Take Two will discuss Guantanamo abuse including force feeding. We will also look at a new report showing California as the top target in the United States for cybercrime. Also, recycling gray water is one way Californians may be able to deal with drought. And it's Thursday, so we'll have State of Affairs, a look at government in California.
Drought contributing to decline of the tricolored blackbird
The tricolored blackbird was once the most abundant bird species in southern California. But disappearing wetlands have destroyed much of the birds' habitat and the current drought is making the situation worse.
With its distinctive red and white stripe on the males, the species is truly a California resident with 99 percent of birds making its home in the state.
Take Two co-host A Martinez talked to Bob Meese, staff research associate at U.C. Davis' Department of Environmental Science and Policy.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
How would you describe the tricolored blackbird?
It’s unique because it is a colonial species of blackbird. It’s closely related to the familiar red-winged blackbird. Rather than nesting sparsely and in very large territories it nests in very dense colonies with territories the size of a typical desk in an office.
Why is it special to California, with 99 percent of the species here?
We think it’s because of the conditions that used to exist in the Central Valley where there were just huge vast wetlands and we expect that those wetlands provided perfect nesting habitat as well as insects for foraging and they require insects in order to form eggs and feed their nestlings.
How are they being affected?
The wetlands aren’t wet; they’re quite dry. The effect that has on the birds is they find that unattractive and they’ll probably be shunning most of the wetlands in the Central Valley and possibly some in southern California this year.
When did you notice the problem with blackbirds?
We’ve known for decades. The original work, which was intended to assess the status of the population, occurred in the 1930s and we’ve been working on and off with the species ever since. But the current decline is probably more rapid than any that’s been documented previously and is known to be largely due to the fact that the birds are producing very, very few young.
The problem in terms of numbers:
The population estimate around 1930 would be about 3 million birds and that was from Baja to Oregon. Right now was [a study] derived from the statewide survey and that was about 258,000. But we are going to be conducting another statewide survey in about a month and I predicted that we are probably going to see less than 100,000 birds.
When would it be labeled endangered?
That’s as much a political decision as it is a biological one but based upon my conversations with my colleagues with state and federal agencies I think if they see the number go below 100,000 they’re probably going to enter into immediate conversations about what they want to do about it.
Birds are now moving into grain fields. How are farmers dealing with that?
There is a volunteer program funded by the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) that provides funding for the farmers to not harvest their grain fields during the time when the birds are present.
The birds have just started nesting. How successful do you think they’ll be this season?
The most recent drought was between 2006 and 2007 and the 2007 breeding season was horrible. For example, one colony in Kern County consisted of 50,000 birds and in the course of two days all the birds in that colony disappeared. They simply abandoned the nesting attempt. I went into the colony … and looked and there were literally thousands of nests with no eggs in any of them. If they haven’t eaten enough insects they simply can’t form eggs and after a certain period of time they simply give up.
These conditions are grim. Are they salvageable?
Oh sure. I’m pretty concerned because we have not been able to stem the decline yet. I think this year is pretty much going to be a bust in terms of reproductive success for the species. The birds just can’t go too many more years with very, very poor reproduction before it gets truly rare. We could easily see it go from 100,000 to 50,000 over a period as short as three years. So we do need to stem the decline soon or else the bird is truly going to get into some sort of imperiled status.
Report: California top target for US cybercrime
Later this morning, California Attorney General Kamala Harris will release a report looking at the effects international criminal organizations are having on Californians and businesses in the state.
Among its findings: California is the top target in the United States for cybercrime.
We lead the country in the number of computer systems hacked and infected by malware.
We're also number one when it comes to victims of Internet crimes.
For more we’re joined by Jeremy Matz. He’s a former federal prosecutor for the US Attorney in Los Angeles, now on the faculty at USC’s Gould School of Law.
RELATED: Report says California targeted by cyber-gangs
Profile: Sheriff candidate and 'whistleblower' Bob Olmsted
Seven candidates in the hotly-contested race for Los Angeles County Sheriff meet tonight for another debate.
One candidate touts himself as a whistleblower who has played a key role in uncovering problems at the sheriff's department.
Here's KPCC's Frank Stoltze with a profile of former Commander Bob Olmsted.
LA competitor from 'The Voice' goes to SXSW
South by Southwest - the music, tech and film event in Austin - wrapped up on Monday.
And if you caught our coverage last week, you might have heard the story of Jessica Childress.
RELATED: SXSW: LA songstress Jessica Childress looks for her next big break
She's an LA native who competed on the NBC singing show "The Voice" last year.
While she didn't get too far in the competition she hoped to parlay that experience into a career boost at South by Southwest.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
We talked about how you were driving in a junky, stereotypical band driving to the event from LA. Did you make it to SXSW okay?
We actually didn’t even use that van because when we tried to turn it on it said, ‘No, thank you, we will not be going to Austin in this van,’ so we ended up having to rent another van. So now we’re even more in debt, yay!
On other crazy things that happened on the road:
We were in Albuquerque, we had just finished playing and I was sitting in the backstage just trying to chill out after the show. And this very drunk fan came back to the green room where he was not supposed to be and at first … I was trying to be friendly and then he wanted a picture, so we took a picture. Then he was like, ‘Can you give me a kiss on the cheek?’ and I was like ‘No, you can give me a kiss on the cheek.’
I’m 5’1" and this dude had to be 6’5” [or] 6’6” and 300 pounds, like a huge dude. And he picked me up and walked around the bar with me, then he sets me down on the bar. ... I went to the ladies room and waited and hoped he would forget and I came out of the bathroom, and he was fully waiting for me and was very aggressive, like “Why did you leave me?”
On dealing with uncomfortable situations as a woman in this stage of her career:
It was definitely a learning experience. I have to keep some people at arm’s length; I can’t be my normal 'let’s get to know each other and be best friends' personality for my own safety. I need to figure out how to turn it off or have someone come with me to run interference with the crazies.
How many SXSW shows did you play?
Seven shows in five days. It was intense but it was amazing. Before we left I realized I’d only played for groups of my family and friends. And for the first time I was going to be playing for strangers and jaded strangers who had heard 75 bands that day and to see these people react so positively to my music and these songs was incredible.
What did you get out of it?
Exactly what I wanted to. I introduced myself to this brand new group of people in a way I’m really proud of. We put on a great show every single time. I exceeded my expectations.
Anyone approach you with any deals or things like that?
There are a couple of things in the mix already. We have a lot of meetings set up. I am trying to manage my expectations because I will believe it when I see ink on paper.
What’s next?
A show at the 57 downtown on April 2. We’re going to be throwing some more jazz in there but we’ll still have our big band, knock-you-out sound.
State of Affairs: Street repairs tax, Board of Supervisors race, LAUSD school board
It's Thursday, which means it's time for State of Affairs, our look at politics and government throughout California.
To help us with that we're joined in studio by KPCC political reporters Alice Walton and Frank Stoltze.
Guantanamo case brings force-feeding issue to federal court
In 2007, a Yemeni detainee at Guantanamo went on a hunger strike to protest conditions at the US-run prison.
Since then, his lawyers claim, Emad Hassan has been force-fed more than 5,000 times.
"Twice a day feeding tubes are being inserted, withdrawn, inserted again and withdrawn again. This is contrary to customary medical practice for a long-term nasal gastric tube feeding," Jon Eisenberg, attorney for Hassan, told Take Two. "It's painful, it's dangerous to keep removing and re-inserting the tube, it's being done for no other reason than to cause these men pain and suffering."
The US Military's Joint Task Force Guantanamo wouldn't comment on the specifics of this case, but Navy Commander John Filostrat said the practice of force-feeding was "medically sound" and based on legal practices.
"The decision to internally feed or force feed a detainee is based solely on medical criteria and the judgement of medical personnel and the whole focus of this is the health and welfare of detainees," Filostrat told Take Two from Guantanamo.
If Emad Hassan's case moves forward, this could be new legal territory for federal courts and would address, specifically, how and when force-feeding takes place.
"This is the first time that federal courts will have the chance to weigh in on force-feeding," said Mattathias Schwartz, a reporter who has covered the legal process in Guantanamo and is author of the book "Camp Justice."
The court will decide whether it can be considered torture and whether, in the case of Hassan, the practice has to stop, said Schwartz.
Drought: Could gray water recycling help?
In light of the on-going drought, state officials are asking everybody to cut their water use by 20 percent.
One technique getting more attention these days is recycling so-called gray water.
California passed one of the first laws to allow home gray water use.
But obstacles have slowed wide-spread adoption.
KPCC's environment correspondent Molly Peterson reports.
RELATED: Drought: Our homes could be recycling gray water right now—why aren't they?
After hearing Molly's piece, you may be inspired to go grey, so to speak, at your home.
For more on just how to do that, we hear again from Leigh Jerrard of Greywater Corps, who we heard from in Molly's story.
For information on a Greywater workshop, go to: http://greywatercorps.com/whatwscurrent.html