Will policy chief Michele Flournoy be the first female secretary of defense? Plus, depictions of torture in 'Zero Dark Thirty' prompt a Senate inquiry; A biofuel-carrying train crosses the US-Canada border, reaping fraudulent carbon credit rewards; San Diego's water supply is evolving because of new demand and a massive desalination project in the works, plus much more.
Will policy chief Michele Flournoy be the first female secretary of defense?
President Obama has yet to appoint a new secretary of defense, but one person on his reputed short-list could make history.
Michele Flournoy, a former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy of the United States is well liked around the beltway because of her experience and ability to appease to both political parties. If selected, she would be the first female defense chief ever.
'Zero Dark Thirty' prompts Senate inquiry
Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee want to see the filmmakers behind "Zero Dark Thirty," and it's not to express their congratulations on the film.
Senators Dianne Feinstein, John McCain and Carl Levin believe the film incorrectly suggests torture was instrumental in tracking down Osama Bin Laden and that the filmmakers got that impression from the CIA.
Friday Flashback: Job numbers, debt ceiling, and more
Now it's time for the Friday Flashback, our weekly wrap-up of the week's big news. Joining us from Washington today, David Gura, D.C.-based reporter for Marketplace, and James Rainey, political columnist for the L.A. Times.
Biofuel-carrying train earns fraudulent carbon credits for crossing US-Canada border
First a riddle...Why did the train carrying biofuels cross the border 24 times in 13 days and never unload any cargo? Stumped?
OK. Here's the answer: To earn millions of carbon credits.
John Nicol, an investigative journalist from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, is here to explain.
RELATED: Biofuel credits behind mystery cross-border train shipments
TV critics convene in Pasadena for annual Association meeting
Starting today in Pasadena, hundreds of television critics, bloggers and the like will gather here in Pasadena for an annual meeting of the Television Critics Association.
It's a time for network executives to try and generate buzz about new shows and existing shows which are being revamped. This year's meeting comes on the heels of a particularly rough fall season. Most of the major broadcast networks and many cable networks have seen notable audience declines.
San Diego moves forward with plan to build $1 billion desalination plant
Most Americans get their drinking water from fresh water sources like lakes and rivers, or from groundwater drawn from wells.
But freshwater supplies are falling at a time when demand is rising. Now a massive effort is underway in southern California to make drinking water out of something there's plenty of: Sea water.
San Diego water authorities are planning the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere. The project's developer closed financing for the nearly $1 billion project just last week.
With more is Alison St. John, a reporter for PBS in San Diego.
San Diego County's water supply evolves under demand pressure
Southern California's growing thirst for fresh water continues to put pressure on the region's two main sources of imports: The ecologically troubled San Joaquin Delta and the overdrawn Colorado River.
Many say that they may not be able to supply enough water for future demands, but water managers in San Diego are now considering supplies that were too expensive to develop, just ten years ago.
KPBS Reporter Erik Anderson has the story.
Hollywood's Magic Castle celebrates 50 years of wonder
For 50 years, the Magic Castle in Hollywood has cast its spell on both Angelenos and visitors alike. Perched high the bustle of Hollywood in the shadow of the Hills, the 104-year-old Victorian mansion evokes an era long gone.
But it wasn't always a hideaway for purveyors of prestidigitation.
First built in 1909 by banker Rollin B. Lane, the mansion was a private residence until the 1940s when both Mr. and Mrs. Lane passed away. The home then sat vacant until it was purchased by Thomas Glover in 1955.
The idea to create a place in Los Angeles for magicians and illusionists to practice and share trade secrets had been a dream of attorney and magician William Larsen Sr. He died in 1953, never having realized his dream. However, his sons Milt and Bill Jr. finally honored their father's wish when, in 1961, they approached Glover to ask if he'd be interested in going into business together. Thus, the Magic Castle was created.
And it's a good thing, too. Glover's original intentions for the property were a lot less magical.
"The original idea was to tear down the mansion and actually create a parking structure for his restaurant on top of the hill, Yamashiro," said Magic Castle general manager Joe Furlow. "In 1961, on a Texas handshake, they began the deal that lead to our opening on Jan. 2, 1963."
From the moment you enter the building, you're transported to a Disneyland-esque world where pianos are played by ghosts named Irma, and only a secret code word will grant you entry. A strict dress code prohibits casual dress; men must wear a jacket and tie, and women must don dresses, skirts or sharp pantsuits. Visitors can only attend the private club if invited by members of the Academy of Magical Arts, which has added to the allure of the mansion over the years.
The structure was threatened in October 2011 when a fire destroyed much of the third story of the mansion. The club had to close for some time for clean-up and rebuilding.
"With our great membership and a lot of blood, sweat and tears we were able to reopen our building on Jan. 13, 2012," said Furlow. "Ever since then it has been exciting. We're up double digits in business, people are excited to come back, we have made a lot of modifications to the old building given to the fire, it gave us a chance to update a lot of our electrical and plumbing."
Many of the club's 5,000 members are recognizable names, including actor Neil Patrick Harris, who serves as the president of the Academy of Magical Arts.
"We've had a couple VIPs come to town. Johnny Thompson and his wife Pam, we had Norm Nielsen, and we had obviously Siegfried from Siegfried and Roy," said Furlow. "We had a couple video tributes by Penn and Teller as well as David Copperfield, Lance Burton. There have been a lot of great magicians over the years that have performed here."
Furlow's favorite trick:
"I like card tricks. Our chairman of the Board of Trustees is a gentleman by the name of John Armstrong, and John's slight of hand is some of the best I've ever seen. He was actually in our Palace of Mystery just last week and did a trick just with a rubber band, and the rubber band trick was something that just blew my mind."
Wind industry tax credits renewed by Congress
The wind industry is breathing a sigh of relief. Congress extended the sector's tax credits for another year.
Lawmakers also restructured the deal so that any project started in 2013 can get the write-offs, even if they don't finish until years later. This is good news for an industry that's been struggling to compete with cheaper natural gas.
Here to talk more about which way the wind is blowing for this business, is Matthew Wald, who covers green energy for the New York Times.
Despite better record, Clippers' ticket demand trails Lakers
The Clippers soundly defeated the Lakers when they met early in the season and tonight is the highly anticipated rematch.
“The Clippers versus Lakers is by the far the biggest Clippers game we’ve ever sold, bigger than the playoffs last year, but it’s partially because they’re playing the Lakers,” said broker Barry Rudin of Barry’s Ticket Service.
And that tells the story: Clippers tickets are more popular than ever, but they’re still about half the cost of Lakers tickets.
“The demand for the Lakers is still substantially more. The market says everything, and according to the market Lakers prices are much higher,” said Brad Schy of Musical Chairs Tickets.
How much higher?
If you wanted good seats to see the Clippers play the defending champion Miami Heat in November, you would have had to fork over a couple hundred dollars.
If you want to see the Lakers play the Heat in two weeks Schy says the cheapest price would be $1100 for lower level seats between the baskets.
The Clippers recently won 17 games in a row, the NBA’s longest streak in four years.
As you may have heard, the Lakers have underwhelmed this season; they’re a distant third in the Pacific Division.
But Schy says the Lakers’ woes haven’t hurt demand. On the contrary, all the drama has increased interest – and ticket prices.
“The Lakers tickets this year have been amazing, fabulous,” he said.
The Lakers benefit from having a much bigger, loyal fan base, most of whom could care less what the Clippers are doing.
“The Lakers are a brand that’s been built up for 50 years,” Schy said. “I’m a perfect example. I’m not just going to become a Clippers fan. It’s just like any other brand. If you shop Ralph Lauren or Polo you’re not just going to start buying (a generic brand).”
But it may not be that way forever. Schy remembers it used to be that demand for Angels tickets didn’t come close to the Dodgers.
Now they are on equal footing.
Clippers and Lakers face off tonight
While Clippers tickets are more in-demand by the day, tonight's game vs. the Lakers is close to being sold out as only a few hundred are left. Clipper/Laker games are now one of the hottest, most eagerly anticipated events in L.A.
While the Lakers have long overshadowed their Staples Center co-tenant, recently the relationship is evening out as the Clippers are starting to captivate the attention of L.A.'s sports fans.
For more on this we're joined by Kevin Arnovitz, NBA writer and host of the Clippers Podcast on ESPNLA.com
What is Dia de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day, all about?
Finally, the holidays are over, you can put away the wrapping paper, store the decorations, and relax.
Well, not quite. Sunday is Dia de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings' Day, an important holiday in Latin America and much of Europe and Russia.
Here to tell us about it is Stuart Ashman, who runs the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach.