President Obama meets with Mexico's new President Enrique Pena Nieto. Can Nieto quell drug violence and turn his country's economy around? Then, how a minuscule bug is wreaking havoc on pine forests and contributing to global warming. Plus, NASA is trying to downplay previous claims that they have groundbreaking news from Mars, and much more.
Can Mexico's new president end the drug war and spark economic growth?
Enrique Pena Nieto, Mexico's new president, takes power this weekend. He inherits a nation that's suffering from a long-running conflict against drug traffickers and an economy that's improving, but is still struggling.
And in the U.S., Mexico watchers are hoping Pena Nieto will be the pragmatic problem solver that he promised to be.
From the Fronteras Desk, David Martin Davies reports.
If trend continues, Mexico poised to outdo China in trade with US
As we heard, some folks believe Mexico has the potential to become the next China when it comes to trade with the U.S. Recently, China has ceded some of its manufacturing business to Mexico, Latin America's second-largest economy.
If Mexico continues on its upward trajectory, it is poised to become the biggest exporter to the United States by 2018.
Tom Wainwright, Mexico City Bureau Chief for the Economist, joins the show to talk about how and why Mexico seems poised to become a global manufacturing powerhouse.
NASA downplays hyped 'historic' breakthrough claims
A few weeks ago space fans on the Internet were buzzing with excitement over an upcoming Mars-related announcement.
The rumor was that the Nasa had big news from its Curiosity Rover, after Curiosity's principal investigator, geologist John Grotzinger told NPR, “This data is gonna be one for the history books. It’s looking really good."
However, after the Internet went wild with speculation about this groundbreaking news, NASA began to talk down claims that the announcement would be historic. They say the science is merely “interesting.”
According to Wired, NASA will hold a press conference about the results during the 2012 American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco from Dec. 3 to 7.
Why did the findings get so over-hyped and why is NASA so careful to temper expectations?
Sanden Totten has more.
How the tiny Mountain Pine Beetle is contributing to global warming
The mountain pine beetle is the size of a grain of rice, but it has recently destroyed large swaths of forests in the US and Canada.
New research has found that not only is the pest spreading thanks to climate change induced warmer winters, once it kills a forest that area tends to heat up contributing to more overall warming.
The Dinner Party: Non-melting chocolate, anti-depression lights and more
Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam, the hosts of the Dinner Party podcast and radio show join the show to give this weekend's conversation starters.
On tap this week; chocolate that never melts, lights that prevent depression, and remembering the time when cool puffy haired musicians gathered to fight hunger.
The Friday Flashback: Fiscal cliff, Middle-East conflict, Rice's future and more
James Rainey of the LA Times and Heidi Moore of The Guardian chew on the week's big stories, including developments in fiscal cliff negotiations, events in Syria and Egypt, Susan Rice's chances as a candidate for Sec. of State, and the future of CNN.
New details show flawed internal polling led Mitt Romney to believe he'd win
Former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney didn't expect to lose the race, and recently released information may show why.
The campaign has released emails from the last days of the race to the New Republic magazine, which partly explain why Romney thought he couldn't lose: Polling by his own staffers the weekend before election day painted a very different reality.
As you can see below, the left column in each state shows weekend polling, the middle column shows the average of those two days and the third column shows the actual election results.
Nate Cohn, staff writer for The New Republic, joins the show to talk about how and why the Romney campaign's polling was so far off.
Believe it or not, LA-County election results are still being counted
And now some breaking election results! I know, that sounds weird, right? Seeing as it's been 24 days since the election.
Later today, the Los Angeles County Registrar will update the vote tally in the race for the 50th Assembly District which includes Marina Del Rey. Richard Bloom, the Mayor of Santa Monica, declared victory earlier this week.
The race between him and the incumbent, Betsy Butler, has been extremely tight. Bloom's lead is about 1,200 votes — that's less than one percent of the vote total. Butler has not yet officially conceded, and it's not the only race with votes still being counted.
A number of results are still pending like Measure J, which would extend a transportation sales tax in L.A. County, plus provisional ballots in other races have yet to be counted.
Kim Alexander, the founder of the non-profit California Voter Foundation, joins the show to talk about these late election results.
Jacki Weaver of 'Silver Linings Playbook' talks Philly, DeNiro and show biz
The new film "Silver Linings Playbook" has already pulled in a slew of Spirit Award nominations for best indie film, as well as early Oscar buzz from the New York Times blog and others.
Bradley Cooper stars as Pat Solitano, a man suffering from bipolar disorder who was just released from a mental hospital into the care of his parents, played by Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver. He meets an equally troubled woman, Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and the two develop a rocky friendship as she tries to help him reconnect with his estranged wife.
Weaver is somewhat of a new face in Hollywood, but the veteran Australian actress has spent 50 years in front of the camera. She's perhaps best known for her performance as a Mafia matriarch in the film "Animal Kingdom," which garnered her a Best Supporting Actress nomination.
Weaver joins the show to talk about "Silver Linings Playbook," working with Robert DeNiro and how she mastered the Philly accent.
Interview Highlights:
On her role as Dolores in "Silver Linings Playbook":
"I think she's living in such a volatile household that part of her function is to keep the peace and keep everybody calm. With a husband who is obsessive compulsive and a son who's bipolar, and both of whom have serious anger management problems. I think she treads on eggshells and she's the peacemaker."
On how she mastered the Philly accent:
"That was what concerned me most. Being Australian, being able to be authentically Philadelphian. I had a great coach...who's a Philadelphian, plus the advantage of having Bradley Cooper a genuine Philadelphian. I met his uncle and I met his real-life mother, Gloria, from Philadelphia, so I had quite a bit of research going for me, plus the crew as well."
On working with Robert DeNiro:
"Acting with Robert DeNiro is nothing to be sniffed at. It's not that it wasn't a picnic, it was absolute joy, but he is an icon to not just my generation but everybody's generation. So there was a certain apprehension, but that disappeared within a few minutes because he's such a gentleman and so generous and sweet, and such a great actor. You're there acting with him and he's just another actor, but then you finish the take and you think, 'I just acted with Robert DeNiro!' You know they should have knighthoods in America, he would certainly be Sir Robert DeNiro, Lord of Greenwich Village."
On her acting style and working with director David O. Russell:
"Now and again actors aren't sure if I'm looking at them because I'm a little cross-eyed, so there's a terrible secret I've given away. David O. Russell is a very unusual character. He likes ensemble work, he had a handheld camera spinning around the room at all time so you cannot afford to relax. It's like being on stage you can't relax the whole time. To work with David O. Russell is to really step out of your comfort zone, not just for the young actors, but for the ones who have been around for years. It's terrifying, but its also brilliantly stimulating because its like being on stage and you're not quite sure what's going to happen next."
On how she uses her personal experiences to develop a character:
"In a love story and I think 'Silver Linings Playbook' is a very odd sort of love story on several levels, I think David O. Russell kept emphasizing that the Robert DeNiro character and my character, Dolores, are still very much in love after 40 years of marriage, and they're still very affectionate and sleep together and adore each other. The mother just loves her son so much and wants him to be well. So, everything that has happened in my life probably has contributed to my understanding and how I go about making a character work."
On what's next for her:
"I've just made a suspense thriller called 'Haunt' which is very scary. I also did another suspense thriller last year with Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska, two other Australians. Then I'm about to play another mother in a film called 'Parkland.' I'm playing Lee Harvey Oswald's mother, which is such an honor to be playing such an American role again. It's a story of JFK's assassination, told from the point of view of the doctors and staff in Parkland Hospital in Dallas, which in the space of 36 hours saw JFK come in and then Lee Harvey Oswald…At this really late stage in my career a whole lot of different things are happening to me, I can't believe my luck. 50 years last week I've been a professional actor."
Trailer for "Silver Linings Playbook:"
Dunder Mifflin and success in reverse product placement
"The Office" may be in its final seasons on NBC, but Dunder Mifflin — the paper company that Dwight, Pam et al. work for — will live on. That's because the company has crossed over into the real world.
Quill Inc. of Lincolnshire, Ill. has created a brand called Dunder Mifflin, which sells specialty copy paper. It's been successful enough that the company just announced it will release more Dunder Mifflin products.
This is not the first time that a fictional company had become reality. Called reverse product placement, or de-fictionalization, this has happened in the past with Willie Wonka candy and Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurants, based on the concept from the film "Forrest Gump."
We'll speak with Stuart Elliott, advertising columnist for the New York Times.
Downtown LA residents to vote on tax to fund streetcar
This weekend marks the last opportunity for residents in downtown Los Angeles to vote on a special property tax. It would fund construction of a four-mile electric streetcar in their neighborhood. Backers say it would be a boon for residents and businesses.
KPCC's Frank Stoltze says the detractors claim the tax is unfair, and that the benefits of a streetcar are overblown.
If the streetcar happens, it will run for 10 blocks down Broadway Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It would definitely be a convenient way to transport downtown dwellers throughout the day and night, but does the area near Staples Center really need a streetcar? Naturally, Shiraz Tangri, general counsel and spokesperson for LA Streetcar Inc., says yes.
"I'm up on Bunker Hill, I'm in City Hall from time to time, I'm in South Park, I'm on Broadway and a lot of the time I'm doing it by car because there's not a good circulation system right now," said Tangri. For four years, Tangri has led the charge for an electric streetcar as a way to enhance downtown's revival.
"The idea of a streetcar is exciting because it gets you from point A to point B without having to think about parking," said Jessica Lowenstein, a downtown property manager. "With my daughter here next to me it makes it a little easier to travel with her."
Lowenstein and 10,000 registered voters in a new Community Facilities District created by the City Council are voting on a property tax to raise up to $85 million for the $125-million project. Backers hope the feds will kick in the rest.
L.A. used to have a network of electric streetcars, but they were taken out in the 1960s to make way for freeways. Bringing streetcars back to downtown gained steam a few years ago when Councilman Jose Huizar started his Bring Back Broadway Initiative to revive what was once a thriving commercial and theater district. The longest stretch of the proposed streetcar would run 10 blocks down Broadway. Huizar's point person on the streetcar is .
"While the streetcar is a very large part of bringing back Broadway, the streetcar is far broader than just Broadway," said Jessica Wethington-McLean, Huizar's point-person on the streetcar initiative. "It serves many, many different neighborhoods downtown."
Wethington-McLean cites a study commissioned by supporters that says the streetcar would bring a billion dollars in new investment over 30 years, and create 9,000 jobs. However, there are plenty of people against the idea, who doubt the fiscal benefits of the streetcar.
"They're overselling this when they talk about development dollars. I mean, that's nonsense," said Jim Thomas, CEO of Thomas Properties Group. With three million square feet, Thomas is one of the largest property owners downtown. He's upset that only area residents — not commercial property owners — can vote on the property tax.
"This is very aggravating to us, because we don't have any representation but they want to impose this tax on us," said Thomas.
The tax is based on the amount of land you own within three blocks of the streetcar line. For example, a skyscraper would pay the same as a parking lot if both sit on 10,000 square feet.
Thomas Properties would pay about $40,000 a year, according to streetcar officials, which is higher than most. The median tax for condo owners would be just $60 annually. AEG, owner of Staples and LA Live, would pay the most - $550,000. Despite what seems like a large amount of money, AEG has been a big supporter.
"What the streetcar's vision is, is the ability to make all of downtown connected once and for all," said AEG President Tim Leiweke a year ago. In addition, the electric streetcar could help AEG meet public transportation and carbon emission requirements for its proposed football stadium, according to Wethington-McLean of Councilman Huizar's office.
"As part of the community benefits package and the development agreement that was developed for the stadium, the streetcar was actually identified as a first priority project for purchase of carbon credits, if AEG needs to purchase them," said Wethington-McLean
The streetcar would run past Staples on Figueroa, cut over to Hill, go up to City Hall, then back down Broadway. Streetcar officials predict 6,000 riders a day. It's not certain, but the city likely would operate it with a subsidy of several million dollars needed. The developer of the incoming ACE Hotel on Broadway, John Blanchard, says it's worth it.
"Great for hotel guests to go from our hotel to L.A. Live to enjoy a Lakers game or a Clipper game or a show and obviously go up to the financial district for a meeting and come back down," said Blanchard.
The property tax needs a two-thirds vote to pass. Streetcar officials concede that's a tall order, and if the tax fails, the streetcar comes to a screeching halt.
The dos and don'ts of dealing with customer service
It's been a week since the shopping extravaganzas of Black Friday and by now, you might be getting frustrated dealing with painful returns and exchanges.
We turn to a customer service expert, comedian Ed Salazar, who has been the voice on the other end of that phone many times.
He gives us his Do's and Don'ts for dealing with customer service.