Donald Trump to unveil several policy proposals including a plan for six weeks of paid maternity leave, the five-second rule – is it still safe? LA comedian releases video parodying Bon Appetit's controversial Pho video.
How Trump and Clinton compare on paid family leave
The U.S. is the only country in the developed world without any kind of government paid parental leave program.
But that could change after the November election. Both presidential candidates are promising some form of paid leave to a parent about to have a baby.
Last night Donald Trump announced more details of his plan, include a pledge to provide "six weeks of paid maternity leave to any mother with a newborn child, whose employer does not provide the benefit."
So has a once feminist issue now reached mainstream? Brigid Schulte, Director of the Better Life Lab and The Good Life Initiative at New America, joined Take Two to discuss.
To hear the full interview, click the blue player above.
Philippine President sparks painful memories of Marcos era for SoCal Filipinos
In less than three months on the job, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has launched a series of controversial moves: an insult that led to President Obama cancelling a visit, an anti-drug campaign that has left hundreds of bodies in the streets of Manila, the capital.
And, in a painful reminder to the unresolved and divisive legacy of former US-backed dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Duterte has pushed forward with a campaign pledge to re-bury Marcos in Manila's cemetery for military heroes, known as Libingan ng mga Bayani. The plan, which has been temporarily halted by the country's Supreme Court, has rekindled harsh memories for some Filipinos in the L.A.-area who recall the two-decade-long Marcos era when tens of thousands were killed, detained or tortured.
"It's very painful for me," said Arturo Garcia, who said both his wife and child died during the Marcos martial law period when he was an activist in the Philippines.
Garcia has led a group of other Filipino Americans, called Movement Against the Internment of the Dictator, in protesting the burial plan, most recently gathering in front of the country's consulate in Los Angeles last week.
"It's a distortion of history," said Garcia, who referred to the Marcos rule as a time of rampant corruption and "a reign of terror."
Still, some Filipinos in the U.S. have expressed strong support for President Duterte, arguing that a political system plagued by corruption requires a strong leader. Supporters also point to his peace efforts to end a long-running communist insurgency in the country and to the fact that he hails from Mindanao, a southern region that has historically been neglected by the political elite in Manila.
Garcia said he hears plenty of support for Duterte from his fellow Filipinos in Southern California and he understands the desire for good leadership.
"Even me, I think the Philippines needs a strong leader," said Garcia. "But a person who has respect for human rights."
How our political opinions can be swayed by movies like 'Snowden'
Tomorrow, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence will discuss a classified report on Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked thousands of government documents to the media, citing concerns about surveillance and privacy.
The debate around whether Snowden is a hero or traitor has raged on since he released all of those documents back in 2013. Now, a new film is bringing that conversation to the big screen. It's called 'Snowden' and it was directed by Oliver Stone.
But can a film like this have an impact on public opinion? If history's any indication the answer's yes.
Michelle Pautz is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Dayton and she studied the impact that the movies 'Argo' and 'Zero Dark Thirty' had on public opinion. In a conversation with Take Two's Alex Cohen, she explained what that impact is.
Sports roundup: Rams aim to bounce back, NFL's new concussion plan, Kaepernick protest grows
After a dismal loss to the San Francisco 49rs, L.A. football fans will have to wait even longer for a win by a local NFL team. USC faces Stanford this weekend in rivalry that's gaining prominence. And NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell announces a new initiative on concussions.
We're joined by Andy and Brian Kamanetzky.
Do germs really have a five-second rule?
You know the deal - that tasty bite of food on the way to your mouth falls suddenly to the ground and you tell yourself: wasn't there long, I should just pick it up and eat it. What's the worst that can happen?
To find out, researchers at Rutger's University took a scientific look at the five-second rule. Rutgers biologist, Don Schaffner, spoke to Take Two's Deepa Fernandes for more.
He says he was inspired to take on the study after noticing some faulty science in regard to the five-second rule.
To hear the full conversation, click the blue player above.
If the US accepts more refugees, how can SoCal bear the load?
The U.S. vowed to accept 85,000 refugees over the course of 2016, but Secretary of State John Kerry has announced the White House plans to increase that number to 110,000 people in the coming year.
If more refugees come to this country, how will they get the help they need? And how has it worked so far?
Lilian Alba has helped to resettle Syrian refugees in Southern California through her work at the International Institute of Los Angeles, and joins Take Two.
Comedian Jenny Yang serves up parody video in response to Pho controversy
Pho, that yummy Vietnamese noodle soup, has been at the forefront of some controversy lately. Last week, Bon Appetit released a video featuring Tyler Akin, non-Vietnamese chef and restaurant owner explaining his set of guidelines to getting the most out the soup. L.A. restaurateur and Vietnamese American Nguyen Tran joined us on Monday to talk about it.
But the Pho controversy continues to gain steam and on Tuesday, stand-up comedian Jenny Yang released a video parodying Bon Appetit’s original:
For more on the parody and the topic of culinary appropriation, Jenny Yang joined Take Two's Deepa Fernandes in studio.
Interview Highlights
Why did you make your video?
"Well, I'm a comedian and it was just ripe, Deepa. It was ripe. To me, it was just a sort of excuse to create a video that gives more of the mainstream audience, possibly, a sense of what maybe what I went through as an Asian American looking at that Pho video."
What did you go through?
"When I saw it, I just cringed...because all of the elements the way that it was entitled by Bon Appetit, the tone of his voice, the fact that he's probably a very well meaning appreciator of our culture...but I think what makes it tough is, food is so personal for Asian Americans and us immigrants. And in fact in a media landscape that doesn't usually represent Asian faces, food is one of the only places where we kind of have a voice. And for this guy to be having some kind of authoritative stance on how to eat Pho...ugh...it just triggered something."
What's been the response to the video?
"The response to the video has been tremendous. I think Facebook has been where it's really flown, last I checked over two million people have looked at the social media post. We have about 700 thousand views on the video, thousands of likes and it's just non-stop, I had to turn off my notifications...some people think it's real that's the funny part and then some people are just like, 'Is this Bon Appetit? 'Cause this is not a good follow-up look."
When the conversation happens in communities of color, we go there, but this might be hard for some people to hear.
"Yeah, I mean there are some people who are just like, 'Oh, why are you so butthurt?' can we say butthurt on KPCC? 'Why are you so butthurt about this, Asians?'
So, why?
"Like I said, food is one of the few things we get to have on a mainstream stage in America and it's not just sensory deliciousness. It's about culture and identity, sometimes people have a stereotype that Asians are too polite or we don't speak back, but man make fun of our food and we will rise up."
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
The Styled Side: SoCal designers shining at NY Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week wraps up on Thursday, and it's one of the biggest events in the fashion world.
But despite being thousands of miles away, Golden State designers are shining bright.
Michelle Dalton Tyree from Fashion Trends Daily says SoCal talent like Rodarte, Kayne West and Jeremy Scott all made big impacts on runways with uniquely Californian styles.
Here's her review of some of her favorite runway shows.
Rodarte
The Mulleavy sisters are actually based right here in Pasadena and design out of Pasadena.
They are known for their detailed, almost-couture-like construction of their clothes and for taking what I call a "Cerebral chic" approach to fashion and for drawing a lot of inspiration from their home state.
If you're more of a film buff instead of fashion, you would know their work from "Black Swan. "They designed the ballet costumes for that movie.
For this collection, they took inspiration from a 1973 Spanish film "Spirit of The Beehive," about two little girls in a Castilian Village in who go in search of monster they saw in a movie.
You'll find a lot of Spanish influence: layers upon layers of beautiful lace and ruffles. And while it's feminine, it still very edgy like their ruffled cropped blouses, sheer lace dresses with high-neck collars and blouses with big shoulders.
Louis Verdad
This LA-based designer once known for dressing Madonna has been on hiatus for many years, and this fashion week marked his comeback show
Mexican-American Verdad was an incredibly hot designer in the early-2000s here in L.A. best known for dressing Madonna at the MTV Awards in 2003 when she kissed Brittany Spears.
But he got too big, too fast and ended up declaring bankruptcy, then lost the right to his name for 3 years.
Now he's back with a line that is more relaxed and denim-focused, with all the pieces under $1,000.
There is still a lot of his beautiful signature tailoring in pieces like his pantsuits and a cream-colored, trench-coast style dress, but also in breezy, pleated skirts and cropped tops.
He also showed off lots of soft denim: pleated skirts, pantsuits and a chic patchwork pantsuit that would make Mr. Furley from "Three's Company" swoon with envy!
Jeremy Scott
This fashion darling has his own design brand and is also creative director for Italian brand Moschino.
For his own line, he went for it with a super 80s vibe: bright neon and bodycon dresses with a lot of pop culture influences.
There were also shimmery shift dresses and a lot of zippers and metal rings hanging from garments.