---

Voters reject budget-related propositions

05/20/2009

California voters didn't like Tuesday's budget-related ballot propositions and defeated each one, handily. They passed Proposition 1F, though, telling lawmakers they could forget about pay raises during deficit years. The results weren't a surprise. Those five propositions trailed in public opinion polls. KPCC's Morning Edition host Steve Julian spoke with Aaron McLear, a spokesman for Governor Schwarzenegger, about where the administration goes from here.

---

LA's richest are not getting richer; port traffic way down

05/19/2009

KPCC's business analyst Mark Lacter delves into the list of the 50 Wealthiest Angelenos and finds they lost a lot of money last year; Mark also looks at whether traffic at the local ports will rebound.

---

California's budget problems; Apartment rentals

05/12/2009

KPCC's business analyst Mark Lacter discusses why California's deficit keeps growing; Mark also explains how apartment rentals are an indicator of the troubling recession.

---

Southland unemployment rate varies by area; Population growth

05/05/2009

KPCC's business analyst Mark Lacter says the unemployment rates vary widely across Southern California; Mark also looks at the reasons why population growth is slowing in California.

---

Pontiac fades into history; Talent agency merger

04/28/2009

KPCC business analyst Mark Lacter talks about General Motors' decision to do away with the Pontiac brand and the impact GM's troubles may have on the California economy; Mark also explains why the merger between two of Hollywood's biggest talent agencies is a big deal.

---

California Democrats endorse half of the special election measures

04/27/2009

Democratic leaders met over the weekend in Sacramento for their annual convention. One of the orders of business was to vote on whether to endorse the six budget-related propositions on the May 19 ballot. KPCC Morning Edition host Steve Julian spoke to San Francisco Chronicle senior political reporter Carla Marinucci about whether there was a lot of tension over the measures.

---

Dealing with violence within the play 'Mauritius'

04/24/2009

Depicting violence in movies can be time consuming because a lot of that depiction is done in post-production, through special effects. It's different on the stage. In live theatrical performances, violence either looks real or is obviously fake. The slap or punch that misses by a foot, for example. "Mauritius," a play closing this Sunday at the Pasadena Playhouse, tells the story of two step-sisters who fight over a very valuable stamp collection. There's a slap between them and a much more violent scene between one of the sisters, played by Kirsten Kollender, and a wealthy stamp collector, played by Ray Abruzzo. KPCC Morning Edition host Steve Julian talked to the actors about how difficult that scene was to block.

---

'Kahani' project aims to collect stories of South Asian immigrants

04/24/2009

A project similar to StoryCorps launched this week at the Indian film festival of Los Angeles, but this storytelling project is targeted toward the Indian-American and South Asian communities. The Kahani Movement is the brainchild of Suneel Gupta and his brother Sanjay, the chief medical correspondent for CNN. In Hindi, Kahani means "story." KPCC Morning Edition host Steve Julian asked Suneel where he and his brother got the idea for the project.

---

SAG impasse and the economy; Office building vacancies

04/21/2009

KPCC's business analyst Mark Lacter looks at whether the yearlong impasse between the Screen Actors Guild and studios hurt the economy; Mark also discusses the troubles that office building landlords are facing.

---

Congress returns to work after spring break

04/20/2009

Kitty Felde talks about Congress returning to work, an L.A. sheriff's deputy being honored, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and UFOs.