People arrive to attend the final session of the term at the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2014 in Washington, DC. Today the high court is expected to give its ruling on whether a private company can be exempted on religious grounds from health care reform's requirement that employer sponsored health insurance policies cover contraception. ; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Earlier this month 15 religious leaders wrote to President Obama’s administration in support of an exemption to the upcoming executive order forbidding federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

In light of last week’s Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision, that move has heightened concern among the gay and lesbian community about whether the President would include such an exemption.

If closely held religious companies have the right to avoid covering certain contraceptive methods they say violates their religious beliefs, should religious employers also be able to

Guest:

Susan Russell, Senior Associate of Communication for All Saints Church in Pasadena

A commuter rides down a Manhattan street on a bicycle on September 15, 2011 in New York City.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

An altercation between a motorist and a cyclist in Orange County could potentially land both parties in court.  The incident happened on May 31 on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point and it was captured on video by cyclist Bryan Larsen, who alleges that the driver of a pickup truck was trying to run him off the road. The video shows Larsen and a woman that was riding shotgun in the truck trading insults, ending with the woman throwing a full bottle of Gatorade at Larsen.

Larsen uploaded the video to YouTube, which has garnered thousands of views. He also took his complaints to the OC Sheriff’s Department, which says that the woman passenger could be charged with assault and battery. But Larsen isn’t being left off the hook. OC investigators are also saying that Larsen could be charged for allegedly using “offensive words in public, likely to provoke a violent reaction.”

The Sheriff’s Department will submit the case to the District Attorney’s Office once it concludes its investigation. It’s up to the DA’s office to decide whether to press charges.

Guest:

Salvador Hernandez, OC Register reporter who has been following the story 

Larry Mantle at Universal Studios circa 1968.

Is your child spending this summer at film camp, cooking camp, soccer camp, art camp or some mish-mash of them all?

Overprogrammed kids are no new concept — youth in the U.S. are frequently bouncing between school and extracurricular activities with hardly a moment to themselves.

Summers — in the past a time for kids to be bored, or at the very least, unstructured, seem more and more to include less free play and boredom and more programmed activities. We asked for your photos and memories of summers past and present -- days spent working a lemonade stand or playing alone in your neighborhood, coming home only for meals.

How are kids today spending their summers? How do you remember your childhood summers? What’s the best way for families to take advantage of their time off?

Share your photos with us on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #tbtsummer. Here's what others have to say about their childhood summers:

New Mexico Summers circa 1990 meant: Tang Popsicles, manmade mud rivers in the backyard, and seeing how long you could hang upside down from the swing set without passing out. #tbt #tbtsummer #monkeybars #childhood

#NewMexicoSummer

Tbt 1960 - I seem to make faces in just about every picture I've found - still do! #sistertwins #indianasummer #inflatables #tbtsummer

#IndianaSummer

Guest:

Darby Saxbe, assistant professor of psychology at USC, where she is focused on understanding health and well-being in the context of family and peer relationships

The main causes of workplace related stress are juggling work and personal lives, lack of job security, workload management and issues with co-workers.; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

Ever wonder why the not-so-smart gal makes the sale? Or why the inexperienced guy has the killer pitch? The dark triad of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy are qualities known to usually have negative outcomes in life. But a recently published research paper challenges the notion.

The researchers set out to explore whether these generally agreed-upon dark personality traits could have a bright side at work. The answer is yes — and definitely in the short term.

A more manipulative person can leverage their skill to get “intelligence” — yet they might use it as gossip and spread ill-will. A narcissist can be great at making the sale, but terrible at maintaining the relationship. The anti-social personality likes to take risks. This can be terrific in a start-up environment. But while great risk can bring-on great success, it can also invite great failure.

Have you ever interacted with one of the described personality types? Did they see success in the workplace? Did you learn anything from them? Do you embody one of the characteristics? Is it working for you?

How to tell if you — or your colleagues — are a workplace narcissist

Two-Faced

"These are people who are nice to you but rude to the waiter. So if you think about it, at work these are people who are very deferential and respectful towards their bosses and other higher ups, but are very domineering and sometimes outright mean towards people who are below them — but often also peers. So they're deferential up, but awful across. If you can see the differences in their behaviors, you're probably dealing with someone who has this kind of strategy."

Using Gossip Strategically

"If you just sort of pay attention to the way people use gossip and if you notice that they consistently seem to be using it to drive wedges between people, they're probably a Machiavellian. If it's a particular person they might just have a grudge, but if they do it regularly this is probably something more deep-seated and you may be working with a narcissist or a Machiavellian."

Extreme Confidence

"Sometimes these can be somewhat self-deceptive, so narcissists may just think that they're extremely confident."

Awful Reputation? Who Cares!?

"Machiavellians are usually pretty aware of their own personality and, in fact, they're happy about it. They like that other people see them as awful and they really enjoy that."

Indifference 

"The thing to notice is, if they get caught doing something bad, how do they respond. A psychopath, they don't feel guilt and shame or even anxiety that most people do. So if they get caught they'll admit to it, but they won't learn anything from it."

Guest:

Seth M. Spain, lead author of the 2014 research review, “The Dark Side of Personality at Work”, and an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York.

Anthony Guillen, left, and Diana Sibrian explain the differences between medical marijuana strains to patients at the California Heritage Market in Boyle Heights.; Credit: Benjamin Brayfield/KPCC

On Wednesday, following the beginning of legal retail marijuana sales in Washington state, the White House criticized marijuana legalization, arguing that it is leading more U.S. teens to smoke. In its report to Congress, the Obama administration pushed to allocate $25 billion in the next year to broader drug fighting programs.

Legal recreational marijuana has critics concerned that more teens may become heavy marijuana users due to a changed perception of risk. Others argue that reports of increased usage are overblown, and that regulared legal marijuana is sound policy.

Might legalized marijuana entice more young Americans into become regular or heavy users of the drug? Is there a balance to strike when it comes to recreational marijuana legalization? How will teenagers be affected?

Guests:

Mason Tvert, Director of Communications, Marijuana Policy Project, a marijuana policy reform group advocating non-punitive marijuana laws 

Kevin Sabet, Ph.D, co-founder and director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an anti-marijuana legalization group with a health-first approach

Motorists make their way out of downtown Los Angeles headed east on the Interstate 10 freeway on August 30, 2013.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

The Highway Trust Fund -- the monies that go to fixing interstate highways, bridges and other critical infrastructure, is set to run out of money by the end of the month unless Congress can get its act together. That, among other feats of compromise, hasn’t been Congress’s strong suit lately, but today,  the House Ways and Means Committee will begin to hash out a preliminary, bipartisan plan to grow the fund.

In the past, the fund was financed by a gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, but that tax hasn’t increased since 1993, and the evolution of hybrids and more fuel-efficient cars has helped to further deplete the money going to it.

We’ll talk through some of the proposals on the table to pad the fund, but with taxes often proving a hard sell in D.C., is there a better way to raise money for some of the means of transportation on which so many of us still depend?

Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 Camp Levin

Guests:

Marcia Hale, president of Building America’s Future, a Washington-based group that lobbies for infrastructure project funding

Norma Ortega, Chief Financial Officer for CalTrans

Relatives and friends of al-Hajj family mourn as they gather in a mosque to pray over the bodies of the eight family members during their funeral in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on July 10, 2014. Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza relentlessly, causing a growing number of civilian casualties, as the UN Security Council was to meet urgently over Israel's spiralling confrontation with Hamas. ; Credit: SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

Airstrikes and rocket launches in Israel and the Gaza strip continued Wednesday. The Health Ministry in Gaza reports that the death toll is rising, to at least 78 at last report, and that women and children are among those killed in the intensified aerial attacks in the region.

Hamas’ rockets are firing deeper into Israel and have been gunned down, and about 20,000 Israeli reservists have been called up amidst talks of potential ground operations.

Israeli-Palestinian relations have collapsed in the wake of the deaths of three kidnapped Israeli teens, a retaliation from Israel, and continued airstrikes. With each side making a show of military strength, goals to quiet things down in the region remain unfulfilled.

How might tensions between Israel and Hamas resolve or escalate? What is the U.S.’s role in aiding discussions in the region?

Guest:

Robert Danin, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations

Grand Canyon, UNITED STATES: View of the Grand Canyon, Arizona, 05 April 2007.; Credit: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

An outside development under consideration by the Navajo Nation -- referred to as “Grand Canyon Escalade Project” -- is splitting Navajo Nation 50/50 for-and-against the project. Those in favor say, for a nation that has a 45% unemployment rate, the proposal could yield jobs and economic opportunities heretofore unseen.  The exact nature of the project is in flux – it might include a restaurant, a river walk platform and possibly an amphitheater, but the concept definitely includes a gondola ride that takes visitors down to the bottom of the Canyon.

Critics say where the gondola would land is uncomfortably close to the confluence of two rivers considered sacred to not only the Navajo, but the Hopi and Zuni, too. Backpackers and river runners hold the Canyon -- and the feat of getting there by foot or mule -- close to their hearts as well.

Would development of this sort be ruinous to the majestic views of the Canyon? Are marring the views and the untouched beauty on and around the canyon floor worth the promise of economic prosperity for the Navajo Nation? Is economic prosperity a real possibility? And can the Navajo come up with locally-generated ways to bring on economic benefit, and even development, while respecting the sacredness of the Canyon?

Guests:

Kevin Dahl, Arizona Program Manager for National Parks Conservation Association

Deswood Tome, Special Advisor to the President of the Navajo Nation; he's of Navajo descent and supports The Grand Canyon Escalade Project

Renae Yellowhorse, Diné of the Navajo Nation, is spokesperson for Save the Confluence, a group opposed to The Grand Canyon Escalade Project

Actors Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Andy Serkis attend thet "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes" press line at Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel on July 20, 2013 in San Diego, California. ; Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Host Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Wade Major review this week’s releases, including "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," "Boyhood," and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes:

Boyhood:

Guests:

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA today

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and producer and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com

A monitor shows an computer-generated image of AFP journalist Helen Perceval (L) as she is filmed wearing a motion capture suit in a special effects studio at Framestore in London 31 January, 2014. ; Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

“More is more” seems to be Hollywood’s motto when it comes to the use of computer-generated imagery. For the movement’s poster boy, look no further than last weekend’s top-grossing film “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” The giant robot flick cost over $200 million to make, with a sizable chunk of which going to special effects. Some analysts are predicting that the Michael Bay blockbuster is on track to net $1 billion by the end of the summer. Critics, though, aren’t so enthused, calling the film’s over-reliance on CGI gratuitous and mind-numbing.

This weekend, audiences will be feted with another CGI-laden piece of entertainment in the form of “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” Overall the franchise’s getting a lot of positive buzz, but some moviegoers apparently prefer the original incarnation, circa the late ‘60s, starring Charlton Heston, in which the apes were mere actors wearing monkey suits (as opposed to actors wearing motion-capture suits) because, in going for the ultimate in verisimilitude, the remake calls too much attention to its own digital pizzazz. 

But not every film that employs CGI suffers from its own unwieldy ambition. There are those, like Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” or Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” which incorporate CGI and motion capture into the storytelling seamlessly. Instead of upstaging the plot, these films use those nifty tools to service it.

Which films do you think use CGI well, and which not so well?

Guests:

Charles Solomon, animation film critic for KPCC and Indiewire Animation Scoop

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and producer and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA today

A wide view of the museum set among the other Wilshire Boulevard buildings.
; Credit: 2013/Museum Associates LACMA

Plans to redesign the Los Angeles County Museum of Art have been years in the making. Recently, architect Peter Zumthor behind the $650-million renovation project has released a revised design—a response to concerns that his original blueprint could pose damage to the La Brea Tar Pits. 

The new LACMA design now features a bridge connecting the main building to a new wing to be built across Wilshire. In addition to the updated design, LACMA announced plans in July to build a skyscraper near the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax on land that the museum partly owns. 

The tower would contain a hotel, condos, and LACMA galleries. LACMA director Michael Govan is trying to lure renowned architect Frank Gehry to design the new building.

What do you think of LACMA’s new redesign? What do you think about the new proposed tower-gallery-condo project, especially for those Angelenos that live and work around Miracle Mile?

Guests:

Michael Govan, director of LACMA           

Phil Aarons, co-founder of Millennium Partners, the developer behind the proposed LACMA tower project

Christopher Hawthorne, architecture critic for the LA Times who's been closely following the LACMA redesign

Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos presents the company's first smartphone, the Fire Phone, on June 18, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. ; Credit: David Ryder/Getty Images

The FTC is suing Amazon over in-app purchases in children’s gaming apps. In-app purchases have frequently been a frustrating issue for parents, many of whom see hundreds of dollars in unapproved charges when their children buy things within a tablet app. Complaints say that children often don’t realize that they are making real purchases when they buy gold coins, special character outfits, or acorns, but for parents, the cost is real. Even after Amazon began requiring passwords for purchases over $20, customer criticism steadily rolled in.

The FTC claims that Amazon’s process for refunding purchases is too difficult to negotiate. The suit against Amazon seeks a repayment to customers and new rules about regulating in-app purchases and takes a very similar approach to a suit against Apple on the same topic from earlier this year. Amazon has expressed disappointment with the charges, saying that the cases are different, and that the FTC’s  "unwillingness to depart from the precedent it set with Apple despite our very different facts leaves us no choice but to defend our approach in court."

What should be the rules for in-app purchases? Is it ethical to include easy exchanges of money in children’s games? Will this case play out like Apple’s in-app suit settlement, or are Amazon’s policies different enough to set a new precedent?

Guest:

Cecilia Kang, technology reporter for the Washington Post 

A doctor wears a stethoscope as he see a patient for a measles vaccination during a visit to the Miami Children's Hospital on June 02, 2014 in Miami, Florida. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

You just accidentally smashed your finger with a hammer, the pain is searing, the swelling won’t go down and it’s 8 o’clock at night. Your private doctor left for home, and going to the emergency room seems inappropriate. What now? An urgent care center could be the answer. In fact, rising numbers of people are going to such centers because they’re often nearby, open long hours, for seven days a week, and the prices for services are more affordable than at emergency rooms. Also, many urgent care centers don’t accept medicaid, and can turn away the uninsured, unless they pay upfront -- unlike emergency hospital rooms that are obligated, by law, to service the person in need.

This can make for less time in the waiting room. Investors are getting in on what they see as potential big profit; since 2008, $2.3 billion has been put into urgent care centers all over the country.  But, some people are concerned that with the proliferation of these centers, care might be compromised. They fear the focus of the centers will be on profit instead of patients.

What has your experience been at urgent care? Great, mediocre, bad? Would you go back again? How were the prices?

Guests:

Ateev Mehrotra, adjunct policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, associate professor in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School

Tom Charland, chief executive of Merchant Medicine, which tracks the growth of retail medical care services

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich talks to the board during a board meeting at the Hall of Administration on June 6, 2012. He is currently pushing to adopt Laura's Law in L.A. County.; Credit: Andres Aguila/KPCC

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is set to vote tomorrow on mental health care reform that would allow court-ordered treatment for mental health issues. The vote follows implementation of similar legislation, often known as Laura’s Law, in Orange County and in San Francisco.

Laura’s Law allows for court-ordered mental health treatment (not medication) for individuals who may not be able to make their own informed decisions about care. The law has been praised by some family members of people with mental illnesses -- they say that court mandates could have helped their loved ones receive much needed treatment.

Critics call court-ordered treatment coercive and argue that free, voluntary treatment is the best option. Should Los Angeles County implement this kind of mental health treatment?

Guests

Dave Pilon, Ph.D., President and CEO of Mental Health America of Los Angeles

Dr. Roderick Shaner, MD, Medical Director for the LA County Department of Mental Health

Downtown Los Angeles at sunset. ; Credit: Photo by Mulling it Over via Flickr Creative Commons

| Social media |

Griffith Park, Watts Towers, the Bradbury Building and The Getty. All across Los Angeles and beyond, there are tourist attractions and hidden gems.

For many Angelenos in the throes of vacation season, there’s no reason to leave home. Staycationing in Los Angeles can be as simple as holing up at home with a stack of good books or a Netflix to-do list or as elaborate as any out-of-town vacation.

From the beach to mountain treks, secret stair hikes, stellar restaurants and museums are all great staycation draws.

Where are your favorite places to explore when you have free time in Los Angeles? How do you spend your time off? Is an in-town vacation as satisfying as a big trip? Let us know in comments, or click here to become a KPCC source. 

We asked our listeners to share their favorite staycations, and here's what they had to say: 

1. Joshua Tree

(Photo: Alison Massey)

We always rent a cabin from Diane at Rattler Ranch and hike in the park, go out to pioneer town for great music and decent BBQ. Korakia in Palm Springs and Airbnb rentals in Topanga & Malibu. 

— Alison Massey

2. Palm Springs

(Photo: Andrew Borrego)

Relax, have fun! 

— Andrew Borrego

3. Long Beach

(Photo: dj venus/Flickr)

Hotel Maya in Long Beach is a unique and relatively inexpensive overnight getaway spot. It's right on the water, a short walk from the Queen Mary and the Reef Restaurant, and across the harbor from the Aquarium of the Pacific. Enjoy waterfront dining with a great view at the hotel's onsite restaurant Fuego or the nearby Reef Restaurant. To really relax, leave your car parked at the hotel and take Long Beach Transit’s free Passport bus that serves downtown Long Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the Queen Mary. Or enjoy a refreshing ride across the harbor to the Aquarium on the Aqualink water taxi. Since Long Beach lacks an actual beach, the hotel provides a private man-made beach with cabanas for the use of of hotel patrons.

4. Downtown L.A.

(Photo: St. Vibiana's Cathedral taken by Zachary Rynew)

Staying in Downtown LA is similar to going overseas. You can walk around and feel like you've seen a lot going just a few blocks. 

— Zachary Rynew

(Photo: Grand Park taken by lcorona286/Flickr)

Being well-served by mass transit also makes Downtown easy to get to without driving on clotted freeways.

—Ted Marcus

Pro tip: Read THIS for the ultimate DTLA staycation, thanks to Across Los Angeles. 

5. Ventura

(Photo: Kevin Tanaka)

Ventura. We like to stay at the Country Inn and Suites. We can walk to the pier from there. The kids can go swimming or fishing off the pier. There is a play area at the beach. We've rode bikes on the path along the beach. Plenty of places to eat in the downtown area, and antique/thrift stores too. You can go to the historic Mission. We even did a spontaneous sleep over there; we hadn't packed anything. It's a close by getaway destination that's much cooler compared to the baking SFV.

— Kevin Tanaka

6. Malibu Canyons

(Photo: Jenny Vazquez-Akim)

Hands down, the best staycation we've ever done was a Airstream rental on a hilltop in the Malibu Canyons overlooking the ocean. Incredibly peaceful and a perfect recharge that is amazingly just 40 minutes away!

—Jenny Vazquez-Akim

7. Pacific Surfliner

(Photo: Loco Steve/Flickr)

Explore Pacific Surfliner! All the stress of driving is gone and enjoy glass of wine en route! Even commutes after can be easily accommodated by Yellow Cab, which now is a text away and very customer service oriented!

—Kate Collins

TIPS

• Look at towns that aren't that far but are totally different from where you live. We once rented a cabin in Topanga for just one night. We only live 45 minutes away, but it was like another world. — Alison Massey
• Stay somewhere with a kitchen and stock up at Trader Joes on your way. — Alison Massey
• Book early to get the best deals. Shop around. — Andrew Borrego
• Always look at TripAdvisor for guest reviews. I also recommend comparing prices on websites that use multiple discount search engines. (Kayak, Travelocity, Cheaptickets, Orbitz, Priceline, etc.) — KPCC PIN source
• Forget that you live in L.A. and act like a tourist. — KPCC PIN source
• Bring comfortable walking shoes. — Zachary Rynew
• Must be kept simple to keep the stress down. — Paul Tanaka
• Less is more. The beauty of a staycation is that there are no airport trips, no figuring out what to do with the pets, no travel drama at all! We use our staycations to simplify things and take a break of hustle and bustle L.A. — Jenny Vazquez-Akim
• Turn off devices if you can because it's too easy to feel like a work day : ) — Kate Collins
• Research and plan your staycation exactly as you'd plan a trip to a foreign country. Get guidebooks and read websites to make a list of things you want to do. You're likely to find all sorts of things you've never heard of! — Ted Marcus

Where do you staycation? Let us know! 

This is what our Twitter friends said:

Find suggestions from our Facebook friends here:

. ; Credit: Tami Abdollah/KPCC

DineLA kicks off this week with great prix-fixe specials at restaurants across Los Angeles. Some of the city’s tastiest (and priciest) spots have put special menus in place from July 14-27. 

Restaurant week can be a great time to try new genres of food or get a sample of especially expensive offerings, but which restaurants offer the best bang for your buck?

Where are the menus that are true to the restaurant, and where do they deviate from the norm? Will you be making any reservations at DineLA?

Eater LA editor Matthew Kang's picks:

Fundamental in Westwood

"They have a $15 deal where you can get a sandwich or a salad, you get a side, a cookie and a drink. So for $15, basically just under $20 with tax and tip, I think that's a great deal. It's kind of a tiny restaurant hidden away, so that's a nice find." 

Lukshon in Culver City

"This place just looks really nice and fancy, and it might be a little daunting, but for $20 you can get a two-course lunch and throw in another $5 for beer or wine, so for basically around $30 you're getting a great meal. Not quite fine dining, but almost that level."

Bourbon Steak in Glendale

"This is a new Michael Mina steakhouse. They have a $25 lunch, and that's definitely not on the cheap end for a lunch, but you're going to a really swanky steakhouse at the Americana and I think that's a solid lunch on the east side."

Craft in Century City

"The place is a top-notch restaurant, you're going to pay $100 or more during a normal meal, but they have a $45 dinner where they give you three appetizers for the table, so everyone gets to choose at least 3 dishes, and then you can choose five or six entrees, normal portions, and then you get two desserts. So, yes, its $45 a person, but you're getting a huge feast and the service is excellent, the decor is amazing, and Craft is really one of those restaurants, unless you work in Century City, you're not going to go there and splurge, but for $45, I think it's totally worth it."

The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel

"Super fancy, swanky place. A place to dress to impress, but they have a $45 menu. You can basically choose, I think they have 16 courses. They're smaller plates, but you choose 3 out of 16 and you get some appetizers and you get some desserts and if you go with 3 or 4 people you can pretty much order the entire menu. If you like lots of little things it's perfect and it's a beautifully designed restaurant."

Tipple and Brine in Sherman Oaks

"A new seafood restaurant with really good cocktails. They have a $35 dinner deal, they're doing things like fried octopus, fresh fish, you get a chocolate cremeux for dessert. I think they would be a good pick for the Valley, Sherman Oaks and Studio City, the dining scenes are really getting better. I don't know if they're really at the level of great L.A. restaurants quite yet but they're getting there."

Twin sisters Lisa and Julie York pose for a picture during the final day of Twins Days August 5, 2007 in Twinsburg, Ohio. ; Credit: Rick Gershon/Getty Images

While the best teachers, motivated parents and flourishing schools can bolster a child's education, genetics are responsible for half of learning ability, according to a new study. Researchers at King's College London studied 1,500 pairs of identical and fraternal twins. In comparing results, the twins' scores were twice as similar among identical twins as among fraternal twins. The data further fuels the genetics side of the nature-versus-nurture debate. What can educational policy take away from study results such as these?

Guests:

Neal P. McCluskey, Ph.D., Associate Director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute - The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization — a think tank – dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace.

RiShawn Biddle, editor of Dropout Nation - an online outlet dedicated to covering education -  and co-author of ‘A Byte at the Apple: Rethinking Education Data for the Post-NCLB Era’.

Workers install fake grass as part of a drought-tolerant lawn at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power building in Los Feliz. ; Credit: Jed Kim

Today, California's Water Board is considering imposing fines and limits on water usage. Outdoor watering accounts for more than half of residential water use, which is why local jurisdictions have been paying homeowners to rip up thirsty grass lawns and replace them with anything resistant to drought.

As KPCC’s Molly Peterson reported, the incentive programs have not proved popular yet. Records compiled from the Metropolitan Water District, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Burbank Water and Power, the City of Anaheim, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, the Western Municipal Water District and other sources reveal that nearly 5 million square feet of lawn have been torn out because of incentive programs—that’s less than one-tenth of one percent of the square footage possible.

Why haven’t these programs caught on? What would prove to be a better incentive?

Guest:

Hadley Arnold, Executive Director, Arid Lands Institute - focused on the intersecttion of design, policy, and science of water scarcity at Woodbury University in Burbank

A healthcare reform specialist helps people select insurance plans at the free Affordable Care Act (ACA) Enrollment Fair at Pasadena City College on November 19, 2013 in Pasadena, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

According to new surveys out this month, the Affordable Care Act has cut California’s uninsured rate in half (from 22% last fall to 11% today). Moreover, 60% of the newly insured say they’re better off, and nearly 80% of the newly insured say they’re very or somewhat satisfied with their coverage. But critics cry foul. Does your experience match those findings? We’ll debate the future of the ACA with our health policy reporter and two dueling health policy experts. Call or write in with your experience and questions.

Guests:

Stephanie O’Neill, KPCC Health Reporter

Yevgeniy Feyman, Fellow at the Center for Medical Progress at the Manhattan Institute

Shana Alex Charles, director of health insurance studies at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Bottles of antiretroviral drug Truvada; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In an announcement last Friday, the World Health Organization recommended that all men who have sex with men take antiretroviral medication to prevent the contraction of HIV. Antiretrovirals, sold under the name Truvada, are used to treat HIV, but have also been shown to prevent the spread of the virus. Men who have sex with men are the most at-risk population when it comes to HIV -- they are 19 times more likely to contract the virus than heterosexual men.

The United States CDC recommended Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, for people with HIV-positive partners and for certain populations of gay men in May. The WHO’s more sweeping advisory includes all men who have sex with men, and may carry more weight internationally. There is some concern about the WHO’s recommendations, including worry within the LGBT community that men will stop using condoms, and that the focus on PrEP might be misplaced at a time when community outreach and sex education is still vital to HIV prevention.

Other critics argue that it’s best to learn more about the long term impact and side effects of Truvada, and that condom use and other safe sex practices are the best bet. Proponents of the announcement say that it will legitimize PrEP and make it easier and cheaper for at-risk populations to prevent the spread of HIV.

What are the best ways to prevent the spread of HIV? Is prophylactic use of antiretrovirals a feasible option? How will the WHO recommendation impact HIV treatment and prevention in the U.S. and internationally?

Guests:

Thomas Coates, Ph.D, is the Director of the UCLA Program in Global Health, and is the Michael and Sue Steinberg Endowed Professor of Global AIDS Research within the Division of Infectious Diseases at UCLA

Perry Halkitis, Ph.D, Professor of Applied Psychology, Public Health and Medicine; Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Global Institute of Public Health at NYU