Don Olufs checks inventory of vitamins and diet supplements at Vibrant Health April 6, 2009 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Is your daily multivitamin just a waste of money? That's the message from a new editorial published in the influential medical journal, the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors looked at the results of three studies into the efficacy of vitamin and mineral supplements and concluded that they're not beneficial and a waste of money. That's probably news to the 53 percent of Americans who have spent some $28 billion a year on supplements and vitamins.

Many Americans take a daily multivitamin to help prevent cancer and heart attacks but the physicians who analyzed the studies said there is no evidence that a daily vitamin does anything to prevent chronic conditions. Proponents of vitamins claim that the studies were flawed and only looked at healthy participants that don't reflect the average American population.

There are still some agreed upon benefits of multivitamins. Daily prenatal vitamins are still essential for women of childbearing age to help prevent birth defects. But the jury seems to be out on whether vitamins do anything for the general population.

Are vitamins just a waste of money? Does it depend on what type and dosage you're taking? If the supplements aren't harmful, could it hurt to pop a vitamin anyway in case it might help? Why do so many American swear by their daily vitamin?

Guests: 

Marian Neuhouser, member in cancer prevention at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. 

Cara Welch, PhD, Senior VP of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at the Natural Products Association, a nonprofit organization representing the supplement and natural product industry in D.C.

TV personalities Meri Brwon, Janelle Brown, Kody Brown, Christine Brown and Robyn Brown speak duinrg the "Sister Wives" panel during the Discovery Communications portion of the 2010 Summer TCA pres tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in August 2010.; Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

A federal judge ruled Friday that provisions of Utah’s ban on polygamy violated the constitutionally protected rights of free exercise of religion and due process. In a case brought by television’s favorite polygamous patriarch—Sister Wives’ star Kody Brown—the court said it was unconstitutional to prohibit a married person from cohabiting with another person.

In the 91-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups explains that the state’s ban on straightforward polygamy—where an already married person enters into a formal marriage with another—is constitutionally permissible. But, he said, the state’s cohabiting provision is irrational and discriminatory because only religious individuals and families are prosecuted and not—for example—married adulterers who cohabit with someone other than their spouse.

Utah first outlawed polygamy more than a century ago—when the practice was commonplace among Utah’s Mormon communities.  Last week’s decision is expected to appealed to a higher court, and the constitutionality of polygamy bans will be further examined.

Does this ruling raise any concerns? Is it time to rethink the longstanding ban on plural marriage? Do these bans further a valid public policy?

Guests: 

Adam Winkler, Professor of Law, UCLA; Author “Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America” (2001); Writer for The Huffington Post

Dr. John C. Eastman, Ph.D., Henry Salvatori Professor of Law & Community Service; Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University; Founding Director, The Claremont Institute's Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence

Kristen Whitehurst demonstrates a holster disguised as a pager for carrying a concealed handgun during the NRA's 125th Anniversary Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Dallas, Texas on April 19, 1996. ; Credit: PAUL K BUCK/AFP/Getty Images

It's become easier to carry a concealed gun in nearly every state in the US, but there's one problem gun owners regularly encounter. A permit filed in one state is typically not valid in another. The NRA has been trying to push a national "reciprocity" law through Congress that would require states to allow anyone with a valid permit in one state to be valid in all states.

It would particularly affect states like California, which requires applicants be "of good moral character" and demonstrate "good cause".  A version of the reciprocity law came close to passing in the Senate last year after making it through the House of Representatives. Another push will likely be made after the November elections.

In the aftermath of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary last December, gun control advocates and some lawmakers made a strong push for more restrictive gun laws but made little progress.

Should gun control advocates accept a 'reciprocity' deal in exchange for some other restrictions on gun rights? Is Congress likely to take the proposal seriously? Would a national standard for gun laws make it easier to enact good legislation?

Guests:

Alan Berlow, journalist and author of the article ‘Concealed Carry’

Richard Feldman, President Independent Firearm Owners Association, Inc.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck (C) speaks during a news conference at Los Angeles Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

A dramatic police pursuit last Friday saw LA Sheriffs, California Highway Patrol and LA Police pursue a suspect in a speeding Corvette for nearly an hour.

The suspect then crashed into another car, tried to get away on foot, but was quickly surrounded by patrol cars After gunfire ensued, the suspect was transported to hospital where he died. Most of it was captured on live television, but so far Chief Beck says there was a different perspective from officers on the ground.

A much less dire controversy involves a crackdown on jaywalking on LA's downtown streets. As LA Downtown News reports, in an effort to enhance public safety, tickets in the $200 range are issued for illegal crossing, and even stepping off the curb waiting to cross. Residents say it's damaging the relationship between police and the community. 

We'll also address the latest on safety at LAX, the $6-million settlement resulting from LAPD's so-called traffic-ticket quota imposed on officers, and more.

Guest:

Charlie Beck, Chief of Los Angeles Police Department

Interview Highlights:

On the status of the LAPD motorcycle officer who was in a car accident Wednesday morning:
"He's stable, and I think that right now his injuries are restricted to one broken wrist and some cuts and bruises. A very tragic accident, he flew right over the vehicle that turned in front of him, and it could have been much, much worse, so we're not releasing his identity at this point, we're still working to make sure his family knows and all of that. It highlights the dangers of not only being a police motorcycle office, but just riding motorcycles in general."

On the Friday Corvette car chase that ended in a suspect's death:
"As we do with every officer-involved shooting, we're doing a complete investigation of this. What is in the officer's mind is what we try to determine. They make split second decisions based on the information that they have at the moment. Decisions are made in the moment and then they're judged over a period of time and that's what I'm in the process of doing now. It's impossible for me to tell you at this point, exactly why the officers fired.

"There are many, many more parts of the investigation that have to be done. Their interviews have to be completed, their initial interviews have been done. They will do interviews with their attorneys following that. We have forensic material to examine, the number of rounds fired, the video, there was considerable video taken, so we'll look at all of that.

"We'll get into the minds of the officers when they made the decision and we'll make a determination and if there's officer behavior that needs to be modified either through discipline or training then that's what we'll do. It's just too early to comment on it, I'll get my initial briefing...sometime tomorrow. The investigation will continue and it will be done in concert with our inspector general, with the district attorney, it will be presented at its conclusion at the police commission who will make a decision on whether or not its in or out of policy and I'll either administer discipline or not, depending on that decision and what facts come out in the case.

"We have a very thorough process, probably the most complete process in the United States for reviewing these things, but it comes down to a split second decision that is made by one or two officers." 

How many rounds were fired?
"At this point I believe there were about 15 to 20 rounds fired, as I said I have not gotten my complete briefing yet. But that's my understanding."

How many officers have been relieved of duty temporarily while the investigation is ongoing:
"Right now I think we have three shooters, there was almost 20 officer at scene. The shooters are the ones that are relieved of duty."

Were beanbag rounds fired?
"It's my understanding right now that beanbag was deployed, whether or not that had any bearing on whether the officers firing, I don't know at this point. We use the beanbags hundreds of times a year and it doesn't result in officers firing their weapons, so I think that's a leap although it may turn out that that's what this is. But its far too early to say. People can speculate all they want, and I think that that's what everybody has to realize. You can jump to conclusions and draw your own realities about what occurred, but until the investigation is completed and these things have a pace at which they are completed, we will not know." 

What methods are in place to avoid confusion with bean bag rounds? 
"We have a very clear warning that is part of the beanbag deployment to make sure that that exact thing doesn't happen. I'm assuming that's what occurred in this incident though I do not know at this point. We will look at that. It's important to recognize though that these things are very confusing at the time that they occur. While it's very easy to dissect things in the cold light of day with no danger no sound, no adrenaline pumping. These are tough decisions that officers make and we hold them to a very high standard. I'm not diminishing the standard by which we judge this, I'm just trying to get people to understand that after pursuing an individual and seeing a horrific crash where two absolutely innocents were injured due to his behavior, officers have to be able to control that adrenaline and that's what we train them to do and we select the best people possible, and then we judge them very critically." 

Are officers sometimes too quick to pursue?
"I think that many time people assume that just because there's a police pursuit that that somehow is the reason that these crashes occurred. The instinct to flee by people involved in crime is very strong. Whether or not the officer's vehicle after the initial attempt to stop follows or not, may have nothing to do if that person speeds away. I think you're attaching a rationale that may or may not occur to an individual. All they know for sure is that the police tried to detain them. Whether or not the police are in pursuit, they don't know that. If you're asking should police make detentions based on criminal behavior, well, I think that we should."

When a chase goes on for an extended period of time, that's presumably because those in the fleeing vehicle see that the police are chasing them: 
"We do over 300 pursuits a year, some of them last seconds. What I'm trying to do is inform you about the variation that occurs here. Obviously if it's an hour long pursuit the individual knows they're being pursued. By the time the general public becomes aware, and watches it on TV, a pursuit is well in the process. The vast majority of these things are over in a minute. I think that things have to be not viewed in their extreme, which are these long pursuits, but in the vast majority, which are much shorter pursuits that result in detention and arrest.

"We have strict rules about when we pursue, we have strict rules about who is allowed to pursue. We require supervision as soon as practicable during a pursuit. We want the watch commander or the supervisor in the pursuit to make the determination about whether that pursuit should continue based on the seriousness of the suspected crime that the individual is involved in. We demand that the helicopter take over the pursuit as soon as we can. That the pursuing vehicles back off to give a space between the vehicle pursued when that makes sense.

"Also remember that one of the reasons that a police car's behind an individual that's traveling at high speeds in traffic is to warn oncoming traffic. The individual who is causing the pursuit oftentimes has their lights off, they're driving in high speeds, they're going through intersections and traffic controls. Without the police vehicle at some proximity behind them, the public has no way of knowing."

So you're hoping that they'll pull over?
"They do. People become aware that the police are coming and they pull over. The vast majority will see and hear the sirens at an intersection and slow down. As you can see in a pursuit, many many accidents are avoided because police emergency equipment that is behind them, these are very dangerous incidents, and we try to control them as best as possible.

"I think that many time people are too quick to place the blame on the recognized authority, which is us, the police, and that's my job, I don't mind discussing this or shouldering the responsibility when appropriate, but remember it is the obligation of the person driving the vehicle to pull to the side of the curb. To stop. To not flee, to not run into two women driving a car that had absolutely nothing to do with this. I think that oftentimes the focus is on the police and it should be more appropriately on the individual."

Why are officers citing people for jaywalking when the countdown begins?

"Officers have always done that, that is the law. That's the way the law is written. It's not a new interpretation. This time of year in downtown LA, we see a tremendous uptick in pedestrian-involved traffic accidents, many of which are fatalities. This is the most crowded period of the year in downtown. A lot of that traffic can be impeded by pedestrians who are not following the rules in crosswalks. Every year at this time we focus on pedestrian safety."

The metro area around Austin, Texas is ranked 1 in Milken Institute's "Best Performing Cities" Index. ; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

A competitive annual ranking of American cities finds Austin, Texas to be the most booming city for 2013, thanks to its technology sector. The same driver is at play for the top-four cities: Utah's Provo, San Franciso, San Jose and Salt Lake City, respectively.

"Some of the leading tech metros were successful despite being high-cost, high-regulation locations," says Ross DeVol, chief research officer for the think tank.

Urban Studies theorist, Richard Florida, in further analysis of the Milken's findings wrote: "The biggest takeaway is the clear connection between talent and economic performance. The Milken Index is positively associated with both the share of adults that are college grads (.41) and the share of the labor force made up of knowledge, professional, and creative workers (.35)."

What other cities were powerhouses and why? What can California developers and thinkers take away from the latest data?

Guest:
Ross DeVol, chief research officer of the Milken Institute and co-author of The Milken Institute's annual "Best-Performing Cities" index

Director Alexander Payne attends the screening of "Nebraska" during AFI FEST 2013 at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 11, 2013 in Hollywood, California.; Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for AFI

The latest film from Alexander Payne is Nebraska, a road trip story depicting family life in America's heartland. His sixth film--named for his home state--certainly isn't the first to dig into dark humor and awkward family dynamics.

We discuss the themes and characters in Payne's celebrated body of work--a repertoire that includes "Election", "About Schmidt", "Sideways" and 2011's "The Descendants".

What drives Payne to make these uniquely human films? Which one speaks to you the most?

Guest:
Alexander Payne, Director, “Nebraska;” Academy-Award winning writer of “The Descendants” (Adapted Screenplay) and “Sideways” (Adapted Screenplay); Payne’s other highly notable films include “Election” and “About Schmidt”

; Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

From hot cocktails for cold nights to leftover turkey made nice (with melted camembert and mostarda!), the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen has you covered.

Top LA Times chef Noelle Carter and the newspaper's food writers have the spectacular annual version of the California Cookbook on their website. Another batch of recipes to sweeten the season are the finalists of their annual holiday-cookie competition - winner to be announced Friday.

 If you need advice for a new-fangled appetizer (apple n' brie soup?) or some last-minute gifts you can make at home without the MacGyver look, call in for advice from Food Editor Russ Parsons or Chef Carter.

Guests:

Russ Parsons, Food Editor, Los Angeles Times

Noelle Carter, Director of the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen

A customer prepares to sign a credit card slip at a Target store on December 19, 2013 in Miami, Florida. Target announced that about 40 million credit and debit card accounts of customers who made purchases by swiping their cards at terminals in its U.S. stores between November 27 and December 15 may have been stolen.; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Big-box retailer Target says that data from 40 million U.S. customers' payment card accounts may have been breached by cyber criminals during the holiday shopping season.

The breach affects Target shoppers who swiped their credit or debit cards at U.S. stores between November 27 and December 15. The crooks who gained access to Target's database may now possess names, credit card numbers, expiration dates and security codes for those shoppers. 

The breach was originally reported by the KrebsOnSecurity blog--and later confirmed by Target.

Do corporations work hard enough to protect our data? How should those who may have been impacted by the breach protect themselves?

Guests:

Matt Townsend, Retail Reporter for Bloomberg
Ted Crooks, Consultant in financial security at Crooks Analytics

Seabiscuit is shown in the winner's circle after winning the initial running of the $50,000 Hollywood Gold Cup race on July 18, 1938. George Woolf is the jockey, with his owner, Charles S. Howard, and Anita Louise paying homage to the great champ. ; Credit: LAPL

Hollywood Park opened in 1938, catering to the rich, the beautiful and the famous. And this Sunday, this city landmark will close its doors after one last race.

The announcement was made in May in the form of a letter from track President Jack Liebau to the California Horse Racing Board notifying them that the track won't be booking any races in 2014, but the fate of Hollywood Park was known as far back as in 2005, when it was sold to a real estate company that had made known its intention to redevelop the venue and the land surrounding it.

Former Los Angeles Times sports editor Bill Dwyre and Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen joins Larry to say farewell to this Hollywood legend.

Guests:

Steve Andersen, Southern California correspondent for the Daily Racing Form joining us from Hollywood Park

Bill Dwyre, a columnist at the Los Angeles Times. He was the paper’s sports editor for 25 years until 2006.

The National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland, as seen from the air.; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Feeling cumulative pressure from tech companies, foreign leaders and some American constituencies, yesterday the White House released a report with 46 recommendations for reforming U.S. surveillance, including the National Security Agency.

The report by an advisory panel, entitled “Liberty and Security in a Changing World,” most notably says the government should not keep a database of Americans’ phone activities. However, it says the”metadata” can be handed over to a third party or be kept by communications companies. 

The report also calls for more stringent overviews of the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court and of foreign spying activities – such the alleged cellphone-tapping of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The White House says President Barack Obama is reviewing the recommendations.

What are the odds the reforms will take effect? Do they go far enough or too far?

Guest:

Chip Pitts, Lecturer in Law, Stanford University; Advisory Board EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center)

Geoffrey S Corn, veteran Army prosecutor, retired lieutenant colonel. Professor of law at South Texas College of Law. He started his career in intelligence.

Liberty Bottleworks is based in Yakima, Washington.; Credit: Liberty Bottleworks via Facebook

The rule book for Business 101 has it that the customer is always right, but one Washington-based entrepreneur has found that standing up to an unreasonable, irate client can sometimes win you a lot of fans.

After reading a complaint on Facebook from an angry customer criticizing his company for not offering customer service on weekends, Ryan Clark, co-founder of Liberty Bottleworks, decided to respond with a short, sweet, eloquent message that has won the love of the Internet.

Clark’s response reads

"We did receive your numerous voicemails and emails. The buck stops with me. This will, I am sure, upset you ... my customer service team will not be helping you on the weekends. Your voicemail stated 'it is the holidays, you should be working' and your email stated, 'Instead of doing my Christmas cards and enjoying the holiday spirit I was dealing with this.' Perhaps you need to spend a bit more time embracing the holiday spirit. You see, my employees were home with their families doing their cards, baking cookies, etc. Family first, product second.”

The post went viral after a former employee posted the exchange on Reddit and the company has been rewarded with an avalanche of new orders since.

Guests:  
Ryan Clark, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Washington-based company Liberty Bottle Works. [He was the person that responded to the ticked off customer on Facebook].

Keith Ferrazzi, an expert in professional relationship development and the founder and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, a strategic and business consulting firm in Los Angeles

Will Ferrell speaks to a VIP Newseum audience at a special evening with the "Anchorman" star at Annenberg Theater on December 3, 2013 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Larry French/Getty Images

Larry and KPCC film critics Henry Sheehan, Wade Major and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Her, Walking With Dinosaurs 3D and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Her

Walking With Dinosaurs 3D

Guests:

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and producer and host for IGN's DigiGods.com

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

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

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden sit during a meeting with Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew in the Oval Office of the White House December 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Before the First Family can depart for a Christmas vacation in serene Hawaii, President Barack Obama will stand before the White House press corps for the ritualized year-end news conference.

The pressing questions will focus on the immigration-legislation limbo, reforms of the National Security Agency, and, of course, the Affordable Care Act. Last night, the Obama Administration made the surprising, if not confusing, announcement that Americans who had their health plans cancelled would be exempt from the requirement to sign onto a health plan.

RELATED: Watch Live: President Obama to hold year-end news conference

Why make the change now? How will it affect what’s thought to be his legacy law? What will the President want to remember, and want to forget, about 2013? What should he focus on for 2014?

Guests:

Kitty Felde, KPCC Washington Correspondent

David Mark, Editor-in-Chief, Politix.com (with an x!); Former Senior Editor, POLITICO

Actress Scarlett Johansson attends 'Her' Premiere during The 8th Rome Film Festival at Auditorium Parco Della Musica on November 10, 2013 in Rome, Italy.; Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Here’s an announcement you won’t hear at the Oscars: “And the nominees for best voiceover actor are…”

A new row has erupted over the exclusion of voiceover performers in key industry awards, in part due to the buzz surrounding Scarlett Johansson’s role in the new Spike Jonze movie ‘Her’. Johansson  plays ‘Samantha’ a computer operating system who is the object of  Theodore’s affections,  played by Joaquin Phoenix.

Earlier this week, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association told the makers of ‘Her’ that Johannson’s role is ineligible for a Golden Globe nomination. Warner Brothers has since appealed against the decision.

Johansson isn’t the first actor to be snubbed for their dulcet tones. Andy Serkis - the voice of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings franchise - was also disqualified from award consideration in previous years..

If a performer doesn’t appear on screen, should they still be considered for a best actor nomination? Should a new ‘best voiceover’ category be added to the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes to reflect the growth in high profile voice performers?

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus(D-MT) speaks during a hearing on health insurance exchanges on November 6, 2013 in the Dirksen Senate Office on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.; Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Max Baucus, the senior Democratic Senator from Montana who has served since 1978, was set to retire at the end of his 2014 term. But President Obama announced on Friday that Baucus would be appointed the US Ambassador to China to replace current ambassador and former Gov of Washington Gary Locke, who is stepping down.

Baucus’ departure from the Senate removes the second-most-senior member of the chamber, and his absence raises numerous questions.

Who will fill the Democratic power vacuum, particularly as chair of the Senate Finance Committee? Who will the Governor of Montana appoint to his seat in the interim, largely considered a political boon? How well is Baucus, an old-school Midwesterner, suited to representing the United States in China?

Guests:

Chuck Johnson, chief of the Lee Newspapers State Bureau in Helena, Montana

Clayton Dube, Executive Director, USC US-China Institute

A computer screen reads, "Enroll by Dec. 23 for coverage starting as soon as Jan 1." as agents from Sunshine Life and Health Advisors help people purchase health insurance under the Affordable Care Act at the kiosk setup at the Mall of Americas on December 22, 2013 in Miami, Florida. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A health insurance lifeline has been thrown to thousands of Americans whose policies were cancelled due to the Affordable Care Act.

Following a decision to extend the deadline, tomorrow is the last day people can apply for health coverage to start on January 1, both federally and through Covered California.

The White House has issued a temporary hardship exemption meaning those with canceled plans won't be hit with stiff tax penalties for non-compliance. Anyone in this category is also eligible to apply for bare-bones catastrophic coverage which is usually reserved from the under 30s.

Republican critics say this latest amendment to Obamacare is further evidence that the law is unworkable and should be scrapped. Democrats argue the latest step is a common-sense solution to a difficult situation.

The Department of Health and Human Services has set up a dedicated hotline to help consumers with cancelled policies - 1866-837-0677.

What is your experience of securing healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act? Are you confused with the changes? If you have a policy starting on January 1, how will it differ from the healthcare coverage you currently have?

Guests:

Gerald Kominski, Director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Yevgeniy Feyman, Fellow at the Center for Medical Progress at the Manhattan Institute

Jennifer Haberkorn, Health Reporter with Politico

The living room area at the Children's Welcome Center operated by L.A. County's Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Small children wait here to be placed in foster homes; Credit: Courtesy LA County DCFS

The nation’s largest private foster care system, begun 27 years ago here in California, is a $400 million dollar a year industry.

15,000 children are now a part of that system, and in LA County itself, 5 of 6 kids that aren’t placed with relatives go into the private care system.

An analysis by the Los Angeles Times shows that over a 3-year period, children are a third more likely to be abused in private foster care, and over a 5-year period, 4 children have died in private care, while none in public.

Who should be responsible for this massive oversight in child care? How is the government responding to this appalling situation, and how did we get here in the first place?

Guests:

Philip Browning, head of Department of Children and Family Services for LA County

Jill Duerr Berrick, PhD, co-director of the Center for Child and Youth Policy at UC Berkeley

Terri Jean Bedford speaks to prostitution supporters and reporters at the Canadian Supreme Court in Ottawa on June 13, 2013. The court heard arguments for effectively legalizing prostitution, after a lower court quashed portions of a law banning brothels and living off the avails of prostitution. ; Credit: AFP/Michel Comte/Getty Images

Canada’s Supreme Court unanimously voted to strike down a ban on three laws against prostitution, including bans on brothels and street solicitation.

The December 20th decision ruled that the legislation denied prostitutes their guaranteed rights to safety. Prostitution was already legal in Canada, but laws preventing its practice were deemed “overly broad,” and went beyond protecting communities.

Though laws against profiting from a prostitute’s income were aimed at criminalizing pimping, Friday’s decision argues that they unjustly targeted bodyguards, drivers, and security who keep sex workers safe.

How should the law protect sex workers and those who profit from their business? Is it fair to criminalize acts that profit from or enable sex trade? How will this ruling impact Canadian sex workers and Canadian communities?

Guest:

Sean Fine, reporter for The Globe and Mail in Canada that covers the Supreme Court of Canada and other legal issues

; Credit: Alan via Flickr Creative COmmons (http://www.flickr.com/photos/image_munky/)

The holidays have a way of bringing out the joie de vivre in people, but what's acceptable behaviors at a family holiday celebration might not translate as well in a work-related setting.

We've all met the indiscriminate holiday hugger, or the inebriated co-worker that tends to over share at the company Christmas party.

With the explosion of holiday and New Year's eve parties around this time of the year, where work and leisure tend to collide more and more, what should we be mindful of so we don't overstep certain social boundaries?

Guests:

Alison Green, founder and advice columnist at Ask a Manager, a popular blog that deals with workplace issues. She is also a contributing writer at U.S. News & World Report

Peggy Drexler, Assistant Professor at Weill Medical College at Cornell University and the author of “Our Fathers, Ourselves: Daughter, Fathers, and the Changing American Family” (Rodale Books, 2011). 

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he arrives for his general audience at St Peter's square on November 27, 2013 at the Vatican.; Credit: VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis will celebrate his first Christmas tomorrow as the leader of the Catholic Church.

 Since his election in March, the Pontiff has garnered interest for his more progressive perspective and unique relationships  both in and outside of the church. He’s attracted attention for living in a Vatican guesthouse and for speaking out on everything from breastfeeding to LGBT issues -- he was named The Advocate’s Person of the Year.

In his first Christmas message to the Roman Curia,  Pope Francis focused on professionalism, service, and holiness. He also paid an informal visit to his predecessor, Benedict XVI. For tomorrow’s ceremony in the Vatican, Pope Francis is expected to light a candle for peace in the Apostolic Palace. 

How might Pope Francis’ first Christmas impact his relationship with the Catholic community? In what ways has the Pope changed the perception of Catholicism? How might he continue to shape and transform Catholicism in the coming year?

Guests:

Father Thomas Rausch, T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University

Jennifer Hughes, Associate Professor of History at UC Riverside