Take Two

Junior's Deli in Westwood is closing after 53 years in business. Plus, will Congress reach a deal to keep us from heading over the so-called fiscal cliff? Health insurance companies plan to hike up rates in 2013, and author Joshua Glenn offers tips on how to keep your kids "Unbored" during the long winter break, and much more.

Today, KPCC's Molly Peterson talks about the portrayal of fracking in Hollywood. Plus, why fiscal cliff talk is full of doomsday predictions, we look at whether White House petitions ever work, the new Atlanta Braves 'screaming Indian' logo draw ire and much more.

A New York newspaper is under scrutiny for publishing the addresses of gun owners. Plus, could gun liability insurance help curb gun violence? Then, new research shows that electronic records are vulnerable to attack by hackers, the nationwide primary physician shortage is worsening and much more.

Will President Obama be able to make changes to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms? Then, what's the marketing connection between real and virtual firearms?; LAPD holds a gun buyback program today; Sheriff Lee Baca is under pressure to curb inmate abuse; Patt Morrison and Brian Lehrer debate which is better during the holidays, NY or LA? Plus much more.

A new investigation shows that retailers skew online prices based on your location. Plus, the fiscal cliff is coming up quickly, first-person shooter games may have neurological benefits, politicians in Washington, D.C. have taken issue with the depiction of waterboarding in "Zero Dark Thirty" and much more.

The NRA breaks its silence about gun control and the Sandy Hook shooting. Plus, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is in need of an overhaul. Can Obama deliver? Then, Vintage LA's Alison Martino takes us back in time to how LA used to celebrate the holidays, the story behind Aretha Franklin's 'Amazing Grace,' and much more.

First, the Center for Investigative Reporting looks at why long wait times mean some veterans die before receiving benefits. Then, we take a look at why Obama's Secure Communities immigration policy is falling out of favor across the U.S. Plus, Mexico's middle class continues to rise, Wall Street Journal columnist Jeff Yang's project to teach his sons about guns and much more.

President Obama will announce a new plan to curb gun violence, spearheaded by VP Joe Biden. Plus, a new book details how companies use 'The Fine Print' to raise prices, Patt Morrison talks about the large number of key positions in LA's March election, cocktail mavens Alie & Georgia jon the show to spice up our holiday cocktails this season, plus much more.

A wall street firm pulls out stake in Bushmaster gun maker after Sandy Hook shooting, plus we'll see whether Craig Whitney thinks the shooting will result in gun control policy change. Then, Librarian Mara Alpert offers her favorite children's book of 2012, Russian Parliament may ban adoptions from the U.S., and much more.

Today on the show, Peter Lee of Covered California on how the state's healthcare exchange differs from healthcare.gov; LA's water wars fictionalized in the iconic 1974 film 'Chinatown'; Owens Valley braces for possible new resource war as LADWP seeks the sun's gold; Major drug trafficking tunnel discovered at US-Mexico border, plus much more.

Who is being held responsible for Obamacare website issues?; Covered California's enrollment counselor certification is behind schedule; William Mulholland's rise from ditch-digger to controversial LA power player; LA's water department casts its shadow over the Owens Valley; Is there really an impending global wine shortage?, plus much more.

California, other West Coast states sign climate change pact; Sriracha maker Huy Fong Foods sued as 'public nuisance'; How the LA Aqueduct altered the Owens Valley environment; Pension reform: Long Beach claims leadership in reducing risk; Privacy a major hurdle for states testing 'black box' recorders in cars; Celebrating 100 years of excavation at the La Brea Tar Pits, plus much more.

This week we launch our series on the Los Angeles Aqueduct. First, we hear why building the LA Aqueduct was the city's 'original sin'. Then, producer Meghan McCarty takes us on a trip to the source of LA's water. Later, we discuss whether a little inflation actually be good for the economy?; Latino political donors push GOP to move on immigration reform; The image and influence of California's organized labor; Odd Hollywood Jobs: The spookiest prop house in showbiz; On The Lot: Deadline.com drama, biopics and more.

Foreign leaders find NSA spying by US 'an abuse of trust'; Mexico puts a stop to GMO corn production; California issues largest campaign donor violation fine to two groups; Sriracha hot sauce gets its place at the table; Alan Weisman's 'Countdown' explores Earth's population capacity, plus much more. Elizabeth Mitchell takes a new twist on the Christmas album with 'The Sounding Joy', plus much more.

Today on the show, we hear about how immigration reform activists are turning to more aggressive and risky tactics to get their point across. Plus, California changes guidelines on how to deal with mentally ill inmates. Emily Bazar returns to answer listener questions about Obamacare and taxes, Feral cows are threatening visitors to Chino Hills State Park, plus much more.

Today on the show, we'll take a look at a new Pew study that finds the majority of Hispanics in US say their community lacks a leader. Then, we talk to Frank Gehry about his iconic design for the Disney Concert Hall on it's 10th birthday. From the Fronteras Report, David Martin Davies reports on the popularity of Rep. Ted Cruz and his father in the Lone Star State, plus much more.

LA Dodgers management looks ahead to next season; What is the status of the House's immigration reform effort?; BART strike in Bay Area enters its fourth day; How depictions of slavery in film have evolved; Even the smallest pests can wreak havoc on your car; Charles Phoenix uncovers retro gems in Sacramento; How climate change may transform the Bay Area's landscape, plus much more.

Weapons inspectors in Syria face many dangers, challenges; LA Sheriff Lee Baca found liable in inmate abuse case; LA County Probation Department understaffed amidst growing responsibilities; 'Birth of the Living Dead' looks at the rise of zombies in pop culture; The Bay Delta Conservation Plan: A solution for the Delta's future?; Study: Eating popcorn makes you immune to in-theater ads, and more.

Calculating the real cost of the government shutdown; End of shutdown brings life and tourism back to National Parks; Keeping the dying art of hand-painted billboards alive in Los Angeles; Director Kimberly Peirce on resurrecting the classic horror film 'Carrie'; Exemption to ACA could leave many Native Americans uninsured; What you need to know about Medicare open enrollment, plus much more.

What would happen if the US government were to default?; Biggest roadblocks to Asian mental health may come from within; The Band's Robbie Robertson on the music that changed the world; Study shows anti-gay sentiment is underestimated; The struggle over Bitcoin's future; Sports Roundup: Dodgers must win, Puig under fire; App Chat: Guilt-free entertainment for your kids, plus much more.