San Diego Mayor Bob Filner returns to work after therapy; San Diego's history of political scandals; UCLA takes comprehensive look at urban gardening in LA; As overseas adoption becomes difficult, some parents skirt law, plus much more.
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner returns to work after therapy
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner is expected to return to work at City Hall today. This after more than a dozen women have public accused him of sexual abuse and harassment. For more on this we're joined now by Mark Sauer of KPBS.
San Diego's history of political scandals
The ongoing saga of Bob Filner has cast a shadow over a city known for its beaches and sunny weather, but he's not the first San Diego city official to raise eyebrows.
If Filner resigns or is recalled, he'll be the third of the city's last six elected mayors to leave office amidst controversy. Scott Shafer from the California Report has the story.
Among the tacos and Mariachis, tiny youth orchestra blossoms in Boyle Heights
Boyle Heights is home to historic Hollenbeck Park and LA's first tortilla factory, but it's probably best known for its famous Mariachi Plaza, where bands gather in elegant charro suits. Now, KPCC's Mary Plummer reports there's a new group of musicians in town.
Seattle cops hand out munchies to Hempfest revelers
Seattle pot enthusiasts were greeted with an unusual gift at the city's Hempfest this past weekend: police officers handing out bags of Doritos.
It sounds like something from an alternate universe, but it was very much real. Of course, it wasn't done out of concern for revelers' hunger. Each bag came with a note explaining the new state laws legalizing recreational pot use, which were passed in November 2012. 
"It's a pretty big deal for police," said Sergeant Sean Whitcomb of the Seattle Police Department. "We wanted to make sure that people are absolutely clear about our department's expectations regarding marijuana and what kind of enforcement they can expect, because the headline is that it's legal, but it's a little bit more nuanced than that."
Some of the misconceptions people have about the new laws include where and when it is legal to smoke pot, as well as who can buy, possess and sell the drug. For example, Whitcomb says an adult can purchase an ounce from a dealer on the street and they've done nothing wrong, but the person who sold it could be arrested for a felony.
Also, it's legal to smoke pot in your home, but not in a public place. In addition, pot use is treated like alcohol, so those under 21 are not permitted from possessing the drug and driving under the influence is against the law.
"This is kind of a transitional year in Washington State while things are being worked out," said Whitcomb. "We'll have a lot more clarity in 2014, but in the meantime we wanted to reach out to folks."
Police officers involved volunteered their time to pass out the Doritos, so no one could complain that taxpayer dollars were being used for the controversial outreach effort. Whitcomb says he expected their plan to get a lot of attention locally, but he never expected it to reach international media outlets.
"As a police organization, our goal is just the public education piece. It's just not good enough these days to pass out flyers at a festival, that's just not going to work, we knew that would turn out to be litter," said Whitcomb. "The biggest criticism was we didn't have enough. We wanted to make sure that we were trying to eliminate as much controversy as possible."
The ongoing battle to keep pot farms out of California public lands
When you think of California's top-growing marijuana regions, what comes to mind? Humboldt maybe? Mendocino? What about right here in Los Angeles?
Since 2007, L.A. County has ranked as high as fifth in number of plants seized on public lands, according to the California Department of Justice.
Mike Kessler has been writing about this for Los Angeles Magazine and he joins the show to explain.
On The Lot: 'The Butler' is a hit, new Miyazaki and more
The big 'O' has done it again. Oprah's new movie "The Butler" was a huge hit, raking in more than $25 million on its opening weekend. Here to talk about this and other Hollywood news for our weekly segment, On The Lot, is Rebecca Keegan from the L.A. Times.
On tap today:
"The Butler" was a huge hit, but how much did the Oprah factor have to do with it doing so well? There were other factors at play here too. It turns out that it also got a big publicity bump from black churches. Was it an active decision by the movie executives to engage the community on something like this?
Even though it was successful, "The Butler" did have a tough time getting off the ground. It took about five years to bring the story to the big screen. Still, is that an excuse for the fact that they had 37 different people credited as producers on this film? I assume that's not normal?
What could this do for director Lee Daniels' career? He had his breakthrough with "Precious" in 2009, but could this take him to the next level?
We move on from Oprah to one of her most famous interviewees to date: Lance Armstrong. Hollywood's racing to put out a movie on the famous cyclist. Who's currently in contention to play the roles?
Beloved Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki has faced some controversy around his new movie, "The Wind Rises". What's going on?
If you're having trouble waking up, you can finally get weird with some David Lynch coffee:
Odd Hollywood Jobs: Costume designer to the stars
This is one in a series on Odd Hollywood Jobs — not acting or directing, but rather the tasks you haven't heard of. You can read other segments in this series at the links below the story.
We've been looking at Hollywood jobs this summer, and talking with the people who do them. And today's job: Costume designer. Hope Hanafin, who sourced the looks behind HBO's "The Newsroom" and the film "500 Days of Summer," joins the show to talk about how she finds the perfect look behind each era.
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UCLA takes comprehensive look at urban gardening in LA
It may seem like you can't turn your local public radio station these days without hearing about urban gardening, city living chickens, rooftop beehives, or sidewalk strawberries. But despite all this talk, there's been very little data on how many farms there are or where they're located. Until now.
A research group at UCLA has just finished a comprehensive study on urban farms in Los Angeles County. The group didn't look at backyard gardens, instead focusing on community gardens, school gardens, local farms and nurseries.
"Urban agriculture is resurgent in LA right now. There's great energy behind it," said UCLA's Carol Goldstein, who oversaw the project. "There's also interest among community leaders in different sectors about economic development potential, community benefits, school gardening as an educational opportunity, etc. so the arena is there, the data was not."
This is the first time a research study has verified and mapped out farms located in L.A. County. Goldstein says one of the most interesting findings is just how complex and chaotic the regulatory infrastructure for urban farms. Adjacent cities may have to follow a very different set of rules.
"If you live in Pasadena are you following different regulatory codes than you are in Alta Dena? The answer is yes you are, but who knew that?" said Goldstein. "What strikes all of us is the complexity and the fact that it's not generally known or well organized as it might be."
The study also produced a useful matrix showing each city in LA County with 15 different categories, ranging from agricultural waste to rabbit farming. Users can search their city to find out which activities are prohibited, permitted or not mentioned at all in city ordinances.
Goldstein says researchers found that many farmers aimed to sell their wares at farmer's markets and at their homes. She says selling at the farm location could fall under the auspices of yardsales, which have their own set of regulations depending on the city.
One thing that is clear from the study is that urban farmers could benefit from more business experience.
"These are small entrepreneurial businesses that could benefit from understanding how to expand their practice," said Goldstein.
Quick findings from the study:
- There are a total of 1,261 verified urban agriculture sites — categorized as school gardens, community gardens and commercial primary growing sites — in Los Angeles County.
- School gardens make up the majority of L.A. County's urban agriculture activity, with 761 sites. Commercial agricultural operations (nurseries and farms) total 382 sites, and the researchers documented 118 community gardens.
- Among the county's 88 cities and unincorporated areas, 87 percent regulate animal farming but only 25 percent regulate fruits, vegetables and other flora. Unclear, complex and conflicting regulations were found to constrain agricultural entrepreneurs.
- Definitions for agricultural activities in municipal codes vary widely across the county, making it difficult — if not impossible — for urban farmers to operate in compliance with local health and zoning regulations.
- School gardens present unique opportunities for hands-on learning, combining practical experience in math, science and nutrition with outdoor physical activity. Outdated school district policies should be updated to encourage this type of educational experience.
- L.A. County's urban farmers travel an average of 13.9 miles to distribute their goods versus the 46.8 mile average traveled by the county's farmers market vendors.
See a map of all the urban gardens in the LA area.
Would you eat a protein bar made with cricket flour?
If the thought of getting chickens into their coop at the end of the day sounds like a waste of time and getting stung by bees seems a bit too painful, we have a suggestion for an alternative pet that'll scratch your urban gardening itch.
Crickets.
They don't take up much room, you can raise them on table scraps, and when you dry roast them and grind them up, they make a viable protein powder.
That's actually what the creators of the EXO bar have done. They recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to sell their protein bar made of almonds, dates and you guessed it, crickets.
Co-founder Greg Sewitz joins the show to talk about why they chose crickets for their protein bars.
Idaho plagued by multiple wild fires
Nine forest fires have burned more than 400,000 acres across Idaho. The state is experiencing more wildfire activity right now than any other part of the country.
In the central part of the state, firefighters are battling against a wildfire that's burned nearly 160 square miles since a lightning strike started it on August 7th. The fire has forced evacuations for at least 2,000 homes in areas around the Sun Valley Resort.
Julie Thomas, spokeswoman for the Sawtooth National Forest, joins the show with more.
Thousands vie for 10 open firefighter positions in Pasadena
Despite the dangers of battling blazes, there is no shortage of would-be firefighters. Here in Pasadena, some 4,000 people showed up Monday to take an entrance exam to join the local fire department.
A winding line of applicants formed outside the Pasadena Convention Center before the first of two testing sessions.
Oscar Casillas of Los Angeles said he's been prepping for the test for three months, and hoping to become a firefighter for many years.
"As people say, it's just a childhood dream," Casillas said. "It's a beautiful career."
Harrowing stories about firefighters dying on the front lines have populated the news in recent months, but they made little difference to Ramon Calderon, a pharmacy technician from Pasadena who's eager for a career change.
"I'm not worried about the danger," said Calderon. "It all depends on the person and I don't do stupid stuff. "
Spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said that the department hasn't made any new hires since 2009, and needs to fill positions being vacated by retiring firefighters. Top candidates not only have the physical stamina for the job, but book smarts, too, she said.
"A lot of firefighting is not just running into burning buildings and medical care," Derderian said. "It's also the documentation and reporting, so we need to ensure that they have a solid education."
The exam results will help fire officials pare the applicant pool to about 200 people. They will undergo interviews, psychological and medical reviews and extensive background checks. Finalists are sent to a 16-week firefighting academy.
Jason Johnson, a 34-year-old paramedic from Thousand Oaks, is anxious to become one of them.
"I've been trying for 10 years to become a firefighter," Johnson said. "I've done everything — a medic, paramedic, I volunteer at a fire department."
Derderian said she wasn't surprised by the robust turnout Monday. Pasadena's department is in-demand, she said, because its firefighters are well-respected and get to cover high-profile events such as the Rose Bowl game, the Rose Bowl parade, and UCLA football games.
'Register' debut sparks Long Beach newspaper war
It's not often that the newspaper industry is the subject of good news, but today, the city of Long Beach is about to become the nation's newest two-newspaper town.
The brand new Long Beach Register will publish its first edition — in print — today. It's a new venture from the OC Register that will challenge the Long Beach Press-Telegram on its turf.
Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, joins the show with more.
Lt. Facemelter of San Diego is crowned US Air Guitar champion
This past weekend, the National Air Guitar championships took place here in L.A. at the House of Blues. It was the first time in nearly a decade that this sporting event was held in southern California.
That home court advantage proved useful to Jason Farnan of San Diego, who was crowned the new champ:
Farnan is now on his way to the world air guitar championships in Finland, but he took some time to chat with us earlier from John Wayne Airport.
Latino Comics Expo comes to Los Angeles
Southern California may host Comic-Con every year, but for the first time it's now host to a comic fest dedicated specifically to Latino artists and fans. Last weekend was the Latino Comics Expo, held at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach.
More than 50 artists and vendors showcased the latest. Joining us in studio for a wrap-up is Javier Hernandez, creative and co-founder of the Latino Comics Expo.
NASA to focus on Earth in 2014 (photos)
Pasadena's Jet Propulsion Lab is well-known for its missions in the solar system. Scientists there landed the rover Curiosity on Mars last year, but next year, JPL will set its sights on Earth to study the effects of climate change. KPCC's Sanden Totten reports.