Susy Vazquez prays before a shadow that has formed what many think is the silhouette of the Holy Family.; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A recent Politico article addressed Marco Rubio’s journey to Catholicism to Mormonism to an Evangelical megachurch and back again.

Rubio has been described as an Evangelical Catholic, which could be a deal-breaker for some voters. But beyond the political scope of Rubio’s faith, his hybrid of beliefs begs the question: Can you be a Catholic and an Evangelical at the same time?

Practicing a religious hybrid isn’t as uncommon as one may think. As one example, people of interfaith marriages and their children adapt to this concept, but finding ways to do it can be challenging.

So how do people practice more than one religion? Larry Mantle weighs in with some religous experts to discusses the dynamic of religious hybrids.

Guests:

Brett Hoover, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University

Rabbi Adam Greenwald, Director of the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

Cecil M. Robeck Jr., Director of the David J. Duplessis Center for Christian Spirituality and Professor of Church History and Ecumenics at the School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary

Second-grade children make their way to class at the elementary school.; Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A comprehensive study by California's Legislative Analyst (LAO) bolsters efforts to reauthorize a California law that allows school districts to accept student transfers from outside districts.  

At present 47 school districts have opted into the "District of Choice" program, set to expire next year.

The LAO found of the 10,000 annual student transfers, a variety of demographic backgrounds are served by moving to schools with higher test scores. Moreover, home districts that lose students often respond by improving their instructional offerings, according to the report. There is a limit to the number of districts allowed to participate.

Should the cap be removed? Would the positive findings be replicated if the program expanded?

District of Choice

Guests:

Bob Huff, California Republican Senate Minority Leader Emeritus - 29th Senate District (San Dimas); Huff has authored two successive iterations authorizing District of Choice legislation

Sean Goldman, Executive Director of Student Support Services at the Simi Valley Unified School District. He is in charge of inter-district transfer for the district

A lady drinks champagne on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images); Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

There is a backlash against advice from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) warning sexually active women women not to drink alcohol if they are not using birth control.

Brown University economics professor Emily Oster, who has studied pregnancy research, calls the CDC report "more insane than usual."

The Atlantic magazine calls the guidelines "bonkers" and the women's news site Jezebel characterizes the report as "an unrealistic warning." The report states an estimated 3.3 million women in the U.S. aged 15-44 are at risk of exposing their developing baby to alcohol, and therefore declares that "sexually active women who stop using birth control should stop drinking alcohol."  

The scientific research has not reached consensus.

Oster has analyzed studies showing that there is "no credible evidence than low levels of drinking (a glass of wine or so a day) have any impact on your baby's cognitive development." The United Kingdom's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists asserts that while alcohol abstinence is the safest option, "[the] available evidence on low-level drinking has not yet been found to be harmful to women or their babies after 12 weeks." However, the well-respected Mayo Clinic advises women to "[c]onsider giving up alcohol during your childbearing years if you're sexually active and you're having unprotected sex."

Is the strict advice realistic? Is it supported by research?  

Guests:

Emily Oster, author of the book “Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong” (Penguin, 2013) which explores research on pregnancy and alcohol use. She is an associate professor of economics at Brown University

Tom Donaldson, President, National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Founded in 1990, NOFAS is the only international, non-profit organization committed solely to FASD primary prevention, advocacy and support

Democratic presidential candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during their MSNBC Democratic Candidates Debate. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

It has always been a two-horse race.

But last night, Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders went head-to-head at the CNN town hall in New Hampshire, the first time the two officially owned the stage after former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley dropped out of the race.

There were plenty of fireworks, and plenty of jabs traded. Here to recap the debate is POLITICO’s senior White House correspondent Edward-Isaac Dovere.

Guest:

Edward-Isaac Dovere, senior White House reporter at POLITICO

A sign marking the boundary of the Aliso Canyon storage facility is pictured in Porter Ranch, California, January 6, 2016. ; Credit: JONATHAN ALCORN/AFP/Getty Images

The heads of three California energy agencies said this week they are concerned Los Angeles could run short of the natural gas it needs to generate power over the coming hot summer months if a massive underground gas field is shut down.

The heads of the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, and the California Independent System Operator raised the issue in a letter Monday to Gov. Jerry Brown.

They want to study whether the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and other local power providers can meet peak demands come summer.

Read the full story here.

Guest:

Robert Weisenmiller, Chair of the California Energy Commission

A new Pentagon pilot program would pay for active duty members of the U.S. military to have sperm or eggs frozen.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

A new Pentagon pilot program would pay for active duty members of the U.S. military to have sperm or eggs frozen, says Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

The program is part of a larger proposal that aims to make starting a family easier for military members by doing things like lengthening paid maternity leave and letting service members stay where they’re stationed for family purposes. Still, there are some with ethical and legal questions about the program’s implications.

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

Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, psychiatrist and director of medical ethics at UC Irvine

A man has his breakfast inside a coffeeshop.; Credit: Nicky Loh/Getty Images

As a kid on the playground, we’re surrounded by potential friends.

Children of the same age may stay in the same school, run around the same neighborhood and ask their parents to make play-dates.

But in adulthood, people may branch out, move away to college, find a job in a new city, or just have less time to socialize; all of which could hinder finding new friends. Even Tinder-style smartphone apps like Hey! VINA are trying to address the challenges adults face finding people to connect with unromantically.

Larry Mantle speaks with friendship expert, Irene Levine, on today’s show, to discuss the challenges of making friends as an adult and how to overcome them.

Guest:

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 TheFriendshipBlog.com

Sue Francis holds a sign while attending a public hearing before the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) regarding a proposed stipulated abatement order to stop a nearby massive natural gas leak.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Last week the pile-on of lawsuits against Southern California Gas Company for its natural gas leak near Porter Ranch continued as California Attorney General Kamala Harris added her allegations of negligence and damage and L.A. County Dist.

Atty. Jackie Lacey filed four misdemeanor criminal charges against the gas company. Plaintiffs attorneys have been very active in the area, but as far as KPCC reporting has shown, most of the fear of health problems seems unsupported by the air monitoring thus far.

Meanwhile, more politicians are jumping in marked last week by L.A. City Councilman — and L.A. Board of Supervisors-hopeful — Mitch Englander.

Some of the actions could be seen as redundant. For instance, the gas company already said it's stopped injecting new gas into the storage fields. This was followed by a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) order, which was followed by legislation and then congressional action.

Today on AirTalk, we look at the fear vs. fact and the politics of the Porter Ranch gas leak.

Guests:

Sharon McNary, Infrastructure Reporter for Southern California Public Radio; she tweets from @KPCCsharon

Stephanie O’Neill, Health Care Correspondent for Southern California Public Radio; she tweets from @ReporterSteph

Republican presidential candidates (L-R) Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speak during a commercial break in the Fox Business Network Republican presidential debate.; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

We’re just a day away from New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary, where Donald Trump hopes to make up for his loss to Ted Cruz in last week’s Iowa caucuses and Hillary Clinton hopes her momentum from a narrow win in Iowa will continue into the Granite State, where the Senator from neighboring Vermont has a double digit lead in the polls.

The outcome of Tuesday’s primary will have a big impact on the candidates’ momentum as they turn their focus to South Carolina, whose primary follows New Hampshire’s.

Who has the most to gain from a win in New Hampshire? Who has the most to lose from a poor performance? What are the issues that matter most to New Hampshire voters?

Guests:

Frank Cohen, associate professor of political science at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire

Lori Cox Han, professor in the Department of Political Science at Chapman University

(L-R) Democratic presidential candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) participate in a get out the vote organizing event at Rundlett Middle School.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton brought out heavyweights of feminism to her New Hampshire rallies over the weekend.

Gloria Steinem made an appeal to women to recognize the historic nature of Clinton's run. The first female US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright also was there. As she stood beside the candidate on Saturday, she addressed the crowd to “just remember, there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”

Many women in the audience erupted in cheers but the backlash since then has been less enthusiastic, with many young women saying they’re offended by the notion that not choosing to vote for Clinton somehow means they’re betraying their gender.

Bill Clinton also got in on the gender issue, ripping Bernie Sanders supporters for what he called "sexist" comments. This all comes with polls showing Hillary Clinton badly trailing Sanders among young women.

If you’re a young woman supporting either Sanders or Clinton, how did you make your decision?

Guests:

Patrick Murray, director of Monmouth University poll based in New Jersey. Its latest focuses on New Hampshire primary

Regina Clemente, Community organizer who supports Bernie Sanders for President

Kate Maeder, Democratic political strategist for Storefront Political Media consultancy based in San Francisco; Maeder supports Hillary Clinton for President

A homeless woman pushes her cart full of belongings along a street in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

For months the LA County Board of Supervisors and LA’s City Council have been going back and forth on a series of homeless initiatives to address the region’s fast growth of homelessness.

Tomorrow, they’ll be asked to approve the Homeless Initiative plan, a far-reaching umbrella including 47 recommended strategies to reduce homelessness. Despite the plan’s proposed $150 million tab, some homeless advocates say it won’t provide enough immediate relief.

We'll look into the plan’s priorities and costs, and where that money will come from.

Guests:

Sheila Kuehl, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing District 3, which includes the San Fernando Valley, the Westside of Los Angeles and coastal areas between Venice and the Ventura County Line. She is a former California State Senator

Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission in downtown LA’s Skid Row

“Eternity Street: Violence and Justice in Frontier Los Angeles” (W.W. Norton, 2016) by John Mack Faragher; Credit: W.W. Norton & Company

Before Los Angeles became the world’s dream factory, before it was the idyllic paradise of surf and sun, the City of Angels started as one of the most violent places in America.

In the new book “Eternity Street,” John Mack Faragher retraces the history of L.A. -- from a small Mexican pueblo where tensions between Indians and Mexicans and Californios were constant, to a place where a county jailed was attacked by a Latino mob, to the Chinatown massacre of 1871, which led to the lynching of 18 Chinese men.

John Mack Faragher will be discussing and signing his new book, “Eternity Street,” tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb 9 at Vroman’s bookstore in Pasadena. Click here for more information.

Guest:

John Mack Faragher, author of “Eternity Street: Violence and Justice in Frontier Los Angeles” (W.W. Norton, 2016). He is also a history professor at Yale University

Suzane Nazir uses a Princeton Review SAT Preparation book to study for the test in Pembroke Pines, Florida.; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Four years in the making, the new SAT test will be unveiled in a month. It’s the biggest overhaul of the college admission test in a decade.

The new test places more emphasis on reading and comprehension, even in the math section. Critics charge that the shift will penalize students whose first language isn’t English, and also those who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Supporters say that the new version is more intellectually rigorous and is a much better gauge of college readiness than the old test.

Guests:

Jed Applerouth, educator and founder of Applerouth Tutoring Services, a national organization that helps students prep for college admission tests like the SAT

Robert Schaeffer, public education director at the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a nonprofit based in Massachusetts that advocates to reform testing practices

The fantasy sports website DraftKings is shown on October 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois.; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Under federal law, online sports betting is illegal.

The 2006 statute banning it was designed to crack down on the practice, but it excluded fantasy sports or sports simulation games. Thanks to this loophole, the law accidentally gave birth to a multi-billion dollar industry that has become the center of a national discussion on what constitutes online gambling.

Today, daily fantasy sports leagues offered by sites like DraftKings and FanDuel promise huge cash payouts for the biggest winners, but have also raised eyebrows. New York’s attorney general has already sought an order to have the sites shut down in his state on the basis that they’re illegal gambling operations, and law enforcement are dedicating resources to better understanding the industry.

FRONTLINE’s ‘The Fantasy Sports Gamble’ dives deep into the world of online sports betting and daily fantasy sports, the legality and ethical questions surrounding the industry, and where its future lies.

TWEET US YOUR THOUGHTS @AIRTALK USING #FantasySportsGamble

‘The Fantasy Sports Gamble’ will air tonight on PBS SoCal (KOCE) at 10 p.m. P.T.

Guest:

Walt Bogdanich, investigations editor for the Business and Finance desk of The New York Times and a correspondent for the FRONTLINE documentary ‘The Fantasy Sports Gamble’

In “What Happened, Miss Simone,” filmmaker Liz Garbus focuses on the singer’s musical career as it intertwined with her growing political activism. ; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

The woman known to the world as Nina Simone was born Eunice Waymon, whose virtuosity at the piano was evident at a very early age.

The North Carolina native changed her name after the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia rejected her scholarship application. She was convinced that it was because of her race, a claim that remains disputed. Broke, Simone started playing at an Atlantic City bar and the name change was done to prevent her parents from finding out.

In “What Happened, Miss Simone,” filmmaker Liz Garbus focuses on the singer’s musical career as it intertwined with her growing political activism. One of Simone’s most famous, and controversial songs, “Mississippi Goddamn” was written in response to the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four young black girls. Simone wrote it in a fit of rage and grief in less than an hour.

As part of our coverage of this year’s Academy Awards, Larry speaks with filmmaker Liz Garbus, and Ambassador Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter, about Simone’s lasting influence.

Guests:

Liz Garbus, filmmaker of the Oscar-nominated documentary, “What Happened, Miss Simone.”

Ambassador Shabazz, diplomat and eldest daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, featured in the documentary, “What Happened, Miss Simone.”

A sand berm created by city workers to protect houses from El Nino storms and high tides is seen at Playa Del Rey beach in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

It’s supposed to reach nearly 90-degrees in parts of Los Angeles today, just hours after recording-breaking hot weather swept through with Santa Ana winds on Monday -- so where’s the cool, wet El Niño we've been promised now for months?

It’s difficult to tell what’s happening when it’s like no El Niño we've ever seen before. To explain what they’re seeing and what to expect, we talk with two of California’s leading climate scientists.

How does El Niño's rainfall stack up?

Guests:

William Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Daniel L. Swain, PhD candidate with the Climate and Earth System Dynamics Group, Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University

US President Barack Obama speaks during a meeting with members of his national security team on cybersecurity on February 9, 2016.; Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

In his final budget proposal as President of the United States, lame duck though it may be, Barack Obama is making a big push to shore up holes in the nation’s cybersecurity after several major hacks in the U.S. last year, including the Chinese theft of millions of Americans’ security records from the Office of Personnel Management.

The Cybersecurity National Action Plan would, in part, set up a committee of technology and cybersecurity experts from outside the government to make suggestions for best practices and designates $3.1 billion dollars to modernize the federal government’s outdated computer system. 

The Republican-controlled Congress isn’t expected to even consider the budget, and both the House and Senate Budget Committees have said they won’t even hold hearings on the FY 2017 proposal.

Guest:

Tim Starks, national cybersecurity reporter at POLITICO; he tweets from @TimStarks

Los Angeles Police Department officers in riot gear look at protestors following a prayer vigil against the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Los Angeles,California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

A police group's proposal that law enforcement officers be required to do more than what's minimally required by law in violent encounters has spurred anger and pushback from leading national groups representing chiefs and rank-and-file sworn officers.      

The Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based think tank, last month unveiled its 30 new principles that re-envision how officers use force after national outrage over questionable shootings and violent arrests initially sparked by the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, police in 2014.

The police research group's recommendations include an unprecedented acknowledgement by police professionals that officers should go beyond the Supreme Court-adopted basic legal standard that asks what a reasonable officer would do in such situations, and encourage officers to focus on preserving all lives, not just their own.

The report states, “Agency use-of-force policies should go beyond the legal standard of “objective reasonableness” outlined in the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision Graham v. Connor. This landmark decision should be seen as ‘necessary but not sufficient,’ because it does not provide police with sufficient guidance on use of force.” (Listen to AirTalk debate Graham v. Connor here.)

Two of the most influential police groups, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Fraternal Order of Police, said they have problems with the proposals.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police says it's "extremely concerned" about recommendations that it worries could ultimately endanger officers and the public.

With files from the Associated Press.

Guests:

Tim Williams, founder of TT Williams Investigations, a private investigation firm in Los Angeles; Retired LAPD Senior Detective Supervisor (Robbery-Homicide Division), 1974-2003; Expert on police procedure and use-of-force for state and federal court

David A. Klinger, Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Missouri--St.Louis ; former LAPD patrol officer

Stickers are one of the incentives used during the student voter drive. The next election is May 19 for seats on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Granite State voters streamed to the polls yesterday for New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary, with Bernie Sanders winning the state's Democratic primary and Donald Trump won on the Republican side.

Listen to AirTalk's coverage at 11 a.m.

After Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton secured victories in the Iowa caucuses last week, it is expected that New Hampshire’s results will be a bellwether for the primaries to come.

But before the nation’s eyes turn to the South Carolina primary, AirTalk’s expert panel of political scientists from across the Claremont Colleges take a look back at the winners and losers from New Hampshire and what lies ahead on the campaign trail for the frontrunners and those still trying to make up ground while there’s time left to spare.

One of the biggest and most important voter groups for any presidential candidate to secure is the youth vote, and today we’ll get a look inside the minds of young, politically-charged college voters who want to leave their mark on this election. Members of the Claremont Colleges’ Republican and Democrat student groups have chosen a candidate to represent, and each surrogate will have a chance to make the case for his or her candidate.

Finally, two students from each group will square off in a final debate to try and answer the question: Why is your party the best one to lead the country?

"Let the People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary" by Geoffrey Cowan; Credit: W.W. Norton & Company

As a way to win the Republican Party nomination against William Howard Taft in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt capitalized on the idea of presidential primaries.

Using the phrase, “Let the people rule,” Roosevelt swept nine out of 13 primaries, but wasn’t powerful enough to win the nomination, which forced him to form a new party.

In his new book, “Let the People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary,” Geoffrey Cowan gives an inside look at Roosevelt’s campaign, with newly found documents and a less-than-flattering telling of deals that were made behind closed doors. Larry Mantle speaks with Cowan on the impact of Roosevelt’s campaign, and what it means for politics today.

Guest:

Geoffrey Cowan, author of "Let the People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary" (W.W. Norton & Company); He’s also a Professor of Communication at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He tweets from @lethepeoplerule