Prominent newspaper purchases raise questions about LA Times; What does it mean to be middle class in LA?; iPad training for 1500 teachers in LA Unified begins this week; 'The Art of Wealth' tells the intimate story of the Huntington family, plus much more.
What does it mean to be middle class in LA?
President Obama will be in Southern California today, making an appearance on The Tonight Show before heading south to Camp Pendleton.
The President is on a renewed mission to spotlight economic issues facing the majority of Americans, and part of this campaign focuses on what it means to be middle class in America.
Technically, it means your household income is a little over $50,000. That amount might buy you a lot in the Midwest, but it doesn't amount to much in Holmby Hills or Palos Verdes.
Take Two wanted to find out what it means to be middle class in Los Angeles, so we spoke with Chris Thornberg, an economist and founded of Beacon Economics, a research and consulting firm here in L.A.
Navajo slow to rebuild after development freeze
You haven't seen poverty in America until you've visited the Navajo Nation — a reservation overwhelmed by desperate housing needs, high unemployment, and contaminated drinking water.
One corner of the reservation about a million and a half acres, is even worse off because of something known as the Bennett Freeze. Here about 8,000 Navajo people have lived paralyzed in a state of poverty, extreme even by Navajo standards.
From the Fronteras Desk in Flagstaff, Laurel Morales reports.
Don Yellowman, a tall former football player, is head of a group called Forgotten People. His aim is to bring attention to the thousands of people he believes were forgotten for four decades under a program that banned all development on their land.
On a recent hot summer morning we drove for hours down a long dirt road to a home constructed out of old ammunition cans and plywood surrounded by stray sheep and dogs.
Carol and Charlie Colorado invited us in.
Inside the two-room house, a “home sweet home” sign hung on the wall. But life hasn’t always been sweet for the elderly couple who speak only Navajo. Carol recalled trying to put up a shade structure next to their home many years ago.
"They were told you can’t build that," Yellowman translated. "So that was illegal construction. That’s what we often hear from people. An outhouse would get a sticker stuck on there called ‘illegal construction.’"
In 1966 Robert Bennett, the commissioner of Indian Affairs, outlawed construction of any kind on a million and a half acres in northeastern Arizona. This was his solution to a land dispute between the Navajo and Hopi Tribes. The tribes came to an agreement in 2006 and President Obama officially lifted the freeze in 2009, but many people are still waiting on new homes, water and electricity promised to them.
Jeremiah Sage Curley and his family are beyond frustrated. Curley is an artist who frequently paints the rolling hills and red mesas near his family’s home. A row of giant steel towers obstruct the view.
"My brother always says, ‘don’t forget the power lines,’ which is to say it’s here," Curley said. "It’s just streaming the electricity past us. We don’t have any electricity."
The towers transmit power from a coal-fired power plant in Page down to Phoenix and remind Curley every day of what he and his family don’t have. More than 40 percent of the homes here don’t have electricity. That’s compared to 10 percent on the entire reservation, according to a study commissioned by the federal government. And many still lack access to water.
Curley’s mom, who was out hauling water, has been trying to get a new home for years to replace their small crumbling stone house. But the Navajo housing officials told her they lost her paperwork.
"Her heart’s always been (in Navajo), which means ‘when I get a home,’" Curley said.
"That’s the way she speaks and my heart does go out for her because sorry to say this I don’t think nothin’s gonna get done."
According to a study commissioned by the tribe in 2011, there’s $4 billion in unmet need just in the former Bennett Freeze area.
Erny Zah, spokesman for Navajo president Ben Shelly, said much of the federal money earmarked for Bennett Freeze families has been tied up in tribal policy red tape.
"Ideally we could just write them a check," Zah said. "Reality is we need to hold the money accountable."
Many people have been forced to leave. But tradition ties Navajos to their land. When a Navajo baby is born her umbilical cord is buried in the ground beside her home.
Cecelia Brown almost gave up and moved to Phoenix. She spent 20 years filling out paperwork and making endless visits to the Navajo Housing Authority.
"I just stuck to it," Brown said.
Finally the ban on development lifted. And just a couple months ago she got the call.
"They called me and they said, 'your house is ready we have your key,'" Brown said. "'When are you available to pick it up?' I’m like, really? You’re serious? I said, now now! I’m good right now. And we do have power and we have water so we have everything."
But Cecelia Brown is only one of thousands in need of a home. The others must continue to wait.
Prominent newspaper purchases raise questions about LA Times
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos rocked the media world yesterday when he announced he had bought the Washington Post. The news came just days after Red Sox owner John Henry bought his struggling hometown paper, the Boston Globe.
With two of the nation's most storied papers changing ownership, it's fair to wonder what could be next for the Los Angeles Times.
Ken Doctor is a news industry analyst for the Nieman Journalism Lab, and joins the show to discuss the future of LA's own metro paper.
iPad training for 1500 teachers in LA Unified begins this week
Two months ago, L.A. Unified's board of education voted to spend $30 million to buy iPads for every teacher and student at 47 district schools. On Monday, the district began training those teachers on how to use them.
KPCC's Adolfo Guzman-Lopez reports.
Beachcombing: Hunting for red tide with algae-seeking robots (photos)
Red tide is that naturally-occuring phenomenon during which algae take over a stretch of ocean, turning it red. At their most intense, these algal blooms produce toxins that sicken - and at times kill - sea animals.
Scientists say red tides are happening more frequently in Southern California, and with more toxicity. But they don't know why.
In the latest story in our Beachcombing series, KPCC's Sanden Totten introduces us to a robot that scientists hope will find some answers.
Cable subscribers pay big for sports, even if they don't watch
If you haven't been able to view CBS lately, you're not alone. Los Angeles is one of the eight markets where Time Warner Cable subscribers can't watch CBS, as the two media giants can't seem to agree on the fees Time Warner will pay CBS for the right to carry their programming.
Caught up in the dispute are helpless cable customers. But these customers are already paying for services they don't use. Subscribers often pay a portion of their monthly fee for channels they never watch, and the biggest example of this comes from sports programming.
Patrick Hruby wrote about this for sportsonearth.com, and joins the show to share his findings.
Tuesday Reviewsday: Robin Thicke, Quantic, Sampha and more
It's time for Tuesday Reviewsday, our weekly new music segment. This week, we chat with music programmer Morgan Rhodes and Soul-Sides.com author Oliver Wang to hear their thoughts on what's new in music.
Artist: Robin Thicke
Album: "Blurred Lines"
Songs: "Ooo La La", "Feel Good"
Artist: Valerie June
Album: "Pushing Against A Stone"
Song: "You Can't Be Told"
Artist: Sampha
Songs: "Without", "Beneath The Tree"
Sampha met the megastar rapper Drake when Drake did a surprise appearance at a show and was then invited to come to Canada and do some writing with him. Beginning his career as a producer, he's come to prominence as a singer over the last several years, most notably on a collaboration with Jessie Ware.
Artist: Quantic feat. Anita Tijoux
Song: "That Thing"
Album: "Tru Thoughts 7"
Artist: Marva Whitney
Song: "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear "
Album: "The Forte Label by Numero Group"
Artist: Willie West
Song: "I Sleep With the Blues"
Album: "Prince of Ballard"
On Mars Curiosity's one-year anniversary, a push to restore NASA funding
Monday marked one year since the Mars Rover Curiosity landed on the red planet. You might remember those seven minutes of terror while waiting to see if Curiosity would make it to its final destination.
Our good friend and NASA Engineer Adam Steltzner, was instrumental in that mission. He joins us now to update us on Curiosity's findings.
In addition, Congressman Adam Schiff — a Democrat from Burbank — has been pushing back against the Obama Administration's proposed cuts to planetary science research.
Congressman Schiff is home on recess now and joins the show to talk more about his proposal.
The benefits of embracing a child-free lifestyle
A less fulfilling life, missing out on the most beautiful part of the human condition, no one to take care of you when you're old, and never experiencing truly unconditional love. These are among the reasons told to childless women why they should have a kid of their own.
But having children also means a life with diapers, college funds and other major lifestyle changes. Going "child-free" is the cover story on this week's TIME Magazine, and writer Lauren Sandler joins the show with more.
A slow emptying of the 'world's aquarium'
Located between Baja California and the Mexican mainland, the Sea of Cortez was once known for being one of the diverse seas on earth. Jacque Cousteau called it the "aquarium of the world."
A lot has changed over the years though, and not for the better. Overfishing has completely wiped out some species and severely diminished others. Erik Vance wrote about this unfortunate trend for Harper's Magazine, and joins the show.
Awakened by an Amber Alert? Here's why and how to turn it off
A murder and possible kidnapping in Southern California has the state on alert.
Christina Anderson, 44, was found murdered near San Diego, and her two children might be traveling with the 40-year-old suspect.
Many California citizens heard of the case last night, after being awakened by an Amber Alert text message sent by the San Diego Sheriff's Department. The alert came as a shock to most, but the system has been in place for over a year as part of a program designed by FEMA.
So what exactly is an Amber Alert?
First off, it's a backronym, an acronym created to fit a name. It's named after Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas, in 1996: It stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.
The alert system became national in 2002 after a White House conference on missing children, and the first National Amber Alert Coordinator was appointed. In 2005, Hawaii became the last state to establish an Amber Alert Plan, creating a nationwide network.
Californians have seen Amber Alerts on television and electronic freeway signs among other locations, but Monday night's alert was the first to be sent throughout California via cell phone.
"Your phone has to be capable of receiving them, your provider has to be capable of sending them, and your local agency has to be using them," said Ina Fried, a tech reporter for All Things D, on Take Two. "For many agencies, it was the first time all of those things lined up."
Each state has its own individual plan for issuing an Amber Alert, but it generally has to meet the following criteria:
- Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place
- The child is at risk of serious injury or death
- There is sufficient descriptive information of child, captor, or captor's vehicle to issue an alert
- The child must be 17 years old or younger
There are also different levels of alerts. There are local alerts, statewide alerts like the one last night, and presidential alerts that can be sent to every eligible wireless phone in the country.
While Amber Alerts via text are rare, a more common usage of the alert system is for weather warnings, like hurricanes and tornadoes. The technology also doesn't reach every cell phone, only sending to newer smartphones.
There's also the sound received with the text. "It's a tone like your emergency alert system on your TV," said Fried.
Except for presidential alerts, users receiving the alerts can opt out of the program. Reaction to the alert has been mixed, as some criticized the text for not including a picture of the two possibly abducted children or enough information on them or suspected kidnapper James Lee DiMaggio.
As DiMaggio is being hunted by California authorities, a large portion of state citizens know about the manhunt, whether they wanted to know or not.
Amber Alerts at a glance:
Who receives them?
Most people with newer phones have the emergency alert system automatically activated. The new Amber Alert system replaces a prior "opt-in" system that went offline Dec. 31 and alerted about 700,000 people who had signed up nationally. The messages are geographically specific, going to people within the reach of a particular region's cell towers. So a person vacationing in Los Angeles might receive a text, whereas someone with a California number visiting Boston would not.
Participating service providers include AT&T, Cellcom, Cricket, Sprint, Nextel, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless and Bluegrass Cellular, said Amy Storey, a spokeswoman for CTIA, a wireless industry association.
What do the alerts look and sound like?
They look like text messages, but are free, and sent over a system administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The phone will go off with a high-pitched roughly 10-second tone and vibrate multiple times. The messages are limited to 90 characters. If you silence your phone the tone will not go off, but you'll still see the message on your screen.
How do I turn them off?
To turn off the alarms on many phones you can opt out under your phone settings. Laptop Magazine has these step-by-step instructions for iPhones.
You can also send a text message to your service provider. Contact your service provider for more details.
For more information, click on your carrier below:
With contributions by Jacob Freedman and the Associated Press.
'The Art of Wealth' tells the intimate story of the Huntington family
Huntington Beach. Huntington Gardens. Huntington Library. The Huntington name is among the most famous in Los Angeles history. Turn a corner and you'll find something with the family name on it.
There's a new inside story to how East Coast railroad tycoons came to build one of the largest art collections in southern California.
In her new book, "The Art of Wealth: The Huntingtons in the Gilded Age," author Shelley Bennett takes us inside the personal lives of four members of the Huntington family.
Tess Vigeland recently sat down with Bennett inside what was once the home of Henry and Arabella Huntington on the grounds of the Huntington Library in San Marino, which hosts more than 500,000 visitors each year.