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Comedian Yakov Smirnoff weighs in on the science of laughter and romance

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Laughter could be the secret to a lasting relationship, according to comedian Yakov Smirnoff. ; Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Laughter could be the secret to a lasting relationship, according to comedian Yakov Smirnoff.

For the past 20 years, Smirnoff has been using his theater in Branson, Missouri as a testing ground on how laughter can be a barometer for how happy couples are together.

As a veteran actor, writer and producer, which include appearances in films such as “The Money Pit,” Smirnoff has a great body of knowledge when it comes to making people laugh. But he dove into the world of science at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his master’s degree in psychology in 2006.

In his upcoming PBS special, “Happily Ever Laughter: The Neuroscience of Romance,” Smirnoff combines his stand-up comedy and love of psychology into a motivational talk about how to improve romantic relationships through laughter. He speaks with Larry Mantle today on what led him to create this new one man show.

Happily Ever Laughter: The Neuroscience of Romance” airs Saturday, March 5 at 8 p.m. P/T on PBS SoCal

Guest:

Yakov Smirnoff, comedian, actor, writer and creator of the PBS special, “Happily Ever Laughter: The Neuroscience of Romance”


Sexual harassment and mob justice in the LA comedy scene

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Comedy Central Stand-Up Comedy Movie - Day 1

A comedian performs in Las Vegas, Nevada. ; Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Comedy has a reputation as a boy’s club and a macho scene, making it difficult for women comedians to break in… and fit in.  

BuzzFeed writer Katie Baker looks at allegations of sexual harassment and assault in the L.A. comedy world, following allegations from two female comedians — Courtney Pauroso and Beth Stelling — that a fellow stand-up comedian raped them.

Instead of going to the police, Stelling posted photos on Instagram showing bruises on her arms and legs. Pauroso disclosed on her podcast that she had also been a victim of the same man. Neither named their attacker, but he was quickly outed.

Taking a page from the playbook of sexual assault survivors on college campuses and in the military, women in the L.A. comedy scene are turning to the Internet and social media to expose perpetrators. Their actions speak to an implicit distrust in authority – be it the police, a university dean, or a superior officer – to treat them fairly.

But this mode of justice has also left many in the L.A. comedy community feeling uneasy. The accused has never been formally charged with a crime but they've been ostracized and, in some cases, banned outright from working in some L.A. venues.

If you work in the L.A. comedy scene, call 866-893-5722 to share your experience and thoughts on the subject.

Guests:

Katie J.M. Baker, BuzzFeed reporter who wrote the piece, “Standing Up To Sexual Harassment And Assault In L.A.’s Comedy Scene” that was published on the site in January. She tweets from @katiejmbaker

Charna Halpern, artistic director of iO Theater, an improv comedy club in Chicago and Hollywood, which has institued new policy on sexual harassment

South Coast AQMD head’s performance to be reviewed as board member ideologies clash

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Southern California Continues to Battle Air Pollution

The downtown skyline is enveloped in smog shortly before sunset in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

When the South Coast Air Quality Management District holds its monthly meeting on Friday, one of the items on the agenda will be looking at the performance of executive officer Barry Wallerstein.

A recent shift in the board’s makeup, including several new appointees, was part of a campaign to change its focus to making life easier for business by rolling back pollution regulations.

The South Coast AQMD is made up of elected officials from L.A., Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties and is responsible for controlling pollution across Southern California.

Guests:

Tony Barboza, L.A. Times reporter covering air quality and the environment

Morgan Wyenn, staff attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council

Bryan Starr, senior vice president of government affairs for the Orange County Business Council

Indian commercial urging men to #SharetheLoad of housework catches fire in US

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A television commercial for a laundry detergent in India urging men to pitch in to help women with household chores has gone viral in the U.S.; Credit: Keystone Features/Getty Images

A television commercial for a laundry detergent in India urging men to pitch in to help women with household chores has gone viral in the U.S., even earning a thumbs up from one of Silicon Valley’s most powerful women, Sheryl Sandberg.

The ad shows a father in India watching his daughter as she busily takes care of housework, her kid, and cooks after work, while his son-in-law sits idly in front of the TV. The scene eventually prompts the guilt-ridden dad to write a letter.

“My little baby girl. You’re all grown up now. You used to play house. And now you manage your own house and your office. I am so proud and I am so sorry,” the father says in the ad.

“I never told you that it’s not your job alone, but your husband’s too but how could I have said it, when I never helped your mom either,” the father continues. “Your husband must have learnt the same from his dad.... Sorry on behalf of his dad ... sorry on behalf of every dad who set the wrong example.”

Since its release last week on YouTube, the ad has traveled far from India. One notable fan is Facebook COO Sandberg, who posted the ad on her social network profile and applauded its message, embodied by the ad’s hashtag #SharetheLoad.

What do you think of the ad? Does what it depicts ring true in your own household? How do you and your spouse negotiate housework? Call 866-893-5722 to let us know.

Debating value, ethics of infecting monkeys with Zika virus

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A veterinarian examines a monkey in a laboratory at the Center for Scientific Research Caucaseco in the outskirts of Cali, Colombia during the World Day for the fight against malaria.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Scientists at the California National Primate Research Center are infecting pregnant rhesus monkeys with the Zika virus to determine whether it causes microcephaly in babies.

Koen Van Rompay, Ph.D., a leading virologist at UC Davis who pioneered research preventing HIV transmission between pregnant mothers and babies, is leading the studies.

He explains the value of the animal study, “Microcephaly [in fetuses] seems to occur when women get infected during the first trimester of the pregnancy, but in humans there are a lot of co-factors, so it’s hard to be certain. The value of an animal model is we can really control so many factors. We can infect a monkey with just the Zika virus, and if we then see microcephaly that would provide the strongest piece of evidence that Zika is the cause.” The next steps at the lab would be to test intervention strategies, such as vaccines and drugs to block transmission and/or block infection.

However, the effectiveness of such animal research is being questioned, not just by organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), but also the National Institutes of Health (NIH).A recent strategy paper from the NIH states: “Petri dish and animal models often fail to provide good ways to mimic disease or predict how drugs will work in humans, resulting in much wasted time and money while patients wait for therapies.”

Justin Goodman, Director of Laboratory Investigations with PETA, says “Animal studies on Zika are unnecessary because scientists are very close to determining the link to microcephaly based on the myriad human cases.”

Indeed in mid-February, the World Health Organization said it expects to decide within a few weeks if there is a link between the Zika virus and birth defects.

A Lancet-published study involving pregnant women in Brazil “strengthens” the theory that Zika is linked to birth defects. The research confirmed the presence of the virus in the amniotic fluid of two women who had Zika-like symptoms.

Marie-Paule Kieny, assistant director-general of the WHO said, “It seems indeed that the link with Zika (and microcephaly) is becoming more and more probable… I think that we need a few more weeks and a few more studies to have this straight," as reported by BBC News.

Yet the epidemic continues to spread rapidly around the world. Yesterday, the Pan-American arm (PAHO) of the WHO called for ramping up research.

"The bottom line is that there is yet much to learn about Zika. We have made some progress but we still need to learn much more about this virus," said Marcos Espinal, director of PAHO/WHO's Department of Communicable Diseases. "Laboratory detection, epidemiology, the dynamics of arboviral diseases, mapping new vector control tools, these are among our priority research topics today."

Goodman of PETA argues with so much known and so many resources dedicated to Zika research the animal researchers are simply using this outbreak to justify funding for their research – which wastes time and resources on a methodology that has bitter little success. “That causes harm when humans wait for a vaccine or a treatment in vain,” he said.

Guests:

Koen Van Rompay, D.V.M, PH.D., Virologist, California National Primate Research Center, UC Davis; Van Rompay pioneered research preventing HIV transmission between pregnant mothers and babies; he tweets from @KoenVanRompay

Justin Goodman, Director, Laboratory Investigations Department, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Mitt Romney speaks, Republicans mobilize against Trump

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Mitt Romney Delivers Speech On State Of 2016 GOP Presidential Race

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gives a speech on the state of the Republican party at the Hinckley Institute of Politics on the campus of the University of Utah.; Credit: George Frey/Getty Images

Mitt Romney delivered a scathing speech this morning directly targeting Donald Trump as being unfit for the Presidency, calling him a phony misogynist whose temperament isn’t fit for the job.

It's unclear whether Romney's warning against Trump will connect with Trump's likely supporters. The issues Romney raises are all well-known, but haven't slowed down Trump.

Do Trump supporters care that his taxes might contradict what he says about his businesses and philanthropy? Do they care that US allies are worried, and that Muslims worldwide might see him as representative of US distrust of Muslims? Do they care that Trump's trade policies might start a trade war? Are they bothered by his un-Presidential temperament?

Exit polls show most Trump voters don't care that he doesn't share their values or that he's less electable than other Republicans. They feel good voting for him. How can Republican leaders counter a bandwagon that's largely based on a feeling of empowerment, rather than one of policies or character?

Watch the full speech here:

Guests:

Shawn Steel, Republican National Committee California National Committeemen

Jeffrey Lord, a contributing editor to The American Spectator, a former aide to Ronald Reagan and author of What America Needs: The Case for Trump

Ron Nehring, State GOP Chairman and RNC member 2007-11. National Spokesman and CA Chairman for Ted Cruz’s campaign

John Eastman, professor of law and founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence at Chapman University and Chairman of the Board of the National Organization for Marriage,a D.C.-based nonprofit working to defend marriage and the faith communities that filed an amicus brief in this case

Are down n’ dirty debates good for Democracy?

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Republican Presidential Candidates Marco Rubio (L) and Donald Trump spar during the Republican Presidential Debate in Detroit, Michigan, March 3, 2016.; Credit: GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images

Welcome to Election 2016, where candidates stop being nice, and start getting real.

Reality television has changed pop culture in innumerable ways. Its effects are still being debated today, even as the genre spreads to other aspects of the greater culture. Politics has certainly not been immune to it.

But this year’s presidential election cycle seems to have epitomized the reality tv-ization of the American political discourse. For evidence, look no further than last night’s GOP debate in Detroit.

Any pretense at civility amongst the remaining candidates flew out the window last night. Personal attacks were traded freely, nothing seemed off-limits, including the size of someone’s private parts.

Critics call it a dumbing down of democracy, but supporters point to the record turnout of GOP voters so far and sky-high debate ratings as proof that the American people are more engaged than ever before.

Guests: 

Stephen Duncombe, Professor of Media and Culture at New York University and he is the author, co-author, editor, and co-editor of six books, including "Dream: Re-Imagining Progressive Politics in an Age of Fantasy"

Ross Barkan, a national political reporter for The New York Observer. Disclosure: Donald Trump is the father-in-law of Jared Kushner, the publisher of Observer Media.

 

The reasons behind USC’s tuition hike, now over $50k per year

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A statue of the school mascot, the Trojan, stands on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC) on March 6, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

For the first time ever, the University of Southern California’s tuition will exceed $50,000 a year in the 2016-17 academic year.

The $1,978 increase was announced on the website of USC’s Office of Financial Aid on Thursday and a screenshot of it quickly went viral on social media. The total estimated cost of a year of school at USC is now just shy of $70K at $69,711.

The school’s administration has yet to release specific reasons for the tuition increase, and The Daily Trojan’s op-ed team has already written a piece calling out USC for lack of transparency. USC Provost Michael Quick has said that the reality is USC is competing with the major Ivy League schools and other prestigious universities, and that comes at a cost.

Guest:

Pedro Noguera, distinguished professor of education in the Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences at UCLA


Why American education’s emphasis on math is misplaced

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Professor emeritus of Political Science Andrew Hacker's new book, "The Math Myth," takes direct aim at what he calls the STEM delusion. ; Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

In this era where student higher-level math skills are touted as never before, a contrarian voice has risen from Queen's College New York.

Professor emeritus of Political Science Andrew Hacker's new book, "The Math Myth," takes direct aim at what he calls the STEM delusion. Students are told repeatedly that to succeed in the economy of the future, a mastery of math and other STEM topics is absolutely necessary.

In his new book, Hacker argues that this emphasis on learning advanced mathematical skills -- algebra, geometry and calculus -- is missing the point. Computer coders don’t need that kind of math to do their job. Something more basic would do, he contends, like statistics and analytic thinking.

Given that one out of five students fails to graduate high school because they fail math, isn’t it time we rethink the country’s educational priorities?

Guest:

Andrew Hacker, a professor emeritus of political science at Queens College in New York, and author of the new book, “The Math Myth and Other STEM Delusions” (The New Press, 2016)

Obama’s SCOTUS nominee strategy after Sandoval trial balloon

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Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), speaks to the media about the recent vacancy at the US Supreme Court, on Capitol Hill February 23, 2016 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Brian Sandoval nomination the White House floated last month to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia was short-lived. What the litmus test revealed is the strength of the GOP’s united front against any Obama nominee.

Weeks after the trial balloon, the Washington Post is reporting on a new strategy the Obama administration is hammering out. In particular, the White House is looking at a list of relatively fresh-faced federal judges who are considered ideologically neutral, and without a long judicial records.

Citing anonymous sources, the paper says President Obama believes that a sitting federal judge would be represent his best chance at getting the Senate confirmation hearings held for the vacant seat, even though Republicans on both sides of the aisle have stood by their position.

Guest: 

Amy Goldstein, DC reporter for the Washington Post who co-reported the piece looking at the federal judges the White House is considering for the vacant Supreme Court seat. She tweets from @goldsteinamy

AirTalk election 2016: Flint debate analysis and handicapping both parties after weekend caucuses, primaries

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Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate In Flint

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speak during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate.; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

It was a whirlwind weekend of political developments, including smaller primaries and caucuses, and last night's Democratic debate in Flint.

Tomorrow, Michigan and Mississippi voters decide.

Not surprisingly, given the location, much of the time was devoted to manufacturing, trade deals, and racial perceptions. Clinton clearly saw an opening to score with her support of the auto industry bailout when she accused Sanders of voting against it.

However, according to Fact Check.org, Sanders supported the first bill that explicitly provided $15-billion for carmakers. He voted against the second TARP allocation, which didn't contain much mention of Detroit. President Obama later disbursed nearly $80-billion of that money to GM and Chrysler, but the bill wasn't pitched that way to Congress. And for the first time, we had a question about how the candidates viewed their religious faiths.

Guests:

Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder of Rodriguez Strategies; former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets @RodStrategies

Paris Dennard, Republican political analyst and former staffer for President George W. Bush and the Republican National Committee; he tweets @PARISDENNARD

What you need to know about superbugs that LA’s sewage plants can’t kill

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US-ENVIRONMENT-CLIMATE-ENERGY-COP21-ELECTRICITY

A worker cleans a wastewater pool at DC Water's Blue Plains plant in Washington, DC, on November 23, 2015.; Credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Scientists with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are worried that a deadly superbug known as CRE, aka carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae, could make its way into the Pacific Ocean via our sewage system.

The germ was recently detected in a Southern California sewage treatment plant, where it was believed to have entered with the millions of gallons of raw sewage that flow from nearby hospitals every day. The discovery could help explain how superbugs have been spreading beyond hospitals.

We speak with the reporter who broke the story.

Guest:

Melody Peterson, Los Angeles Times reporter who broke the story

As Gold and Expo lines expand, a look at how it’s changing our commutes & communities

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Azusa Downtown Station at Saturday's dedication. ; Credit: Foothill Gold Line

Riding the Metro just got a whole lot easier; at least that’s the Metro Transportation Authority’s goal.

With the grand opening of the Gold Line Foothill Extension on March 5 and a new Expo Line connecting Downtown Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica opening later this month, taking public transportation to Citrus College and neighborhoods like Pasadena and Santa Monica is possible.

Have the new extensions and added  Wi-Fi convinced you to start riding the Metro? How will these new extensions and technological upgrades change how Angelenos commute?

Guests:

Meghan McCarty, Commuting and Mobility Reporter, KPCC

Ethan Elkind, Associate Director of the Climate Change and Business Program, a joint program between UCLA and UC Berkeley schools of law. He is the author of “Railtown: The Fight for the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the Future of the City” (University of California Press, 2014)

Remembering Nancy Reagan

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Nancy Reagan looks during speeches at the christen

Nancy Reagan looks during speeches at the christening ceremony of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Newport News Shipbuilding Yard in Newport News, Virginia, 04 March 2001.; Credit: MARIO TAMA/AFP/Getty Images

Larry Mantle talks with Edmund Morris about the life of Nancy Reagan.

Read the full story here.

Guest:

Edmund Morris, authorized biographer of Ronald Reagan and his memoir, “Dutch” (Random House, 1999)

Debating drone strikes as White House prepares to release first-ever casualty figures

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Obama Discusses US Counterterrorism Policy At National Defense University

U.S. President Barack Obama listens as Medea Benjamin, an activist from the organization called Code Pink, shouts at him while he speaks at the National Defense University.; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Obama administration will disclose how many people have been killed in American drone and counterterrorism strikes since 2009.

The disclosure is expected to happen in weeks, and comes after sustained criticism from human rights groups for the White House’s lack of transparency on the issue.

The release will certainly reinvigorate the debate over the use of military drone strikes in U.S. counterterrorism campaigns overseas. Champions of drone warfare believe they provide a cheaper and safer way to combat terrorism, but critics they claim too many innocent lives.

Guests:

Mary Ellen O'Connell, Professor of International Law and International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Paul Scharre, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a national security and defense policy think tank


What Erin Andrews’ $55M settlement says about psychology, security, and the law

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Erin Andrews Court Appearance

Sportscaster Erin Andrews enters the courtroom on February 29, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. Andrews is taking legal action against the operator of the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University.; Credit: Erika Goldring/Getty Images

Sports reporter Erin Andrews won a $55-million judgement yesterday in her lawsuit against a Nashville hotel where she was secretly videotaped while nude.

The man who admitted altering a peephole to take the video was also found liable. His share is 51 percent. The hotel's share is 49. The video was taken in 2009. The perpetrator is serving a two-and-a-half year criminal sentence.

Andrews provided emotional testimony about how demoralizing it was to find out millions of people had viewed the video online. Though the $55-million can't undo her trauma, it's a big award.

The jury decided on it after just seven hours of deliberation. If you've experienced a similar violation, where video or photos of you were posted online without your consent, how did you deal with it? What effect has it had on your life or work? Did you pursue legal action? Was it effective? And what are the implications for hotel security (Andrews claimed that the hotel bore partial responsibility because it facilitated the perpetrator's access to her room)?

His request for the room next to hers was granted by the hotel. He apparently found out where she was staying by pretending to be part of her travel party.

What effect might this judgement have on hotel security and privacy?

If you are or have been a victim of stalking and need help, the number to call is 855-4-Victim, or click here for a list of resources.

Guests:

Chris Muller, Professor of the Practice in the School of Hospitality Administration at Boston University  

Alison Triessl, criminal defense attorney and president of the Los Angeles County Criminal Courts Bar Association

Sandra Henriquez, Executive Director the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault based in Sacramento

Sharp exchanges between Bernie and Hillary spark gender politics controversy

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Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speak during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate.; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Despite all the back and forth over policy at Sunday night's Democratic debate, it was Bernie Sanders' rebuke of Hillary Clinton that most stoked online conversation.

Some said they were outraged that Sanders would behave so sexistly. Others thought the criticism of Sanders played to stereotypes of women needing protection. This has struck a nerve on both sides.

Was Sanders’ response to Clinton something you think he'd never do with a man? If so, why not? Does the criticism of Sanders imply Clinton needs protecting from a male candidate? Is this merely an example of heavy users of social media's need to find something to respond to emotionally? Are we dealing with users who've developed an ongoing emotional need to react?

Guests:

Lori Cox Han, Professor of Political Science, Chapman University; Author, "In It to Win It: Electing Madam President" (Bloomsbury; 2015)

Jennifer Lawless, Director, Women & Politics Institute at American University; Professor Government; Author "Running from Office: Why Young Americans Are Turned Off to Politics" (Oxford University Press; 2015)

 

Debating foreign policy contrasts of Clinton and Sanders

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Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton walks away after speaking about Iran at the Brookings Institute September 9, 2015 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The foreign policies of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders offer Democrat voters contrasting worldviews and different voting records.

Sanders has underlined he was on the right side of history when, unlike then-Senator Clinton, he voted against the Iraq War authorization in 2002. Clinton has defended that vote, as it was qualified support to back up U.S. demands for weapons inspections. Still, that is just one of many foreign policy decisions that portray Clinton as an interventionist compared to Sanders.

Last month when Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D - HI) endorsed Sanders she explained why: “There is a clear contrast between our two candidates with regard to my strong belief that we must end the interventionist, regime change policies that have cost us so much."

Clinton's foreign policy advisors argue Sanders lacks a strategy to defeat ISIS in Syria. In a letter written by Clinton advisors they state: “We are concerned that Senator Sanders has not thought through these crucial national security issues that can have profound consequences for our security."

How would the two candidates differ in their handling of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? What are their respective views of the United Nations? How do foreign policy views differ among voting Democrats? And how much do they prioritize it?

Interview Highlights

The critics of Bernie Sanders say that he doesn’t seem particularly engaged –intellectually or his interest level – when it comes to foreign policy. [They say] the themes he’s most comfortable with -- and cares the most about-- are the domestic ones. Do you have any concerns that if he were elected president he would shunt aside foreign policy matters to focus almost exclusively on domestic ones?

Katrina vanden Heuvel: What I regret is that there has not been a foreign policy debate in the democratic primaries. The last debates have essentially been foreign policy by bumper sticker, [but] we haven’t fully heard from the candidates. 

So you see him as highly engaged, you think he’d put a lot of time and energy into foreign affairs?

Katrina vanden Heuvel: I think there’s this mantra out there that Secretary Clinton has the experience, but I have to say, you’ve got to wonder sometimes, what’s more important judgment or experience? We don’t want to relitigate the past, but Senator Kennedy once said the most important vote he ever cast was [a vote] opposing the Iraq War authorization.

Brian Katulis' response to Katrina vanden Heuvel's comments about Hillary Clinton 

It’s easy to critique in hindsight, but you also have to look at the full picture. You have to look at the alternatives that people are proposing and [you have to look at] how we [can] move forward. I think it’s fair, but I think there’s more room for criticism for somebody who has much more experience on foreign policy than Senator Sanders has demonstrated.

Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.

This story has been updated.

Guests:

Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editor and Publisher of “The Nation;” Tweets from @KatrinaNation; wrote "Bernie Sanders, Foreign Policy Realist" in today's Washington Post

Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; penned "Against Disengagement" in Democracy journal

LAUSD reexamines dress codes

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Students Receive A-Level Results

A group of students congratulate each other after reading their 'A' Level grades.; Credit: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Unified School District recently asked 160 of its schools to review their dress code enforcement policies after a student who refused to cover up her spaghetti straps was removed from class.

LAUSD dress code policy states that “Students may not be disciplined or removed from class as a consequence for wearing ‘inappropriate’ attire. But it does allow for a student to briefly leave class to change clothes.

Individual schools are tasked with determining and implementing their own dress codes. According to the LA Times, “On a hot fall day, a student named Mary “James” Salazar wore a red dress with thin shoulder straps to Grand Arts, the school’s informal name. She says she was told her clothes were too revealing and distracting, and she refused to wear a sweater from lost and found that was offered to her, or to ask her mother to bring clothes.

As a result, James said she spent most of the day in the office instead of learning in class.”

Classmates of James’ like Angel Fabre have been moved to organize groups like “The Separation of dress and education.”

In a recent interview she told the LA Times, “I should be worrying about my test that I have in the next period, I should be worrying about a dance class, not my body or if somebody is going to attack me or harass me for it."

Bul-2549.1- Student Dress Codes- Edit-12!18!09.Doc (PDF)_1 (1)

Guests:

Eugene Hernandez, Administrator of Operations, Los Angeles Unified School District

Jo Paoletti, professor of American studies at the University of Maryland and an expert on gender differences in American fashion

Why workers will lead the new standard for American dining

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9780199380473

; Credit: Oxford University Press

The restaurant industry is one of the fastest-growing segments of the United States economy; It's also the absolute lowest paying employer in the U.S.

Between line chefs that come to work sick because they aren't allowed any sick day and servers who deal with sexual harassment on a regular basis because they're desperate for tip money as their sole income, there are uncomfortable truths about professional eating establishments that we're barely beginning to acknowledge.

In her new book, Saru Jayaraman, co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Center United, tells the story of a new class of chefs. This new guard is looking to foster sustainable wages and working conditions in a business that's avoided proper practice for far too long.

Guests:

Saru Jayaraman, author of “Forked: A New Standard For American Dining” (Oxford University Press, 2016). She is co-founder of  Restaurant Opportunities Center United, an organization dedicated to improve wages and work conditions for restaurant workers

Bill Chait, restaurateur and founder of Bestia, République and a number of other restaurants in L.A.

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