Negotiating teams on the side of longshoremen and management at the Ports of LA and Long Beach sat down this week for the first time in several weeks. Truck drivers are also trying to unionize at the ports.

The governing body of the University of California voted this week to go ahead with a plan to raise tuition for five straight years. But the big story here in Los Angeles is that the LAUSD reached an historic agreement with plaintiffs in the recent sex scandal at Miramonte Elementary School.

Millions again are expected to sign up for their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. But Republicans, fresh off their midterm election gains, are ready to congressionally snip Obamacare bit by bit.

This week's midterm elections gave Republicans control of the U.S. Senate, and the party took more governorships than had been expected. But that supposed GOP wave may have diminished into a small ripple when it hit the California state line Tuesday night.

On this Halloween weekend, you’re probably thinking about costume and party duties, and not necessarily your civic duty this coming Tuesday. But Americans aren’t the most engaged people when it comes to voting, especially in off-year elections. And, alas, there are some important races that will be decided by a select few.

After three and a half years heading the LA Unified School District, John Deasy stepped down from his post this week. He’s set to remain with the district on “special assignment” through the end of the year.

President Obama exited Los Angeles just as he came in, making money for Democrats, and migraines for West L.A. drivers. He’s attended 30 fundraisers in Los Angeles County since taking office. Should we be getting a complex about the president’s love?

Is LA traffic getting better, or are Angelenos still languishing in congested ridiculousness, with no end in sight? KCRW's Steve Chiotakis spoke with LA Times transportation reporter Laura J. Nelson, and Zocalo Public Square columnist Joe Mathews.

America means many things to many people. Our nation is an amalgam of ideas from myriad perspectives that often get drowned out in a sea of ideology and noise. This week, Zocalo Public Square, along with the Smithsonian, is asking what it means to be American.

KCRW's Steve Chiotakis and Joe Mathews of Zocalo Public Square discuss how the job market is being affected by the number of people who have been convicted of a felony and are trying to find work.