KCRW
Jenny Hamel is a news reporter and producer for KCRW and a former producer for its To the Point.
Before coming to KCRW, Hamel worked as a reporter and anchor for San Diego's KSWB Fox 5 and XETV Channel 6, where she won a 2010 Emmy Award for a story based on her travels to Uganda with a humanitarian organization. She's worked as a freelance video and documentary producer.
How much of our stuff actually gets recycled? Recycling is not as easy as throwing stuff in the blue bin. China buys a lot of our recyclable trash. A little while ago, China changed what it would accept. It wants clean, well sorted stuff. And Americans are not very good at that. So today, more and more of what we put into our blue bins goes to the landfill. Workers at the Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility (Photo: Jenny Hamel)
Tongva descendants work to keep their culture alive For Craig Torres, keeping Tongva culture alive means educating today’s Angelenos, young and old, about the earth and treating it with respect and reverence as his ancestors did.
Homelessness among seniors on the rise The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority recently reported that the total number of homeless people in L.A. County fell since last year, but they also discovered a disturbing trend. The only group in L.A. that is experiencing homelessness more than last year is people age 62 and over.
49th District Dems fight to get out the vote Democrats have high hopes for a “blue wave” of voters in the June 5th primary that could take hold of the Republicans’ vulnerable districts. But Democrats are also worried that with such crowded fields in some of the House races, they could be locked out of the general election because of the state’s open primary system.
Who will take over Republican Darrell Issa's district? California’s 49th Congressional district spans southern Orange County and Northern San Diego County. Republican Darrell Issa has held that seat since 2001. He’s retiring, and a dozen Democrats and Republicans are running to fill the open seat. Democrats are hoping to flip it as part of their push to take over control of Congress.
Inside LA's gay club history The period during the late 1920s and the early 1930s was a golden era in Los Angeles for gay performers, entertainers in drag and the crowds of Angelenos - gay, straight, rich and poor - that loved them.
Getting more women to join the fire department Becoming a firefighter is not an easy task. The competition is fierce and the physical requirements are grueling, especially if you’re a woman. The LA County Fire department has faced criticism in the past for its lack of diversity. Two percent of the county’s firefighters are women, but the department is taking steps to get more women out there saving lives and putting out fires. Go inside the Women's Fire Prep Academy.
Who will replace Chief Beck? Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck will retire in less than three months and the hunt is on for his replacement. More than 30 people have submitted applications to be considered for the chief job. Police Commissioners want to maintain the course the department has set over the past 15 years of reform. And they may also see a chance to make history.
Enter House of Bolton John Bolton- a hawk's hawk- becomes Trump's National Security Advisor.
California Democrats eye the House Republicans control the presidency and the Congress, but Democrats hope to change that in November. The 2018 midterm elections will be a test of Democratic enthusiasm around the country. Districts with vulnerable Republican incumbents in the House of Representatives are getting special attention from the Democratic party, and many of those are in California.
Reducing marijuana convictions under Prop. 64 Proposition 64 is best known for allowing the sale of recreational marijuana in California. Less known is a provision that also lets people who’ve been convicted of pot-related crimes get felonies reduced to misdemeanors and get old criminal records cleared. Since the law passed, very few have actually cleared their records. Now Los Angeles County is trying to do something to change that.
Bridges and Walls: The Border Wall Can a wall also act as a bridge? The U.S.-Mexico border wall stretches along 700 miles. It divides two nations that are strategic allies and trading partners, and continues to divide Americans along partisan lines. It also “brings people together in really remarkable and interesting ways,” and DnA tells their stories.
Can Democrats win the 49th? KCRW's Steve Chiotakis and Jenny Hamel discuss the fate of the 49th Congressional District now that Rep. Darrell Issa is giving up his seat.
Lucia Micarelli: An Evening with Lucia Micarelli Violinist and actress Lucia Micarelli visits The Treatment to discuss her emotive performances as she prepares for PBS' An Evening with Lucia Micarelli.
George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo (Part I) Lincoln in the Bardo dramatizes a grieving President Lincoln as he visits the grave of his beloved son Willie, who died at age eleven. In the novel, the buried dead believe they're not dead -- "they're sick and refer to their coffins as "sick boxes."
How do Trump supporters feel about the Paris Accord? Globally and around the U.S., there are strong opinions whether or not the Paris Climate Accord is a good idea. The American exit is either a horrifying abdication of American leadership or a forceful and long overdue statement about U.S. sovereignty.