Today on the show we'll start with the California legislative analyst's office projecting a budget surplus for the state. Plus, Alabama posthumously pardons the Scottsboro Boys. A new immigration policy gives hope to undocumented military dependents, a federal consumer protection bureau fines a payday lender $19 million, a preview of the Latin Grammys and much more.
California state analyst projects budget surplus
The latest report from the legislative analyst's office says we are recovering more quickly than expected from the deficit plague of just two and three years ago. The Golden State's treasury is now befitting of its name.
John Myers, political editor for the ABC affiliate in Sacramento, joins the show with more.
Alabama issues posthumous pardons to 'Scottsboro Boys'
Three African-American men falsely convicted of rape more than 80 years ago were pardoned today. The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously this morning to posthumously pardon the men in the "Scottsboro Boys" rape case.
Back in 1931, nine black teens were convicted of raping two white women on a freight train. Because of the many judicial injustices, the case has become a symbol for racial inequality in the South.
For more on the significance of this pardon, we're joined by Lecia Brooks of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Ask Emily on Take Two: What happens if you move out of your state's insurance coverage area?
Emily Bazar, senior writer for the California Healthcare Foundation Center for Health Reporting, joins Take Two for her regular explainer on the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
This week she addresses what happens if you buy insurance from the state-run exchange and then travel or move out of your coverage area.
New immigration hope for military dependents, but enlistment hurdles remain
Late last week the Obama administration announced a major change to immigration policy with regards to the military. Now military spouses and children who are in the country illegally can stay here without fear of deportation and work towards permanent legal status.
But this new policy appears contradictory to an increasingly common practice in many branches of the military -- a practice that explicitly bans enlistment by people who have undocumented dependents. From the Fronteras Desk in Phoenix, Jude Joffe-Block reports
Consumer protection bureau fines payday lender Cash America $19 million
This week the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a $19 million settlement with payday lending company Cash America.
Among other things, the company overcharged customers, including military members, who used its services. It's the first CFPB taken against a payday lender. The company's lending practices affected more than 14,000 people.
Danielle Douglas, who wrote about the settlement for the Washington Post, joins the show with more.
Most NSA collection data authorized by Reagan-backed exective order
The terms PRISM, FISA and metadata have become familiar in the debate over NSA surveillance of global communications. But there is another cryptic-sounding expression to add to the list: twelve-triple-three, or 12333.
It's an executive order put in place before 9-11, before cell phones and before the internet came into use. And unlike those other surveillance programs, this one isn't overseen by Congress or the courts.
Ali Watkins, who wrote about Executive Order twelve-triple-three for McClatchy newspapers, joins the show with more.
Latin Grammy Awards 2013: Who to watch for in tonight's ceremony
Las Vegas hosts the the 14th annual Latin Grammys tonight, airing on the Univision network, and it will include a diverse field of artists from around the world. Here are highlights of some of these nominees gaining wide attention for their work:
Draco Rosa, who as a child was a member of the popular Puerto Rican group Menudo, is receiving critical praise for his duets album Vida. Rosa was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, but earlier this year he announced to the world that he is cancer free.
The result of his time away from the spotlight resulted in music that Rosa assembled for this project featuring artists such as Colombia’s Juanes, Spain’s Alejandro Sanz and Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin who joins Rosa in the tender song “Más y Más.”
“Llorar” or “Crying” is nominated for song of the year. The composition is featured on the album of Mexican sibling act Jesse & Joy’s “Con quien se queda el perro?” ("Who Gets to Keep the Dog?"). The song, co-written with hit maker Mario Domm and Jesse's daughter Hanna Huerta, is a pop/rock ballad that that holds its own lyrically, musically — poetic and charming.
Singer/songwriter Gaby Moreno, nominated in the best new artist category, has been inspired by everything from pop to blues and in "Postales," the Guatemalan artist continues to create music that shows her broad range. Moreno’s album is filled with many lovely songs like “Valle de Magnolias” or “Valley of Magnolias,” an up-tempo composition that is fun while providing a throwback sound that’s catchy, whimsical and irresistible.
Looking at the urban scene, Argentina’s Illya Kuryaki and The Valderramas, also known IKV, are the leading nominees in five categories along with Colombian singer/songwriter Carlos Vives. The duo behind IKV, Dante Spinetta and Emmanuel Horvilleur, are up for best urban song, best urban performance and producer of the year, among others.
Friends since they were children, the duo has recorded together for many years until they amicably split up . A decade later they got back together and their comeback album is Chances. Expanding beyond hip-hop, rap and rock, the pair took a new direction in this album with pop songs such as “Ula Ula,” which led Oprah Winfrey to tweet about her love for the funky and cool song, which was featured in a Target commercial.
This year’s Latin Grammy person of the year is Spanish singer/songwriter Miguel Bosé, whose album, "Papitwo," is nominated for album of the year and best contemporary pop album. This album is his follow-up to his successful 2009 "Papito" duets album. In "Papitwo," Bosé continues to collaborate with well-known singers such as Italian crooner Tiziano Ferro, Mexican pop singer Ximena Sariñana and Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz who recorded her vocals with Bose for the song “Decirnos Adios” (Tell Us Goodbye).
This year in addition to his music, Bosé is being honored for his career achievements. He’s also a respected actor and has personally supported many causes such as music education for underprivileged youth and brought much awareness to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
State Of Affairs: DWP, San Fernando Valley election, Garcetti's move and more
It's Thursday and that means it's time for State of Affairs, our look at politics and government throughout California. To help us with that we're joined in studio by KPCC political reporter Alice Walton and Frank Stoltze.
We start with a topic we seem to touch on a lot here lately and that's the Department of Water and Power. Yesterday, customer service reps with the DWP appeared before the Energy and Environment Committee to explain why a new software program has created so many problems for ratepayers. What did they have to say?
The DWP was also in the news this week because the commission that oversees it said it wants to cut funding to two nonprofits because it’s not sure how the money is being spent. What’s happening here?
There's currently a proposed ballot measure that would increase the vehicle license fee here in California. The money would be used to fix streets and build public transit. How likely is it that we’ll see this fee increase?
Speaking of cars, Mayor Garcetti has a plan to launch new parking enforcement website that might make him the most popular mayor ever.
A special election was held in the San Fernando Valley this week. A democrat and a republican ran to fill a vacancy that was created when Bob Blumenfield left the state Assembly to join the Los Angeles City Council. The race is still too close to call, even though this is a district that leans to the left. What’s happened in this race?
The City of Los Angeles is getting an $11.4 million grant from the federal government to set up what's being called a "nuclear halo."
It may be raining this morning, but Mayor Eric Garcetti is kayaking the L.A. River with the EPA. Why are they meeting for this gray and raining photo op?
Speaking of Mayor Garcetti, his office announced that he and his family will be moving into the mayor’s official residence at Getty House this January. Why make the move from Silver Lake to Getty House?
Randi Zuckerberg on how our lives are becoming more 'Dot Complicated'
Our world has become wired in some crazy ways: shopping carts with iPad docks and speakers, iPad ordering at airport restaurants, even plastic training toilets with iPad stands. Our lives have also become more tricky with all this technology.
The book "Dot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Lives," explores that relationship and it's author just so happens to be the sibling of a man responsible for the ubiquitous nature of social media.
Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, joins the show to talk about her new book.
Charles Phoenix finds country charm in Bakersfield
From time to time we invite our friend Charles Phoenix in for a chat, to share his infectious enthusiasm about all the great things to see and do in Southern California. Today, Phoenix is pumped up about a town he loves that's less than 100 miles north of LA: Bakersfield.
Report: Some LA County drug rehab clinics run by people with criminal pasts
Fraudulent billing and fake patients were just some of the violations the Center for Investigative Reporting dug up when it started investigating publicly-funded drug rehab clinics in Los Angeles County.
The investigation dubbed Rehab Racket found centers were being run by operators with criminal pasts and allegations of criminality separate from the treatment centers.
Reporter Will Evans, who co-reported the story with Christina Jewett and in partnership with CNN, talked to us about some of the stories they uncovered.
JFK's fateful last night and the Latino vote
As the nation remembers the last tragic day of John F. Kennedy's presidency - many Latino voters of that era reflect on what the 35th president meant to their emerging political bloc.
As David Martin Davies reports for Fronteras, JFK had a special connection to Mexican-American voters, and his campaign helped create the Latino Democratic political coalition that still exist today.
Dinner Party Download: Bad swimmers, 'Harry Potter' stamps, Thanksgiving facts
Every week we get your weekend conversation starters with Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam, the hosts of the Dinner Party Download podcast and radio show.
"Harry Potter" Forever Stamps from USPS
"Harry Potter" forever stamps are now on sale at the US Postal Service. But not everyone is excited about it. The Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee is very angry about the stamp. The committee usually suggests who should be on the stamps, but they did not suggest Harry Potter. Critics say the USPS has gotten a little too into pop culture.
Australian swimmers are not the best behaved of folks. This was a big story during the London Olympics, terms like bullying and drunken were applied to the Australian swim team. They did apparently bring this upon themselves to the point that their own Australian Olympic Commission issued new guidelines for the consumption of alcohol for the next Olympics. They are still allowed to drink, but they're not allowed to behave in a boorish, drunken manner, that includes: being argumentative, bad tempered or using offensive language, swaying, staggering or falling down, speech which is loud and boisterous, having rambling conversations, having difficulty in paying attention or comprehending others, and annoying fellow team members.
Surprising Facts About Thanksgiving
This Buzzfeed post caught our eyes this week. It's called Surprising Facts About Thanksgiving. For one, 85 percent of the world's canned pumpkin is made at one plant in Morton, Illinois, the Libby's Plant, and that's enough for 90 million pumpkin pies. The factory churns out cans 24 hours a day from mid-August through October when its closed for the season. Almost 3/4 of Americans serve store-bought cranberry sauce rather than homemade at Thanksgiving. There is a marshmallow plant, discovered by the Egyptians in 2,000 B.C. Now they're no longer made from the flower, they're made from gelatin and dyed a uniform bright white, and the dye is called artificial color Blue #1.