Today on the show, we start with a look at the latest in the Donald Sterling trial. Then, we discuss how Central American gangs affect the region's youth. Plus, some trips by U.S. students to Israel are on hold due to unrest, why people are scrambling for their chance to board a one-way trip to Mars, FIFA videogames, director Richard Linklater on his indie epic, "Boyhood," and much more.
Donald Sterling case continues as wife Shelly takes the stand
As the first week of the Donald Sterling trial wraps up in Los Angeles, the 80-year-old billionaire has given the courtroom several memorable moments.
His wife Shelly took the stand on Thursday to state her case as to why her husband is no longer competent as a co-trustee, and it looks as if the case will not wrap up anytime soon.
KPCC business reporter Ben Bergman joins us to update the court proceedings and discuss the long-term impact of this case.
A look at what's pushing Central American children to the US
As the influx of immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border continues, Federal authorities are struggling to deal with many unaccompanied children arriving on American soil.
Earlier this week President Obama requested $3.7 billion dollars from Congress to deal with the crisis. Most of the these kids are coming from Central America. For more, we reached Carlos Dada, founder and editor of the online publication El Faro in El Salvador.
Some annual Jewish summer programs to Israel on hold due to unrest
Teens and young adults from Southern California, and from all over the U.S., often travel to Israel, some to explore their heritage, some to see the sights.
In particular, numerous Jewish organizations, such as Birthright Israel and the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO), host annual summer programs for high school and college-age young people there.
For many Los Angeles-area families, sending your teen to visit Israel is a long-standing family tradition. Due to growing security concerns, though, some trips there are being postponed or cancelled. However, many trips are going along as planned.
Laureen Sills is the mother of one Southern California teen who is in Israel with one of these programs now, and she joins Take Two to talk about her concerns.
Friday Flashback: Obama in Texas, congressional recess and more
For today's look at the week's news we're joined by David Gura, Washington reporter for Marketplace, and James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times
The President went down to Texas this week, where Republicans and some Democrats pressed him to visit the border, but he declined. The administration tried to portray the trip as a way for Mr. Obama to get out of the Beltway Bubble and connect with people.
Critics say he's failing to act, failing to show leadership, just failing. The President's plan was to take action on immigration reform and blame Congress for failing to do so. But now we have this flood of children coming across the border, and that's changed things, hasn't it?
What about this decision not to go down to the border. That has some of his critics comparing him to George W. Bush after Katrina.
Some of the President's supporters have pointed out that many of the critics who are chiding him for failing to take action also were outraged when he said he'd sidestep Congress, and unilaterally change immigration policies. So, what gives?
Next week the House of Representatives will begin considering filing a legal case against the President, claiming he's abused his executive power. What's the basis for this lawsuit, and how might this play out?
The Congress is coming up on a long summer recess. Other than talking about suing the President, what else are they expected to accomplish?
Let's move now to the economy. The numbers all seem to be moving in the right direction, but there was a survey this week showing that small business owners are having a hard time finding people with the right skills.
In the world of political books, "Blood Feud," a controversial account of battles between the Clintons and the Obamas appears to have pushed Hillary Clinton's book, "Hard Choices," off the top of the best-seller list.
We talked earlier about Donald Sterling, who's been in court challenging his wife's right to sell the family-owned Clippers.
Why these Californians are eager for a one-way trip to Mars
45 years ago this month, NASA's Apollo 11 mission landed the first humans on the moon. Now, a private company called Mars One is hoping to do the same for the Red Planet in 2024.
KPCC's Sanden Totten explains the goal is to land four carefully selected people on Mars. The catch? They can never come back.
Richard Linklater on the making of his indie epic, 'Boyhood'
Director Richard Linklater is known for his iconic films like "Dazed & Confused," "Slacker" and the "Before Sunrise" trilogy. But his latest film, "Boyhood," takes the classic coming-of-age tale to a whole new level.
Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as a divorced couple raising their two kids, "Boyhood" took 12 years to make using the same cast, including newcomer Ellar Coltrane as Mason and his own daughter, Lorelei, as Samantha:
Take Two host Alex Cohen recently caught up with Linklater while he was in town, for a chat about making the film.
Influx of young men to Brazil is mixed blessing for women
The World Cup has certainly brought plenty of excitement and disappointment to the people of Brazil, but also, a lot of young men. The influx of foreign soccer fans was a bit of a mixed blessing for the women in that country.
Associated Press reporter Jenny Barchfied joins Take Two from Brazil with more.
Examining the fallout of the World Cup in Brazil
It's obvious that the 2014 World Cup has been a HUGE event for Brazil. And even though it's Argentina facing off against Germany in this Sunday's final, the fallout from the tournament has and continues to be significant.
From criticism about their national soccer team AND about government spending to the country's priorities and the upcoming presidential election - Brazil has a ton going on.
is a Brazilian author and journalist, who joined A Martinez on the line from Brazil to break everything down.
According to him, while people are still reeling from Brazil's loss to Germany, attention is going to start turning towards the national election soon.
But, he says, that it's unlikely that the World Cup results will impact the election at all, since everything was fairly well run, and because the primary focus is going to be jobs and the economy.
'The True American': A gripping tale of murder and forgiveness
The new book "The True American" is not your typical light summer reading fare but it does make a gripping read.
It takes readers back to the tense days and weeks after 9/11, when a white supremacist in Texas went into gas stations and shot at men he perceived to be Arabs — killing two and seriously injuring a third. The men he shot were actually South Asians, not Arabs. The killer, Mark Stroman, was arrested, tried and sentenced to death.
The case disappeared from the public's radar at that point, but one journalist, Anand Giridharadas, from the New York Times stayed on the story. He joins Take Two to discuss his new book about the story, "The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas."
EXCERPT: "The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas"
Where to find a diverse summer reading list for kids
When you’re compiling your summer reading list, you can’t forget about the kids.
But in diverse areas of the country like Southern California, children will be hard pressed to find a kids’ books where the characters on the page look like them. However, there’s a vibrant part of the publishing world devoted to diverse children’s books by diverse authors.
Louise May, editorial director of Lee and Low books, joins Take Two to explain why these books are important to kids.
New school spending rules advance with emphasis on accountability
California school districts now have marching orders on how they must spend extra state funding on their neediest students.
The State Board of Education unanimously approved the new rules yesterday. School boards and social justice groups have been debating whether the additional money could be used district-wide or whether the money needs to reach these at risk students specifically.
The California Report's Ana Tintocalis explains.
Some workplaces find new ways to make the office family friendly
At many offices around the country, employees may get time off for the birth of their child. They may receive sick time for taking care of a little one under the weather.
But does your job send breast milk home for moms working on the road? Or help accommodate a busy home life with a flexible schedule that makes sense for both its employees and clients?
Paul Silverglate is the Managing Partner of Work Life at accounting firm Deloitte, a company that does both of those things. He joins us to talk about what his company is doing to make achieving a balance between a family and a career possible.
Confusing Emmy entries affect nominations based on category
Looking at Thursday's Emmy nominations, it can become difficult to determine distinct genres, roles and categories based on the shows and actors competing against each other for the prestigious award.
Like the three "Orange is the New Black" characters nominated for guest roles, even though they appear regularly in episodes. Or the fact that the show is categorized as a comedy when it seems more like a drama.
It's also interesting that there is no clear cut definition of "mini-series," with a show like "Mad Men" producing seven episodes for a season placed in the same category as the CBS drama "The Good Wife," which released 22 in the same time.
To break this all down, Ken Levine, an award-winning writer, director and producer with an Emmy of his own (1983, "Cheers") joins us. He wrote about the category confusion on his website.