Gov. Jerry Brown's fiscal pitch gets warm reception

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown received a warm welcome from lawmakers Monday as he pitched his proposal to pay off debt and save money for future economic downturns.

He faced only one mild question during a rare appearance before a legislative committee, joked about what office he might hold more than a decade from now and played his greatest-hits talking points about stabilizing California's tumultuous finances.

"There's nothing complicated about the idea of saving money," Brown said as he urged Democrats and Republicans to unite behind his proposal. "Voters can understand it."

Brown's testimony before the Assembly Budget Committee, part of a special legislative session he called to focus attention on his proposal, was another sign of his willingness to throw his personal political capital behind the measure.

Judging by his reception, Brown is on safe ground. One Republican, Assemblywoman Diane Harkey of Dana Point, praised the governor's handling of the budget and lamented that he "will only be here for another term," already assuming Brown will win reelection in November.

Committee members repeatedly praised the governor, and toward the end of the hearing Assemblyman Richard Hershel Bloom (D-Santa Monica) added, "I'm not going to rain on this parade."

Under Brown's proposal, spikes in revenue from capital gains taxes would be placed in a reserve fund or used to pay debts and other long-term costs, such as public pensions. California has had a reserve fund since 2004, but it has mostly sat empty. Brown says there should be stronger rules on paying into it.

"If we were angels, we wouldn't need any of these things," he said. "We would just, every day and every year, make very wise judgments. But we haven't proven that to be the case, so we're going to try a little bit of protective restraint."

Brown will need Republican support to push his proposal through the Legislature, because criminal investigations have cost Democrats their supermajority in the Senate. His measure, a constitutional amendment that voters would have to approve, requires a two-thirds vote before it can go on the ballot.

One of Brown's opponents in the governor's race, former U.S. Treasury official Neel Kashkari, has said lawmakers should approve Brown's plan, which the Republican candidate called "a small incremental step in the right direction."

Republican lawmakers have already expressed willingness to back off a competing proposal for a rainy-day fund, which Democrats have criticized as too restrictive on spending. However, the Republicans want more constraints than Brown has proposed to dictate when lawmakers can pull money out of the reserve.

The governor said he was open to compromises, such as raising the vote threshold in the Legislature for withdrawing money and using it to prevent budget cuts during a recession.

There are signs that the Democratic leaders of the Assembly and Senate are divided on some details.

Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) wants to finalize the measure before the Capitol is consumed by annual budget negotiations, which begin in earnest in mid-May, when the governor releases his revised spending plan.

Finishing early, Pérez told reporters, "lays the foundation for the assumptions of the budget."

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) wants to slow down the debate, expressing concern that it is being rushed.

"A poorly designed constitutional amendment would be difficult to fix," Steinberg said on the Senate floor. "It's therefore paramount in my view that we work purposefully, but we don't rush it."

Steinberg said he wanted to see a greater emphasis on tackling the shortfall in the state's teacher pension fund and restoring money to government services. Advocates for the poor are also urging more funding for healthcare and social services.

Advocates plan to rally Tuesday at the Capitol to call for $5 billion more in spending on such services. They're confounded by Brown's push to save for the future when some cuts made during the recession have yet to be restored.

"We believe in rainy-day funds, but for a lot of people it's still raining," said Anthony Wright, who promotes expanded health coverage at Health Access.

To drive their point home Tuesday, demonstrators plan to carry umbrellas.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Donald Sterling's ties to NAACP under scrutiny after race recording

Five years ago, when the local chapter of the NAACP wanted to give Clippers owner Donald Sterling a lifetime achievement humanitarian award, Los Angeles' African American community was divided.

Sterling had been a prominent donor to the NAACP chapter for more than a decade. He ran newspaper ads touting his charity's generosity to L.A. organizations that help the poor communities.

But the real estate magnate had just paid $2.73 million to settle U.S. government claims that he refused to rent his apartments to Latinos and blacks in Koreatown.

"The NAACP airbrushed this away and simply said that Sterling has been a gem in giving oodles of tickets away to needy inner city kids and ladling out some cash to charities and sports camps for them," community activist Earl Ofari Hutchinson wrote at the time on his website.

The organization decided to go ahead give him the award. And in May, it was set to hand him a second honor as part of a gala marking the NAACP's 100th anniversary.

Then recordings emerged in which a man said to be Sterling asked a female friend not to publicly associate with African Americans.

This time, the NAACP withdrew the award. But as the scandal unfolds, some have questioned why it had associated itself with Sterling for all these years.

Leon Jenkins, president of the NAACP branch, declined to say how much Sterling had given the organization recently.

He said he didn't cut ties with Sterling until now because the group was reluctant to make decisions based on "rumors."

"We deal with the actual character of the person as we see it and as it is displayed," he said.

Jenkins said NAACP officials spoke with Sterling in 2009 about the housing discrimination case as well as a suit that NBA great Elgin Baylor filed accusing Sterling of racism when he ousted Baylor as general manager.

Baylor claimed that the organization had a "plantation mentality" in a deposition, and that Sterling rejected a coaching candidate, Jim Brewer, because he was black.

Jenkins said the NAACP officials told Sterling: "If any of the allegations in those lawsuits are true, you need to pay those people, you need to make amends."

In 2011, Baylor dropped the race allegations from the suit, and Sterling hired an African American coach, Doc Rivers, last year.

The NAACP tried to build partnerships with other sports franchises in Southern California, Jenkins added, but "his organization was the only one that really came to the front."

The chapter had recently been talking to Sterling about giving an endowment to Los Angeles Southwest College and donating more money to African American students at UCLA.

"That is something that shows — I don't want to get into the good or bad — but it shows there's a consciousness about the plight of African Americans and Hispanics," Jenkins said.

On Monday, Jenkins said the organization would refund the money that Sterling donated. He did not say how much that would be.

But he rejected a call by the national leader of the NAACP, Lorraine C. Miller, to rescind the 2009 award.

"This is not a Heisman Trophy, dude," Jenkins told a reporter.

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Kings force Game 7 with 4-1 victory over Sharks

Justin Williams forced the tiebreaking goal underneath Alex Stalock with 8:04 to play, and the Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Monday night, rallying all the way back from an 0-3 series deficit to force a decisive Game 7.

Williams and Anze Kopitar each had two goals and an assist, and Jonathan Quick made 25 saves as the Kings became just the ninth team in NHL history to force a seventh game after losing the first three.

"We certainly didn't want to go away quiet," Kopitar said.

Stalock stopped 26 shots in his first NHL playoff start, and James Sheppard scored for the spiraling Sharks.

Just three teams in NHL history have rallied from an 0-3 deficit to win a series.

Los Angeles could join them in Game 7 in San Jose on Wednesday. The winner of the California rivals' third playoff meeting in four years will face the top-seeded Anaheim Ducks in the second round.

Williams, a two-time Stanley Cup champion known for clutch playoff goals, also scored in the first period. He reached his stick between Stalock's pads and knocked home Robyn Regehr's shot for the go-ahead score, breaking open a tense game.

Kopitar followed with two goals 1:15 apart for the Kings, who have outscored San Jose 13-4 in the last three games after San Jose dominated the first three by a combined 17-8.

Sheppard scored on a double deflection in the second period, but after utterly dominating the first two games, San Jose has scored just one goal against Quick in the last 128:24 in the series.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan changed starting goalies after Stanley Cup winner Antti Niemi was pulled from each of the last two losses. McLellan took a risk on Stalock, whose NHL experience consists of 27 regular-season games and 57 minutes of scoreless relief in this series.

Drew Doughty had two assists for Los Angeles, which lost the first three games of the series in discouraging fashion before rallying with resounding victories at home in Game 4 and at the Shark Tank in Game 5 last Saturday night. Doughty set up the Kings' first goal with a sharp pass to Williams, who has four goals in the Kings' last two home games.

San Jose got a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:38 early in the second period, but the Kings killed it off to the delirious cheers of their home fans. The Sharks finally tied it moments after a third fruitless power play when Sheppard deflected Justin Braun's slap shot out of mid-air and off Regehr.

After Williams' go-ahead score, Kopitar got loose on a 2-on-1 rush with Williams, who set him up perfectly. Kopitar added a power-play goal, and the final minutes devolved into several wild scrums after the whistle.

Just three teams have accomplished the Kings' potential feat, but the Philadelphia Flyers rallied from three games down to beat Boston in 2010 with a roster including current Kings forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.

The Sharks played without key defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who left Game 5 early with an upper-body injury. The Canadian Olympic gold medalist was replaced by Matt Irwin, while streaky forward Marty Havlat also was in San Jose's lineup for the first time in the series, replacing Mike Brown.

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Pressure builds for bills to garner a first hearing

SACRAMENTO — The pace of lawmaking is speeding up at the Capitol.

With legislators back from spring break, rallies are in full swing on the Capitol steps; lobbyists of all stripes are packing the ornate hearing rooms and overflow crowds are watching television feeds in hallways.

"There's definitely a push to get bills moving," said Sarah Swanbeck of California Common Cause, a government reform lobby. "You can feel the pressure."

Friday is the deadline for bills to get a first hearing.

It's also an election year, and pressure is on to get early action on proposals on which lawmakers hope to campaign.

Business interests have a lot riding on many of the measures — pro and con. Here are a few that saw action last week in Senate committees.

CEO pay: Multimillion-dollar paychecks for many California chief executives have not gone unnoticed, and some lawmakers are questioning the fairness to workers.

Sens. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) and Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) want to limit CEO salaries to no higher than 100 times the average salary of their workers. To do so, they have a bill, SB 1372, that would cut corporate income taxes for companies that keep executive pay in line. And it would hike taxes where bosses make over 100 times more than the rank and file.

The bill faces challenges ahead, but last week the Senate Governance and Finance Committee approved it on a 5 to 2 vote.

If it becomes law, the measure could affect hundreds of corporations in the retail, restaurant, fast-food, grocery and construction industries.

"This growing divergence between CEO pay and that of the typical American worker isn't just wildly unfair," said supporter Robert Reich, a UC Berkeley professor and President Clinton's secretary of labor. "It's also bad for the economy."

Nonsense, responded business advocates, who said raising corporate income taxes would send the wrong message to potential investors in California. Gina Rodriguez of the California Taxpayers Assn. said, "This would launch our corporate tax rate into the stratosphere."

Computer data: Your car holds a trove of valuable information. Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) has a bill, SB 984, to give owners of cars more control over who gets access to computer and Internet data about a vehicle's performance and how it is driven. But his bill fell three votes shy of what was needed to pass the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. The proposal was backed by auto clubs. But car manufacturers and dealers denounced it as a special interest push by the clubs and their insurance arms.

Genetically engineered food labeling: Though rejected by California voters in 2012, the issue lives on in the Legislature. SB 1381, by Sen. Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), cleared the Judiciary Committee on a 4 to 2 tally but is expected to run into trouble in the Agriculture Committee. Her bill is supported by small farmers, environmentalists and organic food retailers. It's opposed by the grocery industry, retailers, agribusiness corporations and many scientists.

marc.lifsher@latimes.com

Twitter: @MarcLifsher

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NBA players' union seeks league action concerning Donald Sterling

OAKLAND — Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said Sunday the National Basketball Players Assn. wants the NBA to bar Clippers owner Donald Sterling from playoff games the rest of this season and impose the maximum penalty allowed under league bylaws if racist remarks purportedly made by Sterling can be verified as his.

Johnson, who is assisting the players union in its response to the controversy surrounding Sterling, said the players have asked for the punishment to be levied before the Clippers host the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday at Staples Center.

"This situation is a massive distraction for the players and the league right now," Johnson said during halftime of the Clippers' 118-97 loss in Game 4 at Oracle Arena. "It must be addressed immediately and we have to put this great game back on track so we can talk about the playoffs going forward."

Full coverage: The Donald Sterling controversy

National outrage arose after TMZ released an audio recording featuring the voice of a man who sounds like Sterling telling a female friend that he was upset she posted a picture on her Instagram account of herself next to Lakers legend Magic Johnson because he didn't want her to be associated with black people.

Possible sanctions are believed to include a hefty fine or suspension, though a mandate for Sterling to sell the team is considered unlikely in part because it could trigger a vicious legal battle.

Kevin Johnson said the players union has asked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to bar Sterling from attending playoff games for the duration of the postseason. Sterling did not attend Game 4 after sitting courtside for the first three games of the series.

Johnson said the union also wants the league to make a full accounting of Sterling's alleged past racial indiscretions and explain why he was not previously punished; explain the range of possible sanctions permitted under NBA bylaws; and make the union "full partners in this process moving forward."

Sterling agreed to pay $2.73 million in 2009 to settle allegations by the government that he refused to rent apartments to Hispanics, blacks and families with children in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles and was accused of making salacious comments regarding minorities in numerous depositions.

"We believe that this is a defining moment for the league, it's a defining moment for the commissioner and it's a defining moment for all the players in this league," Johnson said.

Johnson, a former three-time All-Star point guard for the Phoenix Suns, said he agreed to assist the players union at the behest of Clippers point guard Chris Paul, the union president. Johnson, who is also assisting the union with its search for a new executive director, said his involvement with the Sterling matter would allow Paul to focus on the playoffs.

Johnson said he conducted an emergency meeting with the union's executive committee and met Sunday with Silver, who attended Game 4 but did not address the media.

Players are united in their belief that Sterling deserves severe punishment, Johnson said.

"If what has been alleged and is stated is authentic," Johnson said, "then there must be sanctions that make it clear that the NBA family will have zero tolerance for such conduct today, tomorrow or ever."

Golden State Coach Mark Jackson expressed a similar sentiment before the game, calling the remarks allegedly made by Sterling "unfortunate, disappointing and [there's] no place in society for those thoughts or that mentality.

"It's difficult to believe that, as crazy as it sounds, that's the mentality of I wish I could say one person [but] it's the mentality of a lot of folks today and it's unfortunate. We've come too far and there's a lot of folks that have sacrificed their life to make this a better place."

Jackson, who played for the Clippers from 1992-94, said the Sterling ordeal presented an opportunity for change.

"Now it's time for me, for you, for ownership, for players, for the league, for society to step up and start challenging these folks and putting pressure on these folks because like I said, there are people who have lost their lives. It's just sad to believe that people feel this way today. It's unfortunate."

Asked if he could envision himself working for the Clippers if he needed a job, Jackson said, "I cannot right now. Knowing the mentality, I cannot."

Johnson said he expected the Clippers to eventually address their owner's remarks beyond a symbolic pregame protest in which they shed their warmup jackets in unison, revealing red shirts turned inside out to obscure team logos. The team's public relations staffers told reporters after the game that players would take only basketball questions.

"The players are not going to be silent," Johnson said. "That day is coming on."

Sterling's day of reckoning, it seems, could come as soon as Monday.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch

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Dodgers, after surprise link to Sterling scandal, stall to 6-1 loss

Matt Kemp suddenly found himself linked to the Donald Sterling scandal Sunday.

In the hours leading up to the Dodgers' 6-1 defeat by the Colorado Rockies, the celebrity gossip site TMZ released a second audio recording of what was said to be a conversation between the Clippers owner and a woman described in court filings as his girlfriend. The female voice in the recording promised to remove from her Instagram account a picture of her with Kemp. On a recorded conversation released earlier, a man identified as Sterling chided a female friend for "associating with black people."

Kemp spoke at length about the situation, sometimes shaking his head, sometimes laughing. When Kemp was finished, a smiling Kenley Jansen played Michael Jackson's "Black or White" over the clubhouse sound system. Players laughed. Brandon League told Kemp to use Jackson's equality anthem as his walk-up song in the game, and Kemp did.

As for the remainder of the day, it was disturbingly similar to many before it.

Kemp was one for four and made an error in center field. The entire offense stalled again and the Dodgers lost for the sixth time in the 10-game homestand, which, mercifully, came to an end.

The error on Sunday was Kemp's third. He has four home runs, which ties him for second on the team with Juan Uribe, but is batting only .221.

Kemp acknowledged he had to play better.

"Honestly, I just have to get better at everything," Kemp said. "I have to do a better job of playing defense. I have to do a better job of hitting. I have to do a better job of driving in runs."

Kemp refused to blame his form on his irregular playing time.

Kemp has been on the active roster for 21 of the Dodgers' 26 games. He has started the game on the bench four times, as Manager Don Mattingly has three other high-profile outfielders in Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford.

"There's no excuses," Kemp said. "I take full responsibility for everything that goes on out there pertaining to me."

He maintained that he wants to be in the lineup every day but was diplomatic when asked about the outfield situation.

"I come ready to play every day," he said.

Kemp described himself healthy for the first time in two years but said health doesn't guarantee results.

"The thing about baseball, baseball is not an easy sport to play, healthy or not healthy," he said. "I have to do better. And it's getting better — better and better every day. I figure out something new every day."

Something he learned Sunday was of the potential dangers of posing for photographs.

"I remember taking a picture, but I didn't think it would ever come to y'all talking about this," Kemp said. "One picture and I get linked to it. It's crazy. I guess you have to be careful who you take pictures with now. Or just don't take pictures. Tell everybody, if I don't take a picture, don't take it personal. I'll give you an autograph, no more pictures."

Of Sterling, Kemp said, "Racism is kind of old, for real. Honestly, I just feel sorry for him, that he feels that way about African American people."

Kemp has friends on the Clippers, including Blake Griffin and Chris Paul.

"I feel sorry for my boys on that team that have to play for a guy like that," he said.

Kemp agreed with Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson that Sterling should be forced to sell the team. If Sterling remained as the Clippers' owner, Kemp said it would be "tough" for him to attend their games.

Asked if he would consider attending their games if Sterling is suspended by the NBA, Kemp replied, "Honestly, what is a suspension going to do for an owner? He still owns the team. He's still making money. You fine him? He's a billionaire. What's fining him going to do? That's not really going to do anything."

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bruins finish off Red Wings in Game 5

Tuukka Rask made 31 saves Saturday to help the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins defeat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-2, in Game 5 at Boston to clinch the teams' first-round playoff series, four games to one.

The Bruins, who finished the regular season with the best record in the NHL, advance to the conference semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens.

"That series was much tougher than maybe the results showed," said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, who gave Boston the lead for good with four seconds left in the second period. "I think that we handled it well, we came into this series ready and we got the job done."

Loui Eriksson opened the scoring for Boston, and Zdeno Chara snapped a second-period tie to give the Bruins the lead for good. Milan Lucic also scored, and Jarome Iginla added an empty-net goal.

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg scored and Jonas Gustavsson stopped 29 shots for the Red Wings, who scored only six goals in the five-game series.

"We're not there yet," said Detroit Coach Mike Babcock, whose team beat the Ducks in the first round last year but has failed to win a playoff series in two of the last three seasons.

"The last two years, we battled to get into the playoffs. To me, that's a measure of where we are. Instead of battling for the Cup, we're battling to make the playoffs."

at Pittsburgh 3, Columbus 1: Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Penguins took a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

Chris Kunitz and Kris Letang also scored for Pittsburgh, which has the upstart Blue Jackets on the verge of elimination with an opportunity to close out the series Monday in Game 6 at Columbus.

It hasn't been easy for the Penguins, a team considered by many a Stanley Cup contender. Columbus, which began the series searching for the first postseason victory in franchise history, twice rallied to stun the heavily favored Penguins.

Boone Jenner scored the lone goal on Saturday for Columbus, which played the first Game 5 in franchise history.

Pittsburgh peppered Sergei Bobrovsky with 50 shots on goal, keeping the Blue Jackets goalie busy all night.

"We competed hard," the Penguins' Sidney Crosby said. "We played desperate and really aggressive. That's the game we have to play. It's not always going to result in 50 shots, but it's our style of play."

at Colorado 4, Minnesota 3 (OT)

Nathan MacKinnon scored 3:27 into overtime after P.A. Parenteau tied the game late in regulation, helping the Avalanche rally for a win over the Wild and a 3-2 lead in the series.

MacKinnon poked the puck past Darcy Kuemper's glove with two defenders all over him. The rookie also had two assists.

Parenteau scored with 1:14 left after Avalanche coach Patrick Roy pulled goaltender Semyon Varlamov with 2:22 remaining. The strategy worked out yet again.

The series switches back to Minnesota for Game 6 on Monday.

Nick Holden and Cody McLeod also added goals for the Avalanche.

Kyle Brodziak, Zach Parise and Matt Moulson scored for the Wild. Two of Minnesota's goals came after a Colorado defenseman shattered their stick and had to play without one.

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Clippers owner Donald Sterling in firestorm over alleged racist remarks

L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who for 30 years has presided over the city's second NBA franchise, became the object of national outrage and the target of an NBA investigation Saturday after allegedly making derogatory remarks about blacks.

In an audio recording, released by celebrity gossip site TMZ, a person identified as Sterling argues with his girlfriend, criticizing her for posting a picture of herself on Instagram posing with Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people," Sterling allegedly says, later adding, "I'm just saying, in your … Instagrams, you don't have to have yourself with, walking with black people.

"Don't put him on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games."

The release of the recording came after the Clippers' best regular season and on the eve of Game 4 of the first-round playoff series with the Golden State Warriors. It touched off a furor, with Clippers fans as well as Miami Heat star LeBron James and other top players criticizing Sterling.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a statement condemning the billionaire, who turned 80 on Saturday.

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers was visibly angry at the recording's content and the distraction it caused.

"I think the biggest statement we can make as men — not as black men, as men — is to stick together and show how strong we are as a group, not splinter, not walk," Rivers said. "It's easy to protest. The protest will be in our play."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told reporters in Memphis, Tenn., the remarks were "truly offensive and disturbing" and said the league intended to conduct an investigation into the recording's authenticity that would "move extraordinarily quickly," possibly concluding in the next few days. Silver said Sterling would not attend Sunday's game at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Silver would not comment what action the league would take if an investigation establishes Sterling made the comment. But it could include a hefty fine or suspension. A demand that he sell the team is unlikely.

TMZ did not say how it obtained the recording. The Times has not verified the recording for its authenticity.

The woman on the recording was said to be V. Stiviano, a woman who is reportedly part black and in her 20s and who has often been seen at Sterling's side. In a lawsuit filed last month, Sterling's wife, Rochelle, contends her husband showered Stiviano in money and expensive cars, and that he had been having an affair with her for four years.

Clippers President Andy Roeser released a statement that questioned the authenticity of the recording and the motives of Stiviano, who he noted is the defendant in Rochelle Sterling's $1.8-million embezzlement case.

Roeser claimed that after the lawsuit was filed, Stiviano told Donald Sterling that she would "get even." The team executive also said what was stated on the recording "is not consistent with, nor does it reflect [Sterling's] views, beliefs or feelings."

Rivers said he would speak for his Clippers players regarding the controversy. During a 45-minute team meeting Saturday morning, he said, his players voiced their displeasure over the remarks.

"No one was happy about it," Rivers said at the practice court at the University of San Francisco, before alluding to the unity among his white and black players. "J.J. Redick was just as [mad] as Chris Paul and that's the way it should be."

Players considered wearing black socks or armbands in protest during Sunday's game but worried about being viewed as radical. Center DeAndre Jordan posted a black rectangle on his Instagram account and tweeted a link to his more than 426,000 followers.

Rivers said the idea of boycotting a game was raised but quickly dismissed.

"Honestly, I'm completely against that and they were too," Rivers said of his players. "Why should we let someone's comments stop what we're trying to do?"

Sterling has not addressed his team.

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Fundraising may narrow field for Henry Waxman's House seat

Attorney Barbara Mulvaney prosecuted killers in Rwanda and promoted democracy for the U.S. State Department in Iraq before returning to Los Angeles and running for Congress.

She could hardly believe it when a local Democratic club barred her — and several other candidates of that party — from the dais at a recent campaign forum.

"I'm a very qualified candidate," Mulvaney said in an interview, taking issue with the club's decision to include only those who had raised at least $200,000 for their campaigns.

Photos: Candidates for the 33^rd Congressional District

 "My reaction was disappointment," Mulvaney said, that the campaign system is "focused more on fundraising than on issues."

She will get a crack at voters this weekend, as will 17 others on the June 3 primary election ballot to succeed retiring Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills). All have been invited to a forum sponsored by the Brentwood News on Sunday.

But the earlier snub reflected a hard reality about crowded races in sprawling districts: Candidates are quickly sorted by political experience, name familiarity, party affiliation and, yes, the ability to raise money — perhaps the most common yardstick in measuring the viability of a campaign. Mulvaney has reported raising slightly more than $10,000.

California's relatively new voting districts and switch to the "jungle" primary add to the election calculus. The predominantly white and affluent Westside district was redrawn in 2011 to meld parts of the South Bay with Waxman's Beverly Hills base. All candidates will appear on the same ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to November regardless of any party ties.

In this solidly Democratic district, most observers put three members of that party, along with a bestselling author who has no party affiliation, in the top tier of candidates.

The 10 Democrats on the ballot could splinter the vote enough to allow a well-funded Republican to take one of the two fall ballot spots. But there's a fourth Democrat who has pulled together an impressive campaign treasury and shouldn't be ruled out.

The leading Democrats are presumed to be former Los Angeles City Controller and Councilwoman Wendy Greuel; state Sen. Ted Lieu; and Matt Miller, a former journalist, radio talk show host and Clinton administration staffer. Each has raised more than half a million dollars, has some political experience and is at least somewhat familiar to voters.

Greuel's campaign for Los Angeles mayor last year boosted her name recognition, but it also left her bloodied, especially over controversial spending on her behalf by a city union. Her political base is mainly outside the district, in the San Fernando Valley, where she grew up and her parents ran a building-supply company.

She and her husband and son recently moved to Brentwood. She has some support in the district and is backed by Emily's List, which helps elect Democratic women who support abortion rights.

Lieu hails from Torrance, in the southern, more politically moderate part of the district, where he served on the City Council before winning special elections to the state Assembly and Senate after the officeholders died. His family emigrated from Taiwan to Ohio when he was 3, and he recalls helping his parents sell gifts at flea markets as they pursued a piece of the American dream.

He said he joined the Air Force after college because he wanted to repay the country that provided his family a chance to succeed; he remains a member of the reserves.

Miller is making his first run for elected office. He has worked as a Washington Post columnist, written two policy books and is familiar to KCRW radio listeners as co-host of the public affairs show "Left, Right and Center." (He was the Center.)

The Pacific Palisades resident is trying to position himself as an informed outsider, a "proud but independent Democrat" with the experience to help break the political gridlock in Washington.

Spiritual teacher and bestselling author Marianne Williamson entered the race long before Waxman's surprise Jan. 30 announcement that he would retire this year after four decades in Congress. Williamson has campaigned almost nonstop for months, led in fundraising and built a core of volunteers, including some who say they were turned off by politics before meeting her.

A lifelong Democrat, Williamson has switched her registration to "no party preference," saying she believes both major parties share the blame for a "corrupt" system in which they are "deeply beholden to corporate interests in order to win elections."

She recently moved to Brentwood from just outside the district in West Hollywood.

"I think the top two will be among those four," said longtime Democratic strategist Garry South, who lives in the district but is not working for any of the candidates and has not endorsed any.

Businessman James A. Graf, a Democrat, said a poll he commissioned with some of the $1 million he lent his campaign showed good support for other candidates, especially Lieu and Greuel. Graf said he dropped out of the race based on his findings, but his decision came too late to remove his name from the ballot.

Defense attorney David Kanuth, a Democrat and first-time candidate from Venice, surprised observers by raising nearly $800,000 within weeks of entering the race. The money will help him reach voters but probably won't be enough to get him past better-known, more politically experienced candidates, South and others said.

Gang prosecutor Elan Carr of Westwood, the only one of three Republicans on the ballot with a substantial campaign fund, has a shot at the fall contest if enough of his party — and perhaps some unaligned voters — turn out for him. He has already started running cable TV ads, which do not mention his party affiliation but call for reforms and say Washington is "too much of a mess" to achieve them.

Waxman's 33rd Congressional District includes much of Los Angeles' Westside and Malibu and runs down the coast through the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Registration is nearly 44% Democratic and 27% Republican, with 18% of voters belonging to no party.

South thinks it's likely that two Democrats will end up on the November ballot, in large part because of Waxman's long tenure and his stature in Washington on such major policy issues as healthcare and the environment.

"Henry Waxman is the shadow that looms over this race," South said. "Those in this district who voted for him for years and who admired him — and there are many — are going to be looking for a candidate they think will be the most suitable replacement for him."

"There is a clear sense that this district is losing a very influential member of Congress," South said, adding that voters are asking, "Who do we replace him with that can fill his shoes?"

jean.merl@latimes.com

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Angels hit four homers in 13-1 victory over Yankees

Angels 13, Yankees 1

AT THE PLATE: Erick Aybar, who tweaked his stance last Monday so he is more upright in the box, had four hits and four runs. With 11 hits in 17 at-bats in four games, he has raised his average from .175 to .275. Howie Kendrick, who had three hits and scored three runs, is hitting .425 (17 for 40) in his last nine games. Since the start of 2006, Kendrick's .357 mark (74 for 207) against the Yankees is the best among players with at least 200 at-bats against them. Hank Conger had two run-scoring doubles and an RBI single.

ON THE MOUND: Yankee Stadium was closed Thursday, and Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson wanted to throw on the off-day, so he played catch with bullpen coach Steve Soliz under some oak trees near the softball diamonds in Central Park. "No one even noticed me," Wilson said. Friday night was another walk in the park for Wilson, who gave up one run and four hits in six innings, striking out five and walking three, to improve to 4-0 with a 1.93 earned-run average against the Yankees since joining the Angels in 2012.

IN THE FIELD: With a 12-1 lead, left fielder J.B. Shuck made a spectacular diving catch of Ichiro Suzuki's flare toward the line in the eighth. Albert Pujols made a diving stop of Brian McCann's one-hop smash behind the first-base bag and, from a sitting position, tossed to Wilson covering the bag in the sixth.

EXTRA BASES: Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda entered Friday with a 3-2 record and 2.16 ERA in six career starts against the Angels, but he was rocked for eight runs — six earned — and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings, the first time in 184 career starts he has given up as many as eight runs.

PAIN, PAIN, GO AWAY: Saturday starter Hector Santiago said the ache in the middle of his back that affected him in his first two starts was not an issue in his last two games. "I was having trouble pushing off my back leg, and my mechanics were faulty and inconsistent," he said. "But I got some chiropractic treatment, and it's fine now. The last two starts have been pretty good."

UP NEXT: Some 200-250 friends and family members from Santiago's hometown of Newark, N.J., have purchased tickets and chartered buses to watch the Angels left-hander (0-3, 3.68 ERA) oppose New York Yankees left-hander Vidal Nuno (0-0, 6.75 ERA) at Yankee Stadium on Saturday at 10 a.m. PDT. On the air: TV: Channel 11. Radio: 830.

— Mike DiGiovanna

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45-unit complex to double number of Vernon's voters

By a Times staff writer

April 26, 2014

The industrial city of Vernon in southeast Los Angeles County has long been known for its small number of residents and voters — just 42 turned out for a municipal election last year, for example.

So on Friday, when city leaders and state and national elected officials announced the groundbreaking of a new apartment complex in the city, it was hailed as a good governance reform that will bring more voters to the city.

The 45-unit Vernon Village Park is hailed as an environmentally conscious, energy-efficient facility that, as city officials put it, "will make the concept of a live/work community a reality in Vernon."

Vernon Village Park is expected to more than double the number of voters in the city when it is completed in 2015, and officials said it would be affordable for low- to moderate-income families.

The facility will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom units with balconies and patios, a play area for children and an edible garden.

Vernon was the focus of scrutiny after a series of scandals at City Hall. The city came under criticism from state legislators who argued that its government was controlled by a small group of individuals rather than a legitimate voting population. Legislators attempted to disincorporate the city in 2011, but that effort failed.

Vernon officials agreed to a series of reforms, including building more housing to add to the voter rolls.

metro@latimes.com

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Rabbit dishes are regaining popularity

Rabbits "are helping win the war," proclaimed a Los Angeles Times article from 1943. Touted as a patriotic food during World War II, rabbits were raised by thousands of Americans in their backyards. Along with victory gardens, rabbits helped put food on the table when much of the nation's supply was shipped to soldiers overseas and ration stamps provided less at home. But even though rabbit consumption spiked during the war, it all but disappeared afterward.

Think rabbit today and your thoughts probably veer to cartoon characters, cereal mascots, Easter and adorable pets. Perhaps the only "bunny" you've ever eaten was of the milk chocolate breed. For years, it seems the only place you could find "the real deal" was occasionally on the menu at French or Italian restaurants.

But rabbit appears to be going through a renaissance of sorts.

"I think it's gaining in popularity," says Mark Pasternak, co-owner, along with wife Myriam, of Devil's Gulch Ranch in Marin County. Their farm supplies rabbit to a number of butcher shops and restaurants in and around Northern California, including the French Laundry and Chez Panisse.

And in an era when game meats and nose-to-tail eating are redefining fine dining as food sport, rabbit is both familiar and exotic enough to appeal.

"It almost has a prohibitiony quality to it, like it was something your grandfather ate. It's a great 'old-fashioned' meat," says chef Ken Addington, who, with restaurant partner Jud Mongell, owns LA Chapter in downtown's Ace Hotel as well as Five Leaves and Nights and Weekends in Brooklyn, N.Y. "We've always had rabbit on the menus in Brooklyn. It's a fun, versatile meat."

And though Mongell was hesitant to feature rabbit at first, he's come around to the idea. "In these times when we're trying to be so conscious of what, and how, we're consuming, it's something to consider."

At a time when buzzwords like "organic," "local" and "sustainable" are driving the market, rabbit is ripe for resurgence. According to Slow Food USA, rabbit can produce 6 pounds of meat using the same amount of food and water it takes for a cow to produce only 1 pound. Not to mention the health benefits. Rabbit is a lean meat that is higher in protein but lower in calories, fat and cholesterol than many other meats, including chicken, beef and pork.

But how does it taste?

Domestic rabbit's all-white meat is fine-grained and has a mild flavor compared with other game meats.

"Rabbit is one of my favorite subjects because it is so versatile, like veal or chicken," says chef Evan Funke of Bucato. A favorite dish of his for those new to rabbit is rag¿¿. "Anytime I get the opportunity to introduce people to rabbit, [I do]. Rag¿¿ is easy."

Addington likes to pair bright flavorings, such as citrus, with rabbit; he currently has a lemon grass rabbit rag¿¿ on the menu at LA Chapter.

Though rabbit is mostly available through butcher shops such as Belcampo Meat Co. and Puritan Poultry and online, it is turning up more frequently in upscale markets, including select Gelson's markets. It is usually sold whole, though you can have your butcher break the animal down into parts. (But if you've ever wanted to learn how to break down any four-legged animal, rabbit is a great place to start because it's so small. Do be careful with the bones, however; rabbit bones are even more delicate than those of a chicken.)

And despite its reputation as an inexpensive option during frugal times, store-bought rabbit is not cheap; prices in Los Angeles range from about $10 to $13 a pound for a 2- to 3-pound rabbit.

noelle.carter@latimes.com

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Search for S. Korean official's secret funds leads to O.C.

The South Korean public got a first glimpse of former President Chun Doo-hwan's ill-gotten gains in 1996 — 25 apple boxes neatly packed with crisp bills.

The bills, the equivalent of several million dollars, were only a fraction of the more than $200 million Chun was ultimately found to have amassed in bribes extracted from corporations like Samsung, Hyundai and LG during his eight years as president.

When Chun was convicted on mutiny, treason and bribery charges, the South Korean courts also ordered him to pay $229 million in criminal restitution — a bulk of which Chun has long maintained he can't afford, saying that he had less than $300 to his name.

On Thursday, the nearly two-decade hunt for Chun's secret funds — a closely watched accounting for a figure who remains one of the most reviled in South Korea — found its way to Southern California. Prosecutors with the U.S. Department of Justice announced that they had located $721,951.45 — a portion of the value of a white clapboard home in Newport Beach that was owned until recently by Chun's son and daughter-in-law.

The U.S. government filed a forfeiture action in Los Angeles on Thursday, moving to seize the proceeds from the home's sale in February.

The story of how the fruits of corruption half a world away wound up in coastal Orange County is a painstakingly orchestrated, convoluted path that prosecutors here will have to retrace to claim the money.

Now 83, Chun came to power in a 1979 military coup after the assassination of a long-ruling strongman, and amid his ascension to power, he ordered troops to open fire at masses of students and citizens protesting in the city of Gwangju, causing hundreds of deaths. He declared martial law, ordered the Constitution rewritten and held a presidential election as the sole candidate. He eventually stepped down in the face of widespread protests.

Chun was initially given the death penalty after his 1996 conviction, but that was later reduced to life in prison and — ultimately — he was freed after his punishment was commuted. Even so, the restitution order remained in effect, according to the forfeiture complaint filed in Los Angeles. After paying a fraction of the amount, Chun has refused to pay more, saying that his assets totaled $290.

Chun's denial has launched an international hunt for his secret funds, suspected of having been laundered through a wide network of shell corporations and nominee accounts. The effort to track down the money was increased last year because the statute of limitations was due to expire. Prosecutors in South Korea have already seized real estate, artwork, stocks and jewelry that they determined were derived from corruption proceeds.

As of August 2013, Chun still owned $167 million, according to the complaint.

According to U.S. prosecutors, the funds that ended up in Newport Beach were initially handed over from Chun to his father-in-law, Gen. Lee Kyu-dong. Chun admitted to South Korean prosecutors that he gave Lee the money in 1996 because he "feared that there may be a misunderstanding and that the money may be seized later, if [he] had a lot of money while [he] was being investigated," according to the complaint.

The money was transferred in the form of housing bonds from Lee to Chun's second son, J.Y. Chun, who allegedly spread the money into dozens of accounts in other people's names.

After initially denying that the money came from his father, the son eventually admitted to South Korean prosecutors: "I always thought of the [funds] unconditionally as my father's money. It is true that I did as such. I am very sorry about that now," according to the forfeiture complaint.

A business partner and friend, Ryu Chang-hee, told South Korean prosecutors in 2013 that the younger Chun asked him to buy real estate in the name of Ryu's father to "dodge suspicion" because he didn't have the income to justify such a purchase, according to the complaint.

Over the years, J.Y. Chun has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into the U.S. financial system, prosecutors alleged in court papers. In 2003, he and his wife purchased a home outside Atlanta with suspected corruption proceeds. In 2005, they sold that home and purchased the Newport Beach property for $2.24 million, with a nearly $1-million down payment.

Neither J.Y. Chun nor his wife had an income that could prove the money for the home was legitimate, prosecutors alleged. The younger Chun reported annual income of $20,000 to $50,000

His wife, former starlet Park Sang Ah, is also suspected of having lied on the mortgage application for the home — she allegedly told immigration authorities that she hadn't worked since 2003, yet claimed on the application that she was president of a company and made nearly $500,000 a year.

Representatives for the Chuns could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

victoria.kim@latimes.com

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Michael Phelps returns to competitive swimming with second-place finish

MESA, Ariz. — A buzz ran through the crowd, an accumulation of murmurs and applause that drifted across the pool to where Michael Phelps stood. It was just loud enough to make the swimmer grin as he stepped onto the block.

"You heard people starting to get excited," he said.

The 1,200 spectators at poolside weren't alone — an entire sport watched intently as the most-decorated athlete in Olympic history began his comeback from retirement this week.

With an unprecedented 22 medals from three Games, Phelps is the Michael Jordan of swimming. His hefty endorsement earnings give him the clout of a pre-scandal Tiger Woods.

Some wonder why he would risk that legacy by returning after nearly two years away. Others want to know if he plans to compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The 28-year-old Phelps refused to dwell on such questions at the Arena Grand Prix meet, not even after a promising second-place finish to rival Ryan Lochte in the 100-meter butterfly on Thursday night. He preferred to talk about having fun.

"I felt like a summer league swimmer," he said of his first day back. "I literally was just so excited to get in and to race."

It seems like a lifetime ago that the Baltimore native began his Olympic odyssey at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. That teenage debut set the stage for a historic career.

He had six gold medals and two bronze at the 2004 Athens Games.

Not only did Phelps win eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he also set four individual world records. Four years later, in London, he walked away with four more golds and two silvers.

He also — supposedly — walked away from racing, insisting there was nothing left to accomplish and he was "ready to be done."

His departure hurt a sport that had benefited from his crossover appeal, which attracted growth in participation and sponsorship dollars.

"I can't overemphasis how critical he was been to swimming," said Rowdy Gaines, the former Olympic medalist and current analyst for NBC Sports. "He has been the most critical component."

Phelps spent the past year and a half doing what young, wealthy, former athletes are supposed to do.

"I traveled, I played golf, I gained 30 pounds," he said. "I had a lot of fun."

But something was missing, something that Subway commercials and a stint on Hank Haney's golf show could not satisfy. Maybe it was the thrill of competition. Or the training routine that had brought order to his life for so many years.

Phelps joked that he needed to tame his expanding waistline. But that was a small part of the equation.

"I missed being in the water," he said.

Last fall, he resumed training at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and re-entered the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's testing program, beginning the waiting period required to compete.

At a news conference in Mesa this week, Coach Bob Bowman told reporters his star pupil was "so out of shape" at the start.

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Two students, driver critically hurt in Anaheim Hills school bus crash

A school bus with 11 students aboard ran off the road and slammed into a tree Thursday afternoon in Anaheim Hills, leaving the driver and two students critically injured.

The yellow school bus from El Rancho Charter School in the Orange Unified School District appeared to swerve and pick up speed before coming to a stop amid trees on a grassy hill along East Nohl Ranch Road by the Anaheim Hills Golf Course, according to witnesses. Officials said the bus had left an after-school function.

The witnesses recalled a chaotic scene as dust filled the twisted bus and students screamed for help, even as they scrambled for safety through an emergency exit at the rear of the vehicle.

"They were crying, saying, 'I'm hurt! Help me!' " said Claudia Matten, who was among several Good Samaritans who helped the middle school students leave the bus.

A total of six people were taken to hospitals, including the two critically injured students and the driver. The two students' injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, the California Highway Patrol said. Three other students with minor injuries also were taken to hospitals, officials said.

The six remaining students were released at the scene to family or friends. "They might have had scratches or bruises," CHP spokesman Officer Florentino Olivera said.

The driver was conscious when firefighters pulled him from the front of the bus. His name has not been released.

Olivera said the CHP was launching an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. He said preliminary evidence indicated that the driver may not have hit the brakes before plowing into the tree.

"I don't see any skid marks. It looks like he went straight into the tree," Olivera said.

As it moved along East Nohl Ranch Road, the bus suddenly picked up speed, according to student Solymar Colling, 14, who was sitting in the third row.

"It started going up fast, we went up and then it hit the tree," Solymar said. "People were screaming."

She said she flew into the seat across from her as the bus hit the tree. "I started looking for my phone," she recalled, "so I could call 911 and say we need to get off the bus."

Tyler Fabozzi, 17, a senior at Canyon High School, said he was driving next to the bus when it swerved into his lane and suddenly swerved back.

Tyler continued to drive alongside the bus when it suddenly drove up the grassy hill and knocked down the tree. He parked his truck and ran up the hill to help the students. He found the fuel door near the emergency hatch and turned off the gas line, he said.

Solymar said she and the other students were inside the bus for a minute or two before they started to make their way to the back where someone had opened the emergency exit.

Ellen Johnson, transportation supervisor for Orange Unified, said the bus was equipped with seat belts and that students "are directed by the bus driver to put them on."

Olivera said the CHP conducted a safety inspection of the bus in October and that it "passed with flying colors."

adolfo.flores@latimes.com

Times staff writers Paloma Esquivel and Robert J. Lopez contributed to this report.

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There's a reason for lack of fanfare about Albert Pujols' 500th home run

The number that matters most is not 500.

The number that matters most is 0.

That is the number of major league players that have hit more home runs this season than Albert Pujols.

He got a mighty sweet serenade in the visiting clubhouse in Washington on Tuesday night after he hit his 500th home run. But the Angels are not paying him a quarter-billion dollars for reminders of how great he was when he played for the St. Louis Cardinals.

If that really is the classic Pujols back at-bat, that would be a big swing toward an October different from the last two, when he and the Angels stayed home and the Pujols-less Cardinals advanced deep into the playoffs.

In the days before Pujols became the 26th man to hit 500 major league home runs, and the first to hit that milestone in five years, there was no national buzz, no sense of anticipation. There was a ton of excitement around Nationals Park when the Angels arrived Monday, but that was all about Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.

The obvious reason is that a glow no longer surrounds 500, that the standard has been tainted by too many players getting there, and by too many of those players being tainted.

Babe Ruth hit the 500 mark in 1929. Eddie Murray did it in 1996. In between, 13 players did it — Hall of Fame members all, Ruth and Murray and all the rest.

In 11 years, nine guys got there — Mark McGwire in 1999, Barry Bonds in 2001, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro in 2003, Ken Griffey Jr. in 2004, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas and Jim Thome in 2007, Manny Ramirez in 2008, and Gary Sheffield in 2009.

The home run itself was devalued by the steroid era. Too much of a good thing. No longer does 500 guarantee admission into Cooperstown. Adam Dunn could get to 500 next year, but does anyone consider him Hall of Fame material?

And, of those nine guys to hit 500 from 1999 to 2009, only Griffey, Thomas and Thome have not been linked to the use of performance-enhancing substances.

"I think those folks might have diminished the accomplishment," Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully said, "because of all the suspicions, shadows and doubts."

Scully said he still considers 500 home runs "a major accomplishment" and said he was delighted for Pujols. Scully remembered watching Willie Mays hit his 500th or 600th home run and said the fanfare was limited to Mays coming out of the dugout and tipping his cap.

That was in the pre-ESPN era. In this era, where nothing is too small to be a big deal, the relative silence surrounding Pujols' feat might have less to do with the steroids other players have done and more to do with what Pujols has not done.

When he signed with the Angels, remember, he was the greatest hitter of his generation. He was ALBERT PUJOLS.

In more than two years in Anaheim, he never has been the best player on his team. In his first month with the Angels, the best player on the team was Mark Trumbo. Since then, the best player has been Mike Trout. That is, MIKE TROUT.

It was astounding, really. Pujols went from icon in St. Louis to invisible in Anaheim. He didn't make the All-Star game. His team didn't make the playoffs.

In his first month with the Angels, in 2012, he did not hit a home run. He still finished with 30, despite a knee injury that required postseason surgery.

In 2013, he was finished in July, done in by a painful foot tissue that bothered him until it ruptured. The injury might have explained that year, but his on-base and slugging percentages had declined for four consecutive years.

Now he leads the American League in slugging percentage. The last time he hit eight home runs in April, in 2009, he finished with 47 home runs, tops in the National League. The time before that, in 2006, he finished with 49, his career high.

Dodgers batting coach Mark McGwire, who coached Pujols in St. Louis, said this is not just a hot month. With his lower body healthy, McGwire said Pujols can drive good pitches and can stop swinging at bad pitches in an effort to force results.

"He had a flat tire," McGwire said. "His tires are filled back up, at full pressure."

Pujols started the season at 492. He told reporters in Washington he was not surprised to get to 500 with a week left in April.

"No, because I've had great Aprils before," he said. "I'm healthy and I'm feeling good at the plate right now. I mean, I don't need to tell you guys. You guys can see it.

"When you have your leg on it, now you can rely on the power you have and it wasn't there the last couple years. You can look for your own eyes."

The Angels do not expect to see vintage Pujols through 2021, when his contract expires at 41. But a few summers of retro Pujols would be nice, an October or two much nicer.

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

Twitter: @BillShaikin

Times staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this report from Washington.

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Kings are in must-win situation heading into Game 4

The Kings are the only team in the Western Conference to be mired in a 3-0 playoff hole, which is why there was more talk Wednesday about 2010 than their 2012 Stanley Cup championship resume.

There is something special about rallying from an 3-0 series deficit, so extraordinary that it has happened only three times in NHL history. Current Kings Mike Richards and Jeff Carter are members of that select club, having accomplished the feat when they were with the Philadelphia Flyers, who pulled off the trick against the Boston Bruins in 2010.

"We have to be desperate," Carter said. "We're down, 3-0. There's no time to sit back and wait for things to happen. You have to out there and make them happen. If we don't, it's going to be a long summer. We need everybody on the same page tomorrow night."

That would be Thursday at Staples Center for Game 4. If the Kings extend the series, Game 5 is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at San Jose. The Sharks were almost businesslike in their approach after their Game 3 victory behind Patrick Marleau's overtime goal. In other words, they weren't getting overly giddy about it, high drama and all.

"We got back to the type of series that we thought we would have coming in," Sharks Coach Todd McLellan said. "In fact, there was still more scoring than we thought. We didn't think there would be seven goals scored, but it will be that type of game. We will have to play a better game tomorrow than we did yesterday."

The Kings were dramatically better in Game 3, though the bar wasn't set overly high after their woes and shortcomings in the first two games in San Jose. Marian Gaborik materialized in spectacular fashion — his unassisted goal was dazzling in the second period — and the Kings continued to chip away at San Jose goalie Antti Niemi.

"I think it was the first time that we got to him," Gaborik said. "The first couple of games, we scored goals, but they were ugly goals, which we need. But it was the first time we really got to him in terms of having quality scoring chances and being on him. We just have to have that more and try to find the net."

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter is often calmest in the face of severe adversity. Well, at least more expansive. Of course, he wasn't about to divulge any message he was sending to his players or specifics about the various hidden bumps and bruises. The next coach to do that during the playoffs will be the first.

Rest assured, the damage is not on par with the injuries the Kings were dealing with in the Chicago playoff series last season.

"No, no, no. I don't really want to compare that," Sutter said. "Pain is part of it. There's a difference between injured and hurt. Obviously, you're talking about Drew [Doughty]. Drew's a tough guy. He's a tough guy. He's going to go out and play. That's the way it works."

Doughty played on a bad ankle in the playoffs last year against the Sharks and the Blackhawks. His ice time in Game 3 was 28-plus minutes despite missing a few shifts in the first period for an unspecified issue after it appeared he was in discomfort.

He said Tuesday morning that he wasn't happy playing only 23 minutes in Game 2 and went on to record two assists in Game 3. Sutter liked that attitude and talked about the combination of Doughty's innate hockey sense and competitiveness.

"He's got to do for us what [Marc-Edouard] Vlasic does for them [the Sharks]," Sutter said of Doughty's defense partner at the Olympics for Team Canada.

"That's kind of how you match it up. He wants to play and that's a good thing. I like them guys who try to stay out there and are not trying to get off because of who's on the ice. He's a guy who wants to go back out and not come off the ice. That's a good trait to have.

"That's what those guys who win championships, or are big parts of a team's success, that's why they are like that. We can all sit there and watch and say, 'Oh, he can really skate or he can really shoot or whatever.' But there's something else special about top players. That's why they're all top players because there's something else there."

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

Twitter: @reallisa

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Jered Weaver has solid outing in 5-4 loss to Nationals

AT THE PLATE: The Angels scored twice in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead when Mike Trout walked, Albert Pujols hit a run-scoring double and Erick Aybar hit a run-scoring single. David Freese ended an 0-for-14 skid when he doubled to left-center and later scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Trout had a run-scoring single in the ninth. Pujols, who also singled in the first, struck out with the bases loaded to end the ninth. Aybar was seven for 12 in the series to raise his average from .175 to .240.

ON THE MOUND: Jered Weaver, pitching on a windy, chilly, 54-degree evening, held the Nationals to one run and seven hits in six innings, striking out two and walking one before being pulled for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. Michael Kohn, who has emerged as the No. 3 man in the bullpen, threw a scoreless seventh. Joe Smith worked around a Pujols error to throw a scoreless eighth before closer Ernesto Frieri lost the game in the ninth.

ON SECOND THOUGHT: Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper raised eyebrows with a highly questionable bunt attempt on a 2-and-2 pitch with none out and a runner on first in the sixth. Harper popped out to the catcher. In the eighth, Harper, who was pulled from Saturday's game against St. Louis for not hustling to first on a grounder, jogged out of the box on a grounder to first. When Pujols bobbled the ball, Harper broke into a sprint and reached on an error.

IN THE FIELD: Trout made a spectacular play in the first, racing in from center field and making a diving catch of Harper's flare with two on to end the inning.

EXTRA BASES: The "transfer rule" reared its ugly head again in the ninth when Raul Ibanez hit a line drive that Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche appeared to catch above his head. But as LaRoche brought his glove down toward his waist and looked to throw to second for a double play, the ball squirted out, and Ibanez was ruled safe.

UP NEXT: The Angels, who are 3-3 on the trip, are off Thursday. Left-hander C.J. Wilson (2-2, 4.21 ERA) will oppose New York right-hander Hiroki Kuroda (2-1, 4.07 ERA) at Yankee Stadium on Friday at 4 p.m. PDT. Wilson has given up two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts against the Yankees. On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 830.

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Ferry disaster fills South Korea with shame

ANSAN, South Korea — For South Korea, a country that pulled itself out of abject poverty to become the world's 15th-largest economy, the most stinging accusation about last week's ferry sinking is that it looks like a Third-World disaster.

While the captain escaped and the crew dithered and bickered with emergency officials, hundreds of passengers, most of them high school students, obediently remained in their cabins as the ferry rolled and slipped beneath the surface of the cold, gray sea.

Mistake piled atop mistake turned a near-shore mishap into the nation's worst maritime disaster in decades. The calamity has shamed many South Koreans and left them with serious doubt about their political leaders at a moment when they were preparing for a high-profile visit from President Obama, who is slated to arrive Thursday night.

"We are supposed to be a prosperous middle power, but the fundamentals are still weak," said Choi Kang, vice president of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. "There was no control tower, nobody in charge."

The botched rescue also has cast a harsh light on a Confucian culture in which young people are taught to respect the older generation.

"I feel embarrassed as a Korean. We failed our children," said Kim Seun-tae, a 50-year-old minister whose son attends Danwon High School, which had 350 students and faculty members among the 476 people aboard the ship. Kim's son was not on the ferry.

The minister said he was struck by video from survivors' cellphones that showed the mostly 16- and 17-year-old students sitting dutifully in their seats.

"They were good, well-behaved kids. They followed instructions," Kim said. "Everybody is in a state of shock and depression. We can't look each other in the eye or speak."

Some events initially planned for the presidential visit have been toned down to avoid any appearance of festivities at a time when divers will probably still be plucking bodies from the sunken vessel, according to people involved in the planning. More than 160 passengers remained missing as of Tuesday, with 139 confirmed dead.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who made the protection of youths one of the themes of her administration, lashed out Monday at the crew members who abandoned the ship, saying the "behavior of the captain and some crew members is beyond understanding and no better than homicide."

But Park faces accusations that her newly restructured Ministry of Security and Public Administration failed at its first disaster response.

"They were civil servants with no experience or expertise. When it came to a time of crisis, people were paralyzed," said Jeong Chan-gwon of the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Crisis Management Analysis.

"When she called the captain a 'murderer,' it showed clearly how much political pressure she is under," said Scott Snyder, a Korea specialist with the Council on Foreign Relations, who was visiting Seoul last week.

A panicked and inexperienced crew failed to call the coast guard, instead notifying the vessel traffic service at their destination on Jeju Island, about 50 miles away.

It took 53 minutes for the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to mobilize. Meanwhile, the 69-year-old captain had already left the ship. Most of the crew members survived, while more than two-thirds of the passengers appear to have been lost.

Even before the official call for distress, students used their cellphones to call their parents and the South Korean emergency number.

"Help us. The boat is sinking," one boy reportedly told emergency dispatchers, according to a report Wednesday on Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting.

"The kids had never been on a ferry like that before. They didn't know what to do. They could have been saved," said Kim Seong-kyu, 19, a school student who was among the mourners leaving white chrysanthemums and handwritten messages at a makeshift shrine outside the school.

Among those being mourned was one of the surviving teachers from the doomed expedition who hanged himself from a tree last week in Jindo, the port city where families are staying.

Seven crew members have been arrested, including the captain, a semi-retired and part-time pilot who had been called at the last minute to command the 6,825-ton ship. He was in his cabin when the boat ran into trouble, with a 25-year-old third mate at the helm. Investigators believe that a sharp right turn by the novice might have caused the ferry's cargo to shift, putting it in an irreversible list.

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Canadiens take advantage of late goal to sweep Lightning

Max Pacioretty lifted the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a power-play goal with 43 seconds remaining for a 4-3 victory and a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The first team to advance this year, the Canadiens also got goals from Daniel Briere, Brendan Gallagher and Lars Eller at Montreal. The Canadiens now wait for the Eastern Conference semifinal against the winner of the Boston Bruins-Detroit Red Wings series.

Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay. Victor Hedman pulled the Lightning to within one goal three minutes into the third period, and Tyler Johnson tied the score three minutes later.

Lightning backup goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis replaced Anders Lindback after Gallagher's goal 5 minutes 42 seconds into the second period. Lindback gave up three goals on 20 shots, and Gudlevskis stopped 16 of 17 shots in relief.

Pacioretty was parked in front to bang the rebound of Thomas Vanek's shot past Gudlevskis and thrill the 21,273 spectators. A tripping penalty on Cedric Paquette with 2:11 left put Montreal on the power play and Pacioretty got the Canadiens' second power-play goal of the series.

The Lightning played the series without No. 1 goalie Ben Bishop, who has a left arm injury.

Boston 3, at Detroit 0: Tuukka Rask finished with a 23-save shutout to give the Bruins a 2-1 playoff series lead.

Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Caron scored in the first period, and Patrice Bergeron added an empty-net goal late. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins are ahead for the first time in the opening-round series.

Jimmy Howard made 31 saves for the Red Wings, who needed him to make what appeared to be a routine stop midway through the first period on the first goal. He couldn't.

Hamilton's wrist shot from the top of the right circle beat Howard's glove on a power play after Detroit had too many men on the ice.

The Red Wings didn't have enough players in position to stop the second goal. After a poorly timed line change, Caron was all alone in front of the net and scored off a rebound.

Detroit had a five-on-three power play for 35 seconds midway through the second period and could not take advantage.

Since the Red Wings won Game 1 on Pavel Datsyuk's goal late in the third period, they have been outscored 7-1.

N.Y. Rangers 4, at Philadelphia 1: Derek Stepan, Martin St. Louis, Dan Girardi and Dan Carcillo scored goals and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 31 shots to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series.

Lundqvist was backed by a defense that delivered with a flurry of blocked shots. The Rangers took an early 2-0 lead and that was enough of a cushion for a team that led the Eastern Conference with 25 road victories.

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Angels defeat Nationals, 7-2

Angels starter Tyler Skaggs delivers a pitch during a 7-2 road win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. (Patrick Smith / Getty Images / April 22, 2014)

By Mike DiGiovanna

April 22, 2014, 9:50 p.m.

AT THE PLATE: J.B. Shuck led off the game with a double to left field and Mike Trout reached on an error ahead of Albert Pujols' three-run home run. Howie Kendrick, who had two hits, doubled to right-center field in the first and scored on Chris Iannetta's two-out single to left for a 4-0 lead. Trout singled ahead of Pujols' 500th home run, in the fifth, and Erick Aybar, who had three hits Monday night, doubled to left for his second hit, stole second and scored on David Freese's sacrifice fly in the eighth.

BOX SCORE: Angels 7, Nationals 2

ON THE MOUND: Tyler Skaggs (2-0) struggled with his control but gave up only two runs and three hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking four. The Nationals loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning, and one run scored on a wild pitch. But Skaggs minimized the damage to two runs by inducing Jayson Werth to ground into a double play and getting Ian Desmond to pop out with runners on first and third to end the inning. Michael Kohn threw a scoreless eighth in his team-high 11th appearance, and Kevin Jepsen pitched a scoreless ninth.

LOW-KEY CELEBRATION: There was no on-field ceremony and virtually no fanfare or delay after Pujols hit his 500th home run, which is how the slugger wanted it. "I saw all these guys coming out of the dugout, and it was hard," Pujols said. "I told them we have a game to win, and you don't want to disrespect the other club."

EXTRA BASES: The Angels improved to 10-10 overall and 3-2 on a grueling trip to Detroit, Washington and New York. They were 8-12 through 20 games last season.

UP NEXT: Right-hander Jered Weaver (1-2, 4.74 ERA) will oppose Washington left-hander Gio Gonzalez (3-1, 2.88) at Nationals Park on Wednesday at 4 p.m. PDT. On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 830.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

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Ducks sputter to 3-0 loss to Dallas Stars in Game 3

DALLAS — Kari Lehtonen had 37 saves, with some tremendous stops, for his first career postseason victory, and the Dallas Stars beat the Ducks 3-0 Monday night in their first home playoff game in six years.

Dallas captain Jamie Benn skated out of the penalty box to score late in the first period, and 19-year-old rookie Valeri Nichushkin added a goal for the Stars in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series. The top-seeded Ducks won each of the first two games at home, both one-goal results.

Game 4 is Wednesday night.

Lehtonen, who held up through five Anaheim power plays, had a kick save near the end of one of those in the final minute of the first period. That came right before Benn came out of the penalty box and skated toward the other end for the winning goal.

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D.A. says no charges warranted over L.A. schools' iPad contract

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has reviewed an internal L.A. school district report on its iPad contract and concluded that criminal charges are not warranted.

The report, which has not been released publicly, raises issues about the handling of the bidding process, according to L.A. Unified School District officials who spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to discuss it.

Apple's iPad was selected in June as the device to be provided to every student, teacher and campus administrator in the nation's second-largest school system. The district is using voter-approved school construction bonds for the purchases.

The $1-billion-plus effort has been plagued by difficulties that delayed the first distribution of the iPads at 47 schools last fall. These issues included problems with wireless networks and security and inconsistent policies on whether students and parents would be responsible for the costly devices.

Early on, students at three high schools deleted security filters so they could browse the Web freely. Officials also have come under fire for misstating costs and terms of the deal. More recently, officials revisited the decision to purchase solely iPads.

The scope of the internal inquiry, conducted by L.A. Unified's inspector general, was limited mainly to the bidding process that resulted in the selection of a vendor team led by Apple.

Prosecutors from the public integrity division reviewed the internal inquiry, focused on whether there was a criminal conflict of interest, district attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison said. "We closed it out in March," she said. "No charges will be filed."

L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy said he was unable to comment on the report or the district attorney's investigation.

"I have not seen the report yet," Deasy said. "Nor have I been given a copy."

Some district officials cited the report's confidentiality for their unwillingness to comment. Others said they didn't want to discuss the report until it had been fully distributed among senior staff and the Board of Education.

Nonetheless, some officials and district staff, speaking not for attribution, said the 18-page report noted potential problems.

For one, scoring sheets used to rate different vendors competing for the contract had been lost, hampering efforts to assess whether the rankings of different vendors were fair or reasonable, they said.

The initial contract was worth about $30 million. About half of the ultimate billion-dollar tab is expected to go to the provider of the device and the curriculum software. Much of the remaining cost would go toward building wireless infrastructure across the sprawling system of more than 1,000 schools.

After winning the bidding competition, the iPad was considered locked in for the entire multiyear effort, but officials now are considering other devices and other providers. Among the issues are the cost of the iPads and whether laptops would be a more useful device for older students.

Another matter raised in the L.A. Unified probe was that one of the members of the review panel responsible for evaluating the bids owned a moderate amount of Apple stock, officials and others said. That individual may have not disclosed this conflict early enough, they said. This person was allowed to remain on the panel after the disclosure.

Deasy, who has acknowledged owning some Apple stock, was not involved in evaluating the bidders. He later sold his holdings.

The review by the inspector general also looked at Pearson, a British firm that has provided the curriculum on the iPads as a key piece of the Apple contract.

Pearson has gotten into trouble in New York state for some of its business practices. In December, Pearson agreed to pay $7.7 million to settle allegations that its charitable foundation illegally drummed up business on behalf of the for-profit wing.

Pearson is ubiquitous across the education sector, helping to design the new high school equivalency test as well as tests to measure new curriculum standards adopted by 44 states, including California. L.A. Unified already was using a Pearson math program districtwide before the Apple contract.

howard.blume@latimes.com

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D.A. says no charges warranted over L.A. schools' iPad contract

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has reviewed an internal L.A. school district report on its iPad contract and concluded that criminal charges are not warranted.

The report, which has not been released publicly, raises issues about the handling of the bidding process, according to L.A. Unified School District officials who spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to discuss it.

Apple's iPad was selected in June as the device to be provided to every student, teacher and campus administrator in the nation's second-largest school system. The district is using voter-approved school construction bonds for the purchases.

The $1-billion-plus effort has been plagued by difficulties that delayed the first distribution of the iPads at 47 schools last fall. These issues included problems with wireless networks and security and inconsistent policies on whether students and parents would be responsible for the costly devices.

Early on, students at three high schools deleted security filters so they could browse the Web freely. Officials also have come under fire for misstating costs and terms of the deal. More recently, officials revisited the decision to purchase solely iPads.

The scope of the internal inquiry, conducted by L.A. Unified's inspector general, was limited mainly to the bidding process that resulted in the selection of a vendor team led by Apple.

Prosecutors from the public integrity division reviewed the internal inquiry, focused on whether there was a criminal conflict of interest, district attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison said. "We closed it out in March," she said. "No charges will be filed."

L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy said he was unable to comment on the report or the district attorney's investigation.

"I have not seen the report yet," Deasy said. "Nor have I been given a copy."

Some district officials cited the report's confidentiality for their unwillingness to comment. Others said they didn't want to discuss the report until it had been fully distributed among senior staff and the Board of Education.

Nonetheless, some officials and district staff, speaking not for attribution, said the 18-page report noted potential problems.

For one, scoring sheets used to rate different vendors competing for the contract had been lost, hampering efforts to assess whether the rankings of different vendors were fair or reasonable, they said.

The initial contract was worth about $30 million. About half of the ultimate billion-dollar tab is expected to go to the provider of the device and the curriculum software. Much of the remaining cost would go toward building wireless infrastructure across the sprawling system of more than 1,000 schools.

After winning the bidding competition, the iPad was considered locked in for the entire multiyear effort, but officials now are considering other devices and other providers. Among the issues are the cost of the iPads and whether laptops would be a more useful device for older students.

Another matter raised in the L.A. Unified probe was that one of the members of the review panel responsible for evaluating the bids owned a moderate amount of Apple stock, officials and others said. That individual may have not disclosed this conflict early enough, they said. This person was allowed to remain on the panel after the disclosure.

Deasy, who has acknowledged owning some Apple stock, was not involved in evaluating the bidders. He later sold his holdings.

The review by the inspector general also looked at Pearson, a British firm that has provided the curriculum on the iPads as a key piece of the Apple contract.

Pearson has gotten into trouble in New York state for some of its business practices. In December, Pearson agreed to pay $7.7 million to settle allegations that its charitable foundation illegally drummed up business on behalf of the for-profit wing.

Pearson is ubiquitous across the education sector, helping to design the new high school equivalency test as well as tests to measure new curriculum standards adopted by 44 states, including California. L.A. Unified already was using a Pearson math program districtwide before the Apple contract.

howard.blume@latimes.com

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Bruins rebound from Game 1 loss to beat Red Wings, 4-1

Justin Florek and Reilly Smith scored in a three-minute span in the first period, and the Boston Bruins evened their playoff series with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2 on Sunday at Boston.

Showing more spark after not taking enough challenging shots on goal in their 1-0 loss Friday night, the Bruins had 18 shots in the first period after managing only 25 in the entire opener.

Luke Glendening cut Boston's lead to 2-1 at 13:20 of the second period before Milan Lucic scored late in the second and Zdeno Chara added a power-play goal early in the third.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series between the top-seeded Bruins, who won the Presidents' Trophy with an NHL-high 117 points, and eighth-seeded Red Wings is set for Detroit on Tuesday night.

On Sunday, Boston didn't take its first shot until 7:28 into the opening period. And it went in.

Florek, a rookie wing filling in for the injured Chris Kelly on the third line, scored after Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard and defenseman Brendan Smith missed connecting on a pass.

Howard came out of his crease to collect a loose puck and passed it toward Smith, who was skating back along the right boards. But the puck bounced off Smith's right calf and into the circle, where Florek shot quickly before Howard could get back.

It was Florek's first career playoff goal after he scored one goal in four regular-season games.

Philadelphia 4, at New York Rangers 2: Luke Schenn scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and backup Ray Emery made 31 saves for the Flyers, who rallied to beat New York to even the first-round playoff series.

Schenn put Philadelphia in front after Game 1 goat Jason Akeson tied it 2-2 earlier in the period. That was enough for the Flyers to end a nine-game losing streak at Madison Square Garden and send the series to Philadelphia tied at 1-1.

Game 3 is Tuesday night.

Jakub Voracek brought the Flyers to within 2-1 in the first after Martin St. Louis and Benoit Pouliot staked New York to the early two-goal lead. Emery did the rest, looking especially sharp in the second and third periods while subbing for injured No. 1 goalie Steve Mason.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 21 shots after a 14-save winning effort in the opener. The Rangers had outscored the Flyers 35-10 during the winning streak and given up two goals or fewer in each game.

at Montreal 3, Tampa Bay 2: Tomas Plekanec scored at 5:43 of the third period and Montreal moved one win away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs with a victory over Tampa Bay.

Montreal leads the best-of-seven series, 3-0, and can sweep the Lightning with a win Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

Rene Bourque scored 11 seconds into the game after a rousing pregame show and Brendan Gallagher also scored for Montreal. Ondrej Palat and Matthew Carle scored for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay got a scare at 16:09 of the second period when scoring star Steven Stamkos fell and was struck in the head by Alexei Emelin's knee, but he returned for the third period.

The Lightning was outraged when the officials waved off an apparent goal by Ryan Callahan at the 15:38 mark of the second because of Alex Killorn's incidental contact with goalie Carey Price.

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Tribeca: Joss Whedon will make new movie available immediately online

NEW YORK -- Even as he's taken the reins of film's biggest franchise, Joss Whedon has toyed and tinkered with homegrown projects produced outside the system — the smash Web series "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along" in 2008 or the financed-on-a-shoestring update of "Much Ado About Nothing" released to theaters last year.

They are, the "Avengers" director and wife-producing partner Kai Cole believe, part of a necessary attempt to build new means of production and distribution.

Whedon will test those boundaries even further starting Sunday night. In the latest novel example of digital experimentation, Whedon and Cole's Bellwether Pictures are making available "In Your Eyes," a supernatural-romance feature that Whedon wrote and executive produced, to consumers immediately after its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

VIDEO: Tribeca Film Festival 2014 trailers

The download, powered by Vimeo, will allow viewers to rent the movie immediately for $5 on the film's official site. Subtitled versions are also being made available.

Day-and-date releases in theaters and cable VOD are not uncommon, but it's rare for a feature to eschew theatrical platforms completely for a digital-only release.  It's perhaps even rarer for a movie to be made available online immediately after a festival premiere, which normally precedes a commercial roll-out by at least a few weeks if not longer for media and word-of-mouth to build.  It's also a significant step beyond "Much Ado" -- after a Toronto International Film Festival premiere in September 2012, Whedon's movie had a traditional art-house theater release a full nine months later.

Directed by Brin Hill, who counts educational drama "Won't Back Down" and breakdancing tale "Battle of the Year" among his writing credits,  "Eyes" imagines a psychic connection between a sweet, bored housewife in a wintry East Coast town (Zoe Kazan) and an ex-con in New Mexico looking to make a fresh start (Michael Stahl-David). The two have never met but are spiritually connected.

But more than any plot point is the production and distribution back story.  Financed for less than $1 million, "Eyes" came about when producer Michael Roiff was talking to Cole about potential collaborations, and  Cole said she had a script from Whedon that she thought could make for a good low-budget film. The two soon began developing the script, eschewing the usual process of sending it to agents and taking meetings that typically allow creators to cast the widest possible financing and acting net.

PHOTOS: Tribeca Film Festival 2014 | Scene

Instead, Roiff said, they went after the actors they liked, free of financing concerns. (Bellwether backed the movie.) In that regard, "Eyes" is similar to "Much Ado," though as a movie shot with many Whedon confidantes in his home, the Shakespeare project was more friends-and-family than this was, and it also didn't pose the logistical challenges; filmmakers on "Eyes," for instance, scouted five states before settling on New Hampshire as the snowy East Coast location.)

"There was a minute when we thought, 'We should take this out,' but then it was squashed immediately," Roiff, who previously produced indie breakout "Waitress," said in an interview at the festival. "We wanted this to be the movie we wanted to make, without a lot of outside thoughts on the script. We wanted this to be the movie we wanted to cast without 'what name from Column A means the most in Benelux?' "

(Incidentally, Whedon was not on set for the film but did offer extensive notes and guided the process, offering, as Hill said, the larger philosophy "not to be precious, to make the movie as audience-friendly as possible.")

The distribution conversations ensued shortly after, with the principals deciding that they should attempt the truest form of on-demand: The moment its festival premiere ended, people could buy it around the world and watch it immediately, a kind of VOD for the truly impatient.

As a result, filmmakers would of course also see a much larger share of revenues than in instances in which cable operators and other partners take their cut.

ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll

 Whedon, currently working on "Avengers 2" in London, was not available for an interview. But he did offer a video message to the audience at the Tribeca screening in which he explained what he believed was the fun and importance of trying to release the movie this way.

Cole added in a statement, "It's no secret that the distribution landscape is shifting rapidly and there are tools at our disposal as filmmakers that we could only dream about ten years ago."

(There are no immediate plans to bring it to television or other platforms, though filmmakers said they wouldn't rule out a second distribution wave a la "Dr. Horrible," which played on Netflix, Hulu and other platforms months after its initial release. A theatrical release, they acknowledged, was unlikely,  given the online premiere.)

Hill said he finds this distribution approach satisfying.

"It's bittersweet, because it's uncharted territory," he said. "But there's something thrilling about this. If you go down the traditional path of showing  buyers you're waiting a year for the movie to come out, as a filmmaker, that can be frustrating. There's something exciting about just making it available everywhere to everyone at once." (In that regard, filmmakers are taking a page from Netflix, which has done something similar with original series such as "House of Cards.")

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For Clippers, missed chances and a second shot

Chris Paul couldn't stop watching the play.

Once. Twice. Again. Another time.

It bothered him that he didn't make the right call in a late three-on-one, getting his shot blocked by Harrison Barnes instead of passing to J.J. Redick.

That didn't even compare with the two free throws he missed with 11 seconds left in the Clippers' 109-105 loss to Golden State in Saturday's playoff opener.

Long night for Paul. Long Sunday too.

"I looked at it, I think, six different times [Sunday] morning," Paul said of the missed three-on-one chance.

He picked up some vindication a day later, when the NBA ruled that he should have been awarded two free throws after being fouled by Draymond Green. With 18,9 seconds left in the game, the foul was not called. The play resulted in a Clippers turnover, Paul losing the ball out of bounds.

He rolled his eyes at a reporter Sunday when told about the NBA's ruling, not even needing to say the obvious — the Clippers still shouldn't have lost at home to the undermanned Warriors.

They get another chance Monday at Staples Center. It's kind of important.

The franchise that has never made it past the second round probably won't get out of the first if it loses Game 2. The Clippers have lost their last five games at Golden State, where Games 3 and 4 will be held.

Except for the final two minutes Saturday, Paul played well — 28 points, eight assists, seven rebounds.

"You can't put that [loss] on him. Or on the last minute," Blake Griffin said. "We all made our mistakes, we all messed up."

Griffin would know.

He fouled out with 48 seconds left, playing only 19 minutes because of serious foul trouble. Of course he'll be more careful in Game 2. Unless Coach Doc Rivers talks to him.

"Blake needs to play even more intense and even more aggressive. I actually thought two of his fouls came from not trying to foul," Rivers said. "He was trying to stay out of the way where on both of those he should have rotated earlier, like he was supposed to, but he was so concerned about fouls."

Meanwhile, many of the Warriors players went to Easter services Sunday at the Van Nuys church where their coach, Mark Jackson, is a pastor.

After some of the players came straight from church to the UCLA gym where the Warriors practiced, reporters were ushered out so players could change out of suits and into basketball attire, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

"Coach, obviously that's an important part of his life," All-Star guard Stephen Curry said. "And the fact that he's comfortable enough to invite his team to his second or maybe his first home in the grand scheme of things, and allow us to come celebrate Resurrection Sunday is huge.

"Definitely different. Probably the most unique situation in the NBA," Curry said. "But it's definitely fun."

The Warriors aren't expected to get Andrew Bogut back from a fractured rib Monday. What they are expecting is a big push from the Clippers.

"We're playing against an outstanding basketball team that presents a lot of challenges," Jackson said. "It's far from over."

The Clippers are now 2-3 against the Warriors this season.

They'll need to take advantage of Bogut's absence by scoring down low, which they didn't do Saturday, with DeAndre Jordan committing seven turnovers.

And they'll need to make do better than making 23 of 35 free throws (65.7%).

"That's huge. I was three for six," Paul said. "Those little things. That's not us."

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

Twitter: @Mike_Bresnahan

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