Prison realignment adding stress to CA probation officers' workload; Study: Immigration reform will cost taxpayers $6.3 trillion; Where is the backlog for veteran disability claims the worst?; Picture This: Introducing AudioVision, KPCC's new blog of visual journalism; Living among coyotes is a fact of life in Los Angeles; Getting to know the more personal side of mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel, plus much more.
Study: Immigration reform will cost taxpayers $6.3 trillion
According to a new study by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, immigration reform will cost taxpayers $6.3 trillion. Immediately, lawmakers often aligned with the conservative Heritage Foundation challenged the reports conclusions, and that astronomical price tag.
Joining us now for some context and background on this, and on where the immigration reform bill might be headed is Christina Bellantoni, politics editor for PBS NewsHour.
Prison realignment adding stress to CA probation officers' workload
Jerry Brown is currently under court order to reduce the state prison population, but he's balked at the target numbers set by a federal judge. Yesterday, Brown told reporters that he's willing to take his case all the way to the Supreme Court.
As the legal battles continue, thousands of inmates continue to flow from California's 33 state prisons to local authorities. That means probation officers throughout California are now tasked with supervising a lot more violent criminals.
For more on how LA County has been responding to this new situation, we're joined now by Jerry Powers, L.A. County's chief probation officer.
Getting to know the personal side of mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel
Last weekend, Alex and A interviewed the two candidates for LA Mayor, Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel. We figured as good KPCC listeners, you'd already heard quite a bit about their positions on the issues, so we approached these conversations a little differently, and tried to find out more about the candidates personalities: who they are and what makes them tick.
We'll hear from Eric Garcetti tomorrow in this time slot, but today, we'll hear from Wendy Greuel. A caught up with her early Saturday morning, at one of her favorite hang-outs, Art's Deli in Studio City.
Interview Highlights:
On the worst part about running for mayor:
"I'd have to say the worst part has been the over 50 debates, although they're great and you go to the communities. I can give you the responses of my opponents to each of the questions because we've been together so much on that particular area. I think the other part of course is having to raise the money that you have to do. I think it's overshadowed in a good way by all of the great things that happen in a campaign, that you get to do and you get to focus in on making LA a great city."
On her upbringing in Los Angeles:
"I was born in Encino, I grew up in Granada Hills, I went to Knollwood Elementary School, Frost Jr. High and John F. Kennedy High School. A very idyllic life, very humble beginnings. My grandfather started a business 66 years ago in the San Fernando Valley. Frontier, and he called it Frontier because the San Fernando Valley was a new frontier. We worked seven days a week, my family did, because that's what you did to keep that business going. It' still exists, my brother and I own it, it's a place where I have a lot of special memories. I went to the local parks, I went to LAUSD schools, graduated from LAUSD. When I was a senior in high school at Kennedy, my vice principal nominated me for an award with Tom Bradley. That was the kernel of my beginning of getting involved in public service. I interned for the mayor when I was at UCLA and I graduated and got a job with the mayor, so I do know that that kind of mentorship and partnership that you have with your teachers and your vice principals help you get to the next level."
On her professional plan before getting into politics:
"I never thought I'd run for office. I never thought that I would be an elected official when I was student body president at my high school. I just ran because I thought that I could make a difference at the school, thought I was going to go into my family's business, that was the plan. I was going to help run the building supply company. I had learned how to drive a truck and learned how to drive a forklift, I knew how to do the accounting and that was my pathway."
On deciding to run for office:
"I worked for Tom Bradley for 10 years, I worked for the Clinton Administration at HUD for 4.5 years, was here when the Northridge Earthquake happened and was responsible for overseeing all of our efforts in rebuilding this community and this neighborhood. But after I left HUD I went to Dreamworks Studios and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I could still be involved in politics but I'm going to go in a different pathway. Four years later, joel Wax decided to retire, people called me, 'You have to run, you have to run,' I said 'I'm not sure, I have a great life.' I decided to run. My mother, who is passed away, but at the time said to me, 'I'll support you, but you'll never get married or have children if you run for office,' I said 'Mom, I'm just going to do what I think is right,' and of course lucky me a few weeks later I met my now-husband during that first campaign, and I have a beautiful 9-year-old."
On working with and learning from former Mayor Tom Bradley:
"He was such an incredible leader. He was very soft-spoken, he was a man of very few words, but he worked hard. He got it that the details matter. He got it that you have to manage the city first. That you have to understand what the priorities are in the city, but he was beloved whether you were in the San Fernando Valley or San Pedro, the West Side, the East Side, he cared about those who were less fortunate, and I learned from him that if you do the job you're elected to do you can go far."
On what makes her a good candidate for mayor of LA:
"I like to say that I'm the most qualified candidate who also happens to be a woman. Women are multitaskers, women are individuals who are focused in on getting the job done, not a lot of pomp & circumstance. I think if you look at Los Angeles and the fact is I'm only the second woman in the history of the city to be a citywide elected office holder. Of course would be the first woman mayor. Right now we only have one woman on the city council and potentially, we could have no women in elective office in Los Angeles. In the second largest cities in the country in the most progressive cities. That's shameful to me. We have to focus in and mentor women to run for office. Being a roll model for some of those young women who see that they can do anything."
Picture This: Introducing AudioVision, KPCC's new blog of visual journalism
For today's Picture This segment, we're joined by KPCC's very own photographers, Grant Slater and Mae Ryan. They've just launched a new site called AudioVision, a blog featuring photos and video for-and-by KPCC listeners.
The blog showcases KPCC's brand of great visual storytelling. You can expect to find these things on AudioVision:
- Compelling images from our team of talented visual journalists that tell the stories about Southern California that matter to the people of Southern California.
- Curated slideshows of photos and videos produced by artists and visual storytellers from around our region that illuminate life in this special place
- The best images and video from you, our audience, as well as a guide to the best ways to enrich your life through social and mobile photography on Instagram and beyond.
- The best videos about Southern California and our lives here today.
Check out the website at AudioVision.scpr.org and get updates from Instagram,
For serious photographers, AudioVision has a Flickr group where you can submit your beautiful images of Southern California. Please share them with us.
Tuesday Reviewsday: Lauryn Hill, Janelle Monáe, Alice Russell and more
Now it's time for Tuesday Reviewsday, where we talk about what's new in music. Joining us today is Oliver Wang from Soul-Sides.com and music supervisor Morgan Rhodes.
Oliver's Picks:
Artist: Lauryn Hill
Album: (not yet released, this is a single)
Release Date: May 3
Song: "Neurotic Society"
Artist: Emili Sandé and the Bryan Ferry Orchestra
Album: The Great Gatsby OST
Release Date: May 7
Song: "Crazy In Love (Kid Koala version)"
Artist: Myron and E
Album: On Broadway (early July but several singles already out there)
Song: "Cold Game"
Morgan's Picks:
Artist: Janelle Monáe ft. Erykah Badu
Album: No album yet, just a single
Release Date: April 23rd
Song: "Q.U.E.E.N."
Artist: Alice Russell
Album: To Dust
Release Date: April 30th
Songs: "For A While"
Artist: Khari Mateen
Album: Khari
Release Date: May 6th
Songs: "Move"
What the upcoming election could mean for medical marijuana industry
The big mayoral election in Los Angeles is just two weeks away now. On the ballot are three different measures about medical marijuana dispensaries. Confused?
Well, don't worry, KPCC's Frank Stoltze is here to clear the air on this and to talk about the effects of yesterday's ruling by the Supreme Court on pot shops in Southern California
Where is the backlog for veteran disability claims the worst?
The backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs is a national problem, but it's particularly severe in areas with large numbers of veterans, like Southern California.
RELATED: Click here to see CIR's interactive map of the disability claim backlog
The Center for Investigative Reporting has compiled data to illustrate the extent of the problem. Aaron Glantz, a reporter with CIR, joins the show with more.
South LA foster child faces uncertain future
The morning bell at her high school has already rung, but Coriah Welch is still at home.
She's busy getting three little boys ready for school.
"I have to wake up very early in the morning," she says. "I have to pick out three outfits and comb three full heads of hair and make three meals a day. That's why most of the time I'm late for school, if I'm not up early enough. Then when I come home, it's the same. I do everything over and put them to bed."
It sounds like a lot of work, and it is. Coriah is 17. She and three of her four half-brothers are living in a foster home in South Los Angeles. She's not just their big sister, but also their protector.
"We kind of have the same name," Coriah says. "My name's Coriah, and then there's Cordel Jr., Cortlenn, Cortez-Dubois and Coreon. They're 4, 3, 2 and 1, back to back. They're really good kids, those are my babies."
Coriah is currently a senior at a high school in South Los Angeles, formerly known as South Central. It's the seventh one she's been to, thanks to bouncing around in the foster care system with her brothers. She has applied to more than 70 universities. She wants to go into politics and work to help foster kids. But first, she needs to decide on a college.
Coriah attended Foshay Learning Center for most of her senior year. She spent almost every lunch period sitting in the office of academic counselor Renysha Scott, talking college options. Her biggest worry: moving to another state and leaving her brothers behind.
"Her heart is not going to allow her to leave if she doesn't feel like they're secure," Scott says. "I think a huge part of it has to do with what happens with them between now and the time she gets ready to actually attend somewhere. I think she is very tenacious, so I really feel like whatever she wants to achieve, she'll absolutely get there."
Coriah wasn't always a foster kid. Her mother hasn't been in her life since she can remember, but she and her brothers lived with her father until two years ago. After a domestic dispute between her dad and the boys' mother, the kids were separated, sent to foster homes all over Los Angeles.
"I would think every day like, 'Are they eating OK? Are they bathing every day? Can they sleep at night?' Coriah says. "Because I wasn't sleeping at night. Sometimes, I thought in my head like, 'How could my mom not feel like this when I'm away? How does a mother not feel this?"
Coriah fought to get her family back together. She spent a lot of time on the phone with the Department of Children and Family Services and the lawyers representing her brothers.
"Every day, they got a call from me," she said. "I was bugging them."
After months of calling, Coriah got herself and three of her brothers into a foster home with a family friend. The fourth brother went to Coriah's grandmother. It's not a perfect situation, but the kids are pretty much together. Every Sunday, they spend the day at their grandmother's, hanging out and playing video games.
Their dad, Cordel Welch, is allowed a supervised visit. He's glad Coriah can be a role model for his younger kids - and look out for them.
"I really need her to be that right now for me," Welch says. "Because of the separation, it's real important to me, and it's important that she does a good job at it, too. That's like my younger kids' future."
Coriah's social worker recently told her that if she wanted, she could move back with her dad - but her brothers couldn't, so Coriah said no.
"I used to complain all the time that I wanted to go home, and I wanted them to go home, but it's like, if they're not there, how is it a home?" Coriah says.
Another reason to stay in the system: If Coriah leaves foster care, she'll lose eligibility for all sorts of scholarships and grants given to foster kids.
And she knows they can help her more than her dad can. Her dad knows this, too.
"She needs all the head start she can get," Welch says. "So, yeah, I would definitely support her using all the advantages she can get."
After a long day at school, Coriah rifles through the mail before getting the boys ready for bed.
She's been accepted to about 20 colleges, mostly outside California. Many of her top choices closer to home rejected her. There's a lot on her mind, like her brothers.
"If I have to go out of the state, I'm going to have to do it, and I'm going to do it,
she says. "But, they're going to be torn."
So is Coriah. Her family will all be there in mid-June to watch her graduate.
And they'll be rooting for her to stay in California. She's not sure what she'll do.
For her, college is the first step toward a career helping children in need. She just hopes she can take it without hurting the children who might need her most.
This report is part of an ongoing series examining "Graduation Day," produced by The California Report and the USC Annenberg's School of Communication and Journalism.
Raising a family as a foreign correspondent in Cairo
Reporter Borzou Daragahi is a foreign correspondent who spent several years covering the Middle East for the LA Times. He's now stationed in Cairo as the North Africa Correspondent for the Financial Times.
He recently wrote about how his perspective on his job has changed since becoming a father to a little girl named Samarra about 14 months ago. Borzou Daragahi joins the show from his home in Cairo.
LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks to face-off at Dodger Stadium
While the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are battling in the first round of the NHL playoffs, some fans are already looking forward to next year. The NHL announced yesterday that the Kings and Ducks will face off against each other at Dodger Stadium as part of its 'Stadium Series.'
That means the game will be played outside on ice in sunny southern California. The NHL has put on outdoor games at stadiums in the past, but next year's game at Dodger Stadium will be the first west of the Mississippi.
It'll also be the first outdoor game this far south in the country. For more on this, we're joined by Dan Moriarty from the LA Kings broadcast team.
Killer whales feast on young of migrating gray whales off California coast
In Monterey Bay, dozens of killer whales have been attacking migrating gray whales and picking off their young. It's an occurrence that has become more common as the population of gray whales has rebounded, and it's quite a dramatic sight.
Nancy Black, a marine biologist who runs the Monterey Bay Whale Watch, has been monitoring the situation.
Living among coyotes is a fact of life in Los Angeles
Now for the first in a three-part series on dogs and cats. Big ones, that is.
If you live in Los Angeles, you may be familiar with the large population of coyotes that lives in the area. Living near coyotes requires some extra precautions (like keeping pets indoors), but there are some things you can’t prepare for. Jed Kim brings us this report from the wilds of Los Angeles.
Deborah Del Prete has lived right below Griffith Park for just over three years. She loves her neighborhood, because it’s so peaceful...for the most part.
"We don’t have any highway noises, or, you know, we’re not in a flight path," said Del Prete. "Now and then a helicopter goes by. It’s fantastic to live in this area, because besides the coyotes, it’s really, really quiet."
Did you catch that "besides the coyotes" caveat? There are coyotes nearby and they can get loud. If you’ve never heard coyotes at night, it takes a little getting used to.
"The first time I heard it, I thought, 'What is that?' I mean, it was a little scary, you know, a little alarming. You were like, 'Oh my God, what’s happening right outside?'" said Del Prete.
As alarming as the coyotes sound, Del Prete has gotten pretty used to them. "I really don’t think many a night goes by we don’t hear it at least once," she said.
If there were a ranking of nightmarish neighbors to have, coyotes would be pretty high on the list. Besides making a racket, they’re likely to eat pets, root through your garbage, and frighten homeowners. Plus, just like that one neighbor you really can’t stand, they’re probably never going to leave. See, unlike many animals, coyotes do really well near humans.
Kevin Brennan is a wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and an expert on coyotes here in Southern California. He says their population has exploded in recent decades, so much so that it’s hard to keep track of how many there are.
"We can have populations that are anywhere from 12 to 20 times greater density in suburban settings than naturally occur in the wild," said Brennan. "It’s kind of like measuring hay in haystacks or sand on the beach. But in California, we conservatively estimate that we have about half a million coyotes in the state. So, the coyote problem is here to stay with us. It’s just keeping it at a manageable level."
Statistically, deaths due to coyotes are still miniscule. In fact, there’s only ever been one recorded instance in the U.S., but attacks are on the rise.
"Current data suggests that coyote attacks are on the increase overal, particularly in Southern California," said Brennan. "So when coyote problems arise, it’s up to the individual homeowners to handle the problem themselves."
He says this area now sees about half a dozen reports of aggression towards humans each year. Those extreme cases are the only times Fish and Wildlife will step in to remove a coyote. That’s because LA County doesn’t have a trapping program.
Brennan suggests homeowners use a deterrence as a way to keep coyotes from becoming established in the first place. That means keeping a close eye on pets, securing all garbage, picking up the fruit that falls from trees. Also, it helps to be a bit of a bad neighbor yourself.
"Don’t let them feel comfortable in your neighborhood," said Brennan. "Yell at them, make noise, throw things at them. I’m a big fan of tennis balls, because no matter how hard you throw them, you’re not going to hurt any animal, and you’re not going to damage your neighbor’s car."
While these steps may help keep coyotes from becoming a danger, they don’t do much for the noise. But Del Prete says that’s just part of what it means to live here these days.
"They’re here. I mean, they’re not going to get rid of them. And no, there’s nothing you can do about the sound. But it truly becomes a background noise to you," said Del Prete.
It’s learning to cope, which means enjoying the times that are a little less noisy. This sound you’re hearing is mainly pups getting excited over whatever food their parents are bringing home. Brennan says it’s in late fall when the juveniles are hitting the town for the first time that things will get really loud.