President Barack Obama delivers a statement on the first US bombing of the Islamic State group(IS) and Al-Qaeda at the White House in Washington, DC, September 23, 2014, before departing to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York. President Obama said Tuesday the coalition of Arab nations involved in the first US air strikes in Syria, showed the United States was not alone in combating the Islamic State group. ; Credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

Bahrain, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined the U.S. last night in coordinated airstrikes targeting Islamic extremist militants in Syria and “destroyed or damaged” multiple IS targets, according to the Pentagon. Domestically, the airstrikes follow the federal government’s launch of a pilot program  last week that will focus on countering violent extremism in young American Muslims who may be radicalized by events overseas.

Yesterday the Los Angeles Times reported that Los Angeles, Boston and Minneapolis are the three cities where this pilot program will be rolled out. It sounds strikingly similar to the Safe Spaces Initiative started recently by the L.A.-based Muslim Public affairs Council (MPAC). The program is the first of its kind to be proposed, and would provide 2,100 mosques nationwide with training and resources to create an open environment for political discourse on sensitive topics. Salam Al-Marayati, president of MPAC, says that many mosques are “underfunded and led my foreign-born Imams unfamiliar with American culture,” and that they need help dealing with young people and providing religious counseling and mental health resources. The proposed program is based on the same kinds of gang intervention used in Los Angeles by Homeboy Industries. The LAPD has expressed its support of an intervention program -- the police already monitor visits to radical websites and say instances are more common than one might think.

How should L.A. approach homegrown terrorism? What are local groups like MPAC already doing to prevent the radicalizing of young people and how might this federal program bolster that?

Guest:

Salam Al-Marayati, president, Muslim Public Affairs Council

Jeremy Herb, Defense Reporter, POLITICO

Brian Michael Jenkins, senior adviser to the president of the RAND Corporation

LA City Council members Mike Bonin, center, Nury Martinez, left, and Current Price propose a higher minimum wage for hotel workers. ; Credit: Frank Stoltze

Hotel employees in Los Angeles could be looking at a raise if city lawmakers approve a vote Wednesday that would boost wages to $15.37 per hour.

The raise is receiving support from labor groups, which say that more cash would pull more families out of poverty and boost the local economy. The increase would also be higher than Mayor Eric Garcetti’s proposed citywide minimum wage hike of $13.25 by 2017.

Critics of the higher wages say that the bill is discriminatory. They want to see a citywide minimum wage in place rather than isolate the hotel industry – which often asks employees to perform duties similar to those of other industries. Raising salaries only for hotel restaurant workers, for instance, wouldn’t be fair to restaurant workers that do not work in hotels, according to critics.

Do you feel that the increased wages puts other workers at a disadvantage? Do the benefits of higher pay for some outweigh critics’ concerns?

Guests:

Stewart Waldman, president of VICA, Valley Industry and Commerce Association

James Elmendorf, Policy Director for LAANE, Los Angeles Alliance For A New Economy

UC Berkeley students walk through Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus April 23, 2012 in Berkeley, California. According to reports, half of all recent college graduates are finding themselves underemployed or jobless and the prospects for new graduates dim in a weak labor market. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

We’ve all seen the rankings of the best schools in the country -- lists that rank colleges and universities based on the value of a degree, difficulty of admission, best cafeteria food.

Recently, the New America Foundation took on a more unique task: ranking the worst schools in the nation. The Foundation’s Ben Miller argues that while top tier colleges are all fairly similar in their excellence, regardless of rank, the schools that make up the “worst of” lists are unique. His lists weigh price, average student debt, the number of students who default on loans, and graduation rates. The schools come from all over the country, with several different areas of study, some for-profit, some nonprofit. 

One thing they have in common? They’re all private -- no public schools made the Worst Colleges Rankings. What makes a school particular good or bad? How can potential students identify schools that are essentially a scam?

Guest:

Ben Miller, senior policy analyst in the Education Policy Program at the New America Foundation, author of the Washington Monthly piece on America’s worst colleges

Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up on deck during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Sept. 18, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona.; Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Major League Baseball  Commissioner Bud Selig says he wants to hasten America’s favorite pastime. The League has formed a committee chaired by Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz to study the current pace of the game. At present, there is only one rule that specifies the amount of time in which an in-game action must be conducted. The "12-second rule" stipulates that when bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball, otherwise the umpire shall call a "ball." If you clock average pitches, you'll know the 12-second rule is broken constantly. Not all fans thinks the pace is a problem. A Braves fan commenting on MLB.com writes, "Life is moving at neck-breaking speeds and as a family man, there's no time to relax. Going to a baseball game and being able to sit and watch a game for 3hrs [sic] is a nice getaway from the fast paces of life." Others worry that innings could get brisker, only to have television commercial breaks run longer. Would you liven up the pace of baseball? If so, how? What are your fantasy rules for MLB? What will this mean for the economics of the game?

Guests:

Ryan Fagan, MLB writer at Sporting News

Huntington Beach has fielded lots of people's complaints about coyotes in residential areas. Officials there are voting on whether the town is big enough for both species.; Credit: David Lamfrom

The Seal Beach City Council voted Monday to trap and euthanize coyotes after dozens of pets were killed by the animals. The vote puts in place two two-week coyote trapping sessions, according to the OC Register. Trapping is slated to begin in about a week. In addition to trapping, the city will also starting penalizing residents for feeding wildlife and leaving pet food outdoors. 

The council will review the results and revisit the issue in its Oct. meeting.   

Guests:

Michael Levitt, Seal Beach City Councilman representing District Five, which consists of the retirement community Leisure World, the retirement community that has seen the bulk of the coyote problem

Camilla Fox, Founder and Executive Director, Project Coyote, a national nonprofit advocacy organization based in Marin County  

Priests wait for the arrival of Pope Francis prior to his mass' celebration at Mother Teresa square in central Tirana on September 21, 2014. ; Credit: GENT SHKULLAKU/AFP/Getty Images

The newest Pew poll on religion has documented growing trends in the American populace. One segment of the poll found a growing divide between the religious and non-religious, sometimes known as “nones,” including whether or not religion and politics should be discussed together. The poll also finds among American citizens a slight decline in approval ratings for same-sex marriage, a decline in the perception that the Obama administration is favorable to religion, and no change in how religious constituents want their members of Congress to be. As found in prior polls, differences can be somewhat pronounced between various religious groups. Yet the overall trend has been towards a growing level of non-religious affiliation in America, a trend that is pushing religious people towards vocalizing their discontent.

What do you think about the growing number of non-religious people in America? Should religion have a role in politics and public debate? Does the growing religious divide reflect larger polarization in society?

James Holmes, in an Arapahoe County, Colo., court on July 23.; Credit: AP

The judge presiding over the James Holmes trial will decide this week if he will allow cameras in the courtroom during the trial.

The Associated Press, the Denver Post, as well as other media organizations have asked the judge to allow both still and video cameras in the courtroom. Prosecutors in the case want cameras  banned, saying that they would place too much harmful attention on victims who testify and that television coverage would alter the way witnesses behave. Defense lawyers in the case also want cameras out of the courtroom.

According to the Denver Post, prosecutors plan to summon 70 people who survived the July 2012 movie theater shooting in Aurora to testify. 

Holmes is scheduled to stand trial in December on charges of killing 12 people and injuring 70 in the shooting. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Guests:

Christine Ward, Executive Director of Crime Victims Action Alliance

Steven Zansberg, Partner at Levine, Sullivan, Koch & Schulz, a law firm in Denver. Zansberg is representing the AP and the Denver Post in their request to have a photographer in the courtroom

4-MEI, a chemical created during the manufacturing of caramel color used to dye sodas brown, is under new scrutiny.; Credit: /iStockphoto

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr. Pepper pledged at the 10th annual Clinton Global Initiative to decrease the amount of calories in their drinks 20% by 2025, with pilot programs beginning in Los Angeles and Little Rock, Arkansas. The multinational corporations, which account for a combined net worthover$335 billion, say they'll push change through a variety of approaches, including promoting low- and zero-calorie drinks and selling drinks in smaller portions. Coca-Cola alone spent over $3.3 billion in advertising during 2013, and prior to this announcement, already committed to spending an additional $1 billion in the next three years.

In a nation where heart disease, obesity, and diabetes are rampant, soda manufacturers have taken economic hits as various consumer groups and health analysts have decried the ubiquitous "liquid candy." Some critics see this announcement as simply an attempt by these companies to regain public approval and/or consumer interest as soda consumption decreased 12% from 2000 to 2013.

Will changes by the largest soda manufacturers and distributors stem 21st century health issues? Why do you think these corporations are now changing their products and advertising? What is the role of soda and other drinks in your own life?

Guests:

Susan Neely, President and CEO of the American Beverage Association

Howell Wechsler, CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, M.D., Medical Director, Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa; Author, “The Diet Fix” (March 2014); Board-Certified Physician by the American Board of Bariatric (Obesity) Medicine; Blogs at weightymatters.ca

A screencap from the Will Smith sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

This fall plays host to a new lineup of sitcoms and the return of some favorites. Viewers will reliably tune in to Modern Family, cling to the end of Parks and Rec, and search for a new hit in the network’s newest offerings, which include Red Band Society, The Mysteries of Laura, black-ish, and more.

Audiences for sitcoms continue to shrink, and this year, with big anniversaries of sitcom royalty from the past (20 years for Friends, 30 for The Cosby Show), the comparisons look especially gloomy. Friends regularly attracted 25 million viewers per episode -- NBC’s current Thursday night favorite, Parks and Rec, hovers in the 4 million range. Even the highly praised and highly syndicated Modern Family couldn’t hold its own compared to sitcoms from the glory days.

Where are viewers turning now? What makes for a beloved sitcom? Is there too much good TV and a too widely-scattered audience, or not enough?

Guest:

Willa Paskin, television critic at Slate

"How We Learn" by Benedict Carey

Grit, grind and grueling work have been espoused  by everyone from your taskmaster piano teacher to the omnipresent Tiger Mom as the keys to learning and success.

In "How We Learn," award-winning science correspondent Benedict Carey challenges that thinking, arguing that daydreams, distraction and nap-times are necessary strategies to ace tests, create ideas and retain information and knowledge. Carey recommends new routines to make learning more enjoyable and strategies for successful slacking.

What's the right balance of the two approaches to learning - discipline versus permissiveness? What has worked for you?

Guest:

Benedict Carey, Science Reporter, The New York Times; Author, “How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens” (Random House; September 2014)

; Credit: Photo by jenny downing via Flickr Creative Commons

Slick advertisements for the new iPhone 6 are enticing for all age demographics, especially children, tweens and teens who want the latest, greatest toys.  As Rachael Myrow found on The California Report, opening up the world of smart phones to kids introduces an entirely new aspect of parenting. What is the right age to explore that brave new world? What's it like to be the kid whose parents cannot or will not buy a smartphone? 

Guest:

Betsy Brown Braun, child development and parenting expert; best selling author of Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents (HarperCollins); 

Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina of the first district.; Credit: Benjamin Brayfield/KPCC

Los Angeles County supervisor Gloria Molina shocked many when she announced her candidacy for city council against incumbent Jose Huizar earlier this month.

Molina is only three months away from being termed out of office as supervisor, a position she has held for over two decades. She was the first Latina to serve in the California legislature, the Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles City Board. The supervisor has publicly expressed her concern over the lack of female representation in city hall. Still, some argue that Molina has made a radical choice in choosing to run against the popular Huizar instead of following her initial plan of retirement. Molina joins AirTalk to speak more on her candidacy, her legacy and her plans for the near future.

Guest:

Gloria Molina, outgoing Los Angeles County supervisor and candidate for LA City Council

“No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind" by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson.

All moms and dads know that parenting feels less a science than an art. Parenting styles have evolved over time, and the strict disciplinary mode favored by parents generations ago has now given way to a more connective, gentle approach. In a piece for Time magazine, Daniel Siegel and Tina Bryson, authors of a new book on parenting, argue that the tried-and-true method that many parents rely on today – the time-out – might actually be emotionally harmful to a child.

“On top of everything, time-outs are usually ineffective in accomplishing the goals of discipline: to change behavior and build skills. Parents may think that time-outs cause children to calm down and reflect on their behavior. But instead, time-outs frequently make children angrier and more disregulated, leaving them even less able to control themselves or think about what they’ve done, and more focused on how mean their parents are to have punished them,” Siegel and Bryson write. 

What are the alternatives to time outs? For parents who have used time outs, have they been effective?

Guest:

Tina Bryson, co-author of the new book, “No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind” (Bantam, 2014). She’s a psychotherapist at Pediatric and Adolescent Psychology Associates in Arcadia.

Conversos y Tacos is a gourmet kosher taco truck touring the streets of El Paso this summer.
; Credit: Courtesy of Peter Svarzbein

Kosher food may bring to mind Grandma’s kugel and overly sweet Manischewitz wine, but for the younger generation, things are changing.

Millennial American Jews keep kosher at nearly twice the rate of baby boomers -- 27 percent of Jews 18-29 keep kosher as opposed to 16 percent of Jews age 50 and up. For younger Jews, keeping kosher may be less about religion and more about culture: Jewish deli food has become increasingly popular, just visit the new Wexler’s Deli in Grand Central Market or the roving Canter’s truck to see the evidence.

The high rate of kosher keeping may also reflect the growing numbers of young Orthodox Jews, a broader return to religiosity, or a general societal focus on food-related mindfulness.

What role does food play in cultural and religious observances? What draws millennial Jews to kosher food?

Guests:

Brie Loskota, managing director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California

Jeffrey Yoskowitz, food entrepreneur, pickler and food writer, co-owner of The Gefilteria

A man uses an iris recognition scanner during the Biometrics 2004 exhibition and conference October 14, 2004 in London. The conference will examine the role of new technology such as facial recognition and retinal scans to determine identity to improve security.

*** Local Caption *** ; Credit: Ian Waldie/Getty Images

Unbeknownst to the public, Los Angeles County law enforcement is developing a system to retain an increasing amount of biometric data that it collects for longer periods of time. Following the FBI’s lead and its recent development of the Next Generation  Identification System, the county is working on a multimodal biometric identification system that would collect fingerprints, iris scans, mugshots, palm prints, and even voice recordings. Controversy arises as oversight, transparency, accountability, and security have become issues for the program. In addition, the LA County program has come under fire because of reports that the data will be held indefinitely. Because biometric data is unchangeable, privacy advocates see this as a significant issue as data collection expands and people cannot escape identification by law enforcement. They also say that the program has illegally avoided an impact review on privacy, an action that is required by federal law. The system isn’t expected to be fully functional for another three years, and it will collect data on up to an estimated 15 million individuals who are processed by law enforcement in the county. What do you think of law enforcement collecting data on individuals and holding it indefinitely? Is there a potential for misuse? Should security concerns trump privacy rights?

Guests: 

Ali Winston, Center for Investigative Reporting who wrote the piece on the expansion of this new program to LA 

Tim Williams, founder of TT Williams Investigations, a private investigation firm in Los Angeles. He is a retired LAPD senior detective supervisor

Peter Bibring, Director of Police Practices” for the ACLU of California and senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California

The Orange County Transportation Authority has approved to widen a portion of the 405 freeway to possibly make room for toll lanes, despite opposition from city leaders. ; Credit: Mick O/flickr via Creative Commons

Despite opposition from some city leaders and residents, the Orange County Transportation Authority has approved to widen a portion of the 405 freeway to possibly make room for toll lanes.

Dubbed the “Lexus lanes,” by critics that say tolls only help more affluent drivers, the approved space would create room for an additional carpool or toll lane in each direction of the freeway. The plan is a part of the $1.3 billion plan to widen the 405 and is also a component of Caltrans’ $400 million toll lane proposal.

Should the newly acquired space be used for a toll lane or a carpool lane? Which would be more beneficial to the city overall? Would either of these help lessen congestion on the 405 freeway?

Guests:

Shawn Nelson, Chairman of Orange County Transportation Authority

Diana Carey, Councilwoman, City of Westminster, represents corridor cities and is an advocate opposing toll lanes

Attorney General Eric Holder speaks during a Sept. 4 news conference at the Justice Department in Washington.; Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

As one of President Barack Obama's longest serving cabinet members, critics of Attorney General Eric Holder have been on tenterhooks awaiting his resignation for many months. So today's news that he will step down means sharp political obituaries are seeing the light.

Constitutional scholar Ilya Shapiro of the Cato Institute writes, "From politicizing Justice Department hiring beyond the wildest accusations against the Bush administration, to running a bizarre guns-to-gangs operation that even Alberto Gonzales couldn’t have concocted, to advocating a racial spoils system at all levels of government, Holder has tarnished the nation’s highest law enforcement office more even than Nixon’s AG John Mitchell."

So how did Holder survive such disdain? As Glenn Thrush wrote in POLITICO magazine: "Holder has been willing to say the things Obama couldn’t or wouldn’t say about race," and for that reason, he had a protector in the oval office. For the New Yorker, legal scholar Jeffrey Toobin tells a tale of two Holders whose best side shone in recent years: "[After Obama's reelection, Holder] decided to embrace civil rights as his cause. His civil-rights division filed lawsuits against the voting restrictions... He began the process of reducing the number of nonviolent offenders in the federal prison population."

What stands out for you in the tenure of AG Holder? Who are the possible successors?

Guest:

Tim Phelps, Justice Department reporter for the Los Angeles Times

Blake Hounshell, deputy editor of POLITICO Magazine

Every four seconds of "The Boxtrolls" took a week to make. ; Credit: Screengrab from "Boxtrolls" trailer

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson, Henry Sheehan and Charles Solomon  review this week’s releases, including “The Boxtrolls,” “The Equalizer,” “Jimi: All Is By My Side” and more. TGI-Filmweek!

| Which film are you most excited to see? Vote in our poll! |

The Boxtrolls:

The Equalizer:

Jimi: All Is By My Side:

Guests:

Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and LA Weekly

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine

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Subject Mathew Leininger, directors Jennifer Grausman, Sam Cullman, subject Mark Landis and editor Mark Becker from "Art and Craft", pose for a portrait at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival Getty Images Studio on April 18, 2014 in New York City. ; Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe

Dubbed one of the most prolific art forgers in recent history, Mark Landis has fooled countless museums into hanging his replicas of famous paintings around the country. In the documentary “Art and Craft,” filmmakers Jennifer Grausman and Sam Cullman take audiences inside the mind of the artist who uses simple tools like colored pencils and chalk to recreate some of the world’s best known art pieces.

Often posing as a Jesuit priest with a large family estate, Landis has fooled many museums by giving away his work instead of selling it. Because he doesn’t make any profits, Landis has not been prosecuted under the law, which holds each art museum responsible for reviewing gifts of any caliber.  

Grausman and Landis join us to talk about the artist’s battle with schizophrenia and the process of recreating works of art that continue to fool some of the country’s leading curators.

Guests:

Mark Landis, artist and subject of “Art and Craft”

Jennifer Grausman, one of the directors of “Art and Craft” 

Mammoth Mountain, in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, is located along the giant Long Valley Caldera where recurring earthquake events, continued dome-shaped uplifting of the central section of the caldera, and changes in thermal springs and gas emissions keeps scientists on the alert for signs of the disastrous explosive volcanic event that many believe is inevitable. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Nearly three dozen 2.5-3.8 magnitude earthquakes and even more tiny tremblors have hit the Mammoth Lakes region in the past 24 hours.

Mammoth is home to an active volcano, but there have been no eruptions for about 57,000 years. An uptick in quakes during the past 10 years has been related to “volcanic unrest” -- the period has been marked by gas emissions and movements of molten rock that cut of tree root systems, causing deaths of trees. Mammoth locals seem unconcerned by the quakes.

What’s causing the shaking in the Mammoth Lakes area? Can the tremblors be attributed to volcanic activity, or is there another possible explanation?

Guest:

Tom Heaton, professor of engineering and seismology at Caltech