Today on the show, we'll discuss Obama's upcoming speech on changes to the NSA. Then, the LA Forum is reopening today after a multimillion-dollar renovation. We'll hear from two former Lakers about their favorite memories at the venue. Plus, is our digital-dependent culture vulnerable to earthquakes? Finally, App Chat, 'Las Marthas' documentary and much more.
NSA Surveillance: The debate over security and privacy
This week, President Obama is expected to outline proposed changes to the government's surveillance program, including its bulk collection of phone and data records.
Preliminary details of his proposal were leaked to the New York Times by sources familiar with the plan. Ali Watkins, who covers intelligence for McClatchy Newspapers, joins the show to review what is known about the president's forthcoming plan.
Meanwhile, privacy advocates have raised concern about the NSA's programs, supporters — including those inside the White House — have said the programs are important tools in stopping terrorist attacks on the US.
For more on this we're joined by Lee Hamilton, former congressman who was the co-chair of the 9/11 Commission and is currently the Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University.
Who birthed 'Jamzilla' on the Sepulveda Pass?
Alright, drivers. A foreboding shadow looms over President's Day weekend. It's something that will make your life a living hell.
Jamzilla, as in a MONSTER traffic jam.
From February 14th - 17th, parts of the northbound 405 are being paved for new carpool lanes in the Sepulveda Pass. During that time, the LA County Metropolitan Transit Authority is warning drivers to avoid that area and stay out of the path of, Jamzilla.
Now, that's not to be confused with Carmaggedon from over two years ago. But we started to wonder who's naming these transit projects?
Turns out that in 2011 it was county supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky who, off-hand, coined the first term in a press conference about the initial 405 closure.
The name just stuck. It wasn't meant to be an official word, but the media loved it.
Then when it came to naming next month's Jamzilla, "We wanted to recreate some of that foreboding and some of the magic," said MTA spokesman Dave Sotero.
For the first time, the MTA is taking it upon itself to give official names like Jamzilla because it found the branding helps people pay attention.
"Carmaggedon was a spectacular, interstellar success. It introduced that term to the American vernacular," said Sotero. "The public understands traffic jams, and Godzilla is an ominous figure in our culture. So marrying the two seemed like a good idea."
Now that it's on your radar, Sotero has some advice: "We're asking the public to divert completely away from the Sepulveda Pass and divert onto other freeways. Stay within your local neighborhoods so you don't contribute to additional congestion for people who absolutely have to be on the roads."
Keep that in mind this President's Day weekend, and you'll be fine. At least until the Carpocalypse.
Just kidding. That doesn't exist...yet.
Forum Reopening: Former Lakers remember the Inglewood venue's glory days
The Forum in Inglewood was built back in 1967 and for over 30 years was arguably the entertainment capital of Los Angeles.
RELATED: The Forum in Inglewood reopens with the Eagles
The circular building with the iconic columns on the corner of Manchester Blvd and Prairie Ave was designed to evoke the Roman Forum and had all the dramatic flair of its Italian counterpart.
The Magic Johnson-led Lakers won championships there. Wayne Gretzky and the Kings made hockey sexy in L.A., and along with concerts ranging from Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin and Janet Jackson, the Forum was arguably the entertainment centerpiece of the city.
For many, the Forum was as much a symbol of Los Angeles as the Hollywood sign.
Since the Lakers left in 2001, the Forum hasn't been used with much consistency. Vacant at times, the Forum still hosted concerts from time to time and once was used as a church, it's glory days seemingly a thing of the past.
However today, a renovated Forum makes its comeback.
James Worthy and Byron Scott played for the Lakers during the Forum's peak years in the 1980s and are now basketball analysts for Time Warner Cable Sports. They join Take Two to talk about the legacy of this venue and offer some of their favorite memories there.
Interview Highlights:
Why was the Forum seen as such a magical place?
Byron Scott: "I think a lot of it was because of the fact that, especially in the '80's, you had showtime. We didn't have a whole lot of things in Inglewood to be extremely proud of, but the Forum was something that we were extremely proud of because it was right in my neighborhood and you had everybody from Hollywood coming to watch us play so that was a very exciting time."
What did it mean to you growing up right in its shadow?
BS: "The Lakers were my favorite team, so it meant a great deal to me because of the fact that I was able to go to a few games when I was young. To be able to watch it on TV and say, "Hey man, I've been there and I was in the arena," especially as a kid when I was in high school and wanted to be a professional basketball player. It was something that was bigger than life at that time so it was an unbelievable feeling."
What was it like for you when you showed up to the Forum for the first time?
James Worthy: "You know, Byron grew up there. He was a city guy and I was country boy. I soaked it up. I soaked up everything. Inglewood to me was a city of pride. Back in the day, I heard it was like the little mecca of Hollywood. It was just a magical, mystical city."
When did you notice that the Forum was the happening place to be at in LA?
BS: "I almost noticed that immediately. When you left the game, the fans that stuck around, if you went in the Forum Club it was almost like a night club. It was a who's who of people in there. So from the first game that I played and after the game going towards the Forum Club to go out to the parking lot to get to my car, I knew it was something special."
Did you ever hang out at the Forum Club?
JW: "Yeah, well, from time to time guys used to rush in that shower, they wanted to get up there real quickly. It was probably before we all were married and it was nice spot because that's where Dr. Buss would have his after-dinners and all his friends and it was just a nice place to go get a drink and meet friends. It was kind of the only place to go…You saw everything and there was just no bodyguards, no social media. People were just hanging out. You know, you might look up and see the biggest star in Los Angeles at the bar so it was just a really good cohesive place to hang out. No trouble. Never was any arguments, just nice harmony in there."
Favorite memories from the Forum Club?
BS: "You would go in and see other people and just be in awe that they were in there just having a drink or having dinner or just socializing, but the thing that was crazy for me is that they looked at us the way we looked to them. They were more in awe of us than we were of them. It was just an unbelievable social place. And like you said, if you weren't an A-lister, it was kind of hard to get in there, but once you was in there the people that you saw would surprise you at times."
Did you guys catch any concerts there?
JW: "I think I saw Stevie Wonder there, I think I saw Luther Vandross, Boyz II Men, somebody like that, but there were a lot of shows there so we did take advantage of that. There's also some really good boxing there. Dr. Buss used to invite us to some of those fight nights at the Forum and we would get a good kick out of that as well."
What was the night like when you won the NBA title against the Celtics in 1987?
BS: "We partied in the locker room with champagne and everybody was just having a great time. It was hours before we left to go home after we won the championship so that's probably the only time we didn't go up to the Forum [Club] and enjoy the company up there. We just stayed in our locker rooms and enjoyed our families, our friends who were there and then after that we had a party, just a Laker party."
Did you ever feel sorry when you saw the Forum abandoned?
JW: "I fell in love with Inglewood. Byron Scott used to sneak in games as kid at the Forum. You fall in love with the people, the people across the street, you might stop and get a sandwich down on Manchester, get your haircut there so those things never go away. Crenshaw never went away. You still got get your haircut, you still go to some of your favorite eateries and I was kind of sad that maybe Inglewood didn't get the football stadium or something."
Are you happy to see that the Forum is finding a second life?
BS: "I am extremely happy that it's back open, even if it's concerts, I'm sure they will start doing even more things as the year goes on. I'm happy about the retail business and the hotel business that are going up. And like you said, being a Inglewood native, it's always good to see the city starting to get back because I still look at Inglewood as the city of champion and I've always been proud to be one of Inglewood's, I don't know if it's one of their finest boys or native son or whatever, but very proud of it."
Do you have any favorite memories of concerts or sporting events at The Forum? Post them here in the comments below, on our Facebook page or tweet .
Technology is the true star at the Detroit Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show kicked off in Detroit this week.
The star of the show? Technology. Like the kind of technology that lets you control your car with Google Glass. For more on this and other new trends, we're joined by Jean Jennings, president and editor-in-chief of Automobile Magazine.
Sports Roundup: Lakers, youth sports, Cubs mascot and more
The Purple and Gold is all black and blue after 143 years, a first in Chicago and the Nike swoosh equals cha-ching! It's time for sports with Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, who've covered sports for the L.A. Times and ESPN.
We start off in Staples Center where it is getting all kinds of ugly for the Lakers. The team is now only a game and half away from being in last place in the Western Conference. Head coach Mike D'Antoni has always tried to be upbeat but last night for the first time I heard a look ahead to next year. Safe to say this season is lost?
On Monday, Kobe Bryant was hanging with Bill Clinton at the opening of the 3rd annual Clinton Health Matters Conference on kids and sports at the La Quinta Resort and had this to say on competitiveness in youth sports.
After 143 years in existence, the Chicago Cubs rolled their first ever mascot—Clark—a cub bear. Reaction has been, well, strong. The Cubs say Clark will help them develop the next generation of fans. This leaves the Yankees, Dodgers and Angels as the last teams without a mascot. What does this say about New York and L.A.?
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says this will be his last season and he plans to visit all 30 MLB ballparks, a retirement tour of sorts. How will Bud be remembered?
The Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia begin February 7th. Gay rights have become an issue in Sochi because of a new Russian law that criminalizes discussion of "non-traditional sexual relations" in the presence of children.
President Obama has been critical of the law and he appointed three openly gay former Olympians to the U.S. delegation for the opening ceremonies. However, the US Olympic Committee is warning athletes that political protests are a no-no. What are the chances someone will try to make a statement somehow?
I remember last year when news broke about the $765 million dollar settlement for NFL concussion claims. We're talking about 20,000 retired players. Now a federal judge might be having the same thought.
Remember the scene in Sex and the City when Carrie Bradshaw sees an amazing pair of shoes in a store window and says, "Hello, lover"? Well that's me when I see a pair of sweet hi tops. A man in Oregon also made a sweet find.
Northridge Earthquake Anniversary: Digital dependence makes us vulnerable in quake
When the Northridge earthquake struck 20 years ago, L.A. was a very different place. The Internet was brand new. Cell phones looked like bricks, and if you said "Facebook" most people would think you were talking about an actual book.
These days though, digital technology is everywhere. It helps us in many ways, but our reliance on connectivity may also end up hurting us after a major quake. KPCC science reporter Sanden Totten reports.
"Then and Now" Photo Gallery
Speaker John Boehner to address GOP's immigration reform plan
House Speaker Republican John Boehner is getting ready to announce the Republican's immigration strategy for 2014, an election year. For a preview of what's expected, we're joined now by Fawn Johnson of National Journal.
App Chat: Tools to help you recover from holiday overspending
Solving problems with apps - that's what App Chat is about. This week we're going to take a look at four apps that'll help with your personal finances.
Recommended Apps:
1. Mint
Probably the most popular of the four apps that we're going to recommend. If you have multiple accounts, cards, investments... it lets you track them all in one place. If you start spending too much on things it'll send you an alert letting you know and you can set budgets and it'll let you know if you're on track with those. The downside? It's slow. So, if you're on a shopping spree and you spend right up to the line on your budget... Mint won't alert you of your spending activity for a while. Which - hey for power shoppers out there - sometimes that's too late.
2. Level
If all you want to know from your app is if you're spending too much - go with Level. It breaks down how much money you have left to spend by day, week and month. And it updates much faster than Mint, so it could save you when you go on a shopping spree.
3. Budgt
With both Level and Mint you have to input your banking login information if you want them to be effective. If you're not about giving out that info, you can input each transaction and your monthly income, by hand, with Budgt. It might also work better for people with smaller/variable incomes - like if you don't have a consistent paycheck coming in.
4. Wallaby
This app is less about financial monitoring and more about recommending which credit card you should use in a store so that you can get the best rewards. According to Wallaby its customers have an average of five cards each. It's helpful if you have multiple credit cards. You input which cards you have - fire up the app when you're at a store and it tells you which one is the best to use at that store.
What does the FCC's ruling against net neutrality mean for the average person?
Yesterday, a federal appeals court struck down protections for net neutrality. The FCC had these rules in place to ensure the Internet was free and open, and all data is treated equally.
But with this ruling, it could affect what you see and watch at home. To explain, we're joined by Brooks Boliek, Politico's technology reporter.
‘Casa Del Jardin’ offers girls a life after prostitution
The San Diego-Tijuana border remains one of the most heavily trafficked international crossings in the world. And that traffic has a dark side: humans, especially girls, being bought, sold, and forced into labor or sex.
A recent high-profile case in San Diego netted dozens of arrests for sex trafficking, but there are few resources for victims on the Mexican side of the border. A resident of San Diego has opened a shelter in Tijuana for victimized girls.
Brooke Binkowski reports it's one of only two in all of Mexico.
PAWS sanctuary a paradise for performing elephants
Deep in the foothills of California’s Gold Country, there is a peaceful home for animals that may seem a little out of place. Located in San Andreas, the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) cares for elephants, big cats, bears and other wildlife with a history of performing for humans. For The California Report, Scott Shafer reports.
The 2,300-acre Calaveras County sanctuary was started in 2000 by animal welfare advocates Ed Stewart and his late partner, Pat Derby, who used to work with animals in Hollywood.
Stewart, who lives on the property, dedicates most of his time to the animals at PAWS, particularly the elephants. On a hot afternoon we drive in his raised pickup truck to the African elephant enclosure, passing the black panther’s house and some rolling hills of golden grass along the way. We get out and walk onto a dirt path leading up to a large metal gate.
“Mara! Maraaaaa,” Stewart calls out in a loud, firm but excited voice, not unlike a doting father.
The female elephants in the enclosure vary in personality and background. There’s Mara, who has lived in private reserves most of her life, and takes on the role of matriarch, Lulu, a shy transplant from the San Francisco Zoo, and Maggie, described as a bossy princess, reigning over the best mud ponds.
While the African elephants (PAWS also houses Asian elephants) enjoy some peace and a drink from the water hose that Stewart provides for them, the reality isn’t lost on Stewart that the elephants come from years of abuse, neglect or institutions that were ill equipped to provide adequate space and care for such large mammals.
“A lot of elephants have been chained by their legs for 16 hours a night when they were younger on a concrete floor, and that just never goes away,” he says.
Stewart mentions that PAWS is funded by donors. One of them, animal rights advocate Bob Barker, who was the longtime host of the TV show “The Price Is Right,” made a huge impact on Maggie’s life at PAWS. She was living in the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage and was not doing well in the cold climate and small space.
“I saw Maggie. She was real sick,” Stewart says. “They almost lost her a couple of times. They actually had to pick her up with a crane, just to keep her alive twice.”
Barker paid for Maggie's flight to the sanctuary on a military-style jumbo jet, and has had a stake in the lives of the elephants at PAWS since.
After the ladies have their fill of water, Stewart moves on to an enclosure up a slightly steep north-facing hill with a pond and an extremely large fence. It’s the turf of Nicolas, one of PAWS’ two bull elephants. Beyond the pond, there is also a large barn on the crest of the hill, where Nicolas gets his checkups and takes Jacuzzi baths. In the barn Nicolas shows a tusk for a worker who uses a blunt-end stick to gently touch him. As a reward Nicolas receives his favorite treat: bran.
“He usually makes a nice low rumble and it’s kind of nice for all of us to think that he is happy, for the moment anyway,” says Stewart.
Stewart explains that Nicolas came from a circus and was trained and forced to ride a tricycle at a very young age. Sometimes, like all wild animals, Nicolas can become aggressive. Part of what makes PAWS unique is its ability to house and provide care for a male elephant such as Nicolas.
But if it were up to Stewart, elephants wouldn’t be captive at all.
“We are one of the only types of businesses where we want to put ourselves out of business,” he says.
“There is no state of the art keeping an animal in captivity. State of the art is Botswana, you know, it's not San Andreas and it's not San Francisco. We wish that the elephant-in-captivity problem would go away, and we can stop this at some point.”
For now, though, Stewart says, PAWS has room for more elephants.
'Las Marthas' Doc: A debutante ball in a Mexican-American border town
In Laredo, Texas, the community gets together each year for a lavish celebration that may seem out of place in the mostly Mexican-American border town: It's a debutante ball on the occasion of George Washington's birthday.
Festivities take up the entire month of February and end with an elaborate parade and Colonial ball. Debutants are presented in ornate hoop skirt dresses, the men rock powdered wigs and tights. Judges, congressmen, the media attend.
We talk to producer Erin Ploss-Campoamor and director Cristina Ibarra.
Check out the live event Weds. Jan. 15 at KPCC's Crawford Family Forum