Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, the man who gave carmageddon it's name, walks the empty 405 on July 16, as crews worked to demolish a section of the Mulholland Bridge.

Five-term Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is leaving office because of term limits. Yaroslavsky has been representing District 3 and was first elected to the board two decades ago. His tenure on the Board of Supervisors might be what the 65-year-old is most known for, but Yaroslavsky has had an eventual political career, starting with activism work he engaged in as a student activist at UCLA. A trip to Russia inspired the young Yaroslavsky to form the California Students for Soviet Jews in the 1960s, which picked Soviet athletes that came to the city for a track and field competition.

His political career started in earnest in 1975, when Yaroslavsky was elected to the City Council’s 5th District, upsetting Frances M. Savitch, a former aide to then-Mayor Tom Bradley. In 1994, he was elected to the LA County Board of Supervisors, focusing his energy on land use, environmental and other issues. As a champion of the arts, Yaroslavsky was instrumental in helping to secure funding to renovate the Hollywood Bowl’s signature shell. He also played an important role in bringing the Disney Hall project to fruition.

Guest:

Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, representing District 3, which includes the San Fernando Valley, the Westside of Los Angeles and coastal areas between Venice and the Ventura Countyline. He was first elected to the board in 1994

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.; Credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama has given the green light for 1,500 U.S. troops to be deployed to Iraq in a supportive role, training Iraqi and Kurdish forces to fight the so-called Islamic State. The infusion of U.S. forces will nearly double the amount of American soldiers currently in Iraq.

In a statement made Friday, the White House said it would also be asking Congress for an additional $5.6 billion in funding for the fight against the so-called Islamic State. This includes $1.6 billion for a program that would help train and equip Iraqi troops.

The request for funding from Congress will be an early test of the level of cooperation we might expect to see between the White House and Congress following the shift of power to the Republicans after their victories in last week’s midterm elections.

President Obama has remained firm on the fact that U.S. troops will not be operating in a combat role.

Guest:

Michael O’Hanlon, Senior fellow at Brookings Institution; co-author with Former Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg of "Strategic Reassurance and Resolve:  US-China Relations in the 21st Century"

(L-R) Alicia Vikander, Keira Knightley, Joe Wright and Domhnall Gleeson attend the "Anna Karenina" New York Special Screening at Florence Gould Hall on November 7, 2012 in New York City.; Credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

In an interview with "The Times" of London, Keira Knightley revealed why she posed topless for the September issue of Interview magazine. "I think women's bodies are a battleground and photography is partly to blame," she said. In the past, photos of the waifish actor were retouched to enhance her chest, such as the 2004 movie poster for "King Arthur."“I’ve had my body manipulated so many different times for so many different reasons, whether it’s paparazzi photographers or for film posters,” Knightley continued with The Times, “That [shoot] was one of the ones where I said: ‘OK, I’m fine doing the topless shot so long as you don’t make them any bigger or retouch.’ Because it does feel important to say it really doesn’t matter what shape you are.”

In Hollywood, celebrity Jennifer Aniston goes makeup free for her new dramatic role in "Cake." As well, Marion Cotillard playing a working class Parisian in the independent film "Two Days, One Night" agreed to having no makeup, no costuming, and the directors said they did not fuss over her lighting.

When celebrity women ditch makeup and Photoshop, is it helpful for "the conversation" around female body image? What message does it send to young girls? Is an actor's topless photoshoot the right way to protest distortions of the female form? Are the bodies and faces of the pampered famous anything close to realistic depictions?

Guest:

Shira Tarrant,  Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at California State University, Long Beach. She is the author of several books including “Men and Feminism” and “Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power.”

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald awaits the start of a hearing before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee September 9, 2014 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony on "The State of VA Health Care."; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Veteran Affairs Administration unveiled Monday plans to overhaul the agency in the wake of the health care scandal that has plagued the department for a better part of a year. It represents the first major action by new VA Secretary Robert McDonald, who has been in the job for just three months. Under the plan, the agency will streamline its massive bureaucracy and improve its customer service to better serve veterans. In focusing on improving customer service, McDonald is bringing his experience from the private sector to fix the VA health care system that has hitherto been beset by long wait times, sloppy record-keeping, and fraudulent practices.

In an interview with CBS, McDonald said that the VA is looking to fire 35 executives and discipline 1,000 staffers because of the mishaps.

Guest:

Travis Tritten, reporter at Stars and Stripes who’s been following the story, @Travis_Tritten

This piece is part of KPCC's ongoing coverage of issues affecting veterans for Veteran's Day 2014. See more of our coverage at KPCC.org/vets.

Researchers from the University of Texas’ Center for Brain Health and the Albuquerque-based Mind Research Network has found evidence that chronic pot smokers have less gray matter than people who have never smoked marijuana. The report was released last month for the National Academy of Science of the United States of America.; Credit: Michel Porro/Getty Images

A study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas’ Center for Brain Health and the Albuquerque-based Mind Research Network has found evidence that chronic pot smokers have less gray matter than people who have never smoked marijuana. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the observations of decreased gray matter were found in the orbital frontal cortex, an area of the brain that is related to the decision-making and addictive behaviors network. The finding had been widely observed among mice but disputed for human beings.

Yet the researchers also found higher connectivity relating to white matter in the chronic pot smokers, which is associated with better adaptive learning. The authors of the study could not determine whether there is a causal relationship between the pot use and levels of gray matter, and they could only make a correlation between pot use and IQ. The study used 62 non-pot smokers and 48 chronic pot smokers (people who used marijuana at least four times a week over the past six months), matched for age and gender.

Will these findings deter marijuana users? How will the growing science around marijuana shape the national debate?

Guest:

Sina Aslan, Assistant Adjunct Profressor at the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas, one of the co-authors of the marijuana study 

Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine and Engineering at the University of Southern California and Director of the Westside Cancer Center

Hershey Felder ; Credit: Michael Lamont

Pianist and singer Hershey Felder is probably best known for bringing the works of George Gershwin to a new generation with his one man show, “George Gershwin ALONE.” Now he’s back with a new project at the Geffen, this time memorializing the music of Irving Berlin. Felder joins Larry to talk about the new show and the inspiration it drew from “America’s Composer.” From the depths of anti-Semitism in Czarist Russia, to New York’s Lower East Side, Berlin’s story epitomizes the American dream and Felder’s show honors his legacy with some of the composer’s most popular and enduring songs from “God Bless America,” to “White Christmas” and beyond.

Guest:

Hershey Felder, creator and star of “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin,” which runs through December 21st at the Geffen Playhouse.

"For Love of Country" by Howard Shultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran

The United States has sent 2.6 million American soldiers to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other fronts. It's a staggering number, but a sustained drop in military enlistment also means that the men and women who made the decision to serve our country have become strangers to many of us.

In the new book, "For Love of Country," authors Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran profile a number veterans to give readers an intimate portrait of the men and women in uniform.

The book is not just about their war experiences, but also about their homecomings and the contributions they make to society after their return. It shows us what veterans can teach us about becoming better citizens, better workers and better people.

Guest:

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, co-author with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz of “For Love of Country” (Knopf, 2014)

This piece is part of KPCC's ongoing coverage of issues affecting veterans for Veteran's Day 2014. See more of our coverage at KPCC.org/vets.

US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Lipton, from Summers, CT, takes a cigarette break on the side of the USS Wasp(LHD-1) Februariy 5, 2012, during Operation Bold Alligator 2012, a multinational military exercise involving 14,000 Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Soldiers with more than 25 ships and 8 countries. ; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Smokers in the military may have to go off base to get their cigarettes and chewing tobacco if Congress decides to enact a ban on the sale of tobacco products on U.S. military bases.

The Defense Department and Congress are currently mulling over the bill, which would prevent the sale of cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco on military bases, in the hopes of snuffing out high smoking rates in the military. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus was the first to bring up the issue, and shortly after he did, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the Defense Department to review the issue.

Supporters of the ban say that members of the military are expected to be in peak physical condition and that curbing tobacco use would help better prepare those enlisted. Opponents, like Congressman and Marine reservist Duncan Hunter (R-CA), say that tobacco use isn't curbed for anyone else, and that those people who are putting their lives on the line to protect American freedom shouldn't have their own freedoms taken away.

If the discussion is going to happen in Congress, it will most likely be during the upcoming lame-duck session.

Guests:

Karen Jowers, reporter for Military Times

Greg Haifley, director of federal relations at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Rick Ungar, senior political contributor at Forbes, host of Steele & Ungar on Sirius XM

People walk past a homeless war veteran explaining his plight hoping for assistance while standing along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, on August 22, 2012. ; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

The new director of the West Los Angeles Veterans Home, Thomas Bucci, is tasked with speeding up  the slow progress of the half-empty facility. In June 2010, $253-million was pledged for the facility to create a 396-bed veterans home managed by the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

As chronicled by the Los Angeles Times' Steve Lopez, the building remains half vacant because it was constructed without a kitchen, which became a problem when a food service contract evaporated.

Meanwhile, L.A. County has the unfortunate distinction of having the most homeless military veterans in the country, more than 6,300. Mayor Eric Garcetti has pledged to end veteran homelessness in the city of Los Angeles by 2016.

Whether anyone will be able to use the sprawling land and facilities in Westwood is an open question. Veterans advocates have protested and taken legal action over alleged misuse of the land and a failure to help ailing and homeless veterans. Recent mediation into the matter has failed. Why has Veterans Affairs been slow to help the problem of homeless vets?

Guests:

Maj. Gen. Peter James Gravett, Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs

Toni Reinis, Former Executive Director of New Directions - an organization that offers housing, counseling, training, drug abuse treatment and more to veterans in LA County.

This piece is part of KPCC's ongoing coverage of issues affecting veterans for Veteran's Day 2014. See more of our coverage at KPCC.org/vets.

Musician Herbie Hancock performs onstage at the "Keep on Keepin' On" Concert during the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival at BMCC Tribeca PAC on April 19, 2014 in New York City.; Credit: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival

Very few artists can master a singular musical genre, but even fewer can combine multiple genres and styles in a new, innovative way. Yet since the 1960s, one artist has managed to do just that with jazz, blues, funk, soul, classical, R&B, bebop, and "post-bop," among other genres. Legendary pianist and composer, Herbie Hancock, recollects his impact on music and culture through his new memoir, "Possibilities."

Throughout his career, Hancock has done it all. Solo albums, bands, collaborations; piano, clavinet, synthesizers; musician, composer, poet. For Hancock, the possibilities throughout his life have been seemingly endless. Hancock has even served as UNESCO's Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of Intercultural Dialogue and taught jazz music as a professor at UCLA.

How has Herbie Hancock influenced music? Do you have a favorite Hancock song or album? Do you enjoy genre-blending styles such as jazz-funk or blues with modern classical music?

Guest:

Herbie Hancock, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer; his latest book is “Possibilities”

Rosetta mission poster showing the deployment of the Philae lander to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. (The image of the comet was taken with the navigation camera on Rosetta.); Credit: ESA/ATG medialab and ESA/Rosetta/Navcam

The European Space Agency (ESA) has landed a spacecraft on a comet for the first time ever. The unmanned Rosetta Probe this morning released a lander to the comet's icy surface after a decade-long mission. The team is still testing the status of the lander, but they’re hopeful that this is beginning of a major fact-finding mission. Scientists have likened the trillion or so comets in our solar system to time capsules that are virtually unchanged since the earliest moments of the universe. By studying one up close in detail, they hope to learn more about the origins of comets, stars, planets...and even life on Earth. We’ll talk with one of three U.S. scientists who have instruments on board the Rosetta about what scientists hope to learn from this ongoing mission.

Guests:

Mark Hofstadter, planetary scientist at  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena; he designed a device on the Rosetta that will be used to measure the temperature of the comet.

A woman shops for wine on Amazon's Internet site on November 8, 2012 in Washington, DC. Amazon on Thursday launched an online wine store selling 'more than a thousand' varieties of US vintages. ; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, millions of consumers will be hitting the Internet in search of the best deals retailers have to offer. But it’s not as easy as finding the lowest price on whatever it is you’re looking for. Just about everything for sale on the Internet has been reviewed by someone else who bought the product, and this overload of reviews can make it much more difficult to find what you’re looking for.

The advent of the Internet gave consumers more choices than they knew how to handle. Consumer reviews and recommendations are supposed to be a way for shoppers to whittle down their choices and buy the right product for them at the right price. But when you have too many people reviewing too many products online, it can make it impossible to get a clear picture of a product category.

Do you find it difficult to shop for products online with so many people giving different reviews? How do you sift through these reviews and find the ones that are legitimate?

Guest:

Lars Perner, Assistant Professor of Clinical Marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: A student walks near Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA on April 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

With heightened awareness of sexual assault on college campuses, a new report from Al Jazeera America looks at how some men are fighting back against accusations. Using Title IX - a federal law aimed at preventing gender discrimination at colleges - men are suing schools claiming they were denied due process in campus proceedings.

Correspondent Christof Putzel cites a quantitative study that found from 2006-2010, of monies paid out by colleges in Title IX cases related to sex assault, 72 percent went to accused men rather than alleged victims. Advocate Robert Shibley argues that number illustrates due-process rights have been denied too often to alleged perpetrators. Title IX expert Erin Buzuvis disagrees. "Until recent clarifications to Title IX, victims have not had the same kind of recourse in law to address the ways in which their institution's policy and procedures have let them down. So it is unlikely that they would have been on the receiving end of many judgements or settlements," Professor Buzuvis says.

How does the process of sex assault investigations compare to the process of discrimination claims? How much money is getting paid in these cases and what is the source of the funds? Will recent changes to sex-assault investigations lead to fewer claims of discrimination?

Guests:

Christof Putzel, correspondent for "America Tonight" on Al Jazeera America

Robert Shibley, senior vice president of the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a leading voice for free speech and due process rights at colleges and universities.

Wendy Murphy, a former prosecutor specializing in sex crimes who now represents abused women and children. And a faculty member teaching sexual violence law at New England Law in Boston.

Airing tonight at 6 pm Pacific, part three of Al Jazeera America’s series on campus sex assault looks at high school campuses - their under-reported cases and flawed investigations.  "America Tonight" airs in Southern California on Time Warner Channel 445, AT&T U-Verse 1219, DirecTV Channel 347 and Dish 215. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Obama, seen here during a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, announced pledges to reduce greenhouse gases.; Credit: NPR — HUANG JINGWEN/Xinhua /Landov

The unexpected deal was announced yesterday out of the Asian-Pacific Economic Summit in Beijing, and apparently was negotiated in secret over the course of nine months.  For the US, it means reducing emissions by up to 28 percent in 2025. China, for its part, has agreed to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030, the first time the country has agreed to such a limit.

Touted as a historic deal, how unprecedented and important is it really? How would cuts be achieved in the US and in China? Would a GOP-led Congress make the US part of the deal difficult to achieve?

Guest:

Janet Redman, climate policy program director at the Institute for Policy Studies

Joanna Lewis, an associate professor of Science, Technology and International Affairs at Georgetown University whose research focuses on energy, environment and climate change policy in China. She is the author of “Green Innovation in China” (Columbia University Press, 2012)

"The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws for Assassins" by Robert B. Baer

To become an assassin is to learn a series of calculated, meticulous steps that keep you safe while your target sits comfortably unaware. Robert Baer explores the world of seasoned killers with his new book, "The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws for Assassins," a journey that begins with his arrest for the attempted murder of Saddam Hussein and moves into the history and theory of political assassination.

This is Baer's fourth New York Times bestseller, one of which became the story behind the Oscar-winning film "Syriana." The basis for Baer's books is his own life experience as an assassin with the CIA. "The Perfect Kill" continues the trend as Baer reflects upon his experience fighting Hezbollah and taking out its "revered bang man," Hajj Radwan.

The laws of the assassin reflect the nature of their work: cold, duplicitous, and exact. Among his rules are: placate the edifice until it's time to blow it up, always have a backup for everything, don't get caught in flagrante delicto, and, perhaps most importantly, don't miss. Have you ever imagined living the life of an assassin?

Robert Baer will be talking about his book at an event on Friday presented by Writers Bloc tonight at the Laemmle’s Music Hall 3 in Beverly Hills. It starts at 7:30pm. Find out morehere 

Guest:

Robert Baer, former CIA operative and author of numerous books, including “See No Evil” (Broadway Books, 2003) and “Sleeping with the Devil” (Three Rivers Press, 2004). His latest book is “The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws for Assassins” (Blue Rider Press, 2014)

Vroman's archived picture

120 years is a long time for any business to stay open, but in a day and age where fewer people are consuming literature the old-fashioned way, from cover-to-cover, it’s even more impressive when a local bookstore hits that milestone.

On Friday, Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena will celebrate 120 years in business. Despite a significant rise in the number of people downloading e-books and audiobooks or ordering hardcover books from online retailers like Amazon, Vroman’s has remained not only relevant in the community, but successful as well. They continue to draw in customers by offering a variety of gifts and sundries beyond their book selection, as well as holding community events like craft classes, kids story-time, and trivia nights. Vroman’s also donates a portion of its revenue to local nonprofits.  Earlier this year they were even named one of the 10 Best Bookstores in the U.S. by USA Today.

Vroman’s will hold an event on Friday night starting at 6:30, during which local authors who have been supporters of the store for years will share specially-written stories. On Saturday morning at 11, Vroman’s will have an anniversary party and hold its inaugural “Authors Walk of Fame,” during which local author Lisa See will be the first person to put her handprints and signature into the cement walkway between Vroman’s and the Laemmle Playhouse 7 Theater.

Guests:

Allison Hill, CEO of Vroman’s Bookstore, and Book Soup in West Hollywood

Mike Shatzkin, book industry analyst and founder of the publishing consulting firm, The Idea Logical Company

Jonathan Gruber, "Health Care Reform"; Credit: Kaiser Health News

How smart is the average American voter? Depending on who you ask, you might not like the answer you get.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology economics professor and Affordable Care Act architect Jonathan Gruber has been under fire recently for comments he made on several occasions, alleging that the health law only passed because the American voters lacked an understanding of what was in the bill. Gruber even went as far as to suggest that the only reason the ACA passed was because of the “stupidity of the American voter”

Several video clips of Gruber speaking about the healthcare law have surfaced and gone viral because of his comments. This week, Gruber apologized for his comments, saying he “spoke inappropriately” and “off the cuff.”

How informed do you think the average American voter is? What do you think are some of the unspoken assumptions that politicians make about their constituents?

Guest:

Aaron Blake, political reporter at the Washington Post and senior reporter for the Post’s column, The Fix.

Pothole; Credit: Photo by _chrisUK via Flickr Creative Commons

Tired of tripping on buckling sidewalks or driving over potholes? What about the untended trees, dropping weighty palm fronds and dead branches? Your future might hold a self-imposed tax enabling you and your neighbors to pay for road, sidewalk and street repair.

At a City Council meeting yesterday, Councilman Joe Buscaino proposed a plan which would allow residents to tax themselves to get those fixes done faster. It wouldn’t necessarily be city crews doing the work, but the city would find a contractor and facilitate the process.  The so-called “beautification assessment districts” could be the size of a city block and might pay a fee wrapped into their property taxes. The districts would be created by a neighborhood vote. Inspired by City Controller, Ron Galperin’s July report, the Bureau of Street Services was found to have dropped the ball in many ways, like poorly kept records and the non-collection of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Do you think your city block could build consensus to pay for street services so to get them done faster? Or, is your neighborhood more inclined to wait for the city to do its obligated work?

Guests:

Joe Buscaino, Councilman for the 15th District in Los Angeles, which includes San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway and Watts

Richard Close, President of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, the largest homeowners association in the city

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

San Diego-based matchmaking site SINGLDOUT has joined the ranks of other dating services using DNA to determine compatibility with partners. They’ve taken it a step further by launching a forthcoming mobile app to make finding love even easier. Once signed up, users receive a DNA kit where they provide a saliva sample, mail it back and complete a personality survey. 

They've partnered with the Canadian-based service Instant Chemistry. Researchers look at both the serotonin transporter gene, which shows how emotionally sensitive or stable a person is and at physical attraction based on three immune system genes. People are more compatible by how dissimilar their immune system genes are.

Do these tests help for just immediate attraction or can long term compatibility be achieve by looking at DNA? What are the pitfalls of using DNA to find love?

Guests:

Joel Block, Ph. D, Psychologist practicing couple and sex therapy, partnered with InstantChemistry.com, a DNA Matchmaking service, author of over 20 books on love and sex, Fellow of the American Psychological Association

Martie Haselton, Ph.D, Psychology Professor, member of the Institute for Society and Genetics at UCLA

Former LAUSD teacher Elkis Hermida was convicted in 2011 of lewd acts with a child and sentenced to three years in state prison.; Credit: California Department of Justice

Last November, Los Angeles Unified School District lawyers fighting a civil lawsuit argued in court that a 14-year-old middle school student was mature enough to consent to having sex with her 28-year-old teacher, and that she bore some responsibility for what happened. The district's attorneys also introduced the girl's sexual history into the trial as part of their defense strategy.

Two legal experts sharply criticized the school district for using those tactics. They also said the case highlights a little-known conflict in California law: while the age of consent is firmly set at 18 in criminal cases, at least two appellate court rulings have found that in civil cases, it is possible to argue that a minor can consent to sex with an adult.

Listen to KPCC investigative producer Karen Foshay’s story here

Guests:

Karen Foshay, KPCC’s investigative producer who broke the story

Jennifer Drobac, Professor of Law at Indiana University. Her forthcoming book on minors and consent is titled “Worldly But Not Yet Wise: Teen Sexual Exploitation, Adolescent Development, and Consent Law” (University of Chicago Press, 2015)

Marci Hamilton, Chair in Public Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School in Yeshiva University in New York