Zócalo Public Square

As their state continues to crawl through an extended period of drought, Californians are increasingly coming to terms with the fact that the water shortage isn’t ending anytime soon -- and looking for new ways to combat it. At a "Thinking L.A." event co-presented by UCLA, four panelists took a broad look at the state of water technology in California, and discussed both the importance and difficulty of implementing desalination plants, water-recycling facilities, and other tools to help California make better use of its scarce water resources. Orange County Register economy reporter Margot Roosevelt moderated the conversation, which featured Celeste Cantú, general manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, Eric Hoek, UCLA professor and CEO of Water Planet, R. Rhodes Trussell, chairman of Trussell Technologies, Inc., and Madelyn Glickfeld, of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

"Finish the job." That was the focused message of Phillip Washington, the new CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), at a Zócalo/Metro event. Washington, who came to Los Angeles three and a half months ago after years of heading Denver’s Regional Transportation District, spoke passionately with moderator Conan Nolan, an NBC 4 reporter, about the need for Los Angeles to finish the build-out of its transportation infrastructure -- and for the country as a whole to devote far more attention and money to infrastructure.

As their state continues to crawl through an extended period of drought, Californians are increasingly coming to terms with the fact that the water shortage isn’t ending anytime soon -- and looking for new ways to combat it. At a "Thinking L.A." event co-presented by UCLA, four panelists took a broad look at the state of water technology in California, and discussed both the importance and difficulty of implementing desalination plants, water-recycling facilities, and other tools to help California make better use of its scarce water resources. Orange County Register economy reporter Margot Roosevelt moderated the conversation, which featured Celeste Cantú, general manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, Eric Hoek, UCLA professor and CEO of Water Planet, R. Rhodes Trussell, chairman of Trussell Technologies, Inc., and Madelyn Glickfeld, of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

It’s no secret that how much money you make can affect how healthy you are. At an event co-sponsored by the California Wellness Foundation, Kaiser Health News senior correspondent Anna Gorman moderated a panel discussion about the barriers that keep low-income Americans out of fancy yoga classes and away from organic vegetable stands. Roshan Bastani, director of UCLA’s Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity, LaVonna Lewis of the USC Price School of Public Policy, and Tracie McMillan, author of The American Way of Eating, talked about what can be done to level the playing field.

It’s no secret that how much money you make can affect how healthy you are. At an event co-sponsored by the California Wellness Foundation, Kaiser Health News senior correspondent Anna Gorman moderated a panel discussion about the barriers that keep low-income Americans out of fancy yoga classes and away from organic vegetable stands. Roshan Bastani, director of UCLA’s Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity, LaVonna Lewis of the USC Price School of Public Policy, and Tracie McMillan, author of The American Way of Eating, talked about what can be done to level the playing field.

Community-based arts programs in California’s Inland Empire are facing big challenges today. Funds are diminishing. Audiences are disappearing. So how can small-scale performers and venues survive? And what can Redlands, which has a rich performing arts history, teach organizations across the nation about how to stay relevant? These were the questions tackled at a "Living the Arts" event co-presented by the James Irvine Foundation and moderated by Redlands Daily Facts editor Toni Momberger. The panel discussion featured Redlands University theater professor Victoria Lewis, executive director of Redlands Community Music Association Beverly Noerr, president of LifeHouse Theater Wayne R. Scott, and CEO of Music Changing Lives Josiah Bruny.

Community-based arts programs in California’s Inland Empire are facing big challenges today. Funds are diminishing. Audiences are disappearing. So how can small-scale performers and venues survive? And what can Redlands, which has a rich performing arts history, teach organizations across the nation about how to stay relevant? These were the questions tackled at a "Living the Arts" event co-presented by the James Irvine Foundation and moderated by Redlands Daily Facts editor Toni Momberger. The panel discussion featured Redlands University theater professor Victoria Lewis, executive director of Redlands Community Music Association Beverly Noerr, president of LifeHouse Theater Wayne R. Scott, and CEO of Music Changing Lives Josiah Bruny.

From the Boston Tea Party to the recent protests in Baltimore and Ferguson, Americans have a long history of using violence to combat oppression and push for social change. But what are the sparks that set off urban riots? Who are the people who get involved, and do they ever actually make a difference? Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson moderated a "Thinking L.A." event co-presented by UCLA that took a broad look at the history of inner-city riots in America and why they continue to erupt. He was joined in the discussion by California State Senator Holly Mitchell, urban sociologist Max Herman, and UCLA historian Robin D.G. Kelley.

From the Boston Tea Party to the recent protests in Baltimore and Ferguson, Americans have a long history of using violence to combat oppression and push for social change. But what are the sparks that set off urban riots? Who are the people who get involved, and do they ever actually make a difference? Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson moderated a "Thinking L.A." event co-presented by UCLA that took a broad look at the history of inner-city riots in America and why they continue to erupt. He was joined in the discussion by California State Senator Holly Mitchell, urban sociologist Max Herman, and UCLA historian Robin D.G. Kelley.

Los Angeles has been talking about ending homelessness for years. But the problem has only been getting worse: In the past two years, the homeless population has jumped 12 percent. At an event co-presented by UCLA and Zócalo and moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, four panelists--L.A. County Housing for Health director Marc Trotz, UCLA psychiatrist Kenneth Wells, Ocean Park Community Center executive director John Maceri, and Christine Margiotta, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs alumna and vice president of community impact at United Way of Greater Los Angeles--discussed the conditions that continue to force people on the streets, and the actions that can be taken to prevent them.