Today, we talk about how high-speed rails are a reality in other countries, but have yet to get on track in the U.S. We discuss the ride-sharing industry's foray into carpooling. We also talk diabetes-free grizzly bears, our weekly State of Affairs and a lot more.
U.S. still struggling with high-speed rail
Why has high-speed rail yet to gain traction in the United States? Ron Nixon of The New York Times talked with Take Two about the issue on Thursday’s show.
Uber, Lyft and Sidecar go after the carpooling crowd
Ride sharing aims to have a certain convenience to it. It allows normal drivers with cars to make money, it enables normal folks to take rides in nice vehicles from here to there and the whole ecosystem is maintained within a smartphone app.
Well, the three big ride sharing companies - Uber, Lyft and Sidecar - are all stepping up their game by starting to offer ride-share carpooling.
It works like this: If a customer is traveling from point A to C, and there's another customer traveling from B to C, or on the same path as the first customer, both will be picked up and the fair will decrease for each passenger, with rates varying between the companies.
Lyft hopes that their carpooling service, since it'll be cheaper than its standard service, will begin to replace public transportation for some commuters. That's according to Alice Truong from Fast Company. She recently joined Ben Bergman on the line to chat.
"All of these companies are cutting their fares because they just don't want you to choose them when you decide you don't to go parking, or for a night out on the town. They want to be a part of your daily life, like twice a day, commuting to and from work," she told Take Two.
After-school programs offering arts instruction to students
Thousands of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District will be returning to school next week, but they -- along with school administrators -- are still encountering a dearth of comprehensive arts access. Unfortunately, some say, that's still a long way off.
One answer to this issue is the offering of arts instruction through after-school programs. Southern California Public Radio's Mary Plummer examines one of these programs in her report.
Brake for whales: New program offers incentives for ships to slow in blue whale habitat
Responding to recent research on the threat to blue whales by shipping off California, a new program will offer cash to ships that slow in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Decades of monitoring blue whale migration patterns showed that the giant mammals congregate near the Farallon Islands in Northern California and the Channel Islands in Southern California, in the middle of busy shipping lanes.
Death by ship strike has become a threat to this endangered species, which was hunted to near-extinction in previous centuries.
Now a coalition of businesses and government agencies have launched a pilot program to offer a cash incentive to shipping companies that slow down in the Santa Barbara Channel where the whales feed.
Tyler Hayden, news editor at the Santa Barbara Independent, has been reporting this issue. He said the program will likely expand if it proves effective.
"I think they're going to have to look at all the data, and see how well it works before they talk about collecting more funds and reaching out to more shipping companies," he said. "Though I know that NOAA and other groups in town were encouraged by the participation they've seen so far. There are six shipping companies that have signed on to the program."
A similar program to this was tried earlier, but with little success.
"It didn't go so well. I think one percent or even maybe less of the ship that passed through the channel actually slowed down," Hayden said. "This is sort of the next step in actually trying to make that happen. I think the money incentive will certainly help."
What does it mean to "go green" on a fixed income?
How do people on a fixed income make choices that can benefit the environment? Dr. Xavier Morales, executive director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, joined Take Two to talk about what "green" options were available.
Court finds pair of Khmer Rouge leaders guilty
A Cambodian court on Thursday found two of the Khmer Rouge's most senior leaders guilty of crimes against humanity. They were sentenced to life in prison for taking part in the genocide that killed almost two million Cambodians.
Cambodian-Americans have been watching the trial closely, and Leakenah Nou, a sociology professor from Cal State Long Beach is one of them. She talked with Take-Two on Thursday.
Vaquita porpoise near extinction in Mexico
A porpoise known as the Vaquita - or "little cow" translated from Spanish - is the most endangered marine mammal species in the world. It swims in the Gulf of California - also known as the Sea of Cortez - off Baja California and its population is disappearing at an alarming rate.
Recently a team of scientists delivered a report to the Mexican government with recommendations to save the vaquita. Barbara Taylor was part of that team. She said the population has been cut in half since only 2012 from 200 members to only 97.
Vaquitas get caught and drown in fishing line in the Gulf of California. In recent years, demand for a type of fish bladder from the Totoaba, a large fish used in Chinese medicine and fished illegally in the Gulf, has exacerbated the situation.
Why don't obese bears get diabetes?
According to the CDC, more than a third of all Americans are obese, which increases the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. But obesity is no big deal to one member of the animal kingdom: Grizzly bears.
Grizzly bears can weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds. In the lead-up to winter, they crank up their calorie intake and pack on the pounds, becoming obese. But unlike us, they don't become diabetic.
Dr. Heiko Jansen, along with colleagues from the Washington State University Bear Center and the biotechnology company Amgen set out to discover why. Dr. Jansen joined Take Two to explain their findings, published this week in the journal "Cell Metabolism."
"The bears are actually extraordinarily sensitive to the main player in diabetes, which is insulin. If you're an obese human, insulin sensitivity goes way down. We become resistant to insulin, our blood glucose levels rise as a result of that, and that produces a whole nasty cascade of events," Jansen said. "The bears don't do that. The bears maintain their insulin sensitivity despite just packing on massive amounts of weight, a lot of that being fat. Here, we have a natural example of an animal that is obese, yet still sensitive to insulin and doesn't have sky-high blood sugar levels."
Mexico opens energy sector to private companies after 75 years of state control
It's one of the largest energy markets in the Americas and a top oil producer to the US. Now, it's open for foreign investment.
We're talking about Mexico's oil and gas sector. On Wednesday, the country's lawmakers approved a plan to end more than 75 years of state monopoly and open it to foreign investors.
For more on what this could mean -- both for Mexico and the US -- we're joined by Jeremy Martin, director of the energy program at the Institute of the Americas in San Diego.
How to toss your clutter and make money
Chances are your basement and closet is filled with old, useless junk you don’t want anymore. These are things you don't really use, but simply can't bring yourself to throw away.
Most people are unaware of the different outlets that let you sell your things and turn out a profit, including eBay, Craigslist and sometimes even auctions. Mandy Walker, senior editor for Consumer Reports, recently wrote about the best ways to sell your stuff and she joined Take Two on Thursday to share.
State of Affairs: LAPD Chief Beck faces criticism, Gov. Jerry Brown pitches water bond
It's time now for State of Affairs, our weekly look at California politics with Southern California Public Radio political reporters Frank Stoltze and Alice Walton.
Police Chief Charlie Beck is expected to be reappointment to another five-year term next week. But in the past few weeks, there have been lots of questions about Beck's involvement in high-profile disciplinary cases, one of which involved his daughter.
The L.A. Times reported this week that there was also an issue with the police department buying a horse from Chief Beck's daughter. What's the latest on this?
An aide to L.A. City Councilman Curren Price was arrested this week in what prosecutors are calling an embezzlement scheme. Robert Katherman was a longtime City Hall lobbyist and a member of the Water Replenishment District. And his alleged crime involves a member of the West Basin Municipal Water District.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 this week to not create a civilian oversight body for the Sheriff's Department. Why did the board reject this idea?
In just a few months, there will be two new members of the Board of Supervisors, and a new sheriff. How might the shakeup in L.A. County government impact oversight of the county jails?
Speaking of the sheriff, former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka resurfaced this week, at least via Twitter. He is a candidate for sheriff in the November election but he's been extremely quiet since the June primary. What has he been up to?
Finally, Governor Jerry Brown made a push for his 6-million-dollar water bond in an email to campaign supporters this week. Lawmakers are just back this week from their summer recess and time is running out to get a new water bond measure on the ballot for this November. How is the progress looking?
Who's the best at running marathons, men or women?
Ask the average person who makes the better marathon runner ... odds are many might say that male runners are generally faster, so therefore, better.
But a recent study actually found that on average - women are the best!
The best if you define that as being who ran more consistently, and had a better pace overall.
We'll talk more about the study is one of its authors, Dr. Sandra Hunter from Marquette University.
Sen. Kevin De Leon pushes electric-car subsidies for low-income earners
California wants people to buy about 1.2 million more electric cars by 2025. That's more than 15 times the current number. The government offers subsidies to help pay for these cars and increase the number of buyers.
But, there's only one problem: They're all going to the state's wealthiest residents. Senator Kevin De Leon, who represents the 22nd Senate District, wants to change that. He joins Take Two to talk more about his new legislation.
Flights in America uncomfortable for fliers, cushy for airline investors
While we're at the height of the summer travel season, things are turning out great for the airlines. The problem is that it's more of a bumpy ride for passengers.
In the 2014 World Airline Awards -- think the Oscars for the airline industry -- Cathay Pacific was rated best airline by fliers. But you have to scroll all the way down to number 46 in the rankings before you find the first U.S.-based carrier: Virgin America.
Meanwhile, although they had a turbulent financial time several years ago, U.S. airlines are now the most profitable in the world.
Barbara Peterson, senior aviation correspondent for Conde Nast Traveler, talks about whether carriers in America have mastered the art of cutting back, but not passing those savings onto their customers.
TV writer Kristin Newman on her memoir 'What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding'
Just as her friends were pairing off to get married and have babies, Kristin Newman took off to travel the world alone. Looking for an escape from her job as a television writer in L.A., she set off in search of adventure and found it.
In her debut book, the memoir "What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding," Newman recounts her exciting solo trips to exotic locales, dalliances with foreign men, and the work she did in between as a writer on shows like "That '70s Show" and "How I Met Your Mother."