let's call smiley.w as smiley. >> she's not here. gone. out of the area. we checked all her locations. they knew her from before, but haven't seen her in the last couple of months. >> reporter: suggesting maybe it's a good thing. maybe she was scared straight? wherever you are, good job. >> but the beat goes on. ♪ >> san francisco conser seserve of music is asking for help. >> reporter: it was hit again. security cameras catch this thief making off with two pricey guitars and they're still missing. and so is the tablet from the amc theater. the cleaning group with our purse didn't want to talk to us. but amc said that conduct is unacceptable. finally, there's bike thief ronnie pierce. we caught up with him on the same block he stole our bike. claiming he's a new man. are you keeping clean these days? >> yes. >> reporter: no more bikes? >> no more bikes. >> reporter: as for greg? >> i wish i could say it's gotten better. but it's not. >> reporter: he wants to know, who was the man that broke into his hom

at pbs.org. >> hi, i'm tavis smiley. peter, paul, and mary. >>> sfwl aand by contributions viewers like you. thank you. . >> announcer: a kqed television production. >> it's like sort of old fisherman's wharf. it reminds me of old san francisco. >> and you'd be a little bit like jean valjean, with the teeth, whatever. >> worth the calories, the cholesterol, and the heart attack you might have. >> it's like an adventure, you know? you got to put on your miner's helmet. >> it reminds me of oatmeal with a touch of wet dog.

at pbs.org. >> hi, i'm tavis smiley. peter, paul, and mary. >>> sfwl aand by contributions viewers like you. thank you. >> charlie: welcome to the program and merry christmas. it is the end of the year and we are looking back at some of the best conversations from 2014. tonight, a look back at some of theÑi authorsçó books that we enjoyed. >> i called them tales because i didn't want people to think we were in the land of total social realism. >> charlie: yes. although we kind of are in a way because i don't cheat. i don't think there are any real zombies or anything in the stories, but there are certainly people who are interested in cut-off hands that crawl around by themselves and otherÑiÑi+ the form. >> virginia wolf decided she wanted to write a novel without a plot to forgo that device, that convention, and she did a couple of times. the oneçó i liked best is

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with steve ballmer, the new owner of the l.a. clippers who took over the franchise in the aftermath of the donald sterling scandal. his winning bid, $2 billion. the highest price ever paid for an nba team. of course, that's pocket change for a man said to be worth some $23 billion for his role in a success of a company called microsoft. we're glad you joined us. our conversation with steve ballmer coming up right now. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. . okay, so you love basketball. i mean, you really love basketball. if you were in on the success of microsoft like one steve ballme was, you could write a check and become an owner for a cool $2 billion. what's amazing -- first of all, i'm honored to have you on the program. we've been friends a lot of years. i'm glad to have you in l.a. as the owner of one of our local teams. the clippers specifically. but you tried to buy one, two, three people? >> you know, i worked

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with lindsey buckingham. guitarist, one of the most critically acclaimed and successful rock bands of all time. that would be fleet woo mawood e group on tour after a hiatus. 16 years. we're glad you joined us for lindsey buckingham. coming up. ♪

sfrend ♪ >>> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. >> i'm tavis smileytime, join me with a conversation with nick kristof. that's next time. see you then. ♪ >>> the california endowment help happens in neighborhoods. learn more. >> by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ >> narrator: welcome to "film school shorts," a showcase of the most exciting new talent from across the country. experience the future of film, next on "film school shorts." "film school shorts" is made possible by a grant from maurice kanbar, celebrating the vitality and power of the moving image, and by the members of kqed. >> [ ring ] >> hey, hey. yeah, sorry. cell phones don't really work out here. you what? you're not [bleep] with me, are you? are you sure? yeah, ooh! no, no, no, don't worry about my end. don't worry about my end. yeah, i will. i will. yeah.

i'm tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with two-time grammy winner, with melissa etheridge, "this is m.e." her most personal and uplifting over her 25 plus year career. she received 15 grammy nominations and an oscar win for a song she wrote, "inconvenient truth." being an advocate for cancer research, she will close the song tonight with a performance called "a little bit of me." glad you could join us with a conversation with melissa etherid etheridge, coming up right now. ♪ >>> the california endowment health happens in neighborhoods. learn more. hands by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ >>> melissa etheridge has two grammy awards and a slew of nominations. five platinum albums and two gold albums over a 25-year career. she is thankfully, a ten-year breast cancer survivor. her latest cd is "this is m.e." she describes it as personal and uplifts. she will close the show with a performance of "a little bit of me." m.e., it is good to have you see me. how are you

tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with best selling author, chimamanda ngozi adichie. she is praised for the window she opens to other cultures particularly the interception of race and integration. it will be a movie with lupita nyong'o and making a premier on various starz channels. the conversation is coming upright now. ♪ >>> contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ >>> best selling novelist chimamanda adichie is an acclaimed author. one of the best ten books of 2013. "half of a yellow sun" deals with the civil war and was turn sbood a movie. it can be seen on various starz channels. we'll start our conversation with a scene from "half of a yellow sun." >> this is the end of corruption. >> they probably shot him. >> he was a friend of my father. >> bbc is calling it a coup. they have a point. >> it was not aware of government. >> the bbc should ask the people. >> if we had more men like him in this country, we would not be where we are today. >> isn't he a commun

. >>> hi, i'm tavis smiley. the second night of my conversation with singer and activist annie lenox. that's next time. we'll see you then. >>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. daniel mansergh: (♪ upbeat theme music ) (♪) (♪) daniel mansergh: imagemakers is made possible by a grant from: celebrating the vitality and power of the moving image. and by the:

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with peter yarrow and noel "paul" stookey, the two surviving members of peter, paul, and mary about the publication of their new text titled "peter, paul, and mary :50 years in music and life," which chronicles the decades at the epicenter of music and the fight for social justice in this country. we're glad you can join us. a conversation about the life and legacy of peter, paul, and mary coming up right now. ♪ >>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >>> ever since the early '60s, peter, paul, and mary have been at the crossroads of music and political action. and the trio's unwavering commitment to social justice is the nativetive to "peter, paul, and mary 50 years of music and life." we'll look at the trio singing one of the anthems of the civil rights movement -- use guessed it, "blowing in the wind." ♪ answer my friend is blowing in the ♪ ♪ the answer my friend is blowing in the wind ♪ >> i don't care how many times i

i'm tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with vanessa williams with 11 grammy nominatio nominations. she sold 20 million records worldwide and starred on "ugly betty." the acclaimed revival of the trip to bountiful in los angeles. she was nominated for a slew of awards. we are glad you joined us. a conversation with vanessa williams, coming up right now. >>> hands by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >>> the acclaimed play, "a trip to bountiful" began on television in 1953. last year, it was revived on broadway with an outstanding cast with cicely tyson and vanessa williams. the accolades join some 11 grammy nominations, one tony. i'm out of breath. look at a scene from "a trip to bountiful." it's here in los angeles. >> well, it's for her own good. she's crazy! >> why do you talk like that? you know momma -- you know momma isn't crazy. stop saying things like that. >> you better do something or she's going to go out someplace. she'll get to bountiful and die from the

>>> hi, i'm tavis smiley. a conversation with aerosmith guitarist joe perry about his memoir clot rocks: my life in and out of aerosmith." that's next time. see you then. >>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >>> next on "kqed newsroom" a look back at 2014. plus, after four decades of public service, george miller reflects on his his career. >> the passage of the affordable care act is key to me. that was a huge milestone. >>> good evening. and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm thuy vu. tonight we reflect on the last year. joining me for the discuss are michelle quinn,

i'm tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with new york times best selling author nicholas kristof. he's written about issues of poverty, war and equality and the rigs to women and children. his latest with his wife and collaborator sheryl dunn is published tomorrow, "a path of peers." one of the best and most effective uses around money, time and energy as we work toward making the world a better place to live. the conversation with nicholas kristof coming upright now. ♪ >>> contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ >>> every week nicholas kristof deals into the issues of poverty, conflicts, the rights of women and children in this country and abroad. how to affect positive change in the world. it's co-written with his wife sheryl dunn. good to have you on the program, sir. >> good to be on. >> i want to jump spinto the bo in a second. recently, you did a couple columns that got the attention of the nation. your columns tend to do that. these two were about what happens and white folk don't get it. about rational issues in this country. why did you decid

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight we continue with part two of our conversation with four-time grammy winner annie lenox about her c.d. titled "nostalgia" which mimes the great american song book with "god bless the child" and "strange fruit." it honors the humanity in all of us. thank you for joining us for part two of our conversation with annie lenox coming up right now. ♪ >>> and by contributions to your pbs station by viewers like you. thank you. >>> welcome back to night two of our conversation with the incomparable -- bam, there she is -- annie lenox and her project "nostalgia." we were supposed to talk last night for one show because she has so much to be doing. i begged her to stay in the chair. the conversation last night was so rich. if you didn't see it, go to pbs.org, and find last night's conversation. you will not want to miss what we talked about last night. i think a good jumping off point from last night's conversation, annie, is this notion of nostalgia why as the title of this project? >> i

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with renee russo who starred in "tin cup" with kevin costner to films with pierce brosnan. "nightcrawler" takes us from the murky world of news to violent crimes that win the ratings race. glad you joined us. a conversation with rene russo coming up right now. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ >>> over the course of her career, rene russo has starred in blockbusters such as "lethal weapon" "line of fire," and one of my all-time favorites, "thomas crowne affair," with pierce brosnan. "night crawlers" is a story of if it bleeds it leads, still sadly, rules the airwaves. it was written and directed by her husband, dan gilroy. first a look at a scene from" nig-- from "nightcrawler." >> we find our viewers are more interested in urban crime creeping into the suburbs. what that means is a victim or victims, preferably well off and white, injured at the hand of a minority. accident, cars, buses, trains, fires -- >> blood?

i'm tavis smiley. tonight as we have a4?pl wave o protesters, outrage of a failure of another grand jury. we'll consider tonight how we can move forward as a country and individuals. first brian stevens and then we'll turn to a conversation with acclaimed poet, claudia rankin. her new book "let's poem, citizen an american lyric" was written in the wake of the trayvon martin killing and looks at the complexity of race and identity in this country. we're glad you've joined us. those conversations coming up right now. ♪ ♪ >>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> protesters across the nation have been taking to the streets and demanding change to our criminal justice system in the aftermath of yet another failure to indict police for the killing of yet another unarmed african-american man. joining me to assess what changes need to be made to our system, brian stevenson, founder and executive director of the equal justice initiative. earlier this year he published a new book about this sub

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with one of my favorite people, angela lansbury. of she is, of course, an oscar recipient for her distinguished film career. she's also been honored with five tony award for her broadway work. earlier this year the queen dubbed her dame of the british empire. when we last talked, she was of heading to london, to the west end, to star in a revival of "blind spirit." she's brought the production back stateside. it has just opened in los angeles. the first leg of the tour that continues next year. we're glad you've joined us for a conversation with dame angela lansbury coming up right now. ♪ >>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> when angela lansbury of last in this -- was last in this studio you about a year ago, she was heading to london to bring "blithe spirit" to the west end. the comedy just opened in los angeles, thankfully, and will continue on tour next year. let's start our conversation with a look at "blithe spi

>>> hi, i'm tavis smiley. a conversation with aerosmith guitarist joe perry about his memoir clot rocks: my life in and out of aerosmith." that's next time. see you then. >>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> rose: welcome to the program. we begin this evening with dr. martin luther king and the march in selma and talk with the actor playing dr. king david oyelowo. >> he was an american hero but he didn't walk around in his life thinking i'm a hero i'm an icon i'm a historical figure. he was a man with flawings, with failings with witnesses, with transcendent qualities as well. but where i connected with him is, you know he's a man of faith. i'm a man of faith. i'm a father of four. he was a father of four. and these were my entry points. he lived a life of not just talking about it, but actually doing it. >> rose: we conclude this evening with pat ribling-- patricia clarkson who stars in "the elephant man" with bradley cooper. >> i walk on stage every night as miss

on pbs, as well as the tavis smiley show, authored and coauthored 16 books. 16 books. and at one point they said we couldn't write or read, huh? i think they were quite wrong. i have read several of them, and this i know is going to be his most pensive, thoughtful, emotional, transformative book that he has ever written. one thing that i can tell you about tavis, he is serious about this museum and he is serious about dr. king. when tavis comes to memphis, even if he doesn't come in to talk to staff, he will often neil down and pray at this site. because dr. king meant so much to his life, and continues to mean so much to his life. for this of you whomever hit him, you got to know his a down to earth guy. just like your brother, a person you always want to talk to. my first introduction to tavis was on the -- show -- where tavis gave some of the most thoughtful commentary i have ever heard. tavis is a brilliant mant and hap been brilliant for a long time, and among some audiences he has been a little controversial, but tavis always speaks to pure, and whether you like

we're going to ask tavis smiley what dr. martin luther king would have thought of what's happening in the streets tonight. also, the children of chokehold victim eric garner. why they say this is not about race and the parents of akai gurley, an unarmed man shot to death in an unlit stairwell by rookie new york city police officer. they are praying for justice for their son. we have a whole lot to get to tonight. we want to get out to berkeley, california now and cnn's dan simon with the very latest. dan? dan simon, are you there? >> reporter: i haven't heard anything in a minute. are you guys there? >> yeah, apparently dan simon is having an issue. he's not hearing us. but again, we're hearing there are protests. and as you can see, happening in berkeley, california. you can see the protesters there lining the streets courtesy of our affiliate ktvu. we want to get to cnn's deb feyerick who is out among the protesters as well. deb, where are you and what are you seeing? >> reporter: yeah. can you hear me? >> yes, i can. >> r

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with charles bolden, in charge of nasa, heading up the space program with its sights on mars. earlier this month the orion spacecraft of sent on its inaugural mission in preparation for flights that will transport astronauts to nearby asteroid and eventually to mars. then we'll continue our conversation about the future of science with freeman hrabowski, president of the university of maryland, baltimore county, who is committed to recruiting and nurturing people of all background and ethnicities to become future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math. we'll need those if we intend to excel in the 21st century. we're glad you could join us for those conversations coming up right now. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station by viewers like you. thank you. ♪ >>> after years of taking a back seat to other endeavors, space exploration is again grabbing the country's imagination with the mission to mars. charles bowlen, former astronaut, spent 24

i'm tavis smiley. tonight i'm having a conversation with joe perry, lead guitarist for aerosmith which has the distinction of being top selling american rock band of all time selling 150 million albums worldwide. he has a new memoir out called "rocks my life, in and out of aerosmith" which has just made the new york times best seller list. glad you have joined us a conversation with joe perry coming up right now. >>> joe perry is of course lead guitarist of aerosmith they are best selling american rock band of all time having sold 150 million albums all time and 7 million in america alone and on rolling stone list of greatest guitarist of all time, has been inducted to hall of fame and now a memoir rocks and in out of aerosmith first a look at aerosmith per forpforming their hit," sweet emotion". ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ ♪ sweet emotion ♪ ♪ come on sing it. >> so i knew you were talented as a guitarist. i didn't know you could actually do that while chewing gum. >> one of those things i like to prove t

i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with senator carl levin of michigan who at the end of this month wraps up 36 years in the u.s. senate. he is the outgoing chair of the armed services committee as well as chair of the permanent subcommittee on investigations. we'll get his assessment on the senate intelligence committee's report on torture, the passage of the controversial spending bill and so much more. we're glad you've joined us. a conversation with carl levin coming up right now. ♪ >>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >>> for 36 years senator carl levin has represented the people of michigan including as chairman of the senate armed services committee and the permanent subcommittee on investigations. he retires at the end of this year, and he joins us now one last time from the nation's capitol. senator levin, good to have you back on this program, sir. >> good to be with you, tavis. >> i want to talk in a moment about this 36-year tenure and what yo

i'm tavis smiley. tonight having a conversation with emmy award winning actress, lisa kudrow about her acclaimed hbo series, "the comeback" after a nine-year absence which skewers reality and television and other targets is a sharp-edged comedy about the lure of stardom that's both hilarious and heartbreaking. we're glad you have joined us. conversation with lisa kudrow coming up right now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> with an emmy award, multiple nominations and two screen actors guild awards, a writer, plus ten years on "friends" lisa kudrow knows a thing or two about fame producer as well as actress, she co-produced the come back about a less than talented sitcom actress desperate for the limelight. after a nine-year hiatus the comeback has made a comeback, let's take a look at the series. >> hi. valorie. >> of course. how's it going? nice meeting you. i knew this was low budget they got you working the gate now, too? is that what you do? >> hey. >

then we'll talk with pbs talk show taffe is smiley about the outrage after a grand jury chose not tondict a police officer whose take down led to the death of eric garner. right back with that. introducing the new philips norelco shaver series 9000 with contour detect technology that flexes in 8 directions for the perfect shave at any angle. go to philips.com/new to save up to $40. innovation and you. philips norelco. feel like a knot. how can i ease this pain? (man) when i can't go, it's like bricks piling up. i wish i could find some relief. (announcer) ask your doctor about linzess-- a once-daily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. linzess is thought to help calm pain-sensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. it helps you proactively manage your symptoms. do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. it may harm them. don't take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain especially with bloody or black stools the most common side

tavis smiley is totally self-interested.wn concern is that he didn't go on tavis smiley's show. >> i don't think that's true. in fairness to tavis, he's been a vocal critic of the president. >> exactly. >> most americans now think race relations have gotten worse under obama. 0 for 3 on high profile cases, trayvon martin and now michael brown. how do they speak about issues and send three white house representatives to the funeral of a guy who tried to steal a cop's gun and charged at him? is that not irresponsible to rush to judgment like that? >> i don't think it's irresponsible at all. what you've got is a president who sees that you've got a dead teenager unarmed, shot six times. >> and tried to steal a gun and then robbed a store and charged the police officer. >> look, i'm just telling you that situation could have been defused. we should believe in the law, okay, i don't like the grand jury process. i think it was tainted, but i'll believe in it. if you had the president not give some air to the idea that people -- >>

then we'll talk with pbs talk show taffe is smiley about the outrage after a grand jury chose not toict a police officer whose take down led to the death of eric garner. right back with that. if you're suffering from constipation or irregularity, powders may take days to work. for gentle overnight relief, try dulcolax laxative tablets. ducolax provides gentle overnight relief, unlike miralax that can take up to 3 days. dulcolax, for relief you can count on. wow! [ narrator ] on a mission to get richard to his campbell's chunky soup. it's new chunky beer-n-cheese with beef and bacon soup. i love it. and mama loves you. ♪ and mama lothanks.. ♪ [ male announcer ] fedex® has solutions to enable global commerce that can help your company grow steadily and quickly. great job. (mandarin) ♪ cut it out. >>see you tomorrow. ♪ come from all walks of life. if you have high blood sugar, ask your doctor about farxiga. it's a different kind of medicine that works by removing some sugar from your body. along with diet and exercise, farxiga helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. with

tavis smiley is back with us. tavis, how are you? good to see you. >> hey, sean.d to see you. >> do you have any evidence you can present to this audience at all that either ferguson or eric garner's death was rooted in any way, shape, manner or form is rooted in racism? anything you can present on that or that you believe? >> three things. number one, race is still the most intractable issue in this country. >> i didn't ask you that. >> i'm answering the way i choose to answer. racism is still the most intractable issue in this country. it's a part of everything we do still. number two, too often black men, i know this personally even as a host on national television, as black men too often we're seen as the boogy man and the presumption of guilt is always made toward us as opposed to being presumed innocent. number two, and number three, the clip you played earlier from mayor de blasio is right. when too many parents in this country in 2014 still have to have the talk with their black sons for how to save and protect their own lives, something is amiss, sean. >>

i have to go out there on stage and be smiley and like, what's up, guys?not smiley they're not going to want to give me either. >> none of the other dancers are having much success either. how often is it that you end up frustrated and not making much money? >> i worked for $1 on wednesday night, and i was really upset. >> you walked out of here with $1? >> i walked out of here with $1. and i thought how ironic, people give strippers a dollar. and i have a dollar. >> you have two hours to go. do you just suck it up and go and tripe to be happy? >> you do. you keep pushing on. >> with just two more hours before closing, the dancers rally to face a crowd that is not giving. >> good luck, clara. >> i don't know if people really realize how hard the work is. i mean, i watched clara tonight, and she was trying to be peppy and filled with life and laughing for endless hours. and when i left, had 50 bucks to show for it. look, it feels good to feel desirable. and for someone like clara, who spent so much of her life feeling unattractive, i can understand how havi

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with lindsey buckingham. guitarist, one of the most critically acclaimed and successful rock bands of all time. that would be fleet woo mawood e group on tour after a hiatus. 16 years. we're glad you joined us for lindsey buckingham. coming up. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >>> guitarist lindsey buckingham is one of the reasons for the phenomenal success of fleetwood mack. he's taken over a slight break to focus on his solo career. fleetwood mac now on tour for the first time in 16 years. and we take a look, lindey performing "big love" at the theater here in los angeles. ♪ ♪ you said that you'd always love me on that house on the hill ♪ ♪ give it up for love big big love ♪ ♪ >> we'll come back to the solo stuff in just a bit. let me start by asking how it feels to be back on stage with everybody in fleetwood mac. >> it seems appropriate to the band. it's kind of the con vuldued flakes have been out here and the

i go one-on-one with tavis smiley. first, has president obama made race relations worse in the country since he took office? head over to facebook.com/hannity or twitter. tell us your answer. my answer at the end of the show straight ahead. ft holiday music ]♪ can you help me up? [ snow intensifies ] [ sleighbells ring in the distance ] aleve. all day pain relief with just 2 pills. get back to being you. >>> welcome back to "hannity." amid the fallout following the grand jury decision in ferguson, missouri, president obama is once again stirring up racial tensions across the country. here's what he said in an interview with b.e.t. >> this isn't going to be solved overnight. this is something deeply rooted in our history. number one, the understanding that we have made progress and so it's important to recognize as painful as these incidents are, and we can't equate what's happening now to what was happening fifty years ago. the second thing i insist for these young people is we have to be persistent. because typically

joining us tavis smiley. is my assessment of the situation fair first of all? >> >> i didn't know what to expect when i came on tonight, bill. i'm pleased to hear you say some of what you had to say the bottom line for me is when you sullinger earlier that we don't know wanted what. no, you weren't there and i wasn't there but that video camera is abundantly clear to anyone who will watch it what happened that day what we have here is as you already noted illegal chokehold caught on tape coroner says this is a homicide, end of story. there is no way in my mind or anybody else's mind i believe that's looking at this for what it is that we can justify a no indictment from this grand jury. it just doesn't add up, bill. >> let me play devil's advocate. the chokehold is not illegal. it's against department policy. it's not illegal. >> that's illegal. that's illegal. >> against department policy is not a criminal offense it's a disciplinary action. >> you are splitting hairs. >> no, no, no. just let me explained officer was docketed. he lost his shield. he lost his g

. >>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with charles bolden, in charge of nasa, heading up the space program with its sights on mars. earlier this month the orion spacecraft of sent on its inaugural mission in preparation for flights that will transport astronauts to nearby asteroid and eventually to mars. then we'll continue our conversation about the future of science with freeman hrabowski, president of the university of maryland, baltimore county, who is committed to recruiting and nurturing people of all background and ethnicities to become future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math. we'll need those if we intend to excel in the 21st century. we're glad you could join us for those conversations coming up right now. ♪

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight, first a conversation with best-selling author eula biss whose thome on emmunity was name one of the best nonfiction books of the year by "the new york times" book review and "entertainment weekly." "on immunity" looks at the irrational fear surrounding immunization. we'll pivot to a conversation with musician extraordinary billy chiles whose tribute has been nominated for three grammys. the "map of the treasure" features artists such as allison fleming, allison krause, yo yo yoma. we will close with a performance. we're glad you've joined us. those conversations and a performance by billy chiles coming up right now. >> the california endowment, health happens in neighborhoods. learn more. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ >>> it is a cultural conundrum in this country despite hard science that irrefutably supports vaccines as the only way to eradicate life threatening illnesses like whooping cough and polio. many parents are embra

. >>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with peter yarrow and noel "paul" stookey, the two surviving members of peter, paul, and mary about the publication of their new text titled "peter, paul, and mary :50 years in music and life," which chronicles the decades at the epicenter of music and the fight for social justice in this country. we're glad you can join us. a conversation about the life and legacy of peter, paul, and mary coming up right now. ♪

smiley tweets -- i like hillary clinton, but i want her to have a competitive primary. bill is calling from baraboo, wisconsin. hi, bill. caller: hello. yes, i called to endorse elizabeth warren, but when you mentioned robert reich, i thought that was interesting, too. what a combination. we need our economy completely rebuilt for the common person. thank you. host: thank you. jane in california. you are on c-span. caller: hi, i am for bernie sanders. i know having any independent is theh, especially given finance rules and things, however, i think the majority of people in this country do not want to business as usual, and i am afraid both of the clintons or the bushes on the republican side -- it is just going to create more voter apathy and keep us from getting things done post up ps, i like jerry brown, and i like elizabeth warren. i do not think either of them could win, but maybe it is a long shot, bernie sanders could. times"the washington this morning -- warren is hailed as an eager fighter for liberals. she is one of the most part since and her's, which is what

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight, first a conversation with "new york times" best selling author rob bell about his book "when we talk about god, god is what we talk about." pastor and author, and this tackles what he see as misconception business god, providing a new context for talking about faith. we'll turn to a conversation with marcus baram about his book, a biography of musician gill scott karin. "the revolution will not be televised." those conversations coming up right now. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >>> pastor and best-selling author rob intel no stranger to controversy. in 2011, his book "love wins" prompted an outcry amongst his former michigan congregation church he founded in 1999. then he stepped down as pastor but didn't step away from the controversy. he's back with another controversial paperback called "what we talk about when we talk about god." rob, great to have you on the program. what a great title, "what we talk about when we talk a

>>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with oscar-winning actress, director, writer, and humanitarian, angelina jolie. her latest film is "unbroken" which con cells the historic struggle of olympic champion. it has garnered outstanding reviews and is certain to be honored as the award season gets underway. we are glad you joined us. a conversation with angelina jolie coming up right now. ♪ >>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ >> angelina jolie's second foray into directing "unbroken" tells the story of a true american hero, olympic champion louis zamperini who after his plane crashed in the pacific survived 47 days on a raft only to face years in a japanese print camp during world war ii with -- prison camp during world war ii. it was a harrowing experience that tested his humanity and is brought to life with tender loving care and compassion by angelina jolie's direction. we'll start with a look at a scene from "unbroken" starring jack o'connell as louis z

. >>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. merry christmas.versation with musician dave koz. his latest holiday offering titled "the 25th of december." featuring duets with some of his friends, johnny mathis, eric bonet, gloria estefan, india arie, stevie wonder, and jonathan butler. he and jonathan, in fact, will close our show tonight with two classic carols. we're glad you joined us. a conversation and performance from dave koz coming up right now. ♪

. >>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley.rsation with lindsey buckingham. guitarist, one of the most critically acclaimed and successful rock bands of all time. that would be fleet woo mawood e group on tour after a hiatus. 16 years. we're glad you joined us for lindsey buckingham. coming up. ♪

i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with senator carl levin of michigan who at the end of this month wraps up 36 years in the u.s. senate. he is the outgoing chair of the armed services committee as well as chair of the permanent subcommittee on investigations. we'll get his assessment on the senate intelligence committee's report on torture, the passage of the controversial spending bill and so much more. we're glad you've joined us. a conversation with carl levin coming up right now. ♪

tavis smiley. [applause] >> thank you for coming out. let me start by thanking eberly. such a wonderful introduction. that may well be the second best introduction i have received. the person turned to dismay did not show up that i did it myself. [laughter] other than that it was awfully nice and i want to thank you. let me just say it is always a delight and always an honor to come back to this great city of memphis. memphis is an iconic town in the history of this great nation for all sorts of reasons. and i'm always honored to, especially when i get a chance to come to this national civil rights museum. this for me is not just a museum. it's not just a national monument. it is for the sacred space. i mean that literally. this for me is sacred space. beverly ashanti made when i come to town sometimes i speak in town and they see one of my sisters who lives here. i come by to see her and i have never come to this town without walking out of that balcony and sometimes at 1:00 in the morning, 2:00 in the morning as the schedule allows. i never come into this town without