KPCC: Stories by Lauren Osen

Absentee voting difficult for many Mexican citizens abroad

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:35:48 -0700

This summer, Mexicans are heading to the polls to elect a new president, but many potential absentee voters living here won’t be voting in the election. KPCC’s Lauren Osen reports on the difficulties facing Mexican voters abroad.

Would you vote to end the death penalty in 2012? Anti-death penalty group aims for the ballot

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Polling data from the last 50 years suggests that California voters would reject a measure abolishing the state's death penalty if it ever came to the ballot. Despite that evidence, Senate Bill 490 proposed doing just that, until legislators tabled it in committee last week. Now, Taxpayers for Justice, a coalition of death penalty opponents, is going to the people.

Lack of grocery options leads to higher obesity rates in South, East LA

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:22:33 -0700

Los Angeles has some of the best restaurants in the country and the city is considered a mecca for foodies and gourmands. Despite this reputation, vast swatches of L.A. are limited to few grocery options. These are L.A.'s "food deserts" and their lack of nutritional resources is reflected in the health of the people who live in them.

U.S. Senate candidates Carly Fiorina and incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer prepare for November

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:24:31 -0700

The result of Tuesday’s primary is an historic U.S. Senate seat run off between two very powerful women. U.S. Senate candidates Carly Fiorina and incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer sat down with KPCC’s Patt Morrison for a postmortem of Tuesday’s primary election and a look ahead to November.

University of California to trim $500 million in administrative costs

Wed, 19 May 2010 13:48:17 -0700

As the Regents of the University of California were voting to increase student tuitions by 32 percent last fall, students and faculty members outside of the meetings were protesting with one common message: cut the excess and fat from the UC budget before you raise student fees. Whether UC executives have directly answered the students’ pleas is debatable, but today the UC Board of Regents has decided to go forward with a plan to trim $500 million in administrative costs over the next five years and shift the savings to academics.

Analysts point out flaws with Goldman Sachs congressional hearings

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:41:13 -0700

This week's Goldman Sachs hearing isn’t the first walk of shame that prominent CEOs have made in front of congressional committees - it wasn’t that long ago that executives from the auto industry, insurance companies and energy firms were all dragged in front of Congress for a righteous grilling.

SEC official advocates on behalf of average investor

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:26:43 -0700

The term “corporate governance” served as a form of kryptonite for several years in the fast-moving, risk-taking Wall Street culture, which played a large role in the current recession from which we are slowly recovering. As publicly owned banks and investment firms were taking risks with shareholder-generated funds, shareholders were often left in the dark and their anger at the outcome of many of those investments is still ringing.

Venture capitalist Alaya Bettaieb on investment and innovation in the Arab world

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:20:53 -0700

When President Obama visited Cairo and gave his landmark address to the Arab world, he spoke of the need to begin significant engagement with the Muslim-majority countries in the areas of technology and the knowledge economy. Venture capitalist Alaya Bettaieb talked with KPCC's Patt Morrison at the 2010 Milken Global Conference about how investment and technology are the essential building blocks for economic development necessary to bridge cultures and strengthen bonds between the U.S. and the Arab world.

Audit: LA Fire Department's disciplinary process 'watered down'

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:00:16 -0700

A city audit released this week faults the Los Angeles Fire Department for its disciplinary process, which, the report says, has allowed cultural and racial tensions to persist.

Madoff whistle blower tells all in new book

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:42:13 -0700

Just over a year ago, Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty to operating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Today, KPCC's Patt Morrison spoke with the Madoff whistle blower, Harry Markopolos.

Calif. Congressmen, student loan provider debate student loan bill

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:04:39 -0700

Along with health care reform, Congress also passed legislation Sunday night to revamp student loans. The bill could save billions by cutting out banks and lending money directly to needy students.

FCC rolls out National Broadband Plan

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:59:42 -0700

The Federal Communications Commission unveiled its nearly 400-page "national broadband plan" to Congress today. The proposal includes plans to subsidize broadband access to rural areas, develop a new universal set-top box that would connect to Internet and cable service, and form a "digital literacy corps" to provide skills training.