News

As President Barack Obama enters into his second term, he’s building a new cabinet. Latino political activists are watching the process closely and waiting to see if Hispanics are going to be well represented - while also reminding the White House that Latinos are now powerful voting bloc. 

In the first Obama administration two cabinet posts were filed by Latinos – Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. Also former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was nominated to be Commerce Secretary but was forced to withdraw.

The controversial San Antonio streetcar project is moving ahead without help from the private sector. On Thursday city council voted to remove money from property owners that would have amounted to about $15 million.

Even though there is tens of millions of dollars coming from the county, $40 million from the city, and newfound money from VIA, Dist. 10 Councilman Carlton Soules said he believes that if people want streetcars, they should be allowed to help fund it.

Russian composer Nicolai Medtner had it all; he was a brilliant pianist who was a musical intellectual, and while he could have made a comfortable living playing the classics, he was devoted to his composition.

On The Piano this Sunday, three aspects of Medtner.

I first present the lyrical genius of the composer, then his love of structure and complexity with his theme and variations, and the program concludes with his grand expression of lyricism in the Ballade Concerto in e minor.

Texas Matters: State revenue numbers look good for this session of the legislature; there is even a surplus. Gov. Rick Perry suggests that the extra money be used to cut taxes, while others want to restore funding to education and health programs that took cuts in the last legislative session. Gun owners in Texas stand their ground as the federal government comes up with its next move to cut down on gun violence.

San Antonio City Attorney Michael Bernard is standing by the ban he’s placed on John Foddrill and Michael Cuellar. The two are not allowed to go to City Hall or attend city council meetings. 

Foddrill and Cuellar are two former San Antonio city employees who were both fired from their posts; both men claim they have found evidence of waste in the city government.

One of opera's most comical and telling facts was that Giuseppe Verdi was poised at the height of his middle period -- between "Rigoletto" and "La Traviata"  -- to first tackle nothing less than "King Lear," until finally deciding on "Il Trovatore" (The Troubadour).

Could any two themes be less alike?

Each week on World Music (Saturday nights from 8-10 on KSTX 89.1 FM), I take a look at celebrations happening around the world. This week in Japan, devils with glowing torches bring good health, and Italy hosts the Battle of the Oranges. Read more about these unique festivals below, and see video of past celebrations!

MOJA OKURI

On Wednesday, Congressmen Joaquín Castro and Pete Gallego made the announcement that the Air Force hopes to move its Tactical Air Control Party and the Air Officer Liaison training school to San Antonio.

Collen McGee with the 37th Training Wing at Lackland said the base currently houses the prep school for the program, which is classroom training on the history and mission of the unit.

Great popular music of America, from Broadway to Hollywood, is featured Saturday night in Kerrville.

Typically, the Symphony of the Hills plays Thursday evenings. Nine times out of ten, they are also playing standard repertory, from baroque to modern masterpieces, but for their first concert of 2013, Symphony Director Jay Dunahoo had a new idea.

"Let's just try some different kinds of music, do it early in the year, and hopefully attract some people who might not normally come to a Symphony of the Hills concert."

On Fronteras: Drug enforcement off the coast of Central America, illegal immigration missing from Gov. Rick Perry's introductory speech to the Texas legislature, refugees demanding more competent health care services, mixed-immigration families and the Affordable Care Act, immigration reform and criminal charges against undocumented workers.