(L to R) Newly-elected United Nations Secretary General-designate Antonio Guterres and outgoing secretary general Ban Ki-moon stand for a photo opportunity.; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Among many changes in 2017, January 1st marked the beginning of Antonio Guterres’ term as United Nations Secretary General.

As reported by the Associated Press, Guterres spoke Tuesday at the U.N. headquarters about peace, but also addressed future challenges such as terrorism. Guterres is a Portuguese politician who was the previous U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. He is filling the position of Ban Ki-moon, who has been secretary general since 2007.

What are Guterres’ specific goals for the U.N. and what can we glean from his past as commissioner for refugees? Larry speaks to POLITICO'S Daniel Lippman to find out more.

Guest:

Daniel Lippman, reporter for POLITICO and a co-author of POLITICO's Playbook, a morning political newsletter

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A woman looks at a functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI) showing the effect of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Kant's 3rd Critique on the human brain.; Credit: MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images

You’ve probably heard that listening to music can be therapeutic.

It’s been said to have the ability to alleviate stress and anxiety --which is especially important at a time when we’re so technologically connected and constantly on-the-go. Matt Sachs studies brain and behavior science at the University of Southern California. Sachs said he is reluctant to recommend a specific song or genre because people are so different, but he did say that the general population finds New Age music to be particularly relaxing.  

Have you found a certain song or genre to be helpful in reducing stress?

Guests:

Jessica Grahn, associate professor in the Brain and Mind Institute and the Department of Psychology at Western University in Ontario, Canada

Matt Sachs, brain and behavior science doctoral student, University of Southern California

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Republican members of Congress listen as U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol September 8, 2011 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Pew Research Center recently analyzed the religious composition of the newly-elected 115th Congress.

The research found that even though there are fewer adults today who call themselves Christian, Congress remains overwhelmingly Christian. Approximately 91 percent of Congress described themselves as Christian, while just 71 percent of surveyed adults used the same description. Researchers found that both chambers are heavily Christian and reflect about the same percentages as was recorded in 1961.

What do these numbers tell us? Is congressional religious affiliation important to you as a voter?

Read the full report below: 

Faith on the Hill by Southern California Public Radio on Scribd

Guest:

Greg Smith, Associate Director of Religion Research at the Pew Research Center

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The desalination part of the Poseidon Water facility would be located here along Huntington Beach.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC (Aerial support provided by LightHawk)

For years, desalination, or the process of turning salty seawater into drinking water, has struggled to gain acceptance as a solution to drought.

Critics say it’s prohibitively expensive and has the potential to harm sea life. But now, more than a dozen desal projects are under consideration along California’s coastline.

Larry Mantle and guests debate the latest developments here in Southern California.

Guests: 

Shivaji Deshmukh, assistant general manager of the West Basin Municipal Water District

Bruce Reznik, executive director of Los Angeles Waterkeeper, a water conservancy group based in Santa Monica

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Roy Choi (L) and host Alex Cohen with some of the new foods on the menu at LocoL, Choi's new fast food restaurant opening in the Watts neighborhood on January 18, 2016.; Credit: Leo Duran/KPCC

Locol, the fast food brainchild of chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson, just got a blow from the New York Times’ food critic Pete Wells – a zero-star rating.

Choi responded via Instagram, writing that Locol “hit a nerve,” compelling Wells to write something that “would hurt a community that is already born from a lot of pain and struggle.”

The fast food chain was created with an idealist mission, to bring nutritious food to underserved communities, such as Watts in Los Angeles and Oakland in the Bay area.

Should Wells have taken this mission into account when reviewing Locol? Should he have reviewed it via the context of nearby fast food offerings? What is the role of the food critic in a landscape of food advocacy, superstar chefs and food trucks?

Guests: 

Farley Elliott, Senior Editor, EaterLA; Author, “Los Angeles Street Food” (Arcadia; 2015)

Jonathan Gold, Pulitzer Prize winning restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

(L-R) Deray McKesson, Brittany Packnett, and Wesley Lowery attend the "Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement" screening on May 24, 2016 in New York City.; Credit: D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET Networks

In the midst of a presidential election year, it's no surprise one of the trendiest slang terms of 2016 was political: "woke" (adj.) defined as being aware of racism and social injustice.

However, when the Internet gets its grubby little keystrokes on a new trend, the reappropriation is rapid. So, now "woke" is also defined on Urban Dictionary as "a state of perceived intellectual superiority one gains by reading 'The Huffington Post.'" With the bastardization of the term, it's likely no one will wear the "woke" label by this time next year.

The power of slang lies either in its newness or its irony. So which words are still fresh for 2017 and which ones can make a retro comeback?

Can we highkey get rid of “on fleek? Has “suh?” replaced “sup?” What’s your favorite, current synonym for “cool?" Do people say “RT” out loud now? And do you know what “mom” and “dad” means right now?

Guest:

Emmy Favilla, Global Copy Chief at BuzzFeed

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder speaks during a press conference announcing Department of Justice plans to sue North Carolina over Voter ID regulations at the Department of Justice.; Credit: Kris Connor/Getty Images

The California Legislature is lawyering up in preparation for the next four years under Donald Trump - and the person they’ve hired is a familiar name: Eric H. Holder Jr.

Holder, who served as attorney general under President Obama, is now a big-time Washington lawyer. He's been tapped to represent California in any legal fights against the Trump administration, as the liberal state braces itself against the new administration over a number of issues, including the environment and illegal immigration.

California Senate President Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) says Holder was chosen to serve California’s legal counsel at a time when the state faces extraordinary threats requiring extraordinary action.

“The more legal super fire power that you have, the better,” says de Leon. “Eric Holder and his team at Covington will be working very closely with the attorney general as well as the governor, Jerry Brown, but remember one thing Larry - these are three separate branches, co-equal branches of government, and the more legal power that we have necessary to protect values of Californians, the better.”

But Shawn Steel, California National Committeeman of the Republican National Committee, says it’s bizarre for the legislature to create a separate law firm at this level in Washington, D.C., before there’s even a lawsuit or specific case.

“It’s a huge slap in the face of Xavier Becerra,” says Steel. “It basically says, ‘Xavier, you’re the attorney general, you may be bright and sharp, you have the largest attorney general’s office in the United States, you have a tremendous reputation of a long standing reputation, but you’re not good enough to deal with what may or may not come from the Trump administration, therefore we’re gonna hire our own personal lawyers’…[but] as a lawyer practicing myself, often times the more lawyers you bring to a case, the less gets done, the more muddled it becomes, and then you have factions even among your own side.”

No word yet on how much the state is spending on retaining Holder’s service.

To hear more of this discussion, click the blue playhead above.

Guests:

Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles),  California Senate President and State Senator representing the state’s 24th District

Shawn Steel, California National Committeeman, Republican National Committee; he tweets @shawnsteel1

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Daejanae Marshall holds photographs of her baby daughter, Zah’Nyah, outside her South Los Angeles home on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. ; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

KPCC’s Broke series looks at why more California families are ending up homeless and what some of the solutions might be to prevent that.

California’s version of cash welfare, CalWORKs, is one program intended to prevent families from falling into homelessness. It gives a parent with two children a maximum of $714 a month. According to the California Budget & Policy Center, an average low-cost apartment in California costs $870 a month. From 2000 to 2012, rent in L.A. increased 25 percent, but in that same period, legislators cut the CalWORKs grant by  $7 per month.

Today on AirTalk, Larry talks with a roundtable about what role government assistance should play in stemming family homelessness and whether increasing housing costs justify increasing government cash grants like CalWORKs.

Guests:

Rina Palta, KPCC correspondent covering Southern California's social safety net

Holly Mitchell, California Democratic Senator, Mitchell’s district includes Culver City and Ladera Heights

Kevin Corinth, Research fellow in economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he focuses on homelessness and the programs and policies put in place to assist the homeless

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (L) and United States Cyber Command and National Security Agency Director Admiral Michael Rogers testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill January 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

For the first time, US intelligence chiefs publicly stated this morning that senior Russian leadership approved cyberhacking to influence the US presidential race.

The statements came before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was joined by NSA head Admiral Michael Rogers and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Marcel Lettre. The trio submitted joint remarks to the Armed Service Committee that claimed Russian cyberattacks pose a "major threat" to the US. They cited as vulnerable the country's power grid, communications systems, financial institutions, government operations, and military.

Incoming President-elect Trump has consistently expressed skepticism about Russian responsibility. Some Republicans in Congress have gone along with that but others, like Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, take issue with Trump's posture on Russia and the credibility of US intelligence gathering.

If Congress becomes convinced Russia was behind the DNC and John Podesta hacks, and that the country poses a larger cyber threat to the US, what can it do? Particularly if the new President doesn't agree? Larry and his panel weigh Congress' options for dealing with Russia.

Guests:

William Danvers, Senior Fellow specializing in National Security at the Center for American Progress - a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C.

Anton Fedyashin,  Professor of Russian History, American University in Washington, D.C.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

U.S. President Barack Obama answers questions during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House December 16, 2016 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

As of January 20, President Barack Obama will no longer call 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue his home.

His second term has all but ended, President-elect Trump is transitioning into power, and now President Obama faces the post-presidency world after holding the most powerful job in it.

So how will history remember President Obama? Being the first black president will no doubt be a major part of his legacy, but how and what role it will play is largely up for debate. There are, of course, his legislative accomplishments and sometimes controversial directives, from the Affordable Care Act to the auto industry bailout to his executive actions on immigration. As commander-in-chief, Obama pioneered military drone use and greenlit a risky operation in Pakistan that ultimately led to the death of Osama bin Laden.

But some will remember him for promises left unkept -- think closing Guantanamo and pulling the U.S. out of Afghanistan. Others may remember how race relations seemed to degrade during his tenure, and point to incidents in places like Ferguson or Charlotte or Baton Rouge or Dallas. And others still will remember him for his captivating speaking abilities and overall good humor, whether it was poking fun at himself while slow-jamming the news with Jimmy Fallon or throwing zingers around the ballroom at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.

How do you think history will remember President Obama? Will he be seen more or less favorably as time passes? What will you remember about his presidency?

Guests:

Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian & professor of history at Rice University; Fellow, James Baker, III Institute for Public Policy

Christopher Caldwell, senior editor at The Weekly Standard; he is also a regular contributor to The Financial Times and Slate

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Razor wire tops the fence of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, also known as "Gitmo" on October 23, 2016 at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

The Obama administration sent four detainees from the Guantanamo Bay military prison to Saudi Arabia, what is expected to be the first in a flurry of transfers before President-Elect Trump takes office.

The current White House plans to transfer as many as 19 prisoners out of Gitmo, despite Trump’s promise to keep the prison open – and even to add more to its population.

Larry Mantle and guests debate the future of Guantanamo under a Trump administration.

Guests:

Raha Wala, Director for National Security Advocacy at Human Rights First, a non-profit organization  

Charles “Cully” Stimson, Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation; he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs and and coordinated the Pentagon’s global detention policy and operations, including at Guantanamo Bay

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Figure 4: Americans Are Split in Their Confidence in President-Elect Trump’s Ability to Guarantee Better Health Care at a Lower Cost; Credit: Fig 4 from Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Priorities for 2017

President-elect Donald Trump has made it no secret that he wants the Affordable Care Act repealed and it is expected that he will move quickly to scuttle the legislation once he is inaugurated.

Senate Republicans have already laid out the language they’ll be using to take the law apart without Democrats But a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that most Americans don’t want Obamacare to be repealed without something in line to replace it.

The poll, released today, shows that about 75 percent of people polled either want Obamacare left alone or don’t want Congress to touch it until a new healthcare plan has been devised and set in motion. Only 20 percent of respondents said they wanted Congress to repeal Obamacare even if there was no plan B.

What would happen if the ACA were to be repealed without a replacement in line? Who are the winners and losers? Is too much hay being made about the possible downfalls of a repeal? If the ACA is going to be repealed, do you agree that a replacement should be rolled out first or do you think people need to stay calm and carry on?

Guests:

Kavita Patel, M.D., nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; she’s also a practicing primary care physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine and was previously a director of policy for The White House under President Obama

Joe Antos, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where his research focuses on the economics of health policy — including the Affordable Care Act. He served as assistant director for health and human resources at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Liz Hamel, director of public opinion and survey research at the Kaiser Family Foundation

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A sign in a Los Angeles Uber taken in July, 2016, asking customers to give a perfect five star rating.; Credit: Lauren Osen/KPCC

Uber drivers who drive uber fast, perturbed Postmates, or an Airbnb that could use some airing out; these are just some of the ways your sharing economy experience can go horribly wrong.

Sure, it’s great to have the option to order an Uber or Lyft at 1 a.m. when you need a sober ride home, but the drive can become a buzzkill if your driver is trying to recreate 2 Fast 2 Furious or, as was recently the case for one of AirTalk’s producers, he/she won’t stop trying to sell you homemade candies. And, of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe you had a truly traumatic experience with a short-term rental or got into a shouting match with a Grubhub driver who couldn’t find the front gate of your apartment complex and your food was delivered cold. If you’ve got a sharing economy horror story, AirTalk wants to hear about it! Join the conversation at 866-893-5722!

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Two teenagers drive a luxury convertible car in the Portals Port on August 09, 2015.; Credit: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

The bill is AB 63, introduced by CA Assemblyman Jim Frazier (D-Oakley), and it seeks to up the age new drivers must hold a provisional driver’s license from 18 to 21 in the hope of reducing teen driving accidents.

A provisional driver’s license comes with a number of restrictions. In California, it limits drivers from operating vehicles between 11pm and 5am, and bars him or her from carrying passengers under the age of 20 unless accompanied by a licensed driver 25 or older.

If AB 63 passes, these restrictions will apply to new teen drivers until they turn 21.

Guests:

Steve Barrow, spokesperson for California Coalition for Children’s Safety and Health, an advocacy organization and supporter of AB  63

Scott Shackford, an associate editor at Reason.com, the online publication of the Reason Foundation, a libertarian organization. He’s been following the story

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Actress Meryl Streep, recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award, poses in the press room during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. ; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Meryl Streep's criticism of Donald Trump took much of the attention at last night's Golden Globes.

Streep’s acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award was crafted into a compelling defense of Hollywood, foreigners and the press.

The actress never mentioned Trump by name, but it was clear who her target was in pointedly saying that a performance from the past year that stunned her came from the campaign trail. She noted an incident where "the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country" imitated a disabled reporter from The New York Times.

"It kind of broke my heart when I saw it," she said. "I still can't get it out of my head, because it wasn't in a movie. It was real life."

President-elect Trump took to Twitter this morning calling Meryl Streep "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood" following her speech last night night at the Golden Globe awards.

What stood out for you from the Streep speech and reaction that has followed?

Who was the intended audience and what was the speech's likely effect? Let us know what you think  by calling in at 866-893-5722 or tweeting us @AirTalk.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the lobby after meeting with French businessman Bernard Arnault, chief executive officer of LVMH, at Trump Tower, January 9, 2017 in New York City.; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

We’re learning more about Russian hacking aimed at influencing the recent presidential election after a declassified version of the intel report given to the U.S. Intelligence Community was released on Friday.

It concludes that Russian President Vladimir Putin was pulling the strings behind the cyber campaign which, according to the report, sought to discredit then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the hopes of propping up Donald Trump, Moscow’s preferred candidate. President-elect Trump and his transition team downplayed the report’s release.

President-elect Trump made news elsewhere when he said that Mexico would pay the U.S. back for building the border wall that was one of his biggest campaign promises. He says the money would come from his renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

We’ll also tackle the President-elect’s directive that all Obama-appointed foreign envoys must leave their posts by January 20th, Inauguration Day. In the past, envoys have been given grace periods to vacate their posts before new ambassadors are appointed. Plus, Senate confirmation hearings for Trump cabinet appointees begin this week, but some are concerned about the hearings beginning before background checks and ethics clearances have been completed.

Guests:

Lynn Vavreck, professor of political science at UCLA; she tweets @vavreck

John (Jack) Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College

Mary Louise Kelly, National Security Correspondent for NPR who’s been following the story

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Grace Marie, a sex worker and dominatrix, poses for photo in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 30, 2015. She has posted advertisements on the classified ad website Backpage.com.; Credit: Jae C. Hong/AP

The shutdown of the adult section on Backpage.com, one of the biggest classified ads sites in the world, took sex workers across the country by surprise on Monday.

The site’s founders say it has become the target of a government “witch hunt” after a Senate report alleging that Backpage was facilitating criminal activity by editing out terms in adult ads that could indicate prostitution or trafficking. They appeared before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations this morning regarding the report. Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris has accused Backpage of being designed to be “the world’s top online brothel” and other critics say the site facilitates the pimping of and women and children. Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer was arrested in October on charges of conspiracy and pimping, which set off protests from sex workers who worried that shutting down sites like Backpage would drive sex workers back underground and leave them on the streets.

The abrupt end to posting adult ads on Backpage leaves many sex workers in limbo as those who don’t have a regular clientele wondering where they will advertise their services. Sites like Backpage and Craigslist don’t allow adult ads anymore and other sites like Rentboy and Redbook no longer exist.

Where will sex industry workers advertise now that Backpage doesn’t allow adult ads? What will the overall impact on sex workers and the industry as a whole be?

Guests: 

Carrie Nation, a Los Angeles-based escort and an active member of the Sex Workers Outreach Project, Los Angeles Chapter

Scott Cunningham, Associate Professor of Economics at Baylor University who specializes in the economics of criminal activity, and the intersection of technology and the law

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

After leaving her house underwater in New Orleans three-months ago, Kathy Curry, a former rehabilitation counselor, hasn't settled down with a permanent housing.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

I’m sorry: these simple words can also be the most powerful ones in the English language.

But there’s an art to saying sorry, says noted psychologist Harriet Lerner, author of the new book, “Why Won’t You Apologize?” When done right, an apology can heal wounds and restore trust. But an errant apology can cause more harm than good.

Larry Mantle speaks with Lerner about the power of saying sorry.

Guest:

Harriet Lerner, psychologist and author of many books, including her latest, “Why Won’t You Apologize?” (Touchstone Hardcover, 2017)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the U.S. attorney general January 10, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

It's Day One of Senate confirmation hearings for Donald Trump's cabinet nominees.

The Attorney General position is up first, with Senator Jeff Sessions facing the Judiciary Committee. So far this morning the Alabama Republican Senator has been questioned about abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and prosecuting pornographers.

Guest:

Timothy Alberta, national political reporter, POLITICO; he tweets @TimAlberta

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Oliver H., 42, a married federal employee on 6-month paternity leave, reads to his twin 14-month-old daughters Alma (R) and Lotte at his home on August 31, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. ; Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

With growing awareness of gender fluidity in children (see this month's National Geographic for instance), neuroscientists such as Debra Soh are pushing back against the corresponding trend of gender-neutral parenting.

Writing in the Los Angeles Times last week, the York University researcher argues: "Offering kids the opportunity to pursue what they’d like, freed from societal expectations, is an undeniably positive thing — whether it has to do with toys, clothing, or their future aspirations. But the scientific reality is that it’s futile to treat children as blank slates with no predetermined characteristics. Biology matters."

However, not all academics make the same conclusions about the scientific data. Professor Melissa Luke of Syracuse University said while neuroscience can map gender differences in the brain, she says gender-normative socialization begins as soon as a baby is born. Luke, who teaches school counselors how to work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, argues children’s brains are constantly shaped by the outside world, so it is almost impossible to argue that biology alone determines a child’s gender identity.

What has been your experience as either a parent or son or daughter when it comes to gender normative or gender neutral parenting?

Guests:

Debra Soh, Ph.D., candidate in Sexual Neuroscience, York University; columnist for “Playboy” magazine; she tweets @debra_soh

Melissa Luke, professor and coordinator of the School Counseling program Syracuse University,  specializing in counseling for LGBT youth

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.