The Proud Boys are a white supremacist hate group that has gotten into two altercations at SoCal bars this summer, but who are they?
For the record: Proud Boys refer to themselves as "western chauvinists" and claim to have a membership that includes people of color.
Plus, Walt Disney didn't just change theme parks but the way people eat there. And a group of girl skateboarders in Venice find there's courage in numbers and their collective GRLSWIRL.
Who are the Proud Boys, and why were they kicked out of a bar in Atwater Village?
(Starts at 1:16)
Violent clashes over ideology don't just happen at political rallies. Over the weekend, a hate group called the Proud Boys reportedly got into an altercation at the Griffin Bar in Atwater Village. The bar owner released a statement via Facebook that said, "Neither I nor my business partner support any Nazi or white supremacist groups" and "This is NOT a Nazi bar." It was the second altercation for the Proud Boys in a SoCal bar this summer.
Guest:
- Brian Levin, Director of the Center for Hate and Extremism at Cal State University, San Bernardino
As Disneyland celebrates its anniversary, we "Eat Like Walt"
(Starts at 15:25)
Disneyland shaped SoCal's entertainment landscape in a lot of ways, but did you know it changed the way food was served at theme parks, too? That's all because of the man behind the park: Walt Disney.
Guest:
- Marcy Smothers, author of "Eat Like Walt"
Girl skateboarders in Venice unite for GRLSWIRL
(Starts at 23:08)
Skateboarding in Southern California is almost as iconic as palm trees or the Hollywood sign. Hopping on a board, rolling across the pavement, performing tricks. It's usually guys who do it, but that's changing. More women are getting in on the action, like the all-female skate collective GRLSWIRL in Venice.
Guests:
YuLin Olliver, founder of Yunexis Agency, where she represents professional female skateboarders
Stephanie LaVita, skateboarder and founder of New England Female Skateboarding, an all-female skate group based in the Boston area
Lucy Osinski, founder of GRLSWIRL, an all-female skate community-based in Venice
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlVqI32nIG3/
World Emoji Day
It's time to put on your smile-y face because today is World Emoji Day! It's been twenty years since a Japanese engineer first invented these visual icons to express emotions. What started as a set of a few dozen has exploded into thousands of little pictograms representing everything from bacon to unicorns to bicycling. What's most popular, it turns out, varies from state to state. Here in California, the most popular emoji is NOT:
- the "facepalm," covering your face in frustration.
- It isn't "laugh until you cry," a smiley face with giant tears.
According to Reviews.org, a technology site that broke down the most used emojis by state, Californians LOVE "Bless Up."
That's the emoji that shows two hands raised in praise. But Take Two listeners, we want to hear from you. Which emoji do you think best embodies L.A.? Find us on Twitter and take the poll. We're AT Take Two.
https://twitter.com/taketwo/status/1019242403767570432
California releases first draft of permanent cannabis laws
(Starts at 30:32)
Three hundred and seventeen pages. That's the length of the first draft of California's permanent cannabis laws. Since the legalization of recreational cannabis earlier this year, the state has been operating under an emergency set of regulations. And the new legal proposal, put forth by the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Department of Public Health, is meant to address some regulatory concerns.
Guest:
- Hezekiah Allen, Executive Director of the California Growers Association
Farm Tech
(Starts at 35:44)
Farmers in the Inland Empire say there's a growing labor shortage and that's bad for business. In order to stay competitive, farmers are starting to employ new technology to make up the difference. So what are the causes of a worker shortage? Wow farmers are dealing with it, and what that may mean for the local agricultural industry?
Guest:
- Rebecca Plevin, Desert Sun reporter
Tuesday Reviewsday
(Starts at 40:38)
Summer odes to LA top the docket on this week's Tuesday Reviewsday. Music writer Oliver Wang bathes your ears in the latest drops from The Internet (a sneak preview, no less), Allie X, and G Yamazawa.
Here's a tune worth bumping on your Tuesday commute. Yes, it took a Canadian artist to remind us that hey, it's not so bad in L.A.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwcXL6xkwNs
Guest:
- Oliver Wang, Soul-sides.com