On Tuesday, a federal appeals court panel ruled that Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage which passed into law in 2008, was unconstitutional. This is the first time an appellate court has said there is any kind of constitutional right to marry. But this ruling is still being considered "cautious" by legal experts: Proposition 8 supporters can appeal to the entire 9th circuit, or ask the Supreme Court to take up their case.

Stephen Glass is now a 39-year-old law clerk at a firm in Beverly Hills, California. But more than decade ago, he was a young reporter on the rise. Glass's career in journalism came to an abrupt halt after it was discovered that over 40 of his articles — written for The New Republic, Harpers, Rolling Stone and other well-regarded magazines — were largely fabricated. Glass made up quotes, invented sources, and backed up his work with elaborate fake notes, fake websites, phony email addresses, phone numbers, and voicemail messages. 

Last month, six police officers in Fullerton, Calif., attacked 37-year-old Kelly Thomas, a homeless man with mental health problems. Witnesses say the police used excessive and brutal force in their attack, tasering Kelly at least five times. Thomas died later in hospital. Now, his father and Fullerton residents are demanding justice for his death, as evidence builds that police were overly forceful. Two videos uploaded to YouTube and Fullerton-based websites show witnesses’ reaction to the police action. In one video, the clicking sound of a Taser can be heard.

Nearly 150 years ago America built the first transcontinental railroad, and 10,000 Chinese laborers used pickaxes to cut tunnels and rail-lines for just $30 per month. Now, President Obama is promoting high-speed rail, and the Chinese are again involved.  This time, though, they don't just want to swing an axe.  They want to design and part-fund it and have Americans provide the labor. Alastair Leithead, a reporter with the BBC, has been looking at the story for their series "Power of Asia." We also hear from Brian Leung, an associate professor of creative writing at University of Louisville, the author of "Take Me Home" a book about Chinese Americans in the nineteenth century.

California legislators passed a budget Wednesday, just hours before a midnight deadline. This year, lawmakers risked losing their paychecks if they did not produce a budget on time. Only a simple majority was needed to pass the budget, but state Democrats say it is not ideal. Gov. Jerry Brown must now face the budget and decide whether to keep it as it is or confront the issues and send the budget back for more work.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that California's overcrowded prison system violates the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The Court ordered California to transfer or release thirty thousand inmates over the next two years. But California isn’t the only state with a high rate of incarceration. The U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. Peter Moskos thinks that Americans are in denial about the brutality of our prison system. And he has a provocative idea about how to change it. He's the author of the new book "In Defense of Flogging" and an assistant professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The news that Maria Shriver was leaving her husband, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, earlier this month sent shock waves across the nation. The reason for her seeking a divorce remained just speculation in the media and blogosphere until the Los Angeles Times broke the revelation that Schwarzenegger had a secret love child. Sharon Waxman, founder and CEO of TheWrap.com, and Tracy Weber, senior reporter for ProPublica, talk about what this scandal says about our culture.

Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for The New York Times, discusses her  breaking story on a new investigation by the Securities and Exchange Comission against the California Public Employees' Retirement System, known as Calpers. During the financial crisis, the fund lost a significant portion of its portfolio, leaving the California on shaky financial ground.

Inauguration ceremonies for governors will take place in states across the country over the next few weeks. We’re taking a look at states where new leaders will have to face major deficits, population shifts and rising unemployment as they move into their mansions. How are these new governors going to fare when faced with their states' looming budget problems? Today we look to California to consider Jerry Brown, who served as governor there from 1975 to 1983. Brown returns to the statehouse at the age of 74, older and — perhaps — wiser.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments that could have a significant impact on California's 165,000 inmates. Early last year, a panel of three federal judges ruled that California needs to reduce its inmate population by 25 percent, because of the state's inadequate health care to its prisoners — reports show that one inmate dies every eight days from inadequate medical care.

For decades, cities across the country have tried a variety of approaches to reduce gang violence. Recently, Long Beach, California has implemented court-ordered civil injunctions, allowing law enforcement to arrest known gang members in particular neighborhoods for minor infractions. These infractions include wearing gang colors, carrying a cell phone in a car, or leaving the house after 8 p.m. Is it working? 

California's races can probably all be summarized with one word: "nasty." From the gubernatorial race in which Jerry Brown defeated Meg Whitman, and the Senate race in which incumbent Barbara Boxer won over Carly Fiorina, Patt Morrison, longtime columnist for The Los Angeles Times and host of “Patt Morrison” on KPCC 89.3, Southern California Public Radio, and Theda Skocpol, professor of political science at Harvard University, join us for a read on what happened in California's races.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's expected announcement of billions of dollars in federal grants for high speed rail today is beginning on a sour note. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced yesterday that he is stopping construction of an $8.4 billion Hudson River rail tunnel connecting New Jersey and New York. Citing billions of dollars of expected cost overruns, Christie says his "decision is final." This comes after LaHood made a personal appeal to Christie, and negotiations between the Obama and Christie administrations.

With Republicans running against President Obama's stimulus, an issue that's resonated with voters, LaHood's announcement comes at a questionable time. There will be events in Iowa, Michigan, California. There's also money for Connecticut and Florida. These are all states with close races. How is this going to affect the midterm elections?

In under a week, the nation will vote in gubernatorial, Senate and Congressional elections that seem very likely to shift the national balance of power. But in many states, those same voters will be deciding on ballot initiatives that will have more dramatic and immediate consequences.  

In California, voters are going to decide on Proposition 19, a ballot initiative that would legalize the use of marijuana for non-medicinal purposes. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says that even if California were to legalize pot, the Department of Justice will prosecute Californian users and growers under federal drug laws. 

With November's mid-term elections only weeks away, many candidates have begun rounds of debates in a final effort to win over voters. In California's gubernatorial race, Republican Meg Whitman lost some points in polls when her opponent, Democrat Jerry Brown, accused Whitman of employing an illegal immigrant. Hours before last night's debate between Republican Linda McMahon and Democrat Richard Blumenthal in Connecticut, McMahon released an attack ad telling voters Blumenthal lied about his war service.

The California governor's race kicked off last night in the first of three debates. Billionaire political novice Meg Whitman, a Republican, faced off against her Democratic rival, former governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown. 

Bruce Cain, professor of political science at U.C. Berkeley, joins us for some post debate analysis. He'll also preview tonight's debate in California's other closely watched race, the Senate contest between incumbent Barbara Boxer and Republican challenger Carly Fiorina.

A deadly gas pipe explosion in San Bruno, California last week left at least four people dead and nearly 40 houses destroyed. The company being held responsible is Pacific Gas & Electric, better known as PG&E. It could be more than a year before investigators determine precisely what caused the explosion. For years, however, California residents have accused PG&E of irresponsible safety practices.

When residents of San Bruno, Calif. heard a piercing squeal followed by an earth-shaking crash on Thursday evening, many thought an airplane had crashed in the neighborhood. In fact, even after they were told the deadly fireball that ensued was from an exploded natural gas pipeline, it was hard to believe: Few of them had ever been told the pipeline existed.

The marriage of same-sex couples is on hold again in California while the Ninth Circuit Court prepares to hear an appeal by the backers of Prop 8. Those who supported the ballot initiative, which led to the banning of same-sex unions in the state, are challenging a judge's recent decision that found the ban unconstitutional. 

The United States is not the first country to discuss these issues, and other countries have experience we might be able to learn from when considering same-sex unions. Back in 2001, The Netherlands became the first country to legalize gay marriage. We speak with an author who traveled there to document how marriage affected Dutch gay couples and wider Dutch society.

This week, we discuss two big stories, each of which considers the original intent of the 14th Amendment. Known as the "Reconstruction Amendment," as it passed in the aftermath of the Civil War, this clause of the Constitution guarantees U.S. citizenship for anyone born in the United States. It prohibits state governments from depriving anyone of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law," and mandates "equal protection of the laws" for all citizens.

On Wednesday, a federal judge in California ruled Proposition 8, the voter-backed ballot measure to prohibit same-sex marriage, unconstitutional based on "due process" and "equal protection" grounds: both clauses in the 14th Amendment.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, several Republican senators are proposing to repeal or change the Amendment. They say we should no longer automatically give citizenship to American-born children of illegal immigrants.