The search continues for a new LAUSD superintendent; Families of the many thousands missing in Mexico remember their loved ones and the magic of 'Star Wars' through the music of John Williams
A new leader for the LAUSD
The Los Angeles Unified School District met over the weekend with the expectation that they would announce a new superintendent.
But instead they said that deputy superintendent Michelle King would be in charge. Maura Walz, SCPR's education editor, joins the show with the latest.
For LA families, search for Mexico's missing spans borders
As thousands of people continue to disappear in Mexico, more families with ties to Los Angeles are naming their lost loved ones and calling on authorities to act. For the past year on Take Two, we've tracked efforts of L.A.-based families who say their brothers, fathers or daughters have gone missing in Mexico, often after violent confrontations with armed men. They also report threats or intimidation when they've tried to put a spotlight on the missing.
A widespread problem, spilling over to L.A.
More than 26,000 people have gone missing in Mexico from the years 2006 to 2012, according to Mexico's attorney general's office. Human rights groups and families of the missing say that number by now is almost certainly higher, as the disappearances have continued in recent years.
After 43 students went missing following a bloody confrontation with police in the state of Guerrero in September 2014, protests broke out in cities across Mexico and President Enrique Peña Nieto came under increasing pressure to show progress on the issue. After a government-backed probe was criticized by international observers, including the Organization of American States, the Nieto administration agreed in October to restart a new investigation, pledging more independence for investigators.
The lack of transparency in investigations into the missing and the dearth of successful prosecutions have been ongoing concerns for families. In 2013, Amnesty International found evidence of government involvement in over half of the disappearances it looked into.
This year, though still a small minority, families who are searching for lost loved ones have started to grow more visible by using social media, visiting Mexico and organizing public gatherings in L.A.
A search for a father: 'I still have no answer'
On a crowded sidewalk near Olvera Street in Los Angeles during the Virgen of Guadalupe celebrations in December, 20-year-old Ezequiel Barajas held a picture of his father Angel Barajas. He said when he first heard of his father's disappearance in November 2014 near Jalisco, Mexico, he was living and working in California.
"Ten days passed, fifteen days passed, twenty days passed, we didn't have a clue or know nothing about him, so my sister started [speaking with] authorities and letting people know. I started making fliers, [putting] photographs and things like that all over town, [but] there was no answer, you know? That's one of the reasons I came here because I still have no answer about my dad."
The search for his missing father consumes his life here in L.A., he said, where he works in construction near downtown.
"It's horrible, just thinking of my dad: where he's at, how's he doing, if he's still alive. Those questions have been running through my mind since the first moment I got the call. There's no way to describe this pain. This is a pain that I've been living in since my dad has been missing, since day one. It changed my life."
Three years on, a brother still missing
Nansi Cisneros, a former Santa Monica City College student and resident of south east L.A., continues to search for her missing brother, Javier, more than two years after his disappearance in October 2013.
The search has taken her back to her family's hometown in Tala, Jalisco multiple times, to follow up on potential leads in the case or provide support for her mother and sister, who still live there. This year, she began an embroidery project in L.A., where families stitch messages to their lost loved ones into fabric and display them at parks or public spaces. It's a tradition that began in Mexico.
"I'm trying to bring awareness, to show them a face," said Cisneros, as she hung up pictures of the missing at Olvera Street amidst a passing crowd. "It's not a name, it's a person that's missing."
A psychiatrist explains the unique stresses Muslim youth face
Adolescence can be an incredibly turbulent time, with so many life stresses at play-- from pressures to fit in at school to concerns about college and a future career.
On top of all that, add in the worry that people might think you're a terrorist. It's a very real concern for some young Muslims in America today.
Dr. Farha Abbasi, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Michigan State University, joined Take Two for a discussion about the additional life stresses young Muslim Americans are facing.
To listen to the full interview, click the player above.
More snow on the way for local ski resorts
Skiers and snowboarders rejoice! Mountain High Ski Resort's resident weatherman Paul Bauer says they're gearing up for more fresh powder this season.
From 'Star Wars' to 'Home Alone': The music of John Williams
When you think of "Star Wars," you might think of this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNv5sPu0C1E
But you would NEVER think of this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbUeK1PP7-s
And of course not, why would you? That's not even the same movie — or the same universe!
But with the debut of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and the 25th anniversary of "Home Alone," 2015 marks a big year for both films. And they do have one thing — or more like, one man — in common: John Williams.
He's written the film score for generations of moviegoers. That's why Emilio Audissino, an assistant professor of film production at the University of West London, was shocked to learn that there had been no English-language book written about the famous composer. So, he wrote the book himself, titled "John Williams's Film Music: Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Arc, and the Return of the Classical Hollywood Style Music."
Audissino joins host A Martinez to tell more about John Williams talent and legacy.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
Christmas cake that erupts with whipped cream?! The latest from Charles Phoenix's Test Kitchen
This year marks Take Two's third Christmas, and the show does have some traditions in place when it comes to the holidays.
One favorite is checking out the amazing culinary creations that come from the man who puts the kitsch back in kitchen, Charles Phoenix.
It all began with the Christmas Cherpumple, followed by the Crazy Candy Cane Cake.
Coming out of the Test Kitchen this year: Christmas Candy Volcano Cake. [Check out the how-to video here!]
Talkin bout the ChristmasCandyVolcanoCake on @taketwo href="https://twitter.com/taketwo">@taketwo
He joined host Alex Cohen to talk all about the inspiration behind his latest creation. Click the blue audio player above to hear his interview.
6 children's books sure to make great gifts (and bring back memories for the gift-giver too)
Looking for a last-minute gift for the kids in your life?
Why not give something they'll never grow out of, something that won't need batteries, something that requires no set up or building... How about the gift of literature!
Librarian Mara Alpert, with the Children's Literature Department at L.A.'s Central Library, has these six picks for great books to gift, each with a certain nostalgia factor to please the gift-giver too.
Picture books
"What Pet Should I Get?" by Dr. Seuss
The story of a brother and sister (who just may have also starred in 'One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish') with plenty of Dr. Seuss's trademark weirdness, and a little mystery thrown in.
"More Caps for Sale: Another Tale of Mischievous Monkeys" by Esphyr Slobodkina
A sequel to the 1947 original, with the monkeys up to their trademark monkey business once again.
"The Little Shop of Monsters" by R.L. Stine, illustrated by Marc Tolan Brown
R.L. Stine's very first picture book is a bit of a love child between Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. It's a fun, slightly-scary story for little ones who are craving something spooky.
"The Full Moon at the Napping House" by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood
Twenty years after the original, this is sort of "The Napping House" backwards. When the full moon keeps everyone awake, each creature calms down the next one in a sleepy chain reaction.
Chapter books (Fiction)
"Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure" by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry, illustrated by Phil Noto
Princess Leia heads off on an adventure with a whole new gang of cohorts in this fabulous story that takes place between "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay
This beautifully illustrated version of the classic works for anyone-- from young kids who are just getting ready to experience Harry Potter for the first time, to teenagers and young adults who lived, breathed and bled Harry Potter as they were growing up.
To listen to the full interview with Mara Alpert, click the link above.