Ballot Measure Seeks to Raise Calif. Minimum Wage
Many of the salespeople who'll keep those retail cash registers ringing this holiday weekend work for minimum wage. Right now that's $8 an hour. In September, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislature that will raise it to $10 in 2016. But now support to raise it faster and higher is coming from an unlikely source -- Republican high tech entrepreneur Ron Unz. Earlier this week Unz proposed a state ballot measure for November of next year to raise the state's minimum wage up to $12 an hour by 2016. Unz is best known for another ballot measure, Proposition 227 in 1998, which essentially banned bilingual education in public schools. He spoke with Scott Shafer.
Road Kill or Road Crossing: California Slow to Protect Wildlife
A lot of Californians are hitting the road this holiday weekend and chances are drivers will see some road kill along on the way. Thousands of animals are hit every year in California -- and that takes a toll on both wildlife and drivers. Nationwide, wildlife collisions cause a billion dollars a year in damage. Some states are taking steps to help animals get across highways safely. As KQED Science reporter Lauren Sommer tells us, California has a lot more work to do.
SoCal Says Goodbye to Iconic Racetrack
One of Southern California's most iconic horse racing tracks is being put out to pasture next month. Hollywood Park in Ingleside south of Los Angeles has a colorful history, and people are having a hard time letting go.
Pop Music: 'It's a Scream How Levine Does the Rhumba: The Latin-Jewish Musical Story, 1940s-1980s'
Just in case you need a little music for your Hanukkah gatherings, The Idlesohn Society for Music Preservation has just released its collection. The group is known for highlighting Jewish history through cross cultural musical collaborations. They released the album "Mazeltov, Mis Amigos" a few years ago, and continue the look at Jewish-Latino crossovers with the new two-CD set titled, "It's a Scream How Levine Does the Rhumba: The Latin-Jewish Musical Story, 1940s-1980s." The California Report's pop music critic Steve Hochman has this review.
Coin Washer Keeps Tradition Alive at S.F. Hotel
Rob Holsen likes to tell people he launders money -- literally. His business card for San Francisco's Westin St. Francis hotel reads: Rob Holsen, coin washer. It's a service that dates back to the 1930s, when the rich and famous frequented the hotel's popular Mural Room restaurant, which is now the hotel lobby. It was a time when women wore white gloves, and the hotel management wanted to keep them clean.