How likely is US intervention in Syria?; Rim Fire continues to inch toward Yosemite's giant sequoia groves; New project looks at the reasons the cost of college has skyrocketed; Burning Man: A great place to met a venture capitalist?; Trader Joe's sues Canadian 'Pirate' reselling items in Vancouver; Ranking colleges based on their social responsibility, plus much more.
How likely is US intervention in Syria?
The US is considering whether to take military action against Syria. This comes as a response to evidence that chemical weapons were used against civilians in that country.
Yesterday, Secretary of State John Kerry said that evidence of a chemical attack was "undeniable."
Today, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said US forces were prepared to act should President Obama choose to pursue military action. For more on the likelihood of US intervention, we're joined by Jonathan Marcus, BBC diplomatic and defense correspondent.
Rim Fire continues to inch toward Yosemite's giant sequoia groves
The massive wildfire burning in northern California grew to about 280 square miles this morning.
Officials say the Rim Fire is 20 percent contained, but fire crews are optimistic that cooler temperatures and higher humidity will help. As the fire rages on the edges of Yosemite National Park, one of California's oldest and greatest natural treasures is under threat.
The fire is growing dangerously close to two of Yosemite's three groves of Giant Sequoias.
John Buckley is the executive director of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center. He also spent 13 years as a U.S. Forest Service firefighter in the area.
Remembering The 1988 Yellowstone Fires
The Rim fire's rage comes exactly 25 years after a summer of wildfires tore through Yellowstone National Park. More than a third of Yellowstone was scorched. With more on what that massive fire has taught fire managers is Al Nash, spokesman for Yellowstone.
New project looks at the reasons the cost of college has skyrocketed
All over the country the start of the school year means a lot of anxious moments, like what courses to choose? Which professor is best?
And probably most importantly, how am I going to pay for all this?
As most of us are aware that the cost of a college education has sky-rocketed over the years. If you compared the average annual tuition for a public college or university from 1965 and now the increase might shock you.
According to the Department of Education, even when you account for inflation, the increase is more than 100 percent. For private colleges it was even larger.
An interesting new project from the Washington Post's Wonkblog, called “The Tuition is Too Damn High,” will be delving into the possible reasons why tuition has increased so much, and if there are any possible solutions .
Joining us now is Dylan Matthews, he's an Economic Policy Reporter for The Washington Post and the man behind the series.
Ranking colleges based on their social responsibility
College rankings, and the magazines that publish them are incredibly influential. So much so that some wonder if universities and higher-education experts consider the rankings a little bit too much.
But now a new list has come out, and several California colleges are on top, but not for the usual reason.
RELATED: UC San Diego and UC Riverside top Washington Monthly's list of universities
The new ranking list, put out by the Washington Monthly, rates colleges and universities for their ability to encourage social mobility, their commitment to advancing knowledge and encouragement of public service.
We'll find out more about the list and why two UC schools seem to come out on top.
Ojai residents may buyout company that supplies their water
Voters in Ojai, east of Santa Barbara, decide Tuesday whether to buy out the private company that provides their water.
The little city is one of a number across the nation that's soured on private water over a series of rate hikes in recent years. Chris Richard reports.
Chris's Collection: Drive-In board game
Chris Nichols is an editor at Los Angeles magazine, but he's also a walking encyclopedia when it comes to Southern California's history. Every so often he comes by and he brings in one of his treasures.
Today he brings in an old board game based on a drive-in movie theater.
Tuesday Reviewsday: Julia Holter, Mulatu Astatke, Trombone Shorty
It's time for Tuesday Reviewsday our weekly new music segment. Joining us this week is music critic Steve Hochman.
Artist: Julia Holter
Album: Loud City Song
Release Date: August 20
Songs: "In The Green Wild," "This Is A True Heart"
Artist: Mulatu Astatke
Album: Sketches of Ethiopia
Songs: "Gambella," Azmari"
Artist: Trombone Shorty
Album: Say This To Say That
Songs: "You and I (Outta This Place)," "Shortyville"
LA's foster care system strained by shortage of foster parents
Recently, the Department of Children and Family Services has struggled to place kids in homes.
But in the past year, there's even been overcrowding in holding rooms, those are temporary shelters where foster kids are supposed to stay no more than 24 hours while the county tries to place them.
RELATED: Shortage of foster parents straining Los Angeles County's child welfare system
But this summer, 117 children have been kept in holding rooms longer than 24 hours. State officials warn that if the situation doesn't improve by tomorrow, they'll start to impose fines.
For more on this we're joined now by the director of the Department of Child and Family Services, Phillip Browning.
RELATED: How to volunteer for the Dept. of Child and Family Services
LA City Council to vote on public mural ban
Drive around the city of Los Angeles and you're likely to notice the ornate and colorful murals that occupy public spaces. But maybe you didn't know that since 2003, new public murals have been prohibited.
This week the Los Angeles city council is expected to debate the regulation, and many are hoping that they will overturn the ban.
Train crash in Mexico highlights plight of Central American migrants
Over the weekend, a train derailed in Southern Mexico killing at least six people and injuring dozens more. The victims were migrants from Central America, many of them riding on the roof or between the cars of the cargo train, known as "The Beast."
Each year, hundreds of thousands of migrants make their way from Central America through Mexico this way, hoping to eventually make it into the U.S. It's a harrowing journey and train crashes like this are just one of many dangers they encounter along the way.
Reporter Sonia Nazario traced the journey of a young man who made this trip for a Pulitzer Prize-winning series for the LA Times, known as "Enrique's Journey."
She later published a book by the same name and an adaptation of that book for young people is being released today.
Officials crack down on truckloads of bottles and cans
Trafficking in nickels and dimes may not seem profitable. But people from out-of-state are bringing recyclable cans and bottles into California by the truckload to earn the bottle deposit on top of the price for scrap.
From the California Report, Rowan Moore-Gerety has the story.
Study links sea otters to improved estuary health
California's sea otters were once hunted to near-extinction, but now, thanks to recovery programs, they are bouncing back. It turns out that's not just good news for the otters, but also for their ecosystem.
Here to explain is marine ecologist Brent Hughes, who's leading research on this at UC Santa Cruz.
Burning Man: A great place to meet a venture capitalist?
This week, a dry lake bed North of Reno is crowded with hedonists, retro-hippies and counterculturists: It's the annual Burning Man Festival.
A fixture in the Black Rock Desert since 1990, Burning Man is a celebration of community, self-reliance and expression.
One of the central features of the gathering, which now draws as many as 60,000 participants, is its anti-commercial attitude. You won't find any giant billboards or corporate sponsors, and the emphasis is on giving, rather than selling.
Still, there is some pretty high level commerce taking place in Black Rock City. Along with the great and often literally unwashed, there are some big names who are regulars at Burning Man. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The Google guys, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Tesla's Elon Musk.
San Francisco Chronicle reporter Nellie Bowles has been writing about the evolution of Burning Man, where anarchists mix with tech entrepreneurs looking for a quick injection of cash. And, she says, surprisingly, the organizers of the festival don't have any problem with the deal-making
Interview Highlights:
On why tech titans attracted to Burning Man:
"At Burning Man you have a lot of people who, in the real world, are separated out by different forces, and at Burning Man they can all kind of come together. And I think it would be a little bit hard to be a billionaire at Burning Man perhaps because you'd get approached all the time. Everyone would be wanting to chat you up.[Google founders] Larry and Sergei…wore full body spandex suits where it covers their faces too so it just looks like little spandex creatures roaming around, which is pretty normal. You can talk to people in a more human way than you would in a conference room and people are realizing that."
On how Burning Man organizers feel about the networking happening on the Playa:
"I went into those interviews thinking that they'd be upset by all of the people who've been telling me they were getting jobs on the playa, but in fact, the organizers were happy about it. They thought it was kind of hilarious and they thought that it was the natural progression of the Burning Man movement. What they're doing is not going out and camping. They're trying to build a city and so to have business and commerce moves in there kind of makes sense."
On the similarities between the tech industry and Burning Man:
"They're both super idealistic, they're both really creative and they're both a little bit insular. I talked to a lot of people who talked about themselves as communications ninjas rather than PR person. That kinds of language and playfulness comes from burning man."
On how Burning Man can make business deals happen:
"This guy who I meet at a dinner party, Richard Titus, he was telling me about this deal he was working on with a lawyer from Yahoo!. This super stubborn lady in London who he was emailing with and the emails were going nowhere.
"So eventually they both email each other and say they're going to be on vacation and the deal might be doomed, but it's going to have to pause no matter what. So he is riding on a dune buggy that has been decorated to look like a scorpion, when a young woman jumps on and they start talking. Soon she's sitting on his lap and he recognizes her voice because they've been talking on the phone. He's like, 'Don't freak out, but what do you do in the real world? I think we know each other.' She's like, 'I'm a lawyer at Yahoo!, why?'
"Apparently she jumped off his lap as soon as he told her who he was, but then she was like, you know what, whatever. They go back to their respective cities and the deal goes through. "
On the likelihood of Burning Man opening up to advertisers:
"They're pretty careful about actual branding. I think that would be a big leap, but things change and the leadership is turning over soon. Especially as they look to fund more sophisticated art projects, which they've been doing every year. You're going to see more of a push for funding."
Trader Joe's sues Canadian 'Pirate' reselling items in Vancouver
When you think of Trader Joe's, what comes to mind? Peanut butter-filled pretzels, Two Buck Chuck, Lemon and Triple Ginger Snap Ice Cream, perhaps?
Whatever your favorite snack is, one thing for sure is we have it pretty sweet here in southern California with plenty of Trader Joe's markets to choose from. But what to do when you go on vacation or move away?
If you happen to be in Vancouver, Canada, you are in luck. At least for the time being. Michael Hallatt runs a shop there called Pirate Joe's, offering Trader Joe's products he's smuggled across the US-Canada border.
"We're selling a lot of cookie butter for some reason, and then also plantain chips, and chocolate covered stuff, you can probably guarantee that we're going to be out of stock of the dark chocolate sea salt almonds," said Hallatt on Take Two.
Trader Joe's is not too keen on Hallatt's entrepreneurial venture. The company filed a lawsuit in Washington State in May, and lawyers for Pirate Joe's responded with a motion to dismiss.
Hallot first opened the shop a couple years ago after moving back to Canada after a several years-long stint in California's Bay Area. It was there that he became smitten with Trader Joe's products, and began craving them when he was no longer anywhere near a store.
"The closest Trader Joe's is a gauntlet drive of about 80 miles through a border. There's a tunnel in there and it's not a lot of fun," said Hallatt. "I thought maybe there's a way to make it a little easier, I looked into the law and we went ahead and opened a reselling store. It's a tiny little grocery store and we sell a few other things, but principally we sell what people ask us to bring in and that's Trader Joe's products."
In the beginning, Hallatt worked out a deal with the nearest store in Bellingham, Washington to pick up a large number of certain items. However, corporate caught wind of his scheme and barred him from shopping at that location.
"I was asked not to come back and of course the store was open so I had to decide was I going to quit or hold my ground," said Hallatt. "That ended up with me driving down as far as Portland to go to all the different Trader Joe's in the area."
In order to not clean out a store of a certain item, Hallatt would drive to several stores with a long list, piecing his inventory together until he completed his order.
The one thing I tried to do was not disrupt Trader Joe's business by going in and clearing out section, I didn't think that was fair game, so instead I've designed a system where we get a couple of things from a large list and just migrate to all the different stores and eventually end up with what we need to get through the week.
Still, the future of Hallatt's business is all dependent on the outcome of the lawsuit. If a judge sides with Trader Joe's Hallatt will be out of a job. If they side with Hallatt, he will continue to traverse the U.S. to stock his Pirate Joe's store.
"I'm going to push back, and that's kind of what underpins my challenge back to them in court, which is, show me the harm," said Hallatt. "We're doing nothing but good things for Trader Joe's up in Vancouver, a lot of people come in and shake my hand, thank me for either introducing them to Trader Joe's or helping them get more Trader Joe's stuff."
UPDATE: Trader Joe's is not speaking on the issue due to a policy against commenting on pending legal matters. However, Freakonomics recently debated each side's argument for a better understanding of the case.
Here's a copy of the complaint: