Obama to honor Medal of Freedom recipients

L.A.'s Afternoon News: Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee, Celebrity,KFWB News
May 29

(AP Photo)

(AP) – President Barack Obama will honor a diverse cross-section of political and cultural icons – including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, astronaut John Glenn, basketball coach Pat Summitt and rock legend Bob Dylan – with the Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony Tuesday.

The Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor. It’s presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the national interests of the United States, to world peace or to other significant endeavors.

Other recipients this year include:

  • Toni Morrison, author of such novels as “Song of Solomon” and “Beloved.”
  • John Paul Stevens, former Supreme Court Justice.
  • Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.
  • Shimon Peres, president of Israel.
  • John Doar, who handled civil rights cases as assistant attorney general in the 1960s.
  • William Foege, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who helped lead the effort to eradicate smallpox.
  • Gordon Hirabayashi, who fought the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
  • Jan Karski, a resistance fighter against the Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II.
  • Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers of America.

 

Albright was the first woman to hold the top U.S. diplomatic job, while Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth. Summitt led the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team to more NCAA Final Four appearances than any other team. And Dylan’s vast catalog of songs includes such rock classics as “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

De Niro talks to Bates grads, gets honorary degree

L.A.'s Afternoon News: Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee, Celebrity,Entertainment
May 29

(AP) – Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro received an honorary doctorate of fine arts during the 146th commencement at Bates College.

During a 15-minute address Sunday that was by turns sincere and irreverent, De Niro drew a steady stream of laughter from the 463 graduating seniors and more than 5,000 guests who gathered at the Lewiston campus.

De Niro, who left high school when he was a teenager to pursue an acting career, was one of three high-profile guests who received honorary degrees at Bates’ commencement. PBS “Newshour” senior correspondent Gwen Ifill and Princeton University molecular biologist Bonnie Bassler also were honored.

Ga. woman battling flesh-eating bacteria speaks

L.A.'s Afternoon News: Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee, KFWB News
May 29

(AP) – The father of a young Georgia woman battling a flesh-eating disease says his daughter has spoken for the first time since she was taken to an Augusta hospital weeks ago for treatment.

Andy Copeland said in an interview with The Associated Press Monday that he was in church Sunday morning and missed his daughter Aimee’s first words. But his other daughter, Paige, told him Aimee said, “Hello. Whoa. Wow, my mind is blown.”

Writing on his Facebook page, Andy Copeland said: “Our baby can talk.”

Twenty-four-year-old Aimee Copeland developed necrotizing fasciitis after cutting her leg in a May 1 fall from a homemade zip line over a west Georgia river. Her left leg, other foot and both hands have been amputated.

She began breathing on her own last week.

Experts: Remedial college classes need fixing

L.A.'s Afternoon News: Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee, Education
May 29

(AP Photo)

(AP) – Each year, an estimated 1.7 million U.S. college students are steered to remedial classes to catch them up and prepare them for regular coursework. But a growing body of research shows the courses are eating up time and money, often leading not to degrees but student loan hangovers.

The expense of remedial courses, which typically cost students the same as regular classes but don’t fulfill degree requirements, run about $3 billion annually, according to new research by Complete College America, a Washington-based national nonprofit working to increase the number of students with a college degree.

The group says the classes are largely failing the nation’s higher education system at a time when student-loan debt has become a presidential campaign issue. Meanwhile, lawmakers in at least two states have pushed through changes and numerous institutions are redesigning the courses.more

Today on Money 101: Garage sales and sugar daddies

Money 101 with Bob McCormick, Money 101
May 29

The discussion on today’s Money 101 with guest host Ron Kilgore will include:

  • What’s that stuff in your garage really worth? The Garage Sale Millionaire will be on at 9:18 this morning to talk about it.
  • A controversial website for “sugar daddies” and their “babies.” Founder Brandon Wade will explain at 9:05 this morning.

The experts will take your calls today from 9-11am at (888) 539-2980. Listen to the show on KFWB NEWS TALK 980 or click here to listen online.

Critical news about skin cancer

L.A.'s Afternoon News: Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee, Audio,Health
May 29

If you’re unclear about melanoma and what it is, Dr. Steven O’Day, Director of the L.A. Skin Cancer Institute at the Beverly Hills Cancer Center, says melanoma is the most deadly of the three kinds of skin cancer. Listen to his report with KFWB’s Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee:

More points to keep in mind include:

  • If you have a family history of melanoma see a dermatologist earlier than not for yearly checkups.
  • Sunscreens can be detrimental believe it or not, if they aren’t used correctly. You need to reapply every 90 minutes.
  • Get a broad spectrum, UVA and UVB, and use a lot of it, and apply 20 minutes before you go outside.
  • Avoid the midday sun and wear protective clothes.

 

Summertime awareness for child-related drownings

L.A.'s Afternoon News: Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee, Audio,Health
May 29

Before the summer heats up, safety advocates are urging parents to be aware of swimming pool dangers. Kathleen Reilly, of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, says there are hundreds of drownings each year that involve kids. Surprisingly, race plays a factor in child-related drownings, as does gender. Click the play button to listen.

Additionally:

  • Of the estimated annual average of 5,200 pool- or spa-related injuries involving children younger than 15 from 2009 through 2011, a bit more than half happened at a residential location.
  • Portable pools accounted for an annual average of 40 deaths involving children younger than 15.
  • Children between the ages of 1 and 3 represent 2-thirds of the estimated injuries for 2009 through 2011… about the sames as the reported fatalities for 2007 through 2009.
  • No deaths caused by entrapment, when the suction in a pool or hot tub traps a swimmer underwater, were reported in 2011. Seven entrapment injuries were reported last year.

Sunscreen news from Consumer Reports

L.A.'s Afternoon News: Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee, Audio,Health
May 29

Have you ever gone to the store to get sunscreen and been overwhelmed with how many choices there are? How do you know what number to get or if you need the one that says UVB or UVA? Nicole Serubow, Associate Editor at Consumer Reports breaks it down for KFWB’s Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee. Click the play button to listen:

 

Michelle Obama’s corn soup with summer veggies

Food
May 29

(AP) – Michelle Obama, the nation’s first lady and a high-profile spokeswoman for healthy eating, has a new book on growing and preparing nutritious food. Here’s an easy soup recipe from the White House chefs, included in “American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America.”

Corn Soup with Summer Vegetables

“This versatile soup is the essence of summer. Dairy-free and nearly fat-free, it showcases the pure, sweet taste of summer corn and can be served hot or at room temperature,” White House chef Sam Kass writes in Michelle Obama’s new book, “American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America.”

“A garnish of summer vegetables, grilled and cut into bite-sized pieces, makes this soup your own unique creation. Try zucchini or summer squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers or mushrooms, alone or in combination. If you leave out the corn kernels and don’t thin the soup with the corn stock, this becomes a luxurious sauce for seafood like halibut, tilapia, or shrimp.”

Click on “more” for the recipe.more

The USO helps the military in a purely volunteer effort

L.A.'s Afternoon News: Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee, Money 101 with Bob McCormick, Money 101,Audio,Military
May 28

For decades, the USO has been lifting the spirits of troops stations around the world. Entertainers from Bob Hope to Kid Rock travel to remote areas to entertain our service men and women during times of war. Bob Kirtchen, Executive Director of the L.A. branch of the USO tells KFWB’s Money 101 what the group is all about in this report with Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee: