California Catch Up for October 9th

Local journalists discuss California news: Governor Schwarzenegger threatens to veto 700 bills unless lawmakers come up with a water policy. The competition between gubernatorial hopefuls increases with President Bill Clinton's endorsement of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. A new Field Poll shows Attorney General Jerry Brown 20 points ahead of his Democratic rival, while Republicans Meg Whitman and Tom Campbell are ahead of Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. And the US Supreme Court looks to the White House for advice on the Healthy San Francisco case, as the national health care debate continues.

California's 3 Strikes Law

In 1994 California voters passed the toughest 3 strikes law in the nation, one of only three states where the third strike can be for any offense. More than 4000 prisoners are serving life sentences in California for non-violent third offenses. In light of the state deficit and court orders to reduce the prison population, should California reconsider harsh sentences for third offenses that are neither violent nor serious? This in-depth look at the law includes a range of voices and opinions, and features exclusive interviews with inmates at Soledad prison serving third strike sentences.

NASA Ames LCROSS Project

Scientists at NASA Ames in Mountain View send the 2 ton LCROSS, or Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, spacecraft to the moon in search of water under the lunar surface. The mission scheduled for 4:30 am Friday morning involves slamming two orbiters traveling at 5,600 milers per hour into the surface 4 minutes apart and analyzing the resulting 350 ton plume of dirt and rock resulting from the impact. The mission is generating great interest and Moffett Field invites the public to attend the event by spending the night outdoors at their outdoor campus.

• Learn more about the LCROSS mission in this QUEST video

WEB VIDEO EXTRA: Artwork by the Blind and Visually Impaired

Artist Charles Blackwell uses music as the inspiration for his paintings of jazz musicians and Bobbie Gray's inspiration for her collages is the Delta's natural landscape. Listen as these artists with vision loss explain what motivates them to make art. View some of the astonishing creations on display in a unique exhibition entitled "Insights 2009" at San Francisco City Hall. Presented by LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the exhibit begins in October, Disability Culture Month, and continues until December 11, 2009. All of the works in the exhibition were crafted by artists who have vision loss and yet create art that is extraordinary and compelling. "Insights 2009" features 118 works in a variety of media by 38 artists from the Bay Area and other parts of the country. The exhibition is free to the public. Free audio tours are provided to make the art accessible to individuals with vision loss.

• LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired official site