The Supreme Court takes up an online data case involving a California company, actor Jay Abdo talks about fleeing Syria, 'Computer Show.'
SCOTUS and online searches
Today the Supreme Court hears arguments in a case involving personal information found online.
You know those sites online: just type in the first and last name and a mountain of personal data shows up. But what happens if some of that data turns out to be false?
That's what happened to a Virginia man who is now suing the California-based company that came up with the data.
The case is now before the Supreme Court and it could have big implications for companies that rely on publicly-available data to share information about people. We talk about it with Anupam Chander, professor of law at UC Davis.
Former CA police officer was 'poster child' of a predator cop
Lately there's been a lot of tension between law enforcement agencies and communities across the country, mostly centered on officer involved shootings.
But there are other ways that trust between police and the citizens they're sworn to protect can erode.
A yearlong investigation conducted by the Associated Press found that in one six-year period, there were about 1,000 cases of officers being stripped of their badges because of rape, sexual assault or sexual misconduct.
, an AP national writer, joined Take Two to discuss one specific case involving Sergio Alvarez, a former police officer in West Sacramento, California, currently serving 205 years to life in prison for his crimes.
To hear the full interview with Martha Irvine, click the link above.
On the Lot: Halloween scares off movie-goers, Tarantino vs. police
LA Times film writer Rebecca Keegan with the latest from the movie biz:
- Three big movies opened this weekend and all tanked. Blame it on ghosts and goblins?
- Film and television production in the L.A. area is up, and a new California tax credit is one reason.
- Former NWA manager sues over his portrayal in the film, "Straight Outta Compton"
- After remarks about cops and deadly force, police organizations across the country call for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino movies.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
From Syria to Hollywood: Jay Abdo's rough road to repeat stardom
For three decades, Syrian actor Jihad ‘Jay’ Abdo was a star of the Middle Eastern silver screen. He had appeared in over 40 films and was center stage in more than 20 plays, but in 2011 Abdo gave an interview to the LA Times that would alter the trajectory of his career. He shared his story with Take Two's Alex Cohen.
"This lady went online and I had some profiles on some movie websites. She saw my name and she emailed me saying, 'I would like to have an interview with you regarding the entertainment business,'" Abdo said.
He accepted the invitation and soon found himself speaking to the reporter. When the conversation turned to the political climate in Syria, a frightened Abdo asked the reporter to stop the recorder.
"And then I started telling [her] the army and the security service are in charge of [arrests] and killings and all this military approach," Abdo said. "My friends at that time, actors, professors, doctors ... they were arrested and tortured because they marched in the street."
Abdo says he asked the reporter not to write about what he just told her.
"And the very next day, everything I [said] was in the article with my full name on it," Abdo said.
Abdo says he felt pressure from the government immediately. The next day, a producer called and demanded he appear on television to apologize and declare allegiance for President Bashir al-Assad. When Abdo didn't show up, the threats mounted. After his car window was smashed, Abdo knew it was time to leave.
Abdo went to live with his wife, who had been studying in America. The couple soon moved to Los Angeles, but Abdo struggled to get his career started again.
"When we went out, you couldn't move your assets from a country like Syria," Abdo said. "I think I applied everywhere: Macy's, Starbucks, Costco, everywhere, [but] it was just a waste of time."
Abdo eventually found work delivering flowers and pizza.
"It wasn't very good money," Abdo said. "But still, you know?"
Abdo's big break came when a friend recommended him to director Werner Herzog, who was looking for an Arabic-speaking actor to co-star with Nicole Kidman in the upcoming film, "Queen of the Desert."
Press the play button above to hear what happened next.
To hear the interview in its entirety, click the link under "Bonus Audio."
Data journalism project NarcoData traces Mexico's history of organized crime
A new interactive reporting project called NarcoData is helping Mexicans understand the country's brutal drug cartels and how effective officials have been at combating them.
Tania Montalvo, a journalist with Animal Politico, the digital media startup that launched NarcoData, joined Take Two to explain the project.
To hear the full interview, click the blue player above.
Future's looking good for Marco Rubio
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's campaign to become the Republican presidential candidate is currently on an upswing. His strong performance at the Republican debate last week boosted his popularity, and on Friday he bagged the support of billionaire donor Paul Singer. Singer is an influential Republican fundraiser who had reportedly been courted by Jeb Bush and Chris Christie.
Dan Balz, chief correspondent of the Washington Post, has written about Rubio's candidacy, and shared some of his thoughts with host A Martinez.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
Southern California raves continue to face scrutiny
Over the weekend, more than 300 people were arrested at HARD Day of the Dead, an electronic music festival in Pomona.
This is the latest in a series of disciplinary actions that have plagued raves throughout Southern California. Ron Lin covered the controversy surrounding raves over the last few months for the LA Times. He joined the show to discuss the similarities and differences between the last few months of activity and this incident and what it means for the future of the electronic music scene in Southern California.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
San Francisco's 'Shrimp Boy' trial: Here's what to expect
It's the FBI vs. Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow in what could be one of the juiciest cases California has seen in quite some time.
Last year, Chow, a reputed gang leader in San Francisco's Chinatown district, was swept up along with former state Sen. Leland Yee as the result of a federal sting.
Howard Mintz of the San Jose Mercury News joined the show to tell more about the story, and what to expect in the coming weeks.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
Watch Alexis Ohanian talk about Reddit back in 1983
The newly released "Computer Show" on L.A.'s WFRP doesn't really exist ... not on L.A.'s airwaves, at least. It does exist online and was supposedly filmed in 1983, however it features some cutting edge tech leaders from this day and age, like Alexis Ohanian from Reddit.
Host Alex Cohen recently spoke with the show's creator, Adam Lisagor, who says that the program has been received so well that they're thinking about creating an entire series.
If you'd like to hear the entire conversation click on the audio link embedded at the top of the post.