AirTalk

Today on AirTalk, we review The Milken Institute's 2013 "best performing cities" rankings. Then, we ask LAPD Chief Charlie Beck about deadly police pursuits and a jaywalking crackdown. Later, a look at efforts to reform concealed carry laws and a conversation with acclaimed 'Nebraska' director Alexander Payne.

A new editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that you may be wasting your money on multivitamins. The LA based Space Exploration Technologies Corp., won the leasing rights to to a Kennedy Space Center launch pad used for myriad moon missions over the decades. Later, we discuss the constitutionality of Utah's anti-polygamy law.

Do you think the US should offer amnesty for Edward Snowden to stem the leaks? Should the AP have published CIA agent expose after government objections? We take a look at the population increases in Los Angeles and the state of California. Later, we talk about office holiday parties.

A Judge has deemed Hollywood development plans "fatally flawed." We discuss what the implications are for Hollywood. It seems that rent is always too high. What effect do high rent prices have in Los Angeles? Later, we talk about leading ladies taking charge in films this year.

LA leaders are calling for more oversight at the LA County Sheriff's Department. Next, a look at this year's fire season, crime convictions reporting requirements on job applications, and NSA domestic spying. Then, we explore a project that trains journalists in conflict zones and discuss holiday tipping etiquette.

A bipartisan budget deal has arrived. House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray have come together on a 2-year budget agreement. The Los Angeles City Council approved a $6 million settlement for the case surrounding ticket quotas. As the world continues to mourn Nelson Mandela's death, we discuss South Africa's future. As the end of the year approaches, Congress debates whether or not to extend unemployment benefits again. Later, we look at the impact that taking photos has on your memory.

The Justice Department indicted 18 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies yesterday. We discuss the implications and what oversight is needed at the Sheriff's Department. Drafts of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan were released and have renewed debate of the controversial project. A new state law that requires school districts to provide family income verification to ensure equal distribution of funds. School District officials want the requirement waived, arguing that it is a redundant provision. Recruitment at the LAPD is low as the department struggles to find qualified candidates. Later, we discuss plea bargains and the influence on a trial. The new GM head Mary Barra and her path to becoming the first female head of a major U.S. car company. And who do you think should be TIME Magazine's person of the year?

An 11-judge appeals court panel will consider the constitutionality of California's mandatory collection of DNA from all arrestees. Do privacy concerns trump law enforcement benefits? Then, why are tech giants are urging the NSA to rein its surveillance programs? Next, we'll look at the appeal of old technology, how politics plays into Supreme Court retirement plans, and the right way to handle peeping toms in the digital age. Then, biographer Deborah Solomon explains how Norman Rockwell was more complicated than his homespun artwork suggests.

Today on AirTalk, we continue to remember former South African president Nelson Mandela, who died yesterday at age 95. We'll talk about some of the music he inspired, the divestment movement at UC Berkeley and Mandela's visit to California. What are your memories of Nelson Mandela? Later, our film critics are here to review this week's releases, and we'll talk about the plethora of documentaries eligible for Oscar nomination.

Our current Congress is making history with a record low number of bills passed this session. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Then, the use of the ADHD drug Adderall and other stimulants in the workplace is on the rise. Can those meds really make us smarter or more productive? Then, we're talking to the lost boys behind the musical 'Peter and the Starcatcher.' Later, we'll talk about the large number of fast food workers and other low wage earners who rely on government assistance programs. Then, is it possible to be both overweight and healthy? And we'll talk about Jeff Bezos and the age of Amazon.