Assessing a Sentencing Commission
California's prisons are bulging at the seams, and the state is under a court order to reduce the prison population. Governor Schwarzenegger wants to create a sentencing commission to review the guidelines for sending people to prison and recommend changes. A bill to do just that narrowly passed the Senate on Thursday, but it's now held up in the Assembly. Republicans worry about compromising public safety, and some Democrats are worried about looking soft on crime.
Rebranding Fresno
Over the years, Fresno has earned a reputation any place would sooner do without. It's been named the city with the highest concentration of poverty in the nation. It's also home to some of the worst smog in the country. But Fresno is trying to change its image with a re-branding campaign launched this summer.
Playing with Lead -- Part II
Several months after the federal government enacted stricter standards intended to keep lead out of children's products, merchandise that violates the law is still sitting on many store shelves. We present the second of a two-part report on how the new law may be failing to protect kids.
Turning Points: Stuart Lowry
Every once in a while, someone who's made a lifetime's worth of poor choices makes a good one that turns everything around. As part of our Turning Points series examining life changing decisions, reporter Tara Siler profiles a man who ventured down the wrong path for some 35 years.
CD Review: Project Ahimsa
Eight years ago, a San Francisco non-profit started a program to combat fear and hate after 9/11 by getting kids around the world involved in music. Our pop music critic Steve Hochman gave a listen to Project Ahimsa's new CD "Global Lingo" which he says is not just admirable, but enjoyable.