A legal challenge is imminent for President Barack Obama's plan to cut emissions, teaching kids to be resilient by failing, new music from Mac DeMarco.
Obama's climate plan likely to face legal challenge in courts
President Barack Obama's plan to cut carbon emissions from the nation's power plants has been hailed as a step forward by many, but it also came in for swift criticism.
Even before the president outlined details Monday of a proposal to cut carbon emissions at the nation's power plants, some Republican leaders and the coal industry were vowing to block the move.
A legal challenge now appears imminent. For more, Coral Davenport with the New York Times joined the show.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
The Brood: Letting kids fail to set them up for future success
Back-to-school is fast approaching.
The end of summer can be a time for parents to look forward to, but a new school year can also mean the return of some unpleasant family routines— things like nagging kids to do their homework, fix their lunch, and remember to actually take it with them.
One solution? Let the kids fail.
That might sound harsh, but parenting expert Amy McCready says it's really not so bad.
McCready is the founder of PositiveParentingSolutions and author of the forthcoming book "The 'Me Me Me' Epidemic: A Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Capable, Grateful Kids in an Over-Entitled World."
She joined Take Two to talk about the benefits of letting kids fail (with support).
To hear the full interview with Amy McCready, click the link above.
The political fight over Planned Parenthood
A vote by Senate Republicans failed late Monday on a measure to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
Its far from the first time that the GOP has set its sights on the organization, and its likely not the end.
We'll talk about it with Amber Phillips, reporter for the Washington Post.
New music from Mac DeMarco and LA band HEALTH
If you love music, but don't have the time to keep up with what's new, you should listen to Tuesday Reviewsday. Every week our critics join our hosts in the studio to talk about what you should be listening to, in one short segment. This week, music journalist Chris Martins joins A Martinez for a chat.
Chris Martins
Artist: HEALTH
Album: "DEATH MAGIC"
Songs: "L.A. LOOKS," "NEW COKE"
Summary: I wanna kick things off with a modern Los Angeles classic, the neo-noise-rock band known as HEALTH. They've got a brand new brutalizer of an album out this week called "DEATH MAGIC." This thing is so heavy, it slams even during its poppiest moments.
You've got stomping arena rock drums, screaming glittery synth, booming bass, and then the bow: Jake Duzsik's treacly vocals, sounding like they're leaking out of a sweet dream. But then there's the content. You realize he's singing all these screwed up things, like "Am I stuck with myself?" and "It's not love but I still want you." HEALTH has always been like this, balancing light against dark. It's what separates them from the tired, off-putting machismo of so many loud bands, and it's what makes their abrasive sound accessible.
The video for this album's lead single "NEW COKE" includes a very telling moment. At the end of a night out on the scene, we see Jake and his bandmates vomit profusely, yellow liquid spouting from their faces. But in HEALTH fashion, the moment caught in glorious hi-def slow-mo. And it's kinda beautiful.
"NEW COKE" is a little more indicative of where HEALTH is at now. Their mashup of pretty melodies and heavy sounds says a lot about where they come from. Not just Los Angeles, but our legendary DIY punk venue The Smell. The same downtown hub that gave us groups like No Age and Mika Miko. But HEALTH have also found their place in more global musical picture. They've toured with Nine Inch Nails, been remixed by Crystal Castles (twice), and on "DEATH MAGIC" they bring in some new friends. Björk producer Haxan Cloak contributes, as do the trusted engineers of Mars Volta and Kanye West. These guys didn't change HEALTH's sound so much as take a thick black Sharpie marker and draw fat lines around all the wild sonic shapes this band naturally creates. "DEATH MAGIC" is a slugger.
Artist: Mac DeMarco
Album: "Another One"
Songs: "The Way You'd Love Her," "A Heart Like Hers"
Summary: Since I'm solo this week I've picked two albums that couldn't be farther apart in vibe, tone, content, and sound. We've got "Another One" by Mac DeMarco. That is the actual name of the record, "Another One," and the whole thing is as casual and easy as the title sounds. There's a shrugged off, unplugged, out-of-time quality to the whole thing that evokes solo John Lennon, or Harry Nilsson. You'll hear all that lovely slack in this first song, dubbed "The Way You'd Love Her."
It's a sweet little guitar ditty about having a crush you'll never get the chance to explore. All of the songs on the album find Mac pondering heartbreak or pining for love out of reach. But they're all breezy like this... short, bright and swirly songs that never mire in mope. That's probably to do with the way they were made. Mac's billing this as a mini-LP. It arrives only a year after "Salad Days," which made him a critical darling. He wrote and recorded "Another One" in about two weeks, in his bedroom, which is awesome. It's testament to his ability to ignore the pressure of sudden success. Also confirmation of what we assumed after listening to his tunes: this 25-year-old Canadian lo-fi prince is a very chill dude.
So much so, in fact, that he ends this album by giving out his actual home address. "Stop on by. I'll make you a cup of coffee," he says, and he means it. In an interview a couple of days ago, he said about 30 fans have visited already. Who knows, maybe one of them will turn out to be the true love he's looking for.
What one reporter learned after a Donald Trump book binge
GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has authored nearly 16 books in the past three decades. Each has a title that starts with ‘Trump,’ and each work is rife with bombastic billionaire braggadocio.
They cover a range of topics from success to golf.
Carlos Lozada binged on eight of ‘The Donald’s’ self-authored books and wrote about it for the Washington Post.
He told Take Two’s A. Martinez what he learned about the real estate mogul turned White House hopeful.
Press the play button above to hear what he discovered.
Yes, your office is freezing. Thermostats set for men are to blame.
If your office is so cold that it feels like walking onto a polar ice cap, then maybe pledging to KPCC for a track jacket is a good idea.
But you're not alone — especially if you're a woman.
Researchers in the Netherlands have found a bit of gender inequity in the air: Thermostats in offices are often optimized to keep men, specifically, comfortable.
Not just any man, either. Specifically, a 40-year-old man who weighs around 154 pounds.
They explain how the metabolic rate of men runs higher, and therefore they feel warmer. The AC, then, may be blasting to keep them cool. However, that leaves the women in the office shivering.
Alan Hedge, an ergonomics expert at Cornell University, has researched the topic for years himself. He told Take Two that a warmer temperature isn't just better for female employees but helps overall productivity, too.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
Honest Company sunscreen and our obsession with 'natural' products
Santa Monica-based Honest Company, which makes all-natural products and was founded by actress Jessica Alba, is feeling the burn from customers who say its sunscreen left them less-than-protected.
Many of them posted photos of their purported burns on social media.
Take Two reached out to the Honest Company for comment. They replied, in part:
"We’ve gone through extensive third-party testing in accordance with government regulations and our Sunscreen Lotion passed all SPF 30 testing requirements. It also received the best score possible from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). We care about taking every precaution possible to ensure that your product experience will keep you healthy and happy."
The full statement can be read on the company's blog.
Dr. Vincent Deleo, a dermatologist at USC's Keck School of Medicine, joined the show to talk about sunscreen regulation and our obsession with "natural" products.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.