The Los Angeles River; Credit: Photo by Ryan Vaarsi via Flickr Creative Commons

Less than a month after the LA Times revealed that Frank Gehry has been looking into revitalizing the LA River, details of the proposal have finally been released.

On Friday, Gehry’s architecture firm released preliminary details on the project, which the Times reports could include both commercial and residential developments, a bike and pedestrian path, as well as a water reclamation project.

Gehry’s team has been working on the river project for about a year for free. The next phase of the project is estimated to take 3 to 6 months to complete, with a price tag in the millions.

Guests:

Peter Jamison, reporter for the Los Angeles Times who’s been covering the Frank Gehry river restoration project. He was at Friday’s press preview.

Lewis McAdams, cofounder and president, Friends of the Los Angeles River

William Deverell, Professor at University of Southern California and Director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

Photo taken on February 4, 1981 shows US President Ronald Reagan, Vice-President George Bush and the Reagan Cabinet members; Credit: STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

In 1980, George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan debated immigration policy. The tone of their debate was, arguably, downright loving.

Their attitude stands out in stark contrast to rhetoric used today.

Mitt Romney coined the phrase, “self-deport” -- asking unauthorized immigrants to turn themselves into the authorities. Trump said that Mexico is not a friend to the US. Obama calls undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children, “dreamers.”

How has the tone of political rhetoric changed over the decades? How does language impact policy and public opinion?

Guests:

Leslie Berestein Rojas, Immigration and Emerging Communities Reporter for KPCC

Leo Chavez, Professor of Anthropology at UC Irvine with a focus in migration, media and discourse analysis

Joaquin Guerra, President of Mas Power Group, a political advocacy firm abased in San Antonio

Alfonso Aguilar, Executive Director, Latino Partnership at American Principles Project.

The FBI headquarters in Washington; Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Sting operations are one of the most helpful tools at law enforcement’s disposal when it comes to catching particularly wary criminals.

A cop might go undercover as a minor soliciting sex on the Internet in order to capture a sex offender, or a DEA agent might impersonate a heroin addict to conduct a controlled drug buy as part of evidence building against narcotics traffickers. But what happens when police impersonate a journalist?

The answer, at least in the case of the Associated Press, is to sue. The AP is bringing legal action against the FBI after a sting operation that involved impersonating an AP journalist and creating a false AP news story as part of a sting operation that involved a 15-year-old bomb threat suspect in Washington, who the FBI emailed a link to a fake AP news story. When the suspect clicked the link, it downloaded surveillance software to his computer that allowed the FBI to track him.

When the news of the sting broke, AP filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act in the hopes of getting more information, but the government has said they could be waiting almost two years for the materials. The AP filed suit, accusing the government of freezing them out.

Under current law, there is nothing that explicitly prohibits law enforcement from impersonating journalists in sting operations. While the AP’s lawsuit doesn’t allege the government is violating the First Amendment by impersonating a journalist, it does bring up concerns about how the practice could jeapordize the credibility of news organizations.

Do you think law enforcement should be allowed to impersonate journalists in sting operations? Are there other professions that might also be ethically questionable for law enforcement to impersonate? What are the legal implications of this lawsuit for the AP and the FBI?

THE REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, and UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Guests:

Mary-Rose Papandrea, professor of law at the University of North Carolina School of Law and a constitutional and media law expert

Aaron Caplan, associate professor of law at Loyola Law School

Underground galleries, part of Nazi Germany "Riese" construction project, are pictured under the Ksiaz castle in the area where the "Nazi gold train" is supposedly hidden underground, on August 28, 2015 in Walbrzych, Poland. ; Credit: JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Last week, news of a "Nazi gold train" broke from Poland’s deputy culture minister, Piotr Żuchowski.

Images had been found of the train near the 4km stretch of railway near the country’s Wrocław-Wałbrzych line. It may carry art, along with jewels and gold that were rumored to have been stolen during the Nazi flee from Russia’s Red Army in World War II.

The train, depicted in the 2014 film "Monuments Men,” could be the biggest discovery of the century.

Robert Edsel, author of  "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves," which was adapted for the film, weighs in on the significance of the potential find of the historical treasure.

What’s the significance of the so-called “Nazi gold train”? Could this be the Titanic discovery of the 21st century? 

Guest:

Robert Edsel, author of The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves; He is founder and president of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art. 

Friends LaVonce Goodlow, 19, and Priscilla Perry, 21, march down Crenshaw Boulevard to Leimert Park as part of an annual Kwanzaa celebration.; Credit: Josie Huang/KPCC

On the day that LAPD lapel cameras make their debut, we talk about the ratcheting up of tensions between cops and activists.

A Houston-area sheriff’s deputy was shot in the back of the head as he put gas in his patrol car, and the local sheriff hinted that the "Black Lives Matter" movement was making matters worse. At the Minnesota state fair, “Black Lives Matter” sympathizers marched and chanted, “Pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon.”

African Americans say they have felt threatened by police for years. Now, cops may be feeling that they have targets on their backs.

Guests:

Randy Sutton, retired police lieutenant with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He’s the author of multiple books on policing, including "A Cop’s Life" (St Martin’s Press, 2006)

Jody Armour, law professor at the University of Southern California who specializes in civil liability law.

Pope Francis leaves Saint Peter's basilica at the Vatican, at the end of a prayer as part of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, on September 1, 2015. Pope Francis on September 1 called on priests to pardon women who have abortions, and the doctors who perform them, during the upcoming Jubilee year -- overruling hardline traditionalists within the Catholic Church; Credit: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis will allow priests to forgive women who've had abortions.

He's designated next year as the Year of Mercy. Women who've had abortions are now included, despite abortion being considered a grave sin -- grounds for excommunication.

That's not changing, despite the absolution offered next year. However, the offer of forgiveness is for a limited time only,  starting when the Holy Jubilee kicks off on December 8, 2015 and ending November 20, 2016.

While more Catholics are leaving the Church than joining, is this an effective way to bring back Catholic women, who were excommunicated from the church?

Guest:

Nancy Scheper-Hughes, a professor of Anthropology and director of the program in Medical Anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley

Jay Tolson, has written about religion for U.S. News and World Report and is now editor of Hedgehog review for the Institute for Advanced Studies in culture at University of Virginia

Republican presidential hopeful and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks to fairgoers at the Iowa State Fair on August 13, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In his first bid for the U.S. presidency, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won eight states and the Iowa Caucuses.

But that wasn’t enough to land him the GOP nomination, as he came in third behind Mitt Romney and eventual nominee John McCain.

How is Huckabee’s campaign different this time around? What issues is he focusing on?

Guests:

Steve Hendrix, reporter at Washington Post. He is the author of an e-book on Mike Huckabee published by the Washington Post that is part of the paper’s coverage of the presidential candidates for the 2016 race

Steve Shepard, campaigns and elections editor for POLITICO

Jacob Kaufman, reporter covering the state legislature and politics for NPR affiliate KUAR in Little Rock, Arkansas

There’s a man deficit in the U.S. according to Jon Birger, author of the new book, Date-onomics.; Credit: Guian Bolisay via Flickr

There’s a man deficit in the U.S.

So says Jon Birger, author of the new book, Date-onomics. At a rate of 1.05 boys to every girl, by the time these children are adults, the dating pool is swimming with more men than women.

But by the time they get to college, for every three men, there are four women. These straight, college-educated women are presumably looking for straight, college-educated men, and then the pickings get even slimmer, especially depending on where you live.

In LA, there’s 37 percent more female college grads under the age of 25 than college-grad men, according to Birger's data. It’s a combination of the birth control pill, Title IX, and developmental differences between boys and girls that’s causing the chasm.

One solution Birger posits, is to red shirt boys in first grade. That is, hold them back a year, giving them a chance to mature, bettering their chances to attend higher education.

Los Angeles ladies, is it tough to find a good man to date in this city? Is it tough finding college educated men in LA? If you’ve had success dating in LA, what’s your advice?

Guest:

Jon Birger, author of “Date-onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game” (Workman Publishing Company, 2015), and a former senior writer at Fortune and Money

A court case out of Massachusetts that depicts a disturbing picture of young love gone horribly wrong is gaining national attention as it raises questions about whether encouraging someone to commit suicide makes you legally responsible for that person’s death.
; Credit: Marius Dollinger via Flickr

A court case out of Massachusetts that depicts a disturbing picture of young love gone horribly wrong is gaining national attention as it raises questions about whether encouraging someone to commit suicide makes you legally responsible for that person’s death.

18-year-old Michelle Carter is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge for allegedly convincing her former boyfriend, Conrad Roy, to kill himself last summer.

Roy was found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in a K-Mart parking lot. He had used a gas-powered water pump to filter the fumes into his truck. The two teens had met in 2012 while visiting relatives in Florida, and had maintained a romantic relationship via phone and the Internet.

Prosecutors say Roy had spoken of his desire to kill himself several times, and that Carter would encourage him to do so, texting him things like “You’re finally going to be happy in heaven. No more pain,” in one message, and even gave him suggestions for how to kill himself by hanging or carbon monoxide poisoning.

They also say the day that Roy killed himself, Carter told Roy to stay in the truck as the fumes began to overtake him. Adding to the suspicion that Carter knew what she was doing is the text she sent to a friend after Roy’s death expressing concern that police might go through his phone, see the messages she sent him, and come after her.

Carter’s attorney argues that his client’s messages are protected by the First Amendment as free speech, and that Roy was completely responsible for his own death because Carter took no physical actions to make him kill himself.

This isn’t the first time the issue of whether encouraging someone to commit suicide counts as assisted suicide has been in focus. Last year, a former nurse was convicted of assisting suicide for going on suicide chat forums and encouraging people to kill themselves. The decision was ultimately reversed by the Minnesota Supreme Court, which ruled that while assisting suicide is illegal, advising and encouraging suicide were not illegal under the law.

Do you think Carter’s messages are protected as free speech? Should encouraging or convincing someone to commit suicide be against the law?

Commonwealth's Response to Defendant's Motion to Dismiss and Certificate of Service

Guests:

Daniel Medwed, professor of criminal law, procedure, and evidence at Northeastern University in Boston

Larry Rosenthal, professor of law at Chapman School of Law in Orange

Members of the Los Angeles City Council's Ad Hoc Committee meet before offering its support to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to Los Angeles, California on August 28, 2015; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council today granted approval for the city to compete for the 2024 Olympics.

The 15-0 vote allows Mayor Garcetti to begin negotiations with the U.S. Olympic Committee, but it doesn’t financially obligate the city to anything just yet. It remains to be seen how much money the city could be on the hook for, what backing might come from the state and what LA’s chance even are of beating out other contenders like Paris, Rome, Hamburg and Budapest. 

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK -- YOU CAN JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON TWITTER UNDER THE HASHTAG LA2024

Guests:

Brian Watt, KPCC reporter covering the local economy and workforce; he’s at the Mayor’s press conference

Zev Yaroslavsky, former Los Angeles County Supervisor, and is now affiliated with the UCLA’s history department, and the Luskin School of Public Affairs

Andrew Zimbalist, Professor of Economics at Smith College and author of the new book, “Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup” (Brookings Institution Press, 2015)

David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians

Ed Hula, Editor in Chief, Around the Rings, a publication based in Atlanta, Georgia devoted to covering the Olympics

Kim Davis, the Rowan County Clerk of Courts, listens to Robbie Blankenship and Jesse Cruz as they speak with her at the County Clerks Office on September 2, 2015 in Morehead, Kentucky. Citing a sincere religious objection, Davis, an Apostolic Christian, has refused to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling; Credit: Ty Wright/Getty Images

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis is now refusing to issue marriage licenses entirely, to avoid having to issue one to a gay or lesbian couple.

Davis argues that issuing marriage licenses to gay couples goes against her religious beliefs, however multiple courts have ruled that she is not free to impose her religious beliefs at work.

What are the legal consequences if Davis continues to defy the courts?

Guest:

Jannel Ross, Washington Post reporter

"iPhone 6 displays the result of a mobile search for 'healthcare advice'"; Credit: IntegratedChange.net via Flickr

The tech and search engine giant unveiled a new logo yesterday, the first time in 16 years.

While the new logo isn’t a huge departure from the old one, it does do away with the serif typeface.

Guest host Patt Morrison speaks with a couple design and typography experts on the new logo and what the font change signifies.

Guest:

Daniel Britton, a graphic designer in London. He is the designer behind the Dyslexia font, a typeface that replicates the visual effects of the disorder

Brian Hoff, Founder and Creative Director of Brian Hoff Design, Inc., a design firm based in Philadelphia

A group of researchers have identified two genetic tests they think show the most potential in detecting genetic mutations linked to autism.; Credit: hepingting via Flickr

Autism is traditionally diagnosed using behavioral tests. In recent years, researchers have been working on other ways to diagnose autism, based on the discovery of a number of genes that scientists say are related to the disorder.

Now, a group of researchers have identified two genetic tests they think show the most potential in detecting genetic mutations linked to autism. Their findings are published in the latest issue of JAMA.

Molecular Diagnostic Yield of Chromosomal Microarray Analysis and Whole-Exome Sequencing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Guests:

Dr. Bridget Ann Fernandez, MD, Professor and CHair, Discipline of Genetics at Memorial University in Canada. She is a co-author of the JAMA study

Dr. Judith H. Miles, MD, Professor Emeritus specializing in autism and genetics at the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri Health System. She has authored the companion editorial to the autism diagnosis published in the latest issue of JAMA

Rob Ring, PhD, Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks, an autism science and advocacy organization. The organization has a new project called The Mssng Program

(L-R) TV personalities Luis D. Ortiz, Josh Flagg, Josh Altman, Samantha DeBianchi and Chris Leavitt speak onstage at the 'Million Dollar Listing' panel during the NBCUniversal Bravo portion of the 2014 Summer Television Critics Association at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 14, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California; Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Pricey penthouses, luxurious lofts, and tantalizing townhomes? All in a day’s work for the real estate agents on Bravo’s "Million Dollar Listing New York."

The series is up for an Emmy this year in the ‘Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program’ category.

Fredrick Eklund, Ryan Serhant, and Luis D. Ortiz are all high-rolling real estate agents who represent clients looking to sell multi-million dollar properties in the Big Apple. The show follows their daily work, from interactions with clients to open houses and beyond.

Story lines range from dealing with unusual or eccentric sellers to struggling to find the right buyer for a property, and gives viewers an inside look into the world of high-priced real estate in New York.

Wrapping up our series profiling this year’s nominees for ‘Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program,’ Million Dollar Listing New York’s executive producer Randy Barbato joins AirTalk to talk about producing the show and what it’s like to sell expensive real estate in New York.

Guest:

Randy Barbato, executive producer of Bravo’s Emmy-nominated unstructured reality series, “Million Dollar Listing New York”

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) speaks to the media at the University of Baltimore, May 5, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. ; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

President Obama has secured enough votes to protect the Iran nuclear deal after Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski announced her support of the agreement this morning, making her the  34th senator to pledge support for the deal.

Majorities in the House and Senate are expected to vote on the Iran deal later this month. However, Mikulski’s pledge means Obama now has enough votes to sustain a veto attempt by Congress. What is Congress role moving forward?  

The deal has not only split members of congress, it has also caused a divide among American Jews, most recently with New York Representative Jerrold Nadler expressing his support of the agreement with Iran.

Since making his announcement, Nadler has been personally attacked regarding his loyalty to Israel, causing the Anti-Defamation League to come out last week publicly condemning Jewish voices of hate.  Does choosing a side instantly make you anti-Israel or pro-Israel? And how is the deal dividing members of the same political party?

Guests:

Josh Lockman, International Law Professor and expert on U.S. Foreign Policy at the USC Gould School of Law

Sam Yebri, president of Thirty Years After, a nonprofit Iranian-American political advocacy group based in Los Angeles. He is an Iranian American Jew

Rob Eshman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal

"Solitary Confinement, Old Geelong Gaol 7"; Credit: Jmiller291 via Flickr

California announced this week that it will vastly reduce the use of solitary confinement in its prisons as the result of a settlement between the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and a group of inmates in Security Housing Units, or SHUs.

The inmates objected to the use of SHUs to control prison gang activity. Under the settlement, nearly 2,000 inmates will be moved from solitary confinement back into the general population and inmates now will only be sent to SHUs if they commit certain offenses while in custody--such as murder, extortion or assault--not just for gang affiliation. About 4,600 prisoners will remain in isolation for shorter terms.

Research over the last 30 years has attested to the psychological harm solitary confinement can inflict on prisoners. An op-ed in today's’ Los Angeles Times suggests solitary confinement can amount to torture. But prison guards have argued through the former policy’s 30 year life that solitary confinement was a necessary tool for controlling gang violence within California’s prisons.

So by what mechanisms will prison guards now control known gang members? Who will still be placed in the SHU moving forward? And is California’s move a bellwether for solitary confinement elsewhere in the country?

Summary of Ashker v. Governor of California Settlement Terms

TODD ASHKER, et al. v. GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, et al.

Guests:

Carol Strickman, co-counsel on this week’s settlement and staff attorney at Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

Terry Thornton, Deputy Press Secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Wes McBride, Executive Director of the California Gang Investigators Association

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) (L) talks to his father former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) (R) during a news conference June 22, 2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Following in your father’s footsteps can be tricky, especially when your father is arguably one of the most respected and influential politicians in recent history. And while his intent may not have been to walk the same career path his father did, Rand Paul is trying to accomplish something his father couldn’t: become President of the United States.

A physician like his dad, Rand Paul started practicing ophthalmology in Kentucky after completing his medical residency in 1993, and opened his own practice in 2007. Several years later, in 2010, he put medicine on the back burner and turned his focus to politics, running for and eventually winning now-former Senator Jim Bunning’s seat.

He describes himself as a “Constitutional conservative,” supports a flat tax, is a huge advocate for privacy reform, and is pro-life. His stance on same-sex marriage is nuanced; he has said in the past that he does not agree with same-sex marriage personally, but believes it’s an issue that should be decided by the states.

Who is Rand Paul, the candidate? What is his platform? How has he made an effort to create his own name and identity, rather than simply being associated with his father?

Guests:

Al Cross, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications and director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. Prior to his professorship, Cross was a reporter and eventually chief political writer for the The Courier-Journal in Louisville

The movie ‘The Passion of the Christ’ was considered a game changer for the faith based film industry grossing more than $600 million when it was released in 2004. ; Credit: Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

Religious movies have long proved to be big money makers at the box office.

The movie ‘The Passion of the Christ’ was considered a game changer for the faith based film industry grossing more than $600 million when it was released in 2004. And since then, many other faith based films have had similar success.  

Just last weekend an independent Christian film called ‘War Room’ did better than expected, bringing in $11.4 million in its opening weekend, nearly four times the cost of creating the movie.

It also ranked 2nd in ticket sales to the hip-hop biopic ‘Straight Outta Compton.’ What drives ticket sales for religious based films? How do small indie Christian films differ from big Hollywood productions? And how are they marketed to the general public?

Guest:

Kutter Callaway, the Director of Church Relations and an Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary   

"Spotify HQ"; Credit: Sorosh Tavakoli via Flickr

The days of paying 99 cents per song are all but a thing of the past, and streaming services like Spotify are the wave of the future.

Gone, too, are the days where music could only be classified by genre. More and more audiophiles are starting to look for music that fits their mood rather than a specific genre, and it’s driving the streaming music industry to adapt.

If you’ve ever used Spotify, you know that that in addition to streaming music based on genre, you can also download playlists that have been mixed based on what the listener is doing or feeling while listening.

Take working out, for instance. In a Washington Post article from last week, author Brian Fung explains how Spotify noticed that users were making lots of workout or running playlists, so they started researching running and exercise. They found that higher beats per minute (BPM) did have a positive effect on workout music, so they created a feature that allows users to set a minimum BPM, and Spotify will only play music at or above that level. However, they then realized they didn’t have enough music at high BPM levels, so they turned to DJs and composers to create it.

How do you use mood playlists in your daily life? Are you more likely to listen to something that fits your mood rather than a specific music genre that you like? How do these playlists help enhance your daily life?

Guest:

Glenn McDonald, data alchemist for The Echo Nest at Spotify

A hidden camera records Hollywood’s most reclusive star—this male cougar first seen in Griffith Park in Los Angeles almost two years ago. A radio collar tracks his moves, but residents see scant sign of him.; Credit: Steve Winter/National Geographic

The Santa Monica Mountains are a rare juxtaposition of nature and urban development — a place where millions of humans can walk the same paths used by wild animals such as mountain lions.

That coexistence has not been balanced, however, and resident wildlife populations have become increasingly genetically isolated — cut off from access to other wild lands by highways and housing. Inbreeding is widespread within the population of Santa Monica Mountain cougars, which are now among the most genetically isolated in the country.

Conservationists have long called for a safe passageway for animals to cross into and out of the mountain range. Several attempts have been made to plan a tunnel under the 101 Freeway. All have failed.

Now, an even more grand-scale idea for a crossing has captured public and political support and has made it the furthest of any proposed project yet. Project leaders on Thursday released initial plans and cost estimates for a 165-foot wide and 200-foot long overpass that would cross the 10 lanes of the 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills.

READ STORY HERE

Guests:

Seth Riley, Wildlife Ecologist, National Park Service and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of California, Los Angeles Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Lauren Wonder, Chief of Media Relations & Public Affairs at Caltrans District 7

Robert Rock, Senior Associate, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., a landscape architecture firm based in New York. The firm is working with several different agencies in Canada and the U.S. on similar  wildlife crossings