In your relationship, is sexting a forgivable offense? ; Credit: Intel Free Press/Flickr

Is sexting a gateway to cheating? Would you be more likely to forgive sexting than physical infidelity? Is sexting worse than cheating?

Is it dangerous to have such lenient policies for unlicensed drivers?

A Superior Court judge Monday ruled that LAPD’s lenient policy on impounding cars belonging to unlicensed drivers was illegal. California’s vehicle code says the cars of unlicensed drivers should be impounded and held for 30 days. But last year, Police Chief Charlie Beck issued a directive—Special Order 7--that said unlicensed drivers who have insurance, valid I.D. and no previous citations for driving without a license should have their cars impounded sans the 30-day hold.

Beck’s reasoning for the directive was that it was morally right in a city where there are so many illegal immigrants who can’t legally obtain drivers licenses. Immigrants’ rights groups had complained that their cars were being disproportionately impounded and last year, after the directive was enacted, the number of cars impounded dropped 39 percent from the previous year.

But opponents say the directive takes away officers’ ability to use discretion in whether to implement the 30-day hold. The Los Angeles Police Protective League sued the city along with a conservative watchdog group based in Washington D.C. to put the 30-day holds back on the table. The ACLU and other groups plan to appeal the judge’s decision.  

Was Chief Beck’s directive a good idea? Or is it dangerous to have such lenient policies for unlicensed drivers?

Guests:
Paul Orfanedes, attorney for Judicial Watch

Michael Kaufman, ACLU staff attorney

A sold sign is posted in front of a home for sale on July 30, 2013 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Getty Images

Rising home prices and mortgage interest rates in California shut out a large number of potential homebuyers, according to data published by the California Association of Realtors. As The Los Angeles Times points out, thirty-six percent of California could afford a single-family home in the second quarter, which dropped from 44% in the first quarter.

People who would to buy a house now need to earn a minimum of nearly 80,000 a year to qualify for an average price home of $415,770. Part of the problem is that people are not earning more money, but the price of homes continues to rise. The most affordable part of the state are the areas in central valley with 71% of people able to purchase a home in this area.  

Are you in the market to buy a house in California, does this deter you from buying now? If you own a house, is this a good time sell?

Guests:

Leslie Appleton Young, chief economist at the California Association of Realtors

Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate

A pupil holds the hand of her mother in the courtyard of a school prior to entering in her classroom for an early start of the new school year.; Credit: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images

Summer is nowhere near being over, but students, parents and teachers across the Southland packed lunches and sallied to school this morning. This is the second year that LA Unified School District rang the bell on the second Tuesday of August. Last year, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy explained, "The early-start calendar allows students to complete their first semester prior to winter break, which has been shown to have a positive impact on final examinations and grades."

What about the impact on hunting for tadpoles and running through fields? School won't run as late as mid-June anymore, but summer is still shorter than the so-called good ol' days. For ages, American kids were free to roam for about three months until what felt like a logical conclusion: the day after Labor Day. Is the traditional school calendar gone for good? Did last year's new calendar have positive results?

Guests:
Tom Waldman, Director of Communications, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

Sarah Auerswald, Co-Founder of MomsLA. She writes about life in Los Angeles raising her 2 sons on SarahAndSons and also founded MarVistaMom

A cellphone displays the Amber Alert issued late on August 5, 2013 in Los Angeles, California, which marked the first time officials have notified the public of a statewide Amber Alert through their cellphones.; Credit: Getty Images

California State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) says Amber alerts should be "used sparingly and effectively to earn the public trust." The comments come after worry that folks will opt-out of receiving emergency alerts on their wireless phones.

Last week, the Amber alert sounded loud across California and beyond for missing teenager Hannah Anderson.When a couple of Idaho horseback riders came across a strange pair of hikers -- Hannah and her kidnapper James DiMaggio -- then heard a news report about the alert, they put two and two together. The success story seems clear, but complaints have not been silenced.

Did you decide to opt-out of receiving alerts last week? Did the rescue of Hannah Anderson affect your thinking about Amber alerts? What's the threshold that could lead people to become desensitized to emergency messages?

Guest:

Alex Padilla, California State Senator; Chairman, State Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications

Does the structure of condos and townhouses with mandatory HOA fees appeal to you?

Some of us thrive in a structured environment, while others prefer the freedom to express themselves without rules. And that doesn’t just apply to who we want to be, but equally to where we choose to live as well. Do you like the structure of living in a community governed by a homeowners association, where rules are hard and fast and residents are legally bound not to stray from certain norms, or would you rather live in a community where less restrictions mean you can paint your house pink or grow your lawn knee-high?

There are over 50,000 HOAs in California, and nearly a third of the state’s population lives in communities they govern. So which would you rather live in? The security of structure? Or the freedom from restrictive rules?

Guests:
Karen D. Conlon, President & CEO of the California Association of Community Managers, a state-wide association based in Laguna Hills

Michael Nogueira, President of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council. He’s also the President of the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce and owner of Sir Michaels Party Rental

Should non-English speakers serve on a jury? ; Credit: Getty Images

 A New Mexico Supreme Court ruling this week underscored the rights of non-English speakers to serve as jurors in the state's trials. Its constitution declares clearly that the right of any citizen to "sit upon juries, shall never be restricted...on account of...inability to speak, read or write the English or Spanish languages." It's the only state in the union to make such an accommodation - by providing interpreters for prospective jurors.  

Should non-English Speakers be allowed to serve on a jury? How will this impact the trial? 

Guest:

Richard Gabriel, the President of Decision Analysis, Inc. a national trial consulting firm with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco

Are there ways to deal with wild horses that don't include slaughtering them?; Credit: Margi Levin/Flickr

The practice of slaughtering wild horses on Indian reservations has never been banned, but has been forced to stop when funding for inspection was cut from the federal budget. The issue whether to restore funding to the inspection has divided animal rights groups and some Native American groups—at times driving a wedge between members of the same tribes.

Proponents of feral horse slaughtering, including the Navajo Nation, say the itinerant animals cost the tribe hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and take away important natural resources from its land. Opponents say that there are ways to preserve the horses and killing them is cruel and violates the cultural tradition and identity of Native Americans.

Guests:

Erny Zah, director of communications for the President’s Office at the Navajo Nation

Neda Demayo, founder and president of Return to Freedom Wild Horse Preservation and Sanctuary

What accomplishments are worthy of praise for your kids?; Credit: Kim Strømstad/Flickr

Early childhood experts are saying too much praise can have negative side effects. As KPCC’s reporter Deepa Fernades explained, when parents praise kids for talent or intelligence, they are making it harder for them to deal with life.

Carol Dweck, Stanford Psychology professor, recently did a study that looked into whether praise for children ages 1 and 3 impacted the child when they were aged 7 and 8. Dweck found negative impacts. She found that the praising actually harmed the child’s behavior for taking on challenging tasks. Researchers are not saying all praise is bad.

It is natural for parents to want to build their child’s self esteem. But research shows it is better to praise kids for their effort, and not just telling them they are great. Take our poll here and let us know if you agree with the research.

Do you think too much praise is bad for children? Can praise the wrong way impact their ability to face challenges? Do you agree with the research? What is the right way to encourage a child?

Guests:

Deepa Fernandes, KPCC’s Early Childhood Development Correspondent

Alfie Kohn, author of numerous books on education, parenting, and human behavior including “Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes” (Houghton Mifflin, 1993/1999) and “Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason” (Atria Books, 2005)

The government's opposes the merger of US Airways and American Airlines. ; Credit: Getty Images

The plan to create the largest airline in U.S. history may get derailed by the Department of Justice. calling the merger "pretty messed up" and "bad for consumers," Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer announced a lawsuit to block the deal between American Airlines and US Airways that was cemented earlier this year. It would have meant the third mega-merger of legacy carriers in recent years - following Delta-Northwest and United-Continental.

How would it affect consumers and the overall travel market? Does a deal stopper mean American Airlines and U.S. Airways lead to worries of bankruptcy?

Guests:

Charlie Leocha, Director, The Consumer Travel Alliance - a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization

Marc Scribner, Fellow in Transportation Studies, Competitive Enterprise Institute

Tim Armstrong, CEO and Chairman of AOL Inc., fired an employee during a Patch.com conference call. ; Credit: Getty Images

When AOL CEO Tim Armstrong interrupted his own conference call, on which he was informing employees of Patch blogs around the country about their fates, to fire someone for recording the call, he turned an important moment in the world of hyperlocal news reporting  into a teachable moment in personnel management. But that hasn’t stopped many media watchers from speculating on the fate of both Patch and the phenomenon of local reporting largely.

Do you follow any local blogs or Twitter feeds that give you news about your town or neighborhood that larger news reporting agencies simply ignore? Does AOL’s closing of hundreds of Patch offices signal a failure of local reporting?

Guests:

Ken Doctor, media analyst for newsonomics.com and the author of “Newsonomics: Twelve New Trends That Will Shape the News You Get” (St Martin Press, 2010)

Alex Thompson, publisher and editor of Venice311.org

Palestinian supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi protest against the violence in the Egyptian capital on August 14, 2013, in Gaza City. ; Credit: Getty Images

At least 149 people were killed and 1,400 injured in Egypt Wednesday, in one of the deadliest days that country has seen since the revolution. Egyptian security forces moved in with tear gas, gunfire and bulldozers sweeping away two sit-in camps of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. The actions lead to wider violence in the capital and other provinces.

Egypt’s Vice President and pro-reform leader Mohamed ElBaradei resigned in protest saying he doesn’t want to be held responsible for “a single drop of blood,” as the military imposed a month-long state of emergency and nighttime curfew. The violence has been condemned by other predominantly Muslim countries in the region, as well as by the United States, which warned Egypt's military-backed interim government that “the world is watching.”

What does the escalating violence and unrest mean for Egypt’s ability to move forward?

Guests:

Max Rodenbeck, Chief Middle East correspondent, The Economist, based in Cairo

Jeffrey Martini, Middle East analyst at the RAND Corporation

Listings on Airbnb for Los Angeles ; Credit:

Popular website AirBnb allows people to rent out rooms in their homes for short-term rentals. The practice of short-term private home rentals is growing in areas like Silver Lake. It is legal in Los Angeles, but some residents feel it’s a safety hazard bringing in numerous transients. There is also a concern that this practice can devalue the property value. The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council is considering prohibiting them in their area. In New York City earlier this year a judge ruled that these hotel-like homes were breaking the city’s “illegal hotel” law. 

Would you rent out your property? Would you feel comfortable if your neighbors rented their home or apartment? Is the government taking this too far? Should Silverlake prohibit this? 

As a parent, how much time do you spend with your childless friends? ; Credit: Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr

In one corner you have sleep-deprived parents who are more concerned about school districts than which are the best new bars in town. In the other corner, you have  child-free folks who could care less about preschools or which brand of car seats to get. Yes. Yes. We are firmly in the territory of stereotypes, but the fact remains that the two lifestyles are pretty different and come with different priorities. The divide has caused one mom recently to wonder whether it is indeed possible for people with kids to stay friends with people who are child-free.

If you are child-free, do you like hanging out with friends who have kids? If you are a parent, how is it hanging out with friends who don’t have kids?

Guests:

Brett Singer, freelance writer and editor of daddytips.com

Ellen Walker, a clinical psychologist in Washington and the author of "Complete Without Kids: An Insider's Guide to Childfree Living By Choice Or By Chance" (Greenleaf Book Group, 2011)

Mission San Antonio de Padua in Monterey County, CA has the statue of Father Junipero Serra outside.; Credit: Flickr/mlhradio

A new exhibit titled “Junípero Serra and the Legacies of the California Missions” open Saturday, August 17th at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

The show brings together for the first time material from Spain, Mexico, and the missions here in California, to provide new insights into who Father Junípero Serra was, the purpose of the mission experience, as well as contemporary Native California views on what it all means today.

If you grew up in California, no doubt in the fourth grade you learned about Serra’s mission and the buildings he left behind as milestones in the “discovery” of North America by Europeans.

A Map of Junípero Serra's travels

What do the missions symbolize to you?

Guests:

Steve Hackel, co-curator of the exhibition, professor of history at the University of California, Riverside, and Serra biographer (“Junípero Serra: California’s Founding Father”)

Cathy Gudis, co-curator of the exhibition and professor of California and public history at the University of California, Riverside

Is there a such thing as an amicable divorce?; Credit: Sharyn Morrow/Flickr Creative Commons

When most couples marry, they vow to stay together in good times and bad. Christo and  Sharlene Lassiter of Cincinnati certainly did, when they got hitched in 1986.

They called it quits after 10 years of marriage, but 17-years later, their divorce-related battles are still ongoing. The divorce between the two ex-spouses, who also happen to both be law professors, has been so acrimonious, that a judge recently rebuked the pair saying they make a mockery of the legal profession. Not all divorce cases are this extreme. But the very process of divorce is by nature, adversarial.

So what options exist for couples who hope to split up more amicably? It’s called collaborative divorce and it’s a process that addresses the financial, emotional and legal aspects of divorce, all at once. It’s aimed at saving couples heartache, money and ugly court battles. How does collaborative divorce work? What if one spouse is hooked on fighting?

Guests:

Mary Ann Aronsohn, marriage and family therapist in private practice in South Pasadena; collaborative divorce coach

Leslee J. Newman, attorney at law specializing in amicable divorce

Andre Ethier #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a two run home run in the ninth inning to tie the game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on August 14, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Getty Images

The Dodgers continued their red-hot play last night with a come-from-behind win to sweep the visiting New York Mets. Coming back from a 4-0 deficit, the Dodgers tied the game in the 9th on a pinch-hit 2-run home run from Andre Ethier. Then in the bottom of the 12th, rookie sensation Yasiel Puig hustled a single into a double and then scored the winning run on a single from Adrian Gonzalez.

The win was the Dodgers’ 8th in a row, and they’ve won a staggering 40 of their last 48 games, the best stretch that baseball has seen since the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals. The team went from being at the bottom of their division less than 2 months ago to now being 20 games over .500, leading their division by 7.5 games, and now looking like serious contenders, to win the pennant.

Are the Dodgers riding an amazing string of luck, or is this team really as good as it seems? And is this team built to win in the postseason?

Guest:
Bill Shaikin, covers baseball for the Los Angeles Times

Egyptians carry the coffin of one of the four policemen, killed during clashes with Muslim Brotherhood supporters earlier in the week, during their funeral in Cairo on August 15, 2013.; Credit: Getty Images

Violent clashes in Egypt have raised the death toll to over 500 as supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi grow angrier and call for more protest marches.  The aggressive tactics of the Egyptian military have drawn criticism from around the world, and President Obama has been pressured to reduce the $1.3 billion dollars of aid that the US gives the Egyptian military.

In a press conference on Thursday morning, the president announced that US-Egyptian relations are being tested in light of the Egyptian military’s role in the most recent clashes, and he announced the cancellation of US-Egypt joint military exercises scheduled for next month. However, Obama did not suggest that the US would cancel its foreign aid.

With other wealthy gulf states not trumping US aid to Egypt by billions, what significance does US military aid serve in the embattled country? Does the Egyptian military legitimately need the $1.3 billion dollars?  Why else might the US benefit from continuing aid?  Is their political leverage to be used?  At what point does the president draw the line?  What else can the administration due to influence the governance of Egypt?

Guests:
Sharif Kouddous, freelance journalist based in Cairo

Khairi Abaza, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Mark LeVine, professor of middle east history at UC Irvine; he just returned from Cairo this week.

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced a new policy on the use of instant replay in the sport.; Credit: Getty Images

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig had repeatedly shunned calls to expand the use of instant replay in baseball. But he pulled an about-face yesterday and announced new policy on the use of playback in the sport.

Currently, instant replay is only used for home run calls. Next season, the technology will be used in virtually every play except the strike zone and managers will get three challenges every game. The proposal is expected to be approved at a meeting of team owners in November.

MLB has been reluctant to widen the use of instant replay drastically in fear that it would drag out the game, but conceded after a couple of egregious botched calls during last year’s playoffs.

Should instant replay be used so widely in baseball? Should we do away with umpires all together? Do you think instant replays and manager challenges will slow down an already pretty slow game? Or should technology be used even more, such as in the strike zone?

Guests:
Stephen Cannella, Assistant Managing Editor at Sports Illustrated

Adam Felder, manager of digital analytics at Atlantic Media Company. He wrote this piece for the Atlantic magazine’s website

Actor Forest Whitaker during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City. ; Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images For Tribeca Film Fe

Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Wade Major and Claudia Puig to review this week’s releases, including Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Kick-Ass 2, Jobs and more. TGI-FilmWeek!

Lee Daniels' The Butler

Kick-Ass 2

Jobs

Guests:

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and producer and host for IGN's DigiGods.com

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today