Take Two

Both Obama and Romney focus on job numbers and economy as their campaigns close in on the final stretch. Plus, new drug policy for racehorses affects The Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park, we fact check the large number of campaign radio ads running this election cycle, and much more.

President Obama and Governor Romney are back on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, New Yorkers are getting back on their feet after Hurricane Sandy. Producer Mary Plummer visited a school in Chelsea to survey the damage. Plus, community health clinics are on the rise in Los Angeles and across the country, Ruben Martinez joins the show to talk about his new book "Desert America," DJ Kid Koala visits the studio to spin some jams and much more.

We check in on the clean-up effort on the East Coast in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Plus, what's next for the Star Wars franchise now that Disney owns Lucasfilm? Will FEMA's swift response during Hurricane Sandy help heal the organization's tarnished image? Then, Massachusetts voters weigh passing a controversial initiative to legalize physician-assisted suicide, we talk to the author of the book "The Last Walk," which looks at how to treat aging and sick dogs, and much more.

We check in on the status of Hurricane Sandy, and survey the destruction in New Jersey, New York and in the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Haiti. Plus, Molly Peterson reports on rising sea levels and whether California is prepared for a storm like Sandy. Then, music critic Drew Tewksbury gives us a playlist for Halloween, we fact check political ads and much more.

Hurricane Sandy hits the East Coast, causing flight delays across the U.S. and even internationally. Plus, why has climate change been absent from both Obama and Romney's political campaigns? Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal joins us to talk about his PBS Frontline special about the power and influence of Super PACs, then we speak with David Maraniss about his new biography “Barack Obama: The Story”, and much more.

We check in on the youth vote, and why there's less excitement about the Obama campaign than there was in 2008. Plus, is the Great Recession defining retirement? Then, Deepa Fernandes reports on some Southland employers that are trying to make "work-family balance" more than an empty phrase, and we look at the life of Pulitzer Prize-winning sports writer Jim Murray, who elevated the art of sports journalism, and much more.

Today, Obama is in Florida drumming up support in a key swing state. Plus, new polling suggests that the majority of voters don't support Gov. Brown's Prop. 30. tax measure, A new prison healthcare facility in Stockton hopes to end federal oversight of prisoner medical care, California state regulators meet today to discuss tightening regulations on compounding pharmacies, plus much more.

We take a look at Mitt Romney's campaign and how the Obama campaign is handling his momentum in the polls. Plus, a small farming town of on the border of Mexico and Imperial Valley is a hotbed for professional baseball players, Kevin Ferguson reports on Monarch The Bear, the iconic symbol on the California flag, the use of "illegal immigrant" versus "undocumented immigrant" is being debated by the media and much more.

We check in with service members and their families to get their reactions to the presidential debate on foreign policy. Plus, families are being torn apart by a 1996 immigration law, a group of Italian scientists are charged with manslaughter for not predicting a deadly 2009 earthquake, we check in with KPCC's Frank Stoltze as he talks to voters in Inglewood and much more.

Tonight's presidential debate will likely touch on the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya. We'll talk to an expert about how the CIA gathers information in these situations. Plus, the New York Times reports that Iran and the United States have developed a framework to begin one-on-one talks over Iran's nuclear program, video game companies turn to Kickstarter to raise funds, acclaimed author Sandra Cisneros joins the show to discuss her newest work, "Have You Seen Marie?" and much more.

This morning, President Obama and VP Joe Biden announce their plans to curb gun violence. Even though California already has some of the strictest gun laws, some lawmakers are working harder to curb gun violence. Then, a researcher calls for a change to Scrabble's point system, an L.A. photographer documents prison inmates' 'Re-Entry' into society, and much more.

Lance Armstrong reportedly admitted to doping in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, though details are not yet public. Will this big score for Oprah give her struggling cable network, OWN, a boost? Severe air pollution in Beijing, China is causing a frenzy in the state-run media, plus much more.

A Southern California cold snap threatens citrus farming, plus, we take a look at L.A.'s first public fruit orchard. Then, California's prison realignment causes dangerous row of dominoes at local level, a California judge will rule if a 12-year-old boy guilty of murdering neo-Nazi father two years ago, the Los Angeles Kings skate back on the ice, and much more.

Vice President Joe Biden is meeting with film and game industries to talk gun violence. Plus, Saturday marks the 3-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake. We check in with the ongoing relief effort there. Then, Ventura County strawberry farmers fight frost, Chinese tourism skyrockets in the U.S. and much more.

California Governor Jerry Brown will release his new budget proposal today. Will is help shrink the state's deficit? Then, an autopsy on NFL star Junior Seau shows he suffered from a brain disease caused by head trauma. The Oscar noms are out, who came out on top and who got snubbed? Then, Anglers reel in thousands of 'red devil' jumbo squid in Orange County, we run down the top LA-based crime movies, a San Juan Capistrano woman is fighting to save her beloved dinosaur statue and much more.

According to a new report, 2012 was the hottest year on record for the U.S. On the other side of the world, Australia has been suffering from a longterm heat wave and dangerous brush fires. Then, Latin American countries are reconsidering the legalization of marijuana after similar measures get voted through in the U.S. A new article explains how Tide detergent became a hot commodity in the drug trade. Florida readies for it's annual Python Challenge, where hunters from all over the country compete to rid the Everglades of the overpopulous Burmese Python, plus much more.

A new CA bill proposes the strict tracking of all bullets and shotgun shells sold in the state. Plus, a judge rules that names in the LA archdiocese sex abuse files should be public. Then, 'Awesome Tapes From Africa' blog transports obscure tunes beyond Africa's borders, the Mars500 experiment is over...How did the six volunteers fare during 500 days of solitude? Plus much more.

Kids at LAUSD campuses return to school today for the first time since the Newtown shootings. Have enhanced security measures been put in place yet? Plus, we'll check in with students and parents as they arrive to school. Plus, a new study shows classroom design can have an affect on kids' grades. Then, school citations remain high despite reforms, gadgets and gimmicks take center stage at Consumer Electronics Show, and much more.

Will policy chief Michele Flournoy be the first female secretary of defense? Plus, depictions of torture in 'Zero Dark Thirty' prompt a Senate inquiry; A biofuel-carrying train crosses the US-Canada border, reaping fraudulent carbon credit rewards; San Diego's water supply is evolving because of new demand and a massive desalination project in the works, plus much more.

The 113th Congress is to be sworn in today, ushering in 14 new faces. Then, what issues are ahead for California in 2013? President Obama's new immigration policy could ease separation time for immigrants and their American families, and dialect experts convene in Boston for a conference about the development and new trends in American English, plus much more.

Today we take a look at what's next in the wake of a fiscal cliff deal. Plus, an economist theorizes that the U.S. is nearing an end to a period of growth that began in the 18th century; LA County animal shelters managed to not euthanize any healthy animals in December; Scientists are working to save endangered frogs from a deadly fungus, plus much more.