Michael finds a Powerball ticket on the ground (seriously!) - is it ethical to keep it?; Mayor Bass kicks off her reelection campaign as City Hall squabbles over giving more money to the LAPD.

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A local children's hospital has a new program teaching kids how to battle tummy aches and other digestive issues using "food as medicine"; KFI's Heather Brooker joins Michael to compare LA's train system with New York City's where Heather spent Thanksgiving.

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LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger joins Michael Monks to discuss how 2025 was a deeply difficult year for the county: devastating wildfires, a shocking $4.8 billion in sex abuse settlement, and a legal claim filed by the county CEO over a ballot measure approved by voters.

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Los Angeles shoppers are gearing up to outspend the national average this holiday season — but what does that mean for the local economy? Michael speaks with Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez about the new security grants aimed at helping micro-businesses fight rising crime, the impact of copper wire theft on business corridors, and the latest debate over rent caps and how it could reshape LA housing development.

Then, Summer Taylor from Deloitte joins the show to break down LA’s holiday shopping forecast, revealing why Angelenos are still spending big despite economic concerns .

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Michael speaks with Joey Tuccio, an animal rescuer at Starts With One Today, who exposes the hidden crisis facing dogs on Skid Row. From large-scale breeding operations run in the open to rescuers facing threats on the street, Joey breaks down why 90% of Skid Row’s dogs are being exploited for profit, the dangers rescuers confront daily, and why current city efforts aren’t reaching those already doing the work on the ground.

Later, Dr. Desai from UCI Health joins the show to explain how a groundbreaking cell therapy is transforming the treatment of lupus, including a remarkable success story of a patient bedridden for 18 years who is now living a normal life.

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Record number of travelers hit the roads and skies in Southern California; One powerful local official votes against a proposed gondola but in favor of a water taxi to connect the ports of LA and Long Beach; Fake Christmas trees go up in price because of trade policy; and Baywatch is returning not just to TV, but to Los Angeles and that has local and state officials celebrating.

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The new chief of the LA Fire Department once said he is troubled by media reports about the department's response to an earlier believed to have later become the Palisades Fire, and then days later called those reports "smears"; LA Co's District Attorney says he's going after any fraudsters who took part in the county's $4 billion sex abuse settlement; Home sales are up in SoCal and so are some of the prices; and a teen from Downey gets to speak to the Pope and ask him questions.

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US Senators from other states come to LA to hear from victims of the Palisades Fire, criticizing Democratic officials for the fire and the response to it; the LAPD has moved forward on hiring more officers than the city council said it could; A massive rainstorm has blown through Southern California but it looks like we've been spared from the worst of it.

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LA's city controller says he's no longer a Democrat and looks forward to other progressive leaders being elected in the city, specifically calling for more like New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani; the LA city council has tightened its rent control ordinance to the chagrin of landlords; the city council voices its opposition to a proposed Gondola between Dodger Stadium and Union Station; and Michael Monks gets a new cat from the streets of Skid Row.

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