THE BIGGER PICTURE with Timothy Spangler

Making headlines around the world this week: * Teams reached for the sky during the weekend in Spain as they competed to try to construct the tallest "human tower," or castell. * A British puzzle enthusiast shared video of his successful attempt to solve what he bills as the "world's smallest Rubik's cube." * A group of 430 ballerinas gathered in Greece to break the world record for the largest simultaneous stand en pointe. * A statue honoring a local cat who became famous for lounging casually on a set of stairs was unveiled in Istanbul. * A British man uncovered a novel use for the country's new plastic five-pound bills -- playing a vinyl record. * A Taco Bell location in Canada is offering fast-food enthusiasts the chance to spend a night inside the restaurant.

ELLIOT HADDAWAY, star of the critically-acclaimed film "THE LOVE ADDICT," is our special guest this Sunday night! A French - Lebanese actor, ELLIOT earned a scholarship to engineering school in Paris, France where he graduated with honors and earned a subsequent scholarship to one of the country's top business schools. During this period ELLIOT continued to pursue his interest in theatre and acting and starred in several French plays and musicals as well as taking roles in feature productions, including the French remake of Notre Dame de Paris ("Paris la Belle") that performed across France and played in the famous Bataclan theatre in Paris. Awarded the Los Angeles Comedy Award and featured at the Cannes Film Festival, the film "Love Addict" is the story of Owen Maxwell (played by ELLIOT), a successful businessman and chronic womanizer whose ways are changed after a hypnotherapy session gone hilariously wrong. ELLIOT is also in the FOX Network series, "The Seraph", and the TV series "ChiRaq", where he plays a dark, violent, deep and dramatic recurring role. Future roles include the powerful drama, "The Opera of Little Hans," where ELLIOT is playing one of the main roles as a WWII Nazi General. He is also starring in an upcoming movie centered around the true story of the oldest American outlaw and gunfighter, John Wesley Hardin, entitled "The Hour of Gun," which will be ELLIOT's first western. He will also be a part of the long-awaited biopic of jazz extraordinaire Miles Davis, which to be directed by Denzel Washington. Hear our live interview with ELLIOT HADDAWAY this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

Making headlines around the world this week: * Drivers dealing with heavy winds in Scotland found themselves stunned by an additional morning commute obstacle -- a giant inflatable duck rolling down the road. * A team of Turkish engineers are turning science fiction into science reality by building a real-life "Transformer" that morphs from a car to a giant robot. * Nissan has used its autonomous technology to create a self-driving chair, which promises to make waiting in line more comfortable. * An online tech vlogger tested the durability of the iPhone 7 by dropping it from the world's tallest building. * A New Zealand man won a $1 million lottery prize after being skipped in line by another customer while purchasing his ticket. * A Chinese tourist location has opened semi-transparent glass bathrooms for guests not overly concerned with their privacy.

KEN LEVINE, Emmy Award-winning TV writer and sportscaster, is our special guest this Sunday night! In a career that has spanned over 30 years, KEN has been the head writer of "M*A*S*H*," producer of "Cheers," creative consultant of "Frasier" and "Wings," and has co-created three of his own series. He has won one Emmy, two Writers Guild Awards and has had Peabody and Humanitas recognition. He was twice was named "Best Sports Talk Host" by the Southern California Sportscasters Association for his work on "Dodger Talk." As a screenwriter KEN and his partner David Isaacs have written over two hundred episodes of network television. In addition to scripts for "Cheers," "M*A*S*H*," "Frasier" and "Wings," they have also written for "The Simpsons," "The Jeffersons" and "Becker," among others. Screenplays include "Volunteers" starring Tom Hanks and John Candy as well as non-credited rewrites for "Jewel of the Nile" with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner and "Mannequin." As a sportscaster, KEN hosted "Dodger Talk" on the Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network for eight years. For the last 20 years, KEN has done radio/TV play-by-play for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres and has contributed pieces for ESPN and Fox Sports. Next month, KEN's new play "Going... Going... GONE!" will be opening at the Hudson Guild Theatre in Hollywood for its world premier. Set in the press box of a major Los Angeles baseball stadium, "Going... Going... GONE!" tells the story of four sports journalists whose lives are changed during the course of one game. At once poignant and hilarious, the play is grounded in rich characterizations. Hear our live interview with KEN LEVINE this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

Making headlines around the world this week: * The son of a Chinese billionaire bought eight newly released iPhone 7s for his pet dog Coco the Alaskan malamute. * The "Hamdog" a combination between a hot dog and a hamburger created by an Australian man will soon come to the United States. * A pop-up version of fast-food restaurant In-N-Out in London drew hundreds of customers, but limited stock left many disappointed. * Doctors at a Chinese hospital said a baby boy born with a total 31 fingers and toes will receive a series of surgeries free of charge. * Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund and his brother Oakley played a round of golf together at a local course in Canada.

ROBERT BELTRAN, star of the classic films "Eating Raoul" and "Lone Wolf McQuade," is our special guest this Sunday night! ROBERT's career in film, television and the theater now spans 36 years. After finishing high school in Bakersfield CA, he attended Fresno State University, graduating with a degree in theater arts. he landed his first film role in Luis Valdez's "Zoot Suit." He then landed the role of Raoul in Paul Bartel's comedy cult classic "Eating Raoul" and Ahbleza in the ABC miniseries, "The Mystic Warrior." He then went on to star in "Night of the Comet," the Chuck Norris action classic "Lone Wolf McQuade," "Gaby: A True Story," "Nixon," "Bugsy," "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills," the BBC mini-series "Runway On," among many other starring and guest-starring roles, including series regular on "Star Trek: Voyager" and HBO's "Big Love." He has appeared in productions for Luis Valdez's El Teatro Campesino, the Los Angeles Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, and the California Shakespeare Festival. ROBERT founded and served as co-artistic director of East LA Classic Theater Group. At the Actor's Gang he played "Hamlet" and served as co-producer as well as director. ROBERT is currently starring in the play "A Mexican Trilogy," at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Travel with the Morales family through decades of the Mexican-American experience, from a remote mining town in Arizona during World War II, to the Phoenix family home during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and, finally to Los Angeles following the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005. Hear our live interview with ROBERT BELTRAN this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

Making headlines around the world this week: * A British art group raised more than $30,000 to replace every advertisement in a London subway station with pictures of cats. * A woman in Australia paid hundreds of dollars to save her pet goldfish's life after it swallowed a pebble. Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services shared photos of the goldfish and detailed the $372 surgical procedure that involved applying an anesthetic agent to dislodge the pebble. * A train conductor in Spain left more than 100 passengers stranded as he abandoned the train because his shift had ended. * Human park visitors are often encouraged to clean up after their dogs, but some canines apparently consider it their duty to return the favor. * Shocked commuters in China captured video of a giant inflatable moon rolling through traffic when it was carried away by powerful winds. * A robot with a history of going rogue was detained by police at a political rally in Russia.

CRAIG ROBERT YOUNG, recently seen in Michael Bay's 'The Last Ship' on TNT and now starring in Amazon's 'different for girls,' is our special guest this Sunday night! CRAIG was born in Nottingham, England and started acting at the age of 10. A chance audition for a pop band steered him off into the music business for a few years. The group 'Deuce' scored four top 30 British hits, a top twenty album and appearances on acclaimed show 'Top of The Pops' seven times. He left the band in 1996 to become the new face of MTV in the UK, hosting the hugely successful show 'TRL.' A move to LA relaunched his acting career and a role on 'Lost' soon followed which was the first of many J.J. Abrahms shows he has appeared in. CRAIG has been busy in the last few years with movie roles in Horror classic 'Slaughter' for Lionsgate, and 'A Numbers Game' alongside Steven Bauer. Starring turns in the TV Shows 'What about Brian' (JJ. Abrahms), David Mamet's TV show 'The Unit,' the remake of 'Melrose Place,' and the fan favorite character 'Alfred Hoffman' in the SyFy hit 'Fringe.' CRAIG also played a recurring role on ABC Family's '10 Things I Hate About You.' CRAIG now stars in the new series 'different for girls' for Amazon UK after starring in Michael Bay's 'The Last Ship.' He is perhaps best known for his roles as 'Dracul Comescu' on both 'Hawaii 5.0' and 'NCIS: Los Angeles,' and Rose Macgowan's boyfriend Dave, in 'Charmed.' Hear our live interview with CRAIG ROBERT YOUNG this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

Making headlines around the world this week: * A Chinese dad who runs a factory used his resources and nearly $70,000 to build a 13-foot-tall working mecha robot suit for his son. * An Australian man had his car impounded after police discovered he was using a frying pan in place of a steering wheel. * A musical group in South Korea repurposed rubber chickens as instruments to create a rhythmic dance beat. * A group of Spaniards were caught attempting to smuggle more than 250 reptiles through a Dutch airport. * A beer company in Northern Ireland posted an advertisement in a local newspaper seeking a 'beer taster.'

ADAM SHELL, documentary filmmaker known for "Put the Camera on Me" (2003) and "Finding Kraftland" (2007), is our special guest this Sunday night! The gap between our desire for happiness and our failure to find actual examples of happiness was the impetus for ADAM's current documentary, "Pursuing Happiness," which has earned audience and critical acclaim at film festivals and will be released in theatres later this year. Over the course of nearly two years, he put the pieces of the film together from interviewing over a dozen experts in the fields of psychology, spirituality, mindfulness, and the arts, to going on the road to track down America's happiest people. The people ADAM finds are as diverse and complex and as ordinary as one might imagine - street artists, public officials, parents - just regular folks who for whatever reason are a center of joy and meaning for everyone around them. The end result is a documentary that is not only uplifting and affirmative as ADAM intended, but also poignant and brutally honest in examining the delicate balance between profound happiness and mournful sorrow. Hear our live interview with ADAM SHELL this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

Making headlines around the world this week: * A daredevil unicyclist scaled an 840-foot tall chimney in Romania and performed balancing and juggling tricks from the dizzying altitude. * Besides the typical matryoshki and vodka, visitors to Moscow can now pick up a Kalashnikov machine gun as a gift to take back home * A New Zealand library is testing an unusual method to deter fight-happy teenagers from loitering -- a sonic device designed to repel mosquitoes. * A cow escaped an Australian slaughterhouse and ran wild through the streets of a Queensland city before being stopped by police. * A Buddhist monk living in a monastery in Thailand won a nearly $175,000 lottery jackpot thanks to a "lucky" number revealed to him by a tree. * A Japanese fisherman called upon his martial arts skills after being attacked by a large bear near a local river.

TANNA FREDERICK, star of indie classic films "Hollywood Dreams" and "Queen of the Lot," is our special guest this Sunday night! TANNA is an accomplished actress of stage and screen, who gained nationwide praise for her starring role in Henry Jaglom's film, "Hollywood Dreams." She was described as a "young Bette Davis on crack" and compared favorably to legends like Lucille Ball, Judy Garland and Fanny Brice. "Hollywood Dreams is driven by Ms. Frederick's no-boundaries commitment to her broken character," wrote the New York Times, "a performance that is startling as it is touching." TANNA's relationship with Jaglom was extended to "Irene in Time" in which TANNA was reunited with "Hollywood Dreams" co-stars David Proval, Zack Norman and Karen Black. Later she starred in Jaglom's romantic comedy "Queen of the Lot" opposite Noah Wyle. The film picked up "Hollywood Dreams" Maggie Chase character three years later, where Chase, now an action-movie star, is under house arrest for multiple DUIs. Other projects with Jaglom include the film "Just 45 Minutes From Broadway" (in which she starred opposite Judd Nelson), and "The M Word" (with Corey Feldman and Michael Imperioli). Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times said of her performance in "The M Word," "Ms. Frederick's gift for juggling farce, fantasy and raw emotion remains impressive." TANNA can now be seen starring this summer in Jaglom's romantic mystery "Ovation" opposite James Denton. The story is set in the backstage world of theatre where the cast struggles to keep their play afloat while they search for a murder suspect amongst themselves. She is also producing and starring in the virtual reality series "Defrost." Directed by Randal Kleiser, series cast members include Bruce Davison, Harry Hamlin, Christopher Atkins and Carl Weathers. Hear our live interview with TANNA FREDERICK this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

Making headlines around the world this week: * Domino's New Zealand teamed up with drone delivery company Flirtey to complete the first ever drone pizza delivery. * The leader of Norway's Liberal Party is facing criticism from colleagues after she was seen playing Pokemon Go during a Parliamentary hearing. * A woman in Vietnam paid a friend to cut off her foot and part of her arm so she could collect an insurance payout, police said. * A fisherman in the Philippines had what is believed to be the world's largest natural pearl hidden underneath his bed for 10 years. * An 8-pound gold nugget valued at about $190,000 was discovered by a seasoned prospector in Australia. * British Olympians returning from Rio found themselves faced with a challenge as daunting as the Games themselves -- identifying their luggage....

MEGAN CAVALLARI, celebrated film and television composer, is our special guest this Sunday night! MEGAN has a musical resume that is lengthy and divers - more than a 100 film scores as performer, arranger, conductor, or composer; 25 television shows; 16 stage musicals; and hundreds of songs, jingles, and assorted musical offerings have earned her respect, acclaim, multiple professional awards. On top of this, she was the official composer of the L.A. Kings for ten seasons! Her first high-profile gig was alongside Danny Elfman as he composed and recorded the now-classic score from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas," which lead to work on several subsequent Elfman scores. She then worked with legendary film scoring artists Jerry Goldsmith and Edward Shearmur, and artists such as Johnny Mathis. Currently, MEGAN is hard at work on a new animated musical film project called "Jacob Marley" with director Russ Francis, with several other high-profile film gigs in development. She's also begun a relationship with Grammy-nominated pop producer Eric Robinson, and is working with music supervisor/film producer Jonathon McHugh on a new opera about WWII hero Irena Sandler (who rescued 2500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto), which will debut with the Angel City Chorus. Hear our live interview with MEGAN CAVALLARI this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

MEGAN CAVALLARI, celebrated film and television composer, is our special guest this Sunday night! MEGAN has a musical resume that is lengthy and divers - more than a 100 film scores as performer, arranger, conductor, or composer; 25 television shows; 16 stage musicals; and hundreds of songs, jingles, and assorted musical offerings have earned her respect, acclaim, multiple professional awards. On top of this, she was the official composer of the L.A. Kings for ten seasons! Her first high-profile gig was alongside Danny Elfman as he composed and recorded the now-classic score from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas," which lead to work on several subsequent Elfman scores. She then worked with legendary film scoring artists Jerry Goldsmith and Edward Shearmur, and artists such as Johnny Mathis. Currently, MEGAN is hard at work on a new animated musical film project called "Jacob Marley" with director Russ Francis, with several other high-profile film gigs in development. She's also begun a relationship with Grammy-nominated pop producer Eric Robinson, and is working with music supervisor/film producer Jonathon McHugh on a new opera about WWII hero Irena Sandler (who rescued 2500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto), which will debut with the Angel City Chorus. Hear our live interview with MEGAN CAVALLARI this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!