Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine (L) and Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence (R) speak during the Vice Presidential Debate at Longwood University.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Last night's Vice-Presidential debate might have lacked the excitement of the three headliner debates between Trump and Clinton, but they still grabbed a sizable audience - more than 50 million Americans tuned in.

Republican Mike Pence's goal was clearly to reassure conservatives and people of faith that Trump was worthy of their trust. Democrat Tim Kaine's priority was pinning Pence down with Trump's extreme comments. That forced Pence to sidestep or claim Kaine's characterization of the comments was misleading.

Just as Clinton was generally crowned the winner of the first Presidential debate, Pence seemed the consensus winner last night.

Did Kaine's aggressive approach backfire? Did both men work to position themselves as much for future Presidential runs as doing heavy lifts for their teams? Will evangelicals and fiscal conservatives feel better about voting for Trump?

Guests:

Angela T. Rye, a democratic analyst and  CEO of IMPACT Strategies, a DC-based political consulting and government relations firm; she tweets @angela_rye

Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco

Lori Cox Han, professor of political science at Chapman University

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

From left to right: Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante, James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano and Tony Sirico as Paulie Walnuts star in HBO's hit television series, "The Sopranos" (Year 3).; Credit: HBO

Rolling Stone splashed its latest cover with a list of “The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time,” but of course for TV-lovers and critics, highly debatable.

How’d the list come together and where does one even start to weed through, let alone rank, classic sitcoms from beloved soaps to family cartoons and more? In 2015 alone, there were 409 originally scripted television series.

So what makes a “Top 10” selection versus “Top 25,” and are your favorite shows on the list? What's your pick for the number one spot?

Guests:

Hank Steuver, TV Critic for the Washington Post; he wrote the piece “Rolling Stone has come up with the 100 greatest TV shows of all time. My list was a little different”; he tweets @hankstuever

Sonia Saraiya, TV critic for Variety; she tweets @soniasaraiya

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A Grizzly bear mother and her cub walk near Pelican Creek October 8, 2012 in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

A public comment period ends this Friday on whether or not to remove the Yellowstone grizzly bear from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

Added to the list in the 1970s, the bear’s population numbers have more than doubled in the 40 years it’s been federally protected, but now some biologists and environmentalists say it’s time for them to be “delisted.” Opponents argue that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which proposed delisting the bear, is rushing to make a decision without fully understanding the impacts of delisting on the bear’s habitat.

Delisting the bear would remove federal protections that prohibit things like hunting grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). If Fish and Wildlife does move forward with delisting, protection of the bears would be turned over to the states of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Parks and wildlife officials in those have proposed plans for both protecting and hunting Yellowstone grizzlies.

There’s still time to weigh in before the public comment period closes. You can submit your comment to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service here.

Guests:

Matt Hogan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mountain-Prairie Region 6 in Colorado

Rick Bass, writer-in-residence at Montana State University and author of L.A. Times op-ed ‘Don’t delist Yellowstone’s grizzlies’

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A Russian River Brewing Company bartender pours a glass of the newly released Pliny the Younger triple IPA beer on February 7, 2014 in Santa Rosa, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Craft beer has been on the scene for a while now.

And with that, many beer businesses have opted to become part of the craze. But could the proliferation of so many companies be oversaturating the market?

As reported in The Wall Street journal, with a large number of small craft beer companies on the rise, it’s been difficult for breweries to find hops that give their product that signature taste.

Larry speaks today to Tom McCormick of the California Craft Brewers Association, to find out more about the future of the craft beer industry.

Guest:

Tom McCormick, executive director of California Craft Brewers Association

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

SolarCraft workers Joel Overly (L) and Craig Powell (R) install a solar panel on the roof of a home on February 26, 2015 in San Rafael, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

When does it make sense to invest in solar panels on your home?

They may seem like a good way to help the environment and save money, but a recent rise in consumer complaints is bringing the energy-saving investment into question. As reported in the Sacramento Bee, California’s solar panel industry is booming, and with it comes issues surrounding customer exploitation, increases in property taxes and trouble selling homes with panels installed. But there are also many success stories. Larry Mantle speaks to Ivan Penn of the L.A. Times to get the ins and outs of what consumers should know before buying rooftop solar panels.

Guest:

Ivan Penn, energy reporter for the Los Angeles Times

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Proposition 59 is an advisory measure seeking voter opinion on whether officials should act to overturn the Citizens United court ruling.

Details here.

Guests: 

Michele Sutter, the chair of the Yes On 59 Committee

John Eastman, Henry Salvatori Professor of Law & Community Service, Chapman University; Founding Director, Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence at The Claremont Institute

Do you have your voter game plan? Use our Voter's Edge election guide to find your personalized ballot.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

California U.S. Senate Democratic candidate California Attorney General Kamala Harris, left, speaks as Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, center, listens during a debate.; Credit: Mark J. Terrill/AP

At the one and only debate between the two candidates vying for Barbara Boxer's US Senate seat took place last night at Cal State LA, Loretta Sanchez and Kamala Harris tried to distinguish their differences.

It's the first time two CA US Senate candidates from the same party will face each other for the general election. That's the result of CA implementing a top two primary that pairs the two leading vote-getters, regardless of party. Harris is CA's Attorney General. Sanchez represents much of central Orange County in the House of Representatives. Both are Democrats.

Harris has the Party's official endorsement, as well as those of President Obama and many high-profile Democrats. This morning, she added the backing of both US Senators from CA - the retiring Barbara Boxer and the state's senior Senator, Dianne Feinstein.

Larry talks with John Myers and Marisa Lagos about the takeaways from last night’s debate.

Read more here.

Guests:

John Myers, Sacramento Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times; he tweets @johnmyers

Marisa Lagos, reporter for KQED’s California Government and Politics desk; she tweets @mlagos

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Heavy waves caused by Hurricane Matthew pounds the boat docks at the Sunset Bar and Grill, October 7, 2016 on Cocoa Beach, Florida. ; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Hurricane Matthew, the storm that wreaked havoc in Haiti on Thursday, is swiping the coast of Florida and has forecasters worried for Jacksonville.

With winds reaching 120 miles per hour, this Category 3 storm has left almost 1 million without power.

While projections said the storm would go out to sea, some meteorologists now think that it will turn landwards Friday.

President Obama declared a state of emergency in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, where many of the residents were ordered to evacuate.

Larry brings you the latest.

Guest: 

Robert Alonso, reporter with WOKV FM in Jacksonville, Florida; he is at the Emergency Operations Center in St. John’s County near Jacksonville; he tweets @RAlonsoWOKV

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

; Credit:

The Automobile Club of Southern California recently came out in opposition to California’s recreational marijuana legalization measure, Prop 64, and on Wednesday held a ‘Drugged Driver Summit’ to address some of the concerns about and potential impacts of driving under the influence of marijuana.

What do we know about collisions in states that have already legalized recreational marijuana? Is there evidence to support the claim that legal recreational marijuana would lead to an increase in high driving?

Guests: 

Jeff Spring, spokesman with the Auto Club of Southern California

David Bearman, M.D., vice president of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine and former director of the Sutter County (CA) Health Department, vice president of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine and former director of the Sutter County (CA) Health Department

Do you have your voter game plan? Use our Voter's Edge election guide to find your personalized ballot.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Grace Marie, a sex worker and dominatrix, poses for photo in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 30, 2015. She has posted advertisements on the classified ad website Backpage.com.; Credit: Jae C. Hong/AP

The former owners of the LA Weekly have been charged with conspiracy to commit pimping. Michael Lacey and James Larkin sold off their alternative newspapers four years ago, but they kept the lucrative classified ads website Backpage.com.

State Attorney General Kamala Harris says the site brings in millions of dollars from the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable victims. According to Backpage's IRS filings, the company makes 99-percent of its income from its adult listings for escorts.

Backpage's CEO Carl Ferrer was arrested yesterday in Houston, after authorities raided the company's Dallas headquarters. Ferrer faces a more serious count of conspiracy to pimp a minor.
Lacey and Larkin aren't yet in custody. They live in Arizona, where many years ago they started the alternative weekly New Times in Phoenix. They then launched New Times Los Angeles and later acquired the LA Weekly.

Backpage has long argued that they remove listings by minors on their adult pages and report the incidents to authorities. Kamala Harris claims the site is purposefully designed by its executives to be the world's top online brothel. Backpage has created sites in cities around the world, including over 30 in California.

Is what Backpage is doing truly pimping, or is it simply a neutral conduit for those offering sexual services?

Larry speaks with legal expert Eric Goldman  on the charges.

With AP files

Guest: 

Eric Goldman, a Professor of Law at Santa Clara University School of Law; he also co-directs the school’s High Tech Law Institute

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

An old gym locker room.; Credit: Charles Kremenak/Flickr

The Trump campaign is defending the contents of the “Access Hollywood” tape, in which candidate Donald Trump talks explicitly about uninvitedly grabbing women’s crotches and kissing them without permission, by characterizing the comments as “locker room talk.”

On AirTalk, we will speak with listeners about the nature of so-called locker room talk. On the recording, Trump brags that his star status allows him to get away with grabbing women without them being able to stop him.

We'll open up the phones to find out what kinds of locker room talk you overhear. How common is it, what does it typically constitute, and do Trump's comments fit within your understanding of the term?

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

2005 Access Hollywood video in which Trump (L) and Billy Bush (R) are show having lewd conversation about women. ; Credit: 2005 Access Hollywood video, screenshot via The Washington post

The 2005 Access Hollywood video that showed Donald Trump boasting about sexually assaulting women prompted the question of why the NBC-owned footage broke via “The Washington Post.”

Tipped off by an anonymous source, it took Post reporter David Farenthold five hours to verify and publish the story on Friday, whereas NBC had been aware of the archival footage since at least last Monday, according to sources.

Some have pointed to NBC’s vetting process and the slow mulling over questions of legality, while others say the problem lies in the distance between NBC’s entertainment side and its news team. Another potential complication was NBC’s on-air personality Billy Bush, since suspended, who was shown playing accomplice to Trump’s lewd remarks.

So what, exactly, was NBC waiting for? And is there more potentially damaging footage sitting in NBC’s “Apprentice” archives?

Guest: 

Margaret Sullivan, Media Columnist for “The Washington Post” - the news outlet that broke the story of the “Access Hollywood” tape; Sullivan wrote: “A political bombshell was right under NBC’s nose. What took the network so long?”

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump (L) and Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speak during the town hall debate at Washington University.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Last night's presidential debate quickly turned to a recording released on Friday which has Donald Trump talking about groping women.

Moderator Anderson Cooper asked Trump if he realized he was describing sexual assault. Trump denied he had taken such actions, then discussed Bill Clinton’s history of sexual improprieties.

Trump had already signaled how he'd defend himself with a pre-debate news conference featuring women who'd accused Bill Clinton, including rape. One of the women was the alleged victim of an alleged rapist whom Hillary Clinton defended in court decades ago.

During the debate, Trump said, "If you look at Bill Clinton, far worse. Mine are words and his was action."

How will this play to the suburban and working class white women Trump needs to attract for his campaign to succeed? We’ll also look at other issues raised in the debate such as Hillary Clinton’s comments on how politicians' public and private statements don’t always align. Additionally, we'll examine Trump's comments on the conflict in Syria and how they contrast with his running mate, vice presidential candidate Mike Pence.

Guests:

Harmeet Dhillon, RNC National Committeewoman for California; she tweets @pnjaban

Bill Burton, Democratic political strategist, Hillary supporter, former deputy White House press secretary for President Barack Obama; he tweets @billburton

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers a speech at Temple University on September 19, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

On the heels of Trump’s 2005 “hot mic” video, Wikileaks released Friday a slew of reportedly hacked emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta.

The emails had excerpts of Clinton’s paid speeches that were seen as potentially damaging to her campaign. As reported by POLITICO, this included quotes on open trade and open borders, as well as jokes about the Benghazi hearing. They also included excerpts from paid Wall Street speeches.

Larry speaks to Josh Gerstein of POLITICO to get a deeper look at what the new leak means for the Clinton campaign.

Guest: 

Josh Gerstein, senior White House reporter for POLITICO

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A Samsung and Apple smartphone are displayed on August 6, 2014 in London, England. ; Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

The country’s high court hears arguably the biggest tech patent case in modern history today, involving two of the biggest names in consumer technology.

The “Samsung Electronics Co. v. Apple” case stems from a long-running lawsuit between the two tech giants in which Apple sued Samsung for copying the design of the iPhone. That case had already been decided, and Samsung was found guilty for infringing on Apple’s intellectual property.

What the Supreme Court is going to determine is the monetary punishment of such a violation -- how much should Samsung pay for plagiarizing the design of a tech product. If the Supreme Court sides with Apple, then it gets to keep the $400 million it has collected on the judgement.

The case deals with a very specific piece of intellectual property law that applies to the design -- the artistic rendition and conception -- of a tech product, and has far-reaching ramifications for the tech world.

Guests: 

Shara Tibken, CNET reporter who’s been following the story

Mark S Davies, lawyer with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe who wrote an amicus brief on behalf of a group of industrial design professionals and educators in support of Apple

Mark A Lemley, Stanford law professor who wrote an amicus brief on behalf of a group of intellectual property professors in support of Samsung

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Introducing Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant.; Credit: Google (via YouTube)

Recently, when Google announced its own version of Amazon's voice-recognition digital home assistant, the company did not spend a moment addressing any privacy safeguards nor concerns.

As Wall Street Journal tech reporter Geoffrey Fowler tweeted: "So just to review, Google says it wants to install microphones all over your house. And didn't talk about privacy."

In addition to Google's Home device (with the assisting software named "Assistant") and Amazon's Echo (with software named "Alexa"), Apple is trying to broaden Siri's capabilities and Sony is developing its Xperia Agent, each with the initial aim of controlling a smart-home universe including music stereos, lighting, temperature, sprinklers, even security. The hands-free devices work by being programmed to recognize the voices of their owners. One privacy safeguard with the Echo is that the device is engineered to light up when it's listening, plus users can delete voice command history. Americans have been buying the Echo so quickly that market researchers call it a sleeper hit, with an estimated 3 million sold in the last two years.

The products are not just hands-free remote controls, their artificial intelligence personas tell jokes and learn from their interactions with users.

On AirTalk, we'll discuss and debate whether the technologies are worth any privacy trade-offs, or whether Americans should be wary of inviting the potential of Big Brother in their homes.

Guests: 

Aleecia McDonald, Non-resident fellow, Center for Internet and Society, Stanford Law School

Douglas Rushkoff, writer, documentarian, and lecturer whose work focuses on human autonomy in a digital age; His latest book is titled “Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus: How Growth Became the Enemy of Prosperity” 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The battle over whether English-only immersion in schools has reignited with Prop 58, which would allow schools to teach students in their native language as they are acclimated to English.

Supporters of Prop. 58 say that bilingual education gives students a chance to learn in the best way that meets their individual needs. Another argument for the measure has focused on how mastering two languages is in demand in the job market and could help boost the economy. There are currently more than 1 million English learners that would be affected by the measure, most of which are Spanish speaking, though the number of Vietnamese and Tagalog speaking students is growing.

Prop. 58 would repeal Prop. 227, the ballot measure passed in 1998 which put existing bilingual education limits into play. Prop 227’s original champion, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ron Unz, has argued that students who don’t learn English properly will have trouble in their transition to English-only classes.

What do you think of bilingual education in classrooms? Do you have personal experiences learning in an English-only environment? If so, do you think you would have benefitted from a bilingual education?

Guests:

Ricardo Lara, State Senator representing California’s 33rd district, which covers the Los Angeles County’s Southeast cities including Bell, Lynwood, South Gate and most of Long Beach; he authored Prop 58

Ron Unz, Chairman of English for the Children, the organization that originally sponsored Prop. 227, which requires Limited English Proficient, or LEP, students to be taught nearly all in English; the measure was approved in 1998

Do you have your voter game plan? Use our Voter's Edge election guide to find your personalized ballot.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Siblings share a wishbone at family dinner.; Credit: Katherine Streeter for NPR

Politics and religion have long been conversation red flags.

But this election year, the former may be unavoidable, especially after this past weekend’s revelations. And discussions around Trump and Clinton are filled with a plenty of ammunition to create friction between loved ones.

Trump has his “locker room talk” and Clinton has her email debacles. And let’s not forget third-party candidate and Bernie supporters.

Maybe you’ve had a fight with a parent, child, sibling or cousin over a candidate, or you just want to try and understand their point of view, or be understood. With an outpouring of negativity in the final weeks of the presidential campaign, how do you have a civil conversation with family members who’ve chosen the enemy?

Larry speaks to professor of social work, Geoffrey Greif, on ways to mend the rift with family members despite political differences.

Guest:

Geoffrey L. Greif, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work, University of Maryland; Co-author, “Adult Sibling Relationships” (Columbia University Press; Dec. 2015)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) holds a news briefing following the weekly Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol November 16, 2015 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Despite the RNC’s commitment to stay loyal to Donald Trump — even after his most recent scandal involving recordings of him discussing groping women without invitation — the Republican Party's division over Trump is getting deeper.

Yesterday, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) told his Congressional colleagues that he won't campaign for Trump.

Ryan said all his energy will go into trying to keep the GOP majority in the House.

Many in the Party are deeply worried that Trump's "Access Hollywood" recording, and possible outtakes from "The Apprentice", could doom his candidacy and badly hurt GOP Congressional prospects. The latest polls show Trump's national support dropping below 40-percent. What could that mean for Republicans and Democrats battling for Congressional seats? How likely is a major power shift in the Senate and the House?

Guests:

Lisa Mascaro, LA Times reporter covering Congress and the 2016 election; she tweets @lisamascaro

Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report and elections editor for Roll Call; he tweets @nathanlgonzales

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris (L) looks on as California Governor Jerry Brown (R) speaks to reporters after signing the California Homeowner Bill of Rights.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Gov. Jerry Brown may be picking California’s next attorney general.

Kamala Harris would leave California’s attorney general position open if she wins the U.S. Senate race, giving Brown the go-ahead to name the new state AG. The last time the position was left vacant before a California attorney general’s term ended was 1964. Brown’s pick for the potential vacancy would take on the position for the next two years.

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer’s name has come up as a possible contender. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón may also fit the bill. Could L.A. County D.A. Jackie Lacey and Alameda County D.A. Nancy O’Malley meet the criteria? Larry speaks to legal affairs reporter Bob Egelko about names that could surface on Brown’s shortlist for California’s AG.

Guest:

Bob Egelko, legal affairs reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle; he wrote the recent article, “If Harris wins Senate seat, Brown gets important appointment”; he tweets at @egelko

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.