Los Angeles Recycling
You see them everywhere. Those big blue bins plastered with the name of L.A.'s recycling program – RecycLA. Plastic, paper, glass, metal - they all go in there - which you probably know if you're an avid recycler. But what isn't supposed to go in the bin? And what's really happening with all those recyclables?
Guest:
- Kevin James, commissioner of L.A.'s Department of Public Works
Voter's Choice Act
Voter turnout in last year's California midterm was the highest in over thirty years. And in counties that adopted a new election model known as the Voter's Choice Act, turnout was a little higher still. The act was adopted back in 2016 to make voting more convenient, offering more options on how and when to cast ballots. So - what did we learn? That's the question tackled in a new report from some of California's top political minds.
Guest:
- Thad Kousser, co-author of the report
SoCal Housing Crunch
University of California Riverside just released an analysis that looked into what's behind the Southern California housing crunch. For more on what they found and possible solutions.
Guest:
- Adam Fowler, co-author of the report
Baby Quakes
There are 10 times more earthquakes than seismologists had thought. But most of those earthquakes are so tiny that no one feels them. Using a more accurate way of finding teeny tiny earthquakes, scientists counted 1.8 million of the temblors in Southern California from 2008 to 2017, according to a report.
Guest:
- Zachary Ross, a seismologist from Cal Tech and author of the report
LA Eritreans
The murder of the rapper Nipsey Hussle rattled LA's small community of Eritreans. Hussle's father is from Eritrea, which sits on the coast of East Africa. KPCC's Leslie Berestein Rojas spoke with local Eritreans about Hussle, community and living in two cultures.
Burning Man
It's an annual ritual every August, tens of thousands of so-called Burners descend upon the Black Rock Desert in Nevada for the annual Burning Man festival. The event is known for its anything-goes spirit, where attendees often roam around wearing nothing but mud, dining on vegan fare and living in temporary, makeshift communities. But the federal Bureau of Land Management is proposing new rules that could change some of that spirit.
Guest:
- Jim Carlton, Wall Street Journal
Straw Sampler
Monday is the first day of L.A.'s ordinance on plastic straws. From here on out, restaurants in the city with more than 26 employees, including drive-thrus, can no longer provide disposable straws unless specifically requested by patrons. This "plastic straws on request" ordinance is part of the city's effort to reduce single-use plastic waste. But don't let the ban get you down. You have options! Last year we tested four plastic straw alternatives made from paper, bamboo, glass and metal with mixed results…
