Today on Take Two, we'll look at the protests happening all over the country that hopes to bring attention to the missing students in Mexico, plus Major League Baseball's first openly gay umpire, how Hollywood studios can protect against hacks, and what may happen when we get a sudden rainfall.
WSJ: Many police-related deaths not counted in federal record
According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, hundreds of incidents where the police used deadly force and killed someone are not accounted for on any kind of federal record.
Many feel that the implications are that its impossible to know exactly how many people were killed by the police each year.
Alex Cohen talks with Rob Barry, investigative reporter with the Wall Street Journal.
#USTired2: rallies to hit California cities for missing students in Mexico
Vigils and marches are set to take place in at least 43 US cities today. That number represents the 43 missing students in Mexico.
The students disappeared in September after they were fired upon and taken by armed police in the Mexican state of Guerrero.
The ongoing issue has prompted widespread protests within Mexico. Now protesters outside the country are turning their criticism to a US program aimed at fighting drug violence in Mexico.
The program is called the Mérida Initiative, also known as Plan Mexico. Since its inception in 2007, the US has spent more than $2 billion on the program, according to the State Department.
"The money for military training and money for intelligence is supposedly to fight the drug cartels, but it's not happening," said Ruben Tapia, one of the organizers of the march in Los Angeles.
The issue has struck a chord with Mexicans both in and outside the country because of growing frustration with corruption and a lack of law and order, said Tapia.
"The 43 students were picked up and disappeared by policemen from Iguala, Guerrero and official police patrols," said Tapia. "This is happening in every day life in Mexico."
More about the USTired2 campaign here.
Cyber-attacks create unique issues for Hollywood
The folks at Sony Pictures have had a hard week at the office. Social security numbers, salary details, lay off strategies, all exposed because of a massive hack. Oh, and some new and unreleased movies leaked online too.
The perpetrators of the security breach are still unknown. Some speculate that North Korea hacked Sony's networks in political retaliation because of a portrayal of the country's leader Kim Jong Un in the new Sony picture, "The Interview." Others believe this was an inside job, the work of a disgruntled employee. And the FBI now appears to be investigating whether this attack could be just one of many threatening US companies.
Unfortunately, companies get hacked all the time. But when such attacks hit Hollywood, it can create some unique issues. Contracts, syndication agreements, sensitive, even embarrassing, information could be at risk.
How susceptible are entertainment studios to cyber attacks? Brent Lang, Senior Reporter for Film and Media at Variety says that going digital has cut down on production costs and been largely beneficial for big studios, but it's also made them more vulnerable.
That vulnerability was clear to Sony this week. But other studios are monitoring the Sony case carefully and evaluating their own systems. "At least three studios told me off the record that they're reassessing [their] security practices," says Lang.
Cinematographer Yves Bélanger walks backward to film "Wild"
The movie "Wild" tells the story of Cheryl Strayed and her journey of self discovery along the Pacific Crest Trail.
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, much of the film is set out in the wilderness, as Cheryl (played by Reese Witherspoon) makes her way along the trail alone.
For director of photography Yves Bélanger, shooting the film presented some unique challenges. The first was having to hike along with Witherspoon a lot of the time.
“I had to walk the same pace, and backwards. But I don’t know, with Reese it was very simple. We got the same beat... like two dancers.”
And then there was the matter of trying not to be too intrusive, since the whole film is about Strayed's solo journey through the wilderness.
Bélanger says he tried his best to make himself invisible. It also helped that he didn't use any rigs, lights, or reflectors.
"She only had me in front of her," Bélanger explains. "So that was quite a plus."
Sports roundup: college football playoffs, NBA's top teams and Landon Donovan's last match
The new system for college football was supposed to end questions of parity, but controversy still abounds. With the difference in quality of East and West conferences, should the NBA ravamp its own playoff system? And Landon Donovan and the LA Galaxy could make history at this weekend's MLS championship game.
It's time for sports with
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Port of LA dock workers resume labor dispute talks
Dock workers in the Port of Los Angeles resumed talks Wednesday in a labor dispute that threatens to slow the flow of goods into the United States.
Associated Press reporter Justin Pritchard says the talks are impacting 29 ports along the coast.
Pritchard also says these negotiations come up every six years. This year, the biggest issues are healthcare, and a fear that technology will invade the jobs of current workers.
Calif. Supreme Court may define 'unusual' home construction
The California Supreme Court is reviewing a case that could redefine the scope of California’s environmental laws. At issue is whether a computer magnate/developer can build a nearly 10,000 square-foot residence on a steep slope in the city of Berkeley.
Mitchell Kapor plans to build the large residence with a 10-car garage on a hill with a 50% slope.
Engineers are split on the potential risk of landslides. Nonetheless, the Berkeley City Council approved the project in 2010, without requiring an environmental impact report, since the structure will be a single-family home.
Berkeley Hillside Preservation opposes that decision, calling the development plan 'unusual,' and arguing that there's credible evidence the structure could pose hazards. The group insists an EIR should be conducted.
Current California law does not define specifically what makes a development 'unusual.' Reporter Bob Egelko of the San Francisco Chronicle says the decision in Berkeley Hillside Preservation vs. Berkeley, S201116 could change that.
FaceHaus, Drybar and the beautiful business of single-service salons
Beauty is a hugely lucrative business, and a growing number of salons are finding a niche by cutting back to offer fewer services, not more.
For example, Drybar opened during the midst of the global recession. However, it broke expectations despite offering only blowouts.
"When Drybar started in 2010, they had four locations with about $1.5 million in revenue," says Michelle Tyree from Fashion Trends Daily. "End of last year, they had nearly 40 locations with $40 million in revenue."
More salons are following that model by opening up locations focused on just a single service, too.
FaceHaus is one of them, and it only offers $45 facials.
"The model is to be really good at doing one thing," says co-founder Jenn Worley. "By doing that, we're able to be really good at what we do and also keep our costs down."
Worley says she and her business partners wanted a more affordable alternative to day spas.
"We wanted to make a luxury service something that can just be a regular routine service," she says.
It's proved to be popular: FaceHaus' second location recently opened up in West Hollywood. Similarly, Michelle Tyree says another new salon in Los Angeles offers just make-up applications.
"Single-service beauty salons are what Sprinkles did for cupcakes," she says.
It seems counter-intuitive in a world where people love superstores like CostCo with one-stop-shopping, but Worley says customers are really drawn to salons like hers.
"I don't think people have the money or the time or the patience," she says about day spas. "[Our place] is where people can spend their money."