KPCC: Stories by Kitty Felde

Arizona Senator John McCain talks immigration with LA Area Chamber of Commerce

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:36:47 -0700

This weekend, dozens of Southern Californians plan to march in Washington for immigration reform, joining thousands of activists from around the country.

Today, a different group of Southern Californians – members of the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce – heard from a U.S. senator who took a lot of political heat for his efforts at immigration reform.

Republican Congressman David Dreier accuses Democrats of abusing House rules

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:43:31 -0700

A California Congressman says Democrats are playing fast and loose with House rules to improve the prospects of their health care reform bill.

Local political, business leaders descend on Washington

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:00 -0700

Hundreds of political and business leaders from Southern California will converge on the nation’s capitol this week. Most are lobbying for federal dollars to boost the region’s economy.

Congress debating funding priorities for NASA

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:00 -0700

It’s appropriation season - the time of year that Congress decides how and where the federal government will spend its money. One California Congressman is torn about funding priorities for the national space agency.

LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa testifies before Congressional committee

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:23:57 -0700

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa testified before a congressional committee today. He wants federal help to build the so-called Subway to the Sea and other transit projects in 10 years instead of 30.

Supreme Court to hear case involving background checks for JPL employees

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:41:03 -0700

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments about post-9/11 security checks at Pasadena's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

LA Mayor Villaraigosa to testify before Congressional committee about funding 'Subway to the Sea'

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:41:02 -0700

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s plan to hasten construction of the "Subway to the Sea" may shift into express mode. The mayor will be the star witness at a Congressional hearing this week.

NASA budget is mixed bag for California's aerospace companies

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:23:46 -0700

It’s “California Space Week” in Washington, D.C. That’s the annual lobbying trip to Capitol Hill for the state’s space-related industries.

LA Mayor Villaraigosa asks Congress for bridge loan to build 'Subway to the Sea'

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:21:24 -0700

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is in Washington this week for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He began his trip with a day-long lobbying effort on Capitol Hill, making an unusual pitch.

Schwarzenegger talks about infrastructure with Obama at White House

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:43:37 -0700

Governors from around the country met with President Obama at the White House today to talk about education.

California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also had a private meeting in the Oval Office and took the opportunity to talk about one of his favorite topics: infrastructure.

Senate candidate Chuck DeVore addresses CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:12:05 -0700

It’s California day at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference that’s meeting in Washington this weekend.

Federal stimulus money to fix train bottleneck in Colton

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:30:01 -0700

Southern California is famous for its traffic jams. The federal Department of Transportation says it’ll allocate almost $34 million federal stimulus dollars to fix a freight train bottleneck in Colton.

Researchers says stimulus funds spent on mass transit projects create more jobs than road projects

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:31:46 -0700

House Republican leader John Boehner calls the Democratic stimulus package “bloated government and wasteful spending” as “Americans are asking ‘where are the jobs?’”

On this anniversary of the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, one group reviewed the job creation numbers and concluded that a lot of those jobs were tied to mass transit projects.

OC voters unsure which Campbell is running for Senate

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:16:57 -0700

Some voters are apparently confused about which Campbell is running for U.S. Senate. The problem is a particular problem for Orange County voters.

Democratic governors group to attack California GOP candidates for governor

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:23:41 -0700

The leading Democratic candidate for governor of California still hasn’t formally announced that he’s running. That hasn’t stopped the association that represents Democratic governors nationwide from launching an attack on the prominent Republicans in the race.

Congresswoman Diane Watson to retire; Assembly Speaker Karen Bass to run

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:02:28 -0700

Democrat Diane Watson will announce tomorrow that she's not running for re-election to Congress. The heir apparent in the heavily Democratic district is Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. Both women have long ties to the south Los Angeles community.

Senator Dianne Feinstein supports extension of Patriot Act included in jobs bill

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:12:09 -0700

A blizzard has shut down most of Washington, D.C. today. But the United States Senate still expects to vote on a jobs bill later this week. That bill contains an item that doesn’t have a thing to do with jobs.

Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein react to Anthem Blue Cross rate jump

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:03:23 -0700

The White House has stepped into the debate over a spike in health insurance premiums at Anthem Blue Cross. Federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent an open letter yesterday that asked why some individual policies went up by 39 percent; she described the increase as “extraordinary.”

Immigration activists concerned about anti-Latino sentiment at Tea Party Convention

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:29:27 -0700

This weekend’s Tea Party Convention in Nashville featured a speech by former Congressman Tom Tancredo. He suggested President Obama was elected by folks who couldn’t spell “vote” or say it in English. Immigration activists say they're watching the growth of the Tea Party movement closely.

Democrats to introduce anti-trust legislation aimed at health insurance companies

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:00:00 -0700

Comprehensive health care reform legislation has stalled in Congress. The House and Senate each passed versions, but they haven’t been able to reconcile the two bills. Now that Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown has been sworn in, Senate Democrats no longer have a fillibuster-proof majority.