; Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC

Journalism is dead, long live journalism. The Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street have taught the world that “news” needs no longer be something “gathered” by foreign journalists from prestigious international news operations, that it is often most engaging and effective when stories are told by people from the inside—by those who live it, breathe it and know it like no one else.

For the past 7 years, The Tiziano Project, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, has assembled a team of multimedia journalists and dispatched them to places as far away as East Jerusalem, Kabul, Latvia  and as close as South Los Angeles to train folks living in those communities on using social media, photography, video to tell their stories and their struggles.

KPCC’s very own visual journalist Grant Slater has been involved in The Tiziano Project since the beginning. He talks to guest host Frank Stoltz about the group’s latest training project in Sri Lanka.

The Tiziano Project:

www.tizianoproject.org
www.facebook.com/tizianoproject

The Sri Lanka workshops:

instagram.com/grantslater#
everydaysrilanka.tumblr.com/

Guest:

Grant Slater, KPCC’s visual journalist and a mentor with The Tiziano Project. He tweets at @grantslater

On Monday Dec. 9 Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca held a press conference to respond to the F.B.I. arrests of 17 Los Angeles sheriff's deputies.; Credit: Ken Scarboro/KPCC

Los Angeles County Supervisor, Mark Ridley-Thomas has joined the chorus of voices calling for improved oversight of the L.A County Sheriff's Department. It follows the arrests of 18 current and former deputies on charges of abusing inmates and jail visitors.

"This should not be taken lightly because of the need to make sure that we are building a culture where no one operates under the impression they are above the law", said Ridley-Thomas.

The federal investigation uncovered a series of civil rights violations, including excessive force and unlawful arrests.

Speaking in response to the case, U.S. Attorney, Andre Birotte, Jr. said "These incidents did not take place in a vacuum. In fact, they demonstrated behavior that had become institutionalized."

Ridley-Thomas acknowledged that Sheriff Lee Baca, an elected official, would have to consent to increased oversight but argued that it is in his "best interest" given the controversy surrounding the scandal. Should civilians have more oversight over law enforcement entities? Should greater scrutiny be built into public entities?

Guests: 

Michael Gennaco, Chief Attorney, L.A. County's Office of Independent Review

Brian Buchner, President, National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement  - founded in 1995

Waitress Sheila Abramson at Langer's Delicatessen serves customers on February 26, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The holiday season is in full swing, and with it a slew of tipping opportunities and obligations. But how much should you tip on that restaurant bill? What should the nanny get?  

This week, Zagat released its Holiday Tipping Survey, which shed light on some tipping habits. The survey revealed that 57 percent of diners calculate the tip based on the post-tax amount and that the average American will tip the babysitter $69 during the holidays.  

What is proper tipping etiquette this holiday season?  How much do you tip at a restaurant?  Who will you be tipping this season?  

Weigh In:

LINK

LINK

Guest:  

Diane Gottsman, Owner, Protocol School of Texas - which is a company specializing in executive etiquette and leadership training.  

Guest host Patt Morrison and KPCC film critics Alynda Wheat and Andy Klein review this week’s releases, including American Hustle, Saving Mr. Banks, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and more. TGI-Filmweek!

American Hustle

Saving Mr. Banks

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Guests:

Alynda Wheat, film critic for KPCC and People

Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and the L.A. Times Community Papers chain

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

Sandra Bullock attends at the "Gravity" premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on October 1, 2013 in New York City. ; Credit: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images

2013 has been great for women in big budget Hollywood films, with men taking a back seat. This could result in one of the toughest Best Actress Academy Award races in years.  

Sandra Bullock leads the charge in the space adventure movie, "Gravity", while Emma Thompson plays a middle-aged woman in "Saving Mr. Banks". And the list goes on, with Meryl Streep in "August: Osage County", Dame Judi Dench in "Philomena" and Cate Blanchett in "Blue Jasmine".  

With an uptick in the number of meaty parts for women, there are increased calls to scrap the Best Actor and Best Actress categories in favor of one gender neutral 'Best Performance' nomination list. Supporters of the move say acting is acting and awards shouldn't be divided by sex.

Yet, fans of the status quo argue that until leading ladies are consistently being offered strong roles, one 'Best Performance' category would discriminate against women.

What have been your favorite films with women taking the lead in 2013? Should the Best Actor/Actress categories be combined? Or should they be left alone to add glamor and suspense to Academy Awards night?

Guest: 

Janelle Riley, Associate Editor of Features at Variety

A large "rent" banner is posted on the side of an apartment building in June 2012 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Finding an affordable apartment can be a challenge. The task can be especially difficult in Los Angeles where over 52 percent of residents are renters.

While most financial planners would recommend that an individual spend no more than 30 percent of his or her income on rent a new study released Monday by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University found that more than half of americans living in rentals now spend more than the recommended percentage.  

Twenty-seven percent of renters actually spend more than half of their income on rent.  As people devote more money to rent, they have less disposable income to spend elsewhere, which ends up harming the economy as a whole. Nationally, between 2000 and 2012 rents increased 6 percent while renter’s income fell by 13 percent.

Is there any sign that rental prices will stop increasing?  Are there any proposed solutions to amend the rental cost situation?  How are you dealing with the cost of rent in Southern California?

Guests: 

Chris Herbert, Research Director at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, which has recently released the study

Ben Bergman, KPCC Business Reporter

People sit at a cafe at a crossroad on the Ile Saint Louis island in central Paris in July 2013. ; Credit: MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images

Everyone can be grumpy from time to time but do you take it out people in the service industry?

Angelenos might like to think they're nicer than New Yorkers but not everyone agrees. Travel & Leisure magazine ranked LA the "rudest" city in America three years in a row. So how can we get Angelenos to be nicer when ordering a coffee or checking out at the grocery store?

One café in France got the idea to charge their customers based on their attitude when ordering. Simply asking for "a coffee" at the Le Petite Syrah cafe will cost you about $9.50 but add "please" and the price drops to 6 bucks. Throw in a friendly "hello" and you're down to a $2 bill. The cafe's owner said he hasn't had to enforce the rule yet but just having it written on the menu got people thinking about their attitude and people started smiling more.

As the holidays approach and the stress starts mounting, do you still make an effort to be friendly to strangers? If you work in the service industry, how do you deal with rude customers? Do you wish you could charge them more for being cranky?

Guest: 

Daryl Twerdahl, owner of the Los Angeles School of Etiquette and Protocol

Capitol Records building in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif. ; Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

An LA Superior Court judge has put the brakes on a development project that would allow taller buildings and denser building projects in Hollywood. The tentative ruling found that the zoning blueprint was "fundamentally flawed, and fatally so," essentially killing off the plan to allow larger developments in Hollywood.

The judge ruled that the plan, which is an update to the Hollywood Community Plan that was approved by city leaders, failed to comply with the state's environmental laws and ordered the city to rescind all building permits that have been issued. The ruling claimed that the proposal was based on outdated population numbers that don't reflect the city's current need for services. Neighborhood groups have been going to court to fight the development plan to keep high rise towers out of Hollywood.

City leaders, including Mayor Eric Garcetti who represented the district for 12 years, lamented the judge's decision, calling the development plan "smart growth" that will bring much needed revenue to the city and clean up some high crime areas. Without any approved plan in place, what's next for Hollywood's development? Can the city appeal the ruling or are they back to square one? What alternatives to the plan should the city be looking at? Does Hollywood's shrinking population affect the need for high-density development?

Guests: 

Beverly Palmer, Attorney for Fix the City - a Los Angeles community group fighting the Hollywood Community Plan

Mitch O’Farrell, L.A. City Councillor representing the 13th district, which covers larges sections of Hollywood

Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers on first base after his single in his major league debut against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on June 3, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

It’s often been said that where California goes, the rest of the nation inevitably follows.

That’s certainly been the case for green policy, same-sex marriage rights and tech innovation. If the Golden State is the country’s spiritual leader, what does it say about us, the people, who live in the state?

As we approach the end of the year, KPCC wants your help in deciding who was the most influential Californian of the Year for the year 2013.

We're looking for the person — or group, organization or entity — who has not only made a mark in the state in 2013, but whose work and decisions have also reverberated across the country.

Below is a list of candidates the staff at KPCC has come up with, but we want your vote for the Listeners' Choice for Californian of the Year. We’ll name the Californian of the Year during an upcoming AirTalk segment. 

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.

Don't see your answer in the list above? Leave a comment with your choice and why so we can mention them on air during a future segment. 

People get a closer view of a Christmas Tree decorated and displayed for the festive season at the Grove in Los Angeles, California, in December 2011. ; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

For businesses across the country the holiday season brings the time honored tradition of the office holiday party.  While some embrace the tradition with open arms, the obligation of spending a night with co-workers is welcomed with a grimace. Not only can office holiday parties be uncomfortable, they are often costly.

Some companies are opting to eliminate the holiday party tradition for other rewards. LA based, Konnect Public Relations is rewarding its employees with a four day cruise to Mexico instead of a traditional holiday party. In previous years, the company has sent its employees to Lake Tahoe. Spouses must stay home from the trip, but are invited to a dinner.  Is the office holiday party worth the money? Are there better alternatives to reward employees for a year of hard work? Would you rather go to an office holiday party or have an alternative reward? Do you have any office holiday party stories to share?

Actress Maya Rudolph attends the 15th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards in February 2013. ; Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for CDG

The pressure has been mounting on Saturday Night Live to diversify its mostly-white cast this season and it seems they've done something about it. SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels told The New York Times that the show is now holding mid-season auditions for a female black cast member to add to the show.

A special audition was held last Monday night and a new cast member or two will start on the show in January. The move is extremely unusual and speaks to the strength of the public outcry when the season premiered. Many fans and media critics were outraged after SNL announced their new season lineup over the summer and there was a stunning lack of diversity.

The show hasn't had a black female cast member since Maya Rudolph left in 2007. Cast member Kenan Thompson made headlines when he said he would no longer dress in drag to play black women on the show leaving the cast with few options. Should SNL be adding a new mid-season cast member? Is it important for the cast to always include a specific range of diversity? Should SNL consider cast members of other ethnicities?

Guests: 

Eric Deggans, TV critic for NPR

Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd, casting director for films including “Black Nativity”, “Stomp the Yard” and “Notorious”.

Edward Snowden, seen during a video interview with The Guardian.; Credit: Glenn Greenwald/Laura Poitras /EPA/LANDOV

Richard Ledgett, who runs a U.S. National Security Agency task force responding to information leaks, told 60 Minutes in an interview that he believes that the National Security Agency should consider whether it makes sense to offer former contractor Edward Snowden amnesty in exchange for the return of the vast amount of secret data he downloaded.

"My personal view is, yes, it's worth having a conversation about," Ledgett said. "I would need assurances that the remainder of the data could be secured and my bar for those assurances would be very high. It would be more than just an assertion on his part."

Ledgett went on to say that others at the NSA share a similar view. However, the agency’s director Gen. Keith Alexander rebuked the suggestion, likening a possible pardon to "a hostage taker taking 50 people hostage, shooting 10 and then say 'You give me full amnesty and I'll let the other 40 go.'"

Snowden is currently living in Russia under temporary asylum.

Guests: 

Robert Turner, Law Professor and Associate Director of the Center for National Security Law at the University of Virginia.

Marc Thiessen, Fellow, American Enterprise Institute and former speechwriter for then President George W. Bush and then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

Irish actor of stage and screen, Peter O'Toole, in the play 'Baal' on February 5, 1963. ; Credit: Asher/Getty Images

Hollywood lost some bright stars over the weekend.  Peter O’Toole, star of ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ passed away on Saturday at the age of 81.  Joan Fontaine, known for her Academy Award winning role in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Suspicion,’ was 96 when she died on Sunday.   Actress Audrey Totter well known for her roles in  film noir titles such as ‘Lady in the Lake’ and ‘The Set Up” passed away last Thursday.  O’Toole, Fontaine, and Totter take an important place in cinema history.  Do you have any memories of O’Toole, Fontaine or Totter?

Guest:

Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitoer; author of "Ranier on Film: Thirty Years of Film Writing in a Turbulent and Transformative Era" 

A view of downtown Los Angeles. New population figures released by the California Department of Finance state that 10 million people call the city home.

; Credit: Ron Reiring/flickr Creative Commons

Ten million people call Los Angeles county home, according to new population figures released by California's Department of Finance. Population growth in the Southland has been slow since the recession, with annual increases of less than one percent. But demographers say reaching the 10 million mark is significant and reinforces the economic and political impact of the region.

Statewide, California's population has grown by over 300 thousand in the past year, to just over 38 million. Alameda and Santa Clara counties in the Bay Area expanded the most. Immigrants and an uptick in childbirths across the state account for much of the increase.  2012 marked the fastest rate of population  growth in the states since 2003.

Why do you call California home? Have you moved to other parts of  the country by moved back? If you live in L.A. County, are you concerned that public services will find it difficult in the long-run to support such a large number of people?

Guests: 

Bill Schooling, Chief of the Demographic Research Unit at the California Department of Finance  

Chris Thornberg, Founding Partner of Beacon Economics

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) (C) speaks to the media while flanked by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) (R) and U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) folowing a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol, October 15, 2013 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The bipartisan budget deal hammered out by Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) that easily passed the House last week, appears to have the votes necessary to clear the Senate. But it’s not there yet. Unlike in the House, significantly more Senate Republicans are likely to oppose the legislation than vote for it, highlighting the ongoing rift in the GOP.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) was instrumental in pushing the deal through the House, showing a new willingness to sacrifice party unity in the process. Boehner called out the big conservative action groups that have crippled earlier efforts and compromise. Was Boehner's rebuke of the conservative groups largely delivered to provide cover and draw fire away from other Republicans?  How will the groups respond now?  Will this stay an issue for many Republican voters, or fade by next year's elections?

Guests: 

Doyle McManus, Washington Columnist, covering national and international politics, Los Angeles Times

Reed Galen, Republican Political Consultant

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) logo is displayed in the lobby of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on August 14, 2008.; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

It's being described as the only secret kept hush in Washington for years. Last week, the Associated Press unveiled the alleged CIA connections of Robert Levinson, an American who disappeared in Iran several years ago.

The AP had held back the story, reportedly at the request of the Central Intelligence Agency - which argued Levinson's life would be endangered after an expose. Levinson's family, on the other hand, had lobbied privately to get the government to take ownership of the American.

Last week’s AP report identified Levinson not only as a CIA agent working covertly in Iran - but also part of an "unapproved intelligence-gathering mission that, when it came to light inside the government, produced one of the most serious scandals in the recent history of the CIA - but all in secret."  

Guests:

Jeff Stein, Contributing Editor and writes SpyTalk for Newsweek - specializes in national security

Geneva Overholser, Former Director, USC Annenberg School of Journalism; independent journalist in

Runners pass Westminster during the Virgin London Marathon 2012 London, England.; Credit: Jan Kruger/Getty Images

It’s easy to sustain injuries or re-aggravate old ones if you are an avid runner. Researchers in Europe are hoping that some instant feedback would help runners improve their techniques and keep them from getting hurt.

Researchers with the RUNSAFER project at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, in partnership with other universities and a shoe manufacturer, are building a running shoe that has sensors to transmit data to a smartphone and then to a computer.   

The shoes will collect data such as foot speed at when a runner’s foot hits the ground, which allows software to determine if a runner’s gait is correct. The RUNSAFER project is one of several efforts to create a smarter running shoe.  

While experiments are still being conducted, it is reported that the shoes could be in stores within 2 years. Have you ever suffered from a running injury that could have been prevented from this type of technology? Would you wear a smart running shoe? 

Guests:

Jay Dicharry, physical therapist and director of the REP biomechanics lab in Bend, Oregon. He’s also the author of the book, “Anatomy for Runners” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012)    

Max  Prokopy, Director of University of Virginia’s Strength, Power, Endurance, Education, and Development Clinic (SPEED), which works with athletes to prevent injuries

A child plays with an iPad and the apptivity app at Westfield shopping Centre on August 21, 2012 in London, England.; Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Sure, you want to be a good parent. That probably means limiting screen time for your newborn or toddler, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. But certainly there are a plethora of educational opportunities online to share with our kids, via digital devices.

And haven’t all modern parents had moments of weakness, where it was easier to show their kid a YouTube cartoon on an iPhone than…engage?

Now, Fisher-Price has come out with a bouncy seat for babies complete with a holder for an iPad. At least one group has demanded that the toy company stop selling the item immediately.

Fisher-Price, for its part, says the $80 Apptivity Seat has a 10-minute timeout, which requires manual reset and that early reviews from parents who have purchased it, “show strong parent involvement and support.”

What do you think? Is there a responsible way to use a baby seat like this? Or is it just too dangerous for infants to consider?

Guest:

Ina Fried, Senior Editor, AllThingsD

Director of the National Security Agency Gen. Keith Alexander (2nd R) speaks as Deputy Attorney General James Cole (R) listens during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee December 11, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee held the hearing on "Continued Oversight of U.S. Government Surveillance Authorities."; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

A federal court judge ruled on Monday that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone metadata is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon placed a temporary injunction on the PRISM program but left the door open for the government to appeal his decision.

The case was brought by plaintiffs Larry Klayman and Charles Strange, which alleged that the U.S. Security agency violated the Fourth Amendment.

PRISM was one of the first NSA secret surveillance programs to be exposed by the so-called "NSA files," the trove of classified documents obtained by former contractor Edward Snowden.

Guests:

Alan Butler, Appellate Advocacy Counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)

Robert Kaufman, Professor of Public Policy, Pepperdine University; Author, “In Defense of the Bush Doctrine” and “Henry M. Jackson: A Life in Politics”

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk participates in a discussion at the New York Times 2013 DealBook Conference in New York at the New York Times Building on November 12, 2013 in New York City.; Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for The New York Times

Los Angeles-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp., AKA SpaceX, has won leasing rights to a Kennedy Space Center launch pad used for myriad moon missions over the decades. Elon Musk's company was up against Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company, Blue Origins, which challenged the decision-making process of the the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

SpaceX acknowledged the disgruntlement by saying it will give other commercial entities access to the launch pad. Both companies have received NASA funding to develop spaceships capable of sending astronauts to space. It's another development in the continuing trend of joint public-private spaceflight advancement.

Guest: 

Joel Achenbach, National Reporter at the Washington Post