Today on the show, we turn to Texas, where there's a debate going on over whether to offer Mexican-American studies as a statewide high school class. Then, we'll talk about another security breach that may have compromised username, passwords and credit card data. We'll end the show with Yarn Crawl L.A., a four-day event A Martinez recently paid a visit to.
Texas takes next steps to bring Mexican-American Studies courses to public high schools
The Texas Board of Education will soon decide whether or not to move a Mexican-American Studies elective from a "wishlist" to a list of classes that will be taught at the high-school level in the future.
Veronica Zaragovia has been reporting on this for KUT Austin and joins us with the latest.
What you can learn about health care costs from a data-dump of Medicare info
For the first time in more than three decades, Medicare has publicly released information about payments to doctors and other health providers nationwide.
It's a historic release of data from the federal government. The Obama Administration said it decided last week to make the information public.
It's part of an effort to make our health care system more transparent, affordable and accountable, as well as to inform the national debate about health care spending.
KPCC's Health Care Correspondent Stephanie O'Neill breaks down what's in it for you.
What does this data include?
Well first it’s gigantic. It lists the services provided by more than 850,000 doctors and other health care providers nationwide who treated about 33 million seniors under Medicare Part B. So we’re talking $77 billion in payments for charges submitted for almost 6,000 different services and procedures.
And it does not contain any patient identification or information on doctors who treated fewer than a dozen Medicare patients. But there is so much information that it will likely take weeks or months to report out.
What are some of the findings so far?
The Wall Street Journal got a jump on the data, and what their data crunchers have found is that a small set of doctors received a large chunk of that $77 million in payments. And then they broke it down by specialty and found that it was weighted heavily with ophthalmologists and radiation oncologists
The data set also has some significant limitations, too...
One big limitation is it provides nothing on the quality of care provided, and the data are not risk-adjusted…which means there’s no way to account for differences in the severity of a particular patients disease or, more broadly, of how sick a patient population is in a certain area –which both affect the cost of care. It also doesn’t provide a picture of a doctors full patient load beyond the seniors who are served by Medicare part B.
Tell us about the opposition to the release of this information by the American Medical Association.
The AMA is worried that the information may be taken out of context by the public and potentially damage the reputation of otherwise reputable doctors who follow all the rules and are doing everything right. So in addition to the higher charges that a doctor may charge due to sicker patient populations, the AMA is also concerned that the public may not realize that payments vary widely depending upon which part of the country a doctor practices; some doctors might have much higher billings simply because they see a greater number of Medicare patients than other doctors.
Meanwhile consumer advocates have a different take on what story this data tells.
They see this as a key way to help the public – researchers, journalists and consumers -- finally get a picture of which doctors over-treat patients, who performs the most surgeries, and what their charges are. That may ultimately help consumers make better-informed choices and will also help provide some of the payment data that quality-reporting websites have long wanted to include in their rankings.
'Heartbleed' could be why your credit card data was stolen
"Heartbleed" is a new vulnerability that was discovered in an online protocol called SSL, which is used to encrypt data that travels across the internet.
For example, if you log in to Gmail or your bank, they encrypt the data so that outside folks can't read it. To simplify, what "heartbleed" lets people do is to trick a server into giving them your data, including usernames, passwords and credit card info.
The vulnerability isn't new...it's been around for about two years.
Some of the biggest sites that have been hit include Yahoo and OKCupid, but there's no word on whether big banks have been hit just yet.
It's tough to know if you've had your information stolen, and even the websites and servers wouldn't necessarily know if someone has exploited their vulnerability. So, don't rush to change all of your passwords just yet. That's because if one of the websites is still breached, those stealing the data will still be able to collect whatever new password you put in.
Make sure everything is patched before you go ahead.
If you're curious about a particular site, it's recommended that you contact them.
Kim Zetter from Wired joins Alex Cohen to discuss.
App Chat: 5 apps for lounging by the pool with a cold drink
Here in Southern California, the temperature has already made it into the low 90s. While I was not prepared to turn on the dusty air conditioner in my oven of an apartment for another couple of months, I thought that it would be very nice to sit by a pool and relax.
So, I've put together a list of apps that'll come in hand when you're sitting at the pool with a beverage in hand. Cheers to delectable drinks and sun proof skin.
All about the drinks:
1) Vivino: For those who want to know more about the wine they're buying, this app lets users simply scan wine labels with their phone for more information. When you scan a wine, it provides things like an average price, rating, tasting notes, how that particular year compares to others, the type of grape, where to buy the wine and what foods would pair well with it. The only problem is that since the app is partially user-driven, there isn't a lot of information on it.
2) Craft Check: The quintessential NPR listener's app. Scan a beer's barcode and this will check if it comes from a craft brewery. The standards for craft brew are set by the Brewers Association and they include no flavored malt beverages, the brewery in question can't produce more than six million barrels a year and that no more than 25 percent of the brewery is owned by a non craft brewer. Basically, they want to weed out things like Shock Top, which is produced by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the same company that brews Budweiser. The problem with the app? Other than it's ridiculously hoity-toity, it doesn't give any descriptions of the beer that you scan outside of letting you know if it's a craft beer or not. Because even if it's craft, it can still be awful.
3) Liquor Cabinet: Simply put in the ingredients you have in your liquor cabinet and your kitchen and this will create recipes for you. Add your own if you find that it's lacking.
Keeping your skin safe:
4) Ultraviolet: This app catalogs the UV Index for your area and recommends things like how long you should say in the sun and what SPF sunscreen you should be wearing.
5) Think Dirty: If you take a look at the sunscreen you're slathering on your body, you'll see that there's a laundry list of ingredients that you don't understand. This app lets you scan a products' label, and then it breaks down the list of ingredients for you. It tells you if any ingredients have been tied to studies that indicate that they cause cancer, or are hormone uptake inhibitors. The problem? There aren't always extensive studies to back the claims made by the app regarding certain ingredients. And not all of the products I scanned came up in the app.
Dental pilot program gives hope to poor kids enrolled in Denti-Cal
The Affordable Care Act and changes in state law have greatly expanded the number of poor children on Medi-Cal. Those kids are entitled to dental care through a program called Denti-Cal.
The problem: Few dentists accept Denti-Cal patients. KPCC's Adrian Florido reports on what could be, at least, a partial solution.
Terra Bella's citrus crops face dual challenges
Farmers coping with the drought may decide not to plant crops like tomatoes or onions this year. But for farmers with tree crops, not watering could cripple their businesses for years to come.
One group of citrus farmers in Tulare County is facing a very dire summer. They could lose their only source of water. The California Report's Central Valley Bureau Chief Sasha Khokha reports from the town of Terra Bella.
Sports Roundup: UConn Women's NCAA title, death of the Ultimate Warrior, Clippers and more
The Huskies rule college basketball. Which team rules L.A. professional basketball. And a warrior has gone down for the count. All this means it's time for sports with Andy and Brian Kamenetzky. They've covered sports for ESPN and the L.A. Times.
The University of Connecticut basketball has had quite a week. On Monday, the men's team beat Kentucky to win the NCAA Tournament, and last night the women's team beat Notre Dame to win the NCAA Tournament.
Moving on, the Clippers crushed the Lakers on Sunday. The Lakers have set a franchise record for most losses in a single season and there are still four more games to go, which they could possible lose.
And the wrestling world is mourning the death of a legend. The Ultimate Warrior, who just appeared on WWE's Monday Night Raw and was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, died at the age of 54.
Uber starts a new venture into bike delivery service
The San Francisco-based company Uber has enjoyed great success with its ride-sharing services.
This week, the company announced plans to expand its reach with a courier service called "Uber Rush."
For more on Uber's plans and the effect it could have on the world of same-day delivery, we turn to reporter Marcus Wohlsen, who wrote about this in Wired magazine.
Stay-at-home mothers on the rise, Pew study finds
The number of mothers who are choosing to stay at home is on the rise. That's according to a study from the Pew Research Center out this week. It also finds that the data marks a reverse in the trend of more women moving into the workforce that took place during the three decades of the last century.
For a look at the details, we're joined by D'Vera Cohn, author of the report and senior writer at the Pew Research Center.
Join the conversation:
The book Scientology effectively banned from the US for 27 years — until now
A book critical of Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard is finally available in the U.S. after being effectively banned for the past 27 years.
"The Bare-Faced Messiah," was first published in 1987. The biography was well-received around the world... except for the U.S., where the Church of Scientology vigorously fought its publication on technical grounds.
"At no time did anyone challenge the veracity of what I had written," says author Russell Miller. "But unfortunately in the United States, if you'll forgive me for saying so, a ferocious litigant with unlimited sums of money can keep the case going for a very long time."
The Church said that Miller's use of unpublished writings by Hubbard — including his childhood diaries — violated copyright law.
The case reached up to the Supreme Court, but then, "My publisher said, 'Look, Russell, we simply cannot go on,'" Miller recounts. "'Our legal costs are in excess of $1 million, and we have to give up.'"
Since the book's first and only printing of 14,000 copies, "Bare-Faced Messiah," hasn't been available in the U.S..
However, small publisher Silvertail Books reprinted the book and also made it available electronically.
"Because of the availability of the Internet, once a book is published, essentially, it's published around the world," says Miller, who has not heard any response from the Church this time around.
"We went through great dramas when the book was originally published," he says, including being under surveillance, followed and harassed. "There didn't seem to be much point in them doing the same thing again, I suppose."
Miller says his book stands the test of time, too — he says it's purely a biography that, while stating that every account of Hubbard's life by the Church is a lie, Hubbard is still remarkable.
"He was an extraordinary character, just not the one he was presenting to the Church."
Copies of the book are available through Silvertail Books, and an e-book version is available online.
How does a 9 to 3 work day sound? Sweden's finding out
Many of us might work each day for eight hours — or more. But perhaps there's a way for you to be more efficient and creative at your job.
Here's how one town in Sweden is experimenting: slimming down the day of their government employees to just six hours.
The belief is that longer shifts decreased productivity, and a shorter day will make people more efficient.
Could a similar idea work here in the U.S.? What do we know about how to best manage your time?
Joining us is Laura Vanderkam, author of "168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think."
The fate of killer whales in Sea World
The Sea World theme park in San Diego can keep its orcas.... For now.
A bill which would ban captive breeding of orcas and shows involving this massive creatures has stalled for the year in the state legislature.
The controversial legislation was sparked by the documentary film, Blackfish which made the case that killer whales suffered from their treatment at Sea World.
Representatives from SeaWorld counter that the money generated from millions of visitors to the parks helps support the much larger population of orcas in the wild and generates interest in marine life.
We'll talk to reporter Lisa Halverstadt, who's been covering this story for the nonprofit news source Voice of San Diego.
Police officers tamper police cars
Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department this week revealed an investigation into officer involved tampering ...
But it wasn't about evidence, or witness testimony. It was equipment found in police cars used to record traffic stops
Officers tampered with voice recording equipment located in patrol cars, it's something the LAPD learned of last summer.
But the LA Police Commission didn't learn of it until much later. We talk with LAPD Commissioner Steve Soboroff.
Could dust storms be affecting California's rainfall?
The window is quickly closing on this year's rainy season. It's been a very, very dry season. Scientists are trying to understand why some storms unload lots of rain and snow, and others don't.
The California Report's Lauren Sommer says it could be linked to dust storms thousands of miles away.
LA's knitters roll out for yarn crawl
One of the last things on your mind is probably chunky knits and fall sweaters. But the sunny SoCal weather didn't stop knitting fanatics from attending Yarn Crawl L.A. last week. It's an annual four-day festival that's like the Super Bowl for those in the knitting community—one that's grown and diversified quite a bit in the last few years.
"A few years ago, it was rare for a man to walk into a shop, and I've gotten some weird responses over the years like 'What's he doing here?' you know?" said Chester Lugmy. By day he's a corporate buyer for Panda Express but in his free time, he's also a knitting instructor and aspiring designer.
Chester is wearing a bright orange and turquoise scarf that he promises anyone could knit in just a few months. He's one of a growing of men who've taken up the pastime.
"It's definitely refreshing to see and I think more and more shop owners are seeing us as a viable group to market to," he said.
Anthony Caselina echoes that sentiment: "I love the shock value...it's awesome."
Anthony is a big guy, covered in tattoos that go all the way up his neck. And he's been knitting for 7 years.
"To me it's just an addiction — a man's addiction to football, is my addiction to yarn."
He doubts he'll ever stop. "My hands shake if I'm not knitting."
As the knitting community grows, so do the reasons for taking up the pastime.
"It actually helped me quit smoking," said Chester Lugmy.
"A lot of times it's around a baby being born — someone's having a baby and they want to knit something. We've had women, their last borns were going off to college and empty nesters, so needing something to do, wanting to meet new friends," said Samantha Knight, founder of Abuelita's Knitting and Needlepoint in Pasadena. While Samantha is a mom, she's not an abuelita quite yet.
"People many times come in and say, 'Oh are you THE abuelita?' No, no, no. That was a bit of a play on words," she said.
The name is ironic because she didn't just want to appeal to the abuelitas traditionally known for knitting. She wanted to include the young and the old, and the men.
"I remember one time at our stitch and chat we had a teenager i think she was about 13...14 and a great grandmother who was about 86 and every generation in between."
J.R. Jaffe hand-dyes yarn and is a knitting instructor at Abuelita's and says she's had similar experiences. "I've taught people who are CEOs of corporations like high powered business people to like a 5 year old little girl."
The diversity of knitters has definitely gotten a boost from films like "The Hunger Games."
"I know exactly which cowl you're talking about! In the second movie she had this amazing cowl, really really chunky knit... There were suddenly a flood of patterns that showed up online," said Chester Lugmy.
"A lot of those projects have been made," echoed Samantha Knight. "People came in and said 'I want to make the Katniss vest.'"
Even while Hollywood throws love to knitters, some people still don't see how sunny Los Angeles and knitting can ever go hand in hand.
"L.A. is a great place to be a knitter," said J.R. Jaffe. "Some people might not think so just because it is so warm here, but there's definitely a call for it just because I think a lot of people use knitting almost as a form of therapy."
That's another reason Samantha Knight has heard from her customers who've taken up knitting.
"Weight loss, keep their hands busy at night so they're not snacking. Smoking is a big one. And the other thing we hear is that women can be in the same room with their husbands if they're watching a sporting even. So that's nice if we can save some marriages with knitting!"