The not often talked about grocery placement industry, SoCal residents on their unique Thanksgiving traditions, the case against using the term 'alt-right.'
Insight into KUOW's decision to identify the alt right as white nationalism
It was a term that seemingly came out of nowhere and then was everywhere during the runup to the election of Donald Trump: The alt-right.
Sounds more like a music genre than a political philosophy.
And now, some news outlets are questioning the use of the alt-right label to describe a movement that embraces white supremacy and anti-Semitism.
Among those organizations rejecting the term - Seattle's public radio station KUOW. They've decided to go with "white nationalism" instead.
Isolde Raftrey is the online editor at KUOW.
Audio coming soon
How to prepare the journalists of tomorrow today
Covering the Trump administration will likely lead to many new challenges for reporters.
And not just for established news outlets, but also for students who are looking to enter the field.
For some insight into how schools are preparing the next generation of journalists for an evolving political landscape, Take Two's A Martinez spoke with Mike Ananny.
He's an assistant professor of journalism at USC who specializes in the changing news industry.
To hear the full conversation, click the blue player above.
How supermarkets decide what to put on their shelves
On the day before Thanksgiving, as you're running around trying to stock up on the last few ingredients you need, stop and take a look at the shelves at the grocery store.
Take a look at how different products are arranged on the shelves.
Look at which ones are at eye level, and which ones are at your feet.
You should know that everything is where it is for a reason. Actually, it's probably where it is because a company probably paid a whole lot of money for it to be there.
Phil Edwards is with Vox and he's been looking into the topic. He joins A Martinez to talk about why it's tough for small brands to make it in today's supermarkets.
Thanksgiving in SoCal: What are your Thanksgiving food traditions?
Teens emigrating from China on their own face emotional challenges
Each year, thousands of children leave their families in China and move to the U.S. alone to study at American schools. While some find the term offensive, sociologists commonly refer to these children as 'parachute kids'. These days, the kids coming to the U.S. are getting younger— as young as 11-years-old.
The adolescent years are tough for most kids but without the support and supervision of family, adjusting to a new country and culture can bring up unique emotional and developmental challenges.
Take Two's A Martinez spoke with L.A. Times reporter, Frank Shyong who has written on the subject. They were joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Hsing-Fang Chang who treats kids struggling in the U.S. without their family.
Highlights
On why Chinese parents send their kids to study in the U.S.
Frank Shyong: A lot of them come from families who are dissatisfied with the education that the Chinese system offers them. There's a big conversation about Chinese teaching methods where people worry that their children don't learn creativity and independent thinking and leadership skills— things like that.
And then there are also students who don't have good grades in middle school and since the system sets students on tracks that are pretty rigid very early, you can kind of see your child's future stretched out before you. And if that matches up with your family's educational ambitions, a lot of the times, they say, well, let's start over in the U.S. There's still the belief that getting an American education is the best in the world.
On 'Home-Stay' arrangements
Frank Shyong: Most of the time, they call a huge industry of third-party brokers or educational agencies or consultants— they go by a lot of different names. These are people with people on the ground in the U.S. who have identified host families who can place your student at schools and essentially, handle the whole application process for you for a certain fee.
Sometimes the agencies, if they're more of a full service agency, will also help you keep tabs on your kids. Other agencies are kind of gone after you get the visa application and get your kid off to school.
On the psychological impact
Dr. Hsing-Fang Chang: These are the typical teenage years so by itself, it's a very vulnerable stage developmentally. They are in the stage where peer validation is very important. The peer relationship is a lot more important than with their parents. When we're in the teenage years, we hardly want to talk to our parents let alone coming to a new place. It's a totally different country, totally different culture and language. You stay with a home-stay parents. Even though they could be very nice, you don't really have the relationship or the trust... you're sort of forced to talk to them, forced to trust them, forced to share everything, and even need to listen to their guidelines. This is a lot to adjust to for kids of that age.
On how to help kids through tough times
Dr. Hsing-Fang Chang: For a caretaker here, either school administrator or teachers or the home-stay parents, watch out for the signs of isolation. If they start to notice that these kids aren't talking too much and they're not really engaged, interact with them. They need to watch out for those signs.
For the kids who come here, I would say, keep an open mind. Try to open up and try to reach out for help. It's not a shame to ask for help. One Chinese mentality is, if I ask for help, that means I'm not a good student. We're more used to having the teacher come to us and tell us what to do, and we're not used to reaching out to the authorities.
*Quotes edited for clarity.
To hear the full interview, click the Blue Arrow above.
Breaking bread, butting heads: Politics could make Thanksgiving dinner hard to swallow
As loved-ones draw near this Thanksgiving, there may come a temptation to talk politics. If among mixed company, one might find themselves in a tough spot: especially when emotions run high.
KPCC listener, Sandy Harrison of Malibu, knows that moment all too well.
Harrison has found herself at odds with her family politically in the past. That's because she voted for Hillary Clinton. Her family voted largely for Donald Trump.
This week she's with kin in West Virginia.
Take Two's Alex Cohen called Harrison to talk about how everything's going, and she brought help in the form of licensed psychologist Yvonne Thomas.
Press the blue play button above to hear the conversation.
State of Affairs: CA vote count continues and the 'Calexit movement' makes it official
On this week's State of Affairs, the California vote count continues, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi looks to hold on to her role, and the 'Calexit movement' makes it official.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- , Capitol Bureau Chief for Capital Public Radio
- , Senior Editor for KQED's CA Politics and Government Desk
The Styled Side: where to holiday shop in SoCal
Thanksgiving dinner is almost on the table, all the political conversations are put away (right?) and your helmets are ready, too.
Why the helmets? Because shopping on Black Friday weekend is a competitive sport!
Take Two and Michelle Dalton Tyree from Fashion Trends Daily has your game plan for where to shop in Southern California
Black Friday
Major clothing retailers will have some of the earliest and steepest discounts for gift giving.
Old Navy is doing 50 percent of almost everything starting today, while J. Crew is offering 40 percent items.
And watch for major department stores like Neiman Marcus to offer great deals as well.
Meanwhile, electronics can be good but you have to really do your homework and read the fine print.
"I wouldn’t be lining up two days before and sleeping on the street for those deals," says Tyree.
If you're looking for children's gifts, Toys R Us is starting early by offering deals at 9 p.m. Wednesday night, and you can take advantage of some of them now if you're a Rewards member.
Small Business Saturday
This day was created by American Express to encourage shopping at local brick-and-mortar stores since Black Friday really highlights big retailers.
"It's become a holiday rallying cry for small businesses to court consumers and urge them to shop local," says Tyree.
We Heart Eagle Rock Shop Small will unite stores in Eagle Rock to create a festive, walking atmosphere for shoppers.
Some of the highlights include special deals at the gift shop Leanna Lin's Wonderland, reduced rates on holiday family portrait sessions by Cherry Soda Studios, adoptable puppies on display in front of Dave's Chillin & Grillin and more.
In West Hollywood, Book Soup celebrates with special guests Lena Dunham, Jade Change and Aris Janigian signing books.
Also, walk around Old Pasadena, the Arts District and West Third Street, too, where more small businesses will get into the act to offer sales, treats and more for people who come through the door.
Cyber Monday
This is perfect for people who want to avoid the crowds. About a third of Americans plan to buy something for the holidays on this day, too.
Tyree suggests going to the CyberMonday.com early on Black Friday because it will have a “deal of the hour” on affiliated sites every hour starting at midnight. Some include:
- Apple, from 12 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- Neiman Marcus, from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.
- Home Depot, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where to shop all the way up to the holidays
For people who want to avoid shopping this weekend altogether, many local retailers will still host special deals and events throughout the season.
Citadel Outlets is doing Pet Night with Santa on Tuesdays November 29th and December 6th and 13th. Shoppers will be able to bring their friendly pets to have their picture taken on Santa's lap.
And you can enjoy live music accompanied by a nightly snowfall at The Grove at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. every day.