Making Net Neutrality coverage interesting, 'The Dress' that's gone viral and why we see it in different colors, John Boorman's film, 'Queen and Country.'
Department of Homeland Security funding battle
A new short term plan to avert a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown has come into play, as as the agency's budget has become a pawn in a battle over immigration.
LA Mayor's office welcomes FCC's net neutrality decision
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, a longtime proponent of open internet, welcomed the Federal Communications Commission's decision yesterday on net neutrality.
The Mayor's Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Peter Marx joined Take Two to discuss what the FCC's decision will mean for Los Angeles.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Why is net neutrality important to the Mayor's office?
"Not only did the internet start here, with a message that went from here up North, but in addition, the city is composed of people who create content that is distributed across the world. Our movies, our TV shows, all go through the Internet to screens literally all over the world. And then in addition of course we have this thriving start-up community. And all of these people and all of us need unhindered access to the Internet for the distribution, well, of our livelihoods."
I don't think I'm over stating it when I say a lot of people in Los Angeles gripe about their broadband options. Should consumers feel happy about the FCC's decision here in Los Angeles?
"Well, I think there's sort of two different components to it. There were two FCC decisions that happened yesterday. One was around removing some state laws that actually inhibited the production of things like municipal broadband, and the second decision was around net neutrality.
And both decisions have an impact upon the ability for people to provide broadband. You know, we look to the former one, it doesn't really affect us. But it's kind of a statement, if you will, that the FCC is certainly laying the framework that everybody can offer municipal broadband. The second thing is, is that with the network neutrality side, we just want to make sure that on the other end of the pipes, that everybody has free and unhindered access."
Should net neutrality stick, how do you think it could change things for disgruntled customers, people who are upset with the way things are now?
"It probably won't have much of a direct impact. It's really the other side of the pipe. Meaning that the input side of the Internet, as opposed to the output side... We want to make sure that you're able to consume whatever it is that you want to see without fast lanes."
How do you view the digital divide in the city? Because the Internet is a very powerful tool, as vital as anything else. There's still people in the city though that do not have regular and reliable access.
"The digital divide is of huge importance to us. If you listen to some numbers, the county of Los Angeles actually ranks second from the bottom in the state in terms of Internet usage. And we have... perhaps as many as 30 or 35 percent of people in the City of Los Angeles, in the County of Los Angeles, who don't use the Internet, don't have access to the Internet. And so addressing that digital divide is hugely important."
A lot of people don't have the disposable income to afford to get Internet in their home, their apartment, their condo. So how do you address the affordability of the Internet?
"So yesterday with the FCC, there were two decisions, and both of them were driven a little bit by the frustration I think a lot of people have which is that there's only one or two or maybe at most three different providers anywhere. And so... what we have seen, when people enter the market, when companies enter a market... prices drop and speeds go up.
And so I think it's very important for everybody to be in a place where there are multiple operators and multiple ways of getting onto the Internet. Some folks say, 'Well, cellular is going to get less expensive. You'll be able to go to one of the wireless operators and be able to get high speed internet that way.' We certainly hope that's true, but then in addition, we also want to see on the wired side... that those speeds increase and that the prices drop."
New legislation aims to help foster kids
Some of California's most vulnerable children are missing out on funds to help with their education, children in foster care.
Around a third of foster kids don't receive assistance from California's Foster Youth Services program because they live with relatives.
But a new bill hopes to level the education playing field for all foster youth across the state.
Assembly Member Shirley Weber introduced the legislation. She represents California's 79th district which includes San Diego.
Pew study finds harassment of Jews in Europe is up
A new report from the Pew Research Center shows harassment of Jews in Europe is at a seven-year high, while overall religious hostilities around the globe have declined slightly.
'Star Trek' producer remembers Leonard Nimoy as 'a real artist'
"Star Trek" actor Leonard Nimoy died Friday of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his L.A. home. He was 83.
But he was much more than an actor. He was a director, a singer, a photographer and an icon of American culture.
Brannon Braga, who served as executive producer on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," remembered Nimoy.
"He was iconic in real life. He was smart, very heartfelt -- he was a real artist," Braga said. "I really admired him as a director."
"Star Trek: The Voyage Home" is one of Braga's favorite films, and was directed by Nimoy.
"His exploration of the characters in that film in particular I think was really much more fun and deeper than a lot of the other films," he said.
But Braga, like countless others, believes Nimoy's legacy lives on in his portrayal of Spock.
"I think Leonard's greatest gift to us was his depiction, though, of Spock, which was the first great 'Star Trek' character. The first of its kind, really, about a guy who was half human, half alien, and was striving to understand his own humanity, which people really related to," he said.
John Boorman on his final film, 'Queen and Country'
The new film "Queen and Country" is not your typical Hollywood sequel.
It's the follow up to the 1987 Oscar-nominated film "Hope and Glory" - about a 9 year old boy named Bill Rohan, growing up in London during World War II.
Now, Bill is 18 and called to serve in the Army during the Korean War. Upon his arrival, he quickly makes a new friend, a fellow soldier named Percy. Queen and Country looks at their friendship, a budding romance with a mysterious young woman and surviving the military despite some truly cruel superiors.
"Queen and Country" was written and directed by John Boorman. The 82-year-old filmmaker says it's his last film. He told Take Two that making a film is very demanding, physically and mentally. "You need a great deal of energy and vitality," Boorman said. "And I feel those qualities are beginning to wane."
But Boorman's looking forward to the next chapter of his life. He says he will continue to write, as he has every morning since the age of sixteen. And he'll continue to write radio plays. "I love the feeling of being blind, having spent my life with images, going into the radio station and weave imagery out of words," he said.
"Queen and Country" opens in select US theaters today.
Watch the trailer for the film:
Relax, people. There's a scientific reason why we don't agree on the color of #TheDress
An image of a striped dress is driving everyone bonkers on social media. Some people see the dress as white and gold. Some see it as blue and black.
It's driving the Take Two staff crazy too - and we wanted to find out the science behind why people see this dress differently. Lucky for us, Adam Rogers wrote about this for Wired.
Rogers and his colleagues at Wired tested the image using Photoshop to see if they could decide once and for all what color the dress in the image is. They came close.
But Rogers also spoke to a couple of neuroscientists who study color and vision. And as it turns out, the reason people see this image differently has to do with the way human brains evolved to see color in a sunlit world.
California's wine experiencing world export boom
The U.S. wine industry saw exports reaching nearly $1.5 billion in 2014. Most of that came from California vintages, and the Wine Institute's Linsey Gallagher explains why.
Why do people get the munchies after smoking pot?
Those crazy late night raids on the fridge - that irresistible craving for chocolate chip cookies? Yes, we're talking "the munchies" - and a Yale study may explain the phenomenon.
Your chance to own a piece of Disney history
One avid Southern California collector, who's been collecting Disney memorabilia for years, will be putting thousands of his collectables up for sale.
The collection is expected to take in $1 million at auction. The auction will be held at the Van Eaton Gallery in Sherman Oaks California.
Take Two's Alex Cohen got a sneak preview. Listen to the audio above to hear about it.
Weekend on the cheap: Bill Murray art, 'Spice World' and pet comedy
We've got good news, people. In case you forgot, it’s Friday.
Here to help us plan our weekend is Southern California Public Radio's social media producer Kristen Lepore, who joins us every week with some cool things to do on the cheap.
On the docket: A midnight screening of "Spice World" at Cinefamily, Bill Murray Party and Art Spectacle and a pet-friendly comedy show. Here's a full list with everything you need to know.