Today on AirTalk, millions of Target customers' credit card accounts may have been compromised. Is your information at risk? Then, we'll discuss the President's outlook on NSA surveillance reform, the end of an era at Inglewood's Hollywood Park and customer service in the social media world. Later, the L.A. Times Food crew stops by with holiday recipes.
Target security breach compromises 40 million credit cards
Big-box retailer Target says that data from 40 million U.S. customers' payment card accounts may have been breached by cyber criminals during the holiday shopping season.
The breach affects Target shoppers who swiped their credit or debit cards at U.S. stores between November 27 and December 15. The crooks who gained access to Target's database may now possess names, credit card numbers, expiration dates and security codes for those shoppers.
The breach was originally reported by the KrebsOnSecurity blog--and later confirmed by Target.
Do corporations work hard enough to protect our data? How should those who may have been impacted by the breach protect themselves?
Guests:
Matt Townsend, Retail Reporter for Bloomberg
Ted Crooks, Consultant in financial security at Crooks Analytics
Presidential advisors call for sweeping limits of NSA, surveillance
Feeling cumulative pressure from tech companies, foreign leaders and some American constituencies, yesterday the White House released a report with 46 recommendations for reforming U.S. surveillance, including the National Security Agency.
The report by an advisory panel, entitled “Liberty and Security in a Changing World,” most notably says the government should not keep a database of Americans’ phone activities. However, it says the”metadata” can be handed over to a third party or be kept by communications companies.
The report also calls for more stringent overviews of the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court and of foreign spying activities – such the alleged cellphone-tapping of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The White House says President Barack Obama is reviewing the recommendations.
What are the odds the reforms will take effect? Do they go far enough or too far?
Guest:
Chip Pitts, Lecturer in Law, Stanford University; Advisory Board EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center)
Geoffrey S Corn, veteran Army prosecutor, retired lieutenant colonel. Professor of law at South Texas College of Law. He started his career in intelligence.
Farewell Hollywood Park: A look back at the historic track in archival photos
Hollywood Park opened in 1938, catering to the rich, the beautiful and the famous. And this Sunday, this city landmark will close its doors after one last race.
The announcement was made in May in the form of a letter from track President Jack Liebau to the California Horse Racing Board notifying them that the track won't be booking any races in 2014, but the fate of Hollywood Park was known as far back as in 2005, when it was sold to a real estate company that had made known its intention to redevelop the venue and the land surrounding it.
RELATED: Hollywood Park: Bugler Jay Cohen looks back at 25 years of calling the races
Former Los Angeles Times sports editor Bill Dwyre and Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen join Larry to say farewell to this Hollywood legend.
Guests:
Steve Andersen, Southern California correspondent for the Daily Racing Form joining us from Hollywood Park
Bill Dwyre, a columnist at the Los Angeles Times. He was the paper’s sports editor for 25 years until 2006.
Company’s response to irate customer on Facebook goes viral
The rule book for Business 101 has it that the customer is always right, but one Washington-based entrepreneur has found that standing up to an unreasonable, irate client can sometimes win you a lot of fans.
After reading a complaint on Facebook from an angry customer criticizing his company for not offering customer service on weekends, Ryan Clark, co-founder of Liberty Bottleworks, decided to respond with a short, sweet, eloquent message that has won the love of the Internet.
Clark’s response reads
"We did receive your numerous voicemails and emails. The buck stops with me. This will, I am sure, upset you ... my customer service team will not be helping you on the weekends. Your voicemail stated 'it is the holidays, you should be working' and your email stated, 'Instead of doing my Christmas cards and enjoying the holiday spirit I was dealing with this.' Perhaps you need to spend a bit more time embracing the holiday spirit. You see, my employees were home with their families doing their cards, baking cookies, etc. Family first, product second.”
The post went viral after a former employee posted the exchange on Reddit and the company has been rewarded with an avalanche of new orders since.
Guests:
Ryan Clark, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Washington-based company Liberty Bottle Works. [He was the person that responded to the ticked off customer on Facebook].
Keith Ferrazzi, an expert in professional relationship development and the founder and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, a strategic and business consulting firm in Los Angeles
Holiday menus, cookie champions and last-minute gift gab from the LA Times
From hot cocktails for cold nights to leftover turkey made nice (with melted camembert and mostarda!), the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen has you covered.
Top LA Times chef Noelle Carter and the newspaper's food writers have the spectacular annual version of the California Cookbook on their website. Another batch of recipes to sweeten the season are the finalists of their annual holiday-cookie competition - winner to be announced Friday.
If you need advice for a new-fangled appetizer (apple n' brie soup?) or some last-minute gifts you can make at home without the MacGyver look, call in for advice from Food Editor Russ Parsons or Chef Carter.
Guests:
Russ Parsons, Food Editor, Los Angeles Times
Noelle Carter, Director of the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen
If you still have questions about holiday entertaining, you can send them to Russ, Noelle and the LA Times Food staff on Facebook and
(#LATHoliday).