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To pluck or not to pluck: Our complicated relationship with hair

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Designer Couture Trunk Show

A woman has her eyebrows threaded at the Designer Couture Trunk Show hosted by Noelle Reno at The Collection on June 10, 2009 in London, England.; Credit: Tim Whitby/Getty Images

For a significant portion of human history, mankind has endeavored to be hairless.

Though recent inventions have made that goal significantly easier to achieve, our ancestors had a decidedly more difficult time trimming hairs deemed unsightly or unnecessary.

In her latest book, “Plucked: a history of hair removal,” author and historian Rebecca Herzig explores the long history of hair removal around the world, examining both the social codes that mandated hairlessness and the rudimentary tools our forebearers used to achieve their desired results.

Guest:

Rebecca M. Herzig, author of “Plucked A History of Hair Removal” (New York University Press, 2015) and professor of interdisciplinary studies at Bates College in Maine


Your car and your smartphone: What's legal, what's not

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texting smartphone driving

Texting While Driving; Credit: Photo by Phillip LeConte via Flickr Creative Commons

L.A. sheriff's officials said Sunday that they were looking into reports that cell phone use was a factor in the fatal car crash involving Olympic gold medalist and reality TV star Bruce Jenner on Saturday.

In the aftermath of that accident and many others like it, we decided to look into what drivers can and can't do on their  smartphones by California law.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than nine people are killed and more than 1,153 are injured every day due to "distracted driving," defined as driving while doing another activity. Those activities include using a cell phone and navigation system while behind the wheel. 

It's not yet certain whether cell phone use was a factor in Saturday's fatal four-car collision. And for many, the rules around using a cell phone while driving aren't always clear.

What’s allowed? What’s not? And how has the hands-free law fared since its implementation?

See our FAQ on the subject here

Guests:

Kevin Tao, Public Information Officer with CHP Southern Division

Jeff Spring, spokesman with the Auto Club of Southern California, which has been researching driver behavior over the past 10 years since cell phone and texting bans have gone into effect

How to tell loved ones their pipe dreams are unhealthy

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"Crossroads: Success or Failure"; Credit: Chris Potter of www.stockmonkeys.com via Flickr

Los Angeles is a city of big breaks and broken dreams where talented go-getters either get a lucky break as working actors, singers, producers, et cetera, or live in frustrated delusion.

There are objective ways to figure out who is going to "make it big" according to career coach Marty Nemko, Ph.D. "There are simple questions to assess whether someone's dreams are reality-based," Nemko says. He asks, "As you look back, have people been willing to pay you? What if you you relegated your dream to a hobby - would you be devastated or relieved? What is your drive level? Are you living off someone else's money to pursue your goal?"

Nemko says if the answers are worrying, then loved ones should avoid Pollyannaish cheerleading. However, psychotherapist Janice Kinter, Ph.D., counsels, "It is hard to take away someone's hope. Losing hope is one of the biggest signs of depression."

Actor Gene Hackman went to acting school after being in the U.S. Marine corps, then was voted “least likely to succeed” by teachers at the Pasadena Playhouse. Should he have quit? How do you know whether a dream career is more of a fantasy? What's the best way to talk about this touchy subject?

Guest:

Marty Nemko, Career coach and Psychology Today contributor; “Dismiss Pollyanna

Yes, the March election is coming. Here’s a preview

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LAUSD ELECTION 00

Stickers await voters at Angeles Mesa Elementary school; Credit: Benjamin Brayfield/KPCC

It’s election time in L.A. again! There are fifteen openings in the Los Angeles City Council, Board of Education and Community College Districts. Los Angeles voters will get to cast their votes on March 3.

Read more about the most contested races

Guests:

Jessica Levinson, Professor of Law, at Loyola Law School. Her areas of specialty are election law and governance issues.

Raphael Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at CSU Los Angeles

Climate change: Extreme cures may make things worse

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CHINA-ECONOMY

This picture taken on January 17, 2013 shows a cement factory releasing heavy smoke in Binzhou, in eastern China's Shandong province.; Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images

If there’s a man-made way to fight off the consequences of climate change, it’s not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Some of the country’s leading minds on climate change issued a two-volume report, evaluating some of the current carbon dioxide removal techniques and albedo-modification technologies, which attempt to improve the ability of Earth and its clouds to reflect incoming sunlight. The NRC committee deemed these techniques, commonly referred to as “geoengineering,” risky and suggested that they may not be ready to be used yet.

What are some of these techniques for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and who is developing them? Are there other techniques that

Guests: 

Ken Caldeira, member of the NRC panel that released the reports; climate scientist, Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University

David Biello, environment and energy editor at Scientific American

White House readies request for War powers from Congress

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Obamas Attend National Prayer Breakfast

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast February 5, 2015 in Washington, DC. Obama reportedly spoke about groups like ISIS distorting religion and calling the Islamic terror group a "death cult." ; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

Within 24 hours, President Barack Obama is expected to ask Congressional lawmakers for authorization of use of military force (AUMF) against the self-described Islamic State fighters.

Strategies in the AUMF could disappoint both conservative and progressive lawmakers who diverge on the option of a ground offensive with US troops in Iraq and/or Syria. In recent months, the US military has conducted nearly 1,000 airstrikes against IS in Syria, relying on war powers Congress gave former President George W. Bush after 9/11.

Does a new AUMF signal the president wants more than airstrikes? What would that mean practically speaking? Does the threat posed by IS justify American military intervention?

Guests:

Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow focusing on U.S. national security policy in the Middle East for the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C.

Danielle Pletka, Senior Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, right-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C.

After Jon Stewart: Debating the future of satire and what make a news anchor

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US President Barack Obama (L) tapes an i

US President Barack Obama (L) tapes an interview for the satirical television show "Daily Show" with Jon Stewart (R) at the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, DC, October 26, 2010. ; Credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

The world of media has been turned upside down in the last 24 hours with news that embroiled NBC news anchor Brian Williams is suspended without pay for six months and that Jon Stewart is leaving the Daily Show.

In the pantheon of trusted public figures, we’re supposed to be able to turn to network news anchors and reporters for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But as the ways in which society consumes the news has shifted towards social media and away from traditional nightly news broadcasts, the landscape of news and journalism has morphed into a blend of news and entertainment.

One on hand, the media has focused on the crisis of “trust” and “credibility” surrounding NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, amid fallout from a story that he says he “misremembered” about being in a helicopter during the Iraq war.

On the other hand, the reaction to yesterday’s announcement by Jon Stewart that he would be leaving Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” demonstrated how entrenched entertainment and satire have become for a growing group of younger Americans, for whom many such a portmanteau show is the only source of news.

As news and entertainment have slowly come together over the preceding decades, how has the role and the characteristics of a good news anchor changed? How do you decide who to trust?

 

Who Should Replace Jon Stewart as Host of The Daily Show&

Guests:

Sophia McClennen, author of “Is Satire Saving our Nation? Mockery and American Politics.” She’s also a professor at Penn State University, where she directs the Center for Global Studies.

Robert Thompson, professor of television, radio, and film at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.

Should CA do away with the high school exit exam?

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Joe Biden Delivers High School Commencement Address At Marlins Park

A graduate wears his mortarboard with Free at Last written on it as Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the commencement ceremony for Cypress Bay High School graduates at Marlins Park on June 4, 2012 in Miami, Florida. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A new bill introduced by Senator Carol Liu (D-Pasadena) would suspend the high school exit exam for three years, while an advisory panel determines whether it should be replaced or discontinued permanently.  

The fate of the high school exit exam has been up for debate in other states, as the new Common Core curriculum is implemented in school districts across the nation.

Should the exit exam be replaced with something else? What are the alternatives?

Guests:

Anne Hyslop, Senior Policy Analyst with Bellwether Education Partners, a national nonprofit organization that consults with education organizations. She authored a report in 2014 for the New America Foundation titled “The Case Against Exit Exams

Julian Betts, Adjunct Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California; Professor of Economics at UC San Diego. One of his research focuses is on K-12 education standards


House Democrats reserve endorsement of White House War Powers draft

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INDIA-KASHMIR-MIDEAST-GAZA-STRIKE

Kashmiri demonstrators hold up a flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during a demonstration against Israeli military operations in Gaza, in downtown Srinagar on July 18, 2014. ; Credit: TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP/Getty Images

House Democratic leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, refrained from endorsing expressly President Barack Obama's request for authorization of military force against "Islamic State" militants.

In a statement, Pelosi said the legislation should be "narrowly tailored" to fight IS. California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, says he wants "more specific limits" to preclude "another major ground war."

Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner (OH), are calling for flexibility in the approved military action.

Aside from the political rhetoric, the actual draft resolution from the White House "does not authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces in enduring offensive ground combat operations." It continues to state the authorization "shall terminate three years after the date of the enactment..."

How would Congressional lawmakers alter the language? In your opinion, how should they? Does the threat posed by IS warrant US military action?

With files from the Associated Press.

Guest:

Adam Schiff, Democratic Congressman for California's 28th District including Pasadena, Burbank, Glendale, etc.; Committee assignments include the House Appropriations Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Jeremy Herb, defense reporter for POLITICO

Daniel Newhauser, reporter for the National Journal

Top US nutritionists to drop warnings about cholesterol bogeyman, report

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Poultry and Hog Farms Face Possible Dioxin Contamination

In this photo illustration an egg yolk and its shell are pictured on January 5, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. ; Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

The nation's top dietary advisory panel reportedly is set to correct long-standing cautions against eating cholesterol-heavy foods.

At a committee meeting in December, nutrition experts said cholesterol is no longer "considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption."

Notwithstanding, it's still unclear that language will be added to the final guidelines of the dietary gospel created every five years by the Agriculture and Health & Human Services Departments. Reason being, most of the studies on cholesterol are too weak to support concrete conclusions. As late as 2013, a task force arranged by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association looked at the dietary cholesterol studies.

The group found that there was 'insufficient evidence' to make a recommendation." What does this mean for individuals with heart problems, diabetes or other ailments with dietary components?

Guest:

Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D., Registered Dietitian based in the South Bay

How law enforcement determines whether a crime is motivated by hate

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US-CRIME-SHOOTING

A makeshift memorial is made during a vigil at the University of North Carolina following the murders of three Muslim students on February 11, 2015 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder after the February 10, 2015 slayings in the North Carolina university town of Chapel Hill which sparked outrage amongst Muslims worldwide. Police investigating the murders said they were studying whether the fatal shootings were religiously motivated, as calls mounted for the killings to be treated as a hate crime. ; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The murders of three Muslim American students in North Carolina have sparked outrage and questions over the shooter’s motive.

Chapel Hill police say a parking dispute most likely led to the crime, but vow to continue their investigation to determine whether religious hatred was a factor. How does law enforcement determines whether a crime is driven by hate? What criteria are used? How long do these investigations usually take?

Guest:

Brian Levin, criminologist and attorney; director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at Cal State, San Bernardino where he specializes in analysis of hate crime, terrorism and legal issues

Marketing love turns off consumers, study says

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Chinese Celebrate Valentine's Day

A man walks past hearts formed by 999 electric bulbs which were signed with people's autographs on Valentine's Day February 14, 2009 in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province, China. Valentine's Day has become one of the most popular Western festivals celebrated in China. ; Credit: China Photos/Getty Images

Americans will be spending an estimated $19 billion for Valentine’s Day this year. Not joining the hordes of consumers during the Hallmark holiday, unsurprisingly are singles.

Rather than indulging in retail therapy to ease the sting of loneliness during the love fest, a consumer psychologist expert says they spend less. Lisa Cavanaugh’s research published in the Journal of Marketing Research found individuals spend less money, choose lower-end products and will eat lower-calorie food when marketing reminds them of relationships they don’t have.

Using a loving couple, running in slow motion on a beach to sell teeth whitening strips, won’t get any business from single consumers. She says, “By reminding people of relationships they don’t have, marketers inadvertently make consumers feel undeserving — less worthy of treating and rewarding themselves.”

If you’re single, do you think advertising affects how much you spend on yourself? Will Valentine’s Day impact how much you treat yourself?  

Guest:

Lisa Cavanaugh, Consumer Psychologist at USC Marshall School of Business, author of study “Because I (Don't) Deserve It: How Relationship Reminders and Deservingness Influence Consumer Indulgence

How kids paid the price for adults’ mistakes in Little League World Series scandal

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Jesse Jackson Addresses Little League World Series Winner's Jackie Robinson West Being Stripped Of Title

Brandon Green, a catcher and pitcher for the Jackie Robinson West Little League baseball team, speaks alongside his mother Venisa during a press conference after learning the team would be stripped of their national champion title on February 11, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The team was forced to forfeit all of their 2014 wins after the league found they had players on their roster that lived outside the teams boundaries. ; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

The story of the Jackie Robinson West Little League baseball team is a heart-warming tale about a group of under-privileged kids from one of Chicago’s more dangerous neighborhoods rising above adversity and poverty to shine a good light on a part of town that wasn’t always seen that way.

During this summer’s Little League World Series, the team from JRW on Chicago’s South Side ran roughshod through nearly every other team they faced on their way to beating the team from Las Vegas to win the Little League World Series U.S. Championship. Though they ultimately lost to the International champions, South Korea, in the final game, they became the first team made up entirely of black players to win a U.S. Championship, and in doing so, won the hearts of fans across the country.

Yesterday, the news broke that the kids from JRW would be stripped of their U.S. Championship after it was discovered that several kids on the team resided outside of the Jackie Robinson West district. The U.S. Championship was awarded to the Las Vegas Mountain Ridge Little League Team.

Should the kids from JRW be punished for the mistakes made by adults? What would be an appropriate alternative to stripping the team of its title?

Guests:

Jon Greenberg, columnist for ESPNChicago.com. He followed the team last summer on its Little League World Series run and wrote a column yesterday for ESPN about them being stripped of their title.

Bill Littlefield, host of “Only A Game,” NPR’s sports show that airs weekends on affiliate stations across the country and is based out of NPR affiliate WBUR in Boston.

Pasadena man explains why he wants to volunteer to die on Mars

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Red Planet Publicity Still

From l-r: Tom Sizemore (as Dr. Quinn Burchenal), Simon Baker (as Chip Pettengill) and Val Kilmer (as Robby Gallagher) travel to Mars to investigate human living conditions on that planet in Warner Bros. Pictures'' and Village Roadshow Pictures'' epic romantic adventure, 'Red Planet.'; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

Tomorrow, about 100 people will come one-step closer to become the first settlers on the Red Planet for the Mars One program.

The caveat, it’s essentially a one-way trip and the final four volunteers won’t return to earth. Why would anyone want to join such a mission?

Guest:

Evan Dorn, a web developer based in Pasadena, CA and Mars One program applicant

Assisted suicide case filed in San Francisco Superior Court: Can right-to-die come to California?

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This undated photo provided by the Maynard family shows Brittany Maynard, who ended her life on Saturday.

This undated photo provided by the Maynard family shows Brittany Maynard, who ended her life on Nov. 2, 2013.; Credit: Maynard Family/AP

The latest attempt to shape the right-to-die debate has come in the form of a lawsuit filed by a cancer patient and five doctors with the San Francisco Superior Court.

At present, California has a ban on physician-assisted suicide. Oregon, Washington and Vermont have passed legislation by either the legislature or the ballot box allowing terminally ill patients to obtain lethal doses of medications from their physicians, while New Mexico and Montana gained differing degrees of right-to-die protection from court cases.

Last November, the debate resurfaced with the case of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman who moved to Oregon to take advantage of their assisted suicide law after she found out that she had terminal brain cancer.

Now, California is experiencing the debate on multiple fronts. The new lawsuit joins an effort by legislators to introduce a bill in the California State Senate that would establish an end of life option for terminally ill patients.

In addition, there is speculation that, if either or both of these efforts were to fail, advocacy groups would attempt to get a measure on the ballot for a popular vote, reflecting the success of such initiatives as Oregon’s in 1994 and 1997 and Washington’s in 2008.

Should terminally ill patients be able to obtain lethal doses of medications from their physicians? How can the rights of patients be squared with claims by those who oppose right-to-die legislation that patients would be pushed into assisted suicide? Is a court challenge the best way to enact end of life legislation, or is it just an additional tool for advocates to create change and shape the debate?

Guests:

Kathryn Tucker, executive director of the Disability Rights Legal Center and the lawyer representing the plaintiffs in this lawsuit

Leo Wallach, Principal at RALLY, an issue advocacy firm that works at the intersection of strategic communications and public policy.


'Fifty Shades' tamed kink for the mainstream movie crowd

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"Fifty Shades Of Grey" New York Fan First Screening

Actors Jamie Dornan (L) and Dakota Johnson attend the "Fifty Shades Of Grey" New York Fan First screening at Ziegfeld Theatre on February 6, 2015 in New York City. ; Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

That France's film board gave a PG-12 rating to "Fifty Shades of Grey" hints at where this steamy flick stands in the limited line of erotic, mainstream, American films.

Opening this weekend for Valentine's Day, the cinematic adaptation of the book that popularized sado-masochistic sexuality was dismissed as "really a romance, we could even call it a bleuette — a sentimental tale,” said the French ratings president Jean-Francois Mary. (To be fair, Mary is being criticized heavily for the PG-12 decision.)

Despite the marketing truism that "sex sells," movies about sexual fetishes are rare and mostly forgettable - a lonely exception being "Secretary" starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader that was liked both critically and commercially.

In our pornographic, sexualized culture, why aren't there more kinky films? And why aren't they better made? Is film the wrong medium for restrained, suggestive erotica?

Guests:

Justin Chang, Chief Film Critic, Variety

Amy Nicholson, KPCC Film Critic and Chief Film Critic, LA Weekly

Venice Beach curfew: Who owns the coast?

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Michael Jackson Dies In Los Angeles At Age 50

A painting of Michael Jackson awaits sale as artist and street performer Tony Conscious sings Michael Jackson hits at Venice Beach on June 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Jackson, 50, the iconic pop star, died after going into cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

It’s an issue that has been debated for years, and the latest word is that Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer is negotiating a potential resolution to the ongoing dispute between the state Coastal Commission and the city over the overnight curfew at Venice Beach.

The midnight-to-5 a.m. ban has been in place since 1988 after concern about gang violence along the shore. Supporters of lifting the curfew say that the beach belongs to everyone and that residents should have the right to be on the beach overnight if they want. They also say the curfew is pushing homeless people into residential neighborhoods, which they say could lead to an increase in crime and trash. Opponents say the curfew has already helped to curb crime and should stay in place.

Should there be an overnight curfew in place on Venice Beach? What about other beach communities in Southern California? Should the city have the authority to tell residents of beach communities they can’t use the beach at certain times?

Guests:

Mark Ryavec, President of the Venice Stakeholders’ Association, an organization dedicated to civic improvement in Venice Beach.

Steve Clare, Executive Director, Venice Community Housing Corporation, nonprofit housing and community development organization serving low-income residents in the Westside of Los Angeles

FilmWeek Critics handicap your 2015 Oscar ballots at AirTalk's 13th Annual Egyptian Theatre event

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AT30 FILMWEEK

Host Larry Mantle with critics (L to R): Tim Cogshell, Henry Sheehan, Lael Lowenstein, Amy Nicholson and Charles Solomon at AirTalk's FilmWeek at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on February 18, 2015.; Credit: Bill Youngblood/KPCC

To help you shine at your Oscar viewing party, AirTalk presents its 13th annual FilmWeek at the Egyptian theatre.

What a rarity for the Academy Awards race to be wide open. From Best Picture to acting and script categories, there are few sure things. The biggies include: "Boyhood," a movie filmed over 12 years; “Selma,” the story of civil rights marchers; bio-pics about physicist Stephen Hawking and WWII hero and mathematician Alan Turing - among many other critically-acclaimed films.

Larry Mantle convened the critics of FilmWeek on AirTalk for a live event sizing up the Academy Awards hopefuls, plus overlooked gems of the year.

Critics Andy Klein, Lael Loewenstein, Wade Major, Amy Nicholson, Claudia Puig, Peter Rainer, Henry Sheehan, Charles Solomon, and Tim Cogshell talk about the best movies of the year and which ones should take home the gold.

Official Oscars Ballot link

Here are the critics' votes for the top categories:

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
BIG HERO 6, THE BOXTROLLS, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, SONG OF THE SEA, THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA

“There’s one that’s a dud that Amy and I will go to the mat over.” –Charles

“Boxtrolls is the best film in this entire category.” – Amy 

“Oh geez.” 

Charles: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Tim: The Tale of Princess Kaguya or Song of the Sea
Henry: The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Amy: The Boxtrolls
Lael: Big Hero 6 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
PATRICIA ARQUETTE, LAURA DERN, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, EMMA STONE, MERYL STREEP

"This is really much more of a lead performance than a supporting performance. It's too bad [Arquette] got stuck in this category because I think she carries the picture  a lot." - Lael

"And Ethan Hawke is in Best Supporting Actor, so this sounds very political to me." - Henry

Charles: Patricia Arquette
Tim: Patricia Arquette
Lael: Patricia Arquette
Henry: Patricia Arquette
Amy: Patricia Arquette

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BIRDMAN, BOYHOOD, FOXCATCHER, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, NIGHTCRAWLER

Henry: The Grand Budapest Hotel or Nightcrawler
Lael: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Tim: Birdman
Amy: Nightcrawler

BEST ACTOR
STEVE CARELL, BRADLEY COOPER, BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, MICHAEL KEATON, EDDIE REDMAYNE

“I think the best performance of the year is Ralph Fiennes… [but] if you do something that’s unfortunately called ‘lite comedy’ you don’t get nominated and you don’t get recognized.” – Henry Sheehan

Tim: Michael Keaton
Lael: Michael Keaton
Charles: Eddie Redmayne
Amy: Eddie Redmayne
Henry: Bradley Cooper 

BEST DIRECTOR
ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU, RICHARD LINKLATER, BENNETT MILLER, WES ANDERSON, MORTEN TYLDUM

“[N]ot nominated here is Ava DuVernay for her film, which is nominated, ‘Selma.’ This is another extraordinary achievement, what she has done. With less than half the money and half the time, she made a film that is just as good, if not better [than the nominees].” – Tim Cogshell

Charles: Richard Linklater
Lael: Richard Linklater
Amy: Wes Anderson
Henry: Wes Anderson
Tim: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

BEST DOCUMENTARY
CITIZENFOUR, FINDING VIVIAN MAIER, LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM, THE SALT OF THE EARTH, VIRUNGA

Peter: Citizenfour
Wade: Citizenfour
Andy: Finding Vivian Maier
Claudia: Virunga
Honorable Mention: Tales of the Grim Sleeper

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DUVALL, ETHAN HAWKE, EDWARD NORTON, MARK RUFFALO, J. K. SIMMONS
Claudia: J.K. Simmons
Andy: J.K. Simmons
Wade: J.K. Simmons
Peter: Mark Ruffalo

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN SNIPER, THE IMITATION GAME, INHERENT VICE, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, WHIPLASH

“God bless somebody adapting a Thomas Pynchon book which is un-adaptable.... Admittedly, [Inherent Vice] is a film that it helps if you've read the book... I also just got so much pleasure out of that film, more than I got out of the book." - Andy

Peter: The Theory of Everything
Wade: The Theory of Everything or The Imitation Game
Andy: Inherent Vice
Claudia: Gone Girl (not nominated)

BEST ACTRESS
MARION COTILLARD, FELICITY JONES, JULIANNE MOORE, ROSAMUND PIKE, REESE WITHERSPOON

Peter: Marion Cotillard
Andy: Rosamund Pike
Claudia: Julianne Moore
Wade: Felicity Jones

BEST PICTURE
AMERICAN SNIPER, BIRDMAN, BOYHOOD, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, THE IMITATION GAME, SELMA, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, WHIPLASH

"If somebody says to me you have 12 years to make a movie, I will make you the greatest movie ever. But if somebody says to me you have 30 days to stage the march on Selma, Alabama. I'm gonna say No thank you, I don't think I can do that. Making a movie in pressure cooker is what making movies is all about - that's the mettle of a filmmaker." -Wade

Claudia: Boyhood
Peter: Boyhood
Charles: Boyhood
Henry: American Sniper
Amy: Birdman
Lael: The Grand Budapest Hotel or Birdman
Wade: The Theory of Everything
Tim: A Most Violent Year (not nominated)

Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Box Office Magazine
Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and the LA Weekly
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and L.A. Times Community Paper Chain
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC and Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine

Remembering KTLA's Stan Chambers

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KTLA-CW Receives A Star On The Walk Of Fame

Anchor Stan Chambers attends the KTLA-CW recieving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 24, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

KTLA anchor Stan Chambers, a fixture on televisions across Southern California for decades has died.

He's covered more than 22,000 stories including Sen. Robert Kennedy's assassination and the 1965 Watts riots, KTLA reports. Starting at the station in 1947, his breakout moment and a staple in LA history was the live 27- hour coverage of a young girl stuck in a well in San Marino, discussed previously on AirTalk

Chambers was 91 and surrounded by family in his home in Holmby Hills at the time of his death. Share your memories of the anchor whose legacy spans 63 years in comments below. 

Guest:

Joel Tator, author, “Los Angeles Television” (Arcadia Publishing, 2015), A multiple Emmy Award winner, Tator has produced and directed more than 8,500 broadcasts

'Fashioning Fat' author talks being a plus-sized model in an industry obsessed with image

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FASHION-WOMEN-PLUS-SIZE-JEAN-MARC-PHILIPPE

Models present creations for plus-size women by French fashion designer Jean-Marc Philippe on May 16, 2013 at the Palais Royal in Paris.; Credit: BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images

“Size doesn’t matter.” It’s a phrase almost everyone has heard at one point or another during the course of our lifetimes.

However, in the world of professional modeling, size does matter, and it’s something that sociologist-turned-model Amanda Czerniawski knows all too well. As a size 10, she was considered a “plus-sized model” when she first strutted onto the scene. In her book, “Fashioning Fat: Inside Plus-Size Modeling,” Czerniawski takes us back through her two and a half years as a professional model from open calls at modeling agencies to the runway at fashion shows.

She also talks to other plus-size models about their lives in the fashion world. Czerniawski’s book seeks to show us the changing meaning of the word “beauty” and how plus-size models challenge us to expand our definition of “beauty.” She argues that while many plus-size models work their entire lives to overcome self-confidence and shame issues with their bodies, they have no control over the social construction or dissemination of beauty.

How do you think plus-size models are redefining what we consider “beautiful?” In what ways has the standard for beauty changed in the last 20 years?

Guest:

Amanda Czerniawski, author of “Fashioning Fat” and a former plus-size model. She is currently an assistant professor of sociology at Temple University.

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