Where do ‘values voters’ stand ahead of the VP debate?

The two vice presidential candidates – Tim Kaine and Mike Pence – debate Tuesday night. Both are devout Christians, but so far this presidential contest has been noteworthy for its lack of focus on social issues. Where do the so-called “values voters” stand this election?

One issue that’s being presented as a moral issue and will appear on the November ballot in California is the death penalty. There are two competing measures – one would speed up executions, and one would abolish the state’s death penalty altogether.

Then, a KCRW investigation found that workers on the high seas lack the most basic legal rights and protections. KCRW’s Karen Foshay spoke with Press Play about her two-part series, “Troubled Waters.”

Next, Josef Mengele’s so-called Zoo at Auschwitz, where he mutilated, murdered, and dissected children, particularly identical twins, has been an obsession for novelist Affinity Konar. Her new novel, “Mischling,” is told from the perspective of twelve year old twin girls, Stasha and Pearl.

And finally, a daring new pop-up restaurant is about to hit Santa Monica. It’s sponsor? Western Exterminator – yes, the bug killer – and the menu will be built around bugs.