A look at the impacts if some parts of the Patriot Act expire, how the Refugio Beach oil spill will impact the Memorial Day weekend, 'Sunshine Superman.'
NSA surveillance authority set to expire if Congress can't agree on PATRIOT Act extension
Time is running out on the PATRIOT Act.
Key provisions of the anti-terrorism law, including controversial NSA surveillance methods, are set to expire at the end of the month if Congress doesn't agree on how an extension would work.
As the political stalemate continues, some are beginning to contemplate what would happen if pieces of the PATRIOT Act expire.
Alex Byers, technology reporter for POLITICO, joins Take Two to discuss the possibilities.
Researchers examine impacts from Santa Barbara oil spill
As clean up continues from the Refugio Beach oil spill off the Santa Barbara Coast, a team of researchers has collected samples from the tainted waters.
David Valentine, professor with the Marine Science Institute at UC Santa Barbara, was part of that team. He explains what they're hoping to learn.
Oil spill closes Refugio and El Capitan campgrounds
Clean up is still underway at Santa Barbara’s coast following the oil spill at Refugio State Beach. As a result, several beaches and campgrounds closed just before Memorial Day weekend.
Richard Rozzelle, Channel Coast Superintendent for California State Parks, was on the grounds and joined the show for more.
Northern California school's dress code raises questions about shaming, equality
Like most schools, Foothill High School in the town of Pleasanton, California, has rules about what students can wear.
But one junior says the rules go too far and are improperly enforced.
Sanam Nawim has started a petition at Change.org, which now has 2,000 signatures. She is specifically focusing on Article 4 of the dress code, which outlines what girls and boys cannot wear.
"It's very clear that it's written for girls. You can tell by the writing and the words they use. It says: short shorts, halter tops, short skirts, fish nets, the list goes on," Nawim said. "I just really want to modify that one article of the dress code, because that is the only line in the dress code that is sexist."
For Nawim, the school's clothing rules also speak poorly to male students.
"I think at this point, this dress code -- even though no one has said it directly -- it's saying that males are distracted and can't control themselves. Which I also think is demeaning to men, because it shows them as these animals who can't control their hormones, when really, when you're out of high school, you're going to have to learn how to do that eventually," she said.
Ruthann Robson, professor of law at City University of New York and author of "Dressing Constitutionally," says what's at issue in a case like this is freedom of expression and the equality provisions of the Constitution, in terms of sex equality and treating boys and girls the same way.
"Asking women to police their dress because of the effect that it will have on boys," Robson says, "really is unfair."
Jill Weber, a DC-based psychologist and author of "Having Sex, Wanting Intimacy," adds that the equality issue isn't the only problem.
"From a psychological perspective," Weber says, a dress code that's "really about girls and what girls wear... tends to lead to shaming for girls and this sense that they're being objectified."
Take Two did reach out to the Pleasanton Unified School District, and their statement included links to the article in question as part of Board Policy 5132, Administrative Regulations, and Foothill High School's website regarding the dress code.
"We believe it is gender-neutral and applies to ALL students. It is the California School Boards Association (CSBA) sample policy and is similar to most school districts' policies," the statement said. "We are always open to reviewing our policies and will be surveying teachers, students and parents/guardians on this topic. No student at Foothill HS has been given a detention or asked to attend a 'character class.' (The character traits class mentioned in the petition is the THIRD consequence for ANY inappropriate behavior that is not curtailed after a verbal warning and a detention, not only for dress code.)"
Nawim feels a compromise could be reached.
"The school has been really supportive and the people at school have been supportive. I really do see some progress coming. At the end of the day, even if this article is not modified, at least the discussion came to our school," she said.
Go Silent campaign reminds public of Memorial Day's meaning
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, or IAVA, wants people to respect the roots of Memorial Day. They've launched a campaign called Go Silent, asking for a quiet moment across the country to honor the fallen.
Bill Rausch is the senior political director for the IAVA, and he tells more about the Go Silent movement.
Flying through the sky with 'Sunshine Superman'
BASE jumping refers to the sport where someone leaps off a fixed surface (building, antenna, span, and Earth) and flies to safety by using a parachute. It has been described as a thrill from enthusiasts, and incredibly dangerous by most everyone else.
The term was coined in 1981 by Carl Boenish, who is described as the father of the sport.
His life is documented in a new documentary titled Sunshine Superman.
We spoke about the film with its director, Marah Strauch, and we asked her to tell us a bit more about her subject - Carl Boenish.
TIME writer Jack Dickey asks: What happened to vacation in America?
In 2013, the average American worker took just 16 days worth of paid vacation -- about three weeks, over the course of a year.
But more than half of those people say that even when they're lounging poolside they still keep working -- texting co-workers, checking email and filling last-minute requests.
Jack Dickey is a staff writer with TIME Magazine. In his cover article this week, he tries to solve the mystery of who killed vacation.
Soldadera: East LA art show explores women of the Mexican Revolution
Artist Nao Bustamente's new show at the Vincent Price Art Museum at East L.A. College uses video, archival photos and the first-hand memories of a 127-year-old war veteran to explore the overlooked role of women in the Mexican Revolution.
Bustamente calls it Soldadera, in honor of the Spanish term for a female soldier.
"They were a huge part of this revolution," said Bustamente, during a recent tour of the exhibition. "They did everything that the men did, but they also cared for the men, they took care of their children, they fed them, they cared for the wounded, they buried the dead."
While conducting research, Bustamente noticed that women were often missing from narratives of the war. The show seeks to reimagine those lives, she said, and to draw attention to the multi-faceted roles that they played.
"They were essentially supply lines – and they also fought," she said.
Bustamente will be taking part in several live events as part of the show, including a tour on Friday, May 22 (details below). The show runs through August 1.
WHAT: Walkthrough with Nao Bustamente and curator Jennifer Doyle
WHEN: Friday, May 22, 12 p.m.
WHERE: Vincent Price Art Museum, East L.A. College; 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA 91754-6099
More info on this and other upcoming events for Soldadera here.
More info about Bustamente's work: http://www.naobustamante.com/