The Dodgers took Game 6, now onto Game 7. A new mountain lion was spotted in the Hollywood Hills, what does it mean for P-22? The state's gas tax is up, why?
K2 Sports: the Dodgers take it to the edge
Tonight will be a first in LA history as Dodger Stadium will host a final and deciding Game 7 of the World Series.
And what a thrilling series it has been so far, and last night's was another for the ages.
No more games after this one, no more 2nd chances, no more tomorrows....after everything we have seen and heard, tonight's winner is champ, the loser goes home empty-handed.
We'll go over what happened and look forward to the history making game 7 with Andy and Brian Kamenetzky,
Protests and pepper spray: Yiannopoulos comes to Cal State Fullerton
The scene was tense outside Cal State Fullerton's Titan Student Union Tuesday night. There, conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos spoke to a sold-out crowd of more than 800.
Hundreds of protesters gathered ahead of the event, shouting and waving signs. Eight people were detained, three arrested — and that's just what happened outside the venue.
Inside, Daily Titan editor Jason Rochlin says Yiannopoulos addressed a responsive audience, who interrupted the speech several times to chant.
"There was at least one point I remember specifically," Rochlin says.
Yiannopoulos was talking about Halloween and the idea that, during Halloween, the walls between the world of the living and the world of the dead are very porous. He made a joke about how that's very similar to the border wall between the US and Mexico.
For a solid couple of minutes, he lost control as the crowd started to chant 'build the wall.'
Press the blue play button to hear more about what happened after the speech.
PG&E equipment investigated as possible cause of Wine Country Fires
Last month, Northern California was ravaged by wildfires; 43 people died and more than 15,000 homes and businesses were destroyed. But the question remains: What caused these massive fires in the first place?
Take Two's A Martinez spoke with KQED's
who has been on the story.
Some reports pointed to equipment operated by Pacific Gas and Electric. "We've heard repeated evidence that there were power lines down throughout the region and there were very strong winds that evening," Lagos said. "We've heard that transformers were exploding and people saw power lines arcing. So, from the get-go this has been a key question."
Yesterday, the utility presented its first findings. "They're essentially very short incident reports," explained Lagos. "Mapping out what PG&E has found when they went out in the field, where they found power equipment damage."
PG&E and Cal Fire are continuing their investigations but it may be years until they're concluded. If the utility is found liable, it could have serious ramifications for the company's future. "I think we're really going to be seeing a lot of pressure from lawmakers and other watchdogs as they watch this investigation progress," Lagos added. Already on the radar of legislators like state senator Jerry Hill is making sure rate payers don't catch the brunt of the cost if PG&E is determined to be the culprit.
To hear the full interview with Marisa Lagos about PG&E's role in the Wine Country Fires, click on the media player above.
Move over P-22, there's a new mountain lion in town
P-22 is arguably the world’s most famous mountain lion. Ever since a Griffth Park camera spotted him in 2012, he's been a celebrity.
After making the dangerous trek from the Santa Monica mountains into Griffith Park, crossing the 405 and 101 freeways, he's led a solitary existence.
But, it looks like that could be changing because six days ago, another mountain lion was photographed by a Citizen for Los Angeles Wildlife camera in Laurel Canyon.
Miguel Ordeñana is a wildlife biologist with the Natural History Museum of L.A. County. He was the first to spot P-22 and he spoke to A Martinez about the new big cat in town. He was quick to clarify, this new cat isn't exactly that new.
"Although this photo kind of put the spotlight on this animal now," explained Ordeñana, "there have been sightings since late November 2014 of a mountain lion within the 405/101 gap."
However, the discovery is still special as it is the first time the big cat has been photographed this far east. And when you realize that, you can't help but wonder, will P-22 finally have a companion?
"Who knows? He or she may finally decide to cross the 101 to attempt to take residence in Griffith Park. Little does that animal know though that another mountain lion, a very famous one, already lives in Griffith Park."
The mysterious new mountain lion making its way to Griffith Park can be both good and bad.
"If it is a female, there is a chance that P-22 will like her and she will like him and they will decide to mate...
And if they have kittens, those kittens really will have a tough life making a living for themselves. Because as I said, Griffith Park is small for a mountain lion, especially a male. Then you add another female in there and then these individual kittens if they're not killed by P-22 immediately, they're going to have to leave when they reach adult age because P-22 will not tolerate their presence most likely."
Believe it or not, that's the best-case scenario. It only gets worse from there.
"But the reality is a lot of these mountain lions have such a heightened level of territoriality because of the small space available that P-22 may see this individual if it's a female as a threat. Or he can chase her out or kill her. Or they might just not like each other."
Those are bleak scenarios if it's a female. If it's a male, there is no "good scenario." There will be an all-out turf war for Griffith Park and it could result in the death of one of the pumas.
To hear more about the new mountain lion and how it would fare in Griffith Park with P-22, click the blue play button above.
What to know about Covered California as open enrollment begins
It's time to sign up for health care coverage in 2018. Open enrollment for Covered California starts today. This comes after months of efforts by the GOP and President Trump to repeal, or at least weaken, Obamacare.
KPCC health reporter Michelle Faust joined Take Two to explain what it all means for people looking to buy individual health plans through the state exchange.
Obamacare is still the law of the land, she says. People who are legal US residents, who don’t get healthcare at work, can buy a health plan on the health insurance marketplace. The Medi-Cal expansion is still in place.
Covered California enrollment lasts through the end of January.
One month after Las Vegas shooting, new reality sets in for SoCal family
Hitching a ride in Goodyear's new Wingfoot Two blimp
There’s a new blimp in town. The Goodyear Wingfoot Two just arrived in Long Beach and will be making its TV debut above the Staples Center Wednesday night, so look up.
"Wingfoot Two is 246 feet long. It’s nearly the size of a football field. It’s about 60 feet high," said Goodyear spokeswoman Priscilla Tasker.
The old Goodyear blimp, the GZ20, retired from service in March, after 48 long years in the sky.
"It was a very analog form of flying, and we almost compared it to a classic car whereas the new airships in this Wingfoot fleet are like driving a Tesla," Tasker said.
But not quite as fast. The Wingfoot Two has a cruising speed of 35 mph and a top speed of 73.
The new one is big. It takes a lot of helium to lift a more than 19,000 pounds aircraft, Tasker said.
Most of it is the helium structure that lets the Wingfoot Two stay afloat for more than 24 hours, flying above golf tournaments and basketball games like the Clippers.
But it also holds some passengers too. The gondola seats 12, and if you want a ride … well, you need to be a Goodyear tire dealer or to win a charity raffle.
Two pilots fly the Wingfoot Two, including Taylor Deen of Signal Hill, Calif. She’s one of two female blimp pilots in the entire world. She started flying for Goodyear at age 24 and used to fly the old blimp.
"It’s a little bit different than the old type air ship which had rudder pedals and a large wheel," Deen said, while navigating the Wingfoot Two over Long Beach on Wednesday for its first voyage with passengers. "It was very physical. This one’s a little more mental to fly."
Deen describes the experience on board the blimp as "kind of a boat on the ocean. Kind of a cruise ship. It’s very relaxing. We use the same principles of buoyancy as ships do and we’re so large that it’s very calming. IT’s very quiet inside. There’s not a lot of vibration, not a lot of noise. You really just get to enjoy the flight and the scenery."
Angelenos vent at the pump as a new gas tax kicks in
Today, a new California tax kicks in, one that adds 12 cents per gallon to help improve the state's infrastructure. This is a topic near and dear to drivers in Los Angeles, a city with some of the highest gas prices in the country.
Howard Grouse, a customer at a Pasadena Chevron, is cautiously optimistic about the price hike:
The way I read it is that it's going to be pivotal in increasing the quality of life for the people of Los Angeles. So I feel it's a good idea if that's where the money goes. However, if it doesn't find a place in the appropriate area it's supposed to go to, I think it's a terrible idea! And I'm afraid the latter will occur.
Caesar Lua, a SUV owner, is more skeptical:
I just simply pass it on to the next person in my business. I can hardly believe it's going to go towards repair roads, it never goes toward the intended purpose. I can't help but think it's going to line some politician's pocket.
For people with a few more add-ons to their car, the new tax may be music to their ears. Sports car owner John Illsley is glad our roads are getting more attention.
I'm all for the gas tax if it goes towards the pothole that keeps destroying my rims.
Take Two checks in with KPCC's own transportation reporter Meghan McCarty Carino on everything you need to know about the gas tax.
To hear about when we can expect to see results from the revenue, click on the blue media play above