Ami Bera  After one failed attempt, Ami Bera will be sworn in as a congressional representative for California's 7th District Thursday, January 3rd.  Bera, a Democrat, unseated longtime Republican Representative Dan Lungren in a close race, some say, thanks to redistricting.  We'll talk with Bera about his plans for his first year, and some lingering questions raised in the campaign.   

 

Coffee's "Third Wave" Have you heard of the third wave of coffee?  The first "wave" came with the home-brewed, Folgers coffee and the second was the largely customizable coffee world of Starbucks and Peet's.  The third wave rode into the coffee scene with a focus on the craft of coffee, from the coffee beans' origin to the size of the bubbles in a foamy cappuccino.  This artisan coffee movement has been largely concentrated in midtown and downtown Sacramento, but is now making its presence known in places such as Chocolate Fish in East Sacramento, Temple Coffee in Fair Oaks, and Bloom in Roseville. 

 

Ballerina Rose As a homeschooled 15 year old dancer from Davis, California, Rose Vermazen has dreamed of dancing at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow since she heard about the Academy when she was 9.  Unlike most, this was a dream that was actualized as she spent this past autumn training in Moscow with the renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy.  

 

John Lee Hooker Jr. 

John Lee Hooker Jr.'s musical career began at age 8, when he performed on Detroit radio, and continued as he toured with his father, blues legend John Lee Hooker. Today, John Lee Hooker Jr. brings his modernized musical style to our studio, as we talk with him about his December 29th performance in Sacramento at the Torch Club, recent CD, "All Hooked Up," and more.