Gov. Touts Deficit-Free Budget
January is the time California governors release their state budgets for the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1. And when Jerry Brown did that this week, he had a rare but welcome bit of good news: an actual budget surplus. Of course not everyone agrees the news is all that rosy. We look behind the headlines with John Myers, political editor for KXTV in Sacramento.
Concussion Researchers Take to the Gridiron
The NFL playoffs continue this weekend, with the San Francisco 49ers on a quest to reclaim Super Bowl glory. But once the ultimate bragging rights are settled, one thing remains unsettled, and unsettling. Concussions are endemic in football at every level, from peewees to the pros. Still, we don't know exactly how they're caused. Adding urgency, a study of brain tissue from former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau revealed this week he had degenerative brain disease, a possible factor in his suicide last year. Now, Stanford University is searching for answers -- and its laboratory is the football field itself.
Chamber Group Brings Back Music of the Missions
While much of the history of California?s missions is well-documented, the music from that period remains largely unknown and somewhat mysterious. This weekend, the San Luis Obispo Symphony Chamber Players give music fans along the Central Coast a unique opportunity to experience sounds recalling the era, more than two centuries ago.
Jazz Review: Madeline Eastman and Randy Porter's 'A Quiet Thing'
From Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald to Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughn, female singers with big, iconic voices have often been the biggest stars in jazz. But on her latest CD, San Francisco jazz singer Madeline Eastman shows that quiet can speak volumes as well. Jazz critic Andrew Gilbert has a review.
L.A. Opens First Public Fruit Orchard
Up and down the state, there are places you can pay to pick your own fruit. Now California has its first public fruit orchard. We stop by the new "fruit park" in an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, just southeast of Los Angeles International Airport.