Transgender laws, the rift between the Republican party and Telemundo, H&M's collaboration with Balmain.
Bathrooms: the new battleground for LGBT rights
On Tuesday, Houston voters shot down an anti-discrimination law that would have protected a broad class of people, including LGBT people.
The debate was not about discrimination, however: it was about bathrooms.
Opponents of the law zeroed in on language that emphasized transgender people, who they deemed sexual predators, would enter bathrooms and invade other people's privacy.
In the end, that may have been the issue that led to the law's defeat.
That argument about bathrooms may find its way to California ballots, too, at the same time as the 2016 presidential elections.
Called the Personal Privacy Protection Act, it would restrict the bathrooms than trans people can use. Its supporters have until late December to gather enough signatures to get a referendum question on the ballot.
Sasha Buchert, staff attorney with the Transgender Law Center, explains why bathrooms are the new battleground for LGBT people.
Nixing Telemundo presidential debate could help, hurt some GOP hopefuls
Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus last week suspended a debate to be hosted by NBC and its broadcast partner Telemundo in February.
This came shortly after the third Republican debate on CNBC. Many within the GOP were loudly critical of the moderators in that debate.
If the parties can't strike a deal, the Republican candidates could lose their only chance to appeal to a large group of Latino voters, and that's just half of the story.
Luis Alvarado, a Republican consultant specializing in the Latino electorate, tells Take Two the decision comes at a critical time for the GOP. The party has long faced challenges making inroads with Latino voters. This much was made clear in a 2013 report released by the RNC that examined the key reasons why Mitt Romney lost the presidential election to Barack Obama the previous year.
"Some of the consultants had used bad strategy in understanding and building a message to actually get the electorate as a whole for our candidate," Alvarado said.
Alvarado says Latinos will become increasingly important heading into the 2016 presidential election. He points out that -- in some states -- the demographics have changed 100 percent.
"If you have a tight election where there is a fifty-fifty fight for two candidates, and the Latino electorate could probably swing that vote by two or three points, and you're not talking to them, then you're just giving up on your candidate," Alvarado said.
Armed with a better understanding of the role Latinos play in determining the next leader of the free world, Alvarado says several Republican presidential candidates have made it a point to reach out to voters. But he adds that the RNC's decision to suspend the debate could make it difficult for candidates to introduce themselves to the crucial group of voters.
"The Spanish-speaking networks ... do actually have a reach, and they are more prominent in the decision making for the voter," Alvarado said.
The Republican consultant adds that this characteristic sets the Latino electorate apart.
"The Latino electorate is really connected to the television as an information platform," Alvarado said.
Passing up on such a significant portion of voters could have a negative impact on some of the GOP candidates, but Alvarado says candidates like Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson and -- to an extent -- Sen. Ted Cruz may actually benefit from not appearing on Spanish television.
Press the blue play button above to hear why.
Impatient: Open enrollment and childbirth
It’s open enrollment season, the time of year that millions of people all over the country decide whether to stick with a current health plan or select a new one.
And there are tons of choices — HMO? PPO? High premium? High deductible?
Southern California Public Radio’s Rebecca Plevin stopped by to talk about one particular question: What plan do you choose if you're having a baby?
The future's still uncertain for LA's street vendors
Do you think that street vendors are a blight on the landscape - or do you welcome a chance to get a quick snack on the move?
Whatever you think, the issue remains contentious across the city.
For years, government officials have been unable to agree on a plan to regulate street sales, which are technically illegal.
Meanwhile, the vendors continue to operate outside the law.
There are small signs that the LA City Council may be coming to some kind of decision, however, and KPCC's Leslie Berestein-Rojas came into the studio to tell us more.
You can listen to the segment by clicking on the audio, above.
Mammoth Mountain season to start early thanks to snowfall
Mammoth Mountain has received enough snowfall to start its season early. How early? This Thursday.
12-30" of fresh snow today and in true Mammoth fashion, we're opening in 2 days.
- Thurs 11/5.
— MammothMountain (@MammothMountain)
12-30" of fresh snow today and in true Mammoth fashion, we're opening in 2 days. #MammothsOpen - Thurs 11/5. pic.twitter.com/4A4OxNYcKl
— MammothMountain (@MammothMountain) November 3, 2015
Lauren Burke with Mammoth Mountain joined the show to tell more about the early start, and the outlook for the season ahead.
"Yesterday after snow came through, we got together and we realized that we had the snow [and] the snow-making guns turned on around the clock in order to add to the base," said Burke. "And we all kind of gave it a 'Hoorah, let's do this!'"
Many people on social media already have been proclaiming their plans to head up the mountain, but Burke said that guests can still show up Thursday morning for their $50 lift tickets.
Although forecasters have said that Southern California may get a warm and rainy winter, Burke said that resorts at Mammoth's higher elevation typically don't get warm storms.
"We're really hopeful that El Niño is going to give us snow throughout the season, and we'll take whatever Mother Nature can give us," she said.
H&M x Balmain might be the biggest fashion collaboration ever
Apparel is one of the biggest economic industries in Southern California, and the holidays are naturally one of the most important times of year for clothing companies.
But it's not all about socks in your stockings and ugly sweaters underneath the tree. It's also when H&M debuts a collaboration with some of the biggest names in fashion.
This year, it's all about the label Balmain. The collection hits stores Thursday morning, and it could be one of the most successful collaborations to date.
Balmain is helmed by French designer Olivier Rousteing, who is both young and one of the few black couture designers in the fashion world.
"Rousteing did something very clever early on and he cast both reality star Kim Kardashian and her musician husband, Kanye West, in one of his campaigns," says Michelle Dalton Tyree, co-founder of the site Fashion Trends Daily. "This elevated Rousteing's visibility immensely and also gave her a new level of fashion cred."
That celebrity endorsement is the rocket fuel powering the demand for this collection.
"For the generation of social media users, it's really, really exciting to see all those images and celebrities that are supporting and wearing it," says H&M spokesman Noah Gonzalez.
The women's dresses are intricately detailed pieces layered in embroidery and beads to create lush patterns; on one dress, the beads form a 15-pound "armor."
Meanwhile the men's wear — inspired by naval uniforms and motorcycle gear — broadcasts intensity and cool. Check it out.
The anticipation for this fall's line from H&M x Balmain had people lining up since Monday.
"Collaborations between sought-after designers and retailers such as H&M or Target, are fashion’s equivalent of Black Friday door busters," says Tyree. "It’s particularly exciting here when you have a young designer who was not on the global radar four years ago."
They are also important for the stores themselves because there's pressure to deliver style at an affordable price.
The collection goes on sale in 8 a.m. Thursday in Los Angeles at H&M stores at the Beverly Center and 7th and Fig downtown. It'll also be available online starting 5 a.m. PST.