First we'll have an update on the Powerhouse Fire; Could California's solar success kill off the state's big utilities?; Why hasn't Obama done a public event in California since taking office?; GoldiBlox game encourages girls to build engineering skills; As popularity grows, California rabbit farmers struggle to keep up with demand, plus much more.
Update on the Powerhouse Fire
The Powerhouse Fire in the Angeles National Forest has burned nearly 30,000acres and destroyed six homes. Thousands of people have been evacuated and in some areas the fire has been fueled by brush that hasn't burned in 74 years. There are also other smaller fires burning throughout Los Angeles County.
For more, we've reached out to Angeles National Forest fire information officer Nathan Judy.
Could California's solar success kill off the state's big utilities?
California is home to more than half of all rooftop solar projects in the United States. But as more and more Californians generate their own power the state's big utilities are getting worried.
KQED's science reporter Lauren Sommer has the story.
Enrolling young people under Affordable Care Act may be challenging
When the Affordable Care Act officially kicks in next year, nearly everyone who isn't eligible for health insurance through their parents, their partner, or their job will be faced with a decision. Should they buy health insurance through the new state-based insurance exchanges, or pay a fine of at least $95, or 1 percent of household income.
Health officials are worried that this won't be incentive enough for young, healthy adults who are critical to balancing out the insurance pools to join in.
For more on this we're joined by LA Times reporter Anna Gorman.
On The Lot: Blogger feud, 'After Earth,' and more
Two powerful entertainment bloggers, Sharon Waxman and Nikki Finke, get into an incredibly nasty catfight. Sounds like the plot for an Anne Hathaway/Kate Hudson film, doesn't it?
LA Times reporter Rebecca Keegan joins us for our weekly segment, On the Lot, with everything you need to know about what's up in Tinsel Town.
The 'Arrested Development' banana stand finally comes to Newport Beach
Netflix recently released the fourth season of the TV show "Arrested Development," about the dysfunctional Bluth family and their various business ventures. One of those ventures is a frozen banana stand on Newport Beach's Balboa Island.
Just before the most recent season premiered, replicas of the banana stand popped up at several locations across the country. Except it didn't come to Newport Beach, much to the consternation of Newport's Mayor Keith Curry.
An online petition started making the rounds, which urged Netflix to bring the stand to Newport. Curry even came on Take Two to send his plea out into the airwaves. Well, Netflix execs heard his call and the banana stand finally made it there yesterday.
"We did the interview on Friday, [the folks from Netflix] called me on Tuesday and said they'd heard me on they air and had decided to bring the stand to Newport Beach," said Mayor Curry. "I was thrilled…We had our 20th annual Balboa Island Parade, and I thought there was no more perfect time and place to bring the Bluth Banana Stand to celebrate both the show and frozen bananas from Newport Beach."
Curry says the stand was a big hit and had plenty of customers as there were hundred of people there to celebrate the parade. Bluth Banana Stand was lined up at the end of the parade next to Newport Beach's other banana stands, Sugar and Spice, and Dad's Frozen Bananas.
Curry says the stand was a big hit and had plenty of customers as there were hundred of people there to celebrate the parade. Bluth Banana Stand was lined up at the end of the parade next to Newport Beach's other banana stands, Sugar and Spice, and Dad's Frozen Bananas. Curry even held up his promise to give Netflix a key to the city if they brought the stand to Newport.
"The key to the city offer may have been what clinched the deal," said Curry. "I did in fact give the key to the city to Shauna Spenley from Netflix and they appreciated that. Of course, they're always welcome to come back to Newport."
Dads face pressures of balancing work and parenting head-on
Picture someone you know who is struggling with the balance between work and family. Is it a man or a woman? Plenty of moms talk about feeling wracked with guilt about focusing too much on their career and not enough on their kids, but it's not just a women's issue.
Reporter Sheelah Kolhatkar recently wrote about how men are tackling the work/life balance issue head-on for Bloomberg's Businessweek.
Supreme Court upholds warrantless DNA collection for arrests
Today the US Supreme Court ruled that police can routinely take DNA samples from people they arrest and they don't need a warrant. For more on what today's ruling means, we're joined by Loyola Law School's Laurie Levenson.
Why hasn't Obama done a public event in California since taking office?
In 2008, more than 8 million Californians voted for President Obama, compared to 6.5 million in 2012. Despite the overwhelming number of people who cast their ballots for him, the President has never hosted a public event here since taking office.
In fact, his next upcoming visit this week to Rancho Mirage will be just like his other 19 trips: filled with only private meetings and fundraisers.
Joe Garofoli, political blogger for the San Francisco Chronicle.
California farmers struggle to keep up with demand for rabbit meat
If you're tired of eating fish, chicken and beef, you're in good company. Restauranteurs and farmers market shoppers in Northern California are increasingly turning to a different meat to satisfy their protein needs: Rabbit.
Demand for rabbit meat is so high right now that farmers like Mark Pasternak of Devil's Gulch Ranch in Marin County are having trouble keeping up. Pasternak's farm supplies the meat to farmers markets and high-end restaurants like The French Laundry and Chez Panisse.
Rabbit has been popular in Europe, China and other parts of the world for years, but for some reason it hasn't yet found mainstream appeal in the United States. Pasternak says his theory for this sudden popularity is that European chefs, or at least those who have trained in Europe, are including rabbit dishes on their menus.
"A European chef gets over here and the first thing he says is, 'Where's the rabbit?'" said Pasternak on Take Two. "It's their staple over there; that's one of their go-to meats. It's very versatile and a really good meat."
Rabbit meat is lean, high in omega-3 oils, easy to harvest and relatively free of disease. The alfalfa-eating animals are kept in cages with grated bottoms, preventing them from coming into direct contact with their droppings. Rabbits also have a lower impact on the environment than chickens or cows, and less prone to waste.
"In a country like Haiti, it's helping to reduce deforestation," said Pasternak. "They're also a one-size meal, so you don't need refrigeration. If you were to kill a cow or a pig, you've got the issue of what to do with all the extra meat."
Rabbits can be processed within just months and breeding does, or female rabbits, can produce litters of up to eight pups for four to five years. Pasternak describes the taste of rabbit to be reminiscent of dark meat chicken, lacking the gamey flavor that some people don't like. He says, like chickens, rabbits are a good option for people wanting to raise and harvest their own animals.
"The big advantage of rabbits is they're fairly quiet, easy to handle and you can give them some scraps, although you'll generally be feeing them alfalfa meal or pellets," said Pasternak. "They're fairly easy to raise on a small scale. They're also probably one of the easiest animals to harvest, so there are a lot of advantages."
Pasternak demonstrates how to de-bone a rabbit and make a remoulade: