To the surprise of most people, it really is December already and we were happy to bring you a great show last night from our warm studio on a blustery day here in D.C.

Leading off, we looked at some disturbing news about HIV coming just after World AIDS Day. At a conference in Atlanta, advocacy groups and federal health officials said the HIV infection rate may be much higher than previously thought. David Munar of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago was our guest from Atlanta to give us the latest.

We delved into politics with returning Agenda guest Clarence Page. He’s a syndicated columnist with the Chicago Tribune and a frequent guest on the TV political talk circuit. He was in-studio to sort through the new presidential polling numbers released this weekend. Listen in parts one and two.

After that, I shared an interview with recording artist Ari Gold. He’s one of the few openly gay pop stars out there and one of the very few to be open about his sexual orientation since the start of his career. Listen in.

Then we turned to film with two guests. First, Freida Lee Mock is the filmmaker behind a new PBS documentary, Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner. Mock is an Academy Award winner and tells the story of how Kushner became an outspoken activist, a compassionate spokesperson for outsiders, and one of today’s most entertaining and important playwrights.

Another new film has already received a lot of buzz and that’s The Life of Reilly profiling TV personality and comedian Charles Nelson Reilly. The director, Barry Poltermann, was our guest in-studio to talk about taking the famed performer’s last show and adapting it for the screen. Listen in.

Finally, a bit more politics with Bob Creamer, author of the new book, Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win. The husband of Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky, he’s spent years in politics and translates that wisdom (along with his mother’s) into a game plan for victory. Listen in.

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