Take Two | 89.3 KPCC

Cancer and genetic testing - could it save lives or cause harm?

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:02:05 -0700

Actress Angelina Jolie recently opened up to the world about her decision to undergo surgery because of a genetic marker that indicated her cancer risk. ; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Last week actress Angelina Jolie made headlines when she revealed that she underwent a voluntary double mastectomy because she found out that she was a carrier of the BRCA1 gene which gave her an 87% chance of developing breast cancer. Now a man in the UK has become the first person to have pre-emptive surgery to remove his prostate because he carried the BRCA2 gene. Is there a danger associated with the genetic cancer tests? Will it cause people to request unnecessary surgeries?

Microsoft unveils new Xbox gaming console

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:24:16 -0700

Participants enjoy the new game inside the courtyard of Balzer's Castle during the HALO 4 launch by Xbox 360 on October 30, 2012 in Balzers, Liechtenstein. ; Credit: Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Halo by Xbox360

Earlier this hour, Microsoft unveiled its first new game console in nearly eight years. The Xbox One enters a competitive market, not only other gaming consoles but mobile games as well.

Dan Ackerman, senior editor with CNET, joins the show with more.

John Doe of X remembers The Doors' Ray Manzarek

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:17:21 -0700

Recording artist Ray Manzarek of the Doors performs at the Universal Amphitheatre on February 7, 2003 in Universal City, California. ; Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Ray Manzarek, one of the founding members of the Doors, died yesterday in Germany of bile duct cancer. He was 74.

Manzarek first met lead singer Jim Morrison while the two were attending film school at UCLA. Shortly after they both graduated, the two ran into each other on Venice Beach and decided to start a band. A band they'd name after Aldous Huxley's 1954 book about drugs, "The Doors of Perception."

Though Manzarek was best known for his work with the Doors, he collaborated with plenty of other musicians, including the legendary punk band from LA, X.

John Doe of X joins the show with a remembrance of his old friend, Ray.

Afghan women law students set to return; one is chosen for commencement speech by male, Saudi classmates (Photos)

Erika Aguilar | Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:08:34 -0700

Munira Akhunzada and Shasmi Maqsoudi came to Southern California to study American law, as part of a U.S. State Department sponsored program with Afghanistan to send Afghan attorneys to American for more legal education and training.; Credit: Mae Ryan/KPCC

Last year, we brought you a story about two young women from Afghanistan studying law in Southern California. Their goal was to return home, become judges, and help shape the rule of law.

Today, they are set to return to Afghanistan after graduating with master's degrees.

As KPCC's Erika Aguilar reports, one woman was bestowed a special honor at the graduation ceremony, and the way she was selected gives them hope their plans might work out.

Mothers of Mexico's 'disappeared' end hunger strike

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:40 -0700

Part of a group of mothers taking part in a hunger strike are seen in a tent in front of the Attorney General building in Mexico City on May 9, 2013. The mothers are demanding that the government investigate the disappearance of their children, which they say have gone missing due to the drug war that the government started in 2006.; Credit: YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images

A group of mothers in Mexico recently concluded a two-week hunger strike, which began to demand that Mexico's Attorney General do something about the thousands of people who have gone missing in recent years.

The Mexican government recently said it will create a special unit to investigate these cases. For more on this Dudley Althaus, The Global Post's senior correspondent for Mexico and Central America.

Study: New York anthropologist tracks people's inner monologues

Michelle Lanz and A Martínez | Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:42:24 -0700

Still from a video of anthropologist Andrew Irving's "New York Stories" study, which tracks people's inner monologues. ; Credit: Andrew Irving

Despite all of our mass communication technologies – from smart phones to emails to smiley face emoticons — It can still be pretty hard to tell what other people are thinking. However, a new study by anthropologist Andrew Irving, attempts to bridge that gap and "gain a better understanding of the interior dialogues and imaginative lifeworlds that constitute people’s experiences of urban life."

Irving asked more than 100 New Yorkers to wear headsets and record their thoughts as they went about their day. Participants went about their daily lives while speaking their innermost thoughts aloud as they walked through the city.

Though the study does not claim to be a comprehensive approach to understanding a person's thought process, it does offer a glimpse into human thought patterns. Some of the examples Irving shares include a woman who's thoughts dart from trivial to tragic to a man engaging in an inner argument with himself.

Irving joins Take Two to explain the study and offer insight into what he learned about how we think.

Meredith in Soho:

Thomas: Manhattan Bridge

Interview Highlights:

On the human thought process:
"We start off on one trajectory of thought, and because we're not having to make it sensible in a public way, we flit from here to there. We're not in control of our own thoughts. We like to think we are, but we're not."

On how environments affect thoughts:
"Different places produce different kinds of thoughts. If you're walking down a busy street, the rhythm of your consciousness is very different. A police siren goes by, you see somebody who reminds you of your childhood friend and suddenly you start thinking about your childhood, and then you bump into somebody, and then you see an advertisement, etc... That's a very different kind of rhythm than if you're sitting a cafe, meditating, watching the world go by in a different way."

On what his study tells us about how we perceive:
"It kind of reminds us that one level, we're all film directors, because we're all continually making a movie in our heads... we use all those same techniques of filmmaking, such as long-shot, close-ups, cutting away, editing or creating a montage by turning our head left or looking right, as well as providing a voice-over commentary. What that commentary is actually about we really don't know, we just know that it's there.

What his goal for the project is:
"A lot of thought is non-linguistic in basis. What I'm asking people to do is translate something of their lived experience, which exists across all sensory modalities."

On the reality of the experiment:
"This project is doomed to fail. There is no way you can look inside people's heads, but what we do gain is a glimpse into people's inner life worlds."

Tuesday Reviewsday: The National, Pure X, Bibio, Scout Niblett and more

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:06 -0700

Aaron Dessner of The National performs at the Opening Night After Party and Performance during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 17, 2013 in New York City. ; Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

Now it's time for Tuesday Reviewsday, where we talk about what's new in music. Joining us today is Shirley Halperin, music editor at The Hollywood Reporter, and Chris Martins, senior writer for Spin magazine.

Shirley's Picks:

Artist: John Fogarty
Album: Wrote A Song For Everyone
Release Date: May 21
Songs: "Fortunate Son"

Artist: The National
Album: Trouble Will Find Me
Release Date: May 21
Songs: "Demons"

Artist: Bibio
Album: Impersonator
Release Date: May 14
Songs: "The First Daffodils"

Chris's Picks:

Artist: Pure X
Album: Crawling Up The Stairs
Release Date: May 21
Songs: "Thousand Year-Old Child"

Artist: Majical Cloudz
Album: Impersonator
Release Date: May 21
Songs: "Bugs Don't Buzz"

Artist: Scout Niblett
Album: It's Up To Emma
Release Date: May 21
Songs: "Gun," "No Scrubs"

California gun bills aim to hold owners more accountable

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:02:51 -0700

Anti-gun violence demonstrators, including Rachel Ahrens (L), 13, Abby Ahrens, 8, and their mother Betty Ahrens hold signs condeming the National Rifle Association during a protest in McPhearson Square April 25, 2013 in Washington, DC. Angry with the U.S. Senate's failure to pass an expansion of background checks for people wanting to buy guns, the demonstrators attempted to deliver faux bank checks and crime scene photos to a handful of lobbying firms that represent the NRA. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Gun control has slipped from the headlines in Washington, DC, but legislation continues to move through state capitols. For The California Report, Elaine Korry examines a couple of bills in Sacramento aimed at making gun owners more accountable.

The ongoing campaign to remake Baja's tarnished image

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:02:42 -0700

Carol Arthur (R) and Tammy Delu, from Seattle, sit at a bar along the beach April 1, 2009 in Rosarito, Mexico. The tourist industry in some northern Mexican resort towns is feeling the effects of the ongoing drug war, as students from the U.S. are curtailing their spring break plans and traveling domestically instead. ; Credit: Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

Tourism in the Mexican border state of Baja California plummeted in recent years, the victim of bad press and drug war violence. Baja's historic reputation for sun and surf was eclipsed by the headlines. But in 2010, the state contracted with an American public relations firm to help fix its image abroad.

For the Fronteras Desk, Erin Siegal McIntyre reports on the ongoing campaign to shift public attention from homicide and crime to tacos, art, and wine.

Former IRS head Douglas Shulman faces tough questions at Senate hearing

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:02:29 -0700

Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman is sworn in prior to testifying before the Senate Finance Committee May 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony on the topic of on "A Review of Criteria Used by the IRS to Identify 501(c)(4) Applications for Greater Scrutiny." ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Today, legislators got their first opportunity to question the man who ran the IRS when agents were targeting Tea Party groups. Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman testified on Capitol Hill before the Senate Finance Committee which has launched an investigation into the scandal.

Shulman said he should have been notified. Meanwhile, a Tea Party group founder from California is filing a class action lawsuit against the IRS.

For more on this, we're joined by Joe Garofoli, political reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle.

Why do people decide not to exercise their right to vote?

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:02:16 -0700

Joe Cigliano stand sin the voting booth as he casts his ballot at Allesandro Elemantary School on March 5, 2013 in Boyle Heights area Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Why people fail to vote has been question studied for decades. One group of voting researchers even got the US Census bureau to include a question about voting in its surveys.

Michael Alvarez is a political science professor at Cal Tech, and he's part of the CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project. They're the group that convinced the Census Bureau to ask that voting question.

SoCal firefighters head to tornado-stricken Oklahoma

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:02:07 -0700

Nathan Ulepich searches outside the back of his house destroyed after a powerful tornado ripped through the area on May 20, 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma. The tornado, reported to be at least EF4 strength and two miles wide, touched down in the Oklahoma City area on Monday killing at least 51 people. ; Credit: Brett Deering/Getty Images

Rescuers and first responders continue to search for survivors in Oklahoma after a massive tornado that killed at least 24 people, including seven children. There is still a danger of more tornadoes coming through the area.

This morning, President Obama declared a federal disaster in five Oklahoma counties, and said that the tornado had been "one of the most destructive in history."

Firefighters from Los Angeles and Orange County are part of the emergency team being sent to the Oklahoma City area today. For more on how they're preparing to assist in the rescue and recovery effort, we're joined by Captain Jaime Moore, public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Has Los Angeles always had a problem with low voter turnout?

Steve Proffitt | Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:01:32 -0700

Voters cast their ballots in the auditorium at Palms Elementary School in Culver City on March 5th, 2013.; Credit: Rebecca Hill/KPCC

There's been a lot of talk about the lack of interest in the LA mayor's race, and discussion of why the turnout — perhaps only 20 percent — will be so low. KPCC's Steve Proffitt has been doing some research into the history of voting in Los Angeles.

Estimates say that only one in five registered voters in Los Angeles will vote today, but even that small percentage could be optimistic. In 2009, only 17 percent of the electorate voted to re-up Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. So a 20 percent vote would actually be an improvement.

It hasn't always been this way, though. We're seeing record low turnout numbers here in the 21st century. Back in the day, as they say, turnouts of 50 percent were the norm in LA city elections. In 1969, participation peaked, more than three out of four registered voters cast their ballots.

That race, which ended up with Sam Yorty winning the run off, was marked by charges of racism. Turn out was also high four years later when Bradley took on Yorty again, and won. Since then, a steady decline in voter interest.

So how does Los Angeles compare to other cities? It's hard to make apples to apples comparisons. For one thing, LA has elections in odd-numbered years, when there are no congressional or presidential elections. As a point of fact, turnout in last year's presidential election was about 50 percent. Then there are races where a popular incumbent is running, without strong opposition.

If we look at cities that also elect mayors in off years, we're not doing so good. In Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff in the Obama White House, won with a 42 percent turn out. That's about the same turnout for San Francisco's hotly contested mayor's race two years ago.

Still, the majority of voters stayed home, or didn't bother to even mail in a ballot. Even if we only manage to attract about 20 percent of voters today in Los Angeles, we're not the worst when it comes to civic engagement. Burbank held municipal elections last month and didn't reach 20 percent. But the real champion in voter disinterest seems to be the city of Amarillo, Texas. It's not a huge town, only a few more than 100,000 voters. But less than 7,000 of them showed up to vote for mayor last month.

LA County to weigh severing ties with troubled foster-care contractor

Take Two — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:01:23 -0700

Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill to extend foster care benefits to age 21; Credit: MC Glasgow/Flickr

Today, the LA County Board of Supervisors will vote today on whether to sever ties with Teens Happy Homes. The foster care agency has a documented history of child abuse and misappropriating funds.

Garrett Therolf, the LA Times reporter who broke the story, joins the show with an update.

Regardless of how the board votes, has Teens Happy Homes already given foster care system in LA a black eye? With more we're joined by Dilys Garcia, executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates in Los Angeles.

Hola Mexico event highlights burgeoning Tijuana food scene

Take Two — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:03:56 -0700

Chef Javier Plascencia attends Day 2 of Chefdance Cafe at 427 Main St. on January 21, 2012 in Park City, Utah. ; Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Chefdance

An event called the Greatest Barbecue took place downtown yesterday. It brought together some of Mexico's foremost chefs to grill up a whole lotta meat. The event was part of the Hola Mexico Film Festival, which has expanded this year to include a music and — thankfully — a food program.

Our producer Meghan McCarty was there and she's here to tell us more.