The LAPD may change the way it currently investigates officer-involved shootings. Then, California won't have a chance to vote about legal pot until 2016. Plus, we'll hear from an Olympic ice dancer about her experience in Sochi, our Tuesday Reviewsday critics fill us in on the latest tunes, Bahooka restaurant's pacu fish finds a home, 'Book of Mormon' stars join us to talk about the show and much more.
LAPD may change way it investigates officer-involved shootings
Today, the Los Angeles Police Commission is meeting to decide on a dramatic change in existing policy. One that may have a ripple effect on the police force.
At issue is the way the police commission looks at officer-involved shootings and whether they are justified. Traditionally, the commission has looked at the shooting itself and whether at the time of the shooting, the officer was indeed facing a deadly threat
But now, the rules could be clarified to go beyond the shooting to the situations that preceded it For more we're joined by KPCC crime and safety reporter Erika Aguilar.
California won't vote on legal pot until 2016
California was the first state to legalize the medical use of marijuana back in 1996. For a while, it seemed likely that we'd be voting on whether to legalize recreational pot this fall.
But now the LA Times is reporting that effort may be delayed until 2016.
A coalition of leading drug reform groups has decided against pursuing a ballot initiative this year to legalize the adult use of marijuana in California.
Drug Policy Alliance Deputy Executive Director Ethan Nadelmann tells Take Two that even though polling suggests California voters would support such a measure, members of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform want to wait until 2016 so they would have more time to raise money and build public support. His organization has been working to pass drug reform legislation in California and other states.
"We did our best to make it work for this year, but ultimately what we decided over the weekend was we need more time to engage more stakeholders, do more of the kind of legwork they did in Washington State with bringing in law enforcement," said Nadelmann on Take Two. "So we're going to go for 2016."
The coalition already had the Secretary of State's clearance to circulate petitions for a legalization initiative, but won't proceed in gathering the signatures needed to qualify it for the November ballot.
A different group also has a legalization measure pending, but the coalition led by the Drug Policy Alliance includes politically powerful organizations such as the ACLU, the NAACP and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
With contributions from the Associated Press.
The debate on how to handle California ballot initiatives
Pot is only one of many initiatives that could end up on the November ballot.
The ballot initiative process, by which the voters themselves can force a public vote on an issue, is used extensively in California. Prop 8, which opposed same sex marriage, was one such ballot initiative. But the fact that it was overturned has raised some questions about how those initiatives are defended and upheld.
John Myers, political editor for the ABC affiliate in Sacramento, joins the show with more.
Sochi update: Weather delays, big upsets, medal counts and more
The winter Olympics are well into their second week. Before it seemed as if the athletic feats of some of the best in the world would be overshadowed by security concerns, political turmoil and unfinished hotel rooms.
But the biggest problem so far seems to be the heat.
Sonari Glinton, business reporter for NPR who has been covering the Winter Games in Sochi, joins the show with an update.
Sochi Winter Olympics: SoCal native shares Olympics experience, plans for the future
Madison Chock, Torrance native, competed in the Winter Olympics in Sochi with partner Evan Bates in the Ice Dance event. While Madison may have come up short in her quest for gold, she represents the next generation of U.S. competitors in the Winter Olympics games.
Madison joins the show from Sochi to share her experience.
Interview Highlights:
On how she got her start in ice dancing:
"Well I was out in California, I was training in Torrance with Jordan and Darlene Bell and they had recommended to me that I try ice dance and I wasn't too fond of the idea at first, but they asked me to just try it to see if I would like it. I did and I absolutely fell in love with it and it's all history from there."
On the difference between single and ice dancing:
"They're both part of figure skating, but they are two completely separate force. In singles, like ladies and men they do jump, I tend to stay with a partner obviously and we do lifts and we are there to tell a story and dance with one another and really relate to each other and the audience."
On how she and Evan Bates became partners:
"Well, it was kind of a serendipitous type of situation. My partner had just retired and he was just coming back from an injury and I think our timing was just right. We were both partnerless around the same time. I had had a few tryouts and I was still looking for a partner and he wanted to try out with me so we were at the same rink and it was very convenient to have the tryouts.
"It worked out really well. Things aren't always so fortunate to find each other so close together, neither of us had to move, we were already training at the same rink, we lived in the same state and I think we were very fortunate for that and that we got along so well and had such great chemistry."
On what makes for a good partnership:
"Well, you definitely have to be on the same page and have the same goals about what you want that's mainly the first thing and it's just like a partnership, it's a business relationship, it helps if you get along and you like who you're working with because you spend so much time with them on a daily basis. It really makes it easier and it makes the day go by faster and the work go by easier if you get along and you're both working toward the same goal."
On how they pick the music:
"Actually, I would say that that is the most difficult part of the year because you're going to have to listen to it the entire year and you want to feel a connection with the music that you can keep portraying and give a good emotional feel every time you skate it."
On her favorite moment off the ice in Sochi:
"I would have to say the opening ceremonies. That was definitely something really special that I will never forget. It was so cool seeing all the countries. Walking out and being in the opening ceremony, myself walking out representing the U.S., an incredibly special feeling."
Environmentalists and solar companies face off over Mojave development
The federal government has set a goal to approve 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy on public land in the Mojave Desert by 202o. Many companies are moving in to make a profit. In the California desert, the battle between environmentalists and renewable energy companies is heating up. Some conservation groups say the local impact on plants and animals is too severe.
Reporter Caitlin Esch took a tour of the desert from 6,000 feet in the air to investigate.
At Atlantic Aviation in Palm Springs, Pilot Bruce Gordon stands beside his tiny, six-person Cessna Centurian 210 airplane.
A few environmentalists and I pack into the plane, ducking our heads and folding our bodies into snug seats. It’s late in the afternoon, and it’s getting really windy. Gordon says that doesn’t bode well for the tour, but we decide to take off anyway
In the air, thousands of miles above ground, the wind pushes the plane around like a toy, and I have to admit, my heart is in my stomach. We fly in and out of clouds that cast long shadows on the desert floor.
This trip gets cut short because the weather made the flight downright uncomfortable.
But the next morning is clearer, so we try it again, and it’s incredible. Flying north from Palm Springs through Mojave National Preserve, you see miles and miles of uninterrupted desert, rocky and rugged as far as they eye can see. The ground is reddish brown, fading purple in the horizon.
David Lamfrom with the National Parks Conservation Association is guiding the tour. He points to the site of a proposed solar project in unincorporated San Bernardino County that would provide power for 170,000 homes.
“We’re actually flying now over the valley that it would be proposed in,” said Lamfrom. “This is a stunning landscape and a really inappropriate place for renewable energy.
Construction firm Bechtel is trying to build a 2,000-acre solar facility in the Soda Mountain Valley, within a mile of Mojave National Preserve. Lamfrom worries it’ll have a devastating affect on species like the desert tortoise, a rare fish called the Mohave Tui Chub, and bighorn sheep.
“This is a key migration corridor for the bighorn sheep,” said Lamfrom. “The mountain ranges that we’re flying over on our right side are one of the best places in the California desert to see bighorn sheep.”
Soda Mountain Solar project manager Adriane Wodey says Bechtel has been studying the site that straddles interstate-15 for years. She denies the project would significantly impact the animals.
“I think this is an ideal location for a solar project,” said Wodey. “There are distribution lines, phone lines, petroleum pipelines, a cell phone tower, a mine, off-highway vehicle recreation area, it’s also permitted for high speed rail. So there’s a lot already going on in this valley, which we think is important.”
The Bureau of Land Management has final say on the project, because it’s on public land. It’s also not the only project they’re looking at. Renewable Energy Program Manager Greg Miller says the BLM has received 191 solar applications in the California desert. Just seven were approved and 30 are still pending.
“The goal that we’re trying to achieve is something that nationwide,” said Miller. “If you look at where the best solarity is for the nation, it’s in the area of Southern California, Northwestern Arizona and south Nevada, that area there, this is just the best part for sun, that’s all there is to it.”
But environmentalists like David Lamfrom want to see renewable energy facilities built on land that’s already developed, like on above parking lots and un-used agricultural land, closer to the communities that will use the energy.
“I think that in our very reasonable eagerness to fight climate change we’re moving so quickly that we may be making decisions that actually compromise the very things we’re trying to protect,” said Lamfrom.
Public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Report closes March third. The Bureau of Land Management will decide on the project later this year.
The debate over Little Arabia: What’s in a name?
Drive along Brookhurst Street in West Anaheim, and dozens of storefront signs in Arabic crop up amid logos for Starbucks and Jack-in-the Box.
Known informally as Little Arabia, Arab-owned bakeries, restaurants, clothing stores and hair salons have been taking root on this roughly two-mile stretch of Brookhurst since the 1980s.
Customers have been known to travel hours for delicacies and wares they can’t find elsewhere in the western US, such as Aleppo’s Kitchen’s nine varieties of kibbeh — a dish made of lamb or beef, spices and pureed onions.
Given the area’s growth and popularity, some community activists and business leaders are pushing to make the Little Arabia moniker official. The area has become a point of pride, and an important part of identity for the city's Arab-Americans.
“We want to share our culture, we want to celebrate our culture with everyone that lives here,” said community activist Rida Hamida, part of a group advocating for an official designation.
It's an idea that has floated around in recent years, and failed to catch on. Some long-time residents are outspoken in their opposition. But the idea of branding Little Arabia is gaining traction with city leaders eager to give visitors another taste of Anaheim aside from Disneyland or the convention center.
KPCC's Josie Huang reports.
Tuesday Reviewsday: Toni Braxton & Babyface, Chicano Batman and more
It's Tuesday and we've got some new music, so you know what that means... Tuesday Reviewsday! Joining us this week to talk about what's new in the music world is music supervisor Morgan Rhodes and Oliver Wang from Soul-Sides.com.
Morgan's Picks:
Artist: Toni Braxton & Babyface
Album: "Love, Marriage & Divorce"
Songs: "Sweat", "Where did we go wrong?"
Artist: Daley
Album: "Days & Nights"
Songs: "Look Up"
Artist: The Decoders ft. Alice Russell
Album: "Adventures From Paradise - Vol 3"
Song: "Adventures In Paradise"
Oliver's Picks
Artist: Chicano Batman
Album: "Cycles of Existential Rhyme"
Song: "Cycles of Existential Rhyme"
Artist: Shirt
Album: "Rap"
Song: "Stolen Norman Rockwells"
Artist: Shirley Nanette
Album: "Never Going Back"
Song: "Give and Take"
How Covered California failed to market itself to Latinos
Now to the ongoing effort to enroll folks in the Affordable Care Act. Since the process began, California has been scrambling to sign up Latinos.
So far, the state's health insurance marketplace, known as Covered California, has come up short on that front. One reason? Weak advertising.
The California Report's April Dembosky explains how the state's Latino marketing missteps have effected the program overall.
Is the Affordable Care Act making Democrats vulnerable?
There has been no lack of problems with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act. Something Republicans across the country are quick to pick up on as they head into mid-term elections.
So if you are a Democrat, how do you fight back? That's something Politico reporter, Katie Glueck, has been writing about.
From child care provider to community organizer: one woman's story.
Early education has hit the national radar. President Obama mentioned universal preschool again last month in the State of the Union address, but few are talking about the workforce that provides this education.
KPCC's Deepa Fernandes brings us this story from the front lines.
How Casey Kasem changed the pop music industry forever
Last fall, it came to light that one of America's best known broadcasters, Casey Kasem, 81, was suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease.
He was described by his wife, Jean Kasem, as being near death. His family had been in disagreement over his care and took the case to court in October.
The drama has been chronicled by the Hollywood Reporter and we will get to it's account of Kasem family battles in a moment. But we wanted to start with a profile of the man who was the voice of the pop charts for decades as host of American Top 40 franchise — and various spin offs.
Casey Kasem first began spinning records and telling tales here in Southern California, half a century ago. KPCC's Steve Proffitt has his story.
The strange family feud over Casey Kasem's care
Earlier we mentioned the family drama between Kasem's wife Jean and his children from his first marriage. The dispute concerned Kasem's care as he's suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease. Hal Espen recently wrote about the dispute for The Hollywood Reporter, and he joins us now.
5 questions for 'The Book of Mormon' cast
The hit musical "The Book of Mormon" has won nine Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical, since its debut on Broadway in 2011.
Written by "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the stage show is just as wild, blasphemous and hilarious as their hit animated sitcom. The show is now back at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.
Lead actors David Larsen, who plays Elder Price, and Cody Jamison Strand,who plays Elder Cunningham, join Take Two to talk about the show.
Interview Highlights:
On when they met:
Cody Jamison Strand: "It was magic. It love at first sight. Meeting for the fist time was actually really, really awesome experience because we were kind of just thrown right into it with rehearsals and just us getting along and sort of exploring what our relationship was going to be was a lot of fun."
On performing together for so long:
David Larsen: "It was really easy. I think Cody and I hit it off from day one. He had been doing a show on Broadway when I joined the company, so I rehearsed with him in New York and he fully accepted my difference and my different take on the character. It's still the same lines, the same music, but I tried to bring myself into the role and I think Cody jumped right onboard and was like, 'Oh, this is a fun, new train. Let's ride this one for a little while.'"
On how they prepared for the role:
DL: "My thought on it was that this is the coolest thing that I could ever do...We were talking earlier about the Olympics and I'm very excited about the Olympics and I sort of channeled that into, 'Well, what if I was at the Olympics?' These are my Olympics. This mission is my Olympics and even when I get paired with someone who is not necessarily the person that I saw myself being paired with, nothing is going to detract from me accomplishing this."
CJ: "Tapping into it, I think, really gets me excited when he gets kind of paired with his idol. The person he looks up to the most in the world so for me it's like if I was getting paired up with Joe Pesci or something. I'm in love with Joe Pesci. I really think he's a genius."
On what it takes to do "Book of Mormon" every night:
DL: "It takes some great smiling muscles and it takes some great energy. I don't think we leave the stage for the first 45 minutes of the show. We are out there being thrust into this unbelievable different world from what our two characters grew up in and it's about taking care of your body, taking care of your voice in order to do this eight times a week. I think that's what kind of separates what we do from other folks. Maybe people can sing this show once a week, but to do it eight times a week really takes a dedication and a discipline and a lot of training."
On their favorite show moments:
CJ: "I really like all the scenes that I have with the female lead, but I think the song 'Baptize Me' is my favorite."
DL: "I love looking into Cody's eyes honestly and figuring out if he's going to make me laugh or if he's just going to deliver the line like I'm expecting. I would say it's about 50/50 as to where that happens. Also, the score of the show is just incredible to sing. It's one of the most difficult and yet one of the most beautiful and I think even the songs that are a little tougher, as far as you expect language wise, the tunes are so damn catchy that you end up singing along even though you don't know if you really should be."
#SaveRufus: Bahooka restaurant's 37-year-old pacu to stay put for now
Update Feb. 18, 2014:
Last week on the show we told you about a 37-year-old pacu fish named Rufus. Rufus has spent most of his life at a tiki themed restaurant in Rosemead named Bahooka.
The restaurant closed down a while back, and afterward the fate of Rufus was uncertain. Well, there's some good news for this huge, carrot loving fish. For more we turn to Steve Silva, who's been looking for a forever home for Rufus.
Earlier:
In other animal news, Rufus the fish, needs a new home. Rufus isn't just any old fish, he's a 38-year-old pacu fish who has spent most of his life at Bahooka's restaurant in Rosemead.
But Bahooka's shut its doors last year and ever since, Rufus has been in need of adoption. A social media campaign using the hashtag #SaveRufus has been launched to help find Rufus a home Potential new owners for Rufus should contact Esteban Silva at (626) 602-4522.
To tell us more about Rufus, we're joined by Steve Silva, a huge fan of Bahooka's who has been working to find Rufus a forever home.