Today on the show, we'll start with the latest Covered California and how insurance agents are helping sign people up. Then, Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jennifer Hartman joins us to talk about her experience and the anticipation of returning to the finish line again. Plus, John Turturro takes on intimacy with comedy in 'Fading Gigolo,' Brokechella: Where Angelenos can get their music fix this weekend, and much more.
How insurance agents are contributing to Covered California enrollment
After extending the enrollment deadline by two weeks, California's health insurance exchange, Covered California, reports it's signed up more than 200,000 new consumers. That brings the grand total for Covered California up to 1.4 million people.
According to the latest data, 41 percent of those enrolled through the state website, and another 40 percent went through certified insurance agents, like our next guest, Raymond Dietz.
Community colleges experiment with tiered pricing to provide needed classes
Community college students are starting to register for summer classes, but there's a shortage, which means students get on long waiting lists.
The California Report's Ana Tinotcalis looks at an experiment at Long Beach City College.
Local runner shares tragic memories from last year's Boston Marathon, looks ahead to Monday's race
The two bombs that went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon last year took the lives of three people and injured hundreds more. It also changed the city of Boston and the country as a whole.
But for one runner, while the tragic events of last year's Boston Marathon bombings may have kept her from crossing the finish line, it won't keep her from getting to the start line to try again this year.
Jennifer Hartman joined us in studio before heading to Boston to run in Monday's big race.
Friday Flashback: Ukraine unrest, Bloomberg's gun plan and more
It's the end of another week and time for the Friday Flashback, Take Two's look at the week in news. This morning, we're joined in-studio by a Pilar Marrero, a senior reporter and writer at La Opinion and David Gura, Washington reporter for Marketplace.
We start with the deal reached concerning Russia and the Ukraine. It seems that Russia's Vladimir Putin made some key wins in the deal. David, can you break down what the negotiators agreed to? How likely is it that it will last?
The Obama Administration announced yesterday that they've reached the 8 million sign up mark on the health care exchange. A good number of those sign-ups, about 35 percent, were people younger than 35, the so-called young invincibles. How are Republicans responding to this?
Earlier in the show we talked about how people in California have been signing up for insurance. Can you talk a bit about who has been enrolling? What do the demographics look like?
What about Covered California and the immigrant community? Is there a sense that previously uninsured immigrants are signing up?
Recently, top level Republicans like Kentucky Senator Rand Paul have urged the party to transform some of the rhetoric around immigration. But Florida Governor Jeb Bush went even further last week when he said that sometimes illegal immigrants coming to this country do so as an act of love. How did that remark go over with more conservative members of the party?
Is it possible that the GOP can agree on something related to immigration, or is it more likely that they'll try to hit other points in the march up to elections?
Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg made the news this week with a $50 million pledge to his new anti-gun lobby group, Every town for Gun Safety.
Those familiar with the group have said that they'll work sort of like the NRA, by lobbying politicians in conjunction with grassroots efforts.
This week the Pulitzer winners were announced, and the Guardian and the Washington Post won for their coverage of the NSA surveillance programs. What does this signal? Is this possible vindication for Snowden and his actions?
Finally, the world of literature lost a great great voice yesterday. Gabriel Garcia Marquez passed away at 87. We'll have a look back at his life later in the show.
LA's pro hockey history goes back to the 1930s, long before Wayne Gretzky's arrival
Today, the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs continue with the Los Angeles Kings losing to the San Jose Sharks last night 6-3, and the Anaheim Ducks play game 2 tonight hosting the Dallas Stars.
Hockey around these parts has arguably never been more popular or successful. Within the last 7 years both the Ducks and Kings have won a Stanley Cup, and back in January, the rivals sold out Dodger Stadium in the NHL's first outdoor game in Southern California.
If they can both get past the first round of the playoffs, the teams will meet in the postseason for the first time in history.
For some, pro hockey may seem like a recent thing for the L.A. area but the sport has been around since the 1930s. For more on the evolution of hockey in L.A., we're joined now by Bob Miller, Kings play by play announcer and a Hockey Hall of Famer.
John Turturro fuses intimacy with comedy in 'Fading Gigolo'
The new film "Fading Gigolo" stars John Turturro as a florist living in New York who takes on a second job as a male escort.
It's all part of a scheme, hatched by his friend Murray, played by Woody Allen. The film also stars Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Paradis and Liev Schreiber and opens Friday.
Turturro joins the show with more.
Remembering Columbian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Columbian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez passed away yesterday in his home in Mexico City at age 87. Marquez was a Nobel Prize winner and arguably one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
RELATED: Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez dies at 87
For more we turn to David Kipen, founder of Libros Schmibros Lending Library and Bookshop in Boyle Heights.
Scientists race to save the tiny Devil's Hole Pupfish
The tiny, inch-long Devil's Hole pupfish has existed for millions of years in Devil's Hole, a natural water filled cavern located within Death Valley. But they've been endangered since the '60s and their situation has gotten even more dire due to climate change.
Recently, wildlife experts have something to cheer about, raising a group of them in captivity, a move some are saying is the key to saving the species.
Darrick Weissenfluh, a fish biologist with the Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility, joins the show to talk about saving the pupfish.
'Vanishing Pearls' doc shows the lasting effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill
This Sunday marks four years since the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded -- killing eleven people and spewing 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
Earlier this week, BP announced it has ended "active cleanup" of the spill.
But a new documentary called "Vanishing Pearls" shows that for many living in the region -- the effects of the incident linger on. We're joined now by the film's director Nailah Jefferson.
WATCH:
Official website for "Vanishing Pearls"
Coachella 2014: Locals left out when world comes to party
This weekend, thousands of Angelenos will trek into the desert for the second round of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival. KPCC's Josie Huang looks at how the festival has influenced high schoolers in the host city of Indio.
Brokechella: Where Angelenos can get their music fest fix this weekend
If you can't make it out to Coachella this weekend, don't worry, there is still hope if you want to see a music festival.
You can head to downtown LA for Brokechella. The one-day event started four years ago as an alternative to Coachella, and has been growing ever since.
RELATED: Brokechella announces 2014 lineup in new downtown LA location
Negin Singh, Executive Director of cARTel: Collaborative Arts LA is one of Brokechella's organizers. When we spoke yesterday, she began by explaining how Brokechella was born after an event she was throwing happened to land on Coachella weekend.
It’s hereeeeeee. Brokechella lineup for 2014 #LongLiveTheBrokeKingdom cc @cARTelarts @TeamBandL @ShiftyRhythms pic.twitter.com/xm892R4Ilv
— BROKE LA (@brokelafest) March 19, 2014
Oh, and Puppychella is not a myth. Brokechella will be dog-friendly in designated areas from 3 to 7 p.m. Sign up your pup here. You in? Purchase tickets here.
To hear the full interview, click on the "listen now" icon in the upper left of this page.
US Forest Service to open ski areas for year-round recreation
Zip lines, mountain biking, disc golf and rope courses could be coming to a ski resort near you.
The U.S. Forest Service announced this week that ski areas run on forest service land will be able to promote year-round activities. For more on how this could affect the ski industry, we turn to Porter Fox, an editor for Powder magazine.
'Watermark' doc explores our complicated relationship with water
Water. We've tried to control it, divert it, dam it up. Photographer Edward Burtynsky explores our relationship with water in his new documentary, "Watermark."
5 tips for grandparents to engage with tech-savvy kids
If you're a grandparent, you probably grew up playing Pick up Sticks or hide-and-go-seek. But when your grandkids come to visit, their noses are stuck in an iPad or other device.
KPCC's Deepa Fernandes met a handful of grandparents grappling with the new meaning of fun.