The latest on the fatal stabbing of Dodgers fan Jonathan Denver; ACA enrollment tools delayed for small businesses, Spanish language; Decision in Jackson-AEG trial now in jury's hands; LA Beer Week celebrates LA's thriving suds scene, and more.
The latest on the fatal stabbing of Dodgers fan Jonathan Denver
We start today's show with the latest information on a recent case of what may be sports-related violence.
On Wednesday night, a 24-year-old man named Jonathan Denver was stabbed to death following a Dodgers-Giants game in San Francisco.
RELATED: Update: Man faces homicide charge in Dodgers fan's slaying
Denver is the Fort Bragg ,California man who was killed near AT&T Park, the San Francisco Giants home field. The stabbing appears to have stemmed from an argument surrounding fans of the two teams, although the stabbing occurred four blocks from where the game was being played.
For more on this we're joined by Henry Lee, acrime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle
Why do sports sometimes spur violence among rival fans?
What is it about sports that compels fans to get so heated that it can sometimes lead to violence? Rick Grieve, professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University, joins the show to explain theories on why sports rivalries can turn violent.
RELATED: Update: Man faces homicide charge in Dodgers fan's slaying
Decision in Jackson-AEG trial now in jury's hands
At long last, a negligence lawsuit by Michael Jackson's mother against concert promoter AEG is in the hands of a jury. For more on the final days of the trial and what might happen next, we turn now to Jeff Gottlieb of the L.A. Times.
Friday Flashback: Budget negotiations, Obamacare, Ted Cruz and more
The government is a few days away from shutting down, and a few weeks away from maxing out its credit. It's yet another in a long series of legislative logjams. Has polarization between the political parties reached a new high. Or maybe a new low?
In this week's Friday Flashback, our weekly analysis of the news, we'll chew on the reality and absurdity behind the Congressional battle over the budget and the national debt. We're joined by Nancy Cook, politics and economics reporter for National Journal and NPR political reporter Ken Rudin.
We begin with a status update on the budget negotiations. The Senate is expected to vote, probably in this hour, on a budget bill that is significantly different than the one passed a week ago in the House. What's the latest?
The House bill would have funded the government until December 15, but the Senate bill trims that back a month. What's the reason for that?
If the Senate approves this budget bill — a continuing resolution in the local lingo — it has to go back to the House.Is it anybody's guess as to what might happen then?
Will the House Speaker, John Boehner have to depend on some Democratic votes if he wants to get a bill passed and avoid a shutdown?
What are the chances the government shuts down on Tuesday, and how long might it be before Congress can agree on even a short-term funding plan?
The key issue in all this, for many Republicans, is the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Polls consistently show it's not popular, even though people are wildly supportive of some parts of it, like the ban on refusing to insure people with pre-existing conditions.
The White House line has been something like this : you're already benefiting from Obamacare, but you just don't know it." Clearly not a very effective sales pitch. How could the administration have done a better job selling Obamacare?
The political arguments against Obamacare have made it sound like the coming of the Black Plague. Key to the GOP opposition is that Obamacare is a job-killing economic crippler, but the White House has a pretty good political argument against trying it to funding the government.
Ted Cruz, the junior senator from Texas, made some waves this week. What is he doing? It's no surprise that Cruz has angered Democrats, but he's irking Republicans, too. Even very conservative Republicans.
You now have veteran politicians on both sides of the aisle saying they've never seen this level of polarization and vitriol. Which brings us to the next stop on the Congressional crisis calendar. The debt ceiling, and the possibility the country could default on its sovereign debt. Is this going to happen, and if not, how will Congress work out a deal to avoid it?
LA Beer Week celebrates LA's thriving suds scene
Well it may be a little early in the morning to start thinking about beer, but if you want to catch the final days of L.A.'s Beer Week festivities you'd better start planning. It wraps up this Sunday and there are only a handful of events left to hit.
Here to give us an update on the L.A. beer scene is our producer and resident beer nerd Meghan McCarty.
La Santa Cecilia wins a Grammy for best latin rock album
Update:
On Sunday night, the band La Santa Cecilia took home the Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for their album “Treinta Dias."
The band hails from Los Angeles, where its members got their start singing boleros for change around Olvera Street. We spoke with band member and lead vocalist Marisol Hernandez back in September.
Earlier:
It's been ten years since the gleaming, swooping silhouette of the Walt Disney Hall became part of the LA skyline and it's kicking off its birthday celebrations this Sunday with a free concert just down the hill in Grand Park.
Gustavo Dudamel will conduct a performance by the LA Philharmonic with Youth Orchestra LA and it's only appropriate that they'll be joined by another group that, like Disney Hall, is a true LA original. La Santa Cecilia joins Take Two.
IPCC report shows humans are changing Earth's climate
A report released by scientists for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change today says that it is "extremely likely" that humans are changing the Earth's climate.
In addition, the report shows that human influence has been the dominant cause of warming since the mid-20th century. Each of the past three decades has been warming than any preceding decade since 1850.
RELATED: IPCC report: It's clear humans are changing world's climate
The IPCC brings together hundreds of scientists and researchers from around the world. We check in with one of the scientists on the findings, Dean Roemmich of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
IPCC Report on Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis
419-million-year-old fish fossil shows origin of modern jawbone
An old fish is usually a bad thing, but one 419 million-year-old fish is proving to be very helpful. A new fossil that was recently discovered in China might completely change the way scientists understand how humans evolved.
Findings about the fossil were published in thelatest edition of the journal Nature. Matt Friedman, lecturer in Paleobiology at the University of Oxford in the UK, joins the show to explain.
Knott's 'Haunt' vs. Universal's 'Horror Nights': Theme parks prepare for Halloween battle
Summer is traditionally the prime money-making season for theme parks, but the lead-up to Halloween is becoming a big deal both for park business managers and customers, who line up for a good scare.
KPCC's Wendy Lee reports on the high-stakes competition over monsters and mazes.
Drought spurs native farmers to use non-traditional irrigation methods
Severe drought has been gripping much of the southwest for years and New Mexico has gotten the worst of it. The lack of water is forcing many native farmers to consider more non-traditional methods of irrigation.
From the Fronteras Desk, Carrie Jung reports.
New research shows fear memories can be reduced through sleep
Maybe you're someone who's easily spooked on Halloween. Or perhaps you're afraid of things like centipedes or you're set on edge by the fear of falling.
New research from Northwestern University has some promise for you. They have found a way for you to conquer fear through sleep. Dr Jay Gottfried, an associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University, joins the show to explain.
Proud Bird restaurant at LAX to close at end of year
These days, if you want a bite to eat before flying out of LAX, chances are you'll grab a burger at McDonalds or a muffin at Starbucks. But back in the day, flying was a bit more of a glamorous, leisurely affair.
Travelers often began their adventures with a meal at a restaurant called the Proud Bird. We were sad to learn this morning that the Proud Bird will be closing by the end of the year.
Joining us for a look back at this eatery is the King of Kitsch, Mr. Charles Phoenix.
ACA enrollment tools delayed for small businesses, Spanish language
Starting October 1, individuals can pre-enroll for health insurance in the marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. Federal officials say some online tools wont be ready by then, and this will impact states like Arizona and Texas that are using the federally-run marketplaces.
The Fronteras Desk's Jude Joffe-Block reports from Phoenix.
What's behind Mexico City's odor problem?
If you've traveled to Mexico City lately and landed at the airport, you probably noticed an unfortunate stench. AP Reporter Olga Rodriguez wrote about the persistent odor earlier this week and says that it "wafts from the manholes and leaves the morning air smelling fresh as a septic tank."
The unpleasant smell both bothered -- and intrigued -- Rodriguez every time she went through the airport, so she had to get to the, um, bottom of its cause.
Dodgers manager Ned Colletti on how the LA team went from worst to first
The morning of June 22, the Dodgers were in last place in the National League West. Their record of 30-42 was not what fans were expecting from a team with a robust payroll of over $200 million.
Then on dime, they turned it all around. They won six straight, then 10 of 11 and ultimately had a historically dominant run where they won 42 of 50 games going from worst to first winning their division. For more on how it all happened we're joined by the person who put the team together, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti.