Shirts and button sales may give better insight than polls, a look at the changes to the NFL's annual tradition, how close is LA to their plan to help the homeless?
Whites more aware of racism in America, new data reveals
Researchers at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Northeastern University School of Journalism recently analyzed several polls about race taken since the election of President Obama.
They discovered that a significantly higher number of people now recognize racism as a major problem in America than did eight years ago.
The report suggests that media coverage of recent racial unrest has caused many Americans (especially white participants) to rethink race relations in the country.
Jonathan Kaufman is the director of the Northeastern University school of journalism and helped analyze the data. He joined Take Two to talk about it.
Press the blue play button above to hear the interview.
Catching the mood in Iowa: 'For some reason you have to come here to be President!'
On Monday night residents of the Hawkeye state caucus were poised to select candidates they feel will best represent them in a kick-off to the presidential primaries. In the midst of political rallies and stump speeches, getting an insight into the electorate could come from an unlikely source: a popular Des Moines store that sells politically-themed merchandise.
The t-shirts, buttons and other products have brought celebrities and news media to a store called Raygun during the political season.
"The surrealism of it never gets old," said owner Mike Draper from the store Tuesday morning.
Draper joined the show to talk about how his merchandise may help gain better understanding into how people are feeling than the polls.
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
FX series on O.J. Simpson trial revisits controversial case
The glove. The white Bronco. The chase on the 405. Tuesday night marks the premiere of the People V. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story on the FX network.
The 10-episode series is based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life and stars Cuba Gooding Jr., John Travolta and David Schwimmer in a dramatic retelling of one of the most famous trials in US history.
"When 20 years later people pick and choose what they want to present, which actors they want to use, in some ways that's trying to rewrite history," said Laurie Levenson, professor at Loyola Law School.
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
A mobile shower and laundry system for the homeless
Winter's in full effect and providing shelter to the homeless when the weather turns bad has been a challenge for many American cities.
But even when the weather is mild and dry, homeless people struggle to meet basic needs, like finding places to shower and do laundry. Now, one non-profit in Santa Clara, California is trying to change that. Dignity on Wheels provides mobile shower and laundry stations to those in need. Pastor Paul Bains is the President of WeHope, its parent organization and he joins A Martinez to talk about the challenges and rewards of running the program.
Super Bowl 'opening day': a primetime media circus.
Every year the Super Bowl is preceded by a day of interviews, videos, and all things football coverage known as media day.
It's known as an opportunity for reporters to ask players and coaches questions about the upcoming championship game. It's ALSO known for some of the oddest and weirdest moments involving popular NFL personalities.
This year there will be some changes. The event will now be known as "Opening Day" and will be moved from Tuesday to Monday. It will also be broadcast in primetime tonight at 5:55 p.m. PST, live on the NFL Network.
To tell us a bit more about what this means for the big lead up to the championship Take Two's A Martinez spoke with Mike Tanier, lead NFL National writer for bleacher report.
To hear the full interview, press the blue play button above.
Here's how LA River rescues work
Wet and woolly.
That's one very mild way of describing the weather in Southern California on Sunday. Kathy Rudnyk from Glendora caught a light mud flow on video near her residence.
https://www.facebook.com/taketwoshow/videos/1055451581165478/?permPage=1
Across Southern California, trees fell, power was out and traffic was backed up. But there was a happy ending to one rain-related incident: Fire crews managed to rescue a person alongside the L.A. River near Boyle Heights.
What dangers are posed by the river during these storms, and how do river rescues work, anyway? Capt. Dan Curry of the Los Angeles Fire Department joined the show to explain. Kathy Rudnyk shared what conditions were like for residents near the Colby Fire.
To hear both interviews, click on the audio links above.
USC is starting its video game publishing label
The University of Southern California is home to one of the best video game design programs in the country.
This spring, it will be taking the next step by founding USC Games Publishing.
The label will bring innovative work by students and faculty to PlayStation, Xbox, PC and mobile platforms.
A Martinez, host of Take Two, spoke with Tracy Fullerton, the director of USC Games, to learn more about this new venture.
Calder Greenwood: LA's cardboard artist
Creativity is everywhere in Los Angeles, from screenwriters hanging out in coffee shops to giant works of art on the sides of buildings.
However, art comes in many mediums which means you can get creative with just about anything including the often overlooked: cardboard.
A Martinez went to downtown L.A. to visit one artist who has been making all kinds of creations with the toughened paper, Calder Greenwood.
His place is known as 'Calder's rad pad' and it's filled with eclectic pieces of art he's worked on over the past five years.
He began by explaining:
Why cardboard?
"Cardboard is a medium, I guess it's something that I've always had access to because generally everyone has a cardboard box somewhere, whether it be a cereal box or a file box. So, for me it was a natural medium just to start using because it was otherwise going to be trash. So, I just started playing with it, bending it, painting on it like a lot of kids do. Lot of kids play with boxes they make them flying spaceships...halloween costumes and I just kept playing with it."
On what he sees in cardboard:
"There's a scene in the movie WALL-E, if you've seen it, where he finds a box and opens it and there's a ring inside and he throws the ring out and keeps the box. And that's my mentality as well. Where I walk around and see a great box and I'll empty what's inside of it out and keep the box and throw it on the roof of my car and drive home. And people assume that whatever I've got is in the box. I'm like no, it's the box, the treasure is the box."
On the mission behind his art:
"...I love the idea that the simple act of putting a wizard or a spider or a deer out in a natural habitat like this where it doesn't belong and having people react to it that it gets their attention, that's all I really ask for. They're very conscious of the fact that the world is a little different. I think that's the whole point is that if you can engage someone on their way to work and it's their nine to five and day in day out is the same thing and you can change it that day I think you've achieved something great. And I'd encourage people to try to pursue that change, it's a very small act of changing things but it's a very easy first step."
Click through the slideshow above to see some of Calder's creations and you can check out more of his art and 'rad pad' here.