The search for escaped Mexican drug lord El Chapo, why the drought is behind closures of trails at Joshua Tree, the Minions' influence on fashion.
'El Chapo' escape a 'PR disaster' for Mexican government
Mexico's most powerful drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, escaped from a high-security prison over the weekend for the second time in 15 years — and less than eighteen months after his re-arrest.
A massive manhunt is now underway for the long-time head of Sinaloa's violent drug cartel.
Mexico's National Security Commission said in a statement that "El Chapo" was last seen entering a prison shower area Saturday night. When he was not seen for some time, officials checked his cell and found it empty. A mile-long tunnel leading from the shower area to a nearby construction site was later discovered.
The kingpin's second prison escape is an embarrassment for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Shortly after Guzman was re-captured in 2014 after more than a decade on the run, Peña Nieto said in an interview that it would be "unforgivable" for the federal government to allow him to escape again.
The Mexican President issued a statement on Sunday calling Guzman's latest escape "an affront to the Mexican state."
For more on the escape and what it means for the Peña Nieto administration, Los Angeles Times’ Mexico Bureau Chief Tracy Wilkinson joined Take Two. She called Guzman's prison break a "PR disaster" for the Mexican government.
To listen to Take Two's entire interview with Tracy Wilkinson, please click on the audio player above.
Drought closes part of Joshua Tree trail as animals search for water
A portion of the 49 Palms Oasis Trail in Joshua Tree National Park has been closed off to humans to allow animals to hit the trail in search of water.
The closure comes in an effort to protect the park's population of 50 big horn sheep that drink from the trail's oasis. The sheep call the area between Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms home, and human interaction often scares off the parched animals, Smith said.
"I had to weigh the decision: Do we provide continual public access to that, or do we protect that population of animals? And we chose the latter right now," Smith said.
The 1-mile closure has been in effect for three weeks. So long as Southern California goes without significant rainfall, Smith said this portion of the 49 Palms Oasis Trail will stay closed. No other trail closures are planned at this time.
While the big horn sheep are the park's main concern, Smith said mountain lions are also in seeking out water. Smith doesn't expect that the increase of thirsty animals would impact Joshua Tree campers, but fire conditions could.
Death Valley and Mojave national parks are seeing similar issues, but there are currently no trail closures at those parks.
Mojave's smaller tally of visitors and Death Valley's larger selection of water springs help mitigate the drought's affects on animals there. Still, Smith said these are examples of parks that could consider closures in the future.
Click the blue audio player above to listen to the full interview
Author Judy Blume talks life and new novel, 'In the Unlikely Event'
In the early 1950s, the town of Elizabeth, New Jersey, witnessed three horrific accidents. Three planes crashed, killing 118 people in total.
One of the residents living in Elizabeth at the time was a teenager named Judy Blume. She went on to become a famous writer - her novels have sold more than 80 million copies and have been translated into 32 languages.
But she never wrote about those tragic plane crashes... until now.
Blume's new novel is titled "In the Unlikely Event." Host Alex Cohen recently talked with her about the new book, and about her childhood, at the Aritani Theater in Los Angeles as part of the public library's ALOUD series.
Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman'
Fans of legendary writer Harper Lee got a special treat last week: The first chapter of her new book, "Go Set a Watchman," was released.
The book is a continuation of one of the most famous books of all time, "To Kill A Mockingbird."
The book will be released Tuesday. Literary contributor David Kipen, the founder of the Libros Schmibros lending library, joined the show with more.
'The Minions' and their influence on fashion
The Minions, those cute and silly yellow characters from "Despicable Me," have struck out on their own.
"The Minions" film opened this past weekend and blew away box office expectations, which shows that their influence stretches far beyond little kids.
We dug deeper into their relationship to the world of fashion with Take Two contributor, Michelle Dalton Tyree - founder of the blog, Fashion Trends Daily.
Click the blue audio player above to listen to the full interview.
On the Lot: Yellow minions make Hollywood green
So what if you can't understand them? The Minions drove millions to the box office over the weekend, making the Despicable Me sequel the second-highest grossing animated film of all time.
And, as the LA Times' Rebecca Keegan tells us, they've made Universal the studio to beat this summer. Just a few years ago, it was struggling, but now, with on the strength of the Minions, Jurassic World, and Pitch Perfect 2, Universal may earn as much a $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales this summer.
Keegan joins us each Monday for a wrap-up of film news, when we go On the Lot.
LA sheriff jail abuse: Inspector general talks allegations of prisoner mistreatment
The L.A. Sheriff's Department is under fire for allegations of abuse and mistreatment of inmates at L.A. County jails.
In one case, an inmate was handcuffed and left without food for 32 hours. Another inmate was kept naked and restrained where visitors could see him.
Max Huntsman, inspector general for L.A. County, is a watchdog for the Sheriff's Department. He joined Take Two to assess the department's handling of these charges and Sheriff Jim McDonnell's pledge to reform.
Click the blue audio player above to listen to the full interview.
The disappearance of childhood memories
Our minds are a jumble of memories; some we chuckle over with friends -- others we'd really rather forget.
Yet recalling events from childhood -- especially before the age of three -- can be difficult
But why?
Freelance journalist Alasdair Wilkins explores the disappearance of memory in children in his latest piece for Atlantic magazine. He spoke with Take Two's A Martinez along with professor of psychology Carole Peterson. She studies childhood memory at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada.
When Internet algorithms discriminate
It’s no secret that browsers and search engines are watching what we do on the web. As Internet users peruse the web, complex mathematical equations called algorithms use a series of criteria to decide which ads or websites are most pertinent to that person's interests.
Because browsing habits are tracked so regularly, computers — over time — begin to gain a greater understanding of the person at the keyboard. Algorithms can accurately guess income, education level, geographic location, family size and interests.
But what happens when the technology that we depend on begins to profile us? That’s the question Claire Cain Miller tackles in her recent New York Times article, “When Algorithms Discriminate.”
Press the play button above to hear more about the algorithms that control our Internet experience.
'To Live and Dine in LA' tells Los Angeles' history through menus
A menu is more than a list of the dishes a chef will prepare for you.
"They don't arrange menus or assemble menus or put them together – they write menus," said Josh Kun, curator of the "To Live and Dine in L.A." exhibit. "It's the story of their lives, the story of how they see the city."
"To Live and Dine in L.A." is now on display at the L.A. Public Library's Central branch. The collection amasses menus from Los Angeles that span back decades.
One large table rotates like a Lazy Susan and contains menus that showcase the city's history of immigration.
The Kow Loon restaurant, for example, has images of palm trees and beaches on the front while also serving a large selection of chop suey.
"They were serving Cantonese food and yet the vibe they were giving off was a kind of pan-ethnic South Seas/Pacific space," says Kun, citing it as an example to how identities and cultures intermixed in Los Angeles.
"To Live and Dine in L.A." is on display until November 2015.