Today on the show we'll start by discussing the recent budget deal reached in Congress. Then, there has been much ado about President Obama's handshake with Cuba's Raul Castro. Where do US-Cuba relations stand? We'll have a roundup of the latest sports news and dig into a story about claims that migrants at the US-Mexico border have suffered abuse at the hands of border agents. Also, the founders of Cowgirl Creamery join the show to talk about their new book and offer tips on how to serve a cheese course.
Congress reaches bipartisan deal on federal budget
Yesterday, the House Budget Committee chairman, Republican Paul Ryan, and Democratic Senator Patty Murray announced a compromise on the budget. They did it a whole 35 days before the January 15th deadline:
Paul Ryan: "We've been talking all year, and this week that hard work of the two of us sitting down and talking to each other all year has paid off."
Patty Murray: "We have broken through the partisanship and the gridlock, and reached a bipartisan budget compromise that will prevent a government shutdown in January."
For more on this deal, we're joined by Todd Zwillich, the Washington correspondent for Public Radio International.
Beyond the handshake: Where do US-Cuba relations stand?
On Tuesday, President Obama made waves when he shook the hands of Cuban leader, Raul Castro, at the memorial of Nelson Mandela.
The US has not had diplomatic relations with Cuba since Raul's brother, Fidel Castro took control of the country. So what would a thawing of economic sanctions and diplomatic relations look like?
Professor Jorge Duany, director of the Cuba Research Institute at Florida International University joins the show to discuss the status and future of US-Cuba relations.
Report: Joblessness, funding cuts are driving hunger and homelessness
Unemployment rates are continuing to drop, but joblessness is still a major reason Americans are homeless, according to the 31st Annual Assessment of Hunger and Homelessness.
In addition, possible federal funding cuts could make it more difficult for cities to feed and shelter this population.
"We're pleased, of course, that the unemployment rate has continued to drop during 2013," said Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider, "but there are still too many unemployed workers in our cities, and this continues to add to the stress on emergency assistance programs...There's no question that the nation's economy is on the mend, but there's also no question that the slow pace of recovery is making it difficult - and, for many, impossible - to respond to the growing needs of the hungry and the homeless."
The conclusions are part of a yearly study by he U.S. Conference of Mayors report, which look at the impact of hunger and homelessness in 25 cities across the country.
For more on the report we're joined by the mayor of Santa Barbara, Helene Schneider, co-chair of the Conference of Mayors Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness.
San Francisco to offer ballot measure that would tax soft drinks
In the future, buying your favorite soda may cost you a little more in San Francisco than anywhere else in the state.
The city's Board of Supervisors are putting together a ballot measure that would tax sodas and other sugary drinks. But the city isn't the first to attack fizzy drinks.
This fall, a soda ban proposal for public facilities in San Jose failed to move out of the city's committee. Here in Southern California, voters in Richmond and El Monte rejected proposed soda taxes last year.
Heather Knight is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle who has written about the city's planned ballot measure. She joins the show with more.
Sports Roundup: The Kobe effect, Matt Kemp, NFL head injuries and more
Kobe Bryant has anchored the Lakers for 17 seasons now he may really be holding them down, NFL could be short for No Fun League and for some, winter in L.A. just doesn't quite feel right. For more on all of those things we're joined by Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, who have covered sports for ESPN and the L.A.Times.
The Lakers have had an interesting last 10 games. They won 6 of 8 and were actually playing very well…until he showed up.
Kobe Bryant has played two games, both losses, and it seems like they have lost the spunky style that was starting to emerge. Why does it seem like Kobe Bryant is weighing this team down?
The Lakers were keeping their head above water without Kobe and the thought was, "imagine what they'll be like when he gets back." What do Lakers fans have to look forward to for the rest of the season?
There was time just a few years ago when we thought that Matt Kemp was going to be the face of the Dodgers franchise. Now, like many other faces in L.A., things have changed. What's going on?
Recently, the Seattle Mariners signed former Yankees 2nd baseman Robinson Cano to a 10-year, $240 million contract. What's the world coming to when the Yankees can be outspent?
A new study on the effects of playing football may contradict a lot of what we think is pretty much a given when it comes to head injuries.
While it seems like there might be a debate on what causes CTE, the one thing that hasn't changed in the NFL is getting hit in the head.
This season the Super Bowl will played outdoors in New Jersey on February 2. The highest temperature in same date last year was 30 degrees. Now the NFL is cracking down on two things that could help fans warm up.
Swimming with great whites off the San Francisco coast
Most people stay away from shark infested waters, but others pay big bucks to take a dip in the Pacific near some of the most feared sharks in the world, the great white. The California Report's Scott Shafer says one of those places is along the Farralon Islands off the coast of San Francisco.
At 5:45am on a brisk morning, a dozen sleepy people boarded the Superfish at the Emeryville Marina. They’re up early for a rare sighting of one of nature’s top predators. While most people steer clear of shark-infested waters, some folks pay big bucks to take a dip in the ocean near some of the most feared sharks in the world: the great white.
The Farallon Islands, off the coast of San Francisco, are one of the few places on the planet where the brave can test their mettle.
James Moskito is the co-owner of Great White Adventures, the only company in the U.S. specializing in cage diving with great white sharks.
"Why sharks? They are just beautiful, mysterious, efficient creatures that deserve a lot of respect," Moskito explains. "And to see one in the wild, it’s just an amazing way to see and be in the water with it. Knowing that it’s their home sort of makes the odds even."
As the sun slowly rises, the group heads 27 miles out to sea. The Farallon Islands, a wild outcrop of granite, come into view. They’re craggy, otherworldly-looking mountains, with a stink of sea lion excrement that has a knock-out effect.
Moskito’s been on thousands of dives here throughout the years. He returns every fall — that’s when thousands of seals and sea lions give birth, and the great whites make their violent attack. It’s a dramatic and elusive spectacle, and people pay $775 to get lowered into a cage about a dozen feet underwater, to catch a glimpse.
By early afternoon, the boat anchors near the South East Island, a prime feeding spot. The great white sharks that hang around the Farallon Islands are adults that can range in length from 14 to 21 feet. Fierce hunters and swimmers, they prefer the frigid 54 degree water where almost zero visibility helps them surprise their lunch.
While divers get in the cage — four at a time — Moskito offers a few tips.
"Lay down on your belly. Lay down flat in the cage and that’s the best way to be in there," he says. "That does two things: You are lower, you can see a little deeper in the water; and you have a nice silhouette of a seal."
"So, if a shark gets near you, what do you do?" asks one of the divers.
"Take a picture of it," Moskito says.
One man asks how much is known about their mating habits, and Captain Mick Minagall is quick to answer.
"Great white sharks are looking for two things," Minagall explains. "They are looking for food and they are looking for sex. We’ve got lots of pictures of them feeding, but none of them mating. If you could come up with a little bit of shark porn you’d be a very rich person. It sells for thousands of dollars per second."
As the day progresses, divers get out of the cold water and into a hot tub on board, and crack open a beer. For some, like Megan Statley, it’s their first experience in the open ocean.
"It’s always something that I thought was really cool," Statley explains. "I’d never thought I’d actually do it, until ... my friend Teresa texted me one day and just said, 'how daring are you?' And I was like, 'well that depends,' and she threw this out there and I was like, 'I’m in, hands down. I’m in.'"
Moskito says people come to experience great whites in their natural habitat for a lot of different reasons.
"Everybody who comes out here kind of has their own story," Moskito explains, "whether it’s the bucket list, the dream of always being out here to see a great white. People come out here to go cross their fears. People being afraid of the water and jumping in full bore, to jump into a cage surrounded by great whites."
But on this day, no one has the chance to conquer their fears. After 10 hours at sea, not a single shark is spotted. The passengers are offered another trip at half price. As Captain Mick revs the engine to start the journey home, a few folks say they are determined to come back.
California judge orders improved care for mentally ill death row inmates
Yesterday, a federal judge ordered the state to come up with a plan to provide long term psychiatric care to mentally ill prisoners on death row. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton called the current level of care inadequate.
For more on this, we caught up with reporter Paige St. John of the LA Times.
Survey: Majority of San Diego Latinos feel some discrimination
San Diego celebrates its Hispanic roots through food, music and tourist attractions like Old Town, the city's original settlement, when this was still Mexico. But a recent survey commissioned by KPBS and San Diego Magazine finds that the people who gave us this cultural legacy face discrimination today.
Jill Replogle from the Fronteras Desk has the story.
Report: Migrants allege physical and verbal abuse at US-Mexico border
A new survey finds that many migrants have experienced some kind of mistreatment at the hands of U.S. border agents. The survey asked more than 1,000 recently repatriated migrants from six Mexican cities.
KPCC's immigration reporter Leslie Berestein-Rojas joins us with the details.
App Chat: Figure 1 is like Instagram for doctors
Medicine is, of course, a practice, which means even the best doctors don't have all the answers all of the time. It can be helpful to share information with other physicians who may have encountered similar conditions in the past.
One startup has decided to help out the medical industry by creating a photo sharing service for surgeons.
Co-founder Dr. Joshua Landy realized how often medical professionals were sharing photos of their patients' injuries, oftentimes also asking for advice on treating them.
Since there was no central place for this type of practice, Landy created Figure 1, an iPhone app which serves as a central meeting place for medical professionals to post their photos and to comment on others.
Bring on the strings: Anaheim school district music program needs instruments
Almost every elementary school finds a way to offer music instruction, according to federal data. But nine percent of schools nationwide are music deserts, and, until recently, a district in Anaheim was among them. KPCC's education reporter Mary Plummer has the story.
Mexico opens oil drilling to foreign companies for first time in 70 years
Mexico moved a step close to shaking up its energy sector last night.
The senate there voted to approve a bill that would — ideally — boost energy production by allowing foreign companies to drill in Mexico for the first time in more than 70 years. To talk a little more about this we've reached Adam Williams, the Latin America Energy and Commodities reporter for Bloomberg.
The Oakland As and the state of sports in Northern California
For years now, the Oakland As have wanted to move to nearby San Jose. The baseball team wants to abandon their current stadium, the fourth oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. But Commissioner Bud Selig has said no way, San Jose.
For more on this and the state of sports in Oakland, I spoke to Steve Tavares, who writes for the East Bay Citizen.
Cowgirl Creamery: How to host the perfect cheese party
Nearly forty years ago, Sue Conley and Peggy Smith headed out to San Francisco where they worked at some of the Bay Area's finest restaurants.
Then, in the 1990s, as an artisan food movement was just beginning to take off, they bought a renovated hay barn in the town of Point Reyes.
The barn featured a small cheese making room, so they decided to make cheeses under the name Cowgirl Creamery, using milk from a nearby dairy. Two decades and 2,000 tons of cheese later, Sue and Peggy really know their stuff.
They recently published a book called Cowgirl Creamery Cooks, which features an excellent chapter on how to best prepare a cheese course. The two cheesemakers joins the show from member station KQED in San Francisco.
Recipes:
Interview Highlights:
On why they devoted an entire cheese to preparing a cheese course:
"We wrote this chapter so that we could calm everyone down about approaching the cheese counter. We are recommending that you go to a place where you can taste the cheese and there's someone behind the counter who can answer questions and guide you. It really helps to have a point of view going in. Like, I want to have a cheese course that is nothing but California cheeses. Or I want to have a cheese course that shows all the different milks and maybe two cheese from each category, or I want to have a cheese course with all soft-ripened bloomy rind cheeses. If you approach with that surety, it'll be easy to engage with the cheese monger and get cheeses from those categories that might be interesting for your guests."
On how many cheese you should serve in a cheese course:
Peggy: "I always go with an odd number, so I would say you could have just one stellar cheese that you want to showcase and have an accompaniment with that. Then I would go to three, and from three I would go to five. If you're going to two, it's kind of either or, but if you have three, it really demonstrates that you want people to have a selection and taste that way. If you move to five it would give you more options within the categories you've chosen to work within."
On how to pair your cheese with other food items:
Sue: "If you think about what is predominant in a certain cheese you can accent your presentation with something like almonds and nuts for your sheepsmilk cheeses. Even a piece of chocolate with aged Gruyere or Conte (?), because that chocolate flavor comes through in those styles. We also, in our book, have a picture of stones and shells, and those kind of mineralities come through. I'm not suggesting you serve stones."
Peggy: "What we do is in tasting the cheese, I usually think, OK do I want to accent a flavor that I'm finding in the cheese, or have sort of an opposition to it that brings a new flavor element when you're tasting both of the things together. If you're serving a sheep's milk cheese, which is generally a little bit nutty, that's a good time to serve nuts or its also a good time to serve something that is really fruity and sweet, something like a cherry compote that brings out the sweetness and minimizes the nut flavor in the cheese, but it's a slighter accent where you bring the fruit forward."
On whether or not to eat the rind:
Peggy: "Everyone thinks I'm a little bit prissy, but I don't eat the rinds. I eat the cheese that's right up to the rind, but I always think of the rind as being the protector of the cheese inside. Sometimes I find that the rinds are a little bit bitter and I think they might compromise the flavor of the cheese. Sue: I like to enjoy the rind, but I agree that they are there to protect the cheese as it ages. If it's a very old cheese it's probably not going to enhance your experience. So what we do, we that eat the rinds, is we eat the interior first, have a little nibble on the rind, and see whether its going to be enhancing the experience and then go for it."
On how to prepare the cheese for serving:
Sue: "I like to separate the cheese when storing, so if I get a cheese in plastic, which its also sold in plastic so that the customer can see it, I always unwrap it, scrape it with a knife to get any kind of oil that surfaces and then wrap it in wax paper and put it into a baggy and seal it up so that it has a little bit of a moist environment. Put it away from any kind of fan that might be in the refrigerator. I take it out about three hours before serving because I find that if it comes down to a room temperature, it develops a nice crust on the rind and just a much more unctuous flavor when its room temp."