The risks of the heat and tips for staying safe, Trump's unconventional campaign against Clinton's well-oiled political machine, the latest on Copa América.
How tree die-off could impact California's wildfires
California's Sierra Nevada has lost more than 29 million trees since 2015, adding to the largest die-off in modern history. A combination of a bark beetle infestation and the ongoing drought are to blame. In addition to the environmental impact, there's another concern.
"The tree mortality in the central and southern Sierra is extreme," said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire), speaking on Take Two. "It's a slow moving disaster and it has the potential for large damaging fires."
In areas of extreme die-off, between 80 and 100 percent of trees are gone. "There's also a falling hazard right where people live" said Chief Pimlott, "on infrastructure, on roads. So we are extremely concerned about the public safety threat in these area."
In an effort to maintain safety, firefighters have been working all winter to clear debris, put fuel breaks in place and teach homeowners what they can do to better protect themselves. Fire teams are also using a variety of methods to dispose of the piles of wood created by the die-off, such as chipping and moving the materials to biomass facilities. Still, said Chief Pimlott, this is not enough.
"The challenge is that there's a significant amount of this material out there, more than we have capacity to move and to utilize in others ways," he said.
California has invested $5 million in tools to tackle the tree backlog, including the purchase of air-curtain burners, a dumpster-like container that incinerates wood at high temperatures. According to Chief Pimlott, the burners produce less ash and particulates than traditional open burning. Yet environmentalists have voiced concerns about the air-curtain burners and the potential impact on air quality, but for Chief Ken Pimlott, the alternative is far worse.
"If we don't dispose of this material, it will result in wild land fires," Pimlott said. "We've seen 100-thousand acre fires in the Sierra Nevada in the last several years and the emissions from those kinds of fires are exponential."
SoCal heat wave: Here's how to stay cool, save energy and recognize health risks
As an intense heat wave spiked Monday, Southern California saw more records fall, and extreme energy demands led to outages that left thousands without power. Energy demand in Los Angeles hit record levels, according to the city’s Department of Water and Power.
The heavy power usage from DWP and other utility customers taxed the system and led to power outages across the region. At one point, 20,000 customers were affected, according to the Associated Press. At its peak Monday, about 23,700 customers were without power across Southern California Edison's service area.
“We didn’t know what to expect, just because we knew that we were going to have outages and people were going to need to conserve," Cox said. "We had our crews on standby and communicating to customers the need to conserve electricity, particularly during peak energy hours, which is noon to 6 p.m.”
As of Tuesday morning, there were still thousands of spot outages. Southern California Edison reported about 6,000 customers still without power in L.A. County alone as of 8 a.m., though that was quickly reduced to 75 customers, according to Cox. There were still 8,900 DWP customers without power as of late Tuesday morning, with widespread outages throughout their coverage area, according to DWP's Vonda Paige.
The Valley's largest outage was in Van Nuys, with 1,600 customers without power, while the L.A. metro area's largest outage was in Hancock Park with 1,900 without power, Paige said. There were no specific causes, but they were being attributed to the heat in general.
Power was also out for about 700 customers in both Orange and Riverside counties and about 640 customers in San Bernardino County. DWP reported Monday evening that about 5,000 of its customers were also without power.
Energy demand reached 6,080 megawatts on Monday, the hottest day of the heat wave. That was a record for the month of June and about 50 percent higher demand than a typical June day for L.A., though short of the all-time demand of nearly 6,400 megawatts set on Sept. 16, 2014, according to DWP.
The previous record energy demand for June was 6,053 megawatts, set on the same day in June 2008.
More heat records fall
Heat records were broken in several cities across Southern California for the second straight day Monday.
Palm Springs and Thermal both saw temperatures above 120 degrees. Burbank, Ontario, Riverside, Fullerton and other spots that saw record highs on Sunday set new records again on Monday.
Here’s a round-up of some of the record-breaking temperatures from around the region:
| Location | New Record | Previous Record | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burbank | 111 | 106 | 2008 |
| Camarillo | 94 | 93 | 2008 |
| LAX | 95 | 86 | 2008 |
| Lancaster | 112 | 110 | 1961 |
| Sandberg | 100 | 96 | 2015 |
| Fullerton | 109 | 99 | 2008 |
| John Wayne Airport | 96 | 94 | 2008 |
| Ontario | 112 | 108 | 2008 |
| Palm Springs | 122 | 118 | 1929 |
| Riverside | 114 | 110 | 2008 |
| Thermal | 121 | 118 | 2008 |
Utilities urge customers to conserve
A Flex Alert issued Monday has expired, but DWP officials still urged customers to conserve energy to help avoid further outages.
“We’re asking customers to continue to conserve which is key. Customers really can help ease the burden of the system," SoCal Edison's Cox said.
DWP recommended setting thermostats to 78 degrees, turning off pool pumps and avoiding the use of big appliances like washing machines, dishwashers and vacuum cleaners during the day.
To keep your house cool without relying too heavily on the AC, you can also try keeping window curtains, shades or blinds closed to reduce the heat from direct sunlight.
The DWP also suggested unplugging your “energy vampires” — DVD players, microwave ovens and anything else that may draw energy even when not in use.
You can also consider leaving the house during the hottest part of the day and seeking out other cool spots, such as a movie theater or public library.
Check out another KPCC post for more heat hacks.
SoCal Edison also worked with state authorities to respond to the heat wave, Cox said.
How to stay safe in the heat
While the worst of the heat has passed, forecasters still expect high temperatures across Southern California.
Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the interim health officer and medical director for the L.A. County Department of Public Health, warned residents to respect the heat.
“First of all, people have to realize that when there’s high levels of heat, it’s not just an inconvenience. It really can be dangerous and death can occur,” Gunzenhauser said, speaking with Take Two.
Gunzenhauser advised the public to plan ahead and avoid activities that might put them at risk of heat-related illnesses, and take steps to protect family and pets.
So what are those heat illnesses, and how do you recognize when you’re at risk? There are three basic stages — heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke — each more serious than the last. Children and the elderly are most at risk.
Heat cramps
Heat cramps occur if you exert yourself heavily in really warm temperatures. You may feel cramps in the abdomen, legs or even arms, Gunzenhauser said. Heat cramps should be taken as a sign to take extra precautions so you don’t advance to more serious heat conditions, he said.
Heat exhaustion
The signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, dizziness, headache, muscle cramps and even nausea or vomiting. These are all signs that your body has overheated, but the sweating indicates that you haven’t yet advanced to the next stage. Gunzenhauser said that, at this point, you should seek shade, drink fluids and consider wetting your clothes — the evaporation can help cool you more quickly.
Heatstroke
With heatstroke, a person’s internal temperature becomes very high — as much as 105 degrees or even higher. The body has lost its ability to cool itself. A person with heatstroke may be unconscious or dizzy and may not respond appropriately. The skin can feel clammy or dry, because the body’s sweat function has stopped working. Heatstroke is a medical emergency, Gunzenhauser said — so if someone appears to have it, call 911 immediately, get the person lying down and try to cool them off.
In Southern California, fires often come along with extreme heat, and that means air quality can suffer. Several fires were burning throughout Southern California Tuesday, and Gunzenhauser said people with asthma or other respiratory conditions that make it hard to breathe should avoid outdoor activities or, if possible, head to an area without air quality issues.
Fish Fire evacuee describes leaving home behind
The Fish Fire and the Reservoir Fire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains are now being called the San Gabriel Complex. The two fires expected to merge into one big blaze at some point on Tuesday. As of 9 a.m., 5,400 acres have been burned, and there is still zero containment.
Liz Reilly lives in Fish Canyon and is a Duarte City Councilwoman. She left her house with her daughter and two dogs Monday afternoon. She went to an evacuation center in Duarte, while her daughter and the dogs headed to a pet-friendly hotel.
"The fires were so close that you could almost reach out and touch them," she said. "The reason I actually left was because the smoke was really getting to my eyes and I was having trouble breathing. So I thought it was really time to go."
Reilly loaded a box of her most important documents and some pictures into her car. She says she doesn't feel she left anything significant behind, because her family is most important. But the decision process was not simple.
"It's very difficult trying to decide, what do you value and what do you take? And I really decided that when we go back, I'm going to have to rethink that, and maybe have a list of things together as to what really is important and what things should I be taking," she said.
Until then, she and the other estimated 50 people at the evacuation center play games like Scrabble, and wait.
"That really is stressful, not knowing when you're going to be able to go back home," she said. "I know they're fighting it... they thought maybe at noon, but I don't know that at noon it's going to happen. So we're just kind of waiting to see when they tell us we can go back."
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
'When the Bough Breaks': a documentary about postpartum depression
Giving birth to a child is supposed to be one of the happiest occasions in a woman's life, filled with joy and love.
But for some mothers, the experience ends up being the exact opposite. For women suffering with postpartum depression, having a baby can be nothing short of terrifying.
The stories of women who've suffered with postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders are the subject of a new documentary titled "When the Bough Breaks."
The film was executive produced and narrated by Brooke Shields and directed by Jamielyn Lippman.
To hear the full interview with Jamielyn Lippman, click the blue player above.
New music from Charlie Parker, Ruby Friedman Orchestra and The Low Anthem
If you love music, but don't have the time to keep up with what's new, you should listen to Tuesday Reviewsday. Every week our critics join our hosts in the studio to talk about what you should be listening to, in one short segment. This week, music journalist
Artist: Ruby Friedman Orchestra
Album: "Gem"
Songs: "Fugue in L.A. Minor," "I’m Not Your Friend"
You don’t need to know Ruby Friedman’s life story to get a sense of who she is. Just hearing her, and better seeing her perform, tell enough. Her voice and manner are as bold and brash as her flame-red hair. But she’s telling you anyway, with "Fugue in L.A. Minor," the opening song of her long-in-coming first album, "Gem." Part unflinching biography, part unapologetic confessional, the song briefly accounts various things on her road to this point, overcoming alcohol, having a child and giving her up among them. And she asked God, she tells us, "What am I doing here?" His answer: "Keep singing, well you better!"
It’s quite the curtain-raiser, fitting as what follows has some theatrical punch, Vaudevillian in some spots, Brechtian in others. Well, really it’s Vaudeville-y and Brecht-y, not fully either, or any one thing at any time. Bluesy also applies. Jazzy maybe. But brassy, always. Ethel Waters with a pinch of Ethel Merman — via Dusty Springfield and maybe even some Patti Smith.
If "Fugue" is prelude (bad pun, Bach fans), then "I’m Not Your Friend" is the real opener, and it’s a killer, which is what she claims to be. "I’m not your friend, I killed a man," she sings, almost matter-of-factly adding the warning, "I’d do it again." We will presume that she’s singing metaphorically, but maybe best not to ask. No wonder that the folks behind the steely western series "Justified" found that very tone perfect for the show and used her version of "You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive" (which appears on "Gem") in the season five finale.
Friedman’s been splitting time the last few years between L.A. New York and New Orleans, and the sound her "orchestra" takes on blends the characteristics of the three, at once urban and swampy, at once formal and loose.
Another highlight is a last-minute addition to the album, the powerful "Ballad of Lee Morse." As the title suggests, this is another true story biography, this time of a kindred spirit from the 1920s era Friedman sometimes evokes, a hard-living, hard-drinking Oregon-born singer who became a star in her day before slipping to time and alcohol. Friedman sings the tale with a kind of force that can only come from someone who sees something, or a lot, of herself in it. It’s part celebratory, part cautionary. And all Ruby Friedman.
Artist: The Low Anthem
Album: "Eyeland"
Songs: "her little cosmos," "In the Air Hockey Fire"
A decade into its recording career, Providence, Rhode Island band the Low Anthem still gets called "folk," even though it never really was at all. Perhaps this new fifth album, "Eyeland," with its restless sonic experimentation and strange interludes, alternately driftingly genteel and jarringly abrasive, is meant as a direct assault on that term.
Or maybe it’s the folk music of a country that exists only in dreams, the same territory Brian Eno travelled in his 1975 wonder, "Another Green World," though here crossed over into from 2016 Rhode Island rather than post-glam England. Oh, and there’s a little side trip to Pepperland in the collage-y "wzgddrmtnrwrdz" (it sounds like it’s spelled) where someone whistles the opening lines of "Yellow Submarine."
Don’t get the wrong idea. It doesn’t sound like Eno (and nothing like "Sgt. Pepper"), but it shares the template of mixing invitingly haunting pop miniatures with odd instrumentals. Co-founders Ben Knox Miller (lead vocals and guitar) and Jeff Prystowsky (voice, drums, bass) and three new cohorts who have joined since the last Low Anthem album (2011’s "Smart Flesh") certainly share Eno’s sense of daring, challenging themselves to put aside preconceptions of what a pop — or folk — album is, of what does — or doesn’t — fit together. And in the process, they challenge us.
The album opener, "in eyeland," starts with a few-notes played on what sounds like a musical saw, a short phrase that evokes the beginning of Mahler’s first symphony (or, for some, the first atmospheric notes of the original "Star Trek" theme). Midway through "ozzie," a snappy little minimalist rocker, the tape (yes, tape it seems) slows to half-speed for a bit before the song returns to normal pace. It’s very Oz-y, speaking of magical lands. "her little cosmos," another little rocker, crackles with what sounds like cosmic rays picked up from distant galaxies. In other places, it is folkie, in a way — "the pepsi moon," for one, is somber, brittle acoustic guitar and understated singing, ornamented with touches of trumpet and various other sounds, a sense of quiet despair conveyed. Or quiet contentment. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which.
Such contrasts and contradictions are key, sometimes explicitly, as in following the glorious, cresting sonic impressionism of "am i the dream or am i the dreamer" with a piece titled "dream killer," relatively straightforward late-night voice and piano.
The closest to a reconciliation of the contrasts comes on "in the air hockey fire," still on the low-key side but with a lovely melody and poetic verses, kind of Belle and Sebastian without all the chamber-pop touches. And here Miller sings what may be the core line of the album: "Time doesn’t seem real as it’s passing." That’s life in eyeland.
Artist: Charlie Parker
Album: "Unheard Bird: The Unissued Takes"
Songs: "Okie Doke incomplete," "Night and Day alt take"
As record companies continue to mine the vaults to release just about everything "legacy" artists ever recorded, the results have been often as not unsatisfying. The incomplete and rejected takes filling volumes are just not the equivalent of, oh, Michelangelo’s sketches for the Sistine Chapel. Well, Charlie Parker was a Michelangelo of jazz.
So the false-starts, stumbles, thrown-away solos and alternate versions — mostly new discoveries in the archives — of "Unheard Bird: The Unissued Takes" let us see a master at work, ideas evolving by design or trial-and-error on the road to finished performance. We hear pieces, some with just generic designations — "Tune X," "Tune Y," "Tune Z" — develop out of primordial interplay between Parker and such esteemed cohorts as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Buddy Rich into full, and fully be-bopping performances.
But the biggest treasures here may be some sessions less familiar, takes from classic Latin styles with Bird joining Cuban star Machito’s orchestra that open the set and three Cole Porter songs with a big band, taken from a project left unfinished at Parker’s death, that end the two-CD program. Of the former, an incomplete take on "Okie Doke" kicks things off with burbling spirit. Of the latter, the various unreleased and released takes of "Night and Day," "Almost Like Being In Love" and "What Is This Thing Called Love" are great examples of Parker working magic with familiar melodies.
Of course, this is hardly the first time Bird works-in-progress have been unearthed, but the program here will delight ardent jazz fanatics tremendously. What’s surprising is how enjoyable even the fragments are in their own right, even those that are only 15 seconds of an aborted opening, the playing and spirit carrying a vibrant immediacy.
More surprisingly, though, this is also a quite good introduction to Bird, not so much for the be-bop you’d expect, but some of the things a casual or curious fan might not expect.
Tension between Mexican government and teacher's union leads to violence
In Oaxaca, Mexico, at least a half dozen people died and more than 100 were injured after a clash between police and a teacher's union 0n Sunday.
The violence centered around education reforms brought on by President Enrique Pena Nieto. Both sides are blaming each other with the future of Mexico's beleaguered public school system left hanging in the balance.
Freelance journalist James Fredrick who is based in Mexico City, spoke to host A Martinez about the latest news in the conflict, the history of the tensions between teacher's unions and the government and more.
To hear the full segment, click the blue play button above.
Venezuelans are starving because of a food and economic crisis
Venezuela is in the grips of a historic drought and economic meltdown.
That's led to millions of Venezuelans starving as food sources dwindle and the rationing of electricity.
The pressures has led to looting, riots and the possibility of the ousting of President Nicolás Maduro.
Nicholas Casey with the New York Times joins Take Two from Caracas.
What could have gone wrong with the jeep that killed actor Anton Yelchin?
The investigation continues into the death of actor Anton Yelchin, known for his role as Chekov in the Star Trek movie reboot, but it appears that a problem with the gear shift in his SUV may have been a factor.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee was under recall, authorities said that early Sunday, the car rolled down his driveway, pinning the actor against the security gate at his home, leading to fatal injuries.
For more on what went wrong and the process of an auto recall, The Ride's Sue Carpenter joined the show to discuss.
Interview details
What do we know about what might have gone wrong with the car?
"The crash may have involved a problem with the gear shift which was recalled last month. According to the L.A. County Coroner's Office, it appeared that [Yelchin's] Jeep Grand Cherokee had not been properly put in park and Yelchin's Jeep used an automatic transmission and a type of shifter called an E-shift which operates electronically.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the E-shift may not adequately warn the driver when the driver's door is open and the vehicle is not in park. That allows the driver to exit the vehicle while it's still in gear...the consequence of that is that drivers who think their vehicle is still in park may be struck by the vehicle if they attempt to get out of it while the vehicle is running and the parking brake is not engaged."
What do we know about the recall so far?
"This defective E-shift system was used 0n 2014 and 2015 model year Jeep Grand Cherokees. Jeep has since changed the design in model year 2016 Grand Cherokees but I should say that this same shifter is used in a couple other cars so 2012-2014 Model year Chrysler 300's and Dodge Chargers equipped with 3.6 liter engines...on May 14, vehicle owners of all of those cars were mailed notices and owners are supposed to receive a second notice when remedy parts are available."
Let's talk about the recall process for cars...
"I don't think most people realize how often recalls happen. I was on the NHTSA website today...there have been 76 recalls just in June so far...they're happening all the time.
Basically, the way that recalls even happen is the result of manufacturers reporting safety issues themselves or NHTSA receives safety complaints which was the case with the Jeep Grand Cherokee or they conduct their own safety investigations if a safety issue is found and a recall is issued then it's the vehicle manufacturer that notifies the registered user by sending a letter in the mail and that is all that's required. If you're a more proactive registered vehicle owner you can sign up to receive recall notifications via email directly from NHTSA and anybody at any time can go to the website safercar.gov and type in their vehicle's identification number or VIN and see if there are any recalls affecting their vehicles, so that's how it works. "
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
This post has been updated.
Can U.S. defeat Argentinians in the Copa America Centenario soccer tournament?
The final four squads in the Copa America Centenario soccer tournament are the US, Argentina, Colombia and Chile.
On Tuesday night in Houston, Lionel Messi will lead the heavily favored La Albicelestes against an American squad that has surprised many by getting to the semifinals.
The winner of this match will get the either the Colombians or the Chileans.
So can America crash what many feel will be an all-South American futbol party?
ESPN contributor Andrea Canales joins A Martinez for more.
Muhammad Ali and the fight that may have inspired MMA
Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee ... Muhammad Ali was known by most as the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time.
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, he began boxing when he was only 12, and quickly gained stardom when he won a gold medal at 18 at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
But shortly afterwards, he announced that his conversion to Islam and that his name would be Muhammed Ali.
His fights against the likes of George Foreman and Joe Frazier are the stuff of legend. Yet there are some little known bouts that are worthy of attention. One of those is an improbable and unusual match between Ali and a Japanese wrestler names Antonio Inoki. Here's a clip from a film by Bobby Razak about the match:
Author Josh Gross details the fight in his new book, "Ali vs. Inoki: The Forgotten Fight That Inspired Mixed Martial Arts and Launched Sports Entertainment."
(click on the arrow above to hear the entire interview)