Take Two

What are the rules when it comes to political campaigning in the workplace? It it even legal? Plus, in the new Mother Jones, Shane Bauer, an American formerly held prisoner in Iran, criticizes the use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons. Then, how foreclosures are impacting likely voters this election season, Molly Peterson reports on Prop. 37, and whether the average American really cares whether food is genetically modified, and much more.

Newsweek announces its shuttering its print publication and going all digital. Plus, we take a look at a controversial French study on GMO corn and its effect on lab rats, a study shows that 'positive stress' is beneficial and crucial to infant development, we look at what's next for the Livestrong Foundation after Lance Armstrong's resignation and much more.

We examine last night's presidential debate, from the topics covered, body language and how a woman moderated the debate for the first time in 20 years. Plus, the food fight between Prop 37 supporters and GMO companies heats up, a secret geo-engineering initiative has environmentalists nervous, a Pinterest account in Pennsylvania displays the town's alleged criminals and much more.

Sec. of State Hillary Clinton claimed responsibility for security issues at the U.S. Consulate in Libya, we'll discuss how that will affect the presidential debate tonight. Plus, citizens of Baldwin Hills and surrounding areas are concerned about a new fracking study and 50 years since the Cuban Missile Crisis, a new book looks at its impact on the U.S. and abroad.

KPCC's Josie Huang reports from the K-pop Convention, KCON, in Irvine, where fans from all over the U.S. came to see their favorite Korean Pop stars. Plus, we look ahead to the second presidential debate coming up this Tuesday, we break down Prop 34, and a new report shows a record number of immigrants running for Congress, and much more.

We recap the vice-presidential debate with Patt Morrison, and analyze the body language of both candidates. Plus, food writer Mark Bittman of the New York Times joins the show to talk about his upcoming feature on California's San Joaquin Valley, Erika Aguilar reports on two young Afghan women studying to be judges in SoCal, and much more.

Amnesty International issues a report showing the use of torture by police and military in Mexico is on the rise.; Book Critic David Kipen joins the show to discuss the Nobel Prize in Literature and the finalists in the National Book Awards.; Betting on the Nobel Prize.; Hollywood's quest to appeal to the Latino population.; How strong is Catholicism this election cycle?; Marketplace's Bob Moon talks about his experiences covering the shuttle program.; Fifty years ago Rachel Carson single-handedly started the environmental movement with her book "Silent Spring".; Issa Rae, creator of the web series 'Awkward Black Girl,' joins the show to talk about her sudden fame, and what’s next for her.; Twitter and real-time political opinions.

We check in on presidential poll numbers in the wake of last week's debate.; Frank Stoltze gives us an update on the pulse of SoCal voters.; The new documentary, "The House I Live In," turns a lens on America's war on drugs.; The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in the affirmative action case Fisher vs. University of Texas.; Many legal observers believe the court may curtail, or even eliminate, the ability of public and private colleges and universities to employ racial and ethnic preferences in admissions.; We discuss two new tax initiatives, Prop 30 and 38, that will be on California's November ballot.; We look into the sale of Variety, the 107-year-old entertainment news magazine.; Should we be able to vote using our smartphones?; The City of LA and the Getty yesterday opened a new visitor center for the 80-year-old mural "América Tropical."; LA County voters will decide whether they want Measure J, a long-term extension of a half-cent transportation sales tax.; New book shares intimate, personal stories of early LGBTQ identity.

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced this morning to at least 30 years in prison on 45 counts of child sexual abuse.; We take a look at the debating style of Vice President Joe Biden and GOP candidate Paul Ryan.; What you need to know when you have to care for an ailing, elderly parent.; We'll find out the latest in music news with NPR music critic Ann Powers and Soul-Sides music blogger Oliver Wang.; New research reveals how the nation's lawmakers position their portfolios and how they win and lose money on Wall Street.; PBS documentary "The Choice: 2012" promises to give an up close and personal view of both presidential candidates.; Patt Morrison reports on Los Angeles opening its arms to and accepting applications for its first ever poet laureate.; South Korea's president wants to use PSY's "Gangnam Style" to help create a national brand.

Calif. Governor Jerry Brown told state regulators to immediately allow oil refineries to make an early transition to winter-blend gasoline to help with rising gas prices.; Congressional panel has concluded that the federal government should block mergers of U.S. firms with Chinese telecommunications companies suspected of ties to the Chinese government.; President Obama visits the site for a future monument for farm worker activist Cesar Chavez.; Jude Joffe-Block reports on the complex collaborations between manufacturers on both sides of the US-Mexico border.; Talking with Ingrid Croce, widow of the late singer Jim Croce, about her new book, "I've Got a Name.; Mitt Romney is giving what's billed as a landmark foreign policy speech in Virginia on Monday.; One of Mitt Romney's top advisors is a rising Asian American political star from Southern California.; According to a new survey, Americans may have changed their attitudes on counterterrorism policy since Barack Obama became president.

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.

Unemployment dropped to 7.8 percent, the lowest rate since President Obama took office in January 2009.; San Bernardino may be bankrupt, but Riverside is still in good shape thanks to UC Riverside and scrappy entrepreneurs.; LAPD Chief Charlie Beck unveiled new rules redefining his department's stance on detaining illegal immigrants.; Congressional Democrats need 25 seats to retake the gavel from Republicans this November.; Governor Brown recently signed off on legislation that will enable classic car enthusiasts to buy brand new license plates with a retro look.; "Precious" director Lee Daniels joins the show to discus his latest work, "The Paperboy."; The presidential elections are this Sunday in Venezuela, what does it mean for Hugo Chavez?; Ruxandra Guidi talks to some Venezuelan-Americans about who they're voting for.; Entertainment Weekly writer Anthony Breznican explains how Tim Burton's childhood home of Burbank inspired his work.; Finally, our Weekend Alibi and the Week In Review.

A food fight of sorts is stewing between Mexico and the United States over tomatoes.; Headstart programs in South L.A. remain closed.; KPCCs Steven Cuevas reports there can be surprising rewards to doing business in one of the nation's poorest cities.; The operator of the San Onofre nuclear power plant formally submitted a plan to restart part of the shuttered station.; We talk to John Koza, chair of an organization lobbying to get rid of the Electoral College.; Officials in Iran attempted to halt the decline of their currency, due to the West’s economic sanctions.; Los Angeles has a sizable Iranian community, many worry about how the economic crisis will affect family members.; We talk with the filmmakers of the documentary "Last Call at the Oasis," about the global water crisis.; British scientists predict that robot bees are the answer to colony collapse, the epidemic killing honey bees and threatening agriculture around the world.; How exactly do you control your Klout score? And is it legal for employers to ask for it?

This week the U.S. government began flying Mexican deportees to Mexico City.; Are banks who were found to be using fraudulent lending practices cleaning up their acts?; David Kipen, book critic and owner of Libros Schmibros, joins the show to talk about Banned Books Week.;Kevin Ferguson reports on the use of graffiti as commercial art in Los Angeles.; A slew of political video games out this election season are trying to snag the youth vote.; We'll be unveiling a new debate bingo game so listeners can play along at home.; A record number of openly gay candidates are running for seats in the next Congress and almost all of them say their sexuality is a non-issue on the campaign trail.; A new book seeks to explain to Afghan soldiers common Western behavior, actions that sometimes are perceived as an insult.; How is it possible that some athletes, some who make millions within a few years, lose all their wealth within five years of retirement?; The Cinefamily challenges Angelenos to a Video Nasties Watch-a-thon contest.

The L.A. City Council is voting on whether to repeal the ban on pot shops that they passed this July.; We look into the argument that when you tax the walthiest more, they move to states where the rates are lower.; We talk to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, who was barred from participating in the presidential debates.; The MacArthur Foundation announced this years $500,000 Genius Grant winners, including four Californians.; We find out what Arnold Schwarzenegger's new autobiography called "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story," is all about.; Time Warner owns the rights to air Lakers games, but what if you don't have Time Warner Cable?; Music critic Drew Tewksbury talks about the history of Dubstep.; Detroit auto companies and Silicon Valley tech companies are figuring out how to let you Facebook while driving.; A slew of SoCal restaurants have been experimenting with carbonated cocktails and homemade soda pops.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday signed 65 bills into law but made more noise about the ones he vetoed. Are presidential debates about questions and answers?; Roxana Soto, co-author of the new book, 'Bilingual is Better,' joins the show to talk about the benefits of growing up bilingual.; The magazine Scientific American, is publishing a Global Science Scorecard, a ranking of nations on their science credentials. We'll discuss the results.; Kate Zernike, author of the book, "Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America,' talks about the state of the Tea Party.; What low voter turnout during the primaries means for the November election.; Will Schwalbe talks about the End of Your Life Book Club he started with his mother, who was dying of cancer.; Self-driving cars could be on California roads in just a few years.; Plastic surgery's a booming business, but the industry's been changing in Southern California.

A foreign exchange student at La Mirada High School in L.A. is one of the most talked about high school football athletes in the state.; Think your academic career hinges on junior year? Think again. New research may prove that it’s actually the third grade that is the most critical pivot point for students.; Prop 31 is an initiative that claims it will improve government efficiency and accountability, which sounds good, but does this claim hold water?; Rich business people from Mainland China are snapping up high-end real estate in California. Their location of choice: San Marino.; A new movement in medicine embraces the parallels between human and animal physiology.; We’ll speak to Brian Taylor, the co-author of a UCLA study titled "Why It Wasn't Carmageddon."; Governor Jerry Brown has until Sept 30 to sign AB 889, which seeks to provide domestic workers with many new workplace benefits.; LA-based band Ozomatli joins the show to talk about their new album, Ozokidz.'; and the Dinner Party joins the show.

This fall, the issue of same-sex marriage will appear on the ballot of four states: Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. Why these states, and what are the chances of voters’ passing the measure?; We meet Aram Sahakian, the man who oversees special traffic operations and street closure for the Los Angeles' Department of Transportation, then, Corey Moore reports on what the Carmageddon construction project entails.; Jason Felch from the LA Times joins us to talk about his series on how the Boy Scouts failed to report sexual abuse to the police.; We’ll look at how new Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has changed the calculus of power in the region.; Author Davy Rothbart talks about his new collection of essays, “My Heart is an Idiot.”; After 19 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, John Edwards Smith walked out of Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail this week. He joins the show to talk about his ordeal.; A new book delves deeper into the life and career of photographer Ansel Adams.  

Mitt Romney’s faces an ever-widening gap in Ohio, which begs the question: can he win without the Buckeye State?; Which state races will Republican super PACs invest in?; We find out more about the cyber attack that affected Wells Fargo customers yesterday.; Jay Greene, a Senior Writer with CNET, joins the show to discuss his three-part series on the lifecycle of the iPhone.; Director Daniel Barnz joins the show to discuss his latest film, "Won't Back Down."; Congressman Xavier Becerra will be on the show to talk about Congress's plans to avoid sequestration and fix the budget mess.; Amy Howe of Scotus Blog joins the show to give a preview of the important cases Congress has coming down the pipeline.; We break down the five myths of early voting.; Magnum Opus theatre injects new life into discarded, rejected film scripts.

A surge in early voting by absentee ballot is challenging campaigns' conventional wisdom about the final "72-hour push;" The multi-state recall of peanut and almond butters is spreading even wider; Arnold Schwarzenegger is making an effort to repair his public image; We take a look at President Obama's address today at the U.N.; The NFL referee lockout continues, and many fans worry the dispute will have lasting impact on the season; Can a few words dramatically increase the economic value of a yard sale castaway? California corrections officials investigate an unusual spike in prison riots; And Actor Bob Balaban joins the show to talk about his children's book, "The Creature From The 7th Grade."

We look into the varying voting rights throughout the country and how they might have an impact on the election in November.; Reporter Sharon McNary looks into the Super PAC money being spent in two races in California.; In the latest installment in our series "Props to You," we'll cover Proposition 35, which stiffens penalties for those found guilty of human trafficking.; A new report out today from the international environmental group, Oceana, says climate change is affecting the seas and making food from it more scarce in vulnerable nations.; We'll take a look back at which shows came out on top at the Emmys last night. Will changes in ownership of AEG affect the future of football in Los Angeles?;