Voter turnout for yesterday's primary election in California turned out to be dismal as expected. Why do voters seem so apathetic? Then, a look back at the legacy of Tiananmen Square, 25 years later. Plus, Reza Aslan talks about his new L.A. series, The Writer's Room, actress Loni Anderson on reuniting with the cast of 'WKRP In Cincinnati' and more.
Election 2014: What's behind voter apathy and low turnout?
Voter turnout was low in yesterday's primary election throughout the country, including in California. Numbers from the Secretary of State's office show that only about 18 percent of registered voters participated.
For more on why that turnout was so low, we're joined by Eric McGhee, research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California and an expert on voting behavior and political participation.
What would make your street a 'Great Street'?
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the first 15 streets in his Great Streets initiative. The idea is to transform key spots throughout the city into real destinations for the community, just like he did when he was a councilman.
Guisados Tacos in Boyle Heights sits right on the edge of one of those designated streets: Cesar Chavez Ave. between St. Louis St. and Evergreen Blvd.
RELATED: See where the first 15 Great Streets projects are
Beyond just highlighting these streets, L.A. Metro is working to transform neighborhoods all throughout Southern California, too. Later this month, it'll decide on a series of upcoming open streets events similar to CicLAVia.
Possible locations include the San Gabriel Valley, Downey, Carson, and the San Fernando Valley.
RELATED: See where upcoming open streets events could be
Guisados owner Armando de la Torre explains what makes his own neighborhood unique, and CicLAVia organizer Joe Linton addresses the growing demand for these kinds of events.
Tiananmen Square at 25: A student leader recalls gunshots and chaos
Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong poured into the streets today to mark the 25th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square. But in Beijing, Chinese authorities sharply restricted access to the site and enforced a virtual blackout online.
More than 60 have been detained or put under house arrest ahead of the anniversary, according to Amnesty International, and Google has been blocked ahead of the anniversary.
On June 4, 25 years ago, military forces opened fire on unarmed protesters in Tiananmen. There, students and civilians had been filling the Square for two months, some on hunger strike. It was a rare display of public rebuke to China's central government.
One of those who was there was Chaohua Wang.
After June 4, her name appeared on a list of the most wanted student leaders and she went into hiding. Soon after, she relocated to Southern California and now teaches literature at UCLA.
Wang joins Take Two to talk about what it was like during this historic time.
Interview Highlights:
On June 4, you were at a nearby hospital. What do you remember from that morning?
I woke up and found all the doctors and nurses disappeared from their office, where I was staying, so I walked out and walked toward the Square. On my way, I met all these people gathering in small groups. Some people were talking in tears and a man in his middle-age walked towards us and all of a sudden collapsed, sitting by the curb and started crying. Basically, there I learned [that] the sounds came from machine guns and the people had died.
What were the streets like?
The streets, when I passed the next day, were empty of people, of crowds. You had rows of these military tanks and armed trucks. The dangerous thing was that soldiers stationed at intersections would start shooting. So there were casualties, not only in that night, in that evening, on June 3 and June 4, there were further victims in the following days.
Were you ever worried about your safety?
Yes, that was always there from the beginning. But once you got really widespread support -- and also after the government issued martial law, two weeks before sending the troops in -- we were so encouraged in seeing thousands and thousands of ordinary people coming into the streets, laying on the ground to block the tanks. So we were in a situation that we couldn’t retreat from the Square. So long as we had a clear sense that we represented the people’s will, the people’s wish, the people’s hope, we would stay in the Square.
After the crackdown in June, you went into hiding, what were those months like for you?
One thing I understood very quickly was that whenever the Party had their sight on power, on holding on to power, then they treated every citizen not as an individual. You became simply a piece of chess in their playing game. So that was a very strong impression when I found my name among one of the 21 most-wanted students. Later on I learned that a few of our protesting comrades actually turned themselves in to police. For their action I feel full of admiration.
You wound up in Southern California, what was it like when you first arrived?
For me, it was after nearly nine months in hiding and I had a very strong sense of being free again, walking on the streets and trying to make decisions for yourself. To decide what you want to do next. So I had a very strong sense of liberation.
A quarter of a century later, Chinese authorities still maintain control over information about what happened. How much of what you do is to try to make sure people remember what happened?
I think where people are not really under direct control, Chinese people are remembering. This is most evident in Hong Kong. Every year, you have large-scale candlelight vigil on June 4 in Hong Kong. So I think where the government doesn’t have complete control, our duty is to preserve the memory.
Why LAUSD needs more counselors for at-risk youth
Teaching Through Trauma: the second in a series of stories on poverty in Los Angeles schools. Read Part One here.
Half of low-income students in the L.A. Unified School District read below grade level. The district's tried a number of interventions — after school programs, summer school, a crack down on attendance — but there's one big thing they aren't trying.
In the final installment on our series "Teaching through Trauma," KPCC's Annie Gilbertson talks to kids in Highland Park.
How does stress change our brains?
As we've learned in KPCC reporter Annie Gilbertson's series "Teaching Through Trauma," poor students in Los Angeles are facing some major hurdles.
One recent study found that four in five students at high-poverty schools experience multiple traumatic episodes. And research shows that stress and trauma can actually change kids' brains, making it more difficult for them to learn and do well in school.
Dr. Cara Wellman has studied how chronic stress impacts the brain. She's a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and she joined Take Two for more on how stress can change the brain.
Sports Roundup: LA Kings, Spurs vs Heat and more
A pair of basketball heavyweights meet up for a championship rematch, happy anniversary Yasiel Puig, and hockey in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Kings host the New York Rangers in game one of the Stanley Cup final tonight in Staples Center. Both teams have had quite the long winding road to get here haven't they?
It's the first L.A./NY championship series in NHL history and the first in any sport since the Dodgers/Yankees in 1981. Do you think this is the dream match-up for the sport has been waiting for?
Many have said that the two best NHL teams already played when the Kings beat Chicago.
Tomorrow is the start of the NBA Finals in San Antonio between the Spurs and back to back champs Miami Heat. It's a rematch of last year's final and there are story lines galore. Which ones jump out to you? The Spurs are pretty much a homegrown group, primarily developed through shrewd drafts. The Heat on the other hand are the biggest example of free spending, free agency at it's best. Do you think some fans will back a team for what it represents?
Yesterday marked one calendar year since the arrival of Yasiel Puig to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
One can argue that Mike Trout of the Angels is the best all-around player in the game or Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is the best hitter, but if there's a a most fascinating/exciting...it's Puig.
The Writers Room with Reza Aslan celebrates LA literary scene
Author and religious scholar Reza Aslan is used to answering questions. He's a frequent guest on public radio, "The Daily Show," "Real Time with Bill Maher" and countless other shows.
Now he'll be the one asking the questions as the host of a new monthly series of literary talks called The Writers Room. Aslan points out that as a creative city, the written word is celebrated in Los Angeles, though perhaps without the self-seriousness of other cities.
The inaugural guest is B.J. Novak, known for his acting in "The Office" and "Inglorious Basterds." He's also a television writer and last year published a bestselling collection of short stories, "One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories."
The series will be held at DBA in West Hollywood. Tickets and information is available at their website.
State Of Affairs: 2014 California primary election analysis
Voters — some of them anyway — went to the polls yesterday here in California to vote in primary elections. Our reporters Frank Stoltz, Alice Walton and Kitty Felde were up late watching the results.
There's a lot to talk about, including an interesting race for sheriff in LA County, and another to replace a retiring veteran, Representative Henry Waxman and the contest for California Governor. Jerry Brown came out on top in that race, and in the fall he'll face a Republican Neel Kashkari. Will the re-election will be a cakewalk for the governor?
There are stories this morning about how establishment Republicans are relieved that the Tea Party candidate for Governor, Tim Donnelly, got trounced. Will their favored candidate, Neel Kashkari, get trounced in the fall?
One of the most fascinating races yesterday was the contest to replace retiring Congressman Henry Waxman, who represents a district that stretches from Beverly Hills to Malibu and south along the coast to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It's a solid Democratic district, but the top vote getter is a Republican.
This was the first statewide election since California's open primary system went into effect. But, as the dust settles, it seems like it didn't change much.
Then there's the L.A. County Sheriff's race. The Department has been under investigation by Federal authorities, allegations of a culture of abuse in the jails. The incumbant, Lee Baca, stepped down a few months ago. What happened at the polls yesterday?
Another hotly contested race here in Los Angeles is the crowded field seeking to replace retiring L.A. Country Supervisor Zev Yaraslovski. The top candidates were a former child actor and longtime legislator and a member of the Kennedy clan.
In the other open seat for L.A. County Commission, a familiar name, Hilda Solis, had a good day with more than 70 percent of the vote. Some people were a bit puzzled when she left a White House cabinet position to run for this job. Tell us about her?
They say name recognition is everything in politics, and a lot of voters proved that in the race for California Secretary of State. Leland Yee, the state senator who's been charged with corruption and gun running got almost 10 percent of the vote. Still, if there is a statewide race in California that Republican might be able to win, this could be it.
We would be remiss if we did not talk about the historic results in two other local races: the race for Long Beach mayor and the challenge to Riverside District Attorney Paul Zellerbach.
What do yesterday's election results tell us about the political climate in California?
App Chat: How to see a doctor from your couch
You'd think that since summer is almost here you would have left the sniffles behind by now.
Wrong. I too am still feeling sick, and while sitting at home coughing and sniffling, I started to sift through health apps to see if technology could help assuage my suffering (read: overdramatic).
That's what we have for you this week on App Chat. Health apps that'll let you see a doctor from your couch, help you navigate the healthcare system, track where other sick people are and one that'll hopefully help you sleep a bit better.
1) Sickweather: If you want to track where all of the sick people around you are located.
This app takes location information from tweets and Facebook posts around you that are related to people who are sick. So, if someone is sick down the street from you and they tweet about it, it'll show up on the phone app. Just check out the picture in the slideshow above. There are too many sick people in Los Angeles. Who knows which one of you infected me... or who I infected (sorry).
2) Doctor on Demand: If you get sick and you don't want to leave the house for treatment.
I was laying on my sofa in my home, deciding whether to visit the hospital or not, because of my symptoms and I figured that there must be a more efficient way to have a doctor assuage my medical concerns. That's what this app does. For $40 you get to chat for 15 minutes with a doctor via video chat. You tell the doctor your symptoms, they diagnose you and if they feel like you need it, will write a prescription for you.
Since (at least on my health plan) my co-pay costs about $20 for a visit, and the urgent care room is usually packed, this was much more convenient and worth the extra $20.
My doctor was nice and helpful, but if I had more serious symptoms, I'd probably head to the hospital for a hands on experience. And if the doctor on call feels like that's what you need to do, they'll recommend that as well.
3) Better: If you need help navigating the healthcare system, booking appointments and diagnosing symptoms.
This is a sort of health super app, and for $50 a month, it should be. It's backed by the Mayo Clinic and it promises three big things:
- It'll connect you with a nurse who can advise you on a health issue and whether you need to go to the hospital.
- It'll connect you with a health assistant who will make doctors/specialist appointments for you, advocate on your behalf with insurance companies and tell you how to get the most out of your insurance. The company says that it complies with HIPAA privacy standards.
- It will keep track of your medical records and send you information and advice regarding the treatment of chronic ailments.
4) Noisili: When you need something more versatile than a white noise machine.
The app offers a set of different sounds, like crackling fire, thunder, rain drops, a train going over railroad tracks and white noise. And you can mix together the sounds to create relaxing soundscapes. Maybe some that'll help you sleep better? It's also just kind of fun to play with.
Could a 'gun violence restraining order' law prevent other mass killings?
Two state lawmakers have introduced a bill intended to lessen the chance of another mass killing, prompted by last month's rampage in Isla Vista.
Known as the Gun Violence Restraining Order, AB 1014, co-authored by Assemblymembers Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) and Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), would allow any person to petition a court to remove someone’s right to possess a firearm if it is believed the person in question is a danger to himself or others.
KPCC's Stephanie O'Neill reports.
Reality Gold Rush: Unscripted shows are becoming big business for TV networks
The world of television is undergoing some huge changes of late.
Non-traditional players like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are delving into the world of scripted fare — a world which for decades has been dominated by the networks and cable channels.
Change is on the horizon for reality shows, too.
To date, the genre has been dominated by smaller independent production companies, but now, the big guys are getting in on the act. They're scooping up reality TV makers so quickly that insiders are calling it a gold rush.
It's an issue Joe Flint has been writing about for the LA Times. He joins the show with more.
'WKRP In Cincinnati': Loni Anderson on reuniting with the cast
The CBS hit show "WKRP in Cincinnati" premiered in 1978, chronicling the struggles of local radio station going through its own growing pains.
The show received 10 Emmy nominations, including three for Outstanding Comedy Series, was known for great characters, newsman Les Nesman, burnt out DJ Dr. Johnny Fever, and the beautiful and mesmerizing receptionist, Jennifer Marlowe.
Actress Loni Anderson played Jennifer Marlowe, becoming a household name after the show debuted.
Today the cast is being reunited today at a live event at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, and Alex Cohen had a chance to talk to Loni Anderson about her time on the show, and what it was like to play such a unique character.