We start today with a look at the FBI's investigation into problems with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Then, will Eric Cantor's departure push Rep. Kevin McCarthy ahead in House? Plus, California ranked one of the most stressed-out state in U.S., LA's Croatian community roots for their homeland team, 'Obvious Child''s Jenny Slate on life, love and stand-up comedy, how to make high-concept ice cream sandwiches like Coohaus at home and more.
Senate passes bill to fix problems in the VA Department
There's been a lot of discussion about the VA Department the past few weeks, with department secretary Eric Shinseki resigning over reports of the falsification of records and prolonged delays for veterans seeking medical care.
An audit released this week revealed that over 57,000 veterans were waiting three months or more for their initial appointment, among other major issues.
Congress has drafted bills that would address the wait times for medical services for current and former service members and ensure that veterans receive the healthcare they deserve. The bill has passed in both the House and as of yesterday, the Senate, in the hopes of improving the VA system as quickly as possible.
Burgess Everett, congressional reporter for POLITICO, wrote about this Senate bill and what it would to do help fix many of the wait time issues plaguing the department.
Will Eric Cantor's departure push Rep. Kevin McCarthy ahead in House?
On Tuesday, Eric Cantor, the number two Republican in the House, lost his election primary to an previously unknown Tea Party candidate.
RELATED: Eric Cantor steps down from House Republican leadership
On Wednesday, Cantor announced he would step down from his role as House Majority Leader at the end of July. Now, Republicans are jockeying for his position in the leadership, and among them is California Republican Kevin McCarthy, who has already been endorsed by Cantor.
RELATED: Eric Cantor's defeat could mean a boost for one Californian
For more on McCarthy, we're joined by KPCC's Washington Correspondent Kitty Felde.
World Cup 2014: Croatian community in LA roots for their homeland team
The World Cup starts this afternoon at 1 PM with a match between host country Brazil and Croatia. Brazil is favored to win, but the Croatian community in Southern California still has hope.
RELATED: World Cup 2014: Where to watch your country’s team
National pride is a big part of the World Cup, and as KPCC's Josie Huang found out, that may be even more the case for Croatia.
Feeling Stressed? California ranked one of most stressed-out state in US
California is known for its great weather, beautiful beaches, laid-back lifestyle, and...stress?
A new list of the most stressed states in America ranks California in the top five. Rounding out the list? Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and Nevada.
Movoto, the online real estate brokerage, compiled the list using data from the U.S. Census and six criteria: commute times, unemployment, hours worked, population density, percentage of income spent on housing, and percentage of population without health insurance.
Randy Nelson, the editor of the Movoto blog, joins Take Two to explain how the list was compiled.
The 10 most stressed states:
- Florida
- Georgia
- New Jersey
- California
- Nevada
- Illinois
- New York
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Arizona
The least stressed-out state? North Dakota.
'Brutal Youth': Anthony Breznican on his debut coming-of-age novel
Anthony Breznican may be a first-time novelist, but he's been writing for a long, long time. He was an entertainment reporter for the Associated Press and USA Today, and he's currently a senior staff writer at Entertainment Weekly.
Breznican's first work of fiction is a dark, coming of age story called "Brutal Youth," a stark look at bullying at a Catholic high school in Pennsylvania.
Here's what legendary novelist Stephen King had to say about the book:
"If you thought high school was hell, has Anthony Breznican got a story for you... By turns funny and terrifying, 'Brutal Youth' is an unputdownable tour-de-force, a 'Rebel Without a Cause' for the 21st century."
Breznican spoke with Take Two about "Brutal Youth."
To celebrate the launch of "Brutal Youth," the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles will present a screening of coming-of-age films on June 20-22, hosted by Anthony Breznican. Find out more here.
EXCERPT:
'Obvious Child''s Jenny Slate on life, love and stand-up comedy
Romantic comedies and unwanted pregnancies are two topics you might not think belong together. In most cases you'd be correct, but it's not true for the new film "Obvious Child."
The film, which stars former "SNL" alum Jenny Slate, is about an aspiring comedian who grapples with an uncertain financial future, an unwanted pregnancy, and a surprising new suitor. The character, Donna Stern, begins to discover that the most terrifying thing about adulthood isn't facing it all on her own.
Host Alex Cohen recently had a chance talk to Jenny Slate about the new film, what life is really like doing stand up comedy and how she feels about doing jokes that many people describe as raunchy, but refreshing.
State Of Affairs: Primary race status, Paul Tanaka, $15 minimum wage and more
Votes are still being counted in a few primary races around Southern California and hotel workers in Los Angeles might be looking at a wage increase sooner than expected. To drill down on all of this and more we've got KPCC political reporters Alice Walton and Frank Stoltze in the studio.
We look first at some of the primary races still left open. In the Inland Empire, votes are still being counting in one congressional race. We get caught up on where things stand and what this race could mean for traditional party politics.
Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin will be in the November runoff for State Controller, but it's unclear who her opponent will be. What's the latest on the vote tally?
Up in Ventura County, the re-election of Democratic Congresswoman Julia Brownley seems to be in question. What's going on?
This week the Board of Supervisors voted four to one to create the Office of Child Protection. What would that be exactly?
This vote was pushed by county supervisors who are in the last six months of their terms, Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky. Is there something to be said about the timing of this just as the Board of Supervisors is preparing for a change in leadership?
Supervisor Don Knabe was the lone dissenting vote. He argued that adding an additional layer of bureaucracy is not the way to improve the child welfare system. Does he have a point? The county already has the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Public Social Services.
Undersheriff Paul Tanaka placed second last week in the primary for sheriff. Three days later, he was testifying in a federal case against six sheriff's deputies accused of criminal misconduct. What does his testimony mean for his chances in November?
A big story this week has to do with minimum wage in this town. A Los Angeles City Council committee approved a wage proposal this week that would increase the wages paid to employees in non-union hotels up to $15 an hour. Why is the city pursuing this policy and how likely is it to be passed?
In other City Council news, a sales tax proposal floated by two L.A. city council members to repair failing streets and sidewalks will not appear on the November ballot. The multibillion-dollar Save Our Streets plan is dead, at least for now. What are the politics behind this decision? What's the plan now to fix these roads?
E3 Conference: Testing out the future of virtual reality and gaming
Walking into the Electronic Entertainment Expo is like walking into a casino, but with a lot more blood, gore and murder. Lights are flashing, music's playing, bomb sounds and gory posters are hanging from the walls. But believe it or not, there are actual games and technology available to check out.
Let's start of with a virtual reality system. The Virtuix Omni - is just that.
Its made of three components: A standard controller, an Oculus Rift and the Omni base station.
First off, the Rift is an immersive headset, that looks similar to a virtual reality helmet you've likely seen on TV. It beams a stereo image of whatever game you're in, through the device, and you become completely immersed in that game's world. When you turn your head, the screen shifts, mimicking head an eye movements similar to real life.
But paired up with the Omni, the system becomes more immersive. The bowl looking base station lets run in place, turn, change direction and actually move in real life and have those movements shadowed by the character in the game. A harness holds you up and you sort of float on the platform using special shoes that don't give you any traction. And there are sensors in the base station that can tell where you're trying to move.
At first it feels like you're stumbling around drunk on a sheet of ice, but eventually it becomes an immersive experience.
When it comes to games, the new Legend of Zelda and the new Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, were two talked about titles at E3. They're different from one another, but they're both open world games. What it means is that rather than playing linearly, you can just explore an entire world. If you see mountains in the distance, you can go to those mountains.
You can interact with nature, and rather than playing mission after mission, you can do a little exploring. This has been a trend for a while now, but the fact that these two major franchises, which have never been open world, are going this route, is an indication that open world might be the way to go.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Speaking of Zelda, Nintendo released a bunch of new titles, including a new installment of the Super Smash Brothers. It's a fighting game which pits Nintendo characters against each other. So, you can have Mario and Luigi fight Yoshi and Bowser. It's been one of Nintendo's most successful franchises.
Evolve was the darling of E3. It's a game where four fighters go up against a monster, which gets stronger over the course of the game. The thing is, every character is manned by someone, including the monster. So, four friends against one forces people to work together to defeat one evil beast.
It was surprisingly difficult to find a video game with a strong female protagonist at E3. But, the indie game Velocity 2X had just that. Actually, Sony's has been working with indie gaming companies to bring their games to the Playstation, because it's harder to develop for their console than for PC. And lately there's been an explosion of indie games. They're fun. They're cheap and a lot of the time they're quick moving.
For those of you who want to dance, there are a couple of picks. Check out Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved. It's a rhythm based dance game that you play with the Microsoft Kinect an Xbox. And you get points for sort of swiping and dancing.
Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved
And then there's the successful video game franchise Just Dance from Ubisoft. They're releasing the next installment, which is just a sort of update to the old game. But it's got new music from people like Pharrell and Charlie XCX.
Nielsen admits it made a mistake in ratings report
The Los Angeles Times is reports that the ratings firm Nielsen admitted that there may have been an error with earlier reports.
This week, the firm delayed releasing the report for May because it needed to review their findings, but the problems with their reporting may be much more extensive. We'll talk to Meg James, who wrote about it for the LA Times.
A 'Paleo Foodie' explains how to eat like our ancestors
The Paleo diet it's a style of eating based on what many believe our Paleolithic ancestors ate. It relies heavily on vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and meats, and it avoids a lot of things common in the American diet: dairy, gluten, soy and legumes. It can make cooking pretty tough.
But "The Paleo Foodie Cookbook" author Arsy Vartanian firmly believes you can be an epicurean and stay on the Paleo plan.
Grilled Lamb Hearts and Liver with Spicy Chimichurri
SERVES 6 TO 8
Liver is rich in iron and other minerals, choline and B vitamins, especially vitamins B6 and B12. In addition, it’s a good source of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K. Heart is a rich source of Coenzyme Q10 and a helpful substance that supports many body processes.
In Armenian cuisine organ meats are often served simply, grilled and sprinkled with sea salt. Because of its milder flavor, lamb offal is preferred over beef.
Heart is a perfect introduction to organ meats. Once it’s trimmed, you’re left with tender muscle flesh, which resembles other muscle meats in flavor.
Liver and heart are quite lean. I add a sauce to the classic grilled version to add some fat to the dish. Let's face it; it will also help disguise the strong flavor of liver for those who are new to it!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb/454 g lamb heart, well-trimmed of exterior fat and interior veins and ventricles, cut into 1 inch/2-cm cubes
- 1 lb/454 g lamb liver, trimmed of tough membranes and veins, cut into 2 inch/5-cm slices
- coarse sea salt
- Serve with Four-Herb Spicy Chimichurri (page 211)
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thread the heart and liver slices loosely on skewers and sprinkle with sea salt. Grill medium over hot coals, about 5 minutes per side, until the center is pink but firm. Do not overcook, as the heart and liver can get really tough. Drizzle with chimichurri and serve.
Why isn't there more affordable housing in Los Angeles?
This is the second part of KPCC's occasional series "High Rent, Few Options," which looks at the rent affordability crisis in Southern California. You can read Part One here. Let us know what you think in the comments below, on Facebook or on Twitter (@KPCC).
Ask why the rent is so high in Los Angeles, and you often get the same answer.
- “There’s certain laws like the law of gravity and it’s called the law of supply and demand,” said developer Carl Lambert.
- “It’s supply and demand,” said Los Angeles city Councilman Gil Cedillo.
- “I think in simple terms, it’s an issue of supply and demand,” said Beverly Kenworthy, executive director of the California Apartment Association, which represents apartment owners.
In Los Angeles — a city where fewer and fewer residents can afford to buy a house — rents are the least affordable they've ever been; constructing more apartments would certainly help.
But as KPCC's Ben Bergman explains, developers say that building new housing — especially affordable units — is an agonizing process.
Coolhaus at your haus: How to make high-concept ice cream sandwiches at home
On occasion, the heat in L.A. is unbearable. No amount of A/C or icy lemonade can really make us feel better, but sometimes eating some ice cream can really hit the spot.
Recently, in KPCC's own parking lot, we got a major treat: the Coolhaus ice cream sandwich truck.
But beyond the standard ice cream flavors, they go high-concept: you could have baked apple ice cream smooshed between potato chip and butterscotch cookies. Or Peking duck ice cream with vegan ginger molasses cookies.
Founded in 2009 by Natasha Case and Freya Estreller, it got its start at Coachella. Since then, Coolhaus has expanded to 11 trucks throughout the country, collaborations with musical artists by creating specially-themed sandwiches (like Tegan and Sara's "Til Death Do Us Part" sandwich), and the new cookbook, "Coolhaus Ice Cream Book."
Case and Estreller told A Martinez that the name came from Natasha's own background in architecture at UCLA:
"That's what I came from, so [we named] a lot of the ice cream and cookie combinations after architects like 'Mies Vanilla Rohe,' 'Mintamilism,' 'Frank Behry. People would have something that's fun and easy to embrace, but they could have an educational quality to them as well."
"It's basically food plus architecture," added Freya Estreller, "and Coolhaus was the first project under that umbrella."
Hear more of the secrets and backstory behind the Coolhaus truck by hitting play for the whole interview
Recipes from the "Coolhaus Ice Cream Book"
Plain Custard Base (Makes about: 11⁄2 quarts | Active time: 10 to 15 minutes)
Use the freshest eggs available for best results. If possible, refrigerate the base for a full 24 hours— the longer, the better. We like to chill our bases in plastic or stainless-steel pitchers with airtight lids for easy pouring into the ice cream maker after chilling.
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 11⁄4 cups granulated sugar
- 8 large egg yolks
- In a 4-quart saucepan, combine milk, cream, and half of sugar. Set over high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk yolks and remaining sugar until smooth, heavy, and pale yellow, about 30 seconds.
- When cream mixture just comes to a boil, whisk, remove from heat, and, in a slow stream, pour half of cream mixture over yolk/sugar mixture, whisking constantly until blended.
- Return pan to stovetop over low heat. Whisking constantly, stream yolk-cream mixture back into pan.
- With a wooden spoon, continue stirring until mixture registers 165 to 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Do not heat above 180 degrees, or eggs in base will scramble. Mixture should be slightly thickened and coat back of spoon, with steam rising, but not boiling. (If you blow on the back of the spoon and the mixture ripples, you’ve got the right consistency.)
- Pour base into a clean airtight container and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours before using.
- Use base within 3 to 5 days
Whiskey Lucky Charms Ice Cream (Makes about: 11⁄2 quarts | Active time: 15 to 20 minutes)
This milky, fruity concoction, a bottom-of-thecereal- bowl gem, is sharpened with Irish whiskey and smoothed with sugary marshmallows. Touches of orange blossom, sherry, honey, and vanilla come from the whiskey. It’s a grown-up treat that’ll make you feel like a kid.
- Plain Custard Base
- 1⁄4 cup Bushmills or Jameson Irish whiskey
- 3⁄4 cup Lucky Charms cereal
- Process base in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add whiskey during last 2 minutes of churning
- Transfer to a bowl and fold in cereal.
- Scrape into an airtight storage container. Freeze for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.
Dirty Mint Chip Ice Cream (Makes about: 11⁄2 quarts | Active time: 20 to 30 minutes)
We have news for you. That supermarket mint chip ice cream with the nuclear-green color? It doesn’t have any mint leaves in it. It has mint oil or fake mint flavoring, and that nasty color comes from artificial coloring. Real, fresh mint leaves give our Dirty Mint a fresh, cool intensity. Why is it “dirty”? Because we use brown sugar in the base, which gives the ice cream a deep caramel punch and a natural light brown color. It is also “dirty” because we don’t strain out the mint. Leaving it in deepens the flavor the longer the ice cream is in the freezer.
(Warning: This has been known to convert mint ice cream haters.)
- 1⁄3 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1⁄2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Plain Custard Base, made with light brown sugar instead of granulated
- 1⁄2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (we like Guittard or Ghirardelli)
- Stir mint leaves, dark brown sugar, and salt into base. Mix well.
- Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Transfer to a bowl and fold in chocolate chips.
- Scrape into an airtight storage container. Freeze for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.
Suggested Cookies: Chocolate Chip or Double Chocolate
© 2014 by Natasha Case, Freya Estreller with Kathleen Squires. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.