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| 2016-08-26T13:00:38 | null | 2016-08-23T10:55:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wausharaargus.com%2Fnews-latest-government%2Fpolice-department-join-state-combat-drunken-driving.json | http://www.wausharaargus.com/sites/wausharaargus.com/files/favicon.ico | en | null | Police Department to join state to combat drunken driving | null | null | www.wausharaargus.com | The Wautoma Police Department will join hundreds of other law enforcement agencies throughout Wis-consin to combat drunken driving during the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” national campaign from Aug. 19 to Sept. 5.
“Although drunken driving is 100 percent preventable, 190 people were killed and nearly 2,900 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in Wisconsin last year,” says Chief Weiss. “During the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over crackdown campaign, our officers will be patrolling in greater numbers and for longer hours to arrest drunken drivers before they kill or injure themselves or an innocent victim.”
To view more, please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. | http://www.wausharaargus.com/news-latest-government/police-department-join-state-combat-drunken-driving | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.wausharaargus.com/96386bd24d3d7a958abd51c1633def521a7f3bde57b1fa65b60e536ed36434e3.json |
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| 2016-08-30T16:51:49 | null | 2016-08-30T11:28:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wausharaargus.com%2Fnews-latest-lifestyle-festivals%2Fredgranite-labor-day-celebration-sept-2-5.json | http://www.wausharaargus.com/sites/wausharaargus.com/files/favicon.ico | en | null | Redgranite Labor Day Celebration Sept. 2-5 | null | null | www.wausharaargus.com | Redgranite is set for their annual Labor Days Festival, one of the longest running Labor Day Festivals in the state of Wisconsin. You’ll want to be a part of four fun filled days of activities geared around the 2016 theme Brews, Bands & BBQ.
Start your holiday weekend off right with Road Trip, Friday night, Sept. 2, 7-11 p.m. at Willow Creek Park under the tent. One of Wisconsin’s favorite bands, the fun and energy coming off the stage is complimented by some of the Midwest’s finest music performed by some of the Midwest’s finest musicians. Food and refreshments will be available.
Saturday, Sept. 3, is filled with an activity extravaganza where there is something for everyone of all ages. Events include a Vendor Art & Craft Fair, $100 Treasure Hunt, Horseshoe Doubles Tournament, Bingo, City wide Rummage Sales all weekend, great food and refreshments.
KidzRok in RedRock – a fun filled event for kids will feature pony rides, petting zoo, inflatables, clowns, face painting, balloon magic, coloring contest, Redgranite Fire Department Bike Raffle, tons of fun games where you can win really cool prizes, kids’ raffle where you can purchase chances to win a Packer autographed football, TV, tablet, video games and more.
To view more, please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. | http://www.wausharaargus.com/news-latest-lifestyle-festivals/redgranite-labor-day-celebration-sept-2-5 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.wausharaargus.com/81c22469376832eb28b1505ea6c5d5469dd112e1d83e4768f0c960fe33711335.json |
[]
| 2016-08-26T12:56:40 | null | 2016-08-23T12:07:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wausharaargus.com%2Fnews-latest-community-lifestyle-music%2Fgenesee-depot-perform-summer%25E2%2580%2599s-last-music-park.json | http://www.wausharaargus.com/sites/wausharaargus.com/files/favicon.ico | en | null | Genesee Depot to perform at the summer’s last Music in the Park | null | null | www.wausharaargus.com | It’s a family affair this Thursday night with the Genesee Depot siblings performing at the last Music in the Park event of the summer. If you have not yet danced the night away at this rockin’ Waushara Chamber summer event, this is your last chance.
And speaking of rockin’, Genesee Depot is country rock at its finest. You’ll hear songs by Carly Simon, Hank Williams Jr., Taylor Swift and, oh yes, Elvis Presley, will energize those dancing shoes.
Sponsored by Hometown Broadcasting (The BUG) the concert begins at 6 p.m. and wraps up the Music in the Park series for 2016. Don’t miss the opening act this week as Wisconsin Rapids own Galynne Goodwill, an independent artist who writes conscious, acoustic pop songs that along with her soulful acoustic guitar will make you sit up and pay attention.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages are available, thanks to Vicki’s Lunch Wagon. The Waushara Chamber will offer beer and wine. Admission is free. In the event of rain, all concerts will be held at the World War II Building in Wautoma.
The Chamber appreciates this year’s sponsors, the bands, Little Sprouts, Vicki’s Lunch Wagon and the attendees, for an awesome season. See you next year. Visit www.facebook.com/waccmusicinthepark for more information. | http://www.wausharaargus.com/news-latest-community-lifestyle-music/genesee-depot-perform-summer%E2%80%99s-last-music-park | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.wausharaargus.com/fc67183ea27e887805a8cc58c4e4974603d9ab5b0740018cf2928496e5ebdf8f.json |
[]
| 2016-08-26T12:59:14 | null | 2016-08-23T11:54:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wausharaargus.com%2Fnews-latest-government%2Fredgranite-police-ask-help-theft-pontoons.json | http://www.wausharaargus.com/sites/wausharaargus.com/files/favicon.ico | en | null | Redgranite Police ask for help in theft of pontoons | null | null | www.wausharaargus.com | Two aluminum pontoons were stolen from Russ Canvas, located on State Road 21 in the Village of Redgranite. These items were taken between the evening hours of Aug. 4 and the early morning hours of Aug. 5. The pontoons were 22 inches in diameter and 18 feet longs.
If you saw anything suspicious, know the where these items are located or have any information about this crime, please contact the Waushara County Crimestoppers at 1-800-800-5219.
You may be eligible for a cash reward and as always you can remain anonymous. | http://www.wausharaargus.com/news-latest-government/redgranite-police-ask-help-theft-pontoons | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.wausharaargus.com/8a514695662ec0699172f58d4e5ff509979688ee83c10e46fbeae00c1430dd19.json |
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| 2016-08-26T13:01:07 | null | 2016-08-23T11:19:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wausharaargus.com%2Fnews-latest-community-lifestyle-festivals%2F60th-annual-fireman%25E2%2580%2599s-chicken-bar-b-q-sept-3.json | http://www.wausharaargus.com/sites/wausharaargus.com/files/favicon.ico | en | null | 60th annual Fireman’s Chicken Bar-B-Q Sept 3 | null | null | www.wausharaargus.com | The Village of Westfield Fire Department is again gearing up for their annual chicken barbeque. The 60th annual BBQ will be held on Sept. 3, the Saturday before Labor Day, at Westfield Pioneer Park.
The village firemen and their wives traditionally put out an exceptional chicken dinner and provide a full day of fun for the public.
The tasty meal consists of chicken, a dinner roll, baked potato and/or potato salad, a lettuce salad, cottage cheese, baked beans and coffee or milk. Carryout meals are always available. Serving will begin at 3 p.m. There is a cost for the meal.
To view more, please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. | http://www.wausharaargus.com/news-latest-community-lifestyle-festivals/60th-annual-fireman%E2%80%99s-chicken-bar-b-q-sept-3 | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.wausharaargus.com/d10db27066b35594e235c98c977c4df53fc2095db107b8e28de6b801fbdb6908.json |
[]
| 2016-08-26T12:48:59 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fottawacitizen.com%2Ffeed%2F.json | http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2016/08/ottawa-redblacks-defensive-lineman-ettore-lattanzio-49-cha.jpeg?w=640 | en | null | Ottawa Citizen | null | null | ottawacitizen.com | The Ottawa Redblacks played the B.C. Lions to a standstill on kick returns, Chris Williams and Greg Ellingson both had more than 100 receiving yards and their pass rushers racked up six quarterback sacks.
Somehow the Redblacks still conjured up a 29-23 loss to the B.C. Lions at TD Place stadium on Thursday night.
Now that 3-0-1 start to the Canadian Football League regular season has been lost in the smoke-filled ruins of four losses in the past five contests, leaving the Redblacks with a 4-4-1 overall record and with feelings of being unfulfilled as they head into the second half of the campaign.
What’s it going to take, fellas?
“Better than what we’ve been playing,” said Williams, who grabbed five passes from Trevor Harris for 116 yards, but couldn’t latch onto a high-and-wide toss on third down with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.
“It just comes down to that. We’ve got to be better. It’s tough to give your all and come up short. We have to find a way to be better, bottom line.”
Lions quarterback Jonathan Jennings took those six sacks, but also managed to come through at crunch time, connecting with Emmanuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham for long pass-and-run plays that set up backup Travis Lulay’s second quarterback-sneak touchdown of the evening for the winning points with 96 seconds remaining.
The Redblacks drove back as far as the Lions 38-yard line, but an incomplete pass by Harris, a sack by B.C. defensive end Alex Bazzie and the missed connection between Harris and Williams on third down led to a turnover and the final result.
Harris was pretty good in his first game action since injuring his right knee and ankle in a loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on July 22, but pretty good wasn’t good enough.
“I’m not too much into moral victories,” said Harris, who had been inserted into the starting QB slot in place of Henry Burris. “‘You played hard, you did your best, that’s OK.’ I’m not with that. I play to win.”
The Lions improved to 6-3 with their fourth triumph in five contests away from home.
Field goals by B.C.’s Richie Leone and Ottawa’s Chris Milo were all the scoring the teams could muster in the opening quarter, but things changed just before halftime.
A 39-yard punt return by Chris Rainey and a rough-play penalty on Ottawa’s Dan West for hitting Rainey out of bounds — Redblacks general manager Marcel Desjardins was an innocent bystander on the sidelines, but got hit by Rainey and ended up with some kind of left knee injury, then appeared to collapse before he was helped to the locker-room for assessment — set B.C. up at the eight-yard line. Two plays later, backup QB Lulay rolled into the right corner of the end-zone for a touchdown, but a two-point convert attempt was unsuccessful.
The Redblacks bounced back quickly. A nice kickoff return by Khalil Paden and four consecutive completions by Harris set up a 30-yarder to Ernest Jackson for a touchdown.
Milo’s successful convert made it 10-9, but the Lions got that point back on a punt single by Leone with 19 seconds to go.
However, Ellingson caught the Lions’ secondary napping and caught a 39-yard pass from Harris to give Milo a chance at the 43-yard field goal for a 13-10 edge going into the break.
After a missed field goal by Leone produced a single for B.C. early in the third quarter, the Lions scored a touchdown on their next possession. The capper was a swing pass from Jennings to Rainey, who split four defenders before crossing the goal-line.
Anthony Allen ran for a two-point convert and a 19-13 Lions lead.
The Redblacks needed just four plays to traverse 79 yards for a go-ahead score of their own, though. Two long passes to Ellingson and another to Williams moved the ball to the three and Travon Van skittered into the end-zone. Milo’s convert made it 20-19.
It looked as if the Redblacks had dodged a bullet when Jermaine Robinson recovered a fumble by Arceneaux at the two-yard line. Two plays later, though, a shotgun snap from Jon Gott eluded Harris and the ball rolled into the end-zone, where Harris was tackled for a safety.
Following a 53-yard pass from Harris to Williams, Milo split the uprights again to give Ottawa a 23-21 edge.
However, that left the Lions more than three minutes to come back, and they did. The pass-and-run by Arceneaux got them to the 35-yard line and the hitch pass to Burnham took them down to the goal area.
Lulay was stuffed on first down, but he scrambled around right end for the go-ahead score, and then he hooked up with Arceneaux for a two-point convert.
The Redblacks got into B.C. territory, where a fumble by Ellingson was recovered by Williams. A short pass to Travon Van took the ball to the 38, but an incompletion and a sack of Harris sent them back to the 45, and a third-down gamble failed when Harris was late getting the throw to Williams and the play was broken up.
“You can’t help the other team out,” Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell said. “You have to make them earn everything that they get, and, if we continue to work on that, we’ll be a good football team.
“We’re not quite there yet.”
Where the Redblacks will be next Thursday is in Montreal for the final instalment of the season series against the Alouettes (3-5-0). Then they have their second and final bye of the regular season before travelling to Calgary to face the Stampeders (6-1-1) on Sept. 17.
Their next home game is Sept. 23 against the Toronto Argonauts.
“I truly believe we have a championship team in here,” said Harris, who finished up 23-for-30 for 352 yards. “It’s just about us refining, fine-tuning and then, during the marathon of the season, finishing strong.”
Van ran 12 times for 52 yards in his first game since injuring his left knee against the Alouettes on June 30.
Ettore Lattanzio and John Boyett led the defensive charge with two sacks each, but the Lions also held onto the ball for more than 36 of the 60 minutes.
Jennings was 23-for-31 for 289 yards, and Allen contributed significantly with 76 yards on 13 carries.
[email protected]
Twitter.com/HolderGord | http://ottawacitizen.com/feed/ | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | ottawacitizen.com/91628a652b99276edd0b1951648f9d682ee7f963f8ba5217173e141ae7ac1607.json |
[]
| 2016-08-26T12:57:43 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phnompenhpost.com%2Fnews-feeds.xml.json | http://www.phnompenhpost.com/news-feeds.xml | en | null | Phnom Penh Post news feeds | null | null | www.phnompenhpost.com | null | http://www.phnompenhpost.com/news-feeds.xml | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.phnompenhpost.com/7bfcf6edab5f68f36aa4e0953dd27b2f6e513e674fe1c23554b0fc572d374f5e.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Noel Murray"
]
| 2016-08-26T14:50:39 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmovies%2Fla-et-mn-mechanic-resurrection-review-20160823-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bccad6/turbine/la-et-mn-mechanic-resurrection-review-20160823-snap | en | null | 'Mechanic: Resurrection's' action scenes click, but fast-forward the rest (when it hits video) | null | null | www.latimes.com | Just like the 1972 Charles Bronson vehicle “The Mechanic” and the 2011 Jason Statham-starring remake, the best scenes in “Mechanic: Resurrection” contain almost no dialogue. When the sequel’ is really clicking, it becomes action cinema in its purest visual form: just one buff, taciturn dude doing major damage to his enemies.
But those scenes constitute only about half of “Mechanic: Resurrection.” For the rest of the movie’s running time, Statham makes moony-eyes at costar Jessica Alba and tries to convince the viewer — unconvincingly — that his movie’s plot matters.
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »
Once again, Statham plays Arthur Bishop, a highly skilled assassin specializing in making cold-blooded murders look accidental. After an interminable setup, director Dennis Gansel and his writers get around to the main plot of “Mechanic: Resurrection,” which involves Bishop completing three impossible jobs to save the life of his new girlfriend, Gina (played by Alba).
Caption 'Rings' trailer Samara returns in "Rings," the third film of "The Ring" series. Samara returns in "Rings," the third film of "The Ring" series. Caption 'Keeping Up with the Joneses' trailer Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis star in "Keeping Up with the Joneses." Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis star in "Keeping Up with the Joneses."
There’s too much explanation in this film, and too many generically sleazy crime bosses (played by the likes of Sam Hazeldine and Tommy Lee Jones). It’s also a bummer that this “Mechanic” wastes Hong Kong action legend Michelle Yeoh in what amounts to a glorified cameo. (If she’d been Bishop’s girlfriend, this would have been a much better picture.)
Still, every 10 minutes or so — when Bishop has to scale a skyscraper or blow up a submarine or hop onto a moving hang-glider — this movie is actually a kick. When it comes out on home video, fast-forward to the stunts. You won’t miss a thing.
-------------
‘Mechanic: Resurrection’
MPAA rating: R, for violence throughout and language
Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes
Playing: In general release | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mechanic-resurrection-review-20160823-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d1519b37c217f7eafbff6386cda2ac625e95ea6011342151ef270c7659684398.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Justin Chang"
]
| 2016-08-26T20:48:56 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmovies%2Fla-et-mn-frederick-wiseman-retrospective-20160825-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c08fd3/turbine/la-et-mn-frederick-wiseman-retrospective-20160825-snap | en | null | Frederick Wiseman's first decade of docs kicks off a vital retrospective | null | null | www.latimes.com | One of the timeliest, most urgent movies you can see in a Los Angeles theater next month was first shown nearly 50 years ago, not long after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the devastating race riots that followed in its wake. Among the cities hit the hardest was Kansas City, Mo., which is where a 39-year-old documentary filmmaker named Frederick Wiseman turned his camera on the daily travails of police officers, most of them white, struggling to protect and serve their predominantly African American community.
The result was a galvanizing but remarkably fair-minded documentary called “Law and Order” (1969), and the decades since have only clarified its insights and deepened its emotional force. Like so much of Wiseman’s work over the last several decades (he’s 86 and still makes about a film a year), the movie reveals a vivid, teeming human ecosystem in painfully intimate shards and fragments, each one snapping into a complex larger pattern of sociological and narrative meaning.
But the prescient power of this particular documentary goes beyond its technique. To watch “Law and Order” today is to experience the uncanny feeling that, its raw and jagged black-and-white images notwithstanding, the movie could have been made yesterday, perhaps amid the still-cooling embers of another racially divided Missouri town called Ferguson.
It is all but impossible to confront the movie’s appalling scene of a white officer placing an African American woman in a violent chokehold and not be reminded of the death of Eric Garner in New York. But it’s just as hard not to be moved by the sensitive cop who urges his colleagues to temper their language and their minds when out on patrol. Or the officer who responds with fatherly protectiveness and compassion to the plight of a young black girl, frightened and weeping, her parents nowhere to be found.
In short, there is frustration here but also optimism, prejudice but also decency. Above all there is Wiseman’s principled refusal to settle for easy answers, to demonize his subjects, or to shy away from the complexities that animate every individual and institution that passes before his camera.
Although it was made well before Wiseman fully established his reputation as one of the masters of the documentary form, “Law and Order” rests comfortably, but never complacently, among his finest achievements. It is among the essential offerings (his first 10 films, made from 1967-76) set to screen at Cinefamily in the opening installment of a comprehensive retrospective of Wiseman’s body of work. (The other 33 films in the series will screen in 2017, 2018 and 2019, making this one of the city’s most significant film events not just this year, but also the next three as well.)
Wiseman's "Titicut Follies" is an unblinking portrait of neglect and abuse at a correctional facility for the criminally insane in Bridgewater, Mass. Bridgewater Film Co. Wiseman's "Titicut Follies" is an unblinking portrait of neglect and abuse at a correctional facility for the criminally insane in Bridgewater, Mass. Wiseman's "Titicut Follies" is an unblinking portrait of neglect and abuse at a correctional facility for the criminally insane in Bridgewater, Mass. (Bridgewater Film Co.)
The retrospective begins Aug. 27 with a newly restored 35-millimeter print of Wiseman’s landmark 1967 debut, “Titicut Follies,” an astonishing record of the abuses endured by inmates at a Massachusetts institute for the criminally insane. Censored by the state for decades on the grounds that it violated patients’ privacy rights, the film’s catalog of horrors can still feel like a shock to the system; at the time, it established an incendiary, muckraking tone that eventually subsided as Wiseman pursued an ever more intricate way of seeing his subjects.
Even still, the elements that make Wiseman’s documentaries such exemplars of storytelling integrity were all there from the start — the patience of his immersive, exploratory method, the careful balance of distance and intimacy, and the scrupulous avoidance of voice-over, talking heads, dramatic reconstructions and other familiar shortcuts of nonfiction filmmaking. Above all there was his astute and ingenious fascination with the institution as a deeply revealing window into the heart of everyday American life.
He followed “Titicut Follies” with “High School” (1968), one of his most engaging movies, and one in which you yearn to follow every thread for just a few minutes longer after Wiseman cuts away. A scrappy forerunner of his longer, denser portraits of educational systems, “High School II” (1994) and “At Berkeley” (2013), the film (also screening in a 35-mm restoration) runs just 75 minutes and serves as a bracing reminder of the economy and impact that Wiseman could achieve before the epic running times of his later work.
Also clocking in under an hour and a half is the unforgettable “Hospital” (1970), which makes the rounds at New York’s Metropolitan Hospital Center and takes on a wrenching, almost spiritual dimension in its study of the body in extremis. One famous scene, a lengthy phone call between an exasperated doctor and a never-seen welfare worker with the memorable name of Miss Hightower, forms a bridge between this film and “Welfare” (1975), Wiseman’s nearly three-hour investigation of a broken and unruly aid system, and a film that, no less than “Hospital,” rivetingly explores the interplay of clients and workers, of intense need on the one hand and continually thwarted compassion on the other.
A patient talks to a psychiatrist in a walk–in clinic in "Hospital." Zipporah Films A patient talks to a psychiatrist in a walk–in clinic in "Hospital." A patient talks to a psychiatrist in a walk–in clinic in "Hospital." (Zipporah Films)
Wiseman has been the first to concede that his work, far from adhering to some pure, unfiltered standard of cinematic objectivity, is entirely dependent on a clear, intelligent storytelling strategy and a keen understanding of dramatic rhythm, even if the rhythm is less emphatic than most. The restraint of his methods — his unwillingness to tell you what to think of what he’s showing you, or even let on what he might think — should never be mistaken for a pose of neutrality.
Ambivalence may be the more accurate descriptor. It’s instructive to look at a film like “Meat” (1976), with its grueling and meticulous study of the American farming system, in contrast with a more polemically inclined film like Robert Kenner’s “Food, Inc.” (2008). In Wiseman’s work there is almost always the sense that, regardless of which building or profession or industry he’s exploring (or whatever the movie’s title may be), his true subject remains unstated and elusive.
You learn about more than just the day-to-day military operations at Fort Knox in “Basic Training” (1971), just as “Juvenile Court” (1973) illuminates something beyond the harsh conditions and accusations that bring children and teenagers into early conflict with the justice system. Wiseman’s pictures are models of specificity, but what remains constant from film to film is a sense of personal identity being warped and consumed by the larger workings of the establishment. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-frederick-wiseman-retrospective-20160825-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/4f6268a0394db7fc766552b78302c15c1aa3f8205bcdf22c88bbf6dedf5cfa83.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Adam Elmahrek"
]
| 2016-08-28T12:49:09 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-lacey-gifts-20160824-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c26d31/turbine/la-me-lacey-gifts-20160824-snap | en | null | Jewelry, wine, clothing and sports tickets: D.A. collects more than $10,000 worth of gifts | null | null | www.latimes.com | Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey has accepted more than $10,000 worth of gifts over the last four years from criminal defense attorneys, police unions, business owners, prosecutors in her office and others who could have an interest in influencing her decisions as one of the most powerful law enforcement officials in the county, according to state records.
The gifts include necklaces and a pearl box, sporting event tickets, bottles of wine, clothing and a glass rose dipped in 24-carat gold, the records show.
A Los Angeles Times review of state disclosure records found that Lacey’s gift taking exceeded the amount disclosed over the same time period by the district attorneys of other large California jurisdictions, including Orange County, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino. San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascón disclosed more than $18,000 worth of gifts, but about $17,000 was for travel payments from mostly nonprofit organizations for speaking and panel events.
The state’s political ethics law allows public officials to accept gifts totaling $460 from any single source in a calendar year, but requires officials to disclose the gifts on public forms known as statements of economic interest. In Lacey’s case, the forms reveal dozens of gifts over the last three years.
Still, some experts in government and legal ethics say Lacey’s gift taking creates potential conflict-of-interest issues and could give the appearance that her office might be unduly influenced on prosecutions and promotions.
Bruce Green, director of the Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics at Fordham Law School, said district attorneys should avoid accepting gifts from employees, defense attorneys and business executives within their jurisdictions.
“Public officials are supposed to be disinterested, but prosecutors in particular are supposed to be disinterested,” Green said. “They have extraordinary power to destroy people’s lives. And you want them to act in a disinterested way, not with an eye toward profiting.”
Lacey declined a request to be interviewed. But the district attorney’s office emailed a statement emphasizing her commitment to government transparency. It also pointed out that the vast majority of prosecutors who received promotions had not given her any gifts. Gifts such as chocolates and edible food arrangements were distributed to employees, according to a spokeswoman.
“I have complied with the law and will continue to comply with the law,” Lacey said in the statement.
Lacey disclosed nearly $2,000 worth of gifts in 2012, the year she successfully ran for office. She then accepted gifts valued at $4,000 in 2013, her first year on the job. She reported taking more than $2,000 worth of gifts in 2014, and last year.
Lacey isn’t the first district attorney, or even the first high-ranking elected official, to draw attention for accepting pricey gifts. A Times review of disclosure forms filed by county department heads dating to 2010 found that top law enforcement officials — specifically Lacey, former Sheriff Lee Baca and former Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley — had reported more gifts than any other county department head.
The Times in 2011 found that Baca had accepted more than $120,000 worth of gifts between 1998 and 2010. The gifts included rounds of golf, free meals, liquor, and tickets to sporting events. His benefactors included actor Michael Douglas, the government of Saudi Arabia, and at least two felons. A real estate magnate gave Baca wine and liquor, and the former sheriff launched a criminal investigation on his behalf that was referred to by deputies as a “Sheriff Baca Special Request.”
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa agreed to pay $42,000 in state fines under an agreement with the state Fair Political Practices Commission and the city Ethics Commission after it was found that he had not disclosed free tickets to 34 events, including the Academy Awards, Lakers basketball games and the music reality TV show “American Idol.” Villaraigosa argued that he was performing ceremonial duties at these events and didn’t know that he had to disclose the tickets.
Cooley, Lacey’s predecessor and political benefactor, was criticized for accepting gifts during his unsuccessful 2010 run for state attorney general. Like Lacey, he had taken clothing, sporting event tickets and wine — but also cigars, tequila and cologne — from an array of prominent people around town.
Cooley dismissed criticism of his acceptance of gifts as a non-story conjured up by his “unworthy opponent” in the attorney general’s race, Kamala Harris, who went on to defeat him in the election. He said as long as it’s disclosed and under the legal limit, there’s nothing wrong with a district attorney accepting gifts, regardless of the source. He defended Lacey as someone whom he admires for “her ethics and her integrity.” And he was also critical of ethics experts who say district attorneys should avoid accepting gifts.
“A lot of these people are armchair academics who have never been in the game,” Cooley said. “They just have opinions. And quite frankly, a lot of them can’t be relied upon.”
According to state records, Lacey has accepted gifts from foreign dignitaries, a Los Angeles Times executive, and the head of a local translation services company. The president of Victoria Caro Associates Inc. gave Lacey a $100 broach and a “gift set” worth $173. The company provides translation services to the district attorney’s office, a spokeswoman said.
Green said that accepting gifts from companies and their executives could compromise her office.
“What’s going to happen when they call up and say one of our employees embezzled or did something wrong? Are they going to get more favorable treatment than other companies?” Green asked.
Experts also point out that Lacey’s acceptance of gifts from defense attorneys can create perception issues.
For example, criminal defense attorney Michael Goldstein advertises on his website a multitude of cases where he negotiated plea bargains and persuaded prosecutors to dismiss charges. Goldstein gave Cooley tickets to Lakers games. And, just a few days before Lacey was elected district attorney, Goldstein gave her $200 worth of sporting event tickets. Around Christmas2014, he gave her pastries worth $100. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-lacey-gifts-20160824-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/fae6e3b96a52fb16f46df62aa4085316a4eeb7c80bc783f8de24dec5a2117145.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Neal J. Leitereg"
]
| 2016-08-30T16:49:56 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Frealestate%2Fhot-property%2Fla-fi-hotprop-sophia-loren-venice-vacation-home-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5af23/turbine/la-fi-hotprop-sophia-loren-venice-vacation-home-20160830-snap | en | null | Former Venice, Italy, vacation home of Sophia Loren seeks $6.6 million | null | null | www.latimes.com | Just in time for the Venice Film Festival, a former vacation home of film actress Sophia Loren has come up for sale in Venice, Italy, for about $6.6 million.
The 15th century palazzo In the historic San Marco district is where Loren stayed during the 1955 festival. Other celebrities to stay at the apartment include author Ernest Hemingway and actor Henry Fonda.
The third-floor apartment over looks the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. (Venice Sotheby's International Realty) (Venice Sotheby's International Realty)
The Moorish-style building, across from the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal, is distinguished by its stone trim, rows of arches and front-facing terrace balconies extending from each level. It has a boat mooring and a private lift.
The 4,300-square-foot apartment features such Venetian details as delicate molding, grand chandeliers and plaster walls. Multiple reception areas, five bedrooms and four bathrooms make up the floor plan.
Views from each formal room take in the canal.
Venice Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.
Loren, 80, has scores of credits that include “Marriage Italian Style” (1965), “El Cid” (1961), “It Started in Naples” (1960) and “Two Women” (1960); she won a best actress Oscar for her work in the latter. In 1955, the year she stayed at the palazzo, she appeared in “The Sign of Venus,” “The Miller’s Beautiful Wife” and “Scandal in Sorrento.”
[email protected]
Twitter: @NJLeitereg | http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-sophia-loren-venice-vacation-home-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d5a7dc1fdcf045d95ff7570e0023c4de096e276b3c1cab25a0feb164dd1364f4.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Rosanna Xia"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:14:37 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-cal-state-homeless-adv-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b8a89f/turbine/la-me-cal-state-homeless-adv-snap | en | null | At Cal State, student homelessness has been hidden until now | null | null | www.latimes.com | Racing from her last class of the day at Cal State Long Beach, Shellv Candler had about an hour to get to Wilmington. Her mother was trying to save her a bed at the Doors of Hope Women’s Shelter, but curfew was 6:45 sharp.
The college student’s commute by bus and train was stressful. But she and her mother had been through worse. The foreclosure of the family home. Evictions. Relatives who could give them shelter for only so long. Some nights, with nowhere to go, they’d ridden the bus until daylight. Once they’d slept in a hospital morgue.
Six classes from graduating, Candler persevered.
“There were times I thought about dropping out,” she said. “But going to school was my escape — to be able to take all that anger, frustration, sadness, disappointment, to take all of that and put it into something as proactive as my education…. This is my chance to be able to do something with my life.”
Cal State, the nation’s largest public university system, has embarked on an unprecedented effort to identify and count its many students who, like Candler, quietly juggle classes, multiple jobs and the anxiety of figuring out where to sleep at night — those who dutifully show up at classes but then curl up in their cars, shower at the gym and shuffle between couches and motels.
The goal, said Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White, is to build momentum to “provide the necessary support” and change policy — both on campus and in the state Legislature.
Neither data nor social services exist at the higher education level in the way they do for students in kindergarten through high school, which “frankly, limits the attention that’s paid to the issue,” said Barbara Duffield of the National Assn. for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.
The only official clue to the number of homeless college students in the country is the 56,588 who identified as such on their federal financial aid applications — a number that advocates say understates the problem.
Cal State’s initial findings — based on focus groups, student surveys and interviews with faculty and staff — led university officials to estimate that as many as 1 in 10 of the system’s 475,000 students lacked fixed, steady places to sleep at night.
Are so many students really homeless? Perhaps not, by a strict definition — but, said Eric Rice, who teaches social work at USC and has studied homeless youth for 14 years, “we have this very severe idea of homelessness, which is that it's a schizophrenic adult who’s lying in essentially a nest of dirty clothes and shopping bags. The issue is just much more nuanced.”
Because Cal State is relatively inexpensive — about $5,500 a year, less than most rents in L.A. — some students choose to spend their limited resources on tuition over housing “because that’s a way to get ahead,” he said.
The research conducted by Rashida Crutchfield, who led the initial phase of the Cal State study, illuminated why many students go unnoticed: Ashamed, they don’t seek help, or they don’t see themselves as homeless because they’re not literally living on the street. Some speak out about their circumstances only when they’re about to flunk or drop out or have nowhere else to turn.
The reasons for their troubles vary — violence at home, mishandled financial aid forms, confusing bureaucracy, said Crutchfield, who teaches social work on the Long Beach campus.
Gabe Rosales’ parents kicked him out two days before he started at Cal State Long Beach, after years of fights over his bisexuality. A friend took him in, and he shopped for groceries, cleaned — anything to express his gratitude.
Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter »
“Half my brain was battling schoolwork. The other half of my brain was like, your parents don’t love you and you’re sleeping on a cot,” Rosales said. He searched Google for answers “but I just didn’t know what to look for, I didn’t even know where to begin.”
He eventually found an assistant dean who showed him how to file for independent status on financial aid forms and get a loan. His high school credentials — class president, choir leader — helped him land a job as president of the Residence Hall Assn., which includes a shared room and $300 stipend for the upcoming school year. To pay tuition and everything else, he took two additional jobs, working in a campus office and as a summer camp counselor.
Fearful that this newfound stability could falter, the 18-year-old doesn’t go out, rations his meals and treats his responsibilities with gravitas.
“I have stable housing for the next year, but that’s only a year,” he said. “I don’t know where I’m going to live a year from now.”
Some people dismiss the woes of “the starving college student” or say the problem is wasteful spending on alcohol and lattes, Crutchfield said. “Sometimes people ask me, are these students getting financial counseling? And I say: ‘Well yeah, we can offer them financial counseling, if you can offer financial counseling on how to make $100 last 30 days.’ ”
It can become this domino effect if we don't catch it and find a way to help. — Duan Jackson
In the next phase of the study, she said, her team will find and interview many more students after sending out thousands of surveys to all 23 schools.
The findings ultimately will help Cal State launch intervention support programs on every campus, Crutchfield said. Eleven — including Long Beach — offer some sort of support, such as food pantries or emergency housing. Others have a long way to go.
A number of higher-education bills have also been moving through the California legislature, including one to designate homeless point persons on state campuses and another to keep some dorms open when classes are out of session. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-cal-state-homeless-adv-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/e753ed3c5a956a72e3c3216969a8ae3868ed70a7fc672ab6f46b1d4b5d7c5f0b.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Kenneth Turan"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:14:08 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbooks%2Fjacketcopy%2Fla-ca-jc-fossum-hell-fire-20160815-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bfd339/turbine/la-ca-jc-fossum-hell-fire-20160815-snap | en | null | Murder in mind in Karin Fossum's new thriller 'Hell Fire' | null | null | www.latimes.com | With Scandinavian crime fiction all the rage and enormous attention paid to writers like Jo Nesbo, Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell, it's almost, well, criminal, that Norway's Karin Fossum isn't better known.
Translated into dozens of languages and winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic crime novel, Fossum's exceptional qualities are on view in her new novel, "Hell Fire," the 12th to feature the inexorable Inspector Konrad Sejer, an investigator par excellence.
A brooding, fatalistic, truly disturbing book, "Hell Fire" starts, no surprise here, with the discovery of a corpse. Two corpses to be exact, in a dilapidated trailer parked in a field between the hamlets of Geirastadir and Haugane.
Young single mother Bonnie Hayden and her 5-year-old son, Simon, have been savagely killed by someone with a knife. "Planned, but still a bit chaotic" is how Sejer describes the attack to his investigative team. "This didn't happen in the heat of the moment; this was intentional."
"Hell Fire" goes back and forth between the present, with Sejer methodically talking to people and tracking down leads, to six months in the past, when Bonnie and Simon were still alive and never in their wildest moments thinking that their story would figure in a crime narrative.
Bonnie is a home-care worker, and the variety of cases she is assigned offers readers, as Scandinavian crime writers as far back as Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (creators of the landmark Martin Beck series) have done, windows into the nature of society.
By all indications Bonnie was a genuinely good person ("kindness itself," according to a friend) who did all she could for her clients. And her son was an adorable tot who never quite got used to his mother having to put him in day care to go to work.
Fossum not only switches back and forth in time, she also introduces us to another single mother and the son she lives with. That would be Thomasine "Mass" Malthe and her 21-year-old son Eddie, a young man with an undefined personality disorder obsessed with tracking down his absent father, something his mother is dead-set against.
Though figuring out who killed Bonnie and Simon is very much on Inspector Sejer's mind, it is not necessarily the top concern of author Fossum, a master of creating disturbances in the minds of her readers.
Fossum's books are invariably involving novels simply masquerading as crime fiction, literary works with murder on their minds. For her, the great question is not who did the crime but why was it done. To Fossum, human relationships, the endlessly complexities of individual psyches, are the great mystery to be pondered.
A writer whose first published works were volumes of poetry, Fossum has the pared-back style to make this happen. Her tone is exact and unflinching, the bitter enemy of anything extraneous or false. Here, for example, is an example of Sejer's stream of consciousness thinking when he discovers a key clue:
"Who did it belong to? A furious or raving lunatic, a man who had been wronged in some way, a man whose head was full of revenge or delusions. A man who perhaps heard voices, a man who was out of his head on something. A man who was full of demons and fiends, a man who might not even be able to explain to himself, let alone to anyone else, why he did what he did. A man who drove a red car and had left a footprint on the worn linoleum floor and then fled through the woods."
Because Fossum is the kind of writer she is, what grips readers is the enormous amount of emotion she works up as we get closer and closer to reliving the murderous event in question. Like her best book, "The Indian Bride " (shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger in 2000), "Hell Fire" is close to heartbreaking, and there are not many novels, thrillers or otherwise, you can say that about.
Turan is The Times' film critic.
::
“Hell Fire”
Karin Fossum, translated from the Norwegian by Karl Dixon
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: 272 pp., $24 | http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-fossum-hell-fire-20160815-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/6f697491515eb55ee6141662f6184e616aa53de6ac76d2575b030fffdb6a055d.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T04:49:58 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-beyonce-is-11-inches-taller-than-simone-1472441154-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3ad40/turbine/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-beyonce-is-11-inches-taller-than-simone-1472441154 | en | null | Beyoncé is 11 inches taller than Simone Biles. That is all. | null | null | www.latimes.com | Beyoncé and Simone Biles both tower over the competition in their respective fields -- but when they met face to face on the VMAs, it was no contest.
In their stocking feet, Beyoncé is 11 inches taller than Biles.
In diva heels on Sunday as she accepted her Moonman for female video from four of the Final Five, 5-foot-7 Bey was more like a 6-foot presence. Meanwhile, 4-foot-8 Biles wore modest heels, maybe 2.5 inches -- that left her still short of 5 feet tall.
This, friends, is what that looked like when Beyonce hugged Biles and her 5-foot-2 teammate Aly Raisman. Yes, Simone is in there. She's wearing red, in case you can't tell. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-beyonce-is-11-inches-taller-than-simone-1472441154-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/db51e5c34cc26b036ff7a9361ea0f925ef6925899359f67e7cccee96eae3bd58.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Hannah Fry"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:16:20 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-petition-20160825-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf8f39/turbine/tn-dpt-me-petition-20160825 | en | null | Petition urges rejection of 45-unit Newport Center residential project | null | null | www.latimes.com | A Newport Beach activist group and a political action committee are circulating a petition online urging the city Planning Commission to vote down a residential development planned to replace a car wash and gas station in Newport Center.
Stop Polluting Our Newport and the Line in the Sand PAC began circulating the petition against the 150 Newport Center project via email and social media on Tuesday. By Thursday morning, about 500 people had registered their support, according to the two groups.
"I don't know how much effect it will have, but it indicates the feeling that we object to the way this is being planned," said SPON co-founder and Line in the Sand member Jean Watt. "They're proposing to change the whole look and feel of the area. It's just backward planning."
Newport Center Anacapa Associates has proposed building 150 Newport Center, a six-story, 65-foot-tall townhome and condominium project with 45 units, to replace the Beacon Bay Auto Wash and an adjacent gas station on 1.26 acres along Newport Center Drive near Anacapa Drive.
The building previously was proposed to be seven stories reaching 69 feet tall and including 49 residential units. The developer reduced the size in its most recent plan.
However, more changes likely will be presented at the Planning Commission's next meeting Sept. 1, said Tod Ridgeway, a former Newport Beach mayor who is one of the applicants on the proposal.
After about two hours of discussion at its meeting Aug. 18, the Planning Commission couldn't come to a consensus about various points of the project, including its density and height. However, several commissioners indicated they would support the site being used for residential purposes.
But the commission provided some parameters for 150 Newport Center, including setting the maximum number of units at 45 and a maximum building height of 50 feet, which would be in line with other buildings in that area, commissioners said.
For the development to move forward, the Planning Commission would have to vote to change the land-use designation for the site from regional commercial office to multi-unit residential to allow homes to be built. The City Council also would have to sign off on the proposal.
Ridgeway said SPON and Line in the Sand should defer their petition until the proposal has been finalized and has a chance to move through the commission to the council.
"It would be more appropriate and fair to the project," he said. "We're in the middle of doing redesign work to try to accommodate what we heard at the Planning Commission."
The two groups wrote in the petition that 150 Newport Center is inappropriate for the location because of its height and bulk and the fact that it proposes residential on a site not zoned for it. The zoning should remain commercial, they said.
The groups also point to noise issues that could arise from the units being close to restaurants, bars and a movie theater at Fashion Island.
Ridgeway said the project would replace an "obsolete" car wash and provide economic vitality to Newport Center.
"It's not like we're overpowering the site," he said. "We've agreed to a lower footprint, and I think it fits very well."
SPON and Line in the Sand member Dorothy Kraus said the project not only would set a precedent for large-scale residential development in Newport Center but also could provide leeway for developers looking to build in other parts of the city that aren't zoned for residential.
"We're on a very slippery slope here," Kraus said.
--
Hannah Fry, [email protected]
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-petition-20160825-story.html | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/04f5e2c59f79a43ec07e9a53c26c3f79d3a6f6aa7b2dfb2d3f437c04839ae85f.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Alex Chan"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:16:35 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-0825-football-chemistry-20160824-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57be6e9c/turbine/tn-dpt-me-0825-football-chemistry-20160824 | en | null | Rams teammates get a real dose of chemistry in UCI demos | null | null | www.latimes.com | In just one 15-minute session, UC Irvine professor Jennifer Prescher showed the Los Angeles Rams' defensive linemen how to shatter, crush and burn the competition — with chemistry.
The chemistry instructor teamed up with two of her department colleagues and four graduate students to present demonstrations for some of the NFL team's players Wednesday at UCI's Rowland Hall.
As part of the Rams' summer training camp at the university, the players have been using various classrooms in Rowland Hall to watch videos and study for the upcoming season.
As the athletes moved into the chemistry department's territory in July, Prescher and Rams defensive line coach Mike Waufle crossed paths.
"I told him I actually taught chemistry in that classroom they were using," Prescher said. "He said it would be great to hold a demo and that it would be educational and fun for [the players]."
By Wednesday, Prescher and her team were ready to show the 12 defensive linemen how to "up their game" with chemistry.
In the first lesson, the group showed the players how to "light the way" for their team.
After Prescher poured together liquid luminol with sodium hydroxide and bleach in a glass conical flask, she held up the flask to show a purple, glowing solution.
The Rams oohed and aahed at the concoction.
Prescher then set aside the flask and had the graduate students show how to make toothpaste with soap, hydrogen peroxide and yeast.
According to Prescher, the UCI chemistry department's grad students routinely do the same demonstrations for grade schools throughout Orange County as part of the department's outreach efforts.
"I've done these for elementary, middle and high school … pretty much everyone, except for NFL players," said Erika Lucas, a graduate student from Prescher's demo group. "Now I can add that onto my list."
For the Rams classroom, the group spent about a week preparing demos with the most relevance to football, Prescher said.
"It was fun trying to adapt [the demos] for a very different audience," graduate student David Dawson said. "If I was told a year ago that I would help lead a demo in front of the L.A. Rams, I would not have believed it."
For the next lesson, the class moved outside of Rowland Hall where the grad students had liquid nitrogen-soaked foam footballs and gummy bears in test tubes ready for the Rams.
The students laid the footballs, which turned rock-hard from the nitrogen, on the ground and handed the players mallets to crush the frozen foam.
As the linemen wrapped their huge hands around the small wooden mallets and hammered the footballs, icy vapor rose from the broken pieces after each smash.
Moving from cold to hot, the students placed green and red gummy bears — green for the Seattle Seahawks and red for the San Francisco 49ers — into their own test tubes.
After using an oxidizer to make contact with the gummies, the bears became bright and hot, showing the players how they could "burn the competition."
For the last lesson, Prescher and her team showed the Rams how they can "leave their mark."
A wooden board had black magnesium powder sprinkled on it to depict the Rams' logo.
After lighting the board on fire, graduate student David Row poured a bucket of sand on it. He uncovered the board to show the head of the ram logo burned into the wood. The Rams hollered and cheered.
While some teachers may shudder at the thought of instructing a class of players more than 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds, for Prescher, it's all in a day's work.
"Twelve linemen is nothing compared to 400 freshmen," she said with a laugh. | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-0825-football-chemistry-20160824-story.html | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/2c8476e18724d06883207374ddc8f8af1c5be7e27e3bfcbf157b11bf8e65ecee.json |
[
"La Cañada",
"Sara Cardine"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:16:06 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fla-canada-valley-sun%2Fnews%2Ftn-vsl-me-backtoschool-20160817-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b4e6b9/turbine/tn-vsl-me-backtoschool-20160817 | en | null | A new approach to a new school year in La Cañada | null | null | www.latimes.com | Tuesday may have marked the official start of the 2016-17 school year, but for many La Cañada Unified School District campuses the day marked the culmination of days and weeks of planning and preparation.
More than 4,000 students poured onto local school campuses bright and early Tuesday morning, some eager to reunite with friends and classmates and others nervous about what the new year has in store for them.
To help make the transition a smooth one for students and parents, and to welcome newcomers to the district, LCUSD schools held a host of activities and get-togethers in the week leading up to the all-important first day.
Elementary school campuses held introductory meetings for incoming kindergarten families Aug. 11 to let parents and children get a lay of the land, while a series of individual ice cream socials the following day were held to help new families break the ice in a friendly environment.
Administrators at La Cañada High School 7/8 and 9-12 tried a new approach for incoming seventh- and ninth-graders, kicking off mentorship programs that paired newbies with seasoned pros willing to show them the ropes.
A group of eighth-grade volunteers, taking part in the "Where Everybody Belongs" (WEB) program, were partnered with incoming "sevies" in an orientation held on campus last Wednesday to help ease first-day jitters.
According to LCHS 7/8 Principal Jarrett Gold, the program is intended to help new students feel more at ease as they transition to a larger school campus. A similar program for incoming freshman is being tested at LCHS 9-12.
The Link Crew Freshman Mentorship program assigns groups of freshman to a volunteer senior leader, who acts as a go-to source for answers about bell schedules, teachers and any questions a nervous freshman might have.
Volunteers wore bright orange shirts Tuesday to be easily locatable, but teachers and administrators walked among the throngs for back up, making sure the new school year went off without a hitch.
--
Sara Cardine, [email protected]
Twitter: @SaraCardine | http://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/news/tn-vsl-me-backtoschool-20160817-story.html | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b0fc1a3e3ba7bc1900c87ae6bd33f212ca3b02279ae3c5d2182665abd36b9a0d.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Debbi Baker"
]
| 2016-08-31T02:50:09 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fnationnow%2Fla-na-south-carolina-clowns-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c62bf2/turbine/la-na-south-carolina-clowns-20160830-snap | en | null | South Carolina children say clowns are trying to lure them into the woods | null | null | www.latimes.com | Halloween is still more than a month away, but the haunting is starting already in South Carolina, where children have reported that scary clowns have tried to lure them into a forest.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said that several reports had come in about the costumed characters who have been “appearing in the woods” behind an apartment building, where they try to entice youngsters by showing them large amounts of money.
ABC News reported that police wrote in a report that the children believe the "the clowns stay in a house located near a pond at the end of a man-made trail in the woods.”
One youngster called police to say that someone was taking photos of kids in the neighborhood. That was followed by another caller reporting that someone in a clown costume was seen coming out of the woods.
Adults have also spotted at least one of the curious creatures. One woman told officers that she was walking to her home when she came across a “large-figured clown with a blinking nose, standing under a post light near the garbage dumpster area,” according to the police report. She said he waved at her as she passed.
Another woman said her son spotted several clowns with green laser lights whispering and making noises among some trees.
Caption 90 seconds: 4 stories you can't miss Huma Abedin leaves her husband, Anthony Weiner, Apple owes Ireland big, Brock Turner is released, and the 4 Aurora movie massacre survivors owe Cinemark lawyer fees. Huma Abedin leaves her husband, Anthony Weiner, Apple owes Ireland big, Brock Turner is released, and the 4 Aurora movie massacre survivors owe Cinemark lawyer fees. Caption Kim Jong Un executes using anti-aircraft gun South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported Kim Jong Un had two North Korean officials executed with an anti-aircraft gun in early August. South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported Kim Jong Un had two North Korean officials executed with an anti-aircraft gun in early August.
Rattling chains, banging on doors and even gunshots allegedly fired by people at the clowns have also been reported, according to Greenville Online.
The most recent sighting was Monday night.
Police are investigating. So far, no signs of the creepy clowns have been found, but officers are stepping up patrols in the area.
Baker writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
ALSO
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'Blunt discrimination' by police and 'crisis levels' of racism: A senior U.N. official reflects on America | http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-south-carolina-clowns-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/570dd47a5ce3c3af865cddeb4886110539da44e8f30b36e1cf36274f0fe294eb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Matt Wilhalme"
]
| 2016-08-30T00:50:08 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Frams%2Fla-sp-rams-roster-cuts-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4c670/turbine/la-sp-rams-roster-cuts-20160829-snap | en | null | Rams make 14 cuts before the deadline for getting to a 75-man roster | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Rams cut 14 players Monday to reduce their roster ahead of Tuesday’s 75-man roster deadline.
L.A. has until 1 p.m. Tuesday to finalize its 75-man roster ahead of its last exhibition game, against the Vikings in Minnesota on Thursday.
The next cut comes Saturday, when teams will have until 1 p.m. to further reduce their rosters to 53 players.
Linebacker-defensive end Quinton Coples’ contract was terminated, and the following players also were released.
Pos. | Player | (School if rookie)
K Taylor Bertolet (Texas A&M)
TE Benson Browne (North Carolina State)
DB Mike Caputo (Wisconsin)
DT Zach Colvin (Bowling Green)
C Brian Folkerts
LB Darreon Herring (Vanderbilt)
LB-DE Quinton Coples
WR Marquez North (Tennessee)
LS Jeff Overbaugh (San Diego State)
WR David Richards (Arizona)
TE Jake Stoneburner
OL Jordan Swindle (Kentucky)
QB Dylan Thompson
FB Zach Laskey
[email protected]
Follow Matt Wilhalme on Twitter @mattwilhalme | http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-roster-cuts-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/55e10a338da1251c6883bac7242074c51d5618d821f843b0a85fd6f86aa904d6.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Thomas J. Main"
]
| 2016-08-29T20:49:37 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fop-ed%2Fla-oe-main-alt-right-trump-20160825-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf73bc/turbine/la-oe-main-alt-right-trump-20160825-snap | en | null | What's the Alt-Right? | null | null | www.latimes.com | Hillary Clinton attacked Donald Trump on Thursday for his cozy relationship with a new political movement, the Alternative Right, or Alt-Right. The Alt-Right rejects American democracy as did the American communists of the 1930s and the New Left of the 1960s. The main challenge to our way of life today now comes not from the radical left, but the Alt-Right.
Starting in the 1960s, anti-Semites, overt racists, and John Birch Society adherents were cast out of the political mainstream. These outcasts lay low for a while, but they didn’t just disappear. Now their ideological descendants are trying to take over the Republican Party (as well as the country).
The Alt-Right supports the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and protectionist trade policies. It opposes feminism, diversity, gay rights, globalism, gun control and civil rights.
But it is the underlying ideology of the Alt-Right, rather than its controversial policy positions, that is truly sinister. Alt-Right thought is based on white nationalism and anti-Americanism. The Alt-Right holds, in essence, that all men are not created equal, and that as racial equality has displaced white dominance, America has declined and no longer merits the allegiance of its white citizens.
Alt-Right leaders, unlike Neo-Nazis or KKK supporters, are intellectually and rhetorically sophisticated. Jared Taylor, editor of the American Renaissance website, holds degrees from Yale and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris. On his site, Taylor published “An Open Letter to Cuckservatives” — the Alt-Right’s insulting term for moderate conservatives — laying out his beliefs.
In the letter, Taylor denies the notion that "the things you love about America…are rooted in certain principles.” Rather, “they are rooted in certain people.” That is, white people: “Germans, Swedes, Irishmen, and Hungarians could come and contribute to the America you love,” Taylor says. “Do you really believe that a future Afro-Hispanic-Caribbean-Asiatic America will be anything like the America your ancestors built?” White nationalism is more important than inalienable rights because “Even when they violate your principles, white people build good societies. Even when they abide by your principles, non-whites usually don’t.”
Richard B. Spencer of the National Policy Institute, who went to the Universities of Chicago and Virginia, is openly anti-American. In an interview last July with the New York Times he said: “America as it is currently constituted — and I don’t just mean the government; I mean America as constituted spiritually and ideologically — is the fundamental problem…I don’t support and agree with much of anything America is doing in the world.” He despises “cuckservatives” because “we’ve recognized the bankruptcy of this ideology, based on ‘free markets,’ ‘values,’ and ‘American exceptionalism.’”
In short, this new strain of reactionary thought goes beyond the garden-variety racial prejudice of yore — which certainly was bad enough — to a root-and-branch rejection of American 21st century values. The Alt-Right represents the first new philosophical competitor to liberalism, broadly defined, since the fall of Communism.
Is anyone listening to the Alt-Right? Yes: Key Alt-Right websites the American Renaissance and VDARE — named after Virginia Dare, “the first white child of English parentage born in America” — both received more web visits last November than Dissent and Ms. The National Policy Institute and its Radix Journal together had many more visits than the neoconservative policy journal National Affairs.
So the Alt-Right has an audience — and in Trump, it has a candidate. Trump’s rants about Mexican rapists charging across the southern border, his attacks on an American-born judge of Mexican descent, and his calls to ban Muslims from entering the country, are all in line with Alt-Right ideology. Accordingly, Alt-Right organizations made robocalls for Trump in the Iowa, New Hampshire and Utah primaries.
VDARE declared in July: “We are all Donald Trump Now.” And the website’s editor, Peter Brimelow, wrote on Wednesday: “Trump is the best presidential candidate on immigration that we’ve ever had. That’s not saying a lot, goodness knows — but it’s a YUGE advance.”
But VDARE isn’t the Alt-Right flavored publication most closely associated with Trump. That distinction goes to Breitbart News, whose former chair, Stephen K. Bannon, is now the Trump campaign CEO. Bannon has described Breitbart as a “platform for the Alt-Right.” The site even published a helpful “Guide to the Alt-Right” which explained that “young rebels” are drawn to the cause “for the same reason that young Baby Boomers were drawn to the New Left in the 1960s: because it promises fun, transgression, and a challenge to social norms they just don’t understand.” Those norms apparently include tolerance and the concept of racial equality.
The Alt-Right is the first explicitly anti-American political movement to attach itself to a major-party presidential candidate since 1948, when Communists supported the Progressive, former Vice President Henry Wallace. All schools of American political thought — and especially mainstream conservatives — must reject this dangerous ideology.
Thomas J. Main is Professor at the School of Public and International Affairs, Baruch College, CUNY. He is writing a book on the Alt-Right and American politics.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-main-alt-right-trump-20160825-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/08f3c06ec300adc7c966e7b0144cf9f6358a55d94adeb0134ec4fc09ab8ea1da.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Christopher Knight",
"Art Critic"
]
| 2016-08-31T12:50:24 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Farts%2Fla-et-cm-tsao-collection-review-20160823-snap-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bdd6b2/turbine/la-et-cm-tsao-collection-review-20160823-snap | en | null | 'Alternative Dreams: 17th Century Chinese Paintings From the Tsao Collection' at LACMA | null | null | www.latimes.com | “The way of painting belongs to the one who believes in having the universe in his own hands,” wrote Dong Qichang four centuries ago, “and that before his eyes there is nothing but life and the motivating forces for life.”
Dong should know. The painter led what amounted to a lasting artistic revolution in 17th century China.
A magnificent survey of Dong’s work was shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1992. “The Century of Tung Ch’i-ch’ang, 1555-1636” was a landmark exhibition organized by Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. (The spelling difference in the artist’s name reflects changes in the Romanization of Chinese characters since then.) Now, fine examples of Dong’s paintings start off a large, new LACMA exhibition.
“Alternative Dreams: 17th Century Chinese Paintings From the Tsao Family Collection” features more than 120 works – including an imposing set of 10 calligraphic hanging scrolls by Dong and another that unfolds a mountain landscape through a twisting, turning journey across time and space. The show is a stately, absorbing overview from a tumultuous, invigorating era in art.
"Alternative Dreams: 17th-Century Chinese Paintings from the Tsao Family Collection
It is a decidedly specific overview, however, limited by reliance on the surely impressive holdings of a single private collection. The show is a survey of one collector’s informed tastes. Its subject is the late Bay Area art dealer Jung Ying Tsao.
Tsao was born in Tianjin, China, and trained as a lawyer in Taiwan after escaping the 1949 Chinese Communist revolution. He assembled what is considered by many to be a premier collection of traditional Chinese painting, a project started in the 1950s and accelerating after his 1963 emigration to the United States.
Following his death in 2011 at 87, a long-term loan of the collection’s 17th century material was arranged by prominent LACMA curator Stephen Little, whose relationship with the Tsao family spans four decades. (Little’s first curatorial position was at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum in 1977.) The loaned collection has been the focus of study by visiting scholars and students from Southern California colleges, and the Tsao family’s foundation has underwritten the current exhibition and publication of its massive, nearly 700-page catalog.
In an email, Little confirmed that LACMA hopes to acquire the superlative collection.
That would be a coup – a coherent, brilliantly focused body of work that would also more than double the museum’s holdings in Chinese painting. The snag is that the show and book should typically come after an acquisition, not before.
The show is a demonstration of institutional goodwill in the pursuit of an acquisition; that might sound like a good idea, but rarely does the hoped-for result come to pass. Absent a quid pro quo, vanity exhibitions of private collections attached to names like Simon, Hammer, Gilbert, Smooke and Broad have led to disappointment at LACMA over the years. Color me skeptical.
Tantalizingly, 17th century European painting has been a prime growth area for LACMA’s permanent collection. The Tsao family collection would dramatically extend that reach to the other side of the globe.
The 17th century saw the fall of the Ming dynasty, which ruled first from Nanjing and then Beijing’s Forbidden City for nearly 300 years. Its corruption and decay were swept out by peasant rebellion and Manchu military power.
Dong Qichang, "Landscape in the Style of Wang Meng (circa 1308-1385)," circa 1620s-1630s, ink on paper (LACMA)
Dong Qichang, a scholar artist of incomparable gifts, died not long before the 1644 collapse. But his herculean artistic example was picked up by new generations of painters as an emblem of Qing dynasty China’s new direction.
Embracing the veneration of history so prevalent in Chinese art, Dong shifted art’s most esteemed terms. He split what had come before into two groups.
The Northern School included meticulous, often pedantic academic art of the established court. Nature was faithfully described.
By contrast, the Southern School – which included Dong and his circle – espoused the value of individual temperament. Expressive brushwork and skillfully structured composition took center stage.
Understanding nature was still an aesthetic goal, but not as something separate, detached and discrete. Nature is instead conceived as a projection of mind, its human dimensions traced by the artist’s brush.
At LACMA, an extraordinary Dong landscape scroll records a visual journey that starts at the bottom from a humble house and winds through a graceful forest, across a river and up into a rocky mountain fissured with waterfalls. The imposing, crystalline mountain is slammed up side by side against a hazy, atmospheric river valley that stretches into the far distance.
Marks of the brush, feathery and staccato, carefully muster tonalities of black ink to create space, depth, linear rhythm and implied motion. Unpainted negative space is as strong and powerful as the painted forms. Solid and void, created simultaneously, are held in vivid equilibrium. The landscape breathes.
Look closely, beyond the forest and at the foot of the mountain, and a second simple house comes into view, raised on stilts over the river. The tiny figure of a man is glimpsed through a window.
He’s doing what we’re doing, contemplating the scene. Slightly above and to the right, another pavilion – this one empty – stands on a promontory silently inviting a viewer’s eye to rest a moment and gaze out over the meandering river below. Then the climb up the mountain begins.
For me, Dong Qichang was China’s Czanne.
Dong was 73 when he painted this exquisite, 4-foot hanging scroll. It marshals the skill of a lifetime, which the show lays out in a variety of works, all from the second half of his life. There are hand scrolls, individual sheets and a folding fan, some painted in the style of earlier masters, as well as numerous examples of wonderful calligraphy and studies that combine writing and painting.
In a sense, Dong’s paintings and artistic philosophy seem to have anticipated the larger social cataclysm that would soon engulf 17th century China. Rigid, uniform rules for all gave way. Individual consciousness is extolled.
The artist’s quotation above represents his insistence that “having the universe in one’s own hands” is essential for making a work of art. And making art is an exemplar for living.
For me, Dong was China’s Cézanne. It is easy to see why LACMA, which has no paintings by him in its modest collection of traditional Chinese painting, would be eager to acquire the Tsao family collection.
Wang Yuanqi, "Landscape in the Style of Huang Gongwang," 1704, ink on paper (LACMA)
With Dong’s own scholarly acumen as a guide, the collection Tsao assembled also unfolds the widespread influence the artist gained as the Qing dynasty consolidated its power. The work of more than 80 artists is on view in a handsome, minimalist installation designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects.
It’s a demanding show, one that defies casual perusal. But it rewards close looking.
Round a corner and a burst of crimson camellias in the center of a floral scroll by Fang Hengxian is a small, sudden explosion of color in an art elsewhere dominated by shades of black ink. Colorful paintings of flowers and birds gather auspicious symbols for attributes like happiness or longevity. The show’s only women – Ma Shouzhen (an eminent courtesan) and Cai Han – were famous for painting elegant orchids and evergreen pines.
Most Westerners (including this one) are unlikely to have much acquaintance with standard fixtures in the history of Chinese art – the so-called Nine Friends of Painting, for example, a group united more by their mention in a poem than by a shared style; or, the Four Wangs (Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, Wang Yuanqi and Wang Hui), who were convinced that they alone were the true guardians of Dong Qichang’s legacy.
So it would be great if the extended loan became a permanent acquisition at a public museum of LACMA’s stature. Whether it will remains to be seen.
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[email protected]
Twitter: @KnightLAT | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-tsao-collection-review-20160823-snap-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5d9de395c23b0b3de19e06ba5e57984557ddd09223c5763adb89408515e17ef3.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"John Myers"
]
| 2016-08-30T10:49:52 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4f3c0/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-20160830-snap | en | null | Essential Politics: Will Jerry Brown give farmworkers what they want? | null | null | www.latimes.com | Is it time to rethink how much is paid to California’s farmworkers for overtime labor? That’s the question now facing Gov. Jerry Brown.
Good morning from the the state capital. I’m Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers, and Brown has some big decisions coming for bills that will be sent to his desk by midweek.
By law, the Legislature must finish its regular business for this two-year session by the end of Wednesday night. That means scores of bills are getting one last vote — some leading to intense and emotional debates.
NEW FARMWORKER OVERTIME RULES GO TO BROWN
Monday’s vote on expanding overtime regulations for California farmworkers was the second time in 88 days the state Assembly had weighed the proposal. The first time, it was narrowly defeated, when a group of Democrats refused to support the plan.
This time, as Jazmine Ulloa and Sophia Bollag report, several Democratic assembly members changed their minds. The plan calls for a four-year phase-in of new overtime rules beginning in 2019, ultimately resulting in overtime pay for more than eight hours of work in the fields in 2022.
So what will the governor do? As with most bills, he’s been silent on the issue. It’s worth remembering, though, another confrontation between Brown and the influential United Farm Workers in 2011 — in which the governor vetoed a closely watched bill that would have made it easier for farmworkers to organize. And the history goes back much further, given it was Brown who joined with the late UFW leader Cesar Chavez to allow farmworkers to join a union in 1975.
The governor has until late September to act on the bill. As always, keep an eye on our Essential Politics news feed for the very latest.
WHAT DO DONALD TRUMP AND JOHN EDWARDS HAVE IN COMMON?
No, it’s not a trick question. On Monday, Donald Trump unveiled a TV ad with a catchphrase that is awfully familiar to political junkies: “Two Americas.”
Sound familiar? It’s the same mantra used by Democrat John Edwards during the 2004 presidential campaign. Of course, Trump has his own unique version that’s he invoked in a new TV ad focusing on what he claims will happen to the economy if Hillary Clinton wins in November.
ELSEWHERE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL...
Clinton, meantime, faces a brand-new challenge: Deflecting any liability brought about by the turmoil surrounding her closest aide, Huma Abedin.
Abedin was already a favorite target of Clinton critics during the on-again, off-again email saga. Now, as Evan Halper reports, the top advisor’s marriage is front and center. Again. On Monday, Abedin announced she and husband Anthony Weiner have separated after a tabloid report that Weiner was again sending suggestive photos to a woman he met online.
And yes, there’s another New York City angle: Trump may have called Weiner a “sleazeball” but he made donations to the Democrat’s political campaigns in years past.
As for Clinton, she was heard by reporters talking to donors about the unpredictable nature of debating Trump in less than a month.
Caption The ultimate side-by-side convention comparison of Clinton and Trump on the issues An examination of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's convention acceptance speeches and how they line up on several key issues. Full coverage at latimes.com/conventions. An examination of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's convention acceptance speeches and how they line up on several key issues. Full coverage at latimes.com/conventions. Caption Protest outside Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser Protest outside Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser at the Beverly Hills estate of controversial billionaire Haim Saban. Protest outside Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser at the Beverly Hills estate of controversial billionaire Haim Saban.
SACRAMENTO ROUNDUP
Beyond the farmworker bill, Monday was a busy day in the Capitol, with a number of notable proposals either going to the governor’s desk or crashing in flames for the year.
— Lawmakers sent Brown a bill to require prison time in certain sexual assault cases, inspired by a six-month jail sentence meted out in June to a Stanford University student who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman.
— Also now on his desk: A bill to make it easier for homeowners to add an additional residential unit within their existing homes; an effort to prevent California employers from paying women less than men based on prior salary; and a requirement that county jails allow in-person visits from the families of inmates.
— Two election bills worth noting are also poised to become law with a gubernatorial signature: a major revamping of the state’s voting process, where more ballots would be mailed and polling places would be phased out; and a bill to make sure you’re told whether your vote was actually counted.
— There were also several bills killed by lawmakers on Monday, including an effort to prevent utility companies from charging ratepayers for natural gas that’s leaked into the atmosphere instead of being delivered to customers. And the Senate rejected an effort to impose new campaign contributions on races for local office. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5da8d4418fc3eb74d0016e063c3136a7e6e11cb8a5f72d6a710071ffa1dd970b.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-29T16:50:04 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fla-fi-markets-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c44a3e/turbine/la-fi-markets-20160829-snap | en | null | Stocks open moderately higher, led by bank shares | null | null | www.latimes.com | Stocks are opening moderately higher on Wall Street as the market comes off three days of losses. Banks rose the most in early trading Monday. Herbalife rose after activist investor Carl Icahn, the company's largest shareholder, said he increased his stake.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 72 points, or 0.4%, to 18,467 as of 10:09 a.m. EDT. The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 8 points, or 0.4%, to 2,177. The Nasdaq rose 12 points, or 0.2%, to 5,231.
FED EFFECT: The dollar was trading higher against other major currencies after Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen said last week that the case for raising interest rates was becoming stronger, given improvements in the U.S. economy. The prospect of higher rates sent the dollar higher against the Japanese yen and the euro.
“While the rate hike has not yet happened, markets have already begun to move and shift with the assumption of a hike,” said Margaret Yang Yan, market analyst at CMC Markets Singapore.
RATE RELIEF: Banks and other financial companies rose more than the rest of the market in early trading as traders anticipated that interest rates could move higher in the coming months. Wells Fargo, the nation's largest mortgage lender, rose 68 cents, or 1.4%, to $49.19 and Bank of America rose 17 cents, or 1.1%, to $15.96.
Banks have been in a bind with interest rates at historic lows, since low rates make lending money less profitable. Banks are still one of the biggest laggards on the stock market over the last year.
STILL A BELIEVER: Herbalife climbed 4% after Icahn said late Friday that had bought an additional 2.3 million shares in the supplements and weight-loss products company, and that he never gave an order to sell his $1-billion stake. A Wall Street Journal report earlier Friday said that the investment bank Jefferies had been looking for buyers for Icahn's position.
OVERSEAS: France's CAC 40 lost 0.7% and Germany's DAX fell 0.5%. The London Stock Exchange was closed for a summer bank holiday. Earlier in Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 2.3%. South Korea's Kospi fell 0.3% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.4%.
ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 82 cents to $46.82 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price oil internationally, lost 78 cents to $49.37 a barrel.
BONDS AND CURRENCIES: U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.60% from 1.63%. The dollar rose to 102.30 yen from 101.86 yen. The euro fell to $1.1170 from $1.1183.
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New rules on small drones kick in today: What you need to know
Consumer spending rises for fourth straight month as incomes post strong gains
Energy storage is taking on a greater role in the power grid. But how big can it get? | http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-markets-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/169331905ddf5e3427241422cbfb6b742fde69d08adf2fdd0a9eb61951fabba5.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Eric Sondheimer"
]
| 2016-08-28T00:49:16 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fhighschool%2Fvarsity-times%2Fla-sp-vi-football-re-al-mitchell-turns-on-the-speed-in-st-john-bosco-s-34-0-victory-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c23033/turbine/la-sp-vi-football-re-al-mitchell-turns-on-the-speed-in-st-john-bosco-s-34-0-victory-20160827 | en | null | Football: Re-al Mitchell turns on the speed in St. John Bosco's 34-0 victory | null | null | www.latimes.com | After the lightning disappeared on Saturday around the University of Cincinnati, junior quarterback Re-al Mitchell of St. John Bosco looked as fast as lightning in sprinting 98 yards for a touchdown on the Braves' second play from scrimmage. It was a school-record run.
Mitchell's running and passing was too much for St. Xavier, which fell to St. John Bosco, 34-0, in a season opener televised nationally by ESPNU. The game had been delayed by an hour because of weather conditions.
Mitchell also connected with Berkeley Holman for touchdown passes of 69 and 53 yards.
St. John Bosco's defense was dominant all day, especially the defensive line, led by Jacob Callier, Kyle Murray and Sal Spina. St. Xavier couldn't move the ball on the ground and sputtered through the air. Three missed field goals also didn't help. Tyrel Thomas had an interception for the Braves.
Terrance Beasley ran for a touchdown and Kalani Kukahiko kicked two field goals.
For the latest on high school sports, follow @LATSondheimer on Twitter | http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/varsity-times/la-sp-vi-football-re-al-mitchell-turns-on-the-speed-in-st-john-bosco-s-34-0-victory-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/53615e078746defc528599f7e582a7b3e41354982b7c1083b6e85d3e9e44df0d.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T20:49:50 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-about-that-black-voter-1472502477-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | About that black voter outreach... | null | null | www.latimes.com | Burns is a leading Trump surrogate in the African American community and no stranger to controversy. Last month, the South Carolina pastor delivered a harsh and unusually partisan benediction at the Republican National Convention, referring to Democrats as “the enemy” and calling on God to defeat Clinton. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-about-that-black-voter-1472502477-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/dd8eb2601d01ea0d9b1981f881dd45cd1661ebc8b0602328e241053cc57cf545.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Luke Money"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:16:27 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-immigration-rally-preview-20160824-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57be6e27/turbine/tn-dpt-me-immigration-rally-preview-20160824 | en | null | Immigration-reform walk to feature rally Friday in Costa Mesa | null | null | www.latimes.com | Immigration-reform advocates will rally at a Costa Mesa church Friday during a stop on a 132-mile march from the Mexican border to Los Angeles meant to promote solidarity with immigrants and to raise awareness of issues with current immigration laws.
The rally at The Crossing Church will come near the end of El Camino del Inmigrante, or The Path of the Immigrant, an 11-day journey organized by the Christian Community Development Assn.
Organizers say more than 100 people are participating in the event, which began Saturday at Border Field State Park, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, and is scheduled to wrap up Tuesday in Los Angeles.
"We must confront the injustice of our current immigration policy," Noel Castellanos, president and chief executive of the Christian Community Development Assn., said in a statement. "As leaders, we are choosing to publicly walk in solidarity to call out this injustice and highlight the often silenced voices of suffering immigrants and their families."
Among local participants in the event is Westside Costa Mesa resident Christine Nolf, who walked during the first day of the event and plans to rejoin it Friday.
Though she has long advocated for comprehensive immigration reform — such as a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States — Nolf said the issue has become more personal over the years.
"I've gotten to know neighbors, particularly here in Costa Mesa, that are undocumented and have been a part of our community for years and years and a part of our community that contributes and yet still are living in the shadows," she said Wednesday.
Events like El Camino del Inmigrante, she said, draw attention to the need for reforms and help address misconceptions people may have about the current immigration system.
"I think there's a lot of fear, a lot of misunderstanding about the current system and how broken it is," she said. "People say things like 'Get in line,' and I don't think people understand there's not a line to get into."
Participants and organizers will stage Friday's rally at 7 p.m. at The Crossing, 2115 Newport Blvd.
The theme of the rally is "Strangers No More," according to Monica Curca, communications and media manager for El Camino del Inmigrante.
"We're trying to shift the narrative," Curca said. "We want to look at how do we become neighbors. How do we embrace our neighbors? That's what Jesus called us to do — welcome the immigrant and the stranger."
Immigration has at times been a heated topic in Costa Mesa. The city grabbed headlines in recent years for some of its policies, such as the City Council in 2010 declaring Costa Mesa a "rule-of-law" city in support of upholding immigration laws. The city worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to check the immigration status of crime suspects, and an ICE agent was stationed at the city jail for that purpose. Many undocumented suspects were turned over to ICE.
"We removed 1,300 criminals from our community because of that effort," Allan Mansoor, a council member at the time and now a candidate in this year's council election, told the Daily Pilot last week. "It was a wide range of criminals — burglars, robbers, drug offenders, sex offenders, the whole nine yards. Those are serious crimes, and the community was safer because of it."
The ICE agent left the jail in 2010 after the federal agency adopted a program that used fingerprints to check immigration status.
For more information about El Camino del Inmigrante, visit ccda.org/events/el-camino.
--
Luke Money, [email protected]
Twitter: @LukeMMoney | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-immigration-rally-preview-20160824-story.html | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/c2d798ec2f4b124e4c8336821f9d99593c57eee613659a5cd3f331c666a62188.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"David Carrillo Peñaloza"
]
| 2016-08-27T04:48:59 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fhighschool%2Fla-sp-palos-verdes-corona-del-mar-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c115e5/turbine/la-sp-palos-verdes-corona-del-mar-20160826-snap | en | null | Palos Verdes upsets No. 11 Corona del Mar, 42-20 | null | null | www.latimes.com | Only at Palos Verdes could there be a flyover to open the football season. While the three planes impressed the fans, the way Palos Verdes’ defense grounded Corona del Mar’s aerial attack stood out more than the pregame air show.
Palos Verdes slowed down Cal-commit quarterback Chase Garbers, upsetting No. 11-ranked Corona del Mar, 42-20, on Friday afternoon. The host Sea Kings sacked Garbers, a senior, three times and allowed him to complete only 25 of 47 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns.
A year ago, Garbers completed 68.7% of his passes and averaged almost three touchdowns per game. Shane Irwin, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end, sacked Garbers twice.
"We’ve been getting ready for him for a while," Irwin said of Garbers. "We have a new philosophy this year. We’re blitzing a lot, trying to get after the quarterback. Last year we didn’t blitz too much."
Junior wide receiver Taeveon Le had 10 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Palos Verdes running back Bobby Gilbertson rushed for four touchdowns, finishing with 18 carries for 63 yards.
The senior filled in for Adison Umrarong, who went down with a foot injury midway through the third quarter.
"He runs hard," Palos Verdes Coach Guy Gardner said of Gilbertson, who against Corona del Mar matched the number of rushing touchdowns he had all of last season. "There are times where you’re like, ‘Where you’re going?’ Then he just starts churning the legs and he’s going to give you everything he’s got."
Palos Verdes also got its first win in a season opener in six years.
[email protected]
Twitter: @ByDCP | http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/la-sp-palos-verdes-corona-del-mar-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/de1737d5d9f06cfaac910f9e9286aeb26e9c6d3b18e1aa634355273b578db02f.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"The Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-28T22:49:23 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Fobituaries%2Fla-me-juan-gabriel-20160828-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c366b6/turbine/la-me-juan-gabriel-20160828-snap | en | null | Juan Gabriel, superstar Mexican singer, dies at 66 | null | null | www.latimes.com | The press office for Mexican superstar Juan Gabriel said the singer has died at age 66. The statement said he died Sunday but did not say where.
Juan Gabriel was Mexico's leading singer-songwriter and top-selling artist, with sales of more than 100 million albums.
His ballads about love and heartbreak and bouncy mariachi tunes became hymns throughout Latin America and Spain and with Spanish speakers in the United States.
A flamboyant performer, Juan Gabriel liked to wear jackets covered in sequins or dress in shiny silk outfits in hot pink, turquoise blue or canary yellow, and he was known for tossing his head before dancing or jumping around the stage.
This article will be updated.
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Mother was deported to Mexico and her kids remain in the U.S. Here's how this family works. | http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-juan-gabriel-20160828-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/75b565f2e50edd3c9cd189f234fac447f8488b40c9466a9532e98a549f1a34ec.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-28T00:49:25 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fnationnow%2Fla-na-micronesia-rescue-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c22ab7/turbine/la-na-micronesia-rescue-20160827-snap | en | null | 'SOS' in sand leads to rescue of 2 people stranded on island | null | null | www.latimes.com | The U.S. Coast Guard said two stranded mariners were rescued Friday after crews saw their "SOS" in the sand on an uninhabited island in Micronesia, Hawaii News Now reported.
A U.S. Navy aircraft crew spotted the pair on the beach and gave their location to the Coast Guard in Guam. Hawaii News Now said the two, who had no emergency equipment, were picked up and taken to a patrol boat.
The Coast Guard received a report about the couple's 18-foot vessel going missing on Aug. 19. Hawaii News Now said the two departed Weno Island on Aug. 17, and they were expected to arrive at their destination to Tamatam Island the next day.
Hawaii News Now said that on Wednesday, a ship noticed flashing lights from the uninhabited Chuuk State island where the two were later found. The U.S. Navy was alerted and spotted the survivors on the beach.
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Man faces capital murder charges in deaths of two Mississippi nuns
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Judge rules University of North Carolina can't enforce transgender bathroom restrictions | http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-micronesia-rescue-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b44ab94d8f064896d5dbfd256579208f205e71319f1b2404ebfb299bd51d496b.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Staff Reports"
]
| 2016-08-27T02:51:27 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-0827-around-town-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0ea06/turbine/tn-dpt-me-0827-around-town-20160826 | en | null | Around Town: Rescue Mission seeks school supplies for homeless children | null | null | www.latimes.com | Residents of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Irvine are being asked to donate school supplies to children at the Orange County Rescue Mission's Village of Hope in Tustin, a transitional living facility for the homeless.
Children at the Village of Hope attend various schools within the Tustin Unified School District.
"Currently, there are 79 children living at the Village of Hope, and approximately 42 of those children are school-age," Jim Palmer, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission, said in a statement. "Preparing these young children for school and providing basic school supplies helps to lay the foundation for future development and growth."
The Rescue Mission is seeking college- or wide-ruled paper, boxed markers, colored pencils, highlighters, index cards, packs of Kleenex and disinfectant wipes.
Donations can be dropped off at the Village of Hope, at 1 Hope Drive in Tustin. The donation warehouse is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
*
Concordia opens institute for leadership and counseling programs
Concordia University Irvine announced Monday the opening of the Townsend Institute for Leadership & Counseling, led by Newport Beach-based psychologist, author and speaker John Townsend.
The institute will be a part of the School of Professional Studies at Concordia. It was previously located at Huntington University in Indiana.
According to a news release, Concordia University Irvine is the only university to offer the Townsend Institute for leadership and counseling programs.
*
Costa Mesa Planning Commission to hold special meeting
Members of the Costa Mesa Planning Commission will hold a special meeting Monday.
The commission will vote on whether to recommend that the City Council approve code amendments to reflect changes adopted as part of the recent update to the city's general plan — namely a new land-use designation that would apply to the site of the Fairview Developmental Center — and the creation of a residential incentive overlay covering some properties along Harbor and Newport boulevards, particularly motels.
The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.
*
Code enforcement officer honored for cleanup efforts
Costa Mesa CEO Tom Hatch presented code enforcement officer Mike Brumbaugh with the CEO Leadership Award on Thursday at a monthly employee meeting.
Since 2012, Brumbaugh has been a part of the city's Community Improvement Division. He has helped clean up the multifamily properties in the city's Mission/Mendoza and Coolidge/Fillmore neighborhoods and recently helped a veteran find housing after 15 years of homelessness, according to a news release.
"[Brumbaugh] organized community cleanup days that restored pride to the neighborhoods and drew accolades from many who call that neighborhood home," Hatch said in a statement. | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-0827-around-town-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/a362ddbc311960aee9b4a06e3343c839de67310bb3a31bffdbd8db66656a5fc1.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-26T14:50:43 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fla-fg-france-burkini-ruling-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c04df2/turbine/la-fg-france-burkini-ruling-20160826-snap | en | null | Top French court rules Burkini bans violate basic freedoms | null | null | www.latimes.com | France's top administrative court overturned a ban on burkinis in a Mediterranean town in a decision Friday that should set legal precedent regarding a swimsuit crackdown that has divided the country and provoked shock around the world.
The ruling by the Council of State on Friday specifically concerns a ban on the Muslim garment in the Riviera town of Villeneuve-Loubet, but the binding decision is expected to impact all of the 30 or so French resort municipalities that have issued similar decrees.
The bans grew increasingly controversial as images circulated online of some Muslim women being ordered to remove body-concealing garments on French Riviera beaches.
See the most-read stories in World News this hour »
Lawyers for a human rights group and a Muslim collective challenged the legality of the ban to the top court, saying that the orders infringe basic freedoms and that mayors have overstepped their powers by telling women what to wear on beaches.
Mayors had cited multiple reasons for the bans, including security after a string of Islamic extremist attacks, risk to public order and France's strict rules on secularism in public life.
The Council of State ruled that, "The emotion and concerns arising from the terrorist attacks, notably the one perpetrated in Nice on July 14, cannot suffice to justify in law the contested prohibition measure."
It ruled that the mayor of Villeuneuve-Loubet overstepped his powers by enacting measures that are not justified by "proven risks of disruptions to public order nor, moreover, on reasons of hygiene or decency."
"The contested decree has thus brought a serious and manifestly illegal infringement on basic freedoms such as freedom to come and go, freedom of conscience and personal freedom," the ruling reads.
Lawyer Patrice Spinosi, representing the Human Rights League, told reporters in Paris that women who already have received fines can protest them based on Friday's decision.
"It is a decision that is meant to set legal precedent," he said. "Today, all the ordinances taken should conform to the decision of the Council of State. Logically, the mayors should withdraw these ordinances. If not, legal actions could be taken" against those towns.
But the mayor of the Corsican town of Sisco said he wouldn't lift the ban he imposed after an Aug. 13 clash on a beach.
"Here, the tension is very, very, very high, and I won't withdraw it," Ange-Pierre Vivoni said on BFM-TV.
He said he doesn't know whether a woman was actually wearing a burkini the day a clash occurred that set a group of Corsican sunbathers of North African origin against villagers from Sisco. It took days to untangle the events leading to the violence that many immediately assumed was over a burkini sighting.
The bans have become a symbol of tensions around the place of Islam in secular France.
Many officials — including Prime Minister Manuel Valls — have argued that burkinis oppress women. But critics say the bans were feeding a racist political agenda as campaigning for next year's French presidential elections were kicking off.
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Now that a peace deal with the FARC is sealed, can Colombia convince voters to approve it? | http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-france-burkini-ruling-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/fe8bfdedf9ff608947d0b109101db76d63b4e40a9e421a46fef7187ce32d32ec.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-28T02:49:26 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fla-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-rams-3-broncos-0-after-short-drive-1472348212-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Rams 3, Broncos 0, after short drive led by Case Keenum | null | null | www.latimes.com | Case Keenum has made a number of meaningful connections in his third exhibition game.
Keenum executed a nine-play drive which ended in a field goal that featured catches by tight end Lance Kendricks, receiver Brian Quick, rookie tight end Tyler Higbee.
Running back Benny Cunningham began the drive with a seven-yard run followed by a 23-yard catch by Kendricks and an eight yarder by Quick.
Then Keenum got tricky, faking a quarterback draw and tossing down to the left side where the Higbee was lined up as a receiver on the outside for an 11-yard gain.
The drive died on the 11-yard line after a short run by running back Malcolm Brown, a two-yard catch by Quick and an incomplete pass.
Greg Zuerlein was then good for his first field goal of the exhibition season, a 29-yarder to put the Rams up 3-0. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-rams-3-broncos-0-after-short-drive-1472348212-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/0c16dc4ea6750fd99e2b0e6b1833346d55a216222bc5dba2f3f4fa65493bb1c2.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Karen Kaplan"
]
| 2016-08-26T20:49:05 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fscience%2Fsciencenow%2Fla-sci-sn-zika-blood-screening-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c09784/turbine/la-sci-sn-zika-blood-screening-20160826-snap | en | null | All blood in the U.S. should be screened for Zika, FDA says | null | null | www.latimes.com | All blood donated in the U.S. should be screened for Zika to prevent the virus from spreading through transfusions, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
The new guidance should be implemented “immediately” in states and territories where the virus is already being spread by mosquitoes, and it should be phased in over the next four to 12 weeks in the rest of the country.
“The recommendation for testing the entire blood supply will help ensure that safe blood is available for all individuals who might need transfusion,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.
Zika is spreading rapidly throughout the Americas, with 50 countries and territories now dealing with active outbreaks.
As of Wednesday, 8,746 people in Puerto Rico have been infected with the virus locally, along with dozens of additional cases of local transmission in the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Caption How scientists use satellite data to track poverty in Africa This video explains how satellite imagery and machine learning can be combined to map poverty around the world. This video explains how satellite imagery and machine learning can be combined to map poverty around the world. Caption Watch a time-lapse video of the Perseid meteor shower from Joshua Tree The Perseid meteor shower, which gets its name because it appears to come from the direction of the constellation Perseus, is known for the high number of spectacular meteors on display. The Perseid meteor shower, which gets its name because it appears to come from the direction of the constellation Perseus, is known for the high number of spectacular meteors on display.
Florida is the only U.S. state with Zika infections that can’t be linked to travel. As of Wednesday, 29 people there have been diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed infections, the CDC says.
The Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes through their bites. Once infected, a person can spread it to another through sexual contact. Most notably, an infected pregnant woman can pass the virus to her unborn child, putting the baby at risk for microcephaly and other brain-related birth defects.
Donor blood can be another important source of Zika transmission. During a Zika outbreak in French Polynesia in 2013 and 2014, nearly 3% of blood samples from people with no sign of infection were found to contain the virus, which could have been spread to others through routine infusions.
And in Puerto Rico, where screening has been recommended since February, nearly 1% of blood samples from donors with no symptoms of Zika turned up positive for the virus, according to the FDA.
Screening potential donors before they give blood is unreliable, since four out of five infected people never develop any outward sign of infection. Among those who do, most have vague symptoms like fever, headaches or joint or muscle pain.
To get around this problem, the FDA’s new guidance calls for testing all donated blood using a so-called nucleic acid test. These tests search for specific genetic sequences in certain viruses, such as HIV or hepatitis. Versions that look for Zika are still undergoing final FDA review.
If any blood is found to be infected, any other blood given by the same donor in the past 120 days should be quarantined, according to the new guidelines If some of that blood has already been used to treat another patient, the recipient’s doctor should be notified.
If no screening test is available, blood collection agencies can purify blood platelets or plasma using one of the FDA’s approved methods. In the future, if a pathogen reduction technology becomes available for red blood cells or for whole blood, these methods could be used instead of a nucleic acid test, the FDA said.
Although there’s no longer any need to ask potential donors about their recent travel to regions affected by Zika, any prospective blood donor who says they have been infected with Zika should be asked to wait until their symptoms have resolved or for 120 days, whichever is longer, the FDA said.
The new guidance applies immediately in Florida and in territories with at least one case of a locally acquired infection. All blood collection should be put on hold until the new procedures can be implemented, the FDA advises.
Blood collection agencies in states that have reported travel-related Zika infections or that are close to areas where mosquitoes are known to have the virus should implement the guidelines within the next four weeks. These include Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina and Texas.
Facilities in all other states should be following the new guidelines within the next 12 weeks, the FDA says.
[email protected]
Follow me on Twitter @LATkarenkaplan and "like" Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.
MORE IN SCIENCE
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Your coffee habit may be written in your DNA | http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-zika-blood-screening-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/1672530636b6c76608d5e15d777fff9ab68814ae9643066faf424bbae4d32765.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"David Horsey"
]
| 2016-08-31T12:50:19 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Ftopoftheticket%2Fla-na-tt-nationalparks-20160831-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c61492/turbine/la-na-tt-nationalparks-20160831-snap | en | null | Will the next president be an enemy of our national parks? | null | null | www.latimes.com | President Obama is flying into the swirling power of Hurricane Madeline this week to attend the World Conservation Congress in Hawaii, a rather symbolic journey considering how he has faced a constant storm of Republican opposition — on environmental issues, in particular — since the day he took office in 2009.
Obama will also be visiting Midway Atoll, which lies inside the world’s largest marine reserve — a protected area encompassing the northeastern Hawaiian islands that the president recently created with a stroke of his pen. Under the Antiquities Act of 1906, any president has unilateral power to create new national monuments to set aside federal land and sea regions to protect them from development and commercial exploitation. President Theodore Roosevelt famously used this authority to create 18 national monuments. Obama has now exceeded that record by designating as national monuments 23 areas of natural beauty and value.
These preserved areas are the glory of this country. Our national parks, in particular, have been called “America’s best idea.” But, though the National Park Service this year is celebrating its centennial, not everyone thinks the parks and monuments and preserves are so wonderful. From the time of Roosevelt, there have always been politicians in thrall to mining companies and other corporate interests that oppose the idea of holding federal land in trust for all the people of the United States and keeping it out of the hands of private owners.
Roosevelt enraged politicians in the Western states by setting aside 150 million acres of land as national forests. Congress tried to block him from doing more, but he found ways to work around the reactionaries in the House and Senate. Thanks to Roosevelt’s political skill and passion for conservation, millions more forest acres were protected, as well as places like Chaco Canyon, Devil’s Tower and, grandest of all, the Grand Canyon.
Roosevelt, and many wise leaders who followed him, bestowed on all generations of Americans an invaluable heritage in public lands. Scandalously, though, many politicians have not proved to be good stewards of that heritage. The national parks in recent years have been kept on a starvation budget. Between 2005 and 2014, funding dropped 8%. The parks currently struggle with a $12-billion backlog in repairs and maintenance. Just one park alone — Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert — needs $60 million in restoration but has a yearly budget of just $6 million.
A national parks funding bill currently before Congress would help address the repair needs of the parks, but the legislation has been laden with unfriendly amendments that would subvert the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Antiquities Act. Clearly, some members of Congress are more interested in protecting business interests than protecting America’s most cherished places.
Luckily, we currently have a president who is committed to upholding and advancing the legacy of Roosevelt. But who comes next? Will voters choose as our next president a person who will also be a champion of the national parks, the national forests, the national monuments and the nature preserves in the manner of Roosevelt and Obama? Or will they pick someone who will side with the exploiters who are eager to roll back a century of progress in protecting America’s natural heritage?
[email protected]
Follow me at @davidhorsey on Twitter | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-nationalparks-20160831-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/8ca2b883351bfee2eb6d7d3200460596aa61a38ec604d36340753d35a2cb1ecb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-26T18:51:17 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-clinton-defends-controversial-wind-down-1472224579-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c079be/turbine/la-na-trailguide-updates-clinton-defends-controversial-wind-down-1472224579 | en | null | Hillary Clinton defends the controversial wind-down plan for her family's foundation | null | null | www.latimes.com | Even as Hillary and Bill Clinton vow that they will stop accepting foreign donations for their foundation and step away from involvement in it altogether if she wins the presidency, the organization remains a political albatross. Ethics experts are unimpressed by their plan – which includes keeping Chelsea Clinton on the board – and their timetable for carrying it out.
Some Republicans continue to demand that the Clintons immediately shut down the foundation altogether, and emails keep trickling out showing how big donors to the foundation may have had back-door access to the State Department while Clinton ran it.
On Friday morning, Clinton answered the charges of critics who say the current roadmap for the foundation going forward is full of potential conflicts.
“You don’t just turn an off and on switch,” Clinton said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, when asked why she and her husband do not simply transfer the organization’s work to another similar nonprofit, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “Winding down these programs takes time, and we’re going to make sure that we don’t undermine the excellence and the results.”
Clinton said foundation executives are looking for organizations with which to partner.
Clinton also dismissed threats about an “October surprise” from critics, such as Wikileaks. The organization is hinting that it has embarrassing documents to disclose as the election nears, perhaps involving favors Clinton’s State Department did for foundation donors.
“My work as secretary of State was not influenced by outside forces,” Clinton said. “I made policy decisions based on what I thought was right to keep Americans safe and protect our interests abroad. I believe my aides also acted appropriately.
"And we have gone above and beyond most of the charities ... beyond legal requirements, beyond standards, to voluntarily disclose donors, and also to reduce sources of funding that raised any questions — not that we thought they were necessarily legitimate — but to avoid those questions," she said. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-clinton-defends-controversial-wind-down-1472224579-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/dcc97397efa71116292e6d1b41b235232c1a01728be3a14ba36ac71a431c426c.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:14:19 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Freadersreact%2Fla-ol-le-epipen-price-increase-20160825-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf69f9/turbine/la-ol-le-epipen-price-increase-20160825-snap | en | null | Why did Mylan increase the price of an EpiPen? Because it could. | null | null | www.latimes.com | To the editor: Have you ever received a phone call from your daughter that starts with, “Mom, I can’t breathe?” I have, and it is beyond frightening. (“Another reason to hate Mylan, which jacked up the price of life-saving EpiPens: It's a tax dodger,” Aug. 23)
Due to a severe peanut allergy my daughter's life is a risk if she inadvertently ingests peanuts; she will go into anaphylactic shock and has only minutes to inject her EpiPen. She has carried an EpiPen with her constantly for the past 10 years.
Pharmaceutical company Mylan’s decision to put this life-saving medication out of reach for many children and adults is incomprehensible. At some point, as a nation and as a society, we simply must start doing what is right. Losing a single life because Big Pharma decided to maximize its profit is disgraceful. Concerened readers can contact Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and let him know they support his investigation into Mylan's predatory pricing.
Debra Mathias, Irvine
..
To the editor: Michael Hiltzik’s column on Mylan’s profits is just another example of how the intersection of greed and capitalism result in sorrow. On top of this, Mylan avoids paying its fair share of taxes.
Who loses? The patients and families who are dependent on a life-saving drug, the families who struggle to finance the costs, and the insurance companies that need to raise rates to cover the cost of Big Pharma’s greed. Is it any wonder that this will lead to cries for greater regulation of all pharmaceuticals?
Will we eventually have the federal government running our medical and drug companies because of the few firms that raise prices just because they can?
Juan Matute, Claremont
..
To the editor: The price of the EpiPen and other generics will not decrease with more rules, regulations and congressional investigations.
Current foot dragging by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and regulations already limit new competition and increase the prices of generics. Corporate tax increases will increase manufacturing costs that are passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices. Also, studies have shown that drugs remain effective way beyond their current expiration dates.
Market pricing is not perfect, but central price controls and rationing created shortages for gasoline during the oil crisis in the United States in the 1970s and in the failed Eastern European communist economies for all goods and services.
Thomas Einstein, MD, Santa Monica
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-epipen-price-increase-20160825-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5d8953a63b05061864f7a08f9e5ab1994b8d0411340fa60c8c0d2e2bb0d45e18.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Eric Sondheimer"
]
| 2016-08-29T00:49:47 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fhighschool%2Fla-sp-high-schools-sondheimer-20160828-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3607a/turbine/la-sp-high-schools-sondheimer-20160828-snap | en | null | Here's to the prep athletes who stick with the same school, through thick and thin | null | null | www.latimes.com | It’s time for a change in philosophy before the true mission of the high school sports experience disappears forever.
Clearly, a travel-ball mentality is seeping into the system: Individuals matter over team; building all-star teams through player movement is more important than loyalty; exposing players to college recruiters is a higher priority than teaching life lessons.
It’s time for journalists (including me) to stop fawning over transfers as if they were knights in shining armor. Of course, the dilemma is that transfers are news and can’t be ignored, considering the impact they can have.
For years, my idea in dealing with transfers was to write about schools bringing in one transfer after another, thinking a little peer pressure might be applied by fellow league members to stop the revolving door.
Instead, the opposite has happened — public and private schools are welcoming and embracing transfers with no questions asked. Boosters excitedly tweet the arrival of the latest “savior.”
It’s gotten to the point that there are so many transfers — 15,882 in California in 2015-16 — that newspapers such as the Daily News and the Orange County Register are running “impact transfer” lists. It is becoming increasingly difficult to identify top athletes who haven’t transferred.
There’s certainly no help coming from college recruiters in trying to reverse this trend. One of the best basketball players in the nation has been to four schools in four years and colleges still want him badly.
It’s time to start reversing this cycle, even if it’s in a small way. My contribution will be to start seeking out and exposing top high school athletes who stay for four years. They’re the ones who arrive on campus as freshmen, embrace their community, earn respect among classmates on the field and in the classroom, don’t flee when the going gets tough and prove that you can succeed without having to switch schools.
There’s Chase Garbers of Corona del Mar, a senior quarterback committed to California. He has stayed at his neighborhood school for four years. “I’m sure he was [approached] by the powers that be,” Coach Dan O’Shea said. “He was dedicated to playing football at his local public school and playing with his friends.”
There’s Andrew Tovar, a senior at L.A. Cathedral. He showed up when there already was a top quarterback as the starter. Then came an injury and he was thrown into the lineup as a freshman. Now he has 97 career touchdown passes but no scholarship offers. He’s facing a challenge from a promising freshman quarterback, Bryce Young, who already has a college scholarship offer and passed for three touchdowns in his debut last week.
Tovar is not backing down — he’s just going to keep working harder. “He’s mentally tough and will rise up,” Coach Kevin Pearson said.
There’s J.T. Shrout, a junior quarterback at Newhall Hart. He’s 6 feet 3 and could be starting at several schools. But he has chosen to wait his turn while being a backup to senior Nick Moore in an era when no one wants to be a backup. “I think it builds character,” his father, Jim, said. “In today’s world, everybody is looking for a way out. To me, it’s a life lesson.”
There’s Ryan Stevens, a sophomore quarterback at West Hills Chaminade. When junior Brevin White showed up last spring from Mission Hills Alemany, everyone told Stevens to leave. He declined. He had a 4.4 GPA and wasn’t about to run from competition. Last week, he played extensively with White. “I have a great passion for football,” he said.
There’s Daiyan Henley, a senior at Crenshaw. He was a ball boy for the Cougars in elementary school. He has been the team’s starting quarterback since his sophomore season.
Through good times and bad times, he stands in the huddle proud to be a Cougar. When he gets knocked down, he gets back up. There has to be a lesson in there somewhere. There has to be something inspiring about a kid living out his dream every Friday night at the school he grew up rooting for.
[email protected]
Twitter: @latsondheimer | http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/la-sp-high-schools-sondheimer-20160828-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/69b4a11a69ba2833a479d1936b16126fc5780c2f52147295ed9e94fc90dc9a66.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Paul Sisson"
]
| 2016-08-26T22:49:07 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-california-vaccination-schools-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0c2eb/turbine/la-me-ln-california-vaccination-schools-20160826-snap | en | null | Federal judge denies injunction against California vaccination law for schoolchildren | null | null | www.latimes.com | A federal judge has denied a request for a preliminary injunction against a new law that requires children in California’s public and private schools to be vaccinated unless they have a medical waiver from a licensed doctor.
In an order released Friday afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego wrote that state legislatures have “a long history of requiring children to be vaccinated as a condition to school enrollment, and for as many years, both state and federal courts have upheld those requirements against constitutional challenge.”
In July, a group of parents and advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit asking for the injunction. They’re trying to block the California law's elimination of personal belief exemptions, which previously allowed parents to enroll their children even if they weren't up-to-date on the full vaccination schedule as published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sabraw's ruling will allow the law to continue working as it has, but the group’s lawsuit against the state of California will continue. The plaintiffs include three families from San Diego County.
Meanwhile, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated schoolchildren who cannot obtain a medical exemption must be home-schooled.
Sisson is a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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Facing threats, albino sisters granted asylum to attend school in Southern California | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-vaccination-schools-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/356d2c065b42f123e85d6736024c9614e8d7ac95df8de95765f448a9750487a3.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T18:49:57 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-trump-trolls-clinton-over-huma-1472491771-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Trump trolls Clinton over Huma Abedin-Anthony Weiner split | null | null | www.latimes.com | Donald Trump is claiming that Huma Abedin's separation from her husband, Anthony Weiner, underscores Hillary Clinton's bad judgment.
"Huma is making a very wise decision. I know Anthony Weiner well, and she will be far better off without him," Trump said in a statement, barely an hour after news broke of the split.
"I only worry for the country in that Hillary Clinton was careless and negligent in allowing Weiner to have such close proximity to highly classified information. Who knows what he learned and who he told?"
Abedin is Clinton's longtime close aide and had stood by Weiner, the former congressman who resigned in 2011 after his sexual tweeting to other women became public.
She was with Clinton at the State Department, and questioned during the email server investigation, and is now with Clinton on the campaign trail.
On Monday, Abedin apparently had enough when Weiner's latest sexting scandal — with a Trump supporter — became an unwanted headline for the Clinton campaign. She announced she was separating from him.
"It's just another example of Hillary Clinton's bad judgment," Trump went on. "It is possible that our country and its security have been greatly compromised by this.” | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-trump-trolls-clinton-over-huma-1472491771-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d0c15fa8e8e87a95ec30d69e842dcab4daaaf84d99f4d8394dc667c3a68ddebb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Zach Helfand"
]
| 2016-08-30T20:50:12 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fusc%2Fla-sp-usc-masina-assault-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5dd13/turbine/la-sp-usc-masina-assault-20160830-snap | en | null | Suspended USC linebacker is being investigated in sexual assault | null | null | www.latimes.com | Suspended USC linebacker Osa Masina is under investigation in a sexual assault, according to a spokesman for the Cottonwood Heights Police Department in Utah.
Masina was served a search warrant on USC’s campus on Thursday, according to the spokesman, Lt. Dan Bartlett. No charges have yet been filed.
The investigation was first reported by KSTU in Salt Lake City.
Bartlett said that the investigation involves a sex assault and that the incident allegedly “occurred in our city last month involving Osa Masina.”
The Los Angeles Police Department is also investigating, Bartlett said.
Masina, a reserve linebacker for USC, was suspended for USC’s home opener against Alabama, Coach Clay Helton announced Monday. Helton said the suspension was for a “violation of team rules.”
"USC is aware of the investigation involving student-athlete Osa Masina," a USC spokesman said in a statement Tuesday. "USC is cooperating fully with authorities in Utah, the lead agency in the investigation.
“Due to privacy laws and to protect the rights of our students, we are not able to discuss this matter further."
[email protected]
Twitter: @zhelfand | http://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/la-sp-usc-masina-assault-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/43e9070ebfb500f739d6f46dbaa686346f3caced49812baf285342423090ae02.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Lisa Boone"
]
| 2016-08-31T14:50:08 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fhome%2Fla-hm-arroyo-turf-removal-20160825-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf2cef/turbine/la-hm-arroyo-turf-removal-20160825-snap | en | null | After gardening by trial and error, Pasadena homeowner gets turf transformation right | null | null | www.latimes.com | After installing a series of different designs in her front yard, Linda Paquette says that her ever-changing landscape had become something of a joke in her Pasadena neighborhood.
“Sometimes I’ll meet up with people who are walking their dogs across the street from my house and they’ll sigh and say, ‘She’s changed it again,’” she says with a laugh.
It began in 2002, when the attorney installed a lush English garden outside of her 1912 California bungalow complete with lawn and birch trees
Years later, however, as Southern California entered into a drought, the dry weather made it clear that she needed to rethink the thirsty garden.
The front yard before it was redone. Linda Paquette The front yard before it was redone. The front yard before it was redone. (Linda Paquette)
“I have ice on my windows when I wake up. By 10 a.m. the heat is so hot you can smell the varnish burning,” she explains. “How can a plant survive that? It was not like that when I first moved here. There has been such a huge and dramatic change. And the weather patterns have nothing to do with the seasons anymore.”
She visited a cactus center, hired a designer and removed the lawn but the new design didn’t last more than a year. “Someone advised me to plant succulents and roses,” she says. “I’ve since learned that you have to put plants together that need the same amount of water. And the Mexican ornamental grasses looked good but then I couldn’t get rid of them.”
In 2012, she started over again.
The subsurface irrigation system and river bed during installation. Linda Paquette The subsurface irrigation system and river bed during installation. The subsurface irrigation system and river bed during installation. (Linda Paquette)
This time, Paquette installed 17-millimeter Netafim irrigation tubing underground and a dry rock river bed inspired by her days spent hiking with the Sierra Club.
“I wanted it to be greener, with lots of color and ground cover,” she says.
This time, some of the plants survived, others didn’t. “Some of them took over,” she says. “I pulled up a bunch of plants that were too invasive and donated others to friends who were happy to use them.”
Today, the garden — with its mix of succulents, agave, kangaroo paws, dymondia margaretae and three crape myrtle trees — has evolved into “survival of the fittest.”
“What I learned is an evolving, organic system,” Paquette says. “The plants and the [irrigation] system determine what will survive.”
Looking back, she admits she wasted a lot of money on plants. She also feels like she has learned from her mistakes as a novice gardener. “I was lazy and let someone make all the plans for me,” Paquette says. “Now, I take pictures to Lincoln Avenue Nursery and ask them what they think. They’ll tell you if a plant won’t work. They’ll shake their head and say ‘No.’
“I accept the fact that, in the end, the sun, wind and rain are the determinant,” she continues. “You have to give in to that and don’t fight it, or the natural character of the plants.”
But if you do it right, she says “ it will evolve into something wonderful.”
If you'd like to submit photos of your drought garden makeover, please do so at [email protected]. Bonus points if you include “before” images taken from the same angle as well.
MORE SUCCESSFUL LAWN TRANSFORMATIONS:
A sprawling South Pasadena lawn gets a chic low-water makeover
A lush English garden in Studio City is converted to a water savvy landscape
They ripped out their 3,500-square-foot lawn and created a magical 'Rancho Relaxo'
A thirsty Pasadena lawn morphs into a stunning, drought-tolerant habitat for hummingbirds
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: @latimeshome | pinterest.com/latimeshome | facebook.com/bestcoastlife |
Twitter: @lisaboone19
[email protected] | http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-arroyo-turf-removal-20160825-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/8aa277ff0bc995a634368297f8f23faba0feb03d4d97ed4a44431c3cc1ecc8d7.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Kurtis Lee"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:01:58 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Fla-na-sanders-revolution-20160825-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf7b87/turbine/la-na-sanders-revolution-20160825-snap | en | null | Sanders creates group to continue 'Our Revolution' | null | null | www.latimes.com | His campaign is over, yet Bernie Sanders says that the movement he helped create — one that ignited a youthful, liberal following during the Democratic primary — will press onward.
And this week, the Vermont senator sought to help it press ahead with the launch of Our Revolution, a political organization that will raise money and dole it out to candidates in lockstep with Sanders' ideals.
“We changed the conversation regarding the possibilities of our country,” Sanders said of his campaign against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. “We redefined what the vision and the future of our country should be.”
Yet the group's launch has been a bit bumpy.
Several key staffers initially involved in the group resigned in recent days after Sanders announced that Jeff Weaver, a longtime aide to Sanders who served as his campaign manager, would oversee it.
Weaver, whose style can at times be combative, had set up the group as a 501(c)(4), which allows it to receive unlimited contributions from anonymous donors — a move, said a person close to the group who is not authorized to speak publicly, that led to the resignations because it contrasts with ideals Sanders preached on the campaign trail.
Throughout the primary Sanders railed against big money in politics. That message, coupled with pledges to address income inequality, fueled his grass-roots following.
In a speech Wednesday night from Burlington, Vt., Sanders did not mention the group's status as a 501(c)(4), but stressed that his populist message would endure.
He noted that his campaign helped push forward a progressive platform at the Democratic National Convention last month. The platform calls for a $15-per-hour federal minimum wage, expansion of Social Security and setting a price on greenhouse gas emissions.
“If anyone thinks that that document and what is in that platform is simply going to be resting on a shelf somewhere accumulating dust, they are very mistaken,” Sanders said. "We are going to bring that platform alive and make it the blueprint for moving the Democrats forward.”
Sanders, who formally endorsed Clinton last month, plans to stump for her in several battleground states this fall.
He has also endorsed the campaigns of down-ticket candidates in a host of states, who have embraced his calls for free college tuition and raising the federal minimum wage, now at $7.25.
Among those candidates is Tim Canova, who is challenging Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, in an Aug. 30 primary for the South Florida congressional seat she’s held since 2013.
Sanders battled with Wasserman Schultz throughout the primary, saying she was tipping the scales for Clinton by, among other things, offering a limited number of debates. Wasserman Schultz resigned last month after internal emails made public by the website WikiLeaks confirmed bias by some DNC officials in favor of Clinton.
Caption Protest outside Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser Protest outside Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser at the Beverly Hills estate of controversial billionaire Haim Saban. Protest outside Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser at the Beverly Hills estate of controversial billionaire Haim Saban. Caption Gov. Jerry Brown criticizes Donald Trump and his 'acolytes' on climate change In an Aug. 24, 2016 news conference at the state Capitol to praise state lawmakers for enacting sweeping new climate change legislation, Gov. Jerry Brown called out GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and his "acolytes" who have doubts on the existence of climate change. More political coverage at latimes.com/politics In an Aug. 24, 2016 news conference at the state Capitol to praise state lawmakers for enacting sweeping new climate change legislation, Gov. Jerry Brown called out GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and his "acolytes" who have doubts on the existence of climate change. More political coverage at latimes.com/politics
[email protected]
Twitter: @kurtisalee
ALSO:
American Independent Party nominates Donald Trump for California ballot
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Can Donald Trump really round up and deport 11 million people? | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-sanders-revolution-20160825-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b9b5705506055b35508e0068bfd75c5b3600c3db2b0e419d28366ad2a0ecbb71.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T00:49:44 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-nicki-minaj-masters-the-art-of-1472429471-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3813e/turbine/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-nicki-minaj-masters-the-art-of-1472429471 | en | null | Nicki Minaj masters the art of strategic skin-baring on the VMA red carpet | null | null | www.latimes.com | MTV's VMAs are here! But we may as well call them the Beyonce awards with how many awards she's nominated for. That would be a whopping 11. Adele comes in next with seven nominations. Drake, Kanye West and Justin Bieber are also vying for the top prize. Rihanna will receive the Vanguard Award, the VMAs' most prestigious award, which has previously been given to Michael Jackson, Madonna, and David Bowie. And while we're talking about flashback artists: Britney Spears is performing! | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-nicki-minaj-masters-the-art-of-1472429471-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/accfb0761e1c26d31efc838b18636f7e1aebe322717d13be18655e078839bef6.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Matt Hamilton",
"Shane Newell"
]
| 2016-08-31T00:50:08 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-bogart-fire-riverside-county-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c616c9/turbine/la-me-ln-bogart-fire-riverside-county-20160830-snap | en | null | Fast-moving Bogart fire in Riverside County spreads to 700 acres; hundreds of residents evacuated | null | null | www.latimes.com | A fast-moving vegetation fire north of Beaumont spread to 700 acres Tuesday afternoon, displacing hundreds of residents from rural communities in Riverside County, authorities said.
The Bogart fire was reported at 12:25 p.m. near Winesap Avenue and International Park Road in Cherry Valley, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The blaze spread in bone-dry vegetation in the hills west of the Morongo Reservation and destroyed at least one building, fire officials said.
The fire was 5% contained as of 5:30 p.m.
About 700 residents from approximately 200 homes were evacuated, including the Highland Springs Village mobile home park and Banning Bench, a rural plateau northwest of Banning, fire officials said.
Caption 90 seconds: 4 stories you can't miss Huma Abedin leaves her husband, Anthony Weiner, Apple owes Ireland big, Brock Turner is released, and the 4 Aurora movie massacre survivors owe Cinemark lawyer fees. Huma Abedin leaves her husband, Anthony Weiner, Apple owes Ireland big, Brock Turner is released, and the 4 Aurora movie massacre survivors owe Cinemark lawyer fees. Caption Kim Jong Un executes using anti-aircraft gun South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported Kim Jong Un had two North Korean officials executed with an anti-aircraft gun in early August. South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported Kim Jong Un had two North Korean officials executed with an anti-aircraft gun in early August.
An evacuation center was opened at the Albert A. Chatigny Senior Community Center in Beaumont.
More than 320 firefighters have been assigned to combat the blaze. They are being assisted by five helicopters, two bulldozers and nine air tankers.
One firefighter suffered a non-life-threatening injury and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Cherry Valley, where the blaze ignited, is located off the 10 Freeway and has a population of more than 6,300, census records show.
This story will be updated.
[email protected]
Twitter: @MattHjourno
[email protected]
UPDATES:
5:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details on the growth of the fire.
This article was originally published at 4:20 p.m. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bogart-fire-riverside-county-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/2be4b5cbe7cacf954965c53a16d0a963b3b98a5dff84b19ec5e9f9f3cfbd5b63.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-28T04:49:30 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fla-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-paxton-lynch-comes-in-for-the-broncos-1472352679-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Paxton Lynch comes in for the Broncos to start the second half | null | null | www.latimes.com | Trevor Siemian completed 10 of 17 passes in the first half with one touchdown and an intercepted pass to give the Broncos a 10-9 lead going into halftime.
By comparison, Goff was 3-of-8 passing for 38 yards in the first half. Keenum, who started, completed 8 of 12 passes for 77 yards before his night was over.
The Broncos began the second half with a touchdown to start on their own 25-yard line before giving rookie Paxton Lynch his first reps of the night.
Lynch handed the ball of to Devontae Booker for a two yard loss thanks to a tackle by Matt Longacre.
He then connected with an open receiver Juwan Thompson to the right side underneath the soft coverage of cornerback Coty Sensabaugh for a seven-yard gain. His next pass was a three yard completion to receiver Jordan Taylor. The only problem was he needed five on third down.
The Rams take over on their own 14-yard line | http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-paxton-lynch-comes-in-for-the-broncos-1472352679-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/1f63b069d49f29523144fdc6082a4a8a4c4df2ad9ab3a64958d615df25b64816.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"The Times Editorial Board"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:15:06 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorials%2Fla-ed-epipen-gouging-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf932d/turbine/la-ed-epipen-gouging-20160826-snap | en | null | EpiPen price gouging demonstrates need for more competition in generic drugs | null | null | www.latimes.com | In the latest in a recent series of controversies over prescription drug prices, Mylan Pharmaceuticals has come under well-deserved fire for jacking up the price of a package of EpiPens — devices that deliver an emergency shot of epinephrine to someone suffering a potentially fatal allergic reaction — 550% since acquiring the right to sell the devices in 2007, from $94 to $608. That may seem modest in comparison to the more than 5,000% increase that Turing Pharmaceuticals quickly imposed on Daraprim, an anti-malarial drug also used by HIV patients, or the more than 3,000% increase that Valeant has extracted for Syprine, a blood-cleaning agent. But given the life-saving nature of EpiPens, their widespread use and Mylan’s effective monopoly, the company’s profiteering is outrageous.
After lawmakers and consumer groups howled in protest, Mylan announced that it will increase the discounts offered to low- and moderate-income buyers — a move that will nevertheless leave the price three times as high as it was in 2007, and provide no relief to the taxpayers who foot the bill for government-purchased EpiPens. The company offered no defense for its decision to raise prices repeatedly despite making no improvements to the product. Instead, it had the hubris to blame Obamacare and insurance companies for the proliferation of policies with higher deductibles, which force many consumers to cover the full cost of the devices. In other words, imposing giant and unneeded drug price hikes was perfectly fine until consumers noticed.
(Drug makers and their allies have also taken to blaming pharmacies and prescription drug benefit managers such as Express Scripts for not passing along the discounts they negotiate with manufacturers. But the middlemen aren’t the instigators of huge price hikes — the drug companies are.)
Huge price increases should be sending an irresistible invitation to entrepreneurial companies to come in with a competing product.
Consumers can hardly rely on public outrage to keep prices in check. Instead, they need more competition from generic drug makers, especially on medicines that could spell the difference between life and death. Like Daraprim and Syprine, epinephrine is available in a generic form. At present, however, there’s no generic version of the EpiPen injector for sale in the U.S.
Part of the answer is to make it harder for the Mylans of the world to keep rivals out of their market. The company twice struck deals with would-be competitors to delay them from seeking approval for generic versions of the EpiPen, and later petitioned the FDA to hold off an EpiPen alternative on the grounds that it didn’t use the same safety mechanisms, and so could be confusing to users in an emergency situation.
Another part is to reduce the time and money required to bring a generic version of a drug or device to market, albeit without compromising safety. The Food and Drug Administration gives priority to applicants proposing the first generic version of a drug, but not later ones. The agency should be looking for ways to draw generic competitors into markets with runaway prices; as it is, the FDA pays no attention to how much drugs cost.
Meanwhile, consolidation among drug manufacturers is reducing the number of potential competitors, as well as the incentive to compete. That raises a harder question for policymakers: If market forces can’t produce vigorous competition, what can government do to restrain price hikes without distorting the market and reducing drug supplies?
Among other steps, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has proposed capping insured consumers' monthly out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions, as California has done. The potential drawback there is higher premiums, although if done right, such an approach simply allows consumers to spread out over 12 months a bill they would otherwise have to pay all at once.
Both Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump also want to let consumers buy prescription drugs from sellers in other countries, where prices often are considerably lower than they are in the United States. For example, a single EpiPen costs about $100 in Canada, a third of the U.S. price. But inviting online sellers to supply controlled substances across the border is fraught with risk to safety and drug supplies, as the candidates acknowledge. One promising alternative would be to make it easier for foreign drug makers to sell here the products they’ve won approval for in other countries.
Healthcare reformers are pushing insurers and government health programs to tie payments for drugs based on the value they provide to a patient and the healthcare system as a whole. That shift could generate competition between different drugs, rather than just different manufacturers of the same compound. Granted, it’s a tricky exercise. Through Medicare and Medicaid, however, federal and state governments have started to explore how to do so with several types of treatment, including physician-administered prescription drugs. Those efforts could prove crucial in the struggle to slow the growth in healthcare costs.
Some critics of the pharmaceutical industry have called for more dramatic — and potentially more disruptive — steps, including government price controls and taxes on windfall profits. Before lawmakers even consider going that far, however, they should do more to bring market forces to bear on drug monopolists. Huge price increases should be sending an irresistible invitation to entrepreneurial companies to come in with a competing product. Especially when it comes to generic drugs, the door should be wide open.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-epipen-gouging-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/f799535524e64ec7b889f16c783394fa21c8975420da71a7d6a1ef31d910a625.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Luke Money"
]
| 2016-08-31T04:52:22 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-mesa-water-ballot-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c64739/turbine/tn-dpt-me-mesa-water-ballot-20160830 | en | null | Judge delays decision on challenge to wording of Mesa Water merger measure | null | null | www.latimes.com | An Orange County Superior Court judge Tuesday held off on deciding whether to strike much of the language of an advisory ballot measure proposed by the Mesa Water District concerning a possible merger with the Costa Mesa Sanitary District, saying he needs more information to determine whether a challenge to it was filed in time.
After a brief hearing in Santa Ana, Judge Andrew Banks directed attorneys in the matter to return at 3 p.m. Wednesday to discuss it further.
At issue is a 10-day review period during which the public can ask that election materials be amended or deleted before going on the ballot.
Mike Scheafer, a Costa Mesa resident who is the board president of the Costa Mesa Sanitary District, filed a challenge Friday to the wording of Mesa Water's nonbinding measure, which will ask voters Nov. 8 whether they support the idea of the two agencies pursuing a merger.
Patrick Munoz, an attorney for Mesa Water, contends the deadline to file a challenge had passed Aug. 22 and that it's too late for the judge to rule on Scheafer's objection.
According to the Orange County registrar of voters office, the 10-day review period began Aug. 13.
"It's a firm statute of limitations," said Munoz, of the law firm Rutan & Tucker.
Wednesday's hearing is intended for Banks to hear arguments on whether he can weigh the merits of Scheafer's challenge.
"If there clearly is no discretion — [that] it is a hard and fast deadline and after the 10th day the guillotine has fallen — then it seems to me there is nothing to be done," Banks said.
In his challenge, Scheafer objected to claims in Mesa Water's ballot measure, designated as Measure TT, of cost savings that could result from a merger with the sanitary district.
Those figures — about $15.6 million in one-time savings and an additional $2.7 million annually — were identified in a preliminary study commissioned by Mesa Water and prepared by consultant Arcadis U.S. Inc.
According to the study, the savings could result in a $650 rebate for each customer and up to a 28% reduction in wastewater rates. Those numbers also are stated in the ballot measure.
Scheafer is seeking to strike all the language in the measure that refers to the potential savings identified in the study, which the sanitary district considers inaccurate and misleading.
Scheafer's challenge claims the measure is inconsistent with election law and includes "unnecessary words to suggest to voters how they should vote."
Mesa Water officials have said they believe the study's results are valid. | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-mesa-water-ballot-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/63f059bb0001c8a60ac96533195780d1f003251fac755b76b60706d94a3ca528.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-27T00:49:05 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fmore%2Fla-sp-golf-roundup-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0d75a/turbine/la-sp-golf-roundup-20160826-snap | en | null | Patrick Reed has a two-shot lead at the Barclays | null | null | www.latimes.com | Patrick Reed's place in the Ryder Cup is looking better with each round at the Barclays, and so are his prospects of winning.
Even with a careless finish Friday at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., Reed rode a fast start to a three-under-par 68 and a two-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo and Rickie Fowler in the opening FedEx Cup playoff event.
The Barclays is the final tournament for Americans to earn one of the eight automatic spots on the Ryder Cup team. Reed came into the week at No. 8. He had an eight-under 134 total.
Fowler mostly likely needs third place alone to have any chance of qualifying for the Ryder Cup, and he has done his part. He played bogey-free in the sweltering heat, though still missing plenty of birdie chances. Par is never bad on the Black Course, however, and Fowler shot a 69. He has dropped only one shot all week, missing a four-foot par putt Thursday that spun out of the back of the cup.
Grillo also had a 69, opening with a double bogey and finishing with a bogey.
Ryan Moore (68) was three shots behind, while defending champion Jason Day (70) and Jordan Spieth (67) were four back. Spieth is among the few who only have to think about the end of the FedEx Cup. He is No. 5 in the standings, and he already has clinched a spot on the Ryder Cup team.
The top 100 in the FedEx Cup advance to the next playoff event outside Boston next week, and 13 players outside the top 100 were eliminated when they didn't advance to the weekend. As for the Ryder Cup, three players who missed the cut can no longer qualify — Bill Haas, Kevin Na and Daniel Summerhays.
Dredge leads in Denmark
Wales' Bradley Dredge shot a 5-under 66 in windy conditions to take a three-stroke lead in the Made In Denmark tournament in Farsoe.
Dredge had a 13-under 129 total at Himmerland after opening with a 63. Sweden's Joakim Lagergren was second after a 70.
South Africa's Richard Sterne (67) and Belgian Ryder Cup hopeful Thomas Pieters (71) are at nine under. Pieters matched the course record with a 62 in the first round. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-golf-roundup-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/210a166574632a14155ca6d96ce971e3367d6bf674dc34818e02cbaa5aa1299b.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:14:49 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-08252016-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bedc88/turbine/la-na-trailguide-updates-08252016 | en | null | Campaign 2016 updates: Will Donald Trump's pivot on immigration hurt him with the GOP base? | null | null | www.latimes.com | Stephen Bannon, Trump's new campaign chief executive officer, was arrested for domestic violence in 1996. The charges were dropped.
Stephen Bannon, the newly minted chief of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, was arrested on domestic violence charges two decades ago, according to a report in the New York Post.
A fight between Bannon and his then-wife occurred on New Year’s Day 1996 after an argument over finances, according to the Post and other published reports. Police in Santa Monica responded to the couple’s house and found Bannon’s wife with bruising on her neck and wrist, the reports said.
Bannon, who has taken a leave as the head of Breitbart News to become the Trump campaign's chief executive officer, was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, battery and dissuading a witness, according to the reports. The charges were dropped when Bannon’s wife did not appear in court, they said, and the couple, parents of twin infants, divorced the following year.
"The bottom line is he has a great relationship with the twins, he has a great relationship with the ex-wife, he still supports them," Alexandra Preate, Bannon's spokeswoman, told Politico.
Bannon was brought on to lead Trump’s White House effort last week after turmoil in the campaign.
The investment-banker-turned-Hollywood-producer has no experience leading a political campaign, but he is known for his pugilistic style and his conservative news organization has long been pro-Trump. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-08252016-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/2d23000d5034e733a15f5d990c60c7343831011cdc4c15b30594e6d629cc7456.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Hannah Fry"
]
| 2016-08-27T02:51:30 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-mural-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0e78c/turbine/tn-dpt-me-mural-20160826 | en | null | Mural taking form on market wall paints a picture of Balboa Island | null | null | www.latimes.com | Artist Gary Miltimore can be found most mornings in the shade of the Island Market on Balboa Island, mixing paints and preparing his canvas for his day's work.
Sedans heading for the ferry roll steadily along Agate Avenue past the wall of the quaint market where Miltimore, a longtime Newport Beach resident and avid sailor, has dedicated about 70 hours of work in roughly two weeks to create a mural dedicated to Balboa Island's past and present.
Some drivers slow and roll down their windows to get a better look at the piece, which eventually will span the stucco wall's entire length. Miltimore said the mural likely will take a total of about 200 hours to finish.
. Scott Smeltzer | Daily Pilot Young passers-by watch Gary Miltimore paint part of a mural on the side of Island Market on Balboa Island. The mural was commissioned by the Balboa Island Improvement Assn. to help celebrate the island’s 100th year as part of the city of Newport Beach. Young passers-by watch Gary Miltimore paint part of a mural on the side of Island Market on Balboa Island. The mural was commissioned by the Balboa Island Improvement Assn. to help celebrate the island’s 100th year as part of the city of Newport Beach. (Scott Smeltzer | Daily Pilot)
"I work from about 9 in the morning until the sun comes over the building, then it becomes so unbearable I pack up and come back the next day," he said.
The mural can't be rushed. Undertaking a large-scale painting takes a lot of patience and attention to detail, according to Miltimore.
Currently he's focusing on perfecting the mural's details of Marine Avenue, from the St. John Vianney Chapel mosaic to the trees that provide shade from the summer sun as visitors stroll among shops.
"That's what gives the island so much flavor," Miltimore said.
. Scott Smeltzer | Daily Pilot Artist Gary Miltimore shows one of the panels of a mural of Balboa Island he’s painting on the side of Island Market on Agate Avenue. Artist Gary Miltimore shows one of the panels of a mural of Balboa Island he’s painting on the side of Island Market on Agate Avenue. (Scott Smeltzer | Daily Pilot)
The mural, commissioned by the Balboa Island Improvement Assn., is one of several art projects and events residents plan in celebration of the island's 100th anniversary of incorporation into the city of Newport Beach.
The $10,000 mural was funded with donations from four Balboa Island families, who will have their names on the artwork and a plaque that will be placed at Agate Avenue and South Bayfront, said association President Lee Pearl.
"It's completely funded by local families who care about the island and want to do something special in celebration of its history," Pearl said.
. Scott Smeltzer | Daily Pilot Gary Miltimore works on an image of the Sugar ’n Spice frozen banana stand on Marine Avenue as part of a mural he’s painting on the side of Island Market on Balboa Island. Gary Miltimore works on an image of the Sugar ’n Spice frozen banana stand on Marine Avenue as part of a mural he’s painting on the side of Island Market on Balboa Island. (Scott Smeltzer | Daily Pilot)
Balboa Island, once an uninhabited muddy sandbar in Newport Harbor, has come a long way in 100 years.
It got its start in 1906, when developer William Collins decided to dredge a channel along the north side of Newport Bay across from the Balboa Pavilion on the peninsula. He piled the dredged sand and silt on a mud flat until an island was formed. In the years that followed, Collins and his real estate agents sold lots on the island for a few hundred dollars apiece but struggled to add amenities such as sewers, finished streets and sidewalks on the income from the sales.
By 1916, Collins abandoned the project and Balboa Island officially became part of Newport Beach. One hundred years later, island residents say it's a milestone worth celebrating.
When the mural is complete, it will feature some of Balboa Island's former celebrity residents along with notable fixtures that have remained through the decades. The Sugar 'n Spice frozen banana stand on Marine Avenue will make an appearance, as well as the ferry, which began as a giant rowboat with a small engine that shuttled passengers from Balboa Island to the Balboa Peninsula for a nickel.
. Scott Smeltzer | Daily Pilot Muralist Gary Miltimore says the artwork he’s painting on the side of Island Market on Balboa Island likely will take a total of about 200 hours to finish. Muralist Gary Miltimore says the artwork he’s painting on the side of Island Market on Balboa Island likely will take a total of about 200 hours to finish. (Scott Smeltzer | Daily Pilot)
Wild Goose, the yacht formerly owned by late actor John Wayne, who often frequented Balboa Island, will sail across the mural's likeness of the harbor as beachgoers sunbathe along the shore.
Pearl said the idea is not for the mural to be historically accurate or dedicated to a particular era but to showcase snapshots of people and places that make the island unique.
Late actress Shirley Temple and late actor Buddy Ebsen, who formerly lived on Balboa Island, will be painted dancing together, much like they did in their 1936 film "Captain January."
Island Market's location adjacent to the ferry and the boardwalk along South Bayfront made it an ideal place for the artwork, Pearl said.
"Thousands of people come here on the ferry and will have access to this wall," Pearl said. "When you're waiting in line for the ferry, you're going to see it, and when you're coming off the ferry, you're going to see it. I think it'll be an asset for the island for many years to come."
[email protected]
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-mural-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/32fee65d68e5f035ab2bdd431ecb9749166f5b231fc9d69ac7c8cfe09c1ec9ec.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Meg James"
]
| 2016-08-30T12:50:03 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fenvelope%2Fcotown%2Fla-et-ct-cord-cutting-accelerating-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4cccb/turbine/la-et-ct-cord-cutting-accelerating-20160829-snap | en | null | Cord-cutting accelerates in second quarter; 812,000 fewer homes with pay-TV | null | null | www.latimes.com | The flight of pay-TV customers continues.
In a grim reminder of the challenges facing media companies, an estimated 812,000 subscribers pulled the plug on their pay-television service in the second quarter, according to a study by consulting firm SNL Kagan.
The number represents a decline in the number of homes that received a bundle of video channels from a cable, satellite or telephone company compared with the first quarter of 2016.
“It is a bit of an acceleration and the biggest quarterly loss that we’ve seen,” Ian Olgeirson, an analyst with SNL Kagan, said Monday in an interview. “We are seeing a gradual increase in the decline rate.”
The year-over-year number was more startling. There were nearly 1.4 million fewer pay-TV subscribers in the second quarter of 2016 compared with the second quarter of 2015.
The April-June quarter tends to be the weakest for the pay-TV industry as students and families move at the end of the school year, canceling their TV subscriptions.
Caption Juan Gabriel fans at mortuary As news of Juan Gabriel’s death spread, fans gathered Monday at the Malinow and Silverman Mortuary in Los Angeles to pay tribute to the singer. As news of Juan Gabriel’s death spread, fans gathered Monday at the Malinow and Silverman Mortuary in Los Angeles to pay tribute to the singer. Caption The Comedy Comedy Festival in Little Tokyo The comedy festival running Thursday through Sunday in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood is an Asian American comedy fest with a bill of more than 100 comics of Asian descent. You probably wouldn't know that from the name of the event: the Comedy Comedy Festival. The comedy festival running Thursday through Sunday in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood is an Asian American comedy fest with a bill of more than 100 comics of Asian descent. You probably wouldn't know that from the name of the event: the Comedy Comedy Festival.
Consumers now have more options. Increasingly, they are drawn to online video services such as Netflix, Amazon.com, Hulu and CBS All Access, which can be more affordable when combined with a broadband Internet subscription. Younger users are just as comfortable watching shows on phones and tablets as they are watching them on TVs.
In the second quarter, the telephone sector experienced the greatest losses, an estimated 488,000 homes, but some of that erosion could be attributed to AT&T’s efforts to migrate customers to its satellite service, DirecTV. AT&T acquired the El Segundo satellite-TV service last year. In addition, Frontier Communications took over Verizon’s service in several markets, including Southern California.
But even picking up additional customers from AT&T U-Verse wasn’t enough to offset a net loss in the satellite-TV sector. Providers dropped a net 26,000 customers compared with the first quarter. Dish Network has been particularly hard hit.
Cable-TV operators have shown strength in the last two years but still experienced a net loss of 298,000 subscribers in the second quarter, the SNL Kagan report found.
Two years ago, the pay-TV industry experienced a net loss of 291,000 subscribers in the second quarter compared with the first quarter. Olgeirson said the first time that SNL Kagan detected a decline in pay-TV subscribers was for the second quarter of 2010.
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »
[email protected]
@MegJamesLAT | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-cord-cutting-accelerating-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/9d7990124768af21fac69f0cc12235331bdfc0ba6fc8ff2bffddacb2e89d09bb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-27T02:49:00 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fmore%2Fla-sp-college-football-report-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0ec5b/turbine/la-sp-college-football-report-20160826-snap | en | null | Transfer Dakota Prukop moves to top of Oregon's quarterback chart | null | null | www.latimes.com | Montana State graduate transfer Dakota Prukop is listed atop Oregon's depth chart at quarterback for the season opener.
The No. 24 Ducks listed Prukop ahead of freshman Justin Herbert on the two-deep chart for the home game against UC Davis on Sept. 3.
Prukop passed for 3,025 yards and 28 touchdowns with 10 interceptions at Montana State last year. He also rushed for 774 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Big Sky team that finished 5-6.
He follows in the footsteps of Oregon's starter for the opener last season, Vernon Adams, a graduate transfer from Eastern Washington.
Herbert, a local prospect out of Sheldon High in Eugene, threw for 3,170 yards and 37 touchdowns as a senior last year. He won the backup job over redshirt freshman Travis Jonsen and freshman Terry Wilson, who had both played in Oregon's annual spring game.
Duke quarterback expected to miss season
A person familiar with the situation tells the Associated Press that Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk is expected to miss the season after reinjuring the Achilles tendon he tore in February.
The person spoke Friday night on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced Sirk's status. This marks the third injury to an Achilles tendon since 2013 for Sirk, who led Duke in rushing and passing last season and was the co-MVP of the Blue Devils' Pinstripe Bowl victory over Indiana.
Etc.
Auburn defensive back Stephen Roberts has been charged with attempting to elude an officer and possessing a firearm without a license. Auburn Police Capt. Lorenza Dorsey said that the 20-year-old Roberts was a passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop and attempted to flee from the officer. The arrest report shows Roberts was arrested Wednesday at 9:53 p.m. and the firearm was a handgun. Both charges are misdemeanors. Auburn spokesman Kirk Sampson says Coach Gus Malzahn “is gathering all of the facts and will handle the situation appropriately.” …
Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow will start Thursday night at Florida International. The highly touted junior college transfer beat out junior Zander Diamont, who had more experience in the Hoosiers' system. … Junior Mike White has been named Western Kentucky's starting quarterback for the Hilltoppers' Sept. 1 opener against visiting Rice. …
East Carolina has dismissed starting defensive lineman Darius Commissiong from the football team after his arrest on a felony animal cruelty charge. Greenville police say a 1-year-old Shih Tzu belonging to a woman they declined to identify was found dead. Commissiong was booked at the Pitt County Detention Center on $25,000 secured bond. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-college-football-report-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/c1fde4519cbab55e615151e531148bff52b42e7077945e6cb20d866b712e10ac.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Lance Pugmire"
]
| 2016-08-29T18:49:43 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fsportsnow%2Fla-sp-sn-skip-bayless-fox-shannon-sharpe-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c46b2d/turbine/la-sp-sn-skip-bayless-fox-shannon-sharpe-20160829-snap | en | null | Skip Bayless rising early, promises 'deeper' debate for new Fox Sports 1 show | null | null | www.latimes.com | It’s Skip Bayless’ job to be polarizing.
You love him, hate him or share both feelings within the same window of his two-hour sports debate show.
Bayless, 64, makes no secret of his intention to resume the same type of combative discussion on Fox Sports 1’s new “Skip and Shannon Undisputed” with co-host Shannon Sharpe that he did with partner Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“Skip and Shannon Undisputed” debuts Sept. 6 at 7 a.m. Pacific.
For Bayless, the show marks a return to work in Los Angeles following his 1976-78 stint as a take-out feature reporter for The Times’ Sports section.
“I was there back in the day when the section operated like a daily magazine, a bottomless pit of space,” Bayless said. “My stories would be 3,000 to 4,000 words long and they’d jump six or seven times through the section.
“I think those days have passed because no one read them to the bottom anyway. It was a great ride. It was the best sports magazine in the country and it was a newspaper. Those were the days.”
With The Times, Bayless won a horse racing writing Eclipse Award for documenting Seattle Slew’s 1977 Triple Crown victory, and he gained a national sports columnist position at the Dallas Morning News at age 25.
“When I used to travel from The Times and touch down at LAX, I’d always say, ‘I’m home, this is where I belong.’ I fell completely in love with L.A., felt like this was where I was destined to be,” Bayless said. “When I left, I always said to myself, ‘If I ever get the shot to get back to L.A., I’m taking it.’”
Bayless said that “billion-to-one shot” was realized this year when former ESPN executive Jamie Horowitz became president of Santa Monica-based Fox Sports National Networks.
He began stirring it up in L.A. last week, taking to a Fairfax Avenue barber shop to talk sports with fans who came in for a cut. Bayless defended the abilities of Tim Tebow and opined that Aaron Rodgers is overrated considering his mixed playoff results.
Given the multitude of topics discussed through the course of the year, it’s hard to believe anyone can feel so passionate about so many different issues.
Disney is Mickey and Minnie. Fox is 'The Simpsons,' 'Family Guy.' A different culture. — Skip Bayless
It’s Bayless’ commitment to remain deeply aware of all that’s going on in the sports world, striving to have a well-researched, strong position about wherever that day’s conversation steers.
In sticking with his schedule when he was based in Bristol, Conn., Bayless will rise each morning at 2 a.m. Pacific time to catch up with whatever happenings he missed by going to bed at 9 p.m., sharpening himself for the coming debate with Sharpe.
Unlike Smith (or Bayless), Sharpe brings the cache of playing experience. The former NFL tight end won three Super Bowl rings and his bust resides in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
“I love the matchup with Shannon, [him] having played the game at an extremely high level versus my NFL expertise,” Bayless said. “I live to win these debates and he’ll be a formidable foe.”
Shouldn’t the reporter yield to the athlete’s knowledge in some discussions?
“Absolutely not,” Bayless said. “I remind you to study the landscape of team building in football, basketball and baseball. The architects of many teams did not play the game at any significant level. I’d start with R.C. Buford of the San Antonio Spurs.
“The greatest athletes sometimes make the worst personnel decisions. Witness Michael Jordan.
“This will be an ongoing daily conference between me and Shannon. I will never defer to him just because he played the game.”
And Bayless predicts a stronger brand of discussion on Fox.
“ESPN, being owned by Walt Disney … I just felt a pressure of the last five-six years that I never quite fit,” Bayless said. “I felt like I gave about 75% into our debate. Disney is Mickey and Minnie. Fox is ‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Family Guy.’ A different culture.
“I think Jamie will allow me to go deeper into my arguments, he’ll be behind me and he’ll ignore what I thought was irrelevant criticism from basically just blogger-critics that ESPN seemed to live by.
“I never could quite understand that. So I often felt on an island, unsupported, and that’s why I wanted to reunite with Jamie – feeling that would be a great new frontier for me.”
Part of that outlook will include talk about the UFC, which Fox televises. Bayless attended Conor McGregor’s UFC 202 victory over Nate Diaz earlier this month in Las Vegas.
“I had kept an arm’s length from the UFC because I thought, ‘Gee, it sort of bastardized boxing.’ But that main event, that was special stuff,” Bayless said. “It won me over. A lot of boxing skills were involved.
“I was overwhelmed by the pain threshold, by the guts and the heart these combatants showed. It was a long fight. I thought one or the other would give up, stay down. They never did. I was extremely impressed.” | http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-skip-bayless-fox-shannon-sharpe-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/9bfa9eb20c603b1e515c336f6e4724556f94b30fa21f2b27c5bbeef2a90a42ca.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-29T18:49:55 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fla-fg-norway-reindeer-lightning-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c471a2/turbine/la-fg-norway-reindeer-lightning-20160829-snap | en | null | Lightning strike kills more than 300 reindeer in Norway | null | null | www.latimes.com | More than 300 wild reindeer have been killed by lightning in central Norway.
The Norwegian Environment Agency has released eerie images showing a jumble of reindeer carcasses scattered across a small area on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The agency says 323 animals were killed, including 70 calves, in the lightning storm Friday.
Agency spokesman Kjartan Knutsen told the Associated Press it's not uncommon for reindeer or other wildlife to be killed by lightning strikes but that this was an unusually deadly event.
"We have not heard about such numbers before," he said Monday.
He said reindeer tend to stay very close to each other in bad weather, which could explain how so many were killed at once.
"I don't know if there were several lightning strikes," he said. "But it happened in one moment."
Knutsen said the agency is discussing what to do with the dead animals. Normally, they are just left where they fall to let nature take its course, he said.
Thousands of reindeer migrate across the barren Hardangervidda plateau as the seasons change. | http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-norway-reindeer-lightning-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/67d01384225bc674563381172106efe0dbfb01d96ca99f4ff5b513089092d20f.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Andy Mccullough"
]
| 2016-08-27T00:49:01 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fdodgers%2Fla-sp-dodgers-kershaw-ellis-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0de9e/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-kershaw-ellis-20160826-snap | en | null | Clayton Kershaw praises new Dodgers catcher Carlos Ruiz, laments loss of A.J. Ellis | null | null | www.latimes.com | A new catcher occupied A.J. Ellis’ old locker at Dodger Stadium on Friday afternoon. On his first day as a Dodger, Carlos Ruiz found himself next door to Clayton Kershaw, a close friend of Ellis and one of his strongest advocates in the organization.
The departure of Ellis on Thursday rocked the Dodgers’ clubhouse, and perhaps no man felt the loss more acutely than Kershaw. He wept with Ellis in the dugout before Ellis left the ballpark to join the Phillies.
A day later, after throwing a 60-pitch bullpen session as he approaches a return to the majors, Kershaw spoke with reporters about the trade.
What was yesterday like for you?
“It was hard, man. It was really hard. Carlos Ruiz is awesome. Heard nothing but great things. But it’s a tremendous subtraction from this team. There’s no doubt about it. Just what he brought to the team, as one of my best friends, but I think everybody.
“He really brought that presence that not a lot of people have, where you can just get along with everybody. And really help everybody’s careers. That’s something that’s not easily replaced.”
Did it feel like seeing a family member leave?
“Yeah. There’s no getting around it. It’s really hard. It’s been a rough couple of days. He lives in Milwaukee, so it’s not like we’re going to be hanging out in the off-season. We’ll obviously keep in touch and hang out. But it’s going to be tough, for sure.”
As a business decision, did you grasp why the team did this?
“I don’t even really think about it. I just see A.J. leaving. Carlos Ruiz comes highly recommended from a lot of different guys. Cares. Loves the game. Chase loves him to death. So that tells you all you need to know right there. But I don’t really think of the corresponding moves. I just think about A.J. leaving.”
Does Ruiz’s resume and reputation make the trade more understandable?
“I’m not even going to let myself think about that. It’s just a really abrupt ending. A.J. kind of described it like a car wreck. We both knew that this might have been our last season together. But we’ve been saying that for four years, and it keeps working out. We realized what a huge blessing it was to have that time. But when you see each other every day, you play with each other every day, you take it for granted. That abrupt ending was tough.”
Did you appreciate the outpouring of affection for A.J. yesterday?
“Rightfully so. He’s meant a lot to this organization. He’s done a lot. Not only as the guy, everybody talks about the guy he was, but he was pretty good there for a while, and one of the better postseason guys that we’ve ever had. There’s a lot to be said about his skill level, too. Absolutely. He meant a lot.
“He got drafted in 2003. So that’s a really long time.”
Ellis said that the hardest part of the trade was knowing he would never catch you again. What was it like throwing to him?
“That’s just the guy he is. The pitcher-catcher relationship is pretty one-sided. We get all the credit, and then we take all the blame, and the catcher’s just kind of there, and that’s the way it is. But A.J. thrives at that. He prepares harder than anybody. He prepares harder than all of us do for our own individual starts or bullpen roles. He does that for 12 different guys, every single series.
“He takes a lot of pride in it. He has a servant’s heart. He really does. And so it’s not going to be easy not throwing to him anymore, for sure.” | http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-kershaw-ellis-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/c85b40615158cf965c16d7d968a7b31db32d4e56ba5090c274360da913c7ec8f.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"David Lazarus"
]
| 2016-08-29T10:49:31 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Flazarus%2Fla-fi-lazarus-newsletter-california-inc-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf7561/turbine/la-fi-lazarus-newsletter-california-inc-20160829-snap | en | null | California Inc.: Want to be in the drone biz? Pass this test | null | null | www.latimes.com | Welcome to California Inc., the weekly newsletter of the L.A. Times Business section.
I'm Business columnist David Lazarus, and here's a rundown of upcoming stories this week and the highlights of last week.
Pharmaceutical company Mylan is still in the news after hiking the price of life-saving EpiPens by more than 400%. But keep this in mind: Of roughly $250 million raised for and against 17 ballot measures coming before California voters in November, more than a quarter of that amount — about $70 million — has been contributed by deep-pocketed drug companies to defeat the Drug Price Relief Act, which would limit drug prices charged to state healthcare programs. Spending on the measure could set a state record over coming weeks.
LOOKING AHEAD
No buzz kill: New federal rules for small commercial drones go into effect Monday. Among the changes, commercial operators will no longer need to get a pilot’s license to fly a drone — they’ll just need to pass an aeronautical knowledge test and clear a background check by the Transportation Security Administration. To pass the FAA-administered test, drone operators must be able to read aeronautical charts, understand and decipher aviation weather reports and understand the new operational rules. It will cost about $150 to take the test.
Cannabis confabs: The state Water Resources Control Board kicks off a monthlong meander through California cannabis country Wednesday, with a meeting in the Mendocino County seat, Ukiah. The agency wants to talk to cultivators about its permit process that will govern waste discharge, erosion and other water-quality issues. Officials will hit Humboldt the next day, meeting in Eureka. (Try not to giggle, but the next stop is Sept. 7, in Weed.)
Retirement proposal: A bill that would create state-run retirement accounts for millions of private-sector workers in California was passed by the state Assembly last week. This week, it will head back to the state Senate and likely to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 1234 would create the California Secure Choice Retirement Plan, which would offer individual retirement accounts to most California workers whose employers do not already offer a retirement plan. If Brown signs the bill, the program would launch early next year, though it might take months more for workers to begin enrolling.
New Fox CEO: Stacey Snider will take over as chairwoman and chief executive of 20th Century Fox Film on Thursday. Snider, whose elevation was announced in June, had originally been expected to replace outgoing studio chief Jim Gianopulos in June 2017 after his current contract expires. But Gianopulos announced last week that he was stepping down at the end of August. The transition comes as 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch and Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch move to put their stamp on the studio. Before she joined Fox in late 2014, Snider was co-chair and chief executive of Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios.
Labor Day travel: If you plan to fly over the Labor Day holiday, be prepared for huge airport crowds. During the holiday period from Wednesday to Sept. 6, 15.6 million people are expected to fly on U.S.-based airlines, a 4% increase compared with the same period last year, according to a forecast by Airlines for America, a trade group for the nation's airlines. The increase breaks down to 2.23 million air travelers a day, an increase of 82,000 fliers a day, the trade group said. Los Angeles International Airport will be the second-busiest in the nation (after Atlanta) for the weekend, the trade group forecast.
THE AGENDA
Monday’s Business section looks at what some say is the Next Big Thing on the technology front — energy storage in all its forms, including hydro, thermal and chemical (read batteries). Its supporters not only sing its praises but also tout what they say is its inevitability. “We’re going to have 10 times as much energy storage on the grid by the end of this decade and that is going to impact every facet of the energy industry,” says one industry player. But the electrical grid, as many other hand found, is a harsh taskmaster. Inventor Thomas Edison grappled with storage as far back as the 1880s.
STORY LINES
Here are some of the other stories that ran in the Times Business section in recent days that we’re continuing to follow:
Chinese investment: Los Angeles real estate has long attracted foreign investment, be it from Japan, Canada or South Korea. But no one is building from the ground up the way the Chinese are today. Chinese developers such as Greenland, Oceanwide and Shenzhen Hazens are pouring billions into the city, adding thousands of new residential units in soaring skyscrapers that will fundamentally change the city’s skyline. Since 2014, Chinese developers have been involved in at least seven of 18 land deals downtown in excess of $19 million.
Mexican manufacturing: Despite what you might have heard on the presidential campaign trail, Mexico’s manufacturing surge has not been an unalloyed disaster for American workers. U.S. manufacturing production, it turns out, is rising as well. Factory output has nearly reached its all-time high this year, and is up more than 30% since 2009. Factory jobs are still way off from their peak of more than 19 million in 1979. But they have been climbing slowly since the end of the Great Recession in 2009.
Rate hike? Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen signaled that an increase in a key interest rate was on the table at the central bank’s next meeting in September but that a hike was far from a sure thing. In her first public comments in two months, Yellen said the economy was improving to the point that policymakers soon could nudge up the benchmark federal funds rate for the first time since December. But she didn’t give a timetable. | http://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-newsletter-california-inc-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/e2a6e5a59ffafd5910f0c239c5b8818a9b9eac0d1c0a7528f8154a96a0a0699b.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Alex Chan"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:16:10 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-0826-estancia-net-20160825-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bfaa47/turbine/tn-dpt-me-0826-estancia-net-20160825 | en | null | Some poles for planned protective netting structure at Estancia High to be removed | null | null | www.latimes.com | At least four poles installed as part of a netting structure being built to prevent foul balls from the Estancia High School baseball field from hitting nearby homes and solar panels will be taken down after homeowners raised concerns about the project last week.
During a community meeting Wednesday night, officials of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District said four poles beside left field will be removed and that they are planning to discuss with the contractor, La Habra-based Wolverine Fence Co. Inc., whether more can be taken down.
A total of 16 poles, each about 20 feet tall, were installed this month along the field's first and third base sides. There are eight poles on each side, intended to help hold up the planned netting. The structure would be 80 feet tall and cost $550,750.
The third base side is adjacent to homes on Joann Street in Costa Mesa. The first base side is next to a row of six solar panels covering a school parking lot.
Residents of Joann Street arranged a meeting with district officials last week to discuss the structure, saying it would negatively affect their backyard views and property values. Some also raised questions about whether the poles are earthquake-safe.
. Bing Maps The Estancia High School baseball field abuts houses off Joann Street, shown at the bottom of this Bing Map, and a parking lot, at right, that now includes elevated solar panels. The Estancia High School baseball field abuts houses off Joann Street, shown at the bottom of this Bing Map, and a parking lot, at right, that now includes elevated solar panels. (Bing Maps)
At Wednesday's follow-up meeting at Estancia's library, district officials presented options for mitigating the project's effects.
Officials said the fence company told them that the two poles along the third base side that are closest to home plate need to remain to help anchor the structure.
One option would be to have no netting on the third base side, in which case the residents would have to sign a waiver releasing the district from liability, officials said.
Supt. Fred Navarro discussed the possibility of planting trees to block the remaining poles from being seen from Joann Street backyards.
Another community meeting on the issue will be held next month on a date to be determined. | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-0826-estancia-net-20160825-story.html | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/73e3184686f2597329b0106b0907c5878229582e80049aa8781201d20f97b419.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-31T14:50:11 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Fcalifornia%2Fla-me-updates-wildfire-season-update-on-the-bogart-fire-in-riverside-1472654241-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Update on the Bogart fire in Riverside County: 1,250 acres have burned | null | null | www.latimes.com | A rash of fires this summer has destroyed homes, subjected residents to evacuation orders and disrupted activities at Hearst Castle.
Here are some of the fires now burning in California (numbers updated Wednesday, Aug. 31): | http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-updates-wildfire-season-update-on-the-bogart-fire-in-riverside-1472654241-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/bc46a41c4e28e83c6bc35da5a1f6b263bc4b813034401df10fe1091184c1c734.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Kevin Baxter"
]
| 2016-08-30T20:50:10 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fsoccer%2Fla-sp-hope-solo-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5df75/turbine/la-sp-hope-solo-20160830-snap | en | null | Hope Solo to sit out remainder of NWSL season | null | null | www.latimes.com | Goalkeeper Hope Solo, suspended by the U.S. national team last week, said Tuesday she would not play again this season for the Seattle Reign, her club team in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Solo was allowed to miss last weekend’s Reign game while on “personal leave.” On Tuesday she released a statement saying she would miss the final four games of the season as well.
“Mentally, I am not there,” said Solo, who stopped short of calling her decision a retirement from soccer.
Solo, 35, was given a six-month suspension by U.S. Soccer and her contract with the national team was terminated last week over intemperate comments she made following the U.S. team's loss to Sweden in the quarterfinals of the Olympic soccer tournament. Solo has made 202 international appearances for the U.S., winning 153 games and posting 102 shutouts. All those numbers are records.
But Solo, who called the Swedes “a bunch of cowards” for playing a defensive game before beating the U.S. in a penalty-kick shootout,” also set a record for off-the-field controversy and chaos. Over the last decade she has been charged with two counts of domestic violence, failed a drug test, was riding shotgun in a team van when her husband, former NFL player Jerramy Stevens, was arrested for DUI, admitted she appeared on national television drunk and was suspended from the U.S. team three times.
Still the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to cut ties with her has been difficult to accept, Solo said.
“Coming to terms with the fact I was fired from the U.S. women’s national team after 17 years of service has been devastating,” she wrote. “After careful consideration, I have decided to end my season with the Seattle Reign, an organization I love playing for….
“I truly believe this decision is what’s best for me and for the Reign organization.”
Solo will get three months’ severance pay from U.S. Soccer, which also paid her salary in the NWSL. She is eligible to be called back by the national team in February even though her contract has been terminated.
[email protected] | http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-hope-solo-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/dd9f023fd090fa8a1a7325d5521e9eca01a58f36fdbfa7901ca8cb81e15df764.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Eric Sondheimer"
]
| 2016-08-29T22:49:56 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fhighschool%2Fvarsity-times%2Fla-sp-vi-baseball-royce-clayton-is-hired-at-oaks-christian-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Baseball: Royce Clayton is hired at Oaks Christian | null | null | www.latimes.com | Royce Clayton, who was an All-Star shortstop in 1997 for the St. Louis Cardinals, has been hired as baseball coach at Oaks Christian.
Clayton, a St. Bernard graduate and first-round draft pick in 1988, has been coaching youth baseball. From 1991 until his retirement in 2007, he played for 11 teams.
He's the second former major leaguer switching to high school baseball in Ventura County. Thousand Oaks hired former Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson.
For the latest on high school sports, follow @LATSondheimer on Twitter | http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/varsity-times/la-sp-vi-baseball-royce-clayton-is-hired-at-oaks-christian-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/a60bf2da57f33abf78ffa385d4208435218a6d94d7d4bd4bea3afbf53023cd91.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-31T06:49:53 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Fcorrections%2Fla-a4-correx-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | For the Record | null | null | www.latimes.com | Engage:BDR acquisitions: In the Aug. 30 Business section, the L.A. Tech column said that Engage:BDR Inc. would use accumulated profit to fund its acquisitions. The company has not divulged the source of the funds.
“The Little Prince” review: In the Aug. 5 Calendar section, a review of the film “The Little Prince” erroneously credited the direction of the stop-motion sequences to Anthony Scott rather than director Mark Osborne. Scott was the lead animator for stop motion on the film.
The Tragically Hip: In the Aug. 28 Calendar section, the Overrated/Underrated column said the Canadian band the Tragically Hip performed its final concert in Toronto. The band’s farewell performance was in its hometown of Kingston, Ontario.
If you believe that we have made an error, or you have questions about The Times’ journalistic standards and practices, you may contact Deirdre Edgar, readers’ representative, by email at [email protected], by phone at (877) 554-4000, by fax at (213) 237-3535 or by mail at 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. The readers’ representative office is online at latimes.com/readersrep. | http://www.latimes.com/local/corrections/la-a4-correx-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/7e1fa8aab8b255aa7b99e9d6d6c3f147778d07382566e59ba8a4ff216fb330d0.json |
[
"Glendale News Press",
"Sara Cardine"
]
| 2016-08-26T20:51:12 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fglendale-news-press%2Fnews%2Ftn-gnp-me-remains-20160826-5-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c09ecb/turbine/tn-gnp-me-remains-20160826-5 | en | null | Vehicle found near skeletal remains connected to woman who went missing in 2014 | null | null | www.latimes.com | Sheriff's officials have confirmed a vehicle discovered Tuesday down a 500-foot embankment off the Angeles Crest Highway is connected to 47-year-old Kimberly Blum, a La Cañada High School graduate and Sunland resident who went missing on June 5, 2014.
Blum was last seen at around 4 p.m. at the La Crescenta home of her sister Jennifer Franklin, where the pair were planning an eighth-grade graduation party for Franklin's daughter, the News-Press reported at the time of the disappearance.
Although empty pill containers bearing Blum's name were discovered days later by a maintenance worker in the Angeles National Forest, no other physical evidence had been found until earlier this week.
On Tuesday afternoon, a Caltrans employee was working near Angeles Crest Highway Mile Marker 41.69, about 16 miles north of La Cañada Flintridge, when he saw skid marks leading off the side of the road, Lt. Randy Tuinstra, watch commander for the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, confirmed Wednesday morning.
Deputies responded to the location and found an SUV at the bottom of a 500-foot embankment in the vicinity of the skid marks, according to a statement issued Thursday by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
Kimberly Blum, Rosalie Blum and Jennifer Franklin Courtesy of Barbara Hodgson Kimberly Blum, left, who went missing June 5, 2014, at the beach with her mother, Rosalie Blum, and her sister, Jennifer Franklin. Kimberly Blum, left, who went missing June 5, 2014, at the beach with her mother, Rosalie Blum, and her sister, Jennifer Franklin. (Courtesy of Barbara Hodgson) (Courtesy of Barbara Hodgson)
Montrose Search and Rescue inspected the vehicle, which appeared to have been abandoned for a long time.
A check of the vehicle returned information indicating it was connected to Blum, who was said to be driving a silver Honda CRV when she went missing.
In a second search of the incident area Wednesday morning, search-and-rescue personnel discovered human skeletal remains near the vehicle. Employees from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner responded with homicide detectives to collect the remains and conduct a thorough search of the area, according to the statement.
In their investigation, it was determined that the skid marks reported by the Caltrans worker were caused by a recent unrelated traffic collision, and not the Honda CRV.
The identity of the victim has yet to be confirmed, but those who knew her and supported her family during the two-year search turned to Kimberly Blum's still active Facebook page with messages for the missing woman and her family.
Barbara Hodgson, a public relations representative who worked with Blum's mother, Rosalie Blum, and investigating detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department after the disappearance said Friday she'd learned of the vehicle discovery Thursday night after receiving an email from Rosalie Blum.
"We were all hopeful," she said, describing Kimberly Blum as an intelligent, lively woman. "We were all hoping that she'd taken off and gone to Paris."
Hodgson called Rosalie Blum as a tireless advocate, not only for the discovery of her own daughter, but for parents of missing children everywhere.
"She really is a champion — she did everything she possibly could to find her daughter," Hodgson said Friday.
Rosalie Blum could not be immediately reached for comment.
--
Sara Cardine, [email protected]
Twitter: @SaraCardine | http://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/tn-gnp-me-remains-20160826-5-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/e783bae369ee3134b1edfc5f44899afd84bdb1f4817f9e9818e5afd211cbb228.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-27T12:49:05 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Freadersreact%2Fla-ol-le-trump-hillary-nothing-campaign-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1247a/turbine/la-ol-le-trump-hillary-nothing-campaign-20160827-snap | en | null | The 'Seinfeld' campaign? Clinton-Trump 'has risen to epic levels of nothingness' | null | null | www.latimes.com | To the editor: Are the former Seinfeld writers working on the script for the current presidential campaign? You recall that Seinfeld was a “show about nothing,” and the current campaign has risen to epic levels of nothingness. (“It’s time to take the ‘Clinton’ out of the Clinton Foundation,” editorial, Aug. 25)
We hear Republican nominee Donald Trump’s soliloquies, but since Trump speaks in thought bubbles, it’s difficult to make any sense out of his ravings. “We’re going to build a wall and they’re going to pay for it.” “What do you have to lose?” — what the hell do these outbursts mean? As for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, where Trump’s speeches lack any real content, hers lack life or inflection. There is no there there in her pronouncements or any understandable substance.
Reporters keep returning with Carl Sagan-like references to millions and billions of emails and ominous references to the Clinton Foundation. Before writing this letter, I went to the trouble of reading about the Clinton Foundation. I was horrified to learn that it’s a charitable enterprise that raises money for the poor to improve health, to fight poverty and address challenges to the environment. Clearly, Bill Clinton should be locked up if any of that is true.
I lived through the summer of love. I hope I can survive the summer of nothing
Jonathan Greenspan, Westlake Village
..
To the editor: The Clinton Foundation’s defenders are shameless. Clinton is supposed to be given a free pass on any inquiry whether she “sold” influence and favors as secretary of State (or permitted her subordinates to do so) because the foundation “does wonderful charitable work.”
So, we are to believe she is not responsible for the conduct of her subordinates? Sure, and Richard Nixon was not responsible for John Ehrlichman.
The executives of Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia and HealthSouth, among others, ensured their companies did wonderful charitable work too. Evidently, those executives were treated too harshly
Kip Dellinger, Santa Monica
..
To the editor: Your editorial focuses on a tree and not the forest. Access to influential decision-makers is a fundamental element of our political system.
Our political structure enables the wealthy to game the system. Recent interaction between donors to the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of State simply reveals how the American system functions daily and is far more pervasive than you highlight. For those with hands-on experience, we must advocate strongly for formulating and structuring a new, transparent governmental system. It is insufficient to propose Clinton family members exclude themselves in Clinton Foundation business matters.
The Clinton Foundation is one tree in the forest.
Jim Watson, Dana Point
The writer is a retired foreign service officer.
..
To the editor: When I was a trial lawyer, we had a saying: If you had the facts on your side, you pounded the facts; if you had the law, you pounded the law; and if you had neither, you pounded the table.
I have not seen one fact that suggests any lawbreaking. Yet Republican nominee Donald Trump “pounds the table” for the appointment of a special prosecutor.
Politicians routinely give access to major donors. Shakespeare said it best: “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Robert G. Brewer, Sherman Oaks
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-trump-hillary-nothing-campaign-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/09eed2b0b4bd6de26415cb4e001c61cb26b381b5225dd274d989be6e70f014cb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Umar Farooq"
]
| 2016-08-31T00:50:01 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fla-fg-uzbekistan-islam-karimov-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c60c4a/turbine/la-fg-uzbekistan-islam-karimov-20160830-snap | en | null | Speculation swirls that the man who ruled Uzbekistan with an iron fist for 25 years may be dead. Here's what might happen next | null | null | www.latimes.com | Only one man has ruled the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Islam Karimov was the Uzbek leader even before independence, and he has held on to power for more than a quarter of a century with all the tools at a despot’s disposal, his many critics say.
But Karimov’s grip on his country appears to be at an end, with persistent reports in recent days that he is either dead or dying. If those prove to be true, Uzbekistan will be facing a decision that none of its citizens has really made: Who will be its new leader, and what will that mean for a long-repressive society?
Karimov was last seen on state television on Aug. 17, and the government announced Sunday that he had been hospitalized. His daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, who is the country’s representative to UNESCO, wrote on social media that her father had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, “and is now receiving treatment in an intensive care unit.”
Previous reports of Karimov’s death have turned out to be false, but this is the first time the government has made any acknowledgment of the 78-year-old’s fragile health.
“People don’t know what will happen yet,” said Adem Cevik, president of the Uzbek Assn. and Turkistan Union, groups that advocate for Central Asian migrants in Turkey. “They are not hopeful nor hopeless, but at least they hope the next leader will not be like Karimov.”
Municipal workers clean the area at Independence Square in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Aug. 29, 2016, in preparation for celebrations of the nation's Independence Day on Sept. 1. Associated Press Municipal workers clean the area at Independence Square in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Aug. 29, 2016, in preparation for celebrations of the nation's Independence Day on Sept. 1. Municipal workers clean the area at Independence Square in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Aug. 29, 2016, in preparation for celebrations of the nation's Independence Day on Sept. 1. (Associated Press)
At the same time, social media were abuzz with persistent reports that he was, in fact, dead. A Moscow-based Central Asian news outlet, Fergana News, cited unnamed sources in the president’s office in reporting that Karimov suffered a stroke Saturday and died Monday. But Russian-language media cited other unidentified sources in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, as saying the president was still alive.
Under Uzbekistan’s Constitution, the head of the Senate, Nigmatulla Yuldashev, would take over for three months before elections must be held.
If, as in the past, the outcome of elections is predetermined, experts say, three candidates are most likely to replace Karimov: Rustam Azimov, the deputy prime minister, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the prime minister, or Rustam Inoyatov, the head of the security services.
Some opposition figures outside the country have said Azimov has been put under house arrest, but officials in Tashkent have denied this.
Karimov’s departure will leave an enormous power vacuum.
“All of state institutions directly depend on Karimov's decisions,” said Erica Marat, an assistant professor at the National Defense University. “He was notorious for micromanaging any decision on security, economy and cultural life.”
Karimov’s decades-long sidelining of critics has meant day-to-day running of the state is now done by patronage networks loyal to one another.
“Anyone who succeeds Karimov will need to maintain similar level of loyalty among political leaders and engage in the same level of micromanagement,” Marat said.
A former KGB officer, Karimov was the head of the Communist Party in Uzbekistan on the eve of independence, which came on Sept. 1, 1991, as the Soviet Union splintered. He won the country’s first presidential election, which Human Rights Watch called “seriously marred.”
How The Times reported Karimov's rise in 1991 »
In 1995, a referendum extended Karimov’s rule, and he went on to be reelected three times, the last two elections defying a constitutional two-term limit.
“The opposition has been exterminated,” said Nate Schenkkan, a researcher with Freedom House, which monitors democratic governance in Central Asia. “By the early 2000s, everyone was either exiled, imprisoned, or assassinated, including in countries outside of Uzbekistan.”
About 10,000 political prisoners are in jail in the country, many of them, according to Steve Swerdlow, the Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, under falsified charges of belonging to Islamic extremist groups. Prisoners are routinely tortured, including at least one case of being boiled alive.
“Uzbekistan has been one of the most corrupt, repressive countries in the world for some time now,” said Swerdlow. “The 31 million people there have endured tremendous social repression and economic poverty.”
In an overwhelmingly Muslim country, praying in mosques not approved by the state is illegal, and there are severe restrictions on beards and head scarves, and the possession of religious literature. After 1991, Karimov banned the Islamist opposition Renaissance Party, members of which fled to neighboring countries, some later forming the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a militant group that continues to fight alongside Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Hundreds of members are now thought to be in Syria, some fighting with the militant group Islamic State.
Karimov, Schenkkan said, has used the threat of Islamic extremism in the past to attack political opponents.
“There’s a lot of anger, discontent, because of that in Uzbekistan, but it’s not really organized,” he said. “I think it’s unlikely there would be violent reactions [to Karimov’s death], and if we do see any, I would suspect they would be organized by parts of the state itself.”
Tashkent became vital for American operations in Afghanistan after 2001, with a base in the country used to ferry troops and equipment. In 2005, government troops opened fire on civilian protesters in the city of Andijon, killing several hundred and prompting a temporary halt to cooperation with Washington. The U.S. and Europe imposed a travel ban on Karimov and other top officials.
President George W. Bush meets with Uzbek President Islam Karimov at the White House in March 2002. Kenneth Lambert / Associated Press President George W. Bush meets with Uzbek President Islam Karimov at the White House in March 2002. President George W. Bush meets with Uzbek President Islam Karimov at the White House in March 2002. (Kenneth Lambert / Associated Press)
Economic stagnation has forced about 2 million Uzbeks to work in Russia. In Uzbekistan, the world’s fifth largest exporter of cotton, a million citizens are forced to leave school and other work to harvest the crop each year.
Under Karimov, Uzbek soldiers have clashed with neighboring Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan off and on for several years over border disputes that date to 1991. At least 50,000 Uzbeks have settled in Istanbul, Turkey, said Cevik.
“Karimov’s death is great news,” said Muhammad Salih, the head of the banned opposition Erk (or Freedom) Democratic Party, who has lived in exile in Istanbul for more than a decade. “First of all, I have to go to Uzbekistan. Then we have to organize the people for elections, for which we need the help of the international community.” | http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-uzbekistan-islam-karimov-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d1f8aa1d27ad54cc3a006a19432d1440d55e84ce200b22e2a07dcf6d9fe697f4.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-27T18:48:58 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-hillary-clinton-receives-first-national-1472316227-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1cc75/turbine/la-na-trailguide-updates-hillary-clinton-receives-first-national-1472316227 | en | null | Hillary Clinton receives first national security briefing | null | null | www.latimes.com | Hillary Clinton spent Saturday morning with officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, who briefed her on major threats facing the United States around the world.
Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, traveled to the FBI offices near her home in Chappaqua, N.Y., for the meeting, which lasted nearly two hours. The intelligence briefing was Clinton's first and comes with just a little over two months until election day.
While secretary of State, Clinton regularly received intelligence briefings.
Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, received his first intelligence briefing 10 days ago. At the meeting, Trump was joined by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn.
Since the general election began earlier this summer, Clinton and Trump have lobbed attacks questioning each other's temperament.
Clinton has insisted that Trump, who has called on banning Muslims from entering the country, would hurt the United States on the world stage.
Meanwhile, Trump has castigated Clinton for her support of the Iraq war (for which he also initially indicated support) and her call for allowing more Syrian refugees into the country — a move, he says, that would hinder the security of the country. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-hillary-clinton-receives-first-national-1472316227-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/133d1b413f9e6d330c5f82fb654dcb662b3972f9e9c1847b01b5e5652bd8a855.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Andy Mccullough"
]
| 2016-08-27T02:48:53 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fdodgers%2Fla-sp-dodgers-report-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0f446/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-report-20160826-snap | en | null | Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw close to facing hitters as return nears | null | null | www.latimes.com | Clayton Kershaw completed another significant step in his recovery process on Friday afternoon, completing a 60-pitch bullpen session, which would put him in a position to face hitters next week.
Kershaw could require only one outing, either on a rehabilitation assignment or in a simulated game, before rejoining the Dodgers. He has not pitched since late June because of a herniated disk in his lower back.
“It wasn’t a very good bullpen,” Kershaw said before Friday’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs. “But physically I feel fine.”
Kershaw was still deflated by his team’s decision to trade backup catcher A.J. Ellis, a close friend to Kershaw and a crucial part of the clubhouse fabric. Ellis said goodbye to Kershaw and the rest of the team on Thursday, after the Dodgers shipped him to Philadelphia for catcher Carlos Ruiz.
“It was hard, man,” Kershaw said. “It was really hard. Carlos Ruiz is awesome. Heard nothing but great things. But it’s a tremendous subtraction from this team. There’s no doubt about it.”
He added, “He really brought that presence that not a lot of people have, where you can just get along with everybody. And really help everybody’s careers. That’s something that’s not easily replaced.”
Rotation keeps rotating
Manager Dave Roberts continued to take his day-by-day approach with his starting rotation for this weekend against the Cubs. Julio Urias will start on Saturday. Kenta Maeda will start on Monday. But the starter for Sunday’s game remains unnamed.
The Dodgers called up Brock Stewart as an emergency reliever for Friday. To make room on the roster for Stewart and Ruiz, the Dodgers optioned backup catcher Shawn Zarraga to triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned Maeda to the Arizona Rookie League. The season in Arizona ends on Sunday, which means Maeda is eligible to return on Monday.
Either Stewart or prospect Jose De Leon could start Sunday. The Dodgers would need to create a spot on the 40-man roster for De Leon.
[email protected]
Twitter: @McCulloughTimes | http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-report-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/672c30b0c9ef6be5b5f0c0effb0f94d61e4e7015f4c7655e3b7e6817b2757bae.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Paresh Dave"
]
| 2016-08-30T10:49:46 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftechnology%2Fla-fi-tn-vizio-william-wang-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0a4a8/turbine/la-fi-tn-vizio-william-wang-20160827-snap | en | null | The key to Vizio founder William Wang's $2-billion business? Trust in his employees | null | null | www.latimes.com | William Wang, founder and chairman of TV maker Vizio Inc., had receded into the background at the Irvine company in recent years. So even though it was him at a media event announcing LeEco’s acquisition of Vizio for $2 billion last month, he quickly turned the attention to a group seated directly in front of the stage.
The CEO clasped his hands together and beamed like a proud parent as he looked out at the executives who he said were among the company’s “true heroes.”
Wang called out his disciplined chief operating officer, his chief technologist who took three years to recruit, and his hard-working sales leader who had been connected to him since she was 18 years old. Wang said he had the industry’s best forecaster, the creator of the world’s “biggest Excel spreadsheet.” And he talked up the gains from Vizio’s external auditor and a former client joining the company.
The cadre of senior executives is among the top reasons Wang believes Vizio has become the nation’s second best-selling TV brand, behind only Samsung. With the help of ambitious Chinese tech and media company LeEco, it could conquer much more of the globe. Wang plans to move on to a new venture when the acquisition closes, but he says the company’s success has more to do with his team than himself.
“We empower people to make decisions and make decisions together instead of me calling every single shot,” Wang said.
He crystallized that dictum several years ago when he handed deputies batons. Like orchestra conductors, he wanted them to arrange operations as they saw fit.
“The result speaks for itself,” Wang said.
The heavy emphasis on delegation derived from Wang’s previous start-up, a computer monitor seller. The Taiwanese immigrant, who says he learned English as a teenager watching TV, founded the business in 1990 at age 26 after working in tech support for a similar company. Life went well until monitors became a commodity and prices fell. Rivals grew efficient; Wang stuck to selling pricey tech. He recalled being a naive micromanager.
“I was too young and without experience to be a leader of a large enterprise,” he said.
With Vizio, which Wang started in 2002 seeking to undercut TV manufacturers with exorbitant profit margins, he initially hovered over many decisions. Supported by a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from USC and just a few employees, he put in 19-hour days and attended to even small design details (“The key should be here or there or this picture is not sharp enough,” Wang said.).
He also tapped his old contacts to outsource manufacturing and attract investment from the suppliers. The set-up, which includes not requiring manufacturers to adhere to labor and environmental standards, allows Vizio to keep costs downs, compared with rivals who make their own sets.
Other start-up cash came from venture capital firm WI Harper Group, a co-founder who later left the company, and personal funds after Wang and his wife, Sakura, took out a loan against their house.
Wang’s influence led to a call center in South Dakota, the home of his former client, the once high-flying computer brand Gateway. Having worked in customer support as his first job out of college, he knew having support staff under the company’s wing would quickly identify issues with products and help keep customers happy.
But as the company scooped up market share, Wang started to leave decisions to the rest of the management team.
Wang tasked Chief Administrative Officer Rob Brinkman, who joined in 2007, with expanding and improving customer service through new software and standards. Vizio now prides itself on being able to answer emails in less than an hour, compared with what it said was an industry standard of more than a day.
President and Chief Operating Officer Ben Wong and sales chief Laynie Newsome work in concert to match component supplies with sales at stores so that Vizio doesn’t spend needlessly on parts with fickle prices or hold too much depreciating inventory.
“Our competitors don’t practice that and they lost a lot of money the last couple of years because they can’t keep the inventory clean,” Wang said.
Not every decision has panned out. Vizio introduced tablets about five years ago, but sales started to fall for the company and other tabletmakers as consumer preferences changed. Wang credits the team for adapting though, launching this year a way to stream content to its TVs from a wide range of tablets.
Wang describes the decision to sell as one he hesitated over because he didn't want to lose control. He’ll most likely come out close to a billionaire, and he said his employees deserved the fortune they’ll get. They hadn’t ever been able to cash out shares.
LeEco, a multifaceted tech and media conglomerate founded by Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, had been persistent with escalating offers over three years. A 100% acquisition and all cash — it was “an offer I can’t say no to,” Wang said.
Now, the question is whether Wang’s mantra of delegation works again. He’s spinning out from Vizio a viewer-tracking business, Inscape. Wang says San Francisco-based Inscape will modernize TV advertising, though he’s coy about plans. He declined to say whether he’s bringing over executives from Vizio or shaking up Inscape’s existing leadership.
Vizio has previously said Inscape technology identifies what viewers are watching on their TV, information that would allow Vizio or third parties to serve tailored videos and ads more likely to interest users.
“They’re attacking a problem worth solving,” but one that many others are studying, said Peter Horan, the former CEO of About.com who now advises media start-ups.
Companies such as Toyota, Dunkin Donuts and H&M have already worked with Gracenote, the largest player in the TV content recognition and new-wave ad space. Like Gracenote, Inscape could provide viewers interactive experiences such as polling and informational overlays while selling manufacturers TV usage data for six-figure fees, media experts said. The key will be amassing a large user base of potential ad viewers to make it worthwhile for advertisers to participate. | http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-vizio-william-wang-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/084b49e0f7f2462f68e59a0d844328560adb093206152055f86f0aca189affd8.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-29T14:49:39 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fla-fi-mylan-new-epipen-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c43465/turbine/la-fi-mylan-new-epipen-20160829-snap | en | null | Mylan will launch a cheaper, generic version of the EpiPen | null | null | www.latimes.com | Mylan will start selling a cheaper version of its EpiPen after absorbing waves of criticism over a list price for the emergency allergy treatment that has grown to $608 for a two-pack, making it unaffordable for many patients without insurance or with high-deductible coverage.
The drug maker said Monday it will make available in the next several weeks a generic EpiPen version that is identical to the branded option but will have a list price of $300 for a two-pack.
It will be available in 0.15-milligram and 0.30-milligram strengths, like the current version on the market.
See the most-read stories this hour »
EpiPens are used in emergencies to treat severe allergies to insect bites and foods such as nuts and eggs that can lead to anaphylactic shock. People usually keep a number of EpiPens handy at home, school or work. The syringes, prefilled with the hormone epinephrine, expire after a year.
Consumers and politicians have accused the company of price-gouging, because the list price for a pair of EpiPens has climbed repeatedly from around $94 in 2007, when Mylan acquired the product.
Mylan NV Chief Executive Heather Bresch defended the price hikes last week, saying the company only receives $274 of the total price for a twin-package while insurers, pharmacies and other parties divvy up the rest.
Last week, Mylan said it was expanding programs that help people pay for EpiPens. It doubled the limit for eligibility for its patient-assistance program, so a family of four making up to $97,200 would pay nothing out of pocket. It also said it will offer $300 copay cards, up from the current $100 per-prescription savings.
A company representative said Monday that the $300 cards would be available only for the branded version, but that patients could use the assistance program for the branded and generic versions of the medicine.
Mylan's announcement comes a few days after the compounding pharmacy Imprimis Pharmaceuticals said it might be able to sell a version of the allergy treatment in a few months and would likely charge around $100 for two injectors.
There is currently little competition for EpiPen, with the only rival product being Adrenaclick, which carries a list price of $461. But that could change.
At least two companies are trying to get U.S. approval to sell a rival brand or generic version of EpiPen. None is likely to hit the U.S. market until well into next year.
Numerous members of Congress and other politicians this week have called for congressional hearings on Mylan's pricing, an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and action by the Food and Drug Administration to increase competition by speeding up approvals of any rival products.
Shares of Mylan jumped more than 2%, or $1.02, to $44.05 Monday, before markets on Wall Street opened.
ALSO
EpiPen maker boosts discount programs but holds price steady, despite outrage
Stocks fall as EpiPen pricing questions pull down healthcare companies
Editorial: EpiPen price gouging demonstrates need for more competition in generic drugs | http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mylan-new-epipen-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/82aa221753ae94cd5a7248d77ca00e1fb4705f8f49c5cd26f8f784d86e083a69.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Dave Lewis"
]
| 2016-08-28T02:49:08 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fos-la-need-know-mtv-vma-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c249e9/turbine/os-la-need-know-mtv-vma-20160827 | en | null | What time are MTV's VMAs? Everything you need to know | null | null | www.latimes.com | The MTV Video Music Awards have provided some of pop culture's most-discussed moments in recent years, from Kanye West crashing the stage during Taylor Swift’s speech to Nicki Minaj calling out Miley Cyrus for talking trash.
It’s too early to know who will make headlines at this year’s VMAs, but there are sure to be some fireworks, with pop titans Adele and Beyoncé duking it in multiple categories, and the return of Britney Spears, who has provided some of the event’s most memorable appearances over the years. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s show:
WHAT TIME DOES THE SHOW START? WHAT CHANNEL?
The VMAs will be held Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show will air live on MTV at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.
This year’s event won’t feature a specific host, and will instead rely on a rotating cast of celebrities to present the awards. Sean “Diddy” Combs, Alicia Keys, Fifth Harmony, Kim Kardashian West and Rita Ora are among the planned presenters.
THE NOMINEES AND PERFORMERS:
Adele, left, and Beyoncé Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times; Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times Adele, left, and Beyoncé Adele, left, and Beyoncé (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times; Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
This year, the video for Adele's "Hello" received the most nominations, with seven, including video of the year. However, Beyoncé leads the nominations overall, with a grand total of eleven, including video of the year for “Formation.” Also vying for the top prize are Drake (“Hotline Bling”), Kanye West (“Famous”) and Justin Bieber (“Sorry”).
2016 VMAs: See the complete list of nominees
Rihanna's rise to pop music domination Rihanna is the latest iconic artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. Retrace her rise to the pop stratosphere, from her early hits to her more recent work, and her impact beyond the music world. Rihanna is the latest iconic artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. Retrace her rise to the pop stratosphere, from her early hits to her more recent work, and her impact beyond the music world. See more videos
The prolific Rihanna, who will also perform at the show, is set to receive the Vanguard Award, the event’s most prestigious honor, previously given to the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Kanye West and David Bowie.
Spears’ planned performance will include a guest spot from rising star G-Eazy, while Nick Jonas will perform with rapper Ty Dolla Sign. Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Future, Alessia Cara and others are also scheduled to perform. | http://www.latimes.com/os-la-need-know-mtv-vma-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/c287d12c872088ed42e6a596b01fa7f048decc46107a43fc4fb486e7e3783954.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T00:49:41 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-will-nick-jonas-bring-a-stripped-down-1472202706-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c37153/turbine/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-will-nick-jonas-bring-a-stripped-down-1472202706 | en | null | With Nick Jonas in a scaled back mode, will it affect his Video Music Awards performance? | null | null | www.latimes.com | Nick Jonas will be one of the many performers during this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, and he’s been practicing a lot lately.
He and his former “Camp Rock” costar Demi Lovato have been embarking on a joint concert tour — coming to Los Angeles Sept. 17 at the Forum for the locals. The duo wanted to scale back some of the pop pageantry that seemingly goes with many of today’s young stars and their stage shows.
Their inspiration was none other than the Boss, Bruce Springsteen.
“I left that Springsteen show and was like, ‘We’ve got to think like this,’” said Jonas of the stripped-down sets that Springsteen is famous for playing. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-will-nick-jonas-bring-a-stripped-down-1472202706-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/bf2db03c11cd801e848233ac4c0665d08829722a919356b9be5b7f9cf78758a3.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Hugo Martin"
]
| 2016-08-27T16:48:56 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fla-fi-travel-briefcase-mexico-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57be2a29/turbine/la-fi-travel-briefcase-mexico-20160827-snap | en | null | Flights between U.S. and Mexico to soar under bilateral agreement | null | null | www.latimes.com | If you’re planning a trip south of the border, you can expect to save a little on your flight to Mexico.
An agreement between the U.S. and Mexico that took effect Aug. 21 will drop restrictions on the number of airlines that can fly between the two countries, thus increasing competition and lowering fares.
Thanks to the agreement that followed four years of negotiations, U.S. and Mexican airlines seeking to fly between the two countries will only be limited by the number of slots — a scheduled time to land or takeoff — available at various airports.
“The new agreement will benefit U.S. and Mexican airlines, travelers, businesses, airports, and communities by allowing increased market access for passenger and cargo airlines to fly between any city in Mexico and any city in the United States,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. He added that the increased competition should lead to lower air fares.
Several airlines have already announced new routes to Mexico.
Southwest Airlines said that starting Dec. 4, the carrier will fly three new nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Cancun, San Jose Del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta.
Delta Air Lines said it plans on Dec. 17 to start new daily nonstop services from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Cancun and from LAX to Los Cabos, plus a Saturday flight from Kansas City, Mo., to Cancun.
American Airlines said it has started taking reservations for new daily flights from LAX to Cancún and Puerto Vallarta starting Dec. 15.
[email protected]
To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter | http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase-mexico-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/60b09fd123cfc5398aeb178925675e9812ebed406f825c3dd28166b41d7e5a40.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Bill Shaikin"
]
| 2016-08-29T00:49:32 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fdodgers%2Fla-sp-dodgers-cubs-20160828-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3734f/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-cubs-20160828-snap | en | null | Dodgers manufacture one run, with some help, and it's enough to beat Cubs | null | null | www.latimes.com | The “hitless wonders” nickname was bestowed upon the Dodgers half a century ago, when Maury Wills would spin baserunning magic into a run and Sandy Koufax or Don Drysdale would take it from there.
The Dodgers borrowed a page from their history book on Sunday, manufacturing an eighth-inning run for a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth inning to close the four-hit shutout, earning his 39th save.
The Cubs arguably did as much to manufacture the run as the Dodgers did.
With one out and none on in the eighth inning, Cubs reliever Trevor Cahill hit pinch-hitter Andrew Toles. Howie Kendrick followed with a dribbler in front of home plate, and Cahill heaved it over the head of first baseman Anthony Rizzo for an error.
Toles sped to third, Kendrick took second, and the Cubs walked Corey Seager intentionally, loading the bases.
Carl Edwards Jr. relieved Cahill and struck out Justin Turner. Edwards appeared to have gotten the Cubs out of the jam when Adrian Gonzalez grounded to third baseman Javier Baez.
Baez, playing third as regular third baseman Kris Bryant played left field, threw to the wrong base. It would have been easy for Baez to throw to first base, retiring the slow Gonzalez and ending the inning. But Baez threw to second base, and Seager beat the throw, with Toles scoring the game’s lone run.
The day was a milestone one for Dodgers rookie pitcher Brock Stewart. He got his first major league hit, a single off Jon Lester, and he got to keep the ball.
He did not get his first major league win, through no fault of his own. He delivered by far the finest of his three major league starts, pitching five shutout innings against the mighty Cubs, striking out eight. The Dodgers removed him for a pinch-hitter, not because the Cubs were mauling him.
The Dodgers did not score while he was in the game. Still, he lowered his earned-run average from 11.25 to 7.94. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-cubs-20160828-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/e55e7037cd78087f1669eb5673183a94633ee550e0b2c9892ada22aed9d11543.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Tracy Brown"
]
| 2016-08-31T00:50:12 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Ftv%2Fla-et-obama-pop-culture-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5f2c2/turbine/la-et-obama-pop-culture-20160826-snap | en | null | The Obamas' most notable pop culture appearances | null | null | www.latimes.com | Inspired by the real first date between Barack Obama and Michelle (not-yet-Obama) Robinson, the movie “Southside With You” gives audiences a glimpse at the blossoming romance between the future president and first lady of the United States. While the love story of a sitting president may not seem like usual romantic movie fare, breaking away from the status quo is what the Obamas do best.
No other president or first lady has been as entertainment- and pop culture-savvy as the Obamas. Both have been unafraid to make their rounds on TV to promote their causes including affordable healthcare, education and fighting childhood obesity.
Whatever your political affiliation, it’s hard to deny that Americans have gotten to know (or at least feel like they’ve gotten to know) the first family in a way that was unimaginable before the current age of social and viral media. Of course, it’s not just the number of their cameos and interviews that have helped their pop culture popularity – it’s that in these appearances they seem like real people, in a real loving relationship, who really love their kids.
In addition to his various late-night TV appearances, President Obama has been deemed funny enough to qualify for an episode of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” He also showed he understood and was unafraid of tapping into the zeitgeist when he called upon his anger translator Luthor (from “Key & Peele,” played by Keegan-Michael Key himself) to join him at the 2015 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »
First Lady Obama has made her own mark from high-fiving Leslie Knope (on “Parks and Recreation) to “random dancing” with the kids of “iCarly” and sitting down for a talk with Rory Gilmore, all while promoting her Let’s Move and Let Girls Learn initiatives.
If the Obamas’ appearances alone don’t make it apparent that they are pop culture consumers and connoisseurs, let’s not forget that they actually introduced us to “Hamilton” years before it was Broadway’s hottest show.
Here are some of our favorite pop culture moments from President and First Lady Obama.
“Carpool Karaoke” with James Corden, 2016
'Carpool Karaoke' with First Lady Michelle Obama Watch first lady Michelle Obama on "Carpool Karaoke" with "Late Late Show" host James Corden. Watch first lady Michelle Obama on "Carpool Karaoke" with "Late Late Show" host James Corden. See more videos
Just days before Michelle Obama was making headlines for her powerful speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she proved her mastery of both the lyrics and dance moves to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” while riding in the front seat of a car driven by “The Late Late Show’s” James Corden. She also used the appearance to highlight Let Girls Learn by singing the anthem for the initiative “This Is For My Girls” along with Missy Elliott.
“Slow Jam the News” with Jimmy Fallon, 2016
President Obama on 'The Tonight Show' Watch President Obama slow jam the news on "The Tonight Show." Watch President Obama slow jam the news on "The Tonight Show." See more videos
The FLOTUS is not the only one unafraid to showcase her vocal chops. In June, President Obama took to “The Tonight Show” to share some of his notable accomplishments during his tenure as the commander in chief, including the Affordable Care Act, same-sex marriage and stimulating the economy. Set to a sensual R&B melody, the president also reminded Americans that the vote in November was crucial and shared his future vacation plans.
“Evolution of Mom Dancing” with Jimmy Fallon, 2013
Michelle Obama on 'The Tonight Show' Watch frst lady Michelle Obama demonstrate the "Evolution of Mom Dancing" with Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show." Watch frst lady Michelle Obama demonstrate the "Evolution of Mom Dancing" with Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show." See more videos
Of course, the president isn’t the only Obama to have a hit bit on “The Tonight Show.” The first lady also took to the late-night show to promote her Let’s Move initiative in order to encourage parents everywhere to get moving with their kids while showcasing her sweet mom-dancing moves. FLOTUS reprised the skit in 2015.
“Billy on the Street,” 2015
'Billy on the Street' Watch first lady Michelle Obama (and Big Bird) on "Billy on the Street." Watch first lady Michelle Obama (and Big Bird) on "Billy on the Street." See more videos
The first lady joined Big Bird as contestants on Billy Eichner’s quiz show to promote healthful eating for kids and parents and the eat brighter campaign. Fittingly, the episode took place in a grocery store and involved bits that saw the FLOTUS hiding behind some produce and pushing Eichner in a grocery cart. One of the highlights was Eichner asking Obama “who’s hotter: Abraham Lincoln or Barack Obama?”
“The Decree,” 2014
'The Colbert Report' Watch President Obama on "The Colbert Report." Watch President Obama on "The Colbert Report." See more videos
Hearing Stephen Colbert’s claim that he could be a politician in a snap but “a politician could never do my job” as he challenged Obamacare, the POTUS took it upon himself to prove Colbert wrong by ambushing a segment on “The Colbert Report.” Of course, Obama added his own presidential flair to “The Word” by dubbing it “The Decree” as he addressed the various ways opponents could try to overturn the Affordable Care Act.
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” dance-off, 2015
'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' Watch first lady Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres dance it out on the "Ellen" show. Watch first lady Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres dance it out on the "Ellen" show. See more videos
FLOTUS’ friendly rivalry with Ellen DeGeneres has given “Ellen” viewers a glimpse of Obama’s competitive fire in the form of on-screen contests such as who can do the most push-ups. Of course, with Obama and DeGeneres both having an affinity to dance, it was only a matter of time until the two had a choreographed dance-off to “Uptown Funk.”
“Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis,” 2014
'Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis' Watch President Obama's interview on "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis." Watch President Obama's interview on "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis." See more videos
Both the president and first lady have not shied away from appearing on platforms where the people – specifically young people – are, and nothing exemplified this more, perhaps, than the POTUS’ interview on Galifianakis’ talk show parody, “Between Two Ferns.” Obama tackled the awkwardness head on while delivering mighty sharp digs at the host (“If I ran a third time it would be sort of like doing a third ‘Hangover’ movie. It didn’t really work out very well did it?”) all to plug the Affordable Care Act and healthcare.gov. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-obama-pop-culture-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/8540cb0232e94d2835fc5870e3975a89b15d45cc1eacc97fc03afb764a62bf14.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Chuck Schilken"
]
| 2016-08-30T16:49:59 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fnfl%2Fla-sp-colin-kapernick-police-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5a220/turbine/la-sp-colin-kapernick-police-20160830-snap | en | null | San Francisco police want the NFL and 49ers to apologize for Colin Kaepernick's 'ill-advised' comments | null | null | www.latimes.com | The San Francisco Police Officers Assn. sent a letter to the NFL and the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, telling the organizations they should apologize for "the recent ill-advised statements made by your employee, Colin Kaepernick."
The 49ers quarterback has been refusing to stand during the national anthem this preseason. He told reporters on Saturday: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
"While we certainly acknowledge Mr. Kaepernick's first amendment right to remain seated during the National Anthem, as inappropriate as that may be, we will not stand by while he attacks police officers in this country with statements such as, 'People are on paid leave while people of color are killed,' " SFPOA Martin Halloran said in a letter addressed to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and 49ers President and CEO Jed York and cc'ed to Kaepernick.
"Not only does he show an incredible lack of knowledge regarding our profession and 'officer involved' shootings, but also shows a naivety and total lack of sensitivity towards police officers."
This weekend, the NFL and 49ers separately issued statements supporting a player’s right not to stand during the national anthem.
In the letter, Halloran said that Kaepernick is staging a protest "based on a false narrative and misinformation that lacks any factual basis."
"The law enforcement community cannot be continuously blamed for all of society's problems, including racial divide, in our country. It isn't fair and it isn't true," Halloran stated.
Halloran wrote he wishes Kaepernick "could see the emotional and psychological challenges that our officers face following a fatal encounter" and suggests the quarterback "could lend his commentary to the over 8,000 murders that African Americans inflicted on one another in 2015."
He concluded by telling the Goodell and York that SFPOA hopes “your organizations choose to do the right thing and at least apologize to the many police officers Mr. Kaepernick has disrespected for no apparent reason." | http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-colin-kapernick-police-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5dcc2c81ee99e43ada4dd9d0b9c55759d02cc8fd4952baf80e55702279f876f7.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T02:49:46 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-four-human-trafficking-bills-to-help-1472521043-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4ee95/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-four-human-trafficking-bills-to-help-1472521043 | en | null | Four human trafficking bills to help victims swept into the legal system head to Gov. Jerry Brown | null | null | www.latimes.com | The state Assembly on Monday sent four bills to Gov. Jerry Brown that aim to provide services to human trafficking victims swept into the legal system.
Measures to curb the forced trade of sex and labor have been highly debated this legislative session. But the following bills passed with little opposition. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-four-human-trafficking-bills-to-help-1472521043-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/df83ec8b836bf5a2a8d874bc98e78d7302e221dc1c1032a1bebf3f5456e3c1e4.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Akiva Gottlieb"
]
| 2016-08-27T14:48:57 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmovies%2Fla-ca-mn-king-and-i-20160823-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | The 'King and I' gets a widescreen release for its 60th birthday | null | null | www.latimes.com | Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Walter Lang’s 1956 film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I” returns to the big screen next week in its opulent Cinemascope majesty.
The lavish and boisterous 20th Century Fox musical will screen in theaters nationwide for two days as part of Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies’ TCM Big Screen Classics series.
Set in Bangkok in 1862, it’s a romance built upon the odd-couple pairing of the King of Siam and the widowed British governess he hires to educate the royal children. Anchored by Yul Brynner’s career-defining performance as the haughty, arrogant King, the film won five Academy Awards, including lead actor and musical score, and was nominated for four more.
As a musical, it’s best remembered for numbers such as “Getting to Know You” and “Shall We Dance?,” the latter of which finds Brynner and Deborah Kerr (whose singing voice was dubbed by Marni Nixon) sweeping elegantly across the palace floor.
Though Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical represents a liberal-minded plea for tolerance, cross-cultural understanding and gender equality, “The King and I” is also inescapably an imperialist fantasy couched in racial stereotype. The Russian-American Brynner played King Mongkut in “yellowface,” and the film traffics in false caricatures of progressive Western gentility and uncivilized Eastern chauvinism.
For TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, who will provide commentary before and after the feature, the stereotypes are “a valid concern,” but the film remains a movie musical landmark. “Fox made some pretty good musicals too, and this is evidence of it. For many people, this movie resonates — the moment of ‘Shall We Dance?’ when Brynner decides to put his hand on Deborah Kerr’s waist — that’s a moment people remember.”
WHAT: TCM Big Screen Classics: “The King and I”
WHERE: In more than 650 movie theaters nationwide. Tickets are available online at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of participating theaters, click on the “Theater Locations” tab.
WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time
Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-king-and-i-20160823-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/06e29af025d112737a0a0e9613c8a2c2121caaa9bb52e0cf73b32f525ccb8e8a.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Fred Smoller"
]
| 2016-08-29T12:50:15 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fop-ed%2Fla-oe-smoller-orange-county-goes-democrat-20160824-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0a61f/turbine/la-oe-smoller-orange-county-goes-democrat-20160824-snap | en | null | Orange County is turning blue: Decades of support for anti-Latino policies have handed the GOP stronghold to Democrats | null | null | www.latimes.com | If current voting and registration trends persist in Orange County, the longtime Republican stronghold will support its first Democrat for president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. A victory for Hillary Clinton here will signal that the turning point is near: Democrats soon will be the biggest party in Orange County.
Orange County once had California’s highest percentage of voters registered Republican. As late as 1990, the O.C. GOP held a 22% registration advantage over Democrats. By May 2015, that figure had dropped to 9%. Today it is just 5.3%. Even assuming voter registration slows after the November election, by 2020 Democrats will almost certainly overtake Republicans, as they already have in neighboring Riverside County.
How close is Orange County to turning blue? In the June 7 presidential primary, 55% of the votes cast for president went to the Democratic candidates, while only 44% went to Donald Trump or other Republicans still on the ballot — a 66,045 vote advantage for the Democrats. In the city of Fullerton, Republicans have a mere 144 voter registration lead, and it is shrinking. When Fullerton flips, five of Orange County’s seven largest cities, which contain more than half the county’s population, will have Democratic majorities.
Latinos are the county’s largest and fastest-growing demographic group. Incredibly, O.C. Republicans began alienating them long before Trump.
For now, Republicans still dominate local government. The five county supervisors are all Republicans, and the party holds majorities on most city councils, school boards and special districts, especially in the southern part of the county.
Democrats, hampered by lower voter participation, have gained elected office only in fits and starts. But that is starting to change. Under 2002’s California Voting Rights Act, cities with racially polarized voting can be forced to switch from at-large elections to choosing candidates by district. The change is happening across Orange County: Anaheim, Garden Grove and Fullerton are among the cities adopting district voting this fall. District voting makes it easier for people of color, who are most often Democrats, to win local elected office.
Orange County Republicans, like the party nationwide, shot themselves in the foot in the face of two demographic trends: fewer white voters and more young ones. In the 1990 census, 64% of Orange County was white, and 36% were people of color. Twenty years later, 44% of the county was white, and 56% were people of color.
Latinos are the county’s largest and fastest-growing demographic group. Incredibly, O.C. Republicans began alienating them long before Trump started talking about walls and mass deportations.
In 1988, the party illegally hired private uniformed guards — some holding signs saying "Non-Citizens Can't Vote" in English and Spanish — to “monitor” polling places in Santa Ana. Then in 1994, the party championed Proposition 187, which would have cut off social services and schools to undocumented immigrants. That was thrown out in court, but not before inflaming the Latino community, who in 1996 ended conservative firebrand Bob Dornan's congressional career and elected Loretta Sanchez to the House.
In 1984, 45% of California Latinos voted for Ronald Reagan. By 2012, 72% voted for Barack Obama. The Republican National Committee did a famous “autopsy” of its loss after 2012 that advocated repairing its broken relationship with Latinos by embracing comprehensive immigration reform. Instead, the party got Trump calling Mexicans drug dealers, criminals and rapists.
The same 2012 GOP report noted that the party is viewed by voters under 30 as a bunch of “stuffy old men.” Young people view the GOP unfavorably by a margin of two to one because of its intolerance of gays and “alternative points of view.” So as white men move away or die, they are being replaced by younger voters who have more progressive views on race relations, gay rights, gun control, and climate change.
Trump, who personifies nearly everything the GOP autopsy advocated against, has nevertheless been endorsed by the Orange County GOP. No elected Republican Orange County official has renounced him.
Had a more moderate candidate won the nomination, such as John Kasich, Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush, and followed the RNC’s recommendations, these trends may have been slowed. Instead, Trump has accelerated the demise of the Republican majority here, and elsewhere.
Election day will be a sign of things to come. Orange County, known nationwide as a bastion of conservatism, will vote for a Democrat and turn blue on a U.S. election map for the first time in 80 years.
Fred Smoller is a political science professor at Chapman University.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-smoller-orange-county-goes-democrat-20160824-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/54710c3f9a9041647f25a65633988220afa898a7c01e1f853f6ac9a52bf49688.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Matt Hamilton"
]
| 2016-08-30T12:49:55 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-lapd-officer-charged-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c50952/turbine/la-me-ln-lapd-officer-charged-20160829-snap | en | null | LAPD officer charged with stealing police radio, failing to pay for baby stroller: 'We trusted her because she was a police officer' | null | null | www.latimes.com | A Los Angeles police officer pleaded not guilty Monday to a series of criminal charges, including theft of a police radio and an illegal search of a law enforcement database.
Prosecutors also allege that Jessica Guzzetti failed to pay for a baby stroller, according to a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Guzzetti, 27, entered the not-guilty plea in a Van Nuys courtroom, her first court appearance since she was charged July 25 with the three misdemeanor counts.
The officer could not be reached for comment. Her attorney, R. Alex Comley, told The Times that his client “acted without criminal intent.”
“She tried to make things right and we’re going to show this in court,” Comley said. He declined further comment.
The first count alleges that Guzzetti stole an LAPD radio valued at $3,470.30 in 2013. Another count alleges that she accessed information from a Department of Justice computer database in 2014. Prosecutors also contend that Guzzetti failed to pay for the baby stroller in August 2015.
Jackie Robnett, who is listed in court records as the rightful owner of the baby stroller, told The Times that Guzzetti and her boyfriend responded to a Craigslist ad in 2015 for a stroller that retailed for about $1,200. Robnett said she was selling it for about $250.
Guzzetti and her boyfriend inspected the stroller and offered to pay for it with a check. Robnett said she doesn’t normally accept checks in Craigslist transactions but made an exception.
“We trusted her because she was a police officer,” Robnett said. “She said she was with LAPD and that made us comfortable.”
When the check didn’t go through, Robnett repeatedly tried to reach out to Guzzetti and her boyfriend for the payment or for the return of the stroller. But Guzzetti responded that she wanted to keep the stroller.
“I offered so many other options: PayPal, Venmo,” Robnett said. “There’s so many ways to transfer money.”
With mounting frustration, Robnett learned that Guzzetti was working in a police station in the San Fernando Valley, called a supervisor there and reported the incident. She provided testimony to a detective with LAPD’s internal affairs, she said.
Police later contacted Robnett and asked her to come to a station to see a stroller that had been recovered. But it was not the stroller Robnett said she had sold to Guzzetti and her boyfriend.
To date, Robnett has not received her stroller or money compensating her for the stroller. She was not informed that Guzzetti had been charged until a reporter contacted her Monday evening.
The prosecution of Guzzetti, a resident of Lancaster, is the latest twist in her LAPD career.
Guzzetti sued the city in January 2014, alleging she was sexually harassed by a supervisor in the LAPD’s jail division and was retaliated against for spurning a supervisor’s sexual advances.
After complaining about the maltreatment, she was eventually reassigned to the Rampart Division, according to her complaint. There, she learned that her nickname was “the black widow” and that she had a reputation for complaining about officers who made sexual advances on her, according to the complaint.
Guzzetti contended in her lawsuit that fellow officers did not want to work with her as a partner, and that in roll call, colleagues laughed when a partner was assigned to her.
During her first day in the Rampart Division, according to the lawsuit, a female lieutenant told Guzzetti: “We heard about you. We heard you’re trouble.”
Guzzetti’s attorney in the sexual harassment lawsuit, Greg Smith, later asked a judge to release him and his firm from the case.
“Differences have arisen in the handling of this matter which would prevent my office from ethically representing this plaintiff and making it impossible to diligently prosecute [Guzzetti’s] claims,” Smith wrote in a declaration filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Guzzetti later represented herself, but a judge dismissed the lawsuit after she failed to show up to two consecutive hearings, according to court records.
While on patrol in the Rampart Division — which covers Silver Lake, Echo Park, Westlake and the Pico-Union neighborhoods — Guzzetti was one of three officers who opened fire at 16-year-old Moises Palacios on the night of May 17, 2013. Palacios, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, was armed with two knives, according to court papers.
Police said Palacios taunted officers, saying he would throw the knives toward them. Palacios purportedly stepped toward the officers and they opened fire. Ten gunshots struck the boy, mostly in the abdomen and chest, according to court papers.
The boy later told authorities he wanted police to kill him, according to the LAPD’s review of the shooting.
Palacios survived his injuries after major surgery, which included the removal of parts of his small intestine, according to court papers.
Palacios later sued the city and the LAPD, naming Guzzetti and the two other officers. The case is pending in federal court.
Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.
[email protected]
Twitter: @MattHjourno | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lapd-officer-charged-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/f55894cff2415d9a7f2d04e40bca16f7b9dd6e0e70e484a02799e641bd7a1217.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Noah Bierman"
]
| 2016-08-31T10:50:01 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fla-na-pol-trump-immigration-speech-20160831-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5f6cd/turbine/la-na-pol-trump-immigration-speech-20160831-snap | en | null | Donald Trump's big speech on immigration could raise as many questions as it answers | null | null | www.latimes.com | Donald Trump’s biting statements and blunt promises on immigration have been the core of his campaign since he announced his candidacy more than a year ago. But as he prepares to deliver a long-awaited speech on the subject Wednesday night in Phoenix, his once-forceful views have grown muddy.
“I’m not sure what his immigration policy is going to be,” said Helen Aguirre Ferre, the head of Hispanic communications for the Republican National Committee, during an interview. “We’ll see on Wednesday.”
Trump’s views rocketed him to the top of the GOP field and propelled him to the Republican nomination, but the issue has bedeviled him in the general election campaign. Only about one in five Latino voters supports him, according to a recent Fox News poll. Some strategists believe his sharp tone and unsparing policy proposals may also be dragging down his support among other groups of voters who recoil at the vision of rounding up 11 million immigrants who entered the country illegally.
Blurring his intentions further, Trump said late Tuesday that ahead of his address, he will meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico City. The move is a stunning development for a nominee whose presidential run began with harsh denunciations of Mexicans, whom he called “rapists” in announcing his candidacy, and whose slogan-ready pledge to build a border wall includes the improbable idea that Mexico will pay for it.
Yet if that meeting is an indication that Trump is warming to more moderate views on immigration, he risks undermining the premise of his campaign. Not only has Trump sold the issue of border enforcement as paramount to “having a country,” but he has also cast himself as an unwavering businessman who takes decisive action without the typical political calculation or waffling.
Caption The ultimate side-by-side convention comparison of Clinton and Trump on the issues An examination of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's convention acceptance speeches and how they line up on several key issues. Full coverage at latimes.com/conventions. An examination of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's convention acceptance speeches and how they line up on several key issues. Full coverage at latimes.com/conventions. Caption Protest outside Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser Protest outside Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser at the Beverly Hills estate of controversial billionaire Haim Saban. Protest outside Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's Hollywood fundraiser at the Beverly Hills estate of controversial billionaire Haim Saban.
Trump plans to deliver his speech in Arizona, the heart of some of the nation’s fiercest immigration fights but an unlikely place for a Republican to ease up on strong anti-immigration views. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a prominent hard-line supporter who has campaigned with Trump on his airplane and spoken at rallies, is facing possible contempt charges from federal prosecutors for ignoring orders to stop racially profiling Latinos. Former Gov. Jan Brewer, who has also endorsed Trump, helped ignite a national debate in 2010 when she signed a bill that gave broad authority to police to enforce immigration laws.
Arizona is one of many traditionally conservative states in the West that has mainstream Republican strategists concerned about the GOP’s hard-line turn on immigration — both in this election and what it portends for the future.
Voters in Arizona have supported only one Democrat for president since 1952. But the state’s large and growing Latino population has put the state on the map for Democrats. Polls there show a tight race between Trump and Hillary Clinton, after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney defeated President Obama there by nine percentage points just four years ago.
That tension — between pleasing the Republican base and expanding it — has played out in recent weeks within the Trump campaign.
Trump and his campaign have whipsawed for more than a week over whether he would truly attempt to deport the estimated 11 million immigrants who are here illegally, as he promised during the primary. At times, he has suggested he would focus on those who have committed crimes, a variation of Obama’s policy, which has faced harsh criticism from conservative commentators and voters.
Amid the wavering, Trump has fought charges that he now supports “amnesty,” a buzzword for hard-line immigration critics and one Trump used during the Republican primary to malign his rivals’ immigration policies.
Trump has insisted he would not retreat. But the sense of confusion has been magnified by Trump’s own actions, including a show of polling the room on the question during a Fox News town hall last week.
Trump continues to promote the building of an immigration border wall in his speeches, even when his campaign staff leaves the signature issue out of his prepared remarks.
Yet Trump allies have added new caveats to the wall, suggesting it might not be entirely physical.
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Monday “it’s going to be a technological as well as a physical wall” during an appearance on Fox News.
Trump has insisted he will not back down on that promise.
“It gets higher and higher and higher every time somebody says I'm not going to build it,” he said during the Fox town hall.
Trump’s campaign declined to outline elements of Trump’s policy ahead of Wednesday’s speech, or even describe the level of detail he will articulate.
But Trump may choose to keep some details, particularly his deportation policy, sketchy. Many of his political allies have tried to avoid getting pinned down on that question, insisting that the question cannot be answered until the borders are enforced. By pushing back the question, they avoid tackling the most logistically and emotionally difficult aspect of the debate.
Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., one of his closest advisors, promised that Trump will not retreat.
“His policy has been the same for the last, you know, six, seven, eight months,” Trump Jr. said in a CNN interview Tuesday.
So the 11 million have to go?
“That’s been the same, correct,” he said. “But again, you have to start with baby steps.”
[email protected]
Twitter: @noahbierman
He was a billionaire who donated to the Clinton Foundation. Last year, he was denied entry into the U.S.
What does Trump mean when he says he will deport 'criminal' immigrants first? | http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-immigration-speech-20160831-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5c83cf75c912603a43f038184b0bdf0d5905897ba52c084c4afe622eaa9d0cb3.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-27T20:51:17 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fsoccer%2Fla-sp-hope-solo-leave-of-absence-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1f61a/turbine/la-sp-hope-solo-leave-of-absence-20160827-snap | en | null | Hope Solo takes leave of absence from Seattle Reign in wake of U.S. Soccer suspension | null | null | www.latimes.com | Hope Solo has taken an indefinite leave from the Seattle Reign of the National Women's Soccer League, less than a week after being suspended for six months by the U.S. national team for disparaging remarks about Sweden.
The move was announced Saturday by the Reign, saying that the Olympic goaltender has been granted personal leave. The team did not say how long Solo would be away.
It's been a rough time for the record-breaking goalkeeper. On Wednesday, she was suspended by U.S. Soccer for calling the Swedes “cowards” for their defensive style of play after the U.S. was ousted by Sweden in the quarterfinals of the Rio Games.
Solo was previously suspended for 30 days early in 2015 for her conduct, and won't be eligible for selection to the national team until February.
The Reign announced Solo's leave hours before Saturday's match against the Portland Thorns, after previously indicating that she and U.S. teammate Megan Rapinoe would be available to play. Seattle signed goalkeeper Andi Tostanoski to replace Solo.
The three-time defending champion U.S. women were handed their earliest-ever exit from the Olympics in Rio when Sweden advanced on penalty kicks, 4-3, following a 1-1 draw on Aug. 12.
Sweden's coach, Pia Sundhage, who led the U.S. team to gold medals in Beijing and London, replied to Solo's postgame comment by stating: “It's OK to be a coward if you win.” Sweden went on to play in the gold-medal match against Germany.
Solo had caused a stir in Brazil even before the comment about Sweden because of social media posts about the Zika virus. Brazilian fans booed her mercilessly and shouted “Zika!” every time she touched the ball.
The 35-year-old has long been a lightning rod for controversy.
She still faces a possible trial on misdemeanor domestic violence charges after a 2014 incident at her sister's home, when she was accused of being intoxicated and assaulting her sister and 17-year-old nephew. Solo said she was a victim in the altercation. Earlier this year, an appeals court in Washington state rejected Solo's request to avoid trial.
In early 2015 while Solo was at a team training camp in Southern California, her husband Jerramy Stevens was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in a U.S. Soccer team van. Solo was with him at the time.
The former Seattle Seahawks tight end later pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and four years on probation. Solo was suspended by U.S. Soccer for 30 days.
U.S. Soccer indicated in its statement announcing her suspension on Wednesday that it was a culmination of events.
At the same time, Solo has been stellar on the field.
She became the first goalkeeper with 100 international shutouts last month when the United States defeated South Africa 1-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago. It also was her 150th career win.
During the Rio Games she made her 200th appearance in goal for the United States, an international record.
Solo won her second straight Golden Glove Award for the best goalkeeper at the Women's World Cup a year ago. Over the course of the tournament in Canada, she had five shutouts and allowed only three goals in seven games.
The U.S. won the World Cup for its third title in soccer's premier event.
She has also vocally advocated for women's rights. Solo was among the U.S. players who filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination, saying the men's national team players have been paid much more than many on the women's team.
Solo issued a statement on her social media following her suspension.
“I could not be the player I am without being the person I am, even when I haven't made the best choices or said the right things,” she said. “My entire career, I have only wanted the best for this team, for the players and the women's game, and I will continue to pursue these causes with the same unrelenting passion with which I play the game.” | http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-hope-solo-leave-of-absence-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/c40c3347279c9665eae3f729f6a65a37fb056d88a06b0ac6f08c7e42fe799e24.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"The Times Editorial Board"
]
| 2016-08-27T12:49:08 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorials%2Fla-ed-bail-reform-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0d37a/turbine/la-ed-bail-reform-20160826-snap | en | null | America’s bail system undermines fundamental fairness and justice. It’s time for a change. | null | null | www.latimes.com | Consider two people arrested within hours of each other by police who say the suspects look just like a couple of prowlers who were seen recently creeping around homes that suffered break-ins. Both men are taken to the station, both are booked for first-degree burglary and both are held in jail until being brought before a judge.
The judge sets a trial date and consults the official bail schedule — a kind of rate sheet that lays out how much money suspects must post, depending on the alleged crime and a range of other factors — and sets bail for each at $50,000.
One suspect pulls together enough assets to hire an insurance company — a bail bonds firm — to put up the money, persuading the court that he will show up for trial rather than run away and forfeit his bond. He is released, and over the course of the following weeks, he returns to work, collects paychecks and spends much of his free time with his lawyer, preparing a defense to the charges against him. He rounds up witnesses who can vouch for his whereabouts on the nights of the break-ins.
But the other suspect has no assets to post with the court, or to hire a bondsman to post bail for him. He is locked up in county jail to wait for trial. Because he can’t report to work, he loses his job. His lawyer does her best, but he can’t help her prepare his defense or track down his alibi witnesses.
“Look,” the prosecutor tells him, “I know you did it, so plead guilty and we’ll ask for nothing more than time already served.” He protests that he’s innocent. But he’s also stuck in jail and he wants to go home. If he had money, he’d already be there, but he doesn’t — so he drops his defense and gets a felony record.
A key precept of the American justice system is that a defendant’s wealth or poverty has no bearing on his treatment or his ability to mount a defense. The bail system, when it is misused, undermines that value.
The last several years have produced some soul-searching, some talk and, occasionally, some action on criminal justice reforms to reduce or eliminate the system’s unfairness to particular groups of defendants and convicts, particularly the poor and non-whites. There has been talk but, so far, still too little action on reform of the bail system.
In addition to often working a miscarriage of justice, the practice of keeping people locked up based on how much they can afford to pay rather than how much risk they pose to others also is a wasteful misuse of jail space. Jails should not be used to lock up people awaiting trial just because they can’t pay, if their release is not likely to put people in danger.
Earlier this month, in a Georgia case in which a defendant was locked up for six days because he couldn’t pay his $160 bail, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in which it branded some bail practices violations of the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.
The time is long past in which a criminal defendant can be denied a lawyer because of inability to pay. How much more odious, then, is the denial of liberty for the same reason?
Let’s hope that the Justice Department’s argument, widely noted even though it was buried in court papers, becomes a turning point in the debate over bail reform. It’s a statement that deserves to be heard loud and clear — not just in Georgia, but in Los Angeles County, around California and in every other jurisdiction that still parcels out jail space based at least in part on a person’s inability to pay.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-bail-reform-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/0f35449136db329e669f81c2b39da1521b64469648413f5aef244ae02803ef7b.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez"
]
| 2016-08-29T02:49:58 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-juan-gabriel-retrospective-20160828-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c37892/turbine/la-me-juan-gabriel-retrospective-20160828-snap | en | null | The ballad of Juan Gabriel | null | null | www.latimes.com | Caption Weekend Roundup: 8 stories you can't miss Controversial LAPD arrest, Trump's immigration plan, Louisiana flooding, Clinton's emails, the earthquake in Italy, illegal drugs in California's prisons, the EpiPen price increase, and Gov. Jerry Brown goes after climate change. Controversial LAPD arrest, Trump's immigration plan, Louisiana flooding, Clinton's emails, the earthquake in Italy, illegal drugs in California's prisons, the EpiPen price increase, and Gov. Jerry Brown goes after climate change. Caption 90 seconds: 4 stories you can't miss Italy's earthquake is a wake-up call for California, Chinese developers pouring billions into downtown L.A., FYF is coming, and Cal State wants to help homeless students. Italy's earthquake is a wake-up call for California, Chinese developers pouring billions into downtown L.A., FYF is coming, and Cal State wants to help homeless students. In this regard, Gabriel has done what might seem like the impossible: He has been accepted and adored by an often violently homophobic culture, in spite of what one fan called "the obvious." Several other stars have been accepted in Latino circles despite ambiguous sexuality, including television astrologer Walter Mercado and Cuban singer Albita. Scholars specializing in Latino culture and sexual norms attribute this acceptance to a Latino tradition of "don't ask, don't tell," whereby a beloved family member--or celebrity--is "allowed" to be homosexual, as long as they don't say so. There is some evidence that this is happening with Gabriel. At a recent concert in Pico Rivera, where he gave his first all-banda performance, a grizzled older gentleman who described himself as a huge Gabriel fan spoke loudly about Gabriel's music and talent, and then whispered, "We know what he is. You know what I'm talking about? He doesn't have to say it. We don't care. But we would never want him to talk about it. We respect him because he doesn't." What Gabriel may or may not do in his private love life "does not matter" to his fans, according to Ralph Hauser, Gabriel's longtime friend and manager. Says Hauser, "Who he is as an artist and a human being has always transcended everything else." Jose Z. Garcia, director of the Latin American studies program at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, has watched "the Juan Gabriel phenomenon" with great interest as a cultural critic. "Here is a man who was not only poor, but orphaned," Garcia says. "It's a Cantinflas-type of stereotypical background, which may in some ways work in his favor now. But also you have a man whose sexual orientation is somewhat disparaged. "Against those odds, he's made it. In some ways all of this has now become the icon of who he is. It's almost to the point now where there's a conspiracy with his audience, sort of that we've been together this long time, we know who each other are, we admire ourselves for admiring you, and we know that you love us. "It's a postmodern mirror thing, in that we see ourselves in your music. And we see the best of ourselves in us when we give you a standing ovation; it's proof that we aren't prejudiced." * Part of the appeal of Juan Gabriel, the human being, is his rags-to-riches life story. Fans say he has struggled just as they have, and again and again point to the positive messages about hard work, forgiveness, family and self-esteem in his autobiographical lyrics. Gabriel was born Alberto Aguilera Valadez, the youngest of 10 children born to Gabriel Aguilera Rodriguez and Victoria Valadez Ojas, two peasants from Paracuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. Alberto's father died in a fire shortly after his son's birth; years later, the son would take the father's name as his stage name. His closest friends still call him Alberto. Valadez fled town after running into problems with her in-laws and took work as a servant in Juarez. Unable to feed Alberto and the other children on her meager wages, she gave Alberto to an orphanage when he was 4. Gabriel says his first memory in life is of her leaving him there. "You don't know the word for 'abandon' at that age," says Gabriel. "But you know what is happening. You know you want to be with your mother, and she is not there." Alberto spent eight years at the orphanage and saw his mother about once a year. He found surrogate parents in Micaela Alvarado, the institution's director, and in Juan Contreras, a teacher there. The "Juan" in Juan Gabriel is a tribute to Contreras, who eventually invited Alberto to live with him, teaching him to make wooden trinkets and sell them on the street. When Alberto was 14, he left Contreras' home to find his mother, and then dedicated himself full time to selling food on the street to help support the family. For fun, he wrote songs in his head and sang them as he worked. (A song he wrote at the age of 13, "La Muerte del Palomo," about his father's death, became a smash hit years later.) One afternoon, as Alberto was selling tortillas on the street, his singing caught the attention of two sisters, Leonor and Beatriz Berumen, who, feeling sorry for him, invited Alberto to live with them so they could teach him to read the Bible and nurture his singing. As he became involved with the Berumens' church, young Alberto had a chance to travel to a sister church in Lake Elsinore, where he stayed for a time with an African American family. "That's where I was first exposed to African American music," Gabriel said. "And I knew then that if there was a God, and if God was listening, he was listening to African American music." After a year in California, Alberto returned to Juarez, where a TV music show host was impressed with the big-voiced 16-year-old, and gave him his first stage name: Adan Luna. Around this time, "Adan" began singing in local bars, including one called El Noa Noa, which he would make famous in song and film. By 19, the determined young singer had taken himself to Mexico City and sparked enough interest in his powerful voice to get his first recording contract, under his new stage name, Juan Gabriel. Within a year, he had a gold record, "No Tengo Dinero" (I've Got No Money). The first major purchase Gabriel made with his new income was a house for his mother in Juarez in 1971; at the time, he paid what would have been $250,000 in the U.S. She lived for only three more years. To explain his devotion to the woman who had abandoned him, Gabriel says, "Mexico is a very mom-centered culture. You'll find stores open on Father's Day, but never on Mother's Day. For us, mothers are very important. I know she did the best she could, given what she knew." After his mother's death, the owners of the house where his mother had been employed needed someone to buy the home, where Gabriel said his mother had been humiliated and treated like a slave. Gabriel stepped in. "It was quite a scandal," he says, smiling devilishly. In addition to that house, Gabriel later bought a house in Juarez his mother had told him was her dream house. Eventually, the orphanage even came up for sale. Gabriel bought that too and turned it into a music school.
He bought a nicer building elsewhere in the city in 1987 and built a new orphanage, Semjase, home to 100 children. In addition to being an orphanage for boys, Semjase, named for Gabriel's goddess of music, is also a music school for city children. The facility is a large house, renovated and filled with music rooms, recreation rooms with video games, and surrounded by gardens and apple trees. In all, Semjase has about 50 full-time employees; their salaries are all paid out of Gabriel's pocket. "We are very aware that apart from his music, Mr. Juan Gabriel is completely dedicated to children," said Semjase director Luz Alicia Perez Gallegos. As she spoke, the blare of a young brass band practicing on a patio cut through. According to Perez, Gabriel's philosophy is that children needing affection will find joy in music. Perez says Gabriel is beloved in Juarez. "He's a kind human being. He took a very difficult period in his life and turned it into something beautiful. He is the only singer I can think of who is doing something like this, completely from the goodness of his heart." * Houses remain a passion for Gabriel, who owns ranches in New Mexico, Texas and Mexico and also mansions in Florida, Texas, Juarez, Cancun and elsewhere. "Houses are an investment to me," he says, finishing his dinner at Geoffrey's. "It's not that I have something to prove anymore. I did that when I was younger. I buy them so that my children will have some security when they grow up." Maria Nava, program director for La Nueva FM 101.9, has been a close friend of Gabriel for more than 10 years, and says that the most amazing thing about him is his parenting. Nava said Gabriel plans surprise parties for his children on holidays and dotes on them, even writes them songs and sings to them. "His best compositions have never been recorded," Nava said. "Because he writes his best songs for his kids' ears only." Though Gabriel enjoys gardening, he does not have much time to tend to his gardens himself. He performs an average of once a week and travels often. Hauser says that "you see the same fans in Los Angeles and Chicago. They're like the Grateful Dead fans. They follow him everywhere he goes." To relax, Gabriel says, he writes songs. His compulsive songwriting has made him Mexico's most prolific living songwriter. He says he is "one of those lucky people whose work and fun are not distinct." "I don't make plans," he says. "I don't follow a schedule every day. I live in the moment and let inspiration come to me. To me, music is mankind's way of thanking the universe for letting us be here. "For some, it's a way to thank God. For others, it's a way to thank nature. It is universal. And to make it, you have to be fully alive. I do my best to do that. I enjoy every moment, because I believe that once we die, that's it. We're not coming back. Lovers come back. Styles come back. But time? It never comes back." Some of Gabriel's most enthusiastic fans are rival artists, including Luis Miguel and Marc Anthony. Anthony credits his entire salsa career to Gabriel's composition "Hasta Que Te Conoci," a remake of which became Anthony's first hit. "Juan Gabriel has changed the face of music," Anthony said from Puerto Rico. "His music has transcended generations and genres because of his simple, timeless melodies. Add a little tear and a great voice and you have Juan Gabriel, which is what caught me right off the bat. I'm a huge fan. We're talking huge!" Gabriel has also won endless prizes, yet he insists that "the best prize I can think of is when I look out in the audience and see people singing my songs, or when people wish me well or when they say, 'God bless you.' " And as for money? "If I lost it all tomorrow I wouldn't care," he says. There is no hint of sarcasm in his voice, and his eyes are clear and sincere. There is no reason to doubt that he means this. "Money doesn't make you a moral person, or a good person, and neither does religion," he says. The waiter returns, to take desert orders. "Do you have chocolate ice cream?" Gabriel asks. The waiter manages a tight smile and says, "No, I'm sorry." He rattles off the names of more complex after-dinner fare. Gabriel, unimpressed with the pretentious pastries, skips dessert. "Money can be taken away from you, by the IRS or by pistol," he continues. "That's why I always measure riches in terms of wisdom. No one can ever take from you what you know." * On the day after the restaurant interview, Gabriel rides in the back of his white limo to the Pico Rivera Sports Arena, where he gives two Valentine's Day shows, performing banda music from his newest album. About 4,000 fans fill the arena for each show. Playing at this arena is, for Mexican musicians, a little like playing the Grand Ole Opry for country musicians. Before Gabriel’s sets, cowboys perform tricks on horseback in the mud of the rodeo arena. Families sit on bleachers in their jeans and cowboy hats, eating popcorn and drinking soda or beer. By performing banda at the Pico, Gabriel proved that no matter how many millions he is worth, no matter how many orchestras he's played before, he is still in touch with regular people. The banda tunes are very different from Gabriel's usual repertoire of ballads, and his enthusiasm for the festive new music prompts him to dance and laugh. Wearing shiny black patent-leather boots and a luxuriously flowing red and black Valentine's cape, Gabriel ignores the stage set up on one side of the arena, preferring to get down in the mud. A small round table with a white linen tablecloth, topped with a crystal vase holding two long-stemmed red roses, waits to one side, near bales of hay. Without a second thought to his expensive shoes, Gabriel paces the Pico as he sings, stopping at intervals to hold eye contact with a fan, blowing kisses as he goes. One woman hurls herself like a stunt double from the bleachers onto the stage and then flings her body into the mud next to Gabriel. He continues to sing, chuckling beneath the notes, and helps her to her feet. He appears genuinely touched, and surprised. "Ay, mi amor," he says as she stands, giving her a you-should-know-better look and a kiss on the cheek. "Ten cuidado, mi'ja." (Be careful, sweetheart.) Security comes, and one more Juan Gabriel fan is led away, flushed from coming into contact with him. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-juan-gabriel-retrospective-20160828-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/c979471c2118a842ee58821aa08a6e2b7cb8b64186d68bab493219093ca5dc37.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Anh Do"
]
| 2016-08-26T18:51:00 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-albino-sisters-adv-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c06dc3/turbine/la-me-albino-sisters-adv-snap | en | null | Facing threats, albino sisters granted asylum to attend school in Southern California | null | null | www.latimes.com | The sisters tried to stay strong all those years of being taunted as “ghosts” for the color of their skin, of being beaten by their teachers — of an attack that almost killed one of them.
There was a dream, after all, at the end of the torturous road that began in their tiny African village: getting an education.
Born albinos, Bibiana and Tindi Mashamba missed so much school in their native Tanzania after an attack left “Bibi” without a leg and two fingers. Some people believed their rare genetic condition was related to witchcraft, or that their limbs and other body parts carried magical powers, and therefore could be sold.
Afraid, the girls stayed in the hospital after the attack.
“We always worried about wasting time. We always wanted more school,” Bibi, 17, recalled, sharing her wish as soon as they arrived in California on medical visas last year, thanks to aid from the African Millennium Foundation and the Orthopaedic Institute for Children in Los Angeles. The institute’s chief executive, Tony Scaduto. had offered to replace the artificial limb Bibi had outgrown.
“Imagine — if we could study, someday, we could help educate those in our country about accepting everyone. It doesn't matter what you look like,” said Tindi, 16.
The sisters, the subject of a Times report in March, have taken a step toward making that dream a reality. With help from students at USC’s Gould School of Law, they were granted asylum to stay in the U.S.
Albino teens, one of whom was maimed in a grisly attack in Africa, get a new life in L.A.
Malena Ruth, who oversees the foundation and who is the siblings’ sponsor, reached out to different legal groups, emailing the immigration center at the law school before the girls’ visas expired.
“We had to find a way to keep them here. They are in grave danger, going home where the government cannot or would not protect them,” Ruth said. “How do you leave two girls to face threats to their physical and emotional lives every day?”
Amy Stern, the first law student assigned to their case, remembers sifting through the details of their lives in order to compile a narrative of everything they had gone through.
“I hadn’t heard any of these albino myths and it was horrifying to learn of their abuses,” she said.
Children threw rocks or spit at the sisters. Because they were vulnerable to attack — including from people who might want to kill them to sell their limbs — their parents usually kept the girls out of school.
Six years ago, with their mother already dead, the girls’ father succumbed to AIDS. On the day after his funeral, intruders attacked Bibi.
Stern connected with Al-shaymaa John Kwegyir, Tanzania's first albino member of parliament who had adopted the orphans before they left their homeland. Kwegyir jumped at the chance to send the children overseas, saying that Tanzania was not a “safe society” and that even she avoids going out alone.
Stern spent about 80 pro bono hours on the case before she graduated in May, transferring the work to a classmate who prepped the sisters for their asylum interview on July 7.
“They are adults in kids’ bodies,” she said of Bibi and Tindi. “I admire their strength, and even more, their desire to take back what they learn to fight the violence against children in their country.”
Bibi is weighing a career in media to expose brutality “against the innocent,” she said. Tindi hopes to become a lawyer for the same reason.
The sisters enrolled in the Montessori School of Ojai, eager to immerse in books that will get them ready for high school-level courses. They will start in a combined class of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, challenging themselves to finish the workload quickly, said Ruth, who is still raising funds for their academic fees.
“I’m going to do all these grades in one year, they tell me. I tell them: It’s good to have goals, but don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself,” she said. “Experience each day as a new day.”
[email protected]
Twitter: @newsterrier | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-albino-sisters-adv-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/069ec5f680d208377cf5a0e2c25a27321af92c78c16687d91ae42d59a297b329.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T02:49:57 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-kim-kardashian-dress1472428626-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c38e33/turbine/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-kim-kardashian-dress1472428626 | en | null | Kim Kardashian shreds it on the VMA white carpet | null | null | www.latimes.com | What's there to say about Kim Kardashian's VMAs look except, well, what we here in the office said when we first saw Kim Kardashian's VMAs look:
"It looks like she just pulled it out of a clutch and put it on."
"What's with the beach hair?"
"It's like the dress was a table, and she split it down the middle and put a extra leaf in."
"A stocking with a big run down the middle."
"She sort of looks trashy but she also looks really hot."
"I think she looks so frikkin' hot."
Mrs. Kanye West had polled her Twitter followers about what she should wear at the Sunday awards shows. Looks like she went with popular sentiment. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-kim-kardashian-dress1472428626-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/98c12b1286c718cdecb17feef9c4ca6f6292e10048613cb812b9fbbc3660d9d1.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Judy Belk"
]
| 2016-08-26T12:59:25 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fct-black-women-swimmers-hair-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c02e2d/turbine/ct-black-women-swimmers-hair-20160826 | en | null | Wading through the ‘bad hair‘ barrier for black girls | null | null | www.latimes.com | Olympian Simone Manuel’s first-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle last week was more than a personal accomplishment: It was a cultural milestone. When she finished the race in 52.7 seconds, an Olympic record, she became the first African-American to win an individual gold medal in swimming.
Her victory thrilled the whole country even as it put an uncomfortable spotlight on the lack of diversity in the world of competitive swimming. The problem starts with a limited pipeline. Seventy percent of African-American children can’t swim, resulting in this tragic statistic: Black children drown at a rate three times higher than whites.
Geography, race, access and poverty all are contributing factors. But for black girls, there’s another unspoken barrier: the hair factor.
Throughout American history, the texture and length of our hair have been used, along with skin color, as a barometer, both within and outside the black community, in defining the very essence of beauty.
From an early age, black girls receive all sorts of subtle and direct messages about where they rank on that hair barometer, and come to understand that the elements — water, wind, heat — are obstacles to meeting white standards.
My epiphany came when I was 6. I was playing outside in a warm Virginia summer rain when my mother appeared on the front porch and shouted: “Girl, you better get your butt inside. You must think you have good hair or something!”
Even at 6, I was smart enough to figure that out that if my hair wasn’t good, it must be bad. Misbehaving hair.
I was one of five sisters, so my young mother had her hands full. I have vivid memories of waiting my turn in the kitchen for Mom to tame my nappy hair. It felt as though she were going to war, armed with a stiff brush, a jar of Vaseline to grease down the edges and her strong hands, which pulled my head back so hard, it brought tears to my eyes as she braided three tightly woven plaits. Every night she tied our hair down with rags with the hope that everything would stay in place for a couple of days before she went into battle again.
For special occasions such as Easter, Christmas or the first day of school, Mom would splurge and take us to the hairdresser to get our hair professionally straightened with a hot comb.
On the days leading up to the hairdresser, we could let loose: run, sweat, even frolic through my Grandma Ada’s backyard sprinkler. Post-hairdresser, there was a moratorium on sweating and water contact of any kind for the hair. Swimming, assuming a pool was available, was certainly off limits.
Once, after just getting my hair pressed, I was taking a bath at my grandmother’s house and turned on the shower by mistake. My finely straightened hair quickly became a mini-Afro. Mom was furious and punished me by canceling my overnight with Grandma so she could work on straightening my hair before the start of school Monday.
In the black community, hair management is serious business. My mother worried that if she let her daughters leave the house with unkempt hair, the neighbors would whisper.
So, during my freshman year in high school, when the swim team coach offered to teach me how to swim and introduce me to competitive swimming, my mother nixed the idea.
“And what about your hair?” she asked. “Is he going to pay to get your hair done every week?”
At the time, given my own hair insecurities, I thought Mom’s concern was a reasonable one, so I politely turned down the offer.
The hair thing is so embedded in the black community that when my daughter was born, my mother sat me down and reminded me that given my lack of hair-management skills, I needed to up my game and learn how to take control of my little Casey’s locks. The implication was clear: I had a family reputation to uphold.
My mom was right about my lack of skills. But, thankfully, I married a guy who could braid with compassion. So, along with Casey’s babysitter, and her aunts who occasionally pitched in, I managed to get her through childhood without disgracing the family.
Although I worried about my daughter’s hair way too much, especially when visiting with my mom and other family members, I was determined to break with one ill-advised family tradition. I made sure that Casey and her older brother, Ryan, learned how to swim at an early age.
One day, after I had just struggled to braid Casey’s hair, she asked whether she could go swimming with a friend’s family. When she returned home, her hair was wild and frizzy, all my braiding undone.
“Mom!” she yelled. “I had the best day ever!”
I took a deep breath, stroked her still-wet hair and gave her a big hug.
Tribune Content Agency | http://www.latimes.com/ct-black-women-swimmers-hair-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/64fb12d2f32e54b0fcffdc7fec2c1e1b862e1c2c3fe2d83c4be3b2d43e50698d.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T02:49:46 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-here-s-what-we-know-about-britney-1472432064-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c38c1d/turbine/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-here-s-what-we-know-about-britney-1472432064 | en | null | Here's what we know about Britney Spears' VMA comeback | null | null | www.latimes.com | Heading into the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, all eyes were on Britney Spears.
The pop star, arguably one of the awards show’s most prolific performers, was set to make her return to the VMA stage nearly a decade after she fizzled onstage.
Spears is set to perform her sexy new single “Make Me” with G-Eazy, and producers are promising a showing that’s not “a typical performance.”
“She’s been a pro,” VMA executive producer Jesse Ignjatovic said about Spears' return. “She’s been doing this for quite a long time and knows how to perform and pull off a VMA-caliber performance. She’s got a hit with ‘Make Me.’ And with Britney she’s always looking at what she can do differently and how she is going to separate herself as an artist. It’s a big look.”
Her longtime manager, Larry Rudolph, shrugged off a question of whether the pop star felt any pressure about her return to the VMA stage.
“She’s been on that stage many times. She hadn’t wanted to do them for awhile [because] she wanted to focus on other things, but she decided she wanted to do them again so we’re doing them again,” he said.
“The VMAs are special. I don’t want to lump them in with every other award show. She’s like the queen of the VMAs,” Rudolph continued. “Probably three or four of the most iconic moments in MTV history are of her at the VMAs. We’re very mindful of that and respectful of the platform.”
As for what fans can expect from the singer who has done everything from slink around onstage with a python to lip-lock with Madonna?
“The choreography is going to be something that people really respond to,” Ignjatovic teased. “It’s different and not a typical performance. She’s got such a history with MTV, to have her back on the show its got everyone excited.” | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-here-s-what-we-know-about-britney-1472432064-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/82efd6f4da60ea463585aa9563eee46b383009afe2c7c0a2e16090f5b09e178b.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Chris Kraul"
]
| 2016-08-30T18:50:09 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fmexico-americas%2Fla-fg-colombia-farc-explainer-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5c407/turbine/la-fg-colombia-farc-explainer-snap | en | null | The battles began in 1964: Here's a look at Colombia's war with the FARC rebels | null | null | www.latimes.com | For more than 50 years, the Colombian government battled a leftist rebel group known as the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, in a conflict that claimed 220,000 lives, displaced millions of people and hampered the economy of a country rich in natural resources and human capital.
After several failed attempts, the government and the rebels reached an agreement last week in Havana that could finally end the longest running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. Colombians will vote whether to approve the deal Oct. 2 in a nationwide plebiscite.
In the meantime, the two sides Monday announced a formal cease-fire.
Here’s a primer on the history and potential future of the country’s largest rebel group:
What is the FARC?
Pedro Antonio Marin, a peasant farmer who went by the alias Manuel Marulanda, or “Sure Shot,” founded the rebel group in 1964 after a 10-year civil war known as La Violencia fought between paramilitary groups representing the Liberal, Conservative and Communist parties over control of agricultural lands. It ended with amnesties for leaders and a power-sharing agreement that didn’t resolve underlying peasant complaints. The FARC’s stated aim was to seek redistribution of land favoring the poor as well as opposition to the presence of multinational companies.
Under Marulanda’s leadership, the FARC drew recruits mainly from poor, rural, indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and universities, growing to an estimated 20,000 armed fighters by the late 1990s.
Marulanda died of natural causes in 2008 at age 77.
What conditions allowed the FARC and other insurgencies to grow?
Colombia had a long history of inequality and repression of peasants by moneyed elites. The victimization of poor farmers was exacerbated by the lack of agrarian reform. Peasants effectively were the slaves of coffee haciendas controlled by rich land owners. The country’s mountainous geography that isolates many rural communities meant the state had little influence.
Peasant rebellions date back to the 1930s, when the collapse of agricultural markets and government neglect led to massive rural protests. In the 1940s, a dozen farm communities actually declared their independence from the government by forming “red republics.”
The 1958 pact that ended La Violencia excluded poor farmers and labor unions, making extremist groups like the FARC more appealing to the disenfranchised.
Why did the FARC become Colombia’s largest, most powerful rebel group?
While up to six insurgent groups operated in Colombia at various times, the FARC had the strongest ties to Colombia’s peasantry. In many remote communities where rule of law was weak or nonexistent, the rebels filled the void.
Even now, the poor in many areas turn to the FARC to resolve disputes over property, loans and other matters. The rebels would act as judge, jury and, if need be, executioner in exchange for the loyalty, intelligence and food support from poor petitioners.
Growth accelerated after 1982, when the FARC began to pursue a military takeover and finance it through kidnappings and drug trafficking. The change in strategy helped fill the ranks through better payments to fighters and gave the rebels greater control in the countryside.
When did the FARC achieve its peak military strength?
The FARC inflicted a series of humiliating defeats on the hapless Colombian military during the 1990s by overrunning several bases and taking hundreds of soldiers hostage. By the beginning of President Alvaro Uribe’s term in 2002, rebels had encircled the capital, Bogota. They fired rockets at downtown targets during his inauguration ceremony.
What led to the FARC’s decline?
The rise of paramilitary militias forced the FARC to retreat from many areas of influence, including the Caribbean coastal areas, in favor of the remote eastern jungle plains and southern border areas. The paramilitaries were formed by wealthy farmers and cattlemen as self-defense forces against the FARC because they felt abandoned by the central government. By the time the militias demobilized in 2006, many had morphed into criminal gangs involved in drugs and extortion rackets.
Another blow was Plan Colombia, the U.S. antiterror and drugs aid program that funneled $10 billion to Colombia’s armed forces and social service agencies. Included in the aid was telecommunications monitoring technology that helped Colombia target and kill FARC leaders such as Raul Reyes in 2008, Mono Jojoy in 2010 and Alfonso Cano in 2011.
The 1982 decision to engage in kidnappings and drug trafficking ultimately cost the FARC popular sympathy.
Why did previous peace negotiations fail?
The FARC and the government signed a peace deal in 1984 that led to a three-year ceasefire and the formation of a FARC-allied political party, the Union Patriotica. But the slayings in subsequent years of about 1,000 of the party’s office-holders and activists by right wing death squads quashed hopes for peace.
Starting in 1999, President Andres Pastrana held peace talks with the FARC and even consented to a demilitarized “clearance zone” in eastern Colombia for the rebels so they could negotiate. But the talks broke down in 2002.
Why did the FARC finally forsake war and join peace talks in 2012?
The killings of several top FARC leaders by the military and the death of Marulanda crippled the leadership structure. Over the last decade, the modernized Colombian army had the FARC on the run. Desertions in the lower ranks were common.
Convinced that the rebels would never win militarily, outside boosters, including Cuba’s Fidel Castro and the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, urged the FARC to seek peace and shift strategy to the political stage.
Polls show Colombians deeply divided over the peace deal. Why are so many expected to vote against it on Oct. 2?
Few families in Colombia are untouched by the war’s kidnappings, displacements and extortion involving threats of violence. Although the military and right wing paramilitary groups committed atrocities over the course of the conflict, the public holds the rebels most accountable.
Under the peace deal, rebels would be guaranteed 10 congressional seats for the next two terms and amnesty for certain crimes if they confess. Those terms may be difficult for many Colombians to accept. | http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-colombia-farc-explainer-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/f099e7463f1cbf2321a3b5c9a53f74b69323686f6bf8aca4e93890631cb2cb81.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Lance Pugmire"
]
| 2016-08-27T06:49:01 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fboxing%2Fla-sp-mma-bellator-henderson-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c11a3a/turbine/la-sp-mma-bellator-henderson-20160826-snap | en | null | Bellator 160: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire quits with leg injury, handing victory to Benson Henderson | null | null | www.latimes.com | Patricio “Pitbull” Freire wasn’t looking to honor the release of the Roberto Duran film, “Hands of Stone,” on Friday with his own “no mas,” but the moment was certainly similar.
Freire suddenly stopped fighting 2 minutes, 26 seconds into the second round, stunning all, including the victorious Benson Henderson, in the main event of Bellator 160 at Honda Center.
After taking a seat on his stool to elevate his right leg, Freire reported that he injured the leg on a kick during the round and could no longer continue.
“I knew for sure when I checked two of his kicks, both of the checks were [good],” said Henderson (24-6), a former UFC lightweight champion. “One, he backed away right away. I worked on check kicks. I guess I’ll take a ‘W’ any way I can get it.”
Action halted with Freire briefly hopping, pointing to his right foot and turning from Henderson to reach his corner.
Henderson didn’t do much in a first round that inspired boos from the crowd as former featherweight Freire (25-4) couldn’t bridge the distance Henderson sought to maintain.
Even though the action didn’t increase significantly in the second round, Henderson triumphed and quickly accepted a Nov. 19 lightweight title shot at Bellator champion Michael Chandler, who previously knocked out Pitbull’s brother, Patricky Freire.
Before the main event, lightweight Derek Anderson of Carlsbad absorbed heavy punches and avoided a choke try in the first round before landing his own power shots en route to a unanimous-decision victory over Saad Awad of San Bernardino by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
In a 149-pound catch-weight bout, Riverside’s Georgi Karakhanyan repeated a prior victory over Huntington Beach-trained Bubba Jenkins with a first-round knockout.
Karakhanyan (25-6-1) held up Jenkins’ foot on a failed kick attempt with his left hand, then delivered a massive right-handed punch to the chin to end the fight just 53 seconds into the action.
Long Beach featherweight A.J. McKee (5-0) overwhelmed Huntington Beach-trained Cody Walker standing and on the canvas before finishing Walker by a modified guillotine choke 32 seconds into the second round.
Bellator also announced the official signing of former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald of Canada, who staged the 2015 fight of the year in a loss to then-champion Robbie Lawler.
MacDonald said he’s planning on “taking over” Bellator’s welterweight division, adding that he’ll consider fighting at middleweight too.
[email protected]
Follow Lance Pugmire on Twitter @latimespugmire | http://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la-sp-mma-bellator-henderson-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/e1f5029e58f8528ab5b64a3512bdcdb1dabe28bb3184c725befe520c75a88c8c.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Andy Mccullough"
]
| 2016-08-27T20:51:24 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fla-sp-dodgers-stewart-de-leon-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1f11a/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-stewart-de-leon-20160827-snap | en | null | Jose De Leon remains in minors as Brock Stewart gets start for Dodgers | null | null | www.latimes.com | On Sunday afternoon, Brock Stewart will start for the Dodgers against the Cubs. Later that evening, in Oklahoma City, Jose De Leon will pitch for the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate.
Stewart has made two starts in the majors this season, lasted nine innings and given up 14 runs. De Leon has given up four runs in his last three outings while striking out 27 batters in 21 innings. Stewart started this season as a relative unknown in Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. With Julio Urias in the majors, De Leon can be considered the team’s top pitching prospect.
So why is Stewart in Los Angeles and De Leon in Oklahoma City? The answer is complicated but simple: Stewart is on the team’s 40-man roster, while De Leon is not.
Due to a record-setting number of injuries, the Dodgers face a 40-man roster crunch in September. There are currently four players on the 60-day disabled list – Clayton Kershaw, Andre Ethier, Alex Wood and Trayce Thompson – who could be activated for the season’s final month. For each player, the team must pluck another man off the roster to clear room.
Given the uncertainty of the situation – as few as one or as many as all four may return – that means the value of each spot on the 40-man roster can be considered more precious than usual. The Dodgers prize roster flexibility, and do not want to sacrifice assets.
In a vacuum, the Dodgers consider De Leon to be a better prospect than Stewart. But the organization’s opinion of the gap between the two differs from the public’s.
Fans might only remember Stewart’s two starts in the majors, when he gave up five runs in Milwaukee and nine runs in Colorado. The Dodgers still recall how Stewart logged three solid innings of emergency relief against Pittsburgh on Aug. 14. And Stewart has dominated triple-A hitters, posting a 2.49 earned-run average in nine starts in the Pacific Coast League. De Leon has a 2.86 ERA in 15 outings.
So the team had to decide. Is one start from De Leon worth losing a player on the 40-man roster? Is he that much better than Stewart? The Dodgers answered the questions with their assignments. Stewart will start on Sunday in the majors. De Leon will remain in the minors.
[email protected]
Twitter: @McCulloughTimes | http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodgers-stewart-de-leon-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/4744ab0392ede8f0af888a23f35972acec26b0eb4221039fa207522abb4c8fd3.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T02:49:32 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-kanye-west-pays-tribute-to-himself-at-1472437015-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c39e46/turbine/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-kanye-west-pays-tribute-to-himself-at-1472437015 | en | null | Kanye West pays tribute to himself at 2016 MTV Video Music Awards | null | null | www.latimes.com | What happens when you give Kanye West four minutes to do whatever he chooses?
That was the question heading into Sunday’s VMAs after reports that producers gave the polarizing pop disrupter the green light to do whatever he wanted onstage.
So what did he do? He emerged onstage and approached a podium and immediately began to pay tribute to, well, himself.
“I am Kanye West. And that feels really great to say, especially this year,” West started, amid chants from the audience.
West was there to premiere his new video, “Fade,” but before that he wanted to talk. And talk, and talk.
“Later tonight ‘Famous’ might lose to Beyonce but I can’t be mad, I’m always wishing for Beyonce to win,” he joked, making reference to his controversial stage-crash.
The rapper went on to defend “Famous,” his polarizing music video that featured an art display of West and celebrities and public figures like Donald Trump, Chris Brown and George W. Bush lying naked in bed.
“It was an expression of our now, our fame right now, us on the inside of the TV. The audacity to put Anna Wintour next to Donald Trump. I put Ray J in it, bro. This is fame bro. I see you Amber,” West joked pointing to his ex-girlfriend in the crowd. “My wife is a [gangsta], not a lot of people’s wives would let them say that.”
West referenced the ongoing crime in his native Chicago. And he strongly defended himself against Taylor Swift’s claims that he didn’t consult her over the song.
It was one of his usual freewheeling, remarkably self-indulgent stream-of-conscious rants that has made him an incendiary, unpredictable figure in pop music. And, love him or loathe him, he’s an exciting watch.
West then introduced the premiere of the Tidal-sponsored visual for “Fade,” a single from his recent hit album “Life of Pablo.”
Starring R&B singer Teyana Taylor, the video featured the singer clad in workout attire and voraciously dancing in an empty gym. West didn’t appear in the clip. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-kanye-west-pays-tribute-to-himself-at-1472437015-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/86ccd6af980ba5c5a399e7a3fcd83861f2f5f665ec1a6fdb032c8b512382bd2d.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Rosanna Xia"
]
| 2016-08-27T18:49:03 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-range-fire-update-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1d34f/turbine/la-me-range-fire-update-20160827-snap | en | null | Range fire in Kern County 45% contained; evacuation orders will be lifted at noon | null | null | www.latimes.com | A 600-acre fire that broke out Friday afternoon in Kern County is now 45% contained, officials said.
No structures have been destroyed and evacuation orders will be lifted Saturday at noon, according to the Kern County Fire Department.
About 500 firefighters are battling the fire, dubbed the Range fire, which was burning in the Bear Valley Springs area. Crew worked through the night to establish and reinforce containment lines, officials said.
Further north in Monterey County, the Soberanes fire, which has been burning for more than a month and has consumed 91,500 acres in Los Padres National Forest, is now 60% contained.
A thick marine layer on Friday kept fire activity low along the coastal area. Similar fire behavior is expected Saturday, officials said, and no threats to fire containment lines are anticipated.
The blaze, sparked by an abandoned, illegal campfire on July 22 in Garrapta State Park, has so far killed one person and destroyed 57 homes and 11 outbuildings. About 410 structures are still under threat, and more than 1,500 firefighters continue to battle the fire in the steep, rugged terrain.
Bulldozer operator Robert Reagan III was fatally injured while fighting the fire in a remote area on state parkland in Carmel, authorities said.
Updating some of the other fires burning around California, with containment figures as of Saturday morning:
Chimney fire: 45,008 acres burned and 70 structures destroyed in San Luis Obispo County; began Aug. 13; 51% contained.
Rey fire: 33,006 acres burned north of Santa Barbara in Los Padres National Forest; Aug. 18; 46% contained.
Cedar fire: 28,840 acres burned in Kern County; began Aug. 16; 20% contained.
[email protected]
Follow @RosannaXia for more education news | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-range-fire-update-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/1eef4d45ad8bd59d4bdb59596aab20d644a69a6460c321e86f3fa22382fc3217.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"The Times Editorial Board"
]
| 2016-08-30T12:49:58 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorials%2Fla-ed-gifts-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4d925/turbine/la-ed-gifts-20160829-snap | en | null | Enough gifts. Public officials should't have tip jars. | null | null | www.latimes.com | There are all kinds of ways to get people to give you presents. Throw yourself a birthday party, for example. Have a quinceañera. Have a bar mitzvah. Get married. Give birth. Get elected to office.
Wait — that last one doesn’t sound right. Why would people give presents to politicians? Do they maybe want something in return? Perish the thought.
Elected officials get salaries (and in Los Angeles County, benefits) that are sufficient to compensate them for doing their jobs. We do not expect them to work even harder in exchange for presents. Imagine having to give flowers or a bottle of wine to the desk clerk at the Department of Motor Vehicles just to get her to call your number a little sooner. That wouldn’t be acceptable — so why is it acceptable for lawyers, vendors and employees to give gifts to the Los Angeles County district attorney?
Over the course of her four years in office, Jackie Lacey has accepted $10,000 in gifts, as reported in The Times on Sunday. There are rules and limits on such presents, and Lacey has abided by them, duly observing caps on the value of the things she accepted and filing public disclosures that identify the givers as well as the gifts, according to the story. In other words, she is not in the same position as former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who paid a hefty fine after failing to disclose that he took free tickets to sports and entertainment events.
Lacey is hardly unique among elected officials in accepting gifts according to the rules. Still, things just don’t look right, even when the gifts are fully disclosed. An elected official’s office isn’t just another workplace, where an exchange of presents is often nothing more than an expression of collegiality. When the recipient is the boss, with power to select vendors and promote or hold back employees — or when those giving the gifts are vendors seeking public dollars, or defense lawyers hoping to have criminal charges dropped — presents look a lot less benign. They can undermine confidence in the office’s integrity, even if the gift-giver gets no special treatment.
Consider the DMV clerk. If she had a tip jar — and if someone who dropped a few bucks in it got called to the window right away — the next person in line would have to wonder whether he just got cheated. And whether he needs to pull something out of his wallet besides his driver’s license.
Public officials should not have tip jars. They should not accept gifts or expensive tokens of appreciation from vendors or employees — or anyone else they wouldn’t normally invite to an intimate birthday party.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-gifts-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/585fcb727f5710fb13238e89f64d264eaf9512bc36fdb868f1f5582023ff55d0.json |
[
"La Cañada",
"Sara Cardine"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:15:18 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fla-canada-valley-sun%2Fnews%2Ftn-vsl-me-quickhits-20160824-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57be17c0/turbine/tn-vsl-me-quickhits-20160824 | en | null | State Senate OKs 'Jackie Robinson Memorial Highway' designation on Foothill (210) Freeway | null | null | www.latimes.com | A new "Jackie Robinson Memorial Highway" on the Foothill (210) Freeway will likely become a reality sometime this year, after the state Senate voted 39-0 last week to honor the Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer and second baseman raised in Pasadena for his contributions to baseball and his hometown community.
Co-authored by Assemblymen Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) and Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), ACR-197, was roundly approved by the state Assembly in a 76-0 vote taken Aug. 1. At the time, the stretch of freeway established for the memorial was to be between the Glendale (2) Freeway in La Cañada Flintridge and the Orange Grove Boulevard exit in Pasadena.
Since then the length of the segment was shortened so that the portion would run from Orange Grove to La Cañada's Gould Avenue exit, a spokesman with Gatto's office said Tuesday. He explained that freeway namings may only be applied to portions under 5 miles long, and the original plans exceeded that designation.
Now that it's been approved by both houses, and once donations have been received to cover costs, Caltrans will install two memorial signs, one in each direction, recognizing Robinson.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Naomi Rodriguez, Dodgers' vice president of community relations said the tribute was "certainly fitting that this stretch of freeway is in Pasadena, where Jackie grew up."
Gatto agreed.
"His contributions to baseball and society have made an everlasting impression on our nation," he said in the statement.
--
Sara Cardine, [email protected]
Twitter: @SaraCardine | http://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/news/tn-vsl-me-quickhits-20160824-story.html | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/1d6e1e170041fdd00e096e1b3b52d99d7fb4b7ffc42b0a8110af48cb138056a9.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Paul Thornton"
]
| 2016-08-27T12:48:53 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fla-ol-opinion-newsletter-donald-trump-insane-20160827-snap-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0a01a/turbine/la-ol-opinion-newsletter-donald-trump-insane-20160827-snap | en | null | Opinion: Donald Trump is crazy, but (probably) not insane | null | null | www.latimes.com | Good morning. I’m Paul Thornton, The Times’ letters editor, and it is Saturday. Happy Independence Day, Moldova. Here’s a look back at the week in Opinion.
The presidential campaign has come to this: Barely more than two months out from election day, some voters (and at least one elected official) are wondering out loud if one of the major party nominees is mentally ill — as in diagnosably suffering from a condition listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Yale psychiatry professor Matthew Goldenberg writes in a Times op-ed article that he’s asked a lot about Donald Trump’s mental health. His response:
I’m not supposed to answer that question. To underline that point, the American Psychiatric Assn. issued a statement this month reminding its physician members, myself included, to avoid psychoanalyzing the presidential candidates. That ethical standard has been in place for decades. In 1964, thousands of psychiatrists, in response to a magazine survey, openly questioned then-GOP nominee Barry Goldwater’s fitness for White House duty. Several psychiatrists offered specific diagnoses. The fact that so many psychiatrists were willing to casually diagnose a person they'd never met embarrassed the profession and led to the codification of the so-called Goldwater Rule — no professional opinions on people we have not personally examined. So when folks ask me to speculate about Trump’s mental health, I have an easy out — I cite the Goldwater Rule. But increasingly, not engaging in these discussions seems both disingenuous and itself ethically dubious. For one thing, the void left by thoughtful professionals is filled with speculations by commentators, many of whom lack the expertise to appropriately apply diagnostic labels. Moreover, remaining quiet about the upcoming election feels like an abdication of moral responsibility. Like many Americans, I have been personally appalled by much of Trump’s indecorous behavior as a candidate. He comes across as cantankerous, vain, impulsive, demeaning and ill-informed. I understand why people have raised questions about his mental health. It can be tempting to describe his behavior in familiar psychopathological terms. But there are several reasons why we should resist using a psychiatric framework to describe Trump. For starters, we don’t have access to critical information. I haven't interviewed, diagnosed or treated Trump. I know only his public persona. It’s certainly possible that much of what I see in that persona is an act, a representation not of his true self but rather a character he has embodied in order to win votes or enhance his fame or riches. Nor am I aware that Trump has been significantly troubled by psychological distress or impaired by any condition (a criterion for the diagnosis of any mental disorder). He is, after all, functioning well enough to be one of two people nominated by a major party to be the next president of the United States. Furthermore, casually and pejoratively tossing around psychiatric labels to describe unusual or distasteful behavior is stigmatizing to those who are suffering with mental disorders. Calling Trump, say, a narcissist, does not adequately explain his toxic behavior or exemplify the condition. I know and treat plenty of people with narcissism, and none of them publicly incite violence or malign entire ethnic groups. » Click here to read more.
She’s sick and tired of the sexist speculation that Hillary Clinton is sick and tired. In an op-ed article, Ann Friedman puts the right-wing rumor-mongering over Clinton’s supposed ill health in the larger cultural context of assuming women are inherently weaker than men. The speculation also places unfair expectations on working women: “Women of Clinton’s generation, who flooded the white-collar workforce in the ’70s and ’80s, were under intense pressure to maintain a facade of unwavering strength. That pressure has lessened somewhat for younger generations, but even today, most working women believe that we can’t let on how difficult it can be to juggle our careers and personal lives.” L.A. Times
Take the “Clinton” out of the Clinton Foundation. News that Hillary Clinton met with dozens of her namesake foundation’s donors while she was secretary of State did not include any evidence that she acted on their behalf while serving in the Obama administration. Still, you can’t blame Americans for wondering about any conflicts of interest, says The Times editorial board, but that doesn’t mean the foundation should shut down: “We would propose a different solution: that the foundation continue but that the Clinton family sever its connection to it so long as Hillary Clinton is in the White House.” L.A. Times
There’s an unspoken barrier to getting more black girls in the pool: the hair factor. Olympian Simone Manuel, the first female African American swimmer to win a gold medal in an individual event, might cause some people to wonder why more black women aren’t in the pool alongside other U.S. swimmers. Judy Belk has an answer based on her own experience: Swimming messes up people’s hair, and “throughout American history, the texture and length of our hair has been used, along with skin color, as a barometer, both within and outside of the black community, in defining the very essence of beauty.” L.A. Times
This is the kind of alliance California needs on climate change: State Sen. Fran Pavley, the author of California’s two biggest laws combating global warming who is in the final months of her distinguished legislative career, and Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, a young lawmaker from the Coachella Valley focused acutely on his constituents’ needs. This fledgling alliance is key as California shifts to a new generation of environmental leaders, says Joe Mathews. Zócalo Public Square
How many legal immigrants are we deporting? Op-ed article writer Susan Stellin relates her own partner’s tussle with authorities over a long-ago minor offense that nearly got him deported as a way to highlight how the U.S. immigration system often destroys the lives of fully documented foreigners living in this country: “My partner got a second chance and proved he earned it by overcoming his addiction, but far too many immigrants don’t get the fair hearing a judge gave him.” L.A. Times
Read this as a cautionary tale for Los Angeles’ Olympic boosters: “The modern Olympic Games, in other words, are wildly expensive — and wildly more so than host cities expect when they make their bids,” writes Clay Dillow for FiveThirtyEight. Although Dillow doesn’t mention Los Angeles by name, there’s plenty in his piece pegged to the recently completed Rio de Janeiro Games to make one react skeptically to claims made by those putting together the 2024 bid that the city can host the Summer Olympics on the cheap. FiveThirtyEight
Personal note: Several weeks ago I alerted readers that I may have to take time off on short notice; that time has come, and for the next five weeks my very capable colleague Matthew Fleischer will fill in for me. I will be back on newsletter-writing duty the first week of October.
Reach me: [email protected] | http://www.latimes.com/la-ol-opinion-newsletter-donald-trump-insane-20160827-snap-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/1c559f6317e0f08f185742739ae04f6a33f61eb765868d1b782a3b4b4e47ac33.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"David Kidwell"
]
| 2016-08-29T18:50:01 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fla-na-chicago-redlight-bribes-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Chicago insider who took $2 million in bribes in red light camera scandal facing decades in prison | null | null | www.latimes.com | With his sentencing scheduled for Monday morning, the central figure in a massive corruption scheme that brought traffic cameras to Chicago remains adamant about taking his silence with him to federal prison for what could be as long as two decades.
John Bills, 55, who rose through City Hall as part of the political patronage army of longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan, faces between 10 and 30 years in prison for taking up to $2 million in cash bribes and gifts in exchange for helping grow the city's $600-million red light camera program into the largest in the nation.
The scheme was first exposed by the Chicago Tribune in 2012.
David Kidwell speaks on the current status of the red-light cameras investigation Tribune reporter David Kidwell on the upcoming sentencing in Chicago's red-light cameras scandal. Tribune reporter David Kidwell on the upcoming sentencing in Chicago's red-light cameras scandal. See more videos
How many years Bills spends behind bars will be decided by U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall, who presided at the trial early this year. A federal jury convicted him on all 20 counts, including bribery, conspiracy, extortion and fraud after deliberating for only five hours.
Bills' attorney, Nishay Sanan, portrayed his client as a fall guy but provided scant evidence at trial as he tried to spread blame for the conspiracy on a phalanx of well-connected lobbyists and Bills' elected bosses, including such political luminaries as Madigan and former Mayor Richard Daley.
But even as Sanan publicly argued before jurors that Madigan and Daley were really to blame, Bills was still quietly standing firm in his refusal to cooperate with federal prosecutors looking to expand their investigation.
U.S. Atty. Zachary Fardon's office has repeatedly asked Bills to finger other potential conspirators in exchange for leniency, according to Sanan, who said the most recent request came soon after Bills' conviction in January.
"It has always been his contention that he has no evidence to offer them," Sanan said.
John Bills arrives in court in Chicago Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune John Bills arrives in court in Chicago John Bills arrives in court in Chicago (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
In its sentencing memorandum, the prosecution team — led by Fardon himself — suggested Bills deserved to go to prison for 20 to 30 years based on the massive amount of the bribes, his lack of remorse, violation of public trust and leadership role in the decade-long conspiracy.
"To this day, defendant refuses to acknowledge his culpability, instead continuing to deflect and heave blame on others despite the mountain of evidence introduced at trial against him," wrote Assistant U.S. Atty. Timothy Storino. "Chicago has a long, sad history with public corruption. Bills now stands tall in a long line of greedy officials who have carved that tragic history."
Sanan is seeking a sentence of three to four years in prison for Bills. In court papers, he argued that Bills was never a leader of the conspiracy and that the size of the scheme should be limited only to the value of those payments and gifts Bills acknowledges accepting, about $42,900, not the more than $2 million in bribes.
Court officials have calculated Bills' sentencing range under federal guidelines at between 17½ and 22 years.
During the two-week trial, jurors heard evidence about how Bills rose through the ranks at City Hall as a top Madigan precinct captain and political operative, eventually becoming the No. 2 manager in the Chicago Department of Transportation during then-Mayor Daley's administration.
According to testimony, Bills began scheming almost immediately after he was handed the responsibility of overseeing the red light camera pilot project, hatching a plot to steer traffic camera contracts to Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., an Arizona-based firm.
Bills manipulated the process to ensure Redflex won the contract, orchestrated votes and met with Daley and Madigan in his efforts to promote the company's agenda. He coached the company's executives before their meetings with other city officials and advised them about which lobbyists to hire, what politicians to court and to whom to make political contributions.
In return, Redflex showered Bills with more than $560,000 in cash bribes, including up to $2,000 for each of the 384 red light cameras installed under his watch. The company also lavished hundreds of thousands of dollars more in gifts — including a car, a condominium, lavish hotel stays and vacations.
All the while, Bills was working to expand the program to include speed and school bus cameras, all in an effort to sweeten his own deal, according to testimony at the trial.
When Bills retired from the city in 2011, he went to work in Chicago for a Redflex consultant, Greg Goldner, a former campaign manager to both Daley and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. According to testimony, Redflex was paying Goldner to keep Bills on the payroll.
The decade-long conspiracy began to crumble in 2012 when the Tribune began publishing reports about Bills' cozy relationship with Redflex. The scandal that followed has now prompted four criminal convictions, a half-dozen lawsuits, ongoing criminal investigations of Redflex practices throughout the U.S. and in Australia, the headquarters of its parent company, Redflex Holdings.
Karen Finley, the former Redflex chief executive officer, pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and testified for the government at Bills' trial. She is set to be sentenced in November. Martin O'Malley, a former Chicago consultant for Redflex who testified that he acted as Bills' bag man, is set to be sentenced next month.
Redflex stock, once traded on the Australian exchange for more than $3 per share, was listed at 26 cents last week. The company, once an industry leader in automated camera enforcement, has all but abandoned its red light camera business in the U.S. and dismissed much of its workforce.
Meanwhile, the Emanuel administration is trying to restore public trust in a corrupt program beset by questions over its unfair enforcement practices, mismanagement, failed oversight and dubious safety claims. Emanuel has appointed a team of experts — led by officials at the Northwestern University Transportation Center — to investigate the program and offer reforms.
As part of its four-year investigation, the Tribune found tens of thousands of tickets being issued unfairly under the program, as well as many cameras likely causing more accidents than they were preventing.
Scientists from Texas A&M University, using data collected by the Tribune, found that up to 40% of the cameras Bills was bribed to install are making intersections more dangerous. While the cameras were responsible for a 22% increase in rear-end accidents involving injuries, the corresponding reduction in T-bone crashes at those intersections is negligible, the study found.
Yet the Emanuel administration has refused to remove most of those cameras, undermining its longstanding contention that the cameras were more about safety than revenue.
David Kidwell writes for the Chicago Tribune | http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-chicago-redlight-bribes-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/3c258d09f2e043479d8767c48dd64543b5e0b31eefd608b8efe228ccf3d37158.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-26T22:49:04 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-mn-toronto-international-film-tiff-1472245758-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0bae5/turbine/la-et-mn-toronto-international-film-tiff-1472245758 | en | null | TIFF flashback! | null | null | www.latimes.com | On Sept. 8, the 40th Toronto International Film Festival will kick off, and with it the annual awards-season derby that will end with the Academy Awards next February. Over the course of 10 days, Times journalists will be on the ground in Canada, bringing us their first impressions of many of the films that will shape the Oscar race, as well as exclusive interviews, videos and photo shoots with their writers, directors and stars. Toronto is where the awards race picture begins to take shape – we'll help bring it into focus. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mn-toronto-international-film-tiff-1472245758-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/648f0e916d0d7d675158dcba0620e2d8339e996e52b8c3b1d3ab1bb29205b276.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Catharine Hamm"
]
| 2016-08-29T14:49:29 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Ftravel%2Fdeals%2Fla-tr-spot-20160822-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c09f44/turbine/la-tr-spot-20160822-snap | en | null | How hotels are saving the environment (and, OK, money too) | null | null | www.latimes.com | A colleague recently went on vacation and returned puzzling about whether she had been a good steward of the Earth during her hotel stay. She wanted to recycle, just as she does at home, but there were not separate bins for her cans and bottles. What’s a hotel guest to do?
Green initiatives present interesting opportunities for hotels. And by opportunities, we mean saving money, never mind Mother Earth.
We may snicker at the in-room cards that say, “If you don’t ask us to change your sheets or replace your towels, you’re saving the environment” because we know that the hotel, in all likelihood, is saving the hotel money.
We may wonder whether those recycled materials (if, indeed, the hotel does recycle) really represent extra revenue for the hotel.
We may suspect that low-flow toilets and showerheads and thermostats that let the room get a little chilly or stuffy while you’re gone are really just ways to reduce the hotel’s utility bills.
We may believe it’s always and forever about the bottom line.
And then you talk to someone like Paul Snyder of IHG and you think you need to go to Camp Black and White Thinking, where you will be re-educated to stop believing that it is either all one thing or all the other.
Snyder’s title is vice president of corporate responsibility at IHG, whose hotel brands include Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, Kimpton and more. His unofficial title is chief sustainability officer for the company.
Whatever title he may go by, he is committed to being green, noting that saving money and saving the environment do not have to be mutually exclusive.
There are, he said, ways to address environmental concerns and make properties more attractive to guests.
IHG Green Engage, for instance, is an online tool that lets hoteliers benchmark their properties against others and evaluate how they are doing in such areas as energy, waste and water. And it offers more than 200 green solutions to issues.
“We’ve had over 100,000 green solutions executed” as a result of what he calls an empowerment platform.
Here’s the issue, though, for hotel guests, from his perspective and from mine: Most of the solutions are “inside the walls of the hotel — it is very hard for people to see.”
Hotels don’t like sounding their own horn.
But I say blast away.
Because how else will we know that some trash is separated out (if there’s only one bin) at the hotel or it’s separated at the waste facility or…not at all?
Hotels walk a delicate line, Snyder said. Guests come for the hotel experience; they don’t necessarily come to be converted into tree huggers (my phrase, not his). By way of comparison, restaurant menus may offer healthier choices, but that doesn’t mean you can force a guest to make that better-for-you choice.
Otherwise, we’ll need to go directly to the source and find out what hotels are doing about:
— Plastic water bottles. Many hotels still provide bottled water (and they charge for it). If the hotel does that, ask whether it has a way to recycle.
A step beyond: Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Aruba gives guests a metal bottle to use for water; the property thinks it may be saving more than a quarter of a million plastic bottles a year on a small island that grapples with trash issues, a representative said in an email.
— The material it collects from recycling. The hotel gets extra credit if it recycles, and many do. But does it get paid for it? There’s nothing wrong with that either, but…
A step beyond: The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas donate proceeds from recycling to charities and to a scholarship fund.
— Old equipment. What happens to, say, coffeemakers when a hotel switches systems? Do they get recycled? That’s good but…
A step beyond: Holiday Inn Express donated its old coffeemakers to Goodwill Industries when it switched. Snyder estimates it kept 300,000 pounds of waste out of landfills and provided 90,000 hours of jobs training.
— Food waste. Many hotels compost their food waste, turning it into luscious nutrients for green plants.
A step beyond: At the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center in Boston, a company collects grease and creates home heating fuel. If you’ve spent time in New England in winter, this will warm your heart — never mind fingers and toes.
These are but some of the examples that flooded my inbox when I asked for examples. Much more is being done to make our homes away from home more like home.
Green may not be the first thing you think about when you’re booking a hotel, said, Anthony Melchiorri, the host and creator of the Travel Channel series Hotel Impossible.
Melchiorri visits hundreds of hotels and although he remains a bit skeptical about some of the motivation for going green, he has also seen the efforts hotels are making. (He cites Las Vegas’ Aria resort, which has earned LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Gold certification, which honors its innovations).
So, yes, there may be a financial incentive for hotels to go green. But, Melchiorri noted, there’s one for guests too. “I feel better about myself that I’m doing something for the environment,” he said of staying in environmentally aware properties.
And isn’t feeling better what a vacation is all about?
Have a travel dilemma? Write to [email protected]. We regret we cannot answer every inquiry. | http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-tr-spot-20160822-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/852d6a63c64e1b420cf47829944adb29fad6a858ac12c05cec324cfd8f839d39.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-27T04:49:00 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fnba%2Fla-sp-sparks-storm-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c115b3/turbine/la-sp-sparks-storm-20160826-snap | en | null | Sparks fall to Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm, 79-72 | null | null | www.latimes.com | Sue Bird hit a season-high five three-pointers and scored 15 points to lead the Seattle Storm to a surprising 79-72 victory over the WNBA-leading Sparks on Friday night.
Coming off her record seventh gold medal in international competition at the Olympics, Bird was 5 of 7 from behind the arc. She also had six assists, Olympic teammate Breanna Stewart made just 2 of 13 and scored five points, though she did have 11 rebounds.
Crystal Langhorn had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Seattle, and Jewell Loyd had 15 to help the Storm (10-15) match last season's victory total.
Bird, who has four Olympic and three world championship gold medals, opened the game with a 3 and Seattle never trailed. The Storm led 22-13 after one quarter, but the Sparks cut it to 31-28 at the half before Seattle surged ahead again.
Nneka Ogwumike had 28 points for Los Angeles (21-4), 15 in the fourth quarter. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/nba/la-sp-sparks-storm-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/50446e6d7b2ac7ad9fe02f8f932a20b229e504b2446ef90e2bee545c07d725ee.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"The Times Editorial Board"
]
| 2016-08-30T12:49:59 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorials%2Fla-clinton-pressconference-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4df23/turbine/la-clinton-pressconference-20160830-snap | en | null | Hillary Clinton is overdue for a freewheeling news conference | null | null | www.latimes.com | Neither presidents nor presidential candidates are under any legal obligation to hold regular news conferences. But periodically submitting to questions from a diverse group of reporters is a way to demonstrate accountability to the public and an incentive to stay abreast of the issues.
Hillary Clinton surely knows that, yet it has been almost nine months since she has held a news conference. It took place on Dec. 5, before the first primary was held, when she was still battling Sen. Bernie Sanders — and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (remember him?) — for the Democratic presidential nomination she formally secured in June. A lot has happened since then.
To be fair, Clinton often has answered questions from journalists in other settings during that period of time, including a telephone interview with the Los Angeles Times editorial board in May.
If you squinted, you could even call one of those events a news conference. On Aug. 5, Clinton spoke to a joint convention of the National Assn. of Black Journalists and the National Assn. of Hispanic Journalists in Washington, D.C., and took some questions from audience members. But even at that session, a representative from the Washington Post urged Clinton “to do this more often with reporters across the country, especially those news organizations that travel the country with you wherever you go.” (Clinton has participated in brief exchanges occasionally with reporters who cover her.)
Clinton acts as if it doesn’t matter that she avoids the hurly-burly of news conferences so long as she talks to journalists in other situations. When CNN’s Anderson Cooper recently asked her during an interview whether she would hold a news conference, her response was: “Well, Anderson, I'm talking to you right now.”
And she was — including about charges that donors to the Clinton Foundation had improper influence on the State Department during her tenure as secretary of State. But a one-on-one television conversation is no substitute for a freewheeling news conference with multiple questioners.
Will that sort of event touch on topics Clinton might prefer to avoid? Will it force her to think on her feet? Will it include unwelcome, challenging and sometimes even hostile questions? Of course, but given widespread doubts about her trustworthiness and transparency, Clinton needs to confront such questions in a relatively unpredictable environment. Her continued refusal to enter that arena makes her look fearful and defensive.
Donald Trump has committed his own sins against transparency, including revoking the credentials of reporters from media organizations whose coverage has displeased him. But the Republican nominee has held news conferences, some more protracted than others. (That doesn’t mean the answers have been illuminating; just the opposite.)
If Clinton is elected president, presumably she will follow the example of her predecessors and hold wide-ranging news conferences at which some of the questions will play to her strengths and others will exasperate her. Why not start now?
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-clinton-pressconference-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/0d5c11c27740e9e77f3276d3de7e34123c02585828ce64ffd86598229b47a854.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T00:49:57 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-employers-would-be-barred-from-paying-1472515302-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4d533/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-employers-would-be-barred-from-paying-1472515302 | en | null | Gender pay equity could be expanded under this measure | null | null | www.latimes.com | A bill sent to the governor Monday would prevent California employers from paying women less than male colleagues based on prior salary.
The state strengthened its protections against gender-based wage discrimination last year. The bill the state Assembly sent the governor Monday, AB 1676, would add prior salary to the list of reasons women can’t be paid less than men.
Nationally, a woman on average makes roughly 79 cents for every dollar a man makes, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2014.
AB 1676, authored by Assemblywoman Nora Campos (D-San Jose), joins another pay equality bill sent to the governor last week that would strengthen protections against wage discrimination based on race or ethnicity.
An earlier version of AB 1676 would have barred employers from asking job applicants about prior salary, but amendments cut that provision from the bill.
The governor vetoed a similar bill last year and said in his explanation that the legislation was flawed because it hindered employers from seeking "relevant information" when determining a worker's salary. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-employers-would-be-barred-from-paying-1472515302-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b0bd270812690b69c8076da27c5ae6c7393ef07668a8e3a08748c0701c61800f.json |
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