authors
list | date_download
timestamp[s] | date_modify
null | date_publish
timestamp[s] | description
stringlengths 1
5.93k
⌀ | filename
stringlengths 33
1.45k
| image_url
stringlengths 23
353
| language
stringclasses 21
values | localpath
null | title
stringlengths 2
200
⌀ | title_page
null | title_rss
null | source_domain
stringlengths 6
40
| maintext
stringlengths 68
80.7k
⌀ | url
stringlengths 20
1.44k
| fasttext_language
stringclasses 1
value | date_publish_final
timestamp[s] | path
stringlengths 76
110
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Hannah Fry"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:16:23 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-newport-council-20160824-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-565ccc20/turbine/tn-dpt-me-fb-logos-20151117-002/600 | en | null | Ameri, thanks to personal loan, has fundraising edge among Newport Beach council hopefuls | null | null | www.latimes.com | Personal loans have bolstered campaign fundraising efforts for some Newport Beach City Council candidates in recent months as the calendar turns closer to November's election day.
Newport voters will decide Nov. 8 who should fill three available seats on the dais. Councilmen Keith Curry and Ed Selich are termed out, while Councilman Tony Petros is exiting following his first four-year stint.
One council candidate, Fred Ameri, has accumulated a six-figure sum, with the majority of the other hopefuls netting five figures with less than three months until election day.
Ameri, a former planning commissioner and retired executive who is running for the District 7 seat representing Newport Coast and Newport Ridge, has $177,449 in his war chest. That number includes a total of $150,000 in loans that Ameri has provided himself, according to campaign contribution reports submitted to the city.
The latest filings cover the period of Jan. 1 through June 30. However, some candidates have submitted more updated records. Individuals and companies are prohibited from contributing more than $1,100 to a single campaign during the election, according to city regulations.
Ameri has netted $27,449 in contributions from individuals, some with ties to companies such as telecommunications giant Broadcom; property management companies like Costa Mesa-based Pelican Realty Management and Pennsylvania-based Omnivest Properties; redevelopment company Douglas Development Corp.; and the Stratham Group, an Irvine-based homebuilder.
Two affiliates of Irvine real estate investment firm the Shopoff Group, calling themselves "land funds," donated nearly $500. The Multi-County Rental Housing Political Action Committee, sponsored by the Apartment Assn. of Orange County, contributed $500.
Ameri said while he has accepted some funds from individuals, he is funding the majority of his campaign himself by choice.
"I don't want to be tied to any company, organization, team," he said. "I just want to stay away from being committed to people so that when I'm on the council, I can still say I'm my own man."
Jeff Herdman, a retired educator running for the District 5 seat representing Balboa Island, Harbor Island and the Fashion Island area, has raised $39,084, including $1,100 in contributions from the Newport Beach Firefighters Assn.
Curry, Petros and former Councilman Rush Hill have also donated to Herdman's campaign.
Herdman loaned his campaign $20,000 in December 2015, pushing the total amount that he has banked to $59,084, according to the most recent filings.
Will O'Neill, an attorney and Finance Committee member who is running for District 7, has raised the most funds in the form of individual and business contributions. A bulk of O'Neill's $58,767have come from attorneys, law firms and judges.
District 5 candidate and businessman Lee Lowrey raised $20,825 so far. Mike Glenn, a businessman and community activist, has $18,202.
While most of the candidates began raising money several months ago, Brad Avery, a harbor commissioner vying for the District 2 seat, raked in $15,100in less than a month. District 2 represents the Newport Heights and Newport Crest areas.
Avery's sole opponent, Shelley Henderson, has garnered $1,379 from donations. She loaned her campaign $500 in March, but has paid all but $100 back.
Phil Greer, an attorney running for District 7, has banked $700 in independent donations. Greer has also loaned himself $20,000 toward his campaign.
--
Hannah Fry, [email protected]
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-newport-council-20160824-story.html | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/07ba3a69288b8e2ae8c01856abcf4491af352b766cb68d56cdee6553a28c3588.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-28T02:49:25 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fdodgers%2Fla-sp-dodgers-report-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c2441a/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-report-20160827-snap | en | null | Yasiel Puig has done well in triple A, but Dave Roberts won't say whether he'll rejoin Dodgers next week | null | null | www.latimes.com | The reports on Yasiel Puig from triple-A Oklahoma City have been “great,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday.
The demoted outfielder hit .386 (22 for 57) with a 1.102 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage, four homers and 12 runs batted in through 15 games and, outside of a few ill-advised Snapchat postings from a party bus in Iowa, appears to have been a model citizen and teammate.
But when asked if Puig would be among the September call-ups when teams expand rosters on Thursday, Roberts said, “We haven’t decided yet.”
Puig was batting .260 with a .706 OPS, seven homers and 34 RBIs when he was sent to triple A after the Dodgers acquired right fielder Josh Reddick from Oakland on Aug. 1.
Performance wasn’t the only problem. Puig’s work habits and behavior were also issues, the Dodgers sending him down in hopes that he would become “a better person and baseball player,” Roberts said.
Puig appears to have made some progress. “He’s playing well, and he’s assimilated very nicely with his teammates in Oklahoma City,” Roberts said.
But if Puig is hitting well and being a good teammate, and the reports on him are favorable, why wouldn’t he be called up this week?
“That’s a fair question,” Roberts said, without answering the question. “Let me think through that one.”
Over and out
Scott Van Slyke will undergo season-ending surgery to clean out cysts and scar tissue in his right wrist this week.
Van Slyke missed most of April and May because of lower-back irritation and was sidelined by the wrist injury in early August. In between disabled-list stints, he hit .225 with one homer and seven RBIs in 52 games.
“It’s something that has bothered him for a couple of years,” Roberts said. “We discussed what impact he can have for us [this season] versus just getting it taken care of and coming back next year, and we decided it’s best to get the surgery.”
High hopes
Trayce Thompson, out since the All-Star break because of two stress fractures in his lower back, remains confident he will play again this season. Thompson will undergo another X-ray and bone scan this week, and if he’s healed, he plans to “ramp up” his baseball activities with an eye toward a September return.
“I feel great,” said Thompson, who was batting .225 with 13 homers and 32 RBIs when he went on the DL. “I’d rather go out with a better taste in my mouth. I have to be smart about it, but I just want to play.”
Vin to win
Comcast Sportsnet Chicago will carry Vin Scully’s call for one inning of Sunday’s game so Cubs fans can hear the retiring Dodgers broadcaster in action.
“I think it’s an absolute treat for the people of Chicago,” Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said. “If the Dodgers are on after we play back home in Chicago, I put the game on my iPad just to listen to Mr. Scully.”
Short hops
Roberts on the glacially slow pace of reliever Pedro Baez, who took 29 minutes to throw 29 pitches in the seventh inning Saturday: “We’re working on the tempo, and we’re going to continue to let him know that tempo is important. But he really is a cerebral guy and is trying to think through things and execute. I don’t think he is really cognizant of how the game comes to a standstill.” . . . Roberts said the next step in Clayton Kershaw’s rehabilitation from a herniated disk in his lower back will be to face hitters in simulated-game conditions Tuesday. Kershaw, who hasn’t pitched since June 26, threw a 60-pitch bullpen session on Friday. . . . Roberts said he fully expects left-hander Alex Wood, who is recovering from minor elbow surgery, to “help us in the bullpen” by mid-September. . . . The Dodgers passed 3 million in attendance on Saturday for the fifth straight season and 30th time in franchise history.
[email protected]
Twitter: @MikeDiGiovanna | http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-report-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/86e36d80bdfb7b329e65004a37472f94a73d6b7fa6d22b753caaf5e8672a6425.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Christina Bellantoni"
]
| 2016-08-31T10:50:03 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fla-pol-ca-essential-politics-20160831-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c6329f/turbine/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-20160831-snap | en | null | Essential Politics: Mr. Trump goes to Mexico | null | null | www.latimes.com | It’s a big day in politics, both here in the Golden State and across the country. Donald Trump plans a long-awaited speech on the topic of immigration Wednesday night in Phoenix, an address that comes after weeks of questions on whether he’ll moderate his stance — and as he announced he’ll begin the day with a last-minute trip to Mexico.
I’m Christina Bellantoni, and this is Essential Politics.
We’ll be covering the Trump immigration speech live. His 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 the speech, his once-forceful views have grown muddy, Noah Bierman writes.
WHO WILL SHOW UP IN NOVEMBER? THE ANSWER MIGHT TELL YOU THE WINNER
How will Trump’s talk be received and will he alienate his base? David Lauter explores a possible answer to that question found within the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times daily tracking poll of the presidential race.
With Trump taking a slim lead within the margin of error again this month, Lauter writes that those driving that result are people who sat out the 2012 election but say they plan to vote this year. It’s not that simple, given turning nonvoters into voters is a task for which Trump’s campaign may be especially ill-suited.
The nonvoters in our survey are disproportionately whites who did not graduate from college — Trump’s strongest supporters.
MORE EMAILS SURFACE
Republicans welcomed news Tuesday from the State Department that about 30 emails that may be related to the 2012 attack on U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya, are among the thousands of Hillary Clinton emails recovered during the FBI's recently closed investigation into her use of a private server. The discovery is thanks to one of several lawsuits filed by the conservative group Judicial Watch.
Don’t expect a release until the end of September, as the State Department will be reviewing them for potentially classified information.
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.
TODAY’S THE DAY
The other major news front we’re tracking is the final day of California’s legislative session in Sacramento. The lawmakers also are saying their goodbyes. A number of major issues remain on the table — for example, what will become of money from the cap-and-trade system, and will Internet poker be legalized? — even as we saw a flurry of activity Tuesday.
Among the highlights:
— Lawmakers sent Gov. Jerry Brown a bill to end the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and other felony sex crimes, a measure inspired by the Bill Cosby case. If the governor signs it, crimes including rape and child sexual abuse could be prosecuted at any time.
— Perhaps the biggest social change could come from two measures awaiting Brown’s decision — outlawing smoking on California college campuses and on state parks and beaches.
— California families on welfare would receive a $50 monthly diaper voucher for young children, and students at Cal State schools could get extra help graduating on time under measures sent to Brown.
— Lawmakers also passed a change to sentencing laws in California to add language about rehabilitation.
— Will California ban the use of drones in state parks without a permit?
— This measure would increase penalties for sex buyers in an aim to curb sex trafficking.
— Companies that seek big state government contracts could not be part of an international boycott of Israel under a bill that landed on Brown’s desk. The proposal would make those contracts subject to state civil rights laws.
— Voters who cast their ballot at home but need it delivered to an elections office could ask anyone to help out under a bill approved by the Assembly. Critics, however, pointed out language in the bill that would allow political campaigns to gather as many ballots as they want for delivery on election day.
— A fix appears on the way to California’s outdated campaign finance database, with legislation approved Tuesday that sets in motion a 2019 timeline for a new system. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-20160831-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/ba858a60b6c68fb8a2c0dec327c60bcd23d63f131e8b786f2695791da4af4279.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-27T04:48:55 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fnfl%2Fla-sp-nfl-report-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1108a/turbine/la-sp-nfl-report-20160826-snap | en | null | Patriots' Tom Brady is not rusty in preseason debut | null | null | www.latimes.com | Tom Brady looked sharp in his preseason debut, throwing a 33-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hogan in helping the New England Patriots to a 19-17 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers on Friday night in Charlotte.
Brady relieved Jimmy Garoppolo late in the first quarter and completed a 37-yard pass to Aaron Dobson on his first play from scrimmage, leading to a field goal. On his second drive Brady heaved a perfectly placed over-the-shoulder pass to Hogan down the right sideline for a 9-0 lead.
Brady will miss the first four games of the regular season for his role in Deflategate. Garoppolo will start the season at quarterback for the Patriots.
Meanwhile, league MVP Cam Newton struggled mightily, throwing two interceptions and failing to get any points on his eight first-half possessions.
Preseason roundup
Ben Roethlisberger torched New Orleans' defense for 148 yards and two touchdowns on his first two series of this preseason, and the Steelers beat the Saints, 27-14. Roethlisberger got the rest of the night off after touchdown passes of five yards to tight end Jesse James and 57 yards to Antonio Brown, who also made his first appearance this preseason. Drew Brees had a 17-yard TD pass to Willie Snead for the Saints, who are winless this preseason. ... Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins threw three touchdowns in a 21-16 win over Buffalo at Landover, Md. With the Bills resting almost their entire starting defense, Cousins overcame a rough start to finish 12 of 23 for 188 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. ... In Tampa, Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon — who missed the 2015 season due to a drug suspension — caught two passes for 87 yards and a touchdown in a 30-13 loss to the Buccaneers. ...
Etc.
Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry is expected to return to the team on Sunday, multiple sources report. Berry has skipped the last month of training camp and practice in an effort to show his displeasure that the Chiefs were unable to reach a long-term contract agreement with him. ... Atlanta Falcons rookie strong safety Keanu Neal, the team's first-round pick and a projected starter, will miss the beginning of the season because of a knee injury. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-report-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/01155549af6c5cb9e707d695d810e351ff952f9d4c6c256257f4a440fc8a3539.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Zach Helfand"
]
| 2016-08-30T02:50:04 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fusc%2Fla-sp-alabama-usc-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4d5ca/turbine/la-sp-alabama-usc-20160829-snap | en | null | Lane Kiffin's offense and a furious defense could make Alabama even better than last season | null | null | www.latimes.com | Alabama knew it had broken Michigan State by the third quarter of January’s College Football Playoff semifinal.
Michigan State hadn’t scored yet — and wouldn’t at all in a 38-0 drubbing. After Alabama swarmed another screen pass, Spartans quarterback Connor Cook stomped to the sideline and vented.
“They’re everywhere!” Cook said, injecting an unprintable adjective in between.
This is what it’s like to be steamrollered by the Alabama football machine. USC, which opens its season on Saturday against the Crimson Tide, is the latest team in its path.
Several big names have decamped to the NFL from Alabama’s latest national championship team. But 14 starters remain, Alabama has a roster that reloads yearly and it is still led by Nick Saban, the most successful coach of this era. Plus, they have Lane Kiffin, the former USC coach who is considered one of the best offensive coordinators in the nation.
Taken together, Alabama might be even better than last season.
Saban has won three other national titles at Alabama, plus one at Louisiana State. But, arguably, he has never had a defense like this team’s. Pro Football Focus graded six Alabama defensive players among the top 64 players in the nation. For comparison, USC, a team not wanting for talent, boasted three players on the list — on offense and defense combined.
Phil Savage, an Alabama radio analyst and the former general manager of the Cleveland Browns, visited Alabama practice last week and was awed.
“This defense will be the fastest and most athletic Nick Saban has had in his 10 seasons,” Savage tweeted afterward.
USC Coach Clay Helton said he was “so impressed by their speed on tape.”
"This is a faster unit, in my opinion, than they had last year on defense,” he said.
Saban has prioritized swiftness over brawn to adapt to the proliferation of up-tempo offenses. USC could try to attack Alabama with power, but that, too, could encounter resistance. Three Crimson Tide linebackers are expected to receive All-America consideration: Tim Williams, Reuben Foster and Ryan Anderson.
On the line, Jonathan Allen, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection last season, recorded 14.5 tackles for loss in 2015, including 12 sacks — all 12 against power-five conference teams.
And the secondary includes two more All-America candidates, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Eddie Jackson.
The question, then, will be how Kiffin assembles an offense that lost its Heisman Trophy-winning running back, Derrick Henry, a quarterback who didn’t lose a game as a starter, Jake Coker, and its Rimington Trophy-winning center, Ryan Kelly.
USC expects Kiffin to pound the ball inside against the Trojans’ thin defensive line. The Crimson Tide return three starters on the line, including first-team All-SEC left tackle Cam Robinson, who was arrested in May but had charges dropped in June.
Helton has indicated he’ll stack the box often, but that just shifts the burden onto USC’s secondary to stop one of the best tight ends in the nation, O.J. Howard, and one of the best receivers, Calvin Ridley.
Helton compared Ridley to former USC receiver Marqise Lee.
“You hold your breath every time he touches it,” Helton said.
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson has lobbied the coaching staff to allow him to shadow Ridley wherever he lines up.
“I'm not scared,” Jackson said. “I'm not backing down from anybody.”
The quarterback position remains a two-way race between Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett. Both lack experience, but Saban usually navigates that well — three of his four championship teams had to break in an inexperienced quarterback.
USC expects Alabama to run a familiar offense. Trojans offensive coordinator Tee Martin, in an interview with a radio station in Mobile, Ala., last week, said Kiffin took USC’s offense and installed it at Alabama. The appeal is clear. Hampered by sanctions and prone to unflattering utterances, Kiffin’s tenure at USC was rocky. But his offensive mind was never in question.
“It’s like a gift,” USC running back Justin Davis said. “He sees so much stuff that the average eye doesn’t see.”
Special teams coach John Baxter said Kiffin “sees the game in slow motion.”
Baxter is one of five USC coaches to serve on Kiffin’s staff. None expressed any animosity. Kiffin, most said, treated them well.
“I don’t know how he’s become the villain of all of college football,” Baxter said.
Alabama tightly restricts its assistant coaches’ media availability, but before the playoff last season, Kiffin explained why his first three head coaching stints fizzled, despite his aptitude for the game.
"When you become a head coach so early, so young and so fast, you don't really know why you're doing things," he said.
For the 19 current Trojans who played for Kiffin, the relationship is more complicated. His tenure marked the beginning of a volatile stretch that spanned most of their time at USC.
Offensive lineman Zach Banner said he hadn’t thought much about Kiffin coaching at Alabama. He said he wished Kiffin well.
But, when asked if he took anything positive from Kiffin’s time at USC, his reply was curt.
"He had good visors,” Banner said, then walked away, ending the interview.
Times staff writer Jesse Dougherty contributed to this report.
[email protected]
Twitter: @zhelfand | http://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/la-sp-alabama-usc-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/7372ccb33efa9fd09dcacac39c7de7ca81d270d0dfd53c41aba46f8c2d7a4ea8.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Ann M. Simmons"
]
| 2016-08-27T02:49:01 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fglobal-development%2Fla-fg-global-gender-pay-gap-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0f064/turbine/la-fg-global-gender-pay-gap-snap | en | null | More companies commit to equal pay pledge on Women’s Equality Day | null | null | www.latimes.com | Facebook, Apple, and CVS are among 29 companies that on Friday promised to work toward erasing the gender pay gap by signing onto the White House’s Equal Pay Pledge, the Obama administration announced Friday.
With the new commitments, more than 50 companies employing millions of people have signed on to the initiative, which was launched in June.
Each company has has agreed to conduct a yearly analysis of its pay practices, review hiring and promotion procedures and adopt practices aimed at closing the national gap in pay between men and women, according to the White House.
Women make up nearly half the U.S. labor force and increasingly hold positions that traditionally have been occupied by men. Yet in 2014, a woman working full-time year-round in America earned only 79% of what the typical man earned working full-time all year, according to the White House.
That figure does not take into account differences in education, experience, occupation, overtime and other factors, but studies have found that gender discrimination explains at least some of the pay gap.
“No woman should earn less than a man for doing the same job,” Obama said in a proclamation Friday marking Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. “Equal pay for equal work should be a fundamental principle of our economy and our democracy”.
Apple echoed that sentiment in announcing its decision to sign the pledge, saying that over the past year it had examined compensation for its U.S. employees and made progress closing the gaps.
“We’ve achieved pay equity in the United States for similar roles and performance,” the company said. “Women employees at Apple earn one dollar for every dollar male employees earn. We’re now analyzing the salaries, bonuses, and annual stock grants of all our employees worldwide. If a gap exists, we’ll address it. And we’ll continue our work to make sure we maintain pay equity.”
Facebook said in its pledge that it was “a longtime supporter of equal pay” and for many years had regularly reviewed its compensation practices to ensure pay equity.
The Obama administration has lauded the initiative as an example of its commitment to ensure fair pay for all Americans.
The president’s first piece of legislation on the issue was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was signed into law in 2009 and aims to protect women from pay discrimination.
Other companies that signed the pledge on Friday include A.T. Kearney, Akamai Technologies Inc., Anheuser-Busch, Chobani, Coca-Cola Co., Delta Air Lines Inc., Dropbox, Dunkin' Brands, EY, The Hartford, the Hershey Company, Hilton, IBM, IKEA U.S., Intel Corp., the Libra Group, LinkedIn Corp., MailChimp, MuleSoft, Microsoft Corp., Nike Inc., Patagonia, Target Corp., Unilever Plc and Visa.
[email protected]
For more on global development news follow me @AMSimmons1 on Twitter
ALSO
Italian officials raise earthquake death toll to 281 as aftershock damages crucial bridges
Meet the Nightcrawlers of Manila: A night on the front lines of the Philippines' war on drugs
French court's suspension of town's 'burkini' ban may bring a lengthy legal and political battle | http://www.latimes.com/world/global-development/la-fg-global-gender-pay-gap-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/37bd8bbc569e18bf4998fd529b22b320a2ffd9b4b8042fca5aaee970c8d58187.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Charles Fleming"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:16:12 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fautos%2Fla-fi-hy-karma-automotive-irvine-20160824-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bdf5ae/turbine/la-fi-hy-karma-automotive-irvine-20160824-snap | en | null | Automaker Karma expands SoCal presence with Irvine office lease | null | null | www.latimes.com | The luxury carmaker Karma Automotive, which will soon begin building its hybrid electric Revero sports cars in a massive facility in Moreno Valley, has leased space for its design studios and business offices in Irvine.
The company formerly known as Fisker Automotive has agreed to lease 262,000 square feet of space in the former Kawasaki motorcycle headquarters on Jeronimo Road.
Bixby Land Co. acquired the real estate from Kawasaki last year.
The Karma was once the brainchild of Los Angeles-trained designer and entrepreneur Henrik Fisker. His Fisker Automotive was acquired by Wanxiang Group, a Chinese auto parts giant that also owns A123, the battery company that produced the power packs for the Fisker cars.
In an interview with The Times earlier this year, Karma Chief Marketing Officer Jim Taylor said that while manufacturing would take place in Moreno Valley, the company would need office space somewhere more appealing, in order to attract top design talent at a time when well-funded, top-drawer electric car companies like Tesla and Faraday Future are all competing for the best people.
“It’s a dogfight to hire any engineer, especially in the EV world,” Taylor said. Locating outside of Moreno Valley “makes it more attractive.”
Karma recently announced that the public would be able to reserve a Revero starting Sept. 8. It said cars will be headed to dealerships, including one in Pasadena, later this year, and would be sold directly to the public through a showroom somewhere in Orange County.
The company has said it hopes to sell 3,000 or more of the $100,000 four-door sedans annually, and has plans to produce additional models in the near future.
ALSO
Harley-Davidson rolls out new Milwaukee Eight engine
Even more Ludicrous: Elon Musk says Tesla now has the world's fastest production car
Pebble Beach 2016: Gooding finishes Monterey auction week with record sale | http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-karma-automotive-irvine-20160824-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b0e567248821380298cfd60902cd9bd41f44277fb1da92120c342567fee83d24.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Randall Roberts"
]
| 2016-08-31T00:50:14 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2Fla-et-ms-music-charts-20160822-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c624f8/turbine/la-et-ms-music-charts-20160822-snap | en | null | What makes for a No. 1 album in the on-demand age of streaming? | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Grammy-winning R&B singer Frank Ocean recently released two albums and a full-color, high-gloss magazine over the course of two days. In doing so, he injected enthusiasm, confusion and yet more chaos into an ever-evolving music business.
The unveiling, the latest in a line of innovative, high-profile maneuvers, disrupted the U.S. album charts. Where did Ocean end up on the chart? At No. 1, but how he got there is not as simple as it used to be.
On Monday’s Billboard Top 200 album count, the Apple Music-released “Blonde” debuted at No. 1, with a first-week tally of over 275,000 “equivalent album units” sold — note the wording in quotes.
So, what, exactly, is an equivalent album? It’s a complicated mash-up of streaming and sales data, where 10 digital-track downloads sold and 1,500 songs streamed are equal to one album.
Frank Ocean tops the charts with his "Blonde." Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times Frank Ocean tops the charts with his "Blonde." Frank Ocean tops the charts with his "Blonde." (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
In Ocean’s case, he sold 232,000 digital-album downloads of “Blonde,” according to Nielsen Music. The album then accrued 65 million streams of its individual tracks. That number in turn is divided by 1,500 to arrive at what, for charting purposes, essentially amounts to an additional 43,000 albums sold (individual tracks from the release were not made for sale).
Got all that? You’re forgiven if not.
“It’s kind of the Wild West and it always has been. People are just trying to figure it all out,” says Tim Smith, who as founder of Blood Company manages major electronic artists including Skrillex, Zedd and Boys Noize.
In recent years the task of tabulating a record’s success and popularity has grown more complicated. What used to be an album sale is now an “equivalent album sale.” Each component — that is a song — of a release — otherwise known as a project — is measured and weighted using industry-approved equations.
Simple math? Far from it.
Whereas one album plus another album once equaled two albums, in an on-demand era of streaming and instant downloads, one better bring a calculator to unravel the new chart language. What was once as simple as adding up the sales of a few different formats has now become an SAT-worthy calculation.
Trying to distill it all are companies Nielsen Music and BuzzAngle, which track physical and digital sales and stream numbers in order to gauge success in an evolving, fluid business.
“When you say it’s the top album, you have to clarify that,” says Jim Lidestri, CEO of Border City Music, which owns BuzzAngle. “What does that mean?”
This whirlwind year has seen superstars Beyoncé, Kanye West and Chance the Rapper unveil new work through a variety of avenues, including exclusives with streaming services and surprise album drops.
And with them, consistency has become a thing of the past.
The year’s biggest album, Drake’s “Views,” premiered exclusively through Apple Music and iTunes — but only after the artist played it in full on his OVO Music radio show on Apple’s Beats 1 radio platform. At the end of its first week, “Views” had sold over 850,000 digital albums and generated nearly 250 million audio streams, according to BuzzAngle.
Drake, seen performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2015, had the summer's biggest album in "Views." Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times Drake, seen performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2015, had the summer's biggest album in "Views." Drake, seen performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2015, had the summer's biggest album in "Views." (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
The album, which spent much of the summer at No. 1, debuted on the Billboard chart with what Nielsen said was 852,000 albums sold and 1.04 million equivalent album sales.
The Canadian rapper eventually expanded its availability to other streaming platforms, the accumulation of which kept the record in the No. 1 slot for three months.
“There are a lot of creative strategies being tried out there," says David Bakula, who oversees chart tabulation for Nielsen as senior vice president, analytics and client development. The problem, however, is quantifying success in an era with dozens of distribution platforms.
“I don't think there's a great sense from everybody out there of, ‘This is what it takes to get to No. 1,’ or ‘This is even what a level is for No. 1,’" says Bakula.
For his part, Ocean's competing release strategy was prompted by his first new music in four years. His long-gestating album, once thought to be called “Boys Don’t Cry,” turned out to be two albums — “Endless” and “Blonde.” Only the latter is eligible to be counted on the album chart. Because it’s a video album, “Endless” is excluded.
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour >> »
Also notably absent from the overall calculations from Nielsen and BuzzAngle are the billions of YouTube plays, which are hard to quantify due to the volume of fan-made clips that feature incidental use of hot songs. What’s more, radio streaming service Pandora’s charts aren’t considered either, since the album tallies are designed to calculate intentional, on-demand listens.
Whew.
The result is a formula far more complicated than a decade ago, when labels measured success based on the volume of downloads, discs and records sold.
Twenty-five years ago the music industry experienced a revolution when it started using SoundScan as a data-analysis partner. For the first time, a system existed to calculate album sales in real time.
Using bar codes, it registered each purchase, replacing the old method of relying on (easily bribed) retail managers to phone in each week’s top sellers. An album sold — whether on vinyl, cassette or compact disc — was an album sold. As digital downloads entered the equation, the charts adapted accordingly.
Streaming, however, introduced a host of new variables, and two years ago Nielsen, which now owns SoundScan, introduced sweeping changes in an attempt to account for the arrival of services like Spotify, Google Music and Apple Music.
In order to accurately represent the market, says Nielsen’s Bakula, analysts needed to consider the ways in which technology had changed the variables.
The solution, in layman’s terms? | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-music-charts-20160822-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/48bbb386fde4d479623978dbb28c2e502ff296e3f39d9ecf4cc45a57b47c9501.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-31T14:50:04 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fla-fg-taliban-couple-video-20160831-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c6d478/turbine/la-fg-taliban-couple-video-20160831-snap | en | null | U.S. evaluating Taliban video of captive couple in Afghanistan | null | null | www.latimes.com | The State Department says it's evaluating a video released by the Afghan Taliban showing a Canadian man and his American wife and warning that their Afghan captors will kill them and their children unless the Kabul government ends its executions of Taliban prisoners.
The video, which had not been independently verified by the Associated Press, shows Canadian Joshua Boyle and American Caitlan Coleman, who were kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2012, calling on Canada and the United States to pressure the Afghan government into changing its policy on executing captured Taliban prisoners.
Coleman has told her family that she gave birth to two children in captivity.
See the most-read stories in World News this hour »
"I would tell you that the video is still being examined for its validity," State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday, in response to a question at his daily briefing. "We remain concerned, obviously, about the welfare of Caitlan and her family, and we continue to urge for their immediate release on humanitarian grounds."
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the AP that the video was not new and had in fact been recorded in 2015. Mujahid said Boyle and Coleman and their two children remain in captivity but in good health.
The AP could not immediately verify the date of the recording. Even if the video was recorded in 2015, it would mark the first time the couple has appeared in a video since 2013.
The footage, which was uploaded Tuesday on YouTube, came to public attention through the Site Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity online.
In a statement Tuesday, Global Affairs Canada spokesman Michael O'Shaughnessy said the government was aware of the latest video. He said the government would not comment further or release any information that might risk endangering the safety of Canadian citizens abroad.
In the video, the scraggily bearded Boyle says the couple's captors "are terrified of the thought of their own mortality approaching, and are saying that they will take reprisals on our family."
Coleman, wearing a black headscarf, adds: "I know this must be very terrifying and horrifying for my family to hear that these men are willing to go to these lengths, but they are."
A phone message left at a number listed for Coleman's family in Stewartstown, Pa., was not immediately returned.
The couple set off in the summer of 2012 for a journey that took them to Russia, the central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and then to Afghanistan. Coleman’s parents, Jim and Lyn Coleman, last heard from their son-in-law on Oct. 8, 2012, from an Internet cafe in what Josh described as an "unsafe" part of Afghanistan.
In 2013, the couple appeared in two videos asking the U.S. government to free them from the Taliban. The Colemans received a letter last November in which their daughter said she had given birth to a second child in captivity.
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.
"I pray to hear from you again, to hear how everybody is doing," the letter said.
In July, Jim Coleman, speaking to the online news service Circa News, issued a plea to top Taliban commanders to be "kind and merciful" and let the couple go.
"As a man, father and now grandfather, I am asking you to show mercy and release my daughter, her husband, and our beautiful grandchildren," Jim Coleman said. "Please grant them an opportunity to continue their lives with us, and bring peace to their families."
MORE WORLD NEWS
Why a modest pastor with a flag is so threatening to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe
President Obama's militant kill list doesn't end at Osama bin Laden
Speculation swirls that the man who ruled Uzbekistan with an iron fist for 25 years may be dead. Here's what might happen next
Israel, U.N. exchange barbs over settlement-building and peace with Palestinians | http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-taliban-couple-video-20160831-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/f3631b8628fd77edf0b3c027c888a5861a8d749795e40f7c74159bde09fe547c.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:14:56 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnewsletters%2Fla-me-todays-headlines-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Today: What Italy's Quake Teaches California. Trump's Immigration Two-Step. | null | null | www.latimes.com | I'm Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today.
TOP STORIES
What Italy’s Quake Teaches California
If California had an earthquake similar to the deadly temblor that struck central Italy this week, how would our buildings fare? Seismic experts and structural engineers say there are still thousands of unreinforced masonry and brittle concrete buildings across the state that are dangerous. Read on to see what can be done.
Trump’s Immigration Two-Step
Will Donald Trump’s complicated dance on immigration policy get him into trouble with his supporters? His recent rethinking about whether to deport all 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally is putting him in a precarious position that, depending on the details, could be seen as the kind of bait-and-switch that has sunk many a politician before him. More may be revealed in a speech that’s been rescheduled for next week.
Clinton Bashes the Alt-Right and Praises the GOP
Yes, you read that right. Hillary Clinton had some good things to say about Republican leaders past and present while appealing to GOP voters to renounce Trump. It was part of her new line of attack that accuses Trump of aligning himself with the alt-right movement and helping foment racial hatred.
Should We Bail on the Traditional Bail System?
Government civil rights lawyers and others have been taking a look at the money-based bail system, challenging the use of fixed bail schedules for people who are arrested. The argument: The Constitution forbids punishing people by keeping them in jail just because they’re too poor to pay. Here’s what people on both sides of the issue say would happen if money bail were abolished.
Scholars Without a Home
They juggle classes, multiple jobs — and the uncertainty of where to sleep. No one knows how many college students are homeless. The Cal State system alone suspects that as many as one-tenth of its 475,000 students do not have fixed, steady places to stay overnight. Now, it’s trying to pin down that number and figure out who they are. Read on for the stories of some who are struggling.
CALIFORNIA
-- Voting will never be quite the same in California if lawmakers pass reforms.
-- The judge in the Stanford rape case will no longer hear criminal matters by his own request.
-- “The cheapest buzz you can get on skid row”: Officials try to stop the homeless from smoking spice after dozens have been sickened.
-- A police sweep called “Operation Gang of Thrones” netted a cache of Ecstasy, Molly, Xanax ... and a baby alligator.
NATION-WORLD
-- Secret aerial surveillance by Baltimore police is stirring outrage.
-- “Crisis levels” of racism: A senior U.N. official reflects on America.
-- Now that a peace deal with FARC is sealed, can Colombia convince voters to approve it?
-- A pariah no more, Myanmar is open for business, and corporate America is already in line.
-- Your coffee habit may be written in your DNA.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- Movie review: The home-invasion thriller “Don’t Breathe” flexes its genre muscles.
-- Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock join forces for the Mega Nova supergroup.
-- The Herb Alpert Foundation is donating $10.1 million to L.A. City College, making studies for music majors tuition-free.
-- Dwayne Johnson’s baller status is solidified: He tops Forbes’ list of highest-paid actors.
BUSINESS
-- Can new chief executive Thomas Dooley fix what's ailing Viacom?
-- Hyundai's eco-friendly Ioniq tries to woo hearts away from Prius.
-- As Santa Ana gentrification hits their pocketbooks, immigrants turn to co-ops to help make ends meet.
-- Apple has released an update to iPhone security after powerful spyware targeted an activist.
SPORTS | http://www.latimes.com/newsletters/la-me-todays-headlines-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/db51d825c7966a69ec836d2b8419ec4531100c497ef0a7d2e712a60375ebfa4c.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Nabih Bulos"
]
| 2016-08-28T00:49:24 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fla-fg-turkey-syria-kurds-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c21352/turbine/la-fg-turkey-syria-kurds-20160827-snap | en | null | The war in Syria was already complicated. Now a border skirmish is adding a new level of intrigue | null | null | www.latimes.com | Syrian rebels backed by Turkish tanks clashed with Kurdish-aligned militiamen near a border city on Saturday, opposition groups and Kurdish factions said, adding yet another complication to the morass of Syria’s civil war.
The battle marked a breakdown of a fragile equilibrium that had been established after Kurds and Turks, backed by the United States, helped Syrian rebels oust Islamic State jihadists from a border city last week.
Kurds have long been at odds with Turkey over their desire for an independent homeland, and Turkey has been battling a stubborn Kurdish insurgency.
In the aftermath of last week’s battle for the border city of Jarabulus, a U.S.-supported Kurdish militia said it would heed Vice President Joe Biden’s warnings and withdraw to areas east of the Euphrates river to avoid confrontations with the Turkish-backed fighters who had wrested control of the area from Islamic State jihadists.
But when a broader Kurdish-dominated alliance called the Syrian Democratic Forces refused to leave the village of Amarneh, roughly five miles south of Jarabulus, Turkey-backed Syrian opposition groups launched an offensive to dislodge the group and consolidate their grip over areas taken from Islamic State.
One Turkish soldier was killed and three were wounded in a rocket attack during the fight, according to Turkey's official Anadolu news agency.
The battle presented a thorny situation for military planners of the U.S.-led coalition, which has launched sorties and provided reconnaissance and logistical support to both the Kurdish fighters and the Free Syrian Army, the primary belligerents on Saturday.
A child waves toward Turkish troops heading to the Syrian border, in Karkamis, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 26, 2016. Halit Onur Sandal / AP A child waves toward Turkish troops heading to the Syrian border, in Karkamis, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 26, 2016. A child waves toward Turkish troops heading to the Syrian border, in Karkamis, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 26, 2016. (Halit Onur Sandal / AP)
The U.S. has pinned its hopes on the Kurdish fighters and the Kurdish-led alliance, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, becoming its main strike force against Islamic State. Yet it also assisted the Turkish-led rebel offensive on Jarabulus, dubbed “Operation Euphrates Shield,” on Wednesday.
That offensive successfully ousted Islamic State jihadists from the city. But the Turks also hoped it would sabotage Kurdish-led plans to integrate the area into an autonomous Kurdish “corridor” extending across a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border.
Ankara has insisted it would not accept any such entity along its borders because it would galvanize Kurdish groups in Turkey to pursue their secession plans. In the wake of “Euphrates Shield,” both sides have engaged in what amounts to a land-grab aimed at denying the other control of the border territories even while they continue clashes with Islamic State fighters still bunkered in some areas.
In Saturday’s clash, Turkish tanks stationed nearby in Jarabulus rushed deeper into Syrian territory to provide fire support to the Syrian rebels battling for Amarneh, according to Mustafa Sijri, spokesman of the Free Syrian Army’s Mutassem Brigade. Their incursion came hours after Turkish F-16’s pounded the village.
The Jarabulus Military Council, which is allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces, called the Turkish incursion “a dangerous precedent and escalation.” It said the airstrikes had led to civilian casualties in the village.
Another faction fighting under the Syrian Democratic Forces banner, the Army of the Revolutionaries, demanded the U.S.-led coalition explain the justification for the Turkish assault, and accused Turkey of supporting hardline Islamist groups, including the formerly Al-Qaeda affiliated Front for the Conquest of Syria.
Jarabulus lies in the middle of two Kurdish-dominated swaths of land. The Syrian Democratic Forces had hoped to consolidate the city and its environs into a Kurdish-controlled area.
But the U.S., which had in recent weeks given vital air cover to the Kurdish-led groups in their campaign on the nearby city of Manbij, chastised Kurdish fighters within the Syrian Democratic Forces for setting their sights on Jarabulus.
“No corridor, period. No separate entity on the Turkish border,” said Biden in a press conference on Wednesday, adding that “elements that were part of the Syrian Democratic Forces ... must move back across the [Eurphrates] river.” He specified that the “elements" he was referring to were the People’s Protection Units, a Kurdish group better known by its initials, the YPG.
“They cannot, will not, and under no circumstances get American support if they do not keep that commitment, period,” he said.
A Syrian Kurdish journalist, Welat Bakr, said Kurds were outraged the United States had asked them to leave the area.
“Unofficial numbers say the YPG sustained 800 martyrs in the fight for Manbij, and then America comes and asks them to withdraw? This has shocked the Kurdish street,” he said.
He added that the Kurdish group had been left in an awkward position: If it does as the U.S. requests, it risks losing support among its followers; if it doesn’t, it risks losing U.S. support.
Although it said on Wednesday that it would withdraw its forces, the YPG appeared to follow a literal interpretation of Biden’s edict and left behind its Arab partners in the Syrian Defense Forces to hold the area.
YPG spokesman Redur Xelil said Friday that the group had no members left near Jarabulus and Manbij. However, Sijri, the rebel spokesman, said they were still present.
The battles set the stage for a race to see who will take the city of Al-Bab, located 23 miles northeast of Aleppo city and still held by Islamic State. Like Manbij and Jarabulus, Al-Bab represents another link in the projected Kurdish corridor.
They also further complicate the coalition’s fight against Islamic State. Although the jihadist group has recently lost ground, it has been adept at taking advantage of fighting among the array of belligerents on the Syrian battlefield. On Saturday, it launched a counter-offensive to retake Al-Raii, 34 miles southeast of Jarabulus, from the Turkish-backed groups.
Bulos is a special correspondent.
ALSO:
U.S. intelligence sees Islamic State as weakened after series of defeats
Now that a peace deal with the FARC is sealed, can Colombia convince voters to approve it?
Meet the Nightcrawlers of Manila: A night on the front lines of the Philippines' war on drugs | http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-turkey-syria-kurds-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/c191f1c6ea17e3fc0d4969f6e2ddd90a979eccbdae8ffd2556d41d1399908a9c.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Ben Bolch"
]
| 2016-08-27T22:49:17 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fucla%2Fla-sp-ucla-football-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1fa88/turbine/la-sp-ucla-football-20160827-snap | en | null | UCLA looking to counter loud with fast in season opener at Texas A&M | null | null | www.latimes.com | Texas A&M has long cherished the voluminous advantage created by Kyle Field, where fighter jet flyovers might go unnoticed because of the din of crowds that routinely exceed 100,000.
Some of the recent noise around the Aggies hasn’t been nearly as pleasurable.
Linebacker Josh Walker was suspended this month after his arrest on charges of assaulting his girlfriend and interfering with her call to 911. Walker is accused of pushing the woman, causing her to fall onto their child’s rocking horse.
Drama abounds in other corners of the program as Texas A&M nears its season opener against No. 16 UCLA on Saturday in College Station, Texas. Quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray transferred in December after the Aggies completed a second consecutive underwhelming season, leading to the arrival of graduate transfer Trevor Knight from Oklahoma.
Knight has a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama on his resume but more recently a loss to Baker Mayfield in the battle to retain the starter’s job with the Sooners, leading to his departure from Oklahoma. Sometimes having a college degree actually does come in handy.
Texas A&M Coach Kevin Sumlin, once touted as a possible USC savior, has some salvaging to do to keep his current post. His teams started each of the past two seasons 5-0 before finishing 8-5 and in the lower half of the Southeastern Conference’s West Division.
It’s safe to say that Texas A&M has underachieved in the post-Johnny Manziel era.
Their dip in offensive production prompted the hiring of offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, who happened to occupy the same role at UCLA and apparently didn’t mind the awkwardness of playing his old team to start his new gig.
“In this profession, that happens,” Mazzone recently told reporters. “This is not the first time I’ve wound up across the field from somebody I just coached for. It’s going to be exciting.”
Most of the Aggies’ excitement revolves around their defense. Defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall spend so much time in opposing backfields they might have to pay rent. Garrett led the SEC last season with 12 1/2 sacks, 19 1/2 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles.
Sumlin recently said Garrett, considered a possible No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, had been clocked at a cheetah-like 19 to 20 mph during training camp. His name was uttered in reverential tones halfway across the country at UCLA’s camp.
“Every NFL personnel that’s come around, they’ve basically said he’s a very talented young man,” Bruins offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu said. “He’s earned all the accolades.”
UCLA will turn attention to Texas A&M after three weeks of practice UCLA will turn its attention to Texas A&M after three weeks of practice. UCLA will turn its attention to Texas A&M after three weeks of practice. See more videos
Knight arrived holding some familiarity with the Aggies’ offense because running back Keith Ford also transferred from Oklahoma. Knight is new to Texas A&M but will hardly be making his college debut.
“He’s a fifth-year guy; he’s been around. He’s been in big bowl games; he’s won big bowl games,” UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “He’s not a guy like it’s his first start out there.”
The Bruins’ biggest challenge against a team that appears somewhat in disarray could be the decibel level. Polamalu said a fast start could help lower the volume and the possibility of false starts.
Of course, Texas A&M could have 100,000 ways to make that difficult. UCLA Coach Jim Mora noted the aptitude of cheerleaders and students in making things uncomfortable for visitors, something the Aggies choreograph during yell practice at Kyle Field the night before games. Crowds as large as 25,000 attend.
“I mean, it’s crazy,” Mora said. “They try to make you feel seasick the way they do it.”
It’s exactly the kind of clatter the Aggies prefer.
[email protected]
Twitter: @latbbolch | http://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/la-sp-ucla-football-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/0b41958b9a84366e7014e4104f7a1208ba09e1fef4938aae4937fd7654a36395.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T22:49:56 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-smoking-would-be-banned-in-california-1472593191-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c6001f/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-smoking-would-be-banned-in-california-1472593191 | en | null | Smoking would be banned in California state parks and beaches in bill sent to governor | null | null | www.latimes.com | Amid concerns over health impacts and wildfires, smoking and using electronic cigarettes would be outlawed at California’s 270 state parks and beaches under a bill sent by state lawmakers to the governor on Tuesday.
The measure creates a fine of up to $250 for those caught vaping or smoking a cigar or cigarette, or disposing of the remains of a cigarette on a state beach or park.
“SB 1333 will make our state parks and beaches cleaner and safer by reducing cigarette and tobacco litter, curtailing exposure to second-hand smoke and limiting the threat of park fires,” Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego) told his Senate colleagues Tuesday before they voted 26-10 to approve the bill. He also said cigarette trash can hurt wildlife and fish.
The bill is backed by the California State Firefighters Assn., the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Sierra Club Sacramento and the Surfrider Foundation.
It has been amended from Block's original proposal to include a provision allowing the director of the state Department of Parks and Recreation to designate small areas in parks where smoking would be allowed. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-smoking-would-be-banned-in-california-1472593191-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/99d4b80b692707671292b1ec817d4b5cee398e7030f802753a1ddb51703eaa80.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T02:49:39 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-1472434341-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3960e/turbine/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-1472434341 | en | null | Cassie's yellow VMA hair is an inspiration to all | null | null | www.latimes.com | Cassie, the model/actress/dancer/recording artist better known as Diddy's longtime girlfriend, made a statement with her hella yellow hair at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.
But some people wondered exactly what statement she was trying to highlight. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-1472434341-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d9e10dfcc0ca2a53b895f7c1fd509b7e534183b4dcf40733a6eb646516918952.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Alex Chan"
]
| 2016-08-31T00:52:25 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-asbestos-school-recommendations-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c6259c/turbine/tn-dpt-me-asbestos-school-recommendations-20160830 | en | null | Newport-Mesa schools won't adopt grand jury recommendations on asbestos | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Newport-Mesa Unified School District says it does not plan to implement recommendations in an Orange County grand jury report on how area school districts can improve hazardous-materials management and communication with school communities about campus construction projects.
The grand jury's report, released in June, focused on how asbestos concerns in area districts are handled. The report was prompted by an incident in the Ocean View School District in Huntington Beach in 2014-15 in which three schools were closed temporarily because of concerns about the potentially hazardous mineral fiber and millions of dollars in extra spending was dedicated to abating the material.
The jurors recommended that each district:
• Create a plan for how issues regarding hazardous materials will be communicated to parents and others;
• Maintain a computerized database listing all district buildings and their characteristics;
• Budget for asbestos inspections every three years and share inspection data with prospective construction bidders;
• Request that the Orange County Department of Education use one or more of its monthly "all districts" meetings to discuss the handing of hazardous materials and that representatives from each district attend.
But Newport-Mesa will not implement the recommendations, saying they are "not warranted and not reasonable."
At least four other districts told Orange County Superior Court Judge Charles Margines that they won't adopt the suggestions.
In Newport-Mesa's response this month, the district said its practice of making inspection reports accessible at its office and school sites, as required by the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, is "sufficient" and that the grand jury suggestion of a computerized database would require additional funding or the transfer of funds from educational programs.
Under AHERA regulations, schools are required to perform inspections to determine whether asbestos-containing materials are present and to maintain an asbestos management plan.
Newport-Mesa schools are inspected twice a year, according to district spokeswoman Annette Franco.
Newport-Mesa wrote that the county Department of Education frequently distributes information to districts on a "wide range of subjects" and that the meetings that were recommended are unnecessary.
The district also noted that the grand jury's recommendations to budget for asbestos inspections and share the data with bidders are already in place in Newport-Mesa.
The grand jury report found that all but one of Orange County's 28 school districts have asbestos present in at least one of their schools.
While the jury noted that asbestos contained in walls or ceilings does not present an immediate hazard, any disturbance that releases the fibers into the air can pose a hazard to anyone exposed to a significant amount.
Ocean View School District staff has already presented an asbestos-management plan to the district board of trustees and made it available to the public this summer. Maintenance and custodial staff has been trained in asbestos safety, according to Supt. Carol Hansen.
Of the three Ocean View campuses that closed because of asbestos concerns, two — Hope View and Oak View elementary schools — reopened in September 2015 after construction crews removed small amounts of the material and completed upgrades in the buildings.
The other school, Lake View Elementary, will reopen Sept. 7.
[email protected]
Twitter: @AlexandraChan10 | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-asbestos-school-recommendations-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d6940f0de13bba2735033276b5006ff8ab281da0319452c8609b492f9a7567c6.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Steve Galluzzo"
]
| 2016-08-28T06:49:06 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fsoccer%2Fla-sp-galaxy-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c26ff4/turbine/la-sp-galaxy-20160827-snap | en | null | Galaxy winless in six straight after 0-0 draw with Vancouver | null | null | www.latimes.com | It’s all about playoff positioning for the Galaxy as they head into the homestretch of the Major League Soccer season.
Entering Saturday night’s contest against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Coach Bruce Arena’s squad sat alone in fourth place in the Western Conference standings and only six points behind front-running FC Dallas with nine games remaining.
Bolstered by the return of goalkeeper Brian Rowe, the Galaxy began their playoff push with a valuable point but were hoping for better than a scoreless draw in front of a sold-out crowd of 25,667 at StubHub Center. The 0-0 tie kept Los Angeles unbeaten at home (6-0-7) but extended its winless streak to six games.
Several diving saves and deflections in practice Friday indicated Rowe was back in form after sitting out most of three games recovering from a head wound suffered Aug. 13 in a 1-1 draw with Colorado. The former UCLA star and five-year MLS veteran notched his seventh shutout and lowered his goals-against average to .880 — lowest in the league among goalies with 20 or more games played.
Los Angeles (9-4-13, 40 points) was desperately trying to gain ground on Real Salt Lake and Colorado, who began the night tied for second in the Western Conference with 43 points.
Steven Gerrard left with a hamstring injury in the 31st minute (replaced by Gyasi Zardes) and 13 minutes later Jelle Van Damme went down limping. Giovani dos Santos misfired on a cross from Robbie Rogers in the 65th minute. Alan Gordon missed high on a diving header at the penalty spot one minute later and hooked a shot inches wide of the post from the top of the penalty area in the 72nd minute.
Captain Robbie Keane, still recovering from an unspecified “knock” while training in Chicago, did not play, but Rogers returned to the lineup for the first time since June 2. He had successful ankle surgery June 20 following 10 starts and 12 MLS appearances for the Galaxy this year.
Vancouver nearly struck first in the eighth minute when Giles Barnes broke down the right side and centered to Erik Hurtado, whose header from six yards out hit the bottom of the crossbar and ricocheted out of play. Another Hurtado header sailed just wide in the 24th minute and Barnes floated a free kick inches high in the 33rd minute. Rowe made his first save on a half-volley by Hurtado at the 35-minute mark.
Vancouver (8-12-7, 31 points) ended a four-game MLS slide and remained in ninth place in the West, ahead of Houston. This was the third meeting between the teams this season. They played to a scoreless draw April 2 at BC Place and the Galaxy won, 2-0, July 4 at StubHub Center on goals by Keane and Jeff Larentowicz.
Settling for ties has been a disturbing trend of late and although the Galaxy have only one loss in their last 12 games, they haven’t earned a full three points since beating Portland, 2-1, on July 23.
[email protected] | http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-galaxy-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/ea4bcf606dccc3443914a8036a4054e74561a1a720b94f047f76cfa22c757e6b.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Andy Mccullough"
]
| 2016-08-30T04:49:44 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fdodgers%2Fla-sp-dodgers-rockies-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c50be2/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-rockies-20160829-snap | en | null | Dodgers lose 8-1 to the Rockies | null | null | www.latimes.com | Monday night was already miserable, a game saturated by rain but absent of Dodgers runs, when Corey Seager came to bat in the seventh inning. Colorado reliever Chris Rusin wound up and fired a 90-mph fastball up and in. Seager checked his swing, but not before the baseball connected with his right hand.
In an 8-1 loss to the Rockies, little of consequence happened for the Dodgers (73-58). Kenta Maeda held the Rockies to two runs but exited after five innings. The offense stranded 11 runners. The team could not build upon the momentum of last week, when they conquered both the Giants and the Cubs in back-to-back series.
But an injury to Seager, a lock for the National League Rookie of the Year and a contender for the Most Valuable Player award, would linger far beyond Monday’s tedium. Seager spun around in pain after the baseball hit him. He hunched at the waist near first base as trainer Nate Lucero visited him.
The Dodgers could soon exhale. Seager passed all the necessary tests. He flexed his hand to loosen up as he prepared to play defense in the bottom of the inning. He watched relievers Adam Liberatore and Pedro Baez combine to give up five runs and let the evening slip away. J.P. Howell allowed the night’s eighth run in the eighth inning.
Maeda rejoined the team after an unusual assignment. To make room on the roster for Sunday starter Brock Stewart, the team optioned Maeda to class-A Arizona League Dodgers. It was a “paper move,” Manager Dave Roberts said, because the Arizona League schedule ended on Sunday, making Maeda eligible to return to face Colorado.
Maeda did not actually have to go to Arizona. But he was not allowed to work out at Dodger Stadium. To keep his arm loose, he played catch in a park in Santa Monica with his interpreter, Will Ireton.
In his rookie season, Maeda has looked unfazed in the thin air of Coors Field. Monday marked his third start at the ballpark. In his first two outings here, he held the Rockies to two runs across 12 innings.
The first inning inspired stress, after Maeda gave up a single to second baseman D.J. LeMahieu and a walk to outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. Maeda pumped his fist when third baseman Nolan Arenado swung through a 2-2 fastball. Howie Kendrick ran down a well-struck drive at the warning track from rookie outfielder David Dahl for the third out.
Maeda traded scoreless innings with Colorado starter Jon Gray. Rain pelted the stadium during the early innings, including a particularly heavy dousing in the third. The game continued without interruption.
The Rockies struck first. Dahl roped a one-out single in the fourth. Two batters later, with two outs and a runner at first, Maeda threw a thigh-high, two-strike slider to catcher Nick Hundley. Hundley sent the ball over the left-field fence.
Gray stranded eight Dodgers in the first five innings. He lost command in the fifth, issuing a walk to Howie Kendrick and drilling Seager in the right calf with an 89-mph slider. But Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon slid across the grass to rob Adrian Gonzalez of a hit. When Gray hung a curveball to Yasmani Grandal, Grandal swung just underneath it, flying out to right.
The woes continued in the sixth. Gray hit another batter, Rob Segedin, with a two-out curveball. Roberts sent Enrique Hernandez to hit for Maeda. Hernandez missed a slider for the third strike.
[email protected]
Twitter: @McCulloughTimes | http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-rockies-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5ef2ce133e366b96d1d670de6477a73406e80ef7428048fd256906a11d933a86.json |
[
"Christopher Goffard"
]
| 2016-08-28T10:49:22 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | NEED | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fprojects%2Fla-me-framed%2F.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bb5365/turbine/la-framed-day1-20160822-005/600/ | en | null | She was the PTA mom everyone knew. Who would want to harm her? | null | null | www.latimes.com | Framed: Chapter 1
The cop wanted her car keys. Kelli Peters handed them over. She told herself she had nothing to fear, that all he’d find inside her PT Cruiser was beach sand, dog hair, maybe one of her daughter’s toys.
They were outside Plaza Vista School in Irvine, where she had watched her daughter go from kindergarten to fifth grade, where any minute now the girl would be getting out of class to look for her. Parents had entrusted their own kids to Peters for years; she was the school’s PTA president and the heart of its after-school program.
Now she watched as her ruin seemed to unfold before her. Watched as the cop emerged from her car holding a Ziploc bag of marijuana, 17 grams worth, plus a ceramic pot pipe, plus two smaller EZY Dose Pill Pouch baggies, one with 11 Percocet pills, another with 29 Vicodin. It was enough to send her to jail, and more than enough to destroy her name.
Her legs buckled and she was on her knees, shaking violently and sobbing and insisting the drugs were not hers.
The cop, a 22-year veteran, had found drugs on many people, in many settings. When caught, they always lied.
Plaza Vista School was a jewel of Irvine's touted public education system. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Peters had been doing what she always did on a Wednesday afternoon, trying to stay on top of a hundred small emergencies.
She was 49, with short blond hair and a slightly bohemian air. As the volunteer director of the Afterschool Classroom Enrichment program at Plaza Vista, she was a constant presence on campus, whirling down the halls in flip-flops and bright sundresses, a peace-sign pendant hanging from her neck.
After becoming pregnant, Kelli Peters valued safety above all. She found it in Irvine. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
If she had time between tasks, she might slip into the cartooning class to watch her 10-year-old daughter, Sydnie, as she drew. Her daughter had been her excuse to quit a high-pressure job in the mortgage industry peddling loans, which she had come to associate with the burn of acid reflux.
No matter how frenetic the pace became at school, the worst day was better than that, and often afternoons ended with a rush of kids throwing their arms around her. At 5 feet tall, she watched many of them outgrow her.
Peters had spent her childhood in horse country at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. She tossed pizzas, turned a wrench in a skate shop, flew to Hawaii on impulse and stayed for two years. She mixed mai tais at a Newport Beach rib joint. She waited tables at a rock-n-roll-themed pasta house. A married lawyer — one of the regulars — grew infatuated with her and showed up at her house one night. He went away, but a sense of vulnerability lingered.
In her mid-30s she married Bill, a towering, soft-spoken blues musician and restaurateur who made her feel calm. She spent years trying to get pregnant, and when it happened her priorities narrowed.
“I became afraid of spontaneity and surprises,” she said. “I just wanted to be safe.”
In Irvine, she found a master-planned city where bars and liquor stores, pawnshops and homeless shelters had been methodically purged, where neighborhoods were regulated by noise ordinances, lawn-length requirements and mailbox-uniformity rules. For its size, Irvine consistently ranked as America’s safest city. It was 66 square miles, with big fake lakes, 54 parks, 219,000 people, and 62,912 trees. Anxiety about crime was poured into the very curve of the streets and the layout of the parks, all conceived on drawing boards to deter lawbreaking.
From the color of its lookalike homes to the height of the grass, life in Irvine was meticulously regulated. (Christina House / For The Times)
For all that outsiders mocked Irvine as a place of sterile uniformity, she had become comfortable in its embrace. She had been beguiled by the reputation of the schools, which boasted a 97% college-admission rate.
The muted beige strip malls teemed with tutoring centers. If neighboring Newport Beach had more conspicuous flourishes of wealth, like mega-yachts and ocean-cliff mansions, the status competition in Irvine — where so many of the big houses looked pretty much alike — centered on education.
Plaza Vista was a year-round public school in a coveted neighborhood, and after six years she knew the layout as well as her own kitchen. The trim campus buildings, painted to harmonize with the neighborhood earth tones, suggested a medical office-park; out back were an organic garden, a climbing wall and a well-kept athletic field fringed by big peach-colored homes.
Around campus, she was the mom everyone knew. She had a natural rapport with children. She could double them over with her impression of Applejack, the plucky country gal from the “My Little Pony” TV series. She would wait with them until their parents came to pick them up from the after-school program, but she couldn’t bring herself to enforce the dollar-a-minute late fines.
The school had given her a desk at the front office, which provided an up-close view of countless parental melodramas. The moms who wanted the 7th-grade math teacher fired because their kids got Bs. Or the mom who demanded a network of giant umbrellas and awnings to shield her kids from the playground sun.
Smile, Peters had learned. Be polite.
That afternoon — Feb. 16, 2011 — the karate teacher had texted her to say he was stuck in traffic, and would she please watch the class till he arrived? She was in the multi-purpose room, leading a cluster of tiny martial artists through their warm-up exercises, when a school administrator came in to find her. A policeman was at the front desk, asking for her by name.
She ran down the hall, seized by panic. She thought it must be about her husband, who was now working as a traveling wine salesman. He was on the road all the time, and she thought he’d been in an accident, maybe killed.
Officer Charles Shaver tried to calm her down. He was not here about her husband.
Irvine police officer Charles Shaver had the practiced patience and sharp eye of a marksman. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
On a normal shift, Shaver could expect to handle barking-dog calls, noisy-neighbor calls, shoplifters and car burglaries, maybe a car wreck or two. He was a sniper on the Irvine Police SWAT team, armed with cutting-edge equipment that was the envy of other departments, but had never needed to pull the trigger. He was 40, a former NCIS investigator with the Marines.
He had been seven hours into an unmemorable shift when, at 1:15 p.m., a man called police to report a dangerous driver in a school parking lot.
“I was calling because, uh, my daughter’s a student at Plaza Vista Elementary School,” said the caller. “And uh, I’m concerned one of the parent volunteers there may be under, uh, under the influence or, uh, using drugs. I was, I just had to go over to the school and, uh, I was, I saw a car driving very erratically.”
The caller said he had seen drugs in the car. He knew the name of the driver — Kelli. He knew the type of car — a PT Cruiser. He even knew the license plate, and what was written on the frame — “Only 4 the Groovy.”
; Official transcript of the call to police.
People were drifting in and out of the school with their kids, watching, as the policeman led Peters into the parking lot. His patrol car was blocking her PT Cruiser.
He told her about the caller’s claim that she had been driving erratically around 1:15 p.m.
That’s impossible, she said. She had parked her car and was inside the school by then.
Did she have anything in her car she shouldn’t have?
No.
Could he search her car?
Absolutely.
The drugs were easy to find. They were sticking out of the pouch behind the driver’s seat.
He put them on his hood, and she begged him to put them somewhere else. Her daughter might see. Anyone might see.
Kelli Peters insisted the drugs found in her car on Feb. 16, 2011, were not hers. (Evidence photos)
Someone must have planted them, she said. Sometimes, she left her car unlocked.
Shaver put the drugs in his trunk and led Peters back inside the school to a conference room. He peered into her pupils and checked her pulse. He made her touch her nose. He made her walk and turn. He made her close her eyes, tilt her head up and count silently to 30. She passed all the tests.
At some point her daughter arrived, as did her husband. She did not know what to tell them.
Shaver could have arrested Peters. Possessing pot on school grounds was a misdemeanor. Possessing narcotics like Vicodin and Percocet without a prescription was a felony. She could do time.
He could take her to the station, clock out by the end of his shift and be home in time for dinner. Instead, he kept asking questions.
He was patient and alert to detail, qualities ingrained in a sharpshooter trained to lie atop a building for hours, studying a window through a rifle scope.
He interviewed school administrators, who confirmed what Peters had said. She had arrived at the school office around 12:40. This meant the caller, who claimed to have just seen her at 1:15 p.m., had waited 35 minutes to report her, a gap that puzzled Shaver.
He tried to reach the number the caller had given. It was fake.
Shaver asked Peters if he could search her apartment. She agreed, reluctantly. If someone could plant drugs in her car, why couldn’t they do the same at her apartment?
She drove her PT Cruiser to her apartment about a block away, while Shaver and another officer followed. The apartment had a Jimi Hendrix print above the living room couch, and her daughter’s art hung on many of the walls.
They had lived here since moving to Irvine, more than a decade back. They had found themselves consistently outbid in their attempt to buy a home. Money had been tight since she quit her job. She ran a small business called “Only 4 the Groovy,” painting tie-dyed jeans, but it didn’t pay the bills.
Now they were permanent renters, a condition she didn’t much mind, though she noticed how embarrassed neighbors became when acknowledging they were apartment dwellers, not owners. “This is only temporary,” they insisted. In affluent Irvine, your relation to the real estate you inhabited was one of the invisible class lines.
She watched as Shaver searched the kitchen cabinets, the bedrooms, the drawers, the couches, the patio. He was looking not just for drugs and drug paraphernalia, but for baggies that said EZY Dose Pill Pouch. He found nothing to link her to the drugs in her car.
By now, the case had lost its open-and-shut feel. In Shaver’s experience, no one left a bag of pot halfway out of a seat pouch, as if begging for it to be discovered. People typically hid their drugs in the glove box, or under the car seat. And for some reason — he didn’t know why — pot smokers didn’t typically keep their pipes inside the stash bag itself.
Peters was convinced she would be spending the night in jail. But after he had finished searching the apartment, Shaver told her that he was not going to take her in. The forensics team would be coming with the long Q-tips to take cheek swabs from her and her daughter, to take their prints and to scour the Cruiser for evidence.
If her DNA turned up on the drugs, she could still be charged.
The next morning, Shaver sat in the police chief’s conference room surrounded by department brass and detectives, walking them through a case that had quickly seized the interest of the command staff.
It seemed a much stranger scenario than a suburban mom with a pot-and-pill habit.
He had asked Kelli Peters:
If the drugs aren’t yours, how did they get in your car?
“I have an enemy,” she said. | http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-framed/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b16069468cf684048d2d32c8c829df25ba84dfee10b472a2667a74ba0e951fcf.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Mikael Wood"
]
| 2016-08-28T04:49:23 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-fyf-fest-grimes-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c26827/turbine/la-et-ms-fyf-fest-grimes-20160827-snap | en | null | FYF Fest: Grimes brings an aggressive edge to dance-pop | null | null | www.latimes.com | More than hot new bands or beloved old songs, what the modern music festival promises is an opportunity for escapism -- a chance for attendees to imagine themselves, for an evening or a weekend, in circumstances softer or easier than their real lives.
That's why Todd Terje & the Olsens, from Norway, were at FYF Fest on Saturday playing what amounted to mid-'80s Pat Metheny jams (complete with flautist). And why there was a food stall selling Maine lobster rolls to people standing in a dusty Los Angeles parking lot.
But not everyone at FYF was taking it so easy (or allowing their audiences to).
On the main stage, the Canadian artist Grimes moved through a set of busy electronic pop songs underpinned by harsh digital rhythms, as though she were determined not to let anyone slip into the kind of passive enjoyment some pop seeks.
"Welcome to reality," she sang in her opener, before letting loose a guttural scream.
In a similar spirit, Grimes kept calling attention to the mechanics of her show, as when she took a second to untangle a microphone pack from her mesh top ("the most ridiculous wardrobe malfunction of all time," she called it) or when, mid-lyric in "Go," she cautioned a fan near the stage to be careful.
No glazing over here.
Nor at a performance earlier Saturday by Head Wound City, an underground supergroup featuring members of the Blood Brothers, the Locust and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
At a festival where many acts, like Terje and the French band Air, specialize in super-smooth sounds, this muscular five-piece was churning through knotty hardcore riffs set a ferocious volume.
To close its set, Head Wound City offered a seething cover of "Just One Fix" by the seminal industrial-rock band Ministry.
So much for the comforts of nostalgia.
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. Caption Director Andrew Ahn on his new film, 'Spa Night' Actor Joe Seo and director Andrew Ahn discuss what inspired the new film "Spa Night." Actor Joe Seo and director Andrew Ahn discuss what inspired the new film "Spa Night."
ALSO
Banks & Steelz unites Interpol's Paul Banks and Wu-Tang Clan mastermind RZA
FYF Fest: 10 acts that make it worth braving yet another music festival
France's Air revives its 'slow motion music' for a visit to FYF Fest | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-fyf-fest-grimes-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/8e36abfd0cb23a89760acb97cb9b0eaa71a3eb5f91bc996fad35eb9e0a2be612.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"David Horsey"
]
| 2016-08-27T12:48:41 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Ftopoftheticket%2Fla-na-tt-clinton-foundation-ties-20160824-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bd51f7/turbine/la-na-tt-clinton-foundation-ties-20160824-snap | en | null | Ties to Clinton Foundation are a knotty problem for Hillary’s campaign | null | null | www.latimes.com | Hillary Clinton is very lucky that she is facing off against a Republican presidential nominee who, week after week, demonstrates he is not ready for the political big leagues. She has a big vulnerability with which a sharper opponent could make real mischief — and I am not talking about weird right-wing fantasies about Vince Foster’s “murder” or transparently partisan investigations into the Benghazi incident. I am talking about something much more simple, real and close to home: the Clinton Foundation.
After she and her husband left the White House in 2001, they created a philanthropic foundation that, as the organization’s website states, aims to “convene businesses, governments, NGOs, and individuals to improve global health and wellness, increase opportunity for girls and women, reduce childhood obesity, create economic opportunity and growth, and help communities address the effects of climate change.”
To advance those efforts, the Clinton Foundation has raised huge amounts of money from major donors, both in the United States and abroad. Much good has been done for a lot of desperate people around the world with that money. All those dollars, though, did not come to this particular foundation because there was nobody else doing good works; those dollars poured in because of Clinton clout, Clinton influence and Clinton connections. No doubt good intentions were involved, but, at least for some donors, there was also an interest in getting access to a former president of the United States and a possible future president — or at least a secretary of State.
The Associated Press looked through lists of the people who got meetings with Hillary Clinton during her years running the State Department and found 85 Clinton Foundation contributors who, together, donated $156 million. Twenty of them gave more than $1 million. The Clinton campaign reacted by calling the AP report a “distorted portrayal” that omits 1,700 meeting with other folks, including world leaders.
Unsurprisingly, the Trump campaign had a different reaction. Donald Trump took the news as proof of “criminality” on Clinton’s part, a “pay for play” system within the secretary of State’s office that should be investigated immediately by a special prosecutor. Trump’s most aggressive hit man, Rudolph W. Giuliani, called it a “Clinton family racketeering enterprise.” As usual, the two New Yorkers are swinging wild with a sledgehammer when they should be using a stiletto.
There is not an ounce of proof suggesting criminality or racketeering, no indication that Secretary Clinton performed special favors for foundation donors. And, yes, as her campaign says, she spent most of her time with many hundreds of people who never sent gifts to her family’s philanthropy. Nevertheless, there are plenty of Clinton allies who are troubled by her ties to the foundation because it simply looks bad.
In politics, donations buy access. Senators and members of Congress spend an obscene share of their days in office begging for campaign contributions and then many more hours hosting those contributors in private meetings. A secretary of State should be above that. Even though Clinton, herself, did not solicit donations, her husband did and, especially when the money came from foreign powers, that raises concerns both about ethics and foreign policy. Appearances are important, even if intentions are pure.
About this issue, the Clintons’ old buddy, campaign guru James Carville, said he could understand the human impulse to get money from any willing party in order to heal the sick and save the planet. But putting on his hat as a political advisor, he said the foundation should have avoided donations from foreign governments and leaders if only because it gave ammunition to the Clintons’ adversaries.
Bill Clinton says he will cut ties to the foundation if his wife is elected and the organization’s ongoing work will be farmed out to other people. That obviously is the right thing to do, but it should have been done before now — not just when Hillary began her campaign for president, but when she took charge of American foreign policy in 2009.
Bill and Hillary may have thought that they would be given some slack because their foundation is on the side of the angels, but they should have known better. In politics, no good deed goes unpunished.
[email protected]
Follow me at @davidhorsey on Twitter | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-clinton-foundation-ties-20160824-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/fde2e3d8da7bba30234fff4d75a9cd19da1ffe6d4b338992d8ca565fbb439ff2.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Houston Mitchell"
]
| 2016-08-29T16:49:48 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fdodgers%2Fla-sp-dodgers-dugout-puig-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c44d06/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-dugout-puig-20160829-snap | en | null | Dodgers Dugout: Dodgers bounce back nicely; is Yasiel Puig about to be traded? | null | null | www.latimes.com | Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and it sure was nice to hear all those Cubs fans walk out of Dodger Stadium silently on Saturday and Sunday.
Two of three is pretty good
Some random thoughts after winning two of three from the Cubs.
--Yeah, I know it could have been a sweep if A.J. Ellis was catching the ninth inning Friday instead of Carlos Ruiz, but you can drive yourself crazy doing stuff like that, because Ellis also wouldn't have gone one for three with a walk and a hit by pitch, so the tone of the Dodger offense would have been different. It's like people who say, "Look at how good the Dodgers would be this year with Cole Hamels!" Well, if they had Hamels, they wouldn't have Corey Seager, because that is who the Rangers wanted for him. And who's to say Hamels wouldn't have hurt himself in his second game with the Dodgers? Playing "Let's project" is fun, but doesn't really work because all people want to do is make positive projections, which is enjoyable but not realistic.
--Kenley Jansen bounced back to save the wins on Saturday and Sunday. He's still one of the best closers in baseball. Will the Dodgers re-sign him? I sure hope so, but I have this feeling some team is going to offer him a massive contract that Andrew Friedman won't want to match.
--The Dodgers showed that they indeed can win games without Ellis cheering them on from the bench. Imagine that.
--It was nice to see a team blow defensive coverage or throw to a wrong base during a shift. This team still reminds me a lot of the 1988 Dodgers. A different star each day, and taking advantage of opponent miscues to get a victory.
--The Dodgers are on pace to win 91 games. And the people who wrote me in the first half convinced that the team would finish fourth or fifth have stopped writing me for some reason.
--Too bad Brock Stewart couldn't get the win Sunday; he sure deserved it.
--The Dodgers had eight runs, 19 hits and one error in the three games. The Cubs had eight runs, 21 hits and three errors. Seems like a couple of evenly matched teams to me.
--I'd still rather see Andrew Toles or Rob Segedin in right field over Josh Reddick, who looks like he's trying too hard at the plate.
--If the season ended today, St. Louis would play at San Francisco for the wild-card spot. The winner of that game would play the Cubs in one best-of-five first-round series, with the Dodgers playing Washington in the other. The Dodgers are two games behind Washington, so the Nationals would get home-field advantage.
Puig put on trade waivers
Don't get overly excited or worried about the news that the Dodgers put Yasiel Puig on trade waivers Sunday. Many teams do things like that in August, just to see who might be interested. Some teams have even put their entire roster on trade waivers in August. If a team claims Puig, the Dodgers would pull him off waivers and could work out a trade with that team.
If Puig is traded, it most likely won't come until after the season, unless some team knocks the Dodgers’ socks off with an offer.
And for those of you who keep asking me why the Dodgers haven't brought him back up since he is killing triple-A pitching, keep this in mind: They didn't send him down because of his bat, they sent him down because of his attitude. Renting that party bus didn't do him any favors, so the odds are against the team recalling Puig when the rosters can expand on Sept. 1. Or, as Dave Roberts put it when asked why Puig wouldn’t be called up since he is hitting so well and his attitude has improved: “That’s a fair question. Let me think through that one.”
That doesn’t sound like they are in a rush to bring him back up.
The rest of the schedule
HOME (13 games): Sept. 2-4 vs. San Diego, Sept. 5-7 vs. Arizona, Sept. 19-21 vs. San Francisco, Sept. 22-25 vs. Colorado
ROAD (19 games): Aug. 29-31 at Colorado, Sept. 9-11 at Miami, Sept. 12-14 at New York Yankees, Sept. 15-18 at Arizona, Sept. 27-29 at San Diego, Sept 30-Oct. 2 at San Francisco.
Trade update
How the players acquired at the trade deadline are doing:
Josh Reddick: .139 (11 for 79), one extra-base hit, 0 RBIs.
Rich Hill: 1-0, 0.00 ERA
Jesse Chavez: 1-0, 3.78 ERA in 13 games
Josh Fields: 1-0, 4.66 ERA in 11 games, currently in the minors
Ruiz steps up
No one felt worse than Carlos Ruiz about the two pitches that got by him that helped the Cubs tie the score in the ninth inning of a game they went on to win Friday. He took full responsibility, which speaks well of his character, and he had a question for Dave Roberts before Saturday's game: Can I go out to the bullpen and catch all the relievers before they come into the game?
"That was a welcome question," Roberts said. "For him to do that and want to learn the pitchers and humble himself and educate himself, that's something A.J. Ellis would do. To acquire a guy like that, who brings similar attributes, it's not surprising, but definitely pleasant."
J.P. Howell was also impressed: "It's unbelievable. That's something where you don't see anyone do that. What I think I would usually hear is 'I got 15 years, I got a World Series ring, whatever.' Not from him."
The magic number
Each week I will look at a uniform number a Dodger is wearing and go through the history of that number with the Dodgers. When I was a kid and went to games, I was always curious who wore the number of my favorite players. Then again, I was a strange kid. For “best Dodgers to wear the number,” only the stats a player compiles while he was with the team and wearing that number count.
Next up is: No. 48 (Brock Stewart)
Best Dodgers to wear No. 48: Andy Pafko (1952), Karl Spooner (1954-55), Dave Stewart (1978, 1981-83), Ramon Martinez (1988-98). | http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-dugout-puig-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5c419f75d7420ce099459b46b6994f250deaa4945253f55ac1b021739e5a5942.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Tom Pedulla"
]
| 2016-08-26T20:49:17 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fsportsnow%2Fla-sp-travers-stakes-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0a566/turbine/la-sp-travers-stakes-20160826-snap | en | null | Exaggerator to test Saratoga's reputation as the Graveyard of Champions | null | null | www.latimes.com | Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert dismisses Saratoga Race Course’s reputation as the Graveyard of Champions, even after his American Pharoah joined the list of greats to lose here when he bowed in the Travers Stakes last August.
“I think a lot of it is just myth,” Baffert said.
Undaunted by last year’s misadventure, Baffert on Saturday will test leading 3-year-old Exaggerator in the $1.25-million Travers with American Freedom and Arrogate. He also will start Drefong and Jazzy Times in the $500,000 King’s Bishop, a major sprint race on the Travers undercard.
Rival trainer Chad Brown is aware of Saratoga’s infamy. He grew up in nearby Mechanicville, N.Y., and saw his share of horses lose despite being considered virtually unbeatable. He is not nearly as flippant in discussing the Graveyard of Champions.
“It’s clearly true,” Brown said, adding, “I would say it’s a bunch of factors.”
Saratoga, with a deep and demanding track, is arguably the most perilous stop in thoroughbred racing. The great Man o’ War absorbed his only defeat in 21 starts against Upset in the Sanford Stakes in 1919. Jim Dandy shocked Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in the 1930 Travers -- at 100-1. Even legendary Secretariat could not match strides with Onion in the 1973 Whitney Handicap.
Saratoga fans treat racing as though it was still enjoying its glory days. They embraced American Pharoah the way they would visiting royalty. Approximately 15,000 fans poured through the turnstiles merely to watch his morning exercise the day before the Travers.
Baffert’s last five starters fell short in the 1 1/4-mile Travers, known as the Mid-summer Derby. “A lot of horses run there that are probably tailing a little bit,” he said. “Pharoah was tailing off a little bit on me, but you’re trying to fit it in.”
American Freedom and Arrogate, in contrast, are lightly raced and show signs of peaking. American Freedom won his first career start on April 9 at Santa Anita. He placed second, a length and a half behind Exaggerator, in the Haskell Invitational at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park on July 31.
Arrogate, a winner of three consecutive starts, opposes stakes company for the first time in the Grade 1 Travers. Baffert said of the huge step up in class, “He acts like a horse that screams out for a mile and a quarter.”
Some trainers see Exaggerator as being as vulnerable as the other top horses that ventured here. The son of Curlin makes his eighth start this season.
“I can only read what I see in front of me and I see a maturing horse. He’s carried his weight well. His coat color is great. He still has that exuberance to train,” said Keith Desormeaux, Exaggerator’s trainer. “All of those things as a horseman that you look for in judging the readiness of your horse, he’s checking every box.”
The colt drilled five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 seconds, fifth-fastest of 32 works at the distance, last Saturday.
The light workload surely encouraged the perception that 3-1 Exaggerator is ripe for an upset, when a victory would all but ensure him year-end 3-year-old honors. No rain is forecast, creating expectations for a fast track.
“Maybe they all think we’re on the same playing field,” Desormeaux said. “But Exaggerator doesn’t have anything to prove. He is a dominant horse. It will be fun to prove his dominance on a dry track.”
[email protected] | http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-travers-stakes-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/ebeb64e375aff232b6c56d54eabca6597da993bcf55484302adf53076d0944fd.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Eric Sondheimer"
]
| 2016-08-28T06:49:10 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fhighschool%2Fvarsity-times%2Fla-sp-vi-football-corona-centennial-pulls-out-56-49-victory-over-chandler-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Football: Corona Centennial pulls out 56-49 victory over Chandler | null | null | www.latimes.com | Corona Centennial got into a shootout with Arizona Chandler on Saturday night at Norco High in its football opener. And what a shootout it was. Centennial prevailed, 56-49.
With the game tied, 49-49, the Huskies' defense came through with a goal-line stand, stopping Chandler four times from the two-yard line with just over two minutes left.
Then quarterback Tanner McKee drove Centennial to a game-winning touchdown on a 98-yard drive, scoring on a four-yard run with 55 seconds left.
In his first start, McKee, a junior, ran for four touchdowns and passed for two more. According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, he completed 18 of 26 passes for 367 yards with two interceptions. Running back Miles Reed rushed for 291 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Centenial held a 42-41 lead after three quarters. Chandler tied the game, 49-49, after a long touchdown catch and two-point conversion with less than six minutes left.
Centennial will play IMG Academy next Saturday night at Mission Viejo as part of the Honor Bowl in its next game.
St. Bonaventure opened its season with a 45-13 win over Bakersfield Centennial at Ventura College.
Quarterback Mason Quandt passed for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns. Chuck Wick scored three touchdowns. St. Bonaventure plays Chaminade next week.
For the latest on high school sports, follow @LATSondheimer on Twitter | http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/varsity-times/la-sp-vi-football-corona-centennial-pulls-out-56-49-victory-over-chandler-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/55ea90f4dc4c45bc42627c9dd7b31821defd9c9df99d3a0c539b281b780f6f0b.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Evan Ramstad"
]
| 2016-08-30T20:50:05 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftechnology%2Fla-fi-tn-uber-president-board-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5d85d/turbine/la-fi-tn-uber-president-board-20160830-snap | en | null | Uber hires a president after Alphabet exec leaves its board | null | null | www.latimes.com | Target Corp.’s chief marketing officer, Jeff Jones, is becoming the new president of Uber Technologies Inc.
Jones will be responsible for San Francisco-based Uber’s ride-hailing operations, marketing and customer support, Chief Executive Travis Kalanick said in a statement.
Jones has been one of the most visible and best-known members of Target’s leadership team since joining the Minneapolis firm as its top marketer in 2012.
“He’s been an important partner during my time at Target, and I, along with the entire team, wish him well in his future endeavors,” Chief Executive Brian Cornell said in a statement.
Jones’ appointment comes at a time of intrigue for Uber.
A day earlier, news emerged that longtime Alphabet executive David Drummond stepped down from Uber’s board.
Drummond reportedly was shut out of board meetings at the ride-hailing giant — seemingly in a move to limit the executive’s exposure to Uber’s thinking on self-driving cars now that Alphabet is emerging as a competitor for the technology.
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.
"I recently stepped down from Uber's board given the overlap between the two companies,” Drummond said in an e-mailed statement. “Uber is a phenomenal company and it's been a privilege working with the team over the last two plus years.”
Uber also reportedly was withholding information from David Krane, an observer on Uber’s board who heads a venture capital subsidiary of Alphabet called GV, which is also one of Uber’s biggest shareholders, according to the Information, which first broke news of Drummond’s resignation.
Both Drummond and Kalanick said their two companies would continue to work with each other.
“It's been a pleasure having David on the board,” Kalanick said in an e-mailed statement. “He's been a sage advisor and a great personal friend. I wish David and Alphabet the best, and look forward to continued cooperation and partnership.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Drummond stepped down weeks ago as the conflict of interest grew more pronounced. The newspaper also reported Tuesday that Google would expand a ride sharing service to all San Francisco users of its navigation app Waze. The service had previously been restricted to a handful of firms around its headquarters.
told the Journal
Evan Ramstad writes for the Star Tribune/McClatchy. Times staff writer David Pierson contributed to this report.
ALSO
Lyft and Uber launch programs to cater to seniors
Cisco and others slash a combined 1,500 jobs in Silicon Valley
The key to Vizio founder William Wang's $2-billion business? Trust in his employees | http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-uber-president-board-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/e5b836f06ba2ed1d2086360f16164ad925fde9c43007604cc0eb291cb3a191f9.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Charles Fleming"
]
| 2016-08-26T14:50:55 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fautos%2Fla-fi-hy-ferrari-california-t-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf61f8/turbine/la-fi-hy-ferrari-california-t-20160826-snap | en | null | Driving the 2017 Ferrari California T HS | null | null | www.latimes.com | One of the many delights of the just-concluded annual Monterey Car Week is Casa Ferrari.
Every year, the luxury Italian car maker takes over a vintage filling station north of Big Sur, now home to the Carmel Highlands General Store, and dresses it up like a Tuscan villa.
Ferrari owners and prospects are invited to sip prosecco, nibble on bits of Parmesan cheese and Parma ham and ogle the new cars.
This year, Ferrari was promoting the California T HS. I got the keys and a chance to take it for a spin.
2017 Ferrari California T HS The 2017 Ferrari California T HS is powered by a 3.9-liter, twin-turbo V8 that makes 560 horsepower. The HS model starts at about $210,000. The 2017 Ferrari California T HS is powered by a 3.9-liter, twin-turbo V8 that makes 560 horsepower. The HS model starts at about $210,000. See more videos
For the next hour, I rolled north and south on Highway 1, jetted up and down Carmel Valley Road and reveled in one of the finest touring vehicles I’ve ever driven.
The California T isn’t new. Ferrari introduced the 2+2 sports car in 2008 and refreshed it in 2014 with a new engine, new interior and new body elements.
The version on hand at Casa Ferrari was the 2017 California T HS — the last two letters being an Anglo-Italian mash-up of “handling” and “speciale” — designed to maximize the performance of this already high-performing car.
Did it need improving? The California T is one of the most delectable touring cars on the planet. It combines massive power, comfort and refinement to an unusual degree.
Powered by a 3.9-liter, twin-turbo V-8 that makes 560 horsepower and 557 pound-feet of torque, the 3,300-pound Cal T accelerates from zero to 62 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds up to a top speed of almost 200 mph.
It does so with great elegance. The hand-stitched leather interior leaves nothing to be desired, and unlike the F12 Berlinetta that we reviewed recently, this Cal T was not fitted with racing seats.
So I was able to drive very fast, very confidently. Ferrari is pitching the car as a daily driver with supercar specs, and, in fact, the Cal T is comfortable enough to warrant that.
The sense of pleasure increased slightly when I pulled the trigger on the convertible top, and converted the Cal T into a cabriolet. In 14 quiet seconds, the car lifts its lid, lowers the windows and stows the top in the trunk.
The HS package, an $8,100 option available on all Cal Ts but not retrofittable to earlier models, sharpens handling and performance. According to Ferrari folks, it stiffens the suspension, tightens up the steering, adds an additionally thrilling note to the exhaust sound and cuts shift times on the automatic transmission by one-third.
I’m not sure I needed the Cal T to go any faster than it already went, or handle any better, but switching into Sport mode on the HS model fired me up. Perhaps I did not exceed the speed limit, but I was pleased the CHP wasn’t around to render an opinion on the matter.
Technically, the California T is a 2+2, with two doors and two rows of seats. But the people in the back seat wouldn’t enjoy the ride much. Leg room is reduced to about, say, zero, and the seat space would probably best be used for carrying a picnic basket of prosciutto and a beaker of Aperol Spritz.
Ferrari says the trunk, before the top gets stowed, is big enough to hold a golf bag — important for people hitting the links at nearby Pebble Beach — and even with the top down has room for a suitcase or two, or a case of wine from one of the nearby wineries. This is a touring car that could actually tour.
There’s no such thing as a cheap Ferrari, and the California will set you back a couple of coins.
A base model can be had for as little as $203,000 or so. The California T HS would run closer to $210,000.
The model I drove, which featured a special Rosso California paint color, leather interior, custom wheels, Apple Carplay and lots of carbon fiber, cost a cool $272,761 including destination charges.
But funnily enough, that could actually be a good price.
Having spent much of last week on the Monterey Peninsula gazing at vintage Ferraris at the Quail, Concorso Italiano and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and having watched Italian cars break sales records at automobile auctions held by RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams, Gooding & Co. and Mecum, I understand that a well-maintained Ferrari isn’t just a car. It’s an investment. | http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-ferrari-california-t-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/7fae1226b26758b60fa943270a87ce340c7c96aad50d32d13e25c856de6e783f.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-31T00:50:20 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-1472598661-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Campaign 2016 updates: Primaries test down-ballot effects of Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton | null | null | www.latimes.com | He wasn’t softening on anything. He didn’t change his stance on anything.
Donald Trump Jr., in an interview on CNN on Tuesday in which he discussed his father's immigration positions. In recent days, Donald Trump has wavered on whether he'll deport immigrants who are in the country illegally. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-1472598661-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/95ac867ff8cb557cf73791d558e7c20c0ce163da05d0741df8098155458164fb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-28T04:49:36 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fla-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-broncos-linebacker-dekoda-watson-has-1472355126-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Broncos linebacker Dekoda Watson has back-to-back sacks to end Rams drive | null | null | www.latimes.com | Hey "Hard Knocks" fans, we have an official Austin Hill sighting.
The receiver caught a pass from quarterback Sean Mannion for a seven-yard gain up the left side to open the fourth quarter.
Then, Mannion, in the shotgun, connected with Aaron Green on a seven-yard pass for the first down. Paul McRoberts then caught and secured a 14-yard pass over the middle to move the chains again.
Then came the disruption of Broncos rookie linebacker Dekoda Watson, who had back-to-back sacks to stop the Rams' drive. He's up to three so far. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-broncos-linebacker-dekoda-watson-has-1472355126-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/fde6ca111c99a0286750ef068d775dbe5b1e709aa2efc07d0493babc9af203ba.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Luke Money"
]
| 2016-08-30T02:52:07 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-cmsd-caltrans-claim-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-565ccc20/turbine/tn-dpt-me-fb-logos-20151117-002/600 | en | null | Sanitary District sues Caltrans over sewer pipe repair made in 1992 | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Costa Mesa Sanitary District is taking the California Department of Transportation to court over allegedly substandard work done by a contractor hired by the state agency more than two decades ago to repair a district sewer line.
The district's complaint, filed earlier this month in Orange County Superior Court, alleges that the Caltrans contractor pierced a sewer pipe in the area of 2285 Newport Blvd. during work on a street-widening project in 1992.
The contractor never reported that damage, the complaint says. Instead, the sanitary district alleges that the contractor — which wasn't named in the complaint — "fabricated" a repair by connecting a smaller, 6-inch pipe section to the existing 8-inch sewer line.
The district is seeking compensation to help cover the cost of fixing the entire pipe — estimated in court documents at around $33,000 — as well as to pay legal costs, according to the complaint.
"We're going through the proper course to be reimbursed for those repairs that shouldn't have occurred," Costa Mesa Sanitary District General Manager Scott Carroll said.
Caltrans spokeswoman Yvonne Washington said Monday that she could not comment on the matter, as it is pending litigation.
The sanitary district didn't discover the issue until December, after workers reported running into problems cleaning the sewer line.
The district's crew couldn't get the cleaning hose through the line to remove debris and cooking grease, according to Carroll.
After excavating to find out why the hose couldn't make it through, Carroll said, the improper 6-inch pipe section was discovered.
Although there haven't been any major issues in the area since the smaller pipe was installed more than two decades ago, Carroll said it had to be repaired because it eventually could cause the entire pipe to fail or lead to a sewage spill.
The sanitary district previously filed a claim about the pipe with the state's Victim Compensation Board for $24,970, but that agency rejected it in May. Carroll said the board denied the district's case because it was outside its typical scope of analysis and interpretation. Thus, the district needed to make its case locally, he said.
"We have to go through the legal system to get our money back," Carroll said.
[email protected]
Twitter: @LukeMMoney | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-cmsd-caltrans-claim-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/324e529e4b163ddeff2806df52a56a21d5862d4e9bb6739971e8ebab90586c81.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T00:50:05 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-new-mandatory-prison-sentence-bill-1472511625-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4c941/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-new-mandatory-prison-sentence-bill-1472511625 | en | null | New mandatory prison sentence bill inspired by Stanford sexual assault heads to governor's desk | null | null | www.latimes.com | Brock Turner was sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman.
State lawmakers passed a bill Monday to add mandatory prison sentences for certain sexual assaults – a measure inspired by a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge’s decision not to sentence a Stanford University student to prison in a high-profile case this year.
The June decision by Judge Aaron Persky to sentence Stanford student Brock Turner to six months in jail after sexually assaulting an unconscious woman sparked significant criticism that the punishment was too lenient.
Under current California law, those convicted of rape using additional physical force must serve time in prison. This measure would require the same punishment for sexual assaults of those unconscious or incapable of giving consent due to intoxication.
“If we let a rapist off with probation and little jail time, we re-victimize the victim, we dissuade other victims from coming forward and we send a message that sexual assault of an incapacitated victim is just no big deal,” Assemblyman Bill Dodd (D-Napa), a coauthor of the measure, said during floor debate in the Assembly.
The bill, AB 2888, passed unanimously in the Assembly and now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.
Opponents of the measure have argued the state’s history of mandatory sentencing has disproportionately affected people of color and led to the state’s large prison population. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-new-mandatory-prison-sentence-bill-1472511625-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/22cb2948794b7befbf5ea48129d52b06116b138371941ad7ea7ee5fd4221fdec.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"W.J. Hennigan",
"Brian Bennett"
]
| 2016-08-27T10:48:49 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fla-fg-isis-intel-20160825-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c07588/turbine/la-fg-isis-intel-20160825-snap | en | null | U.S. intelligence sees Islamic State as weakened after series of defeats | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies now view Islamic State as a shrinking and increasingly demoralized military force, a sharp shift from the seemingly invincible extremist army that declared an Islamist caliphate two years ago.
The revised assessment comes after surprisingly swift and relatively bloodless victories this summer near Syria’s border with Turkey and in the Sunni heartland of Iraq, two areas where Islamic State had appeared entrenched.
The rapid recapture this week of Jarabulus, the militants’ last garrison by the Turkish border, helped close off a boundary region that was crucial for movement of recruits, supplies and money in and out of the group’s quasi-state.
It also was the latest fight to suggest the Sunni militants no longer are willing to fight to hold territory against a sustained assault. Only one fighter was reported killed in the assault led by Turkish tanks. Several hundred others apparently fled.
Partly as a result, U.S. officials have hinted that the long-delayed assault on Mosul, Islamic State’s self-declared capital in Iraq, may be launched this fall. The city of 1 million has been increasingly cut off by advancing Iraqi and Kurdish ground forces.
Michael Knights, Iraq fellow at the nonpartisan Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said taking back Mosul. along with the Syrian towns of Deir ez Zour and Raqqah, will mark the end of the caliphate.
“After the fall of those cities, [Islamic State] will be just another terror group,” he said. “They might be able to throw a couple car bombs in city centers and mount small arms attacks, but they will no longer engage in heavy fighting on a daily basis. In other words, we’ll be back to where we were in 2013.”
But most experts, including U.S. intelligence officials, warn that Islamic State’s ability to inspire or organize terrorist attacks abroad is unimpaired — and may be even pose a greater threat as foreign sympathizers are unable to reach the cut-off caliphate.
“Despite the progress, it is our judgment that [the group’s] ability to carry out terrorist attacks… has not to date been significantly diminished,” Nicholas Rasmussen, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, told the House Homeland Security Committee recently.
Militants still detonate car bombs or launch suicide attacks each night in Baghdad. They could devolve into the kind of sectarian insurgency that turned Iraq into a slaughterhouse after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, or morph into a stateless global terrorist network like Al Qaeda became after 2001.
“I don’t think we’ll ever be able to get rid of their ability to inspire attacks abroad just because they lose territory,” cautioned a U.S. defense official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. “They will continue to operate in the shadows and cause problems.”
As in other insurgencies, militants may be running away from battles now to survive and fight again — at a time and place of their choosing, experts warn. They could be sent to other battles or used as suicide bombers.
Moreover, Islamic State still has vast sway. It controls half the area it seized in Iraq in 2014 and 70% of its territory in Syria, according to U.S. estimates, and continues to haul in millions of dollars from taxes, fees and extortion.
Current U.S. intelligence estimates say the group now fields as few as 16,000 fighters — half its army of a year or so ago, but still a potent force.
But U.S. officials point to undeniable progress two years and more than 14,000 airstrikes after President Obama first ordered a bombing campaign against Islamic State targets.
“The number of fighters on the front line has diminished,” Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, commander of U.S. forces against Islamic State until this week, said in a teleconference from Baghdad. “They've diminished not only in quantity, but also in quality.”
He added, “All I know is when we go someplace, it's easier to go there now than it was a year ago. And the enemy doesn't put up as much of a fight.”
As an example, he said that after U.S.-backed Iraqi forces recaptured Fallouja, key to the Sunni heartland west of Baghdad, in late June, militants fled their former stronghold in a large convoy that coalition aircraft quickly spotted and destroyed.
“They kind of made themselves easy targets for us,” MacFarland said. “I don't think they would have made that mistake a year or two ago.”
Each defeat has added pressure on the militants by cutting off routes used to move arms, supplies and reinforcements. That affects command, unit cohesion and efficiency.
“Now they have to go get somebody and bring them all the way across the desert to reconstitute somebody who gets killed fighting near Ramadi or Haditha or someplace like that,” he said. ”And there's a good chance we'll spot them long before they get there.”
In addition to losing the border towns of Jarabulus and Manbij in northern Syria, the militants have been routed this month in Khalidiyah and Qayyarah in western Iraq. They previously were ousted from Hit, Al Hawl and Rutbah in Iraq.
Islamic State’s overseas operations also are under siege.
Fighting raged from mid-May until last week in Sirte, the group’s stronghold on the coast of Libya. U.S. airstrikes and British commando raids helped Libyan government forces finally retake the battered city.
Elsewhere, Boko Haram, the group’s affiliate in Nigeria, has lost territory to government troops. Islamic State branches in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and in eastern Afghanistan, also have suffered sharp defeats.
“The evidence across the board is the decline of territorial control,” said Seth Jones, a former U.S. counter-terrorism official now with Rand Corp., a nonpartisan think tank based in Santa Monica.
The group “appears to be losing steam on a number of fronts,” he added. “It has impacted recruits, finance and the broader narrative that it is winning.”
But he warned that Islamic State could make a vicious resurgence, much as Al Qaeda did in Iraq, especially if the U.S.-led coalition eases pressure.
“I take this with a huge grain of salt,” he said.
[email protected]
Twitter: @wjhenn | http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-isis-intel-20160825-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/08f57845233f645f2d60d42da72b8739c7aa025e130827e0a262a600cb214500.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Christie D'Zurilla"
]
| 2016-08-26T16:49:19 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fgossip%2Fla-et-st-britney-spears-carpool-karaoke-james-corden-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c061e5/turbine/la-et-st-britney-spears-carpool-karaoke-james-corden-20160826-snap | en | null | Oops! Britney Spears does 'Carpool Karaoke' with James Corden | null | null | www.latimes.com | Britney Spears has no flippin’ idea what “Oops! … I Did It Again” is about.
“I don’t know,” she told James Corden, failing to reveal a secret for the ages in the episode of “Carpool Karaoke” that aired Thursday night on “The Late Late Show.” “I really don’t know. I think it’s just a song.”
Oh, Brit-Brit, it’s so much more than a song: It was a little slice of Vegas — and of the late ’90s and 2000s, for gosh sakes — in Corden’s car as the original Pop Tart jammed with him through “Oops!,” “Superstar,” “Baby One More Time” and more on his contrived commute.
There was no lip-syncing going on, though Spears kind of let Corden take the lead with an awesome falsetto during “Toxic” (a falsetto he reprised during “Make Me.”) And the 34-year-old couldn’t help but admire his moves during “Womanizer.”
Caption Why Frank Gehry never showed up to work for Richard Neutra Los Angeles Times Ideas Exchange: The Time’s Christopher Hawthorne in conversation with Frank Gehry at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In this clip, Gehry talks about why he didn’t end up working for Richard Neutra. Los Angeles Times Ideas Exchange: The Time’s Christopher Hawthorne in conversation with Frank Gehry at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In this clip, Gehry talks about why he didn’t end up working for Richard Neutra. Caption With the L.A. River, Frank Gehry thinks L.A. won’t need to import as much water, saving a lot of money Los Angeles Times Ideas Exchange: The Time’s Christopher Hawthorne in conversation with Frank Gehry at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In this clip, Gehry talks about the L.A. River Revitalization project and cost of imported water. Los Angeles Times Ideas Exchange: The Time’s Christopher Hawthorne in conversation with Frank Gehry at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In this clip, Gehry talks about the L.A. River Revitalization project and cost of imported water.
Spears, who’ll perform Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards for the first time since bombing there in 2007, did share a few secrets along with her seat-dancing moves.
She wants more babies — three to be exact — but she’s kinda done with men. Definitely done with marriage, doesn’t believe in that anymore. And, um, she was traumatized once by a spanking.
Then they talked about tickle-bondage. And who knew, Corden is a natural as a naughty schoolgirl. Did it just get hot in here?
Watch the video, above — but also watch out. Before you know it, you’ll be humming Britney one more time.
Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.
ALSO
Britney Spears' smooth 'Make Me' sees the pop star exploring a new, mature sound
James Corden takes the 'and then what' approach to keep his 'Carpool Karaoke' fresh
Britney Spears cuts her asking price for Thousand Oaks home by $1 million
First lady gets down to 'Single Ladies' with James Corden in 'Carpool Karaoke'
Britney Spears opens Billboard Music Awards with hit-heavy medley | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-st-britney-spears-carpool-karaoke-james-corden-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/16712375b282157acd04af1d66780165d555f710bf6919167ce79b8203058d62.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T04:49:54 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-new-artist-award-1472232009-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | DNCE wins best new artist award | null | null | www.latimes.com | It's fair to say Beyonce stole the MTV VMAs with an extended performance inspired by "Lemonade." It was also a special evening for Rihanna, who performed throughout the night before Drake presented the Vanguard award to the woman he's "been in love with since [he] was 22 years old." And Britney Spears returned to the VMAs stage; it was an admirable effort, but even those shadow fingers couldn't come close to topping Beyonce. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-new-artist-award-1472232009-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/21e3bc87997a037bf7a61ad02fd5d995242f30efe790a93fc39b9960e252b4a2.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Carolina A. Miranda"
]
| 2016-08-30T00:49:56 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Farts%2Fmiranda%2Fla-et-cam-juan-gabriel-appreciations-20160829-snap-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4766f/turbine/la-et-cam-juan-gabriel-appreciations-20160829-snap | en | null | Juan Gabriel was a songwriter who knew how to channel the struggles of modern life and the hurt of the wounded | null | null | www.latimes.com | It’s a song that begins as a whisper before turning into a wail.
“Hasta Que Te Conocí” (“Until I Met You”), first performed by the Mexican singer Juan Gabriel in the mid-1980s, begins with a quiet moment of reflection — a person, unnamed, taking account of their romantic past as a lone guitar plucks along in accompaniment: “I lived so differently / Something beautiful / Something divine / Full of happiness.”
“I was very happy, I lived so well,” the song continues — pausing dramatically just before the bottom drops out. “Until I met you.”
And at that point a well of instrumentation — violins and guitar and guitarrón, the deep-bodied Mexican six-string — rise to greet the singer’s voice, the voice of a narrator who is about to spill some pain:
“I don’t want you to tell me / Was it worth it or not / To have met you / Because I don’t believe you anymore.”
Juan Gabriel, who died of a sudden heart attack in Santa Monica on Sunday at the age of 66, was one of the most prolific songwriters of the 20th century. His life and lyrics embodied the triumphs and struggles of contemporary Latin America, of bustling metropolises teeming with hybrid cultures.
He also knew how to channel heartbreak in almost uncanny ways. “Hasta que te conocí” was one of his smash hits — a torch song that he, and various singers from around the world, have performed in the decades since it was written.
The original 1986 version leans pop. But a favorite rendition comes from an undated live performance, easily found on his YouTube page (where it has almost 64 million views) that best captures the somber allure of his lyrics.
As the song moves along and the musical accompaniment grows in volume and depth, adding trumpets, drums and a full-blown symphony orchestra, Juan Gabriel — decked out in a dramatic black-and-gold tasseled number — emits a series of mournful cries that evoke the agony of love gone savagely wrong.
In a Tweet following the announcement of Juan Gabriel’s death, on Sunday afternoon, Mexican actor Gael García Bernal wrote that his songs carry on “the grotesque (beauty) in love.”
https://twitter.com/GaelGarciaB/status/770016102021824514
When Juan Gabriel, the man born Alberto Aguilera Valadez, passed away over the weekend, Mexico lost one of its most important troubadours, one whose voice has resonated at weddings and quinceañeras throughout the continent. More importantly, he was a figure whose narratives emerged not from the past, but squarely from the Latin American present.
Much Mexican music of the first half of the 20th century was dominated by a national identity rooted in the rural. Early songs by the internationally renowned songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez (1926-1973) -- such as “El Rey” (“The King”) and “La Media Vuelta” (“The Half Turn”) -- were about men who ruled their kingdoms, real or imaginary, with iron wills and impassivity. They are songs that taste of dust kicked up by galloping horses and echo with the clink of spurs on rough, wooden floors.
But the music of Juan Gabriel spoke to another, more modern reality. His first hit song, from 1971, “No Tengo Dinero” (“I Don’t Have Any Money”), opens with a young man walking down a city street with his love, explaining that he can’t get married because he is too poor. “I don’t have money or anything else,” go the lyrics, “The only thing I have is love to give.” The accompanying tune is relentlessly pop.
Juan Gabriel performs "Hasta que te conoc," a ballad to love and loss, with mariachis and string ensemble.
“El Noa Noa,” from 1980, with its country twang, pays tribute to the Noa Noa, an old disco the singer used to perform in as a young man in Juarez, the city where he grew up. Likewise, “Juárez es el Numero Uno” (“Juarez Is No. 1”), from 1986, sings the praises of the border city in lyrics such as, “Juarez is the number one / a border where you find your most profound loves.”
If for much of the 20th century Mexican music had seemed steeped in the culture of the rancho, Juan Gabriel’s songs evoked the feel of the city — of traffic and factories and discos and bars, where rock and pop and the Mexican ballad all got stirred into one.
He sang cheesy disco pop, but he could belt out a Mexican ballad like nobody’s business. He dabbled in regional styles such as brass-heavy banda but also did a Spanglish cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”
And in his lyrics, he celebrated the border (especially his beloved Juarez) — those not-quite-Mexico-not-quite-the-U.S. settlements that the Mexico City cultural establishment likes to view, from a distance, with haughtiness and disdain.
“Juan Gabriel was not a folkloric composer,” musicologist and composer Aurelio Tello told the Mexican daily El Universal in the wake of the singer’s death, “he was more of the urban layer,” and because of it, “he became a musical icon of at least the last 40 years.”
Juan Gabriel, photographed in 1993. (Vince Compagnone / Los Angeles Times)
While the poetic power of Juan Gabriel’s lyrics cannot be underestimated, part of the appeal was the man himself.
He was an orphan who, as an adult, went and bought the orphanage he had once lived in and turned it into a music school. He was a dark-skinned mestizo in a media environment that prizes whiteness above all. He was flamboyantly effeminate (the man loved a good cape) in a culture where to call a man gay is among the lowest of insults. He was the ultimate underdog-turned-smash superstar.
When he emerged, in the early ’70s, the Latin music airwaves were still dominated by traditional Mexican music as sung by figures such as Vicente Fernandez, or the cool romantic stylings of vocalists such as the Brazilian Roberto Carlos and Spain’s Julio Iglesias.
Like his fellow crooners, Juan Gabriel also penned paeans to affairs of the hearts — from “Amor Eterno” (“Eternal love”) to “Yo No Nací Para Amar” (“I Was Not Born to Love”), the latter offering a particularly resonant cry of loneliness.
But his narratives contain myriad nods to the hard-working everypeople who power Latin American cities: the street vendor, the domestic servant, the construction worker. In one song, he celebrates the “Mexican eyes” of a lover. In another, he offers the escape of dancing the night away at a thumping neighborhood bar.
He may have performed at Mexico City’s Fine Arts Palace, but everything he represented was resolutely urban and working class.
"Amor Eterno," is about love and loss — a topic Juan Gabriel covered frequently in his work.
Over the course of his career, Juan Gabriel penned, by some estimates, as many as 1,500 songs — making him one of the great Latin American songwriters. Some of these he made famous himself. Others have been inserted into the popular culture by other performers, such as Spanish chanteuse Rocío Durcal (a muse of the songwriter’s), Mexican ska rockers Maldita Vecindad and Puerto Rican salsa singer Marc Anthony.
(Marc Anthony, who owes a stylistic debt to Juan Gabriel when it comes to the painful love ballad, paid tearful tribute to the singer at a concert in New York on Sunday night.)
During his lifetime, Juan Gabriel never revealed much about his own affairs of the heart to the press — likely because 1970s Latin America wasn’t ready to deal with his presumptive homosexuality (an open secret that, in typical Latin American fashion, everyone acknowledged by choosing to not acknowledge it). But revelations by tell-all-writing exes have over the years pointed to heartbreak, loss and difficult love affairs.
In what way these personal tribulations might have been fuel for his work is impossible to know. But what is certain is that Juan Gabriel’s lyrics had a certain visceral quality, channeling the bewilderment of a wounded lover in ways that can fill your heart with a dull ache.
“You are the sadness of my eyes / which cry in silence for your love,” go the opening lines of “Amor Eterno.”
This wasn’t some singer crooning about pain from a distance. This was a man coming to terms with what he felt — which is why his work resonated so widely.
In the lyrics of Juan Gabriel, the hurt was always real.
Sign up for the Essential Arts & Culture newsletter »
Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.
ALSO:
Juan Gabriel, superstar Mexican singer and songwriter, dies at 66
Op-Ed: As a boy, I was taught to ridicule Juan Gabriel. As an adult, I revered him
'No, that can't be true': Angelenos react to the death of Mexican crooner Juan Gabriel
From the Archives: The ballad of Juan Gabriel | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-et-cam-juan-gabriel-appreciations-20160829-snap-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/8b1012a9f153ba6f48844ff2f349f9019250745e9c5f30d38c720661bae0d068.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Matt Stevens"
]
| 2016-08-27T20:51:30 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-fbi-shooting-compton-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Man fatally shot by FBI agent serving search warrants in Compton | null | null | www.latimes.com | An FBI agent fatally shot a man while serving warrants at a Compton residence this week, an agency spokeswoman said Saturday.
An FBI SWAT team arrived at the residence in the 14600 block of South White Street about 9:30 p.m. Thursday to serve the warrants, spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said An agent fired his weapon after a confrontation with the man, Eimiller said.
An FBI medic and members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department rendered aid to the man at the scene, Eimiller said, but he was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The FBI did not identify the man or confirm whether he was the subject of the warrants, who was identified in a statement as a parolee-at-large wanted for absconding from parole and possession of a firearm, though Eimiller said the parolee had been arrested at the home and was in custody.
No agents were injured and a gun was recovered at the scene, she said.
Lt. David Smith of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Saturday that the man’s identity could not be released because authorities had not yet informed his next-of-kin.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General will oversee the FBI investigation of the shooting, the FBI said in its statement. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office will also review the case.
[email protected]
Twitter: @ByMattStevens
ALSO
Range fire in Kern County 45% contained; evacuation orders will be lifted at noon
Max Ritvo, L.A. poet who chronicled his cancer battle, dies at 25
#RoseJam, other rolling closures could snarl weekend traffic | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fbi-shooting-compton-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/9344e1e324d02b17775291565ae073c00a37cdbcd9a23b8bf8e591de4f77e077.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Molly Hennessy-Fiske"
]
| 2016-08-28T10:49:14 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fla-na-immigration-lawyers-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c21317/turbine/la-na-immigration-lawyers-snap | en | null | Unscrupulous attorneys prey upon immigrants held in federal detention, advocates say | null | null | www.latimes.com | It was only too easy for legal assistant Hector Alfonso Sanchez to pose as an immigration lawyer and solicit clients locked up in federal detention.
Sanchez traveled from his office in San Antonio to detention centers across the country to interview immigrants and accept payment, according to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, which earlier this year secured an injunction barring him from advertising, performing or accepting money for immigration consulting services. Sanchez also had to pay restitution to clients, civil penalties and attorney’s fees.
The Sanchez case highlights what immigrant advocates say is a persistent shortcoming at immigration detention centers, especially those holding families — poor legal representation.
There is no guarantee of counsel in immigration court, and although groups of pro bono attorneys have been organized to represent migrants, opportunists have exploited immigrants desperate for help, advocates say.
The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, is one of two immigration family detention centers in the state. Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, is one of two immigration family detention centers in the state. The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, is one of two immigration family detention centers in the state. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times)
“It's a really ugly system,” said Elanie Cintron, a Denver-based immigration attorney. “They're preying on the most vulnerable populations.”
It’s a population that continues to grow, especially as more families are caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally this year, their journeys driven in part by escalating violence in Central America.
From last October to July, 58,720 family members were caught crossing the southern border — nearly twice the number as the same time last year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures.
As of this month, 2,062 of those adults and children remained in family detention.
In order to represent those families and practice in federal immigration court, a lawyer must register online, be eligible to practice law, and be a member of the bar in good standing.
But officials at immigration courts, which are part of the Justice Department, do not screen lawyers. They discipline them — more than 1,500 since they took over the disciplinary program in 2000 — but mostly after lawyers have already been disciplined, convicted or pleaded guilty in other courts to serious crimes, according to Justice Department spokeswoman Kathryn Mattingly.
Those disciplined by immigration courts this year include:
• Vanessa Bandrich of New York, disbarred after she was investigated by the FBI and convicted of immigration fraud for assisting asylum applicants in concocting fake tales of persecution.
• Hector Cavazos Jr. of Stockton, suspended for 18 months, about six months after the California State Bar filed to suspend his license for three years and recoup $11,000 for four clients for having allowed his father to practice law out of his office without a license. In June he was disbarred by the state.
• Samuel Escamilla of Denver, suspended for three months after Colorado officials investigated him on accusations of taking clients' money without working their cases.
Problems with private attorneys at family detention centers started soon after the Obama administration began expanding the centers in summer 2014, opening a temporary facility in Artesia, N.M. It was in Artesia that Michael Carrasco, of Carlsbad, N.M., was caught practicing law without a license — but only after Cintron and other pro bono lawyers complained, having gathered statements from his clients.
Carrasco already had been disbarred in New Mexico by the state’s Supreme Court in 2002, Cintron noted, but “he was going and using somebody else's name. We were gathering declarations from women … I went to a room to talk to women who had spoken to him and 10 hands went up.”
Carrasco was disbarred again, this time by federal immigration court officials, a year ago. Cintron said the case illustrates the vulnerability of immigrant families in detention.
Some immigrants do not have the time or know-how to vet an attorney, or are unable to meet with a pro bono attorney or advocate who can guide them.
“When things move so quickly and we can't get to those women in their cells to explain the system to them and someone tells them, 'Oh, my cousin got this lawyer,' then they just call whatever phone number they have,” Cintron said.
She said one of her clients, Celina Gutierrez-Cruz, 22, a Honduran detainee, was unaware that her previous attorney had a disciplinary record when she hired him.
The attorney, Gary Ortega of Brownsville, Texas, had been publicly reprimanded by the Texas State Bar in 2009 for misconduct after a grievance was filed against Ortega for allowing an employee of his to solicit a prison inmate as a client. In 2007 he had been disqualified and removed from a murder case in which his former client was convicted and sentenced to die. The case was appealed based on ineffective assistance of counsel.
Gutierrez-Cruz's family paid Ortega $3,250 in March of this year based on assurances from his staff that she would be released on bond, Cintron said. The going rate to handle bond hearings is about $1,000, she said, although some private attorneys charge up to $5,000.
Gutierrez-Cruz’s family was not aware that because she had been deported in 2013, she was ineligible for bond. Cintron said Gutierrez-Cruz never signed a contract, received court paperwork, or spoke with Ortega in person or by phone before her bond hearing May 29.
Gutierrez was denied bond, and Ortega's staff stopped contacting her, said Cintron, whom Gutierrez-Cruz was referred to through the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project.
“This was the one case that we caught. I always worry about the women we never get to see. What happens to them?” Cintron said.
Ortega did not return calls or emails.
Cintron and immigrant advocates also share the story of Lillian Oliva Bardales, a 19-year-old from Honduras.
Bardales has filed to reopen her asylum case, alleging the San Antonio attorney she paid $1,500 failed to prepare her to appear before an immigration judge, failed to outline the basic chronology of her case for the judge, and then failed to follow up with her when, upset about conditions in detention and facing deportation, she attempted suicide in detention June 3, 2015 — slashing her wrist with an ID bracelet.
“He did not do any work to prepare her for her hearing. Zero trial preparation — didn't even direct the judge as to why she qualified for asylum,” said Bardales's new pro bono attorney, Bryan Johnson.
Johnson, who is based in New York, who in his motion to reopen her appeal that attorney Miguel Vela's negligence also harmed Bardales's 4-year-old son, Christian, who was deported with her June 9, 2015. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-immigration-lawyers-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/3c6832805a41dfe63ed73e7fcab8ba566260c238c47ccf10e5807bcd8258769f.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"August Brown"
]
| 2016-08-29T20:49:45 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2Fla--la-et-ms-fyf-grace-jones-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c485b1/turbine/la--la-et-ms-fyf-grace-jones-20160829-snap | en | null | FYF 2016: Grace Jones plays a set for the ages | null | null | www.latimes.com | James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem was the headliner at FYF Fest on Sunday. But he knew his place in music history.
“If you missed Grace Jones, you [screwed up],” the LCD Soundsystem frontman said, minutes into his band’s set. “We used to get booked as the cleanup act, where the headliner would play, and then we would play for all the people who were too [messed] up to go home. That was kind of our specialty, and this feels like that again.”
“I don’t care if you finally connected with the person you love the most. If you missed Grace Jones, you still [screwed] up.”
Murphy’s self-deprecation was endearing (and not wrong — if you were at FYF and skipped the disco-dub legend Grace Jones on Sunday, you were indeed a world-class idiot). But the fact that a live band as good as LCD could feel upstaged at their own set showed just how grand FYF’s second night was.
First, Jones. The 68-year-old Jamaican matriarch wasn’t just otherworldly onstage, painted head-to-toe in in black and white hatch marks, topless beneath a series of ever-more-elaborate headdresses. She seemed to come from a better world entirely, one where the people are wholly fearless before crowds and can see the whole sweep of culture, past and future. In short, she made everyone else who took the stage this weekend look hung-up and nervous by comparison.
From the funk surge of “Williams Blood” to the downtown sashay of “Warm Leatherette,” she sounded amazing at every turn, even taking a quick interlude to perform, yep, a bit of “Amazing Grace” a capella. But the magnitude of vision on display here — summing up 40 years of deep Jamaican vibes and NYC glitz and bolts of genius from some other dimension entirely — was one for the books. It was arguably the best set in FYF history, and nothing else even comes close.
LCD Soundsystem certainly tried, though. If the lauded modern dance band’s Coachella reunion set landed a little less-than-rapturously, the act has its live-set motor purring again. The group sounded great — the synth bass knocked just right on “Dance Yrself Clean,” the guitars red-lined just right on “Movement.” The set-list was was more or less the same as the string of festivals the band has played all summer, but Murphy pulled it off with a little more zest and humor, and there’s still no better way to send off a festival than “All My Friends.”
Elsewhere in the day, Anohni’s L.A. debut of “Hoplessness” lent a very human face to a concept album about ecological suicide and drone bombs and political futility. Anohni was a darkened phantom onstage, but synced video closeups of a range of humans performing the lyrics brought the album’s bleak themes into visceral clarity.
From a totally opposite plane, Saves The Day hit all the teenage nostalgia buttons with its full set of 2001’s “Stay What You Are,” a lodestar of pop punk that had clearly burrowed into thirtysomething hearts at FYF. Father John Misty had the troll of the weekend, using fake software-update glitches and a banner for “Bonnaroo 2014” as backdrops for his own Main Stage set.
Whatever the grumbling about ticket prices and layout changes and culture shifts at FYF, there hasn’t been a better Sunday night benediction the the fest’s decade-plus history. You were amazing, Grace.
For breaking music news, follow @augustbrown on Twitter.
ALSO:
FYF Fest impresses in sound, but feels on the precipice of change
Kendrick Lamar thrills an adoring hometown crowd — and conquers at least one skeptic at FYF Fest
FYF Fest: Vince Staples and Head Wound City keep the fest's rep for harshness alive | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la--la-et-ms-fyf-grace-jones-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/cfceaa35ddfa7b524b8429651964a0849c80f73db8b6f13b17d6ce834bb521ad.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T20:50:14 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-1472582733-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5e08a/turbine/la-na-trailguide-updates-1472582733 | en | null | Hillary Clinton continues to outpace Donald Trump in ad spending | null | null | www.latimes.com | Hillary Clinton continues to outpace Donald Trump in spending on television ads -- an ongoing trend since the general election campaign began earlier this summer.
Trump, who this month launched his first TV ads in several swing states, is being outspent by Clinton's campaign by a 10-to-1 margin. In July, it was a nearly 15-to-1 ratio.
So far, Clinton has spent $75 million on general election ads, while Trump has doled out $7.7 million, according to an analysis by NBC News and Advertising Analytics, a firm that tracks ad spending by political campaigns.
Moreover, allies of Clinton, such as the super PAC Priorities USA, have spent nearly $47 million, compared with allies of Trump, which include the National Rifle Assn., who have spent about $15 million.
Aides to Trump insist that the campaign will invest more on advertising after Labor Day -- a strategic move, they say, as more voters will be focusing on the election.
Based on an average of polls by Real Clear Politics, Clinton leads Trump nationally by 5 percentage points. She also outpaces him in several critical battlegrounds, such as Florida and Ohio.
In many of Clinton's ads, the Democratic nominee uses Trump's own words to make her case that he's divisive and unfit to become president, highlighting among other things his comments on the looks of certain women and his labeling some Mexican immigrants as "rapists." The support of both women and Latinos in various battleground states is critical to victory.
Trump's first ad sought to cast the United States as less safe under a Clinton administration. In an ad released Monday, he focused on the economy, promising lower taxes and job creation. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-1472582733-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/3ee574ad2755fce7f023463c34ee3dd04fc9c3219ecaac5acbcce125d045de3c.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T02:49:55 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-was-your-ballot-counted-you-ll-be-able-1472520308-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4ec88/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-was-your-ballot-counted-you-ll-be-able-1472520308 | en | null | Was your ballot counted? You'll be able to find out if Gov. Jerry Brown signs this bill | null | null | www.latimes.com | Californians would have a new legal right to be told whether their ballot was counted under a bill that won final approval in the Legislature on Monday.
AB 2089 won bipartisan support in the Assembly and now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown.
The bill's author, Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), tweeted the news just after the final vote. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-was-your-ballot-counted-you-ll-be-able-1472520308-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/2f4da11c7a9377818017c0e0e5e878629337f9d2b6e86718dc2861a2dfe86cc9.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Molly Hennessy-Fiske"
]
| 2016-08-29T12:49:34 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fla-na-trump-texas-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bdf1df/turbine/la-na-trump-texas-snap | en | null | In one Texas congressional race, there's a third candidate - and his name is Trump | null | null | www.latimes.com | A decade ago, a Democrat defeated the Republican incumbent in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
Four years later, Republicans took the district back. Then it flipped to the Democrats again. And then back to the Republicans.
This fall, Democrats are trying to reclaim one of the few competitive congressional seats in the nation — and they’re hoping the specter of Donald Trump will help them do it.
Not that Pete Gallego, a lawyer and former congressman, isn’t willing to discuss other issues. The Democrat says that when he campaigns before women’s groups, Latinos and veterans, he tries to address such things as preserving Big Bend National Park, bolstering education and improving veterans’ benefits.
The No. 1 local issue is Donald Trump. — Pete Gallego, Democratic candidate for Texasâ 23rd Congressional District
“I never get to that, because people always want to talk about Trump,” Gallego said during a recent campaign stop at a postal workers’ union here. “The No. 1 local issue is Donald Trump.”
The Republican presidential hopeful complicates campaigning for GOP candidates like Rep. Will Hurd, who has refused to endorse or outright condemn Trump. Hurd, who currently represents Texas’ 23rd District, is focusing on local concerns, campaigning at rural Dairy Queens and touting his constituent services — along with the four border- and cybersecurity-related bills he wrote that have become law.
“Pete Gallego only wants to talk about Donald Trump because he wants to hide the fact that he was a complete failure when he was in Congress,” Hurd said in a statement last week. “He accomplished nothing, while my record stands as someone who has worked hard since Day 1, and I'm just getting started.”
Trump is casting a shadow over local races more than any presidential candidate in recent memory, especially in heavily Latino districts like this one, where Trump piñatas are top sellers.
“That’s the story all across the country. Democrats want to tie their down-ballot opponents to Trump, and Republicans don’t want to talk about Trump at all,” said Kyle Kondik with the University of Virginia Center for Politics. “Hurd is distancing himself. It’s a tricky dance for Republicans.”
Pete Gallego, right, speaks with a local Democratic official in San Antonio. Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times Pete Gallego, right, speaks with a local Democratic official in San Antonio. Pete Gallego, right, speaks with a local Democratic official in San Antonio. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times)
The 23rd is an unusually large district that stretches 800 miles along the Mexico border, from San Antonio to El Paso. It’s 70% Latino and full of veterans and active-duty personnel stationed at several military installations. In the gated communities that line San Antonio’s conservative northwestern suburbs, yard signs proclaim “Hillary for Prison.”
The district’s diversity probably will play out in the voting booths.
“There’s going to be a lot of split households,” Gallego said. “Women who answer the door will tell you, ‘My husband is voting for Trump, but there’s no way I’m voting for that man.’”
In 2014, Hurd beat Gallego by fewer than 2,500 votes. But in presidential election years, turnout in the 23rd favors Democrats.
And although polling shows Hillary Clinton is the second-most unpopular major-party nominee since 1964 after Trump, the GOP nominee is more of a drag on Hurd than Clinton is on Gallego, said Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute.
Hurd “has to walk a very delicate line,” Jones said. “If he denounces Trump, then he alienates many … supporters of Trump, as well as Republicans who believe everyone should be getting on the bandwagon. If he alienates those Anglos, they might leave his spot blank on the ballot. But if he comes out and supports Trump, then he gives Gallego a host of ammunition against him.”
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
The key to the race could be the conservative San Antonio suburbs, home to nearly two-thirds of the district’s population.
Will they warm to Trump’s aggressive foreign policies — such as building a border wall — or be turned off by controversies such as his criticism of the parents of fallen U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan?
“San Antonio is eaten up with military. People care, and they care deeply. Disrespect to the Khan family means something,” said Harold Cook, an Austin-based Democratic analyst. “Hurd’s in a tough position here because he’s going to be pressured by the Democrats to either saddle up with Trump or not. And either way, he’s screwed.”
Northern San Antonio Democratic precinct chairs who recently hosted Gallego at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 142 union said they were seeing Republicans defect because of Trump.
“We’ve experienced people coming into Bexar County Democrats for [campaign] signs that have never voted Democrat in their life,” Bob Comeaux said. They’re even having buttons made: “Republicans for Hillary.”
Hurd says he is trusting that voters will see through Gallego’s efforts to distract them by focusing on Trump. "The people of Texas' 23rd District are smart enough to know that when it comes to doing things, actions count more than empty words," he said.
But until Trump “can show that he has a clear national security plan and until he shows he can respect minorities and women, I’m going to withhold my endorsement,” said the congressman, who is African American.
Steve Munisteri, former chairman of the state Republican Party, praised Hurd as “outgoing, articulate, intelligent,” and said he was smart to disagree publicly with Trump — taking issue with the nominee’s call for a border wall, for instance — while still supporting Trump enough to satisfy his Republican base.
“His personality is one of the reasons I put that district as a tossup,” Munisteri said.
Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Sign up for the newsletter »
The district is full of swing voters and ticket-splitters, he said, noting that when Gallego was elected in 2012, Mitt Romney also got more votes than President Obama.
Janice Manry, 70, a registered independent who manages a storage facility in the city’s northwest suburbs, thinks Trump could drive turnout in Hurd’s favor. She plans to vote for both Republicans. And she sees plenty of like-minded customers, including Latinos and veterans who are “for him building that wall, they’re for him sending guys back who are coming across here like waves of water.” | http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-trump-texas-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/dcf75c68ab3f7394012ccd24f8c3299894e60d30f684147d5d936609ff0e3d98.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Erica Evans"
]
| 2016-08-27T04:49:02 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-toddler-life-support-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0c889/turbine/la-me-ln-toddler-life-support-20160826-snap | en | null | After court rules against parents, toddler is taken off life support | null | null | www.latimes.com | Two year-old Israel Stinson, the curly-haired, angelic-looking toddler whose fight for life gained international attention, died Thursday after he was removed from a breathing ventilator against his parents wishes.
Now, supporters of the family are questioning why a Los Angeles hospital moved so quickly to remove him from life support immediately after a judge upheld the decision.
Israel’s parents, Jonee Fonseca and Nathaniel Stinson, sought an injunction Aug. 18 to prevent Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles from taking action while they rushed to make arrangements to put him in home care.
On Tuesday, the hospital informed Israel’s mother that they would file a motion to oppose the injunction, and on Thursday the motion was filed. The family’s struggle to save Israel ended when Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Amy D. Hogue ruled in favor of the hospital’s decision, and immediately following the ruling, Israel’s ventilator was removed.
“I was on the phone with his mother when the doctors disconnected him,” Alexandra Snyder, an attorney with the Life Legal Defense Foundation, said Friday. The pro-life group is representing Israel’s family pro bono. “They were in such a hurry to do it, they didn’t even sit down and explain what was going on.”
Representatives of the hospital declined a request to comment citing privacy regulations.
The family is “devastated,” Snyder said. “They lost their son yesterday after a long, long battle for him and for his life, so they are understandably heartbroken.”
The fight for Israel Stinson’s life began on April 1 when the Vacaville toddler experienced a severe asthma attack and a heart attack that limited oxygen flow to his brain, leaving him in a coma. Doctors at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center in Sacramento declared the boy brain dead and advised that he be removed from life support.
But Israel’s parents disagreed. Doctors dismissed the boy’s small movements as involuntary muscle twitches, but the parents saw them as signs of life.
“Israel’s medical chart at Kaiser said he was deceased. But Israel is ALIVE!” wrote Fonseca, 23, in a GoFundMe.com post. “God is telling me not to let go.”
Israel’s parents, who also have a 1-year-old daughter, sought donations from strangers to help them move their son to a different facility. Their plan was to eventually take Israel home and care for him, but first the boy needed operations to insert feeding and breathing tubes, which Kaiser hospital refused to perform.
While they gathered donations, the parents fought the hospital in court to keep Israel on life support.
“We believe that we should have the last say over our son’s life, not a government building or not a corporation,” Stinson, 28, said in an April 29 video he and his wife posted. “And we believe our son is still alive.”
After a federal judge rejected the family’s lawsuit May 13, they flew Israel to a private hospital in Guatemala where doctors were willing to give him breathing and feeding tubes. Until that point, Israel had been surviving on a diet of dextrose, or sugar, according to his mother.
Fonseca wrote in an online post that doctors in Guatemala said the boy’s condition was improving and that he was not in fact brain dead. They performed EEG, or electroencephalogram, tests and detected slight electrical activity in Israel’s brain as well as movement in his pupils, which gave Fonseca and Stinson hope.
Then, after about three months, Israel was accepted as a patient at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. The family was able to return to the United States and checked the boy into the hospital Aug. 8.
Soon however, Fonseca and Stinson’s worst fears were realized when the Los Angeles hospital also determined that Israel should be taken off life support.
“I’m just baffled as to why the hospital would have agreed to take him for the sole reason of putting him to death,” Snyder said. “They knew his condition when he came to the hospital.”
Israel’s case is one of many in recent years — such as that of a Texas woman whose husband sought to remove her from a ventilator and Oakland teenager Jahi McMath, whose family fought to keep the girl on life support after she was declared brain dead — that have exposed wrenching disagreements between family members and hospital officials over the definition of death.
Many medical professionals as well as ethicists said the general public often fails to understand the difference between, for instance, a coma and brain death, which must be affirmed by a strict guidelines and tests.
Providing intensive care for children such as Israel on life support can cost thousands of dollars a day, according to some health professionals, who argue that such care, while seeming compassionate, can jeopardize the health of other critically ill children who could use those resources.
Snyder said lawmakers should review the circumstances under which an individual can be declared brain dead.
“If you can declare someone brain dead who has brain activity, then we need to revisit the guidelines for what that means,” she said.
In rare cases, Snyder said children have recovered after being diagnosed.
“There are people who have recovered, and if that happens even once, you have to revisit it,” she said.
[email protected]
ALSO
Body found at dump site in Irwindale may have been accidental death
Jaycee Dugard loses court case against federal parole officials
Federal judge denies injunction against California vaccination law for schoolchildren | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-toddler-life-support-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/84c687746ece2d9181501c9c04d30c423b4de315abd627e60787dde4f47c1f00.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Eduardo Gonzalez"
]
| 2016-08-26T18:51:02 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fsportsnow%2Fla-sp-polish-discus-thrower-auctions-medal-20160826-snap-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c07b85/turbine/la-sp-polish-discus-thrower-auctions-medal-20160826-snap | en | null | Polish discus thrower auctions his Rio Olympics medal to help 3-year-old boy with eye cancer | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Olympic spirit is still alive in Polish discus thrower Piotr Malachowski.
The 33-year-old Rio Games silver medalist has sold his medal to help cover the cost of surgery for 3-year-old Olek Szymanski, who is suffering from a rare eye cancer called retinoblastoma.
Immediately after returning from Rio, Malachowski took to his Facebook page and posted a photo of Szymanski with a message announcing his intention to auction off the medal. He attempted to raise about $84,000 toward the $130,000 needed for the surgery. One-third of the cost was already raised by the Polish charity foundation Siepomaga.
“Winning an Olympic medal is for the athlete to meet life’s dreams. Of course, this is the most precious gold,” he wrote. “I did everything in my power to get it. Unfortunately this time did not succeed. However, fate gave me a chance to increase the value of my ‘silver.’”
According to ESPN, bidding for the medal was at $19,000 on Tuesday when it was pulled down. Malachowski shared news on his Facebook page that Polish billionaire siblings Dominic and Sebastian Kulczyk “declared their willingness to buy” his silver medal, which covered the remaining cost of the surgery.
“We were able to show that together we can do wonders,” he wrote. “My silver medal today is worth a lot more than a week ago.”
[email protected]
Twitter: @edmgonzalez | http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-polish-discus-thrower-auctions-medal-20160826-snap-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/05de1e5ddb7491ef704e1cef2dd015d5c664031b032109214330045fb876bc56.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T22:50:08 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-california-on-guard-after-cyber-attacks-1472505821-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4b285/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-california-on-guard-after-cyber-attacks-1472505821 | en | null | California on guard after cyber attacks on elections databases in two states | null | null | www.latimes.com | A voter arrives to cast her ballot in the Arizona primary in March.
California's elections agency announced that there is no evidence that the state's voter registration databases had been targeted by the foreign hackers who reportedly infiltrated elections systems in Arizona and Illinois.
Yahoo News reported Monday that personal voter registration information for up to 200,000 people at the Illinois Board of Elections had been downloaded by foreign hackers.
The FBI issued an alert early this month warning state elections officials about the data breach, according to the Yahoo report.
A spokesman for California secretary of state said the agency, which oversees elections statewide, was aware of the cyber attack reports.
"We have no evidence of any breaches or hacks of our system,” agency spokesman Sam Mahood said.
Mahood declined to say whether any extra precautions are being taken, saying the agency does not disclose its security protocols.
The secretary of state's website has been down most of Monday but Mahood said that was not caused by a hack or breach.
Unlike some other states, California counties have maintained their own databases of registered voters. However, the secretary of state's office is in the process of centralizing voter registration information in a statewide VoteCal database, which is expected to be operational in September.
Dean Logan, registrar of voters in Los Angeles County, said the county has a cyber-security unit and outside contractors that constantly monitor all potential threats to the agency's systems.
“I think that we just live in a time where we have to be really vigilant on this,” Logan said.
Logan emphasized the computer system that scans and counts votes is separate from the voter registration database and is not connected to the Internet or any other outside computers, insulating the system from hackers. That computer system also is housed in a secure facility, he said.
However, Logan said Los Angeles County's voter registration database is connected to the secretary of state’s computer system, which is why the reports in Illinois and Arizona are so concerning, he said.
“We have been looking at this in conjunction with the larger political dialog about the security of elections system and with the presidential election,” Logan said.
Federal authorities already are investigating cyber attacks in June against the Democratic National Committee and another on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Federal law enforcement officials have said the hack was likely carried out by Russian intelligence agents.
The release of Democratic Party emails by WikiLeaks just ahead of July’s Democratic National Convention revealed comments suggesting the party was aiding Hillary Clinton over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, violating the party’s commitment of neutrality. Democratic Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign her post. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-california-on-guard-after-cyber-attacks-1472505821-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d090d991ba87a959cd1a83bc12fd8b1978a1a9139caee3e0946d38eaa6b7f0c2.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-28T02:49:17 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fla-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-rams-secondary-turns-over-1472349463-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Rams secondary turns over Broncos | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Broncos are letting pass Trevor Siemian sling it. Which might not be such a great idea.
Siemian targeted receiver Cody Latimer with a deep pass up the right side of the field which could have gone for a touchdown if Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson wasn't defending him.
Johnson rode Latimer up the sideline and batted the ball away as safety Cody Davis came into the play, snatching the ball out of the air. The play was reviewed and the call on the field, an interception, was upheld.
Siemian is now 4-of-8 passing for 41 yards with an interception. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-rams-secondary-turns-over-1472349463-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/ce9c4c3d49ed6265646a186983b1207389c0d03705119f6046907a3fbee884dd.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Joseph Serna"
]
| 2016-08-30T20:50:13 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-temecula-fire-remains-found-five-adults-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5e030/turbine/la-me-ln-temecula-fire-remains-found-five-adults-20160830-snap | en | null | Remains of five adults found after suspicious fire guts care facility in Temecula | null | null | www.latimes.com | Riverside County sheriff’s homicide detectives are investigating what they called a suspicious fire at a board and care facility in Temecula where the remains of five people were found.
The fire was reported about 5 a.m. Monday in the 41400 block of Cruz Way, the Riverside County Fire Department said.
As crews put out the flames, they found the remains of an adult and called in the Sheriff’s Department, officials said. Ultimately, the remains of four other adults were located inside, sheriff’s officials said.
According to state records, an adult residential facility is licensed to operate at 41450 Cruz Way. The facility was last inspected in November. Records show “no deficiencies were observed,” at the time. The facility was licensed to care for four developmentally disabled adults.
The cause of the fire has not been determined and the case is under investigation. Authorities declined to say if anyone from the building survived the fire or what condition the remains were in.
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.
The identities of the deceased have not been released.
[email protected]
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
UPDATES:
1:20 p.m.: This article was updated with details of an adult residential facility licensed to operate on Cruz Way.
This article was originally published at 12:45 p.m. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-temecula-fire-remains-found-five-adults-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/dfd36e31d1a7a3962cc2d384b0f77d3a29f58f8e796b3892265557e3b78454fb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Deborah Netburn"
]
| 2016-08-29T16:49:46 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fscience%2Fsciencenow%2Fla-sci-sn-lucy-autopsy-tree-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf42b2/turbine/la-sci-sn-lucy-autopsy-tree-20160829-snap | en | null | 3.2 million years after her death, autopsy reveals Lucy probably died after falling from a tree | null | null | www.latimes.com | It’s the coldest case in science, and it may have just been cracked.
Forty years after researchers discovered Lucy, an early human ancestor who lived 3.2 million years ago, scientists think they now know how she died.
After examining high-resolution CT scans of broken bones in Lucy’s right shoulder, as well as the damage to other parts of her skeleton, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin propose that the small hominid’s life ended shortly after a catastrophic fall from a great height — probably from a tree.
“What we see is a pattern of fractures that are well documented in cases of people who have suffered a severe fall,” said John Kappelman, a UT professor of anthropology and geological sciences. “This wouldn’t happen if you just fell over.”
In a paper published Monday in Nature, Kappelman and his colleagues suggest that Lucy tumbled out of a tree, landed hard on her feet and then pitched forward, extending her arms straight out in front of her in a desperate attempt to break her fall.
The force of the impact of her hands hitting the ground is likely responsible for the debilitating compression fracture in her shoulder, the authors write. But the fall also caused several bones in her body to break and probably lead to severe organ damage. Death would have followed swiftly.
If their hypothesis is correct, Lucy was likely conscious in the last few moments before she died.
“She did exactly what we would do,” Kappelman said. “She was trying to save her life.”
Reconstruction of Lucy's fatal fall Animation simulates how Lucy may have died after a fall from a tall tree. Animation simulates how Lucy may have died after a fall from a tall tree. See more videos
Lucy was discovered in 1974 by paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson in the Hadar area of central Ethiopia. Johanson and his colleagues named the fossil after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" because it was playing over and over again at their camp the night she was found.
Part of what made the Lucy find so important was her unusual mix of features. She had relatively short legs and long arms like a chimpanzee, but her wide pelvis indicated that she walked upright. This combination of traits suggests her species, Australopithecus afarensis, may have been a link between modern humans and our tree-living ancestors.
Lucy was much smaller than modern humans. Although she was probably a full grown adult at the time of her death, she stood just 3 feet 6 inches tall, and weighed about 60 pounds — about the size of a first-grader.
Her fossilized remains have been studied by dozens of scientists, but this is the first study to hypothesize how she met her end. Kappelman said that’s because for the most part, ancient bones do not reveal how an animal died.
“Despite what you see on shows like ‘CSI,’ skeletons only rarely preserve evidence of death,” he said. “If we didn’t see those arms sticking out, the argument we make might not be so powerful.”
Kappelman’s research into Lucy’s demise began in 2008, when the Ethiopian government granted him 10 days to scan the preserved parts of her skeleton at the high-resolution CT lab at the University of Texas.
Previous attempts to peer into the interior of Lucy’s bones in the late 1970s had failed because CT scanners at that time were not powerful enough.
“Lucy is a fully mineralized fossil, so she’s like a rock, and the problem with lower energy CT is that they can’t see through rock” Kappelman said. “Up until 2008, we had had no data at all on the internal structure of her bones. She was radiographically opaque.”
It was while he was scanning her right humerus, the upper arm bone, that Kappelman realized the fractures on the end of the bone closest to the shoulder were unlike anything he’d seen in other fossils.
Cracking the coldest case: How Lucy died Bone by bone, paleoanthropologist John Kappelman pieced together the life and death of Lucy, the most famous fossil of a human ancestor. He concluded that she probably died from injuries suffered in a fall from a tall tree, suggesting that she foraged or nested in trees. Bone by bone, paleoanthropologist John Kappelman pieced together the life and death of Lucy, the most famous fossil of a human ancestor. He concluded that she probably died from injuries suffered in a fall from a tall tree, suggesting that she foraged or nested in trees. See more videos
Ancient fossils often break apart due to geological forces. For example, breaks could be caused by the tremendous pressure of rock that can build up on fossils over time. They can also fracture when shifts in the Earth’s crust tear them apart. But Kappelman thought the fissures in Lucy’s bones might have a different origin. Perhaps they they were due to an injury instead.
To check his hunch, he called Dr. Stephen Pearce, a friend of a friend and an orthopedic surgeon at the Austin Bone and Joint Clinic. Pearce agreed to take a look at a cast of Lucy’s right humerus bone in his medical office.
“It looked very distinctly like a proximal fracture we see pretty routinely as orthopedists, usually because of a fall off a ladder or scaffolding, or a car crash,” Pearce said. “I’m not an anthropologist, but it certainly looked like the fracture pattern you would see if she fell out of a tree.”
Over time, Kappelman showed his cast of the humerus to eight different orthopedic surgeons. All of them said it looked like a four-part proximal humerus fracture that occurs when a person puts out their hands to break a fall.
“It wasn’t like they were saying, ‘It might be this or it could be something else,’” Kappelman said. “It was not even a question from their perspective.”
But how could the researchers know that the event that caused the bone fractures also caused her death?
Kappelman and his co-authors argue that the fall could not have occurred much before Lucy died because the bone breaks were clean and showed no sign of healing.
They also say the injury could not have happened long after death because tiny slivers of bone that broke off in the impact remained in their post-injury position rather than scattering all over the ground. This could only happen if the fibrous tissue that forms a type of skin around the bone had not yet decayed, the authors said.
“Kappelman’s point is that these slivers of bone can only be accounted for if the fibrous tissue was still there, holding everything in place,” said Jack Stern, an anatomist and professor emeritus at Stony Brook University in New York who was not involved in the work. “That argument impressed me.” | http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-lucy-autopsy-tree-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/23abc7ade2d9a66a12f90acdd141e21ce23581180ad8bce79d970827243111b3.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T00:49:37 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-britney-spears-most-memorable-vma-1472425504-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c373b4/turbine/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-britney-spears-most-memorable-vma-1472425504 | en | null | Britney Spears' most memorable VMA moments | null | null | www.latimes.com | Perhaps one of the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards’ most anticipated events is Britney Spears’ return to the VMA stage as a performer. It will mark the first time the singer has performed at the VMAs since 2007, and while Spears’ opening performance of "Gimme More" nine years ago was definitely not one of her finer VMA moments, it’s hard to deny that it was memorable. Will this year’s performance be redemption for Spears?
To commemorate her return to the VMA stage, here is a quick look back at some of Spears’ most memorable VMA moments.
1999: The first time is always one to remember. Spears made her VMA stage debut performing "Baby One More Time" — fittingly in a faux school setup — which immediately preceded 'NSync’s performance of "Tearing Up My Heart."
2000: Spears’ performance of "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction" and "Oops!… I Did It Again" saw her shed her teen pop persona when she ripped off her more conservative black suit to reveal a sparkly nude bodysuit in an act that challenged anyone who would deny she was very much an adult in control of her image. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-britney-spears-most-memorable-vma-1472425504-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/1d116d324044b9b66c546cd06e33062e96e10cbb943bac808a6fc6acba2bc5f0.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Natalie Kitroeff"
]
| 2016-08-30T02:49:52 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fla-fi-ashley-furniture-inland-empire-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4cee7/turbine/la-fi-ashley-furniture-inland-empire-20160829-snap | en | null | California's Inland Empire reels after losing hundreds of blue-collar jobs | null | null | www.latimes.com | Southern California is losing another manufacturing stalwart.
In two months, Ashley Furniture HomeStore will close two plants in Colton and lay off about 840 workers. The company said it would transfer the San Bernardino County production to its facilities in Wisconsin and North Carolina, citing the need to “create more efficiency.”
The move is a sign of the pressure bearing down on manufacturers in California and across the country, even as the sector recoups a chunk of the jobs it shed during the recession.
The Inland Empire, one of California’s poorest regions, has enjoyed a micro-boom in manufacturing employment, which has increased 15% since 2010. The region, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties, also has been buoyed in recent years by retail giant Amazon, which has leased massive warehouses that require packagers and truckers to transport those packages.
On Monday, home-shopping retailer QVC opened a 1-million-square-foot distribution facility in Ontario that will eventually employ 1,000 people.
But some economists and lawmakers worry that new labor rules and environmental regulations may be easier on tech companies in Silicon Valley than blue-collar employers in San Bernardino.
“It’s going to devastate our community. Eight hundred and forty families will be without sustenance,” said Cheryl R. Brown, the Democratic assemblywoman who represents San Bernardino. “If we want business in California, then we need to be welcoming to business. It needs to be not just one kind of business.”
Distribution and heavy manufacturing economies tend to be dirty, but they also offer people without much education a shot at a middle-class life.
People making furniture in California make an average of $43,319 per year, more than the $30,634 that warehouse workers take home. A job that pays the state’s minimum of $10 per hour equates to annual pay of $20,800.
Manufacturers still employ a lot of Californians, but, like in the rest of the country, their ranks have dwindled in recent years.
In 2015, the state was home to about 1.3 million manufacturing workers, which is about 215,000 less than there were in 2005, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That decline of 14% in California is slightly faster than the overall drop in U.S. manufacturing workers during that period.
Furniture makers have been in an even more dramatic tailspin. Last year, there were 1,961 furniture manufacturers in the state, down 33% since 2005. Employment has plunged to less than 34,700 compared with nearly 60,000 workers a decade ago.
“California is essentially eliminating its blue-collar sectors,” said John Husing, chief economist for the Inland Empire Economic Partnership. He called Ashley’s move “a gigantic blow” for the region.
Ashley executives did not offer a detailed explanation for their move, beyond saying in an email that it “strengthens production capability and cost structure and will help ensure Ashley’s continued ability to compete effectively long-term in the global marketplace from a U.S. base.”
Brown, the assemblywoman, said she toured Ashley’s Colton facilities two years ago and heard from company representatives that they were preoccupied with state “taxes [and] environmental concerns.”
Executives said they “were having issues with their trucks,” which have to meet strict state emissions standards, Brown said.
A law calling for deeper cuts to greenhouse gases, passed last week by the Assembly, would undermine the very industries that have powered San Bernardino’s economy, contends Husing, the economist.
“What [California regulations] have done is reduce the growth of jobs that allow people to move out of poverty toward the middle class,” Husing said.
And yet the state continues to grow much faster than the rest of the country. California has added more than 2 million jobs in the last six years and continues to outpace the nation in employment growth.
“Companies come and go all the time…. Long term, this means nothing,” said Chris Thornberg, the founding partner of Beacon Economics, a consulting firm in Los Angeles.
Thornberg noted that the Inland Empire specifically has been “an economic machine” in the last several years.
Unemployment in San Bernardino County was 6.7% in July, compared with 10.5% three years ago.
Gov. Jerry Brown, for his part, does not seem too concerned about losing a corporation here or there. In response to a question about the potential job cuts that would come from the state’s new greenhouse gas bill, which he has vowed to sign. Brown on Wednesday downplayed the risk of scaring off businesses.
“California’s economy is one of the most dynamic in America, and we have more regulation, we have a very healthy tax system,” the governor said, “and still they come.”
[email protected]
Follow me @NatalieKitro on Twitter
ALSO
Energy storage is taking on a greater role in the power grid. But how big can it get?
Mylan to launch a cheaper, generic version of EpiPen
American Airlines president jumps to a top spot at rival United | http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ashley-furniture-inland-empire-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d91a9b506eb9af22d3ffcdef635edeb52127b82b5a870a95d8b2f89649525d50.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T22:50:07 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-sentencing-laws-in-california-could-be-1472590860-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5f83c/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-sentencing-laws-in-california-could-be-1472590860 | en | null | Sentencing laws in California could be changed to add language about rehabilitation | null | null | www.latimes.com | Inmates at the state prison in Lancaster in 2010.
California lawmakers voted Tuesday to add language to sentencing laws that would promote so-called restorative justice.
State law says the purpose of imprisonment is “punishment.” The bill the California Assembly voted to send to the governor Tuesday, AB 2590, would amend the law to state that the “purpose of sentencing is public safety achieved through punishment, rehabilitation, and restorative justice."
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation would have to update its policies to promote inmate rehabilitation under the bill.
AB 2590 now goes to the governor. | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-sentencing-laws-in-california-could-be-1472590860-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/1f086e4d2a53b3b2c61281b8334ea01f24036dee204a067f923205bbb25cafc1.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-26T20:49:04 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-santa-ana-police-officers-issue-dual-1472239066-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Santa Ana police officers switch to 'dual endorsement,' now support Loretta Sanchez and Kamala Harris for Senate | null | null | www.latimes.com | Welcome to Essential Politics, our daily feed on California government and politics news. We've got a number of big stories that we're following:
We've also got a new bill tracking page for some of this month's biggest state Capitol debates.
Find the July Essential Politics archives here.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter for more, or subscribe to our free daily newsletter and the California Politics Podcast | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-santa-ana-police-officers-issue-dual-1472239066-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/17705a683249b4f5fb0fd1da363a194ded31384115758942e394969f319c1e68.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Esmeralda Bermudez",
"Cindy Carcamo",
"Ruben Vives"
]
| 2016-08-30T12:50:02 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-juan-gabriel-influence-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4e2b4/turbine/la-me-juan-gabriel-influence-20160829-snap | en | null | To his fans, Juan Gabriel was their 'godfather,' their family, their home | null | null | www.latimes.com | Nancy Cortes learned two things growing up: Respect your mother. And respect your mother’s love for Juan Gabriel.
Her family woke up to the Mexican singer’s smooth, raspy voice every morning, his love ballads playing on a loop. To badmouth Juan Gabriel was to risk punishment by shoe.
“Nobody could mess with his name or image because you would get threatened with the chancla,” said Cortes, 34.
On Monday, the Long Beach resident, along with countless fans across the United States, Latin America and beyond, woke up heartbroken.
Then, shaking off the dirge of sadness, they blasted his classics -- the joyous and the sad -- from body shops and beauty shops to panaderias and the 5 Freeway. They glued themselves to Spanish television, watching marathon coverage of the legend’s life and concerts. Men, with voices down to a whisper, called to express their sorrow on the radio. At the singer’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, fans gathered, holding each other as they swayed to his music.
Fans of Mexican pop singer/songwriter Juan Gabriel take selfies at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was turned into an impromptu memorial. Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times Fans of Mexican pop singer/songwriter Juan Gabriel take selfies at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was turned into an impromptu memorial. Fans of Mexican pop singer/songwriter Juan Gabriel take selfies at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was turned into an impromptu memorial. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
They struggled to convey what they found so essential about a man some had never heard of.
The entertainer and composer transcended generations, geographic boundaries and class. His flamboyant showmanship provoked constant intrigue in a macho-driven culture that learned to love him.
Over four decades, Juan Gabriel’s songs became the soundtrack to weddings, quinceañeras, first loves and funerals. He represented their mother, their childhood, their Mexico.
“He was like a godfather,” said Leticia Vasquez, 47. “Always there, on the most guttural level, telling you, it’s OK to cry.”
In recent years, time was starting to catch up to the one they lovingly called JuanGa. His hair thinned, his waist grew more ample and his feet, now and then, wobbled as he gyrated onstage. When he postponed his American tour two years ago, fans whispered: Did he still have it?
On Friday, the best-selling singer in Mexican history took the stage at the Forum in Inglewood, to prove, as he’d done many times before, that he remained the ultimate showman.
***
Los Angeles residents Javier Carrillo and Maria Galicia place flowers at the foot of a mural of Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel in MacArthur Park. Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times Los Angeles residents Javier Carrillo and Maria Galicia place flowers at the foot of a mural of Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel in MacArthur Park. Los Angeles residents Javier Carrillo and Maria Galicia place flowers at the foot of a mural of Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel in MacArthur Park. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The candles had begun to melt over Juan Gabriel’s makeshift memorial by the time Maria Navarro arrived with her daughter, Yoena Venegas. Unsure where else to go, the fans flocked here, to his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
They drove from Fullerton, well before sunrise and without any sleep, to bid farewell to a singer Navarro, 50, learned to adore in her youth.
One of his greatest hits, “Amor Eterno” (Eternal Love) always brought her to tears. It reminded her of her mother, who died when she was 8 and of her father, who was gunned down in Jalisco when she was 16.
"If anyone knew how I felt, it was going to be him," Navarro said of Juan Gabriel, who was sent to an orphanage at an early age. "I really miss them."
Growing up, Venegas never understood why her mother listened to the singer so often, as she cleaned and cooked. Her tears were a childhood mystery.
Then, three years ago, Venegas’ paternal grandmother died. At her funeral, her father played “Amor Eterno.” Everyone crumpled in tears.
The lyrics, for Venegas, finally struck a chord.
Como quisiera que tu vivieras,
Que tus ojitos jamás se hubieran cerrado nunca
(How I wish that you lived,
that your eyes never would have closed)
As the sun began to rise, the two women stood a few feet from the memorial and softly wept.
***
As a kid in the Central Valley, Leticia Vasquez, wanted to listen to Madonna and Prince, not the love songs of Juan Gabriel her parents preferred.
“I thought it was so embarrassing, so cheesy,” she said.
Then at 16, for the first time, she fell in love.
His name was Paul — tall, dark and with big, beautiful lips.
“Everyone told me to get away from him, but I didn’t listen,” Vasquez said.
The romance lasted one month. Not bad by high school standards. But she found out that Paul had been cheating on her the entire time.
Vasquez barricaded herself in her room and turned on her boombox. This was a moment, it seemed, only Juan Gabriel could understand.
“He got me on such a visceral, emotional level,” she said. “I realized Madonna was my public persona. Juan Gabriel was me behind closed doors.”
Later in life, JuanGa’s songs became anthems for every milestone: To Paul she dedicated “La Farsante” (The Phony); to her husband “Me Nace del Corazon” (Born from My Heart), and to her sons “Abrazame Muy Fuerte” (Hug Me Hard.)
Vasquez now lives in Amsterdam, far from Madera High School, the place of her first heartbreak. She’s a lawyer who gladly tortures her children with Juan Gabriel’s songs.
“They hate it,” she said. “But I know … I know the cycle.”
***
Jorge Gutierrez was about age 7 and living in Nayarit, Mexico, when he first saw Juan Gabriel on television. The way he moved and whirled. His sequin-drowned outfits. The coquettish flip of his head before launching into one of his songs.
“I’m like him,” Gutierrez whispered to himself at the time.
Juan Gabriel didn't discuss his sexuality publicly, but some saw in him a trailblazer. Growing up in the small town of El Cora, the singer “validated my queerness,” said Gutierrez, 32.
“He challenged the homophobia and sexism in his own culture and made everyone fall in love with his music and poetry.”
Gutierrez, who now lives in Los Angeles, remembers anxiously watching a famous interview in 2002 when the musician was asked directly whether he was gay.
Juan Gabriel’s response: “Dicen que lo que se ve no se pregunta, mijo"
“They say what you see, you don’t ask about, son.”
Gutierrez was satisfied with the answer.
“It was such a powerful moment,” he said. “He was reclaiming the question. We don’t always have to come out to please others.”
He said many Latino gay friends have a complicated relationship with their families. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-juan-gabriel-influence-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/2b6dbe6e1cafb56c55b60cb1f3b0608edff9bb7ee01a260b571e1eb200ed8223.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-30T18:50:04 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fnationnow%2Fla-na-tropical-weather-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5bb62/turbine/la-na-tropical-weather-20160830-snap | en | null | North Carolina, Florida and Hawaii brace for severe weather | null | null | www.latimes.com | Crowds thinned Tuesday on the beaches of North Carolina's Outer Banks ahead of a tropical weather system that threatened to bring strong winds and heavy rains that could flood low-lying areas.
Elsewhere, a powerful hurricane threatened to pass “dangerously close” to Hawaii and another tropical depression churned in Gulf of Mexico waters with the potential to bring rain and wind to Florida.
On North Carolina's Hatteras Island, a slow stream of dozens of cars from places including Maryland, New York and Ohio headed toward a bridge to the mainland. There was light, intermittent rain and a mostly cloudy sky.
A public beach near Rodanthe was nearly empty, save for two parents enjoying a walk with their 11-year-old son. Nearby, large waves crashed in the increasingly angry-looking surf.
Joe and Kelley Walker of Markham, Va., said they plan to wait out the rain with movies or card games unless the forecast worsens.
“We're not worried about the storm so much unless they say there's something to worry about,” Joe Walker 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.
The tropical weather system off the coast was expected to strengthen and pass near the Outer Banks by late Tuesday, bringing sustained winds as high as 45 mph and heavy rains of up to 5 inches in some areas.
An 11 a.m. EDT update from the National Hurricane Center said the tropical depression could become a named storm later in the day. Forecasters have said it's not expected to surpass tropical-storm strength.
With the storm centered about 70 miles south of Cape Hatteras, a tropical storm warning was in effect for much of the Outer Banks.
Coastal Carteret County emergency officials issued an advisory on Tuesday saying that wind problems were likely to be “mostly minor,” but that residents should prepare in case trees topple, limbs snap or lightweight objects are blown around.
At the same time, the National Hurricane Center said that another tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico could hit northern Florida as a tropical storm later in the week and possibly head toward the Atlantic Coast.
That depression was about 340 miles west of Key West, Fla. Forecasters expect it to become a tropical storm later Tuesday and turn northeast toward Florida the next day
National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Lonka said the center of the storm approaching North Carolina should stay offshore as it passes, but that it will hit the Outer Banks with bands of rain and wind through Wednesday.
“They'll be rain showers coming on shore, rain bands and gusty winds,” he said by phone Tuesday. “The biggest impacts will be relegated to the beaches, the waters, high surf, maybe some erosion.”
Lonka said the storm in the Gulf was forecast to move across northern Florida later this week toward the Atlantic Ocean, but likely to stay south of North Carolina. Still, he cautioned that it's difficult to predict a storm's path days in advance.
Outer Banks business owners were keeping an eye on both storms because of fears that a one-two punch of rain could saturate the ground and cause problems. Roads along the thin barrier islands, including the two-lane N.C. Highway 12 that is the area's main north-south artery, are prone to flooding and damage from erosion.
Meanwhile, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the Big Island of Hawaii, saying Hurricane Madeline could pass “dangerously close.” The storm should be near or over the Big Island by Wednesday.
Early Tuesday, forecasters said the storm was a powerful Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. Madeline was centered about 445 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, and moving west at 10 mph. Officials urged residents to restock their emergency kits, create evacuation plans and secure outdoor furniture.
Elsewhere, another Category 3 hurricane named Lester — also with top sustained winds of 120 mph — was about 1,355 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii and moving west over the Pacific at 14 mph. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for that storm.
ALSO
Maryland public defender's office calls for immediate suspension of Baltimore police surveillance program
Agriculture Department closes offices in 5 states after anonymous threats
'SOS' in sand leads to rescue of 2 people stranded on island | http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-tropical-weather-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/ed041b5b948fdd2b1ea6eb414509ead13fe1c59b84d88b90ba6124e022b3bded.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Nathan Fenno"
]
| 2016-08-30T20:50:04 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fmore%2Fla-sp-mike-garrett-lawsuit-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5e213/turbine/la-sp-mike-garrett-lawsuit-20160830-snap | en | null | Mike Garrett accused of sexual harassment by Cal State L.A. associate athletic director | null | null | www.latimes.com | A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court late Monday alleged that Mike Garrett, the former USC athletic director, sexually harassed female employees at Cal State Los Angeles before he retired earlier this year after a brief tenure as the school’s athletic director.
Sheila Hudson, Cal State L.A.’s senior associate athletic director, accused Garrett and the school of violating California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among five causes of action.
“Immediately upon hire, Garrett began calling the women in the Athletics Department, including Plaintiff, degrading, sexist names, such as, ‘Sweetheart,’ ‘Love’ and ‘Babe,’ and one particular woman: ‘Legs,’” the 22-page complaint said. “Garrett told one student assistant ‘I love you’ and ‘I could kiss you.’”
The lawsuit said Garrett confronted Hudson after she complained about the language.
“In response, Garrett exploded at Plaintiff. He yelled, amongst other things, that he has always called women these names -- including at USC -- and they have never complained,” the lawsuit said. “Feeling intimidated by this attack, Plaintiff returned to her office, only to have Garrett chase after her, storm into her office and continue to berate her.”
Hudson is seeking a court order installing her as Cal State L.A.’s athletic director in addition to unspecified monetary damages.
“This malicious complaint is a reckless compilation of exaggerations and fabrications,” the school’s law firm, Ogletree Deakins, said in a statement to The Times. “It is without substance and will be repudiated by facts. Women hold most of Cal State L.A.’s top leadership positions.”
Attempts to reach Garrett weren’t immediately successful.
The school hired Garrett, USC’s athletic director from 1993 to 2010, last November. Daryl Gross, the former senior associate athletic director at USC and Syracuse athletic director, replaced him in June.
At the time, Cal State L.A. credited Garrett with playing a key role in recruiting Gross for the job.
The lawsuit said that the positions filled by Garrett, then Gross weren’t posted as job openings. It described Hudson as the “perfect candidate” for the athletic department’s top job and alleged Garrett and Gross were instead targeted “first and foremost” because of their gender.
Hudson, hired as an assistant track and field coach at Cal State L.A. in 2002 before becoming an associate athletic director in 2008, said the school retaliated after she submitted a report in February highlighting gaps in pay and other areas between men and women in the athletics department. She said the school paid her “thousands of dollars less a year” than the two men who previously held her position.
The lawsuit described a 204-page report compiled by an outside attorney the school hired to investigate allegations of gender discrimination and sexual harassment as “designed to cover up” violations, citing among the report’s findings that Garrett used “terms of endearment” that weren’t sexist toward female employees.
A statement issued by Hudson’s attorney, Nancy Abrolat, called the lawsuit a “last resort.”
[email protected]
Twitter: @nathanfenno
ALSO
Why Serena Williams is such a dominant force in tennis
Suspended USC linebacker is being investigated in sexual assault
Column: A well-meaning Colin Kaepernick starts a conversation that, sadly, seems headed nowhere | http://www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-mike-garrett-lawsuit-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/80950e9639390d921dba3209e1d8790343011e1d7014d90dfc06796b45405e5e.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-28T00:49:21 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fla-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-now-that-s-something-you-don-t-see-1472336655-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Now that's something you don't see every day: A mini Sports Authority Field | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Rams will play the Broncos today in Denver at Sports Authority Field at 6 p.m. on CBS in their third exhibition game. Quarterback Case Keenum is expected to play at least three or for series against the Broncos with rookie Jared Goff taking over after that. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-now-that-s-something-you-don-t-see-1472336655-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/6610dd03fc3203760bd24058c5795a959c637898c31d6e20ade308b56352e958.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Sam Farmer"
]
| 2016-08-28T04:49:27 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Frams%2Fla-sp-rams-broncos-farmer-20160827-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c25d78/turbine/la-sp-rams-broncos-farmer-20160827-snap | en | null | Rams and Broncos are not rushing rookie quarterbacks into action | null | null | www.latimes.com | Broncos in February: Eat our dust.
Broncos now: Pardon our dust.
While it’s an exaggeration to say Denver’s NFL team has gone from Super Bowl to Superfund site, the Broncos unquestionably are a franchise under construction. They will be the first team in 15 years to switch starting quarterbacks in the immediate aftermath of winning a Lombardi Trophy.
The Rams know the feeling — not the Super Bowl afterglow but the under-construction part. Los Angeles and Denver, who met in an exhibition game Saturday night, have two of the NFL’s most uncertain quarterback situations. Both teams have first-round rookies at the position who are teeming with talent but so far are adjusting to the step up to the NFL.
In his road debut, against an elite defense, the Rams’ Jared Goff had some highs and lows after replacing Case Keenum early in the second quarter. Goff slid awkwardly on a third-down scramble and came up short of the first, was late on a couple of his passes when his receivers took shots, and survived a near-pick-six that was dropped by safety Darian Stewart. But Goff also looked more comfortable and fluid than he did in the first two games, and completed a 19-yard pass down the middle to fellow rookie Pharoh Cooper, who made a highlight-reel catch.
On the Rams’ first possession of the second half, Goff was hit hard from behind by outside linebacker Dekoda Watson, who badly beat tackle Darrell Williams around the edge. Later in the third quarter, Goff was driven into the ground after throwing. Sean Mannion replaced Goff late in the third quarter.
Incidentally, lots of people are working through some early-season hiccups. The public address announcer in the Denver press box opened by informing the media: “The Broncos have won the toss and have chosen to defer. St. Louis will receive...”
Mistakes happen, and old habits die hard.
For the Rams and Broncos, the pressing issue is young quarterbacks. For different reasons, each team has the luxury of time to develop its first-year passer. They are not approaching this like a two-minute drill.
The Broncos bought themselves time because of their immediate past. They are basking in the warmth of a Super Bowl victory, and a season built around a smothering defense and quarterback play that was well beneath Peyton Manning’s standard. Coach Gary Kubiak has some breathing room to start second-year quarterback Trevor Siemian, as he did Saturday night, while rookie Paxton Lynch gets up to speed. Veteran Mark Sanchez, whose turnover problems have resurfaced, is looking less like a starting option.
Siemian played the entire first half for the Broncos, and followed an interception and a touchdown. Lynch started the second half and led a 41-yard scoring drive on Denver’s opening possession.
Like the Broncos, the Rams have also bought breathing room by leaning on their past — but in a different way. They have returned to Southern California after two decades in St. Louis, and that fresh start ensures that fans are going to come to the games and fill the Coliseum, at least during this honeymoon period. The reported attendance for the exhibition opener against Dallas was 89,140, a preseason record for a game played in the U.S. (Multiple games played in Mexico have drawn more than 100,000 people.)
Although there is pressure on Coach Jeff Fisher to win — he’s never done better than 7-9 in his four seasons with the Rams — there’s also an understanding that he’s got a Goff, one still adjusting to the NFL, and is in the NFC West, which with Seattle and Arizona is the league’s toughest division. Even though Fisher would feel the heat if the Rams were to do a face plant out of the gate, there’s a strong likelihood he will get a contract extension before the Sept. 12 opener.
Before the Cowboys game, I argued in this space that the Rams should make Goff the starter, give him the reps with the first-team offense, and basically follow through on their bold move to trade up and get him. The jury is still out on that. While Goff showed flashes of being the player the Rams think he’ll be, he also had rough outings in the first two exhibition games, with an interception and two fumbles that ended three of his first four possessions.
Fifth-year veteran Keenum, meanwhile, has looked more solid than spectacular, but certainly good enough to win some games. He completed eight of 12 passes for 77 yards against the Broncos, and was knocked halfway to the Broncos bench while running out of bounds by Denver cornerback Aqib Talib, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
History says the Rams won’t be rushed to get Goff out there. They took their time with defensive tackle Aaron Donald two years ago, waiting six games before starting him, and he wound up the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year. And last season, running back Todd Gurley, rehabilitating a reconstructed knee, won offensive rookie-of-the-year honors despite not starting until Week 4.
Yes, the past five quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall started from Day 1 — Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Jameis Winston — but their teams, respectively, were coming off seasons of 0-16, 1-15, 2-14, 2-14, and 2-14. The Rams were 7-9 last season, and made the biggest jump up to the top of the draft in NFL history. They swept Seattle last season and won at Arizona, so this isn’t a team starting from scratch.
Fisher and Rams General Manager Les Snead have repeatedly said they refuse to rush Goff onto the field before he’s ready, and they’re not going to live by artificial deadlines to force him into the starting lineup. The unusual story of the Rams’ return, and all the hype surrounding it, to some degree has afforded them the ability to take their time.
In L.A., as in Denver, fans are much more willing to tolerate a marginally satisfactory situation if they know a promising solution is in the works. For instance, there would be a lot more complaints about the Coliseum — insufficient and outdated when the Raiders left 22 years ago — absent the anticipation of a glistening new Hollywood Park stadium in 2019.
The Rams and Broncos have identified their quarterbacks of the future. But these are in-progress construction sites. Not just helmets, but hardhats, too.
Rest assured, Denver is still awash in orange. Only now it’s all traffic cones and caution tape.
[email protected] | http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-broncos-farmer-20160827-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/e563138eca4d5d4af61dce03c072df7c213e55cd4dfe364e71ba89aae39bacad.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Nina Revoyr"
]
| 2016-08-28T12:49:07 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fop-ed%2Fla-oe-revoyr-diversity-in-the-wilderness-20160828-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0eb12/turbine/la-oe-revoyr-diversity-in-the-wilderness-20160828-snap | en | null | What's missing when you hike the California backcountry? People of color | null | null | www.latimes.com | Last month, two friends and I backpacked for a week in the Sierra Nevada. We hiked through meadows dotted with wildflowers, slept beneath snow-draped peaks and met plenty of other hikers: the dad and son whose Green Bay Packers caps sparked a conversation about our mutual ties to Wisconsin; scientists from UC Santa Cruz studying flowers and rock formations; five recent college grads from Kentucky who were hiking the John Muir Trail before they scattered to begin their adult lives.
But as the days passed, I grew increasingly troubled by the people we didn’t meet. There were a few Asian hikers, including a couple of hapas like me (I’m half Japanese and half Polish) and one of my friends was half-Iranian, but not a single backpacker who was Latino or African American.
This near-total absence of people of color — which I’ve noticed on past trips as well — was particularly striking because it was such a contrast to my everyday life. I live and work in Los Angeles. The majority of people in my working life are Latino, African American or Asian, and the people in my personal life, including my Mexican American spouse, are reflective of the city’s population. And yet, a few hours’ drive from Los Angeles, there was hardly a person of color to be found. We were on public lands — including Kings Canyon National Park — but the people enjoying them weren’t representative of the public.
This month, as the National Park Service celebrates its centennial, it is publicizing efforts to increase the diversity of its visitors — who according to its own survey are nearly 80% white — as well as its staff. Mainstream environmental groups like the Sierra Club, which recently hired its first director of diversity, equity and inclusion, are trying to counter the impression that the outdoors is a privileged domain for white people. One take on this problem is the biting video short “Black Hiker,” in which Blair Underwood’s nature-loving character is tracked and photographed by whites who are stunned, delighted and a little confused to find a black man in their midst.
There are reasons, of course, why people of color are underrepresented in the backcountry. For many, the wilderness, historically, is dangerous territory. Escaped slaves passed through forests full of danger, much of it posed by other people. Mexican and Japanese immigrants and African American sharecroppers worked to exhaustion in the fields. These brutal histories may help explain why some groups might not be drawn to the idea of spending time — let alone sleeping — outdoors.
Yet it’s simplistic and inaccurate to think that people of color don’t appreciate nature. The trails in Griffith Park and above Pasadena are filled with hikers who look like Los Angeles. On weekends, the city's biggest parks and its other outdoor venues are enjoyed by families of all ethnicities and races.
My own relationship with nature began in the Midwest. As a child, I was sent from Tokyo to live with my grandparents in rural Wisconsin. I faced incessant, sometimes violent bullying from the white children in town. To escape, I’d ride my bike out to the country and take solace in the trees and the quiet. Right after college, I moved back to Japan for two years, living in a small mountain town where everyone hiked and rode bicycles. Behind my apartment was a green jewel of a mountain, and when I scrambled up its slopes, I’d reach a Shinto shrine that offered a view of the entire region. My understanding of the natural world was not something separate from race, but completely entangled with it. Nature was a place of safety from racial targeting; hiking was something that people of color did.
America’s wildest, most beautiful places, though, are still largely white. One way to change that is simple exposure: Blair Underwood likes hiking because he was introduced to it as a kid. Respondents to the Park Service survey cited expense as a barrier, but lack of knowledge about the parks was an even bigger one.
Absent a family tradition of spending time in nature, would-be visitors may need translators or guides who make the parks and wilderness areas accessible. Shelton Johnson, an African American ranger at Yosemite, teaches visitors about Buffalo Soldiers. Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors and Asian Outdoors — nonprofit organizations — link people of color to nature. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts teach outdoor skills to diverse groups of young people.
Conscious outreach efforts would also make a difference. “We've got kids all across this country who never see a park,” President Obama said when he and his family were photographed at Yosemite in June. “We have to change that.” Outreach efforts should recognize that, for many minority groups, nature as a backdrop for family activities is a better sell than adrenaline-soaked adventure language about “conquering mountains.”
And then there is the matter of safety. In some rural areas, there is reason to be cautious. Last year, a black family at a campsite in Nevada County was terrorized by a drunken white camper yelling racial epithets and wielding a shovel. In July, my friends and I spent the first night of our trip near a pack station where a truck owned by one of the staff sported a Confederate flag in its window. I’ve never faced or witnessed a racial incident in the backcountry, but I’ve definitely seen racist expressions in the jumping-off towns, which reinforce the idea that the wilderness isn’t safe for everyone.
Connecting people of color with nature matters because the very existence of the nation's public lands is threatened if they aren’t enjoyed by a broad cross-section of our population. It matters because getting “out there” makes people more attuned to issues like green space and pollution back home. And it matters because science confirms that exposure to nature is good for us all. For years I’ve joined groups of South L.A. kids on camping trips, where I’ve watched their spirits unburden, their imaginations bloom, as they escape from city life and in some cases the specter of daily violence.
Finally, diversifying the outdoors matters because equity and access matter. People of color, particularly children of color, deserve the same possibility of beauty and transcendence as white people.
In July, I hiked up the wind-blown mountain passes, through shaded forests, beside alpine lakes. These places are among the loveliest gifts our country has to offer. They belong to us too. | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-revoyr-diversity-in-the-wilderness-20160828-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5539991049924403a7de9457f9b3deead5879c394f19ce408638ddbd2fb142ac.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Ben Poston"
]
| 2016-08-27T00:48:59 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-body-found-at-construction-site-in-irwindale-area-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Body found at dump site in Irwindale may have been accidental death | null | null | www.latimes.com | Authorities said a body found in a dirt pit in the Irwindale area Friday morning may have been the result of an accidental death.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's homicide detectives discovered the body of an adult man about 9 a.m. at the bottom of Manning Pit in the 5100 block of Vincent Avenue in unincorporated Irwindale, according to Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Rouzan. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The body likely was transported to the site in a dump truck from downtown L.A., said Sheriff's Lt. John Corina. There were no signs of trauma or foul play, he said.
The man may have been a transient who climbed into the empty dump truck and became buried in dirt that was being taken to the dump site, Corina said.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
[email protected]
Follow @bposton on Twitter. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-body-found-at-construction-site-in-irwindale-area-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/dfd610457141656ff989cde6ce0215383db0383d16afb6d240088267c01f040e.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T14:49:32 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-amnestydon-fuels-allegations-of-1472475487-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c43b3c/turbine/la-na-trailguide-updates-amnestydon-fuels-allegations-of-1472475487 | en | null | #AmnestyDon takes off online as anti-Trump term | null | null | www.latimes.com | Donald Trump’s recent wavering on his immigration plan came under attack Monday on Twitter with a fresh topic: #amnestyDon.
MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough labeled the Republican nominee “Amnesty Don," and the term took off. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-amnestydon-fuels-allegations-of-1472475487-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/93d2e83901719fd83011af2968eed7edcf01e998b5da231fa737bd40c4c06945.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Harold Meyerson"
]
| 2016-08-26T22:48:47 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fct-charter-school-democrats-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0b42e/turbine/ct-charter-school-democrats-20160826 | en | null | How the charter school lobby is changing the Democratic Party | null | null | www.latimes.com | At a time when Democrats and their party are, by virtually every index, moving left, a powerful center-right pressure group within the liberal universe has nonetheless sprung up. Funded by billionaires and arrayed against unions, it is increasingly contesting for power in city halls and statehouses where Democrats already govern.
That’s not how the charter school lobby is customarily described, I’ll allow, but it’s most certainly what it’s become.
Next year, the progressive mayors of America’s two largest and overwhelmingly Democratic cities – New York’s Bill de Blasio and Los Angeles’ Eric Garcetti – will each stand for reelection. So far, the only visible challenger to Garcetti’s bid is Steve Barr, founder of the Green Dot charter schools. In New York, de Blasio’s critics have suggested that Success Academy Charter Chief Executive Eva Moskowitz would be the candidate most likely to depose the mayor, though Moskowitz has denied any interest in running.
This abrupt elevation (or self-elevation) of today’s charter school entrepreneurs into tomorrow’s civic leaders may seem surprising, but it’s part of a larger pattern.
In California, political action committees funded by charter school backers have become among the largest donors to centrist Democratic state legislators who not only favor expanding charters at the expense of school districts, but also have blocked some of Gov. Jerry Brown’s more liberal initiatives.
In New York’s upcoming primary, such longtime charter supporters as Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to a PAC seeking to unseat several Democratic legislators who’ve defended the role and budget of traditional public schools.
In future decades, historians will have to grapple with how charter schools became the cause celebre of centrist billionaires – from Walton to Bloomberg to Broad – in an age of plutocracy. The historians shouldn’t dismiss the good intentions behind the billionaires’ impulse: the desire to provide students growing up in poverty with the best education possible. But neither should they dismiss their self-exculpation in singling out the deficiencies, both real and exaggerated, of public education as the central reason for the evisceration of the middle class.
If Wal-Mart, the corporation from which Walton derives her wealth, hadn’t compelled its suppliers to make their products abroad to reduce the price of their goods, more public school students’ parents might have the kind of stable employment and adequate incomes that foster learning-friendly upbringings. Despite the fact that our traditional ladders of mobility – decent blue-collar and service sector jobs, unions, cross-class marriages – have largely collapsed, seemingly sentient billionaires insist that teachers and their unions are the main obstacles blocking young people’s escape from poverty.
The poor, or their tribunes, don’t necessarily agree. In the past couple of weeks, both the Movement for Black Lives (50 organizations active in the Black Lives Matter movement) and the NAACP passed resolutions declaring that charter schools increase segregation and leave school districts with both fewer resources and a more challenging student body. While many in minority communities dispute these views, there’s clearly some real skepticism about the merits of charterizing education among the very people it purports to help.
That’s one reason the Steve Barrs and Eva Moskowitzes aren’t likely to be supplanting their mayors next year. But the charter advocates don’t need to win the high-visibility offices to prevail. By spending sufficiently to shift the composition of Democratic caucuses in legislatures, city councils or school boards to the right, they can undermine public education. Whether they mean to or not, by backing more conservative Democrats, they can also impede unrelated progressive initiatives for greater environmental protections and worker rights. And by making Democratic elected officials even more dependent on the mega-donations of the 1%, they make campaign finance reform all the harder to win.
In their mix of good intentions and self-serving blindness, the billionaire education reformers have much in common with some of the upper-class progressives of a century ago, another time of great wealth and pervasive poverty. Some of those progressives, in the tradition of Jane Addams, genuinely sought to diminish the economy’s structural inequities, but others focused more on the presumed moral deficiencies and lack of discipline of the poor. Whatever the merits of charters, the very rich who see them as the great equalizer are no closer to the mark than their Gilded Age predecessors who preached temperance as the answer to squalor.
Los Angeles Times
Harold Meyerson is executive editor of the American Prospect. He is a contributing writer to Opinion. | http://www.latimes.com/ct-charter-school-democrats-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/259ecc5a985eb24b45b55922ce39991aefbc1c4480173e463843593444ce1d1d.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Liesl Bradner"
]
| 2016-08-27T12:48:57 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Farts%2Fla-ca-et-gil-mares-20160810-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bdf35b/turbine/la-ca-et-gil-mares-20160810-snap | en | null | For photographer Gil Mares, the Port of L.A. is his supermodel | null | null | www.latimes.com | Gil Mares’ striking photographs may appear at first glance as abstract expressionist paintings of the 1940s and ’50s, but upon closer inspection, the saturated hues and sleek, minimalist lines are the steel sides of cargo ships and freighters.
His compositions of hulls, anchors and bows form the heart of “Shipping Out: The Photography of Gil Mares,” going on view at the Michael Stearns Studio 347 in San Pedro on Sept. 1.
SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter »
Born at the Presidio in San Francisco, Mares began collecting art books at age 18. He was captivated by the bold colors of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí and the planes of analytical cubism, but it was of the stark work of Edward Weston that made the biggest impression.
A Los Angeles County public defender for 26 years, Mares didn’t start photographing ships until 1999, when a colleague took him out into the Los Angeles harbor.
Mares was immediately drawn to the worn hulls and rusted anchors. “They had gouges and scrapes like the battles scars of a great whale,” he said. “It was like I struck a gold mine in color and form.”
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. Caption Director Andrew Ahn on his new film, 'Spa Night' Actor Joe Seo and director Andrew Ahn discuss what inspired the new film "Spa Night." Actor Joe Seo and director Andrew Ahn discuss what inspired the new film "Spa Night."
Boat paint keeps the saltwater from quickly corroding a ship’s exterior, but the paint can be expensive — so sometimes the handiest color must do. For Mares, mismatched shades create an illuminating blend of reflections, resulting in minimalist geometric patterns and textures. Numbers and cryptic markings on the vessels add subtle, painterly details.
“Hull Reflections” is a luminous scene with exacting horizontal layers of brilliant color.
“The interplay of the water, ship and light make the brightly covered hulls appear delicate, even transparent,” Mares said of the reflecting bands of turquoise, amethyst, deep purple and silver.
Captured in “Organic Hull”: A machine had just finished scraping the ship clean, leaving raw stripes on the bulbous hull. It looked something like a giant sci-fi mollusk.
“My photography is really all about composing what I see on the water,” Mares said. “Is it simple and balanced, but most of all: Does it capture the attention of the viewers? That’s what it all about.”
Follow The Times’ arts team @culturemonster.
ALSO
David Burnett's Olympics photography: The poetry of sport, written in pictures
Georgia O'Keeffe's early watercolor paintings: Vivid, free-wheeling and full of surprise
Drones see the world in a way human photographers can't: See Dronestagram's winning contest photos | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-et-gil-mares-20160810-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b0c2959ac1fe6ffe3c892a3b5cc5cc0383b7da202ccff8e1102a800eeceac585.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Alioune Tine"
]
| 2016-08-29T10:49:39 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fglobal-development%2Fla-fg-global-liberia-human-rights-oped-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf6df5/turbine/la-fg-global-liberia-human-rights-oped-snap | en | null | Liberia must learn to honor the rights of rural residents to manage their own land | null | null | www.latimes.com | Liberia, the first African country to declare itself a republic and one of three African nations to take part in the establishment and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, is on the brink of its own landmark achievement in human rights. Internal peace and security is within sight, an amazing vision after the recent Ebola epidemic devastated a country still scarred by decades of civil war.
But to get there, Liberia’s national legislature must overcome the bane of African politics everywhere — conflict caused by rapacious and uninhibited economic development and the ensuing human rights violations.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, six years after her election, for guiding the country through the early stages of recovery. The country’s infrastructure had been demolished by two civil wars that killed hundreds of thousands of people between 1989 and 2003.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia in 2005. John Moore / Getty Images Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia in 2005. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia in 2005. (John Moore / Getty Images)
However, the current economic model of transferring land to foreign investors on a massive scale fails to acknowledge the rights of rural communities to collectively own and manage their territories. These foreign investments rarely deliver their promise of shared economic development, and instead impoverish the very people they claim to help.
Some 40% of Liberia is under concessions for logging, oil and mining. While these lands may appear empty on government maps, they are home to millions. A recent analysis by the Munden Group of 237 mining and agriculture concessions in Liberia found that all had established communities in their midst.
The ancestors of the people in these rural communities have lived on and farmed this land since before Liberia became a republic in 1847 — long before Sirleaf’s government took power and before the dictatorships and civil wars that wreaked havoc across the country.
These people rely on the lands as a source of food and shelter, as well as the foundation of their culture and spirituality. Having survived so much, these people now face the prospect of losing their homes to multinational corporations. True economic development would instead improve the lives of people in these communities, rather than displace them.
The remnants of a community cemetery in a Sinoe County, Liberia, are shown. Dan Klotz / Burness The remnants of a community cemetery in a Sinoe County, Liberia, are shown. The remnants of a community cemetery in a Sinoe County, Liberia, are shown. (Dan Klotz / Burness)
Palm oil in particular has been a flashpoint in Liberia, with the government giving international corporations license to establish industrial plantations and handle the local communities as they see fit. This economic model has been tried in Indonesia, where it devastated the environment, failed to increase rural employment, and resulted in Indonesians losing their homes and livelihoods. Liberia’s experience is proving no different.
Without secure rights, the countryside risks a resurgence of violent conflict. In Sinoe County in southeastern Liberia, the backlash from one palm oil development triggered a riot so severe that Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf, a nephew of President Sirleaf, had to be smuggled away from an angry mob in the back of a company vehicle.
The Land Rights Act, introduced in the Liberian Legislature in 2014, aims to rectify these problems and secure the rights of Liberia’s people. The legislation was drawn from Liberia’s progressive Land Rights Policy, which was written in consultation with civil society and affirms that the government should respect the customary rights of its citizens. Sirleaf has promised to see the legislation become law.
If the Legislature passes the bill as introduced, without watering down its key provisions, no African country would have a stronger embrace of Article 17 of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, which defines the right for individuals or communities to own property. The Land Rights Act would recognize the rights of millions of Liberians to own the land that they have lived and worked on for generations. The act would also recognize the rights of communities to collectively own and manage their ancestral territory.
Liberia was one of only three African countries to sign the U.N. declaration when it was ratified in 1948. This is an opportunity for the country to once again lead the international community in embracing the most basic human rights.
Alioune Tine is the regional director for West and Central Africa for Amnesty International. Amnesty International Alioune Tine is the regional director for West and Central Africa for Amnesty International. Alioune Tine is the regional director for West and Central Africa for Amnesty International. (Amnesty International)
The problem of land ownership and community rights is not limited to Liberia, of course. We see this throughout West Africa — from Senegal to Mali — and land grabs take place all over the world. Many of these countries are going through their own land reform processes. If Liberia passes a progressive Land Rights Act, it could be a model for the rest of the region, and indeed the world.
In Kenya, entire communities have been forcibly relocated to preserve the upstream sources of drinking water for urban populations. In Nepal, a broad swath of forestland is being emptied of its inhabitants in the name of conservation. In the Peruvian Andes, enormous mines have been excavated where indigenous communities had lived for centuries. And in Brazil, large swaths of the Amazon are being cleared — along with the indigenous peoples who live there — to make room for enormous hydropower projects.
All these countries, and many more, can benefit from seeing Liberia step forward and recognize land ownership as a basic human right. But if the Land Rights Act is not passed before the end of the Legislature’s current session, Tuesday, it is not just a matter of waiting until next year. Election periods in Africa are often tense affairs, especially in countries still scarred by civil war. The act would likely linger through the election, and be left to a new government that may or may not take action.
Rather than waiting to find out, Liberia’s Legislature should pass the Land Rights Act without further delay. This is an opportunity for Liberia to build its economy sustainably, secure the human rights of its populace, and prevent a slide back into devastating conflict. Tomorrow might just be too late.
Alioune Tine is Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa. | http://www.latimes.com/world/global-development/la-fg-global-liberia-human-rights-oped-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/bc75ba538c35357a03fe6362afc449a9a50e109c7ef625286c903ab80e0db383.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Christie D'Zurilla"
]
| 2016-08-30T14:49:33 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fla-et-mg-guy-pearce-baby-carice-van-houten-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Guy Pearce and Carice van Houten welcome a baby boy, say they plan to 'keep him' | null | null | www.latimes.com | Guy Pearce and Carice van Houten are now parents, The Times has confirmed — and their first-time baby announcement is equal parts cute and quirky.
“A cute little package arrived and told us his name's Monte Pearce,” the “Memento” actor tweeted Monday. “We think we're gonna keep him. Placenta smoothie anyone?”
Aww! And, um, eww …
“Both Carice and Monte are doing very well,” said a rep for Van Houten, the Dutch actress who plays Melisandre on “Game of Thrones. The baby was born last week, though they’re keeping the exact birth date “L.A. Confidential” for now.
Cute fact: When the couple announced in March that they were expecting a child, they were already anticipating some “shadowbaby” jokes. “GoT” fans will understand why.
Aussie actor Pearce, 48, and Van Houten, who turns 40 next week, worked together on the Western thriller "Brimstone,” which will premiere next month at the Venice Film Festival.
They sparked relationship rumors early this year when were photographed grocery shopping together in Los Angeles, E! News reported. In January 2015, Pearce split from Kate Mestitz, his high school sweetheart, following 18 years of marriage. That couple announced their divorce last October.
Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.
ALSO
Anna Chlumsky welcomes her second daughter with husband Shaun So
Homeland Security is investigating nude-photo cyberattack on Leslie Jones
Teyana Taylor is the star of Kanye West's 'Fade' video — and a whole lot more | http://www.latimes.com/la-et-mg-guy-pearce-baby-carice-van-houten-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/52c68f2341c958bc69cc48ae30114d5faa5810042365b1f98065e969b04f3fe4.json |
[
"La Cañada",
"Sara Cardine"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:15:59 | null | 2016-08-10T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fla-canada-valley-sun%2Fnews%2Ftn-vsl-me-super-20160810-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57abaa78/turbine/tn-vsl-me-super-20160810 | en | null | 'Super scooper' planes, on loan from Canada, bolster local firefighters' aerial arsenal | null | null | www.latimes.com | Although two "super scooper" firefighting airplanes on loan through a leasing agreement with Quebec's Ministry of Transportation have yet to be called to their first local assignment, La Cañada's mayor says he's grateful for backup in an earlier-than-usual fire season.
The fixed-wing, amphibious Canadair Bombardier LC-415s landed at Van Nuys Airport on Saturday from Quebec, just four days after Los Angeles County Supervisor's voted to renew a five-year, $41.25-million contract with Canada's Ministry of Transportation to bolster the aerial arsenal maintained by the county Fire Department.
Battalion Chief Doug LaCount, air operations chief for L.A. County Fire, said the craft are intended to augment the department's regular fleet, which comprises eight helicopters of varying size that use snorkels and an onboard pump system to refill tanks carrying up to 1,000 gallons of water.
"We bring them in this time of year because this is the time we get our largest fires, historically," he said Tuesday. "We lease them from Quebec, and they're government-owned, so it depends on what [Canada's] fire season is like, too."
According to the regular terms of the contract, the planes are to be leased for a 90-day period to begin Sept. 1, with an option to extend the length of the lease on either end in the event of "extreme climate conditions." Last year L.A. County Fire Department leased four super scoopers from Oct. 2 through November. In 2013, the two planes on lease were kept into January.
Canadian 'super scooper' Richard Vogel / AP One of two Super Scooper firefighting aircrafts arrive on lease from Quebec to the Van Nuys airport in Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. The large water tankers, that can carry up to 1,600 gallons of water, arrived about three weeks earlier than usual. They will be operational on Monday. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) One of two Super Scooper firefighting aircrafts arrive on lease from Quebec to the Van Nuys airport in Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. The large water tankers, that can carry up to 1,600 gallons of water, arrived about three weeks earlier than usual. They will be operational on Monday. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) (Richard Vogel / AP) (Richard Vogel / AP)
This year, due to what officials believe is a hotter, riskier season, the planes were brought in nearly one month earlier than the regular term on a 120-day contract that will run through early December, LaCount reported.
La Cañada Flintridge Mayor Jon Curtis said Tuesday city officials were appreciative of the county's commitments to keeping residents and their homes safe from the dangers of fires that seem to have hit San Gabriel Mountain communities earlier this year.
"I'm so pleased and excited the county re-upped the contract for the super scoopers," Curtis said, recalling the city's dependence on such efforts during the 2009 Station fire. "If we had not had the resources of the L.A. County Fire Department and other agencies jumping in, it could have been a real disaster for La Cañada Flintridge."
The cost of keeping that high level of commitment is fairly steep. The contract stipulates the county will pay $539,880 for the first 30 days of each annual lease, and an additional $12,000 for every day thereafter. The operational cost for each hour of flying time is $1,079.
LaCount said super scoopers are able to carry more than 1,500 gallons of water apiece. They're initially filled inside the hangar and ready to go, and can reload by scooping up water from a designated water source, most likely the ocean or a nearby lake, in a matter of seconds.
"They fly together in tandem," LaCount said of the planes. "It packs a really good one-two punch, because they usually drop [sequentially]. So you'll get about 3,000 gallons there between the two aircraft coming in."
According to county Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who posted news of the contract renewal in an Aug. 2 blog post, leasing the aircraft instead of buying them allows the county to pay on and as-needed basis and ensures the fire department has the most cutting-edge technology at its avail.
Curtis said Tuesday with foothill communities like Duarte, Azusa and Santa Clarita hit by blazes well before the typical August or September fire season, knowing the super scoopers are ready and waiting to go is a relief.
"It's really important, from a city, state and county perspective, to have those large resources, so you can hit these fires hard," the mayor said. | http://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/news/tn-vsl-me-super-20160810-story.html | en | 2016-08-10T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b0ba83a798e1e8da9377bc61b3f5a9b0ae5f4bf32afd44bb3081814e870e48cc.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"The Times Editorial Board"
]
| 2016-08-29T12:49:54 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorials%2Fla-ed-good-bills-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0c705/turbine/la-ed-good-bills-20160826-snap | en | null | Overtime for farmworkers, a ban on elephant bullhooks and other bills that should become law in California | null | null | www.latimes.com | It’s make or break time for proposed new state laws as the Legislature rushes to finish its latest two-year session and adjourn until December. To have a chance of becoming law, bills must be approved by both chambers before the end of the day Wednesday. Then there is still the formidable obstacle of Gov. Jerry Brown’s veto pen.
A number of bills that deserve to become law face an uncertain fate in the coming days. Here are a few of them.
AB 1066
There always seems to be at least one big end-of-session fight. This year it is over the bill to make overtime rules fairer for farmworkers.
Less generous rules for farmworkers are a legacy of the Depression-era laws that established minimum wage and overtime protections. Current law entitles them to overtime pay only after they work a longer day — 10 hours — than other employees, and allows agricultural employers to demand longer workweeks. The proposed new rules would gradually shorten the hours required before overtime pay kicks in until it reaches the standard eight-hour day by 2022, as well as phasing in a standard 40-hour workweek.
It sounds reasonable, right? But the bill failed earlier this year, as Assembly members representing agriculture-heavy districts balked at raising farmers’ costs. Helped by Senate allies, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) resurrected the proposal in a bill that the Senate then passed. The measure now returns to the Assembly for a tough vote on Monday. Even lawmakers from farming districts should stop defending an unfair policy that treats farmworkers as a labor underclass.
SB 1046
A pilot program in three California counties, including Los Angeles, requires people who’ve been convicted of driving under the influence to equip their vehicles with devices that prevent the vehicles from starting if the devices detect alcohol on the driver’s breath. Since then, the roads have been safer. It’s time to make the program permanent and take it statewide, as SB 1046 would do. It has been passed by the Legislature, but it remains to be seen whether Brown will do the right thing and sign it.
AB 72
This measure would protect hospital patients from being surprised with huge bills from doctors who aren’t part of their health insurer’s network. This bill, which has been resisted by some physician groups, would require out-of-network doctors to obtain a patient’s permission at least a day before providing non-emergency treatment at an in-network hospital or clinic. It’s a reasonable middle ground in the ongoing struggle between what insurers want to pay and what providers want to be paid. It still needs a floor vote in the Senate this week.
SB 1190
This hard-fought bill, which would ban back-channel communication with the California Coastal Commission as it considers development applications, would help restore faith in a board accused of being overly susceptible to developers’ influence. It temporarily stalled after it was amended in an Assembly committee earlier this month, and supporters initially feared that advocates of coastal development had gutted it. But it is back on track and needs a full vote of the Assembly this week.
Lifting the school reserve cap
This legislation has no bill number because it doesn’t actually exist yet. There was a bi-partisan bill earlier this year — SB 799 by Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) — to increase the burdensome savings cap that prevents school district from setting aside adequate reserves for unforeseen expenses. Opposition from the California Teachers Assn., which argued that school districts had built excessive reserves to hide money that should have been spent in classrooms, helped kill the legislation in committee for the second time in two years. The two sides have been working on a compromise this summer, and legislative leaders ought to pressure them to strike one.
SB 1062
This measure would forbid the use of bullhooks on elephants. The cruel device, which resembles a fire poker, is used to pull, prod, or strike an elephant — or just brandished as a threat — while handling the animal. Such tactics have become unacceptable over the years, and no accredited California zoos allow bullhooks anymore.
Nevertheless, Brown vetoed a similar bill last year because he believed it unnecessarily created a new crime. This bill solves that problem by making use of the bullhook a violation of the Fish and Game Code.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-good-bills-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/778d7dba1d8b9a7b9618b31d30cf3af0554901b70be9a7477d19fd850ba938d9.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-29T00:49:39 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fla-fg-colombia-farc-20160828-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3690b/turbine/la-fg-colombia-farc-20160828-snap | en | null | After more than 50 years of conflict, Colombia's FARC rebels are laying down arms | null | null | www.latimes.com | The commander of Colombia's biggest rebel movement said Sunday that its fighters will permanently cease hostilities with the government beginning with the first minute of Monday, as a result of their peace accord ending one of the world's longest-running conflicts.
Rodrigo Londono, leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, made the announcement in Havana, where the two sides negotiated for four years before announcing the peace deal Wednesday.
“Never again will parents be burying their sons and daughters killed in the war,” said Londono, who is also known as Timoleon Jimenez, or Timoshenko. “All rivalries and grudges will remain in the past.”
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced Friday that his military would cease attacks on the FARC beginning Monday.
Colombia is expected to hold a national referendum Oct. 2 to give voters the chance to approve the deal for ending half a century of political violence that has claimed more than 220,000 lives and driven more than 5 million people from their homes
After the agreement is signed, FARC guerrillas are supposed to begin handing their weapons over to United Nations-sponsored monitors. | http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-colombia-farc-20160828-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/6ed831c31328cc06f357fda2284043e739195fe1c4d8de8174dac8545a553626.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Shashank Bengali"
]
| 2016-08-30T10:49:53 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fla-fg-iran-airlines-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf8cbe/turbine/la-fg-iran-airlines-snap | en | null | Why Iran is desperate for U.S. passenger planes, but can't have them | null | null | www.latimes.com | Behrooz Ghamari recalled flying in Iran aboard a moldering, Russian-made Tupolev jet, a workhorse of the country’s beleaguered passenger fleet.
“When you’re taking off, the pilot says, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, trembling and shaking is normal,’” said Ghamari, a history professor at the University of Illinois.
“And when it’s taking off, the whole plane shakes like mad. It was so scary. The planes are so heavy, it’s like they are made of steel. It was bizarre to think these machines fly.”
They weren’t airborne in Iran for much longer. That flight was in 2009. Two years later, Iran grounded the country’s 23 Tupolev jets after a series of crashes.
Airplanes are mothballed at the international airport in Tehran. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times Airplanes are mothballed at the international airport in Tehran. Airplanes are mothballed at the international airport in Tehran. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Iran’s reliance on an aircraft that has been banned from Western airports for years — in part because of its engine noise, which one enthusiast described as “vacuum-cleaner-meets-rotary-phone-ringing” — showed how badly its commercial aviation sector was hobbled by U.S. sanctions.
Since the 1979 hostage crisis in Tehran, U.S. trade restrictions have barred the sale of American-made aircraft and parts to Iran. European sanctions instituted more recently to discourage Iran’s nuclear program further limited what Iran could purchase. Today, Iran operates one of the world’s oldest passenger fleets and has managed to keep flying mainly with aging Russian jets and some U.S.-made planes it purchased through third-party dealers in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia — probably in violation of U.S. laws.
When sanctions were eased in January after Iran certified that it had shelved its nuclear program, Tehran immediately opened talks with Boeing Co. and the European manufacturer Airbus to buy hundreds of aircraft. The deals — potentially worth tens of billions of dollars — represent the biggest commercial result of the nuclear accord.
“Airplanes have real political and symbolic significance for the Iranian government,” Ghamari said. “Whenever ordinary people and politicians referred to how immoral and cruel these sanctions are, they brought up the example of the Iranian airlines and their aging commercial fleet.”
Iranian officials have long argued that U.S. sanctions forced its aviation industry to rely on outdated jets, making air travel less safe for civilians. Iran has one of the world’s worst air safety records; since 1979, 1,672 people have died in 92 aircraft-related accidents in the country, according to the Flight Safety Foundation.
Whenever ordinary people and politicians referred to how immoral and cruel these sanctions are, they brought up the example of the Iranian airlines. — Behrooz Ghamari, a history professor at the University of Illinois
In June, Iran announced that it had reached a $25-billion agreement to purchase or lease more than 100 aircraft from Chicago-based Boeing — the biggest U.S. business deal with Iran since Washington cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 1979.
But Republican opponents of the nuclear deal in the House of Representatives approved legislation in July to block the sale. In a letter to Boeing, two Republican lawmakers cited accusations that Iran’s commercial aviation sector has been used to funnel troops and weapons to terrorist organizations and dictators such as Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“These terrorist groups and rogue regimes have American blood on their hands,” the letter said. “Your potential customers do as well.”
Although President Obama has said he would veto any attempt to stop the sale, in the heat of an election campaign in which Republicans are eager to paint Democrats as soft on Iran, it seems unlikely that any planes will be delivered before November.
Boeing representatives continue to travel to Tehran for meetings with Iranian aviation officials, most recently in early August at the former Sheraton hotel. Iranian officials say they have an agreement in principle, but cite the delay as evidence that the U.S. isn’t living up to its end of the nuclear pact.
“It is certainly a violation of [the agreement] and we will confront it,” Iran’s nuclear negotiator, Hamid Baeidinejad, said in July.
Some analysts say Iran can’t afford the planes and lacks the technicians and airport space to operate them.
Patrick Clawson, director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote last month that the more than 100 Boeing aircraft, plus a similar number Iran wants to purchase from Airbus, together exceed the entire fleet of Air France — which operates in a country that has seven times the number of air travelers as Iran.
But the Boeing deal is important symbolically for moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who is expected to seek reelection next year in part by arguing that he has improved Iran’s relations with the West.
“They are using this to strengthen connections with the U.S.,” said Fariborz Raisdana, an independent economic analyst in Tehran.
“But I hope they come to their senses. They need to find a solution that is pro-people, not pro-West.”
Iran’s aviation industry says the deal would stabilize the country by bringing jobs, stimulating a moribund economy and promoting tourism across a land four times the size of California, with a roster of historic and religious sites.
Mehdi Hamidanpour, managing director of Iran Airtour airlines, hopes Iran will soon seal an agreement to purchase new planes from U.S. manufacturer Boeing. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times Mehdi Hamidanpour, managing director of Iran Airtour airlines, hopes Iran will soon seal an agreement to purchase new planes from U.S. manufacturer Boeing. Mehdi Hamidanpour, managing director of Iran Airtour airlines, hopes Iran will soon seal an agreement to purchase new planes from U.S. manufacturer Boeing. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Iran Airtour, a quasi-private airline, is down to half a dozen aircraft after its Tupolevs were grounded. Its remaining planes are all McDonnell Douglas jets more than two decades old. Still, the carrier manages to squeeze out 800 flights a month, an average of four per plane per day.
Managing director Mehdi Hamidanpour called the Boeing delay “illogical.”
“They’re prolonging a process that is very simple,” Hamidanpour said. “There’s a buyer and there’s a seller. When Washington wants to pass new sanctions, they do it in 10 minutes. So why is buying a plane so hard?”
[email protected]
Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia | http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-iran-airlines-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/fe8ebe4a5feaba5e172f2151f1a456f636a6bf56ce51fae1ae884596901204ed.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Laura J. Nelson",
"Dan Weikel",
"Ruben Vives"
]
| 2016-08-30T02:50:00 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-lax-evacuation-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4d16c/turbine/la-me-lax-evacuation-20160829-snap | en | null | Panic, chaos at LAX, JFK show how even false reports of violence can upend airport operations | null | null | www.latimes.com | The chaos appears to have started Sunday evening when an actor wearing a mask and a black cloak, and carrying what appeared to be a sword, walked into the arrival level of Terminal 7 at Los Angeles International Airport.
Police detained the man at gunpoint, but released him after finding that the sword was plastic. By then, authorities had started to receive reports of gunfire at multiple terminals.
Hundreds of panicked passengers stampeded into the street and onto the tarmac. Flight operations on the south side of the airport came to a halt for half an hour. More than two dozen aircraft were diverted to other airports and 281 flights were delayed.
No active shooter was found. But the incident marked the second time in two weeks that a major international airport was paralyzed by false reports of gunfire.
Airport officials and security experts said the LAX incident and a shutdown at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport this month show how difficult it can be to control mass panic.
For all the investments in post-9/11 security improvements and training, the confusion and chaos stemming from a false report of violence can actually be harder to handle than dealing with a gunman, officials say. The hunt for a gunman takes much longer when there is no one to find.
“To keep people calm, you’d like to say that there’s nothing going on, but you don’t know that, and you can’t say that,” said Brian Jenkins, a security and terrorism expert at Rand Corp., the Santa Monica think tank. “People do unpredictable things in panic situations.”
Americans have become so aware of mass public shootings, particularly in airports, that in a moment of chaos, they are prepared to believe that they’re facing one, Jenkins said. An umbrella in a man’s hands can become a rifle; the bang of a suitcase hitting the ground, a gunshot.
“Plausibility is the enemy here. The perception is that it’s real. At that point, anything can reinforce that perception,” he added.
During the first crucial minutes after reports of an active shooter, police typically focus on moving crowds out of harm’s way and searching for the gunman. In an airport, that often leaves thousands of passengers stranded in an unfamiliar location, confused and afraid.
Sunday’s chaos marked the first time that LAX officials have tested recommendations made three years ago, after a gunman at Terminal 3 killed a Transportation Security Administration officer and wounded several others.
The response to the 2013 shooting was hampered by poor communication between law enforcement agencies and with the public, officials later found. Authorities proposed a host of changes to the airport’s policies and systems, including better radio equipment, double-checking emergency phones in terminals and creating special teams to help stranded passengers.
Mike Bonin, a Los Angeles City Councilman whose district includes LAX, said he will seek another report on how well the airport has made those changes, including whether vendors at restaurants and kiosks were included in the emergency response, and whether intercoms and digital signboards shared adequate updates with travelers.
The first reports of gunfire came at about 8:40 p.m. Sunday, from Terminal 8. Police dispatched officers to the scene and set up a command post that worked directly with the airport’s operations center, authorities said.
Sparked by panic and posts on social media, reports of gunfire began coming from as far away as Terminal 1.
Videos shared on Twitter and Facebook showed passengers hurrying along the sidewalks near the curbside drop-off area, pulling suitcases and holding on to children. When the crowd’s pace began to slow, one man screamed, "Come on, run!"
“It was a difficult and dynamic situation,” airport Police Chief Dave Maggard said. “We received dozens of calls, and the calls moved from terminal to terminal, which made it more challenging to determine what the threat was.”
Armed police checked every terminal, a process that took more than an hour, but found no evidence of a gunman.
In the weeks ahead, airport police and LAX officials will explore the causes of the panic and comprehensively assess the response, looking for ways to provide accurate information faster to the public and passengers.
“There’s always a need for improvement,” said Edward Bushman, the director of emergency management at LAX, adding that officials have worked “diligently” for the last three years to improve response times and communication. “All in all, I think we did a pretty good job.”
Douglas Lee, 41, was waiting to board a Southwest Airlines flight to Albuquerque when a crowd of people ran toward him, panic on their faces.
Lee heard a repeated “bam, bam, bam,” as suitcases fell to the floor. A girl of about 10 tripped and fell in the crowd, and adults swept along in the mob began to jump over her, sometimes kicking her in the back.
They moved with such intent, Lee said, that he was certain they were running from something — perhaps a bomb, or a chemical attack. His wife, thinking it was a gunman, placed herself in front of their 12-year-old son.
“People were terrified,” Lee said. His family rushed through a set of double-doors, down two flights of stairs, and onto the tarmac. Like many travelers, he opened Twitter and posted a photo, showing hundreds of people stranded on the tarmac.
Unconfirmed reports that spread on social media “can obviously contribute to alarm,” Jenkins said. “At the same time, it is the way the authorities can communicate back to the people.”
Workers were dispatched to provide information to passengers, authorities said. Messages went up on social media and on signs inside and outside the terminals, and officials pushed alerts to smartphones within a five-mile radius of the airport.
One message, sent just after 10 p.m., read, "No active shooter at LAX. Shelter-in-place. Repopulation to begin soon."
Lee and his family had been back inside the airport for more than a half-hour when they received the message. Others pointed out that news outlets and L.A. officials had dispelled the rumor on social media by then. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-lax-evacuation-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/ee0b9147b04e0538b5d9c6bd83b9a9f7c59775f3db5aa7a8c9712f46407d35e8.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"W.J. Hennigan",
"Brian Bennett"
]
| 2016-08-27T12:49:07 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fct-us-intel-weakened-islamic-state-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c179ab/turbine/ct-us-intel-weakened-islamic-state-20160827 | en | null | U.S. intelligence says Islamic State is weakening after series of defeats | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies now view Islamic State as a shrinking and increasingly demoralized military force, a sharp shift from the seemingly invincible extremist army that declared an Islamist caliphate two years ago.
The revised assessment comes after surprisingly swift and relatively bloodless victories this summer near Syria’s border with Turkey and in the Sunni heartland of Iraq, two areas where Islamic State had appeared entrenched.
The rapid recapture this week of Jarabulus, the militants’ last garrison by the Turkish border, helped close off a boundary region that was crucial for movement of recruits, supplies and money in and out of the group’s quasi-state.
It also was the latest fight to suggest the Sunni militants no longer are willing to fight to hold territory against a sustained assault. Only one fighter was reported killed in the assault led by Turkish tanks. Several hundred others apparently fled.
Partly as a result, U.S. officials have hinted that the long-delayed assault on Mosul, Islamic State’s self-declared capital in Iraq, may be launched this fall. The city of 1 million has been increasingly cut off by advancing Iraqi and Kurdish ground forces.
Michael Knights, Iraq fellow at the nonpartisan Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said taking back Mosul. along with the Syrian towns of Deir ez Zour and Raqqah, will mark the end of the caliphate.
“After the fall of those cities, [Islamic State] will be just another terror group,” he said. “They might be able to throw a couple car bombs in city centers and mount small arms attacks, but they will no longer engage in heavy fighting on a daily basis. In other words, we’ll be back to where we were in 2013.”
But most experts, including U.S. intelligence officials, warn that Islamic State’s ability to inspire or organize terrorist attacks abroad is unimpaired — and may be even pose a greater threat as foreign sympathizers are unable to reach the cut-off caliphate.
“Despite the progress, it is our judgment that [the group’s] ability to carry out terrorist attacks… has not to date been significantly diminished,” Nicholas Rasmussen, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, told the House Homeland Security Committee recently.
Militants still detonate car bombs or launch suicide attacks each night in Baghdad. They could devolve into the kind of sectarian insurgency that turned Iraq into a slaughterhouse after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, or morph into a stateless global terrorist network like Al Qaeda became after 2001.
“I don’t think we’ll ever be able to get rid of their ability to inspire attacks abroad just because they lose territory,” cautioned a U.S. defense official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. “They will continue to operate in the shadows and cause problems.”
As in other insurgencies, militants may be running away from battles now to survive and fight again — at a time and place of their choosing, experts warn. They could be sent to other battles or used as suicide bombers.
Moreover, Islamic State still has vast sway. It controls half the area it seized in Iraq in 2014 and 70% of its territory in Syria, according to U.S. estimates, and continues to haul in millions of dollars from taxes, fees and extortion.
Current U.S. intelligence estimates say the group now fields as few as 16,000 fighters — half its army of a year or so ago, but still a potent force.
But U.S. officials point to undeniable progress two years and more than 14,000 airstrikes after President Obama first ordered a bombing campaign against Islamic State targets.
“The number of fighters on the front line has diminished,” Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, commander of U.S. forces against Islamic State until this week, said in a teleconference from Baghdad. “They've diminished not only in quantity, but also in quality.”
He added, “All I know is when we go someplace, it's easier to go there now than it was a year ago. And the enemy doesn't put up as much of a fight.”
As an example, he said that after U.S.-backed Iraqi forces recaptured Fallouja, key to the Sunni heartland west of Baghdad, in late June, militants fled their former stronghold in a large convoy that coalition aircraft quickly spotted and destroyed.
“They kind of made themselves easy targets for us,” MacFarland said. “I don't think they would have made that mistake a year or two ago.”
Each defeat has added pressure on the militants by cutting off routes used to move arms, supplies and reinforcements. That affects command, unit cohesion and efficiency.
“Now they have to go get somebody and bring them all the way across the desert to reconstitute somebody who gets killed fighting near Ramadi or Haditha or someplace like that,” he said. ”And there's a good chance we'll spot them long before they get there.”
In addition to losing the border towns of Jarabulus and Manbij in northern Syria, the militants have been routed this month in Khalidiyah and Qayyarah in western Iraq. They previously were ousted from Hit, Al Hawl and Rutbah in Iraq.
Islamic State’s overseas operations also are under siege.
Fighting raged from mid-May until last week in Sirte, the group’s stronghold on the coast of Libya. U.S. airstrikes and British commando raids helped Libyan government forces finally retake the battered city.
Elsewhere, Boko Haram, the group’s affiliate in Nigeria, has lost territory to government troops. Islamic State branches in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and in eastern Afghanistan, also have suffered sharp defeats.
“The evidence across the board is the decline of territorial control,” said Seth Jones, a former U.S. counter-terrorism official now with Rand Corp., a nonpartisan think tank based in Santa Monica.
The group “appears to be losing steam on a number of fronts,” he added. “It has impacted recruits, finance and the broader narrative that it is winning.”
But he warned that Islamic State could make a vicious resurgence, much as Al Qaeda did in Iraq, especially if the U.S.-led coalition eases pressure.
“I take this with a huge grain of salt,” he said.
[email protected]
Twitter: @wjhenn | http://www.latimes.com/nation/ct-us-intel-weakened-islamic-state-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/6ece047b0bbb7c28efb7947c70dbc1a770f4301af9cb54b3a40c15eab32374d7.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T02:49:59 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-gov-brown-outlaws-use-of-bullhooks-to-1472519298-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4ee59/turbine/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-gov-brown-outlaws-use-of-bullhooks-to-1472519298 | en | null | Bullhooks to control elephants banned in California | null | null | www.latimes.com | Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed legislation outlawing the use of bullhooks to handle and control elephants in California even as many animal handlers have stopped using the devices.
The measure by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) got a boost after similar measures were adopted in the cities of Los Angeles and Oakland, and after Feld Entertainment announced an end to traveling elephants in the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circuses.
More than 70 Hollywood celebrities including Woody Harrelson, Kim Basinger and Hilary Swank sent Brown a letter urging him to end what they called inhumane treatment of animals.
"California's commitment to the humane treatment of elephants is strengthened today," Lara said. "Banning bullhooks removes cruel and horrific treatment against these kind, gentle animals."
Last year, Brown vetoed a similar measure saying he was concerned it was part of a flurry of bills that was creating more crimes without considering alternatives. Brown declined to comment Monday on why he signed the new bill.
Ed Stewart, president and co-founder of the Performing Animal Welfare Society, which cares for eight elephants at its California sanctuary, said: “By its very design, the bullhook is meant to inflict pain and instill fear. The use of this archaic and inhumane weapon on elephants -- a species that is self-aware, intelligent and emotional -- is abhorrent." | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-gov-brown-outlaws-use-of-bullhooks-to-1472519298-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d8d3e431278019a92d84e7c99c24783b2005fe5ec65b6d28535d0990dc657751.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Joshua Mitnick"
]
| 2016-08-31T00:50:18 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fla-fg-israel-settlements-un-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c601de/turbine/la-fg-israel-settlements-un-20160830-snap | en | null | Israel, U.N. exchange barbs over settlement-building and peace with Palestinians | null | null | www.latimes.com | A U.N. envoy’s statement suggesting Israel’s expansion of Jewish settlements presents an obstacle to peace with Palestinians distorts history, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday.
In a report to the U.N. Security Council in New York, Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov on Monday highlighted a “surge” in Israeli plans to advance 1,700 new housing units in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and efforts to retroactively legalize hilltop settler outposts. The report also accused Israel of stepping up demolitions of Palestinian buildings, and conducting a land survey to identify grounds for a new settlement next to the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.
Palestinians want the West Bank and East Jerusalem for a future state.
“It is difficult to read in these actions a genuine intention to work towards a viable two-state solution,’’ Mladenov, special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said in the report. “This appears to reinforce a policy, carried out over decades, that has enabled over half a million Israelis to settle in territory that was occupied militarily in 1967.”
David Keyes, a spokesman for Netanyahu, said Tuesday that Mladenov’s statement was “distorting history and international law” and that the criticism would make peace efforts harder.
“It is not the presence of Jews, who have lived in the West Bank and Jerusalem for thousands of years, that is a barrier to peace,’’ Keyes said in a statement. “Rather, it is the unceasing efforts to deny that historical connection and a refusal to recognize that Jews are not foreign to Judea,’’ using a biblical term referring to the southern West Bank.
Keyes called criticism of Israeli building in East Jerusalem – areas of the city occupied and annexed following the 1967 Middle East War – “as absurd as saying Americans can’t build in Washington or the French can’t build in Paris.”
The exchange reflects the growing chasm between the international community and Israel’s government over the status of the West Bank. While the settlement building is widely considered illegal and harmful to the peace process, many ministers in Israel’s government are opposed to a Palestinian state and are increasingly calling to annex certain settlements to Israel.
Though Netanyahu says he still supports the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, many foreign leaders point to an interview on the eve of a parliamentary election in 2015 in which he said no such entity would be created if he were returned to office.
The two-year hiatus in peace negotiations and growing Palestinian efforts to pass international resolutions against Israel have fanned speculation in Israel that the U.S. may agree to a formal declaration or measure at the United Nations Security Council critical of Israel.
An advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas applauded Mladenov’s report, but said more needed to be done.
“We need actions more than statements,’’ Husam Zomlot said in an emailed comment. “The Security Council shouldn’t continue to be paralyzed over flagrant and systematic violations of international law committed by Israel.”
The U.N. envoy’s statement comes two months after a report on the state of Israeli-Palestinian relations from the so-called Middle East quartet of peace mediators – the U.S., the United Nations, the European Union and Russia -- also took Israel to task over settlements. The report pointed to large parts of West Bank territory designated for exclusive Israeli use and said Palestinian development on most remaining open land is blocked by Israeli military bureaucracy.
The quartet said the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank excluding East Jerusalem had tripled to 370,000 since the beginning of Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations in 1993 and slammed the settlements as eroding the viability of a Palestinian state. An additional 200,000 Israelis live in neighborhoods of Jerusalem built in areas annexed after 1967.
“This raises the legitimate questions about Israel’s long-term intentions,’’ the report said.
A month ago, a U.S. State Department spokesman called plans to expand an Israeli neighborhood near the southern edge of East Jerusalem as “provocative and counterproductive.’’
Oded Revivi, a spokesman for the umbrella Israeli settlement organization the Yesha Council, said the United Nations criticism was misguided and would not change the situation.
“Half a million Israelis aren’t going anywhere, and its time the international community get used to it,” he said in an email Tuesday.
Mitnick is a special correspondent. | http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-israel-settlements-un-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/18b4ff2ed33224569f3f83080c97058b5de825830a73ad27ead09f8884d9d3ae.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Emily Alpert Reyes"
]
| 2016-08-28T12:49:10 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-granny-flats-20160821-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c08106/turbine/la-me-ln-granny-flats-20160821-snap | en | null | 'Granny flats' left in legal limbo amid City Hall debate | null | null | www.latimes.com | John Gregorchuk had a plan: He would buy a house with ample room in back, enough room to build another unit.
He would rent out that “granny flat” to help cover the mortgage. And then, when he and his girlfriend were ready to marry and start a family, his mother-in-law could move in and help take care of the kids.
It seemed at first that everything was falling into place. Two years ago, he bought a house in Exposition Park. He saved up for a construction loan. He forked over money for city fees and got his plans vetted.
But when he went to pull his building permit earlier this year, the city refused.
A legal battle had stopped Los Angeles from permitting new granny flats – and thrown hundreds of units already tucked behind local homes into limbo.
As the city tries to sort out that dilemma, it has renewed a furious debate at City Hall over what homeowners like Gregorchuk should be able to build in their backyards.
Granny flats – also known as second or accessory dwelling units – have been seen as an easy way to bring more homes for the middle class into crowded cities and chip away at the housing crisis that has driven up Los Angeles rents.
State lawmakers have sought to smooth the approval process so more are built. If granny flats popped up on 10% of the single-family lots in L.A., that would make up roughly half of the 100,000 new units Mayor Eric Garcetti has pledged to create by 2021, said Dana Cuff, director of the CityLab think tank at UCLA. Garcetti has backed them as a way to add housing “without disrupting the character and scale of our residential neighborhoods.”
But some residents fear shoehorning in more granny flats could do exactly that. Neighborhood groups have pushed for the city to retain stricter rules on second units than California law would otherwise impose.
Diana Nave, who chairs the planning committee for the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council, said residents worried that a “free for all” for granny flats could worsen parking and traffic. “We spend all this time making sure we have housing that fits into the neighborhood — and they’re just going to wipe that all out,” Nave said.
With lawmakers split on what to do, the City Council put off taking action last week, infuriating Gregorchuk and other homeowners who had hoped the city would swiftly end their plight.
“They cannot leave 600 people hanging on loose thread,” said Len Judaken, whose son was sued over a unit meant for him in Cheviot Hills.
The legal dilemma centers on a clash between city and state law: Years ago, California passed a law that was meant to smooth the way for granny flats, one that conflicted with city rules that gave planning officials discretion to determine which units would be allowed.
After the state law was passed, city officials decided the municipal ordinance would not apply – but never rolled it back. Six years ago, they penned a memo that said granny flats would be allowed if they were in line with state standards and city zoning.
But after a dispute erupted over a granny flat being built for Judaken in Cheviot Hills, a court ruled that L.A. could not simply disregard its city law without doing the proper analysis. It ordered the city to stop handing out building permits for secondary units that relied on the invalidated memo.
Hundreds of granny flats had gotten city permits under those rules. Planning officials say that when the ruling was handed down, more than 200 people had obtained building permits for second units, but not certificates of occupancy, which allow a building to be legally occupied.
The city said those plans could still move forward, but owners would have to sign a document saying that their granny flats could be vulnerable to a legal challenge. An additional 354 people had already gotten the occupancy certificates but are now left under a “legal cloud,” city planner Matthew Glesne said.
Garen Papazyan, a real estate investor, complained that it was like driving the speed limit one day, then getting a ticket in the mail after the speed limit was lowered. He said he had spent roughly $30,000 so far on a San Fernando Valley unit.
“People did this legally. Now they hear, ‘We as the city screwed up – so you can’t continue,’ ” Papazyan said.
The court ruled that Los Angeles could clear up the legal muddle by amending its old ordinance, or simply repealing it.
City planners had proposed rolling back the city rules. That would allow Los Angeles to fall back on California law, which sets looser rules for granny flats. They also sought to grandfather in backyard units that had gotten city permits in the past.
Relying on the state standards has troubled some neighborhood groups, which want the city to impose its own stricter rules on granny flats to stop “out-of-scale” units. California prohibits cities from requiring a discretionary process to decide which granny flats are allowed — as the old L.A. ordinance did — but it still allows cities to set some local standards for their size and placement.
Turning to the state law is “the easy choice — but it’s a terrible idea,” said Cheviot Hills attorney Carlyle Hall, who spearheaded the lawsuit that forced L.A. to reconsider its rules.
The municipal rules said granny flats could be no larger than 640 square feet, while the state allows them to be nearly twice as large – up to 1,200 square feet. That has alarmed local lawmakers such as Councilman David Ryu, who said speculators could exploit the looser rules to build “monstrosities.”
In Van Nuys, Michelle Kiers said she avoids opening the curtains in her bedroom after a second unit that was two stories high was erected in a nearby yard.
See the most-read stories this hour »
“We’re not opposed to second units,” Kiers said. “But this isn’t a second unit. This is a full-size house.” | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-granny-flats-20160821-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/7e0ffaae74d72732f1eef638bf89acbd99b8adbd6a471167375775d844accbf8.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Andy Mccullough"
]
| 2016-08-27T06:48:56 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fdodgers%2Fla-sp-dodgers-cubs-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c12b57/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-cubs-20160826-snap | en | null | Dodgers lose another game after Kenley Jansen blows a save | null | null | www.latimes.com | Rarely do plans combust in such annoying fashion, as if the outcomes were scripted by a malevolent figure hoping to punish a front office for fiddling with a team’s chemistry.
On Thursday, hours after the Dodgers traded away beloved backup catcher A.J. Ellis, the club nearly limped into a no-hitter. A day later, Ellis’ replacement, former Phillies stalwart Carlos Ruiz, could not handle the darting cutters of closer Kenley Jansen, an awkwardness that led to a 6-4 defeat in 10 innings to the Cubs.
A verdict on a trade should not be rendered after two games. The coming days and weeks will provide a more complete picture about how Ruiz can enhance the Dodgers’ roster and how the rest of the club can move forward after Ellis’ departure. But the first 19 innings without Ellis have been cruel to his club.
Clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth, Jansen served up a leadoff double to outfielder Jason Heyward. Preoccupied with Heyward behind him, Jansen still managed to strike out outfielder Jorge Soler. But the last pitch bounced past Ruiz, and Heyward strode into third base.
The extra 90 feet proved critical. Jansen pumped an elevated cutter to catcher Miguel Montero, well above the strike zone. Ruiz raised his glove to grab it. The baseball squirted loose and hit the backstop. Heyward crossed the plate.
An inning later, left-handed reliever Adam Liberatore yielded a two-run homer to third baseman Kris Bryant. It was Bryant’s second homer of the night, and it delighted a ballpark stocked with thousands of Cubs fans.
Those last two innings ruined what looked like a restorative victory. Instead the Dodgers (71-57) handed another game in the standings back to San Francisco. Los Angeles leads the National League West by one game. The matchups for this weekend favor the Giants. While the Dodgers tangle with the Cubs, San Francisco hosts the bottom-dwelling Braves.
Bud Norris handed out four walks, but still restricted Chicago to one run in five innings. Joe Blanton breezed through the seventh inning, but surrendered a solo shot to Bryant in the eighth. Blanton recovered to collect all three outs in the eighth. Jansen blew his sixth save of the season.
Ruiz joined the team on Friday afternoon. Like Ellis, Ruiz had spent his entire career with the same team. The Phillies signed him out of Panama in 1998. He debuted in the majors eight years later, and spent a decade behind the plate in Philadelphia.
Ruiz loved his time as a Phillie. He re-signed there after the 2013 season, even as the team prepared to rebuild its core. But he welcomed the opportunity to compete once more in the playoffs.
“I can’t wait to play in October,” Ruiz said. “That’s my goal.”
On Friday, with left-hander Mike Montgomery starting for Chicago, Manager Dave Roberts put Ruiz in his starting lineup. Roberts stopped short of describing the catching situation as a platoon. Yasmani Grandal is the starter, Roberts insisted. But Ruiz should see consistent at-bats against left-handed pitchers.
In a break from routine, Roberts did not stack his lineup with right-handed hitters on Friday. He slotted Chase Utley into second base and Josh Reddick into right field.
Chicago flaunts the most complete roster in the sport. MVP candidates like Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist power the offense. Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester anchor the rotation. The team acquired smoke-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman last month.
“They play hard,” Roberts said before the game. “They’re aggressive with the bats. They slug. They pitch. We’ve got to match that same intensity, and play a good baseball game.”
Norris quieted the Cubs for a while. At one point, he retired 10 batters in an 11-batter sequence. But he issued a leadoff walk in the fifth and walked Bryant with two outs. Rizzo punched an RBI single up the middle.
Up came Zobrist. He was inches away from tying the game, until Utley slid across the grass and stole a hit.
[email protected]
Twitter: @McCulloughTimes | http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-cubs-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/55a6f83416e14ac1a4d33c41c9133b44f721bfb97f399db8cc2191299a38c565.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-27T18:48:55 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-1472317889-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1d3ac/turbine/la-na-trailguide-updates-1472317889 | en | null | Donald Trump under fire for comments about shooting death of Dwyane Wade's cousin | null | null | www.latimes.com | (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)
Donald Trump sought to use the shooting death of basketball player Dwyane Wade's cousin as a political statement on Saturday, a move that drew scorn from some on social media. On Friday, Nykea Aldridge, 32, was shot and killed while she pushed her baby in a stroller near an elementary school on Chicago's South Side. The baby was not harmed in the shooting.
Trump, after a year of waging a presidential campaign marked by divisive and racially coded rhetoric, has recently sought to appeal to African American voters. The effort, note many political observers, is also an attempt to boost his poll numbers with moderate whites, who in surveys view past rhetoric by Trump to be racist. At several rallies in recent weeks, Trump has insisted that African Americans have a right to walk down the street and not get "shot" in what he has described as neighborhoods worse than war zones. The death of Wade's cousin offered fodder to Trump on Saturday, who initially spelled Wade's first name wrong. "Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP," he tweeted, though his polling numbers among blacks nationally are in the single digits. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-1472317889-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b2eb53d12c0ab00b4df740d206d87d98ea9badee1ae2aef39e544de986ad3989.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Jeff Mcdonald"
]
| 2016-08-29T18:49:52 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-ln-barrio-comic-con-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Comic-Con buys properties in San Diego's Barrio Logan - but is mum on plans for them | null | null | www.latimes.com | San Diego Comic Convention, the cash-rich nonprofit that presents the pop culture extravaganza Comic-Con International every summer, bought three buildings in Barrio Logan for $6.3 million last year.
The acquisition was made in the name of a limited liability company that the charity said it owns.
“It is part of a potential future business operation that is not appropriate for disclosure at this time,” Comic-Con said in a statement. “Also, there are tenants currently occupying the building and we prefer they not be bothered.”
The multimillion-dollar transaction was referenced in the tax-exempt organization’s most recent audit, which is required to be made public under California law.
Public records show a company called Barriohaus LLC bought two office buildings and a warehouse at and near the intersection of National Avenue and South 16th Street on April 1, 2015, for $6.3 million.
The charity said Barriohaus is wholly owned by San Diego Comic Convention, although there is no mention of the limited liability company on its federal tax filings or in the independent audits.
“The acquisition of the property was approved by the board,” the Comic-Con statement said. “The board also approved formation of Barriohaus LLC to own the property.”
Federal regulators require tax-exempt organizations to disclose when they have interests in related businesses, either with other nonprofits, such as a foundation, or with for-profit companies.
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service definition of a related organization includes “organizations that stand in a parent/subsidiary relationship.” The agency specifically asks charities if they have such relationships.
“Was the organization related to any tax-exempt or taxable entity?” I.R.S. Form 990 asks. “If 'Yes,' complete Schedule R, Part II, III, or IV, and Part V, line 1.”
The most recent San Diego Comic Convention filing, which covers the year ending Aug. 31, 2015, answered no to that question and did not complete or attach Schedule R to its 36-page tax return.
Comic-Con officials said they responded to the question appropriately.
“For tax purposes, a single member limited liability company owned by the filer is not considered a related entity,” the charity statement said.
The nonprofit declined to provide any documentation showing that it owns Barriohaus. Instead, a statement noted that the tax return and audit both refer to the purchase. The references in those documents make no mention of Barriohaus.
According to the California secretary of state’s office, Barriohaus was established on March 20, 2015, 12 days before it took title to the Barrio Logan buildings.
State records list the business address for Barriohaus as 225 Broadway, Suite 1800, the same downtown office occupied by Comic-Con. The registered agent is San Diego Comic Convention President John Rogers.
The only company member listed on public records available from the secretary of state’s office is Rory O’Neill, whom the charity identified as an employee of its law firm.
“Rory O’Neill was the organizer of Barriohaus LLC,” the Comic-Con statement said. “She is a corporate paralegal at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, which is outside legal counsel to SDCC.”
The office and warehouse space purchased by Barriohaus includes just over 32,000 square feet, much of it refurbished in recent years by the late architect Graham Downes.
Both office buildings, located in the 900 block of South 16th Street and the 1600 block of National Avenue, are about 15,000 square feet. The warehouse at 1622 National Ave. is 3,000 square feet.
The properties currently house multiple tenants, including the Sushi on a Roll catering company and the Invisible Children charity.
With fewer than 50 employees, it is not clear what San Diego Comic Convention would do with tens of thousands of square feet of office space. The charity does rely on more than 3,000 volunteers to present the annual comic book and entertainment showcase.
The charity’s investment in Barrio Logan may be significant beyond the money it spent.
Comic-Con International attracts more than 130,000 visitors to San Diego every year, and pumps tens of millions of dollars into the local economy.
In recent years, charity officials have cited the economic impact and won concessions out of city officials in exchange for a commitment to remain at the harborside convention center.
With millions of dollars in real estate holdings on the edge of downtown San Diego, Comic-Con may be less likely to relocate to other interested convention cities, such as Anaheim or Los Angeles.
[email protected]
McDonald writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-barrio-comic-con-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5aef44bd573b2b082317b1320a8d08c5766266ec73946d6bfde467ce6e61281e.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Luke Money"
]
| 2016-08-31T00:52:24 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-0831-festival-of-children-advance-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c62639/turbine/tn-dpt-me-0831-festival-of-children-advance-20160830 | en | null | Month-long Festival of Children begins Friday at South Coast Plaza | null | null | www.latimes.com | A month of activities, performances and charity outreach kicks off Friday with the start of the annual Festival of Children at South Coast Plaza.
The event, in its 15th year, will be held at the Costa Mesa mall on weekends through September.
"The festival offers over 75 children's charities a free opportunity to educate the community about the important work they are doing, conduct donor outreach, recruit volunteers and seek collaborative opportunities with like-minded organizations and individuals," Jennifer Gordon, director of marketing and corporate communications for the Festival of Children Foundation, wrote in an email.
The foundation is a nonprofit that supports charities, companies and individuals working to improve the lives of children.
"It is up to each and every one of us to work to make the world a better place for our children," foundation founder Sandy Segerstrom Daniels said in a statement.
The festival — which this year is themed "Love in Any Language" — is central to the foundation's goal of raising awareness for member charities, Gordonsaid.
Exposure is a key component of that. About 2 million people are expected to visit South Coast Plaza during the festival's run, organizers said.
The festival is held in conjunction with National Child Awareness Month, another effort led by the Festival of Children Foundation to focus attention on issues facing children.
Many events are planned throughout the festival, including musical performances, face painting, magic shows, activities with Legos and a back-to-school fashion show.
Guests also will be able to feast their eyes on "Canstruction OC," a series of 13 structures made entirely of canned goods.
Once the festival is over, those cans, more than 60,000 in all, will be donated to the Orange County Food Bank.
Charity booths will be set up in the Sears and Bloomingdale's wings of the mall, while performances and other activities will take place in Carousel Court and Jewel Court on Saturdays and Sundays, largely between noon and 4 p.m.
Events planned for the first weekend of the festival include a "Coffee, Tea, Mommy and Me" discussion about child passenger safety — 11 a.m. Friday in Carousel Court — and demonstrations and shows on Saturday and Sunday from groups such as the Anaheim Ballet, Arts and Learning Conservatory, Claudia de la Cruz Flamenco Dance and South Coast Martial Arts.
The festival's opening ceremonies will be at noon Saturday in Carousel Court.
All events are free and open to the public.
For a full schedule of festival events or for more information, visit festivalofchildren.org.
[email protected]
Twitter: @LukeMMoney | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-0831-festival-of-children-advance-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/45d607ec6ed76f80e6a50cc282d29dce95a4ff888d6fe61349775c1966255494.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Alice Walton"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:15:09 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-essential-california-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf904f/turbine/la-me-essential-california-20160826-snap | en | null | Essential California: Uncovering homelessness at Cal State | null | null | www.latimes.com | Good morning. It is Friday, Aug. 26. So much for surge pricing. Uber reportedly lost $1.3 billion in the first half of 2016. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:
TOP STORIES
Earthquake safety
California's unreinforced brick buildings constructed before 1933 would not be able to withstand the kind of earthquake that struck central Italy this week. “They are unbelievably dangerous buildings,” said structural engineer Kit Miyamoto, a member of the California Seismic Safety Commission, who has visited Italy before to study earthquake damage. Los Angeles Times
Homeless students
Tens of thousands of students in the Cal State University system may be homeless or in danger of losing their housing. With tuition at $5,500 a year, many students choose to spend their money on school over housing “because that’s a way to get ahead,” said Eric Rice, who teaches social work at USC. Cal State officials are planning to launch intervention programs to help students with housing, food and finances. Los Angeles Times
Dangers of drugs
Paramedics have taken more than 50 people to the hospital from skid row because of an outbreak in use of the synthetic drug spice. Officials are now trying to trace its source and warning people to stay away. Los Angeles Times
Readers, we always love hearing from you. You can keep up with Alice and Shelby during the day on Twitter. Follow @TheCityMaven and @ShelbyGrad.
L.A. AT LARGE
Religious films: Why the Church of Scientology is moving into an old movie studio in Silver Lake. LA Weekly
Tough times: Life in Hollywood isn’t easy for little people. “Particularly now, with Hollywood on high alert about its representation of marginalized groups, how is it that the hand-wringing never extends to this one — not even among LPs themselves, at least not consistently?” Hollywood Reporter
Music majors: Trumpeter Herb Alpert’s foundation is donating $10.1 million to Los Angeles City College so all music majors can attend the school tuition-free. It’s the largest gift to an individual community college in Southern California history. “LACC is a gem of an institution,” Alpert said. Los Angeles Times
Baseball trade: The Dodgers traded the very popular A.J. Ellis for Carlos Ruiz of the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Ellis was Clayton Kershaw’s preferred catcher, and the two players wept together after hearing the news. Los Angeles Times
Historic home: This is the story of Adamson House, built by Malibu’s first family. Curbed LA
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Abuse case: Trump campaign CEO Stephen Bannon faced domestic violence charges in Santa Monica two decades ago. According to a police report posted by Politico, Bannon grabbed at the left wrist and neck of his then-wife during an argument in January 1996. The case was dismissed. Politico
Power of pop culture: More so than any other first lady, Michelle Obama has used the entertainment industry to push the causes important to her — healthy eating, girls’ education, military families and college advancement. When it comes to reaching people, “they’re not reading the op-ed pieces in the major newspapers. They’re not watching Sunday morning news talk shows. They’re doing what most people are doing: They are watching TV,” Obama said. Variety
Governor is calling: When Gov. Jerry Brown isn’t happy, he’s not afraid to pick up the phone and let you know how he feels. “Hey Margaret, I got that mailing on Prop. 57 that you signed.” And so begins the governor’s voicemail for Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims. Sacramento Bee
State Senate death: The former longtime secretary of the state Senate died Wednesday at the age of 69. Gregory Schmidt spent 18 years as upper house's chief parliamentarian. “He never forgot that all of us were just regular people who worked for all the people of California,” said Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles). Los Angeles Times
I voted: A bill awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature would OK ballot selfies. Sacramento Bee | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-essential-california-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/bed9125a99bdecaa3dbc72a3ce99b58d8265e41d2957da76118bbc9501836013.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Steven Zeitchik"
]
| 2016-08-30T22:50:03 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmovies%2Fla-et-mn-gene-wilder-dead-silver-streak-movies-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5f264/turbine/la-et-mn-gene-wilder-dead-silver-streak-movies-20160830-snap | en | null | Remembering Gene Wilder: In (not-quite) defense of 'Silver Streak' | null | null | www.latimes.com | The death of Gene Wilder at age 83 has prompted a justifiable outpouring of love for his movies: “Blazing Saddles,” “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and other repositories of his controlled zaniness. Wilder had a trove (if not nearly a large enough one) of classic comedic performances, also including “The Producers” and “Young Frankenstein.” Monday was a rough day for those who recall what was lost and see no immediate heir on the horizon.
The movie that popped up in my mind when the news came, though, was a different one than those hits: ”Silver Streak,” the train-heist buddy comedy that marked the first of Wilder’s four collaborations with Richard Pryor. My father, a key figure in my early film education and a man I’m lucky to return the favor to in my current life phase, showed me “Silver Streak” when I was a child. I recall being giddy with excitement at the story centered on a train from Los Angeles to Chicago — the sheer exuberance of its plot, the combustible chemistry of its two stars.
It also seemed liked a timely memory for other reasons. The movie was directed by Arthur Hiller, the prolific filmmaker who died just this month at 92. And this fall, “Silver Streak” — about Wilder’s book-publisher George, who’s caught up in an art heist and must team up with Pryor’s small-time criminal Grover —will celebrate its 40th anniversary.
So I got online and watched it — for the first time in three decades — in the hope of feeling anew the excitement I experienced as a child.
It was a good plan, anyway.
Here’s the thing about “Silver Streak”: It doesn’t hold up well. Not at all.
SNAP Video 'Silver Streak' trailer 'Silver Streak' trailer See more videos
Most obviously, there are the sensitivity issues. Yes, the idea of pairing a black and white star was relatively novel in the mid-’70s. So give it some points for that. But on race and other social matters, the film can be awkward, even cringe-y. Most notoriously, there’s a blackface scene in which Wilder dons dark shoe polish and a jive-turkey walk to bypass cops at a Midwestern rail station. (That the filmmakers seem to think that Grover suggesting the idea to a reluctant George — invoking Al Jolson in doing so — makes it better in a way only makes it worse.)
The N-word is also uttered several times in the film. A woman is unceremoniously slapped. Said woman (the late Jill Clayburgh) is given so little to do that if one were to apply the Bechdel test it might actually get a negative score. Rosalind Russell material this ain’t.
But even if you don't view “Silver Streak” through that particular modern lens, the film has major tonal and genre issues.
A comedy action-thriller is a tough juggle to begin with. But the vibe here is so all over the place it can’t fairly be called madcap — just mad.
What begins as a moody noir turns into a Hitchcockian potboiler (scheming men in hats, lots of running through narrow aisles, etc), then moves to intimate buddy comedy when Wilder and Pryor team up and begin plotting to knock off bad guys.
That's already a lot of spinning plates. But many of these beats are then interrupted with moments of left-field screwball and slapstick. Wilder is constantly getting tossed off the train, in what is just the start of the broad gags. There's a (sort-of) effective "Who's On First?" knockoff with a simpleton sheriff, and a scene with some kind of androgynous old farmer that involves double entendres and visual puns of cow-milking. (Don’t ask. Really). These are periodic digressions from the deadly serious plan of the art heist back on the rails, from which the film never seems fully willing to deviate.
By the time "Silver Streak" culminates in an overlong action finale and a runaway-train homage, you’re already so confused about why this is all happening and wondering who was stoned when they made it, you barely register the fleet of helicopters that has come in, seemingly pre-figuring scenes out of “The A-Team.”
The movie actually climaxes with a train plowing through a Chicago train station in an unnecessarily big effects scene, and then epilogues with — I kid you not — Grover cruising through said station in a yellow convertible he happened to pick up from a display area. Yeah, it's that kind of movie.
But here’s the thing. My fond memory of "Silver Streak" was still viable. It just had very little to do with the movie and everything to do with Wilder.
At nearly every moment he’s on-screen, he’s either doing something that helps you believe the action or makes it all so slyly funny you don't care that you don't believe it.
Remarkably, Wilder is playing the straight man (as opposed to Pryor, who shows up halfway through and is more clearly playing the duo’s comedic half) yet somehow manages to sneak in all manner of playfulness just the same. In the first few minutes, he already gets in a great comic jab when he tells a woman her perfume is excellent and then gives a little cough as soon as he passes that suggests what he really thinks.
When he spots a wanted poster of himself at a train station, in what should be a heightened moment of panic, Wilder instead drolly offers a gem. "That's my driver’s license picture." Pause. "I hate that picture." What should have been broad and silly becomes a quietly clever quip.
Wilder is constantly doing things like this. He has an almost counter approach, running against whatever action lies in front of us. George is an upscale educated sort, but Wilder manages to make this subtly funny, perhaps most notably after his failed bid at a car chase, when he turns to Pryor and says, in a perfectly patrician deadpan, “Would you like to drive for a while?” Scenes that are broad seem a little more plausible thanks to a human twinkle; moments that could be too self-serious are disrupted by his mania. Wide eyes have never been used to such notable effect; it's as if they're somehow reacting to the scene and letting us in on the silliness all at the same time.
And indeed, there are those expressions. Wilder’s face almost seems to contain a great joke that he — you know and he knows — is going to take its time getting delivered to you. The comparison might be to a kind of tantric comedy, the fact that it’s perched on the edge for so long somehow making the release that much sweeter. George’s interactions with Clayburgh both literally and figuratively fit this theme. The setup that he publishes sex books is strategically dangled, so that when he finally parries the line "I have a confession to make — I'm much better at books on gardening," it's that much funnier. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-gene-wilder-dead-silver-streak-movies-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/a20c35b531c7af439b418b9d369f2e4b3c71c3ff5f7ea694743e499a03628b06.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-30T00:49:49 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-measure-to-ease-building-additional-1472517550-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Measure to ease building additional housing units goes to the governor | null | null | www.latimes.com | Essential Politics
Sign up for the best from our political teams delivered daily.
Privacy policy | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-measure-to-ease-building-additional-1472517550-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/e14199b4b31e29afd5d583cf0975316cd92eaa1e2b0d5289dcf3af83bc6e4fe1.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T04:49:40 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-direction-winner-1472231798-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Beyoncé's 'Formation' wins direction award | null | null | www.latimes.com | It's fair to say Beyonce stole the MTV VMAs with an extended performance inspired by "Lemonade." It was also a special evening for Rihanna, who performed throughout the night before Drake presented the Vanguard award to the woman he's "been in love with since [he] was 22 years old." And Britney Spears returned to the VMAs stage; it was an admirable effort, but even those shadow fingers couldn't come close to topping Beyonce. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-direction-winner-1472231798-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/47a0aaa008f347e6aacb83e4d2b809202457d9d13887b99b89eff2b2a1aab5d1.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:14:46 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-08262016-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c03506/turbine/la-na-trailguide-updates-08262016 | en | null | Campaign 2016 updates: Trump's campaign leader once faced domestic violence charges | 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 season — will press onward.
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 have resigned in recent days after Sanders announced that Jeff Weaver, a longtime aide to Sanders who served as his campaign manager, would oversee it. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-08262016-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/4a0e84b77ddedf30d9d9a7dbff4587d561530ee0d22edc00e37b4f3e7762a7fb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Alice Walton"
]
| 2016-08-30T12:49:51 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-essential-california-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4e410/turbine/la-me-essential-california-20160830-snap | en | null | Essential California: When a false alarm upends an entire airport | null | null | www.latimes.com | Good morning. It is Tuesday, Aug. 30. A warm welcome to our new readers from the “Framed” series! We hope you enjoy Essential California — and we would love to hear from you. You can keep up with us on Twitter at @TheCityMaven and @ShelbyGrad. Here's what is happening in the Golden State:
TOP STORIES
False alarm
In the last two weeks, officials at LAX and JFK airports have learned firsthand how hard it is to quell a public panic over erroneous reports of an active shooter. In both cases, chaos ensued, leaving officials questioning how to better control these situations. Some experts say a fake report of violence can be harder to deal with than an actual shooting. Los Angeles Times
Fate of farmworkers
A sweeping bill designed to improve the lot of California’s farmworkers took a big step forward Monday. The bill has some parallels to last year’s fight to significantly increase the minimum wage. Critics worry it could backfire. Los Angeles Times
Comedy legend passes
Beloved comic actor Gene Wilder died Sunday night at age 83 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Wilder was best known for his collaborations with Mel Brooks, including “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein,” and his iconic role as Willy Wonka in the 1971 version of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” “Gene Wilder—One of the truly great talents of our time. He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship,” Brooks wrote in a tweet. Los Angeles Times
FRAMED: A MYSTERY IN SIX PARTS
Power couple: Kent and Jill Easter were accomplished attorneys living the good life in Irvine. But were they out to get Kelli Peters? Here is the second chapter in reporter Christopher Goffard’s six-part series titled “Framed.” Los Angeles Times
L.A. AT LARGE
From the sidelines: A diving injury left Lenny Larsen paralyzed. Now, he’s using what he knows to coach divers. “Let other coaches gesticulate and model proper form, send signals from sidelines or pace their dugouts; such demonstrations are not available to Larsen. He has only words to make a point.” Los Angeles Times
Activist dies: Joe Hicks, an African American community activist whose conservative views were often solicited by the media, died Sunday at the age of 75. “He would take a stand on an issue because he thought it was right, whether it was popular or not. He had a very strong moral compass,” said David Lehrer, who co-founded the think tank Community Advocates with Hicks. Los Angeles Times
What’s for lunch: Edin Park, a new giant food hall, is slated to open on Beverly near Fairfax next year. Curbed LA
All of the lights: The Museum of Neon Art is open once again, this time in Glendale. LA Observed
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Trump’s guy in Hollywood: Stephen K. Bannon is running the Donald Trump presidential campaign these days, but for 20 years he worked in Hollywood investing in movies and media projects. “Bannon’s work in Hollywood set the stage for his media career, helping pave the way for his eventual move into the political realm.” Los Angeles Times
Legislative accomplishments: Term limits are forcing state Sen. Mark Leno to leave office after 14 years. During that time, he has authored 161 new laws. “He’s not afraid to have a fight. But he has the rare ability to fight while also maintaining a grace about himself, and an intellect to go with it,” said Democrat Darrell Steinberg, the former president pro tem of the state Senate. Los Angeles Times
Call for help: The folks at the Golden Gate Bridge are turning to text messages to persuade young people not to take their lives from the famous bridge. Signs encouraging anyone who may be suicidal to contact a crisis counselor are now posted at the Golden Gate Bridge. CityLab
CRIME AND COURTS
Firestarter: A Northern California woman was so high on pills she didn’t realize her car had gotten a flat tire and the sparks from the rim set her car and the nearby forest ablaze, authorities said. “She knew she was driving, but was oblivious to any of the carnage she was causing,” said CHP Officer Tobias Butzler. Los Angeles Times
Teaching assistant arrested: A Los Angeles teaching assistant was charged with smuggling heroin and cellphones into San Quentin’s death row. Authorities say Teri Orina Nichols admitted to bringing contraband into a visiting room. The items seized included 18 cellphones and chargers, three ounces of heroin and two unidentified blue pills. She was at the prison to visit Bruce Millsap, a gang member who received eight death sentences and 200 years behind bars. Los Angeles Times | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-essential-california-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/5fe0f4bb15e873862c4c849b13c9ab76c2c871c2505da20cb18f2c53fbd78f8f.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Gary Klein"
]
| 2016-08-29T22:49:57 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Frams%2Fla-sp-rams-ogletree-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4ac9c/turbine/la-sp-rams-ogletree-20160829-snap | en | null | Rams middle linebacker Alec Ogletree encouraged by defense's performance | null | null | www.latimes.com | Middle linebacker Alec Ogletree was visibly frustrated after the Rams surrendered first-drive touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.
His sideline emotions, and language, were captured in full volume during last week’s installment of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
Ogletree was in a better mood after the Rams’ 17-9 defeat by the Denver Broncos.
Rams starters forced the Broncos to go three and out their first two series and did not allow any points. It was a strong showing in the first-team defense’s final appearance before the Sept. 12 season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Few, if any, starters will play on Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings
“We showed the kind of defense we can be,” Ogletree said after the Denver game. “We did a good job of everybody lining up and doing what’s asked of them to do.
“If we do that, we’ll make it real tough for offenses.”
[email protected]
Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @LATimesklein | http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-ogletree-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/37ad131a65884725f3f6d94d8462e8f443f629ea85aafdb92a259b9848bd6222.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Doyle Mcmanus"
]
| 2016-08-29T16:49:45 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fct-hillary-clinton-foundation-conflict-of-interest-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c453de/turbine/ct-hillary-clinton-foundation-conflict-of-interest-20160829 | en | null | In Clinton Foundation scandal, Hillary didn't avoid the ‘appearance' of conflict | null | null | www.latimes.com | The first thing you need to know about the Clinton Foundation is that it's not, contrary to what Donald Trump said last week, “the most corrupt enterprise in political history.” It's not even close. Nor is it, as Trump also claimed, “Watergate all over again.” The Republican candidate has a gift for hyperbole; he doesn't know much about history.
But, as with Hillary Clinton's ongoing email controversy, the foundation stories are still troubling, because they reflect a stubborn unwillingness by the Democratic nominee to listen to her critics — feeding the widespread suspicion among voters that she's not trustworthy.
The furor is tragic, too, because it has given a bad name to an otherwise successful philanthropic enterprise — one that has helped save millions of lives around the world.
Clinton may have been close to the mark when she said last week, “I know there's a lot of smoke, and there's no fire.”
Even before Clinton became secretary of state in 2009, it was clear that her family's charitable enterprise, which depended heavily on donations from foreign governments and corporations, was a potential problem.
“Foreign governments and entities may perceive the Clinton Foundation as a means to gain favor with the secretary of state,” then-Sen. Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., warned at the time.
Lugar and other senators urged the foundation to ban all foreign donations, but the Clintons decided not to go that far. Instead, they agreed to clear new foreign donations with the State Department and to disclose all their donors. Their intention, Hillary Clinton said, was “to avoid even the appearance ... of a conflict.”
In practice, though, several of the Clinton foundations didn't comply fully with their own rules until their lapses became public last year. And it's now clear they failed the “appearance” test too.
Emails uncovered thanks to a conservative group's lawsuit show that Doug Band, who helped create the Clinton Global Initiative, sought access to State Department officials for Clinton Foundation donors.
In some cases, Band didn't get what he was after. (Los Angeles entertainment executive Casey Wasserman wanted a U.S. visa for a British soccer player with a criminal record; no dice.) In at least one case, he did — but that was a meeting for the crown prince of Bahrain, a U.S. ally who would have gotten his appointment eventually without the extra help.
Still, the emails revealed an assumption on Band's part — and some donors', too - that contributions to the Clintons' charitable work should move them to the head of the line.
It's not a pretty picture when contributions give donors privileged access to members of Congress. It's even less appetizing when money seems to promise special access to American diplomats.
Granted, there's no evidence that any Clinton Foundation donors got tangible favors in exchange for their generosity. Clinton may have been close to the mark when she said last week, “I know there's a lot of smoke, and there's no fire.”
But that's still a problem. A good synonym for “smoke” in this context is “appearance” — exactly what Clinton promised to avoid.
Meanwhile, the Clintons have taken some steps to allay concerns — while insisting nothing was wrong in the first place.
Bill Clinton has announced that if his wife is elected president, he will resign from the boards of the Clinton Foundation and its affiliate, the Clinton Health Access Initiative. The Clintons' daughter Chelsea will remain on both boards.
The Clinton Foundation will stop accepting foreign donations and corporate donations; the health initiative, which depends heavily on foreign government funds, will not.
But those limited measures won't solve the whole problem. Donors and fundraisers will still be tempted to see the foundations as a channel for currying favor with the new president if Clinton is elected.
Here's one modest further step recommended by Norman L. Eisen, President Obama's former ethics officer: Clinton should sign a strong ethics agreement barring herself and her closest aides from discussing foundation business with anyone, including her husband and daughter. And she should impose tough transparency rules to guarantee that if donors get access, it's quickly made public.
There's nothing preventing the Clinton campaign from announcing that kind of rule now — the sooner the better.
Until then, Clinton supporters, including reluctant Bernie Sanders voters, have been reminded again of all the things they didn't love about Hillary Clinton.
Lucky for her she's running against Donald Trump — who has been even less transparent about his own tax returns, business dealings and foreign interests than she has.
Los Angeles Times
Doyle McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
[email protected] | http://www.latimes.com/ct-hillary-clinton-foundation-conflict-of-interest-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/face136b2ad401460331cf6605d7273def9aebf36f8b56f8b14ec5bcafab882d.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-31T02:50:18 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fpolitics%2Ftrailguide%2Fla-na-trailguide-updates-1472599722-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c63173/turbine/la-na-trailguide-updates-1472599722 | en | null | Sen. Marco Rubio staves off primary challenge for his Florida seat | null | null | www.latimes.com | After waging an unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Sen. Marco Rubio sought — at the last minute — reelection to his Florida seat.
And on Tuesday he staved off a primary challenge from wealthy developer Carlos Beruff to advance into a November battle with Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, where Rubio is certain to face questions surrounding his endorsement of Donald Trump.
Trump also endorsed Rubio in his reelection bid, despite a bitter presidential primary — rife with personal insults — in which the two sparred on, among other things, immigration.
During an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Rubio showed division still lingers with Trump on the issue, saying he does not agree with the idea of deporting all of the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally or that Mexico will pay for a border wall — key pillars of Trump's immigration plan. Still, Rubio expressed a willingness to campaign alongside Trump in Florida this fall. | http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-1472599722-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/1cca3f15a4fdfddd66953ce4c5baa26bc96de2684388140ad53d68c67d8189e0.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:03:16 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fla-ol-le-obama-republicans-obstruction-20160825-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf64ec/turbine/la-ol-le-obama-republicans-obstruction-20160825-snap | en | null | Give Obama credit for his accomplishments in the face of GOP obstruction | null | null | www.latimes.com | To the editor: How could President Obama have better managed the federal bureaucracy when the Republican leaders in Congress were determined almost from the start to thwart him? (“Why presidents fail,” Opinion, Aug. 24)
That Obama accomplished as much as he did (providing a national healthcare program, saving the U.S. auto industry and ameliorating the worst effects of one of the most devastating recessions in our history) is a testament to calm, steady leadership in the face of shocking partisan opposition.
Gordon J. Louttit, Manhattan Beach
..
To the editor: Finally someone recognizes that America is wholly dependent on the unelected bureaucrats. The choice of a presidential candidate does little to change the direction of government growth and instability.
Of course, many presidential candidates have had little experience dealing with this fact. I remember President Carter finding out, much to his dismay, that the United States government dances to a different tune than the government of Georgia.
America probably will survive no matter which presidential candidate wins in November — we can only hope this is so.
Richard Rorex, Apple Valley
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook | http://www.latimes.com/la-ol-le-obama-republicans-obstruction-20160825-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/7895b96958e3ffa27a29a6f609bb8b4efb0aec3463a372fa32b464791c0dd067.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Associated Press"
]
| 2016-08-29T04:49:41 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2Fla-sp-baseball-notes-20160828-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3b12b/turbine/la-sp-baseball-notes-20160828-snap | en | null | Steven Matz expected back this week | null | null | www.latimes.com | New York Mets left-hander Steven Matz remains in line to rejoin the starting rotation this week. Matz (9-8), who had left shoulder tightness, could be activated to start Thursday against the Florida Marlins, Manager Terry Collins said Sunday.
The Mets might have to wait on the availability of Yoenis Cespedes (right calf stiffness), Neil Walker (back) and Asdrubal Cabrera (left knee) for Monday’s series opener against the Marlins after all three suffered flare-ups of prior injuries.
Etc.
The Baltimore Orioles have signed right-hander Tommy Hunter — cut by the Cleveland Indians last week — recalled righty Oliver Drake from triple A and designated left-hander T.J. McFarland and outfielder Julio Borbon for assignment. ...
Dustin Pedroia left the Boston Red Sox after a death in the family and is expected back after Monday’s game. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/mlb/la-sp-baseball-notes-20160828-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/411454d0cb4df0829379badca91a921e682960284c99e6e4889205586dd1355a.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Eric Sondheimer"
]
| 2016-08-29T04:49:44 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fhighschool%2Fla-sp-prep-football-top-25-20160828-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3ae0f/turbine/la-sp-prep-football-top-25-20160828-snap | en | null | The Times' high school football top 25 | null | null | www.latimes.com | The Times' high school football top 25
Shotgun Spratling / Los Angeles Times
Hawkins receiver Joseph Lewis tries to avoid the tackle of Hamilton defender Dre'von Macon during the second half on Aug. 26.
Hawkins receiver Joseph Lewis tries to avoid the tackle of Hamilton defender Dre'von Macon during the second half on Aug. 26. (Shotgun Spratling / Los Angeles Times) | http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/la-sp-prep-football-top-25-20160828-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/9575cdb1c1d444f63c57b8cc29fae60cf0b03204bcd4b20f7b1d9535d5896c7e.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T22:50:00 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fessential%2Fla-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-extension-of-farmworker-overtime-goes-1472509637-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Expansion of farmworker overtime goes to Gov. Jerry Brown | null | null | www.latimes.com | Essential Politics
Sign up for the best from our political teams delivered daily.
Privacy policy | http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-extension-of-farmworker-overtime-goes-1472509637-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/0e8efa990c76ea448651c844e546aa13a5bfaba816a9d6c050880643967929f5.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Joel Rubin"
]
| 2016-08-27T00:49:07 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Flocal%2Flanow%2Fla-me-refinery-fire-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Tank at Tesoro refinery in Carson blows lid and catches fire | null | null | www.latimes.com | A sulfur tank at a large oil refinery in Carson ruptured and caught fire Friday afternoon, prompting officials to order people in the area to shelter in place.
The lid of the 1-ton tank at the sprawling Tesoro refinery “blew off” about 1 p.m., said Inspector Gustavo Medina of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The sulfur in the tank dissipated, but insulation material caught fire, sending a plume of smoke over the facility, Medina said.
No injuries were reported, but sheriff’s officials ordered anyone within a quarter of a mile of the refinery to shelter in place as a precaution. They also shut down Alameda Street between 223rd Street and Sepulveda Boulevard as emergency personnel responded to the scene.
The cause of the eruption and the fire is under investigation, Medina added.
A spokesman for Tesoro said “an incident response team” at the refinery was monitoring the air quality at the site. No harmful levels of toxins had been detected, the spokesman said.
Tesoro’s Los Angeles refinery is the largest on the West Coast and is capable of processing 380,000 barrels of oil a day, according to the company’s website. The facility receives crude oil from California deposits as well as Alaska, West Africa and elsewhere and manufactures it into gasoline, jet fuel and other products.
[email protected]
Follow @joelrubin on Twitter | http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-refinery-fire-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/ae191f3924f4eaac3e9d0b4b6d909bf66f52780cead9724c97a83184e14d683f.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Hugo Martin"
]
| 2016-08-31T10:49:57 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fla-fi-gardens-casino-20160825-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bdce4c/turbine/la-fi-gardens-casino-20160825-snap | en | null | Hawaiian Gardens bets on $90-million investment to overhaul casino | null | null | www.latimes.com | Scott Shinedling has played poker at the Hawaiian Gardens card club since it opened inside a 60,000-square-foot tent nearly 20 years ago.
But the sales director from Placentia didn’t bring his wife to the Gardens Casino until it underwent a $90-million overhaul recently.
“It wasn’t impressive,” he explained of the old casino. “It was a tent.”
The Gardens Casino’s owners hope other gamblers will be impressed with the 200,000-square-foot building housing 225 tables, a restaurant and bar, plus a VIP lounge and two multiuse halls.
The revamped card club even has two glass cages on the gaming floor for its mascot parrots, Lucy and Skittles.
Hawaiian Gardens has a lot riding on the project. About 70% of the city’s general fund revenue comes from the casino, which has been dogged by controversy for years. The expansion could be a huge financial boost for Los Angeles County’s smallest town.
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.
The “increased job opportunities for our residents and anticipated increased revenues for our general fund all add up to big steps forward for our little city,” Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Barry Bruce said.
Business has jumped about 15% since the new building opened in April, casino operators say.
Named for a small fruit stand that operated in the area in the 1920s, the 1-square-mile city near Lakewood and Long Beach has one of the lowest median household incomes and the highest population densities in the county.
Over the last 10 years, the casino paid fees and taxes to the city ranging from $10.8 million to $13.7 million, according to budget documents. The city’s annual general fund was $16.2 million in the last fiscal year.
Although the overhaul, paid for with private funds, makes the Gardens Casino one of the biggest and most luxurious in Los Angeles County, it comes as the card club’s rival casinos also have invested heavily in upgrades.
The Bicycle Club Casino in nearby Bell Gardens unveiled a $50-million overhaul in December featuring a 99-room hotel with a fitness center, an outdoor pool deck, a spa and sauna, plus a sit-down restaurant with 28 types of beer on tap.
In Inglewood, the Hollywood Park Casino expects to open a 110,000-square-foot building in September that will be nearly 40% larger than its existing casino, with space for 35 more gaming tables plus a new sit-down restaurant and sports bar showcasing a giant, dual-sided television screen.
But Gardens Casino general manager Ron Sarabi said the timing of the overhaul was not influenced by his competitors. Instead, he said the permanent structure was built because the old tent enclosure had an expected lifespan of 10 to 15 years and was nearly 20 years old when construction of the new building began.
The casino opened in 1997 as the Hawaiian Gardens Casino in a small manufactured home before it was moved into a tent that held 175 tables and 1,600 employees.
The new version drops “Hawaiian” from the name and adds a two-story building with high ceilings and 220 flat-screen televisions. Employment has grown to 1,850 workers. A bingo hall that was attached to the card club was relocated a few blocks away.
Gamblers can play 14 games at the casino, including poker, blackjack and baccarat. An upstairs lounge includes reclining lounge chairs, giant television screens and a shower so VIP gamblers can recharge during marathon sessions.
Sarabi said he is certain that the Gardens Casino now is better equipped to compete with rival card clubs. “It’s like going from driving a VW to a Mercedes,” he said.
Still, the casino has a history of controversy.
In July, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a branch of the Treasury Department, announced a $2.8-million assessment against the Gardens Casino after IRS examiners found that operators failed to maintain anti-money-laundering programs, failed to report large cash transactions and failed to file reports on suspicious activities in the casino.
The federal agency said Gardens Casino management continued to allow customers to enter the casino even when they would not provide identification and were deemed suspicious by casino employees.
Sarabi said the assessment was the first disciplinary action against the casino in nearly 20 years.
“The Gardens is pleased to put this uncharacteristic situation in the past, and its owners and management are committed to making every effort to continue to strengthen its programs moving forward,” he said.
The longtime owner of the casino, Irving Moskowitz, was a controversial figure in Hawaiian Gardens and in Israel before his death in June.
Moskowitz, a doctor and philanthropist, for years was accused by critics in and out of Hawaiian Gardens of wielding undue influence over the city’s government with his casino money and undermining Middle East peace efforts by funding Jewish settlements in Arab-populated areas of Israel.
In 2000, a report from a state legislative audit committee said Hawaiian Gardens officials and Moskowitz conspired to spend about $4 million in public funds to help Moskowitz build the card club in violation of a 1996 law that prohibits the use of redevelopment funds for gaming enterprises. At the time, attorneys for the city and Moskowitz strongly denied the allegation.
When Moskowitz came before the state’s Gaming Control Commission in 2004 to get his permanent gaming license, state officials said the application generated the strongest opposition in the commission's history.
The casino is now owned by Moskowitz’s family, with his wife, Cherna, and son, David, both holding gaming licenses.
[email protected]
To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.
ALSO
Strawberry grower fined $2.4 million, demanded kickbacks from Mexican workers
Legislation would restrict H-1B visas | http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gardens-casino-20160825-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/0d9a7744bf9c4fce93ebb4053b43b05e1ae507f5e7b6971f541aff4c50143063.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"C. Pete Lee"
]
| 2016-08-30T18:50:07 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Ffood%2Fdailydish%2Fla-dd-bun-cha-ca-20160829-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5c7b9/turbine/la-dd-bun-cha-ca-20160829-snap | en | null | Four great bun cha cá spots in Los Angeles | null | null | www.latimes.com | Turmeric and dill may not immediately come to mind when you think of Vietnamese food. A new take on gravlax or artisanal pickles, maybe. But these are the main flavor components of bun cha cá, a Northern Vietnamese specialty.
Bun cha cá is a rice noodle dish served with chunks of turmeric-marinated fish and generous amounts of dill, onion, and roasted peanuts. In Hanoi, the dish is also known as cha cá thanh long. In Vietnam you use the ingredients provided (mam tom, a fermented shrimp paste and pineapple sauce; nuoc cham, a fish sauce seasoned with lime juice; chiles, roasted peanuts, scallions, dill and rice vermicelli noodles) to make your own noodle bowls. In Los Angeles, the dish typically comes assembled.
In Southern California, there are many great spots in Orange County, particularly in Little Saigon, that serve bun cha cá. However in Los Angeles, the dish is still not as well known as its beef noodle soup cousin, pho. Here are four great places you can find it in L.A.
Turmeric fish noodle at Viet Noodle Bar. C. Pete Lee Turmeric fish noodle at Viet Noodle Bar. Turmeric fish noodle at Viet Noodle Bar. (C. Pete Lee)
Viet Noodle Bar in Atwater Village and Santa Monica
Listed simply as "turmeric fish noodle" on the menu, this version comes ready in a bowl to enjoy. Here, the rice noodles are a bit thicker than the usual bun variety, offering a more chewy and luxurious bite and complementing the crunchy peanuts and delicate pieces of turmeric and dill-studded fish perfectly. The staff says the fish is river-caught and imported from Vietnam. It tastes and flakes like cod. At Viet Noodle Bar, this dish is not served with the two traditional sauces of mam tom or nuoc cham. Instead, it is tossed perfectly with the dill and turmeric-infused oil that it is cooked in. Bottles of fish sauce and Sriracha are available at each table. Two locations: 3133 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles | 3221 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, www.vietnoodlebar.net.
Cha ca la vong at Pok Pok C. Pete Lee Cha ca la vong at Pok Pok Cha ca la vong at Pok Pok (C. Pete Lee)
Pok Pok in Chinatown
At Pok Pok in Chinatown, chef and owner Andy Ricker was so inspired by the bun cha cá he enjoyed in Hanoi that he created his own version. On the menu as cha ca la vong, it is a glorious homage to the dish with bright and complex flavors, and crunchy and buttery textures. Like Viet Noodle Bar, the dish comes to your table already prepared. Served with a few wedges of lime, the juice gives the already radiant dish a few extra splashes of acidity. Here, an Asian catfish called basa is used. It is clean and succulent, allowing the subtle flavors of the fish, turmeric and dill to shine together harmoniously. If you love this version and would like to make it at home, Ricker shares his recipe in his cookbook “Pok Pok,” co-written with JJ Goode. 978 Broadway, Los Angeles, (213) 613-1831, www.pokpokla.com.
Cha ca thanh long at Pho Ga Bac Ninh. C. Pete Lee Cha ca thanh long at Pho Ga Bac Ninh. Cha ca thanh long at Pho Ga Bac Ninh. (C. Pete Lee)
Pho Ga Bac Ninh in Monterey Park
Although most diners are slurping large bowls of pho ga (chicken pho), which happens to be Pho Ga Bac Ninh's specialty, the restaurant also serves many other Northern Vietnamese dishes, including bun cha cá. Written as cha ca thanh long on the menu, this version is served on a sizzling plate with dill and white onions, instead of scallions. The pieces of fish are battered and deep fried. Like at the restaurants in Hanoi, you build your own bowl and bites here. Pho Ga Bac Ninh also serves bun cha cá as a noodle soup, with fish cake and pieces of fried fish. 605 N. New Ave., Ste C, Monterey Park, (626) 288-1448.
Bun cha cá from HP Pho Ga Bac Ninh. C. Pete Lee Bun cha cá from HP Pho Ga Bac Ninh. Bun cha cá from HP Pho Ga Bac Ninh. (C. Pete Lee)
HP Pho Ga Bac Ninh in Rosemead
At HP Pho Ga Bac Ninh (the HP stands for Hai Phong, one of Northern Vietnam's largest cities), you can get the closest to the full experience of bun cha cá without having to make a trip to Hanoi, or Orange County. The fish, brought to the table on a sizzling plate, is fried perfectly without batter. It’s balanced with just the right amount of earthy turmeric, accompanied by white onions and dill. Crumbled black sesame rice crackers add a wonderful crunch along with roasted peanuts. You can choose between the fermented and funky mam tom or the bright nuoc cham, or you can have both. And the restaurant actually serves two versions of bun cha cá. Listed as bun cha cá la vong, this version, like those served at Pok Pok and Viet Noodle Bar, already comes prepared. Or you can order the cha ca thanh long, and assemble your own bowls at the table. The portions here are more than generous and ideal for sharing.
You might also want to try an order of the bun cha Hanoi, a rice vermicelli dish with two kinds of pork. This dish was made popular by a recent episode of Anthony Bourdain's “Parts Unknown,” in which Bourdain treats President Obama to a bowl of bun cha and beer at Bun Cha Huong Lien, a popular bun cha spot in Hanoi. 8930 Mission Drive, No. 102, Rosemead, (626) 288-999.
ALSO:
Food truck report: Pico House brings grain bowls made by a quartet of serious chefs
Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken to close Border Grill in Santa Monica after 26 years
5 things you need to know about the Guerrilla Tacos restaurant coming to the Arts District | http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-bun-cha-ca-20160829-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/f863c6f4927c43b5dc37d330b2809355bc76a28cb8e3d28875c53e26089fedf0.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Christie D'Zurilla"
]
| 2016-08-29T18:49:47 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fgossip%2Fla-et-mg-who-is-teyana-taylor-kanye-west-video-20160829-snap-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c45f66/turbine/la-et-mg-who-is-teyana-taylor-kanye-west-video-20160829-snap | en | null | Teyana Taylor is the star of Kanye West's 'Fade' video - and a whole lot more | null | null | www.latimes.com | She’s 25. She’s gorgeous. She’s a mom. And she can sing. That’s Teyana Taylor, the sexy star of Kanye West’s “Fade” video, which premiered Sunday night on the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
Oh yeah, there was a song happening during that video, not just Taylor happening. Honest.
Here’s some dish on the woman whose performance came in second only to Beyonce’s on Sunday night. (Sorry, Britney.)
She's a singer and an actress
Taylor debuted with the full-length mixtape “From a Planet Called Harlem” in 2008 after Pharrell Williams had signed her to Star Trak Entertainment the year prior, then moved to West's G.O.O.D. Music in 2012 after releasing the mixtape “The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor” earlier that year.
"I am the princess of G.O.O.D. Music, the first lady of G.O.O.D. Music, the baby of G.O.O.D. Music," Taylor told MTV with a laugh shortly after being signed. "I'm kinda the spoiled brat right now. I could get whatever I want."
Her studio album “VII” came out in 2014 followed by an EP, “The Cassette Tape 1994,” in 2015. Among other collaborations, she worked with West on his fifth album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” Check out some of her tracks here.
On camera, Taylor has had roles in movies including "Madea's Big Happy Family, "The Love Section," "Brotherly Love" and "Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming" and judged "America's Best Dance Crew" in 2015.
You might remember when she turned 16
https://twitter.com/kidzB0p/status/770077952092598272
Sunday night was hardly Taylor's debut on MTV: She was featured in “My Super Sweet 16” in February 2007, in addition to subsequent appearances on the network.
"Teyana’s a sassy, one-of-a-kind New Yorker who has just been signed to Pharrell Williams' record label so she plans a Skateboard Sweet 16, complete with a 1980’s old school hip-hop theme to reflect her personality,” the network said on its posting of the full episode.
She's traded shade with Rihanna https://twitter.com/MeekMill/status/382602395584581633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The ladies got real — really profane — on Twitter in 2013. Lots of the tweets have been deleted, but check out the essence of the expletive-filled spat here.
She's engaged to marry Iman Schumpert
Her fiance and the father of her child — and her costar in the sexiest parts of the “Fade” video — is Iman Schumpert, a point guard for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. He proposed to her in November at her royalty-themed baby shower, which was held at the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art and featured a dress code that would’ve made Michael Jackson proud.
Here’s a bit of that proposal:
https://www.instagram.com/p/96HH-XIsEJ/
The way she had her baby was pretty amazing
Schumpert helped usher their baby, Junie, into the world when Taylor gave birth in their bathroom in December, a month earlier than expected.
“She came out as a wonderful surprise to everyone!,” Taylor said on Instagram the day after her baby was born. “Not knowing I was in labor until I felt her head...it took two ten count pushes with my fiancé playing Dr and she entered this world into his bare hands! Eyes full of tears and barely able to speak to the emergency operator @imanshumpert tied a pair of red headphones around the umbilical cord and the ambulance made there grand entrance 5 min later.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/_ZxMk4IsI4/
“Mommy carried you, Daddy delivered you. Happy 5 months my darling I LOVE YOU #JunieB #MyHeart #MyJoy #MommiesPrincess,” Taylor wrote in May on Instagram.
And here is Taylor's tummy six days after she gave birth
We’ll have what she’s having, please.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_nGUcwIsGU/
Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.
ALSO
Britney can't come close to matching Beyoncé’s fire at MTV VMAs
Missed the MTV VMAs? Here’s a recap of the evening as it happened
Kanye West pays tribute to himself at 2016 MTV Video Music Awards | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-who-is-teyana-taylor-kanye-west-video-20160829-snap-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/cdd07fa6a18bb4a3d5ec24895db4e7c65179a465ee2f6e1f6e0a0b52905cd52f.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-29T04:49:42 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fla-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-long-form-video-winner-1472232103-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Beyoncé wins breakthrough long-form video award for 'Lemonade' | null | null | www.latimes.com | It's fair to say Beyonce stole the MTV VMAs with an extended performance inspired by "Lemonade." It was also a special evening for Rihanna, who performed throughout the night before Drake presented the Vanguard award to the woman he's "been in love with since [he] was 22 years old." And Britney Spears returned to the VMAs stage; it was an admirable effort, but even those shadow fingers couldn't come close to topping Beyonce. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-mtv-vma-live-updates-long-form-video-winner-1472232103-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/793cde790583084b1b6cd6aab8b638a7c72ec453abf849e48cbdf11807c21b97.json |
[
"La Cañada",
"Sara Cardine"
]
| 2016-08-26T13:15:13 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fla-canada-valley-sun%2Fnews%2Ftn-vsl-me-real-estate-20160817-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57608a9f/turbine/tn-vsl-social-icon/ | en | null | First-time home buyers priced out in and around La Cañada | null | null | www.latimes.com | With the demand for housing in and around La Cañada Flintridge continuing to outstrip supply, those in the real estate industry say it's still a sellers' market, though a potential interest rate hike in the near future could change the trend.
The average La Cañada home for sale spent approximately 46 days on the market in June, up slightly from 41 days in May, according to second-quarter figures recently released by the Pasadena-Foothills Assn. of Realtors (PFAR). The average price per square foot is about $633, up from $594 in January, the report indicates.
Bill Podley, president of the association and of Podley Properties, said any home that is reasonably priced will likely attract multiple offers and get snatched up quickly.
"We continue to have a shortage of inventory throughout the Greater San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles and even Orange County relative to the demand," Podley said in an interview Monday. "One buyer wins and the other 11 go out and chase another house like the one they couldn't get — it's a hard cycle to break."
That may be good news for Realtors, but it can be challenging for brokers whose clients are often turned away when the housing market is hot, says Stephen Azadian, a broker with La Cañada's Town and Ranch Realty.
"It's not a happy situation for brokers," Azadian said Monday. "We'd like to see more of a balance."
Both Podley and Azadian agreed that with the current median home price in La Cañada at about $1.3 million to $1.5 million and the average home price coming in even higher, around $1.8 million, it's a market most first-time home buyers and young families can't afford to break into.
Those who do often do so with help from parents, who contribute toward a substantial downpayment or purchase the house for them.
"It's most formidable for a young family of first-time buyers to buy in La Cañada," Azadian said. "We used to be able to get people who were professionals to come here. Now, a professional with a good job can't afford to buy. I don't even think anyone who makes less than $200,000 [a year] can consider buying in La Cañada."
The broker said people bidding on homes inside city limits most likely already have a home in a nearby community, such as Glendale or La Crescenta, and are looking to upgrade.
Podley said additional interest continues to come in from wealthy people living in other countries, or from second- or third-generation Americans. While such buyers may be interested in residing in the home, many are looking to place their money in what's widely viewed as a solid investment.
While Realtors and others who keenly follow industry trends don't anticipate interest rates rising anytime this year, there's an acknowledgment that could soon change. Podley advised those thinking about buying to consider taking advantage of low rates while they still can.
"If you can afford to get into something, with rates as low as they are, it's an opportune time to buy," he said. "You just need to buy wisely."
--
Sara Cardine, [email protected]
Twitter: @SaraCardine | http://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/news/tn-vsl-me-real-estate-20160817-story.html | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/b0dd97302b11d2c9f11891f01b6c9b3ce6b3cd19ef84297cfb9921eaa85f2aba.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Neal J. Leitereg"
]
| 2016-08-30T18:50:18 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Frealestate%2Fhot-property%2Fla-fi-hotprop-nick-barnett-carlsbad-home-for-sale-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5ba32/turbine/la-fi-hotprop-nick-barnett-carlsbad-home-for-sale-20160830-snap | en | null | Former Green Bay Packer Nick Barnett puts his Carlsbad home up for sale | null | null | www.latimes.com | Former professional football player Nick Barnett, who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2011, has put his home in Carlsbad up for sale at $2.499 million.
Found at the end of its own cul-de-sac, the gated two-story structure includes a motor court, a gazebo and a swimming pool and spa on slightly more than half an acre. Sweeping views extend from La Costa Golf Course to the ocean.
Inside, remodeled interiors have a sophisticated look with distressed wood floors, patterned wallpaper and bold accent walls. In the chef’s kitchen, modern fixtures draw the eye over an oversized island topped with polished concrete.
The two-story home in Carlsbad sits on its own cul-de-sac with mountain-to-ocean views. (Realtor.com) (Realtor.com)
Other living spaces include a breakfast area with a mirrored ceiling, formal living and dining rooms, an office/den, six bedrooms and six bathrooms. Moorish notes and an elaborately tiled bathroom highlight the master suite.
There’s also a six-car garage.
Barnett bought the house two years ago for $1.9 million, The Times previously reported.
Steven Lincoln of Windermere Homes & Estates holds the listing.
The 35-year-old Barnett last played in 2013, when he appeared in 15 games for the Washington Redskins. The former Fontana A.B. Miller High School student spent the majority of his 11-year career with the Packers, earning All-Pro honors in 2007.
[email protected]
Twitter: @NJLeitereg
MORE HOT PROPERTIES:
Joe’s Jeans founder sells his Hal Levitt-designed home for $6.1 million
Blue Jays slugger Troy Tulowitzki sells his Colorado mansion for $4.55 million
Mel Gibson lists the Sherman Oaks home he bought for Oksana Grigorieva
James Perse's latest design in Malibu sells for the nearly $13-million asking price | http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-nick-barnett-carlsbad-home-for-sale-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/96270c0f082c7c0e82f2cab91d9bf8f9f7588bfbfa256e314faf07710ecafccc.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Kari Hamanaka"
]
| 2016-08-30T20:50:01 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Ffashion%2Fla-ig-dov-charney-returns-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5ef3c/turbine/la-ig-dov-charney-returns-20160830-snap | en | null | Dov Charney teases his latest venture with a new website, posts to social media | null | null | www.latimes.com | The L.A. T-Shirt guy is indeed plotting a comeback.
If anyone suspected Dov Charney’s new apparel endeavor was all talk, there’s a pretty good record and indication of what he’s been slowly building in South Central for perhaps as much as a year. His love for Los Angeles appears written all over it.
The American Apparel founder quietly put up a site more than a month ago called That’s Los Angeles by Dov Charney. He tipped WWD off to the endeavor, yet declined to discuss it. The site appears to still be in its nascent stage with the only content posted being a slideshow of images, many of them shot by Charney, of various streetscapes, wall murals, residential neighborhoods, freeway overpasses and local businesses scattered throughout downtown Los Angeles, South Central and other places. Aside from that, there’s a contact box for inquiries but no address.
It’s no secret Charney has been working on a new apparel line, with the company’s headquarters in South Central, but he’s otherwise been generally mum on the specifics. Chad Hagan of Hagan Capital Group, who went in with Charney on a bid for American Apparel in January, told WWD earlier this year the new line would be a basics brand for men and women made in the U.S. with a focus on building out the wholesale business, at least initially. Information beyond that has been hard to come by.
Charney said earlier this month while in Las Vegas for the trade showstaking place there that he was doing “subterranean work” for his new business, although he confirmed he was not showing his new line there.
Another “subterranean” effort is an Instagram account that appears to belong to Charney, which includes snaps — many of which also live on the site — of him cutting denim, cutting T-shirts and inside a South Central dye house.
Even more telling is another post with a caption that sheds some light on the new venture’s supply chain, including Georgia-grown cotton (Georgia being where Hagan Capital has offices) and yarn spun in South Carolina.
It all appears marketing build-up as Charney plots his second act.
ALSO
Ousted American Apparel founder plans next act
Why you should be sad that American Apparel may go out of business
Rihanna recap of the 2016 VMAs: A lot of labels on display — but not hers | http://www.latimes.com/fashion/la-ig-dov-charney-returns-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/2c8bc0cfaf7e47b10960e7522b6b34f5331c8694c6a252be3d6f960229abe479.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times"
]
| 2016-08-28T02:49:19 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fla-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-rams-hold-broncos-to-field-goal-but-1472351830-htmlstory.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56fd643a/turbine/la-l-a-times-logo-20160331/600 | en | null | Rams hold Broncos to field goal, but trail 10-9 at halftime | null | null | www.latimes.com | Rams defensive back Marcus Roberson didn't stand a chance.
Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas caught a big throw from Trevor Siemian in rythmn, with one hand as the defender looked back for the ball. The play went 43 yards and to top it off Roberson was flagged for pass interference on the play, though it was declined.
The Rams stuffed Broncos running back C.J. Anderson on the next play before second-year pro Christian Bryant nearly picked off the Denver passer.
On the next play, defensive tackle Ethan Westbrooks broke through the line and ran into the Broncos quarterback, forcing an incomplete throw on third-and-11, which set up a 50-yard field goal by Brandon McManus.
The Rams took a knee after the kick.
Denver leads L.A., 10-9. | http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-live-updates-rams-broncos-rams-hold-broncos-to-field-goal-but-1472351830-htmlstory.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/28e5e0d335b752229ce9566a92465d0e6912db5f1889780737847ef4aa270733.json |
[
"Daily Pilot",
"Luke Money"
]
| 2016-08-27T04:51:18 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsocal%2Fdaily-pilot%2Fnews%2Ftn-dpt-me-immigration-rally-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c11a16/turbine/tn-dpt-me-immigration-rally-20160826 | en | null | Costa Mesa rally calls for immigration reform | null | null | www.latimes.com | More than 150 people from Orange County and beyond gathered in Costa Mesa on Friday night to show solidarity with immigrants and push for changes to the nation's immigration system.
The event, held at The Crossing Church on Newport Boulevard, was part of El Camino del Inmigrante, or The Path of the Immigrant, an 11-day walking trek organized by the Christian Community Development Assn. in collaboration with other groups, including Bread for the World and World Relief.
. Susan Hoffman Seattle resident Annie Aeschbacher finishes her sign for the rally held Friday night at The Crossing Church. Seattle resident Annie Aeschbacher finishes her sign for the rally held Friday night at The Crossing Church. (Susan Hoffman)
The theme of Friday's rally was "Strangers No More," with organizers saying they hoped to promote solidarity with immigrants and raise awareness about families broken apart by deportation.
Participants began their 132-mile journey Saturday at Border Field State Park, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The march is scheduled to wrap up Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Among those who flocked to The Crossing for the evening of music, prayer, discussion and reflection was Adriana Mondragon, a 31-year-old Santa Ana resident.
She isn't a citizen, but she's lived, worked and gone to school in the United States since she was 5. Things that are relatively simple for most — getting a driver's license, a job — were more difficult for her growing up.
Mondragon said she doesn't have all the answers for how to fix the nation's immigration system, but of one thing she's certain: Something needs to change.
"I don't have the perfect solution, but what's in place now is not working," she said. "It's tearing families apart."
. Susan Hoffman Seattle resident Annie Aeschbacher finishes her sign for the rally held Friday night at The Crossing Church. Seattle resident Annie Aeschbacher finishes her sign for the rally held Friday night at The Crossing Church. (Susan Hoffman)
Mondragon said she was touched to see so many people take part in the event.
"It's a tremendous blessing to me," she said. "It gives me great courage to know that I'm not by myself, I'm not there alone and that I have family and friends who are walking with me on this journey."
Fullerton resident Bethany Anderson, 30, has walked more than 40 miles of El Camino del Inmigrante's route so far. She plans to walk more in the days ahead.
She explained how because the neighborhood she and her family live in is primarily comprised immigrants from Mexico, immigration reform hits close to home.
It's also why she's concerned about the political rhetoric made about immigrants.
"I think this is an important time to make a public stance that immigrants are really valuable to our community," Anderson said. "They contribute to our economy, they're an important part of the fabric of our nation and it's time that our system reflected that."
Officials from the Orange County Congregation Community Organization were on hand Friday helping attendees register to vote.
. Susan Hoffman Bethany Anderson of Fullerton, left, and Adriana Mondragon of Santa Ana get ready for El Camino del Inmigrante’s rally held Friday night at The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa. Bethany Anderson of Fullerton, left, and Adriana Mondragon of Santa Ana get ready for El Camino del Inmigrante’s rally held Friday night at The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa. (Susan Hoffman)
"I think it's an opportunity, given that a lot of people are actually turned off by some of the hard rhetoric against immigrants," said Miguel Hernandez, the organization's executive director. "We think it's an opportunity to bring people together."
Since entering Orange County, Anderson said the reaction of passersby to El Camino del Inmigrante hasn't necessarily been hostile, but it's been more skeptical than what she saw farther south.
"We ran into one man today who said, 'Yeah, immigrants deserve to be treated with dignity, but they're not entitled to citizenship,'" Anderson said. "And I just responded, 'Are any of us entitled to citizenship? Am I entitled to more rights because I was born a couple hundred miles north of a border? Am I entitled to more dignity and more opportunity or wealth or privilege because of where I was born versus where some of my friends and neighbors were born?'
"I don't think so." | http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-immigration-rally-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/d8a51217294de37aa8b8a9b3388f8a7cee3f2a9e522b7b6e0b5b14cf71a39ecb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Carolina A. Miranda"
]
| 2016-08-29T20:49:52 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Farts%2Fmiranda%2Fla-et-cam-ile-ilevitable-20160826-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0cf5e/turbine/la-et-cam-ile-ilevitable-20160826-snap | en | null | Ileana Cabra's debut solo effort 'iLevitable' riffs on Latin standards in fiery, feminine ways | null | null | www.latimes.com | For roughly a decade, Ileana Cabra has sung backup to her more famous brothers: René Pérez Joglar and Eduardo Cabra of the Puerto Rican rock and hip-hop act Calle 13. A bookish rocker type, she has riffed on reggaeton and rock and all manner of contemporary Caribbean fusion. Now she has broken out on her own and the results are beguiling — if quite unexpected.
For her first solo effort, “iLe,” as she is now known, has gone resolutely traditional, diving into the Latin music of the past. Her debut album, “iLevitable,” released this summer by Sony Music Latin, features folk-inspired ballads and infectious Latin jazz standards — all bound by her meticulous attention to musical craft, not to mention her voice, which can channel both gravelly sorrow and stage diva brassiness.
“Danza Para No Llorar” (Dance to Not Cry) feels like that mournful bolero emanating from a grandparent’s scratchy record player. “Rescatarme” (Rescue Me) goes Latin big band with fluttering horns, wailing trumpets and chorus. (Impossible not to groove to even if you’re stuck on the freeway at rush hour.) Torch songs and Latin American ballads that nod to all eras — especially the ’70s — appear in between.
But what truly makes this album a standout is the lyricism, which is at its best when iLe is delving into the frank and the bizarre. (The singer has a hand in writing many, though not all, of her songs. )
“I like the possibility of sleeping with you but with you, my love, I simply couldn’t live,” she winks in “Te Quiero Con Bugalú” (I Love You With Boogaloo), which tells the story of a woman who can love a man only through music.— parts of which may or may not be safe for work, depending on where you work.)
“Caníbal” (Cannibal), the song that opens the album, tells of a sensuous, corporeal dismemberment. “Triángulo” (Triangle) is carnal and surreal, fusing abstracted imagery about body and landscape. And “Extraña de Querer” (Stranger of Love) tells a Kafka-esque tale of a woman’s transformation into an insect while riffing on larger questions of love.
SNAP Video "Caníbal," the first single from iLe's debut album, "iLevitable." "Caníbal," the first single from iLe's debut album, "iLevitable." See more videos
In a pop landscape littered with insipid writing about boy crushes and girl power, iLe’s narratives are at once poetic, stunning and grotesque. The Goth girl inside of me can’t get enough.
This summer, the singer has been touring the Northeast in support of the new album. Pray that a gig materializes in Los Angeles soon.
Find me on Twitter @cmonstah. | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-et-cam-ile-ilevitable-20160826-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/8615d975005bb955e5a3f4279cdcd8f99565a91a9707ce484f02b246680c3642.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Andy Mccullough"
]
| 2016-08-31T02:50:17 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fsports%2Fdodgers%2Fla-sp-dodgers-report-20160830-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c63204/turbine/la-sp-dodgers-report-20160830-snap | en | null | Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw likely bound for rehab assignment after pitching in simulated game | null | null | www.latimes.com | Clayton Kershaw completed two simulated innings on Tuesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, but team officials indicated the Dodgers ace probably will require a minor league rehabilitation start before he can be activated from the disabled list.
“My guess is that Kersh will want to pitch in a major league game tomorrow,” said Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations. “With the time he’s missed, my guess would be the next step would be a minor league assignment. I think it will take a little bit of time to build him up in a way for him to be strong through September and hopefully October, as well.”
Kershaw has not pitched for the team since June 26 because of a herniated disk in his lower back. The Dodgers hope he will require only one rehab outing.
Kershaw was one of four pitchers on the disabled list to throw in the simulated game against hitters from Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. Brett Anderson (blister on left index finger) completed four innings. Brandon McCarthy (hip stiffness) and Scott Kazmir (neck stiffness) each logged five innings.
Manager Dave Roberts indicated Kazmir was the closest to rejoining the Dodgers. Anderson and McCarthy may require minor league outings.
That gives them something in common, it appears, with Kershaw. Friedman sounded upbeat about his prized left-hander.
“It was a great step in his progression,” Friedman said. “He felt great after, which is obviously everything that we cared about. As we knew he would, he said he wasn’t as sharp as he would want to be, but he’s always going to say that. The most important thing is he felt great.”
No decision on Puig
The Dodgers have not decided if Yasiel Puig, who hit .361 in his first 18 games after being demoted to triple-A Oklahoma City, will merit a call-up when the rosters expand in September, Friedman said.
Friedman declined to comment on a report from FanRag sports that Puig was claimed off waivers by an unknown team. The Dodgers are more likely to trade Puig in the off-season, when they can deal with all 29 clubs.
“Virtually all players in August go through waivers, and it is a confidential process,” Friedman said. “It’s something that, if and when there’s a trade to announce, that’s when that news becomes public. But for the most part, it’s a formality, where virtually all guys go through, most guys get claimed, and very few deals come as a result of it.”
Fien up, Baez down
The Dodgers recalled reliever Casey Fien and sent reliever Pedro Baez to double-A Tulsa. The two-level demotion for Baez involves a scheduling quirk. Baez will be eligible to return on Sept. 6, when the double-A season ends. Baez has a 7.50 earned-run average in 13 outings in August.
[email protected]
Twitter: @McCulloughTimes | http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-report-20160830-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/70ab6cbca656dcfea01648c96843606b23280462be5224f31d560ecc48f68deb.json |
[
"Los Angeles Times",
"Nigel Duara"
]
| 2016-08-30T10:49:49 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnation%2Fla-na-batman-shooting-lawsuit-20160822-snap-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c560ff/turbine/la-na-batman-shooting-lawsuit-20160822-snap | en | null | Aurora theater massacre survivors sued. How did their case collapse? | null | null | www.latimes.com | They had survived brain damage, paralysis and the deaths of their children. For four years, they met in secret as a group. Now, they were finally prepared to settle with the Aurora movie theater that became the site of one of the deadliest massacres in U.S. history.
Marcus Weaver kept a calm facade, but writhed with anxiety within. His dreams often return him to the theater, the sounds of gunshots and the feeling of his friend’s lifeless body slumped against him. After he escaped, he found a bullet hole in his shoulder.
On a conference call, the federal judge overseeing the case told the plaintiffs’ attorneys that he was prepared to rule in the theater chain’s favor. He urged the plaintiffs to settle with Cinemark, owner of the Century Aurora 16 multiplex where the July 20, 2012, shooting occurred. They had 24 hours.
But before that deadline, the settlement would collapse and four survivors of the massacre would be ordered to pay the theater chain more than $700,000.
The Times corroborated this account with four parties who were present at the settlement conference but declined to be identified because the negotiations were private.
A separate set of survivors had just suffered a devastating defeat in state court, where a jury of six decided that Cinemark could not have foreseen the events of that night, when James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others in a 10-minute rampage at a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
The survivors, some of whom had two or three attorneys with them, were told that the state case had decided the issue — Cinemark was not liable for the shooting, and U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson, who oversaw the federal case, was about to issue an order saying as much.
The federal lawsuit was effectively over.
But Jackson wanted the survivors and Cinemark to end the case with a settlement. It was 8 a.m. June 23. For the next eight hours, attorneys for both sides inched closer to a deal.
At 4 p.m., Cinemark’s attorneys presented a settlement offer. Before it was read, a federal magistrate cornered Weaver to speak with him one-on-one. He asked Weaver to remember the slow pace of change in the civil rights movement, and told him that changing theater safety would also be slow.
“It was the biggest smack in the face,” Weaver said. “He was basically telling us, you’re right, they’re basically at fault, but there’s justice and then there’s true justice.”
It wasn’t a good deal, Weaver thought: $150,000 split among the 41 plaintiffs.
Weaver leaned in close to his attorney.
“That’s it?” he asked.
“That’s it,” Phil Hardman replied.
It was the biggest smack in the face — Marcus Weaver, Aurora theater shooting survivor
But the settlement would achieve the one thing Weaver had been pushing for, an acknowledgment that the theater chain would take new measures to protect patrons. Still, something was worrying him.
“It was the 12th hour, we were all feeling the same way. We all knew they were liable. We knew they were at fault,” Weaver said. “[The settlement] was a slap in the face. But I said, ‘Let’s go for it because it’s better than nothing.’”
The deal came with an implied threat: If the survivors rejected the deal, moved forward with their case and lost, under Colorado law, they would be responsible for the astronomical court fees accumulated by Cinemark.
The choice for the survivors was clear, Weaver said.
“Either seek justice and go into debt, or take that pitiful offering of money and the improved public safety,” Weaver said.
The plaintiffs and their attorneys all seemed to agree. They decided on a split of $30,000 each to the three most critically injured survivors. The remaining 38 plaintiffs would equally share the remaining $60,000.
Attorneys with Cinemark drafted a news release to distribute the next day.
Then one plaintiff rejected the deal.
The plaintiff, who had been gravely wounded in the shooting, wanted more money than the proposed share of the settlement. The Times is not naming the plaintiff because the plaintiff could not be reached for comment.
Weaver’s vision briefly blurred. The eight hours they had spent negotiating the deal, the weeks of the failed state court trial, the four years of anger at the theater since the shooting — all of it was for nothing.
“It was done then,” Weaver said.
He removed himself as a plaintiff immediately. So did 36 other people. Four plaintiffs remained on the case the next day, June 24, when Jackson handed down the order that Cinemark was not liable for the damages.
The court costs in the state case were $699,000. The costs in the federal case are expected to be far more.
“A blind guy in a dark alley could have seen [the state verdict] coming,” Hardman, Weaver’s attorney, said.
Several plaintiffs and attorneys, including those who would not comment on the settlement negotiations, expressed frustration with the way the state case was handled.
In that case, a New York attorney representing 27 people paid one expert $22,000 to testify. Cinemark paid five experts $500,000 to testify. Most damaging to their case, the state plaintiffs were not permitted to enter a crucial piece of evidence before the jury — a May 2012 warning from the Department of Homeland Security to theater chains nationwide concerning the potential for a mass-casualty attack on a theater.
“I strongly think that this guy was trying to make a name for himself and he wanted to get ahead of the curve,” Weaver said. “You’ve got this guy from New York representing people in Colorado who were probably misguided, to be honest.”
The case put forward in state court was so weak, the federal plaintiffs felt, that a rumor circulated among them that the case was a setup by Cinemark designed to fail.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Marc Bern, the attorney who argued the state case and is known for representing rescue workers from the Sept. 11 attacks. “We had all the resources possible. The only expert we needed was a security expert.”
In August 2015, Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, avoiding the death penalty.
Weaver, 45, has married and had a child since the shooting, a blue-eyed girl named Maggie. He still goes to therapy, which he said has helped him. The way the case ended, however, will never leave him.
“Theaters aren’t any safer,” Weaver said. “It’s almost like everything was for naught.”
[email protected] | http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-batman-shooting-lawsuit-20160822-snap-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.latimes.com/deb4eb4354647955a88fc884f82a71df71b0dd22752aa0377f999bc6556f4663.json |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.