KPCC: Stories by Shirley Jahad

Orange County's John Wayne Airport opens new terminal after $550 million expansion

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:33:47 -0800

John Wayne Airport in Orange County Monday unveils a new terminal and other improvements after a more than half-billion dollar expansion and renovation project.

John Wayne Airport has a new Terminal C with six new gates and a new parking building with 2,000 spaces. Airport officials say the project is complete, on time and on budget.

The expansion and renovation project took off under bright economic skies, first approved seven years ago. It lands amid post-recession turbulence.

Air travel is down. But airport and regional transit officials are banking on a long-term outlook, at least 20 years out, that suggests more demand is on the radar. Bonds and fees on travelers covered most of the improvement costs.

The airport is also set now to handle a few flights to and from Mexico and Central America. The question is whether any airline will get on board to add those flights.

Last week Orange County added new incentives, including a $300,000 rent credit, that might attract airlines to offer the flights.

Cal State faces $100 million mid-year budget cut

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:13:24 -0800

More bad budget news for California: Tax revenues are more than a billion dollars short of expectations so far this fiscal year. And unless something changes in the next few weeks, additional state budget cuts are looking more likely. Higher education is one of the areas that could take another big hit.

The Cal State University system is dealing with some tough math equations — like subtraction numbers nine digits long.

“We’re expecting it will be an additional hundred-million dollar cut this year," says James Henderson, dean of Cal State L.A.'s College of Natural and Social Sciences. Henderson is bracing for new cuts on campus right in the middle of the school year.

“So we will be halfway through the year having made commitments for classes for operating budgets and we’ll have to look at how we’ll implement those cuts," Henderson says. "And those are some tough decisions to be made for this academic year.”

Henderson says Cal State L.A. already cut part-time faculty by 25 percent.

State Controller John Chiang reports cash in the general fund this fiscal year is about $1.5 billion short of expectations. And if that continues, it will trigger the automatic cuts built into this year’s budget.

'Tragedy trimmed in mink:' 50 years after the Bel Air fire disaster

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:00:56 -0800

A frame from 'Design for Disaster,' a documentary film about the 1961 Bel Air fire. Credit: Los Angeles Fire Department

Fifty years ago today, Los Angeles experienced one of the most dramatic and destructive fires in Southland history. Hundreds of homes burned to the ground in Bel Air. The disaster provided lessons in future fire prevention.

Life Magazine called it "a tragedy trimmed in mink." The fire destroyed nearly 500 posh homes in Bel Air and Brentwood. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate, including celebrities Burt Lancaster and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

The 405 freeway was brand new that year and considered a great manmade fire barrier, but flames jumped across it.

"If we don't get more help, 15 more homes are going up," a firefighter said.

As the fire spread quickly, KTLA sent pictures to viewers around the country from its first news-chopper.

As families tried to leave, traffic on narrow canyon roads became another nightmare. Santa Ana winds carried burning embers to rooftops far ahead of the main fire, sparking new ones.

Even Hollywood?'s glitterati and the political elite fought back flames. Then-Vice President Richard Nixon was living on Bundy and he took to the roof with a hose. Actors Maureen O'Hara and Fred MacMurray risked their lives to save their homes.

Several fires fused together to create 10 miles of flames. Newspapers at the time said "fire threatened the brand new community of fashionable Pacific Palisades."

In the end the loss of so many homes was blamed on building materials. Cedar-shake shingles on roofs went up faster than fire-ready charcoal. They were later banned.

The L.A. Fire Department put out a documentary on fire called "Design for Disaster." William Conrad narrated in the detective story style of the early 1960s.

Despite the scale of destruction, no one died in the Bel Air fire that burned Nov. 6 and 7 in 1961.

Watch the documentary here:

Conrad Murray verdict: Guilty of involuntary manslaughter

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:48:20 -0800

Supporters of Michael Jackson hold placards awaiting the verdict of his doctor's trial in Los Angeles on November 7, 2011 in southern California. Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

Jurors have reached a guilty verdict in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray for the death of Michael Jackson. The jurors reached this verdict on the second day of deliberations.

Murray faces up to four years in prison for the pop star's death from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol when sentencing takes place. Sentencing has been set for Nov. 29. He may get as little as probation and will likely end up in county jail due to prison overcrowding.

No bail is being allowed for Murray.

Speaking at a press conference shortly after the verdict, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said the verdict was clear: "Overwhelming evidence in the case led to just one conclusion: That Conrad Murray is guilty of involuntary manslaughter. We thank the jurors for their hard work and thoughtful deliberations."

Laurie Levenson, professor of law at Loyola Law School, noted that Murray was being remanded into custody and "that means that there is probably a prison sentence coming down the road." Murray was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom.

"This is a crime where the end result was the death of a human being," said Judge Michael Pastor.

"I think there were very few people that were surprised by this verdict, including Conrad Murray," Levenson told KPCC. "You didn't have to prove that he intended to kill Michael Jackson, just that he practiced gross negligence."

The judge thanked the jury for their service while letting them know they may now discuss the case, though they must wait 90 days to accept payment or benefit for giving information about the trial. The location of the jurors' homes is also sealed.

"I remember way back when in early September when first we met, I advised you at the time that you were being asked to accept the responsibility of citizenship in this country," the judge told the jury. "You have undertaken the responsibility of jury duty in a remarkable fashion." The judge also acknowledged that the case took longer than he had told them it would and the disruption this had been in their lives.

The jury apparently believed the prosecution's case, with evidence mounting that Murray failed to fulfill his rightful duty as a doctor. Prosecutors had said that even a child would know to call 911 in an emergency, while Murray waited 20 minutes.

Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, agreed on Monday's Patt Morrison Show.

"The use of that drug is the equivalent of putting Michael Jackson to sleep by hitting him in the head every night with a hammer," he said.

The seven-man, five-woman jury received about a half an hour of instruction from the judge before beginning deliberations on the single count against Murray. The trial featured 50 witnesses and about a hundred pieces of evidence before closing arguments.

Deputy district attorney David Walgren argued for the prosecution. “Conrad Murray abandoned Michael Jackson. Conrad Murray gave him propofol and abandoned him," Walgren said. "Conrad Murray is criminally liable. Justice demands a guilty verdict."

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff represented Murray. “This is not a reality show. It's reality," Chernoff said. "The decision you make isn’t making good TV. It affects real human beings and the people who love them. So I hope you do the right thing and find Dr. Murray not guilty.”

Murray told police he only left Jackson's side for about two minutes to use the bathroom after giving the singer a 25-milligram dose of propofol that was slowly infused over three to five minutes. He began administering the drug at about 10:40 a.m. in the bedroom of Jackson's rented home, where he was staying while rehearsing for a series of 50 concerts in London.

Chernoff argued that the most reasonable explanation for Jackson's death was that the singer self-administered the fatal dose of propofol. He added that the evidence supports Murray's statement to police that he gave Jackson a 25-milligram dose of propofol.

"What they're really asking you to do is convict Dr. Murray for the actions of Michael Jackson," Chernoff told jurors in his closing argument.

He acknowledged that Murray may not have done everything right on the day the 50-year-old Jackson died but reminded jurors that the trial had not been a medical board hearing or about a civil lawsuit, but rather about a man's liberty.

LA Federal Court allows sugar-makers' lawsuit against corn industry to advance

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:56:48 -0700

A recent ad campaign by the Center for Consumer Freedom attempted to draw attention to what the organization sees as "syrupy" logic behind efforts to tie corn syrup to childhood obesity. Credit: Center for Consumer Freedom

A federal appeals court in Los Angeles says a lawsuit can go forward that charges the corn industry with false advertising for its use of the term 'corn sugar'.

The battle of words is between two big industries: Sugar makers brought the lawsuit that has left the corn industry salty.

The Western Sugar Cooperative says it is false and misleading for corn refiners to use the term ‘corn sugar’ when talking about high fructose corn syrup.

Corn refiners have been using the term 'corn sugar' for the ingredient that's in soda pop and a lot of processed foods, but many experts argue that the term is misleading, and cite high fructose corn syrup as a contributor to the nation’s obesity epidemic.

A representative of the corn industry says sugar makers should compete in the marketplace instead of the courtroom.

The Food and Drug Administration has yet to decide whether to allow the term.

Report: 11 percent of Americans take antidepressants

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:11:18 -0700

A bottle of antidepressant pills named Effexor Credit: Getty Images

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) finds that antidepressants are the drug of choice for adults in the U.S. The study says that 11 percent of Americans are taking Prozac, Paxil or another type of antidepressant.

According to the report, antidepressants are the most common drug taken by adults under 45, and women take the pills more than men at every age group. Women ages 40 to 59 are most likely to take antidepressants — 23 percent of them are taking the pills.

This CDC report involved about 13,000 people over three years. It shows a huge leap in the use of antidepressants, up by 400 percent from a similar report out in the mid-1990s.

The report also says most people taking antidepressants have been doing so for more than two years, but they don’t appear to be checking in with their doctors. A vast majority says they haven’t had contact with a mental health professional for more than a year.

This story has been updated.

Free LA Sports Arena health clinic serves 5,000 over 4 days

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:45:22 -0700

People give their medical history to nurses during a free health clinic at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on Oct. 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Organizers of a massive clinic in Los Angeles offered people free medical services in Exposition Park before the event wrapped up Sunday. Just like the Remote Area Medical clinic a year-and-a-half ago, this one drew thousands of people that needed care but couldn’t afford it. Doctors, dentists, optometrists and even meditation counselors treated uninsured and under-insured patients.

On the first day of the clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, dental director Dr. Roger Fieldman had his hands full.

“As you can imagine, there are numerous little problems that we’re trying to put out, these little fires, and get organized," Fieldman said.

A large event like this is bound to hit a few snags. "A lot of things are put away in boxes," Fieldman said. "We have a lot of volunteers who really don’t have a dental background, so things are getting put places they shouldn’t be put.”

Fieldman and dozens of other medical personnel scrambled to prepare. They knew to expect a flood of patients.

“Patients are being seen," Fieldman emphasized. "People are finding the instruments and the supplies that they need. We’d like it to go more efficiently.”

As Fieldman predicted, the process improved. By late afternoon, almost every dental chair was occupied.

Dentists and hygienists cleaned teeth, applied fillings and made referrals. Despite previous reports that too few dentists had volunteered, organizers said enough showed up to handle the flow.

On the other end of the arena, Dr. Charles Best was equally busy, although not as many patients visited his section. That’s not to say the medical problems he tends to aren't just as important.

“The problems that we see in our field, whether it’s erectile dysfunction or urinary dysfunction, is not something patients like to sort of volunteer," Best said.

Best heads the urology department at L.A. County-USC Medical Center.

“We can do rectal exams and screen for prostate cancer, at least for abnormalities there," he adds. "Information is really our goal for the patient here.”

Though this was the first time Best has worked at a clinic this big in the Southland, he has volunteered under daunting circumstances. Best said he was the first urologist to visit Haiti a year after the magnitude 7 earthquake hit. He traveled there as a member of a USC medical expedition.

“Haiti was a phenomenal experience," Best said. "You know, there, same thing, we had a clinic, people lined up at the door, you see as many as you can, you do what you can as far as exams, you prescribe what you might have available to you.”

About 800 medical personnel volunteered for several days at the L.A. Sports Arena. They helped about 5,000 patients — just a small fraction of the more than 2 million uninsured people who live in Los Angeles County.

Many of the people that got care at the Sports Arena came from miles away, waited for hours and said it was worth it.

“It is a cry for help because if we can’t come here, where are we going to go?” said Stephanie Fletcher. Fletcher needed a tooth pulled. She sat with others in the stands as she waited to climb into one of the many dental chairs in rows on the arena floor.

Fletcher said the clinic organized by the non-profit group CareNow was about more than a teeth cleaning. “Because as you know tooth decay and other things, if we don’t take care of that now, it can lead to more severe problems that can affect us later on," Fletcher said. "So this community, we need this event here. We need these volunteers. We need these doctors. Because there are a lot of one-income households, and if that person is not healthy and strong, what are the children going to do?”

Fletcher and many others here are out of work, and they’re out of choices when it comes to taking care of their eyes or their teeth. That’s because in a round of budget cuts a couple of years ago, Medi-Cal — the state’s low-income health insurance — stopped covering dental and vision care.

“They do not cover any kind of dental what so ever," said Corey Barnes, 33. Barnes doesn’t hesitate to smile, even though his front teeth are missing. They got knocked out eight months ago in a motorcycle accident, so he looked forward to seeing a dentist.

Brenda Turner got her first vision exam in years, reciting letters as she looked at that standard old eye chart that starts with that big letter “E” stick on the arena wall several feet away. "I found out I was nearsighted and farsighted. So I have the best of both worlds," Turner said, laughing.

She plans to get glasses. "I am on my way to put in my prescription and find a cute little frame. I am going to be looking good and seeing everything."

Turner said it was a problem on a daily basis. "I was going to the grocery and picking up glasses, and they just weren’t good enough. So now I have a prescription just for me and everything is going to be all right. And, oh, right now I’m unemployed. I need to see to get my job, so I’ll do anything from change lightbulbs to chase dust bunnies away. Doesn’t matter, as long as I’m working."

Turner and nearly all of the patients signed up with local clinics so they’ll have a place to get followup care for what they need now, and ongoing care for what they’ll need after that.

5,000 patients expected at free LA health care clinic over 4 days

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:52:01 -0700

An optometrist performs an eye exam on a patient at CareNow's free clinic in the Los Angeles Sports Arena on Thursday. Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC

Organizers began letting the first 100 people into the L.A. Sports Arena Thursday morning, jumpstarting a four-day free health clinic for the uninsured and underinsured.

Organized by the nonprofit CareNowLA, more than 5,000 people are expected to show up for free medical care during the clinic.

The clinic will provide health services ranging from filling cavities to eye exams and cardiology checkups.

L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas praised the event at a midday news conference while criticizing opponents of President Obama’s healthcare reform law.

“What is your solution to what has got to be seen as a crisis?" he asked. "And furthermore, stand in these lines and tell the people who are here seeking care that you wish to deny them the opportunity to feel better and reach their pull potential.”

Ridley-Thomas helped organize the free clinic that has lined up 800 medical professionals to volunteer their services at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Over 70 of these volunteers are coming from USC, said Dr. Michael R. Cousineau on the Madeleine Brand Show Thursday.

Cousineau is an associate professor of family medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. "Dental care is a huge need and we just do not have the resources to deal with it," he said.

People have increasingly been putting off getting dental care until they're sick or their conditions get much worse, Cousineau said. Then, they often end up in the emergency room with a much more serious problem.

Although large public events like the one put on by CareNowLA are effective in mobilizing volunteers, Cousineau said there's over 50 primary care clinics in L.A. that offer free or reduced-cost primary care. For patients with chronic issues like diabetes, a single exam may help diagnose and refer them, but they will need to seek consistent monitoring and care.

People lined up more than 24 hours in advance earlier this week to obtain wristbands that will allow them to enter the clinic. After treatment, patients will be referred to local medical centers that have offered to provide free followup care to the patients. The nonprofit says more dentists, nurse practitioners and primary care physicians are still needed.

Natalie Nevins, the medical director of the clinic, said the issue of medicare stretches beyond L.A.'s borders: "In California we've got about 19 million uninsured — it's a really big issue nationwide. So the focus for us is not just about the four days of a clinic, but what happens after we leave."

Although President Barack Obama's health care is set to take effect in 2014 and help alleviate some of the strain on free clinics, many people will still lack access to dental care. In addition, Cousineau said, Obama's plan won't cover undocumented immigrants, and because of Los Angeles' largely immigrant population, there will still be a great demand for additional free health care.

KPCC's Alex Cohen and the Associated Press contributed to this story.

Mexico and US team up on earthquake safety

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:14:06 -0700

Officials in the United States and Mexico are teaming up to share more information about earthquake activity along the border.

Representatives from both countries announced the partnership at the U.S. Geological Survey regional office in Pasadena.

The two nations share a fault line that runs through both countries — and unlike governing bodies knows no borders. Experts hope this network will help save lives and property.

Bob MacKay works for the Defense Department’s U.S. Northern Command and said the group is giving Mexico $500,000 to place seismic monitoring stations near the border. The stations will be located near Mexicali and Tijuana. Mexico will cover other costs.

Roberto Quaas, with the Mexican Interior Department and Civil Protection system, said, “We are looking forward to a shared project that’s a little different from usual issues along the border."

"This is a positive side. We can cooperate. We can go hand in hand in order to push forward joint projects for benefit of both countries, certainly.”

The two countries also plan to share information on seismic activity.

Family files claim against LA County in jail inmate's death

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:26:11 -0700

The Rosales family turned out in front of downtown L.A.'s Twin Towers jail Wednesday holding big photos of 18-year-old Jorge Rosales. Credit: Shirley Jahad/KPCC

The family of an 18-year-old who died in L.A. County jail last week is filing a claim against the county. The family says sheriff’s deputies in the jail used excessive force to subdue Jorge Rosales, and then didn’t get him adequate treatment.

The Rosales family turned out in front of downtown L.A.'s Twin Towers jail Wednesday holding big photos of 18-year-old Jorge. Sheriff’s officials say Rosales tried to break away and ran toward an elevator in the Twin Towers facility. They say that’s when a deputy punched him in the face. They also say Rosales received proper medical care.

"What the family knows so far is that he was beat, he was hit in the head by a deputy. He calls his mama. He was complaining that his head was hurting. His mama asked him are they giving you medicine, have you seen a doctor. No. He was not receiving medications. He had not seen a doctor. And then a day or two later, they find him unconscious. He's dead within an hour after they found him," said Luis Carrillo, who is representing the family.

Carrillo says Rosales was housed in the jail treatment center. It holds 1,400 inmates, many with mental health problems, and has been described as the biggest mental health facility in the country.

USC hospital caregivers hold 1-day strike over pay, conditions

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:32:06 -0700

Roxana Medrano, a respiratory therapist at USC's Keck Medical Center, spins a noisemaker at a protest outside the facility on Wednesday. Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC

About 100 healthcare workers at USC Keck Medical Center in Lincoln Heights staged a 24-hour strike Wednesday to protest a one-year pay freeze and conditions that they say compromise patients' care.

Keck is one of several medical facilities that surround LA County-USC Medical Center. About a hundred healthcare workers marched and chanted outside the center, holding signs and cheering when passing cars honked horns in support.

The National Union of Healthcare Workers represents about 650 hospital technicians, respiratory therapists, nurses’ assistants and others at USC’s Keck Medical Center. The workers say too often, they have too many patients.

“We call it hit-and-run care," said Michael Torres, a respiratory therapist who says he's worked at the hospital for nearly 20 years. "They don’t have enough quality time to spend with the patients. Patients get shortchanged and mistakes happen and usually the care givers end up injured.”

Torres said he feels the hospital is taking in more patients than its employees can handle.

“They’ve been trying to sneak in more patients to us, which means we have to basically cut corners," he said. "And that’s a problem for us because basically we are robbing the patient of adequate quality care that they are supposed to have.”

When asked if he felt the facility is providing inadequate care, Torres replied, “Yes, there is and that’s why we’re here. We want it fixed.”

USC Keck Medical Center spokesman Matthew McElrath begs to differ.

“We have a wonderful reputation for delivering great care for the patients and the families we serve here and we intend to continue to do that," he said.

“We believe our patients and families get exceptional care here. We don’t anticipate that changing. We want to continue to work with our colleagues here to get them back to work and get the matter resolved. We’re delivering great care yesterday, we’re going to continue today and we’re going to do it tomorrow.”

The healthcare workers also say hospital administrators want to freeze salaries at a time when the medical center is bringing in a lot of money. McElrath declined to comment on that claim.

“I don’t really want to get into the details of the contract negotiations. As we’ve said to them, that needs to happen at the table and our goal is to get back to the table as soon as possible so we can get the contract completed and the matter resolved. We want them back to work.”

The hospital's administration said it had a plan to provide services despite the strike, and it disputed the union's characterization of the dispute, saying union negotiators have not previously raised concerns about patient safety.

"We have activated a plan to ensure smooth operations and the safe working environment that our patients, families and employees expect from us every day," said hospital CEO Mitch Creem, adding that the plan includes "adequate, qualified staffing" and extra security.

Creem said employees covered by the National Union of Healthcare Workers receive a competitive wage and benefits package and are "among the highest paid in the region."

"At a time when many competitors are demanding concessions, we have offered numerous enhancements," he said.

USC acquired the hospital from Tenet Healthcare in 2009. This is the first time USC and the Healthcare Workers have negotiated a contract.

The healthcare workers have been working with USC Keck administrators on a new contract for 14 months. The healthcare workers say the National Labor Relations Board will hold a hearing on their allegations of unfair labor practices by the hospital.

The hospital reached a deal with the California Nurses Association earlier this year.

Martin Luther King Center for Public Health billed as revival

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:02:17 -0700

The Martin Luther King Public Health Center opened to great fanfare in L.A. on Oct. 7, 2011. Credit: Corey Bridwell/KPCC

L.A. County officials held a ribbon cutting in South Los Angeles Friday for the new Martin Luther King Center for Public Health. Officials say it represents a revival of health care services badly needed in the area.

Perhaps in a fitting celebration of the surrounding communities, both a mariachi band and a gospel group performed.

“We’re at Phase One of construction of the new MLK medical campus. and we are delighted to welcome you here today,” said L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas welcomed the crowd of community leaders and health care professionals to the outdoor event celebrating the opening of the modern concrete and glass facility. “Its completion marks the passage of a major milestone in our efforts to transform the MLK Medical center. This campus is nothing short of a center for excellence for healthcare delivery. It will be a medical home for the underserved. It will be an urban health promotion environment. Health workforce development environment research, teaching and economic development. If you support those things, you ought to let somebody know that we got it going on right here in this environment.”

The new public health center offers free vaccinations along with testing and treatment for tuberculosis or sexually transmitted diseases. LA County’s public health director Jonathan Fielding says it’s a long time coming.

“The first time in 35 years or more that we have a new public health clinic. And it’s really fitting that it’s in South LA where we have the highest burden of preventable disease. Of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, respiratory disease," he said.

Why has it been so long?

"Well, because it’s not been easy to come up with new money for capital projects. The county’s been strapped. We were fortunate to get this and get it done quickly. This was all done in 16 months," he said.

In the next 16 months or so, a revived Martin Luther King hospital is expected to open with 120 beds. An out-patient facility will complete the project. It comes four years after LA County shut down King-Drew Medical Center following long-standing allegations of mismanagement and patient neglect. The old hospital opened to great fanfare as a symbol of hope after the Watts riots in 1965. It stands as an outpatient clinic today.

Robert Ross, executive director of the California Endowment, points to some of that history in explaining the significance of today’s opening.

“This is an extraordinary event for South Los Angeles. This is a community that has historically been at wrong end of social justice and health justice and health equity for many decades," he said. "And this particular facility is going to advance prevention and public health and wellness to the community. It’s a state of the art cutting edge facility and it's just extraordinary that it's happening.”

Next week, the LA County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on construction plans for Phase Two, the opening of the new hospital in 2013.

Ribbon cutting today for new MLK Center for Public Health in South LA

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:24:18 -0700

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas opens the new Martine Luther King, Jr. Center for Public Health in South L.A. on Friday, October 7, 2011 Credit: Corey Bridwell/ KPCC

A well-known name in public health resurfaces Friday in South Los Angeles. The ribbon cutting for the first section of the new Martin Luther King hospital complex is scheduled for 9 a.m.

The opening of the Martin Luther King Center for Public Health marks a milestone. It’s the first phase of a $400 million health care campus in the Watts-Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles County.

The center will focus on preventive care. Parents may bring in their kids for free and low-cost immunizations. Testing and treatment for tuberculosis will be available — so will the same kinds of services for sexually transmitted diseases.

L.A. County closed the original Martin Luther King hospital four years ago after reports of chronic mismanagement and subpar conditions and allegations of negligent patient care. The new 120-bed hospital and outpatient clinic are scheduled to open a couple of years from now. University of California medical staff will deliver services at that facility.

LA County to masses: Lay off the sugary drinks

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:19:14 -0700

Children at Camino Nuevo Early Childhood Education Center receive water and fruit from public health officials as part of a new L.A-county wide campaign against sugary beverages.

Los Angeles County has launched a new campaign on Wednesday to fight obesity and keep Angelenos healthy. The campaign, called Choose Health LA is centered around three main motto "Eat Healthy, Move Healthy and Live Healthy."

More than 58 percent of adults in L.A. County are medically obese or overweight. This number doesn't stop with adults. Almost 23 percent of L.A. County students in fifth, seventh and ninth grade are also obese.

Public health officials said Wednesday that children obesity rates have spiked in recent years. Children, officials said, now drink more sugar-loaded beverages than milk. Dr. Jonathan Fielding is the L.A. County public health director and says that trend is disturbing.

"We’ve had a 50 percent increase in the level of obesity in the last 12 to 15 years," he said. "This is not the only contributor but this is one; and it’s adding empty calories, inches to your waistline and risks to your health."

The program has built a website around the campaign and videos to help raise awareness of the actually amount of sugar in these drinks. A large fast food soda, for example, contains 22 packs of sugar.

Public health officials say soda and other sugar-loaded drinks are the biggest single source of added calories in the American diet, especially for children.

Fielding’s department and Los Angeles Universal Preschool will encourage families to switch from sugary soft drinks, sports drinks and coffee drinks to water or sparkling water with a dash of fruit juice.

'Occupy LA' protesters take residence at LA's City Hall

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:39:35 -0700

Participants in Occupy Los Angeles rally on the steps of City Hall after marching from Pershing Square. Credit: Eric Richardson / Blogdowntown

Several hundred demonstrators marched on City Hall Saturday, as part of an protest to "occupy Los Angeles," an event that follows ongoing protests aimed at Wall Street in New York.

A crowd of around 1,000 left Pershing Square around 11 a.m. and began marching down Broadway towards City Hall. The procession stretched about eight city blocks and slowed traffic along Broadway, holding handmade signs that called for everything from class war to global peace. Many business owners stepped outside to watch or wave as the crowd passed.

"All of these people,all of the taxes they've paid, that's just going straight to the banks to help people that don't need help," Ana L. Hernandez, 19, said at Saturday's protest. "We need to help the people that need the help, and not the people that already have money."

The L.A. demonstration is part of a national effort to call attention to a series of issues protesters feel are interrelated: The need for job creation and access to quality healthcare, anger at government cuts in education spending, and frustration at the perceived special treatment banks and other financial institutions receive at a time when many Americans are struggling.

Marchers chanted, "We are the 99 percent" as they headed to L.A.'s City Hall, where many settled in to a more pastoral protest, setting up tents and forming drum circles. The Occupy L.A. website asks marchers to bring sleeping bags, food, supplies and friends.

Rain Thomas, a 31-year-old military veteran who said she plans on staying downtown "until they make us leave," lost her job in the hospitality industry in January of 2010. She says she's been unable to find permanent work since. She showed up on Saturday with a sleeping bag, tent, and supplies to last her several days.

“Our government has gotten into bed with the banks and the large corporations and it's destroying democracy," Thomas said. "I’m out here fighting for every single person, whether they were born rich or poor, black or white, in the United States to have the ability to make money, go to school, and have a home and a nice car and the American dream.”

Many protesters arrived with ready-made signs, other’s borrowed cardboard and art supplies to make signs at the last minute. Supporters of the group spoke to lay a few ground rules, asking protesters to avoid violence and law-breaking.

Demonstrator Bill Galloway brought his 5-year-old granddaughter to the event.

"I think it's very good for her to see democracy in action," he said. Although he calls himself “fortunate” to have a secure union job, Galloway sympathizes with those who have been hit hardest by the economy. “Basically, the economy effects everybody. We’re all sharing the same experience."

By evening, several hundred protesters remained Downtown on the lawn outside City Hall.

Volunteers from the National Lawyers Guild talked to the protesters about their legal rights, in the event that they're confronted by police.

Rough relations between police and protesters in New York’s "Occupy Wall Street" demonstration have generated a lot of attention. For two weeks hundreds of them have camped out in a park near the nation’s financial center.

KPCC's Katherine Davis contributed to this report

For live updates on the Occupy LA protest see coverage at KPCC's blogdowntown

An LA mother copes with daughter’s suicide

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:00:04 -0700

The Centers for Disease Control keeps track of suicide in the U.S., and its numbers are sobering.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young people. A 2009 survey found that one high school student out of seven had thought seriously about suicide in the previous year.

One mother from Los Angeles whose teenage daughter committed suicide told her story to KPCC.

Talking about suicide can save lives, so Marilyn Nobori talks about her daughter.

“She was involved in school groups, church groups, a mathematician, played taiko, sang in praise band and loved anime," Marilyn Nobori said. "She had good grades. She was a perfectionist.”

When she became a teenager, something shifted. “She became moody. We talked about it with the professionals and non-professional adults in her life. But the consensus was she was not depressed, just a quiet normal teenager. We did not know about suicide.”

There were signs, like a kind of tunnel vision. When Aiko played her flute, she heard only her own internal criticism — and not the accolades from friends.

A Stanford anthology of the best student work published a short story she’d written. Her story was about suicide.

Catherine Aiko Nobori hung herself at home. She was 14.

“I could tell you in great detail the afternoon I found her," Marilyn Nobori said, "because they are burned in my memory. Finding her. Running to call 911. Cutting her down. Doing CPR. The paramedics, the police.”

Marilyn Nobori says for years, she hoped she’d wake up from the nightmare of losing her only child. “Everything was veiled in a fog, disjointed, slow — very, very slow.”

She tried to make sense of things that never would make sense. "I remember a friend leaving a simple spiral notebook on my doorstep. I began writing Aiko. And having conversations with her. I remember putting pictures all over the house.

"Aiko and I loved Harry Potter," Marilyn Nobori said. "And in that story the dead travel picture to picture and talk to the living. I remember searching. Reading her notes, emails, looking for something. Going over everything we had done since her birth. Looking for a reason."

Suicide is one of the three leading causes of death for people aged 15 to 25. Untreated depression is a major cause.

Many experts say the key to preventing suicide is intervening at the right moment. An acute suicidal phase will often pass if the person who’s suffering talks with a family member, a friend or even a stranger on the other end of a suicide prevention hotline.

It has been nine years since Catherine Aiko died. Her mother Marilyn Nobori said she still suffers tremendous grief — especially on milestone days, like the day when her daughter would have graduated high school or turned 21.

But she says her own journey of grief has merged with her journey of life. "There’s still a hole in my heart," Marilyn Nobori said. "There are still tears and there are still moments of guilt and sorrow. But life again has joy, has purpose and wholeness. ... I have learned the best memorial I can give to Aiko is to choose hope, to choose life."

Marilyn Nobori also talks openly about her daughter at suicide prevention seminars and bereavement workshops in hopes of keeping another young person alive.

Gov. Brown to sign downtown LA football stadium bill

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:00:04 -0700

The proposed location for a new football stadium, next to the Staples Center and Nokia Theatre in downtown, to be used for a Los Angeles NFL team. Credit: David Jones/Flickr

This week California Gov. Jerry Brown is scheduled to sign a measure in Los Angeles that is expected to help clear the way for construction of a new downtown football stadium.

The law allows the football stadium developers to address environmental legal challenges in a quicker and more streamlined fashion than current law provides.

Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) lobbied for the legislation. The state Legislature approved the bill over the concerns of environmentalists and other critics who say it's wrong to give special exceptions to well-financed developers. They say citizens should have more time to raise issues about the potential problems a new stadium could bring, including traffic congestion and air pollution.

AEG is promising jobs and tax dollars. The L.A. City Council approved the project. Gov. Brown is coming to the L.A. Convention Center Tuesday to sign the measure.

The developer plans to tear down and rebuild the West Hall of the convention center and build the stadium next to Staples Center. One essential element is still missing: a pro football team to play in the new L.A. stadium.

10 of 'Irvine 11' get community service, probation

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:49:10 -0700

Supporters of the 'Irvine 11' after Friday's guilty verdict. Credit: Shirley Jahad/KPCC

Jurors on Friday found 10 of the "Irvine 11" Muslim students guilty on charges that stemmed from the disruption of a speech by the Israeli ambassador, Michael Oren, to the United States when he visited UC Irvine in February of last year.

The judge sentenced the 10 defendants to 56 hours of community service and three years of probation, which will be reduced to one year when the service is completed.

An 11th defendant, UC Irvine student Hakim Nasreddine Kebir, had his case tentatively dismissed before the trial on the condition that he completes 40 hours of community service.

The judge admonished those in the courtroom to hold back their emotions before the verdict was read, but there were still some gasps and several inside the courtroom crying. It appeared that most of the courtroom observers supported the students. On the way out, some observers whispered "there's no justice."

The trial that's been in headlines around the nation since February has garnered strong support on both sides.

"There is no First Amendment right to interrupt somebody else’s speech. Especially in a place which is owned by a university, where the university gets to control who gets to enter and who can’t. People can’t just shout down the speaker," Eugene Volokh, a Gary T. Schwartz professor of law at the UCLA, told KPCC's Patt Morrison shortly before the verdict.

“They certainly are free to speak to themselves outside—they can picket this, they can hand out leaflets outside, but they can’t physically go into the event and drown out the speaker’s voice in a way that the speaker can no longer be heard,” he added.

There were about 150 people sitting in the courtroom when the verdict was read. The names of all 10 students charged were read for the first charge, followed by a guilty verdict, before the same with the second charge.

This case involved the question of First Amendment rights and censorship, with each side arguing that they were practicing their First Amendment rights while the other tried to censor them.

The students were each charged with one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to disturb a meeting and one misdemeanor count of disturbing a meeting.

During the speech by Ambassador Michael Oren, 11 students stood up and, one by one, shouted scripted statements while Oren tried to speak. Oren was eventually able to deliver his 25-minute speech.

"It's a sad day for democracy," said Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), on KPCC's "AirTalk." "This is just a travesty of justice that students cannot protest within their campuses."

Al-Marayati said the protests should have been handled by the school, not the courts, but that "the politicized nature" of the conflict between Israel and Muslims over the issue of Palestine led to the prosecution. Al-Marayati said that prosecutors were "using whatever technicality they were able to use, in terms of disruption of the peace."

"I think this does not bode well for students who want to speak out," Al-Marayati said, "and we want more students to speak out, even if it defies the authorities of our country and the authorities of the world."

Al-Marayati said that it doesn't make sense that protests of UC tuition hikes were not prosecuted while this was. He said that he thinks the line should be drawn at violence or destruction of property, but that this protest did not cross that line.

Al-Marayati said that you can go and heckle the president of the United States and be escorted out, and that it would probably be OK to heckle other ambassadors, but that these students were prosecuted because they were protesting the Israeli Ambassador.

"There was a conspiracy to disrupt the event. It wasn't a spontaneous shriek or disruption," said David A. Lehrer, president of Community Advocates and former head of the Anti-Defamation League. Lehrer argued that the prosecution was justified. "There was a concerted effort to try and cover up afterwards, and lie about it."

According to Lehrer, there were emails that said "We won't get punished because the UCI police never do anything about this kind of thing, so don't worry about it." Lehrer said that the students say they're exercising their rights to free speech, but that they were blocking the rights of those in the audience listening and of the person speaking.

Lehrer encouraged listeners to watch video of the protesters' interruptions on YouTube. One version of the video is below:

Lehrer said that the host pleaded with the audience to engage in dialogue with Oren via question and answer after the speech. "These kids weren't interested. They wanted to interrupt."

Mustafa, a caller on KPCC's "AirTalk" who knows the Irvine 11, said that the verdict won't thwart efforts by UC Irvine Muslim students to protest any events that seem unjust.

"If Michael Oren came to UC Irvine again, I personally would do the exact same thing again," Mustafa said, "because it's not about the laws of America that say, 'Oh, you can't protest this, because it's disturbing the peace.' It's about achieving world peace and Michael Oren is not there to do something like that." Mustafa also said he would protest others who shared the same views as Oren.

"[The verdict is] not going to thwart our efforts to seek justice in Palestine and seek justice all over the world," Mustafa said. He said that, if not for these protesters, "no one would be talking about this case today."

"We need to show the world what we think about what's going on," Mustafa said.

The six-man, six-woman jury received the case about 4:25 p.m. Tuesday when attorneys finished two days of closing arguments. Attorneys made their opening statements to jurors Sept. 7.

Deputy District Attorney Dan Wagner told jurors that the actions of the students, many of whom belong to the Muslim Student Union on campus, amounted to a "heckler's veto" of Michael Oren's Feb. 8, 2010, speech on the UCI campus.

Defense attorneys countered with free-speech arguments, claiming the students did not violate misdemeanor laws governing public meetings as prosecutors have alleged.

The students planned a protest mirroring one done at the University of Chicago in which students disrupted an appearance from former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The students stood up, minutes apart from each other, and bellowed slogans at Oren such as "Michael Oren, you're a war criminal," followed by cheers from supporters. They capped it off with a loud, mass walkout of students.

Wagner argued that the rules of the meeting were spelled out when the students were admonished after the first couple of interruptions by UCI professor Mark Petracca and UCI Chancellor Michael Drake.

Wagner had to prove to jurors that the students were aware of the rules, conspired to break them and had no other outlet to carry out their protest.

Thirty-five minutes into the event, Oren was 2 minutes and 21 seconds into his speech due to all the interruptions, he said.

"I submit to you that is substantial interference with a meeting," he said. "The show could not go on."

Defense attorney Dan Mayfield argued that the protests altogether took about 4 minutes and 35 seconds, but added, "Let's call it five minutes."

The event was supposed to run from 5:30 to 7 p.m., but a private gathering with Oren and campus supporters went long, Mayfield said. He also argued that the students readily and without incident surrendered to campus police, and the walkout of all of the students' supporters happened just after 6:30 p.m., before the event was supposed to end, so Oren had time to finish his "canned speech."

Defense attorney Reem Salahi argued that the students were warned before the event that no disruptions would be tolerated, meaning they were effectively denied an outlet for their free-speech rights, which should lead to an acquittal.

Seven of the defendants are UC Irvine students — Mohamad Mohy-Eldeen Abdelgany, 23; Aslam Abbasi Akhtar, 23; Joseph Tamim Haider, 23; Mohammad Uns Qureashi, 19; Ali Mohammad Sayeed, 23; Osama Ahmen Shabaik, 22; and Asaad Mohamedidris Traina, 19.

Three defendants are UC Riverside students — Khalid Gahgat Akari, 19; Taher Mutaz Herzallah, 21; and Shaheen Waleed Nassar, 21.

Video from earlier this year of KPCC's Larry Mantle talking about the UC Irvine protests:

KPCC's Mike Roe, Andrea Wang and Lily Mihalik contributed to this report.

AARP convention in LA raises money to fight hunger for seniors

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:00:43 -0700

AARP CEO Bill Novelli speaks at AARP 50th anniversary event in 2008. Credit: Civil Rights on Flickr

About 20,000 people are expected to visit the L.A. Convention Center this weekend for the AARP national event dubbed "Life at 50-Plus." One of the issues getting a lot of attention this year is the effort to end hunger among elderly Americans.

Jason Weinstei, director of AARP’s national event, says hunger is affecting a growing number of people who have worked all their lives, raised their kids, and paid their taxes.

“People don’t realize there are 9 million seniors that face the threat of hunger every day in America. These are people who have to decide between medication and their meals. Decide between putting gas in the car or paying for utilities and for meals," he said.

AARP has launched its Drive to End Hunger to call attention to the problem. It’s hosting a benefit concert Saturday night at Staples Center. Tony Bennett is the headliner. Stevie Wonder and Carrie Underwood are among the guest performers.

Kaiser nurses on strike at LA Medical Center

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:32:53 -0700

Nurses on strike outside Kaiser Medical Center in Los Angeles. Credit: Shirley Jahad/KPCC

Unionized registered nurses are on strike Wednesday and picketing outside the Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center. At 7:30 a.m., nearly 100 nurses dressed in red union t-shirts, were banging drums and holding signs near Sunset Boulevard and Vermont Avenue as part of a statewide protest to what union officials call an effort to reduce workers' health care coverage and retirement benefits.

Nurses are scheduled to picket from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, with the walkout continuing Thursday and Friday, The union expects that more than 1,000 nurses will show up to take part in the picketing in Los Angeles.

According to the National Union of Healthcare Workers, as many as 23,000 nurses, some of whom are represented by the California Nurses Association, will be taking part in picketing at Kaiser Permanente facilities across the state. Depending on the location, the strikes are expected to last anywhere from one to three days.

Union officials contend Kaiser is undermining the ability of nurses to afford their own health care and reducing staffing while earning billions of dollars in profits over the last two and a half years.

"But Kaiser administrators refuse to put that enormous financial success back into improving patient care,'' registered nurse LaNeta Fitzhugh said. "... And now, Kaiser wants to cut workers' benefits too, even though Kaiser executives have eight pension plans each. It's outrageous.''

Besides personal health care benefits, nurses cite patient safety as one of their biggest concerns. They contend that Kaiser doesn't always adhere to the ratio guidelines of nurses to patients and they want this to change.

In a statement, Kaiser officials said plans were being made to "minimize the impact on our services and on our members' and patients' care during and after the work stoppage.''

"We want you all to know that the nurses and other health care workers who are on strike are valued members of our health-care team and we look forward to welcoming our employees back when the strike concludes,'' according to Kaiser. "Providing quality health care and ensuring the safety of our members and patients is our highest priority.''

KPCC Wire Services contributed to this report