CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-23 20:37:40 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Facebook loves to boast about how it has 1.11 billion monthly active users, but notice that they don't specify just how many of those users are human. 

An estimated 100 million Facebook profiles are those belonging to brands, products and perhaps most beloved of all, people's pets. Social media has turned pets, especially cats, into some of the biggest sensations online. 

One popular Internet cat personality is Colonel Meow, who currently boasts more than 166,000 Facebook fans and counting. He and his owner Anne Marie Avey live right here in Southern California.   http://kp.cc/10WeZZK

2013-05-22 21:22:28 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

City Councilman Eric Garcetti beat out opponent Wendy Greuel to become the city's newest mayor. He took 54% of the vote compared to Greuel's 46% in preliminary results. Turnout was estimated to be about 19% and some 345,000 votes were cast in all the races. http://kp.cc/184MMrs

2013-05-22 01:42:42 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

The Downtown Women's Center is being named Nonprofit of the year by the Office of the Governor and CaliforniaVolunteers. The organization has been on Skid Row for about 35 years, providing long-term housing options as well as medical services and vocation. http://kp.cc/14vnRZU

2013-05-21 23:57:58 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 26 +1s)

Are you sitting down? Well you might want to stand up for this story. 

The evolution of modern-day office desk set-ups looks a little something like this: First came the ergonomic desk chair, then the giant inflatable ball chair and the stand-up desk.

Now, believe it or not, some people are upping the healthy-while-working design by walking while they work at treadmill desks. Sounds like a recipe for spilled coffee, but the idea has been taking off in offices across the US. http://kp.cc/14v97dL

2013-05-20 20:23:06 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 9 +1s)

The Natural History Museum is celebrating its 100th year this summer. They’ll celebrate with two new exhibits, Becoming LA and Nature Gardens which will feature dozens of taxidermy animals including birds, possums, and cows. 

Off-Ramp’s Mukta Mohan talked with taxidermist Allis Markham to find out what it’s like behind the scenes at the museum and to learn about the art of taxidermy. http://kp.cc/10JCFUa

2013-05-15 23:07:47 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

The recent discovery of an extra $43 million in the Department of Transportation's budget shows just how little Los Angeles city leaders know about so-called "special funds," the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee said Wednesday.  

So how much money is hidden in other LA city departments? http://kp.cc/11FGYmH

(Photo: Alice Walton/KPCC)

2013-05-10 00:04:29 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

The cabin where ex-LAPD officer and suspected killer Christopher Dorner perished in flames has become a 'must see' attraction, memorial. 

Since his death there remain many issues remain unresolved. We've now learned who shares the $one-million reward, but what will happen to the cabin? http://kp.cc/YIR2ts

2013-05-09 23:59:22 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 16 +1s)

Central American immigrants flooded into the United States throughout the 1980s and '90s after fleeing brutal civil wars. Though the States provided a safe haven from the systematic violence of places like El Salvador and Guatemala, many of these new Americans carried with them the trauma of the violence they witnessed back home. 

Award-winning photojournalist Donna DeCesare spent years traveling to Central America — El Salvador in particular — to capture the lives of those affected by civil war. She witnessed the aftermath of a government firing squad enforcing a curfew, the execution of Jesuit priests and images of young children unfazed by the violence around them. http://kp.cc/16kkAA9

(Photo: Donna DeCesare)

2013-05-08 00:48:07 (5 comments, 8 reshares, 5 +1s)

File this one under Instant Backlash: Disney has filed several trademark applications for the phrase Dia de Los Muertos, as in the name of the traditional holiday that is celebrated in Mexico and elsewhere to honor the dead.

No, really. http://kp.cc/109CeCg

2013-05-07 20:48:23 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

The pain and panic in Amanda Berry's 911 call yesterday is evidence of the severity of this case. Three woman held captive by three brothers for ten long years. 

They were held in a home owned by Ariel Castro. Police say Castro and his brothers, Onil and Pedro -- all in their 50s -- conspired in the case. A six-year-old girl was also found who was reportedly born to Amanda Berry during the ordeal.

How did they keep it secret from neighbors, family or coworkers for so long? Why weren't the women able to escape sooner? What is the psychological profile of men like the Castros? How will these women recover? http://kp.cc/10n967J

2013-05-06 23:54:25 (6 comments, 3 reshares, 12 +1s)

The most trying thing about covering LA for an entire generation is seeing things that went badly the first time, come around again. Like, the execs at the Department of Water and Power sneaking Sparkletts dispensers into their headquarters. Or, more recently, LACMA’s leader deciding it’s his duty to tear the place down.

The plan is to demolish two-thirds of the museum and build a new one — for a mere $650 million.

Last time it was a mere $300 million the LACMA board wanted to redo the place. That was just eleven years ago. http://kp.cc/1297663

(Photo: Grant Slater/KPCC)

2013-05-02 21:27:12 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 1 +1s)

There was no need to reach out to the public for funds when it came to making a film version of Salman Rushdie's 1981 book "Midnight's Children." After all, the story was a proven hit.

The film version of "Midnight's Children" opens on Friday in LA.  http://kp.cc/1074P8h

2013-04-30 21:14:45 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

Tomorrow is the annual May Day rally that winds through DTLA in celebration of International Workers' Day.

This massive annual demonstration foregrounds issues including immigration reform and workers' rights, but it has also become a forum for people to trumpet their own social or legal cause of choice.

LADOT officials are expecting approximately 14,000 people at the May Day event.

Some streets may close as early as 6 a.m. on Wednesday and reopen as late as 9 p.m.

On top of these surface street closures, the 101 southbound ramp to Broadway will be closed starting at 11;30 a.m., as will the Spring Street offramp. http://kp.cc/10qzdt8

2013-04-29 22:18:50 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

Journalist Michael Montgomery of the Center for Investigative Reporting has been covering marijuana here in California for several years now. You've heard him numerous times on this show, talking about everything from marijuana prices to federal crackdowns on pot dispensaries.

On a reporting trip here in Southern California, he had an experience which has changed the way he thought about this industry. That experience is chronicled in a new multimedia video as part of a series called Off the Record Stories: http://kp.cc/14J5LH3

2013-04-26 20:11:18 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

"That's Joni listening to Clouds, which was the album that she was making at the time. She was listening to an acetate of her record prior to the release to make sure everything was right. Even though I was living with Joni, I didn't want her to know why I was taking the image. I'm actually shooting through one of those kitchen table chairs that have a hole in the top where you put your hand in to lift the chair. That's why you only see her partial face. My God, isn't she beautiful?" http://kp.cc/15S3skR

2013-04-24 00:52:48 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

News of last week's horrific bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon broke rapidly and widely across mainstream media, the Internet and social media. As in all such fluid situations, a lot of bad information was mixed in with the good. A similar spread of misinformation accompanied the subsequent multi-agency response that resulted in the death of suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, and the capture of his younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Here are the latest official developments in the case. As for the rest of the information out there, KPCC deconstructs some of the worst rumors and speculation and tries to find the truth behind them.

2013-04-23 20:39:51 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Los Angeles has three of the top 10 most polluted ZIP codes in California. The remainder are in the San Joaquin Valley, according to a new tool developed by state environmental officials to target communities for cleanup.

Explore the map and legend in the story to look up the pollution levels in your neighborhood. The darker the color on the map, the higher the CalEnviroScreen score, meaning a higher level of pollution. http://kp.cc/11KcGZv

2013-04-17 01:01:49 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 13 +1s)

News of Monday's horrific bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon broke rapidly and widely across mainstream media, on the Internet and in social media, and as in all such fluid situations, a lot of bad information was mixed in with the good.

KPCC deconstructs some of the worst rumors and speculation and tries to find the truth behind them.

2013-04-16 22:16:13 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 24 +1s)

For the uninitiated, +CicLAvia (pronounced seek-lah-vee-uh) is a car-free, party along Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles. It is open to anyone – and a pet – to enjoy the streets. It is not a bicycle race or ride, but rather a free, open playground. Now in its sixth occasion, CicLAvia heads west to Venice Beach for the first time!

We've collected all the information you'll need to have a safe and fun trip this sunday! Remember to wear helmet! http://kp.cc/13d69gi

2013-04-13 01:05:32 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 23 +1s)

So you weren't able to get tickets to Coachella, or did you decide you'd rather opt out of that grueling overheated desert mosh pit? 

Lucky for you, you can enjoy the cooler weather and use the Southland as your playground this weekend, for less than the $349 or more you would have spent on a festival ticket.

We've compiled a list of events – some are kid-friendly and even dog-friendly – around Los Angeles and Orange counties and all the way up north to Victorville during the same weekends of that party in the desert: April 12-14 and 19-21. http://kp.cc/110nIuW

2013-04-12 20:58:23 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Did you know that KPCC has a Pinterest? Well, we do! Check us out!

2013-04-12 20:42:13 (6 comments, 4 reshares, 28 +1s)

The story behind this photo taken on an Israeli beach:

"When you're in some of these countries, people carry weapons in prosaic situations, and it's surprising to the American eye. This was an Israeli settlement beach, where I used to go because I could wear a bathing suit. On the Palestinian beaches because Hamas was ruling the social life at that time, as a woman you had to swim in full Islamic dress, which was very difficult and unpleasant for me, so i used to go to the Israeli settlement beach to swim. That's how I got to know these guys who are off-duty navy personel who are just wired to pick up those guns and fight if they have to." -Alexandra Avakian http://kp.cc/17vU7yf

2013-04-10 20:18:59 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

Southern California has long fought the battle against smog, and back in 1957, an actor had a novel idea to raise awareness about the issue. He sold smog in a can. No joke.

Chris Nichols, editor at +Los Angeles magazine owns one of those cans. It's one item in an extensive collection of southern California memorabilia he owns. He recently dropped by to show off this unique piece of LA history. http://kp.cc/10TrQNk

2013-04-08 21:28:38 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 13 +1s)

A federal judge in New York has declared that a website that provides a secondary market for digital music is unlawfully infringing on original copyrights. The ruling is aimed at a company called in ReDigi, which in late 2011 opened a platform for people to upload and resell music files once legally purchased from retailers like iTunes.

Will digital resale companies find a way past this ruling? Does reselling digital music infringe on copyrights? http://kp.cc/10NGHHp

2013-04-04 20:46:43 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

For the first time in five years, the +Los Angeles Fire Department is hiring new firefighters. More than 13,000 people have applied – but fewer than 1 percent of the applicants will make it. The LAFD hopes that many of those accepted will be women. http://kp.cc/12ltrMT

2013-04-03 21:46:43 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 17 +1s)

Oscar Colindres, 38, is a student veteran at USC. Colindres spent more than 15 years in the Marine Corps, including a tour in Iraq as part of Operation Desert Shield in the early 1990's. 

As a 38-year-old latino veteran with two children, Colindres said it's hard to connect with other students at his school. "You're on an island all the time. it's really lonely," he said, "you don't have anybody to vent your frustrations, that can tell you, 'yeah, I know exactly how you feel.'" http://kp.cc/16pbKfU

2013-04-02 21:49:46 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 32 +1s)

Nearly 40,000 lovers of science fiction, fantasy and horror descended on Anaheim this past weekend for WonderCon, the celebration of comics, films, TV and pop culture that is the lesser sibling of Comic-Con International. http://kp.cc/Z4PiV4

2013-04-03 03:10:55 (9 comments, 5 reshares, 25 +1s)

A week after leaving the Marines, Desiree Escarcida launched her new life as a college student. It was a disaster.

“I got home and took my uniform off. The next morning it was done. That’s it. Everything was gone,” Escarcida said. “The depression started at that moment and no matter how hard I fought, it got worse and worse with every day that passed.” 

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, hundreds of thousands of American veterans are looking ahead to the next chapter in their lives. Many are choosing to get a college education. But they are not your typical student; a lot of vets must overcome mental trauma and physical injury while trying to adapt to the decidedly non-military environment of a college campus. http://kp.cc/14IE2WB

2013-03-31 22:49:45 (20 comments, 14 reshares, 40 +1s)

Every year we are reminded that, as cute as they are, bunnies don’t make good Easter gifts. But  those reminders often go unheeded. 

Lejla Hadzimuratovic is trying to save our Easter icon one bunny at a time -- or, 150 at a time.

That’s how many bunnies Hadzimuratovic had in her Silverlake condo when she first started the Bunny World Foundation five years ago.

Then her homeowners association found out. Now she only has two adult bunnies.

The babies are all taken care of by foster care parents, including five little ones she shows us, each no bigger than your hand. 

http://kp.cc/10qqjwu

2013-03-27 21:57:42 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 17 +1s)

The +Los Angeles Dodgers  open their 2013 regular season against the +San Francisco Giants  on Monday, April 1, at Dodger Stadium. Fans with tickets to Friday's exhibition game against the +Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim  will get the first public look at major renovations at the stadium. http://kp.cc/13xqJZf

2013-03-26 21:49:10 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

After a long wait on both sides of the issue, California’s Prop 8 finally gets heard at the Supreme Court.

Questions abound about how Chief Justice John Roberts will rule, as he is mostly a blank slate in this area.

Present at the hearing will be Roberts’s cousin, one of the Chief Justice’s official guests, who is gay and wants to marry her partner.

Does his invitation mean anything, or is he simply trying to keep the family happy?

It was Roberts who surprised most analysts when he ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act last year. Will he provide another surprise? What do you think? http://kp.cc/16g2cFT

2013-03-25 22:47:23 (5 comments, 4 reshares, 26 +1s)

A National Park Service plan to better protect the Merced River calls for closing some commercial ventures in Yosemite National Park – a proposal that has drawn criticism from a variety of quarters. 

The $235 million proposal would close the pool at the Ahwahnee Hotel, several snack stands, and some tourist-related businesses, including horseback riding and bike rentals. http://kp.cc/10dNUl5

2013-03-25 20:55:03 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Before +Walmart opened up a compact neighborhood market on the corner of Lincoln and Figueroa - inside an old thrift store that sat vacant for five years - both the retail giant and some of its neighbors were hopeful that, contrary to assumptions, the new store would attract new customers that would rediscover this long-depressed section of town.

But so far, the crowds of shoppers are only streaming to one store -- Walmart. They're packing the beige-painted market, happily attracted to its shiny new floors, cheerful employees and rows of name-brand goods.

"I can't fight with them," Min Cha Park, who runs Toto Beauty Supply on Lincoln Boulevard, said "You know, they are very low price… Maybe I just give up whatever they sell."
http://kp.cc/10drUH0

2013-03-23 18:26:55 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 15 +1s)

Former +Disney Imagineer and amusement park designer Bob Gurr discussed his long career in design on March 13 at the Hollywood Heritage Museum in Los Angeles. Gurr was once an automobile designer, and is one of the last remaining Imagineers who worked arm-in-arm with Disney to bring his world-famous theme park to life. Gurr's accomplishments include designing the world's first monorail, as well as iconic rides and animatronics such as  Universal Studio's King Kong, and Disney Land's President Lincoln. http://kp.cc/11rnbmd

2013-03-22 22:26:17 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

The newly released cache of over 12,000 Los Angeles Archdiocese files sheds new light on sexual-abuse allegations against deceased Monsignor Benjamin Hawkes – the financial wizard for the diocese between 1967 and 1985 under Cardinals McIntyre and Manning.

It turns out that he was accused by one of his former altar boys of molestation that allegedly took place over a 12-year period at St. Basil’s Catholic Church in Los Angeles. http://kp.cc/11tAIgZ

2013-03-22 20:12:14 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 18 +1s)

Fifteen years ago this month, directors Joel and Ethan Coen introduced Americans to a movie about bowling, acid flashbacks and a rug that, above all things, really tied the room together.  "+The Big Lebowski" starred actor Jeff Bridges as "The Dude." It wasn't a commercial success, and it barely made enough to cover its $15 million budget. 

Fast forward to today. The film's become an obsession for thousands of people, and many of them are in L.A. this weekend for "Lebowski Fest."  KPCC's Kevin Ferguson reports on the film's transformation from cult classic to L.A. institution. http://kp.cc/11tcAuO

2013-03-20 23:57:17 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

"Neon Dreams" is theme of of our next Instagram challenge! Follow @KPCC on Instagram for more details! http://instagram.com/kpcc

2013-03-20 21:59:47 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Tonight, veteran English stage actress Tracie Bennett, goes on stage at the Ahmanson theater (+Center Theatre Group) in #DTLA  to enact the final years of the late, great Judy Garland’s life in “End of the Rainbow.”

Bennett has been playing Judy Garland in various plays for more than a decade and refers to herself as the “former chorus girl who is finally being offered her big break,” according to.

Bennett joins Larry Mantle on AirTalk to discuss “End of the Rainbow” opening in Los Angeles, her portrayal of Judy Garland and her journey to the Broadway stage. http://kp.cc/14cS6as

2013-03-20 20:43:18 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

Tariq Abu Khumra's apartment in Glendale is about 7,600 miles away from his home town of Baghdad.

He's here because, after working with two units of the U.S. military as a translator, it's too dangerous for him to stay in Iraq.

Iraqis angry at his work with the U.S. military marked his car window with a red "X." He survived a car chase.

He was lucky. Among the victims of the war are hundreds of Iraqi translators who died as a result of their work with the U.S. military.

Fearing for his life, Abu Khumra applied for a Special Immigrant Visa to come to the U.S. The process took nearly two years. http://kp.cc/XqkiPK

2013-03-19 23:38:40 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Since the U.S. opened up its doors to Iraqi refugees in 2007, more have ended up in California than any other state, nearly 20,000.  An increasing number of then are arriving in Orange County and are facing big challenges once they arrive. http://kp.cc/Y1UZtd

2013-03-19 21:50:36 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 12 +1s)

A study from +The University of Tulsa suggests that unladen swallows may have evolved shorter wings to dodge cars. http://kp.cc/ZbS3Ug 

2013-03-18 22:40:07 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 17 +1s)

Along with the thousands of soldiers who deployed to Iraq in 2003 were hundreds of journalists. Almost 800 members of the media embedded with the military during the initial invasion.

The formal practice of officially tying journalists to a particular military unit was new in those days, and it gave the media unprecedented access to the unfolding warfare at the front lines. Photographer David Gilkey was there for the Detroit Free Press. http://kp.cc/YCVHGG

2013-03-16 14:31:15 (2 comments, 5 reshares, 21 +1s)

How much do you know about Los Angeles? Take Two's new segment "Neighborhoods" hopes to challenge what we know, or think we know about the communities in the City of Angels.  The first stop on our list? Boyle Heights! http://kp.cc/XfzU8I

2013-03-15 21:13:40 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

So this little thing called the #LAMarathon  is coming to town this weekend. Are you ready? 

There will be road closures near the parade route that will require you to move your car if you plan on escaping Los Angeles this weekend.

Where are the road closures? We've got all the info you need after the jump: http://kp.cc/YwCXsh

2013-03-14 20:35:17 (3 comments, 8 reshares, 32 +1s)

A nationwide shortage of honeybees could put a strain on almond orchards across California, which produces 80 percent of the world’s almond crop.

The plunge in honeybee production is being caused by a variety of factors, from the drought in the Midwest, parasitic mites that feed on bee blood, and an unusually cold snap earlier this winter in California.

Every year, 75 percent of the national supply of honeybees is trucked in from places like New York, the Dakotas and Florida to pollinate the 780,000 acres of almond groves in California—an area roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island. Bee experts say about 1.6 million hives are needed to pollinate the crop, but this year, they estimate the bees fell short. http://kp.cc/Wquuuj

2013-03-14 16:46:46 (2 comments, 15 reshares, 18 +1s)

Here's a fun fact for your day! To rent a two-bedroom apartment in California, while making minimum wage, you would have to work about 130 hours per week. 

Did we say fun? Whoops, we meant to say sad. http://kp.cc/ZJaZfa

2013-03-13 20:35:54 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

In the late 1990s, officials in the Baldwin Park Unified School District worried that they were losing too many students due to pregnancy.

Using federal Early Head Start funds, the district launched an innovative program to ensure teen moms could stay in school.

The program provides on-site daycare so teen moms and dads can complete coursework. http://kp.cc/Ya7OyL

2013-03-12 23:17:10 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

DIY drug making is not as safe as it sounds.

But if you've been wondering how to cook up some drugs here's how to make hash oil, explode your house and blow off your hand in just 3 simple steps. #joyofcooking

http://kp.cc/YqkKgf

2013-03-12 21:16:17 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Today the annual music extravaganza known as South by South West kicks off in Austin Texas, where about 2,000 bands will perform at various venues throughout the city. Many of them are young musicians, and most of them have had plenty of experience performing in public.

And then there's guitarist Harry Taussig, the 72-year-old folk guitar legend. Although he's an icon for many guitar aficionados, he's never performed live.

http://kp.cc/ZGEcY8 

2013-03-11 21:35:54 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 9 +1s)

Drive across the Southwest, north of the U.S.-Mexico Border, and you are likely to encounter a Border Patrol Checkpoint. There are two on the Interstate 5 and 15 Freeways as you head north from San Diego. These roadside stations are set up to check immigration status and sometimes they require all traffic to stop. But as Fronteras correspondent David Martin Davies shows us, what happens next is an open question.

When a driver approaches a Border Patrol checkpoint, the drill is to pull off the highway, wait in line, and then a Border Patrol agent will ask, “Are you an American citizen?”

If you answer “yes," in most instances you’ll soon be back on the road.

But what happens if you refuse to answer?

http://kp.cc/16mj9zc