Spencer Michels | PBS NewsHour

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SPENCER MICHELS


	May 15, 2013 Boston Attacks Inspire Use of Surveillance Cameras in Cities Nationwide Surveillance cameras near the site of the Boston bombings helped authorities quickly identify and find the suspects. Those events have sparked a push in cities nationwide to increase their use of cameras. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports from San Francisco on how police are utilizing surveillance as prevention.

	May 7, 2013 Hey, Look at This! San Francisco's Exploratorium Boasts Fun, Interactive Science San Francisco's Exploratorium, one of the nation's most successful science and technology centers, has just opened its brand new location. Spencer Michels reports on how the center's hands-on teaching approach peaks the imaginations of children and adults alike.

	May 7, 2013 Inspiring Science With Frozen Roadkill and Harvested Whale Bones When San Francisco's newly constructed Exploratorium opened this spring, it received plenty of plaudits from the press and others. But across town, the Exploratorium has a cousin. Dan Sudran from San Francisco's Mission Science Workshop uses unlikely objects in an unlikely place to inspire kids about science.

	May 1, 2013 Strange Bedfellows Join Fight to Keep California Oyster Farm in Operation The Department of the Interior says the Drakes Bay Oyster Company, located north of San Francisco, must shut down according to an expired lease agreement that protects the surrounding national park. But NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports that the owners, along with some interesting allies, are fighting back.

	May 1, 2013 Conflict of Lease and Legacy Provokes Controversy on the Half Shell The oysters grown and harvested in Drake's Estero -- part of the Pt. Reyes National Seashore, just north of San Francisco -- are the subject of a national controversy that only seems to grow as a plea by an oyster farm to stay in operation gets closer to federal appeals court.

	March 26, 2013 San Francisco Strike Is Latest Orchestra Labor Dispute Playing Out Nationally The San Francisco's Symphony went out on strike and cancelled performances and an East Coast tour, asking for competitive salaries and benefits. The symphony's strike was only the latest in actions taken by several of the nation's orchestras. Spencer Michels reports on the labor disputes playing out across the country.

	March 26, 2013 Tuesday on the NewsHour: San Francisco Symphony on Strike The ongoing strike by the San Francisco Symphony brings back a lot of memories for PBS NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels, some pleasant, one in particular rather daunting.

	March 21, 2013 Remembering the Faces of the Iraq War Through the Eyes of Photojournalists In the early days of the Iraq war, photojournalists risked their lives to capture the daily existence of Iraqis in the middle of conflict. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels goes behind the frame to talk with photographers about communicating urgency through image and the separation between journalism and activism.

	March 21, 2013 From War Zones to Museum Walls, Capturing the Iraq War at Eye Level When photographers Thorne Anderson and Kael Alford travelled to Iraq 10 years ago, they went as journalists intent upon covering, as best they could, the people of Iraq as they experienced the effects of the war. Their work is now on display at San Francisco's deYoung Museum on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War.

	March 14, 2013 New Art Installation Lights Up San Francisco's Other Bridge Across the Bay A new art installation brings new light to San Francisco Bay. The Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco and Oakland, is the focus of a new public art display featuring thousands of LED technology lights. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels has the story of the high-tech work of art.

	March 12, 2013 What Blood, Spit and a Data Bank Can Tell Us About Disease A giant data bank containing genetic information on 200,000 people is in full operation in the San Francisco area. It's being ballyhooed by its founders as the world's best such repository. Researchers have begun to use it to explore the links between genes and disease, and environmental factors like pesticides and genetics.

	March 12, 2013 Is a Squall Brewing Around San Francisco's Bay Lights? Twenty-five thousand LED lights lit up the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge last Tuesday. Public art projects have a tradition of stirring controversy in their communities. Will the Bay Lights be next?

	Feb. 8, 2013 With Unfinished Business, NASA Plans More Missions to Mars The Mars "Curiosity" rover's mission to the red planet has been hailed as a success, so why does NASA want to keep going back to the same place again and again? Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory explain.

	Jan. 25, 2013 Getting Trashed on the Job: My Day in the Dump San Francisco -- urged on by a state law that mandates recycling -- has adopted a goal of zero waste. That means recycling everything. And that's a little hard to imagine when you're standing waist-deep in garbage at a landfill, surrounded by things you might never consider could be recycled.

	Jan. 15, 2013 California Gov. Jerry Brown Makes Tough Choices to Balance State Budget Gov. Jerry Brown has been able to turn in a balanced state budget for California by pushing for tax increases on the wealthy, hiking sales taxes for everybody and cutting many state services. But detractors have said Brown used fiscal tricks to achieve the balance. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports.

	Jan. 15, 2013 Straight Talk From California's Jerry Brown California Gov. Jerry Brown is riding high. The 74-year-old Democrat has achieved a kind of political miracle: He has balanced the state's budget for the first time in 15 years.

	Jan. 8, 2013 How Free Online Courses Are Changing the Traditional Liberal Arts Education As tuition costs continue to rise, it seems counterintuitive that professors at top universities would give away their courses for free. But that's exactly what they're doing, on web-based platforms known as "Massive Open Online Courses." Spencer Michels reports on how a boom in online learning could change higher education.

	Jan. 8, 2013 Open Online Courses and Making Sure Students Don't Cheat Several hundred college level courses taught by top professors are now available online for free, and several million students around the globe are signing up to take advantage of the new phenomenon. But how do educators ensure participants aren't cheating?

	Jan. 8, 2013 One Professor's Approach to Online Learning: He's Learning Too Online learning at the university level comes in a variety of flavors. The hottest one right now is the MOOC, or massive open online courses, that are primarily given for free and do not, for the most part, carry transferrable college credit. But online classes have been around for a long time.

	Dec. 26, 2012 California Law That Aspires to Improve Mental Health Raises Coercion Concerns In the wake of several recent shootings, politicians and commentators have called for improved mental health screening and treatment. Spencer Michels reports on a program in California called "Laura's Law," an unfunded mandate that has proven difficult to implement and has drawn concern about involuntary treatment for patients.

	Dec. 26, 2012 California Law That Aspires to Improve Mental Health Raises Coercion Concerns In the wake of several recent shootings, politicians and commentators have called for improved mental health screening and treatment. Spencer Michels reports on a program in California called "Laura's Law," an unfunded mandate that has proven difficult to implement and has drawn concern about involuntary treatment for patients.

	Nov. 1, 2012 An Election Off the National Radar In California, the election seems very real, even without visits from candidates or a barrage of political ads. That's because there are 11 hotly contested propositions on the California ballot and a slew of Congressional races that are actually competitive for the first time in years.

	Oct. 31, 2012 Apple and Google Compete to Build, Maintain More Perfect Digital Mapping System NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels takes a look at the way digital maps have evolved online as multiple companies each try their own spin on letting users explore the world through computers, tablets, and even phones.

	Oct. 31, 2012 Paper Maps vs. Digital Maps Hundreds of years ago, map makers mistakenly represented California as an island off the west coast of North America. Today's digital cartographers wouldn't dream of making such a huge mistake, but they're not perfect either. As maps become more advanced and detailed, the technology to improve them also evolves.

	Sept. 28, 2012 Driverless Car to Hit California Roads California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law on Tuesday that makes it legal for driverless cars to travel on state highways. This opens California roads to the cars -- an important step for testing.

	Sept. 18, 2012 Climate Change From Different Perspectives Anything dealing with climate change is bound to provoke an argument. And our story on Berkeley physicist Richard Muller's recent conversion to a believer in man-made global warming, which he made in an op-ed in the New York Times, certainly stirred the pot.

	Sept. 17, 2012 Climate Change Skeptic No Longer Doubts Human Role in Global Warming Physicist Richard Muller was one of the scientists who denied climate change and humans' role warming the earth. But after spending years researching and analyzing countless studies, Muller concluded climate change scientists were right, that humans had contributed to the rise in the earth's temperature. Spencer Michels reports.

	Sept. 17, 2012 Climate Change Skeptic Says Global Warming Crowd Oversells Its Message The big problem, as former television meteorologist Anthony Watts sees it, is that the research stations where temperatures are gathered are too close to urban developments where heat is soaked up, distorting the readings. So it looks like the earth is warming though it may not be, he says.

	Aug. 2, 2012 California Water Wars: Will Thirsty Interests Divert More Water? The San Joaquin delta is a merging spot of rivers, sloughs, and canals, where water and snow from the Sierra Nevada Mountains flows to the Pacific Ocean. But there are some residents, especially farmers, who worry that thirsty interests will divert more of their water and ruin their livelihoods. Spencer Michels reports.

	Aug. 2, 2012 California Water: Old Song, New Lyrics NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reflects on covering the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, source of water and controversy.

	July 25, 2012 Where Detroit Industry Has Floundered, World-Class Art Scene Flourishes In Detroit, where the population has dropped by 2 million, abandoned and neglected buildings are a normal sight. But look more closely, and beautiful murals and graffiti appear everywhere. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports on how artists, flocking to the city, are helping to spark the ailing economy.

	July 20, 2012 California Activists Want Smart Meters Banned, Claim They're Bad for Health Within the next five years, it is expected that nearly 65 million homes in the U.S. will have wireless smart meters. But some California environmentalists, liberals, Tea Party supporters and other activists are not enthused by this. At the heart of the debate is whether smart meters can cause illness. Spencer Michels reports.

	July 20, 2012 How Smart Are Smart Meters? For the past few years, activists of various stripes -- environmentalists, liberals, some tea party folks, and others -- have been protesting the installation of smart meters in Northern California and elsewhere.

	July 16, 2012 Obama's Shift on Gay Marriage Lucrative for Campaign From California, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on how President Obama's public endorsement of same-sex marriage triggered a flood of support from the gay community -- which is now providing campaign support both in votes and in fundraising.

	July 16, 2012 New Obama TV Ad Hammers Romney on Release of Taxes From California, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on how President Obama's public endorsement of same-sex marriage triggered a flood of support from the gay community -- which is now providing campaign support both in votes and in fundraising.

	July 16, 2012 Milestones Mark Fight for Same-Sex Marriage on Way to Supreme Court From California, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on how President Obama's public endorsement of same-sex marriage triggered a flood of support from the gay community -- which is now providing campaign support both in votes and in fundraising.

	July 16, 2012 Corralling the Gay and Lesbian Vote As the country's attitudes toward same-sex marriage evolve, Democrats and Republicans take note -- courting the pocketbooks and votes of the LGBT community.

	June 14, 2012 'We Were Here' Revisits San Francisco's AIDS Epidemic of Early '80s A PBS "Independent Len" documentary, "We Were Here," recalls the largely gay Castro District of San Francisco of the 1980s and chronicles the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Spencer Michels speaks with the filmmaker David Weissman.

	June 14, 2012 'We Were Here' Recalls a Tough Era for San Francisco's Gay Community "We Were Here," a documentary scheduled to air on PBS this week, tells the stories of four men and one woman -- young in the 1970s, now middle aged -- who lived through the horror of those years.

	June 7, 2012 Should Sugary Drinks Be Taxed Like Cigarettes? Calif. City Considering Idea As New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposes banning extra-large sugar drinks from public venues, the city of Richmond, Calif., may be poised to go further than any other government in the U.S. with a new tax on soda. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports on a controversial public health campaign to combat obesity and diabetes.

	May 23, 2012 As Golden Gate Bridge Turns 75, History Revised to Honor Engineer The Golden Gate Bridge opened to traffic on May 27, 1937. This weekend, 75 years later, San Francisco plans to celebrate while honoring the engineer whose contributions to the design were purposefully obliterated: Charles Ellis. Spencer Michels delves into Ellis' story, and into the man who did get the credit -- Joseph Strauss.

	May 23, 2012 Happy 75th Birthday, Golden Gate Bridge On the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reflects on the bridge's role both as a critical transportation link for the San Francisco area and as an icon of American ingenuity.

	May 15, 2012 How to Better Treat Trauma Injuries in the Developing World At San Francisco General Hospital, surgeons from developing countries are learning the latest techniques from top U.S. specialists. With just over 100 orthopedic surgeons serving the 80 million people of Kenya and Tanzania, it's admittedly a small step. But doctors there say it's a worthy one. Spencer Michels reports.

	May 7, 2012 Incredible, Edible Bugs: Will Meals of Mealworms Catch on in U.S.? Most Americans would squirm when even thinking of eating a grasshopper or locust. But a movement is afoot to encourage insect eating with advocates praising bugs' low fat and high protein. Spencer Michels tasted wax moth larvae tacos and crispy mealworms over ice cream to prepare this report on efforts to put bugs on U.S. menus.

	May 7, 2012 Bugs for Dinner? Join the Rest of the World Many Americans would squirm when thinking of eating an insect. But a fledgling movement praising insects' health benefits and low environmental impact is encouraging Americans to swap steak sandwiches for salted crickets tostadita.

	April 19, 2012 Newly Cast Terra Cotta Warriors Look to More Peaceful Future in 2801 Artist Gong Yuebin grew up during China's Cultural Revolution and it shows. His piece "Site 2801," on display at Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, Calif., reflects a re-imagined terra cotta army -- 200 warriors interspersed with 10 modern-looking soldiers, symbolizing an unchanged feeling of militarism. Spencer Michels reports.

	April 19, 2012 On Thursday's NewsHour: China's Terra Cotta Warriors, Reimagined In the ornate ballroom of the venerable Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, Calif., a 210-strong army of clay soldiers stands in formation. Most soldiers are replicas of the famous terra-cotta warriors that were discovered in 1947 in a field in Xian, China, by a farmer.

	April 19, 2012 Solar Suitcase Report Spurs Gifts to Aid Baby Deliveries in Developing World Correspondent Spencer Michels recently reported on the California nonprofit We Care Solar, which developed a "solar suitcase" to provide lights and communications equipment in delivery rooms and health care facilities in developing countries. Co-founder Dr. Laura Stachel reports that NewsHour viewers were quick to offer support.

	April 18, 2012 After Heart Attack, Turning Scar Tissue Back Into Beating Heart Cells A study published Wednesday in the journal Nature revealed that scientists have managed to convert damaged tissue into functioning heart muscle by inducing mild heart attacks on lab mice then coaxing their hearts into rebuilding themselves. In collaboration with KQED's QUEST program, correspondent Spencer Michels reports.

	April 10, 2012 California Community Colleges Face Dilemmas Amid Tighter Budgets With 2.6 million students, California's community colleges make up the largest higher educational system in the country. Spencer Michels reports on the system's efforts to reshape its future as budget problems have forced the state to cut back support and tuition hikes have sparked student protests.

	April 10, 2012 Will Some Community Members Be Booted From Community Colleges? Is the mission of California's large community college system about to change on a fundamental level? Spencer Michels reports.

	April 4, 2012 Saving Lives With Solar Power When Laura Stachel witnessed the difficulties Nigerian maternity wards faced due to the lack of a reliable electricity source, she and her husband founded We Care Solar to bring solar-powered lights to hospitals across the developing world.

	March 21, 2012 Embattled Sheriff's Legal Woes Captivate San Francisco While the rest of the nation concentrates on the GOP presidential primary and the shootings in Afghanistan and Florida, San Franciscans are focusing on a political soap opera centered on allegations the city's newly elected sheriff abused his Venezuelan-born wife.

	March 16, 2012 Stockton, California: the Most Miserable City? Poor Stockton. Last month, Forbes Magazine named the California town the most miserable city in the U.S. Now it's on the verge of bankruptcy. Stockton's problems may be particularly grim, but they're the same ones facing more and more American cities and communities.

	March 1, 2012 California Grapples With High-Speed Rail Debate There's a big battle going on throughout the country, but especially in California, over whether to build very expensive high-speed rail systems. In these tough economic times, how can anyone justify sinking billions of public dollars into a fast train?

	Feb. 27, 2012 The Healing Power of Music An unconventional approach to recovery and coping, music therapy is a field of medicine capturing new attention due to its role in helping Gabrielle Giffords recover from a gunshot. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the versatility of music in a medical setting, but the difficulty of quantifying its effectiveness.

	Feb. 27, 2012 A New Look at Music Therapy The interesting thing about music therapy is that nobody I could find understands how it works on the brain -- just that it does.

	Feb. 7, 2012 Will Prop. 8 Ruling Lead Supreme Court to Consider Same-Sex Marriage? A federal appeals court ruled 2-1 Tuesday against banning same-sex marriage in California, upholding a lower court's ruling. Spencer Michels reports and Gwen Ifill discusses the decision and the next steps with David Boies of the American Foundation for Equal Rights and John Eastman of the National Organization for Marriage.

	Jan. 18, 2012 San Francisco's Famed Coit Tower Murals in Peril Due to Fog, Neglect In San Francisco's Coit Tower, historic murals by 25 significant artists depicting life in California in the early 1930s have fallen into disrepair for a variety of reasons, including a lack of security, funding problems and the city's famous fog. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports on efforts to preserve the famed frescoes.

	Jan. 18, 2012 San Francisco's Famed Coit Tower Murals in Peril Due to Fog, Neglect In San Francisco's Coit Tower, historic murals by 25 significant artists depicting life in California in the early 1930s have fallen into disrepair for a variety of reasons, including a lack of security, funding problems and the city's famous fog. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports on efforts to preserve the famed frescoes.

	Jan. 18, 2012 For the Depression-era Murals of Coit Tower, Great Recession-era Neglect Two-hundred thousand visitors show up at Coit Tower in San Francisco every year, and most of them seem to ignore one the most fascinating and enjoyable art treasures in country: the Depression-era murals that cover the tower's walls.

	Dec. 29, 2011 Oakland Program Aims to Pique Girls' Interest in Science, Tech Careers As part of the NewsHour's American Graduate series, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on Techbridge, an after-school program based in Oakland, Calif., that shows hundreds of female students a path to pursuing careers in science and technology, while also trying to minimize the chances of them dropping out of school.

	Dec. 29, 2011 Oakland Program Aims to Pique Girls' Interest in Science, Tech Careers As part of the NewsHour's American Graduate series, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on Techbridge, an after-school program based in Oakland, Calif., that shows hundreds of female students a path to pursuing careers in science and technology, while also trying to minimize the chances of them dropping out of school.

	Dec. 29, 2011 In San Francisco Bay Area, New Ideas on Innovating Out of Dropout Crisis As part of our American Graduate series, correspondent Spencer Michels sits down with the new boss of the Oakland Unified School District and a college dean who's trying to get people to rethink how students are stereotyped and what that means for the way they're educated.

	Dec. 7, 2011 A Possible Second Home for Humanity Found, but the Commute's Brutal Scientists have discovered a so-called "Goldilocks" planet with a temperature that is not too hot, not too cold, but maybe just right to support life. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports.

	Dec. 6, 2011 Political Storms Swirl in Cash-Strapped California The state does not have enough money to cover expenses: it will be $3.7 billion short this season. So all eyes are on the governor to see if he can rescue a state in serious trouble.

	Nov. 21, 2011 UC Davis Officials Under Fire Amid Outrage Over 'Occupy' Pepper Spraying There was continuing criticism Monday about University of California, Davis police dousing student activists with pepper spray at close range during demonstrations over the weekend. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports.

	Nov. 17, 2011 Kids with Toothaches: Lost in the Health Care Debate Somewhat lost in the war of words over health care reform is a stepchild of the debate: dental care. A bad situation is getting worse, especially in California, where Medi-Cal cuts have meant less care for kids.

	Nov. 16, 2011 Berkeley Students, 'Occupy Oakland' Protesters Join Forces Protesters and University of California, Berkeley students are shifting strategies as city officials put more pressure on the ranks of Occupy Oakland. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports.

	Nov. 3, 2011 News Wrap: Upbeat Economic Reports Boost Markets In other news Thursday, the markets around the world got a boost from several upbeat economic reports. The Labor Department said first-time jobless claims fell below 400,000, the lowest level in five weeks. Also, Senate Republicans have blocked another piece of President Obama's jobs plan.

	Nov. 2, 2011 Occupy Oakland Movement Tries to Flex Muscle With General Strike Thousand of protesters joined the Occupy Oakland movement Wednesday in a general strike aimed at shutting down banks, corporations, the city's busy port and schools. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports.

	Nov. 1, 2011 California Voters Fed-Up With Gridlock as Budget Crunch Lingers Spencer Michels reports from California, where the government gridlock is compounding concerns about the state's budget.

	Nov. 1, 2011 Gridlock Grips California Government Californians are discontented, to the point of disgust. They are angry at their government, especially the legislature, which is so polarized it couldn't agree on a budget until Gov. Jerry Brown slashed and burned state services. Spencer Michels reports.

	Oct. 26, 2011 After Arrests, Occupy Oakland Protesters Vow to Return Chaos erupted Tuesday night in downtown Oakland, Calif., as police dispersed crowds from the Occupy Oakland movement from the plaza in front of City Hall. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports from the center of the confrontation.

	Oct. 18, 2011 How Bright Is Solar Power's Future in a Post-Solyndra America? After the Obama administration-embraced solar-panel company Solyndra collapsed and defaulted on its government-backed loans, the surging U.S. solar industry is suddenly worried that the subsidies it receives -- tax credits and loans guarantees -- could dry up in the face of opposition from conservatives. Spencer Michels reports.

	Oct. 6, 2011 Remembering the Life, Designs of Digital Visionary Steve Jobs In a statement late Wednesday, Apple said its co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at age 56. Correspondent Spence Michels looks back on the life and work of the digital visionary.

	Sept. 30, 2011 Rita Moreno Acts Out Own Career in 'Life Without Makeup' Actress Rita Moreno, 80, now has a solo show about her life as a star of stage and screen called "Life Without Makeup." In a joint production with KQED San Francisco, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the performer's transformation from a "utilitarian ethnic" actress to becoming a "show business animal."

	Sept. 20, 2011 'Heart of a Soldier' Opera Chronicles Heroism, Love Amid Tragedy of 9/11 Rick Rescorla saved lives during the Vietnam War, and again on 9/11, but he lost his life as a result. His story, told in the book "Heart of a Soldier" by James Stewart, has been recast as an opera in San Francisco. Spencer Michels reports.

	Sept. 9, 2011 San Francisco Opera Sets 9/11 to Music The San Francisco Opera is presenting "Heart of a Soldier," based on James B. Stewart's book about 9/11 hero, Rick Rescorla.

	Aug. 19, 2011 Budget Cuts, Tuition Hikes Jeopardize Quality of Higher Education in California Students preparing for college this fall are facing raising higher tuition rates as their schools face budget cuts in this troubled economy. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the fallout in California's public universities.

	Aug. 18, 2011 Major Investor CalPERS Rides out Big Waves in Markets With Calm Approach Thursday's market drop marked the fifth time in just two weeks that the Dow Jones industrial average rocketed up or down by several hundred points in one trading session. Spencer Michels reports on how the California Public Employees' Retirement System, one of the largest U.S. institutional investors, is handling the volatility.

	Aug. 16, 2011 Gertrude Stein's 'Four Saints in Three Acts' Achieves a Good Afterlife Besides being featured in two major art shows, where works collected by Gertrude Stein and her family in Paris during the early days of the 20th century are on display, an avant garde opera written by Stein and composer Virgil Thompson is set to open on Thursday at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

	July 28, 2011 5 Years Later, Scientists Still Puzzled by Honeybee Decline Five years ago, honeybees began dying in large numbers and hives were becoming defunct. Spencer Michels reports on the scientists who are still trying to figure out why this is happening and what can be done to help the problem.

	July 28, 2011 The Buzz on the Honeybee Colony Collapse Five years ago, honeybees began dying in large numbers and hives were becoming defunct. Spencer Michels reports on the scientists who are still trying to figure out why this is happening and what can be done to help the problem.

	July 28, 2011 What's Behind the Problem of Disappearing Bees? Five years ago, bees in America and Canada were dying in large numbers and hives were becoming defunct. The problem was called Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD, and it threatened a handful of California's very profitable crops.

	July 15, 2011 Calif. Faces Tough Choices on Overcrowded Prisons Spencer Michels reports from California on the state's effort to comply with a Supreme Court ruling to alleviate overcrowding in the state's prisons.

	July 13, 2011 California Prisoners, Politicians Ponder Impact of Supreme Court Ruling California's Solano State Prison and at the other 32 state prisons are bubbling with speculation about what will happen to the state's 143,000 inmates in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling ordering the state to cut 10,000 inmates from the prison population by November, and another 33,000 within two years.

	June 23, 2011 Angry Times in California California's Legislature is terribly unpopular. In March, just 16 percent of the public approved of the job they were doing. So there was a collective cheer you could almost hear when the state controller announced he was not going to pay legislators starting June 15, because they failed to produce a truly balanced budget.

	June 14, 2011 Twitter Is Everywhere Now, but Can It Make Money? From the U.S. Navy SEAL raid that kill Osama bin Laden to Rep. Anthony Weiner's scandal, Twitter has been in the news recently for helping break news. While the social media giant's popularity has soared among politicians, movie stars and people around the world, can the microblogging service make money? Spencer Michels reports.

	June 14, 2011 Biz Stone: Twitter Is Bringing Humanity Together in New Ways In extended interviews with the NewsHour's Spencer Michels, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone discusses the social media service's global impact on humanity and breaking news, and the "young" company's business model and why he says they're not for sale.

	June 7, 2011 To Combat Human Rights Abuses, California Company Looks to Computer Code Spencer Michels reports on a California company using high-tech tools to document patterns of brutality and combat human rights abuses across the globe.

	June 7, 2011 To Combat Human Rights Abuses, California Company Looks to Computer Code Spencer Michels reports on a California company using high-tech tools to document patterns of brutality and combat human rights abuses across the globe.

	June 7, 2011 Developers Have Stars in Their Eyes at Apple Event The line to get in stretched around the block in the cold drizzle of a San Francisco June day.

	May 31, 2011 Gertrude Stein Collected More Than Roses Spencer Michels reports on the art collection of Gertrude Stein and her family, on display now at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

	May 31, 2011 San Francisco Exhibit Reunites Gertrude Stein's Remarkable Art Collection During her time in Paris, American writer Gertrude Stein and her family amassed an amazing assemblage of groundbreaking art, including works from Picasso, Matisse and other notable artists. The collection has been reassembled for a limited time at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Spencer Michels reports.

	May 18, 2011 Los Angeles Artist Finds Inspiration in Everyday Places, Things Michael McMillen finds inspiration for his work in an intriguing collection of everyday places and things. Spencer Michels has a look back at the unusual 40-year career of this Los Angeles artist.

	May 18, 2011 From the Movies to the Museum, Michael McMillen Fabricates Artistic Tableaus Micheal McMillen uses just about anything he can find or that he's collected over the years to shape his art work -- work that ranges from small objects like a moth pulling a brick to giant installations that viewers can walk into and feel part of.

	April 25, 2011 At Stanford, Debate Brews Over Reviving ROTC Program on Campus Decades after protests surrounding the Vietnam War, some private universities are taking another look at bringing back Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs, but the idea is rekindling some decades-old disputes over military presence on campuses. Spencer Michels reports on how the debate is playing out at Stanford.

	April 25, 2011 Stanford Debates: Reinstate ROTC? Spencer Michels looks at the debate at Stanford University over bringing ROTC back to campus, decades after the Vietnam War.

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