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13 join the California Hall of Fame

Wed, Dec 2 Listen

Tuesday evening, Governor Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver inducted 13 Californians into the state’s Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees run the gamut from athletes to business moguls to political activists.

Prominent folklorist Bess Lomax Hawes dies at 88

Wed, Dec 2 Listen

Musician and folklorist Bess Lomax Hawes died last week. She was 88 years old. (Audio: KPCC's Alex Cohen talks with Sabina Magliocco, the anthropology department chairwoman at Cal State Northridge, about Hawes' work.)

Man claims he spied on Muslims for FBI

Mon, Nov 30 Listen

A man who says he spied on Muslims in the Southland for the FBI says West Covina Superior Court records will back up his claim. That court will decide later this week whether to unseal those records.

Black history archivist Avery Clayton dies

Fri, Nov 27 Listen

The custodian of one of the nation’s major black history archives has died. Avery Clayton suffered an apparent heart attack during a Thanksgiving gathering with his family in Culver City. KPCC’s Cheryl Devall says Clayton inherited his mother’s passion for sharing the heritage of African Americans in the western United States.

National Building Museum holds exhibit on parking garages

Thu, Nov 26 Listen

To you, a parking garage is a place to stash your car for a few hours. To the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., it could be a symbol of architectural genius – or a source for artistic inspiration. Some of Southern California’s iconic garages are part of a new exhibit at the museum.

Local bank to donate mural by prominent local artist

Wed, Nov 25 Listen

A Chase bank branch in Pasadena wants to give away a work of art.

California attorney general investigates scam targeting black churches

Fri, Nov 20 Listen

State Attorney General Jerry Brown Friday said he’s investigating whether 30 African-American churches in Southern California were the target of a computer scam.

Motion Picture Academy awards some notable Oscars early this year

Fri, Nov 13 Listen

It may not feel like Oscar season, but four honorees are scheduled to pick up gold trophies on Saturday. This ceremony at Hollywood and Highland is a new event on Hollywood’s awards calendar.

15 year quest to honor Latino Medal of Honor recipients

Wed, Nov 11 Listen

The first Southland monument dedicated to recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor is about two-thirds finished on a patch of grass next to Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles.

Joint Chiefs chairman decides not to ride in parade after Ft. Hood shooting

Mon, Nov 9 Listen

The original grand marshal of this year’s San Fernando Valley Veterans Day parade has withdrawn from Wednesday’s event. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided not to attend after last week’s shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.

Orange County doctor from Germany remembers day the Berlin Wall fell

Mon, Nov 9 Listen

Twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall fell. East Germans kept away from loved ones for 28 years swarmed past the wall's suddenly unguarded checkpoints. An Orange County doctor was living in Germany at the time.

Thousands attend free H1N1 clinic in Monterey Park

Fri, Nov 6 Listen

Free H1N1 vaccine clinics across Los Angeles County are on the calendar through Thanksgiving, 2009, but thousands of people in Monterey Park aren't putting it off. The free clinic line stretched around Barnes Park on Thursday and took some people four hours to get inoculated.

New UCLA study on same-sex couples

Tue, Nov 3 Listen

This week is a big one for the issue of same-sex marriage. Maine is voting today on whether to keep it legal... Tomorrow is the year anniversary of the passage of Proposition 8 here in California. One of the arguments that opponents of gay marriage often cite is that if two men or two women marry - that will ruin the definition of marriage. But a new study out of UCLA shows that same sex married couples aren't all that different from straight ones. Gary Gates is a Senior Research Fellow at...

LADWP sponsoring drought-friendly landscaping workshops

Tue, Nov 3 Listen

Water use restrictions and occasional brushfires are constant reminders that the Southland is enduring another year of drought. Here’s a partial remedy: drought-tolerant landscaping workshops begin this Saturday, Nov. 7.

Shooting at Valley Village synagogue wounds 2

Thu, Oct 29 Listen

Detectives from the North Hollywood branch of the Los Angeles Police Department have spent the day investigating a shooting that wounded two this morning at a synagogue in Valley Village. Police and city officials have also worked to keep the public from rushing to the wrong conclusions about the shooting.

Bratton and the LAPD: A look back

Wed, Oct 28 Listen

On Saturday, Bill Bratton ends his high-profile and sometimes controversial run as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. KPCC’s Frank Stoltze has the first of three stories that examine Bratton’s imprint on the LAPD.

Women's Conference 2009 opens in Long Beach

Tue, Oct 27 Listen

The Long Beach Convention Center opens today to “The Women’s Conference 2009.” The event has grown in each of its 20-plus years.

S. David Freeman returns as head of LADWP

Mon, Oct 26 Listen

For the next six months, S. David Freeman is filling in as general manager for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. He's filled the post before - he ran the DWP from 1997 to 2001. In the years since, the LADWP has come under fire, for everything from water main breaks to rate increases. The 83-year-old general manager spoke about the utility's fees, alternative energy, and his plans for retirement.

Los Angeles County opens first H1N1 vaccine clinic

Fri, Oct 23 Listen

Los Angeles County public health officials today opened a free clinic at Encino's Balboa Sports Complex. It is the county's first such clinic to help combat the virus that has struck around the world. Around the country there are big delays in getting the H1N1 vaccine.

Longtime LA Times journalist Jack Nelson dies

Wed, Oct 21 Listen

Journalists are paying tribute to a former Los Angeles Times Washington bureau chief whose reporting helped to boost the paper’s national profile. Jack Nelson was 80 years old when he died of pancreatic cancer today.

San Onofre nuclear power plant to test sirens

Wed, Oct 21 Listen

If you live or work in South Orange County, you'll hear a familiar sound Wednesday morning. The San Onofre Nuclear Station will do an annual test of its sirens between 10 and noon today.

Volunteers needed for final tree planting in Huntington Beach park

Fri, Oct 16 Listen

Volunteers are almost finished restoring Butterfly Park in Huntington Beach. They just need to plant a few dozen more trees Satrday morning and are inviting people to help out.

Sweet taste of fall pie eating & baking contest in Malibu

Sat, Oct 10 Listen

A sweet old fashioned pie eating contest was held Saturday in Malibu. KPCC’s Patricia Nazario had the tasty job of judging the pies. She talks with KPCC's Shirley Jahad from the pie fest at the Malibu Country Mart on Cross Creek road just off PCH.

Dodgers open playoffs against Cardinals

Wed, Oct 7 Listen

The Dodgers are facing off against the St. Louis Cardinals tonight in game one of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium. Among the thousands of fans there is Debbie Lissebeck of Burbank. KPCC's Alex Cohen spoke with Lissebeck and asked her to to describe the scene at Chavez Ravine.

Supreme Court takes up Mojave Desert cross monument case

Wed, Oct 7 Listen

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday morning in the case of a cross on a hillside in the middle of California’s Mojave desert. KPCC’s Washington Correspondent Kitty Felde reports.

Team California competes in national solar decathlon

Mon, Oct 5 Listen

This week in Washington, D.C., 20 teams of college students will build solar-powered houses on the national mall, and will compete to determine which dwelling uses the least energy. One of those teams comes from California. KPCC's Molly Peterson has more about its project.

Copenhagen and the 2016 Olympics

Fri, Oct 2 Listen

The International Olympic Committee is voting in Copenhagen on who will host the 2016 summer games. Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, and Tokyo were the finalists. In the first round of voting, three nations made it through: Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro -- Chicago was eliminated. Tokyo was knocked out in the second round of voting.

Plans to renovate ballpark in Compton

Wed, Sep 30 Listen

Retired major league baseball players and city officials convened today at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Compton's Gonzales Park. KPCC's Brian Watt says they celebrated the ballfield's past and made plans for its future.

Thousands expected to volunteer for National Public Lands Day

Fri, Sep 25 Listen

National Public Lands Day is tomorrow. Thousands of volunteers will head outdoors to get their hands dirty planting trees, repairing trails, and cleaning up wildlands and parks. More from KPCC’s Debra Baer.

Tommy Lasorda's portrait placed in the Smithsonian

Tue, Sep 22 Listen

Former Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda celebrated his 82nd birthday today at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery. He wasn’t a visitor; he was there for the unveiling of his portrait. KPCC’s Washington Correspondent Kitty Felde reports.

KPCC Local News - Society/Culture (News)