Bay Area Weatherman Weighs-in on Climate Change at the White House
A new White House report on climate change has a simple but powerful message: the future is now. In California, the current drought, milder winters, hotter summers and wildfires can all be chalked up to growing levels of greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere. Weatherman Bill Martin of KTVU in Oakland was the only California meteorologist invited to the White House this week for scientific briefings and a chat with President Obama. The strategy? Bypass the usual political reporters who cover Washington. We talk with Martin about how this week's report was different from past warnings about climate change.
Despite Extreme Drought, State's Water Restrictions Rare
Even before the White House sounded the alarm on climate change this week, scientists reported that most of California is experiencing an extreme or even "exceptional" state of drought. That's the highest designation offered by the federal government. That means communities up and down the state must be cracking down on water wasters, right? Well, not exactly.
L.A.'s E-Cig Business Booms in Face of Crackdowns
Opinions are split on e-cigarettes. Is the vapor they create harmless? Can they help tobacco smokers quit? Scores of cities now prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in public, and the federal government is also starting to crack down on marketing them. Despite all that, business is booming -- especially in the Los Angeles area.
Silicon Valley Looks to Cash In on Africa's Mobile Growth
We Californians love our smartphones. It kind of borders on addiction -- and it turns out much of Africa shares our obsession. The entire continent has witnessed a mobile explosion in the last few years, the fastest mobile growth in the entire world. As more and more Africans get connected, Silicon Valley is taking notice. We visit Dakar, Senegal, where some high-tech titans are edging in and trying to figure out how to get in on the action.
Casting 'Straight Outta Compton,' the Movie
The billionaire boys club could have a new member: hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre. Reports are flying that Apple will buy his audio electronics company Beats by Dre for a cool $3.2 billion. It's been more than 25 years now since Dre's groundbreaking rap group NWA released its controversial album "Straight Outta Compton." The record is widely credited with launching the gangsta rap genre on the West Coast. This summer, production begins on a movie about the group?s rise to fame. We stop by an open casting call for the film "Straight Outta Compton" in South Los Angeles, where NWA has its roots.