KFI Featured Segments

Halle Berry accused Gov. Newsom of not being pro woman, and the governor has responded. At LAX, he told a reporter he’d "connected with [Berry’s] manager” and the two of them would “reconcile.” The bill he vetoed was California Assembly Bill 432, the Menopause Care Equity Act, aimed to expand insurance coverage for menopause-related treatments. Netflix is purchasing Warner Bros Discovery and HBO, in a deal worth $82.7 billion. Is this media consolidation a good or bad thing? Will it mean less choice, lower quality and higher cost for us consumers? Will it impact Hollywood’s workforce? LA rent prices are now going down! Is it an issue of supply and demand? Or is it because 2 million illegal immigrants have been deported or left voluntarily in the past 300 days?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In LA, rent prices have fallen 5% on average since the peak in 2022 during the Covid pandemic. Reports suggest rent prices will continue to decline. Rent control has been bad for housing in LA. Vacancies have hit a record high of around 7% for several months, following a surge in property developments. In tandem with falling rent prices, reports suggest around 7,000 children are missing from the LA school system, likely related to the deportation of illegal immigrants. And with attendance in public schools dropping, classes are getting smaller, which means specialized attention and a better quality of education. In 1980, the average Southern California salary was $20,000 annually, and the average house cost was $60,000. Back then, people were able to save up the downpayment for a home. Now, the average salary in Southern California is $60,000 while the average cost of a starter home is $869,000, with 20% down.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A massive traffic jam on the 5 that’s been going on since the middle of the day has finally been cleared after hours of traffic crawling at a snail’s pace. The E-bike is the Cabbage Patch doll of the festive season in 2025 — everyone wants one under the Christmas tree. However, city councils and many parents hate them! Lou talks about souping up his son’s second-hand E-bike. It was a bonding experience in the garage. Moving on to the impending wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, they’ve chosen the date — it’s 6/13/2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IT’S FOODIE FRIDAY! Food enthusiast and host of ‘The Fork Report’ on KFI Neil Saavedra joins Bill to talk about HoneyBaked’s new prime rib, Fruity Pebbles is officially brining back a fan-favorite flavor from the 90’s, World Market’s new stocking stuffers, and Chefs best store bought flour.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 550-pound bear that has made its home beneath the house of an Altadena family following the destruction of its habitat due to the January wildfires. The family is feeling unsafe as they hear the bear move around their crawlspace. Theater director Jesse Corti and Broadway actor Tim Farmer, who plays Scrooge, are in studio to talk about their production of A Christmas Carol, which premieres tomorrow night for 10 performances at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Meanwhile, back in Altadena, following last January’s tragic Eaton wildfire in which thousands of people lost their homes, the first home has been built for a local resident, and it’s been given a certificate of occupancy. The house is a 2,100 square foot, three-bedroom home.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Los Angeles Metro Board of Directors is advocating to build a gondola running from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. Meantime, bulldozers have moved into Marina Del Rey to tear down a homeless encampment. Following a five-year investigation by the FBI, the so-called DC pipe bomber has been arrested and identified as 30-year-old Viriginia man Brian Cole Jr. Warner Bros. Is in the midst of a major bidding war. If TV streamer Netflix succeeds in acquiring the entertainment giant, many film and TV creators and workers are up in arms, worried it will destroy the film theatrical space and eliminate distribution entirely.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Mark Thompson’s birthday the day after Christmas, and he hates that people never remember. But what is Jesus’s birthday, star sign, and season of birth? There’s a number of theories, let’s discuss. There’s pushback against Secretary of Transport Sean Duffy’s request that people have some decorum and dress nicely while flying. Now, everyone’s coming to the airport in slippers and pajamas. Mark plays the talkbacks from our KFI listeners, with many loving on the baritone king crooning across our airwaves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marc Saltzman joins for Tech Talk, bringing the latest updates from the gadget world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Small Biz Shout Out featuring Franklin Haynes Marionettes—a puppet company keeping a rare and beautiful art form alive for over 30 years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy takes us on a Southern California Sleigh Ride where she highlights different fun events and activities you can do with your friends and family this holiday season. This week, Amy takes us to Knotts Merry Farm in Buena Park.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Merrill kicks off the show with KFI’s Mark Rahner, joking about AI coming for everyone’s job—while warning that the younger generation may be the ones who feel it most. Chris also celebrates the massive success of KFI’s 15th Annual PastaThon and revisits the emotional, long-awaited return of KFI legend The Foosh at last night’s broadcast.Then the conversation turns to the now-viral Waymo clip: an autonomous car casually turning left through an active police standoff. Chris questions what “accountability” even means when there’s no human behind the wheel, and breaks down the difference between programming, thinking, logic… and the absence of common sense. Plus: a quick roast of AI’s obsession with em dashes.Chris then shifts to a disturbing local story—an LA family suing the school district after an alleged “kissing club” incident involving their 8-year-old daughter—and dives into the broader culture of silence that enables abuse. The hour closes with a tribute to K-9 officer Spike, who was tragically killed in the line of duty.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris dives headfirst into the accelerating AI revolution—comparing today’s transformation to the Industrial Revolution, where massive job loss eventually gave way to massive reskilling. But this time, the speed is unlike anything we’ve seen before. New reporting shows the job market is shifting toward AI skills faster than universities can keep up. Traditional computer-science programs are shrinking while AI majors explode nationwide, as students gamble their entire futures on the only tech field still growing. Then: the home robot era just got real. Chris breaks down “Memo,” a new household robot that can make espresso, clear plates, and even load your dishwasher, trained by a high-tech “Skill Capture Glove.” It’s impressive, but it also raises major questions about cost, access, and what happens once robots take over chores. Finally: digital-only influencers are landing huge brand deals with fully scripted personalities and fictional backstories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris opens the hour with heartbreaking news: former Lakers great Elden Campbell has died at 57, and Full House star Dave Coulier is facing a new cancer battle just months after beating stage-3 lymphoma. Then — a brighter moment — the triumphant return of Foosh at last night’s event. From there, the conversation shifts to a stunning new survey: 84% of American teens say the news media is biased, boring, fake, or flat-out confusing, with fewer than one in three trusting journalists to fact-check or dig for truth. Chris breaks down what this generational media distrust means for the future. Next: the Trump administration’s “no tax on tips” plan has turned into a regulatory circus. The IRS is now forced to decide what counts as a tip… and what counts as pornography. Sex workers, creators, and tax experts warn the vague rule opens the door to discrimination and wildly subjective audits. Finally, a health warning: Norovirus cases are exploding early, doubling nationwide and already hitting winter-surge levels. Chris covers what to watch for — and why this year’s outbreak could be especially rough for kids and older adults.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Jim Keany, Chief Medical Officer at Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, joins The Bill Handel Show for 'Medical News'! Dr. Keany talks with Bill about tattoo ink moving through the body, killing immune cells and weakening vaccine response, and men with ‘beer bellies’ may face serious heart damage even if they aren’t overweight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy talks with Major Andrew Donlin of the United States Space Force about the 3rd Annual Guardian Arena Finals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KFI Tech Reporter Rich DeMuro joins Wake Up Call for ‘Wired Wednesday’! Rich talks about Samsung’s NEW tri-folding phone, a free website to see if your home is part of a botnet, and the best places to go for online shopping promo codes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastathon supremacy – in today’s economy! Have you done your holiday shopping yet? Can AI help you pick out the perfect festive season gift for your loved ones? Black Friday sales have reportedly gone up 4-11% from last year, although some outlets suggest people planned to spend less this year. Are the haves carrying the have-nots? Merrill also discusses credit card hacks and people using buy now, pay later to purchase burritos. Have you heard of credit card churning? It’s when people open and close credit cards in quick succession to enjoy the perks like airline miles and cashback incentives, then close the card before they must pay the annual fee. This practice can earn up to thousands of dollars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Supreme Court heard arguments as to whether internet companies are complicit in billions of dollars in losses due to people illegally downloading content they’re not paying for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy talks with the host of ‘How to Money’ Joel Larsgaard talking about how to find trustworthy charities and being responsible while deciding to be charitable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy kicks off the show recapping his Thanksgiving feast and the absolute madness of holiday travel, including getting mistaken for Rich DeMuro at the Hollywood Christmas Parade. He breaks down record-setting travel delays amid the shutdown and explains how airlines are reinventing first class for the post-pandemic traveler. Steve Hartman joins with a big update on Justin Herbert’s hand injury and what it means for the Chargers. Then Andy shifts to a startling study: famous people, especially musicians, may face a higher risk of dying young. And don’t forget… KFI’s big Pastathon is tomorrow!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.