Move to Return Grizzly Bears to California Will Be an Uphill Push
The California Grizzly is nearly ubiquitous in the Golden State. It's on everything from the state flag to tattoos, t-shirts, coffee mugs and ad campaigns. The grizzly is even part of our logo and we've nicknamed him Brownie. Actual grizzly bears have been gone in California for nearly a century. But that may change. A small but persistent movement to bring the grizzly back to California may be gaining some traction.
L.A.'s Little Tokyo Looks to Basketball to Revive a Community, With Help From the Lakers
Japanese-American basketball leagues have thrived in California for decades. They've served as a way for the community to stay connected as younger generations move out of ethnic enclaves. In Los Angeles' historic Little Tokyo, some locals are looking to hoops as a way of rebuilding the old neighborhood, and they hope a new gym will draw younger Japanese-Americans back.
The World According to Sound: Pianist Keith Jarrett's Involuntary Vocalizations
Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett recently played in San Francisco and Los Angeles. If you caught his show, you heard a little more than just music. Jarrett is famous not just for the exacting demands he puts on his audiences, but for the grunts and groans he emits while playing. Sam Harnett and Chris Hoff explore these curious noises in an episode of their 90-second podcast, "The World According to Sound."
$2 Billion Bail Bond Industry Threatened by Lawsuit Against San Francisco
Compared to the rest of the United States, California jails hold more people waiting for trial. The state's median bail amount is $50,000 -- more than five times the national average, so many people simply can't make bail. That means nearly 60 percent of people sitting in jail haven't been convicted of a crime. Now, a non-profit group is suing San Francisco, arguing that the county's bail system is unconstitutional.
New Jazz From a Cuban Pianist and a Former Kronos Quartet Cellist
Our series on musical artists living and working in California continues this week as we talk with jazz and world music writer Andrew Gilbert. He tells us about new works from Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, who now lives in Los Angeles, and from San Francisco Bay Area cellist Joan Jeanrenaud, who has a solo career after leaving the Kronos Quartet.