What The Hal?

With the busy holiday shopping season many consumers are online or at malls across the nation hunting for the best deals and gifts. But while finding that deal many people can fall victim to scams. Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer says many of the scams his office sees include stores selling recalled items, counterfeit items being sold online, people obtaining fake credit cards, identity theft as well as those pesky robocalls.

In this podcast City Attorney Mike Feuer discusses the common scams many consumers fall victim too as well as provides tips on how to spot and avoid a scam.


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While urban sprawl and changing weather conditions have made firefighting more difficult in the city of LA, the department has grown and adapted to meet the challenges. LA City Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas is a 35-year-veteran with the Los Angeles Fire Department and has served as chief for five years.

In this podcast Terrazas discusses how firefighting has changed in the city as well as discuses new tools, equipment and future programs for the department.

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Michael Simonsen and his “partner” Officer Byrd, a green macaw, have worked together with the Los Angeles Police Department since the 1970's. Officer Byrd and Simonsen help teach kids about safety like stranger danger as well as lift up their spirits during school visits and charity events.

Simonsen talks about the PSA’s that aired back in the ‘80’s on channel 11, which were intended to protect children and teach them good behavior as well as how he and Byrd have helped children who were at risk or being abused.

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Students from Saugus High School are still on extended break from classes after a gunman opened fire on campus—killing two people before turning the gun on himself. It was a shooting that rocked the whole community, many still in disbelief. In this podcast we talk to some of the students and a teacher who were running for cover and barricading inside a classroom as chaos erupted on campus. We also talk to some parents who describe what it was like the morning of November 14 as they received texts from their children alerting them of a shooting.  Our guests include Saugus High students Mandy and Cassie Eckleman as well as their mother Stephanie Eckleman, students Abby and Emily Cannizzaro and mom Kelley Cannizzaro and Marine Studies and biology teacher David Stradling.


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For 25 years FOX 11 has been helping foster kids find a forever home through our segment Wednesday’s Child. Since the segment launched nearly 500 kids have been adopted. 

In this podcast we talk with two adoptive parents who found their child after watching Wednesday’s Child as well the coordinator for Wednesday’s Child.
 Our guests include social worker and adoptive parent Fawnda Sandoval, adoptive parent Gavin Glynn, Wednesday’s Child coordinator Dr. William Wong and host of Wednesday’s Child Christine Devine.

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California is in the middle of wildfire season and it seems each year is worse than before. Luckily, firefighters throughout the state are getting some relief. Cal Fire is adding 19 new aircrafts to its fleet and LA County Fire is getting a new Blackhawk. But even with all the added tools --- firefighters say the best thing when a fire breaks is for residents to be prepared and ready to evacuate.  Our guest for this podcast include Cal Fire Southern Region Chief Dan Johnson, LA County Fire Captain Tony Imbrenda, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Lucas Spelman, and Ventura County Fire Captain Tony Mchale.

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Update Description

Keeping a child safe is always a parent’s top priority. And on Halloween night basic activities like trick-or-treating could be hard. It was a mother in Hawaii whose Facebook post went viral when she came up with the idea of using blue buckets for kids with autism or who are nonverbal, like her 3-year-old son. A blue bucket is to help those giving out candy know that a child may be autistic, so they may not say the traditional 'trick-or-treat' when you open the door.

Our guests include Tamra Mariott and Rebecca Zornitsky from Autism Speaks, Dr. Rishma Chand a pediatric intensivist at Dignity Health Northridge Hospital, Alissa walker from Curbed LA, Juan Capdet and his son Jordi and Amy Gurango and her son Benjamin. 

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It's time for the 71st Prime-time Emmy Awards. The award show will be live on FOX 11 September 22nd.  In this podcast we talk about the history of the Emmy statue.  We also learn that the first Emmy winner had to be talked in to attending the Awards Ceremony (not something that has to be done these days).

Our guests include Laurel Whitcomb Marketing Vice President of the Television Academy and Dr. John Leverence Senior Vice President of Awards for the Television Academy.


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The allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Film Producer Harvey Weinstein lit a fire under the women’s movement. Now, more and more women are joining the fight on a wide range of issues, from equal pay to equal power in government and business. An organization called “The United State of Women” is trying to inspire young women to be more active in their communities.

Our guests include United State of Women Ambassador Denea Joseph,  and Charity Chandler-Cole, who has attended USOW events.

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You've probably never heard of Barbara Jean Jepsen, but in 1956 her murder made headlines. Jepsen's husband found her stabbed to death at their home in Van Nuys. She was four months pregnant at the time. At one point, Liberace's brother was a suspect. So were several soldiers at a local military base. Now, more than six decades later, the Jepson cold case is back open.

Stephanie Lazarus was once a well-respected Los Angeles police detective. But she had a big secret. Lazarus killed her ex-boyfriend's wife, and got away with it for more than two decades, until DNA caught up with her. It all came crashing down when cold-case investigators made the arrest.

Our guests are Det. Mario Santana, Det. Rachel Evans, Det. Ken White, Det. Marc Martinez from LAPD's Valley Bureau Homicide and Matthew McGough, who wrote the true-crime book "The Lazarus Files."

If you have any information on these or other murder cases, call Valley Bureau Homicide at (818) 374-9550.

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