Today, we'll start with a look at what the Honduran government is doing to try and keep child migrants home. Then, J.K.Rowling thrills fans with "Harry Potter" update. Plus, the impact of Mexico's immigration policy on unaccompanied minor crisis, drought to blame for rise in fast food prices, former national team player John O'Brien on the future of US soccer, Yuna talks music and much more.
Honduras task force aims to keep unaccompanied children from crossing border
A new task force based at a border crossing in Honduras has worked for almost three weeks to keep unaccompanied children from trying to make the trip across to Guatemala and further north to the U.S.
Cindy Carcamo, Arizona bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, wrote about this new task force in Honduras and joins us to talk about what this unit is doing to keep kids from crossing over into Guatemala and eventually the United States alone.
Impact of Mexico's immigration policy on the migrant crisis
President Obama sent a request to Congress yesterday for nearly $4 billion to stem the wave of Central American children and families attempting to cross into the U.S. from Mexico.
The crisis at the U.S. Mexico border is only part of the problem. The women and children who are attempting to reach the U.S. have already made one border crossing — from their Central American home countries into Mexico across its southern border.
Gustavo Mohar is a former senior immigration official for the Mexican government. He joins Take Two to talk about how Mexico's deals with immigrants from Central America.
Your favorite fast food item just got more expensive — did you notice?
Climate change, major drought in the West, labor shortages - all affect the cost of producing our favorite foods. And prices have been on the rise. Now the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects even greater price increases: beef up 5.5-6.5 percent; dairy, poultry, and produce up 3-4 percent.
Grocers have responded and consumers have taken notice, and some of the most popular food and beverage joints have begun hiking their prices in response as well.
Consumers might get sticker shock at the grocery store and adjust their behavior accordingly, but when it comes to their go-to fast food comforts — Double-Doubles and Frappuccinos — will a dime or 15-cent increase affect their habits?
The Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert joins Take Two to talk about the rationale behind changes in consumer behavior when prices rise.
Jay Famiglietti: Californians need to get serious about saving water
California is in the middle of the worst drought in recorded history, but you might not know it just from looking out your window or checking your utility bill.
In many parts of the state, lawns are green, fountains are gushing and cars are sparkling clean. All of this worries hydrologist Jay Famiglietti, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a professor at UC Irvine.
Lawmakers try to avoid 'tunnel' vision in water bond negotiations
State lawmakers have a pretty daunting task ahead of them as they begin a summer recess this week: crafting a multibillion-dollar water bond that wins bipartisan support. The bond wouldn't directly fund Governor Brown's proposal to build tunnels through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
But the California Report's Scott Detrow reports it's the elephant in the room.
Adult Harry Potter: Fans delight at new installment from JK Rowling
Fans of Harry Potter had a special treat this week: a new installment from author J.K. Rowling on the boy wizard.
The 1,500-word story was published on her website, Pottermore.com, Tuesday morning. It’s the most complete update of the boy wizard since the last book of the series “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” came out in 2007.
There are some interesting new details about Harry and his close friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who are in their 30s in this new story.
For many fans who grew up with the beloved characters, the update was a welcomed surprise, says Alison Siggard, who first began reading the Harry Potter series at the age of five.
"It's exciting that we're seeing them in adult life as we're getting into adult life, as well," said Siggard, now 20. Siggard is currently a writer for the site, mugglenet.com.
Sports Roundup: LeBron James, Pete Carroll and more
Where oh where will LeBron James land? Donald Sterling makes his case in court and this means it's time for sports with Andy and Brian Kamenetzky.
For some NBA fans, the off-season is as exciting as the games. At the moment, big name free agents such as Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony are having meetings and weighing their options. Is Lebron James considering going back to Cleveland?
Carmelo Anthony has met with the Lakers and Kobe Bryant flew in to recruit him. What's he considering in making a decision?
It seems as if all the other low tier free agents are waiting to see which of the two makes the first move. When they do, how will that shift the NBA's balance of power? When it's all over what will the Lakers wind up with?
Clippers owner Donald Sterling was in court yesterday. He pulled out his old lawyer-ing skills, verbally sparring with attorney Bert Fields on the witness stand.
University of Southern California's former football coach, Pete Carroll was just inducted in USC's Hall of Fame.
Moving to the Dodgers, don't look now, actually I can't look at the Dodgers even if I wanted to because I don't have Time Warner, but they have shot up to first place in the National League West and have the 2nd best record in the National League. I thought that winning would fix everything but maybe that won't be enough?
Andrew Robert Rector went to a recent Red Sox/Yankees game in New York. Halfway through the game, he slumped in seat, head leaning to the right and as he says "napped." ESPN broadcasters Dan Shulman and John Kruk noticed.
Rector has sued ESPN, the announcers, Major League Baseball and the Yankees for $10 million saying "the avalanche of disparaging words" caused him "substantial injury" to his "character and reputation" and "mental anguish, loss of future income and loss of earning capacity." Does he have a case?
Inglewood school funds used against former school board candidate
California education officials are trying to fix problems that led the Inglewood Unified School District to the brink of bankruptcy in 2012. Reports say the district didn't shrink enough during the recession.
Now new details show at least some public money meant for Inglewood classrooms was misused. Southern California Public Radio has learned the school district paid for negative campaign fliers to be distributed during a heated school board race.
SCPR's Adolfo Guzman-Lopez reports.
Wine tasting at farmers markets now legal in California
Until yesterday, it had been been illegal in California for wineries to offer tastings at farmers markets.
Jerry Brown signed a measure that allows wineries that grow and bottle their own grapes to offer tastings at farmers markets. Now, you can try that $25 dollar bottle of organic local wine before buying, and that's important for both customers and the wineries.
Anne Sorenson with Shadow Brook Winery in Walnut Creek, just East of San Francisco, joins Take Two to talk about how this change will effect her business.
Former World Cup player John O'Brien on the future of US soccer
Former U.S. national player John O'Brien scored one of the most memorable goals in U.S. World Cup history: a first strike against Portugal in 2002, which ignited a celebration and a run to the quarter-finals.
O'Brien grew up in Southern California, but trained in the elite Dutch Ajax academy as a teen and was called the best American player by Landon Donovan when the two were teammates. Take Two sits down with O'Brien to talk about his career in Europe and what's next for U.S. soccer.
Interview Highlights
Take us to that moment in 2002. What was it like to make that goal?
"There are so many levels to this story. For me, as a soccer professional, it was all about at the start of the game be cool, be collected, be smart and I think that’s what happened. I saw the ball come in. Brian McBride did a great job heading it towards the goalie.
"I noticed that my defender wasn’t really looking at me, he was looking at the ball, so I decided to sneak around to the back post and lo and behold the ball bounces up right in front of me, all I had to do was be cool and collected and slot it in. But as a U.S. soccer player and for U.S. soccer history, that goal means a lot more."
The U.S. went on to upset Portugal 3-2 in that game and some have called it a turning point for U.S. soccer.
"Yeah, I could see that. I think since then, at the World Cup level, the country has been more involved. I think the product we’ve put on the field as a country has continually improved, so I could see that as a turning point. But I think every four years is a turning point as well. This World Cup will mean very different things and new things and good things for the sport in this country."
When was the first time you remember picking up a soccer ball and why soccer? Why not American football or basketball?
"I remember in baseball, particularly, being a little bit bored, standing in the outfield, or I think I was second baseman, actually, waiting for the ball. Soccer was this activity where you were constantly involved and it was this open field with not many rules. Of course, there’s the rule don’t use your hands. But the field’s open, you can run where you want and you can be active. So I think the freedom of the game was really exciting to me."
And what was it like going from there to the elite Dutch academy Ajax, when you were just 16?
"I remember arriving there and the kids on my team were like, wait, an American soccer player? It’s a sport that women do in the states – because the women’s team had had such success in the States before then. And I remember them being, like, why would you leave Los Angeles?"
You were the only American?
"Yes, I was the only American on the team."
And how were you chosen, isn’t it a very competitive process?
"It is. I had a coach who knew someone in the Dutch football federation. He arranged that I could train with Ajax. After I trained, they thought I was a good player, but I was too young at that point, I was 14. So when I was 16 I got to go back over and try out and it was kind of something new. The club wasn’t used to bringing in players who were youth players from foreign countries. But I was one of the first ones at the club to be in the youth program from a foreign country and it worked out really well for me."
Did they approach the soccer training differently from what you were used to in the U.S.?
"Absolutely. It was much more intense. The best players from the area were on that team. It was very much a structure to every training, how it was going to look. And very much a system of how they wanted you to play, so that was very different."
You’ve played with some of the best players that the U.S. has produced – Brian McBride, Landon Donovan, Claudio Reyna – how does the current crop of players compare?
"Players around the world are always getting better. I look at the national team now and I really enjoy Michael Bradley play, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan – when he was playing, a very skilled player. So I think the players are getting better. As a country and as a team, I think we still need to leap over these other teams because everyone in the world is getting better so how do we magnify that and get better quicker?"
So where do you see the U.S. team going from here?
"We’ve set up some really good youth development structure which will really help develop skilled players with a good mindset and a good know-how of how to strategically play the game. I think it’s going to take time to really nurture these players and to get them to the level where we are competitive to win a World Cup."
Endangered red-legged frog is named California state amphibian
The California red-legged frog was once abundant throughout much of Central and Southern California. Its numbers have dwindled throughout the years, due to invasive species and habitat loss, but it's currently protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Now this vulnerable creature is California's official state amphibian. Research Wildlife Biologist Gary Fellers joins Take Two to talk about the species and it's new, elevated status.
Study: Whales serve as ocean's 'ecosystem engineers'
For a long time, great whales had only be thought of as docile, shy creatures. But we're finding out that these magnificent mammals actually play an important and crucial role in marine ecosystems.
Joe Roman, conservation biologist at the University of Vermont, joins Take Two to discuss.
Malaysian singer Yuna performs tonight at The Hollywood Bowl
Yuna Zarai is what you call a triple threat. She's a fashion designer, a lawyer and a talented musician.
Yuna was born and raised in Malaysia but recently moved to downtown Los Angeles, where she's been writing music to appeal to an American audience. While she's big in Malaysia, she came to the U.S. to try and break through to the market here.
She takes to the stage on July 9th at the Hollywood Bowl as part of an Ella Fitzgerald tribute concert titled "To Ella with Love." But recently she joined Alex Cohen in studio to talk about moving to LA, the beginning of her career and channeling her heartbreak through music.