Taking on super Tuesday with comedy, trademark rights controversy surrounding Yosemite landmarks, mother to one of the Columbine shooters on life after the shooting.
Take Two takes on Super Tuesday
Just months ago, few could have predicted the direction that the race to the White House would take.
Since announcing his candidacy in August of last year, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has captured the hearts and minds of the majority of young Democrats.
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, despite a nine-figure war chest and ample support from party bigwigs, suspended his campaign after a poor showing in South Carolina.
Real estate mogul Donald Trump struck a chord with disillusioned Republican voters and is now well on his way to the party nomination.
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who has battled her political past, super PAC money, and an unexpectedly formidable opponent is expected to sound the death knell for the Sanders campaign by mid-March.
And, just when stakes seemed like they could go no higher, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly at the age of 79.
To say that there's a lot at stake on Super Tuesday might be an understatement: 12 states cast their votes, and 1460 delegates are on the line. It's a day that could change the course of the election for all candidates involved.
So, how does one discuss one of the most crucial days in American history?
Why, comedy, of course.
Guests:
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https://twitter.com/MazJobrani?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor -
https://twitter.com/cenkuygur?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor -
https://twitter.com/originalspin?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Click the blue play button above to hear the podcast. Also, chime in on Twitter using the hashtag https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&q=%23supertaketwosday&src=typd .
Fight over Supreme Court nomination shapes up in presidential race
The Supreme Court is shaping up to be a key topic in this year's presidential election. President Obama met with congressional leaders with the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Oval Office today. And Justice Clarence Thomas created a stir by breaking ten years of silence on the bench, asking a series of questions during oral arguments Monday.
Some observers have suggested it could be a move to exert more influence on the conservative wing of the Court.
"He may feel a strong responsibility for doing that [and] that could well be the reason he spoke up," said Allan Ides, professor of law at Loyola Law School.
Thomas quizzed an attorney arguing a case about domestic violence and gun rights. It was also the first questions since the death of his friend and ally on the Court, Justice Atonin Scalia, who died last month.
That vacancy – and how and when it will be filled – has become a hot issue for both Democratic and Republican candidates.
"Whoever is appointed to the court is going to change the Court dramatically," said Ides. "And so this is going to be a big, big issue on the campaign trail."
'The young man I saw that day was someone I didn't know': Sue Klebold and the other side of the Columbine shooting
On April 20, 1999, teenagers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris walked into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. They shot and killed 12 students and one teacher, before taking their own lives.
For years, the public has tried to make sense of what happened and why. Some said they had been bullied, or watched too many video games. Others wondered: Who could have raised such kids? Hadn't the parents seen any signs that something was wrong?
The answer to that is not so easy, as Dylan's mother Sue Klebold writes in a new book, "A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy." It is a searing, raw and honest book, and all author profits from it will be given to charity.
Sue Klebold joined host Alex Cohen to tell more about her grieving process, and what it was like to live in the aftermath of one of the most infamous shootings in America's history.
Interview Highlights
People were outraged, and angry, and hurt, and a lot of those people assumed that you and your husband were somehow to blame in some way… Part of the title of your book is "Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy." Can you talk about what happens to someone in that situation? How do you live through that aftermath?
"First of all, there was just overwhelming horror and sorrow that he had hurt so many people, he had killed people. And with that came terrible humiliation. I felt like a fool. I felt like just a complete idiot to not have known what was going on in his head. I felt a great deal of sorrow and empathy for the individuals who were victims of this tragedy. There is the specter of the media at all times, so I was afraid everywhere I went. I was afraid to be in public, I was afraid to write a check or hand a credit card to a clerk, because I didn't know when I met somebody if they had had a family member injured or killed. I remember being in a doctor's office and just praying that they wouldn't call my name when it was time for the appointment."
Looking back, do you feel there was anything you would have done differently, or could have done differently, as his mom?
"One of the things about this kind of trauma — and I refer to Dylan's death as a murder-suicide because he had gone into this planning to kill others and then planning to kill himself. So much of my investigation and trying to understand this was based on my understanding the suicidal mind. Anytime we lose someone we love to suicide, I think it is very common to look back and think of things we wish we had done differently, we wish we had said. I certainly wish I had talked to him differently. I wish I had asked him questions that were more probing and open-ended, for example, 'Tell me something about yourself that no one else knows but gives you pain.' And I would have hoped that I could have listened, and not talked, and not responded, and not tried to fix his feelings, given him an open opportunity to talk without reacting. And then, 'Tell me more.' These are the things that I regret the most, that I wasn't listening. I tried to ask him questions. I said, 'You seem tired.' 'Are you OK?' 'Do you want me to fix you some scrambled eggs?' I mean, this is what you do when you're a mom. But I always feel that I might have said something — could have said something different. That's why I wanted to write this book, to try to say to people, someone you love may be hurting very much inside. Someone you love may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. And unless we can find better ways of eliciting a response, and assuring them that we will listen without reacting, that we will try to help them, we don't — we can't help someone unless we try, and we ask."
To listen to the full interview with Sue Klebold, click on the blue audio player above. You can also read an excerpt from her book, below.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/301471138/A-Mother-s-Reckoning
Correction: An earlier version of this post stated Columbine High School was located in Columbine, Colorado; it is in Littelton. We regret this error.
New CA law proposed in response to Yosemite name dispute
The 125-year-old, world-renowned Yosemite National Park is undergoing some big changes today.
The park's "Ahwahnee Hotel" is now "The Majestic Yosemite Hotel." "Curry Village" has been renamed "Half Dome Village." And the souvenirs in the gift shop that used to say "Yosemite National Park" now only say "Yosemite."
The name changes taking effect today are the result of a trademark dispute between the National Park Service and Delaware North, the concessions company that recently lost its contract to operate some of the park's most iconic sites.
The dispute has sparked widespread outrage and now some new legislation, proposed by California State Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova). Cooley's bill would protect landmarks in California state parks from similar name disputes.
"To have a legal dispute force a name change is shocking in and of itself, and then simply, I think most people feel these [names] are a part of our California heritage. It's like somebody is taking something that belongs to the people of California. It's unthinkable, appalling, horrific."
To hear the full interview with Assemblyman Ken Cooley, click the link above.
Anti-gay stickers at California high school raise first amendment questions
At Shadow Hills High School in Indio, CA, some students have shown up with anti-gay stickers on their ID badges.
The images feature rainbows with a red circle around them and a line striking through them, and are highly offensive to many students and staff members at the school. The question is, are they constitutionally legal?
Eugene Volokh is a professor at UCLA's school of law and he joins the show to talk about whether this falls under free speech.
Department of Children and Family Services closing 'waiting rooms'
Over the past few years, L.A. County proudly opened two spaces for foster kids known as Youth Welcome Centers.
These facilities are the only ones with a no-refusal policy and they've become a home for kids and teens who might otherwise become homeless.
But now there's word that these centers are closing.
Reporter Garrett Therolf who wrote about this for the Los Angeles Times, joined the show to discuss.
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
NASA to study astronaut Scott Kelly's body after nearly a year in space
On Tuesday, astronaut Scott Kelly is set to depart from the International Space Station, his home for the past 340 days, and is expected to land in the desert of Kazakhstan early Wednesday.
It's the longest amount of time an American has ever spent in a single space trip and while he was up there, Kelly conducted a variety of experiments during his almost-year in orbit. But perhaps the most important experiment of all was what happened to his own body while he was up there. They'll put him through a battery of tests, but they'll also compare his results to those of his twin brother's, astronaut Mark Kelly. While Scott has been in space for nearly a year, Mark has been back on earth.
What they find out might help shape missions to other places... like Mars.
Jennifer Fogarty is the Deputy Chief Scientist of the Human Research Program at NASA and she joins A Martinez to talk about the sort of impact that space can have on an astronauts body and mind.
Tuesday Reviewsday: Kanye West, Jacque Hammond and Chaka Khan
From classic artists like Kanye West and Chaka Khan, to new voices like Rosie Lowe and Fortunes, Take Two's Tuesday Reviewsday recaps the latest and greatest tracks.
This week's experts are Oliver Wang from Soul-Sides and music supervisor
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Oliver Wang
"Ultra Light Beams" and "I Love Kanye," by Kanye West on The Life of Pablo
Who knows if this album is “finished” yet or not…it still only seems to exist as a stream on Tidal. Welcome to the new form of the album. Still, some great material on here, especially this first song off the “album.”
"Buckshot," by Macklemore feat. KRS-One on This Unruly Mess I've Made
For all the (justified) heat Macklemore took for “White Privilege 2,” “Buckshot” seems like a follow-up track designed to remind folks that 1) he doesn’t just make awkward, navel-gazing social justice songs and 2) he can flow pretty nicely when he wants to. Just in case he needs to burnish his cred, he brings on KRS-One and enlists DJ Premier for the scratches.
"I Love Myself," by Chaka Khan (single only)
First of all, I love that the song loops up some of the hums off of Donald Byrd’s classic version of “Cristo Redentor”. Second, it’s Chaka Khan. Third, it’s a song meant to combat bullying and proceeds go to domestic violence charities. Fourth, did I mention it’s by Chaka Khan?
Morgan Rhodes
"Angel," by Fortunes on Jacket EP
Australia is quickly becoming a home/hub for underground future soul. Melbourne Australia's Fortunes is the latest act.
"Control" and "For You," by Rosie Lowe on Control
Rosie Lowe said on the day her album was released that she felt a "huge mixture of emotions." The album itself, is a huge mixture of emotions and themes - friendship, love, insecurity. She describes the album as her therapy.
"Stuck" by Jacque Hammond on Elbow Room
From Martin Parks to Black Fantastic to solo artist, Midwesterner Jacque Hammond has evolved sonically into acoustic soul-land, where introspection is the order of the day.