Calif. Governor Jerry Brown told state regulators to immediately allow oil refineries to make an early transition to winter-blend gasoline to help with rising gas prices.; Congressional panel has concluded that the federal government should block mergers of U.S. firms with Chinese telecommunications companies suspected of ties to the Chinese government.; President Obama visits the site for a future monument for farm worker activist Cesar Chavez.; Jude Joffe-Block reports on the complex collaborations between manufacturers on both sides of the US-Mexico border.; Talking with Ingrid Croce, widow of the late singer Jim Croce, about her new book, "I've Got a Name.; Mitt Romney is giving what's billed as a landmark foreign policy speech in Virginia on Monday.; One of Mitt Romney's top advisors is a rising Asian American political star from Southern California.; According to a new survey, Americans may have changed their attitudes on counterterrorism policy since Barack Obama became president.
House Intelligence Committee finds security threat in two major Chinese telecom companies
According to a report released this morning by the House Intelligence Committee, some of the biggest threats to national security today comes from two Chinese telecom companies.
A year long investigation found that Huawei and ZTE - two of the world's leading suppliers of telecommunications gear and mobile phones - has the means and the motive to spy on the US.
A U.S. executive of one of the companies said the firm cooperated with investigators, and defended its business record. Huawei is a "globally trusted and respected company," said William Plummer, vice president for external affairs.
On Monday, ahead of the report's release, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said investment by China's telecommunications companies in the United States showed the countries have mutually beneficial relations.
"We hope the U.S. will do more to benefit the interests of the two countries, not the opposite," said spokesman Hong Lei at a regular briefing.
Alex Cohen talks with Spencer Ante of the Wall Street Journal for more on this.
Governor Brown injects early 'winter blend' gas into CA economy
If you're in your car right now, it's probably bugging you. $4.68, $4.85, sometimes five dollars.
With California gasoline prices reaching all-time highs, Governor Jerry Brown has taken action. He'll allow a shift to so-called winter blend gasoline, which he says may relieve the shortage creating the price run-up.
The governor said the move will allow California to import more gas from out of state--currently, only California refineries can produce the lower emission summer blend of gas.
While oil companies have called on Sacramento to ease up on regulations, Governor Brown defended the regulations in an interview with KPCC's A Martinez. "Vulnerable people, elderly, young kids, [smog] can permanently damage their lungs. We don't want to go back to that."
On the other hand, Brown said Californians still need gas. "I certainly am going to do everything I can to work with our energy people to get the refinery capacity in balance with the consumption."
But what's in this beloved winter blend? And when should we expect to see cheaper gas?
For some answer, host Alex Cohen also talked with Tom Kloza--he's Chief Oil Analyst for Oil Price Information Service.
Honoring the legacy of workers' rights advocate Cesar Chavez
This morning, President Obama is heading to Keene, California, in the San Joaquin Valley where he'll pay tribute to the memory of Cesar Chavez.
Chavez's home and burial place, known as La Paz, will be designated a national monument.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the of the founding of the National Farm Workers Organization, which later became the United Farm Workers union.
For more on the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez, we're joined by Matt Garcia, author of the book "From the Jaws of Victory: the Triumph and Tragedy of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker Movement."
Mexico is key to growth for some US companies
These days, some six-million American jobs actually depend in some way on trade with Mexico. From the Fronteras Desk, Jude Joffe-Block reports on the complex collaborations between manufacturers on both sides of the US-Mexico border.
Ludo Bites cookbook brings the pop-up concept home
LudoBites is a unique restaurant concept created by chef Ludo Lefebvre. What makes it unique is that it has no permanent address and no phone number.
Most describe it as a "pop-up" restaurant. We'll speak to him about his new cookbook.
Excerpt from the Ludo Bites cookbook
Afghan Americans help others get the voting habit
With the election right around the corner, get out the vote campaigns are in high gear.
But for many Afghan refugees living in the U.S., government is associated with the corruption and oppression they knew back home.
So a large number of those eligible to vote, don't.
In Fremont, California, home to the largest Afghan American community, some political activists are working to change that.
The California Report's Francesca Segre reports.
GOP candidate Mitt Romney gives speech on foreign policy
Governor Romney just wrapped up a speech that focused on foreign policy at the Virginia Military Institute.
For analysis, Josh Rogin, a staff writer for Foreign Policy Magazine joins the show.
One of Romney's top advisors hails from Southern California
One of Mitt Romney's top advisors is a rising Asian-American political star from Southern California.
As Romney's chief policy director, 34-year-old Lanhee Chen plays a key role in advising the Republican presidential nominee on foreign and domestic issues.
KPCC's Frank Stoltze reports.
Are Americans less concerned about the government's use of torture?
As we heard earlier, Governor Mitt Romney is criticizing the Obama administration for not doing enough to curb the influence of Al-Qaeda around the globe.
In the past, the Bush administration was criticized for allowing the use of torture to interrogate suspected terrorists. Controversial techniques included waterboarding, sleep deprivation and sexual humiliation.
But a new poll suggests Americans may be less concerned about the use of torture than they were in the past.
Professor Amy Zegart, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and an expert on national security issues, produced the poll. She joins the show to talk about her findings.
New book looks at singer-songwriter Jim Croce's too-short life
In 1973 the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" was released by the singer songwriter Jim Croce. Immediately the song became a hit and made him a household name, but only months later he was killed in an airplane crash at just 30 years old.
We speak to his widow, Ingrid Croce, who's just written a new book entitled, "I Got a Name: The Jim Croce Story."
Interview Highlights:
On their young marriage and Jim's early career:
"A psych major with a German minor. I don't know what kind of job you would get with that, that's what his father was thinking. Jim was the eldest in his family, his father was the eldest son of 11 kids. And in our generation, especially back then, education was extremely important to get a good job. His parent had really sacrificed and did a lot to help Jim to become a college student. For him to just kind of take that education and not appreciate it was not something that made them feel good about it. I certainly was supportive of it, but I always new his music was incredibly special, the way he sang, the stories that he told, he was charismatic and funny as hell and really bright. It was a very different time though. People like Bob Dylan and people like the Beatles were finally making a career in music, and a lot of young people were thinking, 'Gosh I'd love to do that, i don't want to get a desk job, let me get a job doing what I love to do.' And back then it actually could happen."
On Jim and Ingrid Croce's big break:
"We did, we both sang and wrote together, but quite honestly it was not my dream to become a singer songwriter. My dream was to be an artist, that was what I wanted to do, but Jim's dream, more than anything in the world, he wanted to writs songs and do music. So when I was in my senior year, my father passed away, and Jim had promised my dad that he would put me through school. He came to me very hesitantly, we'd been offered an opportunity to do an album on Capitol Records. He came to me very tentatively and said, 'what do you think?' I said of course we have to do this, this is your turn, this is your chance to finally do something you'd been dreaming of doing your whole life. Let'e go to New York City and let's do this. We did an album called Jim and Ingrid Croce in 1969, we went on a college concert circuit for bout a year and a half, almost two years. The album wasn't actually even out yet and there we were trying to promote an album that wasn't on the road. It was one of the best times of my life, I just had just a ball."
On an early tragedy that challenged their marriage:
"When we first got married, shortly after that I had won a fellowship to go to Mexico, and while I was in Mexico, before Jim was able to leave his day gig, he decided that he would stay and I would go to Mexico and he would meet me there. Sadly while I was there I was raped. I was petrified back then to say anything to Jim right away, certainly I wanted to tell him in person. It was a very frightening situation. Back then and sometimes even today, rape wasn't something that was discussed and i was really nervous about telling Jim. When I did it was devastating to him. He was filled with anger, he was filled with sadness."
On how Jim and Ingrid healed from her assault:
When this happened there was an enormous distance between us. Up to that point from the time I was 16 til I was just about 20, we were extremely close. We breathed together, we did everything together. It just kind of put a divide between us. I recognized this as an opportunity to go on the road with Jim and to just be the two of us that would really get us closer. And it did. Singing together all the time every single night for over a year and a half was just great. Over 100,000 miles a year we were in a little green Volkswagen, I was driving and he was playing the guitar, and we were singing and we would get to the college and do more music. It really gave us back to each other, we got to know each other again in a way that was really important."
On the letter Ingrid received a week after Jim's death:
"It comes at a time after a lot of tragedy in both of our lives, and we were really hoping that somehow we'd be able to pull this off and bring it together. he wrote to me:"
Dear Ing,
I know I haven't been very nice to you for some time, but I thought it might be of some comfort, Sweet Thing, to understand that you haven't been the only recipient of JC's manipulations. But since you can't hear me and can't see me, I can't bullshit, using my sneaky logic and facial movements. I have to write it all down instead, which is lots more permanent. So it can be re-read instead of re-membered, so, it's really right on the line.
I know that you see me for who I am, or should I say, as who I are. 'Cause I've been lots of people. If Medusa had personalities or attitudes instead of snakes for her features, her name would have been Jim Croce. But that's unfair to you and it's also unhealthy for me. And I now want to be the oldest man around, a man with a face full of wrinkles and lots of wisdom.
So this is a birth note, Baby. And when I get back everything will be different. We're gonna have a life together, Ing, I promise. I'm gonna concentrate on my health. I'm gonna become a public hermit. I'm gonna get my Master's Degree. I'm gonna write short stories and movie scripts. Who knows, I might even get a tan.
Give a kiss to my little man and tell him Daddy loves him.
Remember, it's the first sixty years that count and I've got 30 to go.
I Love you,
Jim