PR firms are stepping in to help police departments in the midst of crises, tech companies promise to bring in diversity, Dolph Lundgren's new film, 'Skin Game.'
San Francisco DA takes deeper look into police text messages
In the wake of Freddie Gray's death, the Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the conduct of the Baltimore's police force.
Here in the West, police departments are facing their own challenges and inquiries. Earlier this year, disturbing text messages sent between officers in San Francisco came to light. Some were homophobic, others were racist. Some messages spoke of lynching African-Americans and burning crosses.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón announced a broader inquiry into whether the police and sheriff's departments have a deep-seated culture of systemic bias leading to unlawful arrests. He joins the show with more.
Rebuilding the rep of police officers...through PR
Every high-profile police-involved shooting or instance of officers acting badly have dealt a tremendous blow to the reputation of police departments around the country.
Those who already mistrusted cops are having their suspicions confirmed, and those who had a more positive view may find themselves wavering.
Rebuilding that trust will be a tough job.
One way to do that is by being more visible and active in the community. Another way, however, is transforming your public face.
That's where John Guilfoil comes in, a public relations expert who specializes in helping police departments.
Guilfoil tells Take Two that a majority of a department's time shouldn't be on stopping crime, but being a friendly part of the community.
Diversity in tech
It's no secret that Silicon Valley has a problem when it comes to diversity.
Recently, some high profile companies have made promises to bring in more women and people of color. The challenge, they say, is finding qualified candidates.
We talk to David Thomas, Dean of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and one of the authors of the book, “Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America."
$5 million NASA grant to help Cal State LA's minorities
NASA has awarded a $5 million grant to Cal State Los Angeles for science, technology engineering and math programs, also known as STEM, aimed to attract minority students to the field.
Cal State L.A. is just one of 10 institutions to win the grant out of a pool of 76 applicants
Dr. Hengchun Ye, who heads up the school's geosciences and environment department, helped write the proposal for the grant. She tells more about the impact it will have on students.
Dolph Lungren and his new film, 'Skin Trade'
In 1985, moviegoers were first introduced to a Swedish actor, playing a Russian fighter challenging an iconic American boxer in the film "Rocky IV."
Since then, actor Dolph Lungren has played a live action version of a cartoon character, a maniac mercenary and a variety of other campy action roles.
But his latest film, "Skin Trade," deals with a topic that’s decidedly heavier - human trafficking.
Host Alex Cohen talked to him about the film, his connection to an anti-trafficking organization called the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking or CAST, and what he hopes this film will do to help.
What LA Times owner's purchase of UT San Diego could mean for SoCal news
As newspapers continue to struggle with fewer readers and less revenue, publishers have been looking to consolidation as a way to combine efforts and cut costs.
Keeping with that trend, yesterday Tribune Publishing, the parent company of the Los Angeles Times, announced it would purchase San Diego's flagship newspaper U-T San Diego.
Media industry analyst Ken Doctor joins Take Two to talk about what this consolidation could mean for the Southern California news market.
Nepal earthquake: How the aftermath impacts Mount Everest tourism
Although the Nepali government hasn't officially shut down climbing expeditions following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake, most mountaineering companies have cancelled upcoming plans.
For more on how the quake might affect Nepal's tourism, we turn to Nick Heil, contributing editor of Outside Magazine and author of "Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season."
Weekend on the cheap: 99¢ burgers at Cassells, 'Cruel Intentions,' Shark Lagoon Night and more
We know you haven't been your sunny selves this week, Angelenos.
That's why we're here to perk you up just in time for the weekend. SCPR's Kristen Lepore shares her list of the top things to put on your agenda, including a Mother's Day brunch at the Hotel Figueroa, catching a musical parody of the film "Cruel Intentions" and chowing down on cheap 99 cent burgers at Cassells.
Free Weekend? Billboard Art, Shark Lagoon Night, Mother’s Day
The Styled Side: the bloom boom for local florists
If you are looking to honor a mother this Sunday, flowers are always a nice way to go.
But like how local bookstores took a hit when Amazon came onto the scene, florists lost the bloom of big business when national and online services such as 1-800-Flowers came around.
Michelle Tyree, founder of Fashion Trends Daily, explains how florists are trying to stay competitive with offering classes, hosting community events and focusing on how to create flowers with Pinterist in mind.
- The Bouqs: the "Uber" of online florists, it offers a flat rate, no delivery charge, and no hidden fees or upsell.
- Fleurish: started by a celeb florist in Beverly Hills, you make your own floral arrangements and have floral parties, DIY-style.
- BloomNation: you can shop with florists in Southern California and 3,000 other cities nationwide. You even receive a pic of the completed florals before anything's delivered.