Ventura County wildfire update; Rolling Stones at 50: San Bernardino set the stage for the band's US debut; Airborne lab being used to measure California snowpack; Solar Impulse plane begins first voyage across the US; Young undocumented Mormons face struggle during missions; Friday Flashback, and much more.
Ventura County wildfire update
We begin today with an update on the Springs wildfire in Ventura County. So far, more than 10,000 acres have burned with only 10 percent of the fire contained. Joining us now is Bill Nash, public information officer for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Survey reveals California snowpack only 17 percent of normal
The early start to the fire season is just one effect of a very dry winter. Yesterday, state officials took one last measure of the snow in the Sierra Mountains. The results? Not good.
This winter will go down as one of the driest on record. Here to tell us how dry, and what that will mean for California, is KPCC's Science Reporter Sanden Totten.
Aerial lab being used to measure California snowpack
The snowpack measurement is about to get more precise. NASA is pioneering a new technique to monitor snowpacks, from 17,000 feet above the ground.
Using planes equipped with sophisticated sensors, scientists can accurately map out the volume of snow and predict how quickly it will melt. Here to tell us more is Tom Painter, who's heading up the mission for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Friday Flashback: Economy, Guantanamo, bad ads and more
We talk about the week that was with our regular journalists in-the-know. On tap this week are Nancy Cook, economic and fiscal policy reporter for the National Journal, and James Rainey from the Los Angeles Times.
Director Ariel Vromen on bringing the killer 'Iceman' to the big screen
Between 1960 and 1990 hit man Richard Kuklinski allegedly killed over 100 people. Eventually he was caught, and although he died while serving two life sentences in a New Jersey prison, he described in great detail his deeds in a 1992 HBO documentary:
Now his story is set for the big screen, starring Michael Shannon as Kuklinski, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans and Ray Liotta.
Director Ariel Vromen joins the show to tell us more about the production and why he wanted to make this film.
Airborne Toxic Event's 'Such Hot Blood'
Seven years ago, a local journalist named Mikel Jollett decided it was time to stop writing about musicians and start making music himself. That was the beginning of the band now known as the Airborne Toxic Event.
Their new record is called "Such Hot Blood," which became the number one alternative album on iTunes within one day of its release.
Joining us now in studio is Mikel Jollett and the band's bassist Noah Harmon.
RELATED: Read Jollett's report from Coachella for NPR
Jollett and Harmon perform live from the Take Two studios:
Gov. Jerry Brown submits plan to reduce prison population
Governor Jerry Brown late last night handed in a proposal to further reduce the state's prison population. The state has been working on reducing prison over-crowding since 2011.
One way has been to keep low-level offender in county lock up instead of state prisons, but it has not been enough. The federal court two weeks ago ordered the governor to come up with a plan to shrink the population by an additional nine-thousand inmates.
KPCC's Julie Small has been following this story. She joins the show from Sacramento, where the Governor's office is holding a press conference on the issue.
Solar Impulse plane begins first voyage across the US
A flight from California to New York usually takes about six hours, but for André Borschberg it's going to take a lot longer. Borschberg and fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard will leave Mountain View, California today for the Big Apple on the 'Solar Impulse,' the first solar-powered plane that can fly overnight. The goal is to make it across the US without using one drop of fuel.
Here's video of the plane soaring over San Francisco:
Pilot Andre Borschberg stepped off a helicopter on the way to Phoenix to speak with us, and joins us by cell phone.
Could you live on $1.50 a day?
Living on only a $1.50 a day seems impossible if you're used to living on much much more.
Recently a group of celebrities made headlines when they participated in something called Live Below the Line campaign. The initiative, sponsored by the Global Poverty Project organization, challenges people to live on $1.50 a day for a week.
But will participation by celebrities actually raise awareness about poverty? And how closely does their experience parallel those of people who are really impoverished?
We'll talk to actress Debi Mazar, best known for her roles in "Goodfellas" and HBO's "Entourage," who's participating in the initiative.
Rolling Stones at 50: San Bernardino set the stage for the band's US debut (poll)
This year the Rolling Stones are celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band with a worldwide tour, and just this past weekend, Mick, Charlie, Ronnie and even Keith took the stage at the Echoplex on Glendale for a surprise club gig. But did you know that the first ever concert the band performed in the US took place right here in California? Not at the Hollywood Bowl, not the Troubadour, but in San Bernardino.
KPCC's Kevin Ferguson has the story.
RELATED: 50 years of the Rolling Stones in LA: Dean Martin mocks them, and more reminders of how old they are
In the spring of 1964, San Bernardino had one place for rock shows: The Swing Auditorium on E Street. A 6,000 capacity dance hall that — before the Stones — hosted Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and other tamer acts until Bob Lewis came around.
Lewis, now a retired concert promoter, had set up dozens of rock and roll shows in the Inland Empire already, but that spring he was approached by a couple investors looking to put on a concert on Friday, June 5, at the Swing.
"Of course, they wanted the Beatles," said Lewis.
Which wasn't as crazy an idea back then as it seems now. He made a few calls to New York, but, no dice. The Beatles were all booked up and that was that. But word got around and about an hour later he got a call from Kevin Eggers, another talent agent who heard Lewis was looking to book a British band.
"He said I've got an act coming to the states called the Rolling Stones. Never heard of em! Never heard of the Rolling Stones," said Lewis. "So I called the radio station, KMEN, the general manager. I said, 'Jerry, I've got an act coming in and I want to see what you think because I'd have to have their sponsorship.' So he repeated over the phone, "Rolling Stones" and his program director was walking by his office, and he said 'The Rolling Stones, they're really hot!'"
The show was booked, and the Stones were on their way to make their US debut in San Bernardino, a city more famous today for its messy finances than its contributions to the arts. Bob Lewis says it wasn't always like that.
At the time, the Rolling Stones weren't nearly as famous as they are now. They'd had a couple hit singles in the UK, all of them covers except for one original: a sunny and acoustic pop tune called "Tell Me."
Despite that, they still had a few loyal fans in the States. After all, this was the British invasion. LoRee Gastineau is a retired high school English teacher, but in 1964 she was just a high school student, just 15 years old and living in Nearby Colton. For LoRee and her friends, this was the highlight of her month.
"They were an up-and-coming band. We of course listened to the Beatles and then we started listening to the groups that came from England," said Gastineau. "We love the beat, we loved the lyrics, and with the Stones it was a new take on some old classics from blues and such."
The band had just arrived in the states a few days earlier performing on Dean Martin's Hollywood Palace show. He wasn't impressed, and the only things rolling were Martin's eyes.
That Friday, the band arrived in San Bernardino
"They got in around five o'clock. They did a very brief sound check--very basic, you know: Testing, 1 2 3 4. And then they just stayed in the dressing room til they were ready to go on.," said Lewis.
LoRee Gastineau and her friend lined up the Swing right after the Stones not long after sound check.
"…and when the doors opened we made our mad rush to the stage," said Gastineau.
The audience was 4,000 strong and largely made up of teenage girls not much older than LoRee. After hours of waiting, at around 9:30, the Rolling Stones walked on stage, opening with a Buddy Holly cover.
The room was hot. Mick danced. The girls screamed. Gastineau says the highlight of the band's set for her and other locals happened halfway through…
"Of course the favorite song that they played was Route 66, because San Bernardino was mentioned in that song," said Gastineau. "We all knew the lyrics of all the songs and we screamed especially loud when we got to 'San Bernardino.'"
The Rolling Stone's 11-song set at the Swing lasted just 20 minutes.
"That was their total repertoire. That was it. They didn't rehearse a lot. After a 20 minute set, the show's over and the Stones did their London exit," said Lewis. "They just dropped their equipment, ran out and we had a school bus--we didn't have limousines then, we didn't have a budget for limousines! So we put them in a little yellow school bus that would get them in and out of town unnoticed, which worked."
The Stones wrapped up that first tour with less than a dozen dates. While they may have been a hit in San Bernardino, the rest of the tour was by all accounts a failure: more awkward TV appearances followed, a couple of state fairs with indifferent audiences. But in 1965, they released "Satisfaction," and that was that.
The Rolling Stones would go on to play the Swing Auditorium at least twice more. In 1981, the year "Start Me Up" came out, they planned to come back to the Swing for one more show, but that never happened. Then a plane crashed into the auditorium on September 11 of that year, causing damage to the building was so severe it was never rebuilt. Bob Lewis, the promoter, still keeps a small piece of the stage at his home in Claremont.
The site where the Swing once stood is a parking lot now. Gastineau not only remembers the first Stones show at the Swing, but the second one that same year. The one where her future husband, Jim, was in the opening band. She says she was heartbroken to see the Swing go, but happy for the memories.
"Knowing that that particular band, The Rolling Stones, is still around today, that's kind of special. Knowing we were at the very first United States concert," said Gastineau.
The Rolling Stones perform tonight at the Staples Center to surely a much, much bigger audience and with any luck, a set that'll go longer than 20 minutes.
Young undocumented Mormons face struggle during missions
Since 2000, the number of Spanish-speaking Mormons in the U.S. has just about doubled. Many of those Latino Mormons don't have legal documentation, which poses a problem for the church.
Young Mormons are called to serve missions-two years on the road, trying to convert strangers to the faith. So what happens when Mormons without papers come of legal age, and set off on their missions? Jack Rodolico from the Fronteras Desk reports.
Breeders' Cup backs away from plan to expand ban of horse racing drug Lasix
Horse racing's Triple Crown starts tomorrow with the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby. But as fans focus on that, industry insiders are talking about how another race series backed away from its plan to further restrict the use of a popular drug. KPCC's Stephanie O'Neill has the story.
Santa Anita Park a training ground for Derby contender Kevin Krigger
Jockey Kevin Krigger has a chance to make history this Saturday, when he competes in the Kentucky Derby aboard the favored horse: Goldencents. If he wins, he'll be the first black jockey to do so since 1902.
Where has he been training for this big day? Right in our backyard at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.
Santa Anita has a long and storied history in the racing world and it's become a launching pad for a number of high profile trainers and jockeys. The picturesque setting and well-kept grounds have kept it on the map both for high-level horse races and film/TV productions.
"Its considered one of the most beautiful venues for horse racing in the entire world," said Jon White, a commentator for HRTV. "There have been a number of movies shot in Santa Anita, all the way back to the Marx Bros. and their famous movie 'A Day At The Races.' Even the movie 'Seabisbuit' was filmed more recently at Santa Anita. A lot of television series, as well, going back to the 'Rockford Files' and more recently 'The Mentalist.'"
Opened on Christmas Day in 1934, Santa Anita established itself as a breeding ground both horse and human racing stars. Racers like John Longden, Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay Jr., and horses like Seabiscuit have all raced and/or trained at Santa Anita. There's even a statue dedicated to Seabiscuit right outside of the horse stables.
The upcoming Kentucky Derby is a big deal for 29-year-old Krigger, who is a native of St. Croix. He has been riding horses his entire life, foregoing other more popular sports to hone his craft.
"He worked his way up in the United States riding at the smaller tracks before taking a chance and coming to a major league track like Santa Anita," said White. "He did make a successful transition to Santa Anita and was able to pick up this mount, which is really a plum mount for the Kentucky Derby, on Goldencents.
The 139th Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday May 4.
Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman dies of liver failiure at 49
The music world mourns the loss of a true metal God. Slayer guitarist and co-founder Jeff Hanneman died Thursday morning of liver failure. He was just 49 years old.
Hanneman co-founded the thrash metal band in 1981 with friend and fellow band mate Kerry King. Over the years, the band had a wide and devoted fan following that spawned recording and concert success.
The band issued the following statement on their Facebook page:
Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning near his Southern California home. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.
Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest In Peace (1964 - 2013)