© 2024 Iowa Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Gloria Hillard

  • In Los Angeles, where the car is the major mode of transportation, hit-and-run accidents involving pedestrians occur almost daily. But these crimes can be the most difficult for law enforcement to investigate and solve.
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Co. — blamed for the groundwater pollution case made famous in the movie -- is offering to buy homes in Hinkley, Calif., again, this time in areas previously believed to be unaffected by the contamination. Many families, some who have lived in the town for generations, are packing up.
  • Women in California prisons for killing their abusive partners may get a chance at freedom. Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a bill that allows new evidence to be considered in decades-old cases.
  • Arefa, 6, suffered a life-threatening wound on her head as well as severe burns when her family's tent in Afghanistan was engulfed in flames from an IED. Doctors treating her at a hospital in Los Angeles say her struggle to stay alive for three years is nothing short of a miracle.
  • A number of studies have touted the health benefits of canine companions. But a new study says dogs can make for a happier, more productive workplace, too.
  • Screen legend Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday of complications from congestive heart failure. She was 79. Taylor was English by birth and became an American movie star after she was discovered by a talent scout at age 9. In her later years, Taylor put considerable energy and money into the fight to find a cure for AIDS.
  • From blockbusters like Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth to smaller films like Deliver Us From Evil, documentaries are drawing large audiences. But some worry that the Academy's new rules could hamper that trend.
  • A dozen writers for America's Next Top Model, the hit reality show, are on strike. Their goal is to unionize reality TV writers. Without their efforts, Model maestro Tyra Banks and other reality show stars might sometimes be at a loss for words.
  • Small, independent Dutton's book store is closing its doors after 46 years in North Hollywood, Calif. Gloria Hillard profiles the shop and its owner, a man who has devoted his life to books. Dave Dutton took over from his father as a young man, but will soon shutter Dutton's Books.
  • Women now sit at the head of major studios. But a recent study shows that the number of women working in all other aspects of film remain woefully low. The numbers in TV are a bit higher.