Will California’s Economy Dry Up?
Governor Jerry Brown has ordered cities throughout California to cut their water use by 25 percent - or more - as the state struggles with fourth year of an historic drought.
Apr 10, 2015•9 min
The Mixer
Steve Chiotakis talks to Los Angeles journalists about the week's leading news stories.
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Episodes
Dodger Blues
First pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine is Saturday evening, when they’ll play the Angels in a spring training matchup. They’ll start the season on Monday for the official home opener against the Padres. But most fans who want to see the game on TV will again be out of luck because of continuing drama beyond the stadium.
Apr 03, 2015•9 min
Dry Land and Deaf Ears
We’re well into the fourth year of a severe drought in California. And this week, Governor Jerry Brown and legislative leaders from both parties announced more than $1 billion in emergency aid. But the governor also faced question after question over whether the State Water Resources Control Board's new conservation actions are enough.
Mar 20, 2015•9 min
Is LA's Car Culture Dying?
Gas prices have been on a roller coaster ride in Southern California the past few weeks. From rock-bottom lows at the start of the year because of an abundant global supply, to a quick rise of a dollar or more per gallon because of a new summer gasoline blend and a refinery explosion in Torrance.
Mar 13, 2015•9 min
Boosting Turnout in LA Elections
Voters in Los Angeles County will head to the polls on Tuesday. They’re set to cast ballots for City Council, School Board and Community College District Board members. And then there are also a couple of charter amendments that would change when we hold local elections, with the goal of boosting voter turnout.
Feb 27, 2015•10 min
Hollywood’s Diversity Problem
This Sunday, a few people – alright, hundreds of millions of people – will gather at their sets to watch stars walk the red carpet, and then award each other with golden trophies. It’s an annual tradition, but one thing you won’t see this year is a lot of diversity.
Feb 20, 2015•9 min
The Ports Are All Backed Up
There’s a crisis at the nation’s West Coast ports. An ongoing dispute between longshoremen and shipping companies has led to a suspension of unloading cargo ships. That means huge boats are sitting just offshore, waiting to unload containers filled with products from Asia. And goods from California – that are supposed to be shipped out – are languishing on the docks.
Feb 13, 2015•9 min
The Haves and the Have Nots
We’re just into 2015, and here we are, talking about the presidential candidates for 2016. And in speech after speech, Republican and Democratic candidates are weighing in on income inequality and the wealth gap. Or, as Jeb Bush called it this week in a speech, the "opportunity gap."
Feb 06, 2015•10 min
A Progress Report on California Cops
A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found that a solid majority of adults think their police departments are doing an excellent or good job. But among ethnic minorities there's a sharp divide. Most whites, Latinos and Asians give local police high marks, but only 36 percent of black respondents do.
Jan 30, 2015•10 min
Is California Doing Enough for the Poor?
As the budget debate continues over how to deal with the least among us in California, there are calls from the extreme left for Governor Brown, and the Legislature, to devote more to those people and social programs that were hit hard in the state budget by the Great Recession, and that haven’t much recovered.
Jan 16, 2015•10 min
Brown's Budget: More of the Same
Governor Jerry Brown today released a record $113 billion state spending plan. Under the proposal, the general fund will increase about 5 percent from the current fiscal year, something the governor says reflects California's economic momentum. The governor, however, did not propose many new programs...
Jan 09, 2015•10 min
Law Enforcement Under the Microscope
Today, federal prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty in the case of 24-year old Paul Ciancia, accused of opening fire inside Terminal 3 of Los Angeles International Airport back in November 2013. That rampage left a TSA agent dead – 39-year old Gerardo Hernandez – and several others injured.
Jan 02, 2015•10 min
Sony, North Korea and Obama
Saying the U.S. will respond in a proportional way, President Obama today said Sony’s decision to scrap the movie The Interview was "a mistake." The president’s comments follow a story that was seemingly small to presumably hundreds of millions of dollars lost with the scrapping of a major motion picture.
Dec 19, 2014•9 min
Protests and Policing – Marching Ahead
Protests continue across the country and here in California against high-profile police killings of unarmed black men and boys. Meanwhile, the LA County Board of Supervisors has voted to create a civilian oversight board for the LA County Sheriff's Department, in response to alleged inmate abuse at county jails.
Dec 12, 2014•6 min
Mixer: Port Parties at the Negotiating Table
Negotiating teams on the side of longshoremen and management at the Ports of LA and Long Beach sat down this week for the first time in several weeks. Truck drivers are also trying to unionize at the ports.
Dec 05, 2014•9 min
UC Tells Students: Take a Hike
The governing body of the University of California voted this week to go ahead with a plan to raise tuition for five straight years. But the big story here in Los Angeles is that the LAUSD reached an historic agreement with plaintiffs in the recent sex scandal at Miramonte Elementary School.
Nov 21, 2014•9 min
Health of Healthcare Reform, a Checkup
Millions again are expected to sign up for their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. But Republicans, fresh off their midterm election gains, are ready to congressionally snip Obamacare bit by bit.
Nov 14, 2014•10 min
As Goes California, So Goes the Nation (Or Not)
This week's midterm elections gave Republicans control of the U.S. Senate, and the party took more governorships than had been expected. But that supposed GOP wave may have diminished into a small ripple when it hit the California state line Tuesday night.
Nov 07, 2014•9 min
Exercising Is Tough, Voting Is Easy
On this Halloween weekend, you’re probably thinking about costume and party duties, and not necessarily your civic duty this coming Tuesday. But Americans aren’t the most engaged people when it comes to voting, especially in off-year elections. And, alas, there are some important races that will be decided by a select few.
Oct 31, 2014•10 min
Pushing Deasy: From iPads to iQuit
After three and a half years heading the LA Unified School District, John Deasy stepped down from his post this week. He’s set to remain with the district on “special assignment” through the end of the year.
Oct 17, 2014•10 min
Cashing in on Political Popularity
President Obama exited Los Angeles just as he came in, making money for Democrats, and migraines for West L.A. drivers. He’s attended 30 fundraisers in Los Angeles County since taking office. Should we be getting a complex about the president’s love?
Oct 10, 2014•11 min
Is LA Making Traffic Inroads?
Is LA traffic getting better, or are Angelenos still languishing in congested ridiculousness, with no end in sight? KCRW's Steve Chiotakis spoke with LA Times transportation reporter Laura J. Nelson, and Zocalo Public Square columnist Joe Mathews.
Oct 03, 2014•10 min
What Does It Mean To Be American?
America means many things to many people. Our nation is an amalgam of ideas from myriad perspectives that often get drowned out in a sea of ideology and noise. This week, Zocalo Public Square, along with the Smithsonian, is asking what it means to be American.
Sep 26, 2014•6 min
Locked Up, Then Locked Out
KCRW's Steve Chiotakis and Joe Mathews of Zocalo Public Square discuss how the job market is being affected by the number of people who have been convicted of a felony and are trying to find work.
Sep 19, 2014•12 min
Thread and Bread
Hundreds of federal agents descended this week on downtown LA’s Fashion District, making arrests as part of what prosecutors say is a sophisticated operation to launder money for Mexican drug cartels. Authorities took 9 people into custody, and seized more than $90 million.
Sep 12, 2014•10 min
Hollywood: Where the Jobs and Tax Breaks Are
The first Friday of the month is when we get the jobs report from the Labor Department. A lackluster one, nationally. But here in Southern California, some optimism about film and TV production jobs staying local, instead of being exported to other parts of the country.
Sep 05, 2014•13 min
School's In… iPad's Out
The Los Angeles Unified School District has scrapped its $1 billion effort to provide all students and teachers with iPad tablets. Superintendent John Deasy says he wants to gather new bids for future phases of the program. On the first full week of school in L.A., what's the message coming from the head of the class?
Aug 29, 2014•10 min
Water Cops and Drought Shaming
As the severe drought continues in California, the state’s water authority is now actively imposing fines on people who waste any of the wet stuff.
Aug 22, 2014•11 min
Policing the Public
While things have calmed down considerably in Ferguson, Missouri, in the last day or two, the people of that St. Louis suburb are still speaking out about the death of teenager Michael Brown. A similar incident is drawing protests in Los Angeles, which has had no shortage of officer-involved shootings of its own.
Aug 15, 2014•11 min
Lane-Splitting Motorcyclists
Motorcyclists who split lanes – dangerous driving or better for traffic?
Aug 08, 2014•10 min
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