We take a look back at the May Day protests of 2006 Father-in-law of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman arrested; Big pharma's push for the female 'viagra' pill, Osphena; Yahoo! doubles maternity leave time for employees; Federal task force says everyone 15-65 should get routine HIV testing, plus much more.
Father-in-law of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman arrested
Last night, Mexican authorities captured the father-in-law of Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman. If that name doesn't ring a bell, he's the head of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
In a week when President Obama is making a visit to Mexico, this comes as something of a victory. Joining us now from Mexico City is Ioan Grillo, reporter and author of "El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency."
#DearMayor: LA voters look for relief from city's pot holes
Jobs. Public safety. Education. All those issues come up when KPCC asks LA residents what they want the next mayor to focus on. But no topic elicits more response than transportation - specifically, the sorry condition of LA's roads.
It's quite a challenge, considering LA has enough streets to build a ten-lane freeway between here and New York. KPCC's Alice Walton looks at the bumpy road ahead for either Eric Garcetti or Wendy Greuel.
There are a host of issues Angelenos care about, but no topic elicits more response than transportation — specifically, the sorry condition of L.A.’s roads. It’s a challenge, considering we have enough streets to build a 10-lane freeway between here and New York.
This was true of the responses you gave us when we asked you what you'd like to tell the next Los Angeles mayor to tackle first as part of our #DearMayor initiative.
But the topic came up only briefly when Los Angeles mayoral hopefuls Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel faced off April 22 in a live TV debate co-sponsored by KPCC, KNBC-4 and Telemundo-52.
RELATED: #DearMayor: What should LA's new mayor work on first?
As much as Angelenos complain about rough drives, the Bureau of Street Services is spending more money than ever. This year, there were enough funds to repair 800 miles of roads and fill 350,000 potholes.
But it's a lengthy process to repair or repave a city road, and finding money to fix streets can be tricky. Street Services had $105 million for repairs this year, and that money comes from a variety of sources. For example, revenue from a 1990 ballot initiative can only be used on streets that have bus lines. Money from gasoline taxes goes to fix neighborhood streets. And money from the federal stimulus? Street services used that to fix 102 miles of roads designated as highways.
"It’s not like I can put all this money in one pot and all of a sudden spend it at the same time," says Nazario Sauceda, director of L.A.'s Bureau of Street Services.
A common complaint from residents is that streets that look OK often get attention, while 8,500 miles of failed streets remain untouched. Street services officials say it's basic economics. A slurry seal, used for routine maintenance, costs about $25,000 a mile. That’s a bargain compared to resurfacing, which comes in at $350,000 a mile. The cost to rebuild a failed street is $650,000 per mile. Sauceda says the city’s approach to street repairs is simply about spending wisely.
"If I gave you $20 and told you that you have to eat for 20 days with these $20, what would you do? Would you go to Black Angus tonight and eat a $20 steak and then not eat for 19 days? Or would you go to Jack in the Box every single day and buy 99 cent tacos?"
L.A. City Councilmen Mitch Englander and Joe Buscaino have proposed a $3 billion bond they say is needed to clear a massive backlog: 8,500 miles of the city’s worst streets. If approved by L.A. voters next year, the bond would cost the average homeowner $120 annually.
"We get a number of calls on a daily basis about potholes," says Buscaino. "And if you look at the return on investment – even today, motorists in Los Angeles are spending nearly $750 on maintenance costs on their vehicles because of the condition of our streets."
As for where the candidates stand on a possible bond measure next year, Wendy Greuel opposes it, saying the city should identify savings before asking taxpayers for more. Eric Garcetti hasn’t taken an official position, though he says he’s open to the idea.
Federal task force says everyone 15-65 should get routine HIV testing
The US Preventative Services Taskforce now says that everyone ages 15 to 65 should be tested for the virus that causes AIDS. Here to tell us more about what this recommendation means is Michael Weinstein, the president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
May Day protests for immigration reform
On this May Day, activists expect thousands of people to march through the streets of downtown LA in a call for immigration reform. Demonstrators remember another time when immigration reform was at the top of the national agenda.
Back in 2006, the key word was noise. Walk through downtown and you would've been shoulder-to-shoulder with a half-million other people.
Jesse Diaz was one of the organizers of the march -- the Great American Boycott. To prove the value of immigrants, he wanted people to neither buy nor work that day, and to him, it was a great success.
"I mean you could feel this groundswell that was happening across the country," said Diaz. "Based on these mobilizations we thought we could get immigration reform."
Across the country, millions took to the streets. Many of them were angry that the House had passed a bill that included increased penalties for illegal immigrants. Those massive demonstrations took anti-immigration advocates completely off guard, like KABC radio host Larry Elder.
"The police were shocked by how many people came out, not just here in California but all over the country, because it was a subterranean thing because most Americans don't speak Spanish," said Elder. "We were completely blindsided by what happened. That's why the other side wasn't able to marshal their forces because they had no idea it was coming."
Elder argued that immigration reform shouldn't take place without better border security, but it was hard to hear him that day. That included Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minutemen Project, whose volunteers patrolled the border. He was the opponent most visible to reform activists, and on May Day seven years ago.
But he was definitely outnumbered on the streets. In the end, that didn't matter, the immigration reform bill passed in the House, but died in the Senate, effectively ending the bid for new legislation. So why didn't that people power turn into political power in 2006? Activist Jesse Diaz says those grassroots got uprooted.
"I mean everybody was just scrambling. There was no central leadership and so the ones that rose to the top were these national nonprofits, so that power that momentum was just shifted."
Diaz thinks that as those nonprofits and the Democratic party took over, they compromised too much on the goals of the movement. But anti-immigration forces didn't win either. Jim Gilchrist faced his own fractured movement.
"Some people on my side of the debate are extremist. They are essentially fascist and racist," said Gilchrist.
Which may come as a surprise from someone who's been called that, too. He now tries to distance himself from the people he thinks hijacked the Minutemen.
"Seven years later, 2013, I can honestly say that I have more enemies from my side of the debate than I have on my adversarial side," said Gilchrist.
Radio host Larry Elder watched the breakdown on both sides.
"When a bunch of people take to the streets and call one side racist, and another group of people say you ought to go home, we'll round you up and deport you, then we'll have no conversation whatsoever," said Elder
Everyone lost. But here we are, seven years later, and today, Angelenos are taking to the streets, hoping once again for a reform bill. But this time, there is something different about the political landscape: voters. Potentially 11 million new ones, currently living here illegally.
"After amnesty, they can all be voting citizens, and they will pledge their vote to the party that essentially gave them amnesty." said Gilchrist.
Jesse Diaz agrees that politicians are seeing an electorate gold mine.
"It's only because of the election of the president that they've then tried to capitalize on that to get the Latino vote," said Diaz.
But there's another factor that may sway the outcome of reform: 7 years of groundwork by immigrants and their children.
"With the Dreamers, they've been able to politicize their parents, so the immigrant community has become very politically astute especially after 2006," said Diaz.
Maybe activists won't be jamming the streets of LA today like they did years ago, but they've been quietly working all this time. So while 2006 was marked by lot of noise, perhaps 2013 will be more of a quiet revolution. Diaz, for example, is taking a backseat this year in organizing.
"You know, the next generation has come in of leadership and they're doing pretty good," said Diaz. He'll be marching, but hasn't been calling for a boycott.
The Minutemen Project's Jim Gilchrist will be laying low, although he'll still conduct interviews.
"If I were to completely drop out and say that this is hopeless, then essentially there wouldn't be as much debate," said Gilchrist.
And radio host Larry Elder? He still plans to sit behind his mic, sending his message out to the streets.
"If it means that I'm called a racist for saying let's secure the borders first, then call me a racist," said Elder. "But I believe that our borders should be secured first, then we should have a discussion of what to do with the 10-12 million people who are here illegally: that is my message."
But, as in 2006, who knows if anyone will be listening. If you're planning to be out in downtown today, marching for or against immigration reform — tweet to us about what you're seeing and hearing
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High-skilled immigrants aren't optimistic about reforms
We know what lawmakers and CEOs think about high-skilled immigrants. They want more of them. Tech companies have been lobbying hard to get more visas for these workers, and Washington has been listening. But what do the high-skilled immigrants want?
From the Fronteras Desk, reporter David Wagner found that they have very different ideas about how to fix the system.
At issue are H-1B visas, which give foreign workers with advanced degrees and specialty skills the right to work here in the U.S. This year, demand was particularly high. The number of applications surpassed the number of available visas in just five days.
As a result, H-1Bs won't be doled out based on candidates' qualifications. They'll go to whoever gets their name pulled in a random lottery.
Nathan Fletcher is a senior director at Qualcomm, a major employer of H-1B workers in San Diego. He thinks the system is getting to be a bit absurd.
"You have a group of students which are American educated students, often just a few miles away at UCSD that have the skills and the talents that we're looking for," he said. "And they can get a visa to study and learn, and the taxpayers can subsidize their education, but they can't get a visa to stay and work."
But how do can we fix a program for high-skilled immigrant workers that isn't working? The Senate's proposed plan would multiply the number of H-1B visas handed out in coming years. Aside from a few other tweaks and adjustments, they basically want to take the program currently in place and expand it.
But immigrants who have actually gone through this program say that solution misses the mark.
"I think increasing the cap is not going to help," said Sandeep Chandra, an Indian national who has been living in the U.S. for the last 13 years. Sandeep and his wife Pallavi Adyanthaya are both here on H-1B visas. He works at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and she works at Qualcomm.
They worry that lawmakers won't address the main problem they and so many others in their position face. After all these years, they still haven't been able to get green cards.
Even though Chandra and Adyanthaya plan to settle down here, their future in the U.S. is uncertain. There's a possibility that the project Sandeep is working on could end next year.
"If I don't find a job," he said, "I am possibly looking at going back. I would have to leave. You put in 13, 15 years and you are still faced with that situation."
H-1B visas allow workers to stay in the U.S. only on the condition that they keep their jobs. And if workers seek out new opportunities once they've here, they have to forfeit their spot in line for a green card.
Adyanthaya says some employers are exploiting these restrictions on worker mobility. She thinks Qualcomm treats H-1B workers fairly, but she's seen other, less scrupulous companies paying foreign workers lower wages.
"They do get to leverage that aspect as well," she said. "They don't just tie you in, but they tie you in at that wage. Because they know you're not going anywhere."
Ironically, Adyanthaya's point echoes those made by critics of the very program that allows her to work here. These visas are supposed to plug a skills gap. Companies like Microsoft say American schools simply aren't graduating enough citizens in high-tech fields, so they need to import workers from overseas.
But economists at the Economic Policy Institute and consultants from the Boston Consulting Group say these companies are greatly exaggerating that skills gap, if it even exists at all. They accuse employers of favoring foreign workers because they can't quit, and they'll work for a lot less than citizens.
Chandra and Adyanthaya have an idea that might address the concerns of such critics and tech companies.
"For people who come here and get a master's degree, they shouldn't have to go through a visa process," Chandra said. "They should just go through an immigration process and figure out a way to get green cards."
If the number of green cards was boosted instead of H-1B visas, employers would still have a lot more applicants to choose from. And the immigrants themselves would no longer have to put up with unfair treatment.
"We're doing everything right, we're going the legal route," Adyanthaya said. "The least we want at the end of the day is a level playing field with everyone else."
But the couple's suggestions might get drowned out in Washington. With 11 million undocumented immigrants possibly getting a path to citizenship, things could get tense. Chandra and Adyanthaya say they're not hopeful that reform will put them any closer to a green card.
Silicon Valley gets in on the DC secret-money game
One of the tech companies pushing for more H1B visas is Facebook. The company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently launched a bipartisan coalition called Forward U.S. to help lobby for immigration reform. But this group has other items on its agenda that some have found surprising.
For more on this, we're joined now by Tony Romm of Politico.
CORRECTION: In our conversation with Tony Romm at Politico, we misspoke coming out of a clip of an advertisement in support of drilling in Alaska. The host said the ad referred to the Keystone Pipeline, not the Alaskan natural gas pipeline. The Keystone pipeline runs from Canada into the northern U.S. states.
Sports Roundup: Jason Collins, Lakers out, LA Kings and more
It's time for our weekly romp through sports with Andy and Brian Kamenetzky. They've covered the L.A. sports scene for over a decade for the Times and ESPN.
NBA center Jason Collins came out Monday, and at first the reaction was nothing but positive. Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton and several other big names sent out tweets in support, but now other opinions are starting to come in.
For a while there was the thought that the first gay player would come out in the NFL. There was even a rumor there'd be four guys coming out at once, but it didn't happen. Now there's a former NFL player that thinks the league isn't ready.
The Lakers got swept by the San Antonio Spurs, and the games weren't even close. Some fans have said that this is the worse Lakers season they have ever been through. Is that true?
The Clippers lost to the Grizzlies in Staples Center last night, and they're facing elimination Friday when the series shifts to Memphis. Plus, they might be without one of their best players
Defending champs the LA Kings just start in the playoffs, we check in on LA baseball, plus much more.
Carl Reiner on Comedy Central's Twitter #Comedyfest
Yesterday we told you about a one-of-a-kind comedy festival happening all this week: Comedy Central's Twitter #ComedyFest. The festival features all sorts of legendary funny people, from the cast of "Reno 911," to Judd Apatow, Mel Brooks, and Carl Reiner.
: Actor, Film Director, Author, 12 Emmys, 1 Grammy and a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 3 great kids from 1 great wife.
Reiner joins the show.
Paul Tanaka offers harsh criticism of Sheriff Lee Baca
He was once a trusted advisor, but now he's become an outspoken critic. Paul Tanaka, the longtime number two man in the LA County Sheriff's Department, stepped down unexpectedly in March.
Now, he's told the Los Angeles Times he was forced out by Sheriff Lee Baca, and he's accusing the Sheriff of caring more about politics than public safety.
Joining us with details on this is the reporter who broke this story, Robert Faturechi of the LA Times.
Nielsen piloting digital TV content ratings system
The television ratings company, Nielsen, is going digital... finally. They're rolling out a pilot program that will let them track audience television viewing habits online. Given the fact that some of our grandparents now watch TV on the Internet, it's surprising that this wasn't already going on.
Here to explain is Brian Steinberg, senior TV editor at Variety.
Yahoo! doubles maternity leave time for employees
If you're a working soon-to-be-mom, you might want to consider working at Yahoo. The California-based tech company has just announced that it's doubling its maternity leave for new moms.
That news comes on the heels of CEO Marissa Mayer's controversial decision to ban employees from working from home, a move that many moms said made it more difficult for them to balance work with family. Joining us for more on this is Lauren Wallenstein, founder of Milk Your Benefits, a consulting firm for new moms.
Big pharma's push for the female 'viagra' pill, Osphena
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a drug called Osphena, a drug that some are calling the female equivalent of viagra. It's headed to market next month.
Its makers claim it will help women who experience painful sex during menopause, and are hoping it will be the next blockbuster drug. But do women really need it? Jennifer Block has been writing about this medication for Newsweek, she joins the show with more.
UCLA, California Science Center museum help turn kids into 'pre-scientists'
New nation-wide science standards released a few weeks ago lay out lessons that are aimed at Kindergarten aged tots. But a handful of programs across Southern California are starting even sooner by teaching scientific concepts to preschoolers. As KPCC's Deepa Fernandes discovered, these little scientists learn the basics through hands-on experiences.
Uncovering the mystery of an animal's inner compass
You've likely heard of the concept of animal magnetism. Well, turns out scientists think some animals can actually have internal compasses that detect the earth's magnetic field. They think this may explain how some migrating animals are able to navigate long distances with pinpoint accuracy.
One case in particular inspired science writer and KPCC contributor Veronique Greenwood to look into this phenomenon.
In January, Holly the cat baffled scientists when she was found exhausted and hungry after traveling 200 miles back to her home in West Palm Beach, Florida. The cat's owners had lost her months earlier during a trip to Daytona Beach, but that cat came home in bad shape, its claws swollen and worn down.
Cases like this are extremely rare, so scientists have not been able to explain how the cat managed to find its way home.
"The truth is we really don't know how cats do that kind of trick, there's not a lot of documented events like this, this seems to be pretty unusual," said Greenwood. "When something's not repeatable, it's a little hard to figure out scientifically what's going on, so if you ask scientists what they think about how this cat found her way home, and the answer is, 'We have no idea.'"
While we may not know how a cat could pull off this feat of navigation, scientists do know how a large number of other species manage to find their way home. One way animals navigate is similar to that of the sailors of yore: By following the stars.
"Dung beetles can manage to roll their precious balls of dung in a straight line as long as the Milky Way is in view," said Greenwood. "If the Milky Way is not in view, they start to wiggle around and they can't go in a straight line anymore. That's bad for a dung beetle because if they wind up back at the ball pile, they might get their ball stolen by another beetle."
There is also evidence that some animals can sense the earth's magnetic fields. Homing pigeons, for example, have been known to use the earth's magnetic field to find their way home. In a study by William Keeton in 1971, homing pigeons were found to have difficulty flying home when magnets were applied to their backs. Mice, mole rats and bats have also been shown to use magnetic cues for navigation.
"There are plenty of things that we can't see that animals can," said Greenwood. "For one thing, there's ample evidence that animals can sense the earth's magnetic field, which is what our compasses respond to, we need a compass to see it and many different kinds of, especially migrating animals have it somewhere within them.
In addition, scent had also been shown to be a powerful tool used by animals for navigation.
"We know that there's some element of scent involved in animal navigation, for instance we know that there are salmon that as they are getting close to their home river, can actually smell their river when they're out in the ocean," said Greenwood. "We know that sharks can sense these really really faint electric currents, the idea is maybe they use then to track prey, but we're not really sure."
For now, just how a common house cat could find its way home 200 miles away will remain a mystery.
LACMA's plan for a $650-million makeover
Next month, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will unveil plans for a $650-million makeover. It's an impressive plan, but do they have the money to pull it off?
For more on this we're joined now by Christopher Hawthorne who writes about architecture for the Los Angeles Times.