Two people kiss in front of the Eiffel Tower at sunset on March 5, 2014 in Paris.; Credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images

Two decades ago, psychology David M. Buss undertook an ambitious project to study human mating, studying the behaviors and thoughts of more than 10,000 people.

The results, published in the book “The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating” were as illuminating as controversial. In the latest edition of the seminal book, Buss updates his theory and adds new knowledge to the scholarship of human desire, looking at homosexuality, how technology shapes love and lust, among other things.

Guest:

David Buss, professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, and author of a number of books, including “The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating,” which is has revised in a new paperback edition

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

The Snapchat app logo is displayed on an iPhone on August 3, 2016 in London, England.; Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images

According to the Associated Press, Snap Inc., the parent corporation of Snapchat, filed Thursday for an initial public offering of up to $3 billion, and that has let to a lot of speculation about the future of the app.

Snapchat, which has garnered 158 million daily users, was born in 2012, catering to a younger audience with messages, video or photographs that disappear after 24 hours. It also gives users the option to put video overlays on their snaps, like flower crowns or dog ears.

But the company has expanded rapidly in recent years, causing a loss of $1.2 billion. So will this IPO help the Snapchat stay afloat and thrive? And what is the future of the app’s popularity?

Guest:

Josh Constine, editor-at-large for TechCrunch and author of the article, “Snap stumbles toward a volatile IPO”; he tweets @JoshConstine

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

A man reads a text message on his mobile phone while an aircraft taxis at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.; Credit: TENGKU BAHAR/AFP/Getty Images

If a government employee sends a business-related text from their iPhone, is it, legally speaking, a matter of public record?

That’s the question posed by a case heard by the California Supreme Court last month, and to be decided early March. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, this began almost eight years ago when activist Ted Smith filed for a public records request for communications between San Jose’s former mayor and officials involved in a development project. Smith suspected shady dealings, and the city handed over records – though not all of them, arguing that communications sent by government employees on private devices are not covered by the California Public Records Act.

Now, California’s top court must decide how to negotiate the privacy of public employees with transparency in public business dealings. On the one hand, ruling that these communications are public record could prevent corruption. But including these communications in the Public Records Act could present practical challenges. What constitutes a business related communication? Who gets to examine these voicemails, emails and texts to determine which are public versus private?

We debate the case and its implications, on AirTalk.

Guests: 

James McManis,  trial lawyer in San Jose, representing Ted Smith, who is the petitioner in this case

Rick Doyle, San Jose city attorney  

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

Trump supporters lead a counter-protest of the executive order by US President Donald Trump, banning immigrants from seven majority-Muslim countries at Los Angeles International Airport.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump's moratorium on travel from seven Muslim-dominant countries is on hold. Late Friday, a Seattle federal judge issued a sweeping restraining order against it.

The Administration wasn't able to get an appellate court to stay the judge's order. Both sides were asked by the 9th circuit to file their arguments today.

Meanwhile, travelers have started coming back in from the seven countries. Soon after the Seattle order, President Trump tweeted, "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!" He Tweeted yesterday, "If something happens, blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!"

Several Congressional Republicans have criticized the President's response.

Finally, both the president and vice president did televised interviews over the weekend that addressed several of the most contentious issues of Donald Trump’s young presidency, including the White House’s view on the fight over the immigration executive order and its relationship with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. President Trump was on with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly ahead of the Super Bowl while Vice President Pence made the Sunday talk show rounds on NBC’s ‘Meet The Press,’ CBS’ ‘Face The Nation’ and others.

Larry and a couple of our Monday politics regulars will dive into everything from this past weekend, replay the highlights you might have missed, and break it all down as we begin the week.

Guests:

Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and former policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets @lanheechen

Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Chancellor’s Professor of education and political science at UC Berkeley; she tweets @GarciaBedolla

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

Scene from the documentary "Extremis."; Credit: Screenshot from trailer, as seen on IMDB

The Oscar-nominated documentary "Extremis" reveals the most personal, intimate, heartrending moments found in the Intensive Care Unit at Oakland's Highland Hospital.

With the guidance of palliative care specialist Dr. Jessica Zitter, the film follows patients, families, and medical teams navigating the critical moments after fatal diagnoses. The short documentary offers a glimpse into what each of us might face for ourselves and our loved ones as we choose how much or how little medical intervention is best. Larry Mantle interviews filmmaker Dan Krauss who has made a specialty of turning his lens on critical moral dilemmas.

AirTalk plans to interview each of the Academy nominees in the category of Best Documentary Short Film.

“Extremis” is available on Netflix. All the Oscar-nominated shorts will be showing at theatres this weekend, including at the Nuart.

Guest:

Dan Krauss, Director, Writer, Producer, "Extremis" - a short documentary nominated for an Academy Award; Krauss' previous credits include the Oscar-nominated "The Death of Kevin Carter."

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

A broken ceramic heart pictured in Berlin on January 7, 2010.; Credit: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images

When she turned to the internet for post-breakup advice, former Google employee Ellen Huerta came up short – so she decided to fill that void herself.

What started as a newsletter, became an app and a website, a place to go for personalized training, advice and community, and, as the name suggests, to “Mend.” According to Huerta, the personalized training includes advice, journaling and various ex detoxes.

Would you try an app for heartbreak? We want to know how technology has changed the way you deal with breakups. Did you set aside the ice-cream and use an app to scrub your ex’s digital footprint from your browser? Or did you stalk them for too many months after they’d exited your life?  

Has technology helped you overcome a breakup? Has it hindered? What would you want to see from a post-break up app?

Guest:

Ellen Huerta, creator of Mend, the “personal trainer for heartbreak” app and website; she tweets @ellenhuerta

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) attends a State Council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 27, 2016.; Credit: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk takes a step back to analyze how the Kremlin sees Russia's place in the world in 2017.

While many analysts consider Russia's hacking of the Democratic National Committee a victory for the Kremlin, it's a small one overshadowed by existential threats to its borders. A new paper by counter terrorism expert Brian Michael Jenkins cites General Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the Russian General Staff, who in 2013 reflected on the Arab Spring and the "color revolutions" in Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan. Gerasimov wrote: "[A] perfectly thriving state, in a matter of months and even days, can be transformed into an arena of fierce armed conflict, become a victim of foreign intervention, and civil war.... The very 'rules of war' have changed. The role of nonmilitary means of achieving political and strategic goals has grown, and in many cases, they have exceeded the power of force of weapons in their effectiveness."

These comments can be interpreted as both a worry for Russia (nearby conflicts could bleed into its territory) and a strategy (instability serves Putin in countless ways).

Larry and Russian experts debate Russia's aspirations for 2017 -- how instability in neighboring countries influences Putin's calculus, whether and how Russia is a threat to its neighbors, its own citizens, and global peace.

Guests:  

Anton Fedyashin, professor of Russian History, American University in Washington, D.C.

Molly K. McKew, advises governments and political parties on foreign policy and strategic communications; she was an adviser to Georgian President Saakashvili’s government from 2009-2013, and to former Moldovan Prime Minister Filat in 2014-2015; she tweets @MollyMcKew

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

A Vizio TV box is displayed at a Best Buy store in Fairfax, Virginia on November 26, 2015, on a Black Friday sale that started a day earlier during Thanksgiving evening.; Credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

Vizio is settling a  this week with the Federal Trade Commission and the New Jersey attorney general’s office, over a privacy suit.

The FCC said that the Irvine-based television manufacturer Vizio, spied on its customers with 11 million TV sets. Vizio was accused of collecting and selling customer information, which has become a rising concern with smart home devices, according to a recent Los Angeles Times article.

So what does this suit mean for the future of these in-home smart products? Larry speaks to Devindra Hardawar of Engadget to find out more.

Guest:

Devindra Hardawar, senior editor at Engadget

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

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with county sheriffs during a listening session in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on February 7, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

President Trump's travel moratorium goes before appellate judges in San Francisco this afternoon.

A three-judge panel of the 9th circuit will hear 30-minutes of oral argument via phone from both sides to decide whether to overturn a stay issued by a federal judge in Seattle. It's possible the Presidential order will end up at the US Supreme Court. Right now, the presidential order has been stopped by a federal judge in Seattle.

This afternoon, the appellate judges will decide whether to remove that stay and allow the ban to go back into effect. At issue is the Constitutionality of the moratorium.

What are the Constitutional issues at play? How much weight does the temporary nature of the ban get? How quickly might a decision come? What legal challenge comes next?

Guests: 

Rich Lowry, editor of National Review

Margaret Hu, assistant professor of law at Washington and Lee University School of Law

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

Syrian mourners, one carrying the pre-Baath national flag adopted by the rebel movement, carry the body of a youth reportedly killed in violence. AFP PHOTO/BULENT KILIC (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images); Credit: BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images

Six years ago, the death of a fruit vendor in Tunisia set off a chain of events that became known as the "Arab Spring." Citizens rose up and toppled their governments in countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. Civil unrest weakened the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes in Syria and Bahrain. Calls of revolution spread like rapid fire across the Middle East.

Fast forward to today, we look at how the region has evolved since that first protest? What’s the public opinion on the new leadership and coalition? How have people adapted to the new norms? A recent study, published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, showed that corruption was the region’s top problem. Titled“Arab Fractures: Citizens, States, and Social Contracts,” the survey revealed that, despite the years of effort, most Arab states are still "facing a crisis in governance.”

Host Larry Mantle sits down with Michele Dunne, one of the lead authors on the study and director of Carnegie’s Middle East Program, and Steve A. Cook, a Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, on the six year anniversary of the Arab Spring. What’s your experience with the revolutions? What has changed over the years? Why is it so challenging for democracy to take hold in the region? 

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

Reading glasses are held over the first printed edition of the book 'Origin of Species' (1859) by Charles Darwin at London's Natural History Musuem, 08 June 2006. ; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” is known today as the foundational text of the theory of evolution.

But it was read very different when the book first came out in 1960. In “The Book That Changed America: How Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Ignited a Nation,” writer Randall Fuller looks at the book’s historical context, and how it was first received.

Guest:

Randall Fuller, a professor of English at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. He is the author of many books, including his latest, “The Book That Changed America” (Viking, 2017)

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

Opponents of U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order imposing a temporary immigration ban on seven Muslim-majority nations protest outside a federal appeals court February 7, 2016.; Credit: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Yesterday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges heard arguments over President Trump’s travel moratorium on seven predominantly Muslim countries.

The states of Washington and Minnesota challenged the U.S. government over the constitutionality of the moratorium, saying it was aimed to ban Muslims in particular. The Justice Department defends that the moratorium is not aimed at a particular religious group, but instead is meant to halt travel from nations associated with terrorism.

What were the arguments for and against the ban in yesterday’s hearing? How effective were both sides in arguing their points?

Guests:

Robert (Bobby) Charles, president and managing member of The Charles Group, a Washington D.C.-based law firm; he is a former Assistant Secretary of State under President George W. Bush and also clerked for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

Pratheepan (Deep) Gulasekaram, associate professor of law at Santa Clara Law, where he specializes in constitutional and immigration law

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

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks during Betsy DeVos's confirmation hearing for Secretary of Education. ; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

As reported by The Washington Post, the Senate voted Tuesday night to rebuke Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) when she spoke in opposition to President Trump’s pick for attorney general Jeff Sessions.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rebuked colleague Elizabeth Warren during last night's confirmation debate over Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions. Yet another example of the partisan volatility on capitol hill. Each side's using the incident to rile its base.

Who crossed the line - McConnell or Warren?

Guests:

Seung Min Kim, Congressional Reporter for POLITICO

John Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College

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

A picture taken on on February 1, 2017 shows a displaced Syrian child, fleeing from Deir Ezzor city besieged by Islamic State (IS) group fighters.; Credit: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

While most images of the Syrian conflict show seemingly generic destruction and anonymous victims, the documentary "Watani: My Homeland" follows a singular family - with four striving children - at the heart of the war.

The filmmaker Marcel Mettelsiefen is a German war correspondent who started travelling to Aleppo at the beginning of the civil war, and met a resistance leader, Abu Ali, his wife Hala, and grade school children, Sara, Farah, Helen and Mohammed. After Abu Ali is reportedly captured by the self-declared Islamic State, Hala decides the family must leave their homeland in search of a new, safer life. Filmed over three years, the film chronicles the family's journey from the frontline in Aleppo, to a little town in Germany. After escaping the chaos and terror of their war-torn country, the children adapt remarkably to a new life and attempt to hold on to their past identity.

KPCC will have interviews with each of the Academy nominees in the category of Best Documentary Short Film.

"Watani: My Homeland" and all the Oscar-nominated shorts will be showing at theatres this weekend, including at the Nuart and Laemmle's Playhouse in Pasadena.

Guest:

Marcel Mettelsiefen, Co-Director, "Watani: My Homeland" - a short documentary nominated for an Academy Award; Mettelsiefen is a German war correspondent

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

Elaine Chao (3rd L) signs the affidavit of appointment as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (L), her father James Chao (2nd L) and her husband Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (L) look on during a swearing in ceremony at the Vice President's ceremonial office.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

California House Republicans are pressuring the Trump administration to withhold a $650 million federal grant to fund a San Francisco Bay Area train system that would support the state's high-speed rail project.

Members of the state's GOP delegation sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao asking her for a delay on the grant until an audit of the bullet train's finances can be made available.

AirTalk host Larry Mantle brings together two opposing voices, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) and Jim Costa (D-Fresno) to debate the future of California's bullet train.

Guests:

Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), chairman of the House of Representatives Rail Subcommittee

Jim Costa (D-Fresno), an early supporter of the $650 million grant

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

People protesting controversial Breitbart writer Milo Yiannopoulos burn trash and cardboard in the street on February 1, 2017 in Berkeley, California.; Credit: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Breitbart News Editor Milo Yiannopoulos’ visit to UC Berkeley last week reportedly elevated some concerns about on-campus demonstrations.

According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, 100 to 150 demonstrators disrupted otherwise peaceful protests, causing a fire to erupt from a diesel-powered klieg light. Half a dozen windows were also smashed.  

Claiming the incident was unprecedented, Berkeley officials are looking to strike a balance between free speech and keeping protests from becoming violent. Larry speaks to UC Berkeley campus police and officials today to find out how they plan to move forward.

Guests:

Dan Mogulof, assistant vice chancellor and spokesperson for UC Berkeley

Margo Bennett, UC Berkeley campus police chief

Joe Cohn, Legislative and Policy Director for the Foundation of Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)

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

NPR theme music composer BJ Leiderman.; Credit: Courtesy of BJ Leiderman

If you’re a public radio nerd, listening to Morning Edition’s calming guitar riff in the early AM, or Marketplace’s bells and drums cueing the latest business news - are essential notes in your day.

National Public Radio (NPR) and American Public Media (APM) may operate separately in their content and programming, but there’s one key asset they share: BJ Leiderman. Leiderman plays the piano, drums, sings and more, and he landed his first gig as an NPR theme music composer during the launch of a brand new morning show called “Morning Edition,” which officially aired on Nov. 5, 1979, featuring the original version of Leiderman’s relaxing morning jingle. He’s also created the theme music for “Weekend Edition,” “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” “Car Talk” and more.

Host Larry Mantle talks to Leiderman about the magic behind the tunes, his upcoming album and deep love for public radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai5OgtNBUIE

Guest:

BJ Leiderman, award-winning composer and songwriter behind many of NPR's most recognizable theme show tunes; his album “Natural Public Leiderman” is expected to drop in May of 2017

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

U.S. Border Patrol agents detain undocumented immigrants after they crossed the border from Mexico into the United States on August 7, 2015 in McAllen, Texas.; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

The numbers came in just minutes ago from the Pew Research Center -- one-point-four million Southern Californians are in the country illegally.

That's nearly thirteen-percent of the nation's total. LA and Orange Counties alone have a million residents here illegally. The news comes amid an ongoing national discussion about immigration, specifically what criteria do and do not constitute deportation under President Trump’s executive order on immigration, which took away most restrictions on who gets deported.

What are your questions about deportation criteria? Do you think deportation should be expanded? If so, what should the criteria be?

A Martinez also heads to the University of Redlands tonight to discuss the latest shift in immigration policy and what it means for us here in California. Find more event details here.

Guests:

Alan Gomez, USA Today reporter covering immigration; he tweets @alangomez

Kamal Essaheb, director of policy and advocacy for the National Immigration Law Center, an organization that works to advance the rights of low-income immigrants

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at Center for Immigration Studies; she tweets @JessicaV_CIS

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

Singer Adele poses in the press room at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Coming up this Sunday night, the 59th Grammy Awards will stage performances by top contenders including Chance the Rapper, Sturgill Simpson, and Adele, plus Daft Punk, Katy Perry, and many more.

Simpson is nominated for Album of the Year and Best Country Album for his genre-mixing "A Sailor's Guide to Earth." Chicago's Chance the Rapper is nominated for seven awards, including three for best rap song - all despite never releasing a traditional physical album. Many music critics imagine Beyoncé will be the story of the night. Her much-talked-about "Lemonade" album has her leading the pack with nine nominations. What are you looking forward to seeing at the Grammys? The CBS broadcast starts at 5 p.m. local time at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and will be hosted by James Corden.

Guest:

Jem Aswad, a senior editor at “Billboard” magazine

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

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit building is seen February 6, 2017 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images

According to a recent article by The Hill, Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake is planning to introduce a law that would break up the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The court, which ruled Thursday a refusal to reinstate President Trump’s travel ban, is based in California. Considered one of the most liberal courts in the nation, the 9th Circuit covers 40 percent of the country, including California, Alaska, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington and Hawaii.

Moves to break up the court aren’t new, but under a Trump Administration, could the 9th Circuit ever split?

Guests:

Derek Muller, associate professor of law at Pepperdine School of Law

Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean of the School of Law at UC Irvine and an expert on constitutional law, federal practice and appellate litigation

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