What smart gun technology means for gun safety, how close is L.A. to having an NFL team, breaking down El Niño fashions to look good and stay dry.
White House hopefuls react to President's actions on guns
In an emotional speech Tuesday, President Obama announced a series of executive actions focused mostly on how guns are bought and sold.
He called for more background checks and for utilizing technology to make guns safer.
The President's remarks triggered a flood of responses, including fervent reactions from Republicans hoping to replace him.
Today is another reminder that we can’t afford to give @HillaryClinton the opportunity to expand on @POTUS’ gun-grabbing agenda.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) January 5, 2016
Pres. Obama has told us to trust him on gun rights - just like "if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor".https://t.co/uOrHqK1e0S
— Ben & Candy Carson (@RealBenCarson) January 5, 2016
.@BarackObama You say if we can save one life we should. Well, apply 5th & 14th amendments to the unborn & save 4,000 lives a day. #ProLife
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 5, 2016
Meanwhile, the Democratic three each tweeted their support.
Thank you, @POTUS, for taking a crucial step forward on gun violence. Our next president has to build on that progress—not rip it away. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 5, 2016
I support President Obama's executive actions to make our communities safer.https://t.co/bKVHdsIkfS
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 5, 2016
Given GOP refusal to act, @POTUS is right to take exec action on gun safety—here are 7 actions I'd take as President https://t.co/MZIVQsDJ7C
— Martin O'Malley (@MartinOMalley) January 4, 2016
Gun control often comes up during presidential elections, but this year it's likely to stand out for a number of reasons. Washington Post White House bureau chief Juliet Elperin joined Take Two to explain why.
Press the blue play button above to hear more.
Could smart gun technology hit the market soon?
Part of President Obama's plan to reduce gun violence involves developing high tech solutions that might provide better ways to track gun ownership and increase safety.
The firearms, known as smart guns, could prevent anyone but the owner from firing them. And, not unlike many smart phones, they could be located if they were lost or stolen.
Some of this technology is available today - from fingerprint scans to microstamping. But even some proponents of gun control say moving to smart guns might just be trading one lethal weapon for another.
For more on all this, we're joined by Margot Hirsch, president of the Smart Tech Challenges Foundation, a Silicon-based foundation that fosters research into gun technology.
Will Los Angeles ever end up with an NFL team?
The San Diego Chargers, the Oakland Raiders and the St. Louis Rams all filed applications earlier this week to move to the LA area, but that doesn't mean that any of them will actually get here.
Southern California Public Radio's Ben Bergman joins A Martinez to talk about what these applications mean for the future of those three NFL teams.
To hear the entire conversation click on the audio embedded at the top of the post.
K2 Sports: NFL teams exchange harsh words, NBA player's father complains on social media
The latest NFL news, including the ongoing bid to move a team to L.A., and Kendall Marshall's father takes to social media to complain about his son's lack of court time by insinuating racism.
Andy and Brian Kamenetzky join the show for the weekly edition of sports.
Is it okay for parents to swear in front of their kids?
Kids say the darndest things, don't they?
Parents do too, although they may use tougher words than "darndest" not generally in front of their kids, though. Swearing in front of children is generally frowned upon, but is it really that bad to let the occasional curse word slip?
Kate Levkoff, blogger and co-host of the podcast "Nursing and Cursing" argues that it's not. She and her husband did try a "swear jar" for a while, but ultimately they decided against censoring themselves.
"It was a lot of 'shut the front door,' 'oh sugar,' 'darn,' Levkoff says, but "it just was not us."
Number one on her list of 5 reasons I don't give an eff about swearing in front of my kids? "Because I'm a grownup."
In her family when she was growing up, Levkoff says, "there were just some things that you were allowed to do as an adult. My parents swore in the house, not at us, but around us, and we never thought to swear."
Now that she's a parent herself, she says she came to the realization: "I'm the grownup here. I can say whatever I want now. I've arrived."
That doesn't mean that there aren't any rules around swearing in her household. While her kids do hear her using four-letter words, Levkoff says, "my kids never hear me call anybody stupid or fat or ugly."
Professor Timothy Jay, a psychologist and cursing expert at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, says Kate's story is pretty typical of other parents in America.
"Most parents have rules about language, or against bad language, but most parents don't follow those rules," Jay says. "We have emotions, so we express them."
In studying the words that kids use, Jay has found that before kids go off to school, they have 40 to 50 "bad" words in their vocabulary. By the time they reach the age of 12, that expands to over 100 words.
While kids will learn the bad words whether they hear them from their parents or not, Jay says the thing for parents to remember is that it's more important to teach kids how to handle their emotions, especially anger.
"Learning where you can and cannot use this kind of language," Jay says, "and who will it offend more than other people I think that's kind of a good mission for parents."
To hear the full interview with Kate Levkoff and Timothy Jay, click the link above.
Skepticism following North Korea's hydrogen bomb testing
Last night, an unsettling headline began to circulate online, North Korea said it had sucessfully tested a hydrogen bomb. The announcement followed a 5.1 magnitude tremor that was detected in the region. So far, the experts who follow the country's nuclear program have cast a lot of doubt on the notion that a H-Bomb actually went off.
Professor David Kang, director of Korean studies institute at USC, joined the show to take part in the speculation.
To hear the entire interview click on the audio embedded at the top of this post.
Shooting victim's father on Obama's gun control measure
President Obama announced a series of executive orders Tuesday to strengthen the background checks required to purchase a gun.
Standing directly behind him was Richard Martinez, a father whose son Christopher died in a mass shooting in 2014 in Isla Vista, California.
Martinez had been critical of politicians in the immediate aftermath of Christopher's death, calling them "craven" for their inaction on gun control.
He joins Take Two to explain why he supports President Obama's move and his hope for Congress in the future.
To hear the full interview, click the link above.
Street engagement teams seek out homeless as El Niño rains begin
The El Niño rains have arrived.
For the majority of Angelenos, the rain means worries about flood insurance, windshield wipers, rain gutters, bad traffic. For L.A.'s homeless population, the concerns are much more dire.
Outreach teams have been working for months to get the word out to people living in high-risk areas, but that effort is still ongoing.
Rabbi Marvin Gross, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena, and Va Lecia Adams Kellum, Executive Director of St. Joseph Center in Venice, joined Take Two for a conversation about their efforts to bring homeless people in from the winter storms.
To hear the full interview, click the link above.
What you should do with all of your old electronics
Today is the first official day of the behemoth annual gadget convention in Las Vegas known as the Consumer Electronics Show. There are all sorts of new gadgets on display, but after they make their way into peoples homes and are no longer used, what happens to them? What should you do with all of your old electronics?
Alex Fitzpatrick is the Deputy Tech Editor at Time Magazine and he joins Alex Cohen to talk about what she should do with all of her old minidiscs.
To hear the entire conversation click on the link embedded at the top of this post.
The Styled Side: How to dress for El Niño
SoCal style isn't really built for rainy weather.
Sundresses and hoodies, sneakers and sandals – they tend not to hold up well in storms.
For the Styled Side, Michelle Dalton Tyree from Fashion Trends Daily has advice on what to wear and where to get it.
Get some rubbers
Rubber rain boots and galoshes, that is. They are obvious additions to your wardrobe, but don't cheap out: poorly made ones can eventually leak, soaking your socks.
"Pairs that are $80 to $200 are perfect for the rain and possibly a muddy situation," says Tyree.
One of most popular and fashionable brands of the past decade is Hunter, which sells rubber boots.
"They are so classic and timeless," says stylist Leslie Christen.
Originally worn by fisherman, Hunter boots come in fashionable colors and styles. There are even unique designs in collaboration with luxury footwear brand Jimmy Choo and more.
Hunters are sold in stores like REI, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's.
If you want a more rugged shoe, LL Bean's duck boots are super iconic. They're made in limited supplies, however, and have sold out every year since 2011.
Order a pair now in advance if you want to wear them before winter ends.
Never bought rain boots before?
Tyree advises that you try them on and walk around the store.
Check for height because some people might find higher shafted boots hit them at the wrong part of the leg or even too high at the knee. That will make them hard to walk in.
Remember that taller boots should also feel comfortable with your pants or jeans tucked in, keeping the pant legs dry.
If you have a wider calf, however, you'll want to go for a shorter boot or one with elastic at the top.
Finding the right umbrella-ella-ella
The other important fashion accessory when dealing with the rain: an umbrella!
Don't cheap out on one of these, either.
"You don't have to go crazy," says Tyree, "but you should at least be in the $30 range if you don't want people laughing at you as your umbrella turns upside-down"
Find an umbrella with a large, domed canopy that's at least 10-11 inches long to keep your whole body covered.
Plus, picking one with a vented canopy will keep your umbrella from turning inside-out and causing you to be umbrella shamed.
Oh, the humidity!
Rain storms also mean that humidity is in the air, which isn't good for keeping your hair styled intact.
"Embrace the humidity," says Alli Webb, founder of Drybar. "Go with a style that has a little more texture and movement."
"The trick to rainy weather hair is to not strive for perfection," adds Edward Tedeschi, creative director of the Sassoon Salon in Costa Mesa. "Rather, enhance a more textured, slightly disheveled feel. Go for the 'lived-in look,' but try to avoid the 'I accidentally slept in look.'"
If you want to find salvation in a bottle, look for anti-frizz products. Tedeschi recommends the Discipline Line by Kérastase Paris.
Why you need a raincoat...for your dog
Buying a raincoat for yourself is obvious, but you might not know your dog needs one, too.
"Many dogs, especially here in Southern California, aren't used to the weather so when it rains," says Tyree. "Many refuse to go outside, and that's where one comes in handy."
A good local store to check out is Pussy & Pooch, which as four locations in Southern California.
"When a cold snap or bad weather hits, people come in for sweaters, jackets and rain gear," says co-founder Janene Zakrajsex. "They sell out quickly."