• The California ballot measures: weed, gerrymandering, and supermajorities. What they are, and how you should vote.

• Midterm Madness: tea party candidates surging, Gawker's scandalous Christine O'Donnell story, and Matt Lauer's sanctimonious request

And of course, short ends: Mexican drug violence gets worse, Vladimir Putin shoots a whale, and the dreaded Santa Ana winds blow through Los Angeles

Complaints? Questions? Comments? Want to suggest a topic for next week? Email us.

And won't you subscribe to us on iTunes?

The song "Two States" by Pavement was used with the permission of BMI Music, Inc. and "We Be Burnin" by Sean Paul was used with the permission of ASCAP.