California Gov. Jerry Brown walks on stage before speaking during the Drive The Dream event at the Exploratorium on September 16, 2013 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Californians are more optimistic about their government and the state’s public coffers, but there is a racial disparity in attitudes on the controversial issue of policing, according to a poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

Governor Jerry Brown's approval rating has hit a new high of 61 percent among the 1,705 polled (plus/minus 3.6 percent). Seventy-five percent of respondents also support Brown's latest budget plan to pay down debt and build up reserves instead of reinvesting in social services. A smaller number - 52 percent of likely voters - support rumored talk of extending higher income and sales taxes under Proposition 30.

PPIC added questions about police performance in communities, in light of the high profile killings of unarmed black men last year. The poll results show: "Across racial/ethnic groups, most whites (74%), Latinos (57%), and Asians (56%) give their local police positive marks, while only 36 percent of blacks do so. In the aftermath of several incidents involving the police and minority communities, most Californians (55%) say that blacks and other minorities do not receive equal treatment in the criminal justice system and 39 percent say they do."

How do these poll results match up with your views? Is there cause for greater optimism?

Guests:

David Siders, state politics reporter for the Sacramento Bee. He tweets at @davidsiders

Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University

Fans of the St. Louis Rams hold a "Los Angeles Rams" sign against the San Diego Chargers during their NFL Game on November 23, 2014 in San Diego, California.; Credit: Donald Miralle/Getty Images

The discussion over whether to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles is one that has been going on for years.

Despite coming close with plans to build stadiums in the City of Industry and on an AEG development in Downtown L.A., ultimately neither of them came through. However, developers with the Hollywood Park Land Company submitted nearly three times the required number of signatures for a voter initiative, moving the construction of an NFL stadium in Inglewood one step closer to reality.

While this is certainly good news if you’re a proponent of the stadium, nothing is set in stone. The signatures must first be verified, then the Inglewood City Council can review the measure. Developers hope that there will be a special election held sometime before the start of the next NFL season in September. A project manager with the Hollywood Park Land Company told KPCC that, if approved, construction would begin on the stadium regardless of whether a team moves here. St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke had been vocal this past season about moving the Rams to L.A., and has reportedly told Inglewood’s mayor on more than one occasion that he’s going to move the Rams with or without the NFL’s consent.

How bad do L.A. residents really want an NFL stadium, even if a team isn’t moving here? What are the pros and cons of building the stadium? How does the opportunity to host a Super Bowl again factor in to the discussion?

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Hikers in the Santa Monica Mountains. ; Credit: Pedro Szekely/Flickr

A report released today from the Parks Forward Commission calls for a “fundamental transformation” of the state park system that the panel hopes will secure more funding and attract new visitors to the 1.6 million acres of state parks throughout California.

Key recommendations from the report include creating a statewide non-profit organization that would help bring in more funding for projects within the state parks. It also says that park access should be expanded to help attract new and more diverse types of visitors.

Getting the funding necessary to go through with these improvements is easier said than done. Governor Jerry Brown’s budget has set aside $16.8 million to keep the state park system running at its current level. That doesn’t include another $20 million earmarked for overdue maintenance.

Guests:

Manuel Pastor, Ph.D., member of the Parks Forward Commission and professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at USC.

Carolyn Christian, president of the California League of Park Associations (CALPA)

Jose Gonzales, founder of Latino Outdoors, a group that works to change the narrative of how Latino communities connect with the outdoors

Director/writer Leslye Headland, actors Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis of "Sleeping with Other People" pose for a portrait at the Village at the Lift Presented by McDonald's McCafe during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2015 in Park City, Utah. ; Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Festivities in Park City, Utah are cooling down now that most Sundance films have hit the big screens and festival goers are leaving town. Was there a "Boyhood" among the movie premieres?

With every passing year the independent film festival, created by Robert Redford, has gained attention and credibility for movies that will go on to critical and commercial success. On the feature side of things, titles getting attention include "Sleeping With Other People" - a romantic comedy about sex addicts starring Alison BRie and Jason Sudeikis.

On the documentary side, acclaimed filmmaker Alex Gibney's new project is based on the book "Going Clear" - an investigation of the Church of Scientology by Lawrence Wright. What films are you keen on? How many deals were made at Sundance this year?

Guests:

John Horn, Host, KPCC’s “The Frame”

Amy Nicholson, in Park City, film critic for KPCC and Chief Film Critic, “LA Weekly”

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA today

Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, speaks at the podium as he concedes the presidency during Mitt Romney's campaign election night event at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center on November 7, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

It was the conference call heard ‘round the world. This morning two-time presidential hopeful Mitt Romney hopped on the line with supporters to say that he will not pursue the the oval office in 2016, declaring that he had decided it would be “ … best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become the next nominee.”

The call puts an end to three weeks of speculation that the former Massachusetts governor was pondering the presidency. While a recent Fox News poll declared Romney to be the early GOP front-runner, many donors didn’t agree, defecting from his campaign to support Jeb Bush. Speaking to his supporters this morning, Romney spoke of the party’s need for a fresh leader saying, “I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well-known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee.”

With Romney now out of the race, the GOP’s top candidates are now Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio and Scott Walker, with aspirants Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and Mike Huckabee representing the more conservative side of the party.

Though Romney was favored by voters on both sides of the political field, party leaders and big donors were both reluctant to back another presidential run. The conservative billionaire Koch brothers recently hosted a meeting in Palm Springs to discuss their plans to spend $889 million on the 2016 election, appearing to give a nod to Marco Rubio. In what is certain to be one of the most expensive election seasons in history, it seems that donors will really determine the outcome of the race.

Why do you think Mitt Romney chose not to run again? What role did the donors play? Will donor dollars determine who the next GOP and DNC candidates will be?

Guest:

Jose Del Real, political reporter for the Washington Post

People protest for greater action against climate change during the People's Climate March on September 21, 2014 in New York City. The march, which calls for drastic political and economic changes to slow global warming, has been organized by a coalition of unions, activists, politicians and scientists. ; Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

The Disneyland measles outbreak has spread to eight states and infected over 90 people so far. The link between vaccines and autism has been disproved by science, yet the number of parents who leave their children unvaccinated over safety concerns continue to rise.

It’s a prime example of the chasm between what science believes and what society believes. And according to a new Pew survey, that opinion gap extends to other big topics, including the safety of genetically modified foods, the seriousness of climate change, and evolution, despite the fact that most respondents polled think science is making our lives better. Why does such a gap exist?

Guest:

Cary Funk, Associate Director of Research at the Pew Research Center. She is one of the authors of the new report, “Public and Scientists’ Views on Science and Society” 

(L-R) Actors Virginia Gardner, Allen Evangelista, director Dean Israelite, actors Jonny Weston and Sam Lerner attend the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Project Almanac" at TCL Chinese Theatre on January 27, 2015 in Hollywood, California.; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International

Larry and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein and Tim Cogshell  review this week’s releases including "Black or White," "Project Almanac," "The Loft," and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Guests:

Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety

TV personality Sam Rubin and author Joel Tator attend the book launch of "Los Angeles Television" by author Joel Tator, presented by The Museum of Broadcast Communications at Universal City Hilton & Towers on January 21, 2015 in Universal City, California. ; Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

The history of television in Los Angeles started with a station called W6XA0, which broadcasted from a transmitter at the intersection of Seventh and Bixel streets.

It was on the air one hour a day, except Sunday. The station was the brainchild of a Cadillac dealer named Don Lee, and would eventually become KCBS-TV.

Tom Brokaw, Betty White, Bob Hope, news anchor Connie Chung all got their start here, and the nascent industry was a pioneer particularly in the field of television news—it was the first place in the nation to use helicopter for news-gathering and it broadcasted the first live coverage of an atomic bomb test.

Author Joel Tator will be signing copies of his new book, "Los Angeles Television" this Friday, Feb. 6 at the Last Bookstore in Downtown. 

Guest:

Joel Tator, author, “Los Angeles Television” (Arcadia Publishing, 2015), A multiple Emmy Award winner, Tator has produced and directed more than 8,500 broadcasts

U.S. President Barack Obama is escorted by Jeh Johnson, Secretary Of Homeland Security, left, and Richard M. Chavez, Director of Operations Coordination and Planning, center as he visits the National Operations Center (NOC) at the Department of Homeland Security after speaking about the administration's fiscal year 2016 budget request released earlier today February 2, 2015 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

Today, President Obama released his fiscal year 2016 budget proposal, an ambitious attempt to set the narrative for the upcoming year despite criticism that most of it will not pass Congress.

The budget contains a plethora of priorities that the administration is committed to funding: free community college for the vast majority of students, expansion of early childhood education and universal preschool, cybersecurity improvements, “resources to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL,” an increase in support for scientific research, and continued financing of the Affordable Care Act.

Among the administration’s biggest proposals for FY 2016 are a one-time, transitional tax holiday that would tax corporations at the lower rate of 14% in order to incentivize them to repatriate over a trillion dollars in offshore holdings, comprehensive immigration reform based on the Senate’s “Gang of Eight” legislation, limited proposals for tax reform regarding banks and high-earning individuals, as well as a substantial increase in infrastructure spending.

Notably, the President has called for an increase in both defense and non-defense discretionary spending by $38 billion and $37 billion, respectively. This would end the strict caps put on both types of budget priorities that are known in Washington budget-speak as “sequestration.” Congress allowed sequestration to occur during previous budget battles, yet Republicans are anxious to increase defense spending while Democrats are itching to increase non-defense spending.

Because the executive branch does not debate and vote on legislation, the only guarantee is that the President’s budget will not come out the same as it went in. This is particularly true as the new Republican-controlled Senate joins the Republican House in spars with the White House. Therefore the question is not what budget is best for the country but rather what budget can Washington compromise on.

Which priorities do you think President Obama will be able to push through? Are any revenue-increases truly “dead-on-arrival?” How will this budget shape the narrative for the upcoming year and 2016?

Guests:

Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a non-partisan public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. dedicated to federal budget issues

Jodi Schneider, Editor of the Congress & Tax Policy desk, Bloomberg News

Tibetan immigrant children raise their hands during an after-school program for asylum immigrants run by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), on April 25, 2013 in the Queens borough of New York City. ; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

President Obama’s immigration action could benefit millions of young undocumented people by granting them temporary deportation relief. But immigration advocates are worried that one group of people would be reluctant in taking advantage of the program: Asians. 

The Deferred Action program started in 2012 Young undocumented Asian people for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program since it was launched in 2012. According to the organization Asian American Advancing Justice, only 25 percent of Koreans and Filipinos eligible for deferred action have applied. For Chinese, who make up the biggest undocumented Asian population in the country, the number is so low it is statistically negligible.

What are the factors contributing to such a low turnout? What can be done about it?

Guests:

Betty Hung, Esq., Policy Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, an organization working to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans

Michelle Yoon, Executive and Development Assistant at the organization, California Immigrant policy Center. She is also a member of ASPIRE, an organization that works with young undocumented Asian Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles

New England Patriots fans cheer after the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at Jerry Remy's Sports Bar February 1, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts.; Credit: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

When all the talk around the final score of last night’s big game settles, there’s still the topic of the Super Bowl ads.

Many viewers tune in on Super Bowl Sunday just to watch the commercials. As always, expectations are high from yearly heavyweights like Budweiser, Pepsi, GoDaddy, and Doritos, but there’s always the potential that a new or less-well-known company could shine. Whose ads will be viral and whose will be an afterthought?

For a look at all of the ads from last night's game, click HERE.

Guests:

Keith Quesenberry, professor of marketing, advertising, and social media at Johns Hopkins University. He spent 17 years as a creative director and copywriter on marketing campaigns for companies like Exxon Mobil, Hershey, and Delta Air Lines.

Anita Newton, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Adknowledge, digital advertising technology company that focuses on video advertising.

Croatian Prime Minister Vesna Pusic (R) welcomes British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (L) prior to their meeting in Zagreb, Croatia on January 15, 2015. The government of crisis-hit EU member Croatia said Thursday that the debts of tens of thousands of its poorest citizens will be scrapped, according to Social Policy Minister. ; Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images

Denmark and Switzerland unwillingly are facing lower currency values, while the supposedly peace-loving Canadians let their dollar slide to a six-year low as of Friday - giving their export-market a beast-mode advantage.

As Bloomberg columnist Mark Gilbert writes, "The genesis of the present currency war is the desire of every country for a weaker currency to boost exports and growth." Stateside, the U.S. dollar has increased 15% against the world's major currencies. Manufacturers including Apple, Caterpillar and Proctor & Gamble warn their goods will be less competitive if the trends continue. What is the redress for currency manipulation?

Also there was unprecedented economic news in Croatia this weekend. Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic cancels debt obligations of its poorest citizens. Starting today, 317,000 Croats will regain entry to their blocked bank accounts. Analysts say the government merely acted as a catalyst for a financial inevitability facing creditors. Finally, the Greek bailout deal of 2010 seems to be back on the table due to a new government challenging repayment terms. The new left-wing government said its obligations are suffocating the country's economy with no hope of catching up. What are the options?

Guest:

Jacob Kirkegaard, Economist, Peterson Institute for International Economics

The new Ford Mustang on display at the LA Auto Show's press and trade day in Los Angeles, California on November 19, 2014. ; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

For car enthusiasts, there are few things in life quite as satisfying as slamming the pedal of a Corvette or Mustang to the floor and hearing the deep, guttural roar that has been synonymous with American-made performance cars for years. But it sounds like recently, more American car manufacturers are modifying or altering engine noise to be louder. 

Because newer engines are more fuel-efficient and therefore run more quietly, car manufacturers are starting to pump in artificial engine sound through special pipes or completely digitally made. Manufacturers worry that today's quieter, more fuel-efficient engines might push some buyers away.

Would you be bothered by fake or altered engine noise? Why is it important for a car engine to sound a certain way?

Guest:

Aaron Robinson, executive editor at Car and Driver magazine

USC's Department of Public Safety officer secure the crime scene after four people were shot including one in critical condition during a Halloween party at the Tutor Campus Center on November 1, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

In the United States, the leading causes of death are cancer and heart disease. But for young black men, add homicide to the list. Making up 6% of the population, black men in America account for 40% of homicide victims.

Many of these murders are committed by other black men. And despite a criminal justice system that disproportionately puts people of color through its machinery, many killers go free, leaving their victims’ families bereft.  

LA Times reporter Jill Leovy explores these killings through the lens of South Los Angeles, where one white detective is far exceeding the averages. Treating each case like a celebrity murder, John Skaggs is dogged in his search to provide families with answers. Leovy paints a portrait of one such case, a 2007 murder and subsequent prosecution investigated by Skaggs. Moreover, she details the legacy of racism and the monotony of frequent violence that has historically given cops and reporters alike little interest in pursuing the stories of black men killed in their own neighborhoods.

After a year of protest in the wake of police killings of black men in Missouri and New York, Cleveland and Los Angeles, Ghettoside shines a light on a neighborhood accustomed to fearing cops, accustomed to murder, and accustomed to all of it going unreported. How far can good police work go? And how far has the department come in assisting residents of South LA?

Jill Leovy will talk about her new book, Ghettoside, this Thursday, Feb 5, at 7:15pm at the Mark Taper Auditorium at the Central Library in Downtown.       

Guests:

Jill Leovy, author of “Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America” (Spiegel & Grau, 2015). She is a reporter at the Los Angeles Times and founded the paper’s Homicide Report section 8 years ago.

Hass avocados for sale at the Farmers Market in Los Angeles, California on January 22, 2015. The avocado has become the United States new favorite fruit with more than 4.25 billion sold last year. ; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

If food trends like juice fasts and gluten-free foods are any indication, we as a nation are trying to eat our way to a healthier, longer life.

But this urge to eat healthy is giving rise to an eating disorder known as “orthorexia.” People suffering from orthorexia don’t so much obsess with how much or little they eat, rather, they focus on how “pure” or “clean” their food is. In extreme cases, Orthorexia can lead to malnutrition and chronic health issues.

The disorder is relatively new, and a group of researchers at the University of Northern Colorado have come up with a set of diagnostic guidelines for doctors. Do you know someone who might be suffering from orthorexia? What are the warning signs? What are treatment options?

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Guest:

Thomas Dunn, associate professor of psychology at the University of Northern Colorado and co-author of a recent paper in Psychosomatics that outlines diagnostic criteria for the disorder

A mother tends to her one-day-old baby daughter inside an incubator in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Birmingham Women's Hospital on January 22, 2015 in Birmingham, England. ; Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Members of the British House of Commons will vote today on a measure that would make the U.K. the first country in the world to allow three-parent in vitro fertilization (IVF) to families who don’t want to worry about passing on incurable genetic diseases to their offspring.

The specific technique that is being debated is called mitochondrial donation. It is still in the research stage in the U.S. and U.K. and involves removing faulty mitochondrial DNA during the fertilization process that could cause things like brain disorders, heart problems, and muscular dystrophy. It’s often referred to as “three-parent IVF” because the child would have DNA from a mother, a father, and a female donor.

Supporters of the technique say it will allow parents, especially those who are aware of genetic diseases they could pass on to their offspring, the chance to have a child that will live without pain or suffering. Opponents are concerned that there hasn’t been enough research and testing done, and that it would allow “designer babies” because the technique involves planting genetically-enhanced embryos into women.

Do you think this technique should be approved? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure being approved? Should people be allowed to have a “designer baby” if they want one and can afford it?

Guests:

Dieter Egli, Ph.D., senior research fellow at the New York Stem Cell Foundation, a non-profit organization working to accelerate cures for the major diseases of our time through stem cell research.

Marcy Darnovsky, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, a nonprofit organization working to encourage responsible uses and effective societal governance of human genetic, reproductive, and biomedical technologies.

UNICEF workers assemble "school infection prevention kits" to stop the spread of Ebola in schools scheduled to open next week on January 28, 2015 in Monrovia, Liberia. ; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

Conventional wisdom suggests that the effectiveness of a charity or nonprofit group would be judged by their charitable donations, or in other words, on how donors’ money is actually spent to further the organization’s charitable cause.

But there are some who take a different approach to evaluating charities. These individuals believe that charities and non-profits should be evaluated more like a business, and that they should spend more of their money on overhead. The argument here is that charities that spend more money on their overhead give themselves more and better resources through which to carry out their charitable work.

Should charities be evaluated by the amount they spend on their own resources or on their charitable work?

Guests:

Daniel Borochoff, founder and President of CharityWatch, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that rates and evaluates charities for donors.

Dan Pallotta, founder and President of the Charity Defense Council, a nonprofit based in Cambridge, MA that believes charities should be judged by their impact, not their overhead.

U.S. Senator Rand Paul speaks at the Defending the American Dream Summit sponsored by Americans For Prospertity at the Omni Hotel on August 29, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. ; Credit: Mike Stone/Getty Images

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Senator Rand Paul (R - KY) yesterday said parents ought to have a measure of choice when it comes to vaccinating their children.  

Later in the day, both Republican presidential hopefuls amended their positions. Christie's office released a statement saying "with a disease like measles there is no question kids should be vaccinated." Paul's office released a statement saying he "believes that vaccines have saved lives, and should be administered to children."

Adding to the political fray, Hillary Rodham Clinton tweeted: "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue and #vaccines work..." The statements come as pockets of measles infections flare up around the country, with Southern California as the epicenter.

How do the comments from Christie and Paul align with the law? Will vaccines become a political issue in the coming presidential campaign?

Guest: 

Jonathan Cohn, senior national correspondent, The Huffington Post

US President Barack Obama meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, February 3, 2015. The hastily arranged meeting follows the release by the Islamic State of a video showing the apparent burning alive of a Jordanian pilot who had been captured late last year.LOEB/AFP/Getty Images); Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Last night Jordan executed two jihadist prisoners in retaliation for Islamic State's burning alive of a captured Jordanian pilot, prompting many to identify this as a “tipping point” in the fight against the Islamic State group.

This morning, Jordan's King Abdullah vowed a relentless war against the group calling itself Islamic State and the country promised an earth-shaking response. Last night, Jordan hanged two jihadist prisoners in retaliation for the Islamic State’s burning alive of a captured Jordanian pilot. Tensions are high in Amman, with residents expressing grief and anger.

What options does Jordan have available? And is this really a tipping point for the Islamic State?

Guests:

Rania Abouzeid, independent journalist based in Beirut, covering the Islamic State in the Middle East, she contributes to the New Yorker and is formerly with TIME

Brian Michael Jenkins, senior advisor to the president of the RAND Corporation, expert on terrorism and homeland security

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler testifies before the Communications and Technology Subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, May 20, 2014. ; Credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

After a court case, an extended comment period, and politicization of the debate, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is about to issue a decision on net neutrality.

Whereas just a few months ago the FCC seemed poised to dismantle net neutrality (otherwise known as the principle that Internet Service Providers [ISPs] and those who regulate the Internet should treat all data and data sources equally), now the Commission appears to be headed in the opposite direction.

Today, FCC Commissioner Tom Wheeler announced in Wired that he plans to use his “authority to implement and enforce open internet protections.” Unlike the previous proposal to create a "fast lane" for providers who pay more that garnered significant criticism that it would tilt the Internet playing field, the new proposal will ban paid prioritization and regulate ISPs and telecommunications companies as public utilities, giving the FCC substantially more regulatory authority.

Should the FCC be able to regulate the Internet and its industry as a public utility? How will such a proposal affect you?

Guests:

Michael Copps, a former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (2006-2011). He also served as Acting FCC Chairman in 2009

Jeffrey Eisenach, Director, Center for Internet, Communications, and Technology Policy at the American Enterprise Institute