"Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles" by David L. Ulin; Credit: University of California Press

For many Angelenos, walking is almost a foreign concept; why walk when you can drive?

Sure, driving is the most convenient mode of transportation –especially when traveling long distances, but when was the last time you took the time to walk through the city streets?

David L. Ulin, former Los Angeles Times book critic, guides readers through the busy, and not-so-busy, streets  in his book, “Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles.” Ulin also shares several personal conversations exchanged with friends and city officials, and offers his thoughts about popular architectural landmarks such as Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.

Click here to read Ulin's complementary essay, "Writing the City."

Guest:

David L. Ulin, author of “Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles” (University of California Press, 2015) and former book critic, Los Angeles Times. He tweets at @DavidUlin

Researchers at the University of Southern California and Northeastern University in Boston have released a new study that weighs the outcome of grit vs. apathy. ; Credit: Chad Fennell via Flickr

From the time we’re children, most of us are told to work hard and never give up, even in the face of imminent failure.

Perseverance, it would seem, is much sought-after characteristic in a friend, employee, or potential mate. But new data suggests that unrelenting grit and determination might not always work to your advantage.

Researchers at the University of Southern California and Northeastern University in Boston have released a new study that weighs the outcome of grit vs. apathy.

Participants were put through a series of exercises that allowed researchers to measure the level of determination (or lack thereof) with which the participants approached a task. For example, one test was a computer game that had been rigged so that some participants would feel like they were always losing.

Participants with more grit worked harder than their lazier counterparts when winning, but not as hard when they were losing. Another exercise gave participants word scrambles, a few of which were near impossible or impossible to solve. Those who scored higher on the gritty side tried fewer of the anagrams overall, which suggests they didn’t skip over the more difficult ones.

All of this, the researchers say, seems to allude to the idea that grit is good, but it has a downside. Grittier folks will stick with something regardless of what it could cost them in terms of time, money, or overall performance. They say the study isn’t to suggest that we shouldn’t try as hard to solve problems or achieve our goals, but rather that it pays to know when to doggedly pursue something and when to let it go. In other words, pick your battles.

What do you think about the study’s findings? Do you feel like you have a good grasp of when to persevere and when to step back?

Guest:

Gale Lucas, senior research associate at the Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California and lead author of the study “When the going gets tough: Grit predicts costly perseverance” (Science Direct, 2015)

An doctor speaks with a patient during a medical consultation.; Credit: JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/AFP/Getty Images

An alarming new study finds that policies for determining brain death vary widely from hospital to hospital.

In 2010 the American Academy of Neurology issued new guidelines on the determination of brain death. The report released this week found that there are significant differences in how hospitals follow the guidelines when declaring patients brain dead.

Twenty percent of the more than 500 hospitals surveyed nationwide do not require doctors to check the patients' temperatures to determine whether they are high enough to make the assessment.

Nearly half of the hospital policies do not require doctors to ensure that the patient’s blood pressure is adequate for assessment of brain function. And most of the policies don't require the doctor to make the final call. 

Determining Brain Death in Adults

Guest:

David Greer, Neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine who led the study

Fred Rincon, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurological Surgery Neurointensivist, Division of Neurotrauma and Critical Care, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia

Porter Ranch resident Michelle Theriault takes part in a press conference on a gas leak in Porter Ranch after a regular Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

At this point, you’ve probably heard about how residents of the Porter Ranch community just north of Northridge have been dealing with the pungent stench of natural gas leaking from a Southern California Gas Company well.

SoCal Gas says it’s working on fixing the leak, but that won’t happen for several months.

In the meantime, many residents are packing up their things and getting out of dodge to avoid the smell. Locals have been complaining of constant headaches and occasional nosebleeds caused by odorizing agents that are put into the gas so that it can be smelled in the event of a lead.

SoCal Gas is helping those who want to relocate do so.

On a more positive note, it appears that SoCal Gas officials have pinpointed the location of the underground well from which the gas is leaking, which is the first step to plugging it.

Read more from KPCC’s Sharon McNary here.

Guests:

Sharon McNary, KPCC reporter covering infrastructure. She tweets from @KPCCSharon

Brian Watt, KPCC reporter covering the workplace. He tweets from @RadioBWatt

People walk outside past the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) building at the close of the day in New York City. ; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

For the first time since the 1970s, middle-class Americans are no longer the majority.

A study out earlier this month from Pew Research shows that there are now as many Americans in the middle class as there are in the tiers above and below it. 120.8 million adults were in middle-income households while 121.3 million were in the upper and lower income tiers combined.

What does this mean?

In terms of economic progress, it means people who were once considered middle-class are either making more money and have moved into the upper-income tier, or have fallen out of the middle class into poverty. Either way, growing upper and lower tiers mean the middle-class is fighting for an even smaller slice of the economic pie.

The Pew study showed 49 percent of U.S. total income went to upper-income households in 2014 while just 43 percent went to middle-income households. For comparison, those numbers were 29 percent and 62 percent, respectively, in 1970.

We can also look at the impact of the shrinking middle class through the lens of America’s political and cultural narrative.

The data would seem to suggest that while the U.S. has traditionally been known for its optimism, the strain of staying optimistic in the face of issues like political discord in Washington, national security, or race relations that are weighing on the country’s collective consciousness and eroding confidence that things will get better.

Still, others disagree with Pew’s findings, saying that it’s impossible to give a blanket definition of the ‘middle-class,’ and therefore you can’t accurately measure who’s moving or not moving on the economic ladder.

What are the social, political, cultural, and economic implications of a shrinking middle class?

Guests:

Michael Lind, policy director of the Economic Growth Program at the New America Foundation, which he also co-founded. He is the author of numerous books, including his most recent, “Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States” (Harper, 2013)

David Madland, senior fellow and strategic director of the American Worker Project at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning economic think tank. He is the author of “Hollowed Out: Why the Economy Doesn't Work without a Strong Middle Class” (University of California Press, 2015)

Bill Cosby was charged for sexual assault today in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Bill Cosby was charged for sexual assault today in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

The case stems from a woman accusing the comedian of drugging and sexually assaulting her at his Philadelphia home in 2004.

Cosby faces one felony charge of aggravated indecent assault. Dozens of women have come forward alleging the 78-year-old entertainer of sexual assault. Cosby has denied all accusations and filed lawsuits against seven of his accusers.

What are the challenges of prosecuting a case such as this?

Guests:

Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and current Loyola Law professor

Matthew Galluzzo, partner at Galluzzo & Johnson, a criminal defense firm in New York City and a former prosecutor in the Sex Crimes Unit of the New York County District Attorney’s Office

"The Earth Breaks in Colors" by Patti Davis; Credit: Books by Patti Davis

As the daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Patti Davis is no stranger to being in the spotlight.

She was also born and raised in Los Angeles, and knows a thing or two about celebrity culture.

But the Los Angeles depicted in her latest novel (and 11th book) “The Earth Breaks in Colors,” features neither the glitz of Hollywood or existential angst typically associated with the City of Angels, it follows instead a quiet friendship between two 11-year-old girls – one black, one white – living in L.A., and what happens to that friendship after a major earthquake strikes.

Patti Davis joins Patt Morrison to talk about her book.

Guest:

Patti Davis, Author of numerous books, including “The Long Goodbye” (Plume, 2005), about losing her father, President Ronald Reagan, to Alzheimer’s, and her latest novel, "The Earth Breaks in Colors" (Open Road Distribution, 2015)

In 2014 photo, demonstrators chant pro-ISIS slogans in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, Iraq.; Credit: /AP

Earlier this year ISIS released its 2015 budget estimated to be more than $2 billion.

While the estimate may be inflated, there is no arguing that the terrorist organization has deep pockets. In the past few years ISIS has brought in hundreds of millions of dollars through private donations,  ransom payments, extortion, robbery, antiquities trafficking, and oil sales.

ISIS has developed extensive banking networks to transfer money in and out of its controlled areas. While there have been efforts to block the transfer of funds, backdoor transfers and informal banking schemes have made it near impossible to stop.

Guest:

Greg Miller, National Security Correspondent for the Washington Post, based in D.C.; he co-wrote "Inside the surreal world of the Islamic State’s propaganda machine"

"Lactivism" by Courtney Jung; Credit: Basic Books

Political scientist Courtney Jung experienced the phenomenon she’d end up writing a book about firsthand when she became pregnant -- what she calls a kind of“zealotry” toward breastfeeding.

Jung did end up breastfeeding her child, but she also started digging into research looking at the health benefits of the practice. What she found shocked her. Despite the unquestioned wisdom in our culture that breastfeeding is good for both mothers and babies, lots of research have actually found that the health advantages are overstated.

That discovery led Jung to pen her new book, “Lactivism,” which looks at the cultural, sociological, and medical forces that have turned breastfeeding from a personal choice to a mandate.

Patt Morrison speaks with Jung about her new book.

Guest:

Courtney Jung, author of the book, “Lactivism: How Feminists and Fundamentalists, Hippies and Yuppies, and Physicians and Politicians Made Breastfeeding Big Business and Bad Policy” (Basic Books, 2015). She is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto

Michael Tran and Katie Rodriguez pass a cyclist on their Hoverboards while displaying ease of use on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

The new year is right around the corner, and with it brings new policies and politics.

California is expected to see a range of new laws from restrictions on carrying guns, a higher minimum wage, vaccination requirements for students, reproductive service notifications, as well as new laws regulating hoverboards and boozy bike rides.  

In 2015 Governor Jerry Brown signed 807 bills into law. California gained national attention for its death dignity law that allows doctors to prescribe terminally ill patients with lethal doses of drugs.

New actions moved forward to regulate medical marijuana in the state and a controversial law passed that requires more children to be immunized before starting school.

How will the new laws change the everyday lives of California residents?

Guest:

John Myers, Sacramento Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times

An artisan cookie bar located inside a grocery store.; Credit: Flickr/LearningLark

As the final hours tick down, many of us are leaving the past where it belong and looking ahead to what’s coming in 2016.

In this spirit, the editors at CityLab have put together a list of terms, words and phrases that they feel need to be nixed in the new year. “Whether they’re overused, misunderstood, or wrongfully deployed, sometimes good words and concepts go bad,” the editors write.

So, what kinds of words and terms are we talking about?

For starters, the fact that the editors want to get rid of "millennial" should surprise no one. “Uber for X” is another phrase they’d like to see forgotten. They suggest that some of the startups they’ll write about in 2016 might be more creative than Uber copycats for different industries. 

“Sharing economy” also made the final cut, because as the editors say, “whether you applaud these companies for the flexibility they offer or bemoan them for the job security they don’t, you should call them what they are: businesses with a bottom line.”

What are some terms, words or phrases you’d like to see society forget in 2016?

Guest:

Sommer Mathis, editor of CityLab, which has put together the list of terms, words, phrases that they feel should be retired

A cushion reading "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) and a placard reading "Republic stronger than hate" are laid outside the headquarters of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris.; Credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

The year 2015 is bookended by two terrorist attacks: the Charlie Hebdo killing spree in January, and the San Bernardino shooting in December.

In between, the world saw the rise of ISIS as global terrorism’s public enemy no. 1.

Patt Morrison speaks with counterterrorism expert and USC professor Erroll Southers about the state of terrorism and what the world could expect in 2016.

Guests:

Erroll Southers, Director of Homegrown Violent Extremism Studies at USC. He is also managing director at the international security consulting and risk management firm Tal Global, specializing in counterterrorism and infrastructure protection

Bruce Hoffman, Director of the Center for Security Studies and a professor at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He is the author of “Anonymous Soldiers, The Struggle for Israel, 1917 - 1947” (Knopf, 2015)

A scene from UK drama "Downton Abbey" is displayed following a live stream of it's US launch, at an event in central London on March 7, 2012. ; Credit: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

As it enters its sixth and final season, The PBS Masterpiece Classic, "Downton Abbey," has garnered a huge following, and even inspired some spoofs of the 1920s British drama.

Parodies such as "Downton Arby’s," "Sesame Street's" "Upside Downton Abbey" and the "Colbert Report’s" "Breaking Abbey" are just a few examples of the series’ effect on American popular culture, even with its subject matter dating back almost a century ago in England.

So why has the show had such a massive effect on pop culture? What about this story keeps viewers coming back for more and willing to create comical content in homage to its plot and characters?

As a precursor to "Downton Abbey’s" final season, Patt Morrison weighs in with pop culture junkie and KPCC web producer, Mike Roe, on "Downton’s" mainstream influence and how it’s been the trigger for satire.

Guest:

Mike Roe, pop culture expert and KPCC web producer

Facebook may have changed the definition of friendship.; Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Facebook allows us to claim hundreds and hundreds of people as our “Friends.”

But has that in any way changed how you define your friends? From Aristotle to Facebook, what does friendship mean to you? How do you define it? And do you think that social media allows you to have more friends or fewer? Are they better or worse friends?

Guests:

Irene Levine, Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine; Author of "Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend" and producer of www.TheFriendshipBlog.com

Jeffrey Greif,  Professor at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work and author of the book, Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships (Oxford University Press).

A homeless man in the skid row section of Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Speaking from Skid Row in LA Monday, members of the California State Senate proposed spending more than $2 billion dollars to prevent and address homelessness across the state.

“This bipartisan legislative package will help secure progress in tackling homelessness and provide a key to health and hope for many Californians who have no place to go.” said Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles).

The legislative package includes a $2-billion bond to construct permanent housing for chronically homeless persons with mental illness; short-term housing in the meanwhile; and an increase in income support for the aged, blind, and disabled poor who cannot work. The senators emphasized that unsheltered individuals cost too much for taxpayers due to emergency room visits, hospital stays, law enforcement, and other social services.

To what degree would this proposal alleviate California's homeless problem? What oversight would be necessary to ensure success of the package? Is this the best solution to the growing problem of homelessness in LA and beyond?

Guest:

Holly Mitchell, California Democratic Senator, Mitchell’s district includes Culver City and Ladera Heights

Kevin Corinth, Research fellow in economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he focuses on homelessness and the programs and policies put in place to assist the homeless

A wooden gavel rests on a short stack of legal papers.; Credit: Flickr/Brian Turner

A  San Francisco Superior Court will hear The American Civil Liberties Union’s lawsuit against Dignity Health today.

The ACLU’s lawsuit was prompted when the Catholic hospital denied a patient’s request for a tubal ligation. According to The Sacramento Bee, the hospital’s reason for denying Rebeca Chamorro’s request for the procedure was based on the religion’s stance on sterilization.

Elizabeth Gill, a senior ACLU staff attorney, has said that this is an example of denying a woman access to basic health care.

Should this case be considered discriminatory? Or should faith-based hospitals hold the right to deny procedures that are inconsistent with their values?

Guest:

Ruth Dawson, Staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California. She tweets from @RuthWDawson

Bob Destro, Professor of law and founding director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Law & Religion at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law

Blue martinis are displayed during a cocktail party.; Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.

Since the Food and Drug Administration approved it in March of 2015, 27 states have passed legislation banning the sale of the powdered alcohol product, ‘Palcohol.’

Now, California is looking to become the 28th state to ban its sale.

California State Senator Bob Huff (R-San Dimas) and Assemblywoman Jaqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) have introduced companion measures in their respective houses that would ban the sale of powdered alcohol in California. Palcohol, they say, could be easily abused by children and teens and is made even more attractive by its ease of use.

They argue there is the potential for it to be snorted, added to the drinks of unknowing recipients, or added to drinks that already have booze in them to make them even stronger.

The powder can be combined with water or virtually any non-alcoholic mixer to create an instant cocktail like a Cosmopolitan or a Margarita. Creator Mark Phillips says many of the concerns that are the basis for the statewide bans are unfounded and lists a number of them on the product’s website.

“Liquid alcohol,” the site says, “is easier to conceal, easier to spike drinks and easier to use to binge drink. It’s much less expensive and allows someone to get drunk faster, both of which appeal to the underage drinker.”

Should Palcohol be banned in California? Do you think the concerns surrounding the product are justified or unfounded? Do you see any difference between alcohol in liquid form and alcohol in powdered form?

Guests:

Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), State Assemblywoman representing California’s 44th District, which includes Oxnard, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks. She introduced AB 1554, the Assembly legislation to ban the sale of powdered alcohol in California. She tweets from @jacquiirwin

Mark Phillips, Creator of the powdered alcoholic drink product ‘Palcohol’

Retail space for lease in a strip mall is advertised in Fontana, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

In recent years, many have mocked California's business climate.

The abundant taxation and regulation has lead to most mid-to-small sized firms being driven out of California. Many out-of-state politicians have have ridiculed the state for being unable to foster any major growth.

It's been so bad that the popular business and economics magazine "Chief Executive" has dubbed it the absolute least business friendly state in the country consistently over the last decade.

But some believe that while California may not be very "business-friendly," that characterization is not telling the entire story. For instance, that golden state has been a leader in business and job creation. In fact, in 2013 California added jobs from newly established businesses faster than all but four other states.

Is California as bad for business as many have declared? Or is there more to consider in the world of economics before that can be decided.

Guests:

JP Donlon, Editor in Chief of "Chief Executive," a business publication that has consistently ranked California as the least business-friendly state in the union several times over

Chris Thornberg, Leading economist and a Founding Partner of Beacon Economics

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon makes comments to the media before the Security Council holds a closed-door meeting on January 6, 2016 in New York City.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

It was a bomb of an announcement. North Korea claimed on Tuesday night that it has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

Condemnations have been swift, even though the assertion has been met with skepticism around the world.

If the claim stands, this would mark a huge scientific and technological leap for North Korea’s nuclear program. The country had conducted underground nuclear tests three times prior -- but far less powerful than the damages a hydrogen bomb could do.

Despite sanctions, North Korea has continued to pursue its nuclear ambitions. Today, the United Nations said new sanctions are being considered against the country.

What’s involved in verifying North Korea’s claim? Does North Korea have the technological capability to build a hydrogen bomb? What can be done to curb the country’s unchecked nuclear aims?

Guests:

Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at Arms Control Association, a DC-based organization that works to inform the public about arms control developments

Charles K. Armstrong,  a professor of Korea Studies at Columbia University. He is also a fellow at the North Korea International Documentation Project at the Wilson Center. 

U.S. President Barack Obama (C), Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin E. Dempsey (R), US National Security Advisor Susan Rice (L), U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Lisa Monaco (2nd L) and U.S. Central Command General Lloyd Austin III (2nd R) meet 20 foreign Chiefs of Defense to discuss coalition efforts in the ongoing campaign against ISIS.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

We've heard plenty about how the US is responding to ISIS, but less about what the rest of the world is doing.

From China's crackdown on the movement of Uighurs, to an interpretation that reads Saudi Arabia's recent executions as a preemptive strike against ISIS, we look at how countries around the globe are attempting to protect themselves and what some of the unintended consequences of their actions may be.

Guest:

Seth Jones, Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND Corporation think tank; Jones has served as the representative for the commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations; Author, "Hunting in the Shadows: The Pursuit of al Qa'ida after 9/11"