Pasadena City Council votes to cut power to dispensaries, DMV rushes to meet federal ID standards, new music from Juanes and La Santa Cecilia on Tuesday Reviewsday
New Pasadena ordinance could let city shut off services to illegal marijuana dispensaries
The Pasadena City Council has voted on an ordinance that could change the city's relationship with the medical marijuana industry.
Pasadena has had a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries for about 12 years now. Still, nine illegal dispensaries continue to operate within the city.
In a unanimous vote, the City Council decided to crack down by deciding to shut off water and power to these shops.
Eddie Rivera has reported on it for Pasadena Now. He talked about it with Take Two.
Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.
4 things to know about the new federally compliant California ID
States across the country are revamping their IDs and driver's licenses up to federal standards.
It's part of the US Real ID Act, and the process has been 16 years in the making. But California is a little behind—and while we're sprinting to catch up with the rest of the country, Gov. Brown's revised budget tells us the overhaul will have a price tag of $220 million.
DMV spokesperson Jessica Gonzalez spoke with A Martinez about what this change could mean for residents of the Golden State.
1. You don't need to get it right away.
"The DMV has developed a federally compliant driver's license and identification card... So beginning in January 2018, customers can come in to apply for a federally compliant driver's license or ID card.
But we want to make sure people know that you don't necessarily have to get this card right away, and you might not need one at all... And we also want people to know that, even though we're starting this in January 2018, you still have until October 2020 to use your current California driver's license or ID card."
TL;DR: You can start applying for these new cards in 2018, but there's no rush. You won't need them until October 2020.
2. There's a lot more required when you apply for the new cards.
"You have to physically come into a field office if you want to apply. You will also have to show your birth date. You can do that by using a birth certificate or a passport. You're also going to have to prove California residency. You're going to need two documents.
This could be a mortgage bill, a rental agreement or a cell phone bill, even. It just has to show your address—they have to match. And then you also have to bring in your paper social security card. So, that's definitely different than how we do it today."
TL;DR: You'll have to physically go to the DMV and bring your birth certificate or passport, two documents that prove your address, and your actual Social Security card (not a copy).
3. They're not for everyone.
"You don't necessarily need a federally compliant card. You can still renew online or by mail, and you don't have to come [into the office] and do this. This is really for those people that maybe don't have a passport and really want to keep using their license to fly on an airplane."
TL;DR: You don't have to bother getting a federally compliant ID, but beginning October 2020, you will be required to either have this new ID or a passport to travel nationally.
4. This is all being done for one reason: security.
"The federal government is requiring all states to comply with certain new requirements in order to board an airplane or enter certain federal facilities...
It started after 9/11, and it was the federal government's way to make sure that all states have similar ways of verifying identification and security measures. So California has been moving toward compliance for some time, and this is really the final step in the process."
TL;DR: Waiting in lines is a pain, but it's all in an effort to make travel more secure.
To listen to the segment, click the blue play button above.
California's after-school programs in jeopardy
In California, voter approved funding for after school programs has provided students with academics, fun, and a safe space.
But these programs could end up on the chopping block because of two well-intentioned Sacramento policies: a higher minimum wage and greater flexibility for school districts to spend state funds.
Advocates say that after school programs serving tens of thousands of kids may have to close as a result.
KPCC education reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez has been covering this story. He joined Take Two's A Martinez for more.
To hear the interview with Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, click on the blue Media Player above.
‘Lola’ challenges gender roles through the eyes of a female gang leader
Lola is a woman on a mission.
A self-made gang leader, she takes on a powerful drug cartel, navigating life and death situations, all to recover from a deal gone wrong. But from the outside looking in, you'd never know Lola was calling the shots.
"Lola" is a new thriller from TV writer, Melissa Scrivner Love. It's a story of a Los Angeles woman fighting to provide for her family in some pretty unconventional ways.
Melissa Scrivner Love stopped by Take Two to tell us about her debut novel.
Lola's rise to power
"Lola" is about a woman living in Huntington Park which is kind of South Central adjacent. It's her rise to power in a world where she is constantly underestimated. And that world just so happens to be the drug world.
I really wanted to write a story about a woman who used the fact that she was constantly underestimated to her advantage. And I think that's something Lola does. Where she runs into trouble – and granted this is not the only place, she runs into a lot of trouble in this book – is when she starts to realize she wants credit for her work. And she wants the world to see her for who she is and she wants to step out of the shadows.
In this particular case, in this particular neighborhood, in this particular industry that is very dangerous, it's the question of 'How do I get though my day?' But it's very different for someone who traffics drugs and who is a gang member. Things are literally life and death.
I think that for Lola, and for me as well, and for anyone, it's creating the best life out of what you have. And to me, I hope this is a story of hope. I hope it's actually something people find uplifting in that, no matter where you came from, what your past is, you can use it to your advantage and move forward in a way that Lola does. Although not exactly the way that Lola does, because obviously, she makes morally questionable choices.
Challenging gender roles
I think it's important for women to be allowed to be human. And I think that's something we all have to work on in terms of our society. Where it's not the superwoman. It's not, she can have it all and she can do it all. Even though Lola is trying to have it all and to do it all, she's also allowed to have character flaws and be human. And I think that's what we all need to allow ourselves. That's kind of a universal truth for me.
Becoming a mother
In the book, through violent means, she adopts a 5 year-old girl named Lucy. That kind of opened up the whole character for me. How are you responsible for another human being, especially when no day is guaranteed? I think in Lola's profession, she's constantly aware of the fact that she can be killed. But I think it comes back to motherhood. Where we're all just trying to do the best for our kids and that might entail something different for everyone.
Los Angeles as a backdrop
What I love about Los Angeles is that I don't feel like there's one dynamic. So many different people are coexisting and it's what made me fall in love with the city and realize, I've always felt at home here. I think because of all the differences and separate existences that I've felt are just all so interesting. Just because LA is such an amalgamation of differences, I think maybe I was trying to find something that united us all. And I think parenthood in general is something that does.
Conducting unconventional research
I'm fascinated by Los Angeles and I tend to find a lot through driving and just observing and seeing. I tend to not write things down because I feel that hinders the actual experience.
I've written for crime procedurals on television for a very long time, I think for almost a decade. My father was a police officer and my mother is still a court stenographer. And I've always been interested in addiction and talking to recovering addicts. And I think there's a little bit of an addiction to power... And it's something that I've constantly researched. If you write for a crime show, your internet search history is just crazy. And you have to know how certain things work. You have to know how money laundering works, you have to know how gangs work -- that's a knowledge that you constantly draw from. And I think that really helped me write this novel as well.
Quotes edited for clarity and brevity
To hear the full interview with Melissa Scrivner Love, click on the blue media player above.
Officer Involved: Drug use rates don't explain why officers shoot more users in San Bernardino
More than 70 percent of people shot by police officers in San Bernardino County in a six-year period showed signs of substance use, according to a new investigation by KPCC.
That's more than double the rate of similar incidents in LA County, which is perplexing when it comes to the frequency of drug and alcohol abuse.
"The measure public health experts use is drug overdose deaths and emergency room visits," says Beatriz Valenzuela with the San Bernardino Sun. "But we found those rates were similar in both counties. It didn’t explain why San Bernardino had nearly double the rate of these shootings of drug and alcohol users when compared with Los Angeles County."
Part of disparity could be explained by the difference in wealth between the two areas.
"People use drugs in all types of neighborhoods," says KPCC's Annie Gilbertson, "but, not all communities are policed in the same way."
Police shootings tend to cluster around low-income neighborhoods, not affluent ones.
Valenzuela and Gilbertson also looked at how officers viewed drug and alcohol users amidst incidents.
"In the data, we saw that officers misperceive drug users as armed more often when they reached for their waistband, or their hands disappear," says Gilbertson. "Experts do say that drug use can make people seem unpredictable and that can heighten a sense of danger from officers."
Listen to the full interview with Gilbertson and Valenzuela at 9:35 a.m. on KPCC.
Tuesday Reviewsday: Juanes and La Santa Cecilia
Every week we hear brand new music selections and reviews. This week, Take Two contributor
offers new selections from the Columbian artist Juanes and LA’s very own La Santa Cecilia.
Here are his picks!
Juanes
Album: Mis Planes Son Amarte (My Plans Are to Love You)
Juanes' new album is out of this world, literally. Mis Planes Son Amarte (or My Plans Are to Love You) is about a (fictional) guy who is in love and follows the woman-his soul mate-in his life while a space theme surrounds his travels between different periods of life; it's quite a fantastical journey that in the visual sense takes us through a film that's nicely connected with the music and one of favorite albums of the year.
But what makes it really amazing is that it's a visual album. This combination of the visual with music is where Juanes is taking it up a notch, but it's the music that's stands out here. The songs have plenty of cool rock and pop, but there's also guasca, salsa, guasca and a bit of disco; there's a retro feel for sure in the new album.
Here's the video for the first song we reviewed ... Angel.
Fans will find that there is something for everyone, but one thing that was important to Juanes was to simply go back to basics: creating music he enjoys creating and in some ways it's somewhat connected to his solo debut album Fijate Bien (Pay Attention) in terms of that signature, very cool Juanes sound.
This album shows Juanes' growth in a major way; he's more confident, and vulnerable at the same time. He takes his craft seriously and he always seems open to working with others, collaborating with people who have influenced him. His mastery of making music is illustrated here and shows he's still on top of the music game. I really do think that part of that success is owned to working with a team who really gets him and understands his creative edge.
The 13 songs on the new album are beautifully crafted such as "Angel," which has that rock/pop vibe and then there's Juanes' first English-language song, "Goodbye for Now," a heartbreak song that's upbeat even though the break theme is bittersweet. Simply put, Juanes' new album rocks.
La Santa Cecilia also has a new album: Amar y Vivir, or Love and Live. It's one of their best, a project that also includes the visual theme. The songs are classic cover songs that allow Marisoul's voice to shine brighter as these delicate ballads are executed in top-notch form.
The album's producer Sebastian Krys, who has won many awards for his work, also took his work on this album to new heights. The title track and "Como Dios Manda" are beautiful compositions. The later is the only one written by the band."
"Como Dios Manda" is strong in composition, lyrics and sets off a very emotional tone that makes for a somber song about lost love. The instrumentation feels classic, beautiful and defines in melody what it's like to miss someone.
Bravo to La Santa Cecilia for having achieved this kind of work, while maintaining a healthy touring schedule. The visual album was filmed in Mexico, so that added element makes the live performances extra special.