German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (R) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel chat during a session at the Bundestag lower house of parliament on the Greek crisis on July 1, 2015 in Berlin. ; Credit: ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Some people tolerate sleep deprivation better than others. But is it responsible to negotiate deals that will affect millions of people with little to no sleep?

Monday after all-night talks between Greek and European political leaders the decision was made that Greece will remain in Eurozone.  Studies show that sleep deprivation can impair a person’s decision making, it causes memory loss, and is associated with impulsivity and a lack of empathy and to make matters worse this kind of foggy decision making is not uncommon when it comes to politics.

All-night talks occurred during the banking crisis in 2008 and most recently during the Iran nuclear talks. Should political leaders be able to make such important decisions under these kinds of circumstances? Is this a deliberate tactic in reaching agreements?

Guest:

Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience and the Head of Department of Ophthalmology at the Brasenose College at the University of Oxford   

A scientific researcher handles frozen embryonic stem cells in a laboratory, at the Univestiry of Sao Paulo's human genome research center, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 4, 2008. ; Credit: MAURICIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images

A trial starting this week in San Francisco will determine the future of five frozen embryos. The case is the first of its kind in California.

The embryos belong to a couple that had stored them at UCSF after the woman was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo treatment that would likely make her infertile. The couple signed a contract stating that the embryos would be destroyed in the case of a divorce.

In 2013, the husband filed for a divorce, and for the embryos to be disposed of, but the woman wants them implanted in a surrogate, saying that the frozen embryos represent her only chance at having a genetic child.

Guests:

Judith Daar, Professor at Whittier Law School, Clinical Professor at UCI School of Medicine and current Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Ethics Committee

Art Caplan, professor of bioethics and founding director of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University Langone Medical Center

Notes are seen on the podium after US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addressed supporters during a campaign rally in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, on October 7, 2012. ; Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

Writing in a political office can be difficult. Writing in a political office for an angry, rambling politician can be nearly impossible.

Speechwriting for a prominent politician is not all it's cracked up to be. The everyday slog of writing thank you letters, statements on the quotidian and random topics of the day, and responding to reporters and constituents becomes monotonous to the point of apathy.

For every prominent speech that rings true in the ears of the voters, there are dozens of blithe pronouncements and perennial addresses that give more feeling than they do content.

Moreover, a speechwriter must capture the "voice" of the politician for whom he or she writes. When the politician attacks your style, demands complete rewrites, and demeans everyone in the office, that job becomes particularly difficult, and even depressing.

Have you ever thought about the writers behind the speeches you love? What is your favorite political speech, and does it make you think any differently when you consider that someone else wrote it?

Guest:

Barton Swaim, former speechwriter for South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and author of the new book, "The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics" (Simon & Schuster, 2015)

A staff member re-stocks copies of Harper Lee's eagerly awaited, but controversial second novel "Go Set a Watchman" at a bookstore in the Central district of Hong Kong on July 14, 2015. ; Credit: ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP/Getty Images

Few novels have had the kind of cultural impact as Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Its sequel, “Go Set a Watchman,” comes out in bookstores today.

The release of the follow-up has been shrouded in controversy, with friends of the author questioning whether the 88-year-old Lee is healthy enough to authorize the new work.

Fans of the original work are in for a big surprise, as reviews of the sequel show that the incorruptible Atticus Finch, the paragon of righteousness, has become a bigot and a supporter of segregation.

How does this new depiction change the way you read “To Kill a Mockingbird”?

Guests:

Dana Williams, professor of English at Howard University, where she specializes in contemporary African American literature

US President Barack Obama speaks during the 2015 White House Conference on Aging in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, July 13, 2015.; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

President Obama has granted clemency to 46 inmates who faced prison time for drug offenses.

In a video announcement Monday Obama said that  "Their punishments didn't fit the crime, and if they had been sentenced under today's laws, nearly all of them would have already served their time.” This announcement is significant as it is the most drug offenders  granted clemency  by a president in a single day since the 1960s.

However, this is not Obama’s first time granting such releases. Last year the President established a clemency initiative to encourage individuals sentenced under outdated laws and policies to petition for commutation. The President has since granted 89 commutations to individuals serving time in federal prison.

Obama argues that the U.S. is spending too much money imprisoning individuals who are serving long sentences for  minor non-violent drug crimes. Should these prisoners be released? What more could be done to improve drug policies in the U.S.?

Obama will be outlining the future of drug policy today at the NAACP  annual convention in Philadelphia. The President is expected to address sentencing reform, steps to reduce repeat offenders and ways to reform the juvenile justice system to make the criminal justice system more fair.  

Guests:

John Malcolm, Director of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation

Sarah Wheaton, Reporter for Politico; Politico: President Obama commutes sentences of 46 prisoners

A U.S Paratrooper from 4/25th Infantry Division looks on as other members of his unit make a jump from a C-17 Globemaster as part of exercise Talisman Sabre on July 8, 2015; Credit: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

It’s been accused of being a dry run for the apocalypse, an international operation to seize people's guns and a military plan to round up key political figures who may oppose martial law, and tomorrow, we might all find out what it’s really about.

Jade Helm 15, one of the largest military Special Operations exercises ever, will span the Southwest from Texas to New Mexico,  Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado over the course of two months and involve 1,200 troops.

In a statement the military says the training will “further develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for emerging concepts in Special Operations warfare,” but what started out in March as yet another conspiracy riff by radio show host Alex Jones has since garnered the attention of Governors, congressmen and mainstream media.

What is it about the human psyche and these conspiracy theories that makes them so satisfying?

Guest:

R.G. Ratcliffe, freelance writer who’s been tracking Jade Helm conspiracy theories for the Texas Monthly

Kashmiri demonstrators hold up a flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during a demonstration against Israeli military operations in Gaza, in downtown Srinagar on July 18, 2014.; Credit: TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP/Getty Images

A new documentary airing tonight on Frontline follows the leader of an "underground railroad" operation in Northern Iraq that rescues women and children who have been taken captive by the self-declared Islamic State.

Khalil al-Dakhi was a lawyer before his town was overrun by ISIS fighters. Now he and his network are approached by his fellow Yazidis, a religious minority group,  to organize rescues of abducted relatives. The filmmakers interviewed women who were raped repeatedly by their abductors. Frontline also shows found video of ISIS fighters bragging about their plans to capture women to use as slaves.

Foreign affairs analysts deem sexual violence a common "weapon of war," but some scholars worry focusing on rape as a weapon can blind people to the more common and complex patterns of sexual violence associated with war. Writing in "The Washington Post," Kerry Crawford, assistant professor of political science at James Madison University, says refugees fleeing Syria have experienced sexual assault by landlords and employers who exploit economic vulnerability. Crawford and her co-writers also write that during war, intimate partner sexual violence is more common than rape by combatants. They warn that "graphic, selective narratives about patterns of sexual violence carry weighty foreign policy implications.... Yet wars fought partially in the name of 'saving women' in the Middle East have produced disastrous results for those very women – and for civilians in general."

Guests:

Evan Williams, Reporter for PBS Frontline's "Escaping ISIS"

Kerry Crawford, Assistant Professor of Political Science, James Madison University; Crawford is completing a book focused on how the international community first came to understand sexual violence as a weapon of war; "Wartime sexual violence is not just a ‘weapon of war’" in The Washington Post

Police officers undergo an investigation on September 13, 2008.; Credit: Chris Yarzab/Flickr

A hotly contested bill being debated in Sacramento would restrict California law enforcement from seizing assets of suspects unless there is a criminal conviction.

Co-authored by Senator Holly Mitchell (D- Los Angeles) and Assemblyman David Hadley (R-Manhattan Beach), SB 443 won unanimous support at a committee hearing yesterday, but its list of opponents is lengthy, including the California District Attorneys Association and the California Police Chiefs Association.

At present, local law enforcement in California is limited from most seizures unless there's a conviction, except when they partner with federal agencies. Joint investigations are governed by federal law and have netted a windfall of monies for the Golden State's police departments. A sweeping investigation by The Washington Post last year revealed data showing California law enforcement officials spent more than $418 million in proceeds from asset seizures governed by the Department of Justice from 2008 through 2014. The top two biggest spenders were the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department - at more than $42 million over the time period - and LAPD - at nearly $30 million.

After the investigation, then Attorney General Eric Holder introduced new policy to limit some seizures.

How would SB 443 impact police budgets? What is the rationale for seizing assets of suspects prior to conviction?

SB-443 Forfeiture: Controlled Substances

Guests:

Lynne Lyman, California state director for the Drug Policy Alliance, co-sponsor of SB 443 (Mitchell; Forfeiture: controlled substances); "Above the Law: An Investigation of Civil Asset Forfeiture in California"

Ken Corney, Chief of Police of the Ventura Police Department; First Vice President of the California Police Chiefs Association

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck in the KPCC Studios.; Credit: Lily Mihalik/KPCC

This week, LAPD is kicking off a new training initiative -- dubbed the Preservation of Life and Building Community Trust training.

The launch comes after new statistics last week revealed a spike in crime in Los Angeles for the first half of 2015. It's the first spike - across all categories include assaults, robberies, and domestic violence - in over a decade. How will Chief Charlie Beck redirect police resources in response to the uptick?

The reason(s) for the increase in crime is unclear, but Beck has said Central Division is seeing more "homeless-on-homeless" crime.

We will also ask Beck how policing of homeless encampments has changed after a recent directive from Mayor Eric Garcetti asks LA City Council to come up with a new policy. Plus we'll talk about the Summer Night Lights program for kids across LA; a reward for a fatal hit-and-run; an arrest that led to connecting the suspect's DNA to a 2004 murder and sex assault; and more.

What questions do you have for Chief Beck?

Guest:

Charlie Beck, Chief,  Los Angeles Police Department

Dorothy's Ruby Slippers ; Credit: National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center (The Smithsonian Institute)

Those famous heels were stolen nearly a decade ago from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn. Now an anonymous “Wizard of Oz” fan has put up $1 million for anyone with information that could lead to the recovery of what’s considered the most famous footwear in the history of Hollywood.

The slippers belong to a collector named Michael Shaw, and they were loaned to the museum for display. On the morning of August 28, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina was reaching peak strength, the perpetrator(s) apparently broke into the museum and made out with the slippers.

Guest:

Marc Wanamaker, Hollywood historian and owner of Bison Archives, a production and research consulting organization for motion picture and television studios

; Credit: Photo by Thomas Hawk via Flickr Creative Commons

You say lohs FEE-lis. I say lohs fih-LEES. Is there an agreed-upon way to pronounce Los Feliz?

Of course, there’s no one way to say it, and that goes also for San Pedro, and many other cities and neighborhoods in Los Angeles. How we pronounce these places depend on how long we’ve lived in the city, where we come from, and larger cultural trends.

In a 2013 article, a Los Angeles Times reporter noticed a “re-Latinization” of certain L.A. place names, attributing the shift to a growing Latino population, as well as a younger generation of Angelenos who, more mindful of the city’s history, wants to return to more authentic pronunciations.

Guests:

Kyle Fitzpatrick,  founder of the blog, Los Angeles, I’m Yours. He also writes for Los Angeles Magazine and his latest piece is titled, “A Local’s Guide to Properly Pronouncing L.A. Places”

D.J. Waldie, social historian, writer and author of “Where We Are Now: Notes from Los Angeles” (Angel City Press, 2004)

President Barack Obama, standing with Vice President Joe Biden, conducts a press conference in the East Room of the White House in response to the Iran Nuclear Deal, on July 14, 2015 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

President Obama just spoke at a press conference on the nuclear with Iran, and he countered its detractors with his opening statement and answers to press questions.

In his opening statement, he said, “With this deal, we cut off every single one of Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon...without a deal, those pathways remain open.”

He also said, “The bottom line is this: this nuclear deal meets the national security interests of the United States and our allies. It prevents the most serious threat of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapons...if we don’t choose wisely, I believe future generations will judge us harshly for letting this opportunity slip away.”

When asked about the issues surrounding Iran, he stated, “This deal is not contingent on Iran changing its behavior, on Iran behaving like a liberal democracy. It solves one problem: Iran getting the nuclear bomb.”

And on addressing his detractors' claims that a better deal could have been negotiated or that all of Iran’s nuclear capacity had to be removed, he declared, “We do not have diplomatic leverage to eliminate every vestige of a peaceful nuclear program in Iran.”

What do you think about the nuclear with between Iran and the P5+1? Should this deal be accepted, or would the security interests of the United States be furthered by scuttling it?

Guests:

Robert Kaufman, a political scientist and professor of public policy at Pepperdine University specializing in American foreign policy, national security, international relations, and various aspects of American politics

Nathan Gonzalez, Middle East analyst with the Foreign Policy in Focus think-tank, and founder of the website NationandState.org, an "open-source foreign policy think tank”

Smart trash can knows how fast you walk and which smartphone you use. And now it might provide you WiFi too; Credit: via The Verge

The ability to access the Internet has become as much of a necessity as running water or electricity.

It’s nearly impossible to get anything done without WiFi, so it only makes sense that wireless Internet should be available to the masses. Cities across the U.S. are looking at ways to help people get online. Today, President Obama is visiting Oklahoma to discuss ConnectHome, an effort to expand high speed broadband to all Americans allowing students the same level of high-speed Internet at home that they have in their classrooms.

Some cities are taking small steps to expand Internet access.  New York City is getting city dwellers connected by turning its smart trash bins into free wi-fi hotspots.  The smart trash bins are solar powered and have sensors to detect how full they are as well as notify trash collectors when it's time to empty them. An additional bonus to adding Wi-Fi to the trash bins on the street is that the wireless signals don't get blocked by skyscrapers.  

Another example is Los Angeles, which is working on an initiative to offer free basic wireless services to all downtown residences and businesses. In the digital age is Internet a necessity? Is offering Internet access as a public service feasible for cities? Will it remain free?  

Guests:

Bob Blumenfield, Los Angeles City Councilmember for the 3rd Council District which encompasses the southwestern San Fernando Valley neighborhoods of Los Angeles, including Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills

Linda Poon, Editorial Fellow at CityLab, the latest expansion of The Atlantic’s digital properties

A worker cuts a piece of pipe as he builds a new home on January 21, 2015 in Petaluma, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The CA Water Commission has put in place new limits on the amount of grass and lawn space new constructions -- including homes, businesses, schools -- in the state can have.

Under the revised ordinance, only 25 percent of a new home’s yard space can be grass.

California’s drought, now in its fourth year, has reopened the debate over how much growth the state can sustain in the face of a prolonged water shortage.

Can California accommodate the kind of population and economic growth it has seen historically? Should the state consider measures to rein in new housing developments? Is the drought the immovable object that would make us rethink how much California can reasonably grow?

Consideration of Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Regulations

Guests:

Adam Nagourney, Los Angeles Bureau Chief for the New York Times. He is the reporter behind a recent story in the paper, titled “California Drought Tests History of Endless Growth”

Jay R. Lund, Director, Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California - Davis; and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

A general view of atmosphere at the Uber Technologies station at the Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite featuring KitchenAid® culinary demonstrations presented by MasterCard during the New York City Wine & Food Festival at Pier 94 on October 18, 2014 in New York City. ; Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for NYCWFF

Pay up or shut down.

That was the message from a judge with the California Public Utilities Commission after ruling that ride-sharing giant Uber must pay a $7.3 million dollar fine and turn over specific information, or cease operations completely.

Uber now has 30 days to pay the fine, otherwise it will lose its license to operate in California, the company’s home state. The CPUC says Uber failed to provide information about things like the number of requests it gets for accessible vehicles, causes of accidents involving Uber drivers, and how many rides are requested but not accepted. There was a September 2014 deadline for all ride-sharing companies to provide this info to the CPUC, and they say Uber was the only one that failed to do so.

No one from Uber was available for comment but an Uber spokesperson sent us the following statement: “This ruling--and the associated fine--are deeply disappointing.  We will appeal the decision as Uber has already provided substantial amounts of data to the California Public Utilities Commission, information we have provided elsewhere with no complaints.  Going further risks compromising the privacy of individual riders as well as driver-partners.  These CPUC requests are also beyond the authority of the Commission and will not improve public safety. It is important to note there will be no suspension while the appeal is heard.”

What does this ruling mean for Uber? Do you think Uber will win its appeal? Does this decision actually hold water?

CPUC ISSUES DECISION BY JUDGE PENALIZING RASIER-CA $7.3 MILLION FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Guest: 

Carmel DeAmicis, associate editor, startups, at Re/Code

Untitled; Credit: Dan Quelroz via Flickr

In her latest column for New York Magazine, writer Ann Friedman wonders whether all the attention paid to “vocal fry” or “upspeak”-- linguistic trends linked mostly to young women -- is another way for our culture to police the way they speak.

While those linguistic tics and speech habits (apologizing too much, using qualifiers that play down one’s expertise) common to women might make them sound less confident, Friedman says the incessant criticism isn’t helping.

Guest host Patt Morrison speaks with Friedman, as well as linguist Deborah Tannen about the subject.

Guests:

Ann Friedman, host of the podcast, “Call Your Girlfriend” and freelance writer for various publications. Her latest piece for New York Magazine is titled “Can We Just, Like, Get Over the Way Women Talk?”

Deborah Tannen, professor of linguistics at Georgetown University in in D.C. and author of many books, including “You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation” (William Morrow Paperback, 2007)

"Air Conditioning Heaven"; Credit: David Hall via Flickr

It’s hard to imagine life without AC.

Most of us drive to work in our air conditioned cars, briefly endure the heat, then sit down at our desks in our temperature controlled offices and think nothing of it. But is all this air conditioning necessary?

Author Stan Cox of the book “Losing our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World,” looks at the impact of air conditioning and steps we can take to minimize its environmental costs.

For example, does it really make sense to have tie-and-jacket dress codes in sweltering climates? Or to construct buildings with windows that don’t open? Have we gotten carried away with this ubiquitous invention?

Guest:

Stan Cox, writer of "Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World" (The New Press, 2012)

Parents rally against SB 277, a California measure requiring schoolchildren to get vaccinated, outside the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif.; Credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Opponents of mandatory vaccination have started collecting petition signatures for a referendum that would appear on the November 2016 ballot.

If it qualifies, voters would need to vote "Yes" for a new vaccination law to stay on the books (the California Constitution mandates that referenda on Sacramento legislation must ask voters to affirm [vote “Yes”] in order to pass.)

The new law aims to boost immunization rates by requiring that children be vaccinated to attend public or private daycare or school. The law eliminates exemptions based on personal beliefs and religion, while maintaining a medical exemption.

Election analysts say voters are more inclined to vote "No" on referenda - no matter the question -, which means the vaccination bill's future could be vulnerable.

Will voters be confused by this referendum? How much lobbying power and campaign financing does it take to get voters to punch "Yes?" Should governance of initiatives and referenda be reformed? If lawmakers, representing the people, pass a new bill, but special interest groups want to see its undoing, should a referendum instead ask voters to veto it (vote “No”) in order for the bill to die?

Referendum of Senate Bill 277

Guests:

Bob Stern, former president of the Center for Governmental Studies; Author of the book “Democracy by Initiative: Shaping California’s Fourth Branch of Government, 2nd Edition. (Center for Governmental Studies, 2008)

Pamela Behrsin, Vice President of Communications and Editorial Director at MapLight which tracks campaign financing

US President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference on the nuclear deal with Iran on July 15, 2015 in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC.; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

CBS’s Major Garrett provoked what’s become a much talked about rebuke from President Obama at yesterday’s news conference when he asked the President why he was “content” with the Iran nuclear deal while four Americans were still being held in Iran and why the negotiation for their release wasn’t tied into the nuclear deal.

Obama first responded, “The notion that I am ‘content’ as I celebrate with American citizens languishing in Iranian jails? Major, that’s nonsense. And you should know better. I’ve met with the families of some of those folks. Nobody’s ‘content.’”

In addressing the broader notion of why the hostages were not tied to the nuclear deal, he said, “suddenly Iran realizes, you know what, maybe we can get additional concessions out of the Americans by holding these individuals. Makes it much more difficult to walk away if Iran thinks a nuclear deal is dependent” upon them.

Did the President and his negotiators make the right call in keeping the hostages out of the nuclear negotiations? To what extent will this nuclear deal make future negotiations on the hostages more tenable?

Guests:

Dalia Dassa Kaye, Director, Center for Middle East Public Policy; Senior Political Scientist at RAND

Sarah Shourd, an American hiker who was held by Iranian authorities for 410 days before being released from detention in 2010; she wrote the piece in the Daily Beast today, "Negotiating with Iran for Hostages in a Nuclear Deal Isn’t ‘Nonsense.’ Trust Me. I Was One."

Edwin Smith, Leon Benwell Professor of Law, International Relations and Political Science, USC Gould School of Law

A still from the new release "Ant-Man"; Credit: Marvel Entertainment (via YouTube)

Amy Nicholson of LA Weekly hosts Filmweek with our film critics Andy Klein and Peter Rainer to review this week’s new releases including the late Marvel thrill “Ant-Man,” the Amy Schumer starrer “Trainwreck,” Woody Allen’s “Irrational Man,” and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Guests:

Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor

Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and LA Times Community Paper Chain