On Friday, Take Two discusses punishments for NFL players who commit domestic abuse, preschool education for immigrants, cocktails for kids, the actor playing Latin American icon Cantinflas and a look at the week in news with Friday Flashback.
Understaffed immigration judges face rise of migrant cases
The nation's immigration courts face an unprecedented backlog, with more than 375,000 pending cases working their way through a strained system.
At hearings, immigrants often share details of harrowing journeys or stories of persecution in their home country. Government prosecutors seek to make the case for who should be deported while immigration attorneys fight to keep their clients here. Ultimately, it's up to the judges to determine what the facts of the case are and which immigrant has a lawful, legitimate reason to stay.
Related: US to change how it handles 'voluntary departure' immigrant cases in California
But the judges themselves are being hit with massive case loads and a need to speed up the pace of hearings. In Los Angeles, the 31 active immigration court judges can hear up to 1,600 cases per year, or three times as many as other federal judges.
"Many, many people who have cases pending before the courts are extremely frustrated and upset," said Dana Leigh Marks, a federal immigration judge in San Francisco. The rise of migrant children coming before the courts has only complicated a court system already overwhelmed, she said.
Related: Immigration news: Inside LA's courts, overwhelmed by child migrant cases
To get an inside look at the courts and the pressures that immigration judges face, Leslie Berestein Rojas sat down with Marks, who is also president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, the union that represents the judges.
Key highlights from the interview:
How do you conduct your courtroom when a child comes before you in a case?
As a judge one needs to be slower, be more friendly, less formal. In order to give someone due process, you have to make sure that they understand what’s happening in court, why they’re there, what their rights are and what their responsibilities are because they do have responsibilities as well, whether they are children or whether they’re adults. Often we’re asking people to tell us information which is very personal, triggering traumatic memories and fears of terrible events they’ve experienced in the past and so the judge has to be extremely sensitive in those situations to try to create an atmosphere where a child can fully access those memories and is willing to talk about them and that just simply takes time.
What are the dangers when kids don’t have legal representation?
It’s a huge challenge for immigration judges because whether someone has an attorney or whether they don’t, it is our job to ensure that due process is provided to each and every individual that comes before our court. So the strain in some ways is on the judges as well as the people who are with us in court to try to assure that no matter how difficult it is that we are able to get the information we need and help those in front of us present the case that tells their true story, so the decision that is made is the correct decision based on the true facts. But it is a challenge. We can’t leave the courtroom and go out and do the background investigations and gather the testimony of witnesses and do the country condition resources and try to educate the court. Those are things that a skilled attorney is able to do, and that can make the difference in any given case.
What can you tell me about the stresses on the judges, in particular a 2007 study that you were involved with?
The findings showed that immigration judges are more stressed than prison wardens or busy hospital doctors and that wasn’t so much because of the traumatic stories that we hear. We knew we signed up for that assignment, we volunteered for that. But what we didn’t expect was how difficult our working conditions were because of the dramatic lack of resources. That was the primary cause of the stress and burnout among the immigration judges of that time. And all I can say is it’s gotten worse in the past 7-8 years. We are very concerned that the numbers of immigration judges will continue to plummet and hiring will not keep pace with attrition, let alone with the increased needs of this surging and booming case load.
This story is part of a series looking into the immigration court system in Los Angeles, the busiest in the country. Burdened by a massive backlog of cases and long wait times, the courts play a key role in deciding the fate of thousands of immigrants.
National Guard on Texas-Mexico border: Reaction mixed
The National Guard is on the Texas border with Mexico as part of a law enforcement surge called Operation Strong Safety.
Texas Governor Rick Perry ordered the mission to confront the flow of illegal drug traffic heading into the state.
Federal and local law enforcement are currently overwhelmed since the South Texas border is currently the busiest corridor for illegal crossings in the nation, in addition to the wave of more than 63,000 Central American children who have crossed the border since October, according to Fronteras Desk.
Mónica Ortiz Uribe from the Fronteras Desk says reaction to the additional manpower is mixed.
The Flashback: American hostages in Iraq and Syria, Ferguson protests, and Obama's wardrobe
Elahe Izadi of the Washington Post and James Rainey from the Los Angeles Times join the show to discuss the week that was in our weekly series - the Flashback.
American hostages and calls for U.S. action in Iraq
This week Shirley Sotloff, the mother of journalist Steve Sotloff, made a direct plea via video to the leader of the militant group calling itself the Islamic State, for her son's release. The group has taken control of crucial areas of Iraq and is also active in Syria.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers called for a broader debate about possible military action against ISIS, writing in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner that they "share concerns about the Islamic State’s (IS) brutal tactics and further destabilization of the region."
What comes next after the protests in Ferguson?
The week in Ferguson began with a funeral for teenager Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a white police officer earlier this month, prompting weeks of protests.
How did the incident become a national conversation about the relationship between police and residents? What was the media's role in framing how the story was viewed from outside Missouri?
President Obama's tan suit sets Twitter ablaze
Though plenty of topics were on the table at a recent press conference, the President's choice of attire seemed to, well, distract from the conversation at hand. Is it time for Fall fashion?
before we get down to serious stuff, best headline ever: "The Audacity of Taupe" #tansuit http://t.co/vHpT5CkGQj via @washingtonpost
— Robin Young (@hereandnowrobin) August 29, 2014
President Obama is wearing a #tansuit this afternoon. That is all. pic.twitter.com/t0SaYY5k2W
— Mashable (@mashable) August 28, 2014
I wonder if FLOTUS was consulted about the tan suit. #tansuit
— alexander nazaryan (@alexnazaryan) August 29, 2014
Ezell Ford shooting draws comparisons to police shooting of Michael Brown
The Los Angeles Police Department Thursday released the names of two officers involved in the fatal shooting of Ezell Ford. The 25-year-old African American man, who is mentally ill, was shot more than two weeks ago as he was walking in South Los Angeles.
Related: Ezell Ford: LAPD releases names of 2 officers involved in shooting of unarmed black man
His death sparked outrage in Southern California, especially since it happened only two days after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Yet there were no riots in Los Angeles; no big clashes between police and protestors.
Connie Rice, the co-director of the Advancement Project, a non-profit group focused on racial justice, says that's a sign of how much things have changed in the years since the 1992 L.A. riots.
Connie Rice is also a member of Southern California Public Radio's board.
Is Mexico becoming the new Detroit?
Car company Kia, along with their CGI hamsters, are heading to Mexico.
The Korean auto manufacturer announced plans to build a new billion dollar plant near Monterrey this week.
The company joins a long list of car companies who have started producing cars in the country recently.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said Thursday that Kia will invest more than $1 billion in the factory and attract another $1.5 billion from Kia suppliers in Mexico, Bloomberg reported.
The country is also poised to surpass Brazil as the top Latin American automobile producer for the first time in more than a decade, Bloomberg noted.
This phenomenon begs the question: Is Mexico becoming the new Detroit?
Reporter Brendan Case at the Bloomberg Bureau in Mexico shares more.
'Cantinflas' is the role of a lifetime for Óscar Jaenada
Mario Moreno, was at one time, one of the most popular movie stars in the world. He made over four dozen films, won a Golden Globe for his role in "Around the World in 80 days," and he was considered the Charlie Chaplin of the Latin world. But Moreno is better known professionally as Cantinflas - a Mexican comic who portrayed a wisecracking, socially and politically sharp peasant with improvisational language skills that became a symbol of the country's national identity.
The man playing Cantinflas is Spanish actor
, who's had roles opposite Johnny Depp in 'Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides' and with Chris Evans in 'The Losers' but in Cantinflas he's the leading man.
Jaenada joins A Martinez in the studio to talk about how he immersed himself in the role by moving to Mexico, and what it was like as a Spanish actor taking on one of Latin America's most famous celebrities, ever.
This week in Sacramento: Plastic bag ban, ride share insurance, sexual consent, 'Donald Sterling' bill
The legislative session comes to an end Sunday night in Sacramento.
Lawmakers have been busy weighing in on all sorts of bills about various issues:
- A potential plastic bag ban - a move supported by environmentalists - has been strongly opposed by plastic bag manufacturers.
- Fierce debate has taken place about whether ride sharing companies like Lyft and Uber should have to carry more insurance.
- Thursday lawmakers approved a bill that would require unambiguous consent among college students engaging in sexual activity.
- California is one of the only states in the west without regulation of groundwater use but that could change
- A new bill could be dubbed the "Donald Sterling bill."
- Some changes potentially in store for death certificates
Scott Detrow of member station KQED shares more on this week in Sacramento.
Homebrewers rejoice after Gov. Brown approves bill
One of the bills recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown has received much praise from homebrewers across the state. For a while home brewers were prohibited from showcasing their homemade beer, all because of a legislative technicality.
Christy Elshof, president of the California Homebrewers Association, says homebrewers are getting ready to share their product again for the 2015 Southern California Homebrewers Festival.
EPA says California water tunnels plan illegal
The plan to build a pair of water tunnels under the Sacramento Delta has been a critical part of the governor's plan to overhaul the state's outdated water system.
However the costly project has stirred up plenty of opposition.
Now the Environmental Protection Agency says the project would violate federal law.
Bettina Boxall, who has been writing about this issue for the Los Angeles Times, shares more.
NFL sets new punishment guidelines for players' domestic abuse
Back in July, the NFL suspended Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for knocking out his then fiancee in an elevator.
Surveillance video revealed Rice dragging her seemingly unconscious body out of the elevator.
Unreleased video showed him delivering the blow.
The punishment from the NFL: two games--less than it would have been for DUI, substance abuse or even using steroids.
While the league defended the length of the suspension, the response from fans and domestic violence abuse groups was outrage.
Thursday, a week before the start of the season, ESPN obtained a letter written by commissioner Roger Goodell sent to all NFL owners outlining new guidelines covering domestic violence that could result in a lifetime ban from the league.
Jane McManus from ESPN.com shares more.
Mexico debates raising $5 per-day minimum wage
Mexico is the 14th largest economy in the world. It's quickly becoming an export powerhouse, but it also has likely the lowest minimum wage in Latin America.
McClatchy reporter Tim Johnson says some politicians are now trying to raise the minimum wage and the idea is gaining traction and attracting bipartisan support.
Some immigrants hesitant about sending children to preschool
Studies show preschool prepares children for school, and even can help close the achievement gap. It's one of the few education policies for which there is little objection.
But Southern California Public Radio's Deepa Fernandes found a group that has reservations about packing a small child off to preschool - despite those academic gains.
Related: For some immigrant parents, keeping kids home better than preschool
Hurricane Marie destroys historic lifeguard building in Point Mugu
One of the state's historic lifeguard buildings was destroyed Thursday due to the high swells caused by Hurricane Marie. The Cove House Lifeguard building had been around since the 1950s and was considered key in the life flow of administrative operations.
Craig Sap, California State Parks' Angeles District superintendent, says the building had withstood several storms before, but the angle in which the storm came caused the structure to move, causing parts of the building to come apart from the foundation.
Hello Kitty not a cat: Anthropologist talks about revelation that sparked Internet frenzy
If someone were to ask what Hello Kitty is it wouldn't be too farfetched to think the answer might be ... a cat.
Well, she's a little more nuanced than that.
Earlier this week, the country's foremost Hello Kitty expert said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that the little Japanese icon was not a cat.
Thee were some additional details that left people's mouths agape--Hello Kitty is British and her real name is Kitty White.
Social media went a bit bananas over the news.
Wait. Hello Kitty is NOT a cat?!?! I feel so betrayed. I'm turning in my backpack. And iPhone cover. And sheet/ comforter set. And jewelry.
— REICHLE (@RedCarpetLuke) August 29, 2014
Hello Kitty is a cat. She has whiskers and a cat nose. Girls don't look like that. Stop this nonsense.
— josh groban (@joshgroban) August 27, 2014
Hello kitty isn't a kitty? 😱 #childhoodruined
— Liza Soberano (@lizasoberano) August 29, 2014
Following news that Hello Kitty isn't a cat, more shocking revelations from @gemmacorrell: https://t.co/5yWcz6FK7J pic.twitter.com/gYaDP9T51d
— Design Week (@Design_Week) August 29, 2014
The woman behind this revelation is Christine Yano, an anthropologist with the University of Hawaii who studies Japanese pop culture.
Her recent book is called "Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty's Trek Across the Pacific."
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
How do we know Hello Kitty is not a cat?
As an anthropologist I was looking at the image. Hello Kitty is never on all fours, she doesn’t do cat-like things so in my mind I thought she doesn’t look cattish to me. She has a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty.
I’m also serving as curator for an exhibit on Hello Kitty that opens in October at the Japanese American National Museum and in the course of working with Sanrio and the museum I had written a script that called her, in passing, "Sanrio’s feline, Sanrio’s cat" and I was corrected by the company.
So what is she?
She is officially "a friend, an icon, a celebrity and maybe even a girl."
Could you have ever imagined you would cause such a stir?
Not at all. And let me just say I did not create it.
And this notion of Hello Kitty as whatever I said--a friend, an icon, a celebrity and maybe even a girl--is right there on Sanrio’s website; this is not something that new.
It was also revealed this week that Hello Kitty is from London. Why does the Hello Kitty character have British roots?
I placed this in the context of 1970s Japan. She was created in 1974 by Japanese company Sanrio. And at that time I think there was a certain fascination with things British. I think in that context it makes sense.
Is this typical Japanese culture, that they do things on more of a surreal level than here, where Mighty Mouse is a mouse and Daffy Duck is a duck?
That sense of fantasy in Japan is strong. Not everything has to make perfect logical sense. But things can be done in the spirit of play. It allows them a certain kind of creativity, which is wonderful and that’s what Hello Kitty represents.
Bring out the fun and fizz with kiddie cocktails
It's, of course, illegal for minors to drink alcohol. It's also not really a good idea.
But does that mean that kids should be prevented from enjoying the wonderful world of mixed drinks?
Absolutely not!
Stuart Sandler is the author of, "Kiddie Cocktails," a fabulous, illustrated collection of drinks which can be easily made without booze.
Watch kid-at-heart Charles Phoenix demonstrate making a few right here at KPCC.
"Most of what you need to make kiddie cocktails are what you already have," says Sandler. "The best part of making a kiddie cocktail is making it together."
The recipes are built on the core flavors of traditional adult cocktails, but top them off with a bunch of flair, flavor and color.
For example, the Cotton Candy is made with 7-Up poured over, natch, cotton candy.
"The 7-Up kind of melts the cotton candy," said Alex Cohen as she was made a glass with blue cotton candy. "It's like this electric blue!"
Others can be made with a bit of mixology.
The Orange Dream is made by simply blending orange soda with an equal amount of cream soda, making a drinkable, fizzy creamsicle.
But Sandler says there are few ways you can go wrong, and even if you do it's fun. Just remember moderate how much your children drink and don't go overboard.
"Enjoy your kiddie cocktails but enjoy them responsibly," he says.
The Cotton Candy
What you need:
- 6 oz Sprite or 7-Up
- 6 oz cotton candy
To make:
So simple and so tasty you may not be able to stop yourself from drinking it! Stuff a hurricane glass full of cotton candy and slowly pour chilled Sprite or 7-Up over the top. Watch the cotton candy melt, then top it off with a handful of ice cubs. Enjoy through a tall straw.
The Orange Dream
What you need:
- Orange soda
- Cream soda
To make:
Blend equal parts of each soda into a single glass. Get your mouth ready for a burst of sweet, fizzy flavor, but watch out, once you start blending sodas together you may never want to drink them individually again.