, the image of the high flying jet jockey seems to have lost some of its luster. The US Air Force is reporting a severe shortage in jet pilots, and they've introduced a new, potentially expensive incentive plan to close the looming gap.
LA Times reporter Bill Hennigan has been examining the pilot shortage, and he joins the show to explain.
Autry Museum debuts new 'Western Frontiers' firearm exhibit (Photos)
This past Saturday was National American Cowboy Day, and the Autry Museum debuted its new, permanent exhibit, "Western Frontiers: Stories of Fact and Fiction" in its Gamble Firearms Gallery.
The exhibit looks at themes in Western history as seen through a key artifact: the gun. It ranges from early hunters and trappers through pioneers and old West law enforcement to Wild West shows, the conservation movement and television cowboys.
Guns are a hot topic in American politics, and everyone seems to have have an opinion on the subject. Museum curator Jeffrey Richardson hopes the exhibit is presented in such a way that it transcends people's opinion on guns and only serves to educate.
"Our hope here at the museum is that regardless of how people feel when they walk in, they will leave the museum with a better understanding of the role firearms played in the West," said Richardson during a museum walkthrough with KPCC's A Martinez. "That will give them further ammunition to make their own decision about their thoughts on firearms, not only in history, but in modern society as well."
From Teddy Roosevelt's gold-plated revolver to Steve McQueen's modified carbine, the exhibit features a plethora of firearms that tell the story of the American West, a period deeply rooted in gun culture.
Richardson describes the balance of the exhibit saying the collection is full of, "beautifully engraved guns which are world class, but were practical tools on the American Frontier that people needed simply to survive."