President Obama's final White House Correspondents' dinner, the Bentonville Film Festival, author Geoff Manaugh on his book " A Burglar's guide to the city".
GOP Presidential candidates make a play for CA Republicans
Burlingame, California is usually a sleepy little town with fewer than 30,000 residents located in San Mateo County.
This past weekend, though, the town was in the political spotlight as it played host to the state's GOP convention.
Donald Trump, John Kasich, and Ted Cruz were all in attendance. As were protestors, police and national media outlets who haven't been to a Golden State GOP convention in quite some time.
Scott Shafer, senior editor for KQED's California Politics and Government Desk, joined Take Two to share the weekend's highlights.
To hear the full interview, click the player above.
Balancing passion and compassion in political persuasion
Politics is all about the power of persuasion.
Through speeches, campaign paraphenellia, TV ads -- or plain old shouting across the aisle.
But if you really want to sway someone to your way of thinking, is raising your voice a few decibels the best way?
For more on the art of political persuasion, Take Two's Alex Cohen spoke to Peter Ditto.
He's a Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior at UC Irvine.
To hear the full conversation click the blue player above.
Obama’s former joke writer on the art of presidential comedy
President Obama hosted his final White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Saturday night.
As one might expect, the presidential race proved ripe with fodder:
https://youtu.be/l-5vD5YVLv8?t=2m25s
For a deeper look at humor during President Obama's tenure, Take Two spoke to David Litt. He was the lead joke writer for four of the past comedy suppers.
Writing jokes is pretty hard period. What’s different about writing jokes for this particular event?
This is always a tough event because the president goes back to being the president the day after. He’s the president the day before, so you have to make sure you’re writing really funny material for the president to deliver, but also that it exists within that context of everything else that’s going on in Washington and around the world.
What can you tell us about [President Obama’s] taste in humor? Any trends there?
I think there're two things. One, he’s always willing to make fun of himself. He recognizes that that is a part of the dinner — to prove that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. At the same time, he wants to be edgy, not for a comedian, but edgy for a president. He wants stuff that is really sharp, and he’s got a good eye for these things, so if you give him something where the punchline is good but not that good he will notice and he will ask you to go back and improve it.
I want to go back in time to when you were writing for the president … And there was one joke that he did involving a co-star: Keegan-Michael Key of Key & Peele. He made an appearance standing right next to Obama as his 'anger translator' named Luther ... What was it like to put together this particular bit?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkAK9QRe4ds
We had wanted to do a ‘Luther, the anger translator’ live appearance with the president for a long time. Last year just felt like the year to do it … The hard part was — mostly — that when we rehearsed it, the president, he was enjoying it. He liked it. The only problem was he couldn’t stop laughing … I have to say … at the dinner, he pulled it off. I was sure at least once he was going to lose it, but the entire time he kept a straight face …
How much do you think we should consider a president’s ability to be funny when we’re evaluating [a president]?
Every president is trying to communicate to the American people. And you always want to use the media that the American people are listening to. You know, if FDR — when he was president that was radio — today, [it’s] comedy. The viral videos that he’s done, both the Luther anger translator piece from last year but also between two ferns with Zach Galifianakis to promote health care, those are parts of the way he’s gotten his message across and he’s the first president to do that in that way.
Press the blue play button above to hear the interview.
On the Lot: the Jungle Book continues its wild romp and Captain America goes big overseas
Every week we get the latest news to come out of Hollywood. This week we're joined by
from the LA TImes.
On tap this week, Disney's Jungle Book wins again at the box office, but Marvel's Captain America:Civil War shows it might break all kinds of records when it hits theaters.
(click on the blue arrow above to listen to the segment)
Geena Davis on why a town with no theaters is perfect for the Bentonville Film Festival
Geena Davis is perhaps best known for her role as Thelma in the 1991 film, "Thelma and Louise."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iBFmKlO4BY
Now, Davis has formed the Geena Davis Institute, and her own film fest. The Bentonville Film Festival kicks off on May 3, and highlights films that champion diversity and equity in front of — and behind — the camera. This is the second year for the film festival.
Davis, who launched the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in 2007, joined host Alex Cohen to discuss the Bentonville Film Festival, and the films that will be showcased.
Interview Highlights
On the female characters (or lack of) when she was growing up:
"There weren't any female characters that I wanted to pretend to be. I actually, I really liked Ginger from 'Gilligan's Island.' But my best friend and I, after school, would play 'The Rifleman,' we would pretend to be the characters, I'd be the father, she'd be my son. And it's only in hindsight now that I realize there weren't any female characters that we wanted to act out that we saw at least, which is interesting."
How her daughter inspired her to start the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media:
"I think she was about 4, and we were watching 'Mulan,' and it came to the part where they find out she's a girl in the army, and they throw her out and they were very rude and say, 'You can't be in the army because you're a girl.' And she looked up at me with this unbelievably heartbroken expression and said, 'Mommy, why can't girls be in the army?' And I answered the question of course, I said, 'Well back then, they thoughts girls couldn't be in the army.' But, this crashing realization came down on me that she doesn't know yet that people historically and still to a lesser extent think women can't do the same things that men can, and that women are second-class citizens and definitely were, and she has to learn that, and I'm so depressed that it's not fixed before she has to learn that."
On how the Bentonville Film Festival came to be, and why Bentonville, Arkansas was chosen:
"Well I'm from Bentonville… No I'm not [laughs]. It was because our founding sponsor is Walmart, and their headquarters is there, and also, Bentonville happens to be an incredibly beautiful, sort of quintessentially small town, with a little town square and everything, very excited about the festival and hospitable. It has a lack of movie theaters, which is not a great quality in a town you want to have a film festival in, but we have totally worked that out and they're getting a movie theater by next year… They [Walmart] actually have a lot of diversity and inclusion initiatives and programs for empowering women entrepreneurs and businesswomen, but saw this need in their own dealings with the public, you know, 'How can we do better? How can we have product that reflects better the diverse — incredibly diverse, and half female — population of the United States?' And so, the idea all came together through their initiative and willingness to support it, and we have so many incredible sponsors now, pretty much anybody you can name. We have Coke, and AMC, and Procter & Gamble, and Lifetime and Starz are our TV partners. So we're able to offer something that's unheard of in the entire world of film festivals, which is guaranteed distribution to the winners. So they get to be in AMC theaters, they get to be on TV, either on Starz or Lifetime, they get to be digital on Vudu, and have their DVDs in Walmarts. So it's a really, really big deal. I've had so many filmmakers tell me it's harder getting distribution than making the movie, and so we're offering a prize that's really exceptional."
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
What's the right response to offensive emails in the workplace?
The chief of staff for the LA Sheriff is out. Tom Angel resigned Sunday after emails surfaced that mocked minorities, women and Muslims.
Angel sent the emails during his time as assistant chief at the Burbank Police Department in 2012 and 2013. In a statement accepting the resignation Sheriff Jim McDonnell called the emails "inappropriate" and "unprofessional." The emails were first reported by the LA Times, after a public records request.
For more, we're joined by Wende Nichols-Julien, executive director with The California Conference for Equality and Justice.
Lack of school access for migrant students more widespread, AP finds
A recent report out found that migrant students in at least four states have been blocked from accessing public education.
Now the latest from the Associated Press has found that this problem appears to be more widespread across the nation.
Garance Burke, national investigative reporter for the Associated Press, has been following the story. She joined host Alex Cohen with more.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
'Living comfortably' in LA, is it really possible?
Living in Los Angeles is expensive.
This is not headline news, but what it takes to live here comfortably might surprise you:
Around $75,000 a year.
That's according to a cost-of-living comparison by personal finance website, Go Banking Rates.
Here's what a few of you had to say about 'living comfortably' on KPCC's social media pages:
@KPCC @taketwo For me, it's moving out of Orange County into a room in San Pedro with a shared bathroom in the hallway. Never been happier.
— Baby C Money (@connorhasatweet) April 30, 2016
@KPCC @taketwo living in southern California means barely getting by. The rich and poor divide is really big here
— Mario Estrada (@mariorestrada71) April 30, 2016
@KPCC @taketwo Eagle Rock - Rent a two bedroom and keep a roommate. No cable tv and get out to parks and trails. Dig the local stuff.
— Alberto Brian Vega (@AlbertoBrian) April 30, 2016
@KPCC @taketwo I grew up in the 70's and 80's when Mom stayed home and dad worked. Nowadays its bananas 100k plus to live right in LA
— Andre (@andre_salcido) May 1, 2016
For more on budgeting, if its reasonable these days and if not and more we were joined by personal finance columnist at NerdWallet Liz Weston.
Interview highlights:
What is the 50-30-20 budget?
"This is actually the creation of Elizabeth Warren, our now senator from Massachusetts and she was an expert on bankruptcy and she was looking at all these people that were just failing, you know winding up in bankruptcy court against their will. And she realized, a lot of them were overspending on the basics...this is the part where she narrowed in on, what can you do to give yourself a more comfortable lifestyle? What can you do to limit these expenses so that you actually have some money left over to do the fun stuff like travel and clothes...?"
Can the 50-30-20 work for everyone?
"If you overspend in one area then you have to make it up in another area. What we like to do as human beings is overspend in one area, overspend in the next and overspend in the next...And if you're having trouble getting ahead, if you keep sliding into debt, if you can't save for the future maybe it's worth taking a look at this to see if it can make a difference in your budget..."
What else can people cut back on if leaving LA isn't an option?
"Tough decisions, you have to figure this out, maybe it is a second job and if you're exhausted working your first job, how do you do that? Maybe it is renting out the place you have and finding another place if you happen to be a homeowner. These are not, any of them, easy decisions and we can't make them easy decisions but the reality is: if you keep spending too much and you keep falling behind it's just going to get worse..."
Additionally, Liz gave three quick tips to surviving in L.A.:
- First and foremost, do what you can to NOT overspend on rent: Rent in L.A. is known for being high, but take a good hard look and make sure you're not spending too much in this area.
- L.A. is a city focused on image, don't become caught up in it: If you're not overspending on rent you may be overspending on cars. Liz suggests reevaluating auto expenses.
- Los Angeles is a bustling city with lots to do, and a lot of it can be free! A trip to the beach may total out to $10 or less. Every weekend there are small events and activities one can participate in that often are cheap or free. Be creative!
To hear the full segment, click the blue play button above.
'A Burglar's Guide to the city', a look at how architecture and burglary complement one another
The art of architecture calls to mind blueprints, floor plans and design...
But what about burglary?
Surprisingly, the two go hand in hand, according to Geoff Manaugh.
Manaugh launched the popular architecture blog, BLDGBLOG in 2004 and has since written two books centered around architecture.
His latest book, "A Burglar's guide to the city" details just how closely burglary and architecture complement one another.
Interview highlights
On the relationship between architecture and burglary:
"What's really interesting about burglary is that it's such an architectural crime. Both in the legal sense that you can't be a burglar unless you're inside a building but then also in the way that burglary engages with our buildings and with our cities is of way revealing possibilities that homeowners or every day civilians may not notice. So they find things, little details like places to hide, even a hand hold to get up to the second floor...they have such a strategic or sort of tactical relationship to architecture."
On how L.A.'s city layout inspires crime:
"Los Angeles, where we are today is a great example of that. There is basically a type of business here that's known in law enforcement as a 'stop and rob', it's a pretty literal phrase. It's a business that's at the bottom of an off-ramp and an on-ramp. And so, that sounds very convenient for a commuter you know if you're heading home from work and you need to deposit a check really quickly you can just pull off and do it, but if you're a bank robber you can also just pull off. You can stop and rob."
In addition to the criminal connection to architecture, Manaugh explores famous burglary cases and thieves in his book. Below is an excerpt about George Leonidas Leslie, a professionally trained architect turned thief who went on to pull off some of the most elaborate heists.
A Burglar's Guide to the City excerpt
To hear the full segment, click the blue play button above.