Take Two

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?;

First we'll have an update on the Powerhouse Fire; Could California's solar success kill off the state's big utilities?; Why hasn't Obama done a public event in California since taking office?; GoldiBlox game encourages girls to build engineering skills; As popularity grows, California rabbit farmers struggle to keep up with demand, plus much more.

Obama urges Congress to stop increase in student loan rates; Barbara Boxer on how to curb sexual assault in the military; Who should provide education to juvenile prisoners with special-needs?; Ex-Chivas USA coaches file racial discrimination suit; UC Irvine violinist makes beautiful music with a $5 million Stradivarius; Alexander Skarsgard goes rogue in 'The East'

Supreme Court could reject California's Prop 8 on a technicality; Poll: Prop 13 still popular, but in need of reform; What can gay couples teach straight couples about harmony?; Deepa Fernandes reports on why your daughter may not have been born loving pink; Who decides what should be banned on social media?; David Kwong, the magician behind the magic, plus much more.

California Senate, Assembly issue budget proposals; Sen. Barbara Boxer calls for probe of San Onofre power plant; Congressman Jeff Denham explains criticism of high speed rail plan; Imperial Valley farmer worries about how drought will affect his livelihood; Sequester cuts hit Monrovia Head Start program, others soon to follow; How an election in a small Washington town could change the planet, plus much more.

Abuse allegations bring to light Catholic Church's secret files; Water officials meet to address Colorado River drought; What’s the future of LA’s marijuana dispensaries?; Santa Ana credit union helps unbanked Latinos create financial security; Getting to know Gov. Jerry Brown with The Atlantic's James Fallows; US agency aims to create more resilient rice, wheat crops, plus much more.

Happy Memorial Day! Today we'll look at the cost and limitations of the California health insurance exchange; California bill regulating ocean trash dies in Assembly without a vote; Long Beach Cambodians remember those they lost in the Killing Fields; Finding peace and quiet in South LA can be a challenge, plus much more.

Washington bridge collapse and the state of our aging infrastructure; 'Liberace Extravaganza!' and the man behind the flashy outfits; Santa Cruz Island foxes are back from the brink of extinction; Census data shows Irvine among fastest-growing US cities; LAPD will not pursue complaints about noise from low-flying police choppers; Why do we continue to rebuild in natural disaster-prone areas? plus much more.

Obama speech to address military drones, closing Guantanamo; Young adults a key to Affordable Care Act in California; Fashion models among skilled workers eligible for H1B visas; How effective are police helicopters at fighting crime?; El Salvador gangs say Supreme Court ruling could threaten truce; Why conservatives from Southern California are flocking to Northern Idaho; Could 'Star Trek' technology ever become reality?

KPCC's Frank Stoltze and Alice Walton join the show with an election roundup; Senate immigration bill approved by committee in bipartisan vote; Technology's role in saving lives before a natural disaster; UCLA study pinpoints which cities, states have the most gay parents; Telemundo and the future of Spanish-language TV in the US; Erika Aguilar reports on what's it like to fly on an LAPD helicopter patrol, plus much more.

We'll check in at the polls to see how the LA mayoral election is progressing, and ask why people choose not to vote?; Has Los Angeles always had a low voter turnout problem?; LA County to weigh severing ties with troubled foster-care contractor; SoCal first responders head to tornado-stricken Oklahoma; Former IRS head Douglas Shulman faces tough questions at Senate hearing; The ongoing campaign to remake Baja's tarnished image, plus much more.

Homeland Security union says immigration bill will weaken public safety; UC hospital employees plan to strike over pension changes, pay; African clawed frogs spreading deadly fungus in California; Riding along with the port pilots of Los Angeles; Election Eve: What you need to know before heading to the polls; LA Kitchen aims to curb food waste, plus much more.

House 'Gang of Eight' reaches deal on immigration proposal; Can Trutanich survive Feuer in LA city attorney’s race?; Test driving the office treadmill desk with writer Susan Orlean; Mojave Desert star parties bring space geeks together; 'Fruit Hunters' follows Bill Pullman's quest to grow exotic fruit in Hollywood; Friday Flashback: IRS scandal, budget deficit and more, plus much more.