More about the election winners in the L.A. County Superior court judge races, the proposal to legalize street vending in LA moves forward, and flagging fake news.
Rick Perry is tapped as Trump's energy secretary
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is Donald Trump's choice for Energy Secretary, according to several reports.
Perry, who made two failed runs at the presidency, is from a big oil state.
But the Department of Energy is about more than just oil – it's also in charge of the country's nuclear weapons program.
Jeremy Carl, research fellow at the Hoover Institution, explains how Perry's selection could affect California, which produces oil, alternative energy and plays an important role in nuclear research.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
The Brood: 'The Bad Kids' offers lessons in empathy and second chances
There's a high school in Southern California that's considered a last resort for some of the region's teenagers.
Every student at Black Rock Continuation High School in Yucca Valley has fallen so far behind in school credits that they have almost no chance at receiving a diploma.
Many of these kids are dealing with tough situations at home, like parents who are abusing drugs or alcohol. Some of the students are parents themselves, trying to balance raising a kid while finishing their coursework.
A new documentary titled "The Bad Kids" focuses in on the stories of three students struggling to make it to graduation:
Co-director Keith Fulton and Black Rock High School principal Vonda Viland joined Take Two's Alex Cohen to talk about the film and the school's approach to educating students who've been labeled "bad kids."
The Bad Kids opens at Laemmle NoHo 7 on Friday, December 16.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
Stopping the spread of fake news is a complicated challenge
Time for a little pop quiz.
Which of these internet headlines is fake?
- Obama Signs Executive Order Requiring President Of United States To Be Taxpayer
- Trump Vows to Be Tough on Clown Crime
- German scientists prove there is life after death
Stumped? Maybe not. That's because they're all fake. But sometimes, it's not so easy to tell.
Fake news stories have gone from the underbelly of the internet to possibly having a significant impact on the last presidential election.
That revelation has technologists and media experts putting their heads together to figure out ways to stop the proliferation of false stories.
For more on those efforts, Take Two spoke to Will Oremus, senior technology writer for Slate.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
The Rams fire head coach Jeff Fisher
There were high hopes when the Rams showed up in Los Angeles, but a lot's changed since then. They're nearly last in their division and they've only won a single game at home.
A lot of the ire for their bad record has been directed at coach Jeff Fisher, who's run the team since 2012, but yesterday, the Rams announced that after a tortuous season, they were finally letting him go.
Sports expert Andy Kamenetzky joined us on the line to talk about this decision.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
LA city council committee votes to move forward with decriminalizing illegal street vending
Shiny, colorful toys. Fresh fruits sprinkled with chili pepper. Bacon-wrapped hot dogs.
Street vendors in Los Angeles sell all sorts of amazing things. For a lot of us, these mobile business people are a big part of the city's DNA. But, at least until now, this has been an industry that's existed without regulation - and often outside the law.
That may soon be changing, Monday an L.A. city council committee voted to move forward with a plan that aims to decriminalize illegal street vending.
For more on this, Alex Cohen spoke with Rudy Espinoza, an organizer who's been at the forefront.
He's president of a group called LURN or Leadership for Urban Renewal Network.
To hear the full segment, click the blue play button above.
Silicon Valley leaders to meet with President-elect Trump
A number of leaders from some of this country's biggest tech companies will meet with President-elect Donald Trump Wednesday in New York. Top executivess from Tesla, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Facebook and Microsoft are expected to attend.
It should be an interesting meeting, given the rather contentious relationship much of Silicon Valley has had with the billionaire over a number of issues.
Alistair Barr covers technology for Bloomberg and he joined the show to break down what this meeting will entail.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
Tuesday Reviewsday: Childish Gambino, Nouvelle Vague, Thievery Corporation and more
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 Sanden Totten is joined by music supervisor and Oliver Wang from Soul-Sides.com.
Artist: Childish Gambino
Album: Awaken, My Love
Song: "Redbone," "Stand Tall"
Artist: Gabriel Garzon Montano
Album: The Game
Song: "The Game"
Artist: Nouvelle Vague
Album: I Could Be Happy
Song: "I Wanna Be Sedated"
Artist: Thievery Corporation
Album: The Temple of I & I
Song: "Letter to the Editor (Feat. Raquel Jones)"
Artist: Zilla Mayes
Album: New Orleans Funk Volume 4
Song: "All I Want"
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
What's behind the glut of cheesy made-for-TV Christmas movies?
Movies and Christmas pretty much go hand in hand.
There are the big new releases in theaters, and the old stand-bys like "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street" to rewatch.
A more recent trend is the seemingly never-ending flow of cheesy made-for-TV Christmas movies. Films like "A Very Merry Mix-Up," "A Christmas Detour," and "Matchmaker Santa":
They may not qualify as classics, but they've got a pretty loyal fanbase and can rake in some serious ratings.
And now some secret fans of the films are feeling emboldened to come out of the shadows.
Culture journalist Annie Zaleski, who's written about made-for-TV holiday movies, and Kacey Bange, who reviews the films on her blog TVMovieChristmas.com, join Take Two to explain the appeal of the genre.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
David Kipen's top 5 books from 2016 with California angles
It's winter in California and the holidays are upon us. It's a great time of year to curl up by the fireplace with a good book. Or perhaps you're looking for the perfect literary gift?
Alex Cohen sat down with David Kipen, founder of Libros Schmibros Lending Library for Take Two's monthly literary segment, Reading by Moonlight.
David Kipen offered his 2016 top picks of books from the Golden State.
1. "California's Wild Edge: The Coast in Prints, Poetry, and History" by Tom Killion and Gary Snyder
David Kippen: It's illustrated by this great Marin-based wood block artist named Tom Killion and the text is Gary Snyder and a whole host of Californian writers. And it's the whole coast, it's not just Northern California. And it's gorgeous.
2. "Commonwealth" by Ann Patchett and 3. "Moonglow: A Novel" by Michael Chabon
David Kippen: It's been a good year for California fiction. Ann Patchett and Michael Chabon both have semi autobiographical novels out.
Ann Patchett who grew up in Southern California but lives in Nashville now and runs her own bookstore— a real heroine. Just has a great travel guide for readers in the New York Times. Her new book, "Commonwealth" is about blended families. And she came from one and I gather her family, at least, thinks it's quite a bit about them.
Michael Chabon similarly, from outside of Baltimore but longtime resident of Berkeley, has a novel called "Moonglow" that people absolutely love.
4. "White Sands: Experiences from the Outside World" by Geoff Dyer
David Kippen: This one is a collection of his travel pieces— travel to among other places, White Sands, New Mexico but the last couple of them are very California-centric. And one of them is sort of him walking around in the footsteps of the German philosopher Theodor Adorno in Southern California.
5. "The Mothers: A Novel" by Brit Bennett
Alex Cohen: Man, that woman can write about love like nobody's business.... It's good stuff. And you see her as part of a bigger renaissance.
David Kipen: She's an African American writer from Orange County and there's this little groundswell going on that's not so little anymore, of African American writers from Southern California.
LITERARY LISTS
Looking for more great books to gobble up? David Kipen recommended a couple of blogs that publish lists of books that may turn into your preferred reading themselves.
David Kippen: You can find literally hundreds of year-end lists, from not just from America but Britain and New Zealand and Australia. And you can fall into it. You can spend longer than you would reading a book reading all these lists.
David Kippen: This is an English woman and she gives you somewhat fewer lists but gives you a little bit about each of them. And it's totally addictive reading and yet, sort of bite-sized reading which can come in handy when you're sleeping off Turkey.
*Quotes edited for clarity.
To hear the full interview, click on the Blue Arrow above.