Kirk Siegler

Identities Of 24 Victims In Okla. Tornado Emerge

Kirk Siegler — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:40:00 +0000

Oklahomans who were hit by a massive tornado on Monday are trying to recover and rebuild.

Yahoo To Buy Tumblr In An Attempt To Revitalize Itself

Kirk Siegler — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:06:00 +0000

Yahoo is expected to announce Monday that it's acquiring the social media site Tumblr, in a deal The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets are reporting to be worth about $1.1 billion. Some analysts are calling the acquisition an effort by Yahoo to be "cool and relevant" again.

Calif. Law To Require Ships To Cut Pollution

Kirk Siegler — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:06:00 +0000

California is about to become the first state to require shore power at its ports. A new law mandates at least half of a shipping line's fleet to shut down their diesel engines and plug into shore-side electric power when they unload their cargo. It's part of a larger effort to cut pollution at the state's busiest ports, but costs have been a sticking point.

LA Mayor Candidates Try To Persuade Voters To Pay Attention

Kirk Siegler — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:02:00 +0000

The candidates have spent a record amount of money.

Reward For Christopher Dorner Will Be Split Four Ways

Kirk Siegler — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:50:00 +0000

Four people will share the reward money associated with the capture of former Los Angeles Police Department officer Christopher Dorner. He was the cop who went on a killing spree after being dismissed from the force.

Cooler Weather May Help Battle Southern California Wildfires

Kirk Siegler — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:25:00 +0000

A cold front that's bringing cool temperatures and rain showers to Southern California is welcome news to firefighters who are working to contain the Springs Fire in Ventura County west of Los Angeles. The blaze is one of a half dozen large fires burning in parched California, where the wildfire season is off to an unusually early start.

On Southern California Cruise, A Splash Of 'Urban Ocean'

Kirk Siegler — Sun, 05 May 2013 09:24:00 +0000

A cruise run by the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., sounds like a picturesque summer outing. But the Urban Ocean boat cruise highlights the juxtaposition of a powerful port with a fragile ecosystem: You're just as likely to see trash as you are to see marine life.

In front of the aquarium, school kids are running around, eager to go inside and pet the sharks and see the penguins.

Why An Immigration Deal Won't Solve The Farmworker Shortage

Kirk Siegler — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:59:00 +0000

The Salinas Valley in Northern California grows about 80 percent of the country's lettuce, and it takes a lot of people to pick and pack it. In a field owned by Duda Farm Fresh Foods, a dozen lechugueros, or lettuce pickers, are bent at the waist, cutting heads of iceberg lettuce. They work frantically to stay in front of a line of 12 more packers, who seal them with tape and toss them onto a conveyor belt.

"There's a lot more going on here than meets the eye," says Sammy Duda, the company's vice president.

L.A. Reclaims No. 1 Worst Traffic Rating

Kirk Siegler — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:16:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne. Los Angeles has reclaimed its place at the top, as the city with the worst traffic in the country. That's according to a report from a company called INRIX, which makes systems that handle traffic data. And it doesn't surprise me, Steve, because a couple of days ago, it took me two hours to get six miles.

(LAUGHTER)

MONTAGNE: That would be three miles an hour, on average.

Looking To Broaden Appeal, RNC Heads To Hollywood

Kirk Siegler — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:01:00 +0000

The Republican National Committee is holding its spring meeting in the Democratic stronghold of Hollywood this week — part of an effort to broaden the party's appeal.

So far, there are sharp divisions among RNC delegates about the future direction of the GOP. But there's general agreement that the party isn't effectively communicating its message.

At a sometimes raucous afternoon meeting Wednesday, speaker after speaker walked up to the microphone and made pleas about the future of the GOP. "We need to multiply, not divide," one said.

L.A. Schools Hire Security Aides To Watch For Threats

Kirk Siegler — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:21:00 +0000

Tenth Street Elementary is in the Pico-Union district of Los Angeles, a few blocks west of the Staples Center and downtown skyscrapers.

Villaraigosa Faulted For Not Helping Latino Politicians

Kirk Siegler — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Los Angeles is getting ready to elect a new mayor, and the field is down to two: city comptroller Wendy Greuel and city councilman Eric Garcetti. Now, while Garcetti speaks often of his Mexican ancestry on his father's side, neither candidate is seen as a product of L.A.'s Latino community or political establishment.

And this is notable because of all the attention paid to the current mayor's background when he came to office.

In Gun State, Suicide Prevention Aims For Firearm Safety

Kirk Siegler — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 09:33:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgPjT88ZfaE

A Turning Point For Talking About Suicide And Guns In Wyoming

Kirk Siegler — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:56:00 +0000

Guns are a big part of everyday life in Wyoming, and many residents have been directly impacted by a suicide in which a gun was used. The state has the highest suicide rate in the nation, and three-quarters of Wyoming's suicides are by firearm.

The rural state's relationship with guns has long made suicide prevention efforts challenging.

Owens Valley Salty As Los Angeles Water Battle Flows Into Court

Kirk Siegler — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:47:00 +0000

In the West, fights over water last a long time.

It's been almost 100 years since William Mulholland stood atop an aqueduct along the Owens River and said, "There it is, take it." He was referring to a diversion channel that started piping water to Los Angeles from 200 miles away. That water allowed L.A.

Sequestered Spring Means Fewer Rangers, Services At National Parks

Kirk Siegler — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:20:00 +0000

Spring has come early to the Yosemite Valley, and the melting snow makes for a spectacular rush of water off the granite face of Yosemite Falls, the tallest in North America.

Early March is when park officials would normally be gearing up for the busy tourist season. Instead, they're figuring out how to cut $1.5 million from their budget. Without a budget deal, the sequestration has forced the Park Service to cut a total of $134 million from sites around the country.

"Do we close a visitor center for the entire season, or do we just cut back hours?" says Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman.

Ex-LAPD Officer May Have Stalked Targets Before Killing Spree

Kirk Siegler — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:24:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

We're learning more about the actions of Christopher Dorner, the former police officer turned fugitive in Southern California. Today, police in Los Angeles said they believe he stalked LAPD officers and their families before he began his alleged killing rampage. Authorities say Dorner killed himself last week during a violent standoff in the mountains east of L.A.

G20 Leaders Pledge To Avert Currency War

Kirk Siegler — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 11:42:00 +0000

A meeting of finance ministers from the 20 leading industrial and developing nations wrapped up over the weekend in Moscow. The nations agreed to not to target the exchange rates of their respective currencies amid concerns that competitive devaluation could spark a currency war.

No ID Yet On Charred Body Found After Police Manhunt

Kirk Siegler — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:05:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The manhunt for fugitive former police officer Christopher Dorner is officially over. Dorner was wanted for four murders. Tuesday he apparently perished in a burning mountain cabin, after a chase and a gunfight.

Yesterday, authorities offered new information about the ordeal.

Still A Sense Of Tension In San Bernardino Mountains After Shootout

Kirk Siegler — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:01:00 +0000

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Audie Cornish.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

I'm Robert Siegel. And we begin this hour in Southern California, where there are more questions than answers about yesterday's gun battle between police and a man thought to be Christopher Dorner. Dorner is the former LAPD officer who's been on the run.