A core is lowered into the water to gather a sediment samples from the Palos Verdes peninsula. ; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to figure out what’s happened to tons of chemicals that were dumped into the Palos Verdes Peninsula from decades of industrial waste. Samples taken from the seafloor found that nearly 100 metric tons of the banned pesticide DDT had disappeared without having been cleaned up.

RELATED: Scientists-turned-detectives look to crack the case of the missing DDT

The DDT had come from the Montrose Chemical Company dumping millions of pounds of the pesticide into the Palos Verdes Peninsula until the 1970s. Tons of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, that were also dumped into the peninsula by industrial sites have disappeared as well.

With the apparent disappearance of the chemicals, the EPA has decided to delay the cleanup of the Palos Verdes shelf, opting to conduct further testing of the area. The results from the tests won’t be released until the end of next year.

What’s the best way for California to deal with the situation in the peninsula? Would it be better to leave the area alone or should cleanup attempts be made if the chemicals are still found to be there?   

Guests: 

Molly Peterson, Environmental Correspondent, KPCC

James Alamillo (AH-lah-mee-yo), Spokesperson, Heal the Bay

Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

People protest outside the U.S. Courthouse where federal bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes is to rule on Detroit's Chapter 9 bankruptcy eligibility December 3, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. Judge Rhodes ruled that the city is eligible for bankruptcy protection and that pensions can be cut. Detroit is the largest city in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy. How will it's bankruptcy affect California?; Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

A federal judge today ruled that Detroit could proceed with its bankruptcy filing. More significantly, the court also ruled that Detroit could roll back on its pension obligations for retired city workers.

It's the first time a bankruptcy court has handed down such a ruling, essentially nullifying a key component of municipal employee benefits that was once held as inviolable under state laws. Today's ruling has ramifications for bankrupt San Bernardino, which could face a legal showdown with CALPERS--the city's largest creditor--over unpaid pension benefits.

Guests:
Karol Denniston, a partner at the San Francisco law firm, Schiff Hardin LLP who specializes on municipal restructurings and bankruptcies

Marcia Fritz, President of the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility, a nonprofit organization that focuses on public employee retirement benefit issues in California

Robert Glazier, Deputy Executive Officer of External Affairs, CalPERS – California Public Employees’ Retirement System

Terry Brennand, a lobbyist for Service Employees International Union

First responders gather around the derailment of a Metro North passenger train in the Bronx borough of New York on Sunday.; Credit: Craig Ruttle/AP

The train engineer at the helm of the weekend's NYC commuter rail crash made troubling admissions yesterday. According the lawyer of William Rockefeller, the engineer was in a "daze" and nodded at controls before realizing something was wrong - the train was travelling 80 mph into a 30-mph zone.

It's becoming apparent the deadly crash that killed four people was the result of human error. The crash brings back memories of the terrible rail collision in Chatsworth at the hands of an engineer distracted by text messaging. Since that crash, automated train technology called Positive Train Control has been mandated for installation on commuter services, but without any promised funding.

How successful has its implementation been for Metrolink? What safety technologies exist for regions that rely heavily on rail, such as Europe and Japan?

Guest:
Charles Banks, President, R.L. Banks & Associates rail consultants, with expertise in railroad economics, engineering and service planning; Banks worked with the LA, Orange and Riverside County Transportation Commissions; Banks commentary “Positive Train Control: Good Idea, Terrible Implementation and Blame All The Way Around”

A woman looks at the HealthCare.gov insurance exchange site on Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C. The GOP stirred up outrage among Democrats by creating a fake website for the Affordable Care Act in California. ; Credit: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

If you’ve heard of the Affordable Care Act, you’ve heard about the many problems with its rollout both nationwide and here in California. Now, there’s concern that Republican members of the California State Assembly are intentionally trying to mislead constituents about the health care law.

They’ve created a website with the URL: http://coveringhealthcareca.com, which looks very similar to California’s official Obamacare web site: https://www.coveredca.com Republicans say the site is meant purely for informational purposes, as a resource for everyone.

But critics charge that the site has inaccurate information and represents an underhanded tactic to undermine the health care law. Last month, California Attorney General Kamala Harris shut down ten fake insurance sites “that misled Californians by imitating Covered California.”

The GOP website was not among those listed as “imitation” websites. Should it have been? Is it intentionally misleading or simply California Republicans sharing their point of view fair and square?

Guests:
Sabrina Lockhart, Communications Director, California State Assembly Republican Caucus

Dr. Paul Song, M.D., Executive Chairman, Courage Campaign; Visiting Fellow in the California Department of Insurance; Practicing Oncologist at Cedars-Sinai

Can you be overweight and still physically healthy?; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

New research is taking aim at the idea that you can be both overweight and healthy at the same time. A small number of recent studies have indicated that overweight or obese people that don't have high blood pressure, diabetes or and normal cholesterol levels can be just as healthy as their normal weight counterparts. But not so fast say researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada.

According to new research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, people with a higher than normal BMI still had a higher risk of dying early or having heart related problems even without high cholesterol or abnormal blood pressure.  The researchers concluded that there's no such thing as "benign obesity", or obesity that doesn't affect a person's health.

Can you be overweight and still physically healthy? Why is there such a discrepancy among studies about the link between weight and health? Does a person's physical fitness level factor into discussions about health?

"The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon"

Amazon.com started out as an online bookseller and it has come a long way from its humble and focused beginnings. Now, you can find pretty much anything you want to buy on the site, often at a steep discount.

The online retailer is the vision of one man--its founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, who is as spotlight-shy as his company’s corporate culture is secretive.

In writing “The Everything Store,” Bloomberg Businessweek senior reporter Brad Stone gained unprecedented access to current and former Amazon employees as well as members of the Bezos family to present a view of the one of the world’s most famous companies from the inside.

Guest:

Brad Stone, author of “The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon” (Little, Brown and Company, 2013) and a senior writer for Bloomberg Businessweek magazine.

AirTalk reached out to Mrs. MacKenzie Bezos. You can read her commentary here

Demonstrators march during a protest outside a McDonald's restaurant located inside of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum as part of a nationwide protest of fast food workers December 5, 2013 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Low-wage workers in 100 American cities are walking off their jobs today to push for a $15/hr living wage, the latest demonstration of strength in a grassroots movement that has been steadily gaining steam nationally since 2012.

The protests are backed by organizations like Fast Food Forward and Fight for 15, along with the Service Employees Union. The collective effort has grown from its initial focus on fast-food employees to include low wage workers in other industries, particularly those who work for big box retailers like Walmart.

In Los Angeles, the protest is taking place at McDonald's at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Vermont Avenue. While workers say that it is impossible for them to live on their current wages, the National Restaurant Association and some economists have argued that raising the hourly rate  would actually have the opposite effect, leading to layoffs and higher unemployment.

Adding to the debate is a newly-released study from UC Berkeley that finds that taxpayers are essentially subsidizing low-wage bank tellers to the tune of nearly $900 million a year in social benefits including food stamps and Medicaid. 

California has recently passed a bill that sets the state minimum wage at $10/hr. President Obama has thrown his support behind a proposal from congressional Democrats to raise the national minimum wage to $10.10/hr. With bipartisan gridlock firmly in place, there's little hope that the bill will go anywhere.

Guests:
Ken Jacobs, Chair of the UC Berkeley Labor Center; Co-Author of study entitled “Fast Food, Poverty Wages: The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Fast-Food Industry”

David Neumark, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Economics and Public Policy at UC Irvine

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) swears in the newly elected members of the first session of the 113th Congress in the House Chambers January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. Congress has passed just 55 bills into law this session, the lowest number in its history. ; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

In the world of U.S. politics, 2013 will go down as a year of marathon filibusters, a government shutdown, heated debates over Obamacare and 12 months of near record-low productivity for Congress. Legislators have passed just 55 public laws since January - an average of less than one per week.

Fingers of blame are now being pointed across the aisle. House Speaker John Boehner says the House has approved 150 bills this year but many have been blocked by the Senate due to a lack of ‘common ground’.

Meanwhile Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid says the glacial pace of change in Congress is down to conservative Senate Republicans who 'don't believe in government'.

How does this lack of productivity impact the way you think about Congress? Do you think there should be penalties for lawmakers who fail to enact laws? Who do you blame for the low level of laws passed this year?

Guests:

Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist; founder of Rodriguez Strategies; former senior Obama advisor in 2008

Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson

The number of ADHD prescriptions written for people in the U.S. between the ages of 20 and 39 has more than doubled since 2007. ; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

According to IMS Health, the use of ADHD meds is up -- way up.

In 2007, 5 and a half million monthly prescriptions for ADHD medications were written for people between 20 and 39. By 2011, that number went up to 14 million, and that's not counting unsanctioned use.

It’s hard to know how many people are taking them without prescriptions, but it’s safe to say those numbers are going up too. Some of the increase can be attributed to people of all ages feeling more and more overloaded with information and expectations in school and at in the workplace. So, the thinking goes, if there’s a little pill that can increase productivity and creativity, why not take it?

But do these meds really make us smarter? If so, at what cost? What are the risks and long term health and cultural implications of this kind of “cosmetic neurology?”

Guest:

Dr. Karen Miotto M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Addiction Medicine Service in the UCLA Semel Institute

Christian Borle and cast of "Peter and the Starcatcher" perform onstage at the 66th Annual Tony Awards at The Beacon Theatre on June 10, 2012 in New York City.; Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Based on the young adult novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatcher tells the story of how Peter Pan became the beloved boy who would never grow up.  

The play which was adapted for the stage by Rick Elice, follows Peter as he joins forces with Molly in order to keep the powerful and magical "starstuff" away from the pirates who would use it for evil.  Instead of elaborate scenery and countless props Peter and the Starcatcher relies on imagination and wit to tell the captivating adventures of Peter.  

Guests:
Roger Rees, Director, “Peter and the Starcatcher”

Rick Elice, playwright who penned this musical based on the novel “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Peter and the Starcatcher is playing at the Ahmanson Theatre until January 12. You can buy tickets here

HOLLYWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 09: Director Scott Cooper and actress Zoe Saldana attend the screening of "Out of the Furnace" during AFI FEST 2013 presented by Audi at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 9, 2013 in Hollywood, California. ; Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for AFI

Larry is joined by KPCC critics Peter Rainer, Lael Loewenstein and Charles Solomon to review this week’s releases, including Out of the Furnace, Inside Llewyn Davis, Narco Cultura and more! TGI-FilmWeek!

Out of the Furnace

Inside Llewyn Davis

Narco Cultura

Guests:
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor; author or “Rainer on Film: Thirty Years of Film Writing in a Turbulent and Transformative Era”

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety

Charles Solomon, animation film critic for KPCC and author and historian for amazon.com

Nelson Mandela leaves the Intercontinental Hotel after a photoshoot with celebrity photographer Terry O'Neil on June 26, 2008 in London, England.; Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

South Africa's president Jacob Zuma confirmed today that Nelson Mandela died at age 95. Zuma says "we've lost our greatest son."

RELATED: Nelson Mandela, South Africa's peacemaker, dies at 95

Mandela served as South Africa's president from 1994 to 1999 and was the first black South African to hold that office. His administration focused on breaking apart the country's long standing apartheid system of systematic racial segregation. 

Mandela made a historic visit to Los Angeles in 1990 after being released from a 27-year prison sentence under the charges of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. 

RELATED: Timeline: The Life of Nelson Mandela

Larry Mantle hosts special coverage on the death of Mandela. 

Talk To Us:

Do you have any memories of meeting Mandela or hearing him speak? How did his life and work influence you? What lessons did you learn from him and how do you feel about his passing? 

"For me, Mandela was so inspirational because he lived in a complicated world and managed to show us reconciliation and good and hope." -- Shelly in Redlands 

"This is a man who was great but not impressed with his own greatness." -- Charles in Culver City

"In the 80s paragon of love and courage was Nelson Mandela. In college at the time we looked back at the Vietnam War and the activism and really the thing to be activist about in the '80s was apartheid...The universities at the time held stock that invested in South African business, and we wanted to  say not to that. A few years later my partner and I adopted a bi-racial child and we named him, his middle name, Mandela. I would say that Mandela is the shining hope for a loving change in the world. I'm hopeful that there will be younger generations that will see through the fog of electronics that has come up in the ensuing 25 years, blinded a lot of people to what's important and take the courageous lead that he brought." -- Tom in Santa Barbara

Guests:

Edward (Ned) Alpers, professor emeritus of history with a focus on Africa formerly based at the UCLA. He's followed Nelson Mandela's career through the decades and was one of the participants in the Nelson Mandela tribute in Los Angeles. 

Lawrence B. Carter, Dean of the Martin Luther King International Chapel based at Morehouse College

Cecil 'Chip' Murray,  former pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME), he was appointed as the John R. Tansey Chair of Christian Ethics in the School of Religion at the University of Southern California

Gideon Strauss, executive director of the DePree Center for Leadership at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. A native of South Africa, he served as an interpreter for the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission under Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Patt Morrison, KPCC correspondent and L.A. Times columnist. Morrison attended Mandela's visit to L.A. in the 1990s and she still has her press pass from the event

Joe Richman, founder of RadioDiaries which produced the documentary 'Mandela: An Audio History' in 2004. Check out MandelaHistory.org

The Oscar Statue production display at the Meet the Oscar Exhibit at Grand Central Terminal in New York City.; Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Once again, Hollywood is gearing up for awards season. Last year, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced a new rule into the Documentary Feature Category aimed at limiting the number of qualifying documentaries. 

Now, a documentary is required to be reviewed by the New York Times or Los Angeles Times in order to be included in the category. Instead of narrowing the field, a record-breaking 149 films are eligible this year.  

Should there be different qualifying rules for the Documentary Feature Category? What are the quality of the documentaries that are eligible? How interested are you in documentaries? 

Guests:
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor; author or “Rainer on Film: Thirty Years of Film Writing in a Turbulent and Transformative Era”

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety

Charles Solomon, animation film critic for KPCC and author and historian for amazon.com; Author, "The Art of Frozen"

South African National Congress President Nelson Mandela addresses in 1990.; Credit: Trevor Samson /AFP/Getty Images

After a lifetime of activism, Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black, democratically elected president, will be laid to rest on December 15 in his native home of Qunu. As the once divided Rainbow Nation mourns the loss of the man known affectionately by his clan name, Madiba, the impact of Mandela's life is being felt worldwide.

In a tribute to the 95 year old statesman, President Obama described him as "one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth."

From the world of entertainment, actor Idris Elba, who plays Nelson Mandela in a new biopic just released said "What an honor it was to step into the shoes of Nelson Mandela and portray a man who defied odds, broke down barriers, and championed human rights before the eyes of the world. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Just months after his release from a 27 year prison sentence in February 1990, Nelson Mandela came to Los Angeles as part of countrywide goodwill tour. On June 29, Mandela addressed a crowd of thousands at the Coliseum, where Los Angeles County Supervisor,  Zev Yaroslavsky met him. "He was a larger than life figure, a beacon of strength, principle and character. I still remember the day I met him and how moved I was when I had the opportunity to shake his hand. All of us who value freedom and human dignity have lost a giant of the human race."  

A book of condolence will open at the South African Consulate in Los Angeles from Monday December 9 to Friday December 13 from 10am to 2pm.

Guests:

Steven Van Zandt, musician, songwriter, producer who co-produced and wrote the 1985 anti-apartheid song and album, “Sun City”.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters, (D-CA) U.S. Congresswoman serving California’s 43rd District - comprised of South Los Angeles; Before her election to Congress, she was a leader in the movement to end Apartheid and establish democracy in South Africa.

Reverend Kelvin Sauls,  South African minister based in L.A; Sauls was raised in Johannesburg

Pedro Noguera, an early organizer of campus anti-apartheid demonstrators at UC Berkeley. He is now a Professor of Education at NYU and the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education

A student at UC Berkeley sits on top of Sather Gate as he participates in a demonstration during a national day of action against funding cuts and tuition increases March 4, 2010 in Berkeley, California. The campus was also a site for demonstrators during the anti-apartheid movement ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

We talk to an early organizer of the divestiture movement and anti-apartheid demonstrations at UC Berkeley. Students, celebrities, elected officials and church organizations demonstrated and led some universities, including UC Berkeley to divest in companies that were doing business with South Africa.

Guest:

Pedro Noguera, an early organizer of campus anti-apartheid demonstrators at UC Berkeley. He is now a Professor of Education at NYU and the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Reverend Kelvin Sauls shares his memories of what it was like growing up in South Africa during the apartheid. 

Guest:
Reverend Kelvin Sauls - South African minister based in L.A, Holman United Methodist Church; Sauls was raised in Johannesburg 

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 18: Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) delivers remarks during a ceremony to celebrate the life Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former South Africa President Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 95th birthday in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center July 18, 2013 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Congresswoman Maxine Waters, (D-CA) takes time to reflect on the loss of “one of the most impressive figures of the 20th century.”  Waters talks about her part in the divestment movement, calling her efforts during the anti-apartheid movement the defining work of her career.

Guest:
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, (D-CA) U.S. Congresswoman serving California’s 43rd District - comprised of South Los Angeles; Before her election to Congress, she was a leader in the movement to end Apartheid and establish democracy in South Africa.

Musician Steven Van Zandt onstage at the 25th Annual Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf=Astoria on March 15, 2010 in New York City. ; Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

American musician Steven Van Zandt wrote and co-produced the 1985 anti-apartheid song and album  “Sun City.” We'll talk to Van Zandt about the inspiration of his songs and why he thought it necessary to record the song at the time.   

Guest:
Steven Van Zandt, musician, songwriter, producer who co-produced and wrote the 1985 anti-apartheid song and album, “Sun City”

U.S President Barack Obama (C) greets (L-R) Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer before the State of the Union address on Capitol Hill on January 25, 2011 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

 There has been a lot of speculation about when 80-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should retire. The oldest member of the court is probably taking a lot of things into consideration when deciding when to leave the bench, but politics may not be one of them.

Some court watchers are now calling for Justice Ginsberg and 75-year-old Stephen Breyer to step aside in the name of politics. Democrats are hoping to clear some space on the bench before the 2014 midterm elections puts control of the Senate in jeopardy.

The best chance that President Obama would have of nominating a liberal-leaning justice would be while the White House and the Senate are both controlled by Democrats. Yet is politics an appropriate reason for a justice to retire? Some argue that defies the purpose of the lifelong appointments written into the Constitution.

With the US becoming increasingly polarized, should that factor into Supreme Court nominations as well? Should a Justice retire so the President can nominate someone with similar political beliefs? What factors should determine when a Justice retires?

Guests:

 Lyle Denniston, legal journalist for SCOTUSBlog and the National Constitution Center’s Adviser on Constitutional Literacy

Jonathan Bernstein, political scientist and columnist for the Washington Post

The creator of those iconic Saturday Evening Post covers exalting an idealized America was no main street simpleton. In her latest biography, Deborah Solomon reveals the man behind the picturesque facades—Norman Rockwell the high-school dropout, the twice-divorced alcoholic, the Vietnam war opponent and tortured artist.

Rockwell’s life was utterly dissimilar from his homespun illustrations. Inadequacy and self doubt? Repressed homosexuality? Certainly not the essence of Rockwell’s mass appeal magazine covers and Boy Scouts visuals. In “American Mirror,” Solomon seeks to illuminate Rockwell’s art by reexamining his persona.

Guest:   

Deborah Solomon, Author, “American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, March 2013); WNYC Radio art critic, New York Times contributor