WASHINGTON, IL - NOVEMBER 17: Residents of Elgin Avenue sort through debris after a tornado struck on November 17, 2013 in Washington, Illinois. Several tornadoes touched down across the Midwest today with at least three people reported dead in Illinois. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images); Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Severe weather hit the Midwest this weekend, creating dozens of tornadoes, flash floods and even hair. Washington, IL, a town of 10,000 people was amongst the hardest hit. The entire neighborhood was virtually flattened, and at least one person died in the area. Across the entire state six people were killed from the storms.   

In neighboring communities, homes were destroyed, and rescuers were trying to teach people trapped in their basement. Throughout the region, the National Weather Service reported at least 67 tornadoes as of Sunday evening. Thousands of people were left without power across the station.

Residents in pother nearby states including Michigan, Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio were left without power, and faced heavy winds as the tornadoes continued to move across states.

Guest:

Denise Molina, Morning Edition host for Peoria Public Radio

Doyle Rice, Weather Editor, USA Today

What’s the best way for doctors and patients to determine risk?; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Last week, the nation’s leading heart organizations announced new cholesterol-lowering guidelines. Central to the recommendations is a new online calculator meant to measure the risk of heart attack and stroke, as well as treatment options. Now, that calculator appears to greatly overestimate risk. “So much so,” reports the New York Times, “that it could mistakenly suggest that millions more people are candidates for statin drugs.”

One leading cardiologist, a past president of the American College of Cardiology, called on Sunday for a halt to the implementation of the new guidelines until further evaluation could be done. The calculator’s reliability was called into question by two Harvard Medical School doctors, Dr. Paul M. Ridker and Dr. Nancy Cook.

According to their findings, which will be published Tuesday in The Lancet, the calculator over-predicted risk by 75 to 150 percent, depending on the subjects. For example, a person with a 4 percent risk, might show up as having an 8 percent risk. Since the threshold for treatment is 5 to 7.5 percent, many more patients would likely be advised to seek treatment, including some with no risk factors at all.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology said the calculator might not be perfect, and that it wasn’t meant to replace the advice of doctors.

But can the new guidelines be trusted? What’s the best way for doctors and patients to determine risk?

Guests:

Gina Kolata, senior reporter covering health and science for the New York Times and author of five books, the most recent of which is Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss and the Myths and Realities of Dieting"

Arthur Caplan, Head, Division of Medical Ethics, NYU Langone Medical Center

A heated break-up on a Brooklyn rooftop was broadcast worldwide via Twitter. ; Credit: George Marks/Getty Images

New York comedian Kyle Ayers was relaxing on the rooftop of his Brooklyn apartment building when he heard a couple in the midst of a break up. Instead of leaving or trying to ignore them, Ayers live tweeted the breakup.

A couple is breaking up on my roof right now. I was just trying to enjoy the view. Now I will live tweet the breakup. #roofbreakup

— Kyle Ayers (@kyleayers) November 17, 2013

Using the hashtag  ‘#roofbreakup,’ Ayers details the couple's argument. The whole saga includes accusations from the couple and direct quotes.

"I'm not looking for marriage, just what's right below marriage" -girl #roofbreakup

— Kyle Ayers (@kyleayers) November 17, 2013

"Everyone told me New York wasn't for me." -guy #roofbreakup

— Kyle Ayers (@kyleayers) November 17, 2013

At one point the couple even notices Ayers listening. 

"I don't think we need to talk about this up here with some random guy over there." -guy (uh oh, I'm that guy over here) #roofbreak

— Kyle Ayers (@kyleayers) November 17, 2013

The tweets became a hit on Twitter, and most people found it funny, and congratulated Ayers on sharing the event.

I want @kyleayers to live tweet my next break up. #roofbreakup

— Liz Criswell (@CriswellLiz) November 17, 2013

Why do you think people were so interested?With so many reality television shows, why did people care about strangers breaking up? Was there any violation of the couple's privacy?

Digital First Media operates nine Los Angeles area newspapers that will now charge for online access. ; Credit: Marc Piscotty/Getty Images

Readers who need their daily dose of the Los Angeles Daily News will soon have to pay up. That goes for frequent readers of the Long Beach Press-Telegram, the Pasadena Star News and six other local Southern California papers owned by Digital First Media. The company said the newspapers will transition to paid subscriptions starting Wednesday.

The transition comes at a time when newspapers are struggling to increase revenues and many have gone the route of putting up paywalls on their websites. Almost half of newspapers in the U.S. now have paywalls, which according to Businessweek helped to raise circulation revenue by 5% last year.

Have paywalls become a necessity for the survival of newspapers? If you’re a reader of one of these papers, do you see yourself paying for a subscription?

Guest:
Ken Doctor, media analyst for newsonomics.com and the author of “Newsonomics: Twelve New Trends That Will Shape the News You Get” (St Martin Press, 2010)

A period correct 1968 DB restyled to replicate the DB5 actually used by the actor Sean Connery in the 1960's James Bond films Thunderball and Goldfinger is displayed at the LA Auto Show on November 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

The 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show opens to the public this Friday at the LA Convention Center. Big debuts at this year’s event include a revamped MINI Cooper, Chevrolet Colorado and Subaru WRX—and Porsche’s new Macan compact crossover.

What will you be on the lookout for at this year’s Auto Show?  If you’re like most Los Angeles car buyers, you prefer smaller vehicles and foreign brands. L.A. also boasts double the share of hybrids and electric vehicles nationally.

Today, the Auto Show will focus entirely on technology, as carmakers look to offer an array of conveniences in the Smartphone era.

There’s also sure to be some green vehicles on display at the Convention Center—including the hydrogen-powered Honda FCEV.

Will you check out this year’s show?

The show runs November 22 - December 1. More information and tickets can be found here

Guests:

Jessica Caldwell, Senior Analyst, Edmunds.com

Ron Montoya, Consumer Advice Editor, Edmunds.com

Ellis Act evictions more than doubled in California between March 2012 and February 2013 compared to the year prior.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Anyone looking for affordable rentals in the Bay Area knows, they’re very hard to come by these days. The booming tech economy and sky high rents have turned San Francisco into the second-least affordable rental market in the United States.

Sales prices have shot up 22 percent over the last few years and the median monthly rent is $3400. Evictions, under the state’s Ellis Act, are also on the rise. According to a recent report from the San Francisco budget analyst, they’re up 170 percent since 2010.

The Ellis Act, which was enacted in 1986, allows landlords to evict even long-term tenants in order to take units off the market – either to sell them or move in. Now, a coalition of lawmakers is pushing for changes to the state law driving many of the evictions.

What proposals are on the table? Would amending the Ellis Act help alleviate San Francisco’s housing crisis?

Guests: 

David Campos, Supervisor representing San Francisco’s District 9.

Debra Carlton, Senior Vice President Public Affairs, California Apartment Association

; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Military suicides have dropped significantly—more than 22 percent this year. That’s great news, but what has puzzled military officials is why. The Defense Department has launched a series of new suicide prevention programs, but whether those efforts have had any real impact on the reduced rates remains unclear, officials admit.

Furthermore, given that many of the soldiers that ended their lives in recent years were not engaged directly in combat, the drop also cannot be attributed to the end of the Iraq war or the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

What is known, however, is that military life takes an emotional toll not just on service members, but their families as well. A new study conducted by USC shows that adolescents from military families are more likely to experience depression and contemplate suicide than their non-military counterparts. The study was published online this week by the Journal of Adolescent Health.

For more information on veteran assistance--The Soldiers Project, The Mission Continues, Give An Hour

Guests:

Kristina Kaufmann, Executive Director, Code of Support Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between civilian and military America

Ian Smith, former Marine; USC social work student

Julie Cederbaum, Associate Professor, USC School of Social Work; lead author of new study showing teens in military families are at higher risk of poor mental health outcomes

Susan Lindau, clinician and associate professor of military social work at USC; Licensed by the Department of Defense to work with active-duty soldiers

In 'Lying', author Sam Harris makes a case for telling the truth.

“Do these jeans make me look fat?” Has anyone ever answered that question honestly?

Would an honest answer, even if painful, be good for us?

Yes, according to neuroscientist and noted “new atheist” Sam Harris. In his new book, "Lying," Harris explores the “white” lies most of us tell. We tell them ostensibly for good reasons – to spare the feelings of others. But it’s not possible to grow from the truth, Harris contends. More than that, lies are at the heart of so much of what ails us in this society.

Politicians make promises they don’t keep, drug companies mislead the public, doctors try to “protect” us from the truth and spouses let us down “easy.”

Lying is so widespread, it’s nearly impossible to know who or what to believe anymore. Taken to the extreme, our public discourse becomes dominated by conspiracy theories. To Harris, lies are the social equivalent of toxic waste: everyone is potentially harmed by their spread. Being brutally but pragmatically honest, on the other hand, has more benefits than costs.

Would telling the truth where others lie, make all our lives better, as Harris argues? Can you handle giving or getting the truth -- all the time?

Guest:

Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of “Lying”

US Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks on 'Securing American Entities Operating Abroad' at the US Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) November 20, 2013, during their 28th Annual Briefing at the US Department of State in Washington, DC.; Credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

Nuclear negotiations between Iran and six countries have resumed in Geneva. It’s the third time they’ve come together in a month to try to hammer out a deal that would curtail Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for reduced economic sanctions. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad sounded upbeat about the renewed talks and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s postponement of a scheduled visit to Israel this week is fueling speculation again that an accord is indeed near.

The issue, however, is driving a wedge between the U.S. and Israel in what some observers are calling one of the biggest dispute between the two allies in 30 years. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that any nuclear deal with Iran short of banning its nuclear program outright would be a threat to Israel’s safety.

Adding to all the moving pieces are two bombings against the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, which killed 23 people including a diplomat. An al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility for the attacks in retaliation for Hezbollah’s support of the Assad regime in the ongoing Syrian civil war.

Guests:
Patrick McDonnell, Beirut Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times

John Hudson, National security staff writer for Foreign Policy magazine

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), hopes the Senate will finish work on the National Defense Authorization Act before the Thanksgiving holiday.; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hopes the Senate will finish work on the National Defense Authorization Act—a sweeping annual bill that sets Pentagon policy—before the Thanksgiving holiday.

But it may not be that easy. Floor debate for the yearly bill typically involves hundreds of proposed amendments and dozens of votes. This time around, Senators are likely to offer amendments dealing with a host of controversial issues—including how to deal with military sexual assault and whether to introduce further sanctions on Iran.

The multi-day spending bill debate is also expected to serve as a forum for lawmakers to debate the National Security Agency’s spying programs and related privacy concerns.

There’s also likely to be debate about what to do with Guantanamo Bay detainees, as Senators again weigh President Obama’s request for the ability to transfer terror suspects from the complex.

What issues do you think should get the most attention as Senators debate this year’s defense bill?

Guest:

Philip Ewing, Defense Editor for POLITICO

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 01: Police tape blocks off the road leading up to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after a shooting inside Terminal 3 at LAX November 1, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. A man identified as Paul Ciancia reportedly pulled out an assault rifle in Terminal 3 of the airport and shot his way through security, killing one Transportation Security Administration (TSA) worker and wounding several others before being shot himself. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images); Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has voiced support for an increase in surveillance at LAX following the shooting early this month that killed a TSA agent and injured several others. “We could have better surveillance,” he said. “There are ways to make where [TSA agents] work safer.”

This week’s murder of Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s father, Joseph Gatto, in his Silver Lake home has police looking into more assaults in the area. They’re trying to figure out whether an attempted carjacking the night before was related to the murder.

RELATED: LAPD releases sketch of possible Joseph Gatto killing suspect

We’ll also talk to Chief Beck about what looks like a decrease in LA homicides, safety at the Venice Beach boardwalk after a fatal hit and run earlier this year, and more.

That includes this Zombie-themed public service announcement from the LAPD's Northeast Division that serves as a warning about car burglaries in LA and urges people to hide their valuables:

Guest:
Charlie Beck, Chief of LAPD

The US Department of Justice has heard recommendations that urge changes to the way in which rapes and sexual assaults in the US are counted.; Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images

How reliable are the Justice Department’s stats on rape and sexual assault? According to a new report from the National Research Council (NRC), not very. The survey, released Tuesday, reveals that rape is vastly undercounted in America and suggests ways to improve the measurement tools.

The Justice Department uses the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which indicates that the rate of completed and attempted rape in the U.S. has gone down from a high of 5 percent of girls and women victimized in 1995 to a low of 2 percent from 2005 to now. That would be good news, if true. But the NRC found that a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 1.2 million victims of rape and attempted rape in 2010, which is significantly higher than the 188,000 counted by the NCVS.

What’s behind the large disparity? Slate’s Emily Bazelon writes that one cause might be that the NRC survey asks better, more targeted questions. The NCVS also doesn’t include questions about whether a person was unable to consent to sex because he or she was “drunk, high, drugged or passed out.” Having accurate numbers is critical to establishing effective approaches to rape prevention.

So what should be done to ensure more accuracy? Another complicating issue is that rape is one of the most underreported crimes in the world. So what more can be done to get victims to report crimes of sexual violence more consistently?

Guests:
Emily Bazelon, is a Senior Editor for Slate and the Truman Capote Fellow at Yale Law School; Author of Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy (Random House 2013). She tweets @emilybazelon

Christopher Krebs, senior researcher at RTI International, an institute that provides research and technical services to governments and businesses

1962: US statesman John F Kennedy, 35th president of the USA, making a speech. ; Credit: Central Press/Getty Images

Before John F. Kennedy became one of the most famous residents of the White House he spent his formative political years as the senator from Massachusetts. Connections Kennedy made on a special Senate panel to identify the five greatest senators in American history helped seal his path to the presidency.

On the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's tragic death, a new book by author and historian John T. Shaw sheds light on the years Kennedy spent in Congress and explores how his time representing his home state of Massachusetts eventually led him to the White House.

Guest:
John T. Shaw, senior correspondent and vice president for Market News International and a contributing writer for the Washington Diplomat.

Supporters of a cat limit increase in Los Angeles say it will reduce the number of cats on the streets and in shelters. ; Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Los Angeles cat lovers may soon be allowed to own even more of their furry friends.

Under current regulations, pet owners in Los Angeles are only allowed to care for three cats in their home at any one time. Anyone who wants to cuddle more kitties has to apply for a kennel permit.

But a motion submitted by Councilman Paul Koretz would raise that limit to five. He says that raising the limit on cat ownership would get more abandoned animals off the streets and out of shelters since the people most likely to adopt a cat are already cat owners. The motion cited the 'three cat' limit as one of the key barriers to reducing the number of strays in the city.

Critics argue that the proposal should include requirements to spay or neuter the cats and they should be micro-chipped.

Should there be a limit on the number of cats you can own? What are the risks of having too many animals? Are there health concerns for the pets?

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KPCC's online polls are not scientific surveys of local or national opinion. Rather, they are designed as a way for our audience members to engage with each other and share their views. Let us know what you think on our Facebook page, facebook.com/kpcc, or in the comments below.

Guests:

Councilman Paul Koretz, council district 5 covering Bel Air, Century City, Westwood through Encino

Brenda Barnette, general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) leaves the weekly policy lunch of the Democratic caucus before speaking with reporters November 19, 2013 in Washington, DC. Reid spoke on recent efforts by Senate Republicans to filibuster judicial nominees appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

It’s third time’s the charm when it comes to Senate Democrats’ threats to exercise the so-called “nuclear option.” Led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Democratically controlled Senate threw out the filibuster rules that have been in place for over two centuries for most presidential confirmations.

The vote was decided along party lines. Under the historic change, confirmation of federal judge nominees and executive-office appointments would only require a simple majority of votes, instead of a 60-vote super majority. The revision won’t apply to Supreme Court nominations.

Guest:

Lisa Mascaro, Congressional Reporter at the Los Angeles Times

Julian Zelizer, Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University and the author of multiple books on U.S. political history, including On Capitol Hill: The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences, 1948-2000 (Cambridge University Press, 2004)

LA Rapper Kendrick Lamar is one of many artists whose lyrics are deciphered by fans on Rap Genius. ; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella

The National Music Publishers’ Association, a trade group for music publishers and songwriters, has recently sent out takedown notices to some 50 sites that post song lyrics online for copyright infringement.

One of the sites embroiled in the legal battle is Rap Genius, which doesn't just post hip-hop lyrics but invite fans to annotate them, to add backstories and cultural references particular lines in a song might signify.

The site is so popular its frequent contributors include famous rappers and last year, it allegedly secured $15 million in funding from a venture capital group. Fans say Rap Genius shouldn’t be lumped together with other lyrics sites given it provides a value-added service and that instead of exploiting songwriters, it helps fans connect to their work in more intimate ways.

But critics points to its fundraising success as evidence that Rap Genius is financially benefiting from other people’s intellectual property.

Is Rap Genius different from other lyrics sites? Does it hurt artists or encourage fandom?

Guests:

Illan Zechory, co-founder of Rap Genius

David Israelite, President and CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association

What are your favorite Los Angeles tourist destinations?; Credit: Photo by Nathan Congleton via Flickr Creative Commons

Angelenos are lucky to live in a top-shelf destination city, so there is no excuse for not drafting a dazzling itinerary for your holiday guests. Not only has KPCC mapped top destinations and widgets, but the Los Angeles Tourism board has a life-saver of a web site for all things L.A.

For instance, if your favorite uncle who's flying in happens to be a sports fan, why not give him the Magic Johnson tour. Magic will take you from a high-energy workout at North Hollywood's Body Theory Fitness Center, to refuel at Yang Chow in Chinatown, then naturally cap the evening at a Lakers game.

If your foodie-sister is coming to town, try the Hungry Girls guide that sweeps through delicious offerings from San Gabriel Valley to the San Fernando Valley. (Be sure to check out itineraries by Aziz Ansari, Tony Hawk, and Rob Lowe, too.)

RELATED: Where to take out of town visitors: 15 mini-trips for tourists in LA

Even if you want to play tourist every day of the week, the events pages will keep your calendar booked to infinite.

What are your top destinations when your parents visit? Do you like planning tours specific to your guest, or taking them on new adventures? As a local, have you visited all the top spots?

If we missed a good one, or you have another tip to share, please let us know on our Facebook page, on Twitter ("@" mention @Airtalk) or in the comments below!

TIPS FOR TOURISTS: 

• Don't go to Hollywood or Sunset Boulevard during the day. Go to the beach during the day and the Boulevards at night. —Omar Masry
• Be patient with traffic. —Ed Kociela
• Say "like" like, always. —Luis Aranda IV
• Expect to pay for parking everywhere. Find a central location, and walk as much as possible. You'll soak in more local flavors (and smog) by walking around as opposed to being tucked away in the shell of a car from point A to point B all day. —John Araujo
• Learn to travel around the city during the off-hours. —Sabba Rahbar
• Plan ahead. There is a lot to see, but places are usually far from each other. So it's good to maximize your time by looking at a map to get a feel for distances. —Veronica Peinado
• Avoid tourist traps like Ripleys and focus on the real Hollywood history. —Brett Padelford
• Take the Metro. (Plan your trip here.) —Elson Trinidad

CHECKLIST: 

Native Angeleno Will Coley created this printable checklist to help out-of-towners discover the city. "I don't think L.A. is very good at marketing itself. You have to discover L.A. yourself," Coley said.

TIPS FOR TOURISTS: 

Checklist: Where to take tourists

MAP WITH EVEN MORE SPOTS: 

Map of spots listed above

Map created by Nuran Alteir.

Guest:
Susan Lomax, Vice President, Communications, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board - which runs the tremendously helpful LA events and tourism site DiscoverLosAngeles.com

The U.S. Census Bureau announced yesterday that more than $14 billion in child support was left unpaid in a single year.; Credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images

Only one out of every three child support dollars is being paid, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey.  While millions of parents are entitled to financial support  for their kids, less than half are receiving the full amount owed; a quarter receive none. Consistent underpayment has impacted lower income households in particular.  

Help is available to these parents, but the number who seek government assistance to get the money they're entitled to fell by a quarter between 1994 and 2012. Instead, many families operate outside of the child support system, with payees contributing to clothes, food and other essentials on an ad-hoc basis.

Do you pay child support? What challenges have you had in meeting your financial obligation? Have you sought help to reduce your payment but had difficulty doing so? And if you’re on the other end, how has underpayment or non-payment of child support impacted you?

Guests:
Paul Nathan, Law offices of Paul Nathan (based in San Francisco); Nathan focuses on family law for women clients

Alan-Michael Graves, Director of Project Fatherhood, a nationally recognized program serving urban, low income fathers (based in Los Angeles)

Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth, and Jennifer Lawrence attend the "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on November 20, 2013 in New York City. ; Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Larry is joined by KPCC critics Claudia Puig and Alynda Wheat to review this week’s releases, including The Hunger Games, Philomena, Delivery Man and more! TGI-FilmWeek!

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Philomena

Delivery Man

Guests:

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today

Alynda Wheat, film critic for KPCC and People

1962: US statesman John F Kennedy, 35th president of the USA, making a speech.; Credit: Central Press/Getty Images

Fifty years ago today America sat in stunned disbelief as news emerged of  President John F. Kennedy’s death. Gunned down on the streets of Dallas, Texas, the young JFK’s life was taken as he rolled down the street in an open-top car with his wife, Jacqueline by his side. 

RELATED: Remembering JFK: Watch his inaugural address

In a time before 24-hour news, families gathered around radios and televisions to hear the latest on the loss of a respected Commander-in-Chief. The young Kennedy had energized America and brought with him the hope of a new world.

Decades on, the impact of JFK’s assassination is still being felt, with many describing the moment as the day America lost her innocence.

What are your memories of President Kennedy’s assassination? How do you think it changed the cultural climate in the United States at the time? What impact does his death still have today?

Guest:

Professor Leo Braudy, Cultural Historian at the University of Southern California