Reporter Adam Burke tells us why President Obama's decision to hold his immigration speech in Las Vegas is crucial. Then, Justice Sonia Sotomayor talks with Patt Morrison, a gay former Boy Scout reflects on his experience in the organization, the 'Starbucks of Taiwan' comes to LA and we debut our new theme song, produced by Ozomatli, plus much more.
Obama's choice of Las Vegas for immigration speech is a love letter to Latinos
President Obama travels to Las Vegas today to outline his proposals for changing the current immigration system. So what makes Vegas and the middle of the Mojave Desert the soapbox of choice for a seminal speech on immigration? Adam Burke from the Fronteras Desk explains.
President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak in Las Vegas on Tuesday to offer his ideas on immigration reform. And while some might see the middle of the Mojave Desert as an odd place for a seminal speech on immigration, Las Vegas may be the perfect soapbox.
Nevada is home to some 190,000 undocumented immigrants -- some of them politically active. Take 49-year-old Marisa Espinosa, for example, who works low-paying jobs making fast food, and cleaning houses. Last fall, Espinosa helped Barack Obama win in Nevada.
"He was my hope," she said. "For me and for a lot of undocumented people.”
Espinosa canvassed neighborhoods. She worked at phone banks. And she rallied other undocumented immigrants. When undocumented people told her they were powerless to act because they have no vote, her response was:
"Maybe you have a friend, a neighbor, family, that they are citizens. And they know how you are working hard for this country. Just tell them: you know vote. Vote. Because you can be my voice, you can help me, getting my papers.”
Espinosa was part of a successful grassroots mobilization that brought a record number of Latinos to the polls in Nevada. Some 80 percent of Nevada Latinos voted for Obama.
And as he delivers his remarks on Tuesday in Las Vegas, Obama will be reaching out to a constituency here that he and the Democrats need.
"Nevada’s Latino community is a perfect microcosm of the people that president Obama needs to be speaking to about what his case is and why this matters so much," said Andres Ramirez, a Democratic Party organizer and consultant in Las Vegas.
“If you look at the Hispanic population in Nevada, it’s very representative of what it is, nationally," Ramirez said. "The breakdown of Hispanics between Mexicans and Cubans and Central and South Americans. And also between those that are citizens, non-citizens and those that are undocumented.”
President Obama’s decision to speak in Nevada is many things. It’s part love letter to the Latino voters who helped hand him a second term. It’s part policy -- a chance to outline the big pieces of the bipartisan legislative effort that seems to be close at hand. And it’s political stagecraft in the Southwest, a region that’s become increasingly significant to the Democratic Party over the last decade.
David Damore a political scientist based at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and an analyst with the research polling group Latino Decisions, said the Southwest is important ground for Democrats.
“You see the shift in the Democratic Party to really compete in this region, Damore said. "Trying to secure the Latino vote going forward. Not just here but obviously Colorado, New Mexico, and eventually Arizona here. So there’s a great deal of political significance to this region for the Democratic Party."
Some Republicans will be looking to ride the president’s coattails too. Damore points to recent polling data that shows nearly half of Latino voters don’t affiliate strongly with either party.
"If the Republican was to help pass comprehensive immigration reform, with a pathway to citizenship, Latino voters would give them a second look," Damore said. "This then would give the Republicans the opportunity to promote some of the other issues that have largely gotten drowned out, because of the saliency of the immigration issue within the Latino community."
But this is the President’s moment at the bully pulpit. And Damore said one of Obama's targets will be first-time voters. In Nevada, some 40 percent of Latinos who voted had never voted before. And if these new voters credit the Democratic Party with bringing home immigration reform, that could be a huge win for Democrats.
"This could create a strong identification between younger Latino voters and the Democratic Party moving forward," Damore said.
So in his speech, President Obama will attempt to cement the Democratic party’s relationship with a generation of new Latino voters, while hitting all the right notes for the rest of the country.
Congressman Xavier Becerra on 'Gang of 8' immigration proposal
Democratic Congressman Xavier Becerra of the 34th District, which includes the Eastside of Los Angeles, joins the show to talk about his view of how Congress is handling the latest immigration reform effort.
Can drones and high-tech measures help secure the US-Mexico border?
The 'Gang of Eight' immigration proposal has a number of elements that offer a path to legal residence for the millions of people here without documentation. But the plan calls for a pre-requisite: That the borders must first be secure.
McCain went on to stress the importance of using high-tech measures. For one, the U.S. already has a small fleet of drones patrolling the Mexican border.
We're joined now by Ander Becker of the Center for Investigative Reporting, who covers border and national security issues.
LA County to crack down on 'maternity hotels' after spike in complaints
Tucked away in Southern California neighborhoods, like Chino Hills, Rowland Heights and Hacienda Heights, are businesses known as maternity hotels. Women travel many miles, mostly from Asia, to reach these boarding houses where they can give birth to babies with automatic American citizenship.
Complaints about these maternity hotels are on the rise and today L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe plans to do something about it.
As Boy Scouts mull ending gay ban, a former scout reflects on his experience
Ten years ago, Alan Eckert was on the verge of earning the rank of Eagle Scout, but at the same time he was also coming to terms with his sexuality. Because of the policy against gays in the Boy Scouts of America, Eckert quit.
Now a 28-year-old living in Albany, California, he's shocked that the BSA is considering a change to that rule.
Be a source for KPCC! Visit our Public Insight Network page to tell your story and peruse the stories we're pursuing.
Kevin Tsujihara to replace Barry Meyer as CEO of Warner Bros.
Warner Brothers CEO Barry Meyer is stepping down on March 1, and his successor has already been announced. Kevin Tsujihara, 48, will helm the company that brought characters like Porky Pig, Batman and Harry Potter to screens around the world.
Here with more on what this means for Warner Brothers is Brooks Barnes, who covers media for the New York Times.
85°C, the Starbucks of Taiwan, expands in CA (Photos)
On a busy day at 85°C, a long line of hungry customers can stretch out the door. Trays are piled with marble taro bread and brioche and employees shout “fresh bread” every time a new batch is brought out of the oven.
85°C is a bakery and café based out of Taiwan and came to the U.S. five years ago, when it opened its first store in Irvine. Since then, the company has been on a major expansion. It now operates more two stores in Hacienda Heights and West Covina and plans to add five more locations in 2013.
“We have been looking all over and we hope to hit L.A. county, San Diego and Northern California,” said Stephanie Peng, 85°C’s project manager, adding the San Francisco Bay Area is also a possibility.
85°C has a following among Asian American customers, but its popularity goes beyond race and geography. Some fans drive hours to buy the baked goods and people from as far away as New York load up on 85°C products when they pass through Southern California. The bakery has more than 70 different types of breads, with prices ranging from $1 to $3. It also sells gourmet cakes and drinks like sea salt coffee.
The chain’s expansion has been fueled by the population growth of Chinese Americans, said Yong Chen, a history professor at UC Irvine. As this group becomes more affluent, it increases the demand for more authentic Chinese food, he said.
“Now people can afford to go to Chinese restaurants far more regularly than before and also they can afford to pay more than before,” Chen said.
And as China and Taiwan-based businesses become more sophisticated, many like 85°C, are expanding in the United States, Chen said.
85°C started in Taiwan in 2004, named after 85 degrees Celsius. The company’s research and development team thought it was the perfect temperature to serve coffee—but it actually was too hot to drink. The bakery doesn’t serve coffee at that temperature, but the name stuck anyway.
The company’s founder, Cheng-Hsueh Wu, also wanted to give customers a great product they could afford.
“85 started because our founder really found that going to a coffee shop or dining at a hotel for a slice of cake - and for all the luxury items - was actually at a very expensive price,” Peng said.
Today, there are more than 700 85°C locations worldwide in Australia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and the United States. When the chain came to the U.S., there were slight adjustments made to the taste on some of its products, Peng said.
For example, the bakery’s Berrytale bread was made a little bit sweeter and foods like the Japanese calamari sticks are more savory, she said.
At 85°C, part of the bakery is self-serve. You grab tongs, a tray and select the breads you want to buy from plastic bins. Then, you take them to a counter and it’s packaged for you.
Sandra Book loaded up on some giant brioche for lunch. Book, a social worker who lives in Fontana, said she liked the quality and price of 85°C’s product.
“It’s fabulous. I love it,” Book said. “I just came here for the bread.”
The crowds of people waiting outside 85°C’s Irvine store caught the attention of Andrew McIntyre. He wanted 85°C as an anchor tenant for his shopping center in West Covina.
“When we saw the traffic that 85°C produces, it was heaven,” said McIntyre, vice president of development for The McIntyre Co.
85°C opened its store at McIntyre Square in West Covina in December 2012. It’s the chains largest store at 5,200 square feet. McIntyre says it draws the same amount of customer traffic as drug stores twice its size.
85°C is a long way from rivaling Starbucks, but its bottom line is heating up. The bakery’s parent company, Gourmet Master Co. Ltd., became a publicly traded company on the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp. in 2010. In Southern California, construction has already begun on an inventory and baking facility in Brea, said Raul Garcia, store manager at the 85°C in Hacienda Heights.
The company is scouting new locations. On average, the chain’s U.S. stores make more than $700,000 in monthly sales, seven times more than what the average store makes in China, according to a January presentation on 85°C’s website. So far, all the locations in the United States have been company-owned and 85°C said it is not looking for local franchisees.
Garcia said the chain plans to open its next location in Chino Hills in May 2013. It will be located at the Crossroads Marketplace on Peyton Drive, inside the former City Broiler restaurant space.
Peng said 85°C is excited to reach out to more of its fans with new locations this year, and added it’s possible the chain might open more than five stores.
“You never know,” she said.
New Music Tuesday: Ozomatli and Take Two's new theme song
It's Tuesday, the day of the week we like to talk about new music.
Today, we're very excited to talk about a track you won't find on iTunes or Amoeba Records. It's an extra-special project from the L.A. based group, Ozomatli.
Asdru Sierra, who plays trumpets, sings and writes music for Ozomatli did us the honor of composing the new theme song for Take Two.
"I wanted to make sure that all the grounds were covered, so I turned in four different choices. Something that sounded like Ozomatli, the brand, a couple of things in between," said Sierra. "I listen to this station, I wanted to turn in something that would fit more with your voices and your vibe. I was actually surprised you chose this one…But I was happy you did."
Sierra titled this track "Vatos with Sandals," imagining someone listening to KPCC at a local coffee shop. Listen below:
But composing a theme song for a radio news show wasn't easy. Sierra had to make sure the tune would fit the show no matter what was in the news.
"Every time I would play it over each track I would be like, 'Today, five children were hit by a spaceship,' said Sierra. "I played a really crappy newscaster. I think this was the one that resonated with that task more than anything. It was fun."
Analysis of the first television LA mayoral debate
The top five candidates reached their biggest audience yet last night as they participated in the first televised debate of the election. But politicos yearning for a fight may have been disappointed.
The gloves stayed firmly on for a genteel debate that focused on policy issues.
KPCC's Frank Stoltze was there at UCLA's Royce Hall last night and he joins us now from our downtown bureau.
Jewish vote could be key to Los Angeles mayor's race
Five candidates for mayor in the March 5th Los Angeles primary election will debate Tuesday night at Sinai Temple on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.
There's a good reason why L.A.'s mayoral hopefuls are courting Jewish voters.
Even in an election with a low voter turnout, Jewish voters tend to turn out in large numbers - and in a primary election with a low voter turnout expected, the candidate who wins the lion's share of Jewish votes could win a spot in a May runoff election.
RELATED: Candidates for Los Angeles mayor are cautious during live TV debate
During a debate this month at Beth Jacob, a modern orthodox congregation in Beverly Hills, three leading candidates for Los Angeles mayor talked up their affinity with the Jewish community.
City Councilman Eric Garcetti, who's a member of a progressive non-denominational Jewish congregation, pointed to family history.
"My family came here as dreamers and as doers," said Garcetti, "fleeing wars on my father's side, the Mexican Revolution, on my mother’s side from pogroms under the czars, and they came here to Boyle Heights."
City Councilwoman Jan Perry noted that she converted to Judaism in the 1980s.
"I am a woman who is African American, chose to become Jewish and speaks Spanish in a city where all doors are open to me," said Perry.
City Controller Wendy Greuel is not Jewish, but her husband is. He’s active with the American Jewish Committee, a public policy and advocacy organization.
"I am proud to have stood with many of you and with Israel," said Greuel. "As mayor of Los Angeles, I will stand with you to make Los Angeles the great city I know it can be."
Small numbers, big impact
Although they make up only about 6 percent of Los Angeles’ population, Jews matter in this election because they may cast up to 17 percent of all votes in the mayor’s race – and no single candidate can claim that he or she has locked up that vote.
That’s true in part because there’s as much variety in the community as there is among the candidates for mayor, says Rafe Sonenshein, executive director of the The Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A.
"If you live in the San Fernando Valley where a big block of the Jewish community lives, you’ll probably be more inclined toward Wendy Greuel," said Sonenshein. "If you live in Mid-City or Hollywood, you might be a little bit more inclined toward Eric Garcetti."
Councilwoman Perry has fewer Jewish voters in her South L.A. district, but Sonenshein says Perry is "certainly getting well-known among Jewish voters."
Coalition-building an integral element of Jewish politics in L.A.
Whoever’s elected to succeed Antonio Villaraigosa in June will not be the first Jewish mayor of Los Angeles. That distinction belongs to Bernard Cohn, appointed acting mayor for few weeks – back in 1878.
After Cohn, Jews – and virtually anyone who wasn't white and Christian – was absent from elected office in Los Angeles. Rosalind Weiner, later Wyman, became the first Jew elected to office in L.A. in 1953.
A shared sense of exclusion from the city’s power structure motivated Jewish and minority voters to elect the first Latino city councilman, Edward Roybal, in 1949 – and the city's first African-American mayor, Tom Bradley, in 1973.
The civil unrest of the early 1990s frayed the coalition – but not the importance of courting this influential cohort of L.A. voters.
Adeena Bleich with the nonpartisan Jewish organization CivicCare, which sponsored the debate at Congregation Beth Jacob, says traffic, business taxes and public safety all matter deeply – along with education, an issue that resonates across the religious spectrum from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox.
All the candidates, says Bleich, were "concerned about the state of creating public-private partnerships and ensuring that good Jewish education and that good education continues in the city of L.A."
To Bleich and her constituency, voting is more than a civic obligation.
"It’s not just something we do because our friends are doing it," says Bleich. "It’s something we do because it can actually help repair the world."
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor comes to LA
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited the KPCC studios last week for an event at the Crawford Family Forum.
Sotomayor, who made history in 2009 when she became the nation's first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the high court, has written a new memoir called, "My Beloved World."
She talked with KPCC’s Patt Morrison about the book, and her tenure on the court.
CORRECTION: In the introduction to the excerpt we presented on Take Two, we erred. Justice Sotomayor was an undergraduate at Princeton, and earned a law degree at Yale. We got it backwards, as several of our listeners noted.
Hear the full hour interview below:
Obama takes stance on college and NFL football head-injury dangers
This Sunday in New Orleans, the Ravens and 49ers will play in Super Bowl XLVII. Aside from from fame and glory, one of the perks of winning is a trip to the White House.
President Obama is a big sports fan, routinely weighing in on a variety of sports stories.
In an interview in the New Republic, he tackled head injuries in football saying that if he had a son he'd have to think long and hard before letting him play and that fans may have to accept that the game might have to become less exciting in the interests of player safety.
Yesterday, NFL players like the Ravens Ed Reed agreed with the President:
"I agree with President Obama until they fix the system. The system has got some kinks in it."
The President went on to say that he was more concerned with NCAA football rather than the NFL, because the pros have union protection and are adults who are well-paid for their risk while the students don't have as much to fall back on.
Will the NCAA heed the Presiden? How much influence can the White House have in the big money business of sports? Here to help us answer those questions is David Jackson, White House correspondent for USAToday and a former sports writer.
2013 Super Bowl is game on for second screen
Many folks who will tune in to the Super Bowl this weekend will watch not only on a big screen TV, but also on a so-called second screen. Second screen, of course, refers to the laptops, tablets and mobile phones viewers often use to supplement their TV-watching experience with things like live streams, exclusive, Web-only features and social media.
"I think there's a realization that people want to do more than just watch TV," said Advertise Age writer David Steinberg. "They want to compare stats, they want to talk to people, they want to tweet about the plays they just saw or their reactions to it. This whole idea of social TV or second screen TV has been i'd say emerging in the last year and a half, two year or so as more tablets have hit the marketplace."
CBS, the network broadcasting the game, has developed a number of special features for second screens. In particular, CBS will be offering four unique, mobile-exclusive camera angles of the game that you won't see on TV.
"You might interesting perspectives from high up in the stadium or from low down…angles designed just for the feed," said Steinberg. "You'll also have access to the Super Bowl ads once they air on TV… I think you'll also be able to watch the halftime show which last year you were not able to do."
According to a report in Adweek, CBS estimates that ad revenue from second screen features will bring in between $10-12 million, compared to $2 million NBC snagged during last year's Bowl. They're intended to offer added value to the viewer, but they're also opening up a new world for advertisers.
"It's a paltry amount when you think of the grand scheme of Super Bowl advertising," said Steinberg. "It's much cheaper than the TV show and while its an experiment for a lot of the TV networks and for the advertisers and for the audience, it's not the be all end all quite yet."