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When it comes to depression, what are the limits of neuroscience?

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Women say that after a stroke they're less mobile and more depressed than men.

The vast, complicated nature of the human brain make the intricacies of mental health and mental illness difficult to understand and to treat.; Credit: /iStockphoto

The vast, complicated nature of the human brain make the intricacies of mental health and mental illness difficult to understand and to treat.

Depression is especially hard to take on -- with an incredibly wide range of symptoms, manifestations, and potential treatments, it’s hard to know what will work and when. The tragic death of renowned actor and comedian Robin Williams underscores how difficult coping with depression can be -- even for those who have every resource at their disposal, who understand their affliction, and who have the support and love of those around them, depression can feel insurmountable.

What do we understand about depression? What is still unknown? What are the neuroscientific limits of therapy, treatment, and understanding? What are the best ways to approach depression for those coping with it directly and for those with a friend or loved one who is suffering? 

Guest:

Dr. Andrew Leuchter, professor of psychiatry and director of the Laboratory of Brain, Behavior, and Pharmacology at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.


Should military officers renounce political activity, including voting?

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Recruits performs drills at the Afghanistan National Army Officers' Academy (ANAOA) in Qargha district of Kabul on October 23, 2013. ; Credit: MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images

Congressional candidate Art Moore faces an uphill battle trying to unseat fellow Republican incumbent Tom McClintock.

Now the McClintock campaign is taking issue with Moore's lack of voter participation. The 36-year old former Army captain and current major in the Army National Guard said he made a conscious decision to stay away from the ballot box — a choice also made by former military leaders such as Dwight Eisenhower, George C. Marshall and George S. Patton.

On his website, Moore explains, “A professional officer corps that is unbiased politically, able to follow orders and provide the nation with expert military advice regardless of which party or elected official is in power, is important.” Of course, many military service members vote, but they are warned against overt political activity.

In 2012, General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, criticized a political advocacy group made of former Navy SEALs. Dempsey said, “One of the things that marks us as a profession in a democracy is it's most important we remain apolitical. That's how we maintain our trust with the American people. The American people don't want us to become another special interest group. In fact, I think that confuses them.”

Is a there a difference between political action or protest and filling out a ballot? Why do some military service members think it’s important to remain impartial? Is a vote for a presidential challenger a vote against the commander-in-chief?


With files from the Associated Press.

Guest:

Dru Brenner-Beck, Former Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army

Dr. Don Snider, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at West Point; Senior Fellow in the Center for the Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE) at West Point

Free wifi is coming to LA’s parks, but is that a good thing?

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Griffith Park is one of six parks that will offer free wifi.; Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC

Six public parks in the Los Angeles area are about to get a bit more connected — Echo Park Lake, the Griffith Observatory, Cabrillo Beach, Venice Beach, Pershing Square and Reseda Park will have free wifi.

The program debuts today, supported by a donation from Toyota. Visitors to the parks will have access to the internet and to a service request program for the L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks. Proponents of the pilot program and the city’s plans to create an even more expansive free wifi system say putting free internet in public spaces increases access, lowering the “digital divide.”

Critics cite security as a concern, while some park-goers are most worried about the impact that the program will have on outdoor culture in the parks. Is installing free internet in L.A.’s public spaces a good idea? What are some of the benefits and potential drawbacks to these programs? What should users be aware of?

Guests: 

Cecilia Kang, technology reporter for the Washington Post.

Patrick Lucey, Policy Program Associate, Open Technology Institute at the New America Foundation - a nonpartisan, think tank.

 

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Movember and Kickstarter: a look at the future of philanthropy

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TO GO WITH AFP FEATURE BY ALICE RITCHIE

Kris Dorward, a 22 year-old chef, poses for pictures with his 'Movember moustache' in London, on Nov. 28, 2011.; Credit: BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

You’ve likely seen the videos on the news and in your newsfeed of friends, family, and celebrities dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads. The “ice bucket challenge” is intended to raise money to fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), and so far the campaign has been incredibly successful, using the viral, friends-tagging method to increase awareness and bring in over $1 million since the end of July.

Viral philanthropy is nothing new — lots of men (and some women) participate in Movember, growing moustaches to raise funds and awareness to support men’s health, including prostate cancer. Kickstarter and other crowd-funding methods have also added to the virility of philanthropy, generating huge amounts of money for charities.

How do nonprofits and aid groups set themselves apart in a time when fundraising is ubiquitous and unique? Is it enough to host a more traditional event like the walks, runs, or bike rides that support HIV/AIDS and breast cancer? Does direct access to friends and family via social media change the personal landscape of philanthropy? Is the U.S. philanthropically fatigued, or becoming increasingly generous?

Justin Timberlake does the #ALSIceBucketChallenge:

 

 

Guests:

Bill Parent, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at UCLA Luskin School

Ken Berger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charity Navigator

Ferguson protests drag on, Missouri Gov. may replace local police

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Outrage In Missouri Town After Police Shooting Of 18-Yr-Old Man

A demonstrator, protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, scrambles for cover as police fire tear gas on August 13, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on Saturday. Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb, is experiencing its fourth day of violent protests since the killing. ; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

As the nation keeps a watchful eye on protests in Ferguson, Missouri more questions arise. The shooting of an unarmed, black, 18-year-old by a white police officer has led to racial tensions within a predominantly black community.

In 2010, the black population reached 67 percent with 29 percent white, according to federal reports. Despite a higher black population, why are city officials overwhelmingly white? Police have announced the information released by Anonymous hackers Thursday morning identifying the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown as incorrect. Should this information be made public? When is a good time to release this information? Where is the line between freedom of the press and an officer’s safety?

Read highlights from the interview below.

Toluse Olorunnipa, Bloomberg reporter, on the overall mood in Ferguson following the previous day’s police activity:

"There are currently some protests right outside the Ferguson police department. Things have been mostly peaceful and calm, but there is an edge in the air, especially after last night. There were about 50 protestors around 2 a.m, mostly just singing and chanting. Then out of nowhere, three armored vehicles with about 60 police in military gear came out and told everyone to disperse. And that was a scene that left a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouths. A lot of those people out this morning. More came out this afternoon than were here yesterday, protesting what happened over the weekend to Michael Brown but also what happened with the police response to the protests." 

Olorunnipa on the town’s response to activism by the group Anonymous:

"There’s been activism online from countries and cities far away from here, looking to hack into the systems of the city and county. They’ve been releasing names. … It’s not clear if the names they’ve released are correct, but that’s something that people here are talking about. It’s a very small community, so the police are known to the community members. There are some names that have been thrown out there. But right now it’s just speculation."

Olorunnipa on the police department’s stance on Michael Brown’s death:

"Police have said that there was a struggle within the police car during a stop in Michael Brown’s neighborhood. After the struggle, a shot went off inside the car, and the event proceeded outside the car, where Michael Brown was shot about 35 feet away. And yesterday we got some information saying that the officer’s face was swollen after the event — there was an altercation and the police officer was injured."

Olorunnipa on the contrasting take of these events by witnesses to the shooting:

"What we’re hearing from other witnesses is a completely different story. They believe that Michael Brown was running away, that he had his hands up after one shot was fired, that he was surrendering and that police continued to shoot him and killed him. We’ve seen much of that in the protests here, where people are raising their hands even in the face of militarized police. A lot of people are raising their hands, saying 'Don’t shoot me.' It’s kind of an act of civil disobedience that was been taken up as part of the protests."

Author and professor Terry Jones n the history of Ferguson and St. Louis in regards to changing racial demographics:

"St. Louis has been a segregated city residentially, first on the roots of slavery and going into the twentieth century with zoning and restrictive covenants. When some of those restrictions ended after World War II … African-Americans went from being a minority in north St. Louis County to a majority.  In Ferguson and indeed St. Louis County, there tends to be a lat between the population’s racial profile and that of the civic leadership. Ferguson is roughly two-thirds African-American, but a large proportion is under 18 and therefore does not vote or they’re younger and less likely to participate in local elections. And so if you look at the electorate, you’ll find a majority of voters is still Caucasian."

Jones on why this situation is not unique to Ferguson:

"This type of coincident would have happened anywhere in St. Louis with this kind of reaction. This story is not so much about Ferguson as it is about the St. Louis metropolitan area, where racial injustice is still dramatic, where significant disparities exist between Caucasians and African-Americans, where nearly everybody is either Caucasian or African American, and incident like this can be a flashpoint and is a flashpoint for us."

Author and professor Cathy Lisa Schneider on this wisdom of bringing in a new agency to police Ferguson:

"As long as the department that comes in doesn’t treat the community as an enemy population and doesn’t act like an occupying army, having a police force that especially has experience with communities might be a better way of dealing with unrest than with a poise force that has a history of animosity."

Guests:

Toluse Olorunnipa, Bloomberg reporter who has been reporting from Ferguson, MO.

Terry Jones, professor of political science and public policy administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is the author of numerous books, including “Fragmented by Design: Why St. Louis Has So Many Governments” (Palmerston & Reed, 2000). 

Cathy Lisa Schneider, Associate Professor in the School of International Service at American University where she teaches about  social movements, collective violence, policing, criminal justice and immigration. She is also the author of the book, Police Power and Race Riots: Urban Unrest in Paris and New York (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014), which came out last month.

Frank Stoltze, Crime and Politics reporter at KPCC.

What growing divisions within Democratic Party over Syria, Iraq mean for the party

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Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shakes hands with an attendee as she signs her book 'Hards Choices' at the Bunch of Grapes bookstore on Martha's Vineyard on August 13, 2014. Clinton on August 12 denied attacking US President Barack Obama over his foreign policy in Syria and Iraq, insisting she was looking forward to 'hugging it out' with the US leader when they meet at a party later this week. ; Credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

There’s a growing division within the Democratic party over how the U.S. should address the crises in Syria and Iraq. It’s a division that’s pitting democrats like President Obama against more hawkish politicians such as Senator Bob Corker and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who’ve criticized the Obama administration’s more dovish approaches to foreign policy issues.

The latest fissure arguably began with an interview Clinton gave to The Atlantic, where she referred to earlier approaches to Syria under the Obama administration as a “failure.”

What does this division mean for the party at large? 

Guest:

Will Marshall, president, Progressive Policy Institute

Filmweek: “The Giver” “The Expendables 3” “The One I Love” and more

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"The Giver" New York Premiere - Arrivals

Actress Katie Holmes attends "The Giver" premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on August 11, 2014 in New York City. ; Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig, Henry Sheehan and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including “The Giver” “The Expendables 3” “The One I Love” and more. TGI-Filmweek!

The Giver The

Expendables 3 The

One I Love

Guests:

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

Charles Solomon, animation film critic for KPCC and author and historian for amazon.com

 

Do movie leaks hurt filmmakers?

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Premiere Of Lionsgate Films' "The Expendables 3" - Red Carpet

Co-Chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Rob Friedman, actor Mel Gibson and Co-Chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Patrick Wachsberger attend the premiere of Lionsgate Films' "The Expendables 3" at TCL Chinese Theatre on August 11, 2014 in Hollywood, California.; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

After “The Expendables 3” leaked online in late July, at least 2.2 million people have downloaded the film illegally in DVD quality.

The film opens in theaters today -- for the movie’s distributor, Lions Gate, that’s a problem. The Expendables leak is the most high-profile leak since 2009, when a partial version of “X-Men Origins” showed up online prior to the film’s release.

Complete, high quality leaks are rare -- hardly ever does a film show up on the internet before it arrives in theaters. Many argue that the shaky, handheld camcorder versions of movies that typically leak after a theatrical release don’t do much to stop ticket sales. Lions Gate says the Expendables leak will likely have “immediate and severe adverse consequences.”

Studios have fought hard to protect the secrecy of a film until it plays in theaters, and the production company says that in the case of “The Expendables 3,” they’ll be hurt at the box office and in their relationships with theaters.

Lions Gate has issued take down orders for several of the sites still hosting the leaked version, but many haven’t responded -- once something is up, it may never be completely taken down, only made slightly harder to find.

What’s the best way to keep movies private until their intended launch? What are the security measures and legal actions a studio may take against people who pirate films? Would you download the leaked version of a movie, or spend the money to see it in theaters?

Guest:

Michael Robinson, Executive Vice President of  Global Content Protection at the Motion Picture Association of America

Michael Smith, Professor of Information Technology and Marketing at Carnegie Mellon University


Los Angeles Ethics Commission wants to pay you to vote...Really

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English-Spanish Signs Front Election Center In Texas

Los Angeles Ethics Commission wants to pay you to vote.; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

This week's LAUSD school board election had a voter turnout of 8%. That's deplorable, but it's not much lower than the mere 23% of voters who turned out to elect Mayor Garcetti in the last city election.

The city, and region, have had declining voter turnout for years and this week the Los Angeles Ethics Commission voted to propose lottery and cash prizes to help improve voter turnout for local elections.

Federal law prohibits this practice, but commissioners believe there might be a plausible loop hole for local elections and they suggest using somewhere between $25,000-50,000 in surplus matching funds as a cash prize for voters. City Council president Herb Wesson says he's intrigued by the idea.

Would this work? And is this the right way to motivate civic engagement? Are there better, more effective ways? Would it motivate you or someone you know to vote?

Guests:

Jessica Levinson, Vice President of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission and a professor of law at Loyola Law School

Environmental advocates’ mixed reactions to Sacramento’s $7.5 billion water deal

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Governor Brown Declares Statewide Drought Emergency

California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during a news conference on January 17, 2014 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

This week, Governor Jerry Brown trumpeted a bipartisan package to deal with California's water troubles.

The deal includes funds to build new reservoirs - satisfying farmers - and money for water conservation, recycling and cleanup efforts - heralded by some environmental groups. However, a coalition of grassroots activists complain the plan does nothing for the short-term drought problem, uses dam projects to the detriment of local watersheds and irresponsibly gives away water to agriculture interests.

Although Conner Everts, Co-Facilitator of the  Environmental Water Caucus, says there are valuable projects in the deal, he would have trouble voting for it come November.

The California director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Ann Notthoff, said in a statement "California's drought brought a diverse set of interests together in support of a new bond that protects our environment and our economy, instead of one that creates a false choice between the two."

It's said politics is the art of the possible - is that the thinking behind this deal? What can help the drought in the near term?

Guest:

Conner Everts, Co-Facilitator, Environmental Water Caucus, caucus of more than 30 grassroots organizations with a common interest in CA water issues

Steve Fleischli, Director and Senior Attorney, Water Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

 

The difficulty of investigating the Michael Brown shooting

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Outrage In Missouri Town After Police Shooting Of 18-Yr-Old Man

Standing in the parking lot of a gas station which was burned during rioting, Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson announces the name of the Ferguson police officer responsible for the August 9, shooting death of teenager Michael Brown on August 15, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. The officer was identified as Darren Wilson, a six year veteran of the police department. Brown's killing sparked several days of violent protests in the city.; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Police in St. Louis identified Darren Wilson as the officer who shot 18-year-old Michael Brown, whose death sparked sustained protests in the Missouri suburb of Ferguson that at times turned violent. Wilson has been with the St. Louis police force for 6 years with a clean record. No other details were made available.

Police also released dispatch records, a surveillance video, and police documents on a strong-arm robbery that took place at a convenient store minutes before Brown was gunned down. Brown and a friend were suspected of stealing a box of Swisher Sweets Cigars.

Yesterday,the Missouri Highway Patrol took over security in Ferguson from the St. Louis County police after what many claimed as an overly aggressive show of force.

Without a video of the shooting, what kind of evidence would a prosecutor or an investigator need to determine whether excessive force was used, or whether the shooting of Brown was justified? How would the video surveillance factor into the investigation?

Guest:

Yamiche Alcindor, USA Today breaking news reporter who’s been covering the story from Ferguson, Mo. 

Laurie Levenson, Professor of Law, Loyola Law School

Talking money and social class in the era of income inequality

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money clock alarm timer cash US FINANCE ECONOMY CURRENCY TIME

; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Occupy Wall Street, the one percent versus the 99 percent, income inequality--these topics dominated the national conversation after the collapse of the US financial system in 2008. Six years since, the economy has slowly climbed out of the doldrums, but the narrative of wealth disparity has remained ingrained.

Reactions to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent gaffe about being "dead broke" after she and President Bill Clinton left the White House show just how hypersensitive the country has become when it comes to the topic of wealth--both for those who have acquired it and for those who haven't.

Clinton, of course, eventually apologized for her "inartful" remark, but it got us at AirTalk thinking about how difficult it is to talk money today. How do you identify yourself socioeconomically? Do you talk to your friends and colleagues about your socioeconomic status? How do  you do approach the topic?

Guests:

Douglas G. Brinkley,Professor of History at Rice University and the author of many books, including “The Reagan Diaries” (Harper Perennial, 2009) and The Nixon Tapes: 1971-1972 (Houghton Mifflin  Harcourt, 2014), which he’s a co-author of

Amanda Clayman, a certified financial social worker and she blogs about financial matters at The Good, the Bad, and the Money 

Putting LAUSD’s school board elections in context

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George McKenna Campaign Headquarters

Campaign workers organize materials for George McKenna at his campaign headquarters on Aug. 1. The retired principal and administrator was elected to the Los Angeles Unified school board in a runoff Tuesday.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Only 8% of voters turned out to give George McKenna a victory in the 1st district school board election this week, but that vote could greatly impact the future of the roughly 640,000 students in the LAUSD.

Superintendent John Deasy no doubt would have preferred the politics on a school board favoring the charter reform movement, but McKenna’s win solidifies a 4-3 pro-teacher union school board and marks the second time in two years that a labor candidate has won against a well-funded charter reform candidate in an open seat.

So what happened to the influence of the charter reform movement? And from iPads to UTLA’s contract, what obstacles lie ahead? We’ll take a deeper look at the direction of LAUSD under a charter reform superintendent and a pro-labor school board.

Guests:

Annie Gilbertson,KPCC education reporter covering LAUSD

Fernando Guerra, Director of The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of  Los Angeles and Professor of Political Science, as well as Chicana/o Studies at Loyola Marymount University; SCPR Board of Trustees member

Alex Caputo-Pearl, president, UTLA

Gary Borden, Executive Director, California Charter Schools Association Advocates

Questioning the profundity of America's Ivy League

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Excellent Sheep The Miseducation of the American Elite & The Way to a Meaningful Life by William Deresiewicz.

As a former Yale professor, William Deresiewicz sat on an elite admissions committee that thoroughly raked student applications so much so that it left scars and bruises. The applicant needed extracurriculars with quality and quantity (more than six); top scores across categories; evidence of strong "PQs" (personal qualities); a prodigious skill in a niche area; and the undefined attribute of "leadership."

As he writes in his new book "Excellent Sheep," the last one particularly vexes Deresiewicz because he says it's become meaningless. The elite schools are churning out timid and self-serving "careerists," he argues, citing graduation statistics such as Harvard University's 2010 class — half of which lined up jobs in finance and consulting.

Before the meritocracy took hold, Deresiewicz said leadership had meaning among the American elite. He writes:

“The concept made demands. It meant devotion to the benefit of others, not yourself. It called for allegiance to ideals; a commitment to the stewardship of institutions; a code of public service that was something more than a commencement afterthought. The country was being placed in their care and they were expected to a hand it on in better shape than they received it.”

If that concept has changed, is it the fault of Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford? What should those schools be doing differently?

Guest:

William Deresiewicz, Author, "Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life" (August 2014, Free Press); Deresiewicz is an essayist and critic. 

Missouri calls up National Guard to Ferguson

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Family, Medical Examiner Discuss Autopsy Results In Brown Ferguson Shooting

Family attorney for Michael Brown, Daryl Parks, points to an autopsy diagram showing where the gun shots hit Michael Brown during a press conference at the Greater St. Marks Family Church on August 18, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Unarmed teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on August 9th. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has activated the National Guard in an attempt to restore order in Ferguson after a week of protests, including some violence and looting.

The weekend culminated in molotov cocktails, tear gas and civilian shootings on the streets, and off the streets the publication of an autopsy report showing Michael Brown was shot 6 times -- twice in the head -- by a Ferguson police officer.

The independent autopsy was ordered by Brown's family and conducted by the former chief medical examiner for New York City, Dr. Michael M. Baden. The U.S. Department of Justice will conduct its own autopsy of Brown. Eyewitness accounts vary of events leading up the shooting.

How will the National Guard change the policing on the streets of Ferguson? What can the public discern from Dr. Baden's autopsy report?

Guests:

Eugene O’Donnell, Professor of law and police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice; former NYPD officer; former prosecutor in Kings County (Brooklyn)

Laurie Levenson, Professor of Law, Loyola Law School

 


New CEO of the Los Angeles Times talks future of the paper, media

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Austin Beutner on stage during the preview of The Broad Stage 2010-2011 schedule at The Broad Stage on April 22, 2010 in Santa Monica, California.; Credit: Mark Sullivan/Getty Images for The Broad Stage

Austin Beutner, the former Wall Street investment banker and philanthropist, accepted the position last month to become the new CEO and publisher of the Los Angeles Times despite decreasing sales of its print editions.

And he’s here to talk about it. According to the LA Times, Beutner addressed employees in a full auditorium, asking for individuals to “explore new revenue streams” and to embrace new technologies. The former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, and former candidate for mayor, is looking to raise advertising and digital revenues after Tribune Co., the newspaper’s parent company, which reported profit declines of 43% this past March.

Beutner's got a reputation as a concise but out-of-the box thinker, who was once interested in buying the Los Angeles Times and running it as a nonprofit. Now that he’s in charge, what should Beutner do differently to successfully run the historical newspaper? And how will he strike a balance between "Civic booster" and publisher of a paper that's supposed to be holding the city accountable?

Guest:

Austin Beutner, publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times

Farmers, redheads, Jews and microhome-owners: The very big world of niche dating

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Two American Jews enjoy a party in Jerusalem at the end of a weeklong romantic voyage to Israel Wednesday, May 10, 2006. The trip organized by the Jewish online dating service JDate.; Credit: Oded Balilty/AP

The stigma of Internet dating has faded to nearly nothing, with hordes of couples meeting on sites like OkCupid, Match and eHarmony. Finding your perfect mate can prove incredibly difficult, especially if you’re looking for something specific.

Enter the niche dating site, covering every interest under the sun for people looking for someone who meets particular (sometimes very particular) criteria. Some niche dating is huge — JDate and ChristianMingle (both owned by the same company, Spark) have huge pools of online daters. Smaller sites cater to several races and religions, and some more niche subsets: farmers, redheads, microhome-owners, dog lovers, the list goes on, and on, and on.

What kinds of traits are important enough to base an entire romantic relationship on? Are you more likely to see sparks fly on niche dating sites, or can compatible partners come from all walks of life? Would you use niche criteria to find your match, online or off?

Guests:

Jessica Carbino, PhD. Candidate in Sociology at UCLA, Online Dating Expert, Huffington Post Contributor

Karen North, Ph.D., Director, Annenberg Program on Online Communities, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism; psychologist specializing in online communities

To hear this segment, click on "Listen Now" above. 

Continuing chaos in Ferguson despite National Guard presence

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A law enforcement officer watches on during a protest on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Missouri on August 18, 2014. Police fired tear gas in another night of unrest in a Missouri town where a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, just hours after President Barack Obama called for calm. ; Credit: MICHAEL B. THOMAS/AFP/Getty Images

Violence and protests persisted in Ferguson, Missouri last night despite the presence of National Guard troops. Peaceful protests turned into violence, including gunshots, as civilians and authorities attempted to reign in the outbursts from a small group.

Two men were shot, and 31 people, some from out of state, were arrested. Tear gas and orders to leave followed. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon lifted the curfew in Ferguson, but confusion over restrictions on protests only seemed to fuel frustrations and confusion. Police urged peaceful protesters to limit their demonstrations to daylight hours, saying that nighttime protests give cover to “violent agitators” -- protests continued and anger grew when crowds were asked to disperse around midnight, the time of the revoked curfew.

How will the situation in Ferguson continue to develop? What are the best tactics for protesters to use to truly further their cause? What are the best approaches for keeping people safe?

Guest:

Durrie Bouscaren, reporter for St. Louis Public Radio, has been in Ferguson during nighttime protests

Jason Rosenbaum, reporter for St. Louis Public Radio, on the ground in Ferguson

California business groups warn of impending 'hidden gas tax'

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Oil Prices Hit Highest Price In Almost A Year

Experts say the average Californian will see $4 per month added to their cost of living due to the gas price hike.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Californians are seeing and hearing a blitz of advertisements warning of a looming "hidden gas tax." The price increase is expected to take effect in the new year because California's cap-and-trade program will expand to include fuel, meaning oil refiners will have to buy permits for the greenhouse gas pollution tied to gasoline and diesel sales.

Organizations opposed to that plan are throwing their support behind Assembly Bill 69 (Perea), which would delay the cap-and-trade extension to fuels. Assemblymember Henry Perea (D-Fresno) has said a delay would give time to consider expanding cap-and-trade "in a way that doesn't impact the working class," according to the Sacramento Bee.

However, UC Berkeley energy experts say the average Californian will see $4 per month added to their cost of living due to the gas price hike. Other says you would need a crystal ball to know how energy spending will change for Californians.

Why is there a wide variation in the economic impact analysis? Who supports delaying the coming extension on cap-and-trade, and why?

Guests:

Jay McKeeman, Vice President of Government Relations and Communications, California Independent Oil Marketers Association

Gary Gero, President of Climate Action Reserve, a carbon offset registry based in Los Angeles

New LAUSD disciplinary policy to focus on counseling, not criminalization

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A student on his way to school walks pas

File: A student on his way to school walks past a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) school, in Los Angeles, California on Feb. 13, 2009.; Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest district in the nation, will announce a major change in its disciplinary policy against students who commit minor offenses today. Under the new policy, campus police will no longer issue citations for campus fights, vandalism, and most other minor infractions. Instead, student who are caught will be referred to counseling and other services.

According to the Community Strategy Center, an LA-based human rights organization that has been working with LAUSD, the law firm Public Counsel and others to usher in the change, some 33,000 citations were given to students for committing minor crimes between 2009 and 2011. Many of the students ended up in the juvenile justice system.

LAUSD also plans to hire a number of restorative justice counselors for its schools, funded by a $4 million grant from the Local Control Funding Formula.

Guests:

Zoë Rawson, Legal Advocate, Community Rights Campaign, the nonprofit organization that’s worked with LAUSD and other organizations on developing the policy

Judith Kafka, Associate Professor of Educational Policy and History of Education at Baruch College and The Graduate Center, which is part of City University New York. She is also the author of “The History of ‘Zero Tolerance’ in American Public Schooling” (Palgrave Macmillan; Reprint edition, 2013) 

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