Kobe Bryant leads Lakers past Nuggets, 111-103

Lakers 111, Nuggets 103 (final)

With a triple-double, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to an eight-point victory on Tuesday night in Denver against the Nuggets, ending a three-game losing streak.

Bryant scored 23 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists in 31 1/2 minutes, shooting six for 11 from the field.

The Lakers took a 23-point lead in the third quarter, but turnovers helped the Nuggets climb all the way back to within five in the fourth.

Carlos Boozer added 19 points off the bench. Ronnie Price scored 18, Wesley Johnson 16 and Jordan Hill 12 as the Lakers shot 52.6% from the field and 56.0% from three-point range (14-25).

Ty Lawson and Jusuf Nurkic each scored 16 points and Lawson added nine assists. The Nuggets shot 44.8% from the field and 30.8% from distance (8-26).

Bryant neared a quadruple-double, though not an attractive one, with nine turnovers. The Lakers had 20 as a team -- Denver had just 11.

After sparking the Nuggets' run, Nate Robinson was ejected in the fourth quarter after picking up a second technical foul for arguing a call.

New Lakers center Tarik Black didn't play. He's expected to go through his first practice with the Lakers on Wednesday.

The Lakers (10-22) return home to host the Memphis Grizzlies (23-8) on Friday at Staples Center. The Nuggets (13-19) travel to Miami, to play the Heat (14-18) on Thursday.

Lakers 83, Nuggets 71 (end of third quarter)

After pushing ahead by 23 points, the Lakers seemed to take their foot off the gas, the Nuggets scrambling to trim the deficit to 12 after three quarters.

In 24 1/2 minutes, Kobe Bryant needed just one more rebound for a triple-double with 14 points, 10 assists and nine boards. Bryant shot five for nine from the field but turned the ball over six times.

The Lakers were led by Wesley Johnson with 16 points. Ronnie Price added 13 while Jordan Hill scored 12.

Ty Lawson scored 12 points with seven assists as the Nuggets shot 40.6% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range (5-17).

The Lakers hit 54.1% from the field and 63.2% (12-19) from deep.

Lakers 62, Nuggets 46 (halftime)

The Lakers continued to bombard the Nuggets, shooting 61% from the field for the half, while Denver hit just 37.2%.

Wesley Johnson and Carlos Boozer each scored 11 points. Kobe Bryant scored 10 with seven rebounds and six assists. Ronnie Price and Jordan Hill added eight apiece.

The Lakers shot 69.2% from three-point range (9-13), while Denver was a paltry 16.7 (2-12). Arron Afflalo, Timofey Mozgov and Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with nine each.

Denver had an 8-1 advantage on the offensive glass, although the Lakers had fewer opportunities with 16 missed shots. The Nuggets couldn't connect on 27 of their 43 attempts.

Lakers 33, Nuggets 29 (end of first quarter)

The Lakers opened up on fire in Denver on Tuesday night, hitting 11 of their first 12 shots to build up a 12-point lead.

Eventually, the Nuggets were able to close the game to within four points, finishing the quarter on a 6-2 run.

Kobe Bryant and Wesley Johnson led all scorers with eight points each. Bryant hit all three of his attempts and dished out four assists.

Wilson Chandler scored seven to pace Denver.

The Lakers shot 66.7% from the field and 71.4% from three-point range. The Nuggets hit 42.9% and 33.3%, respectively.

Both teams turned the ball over twice. The Lakers did not attempt a free throw.

Pregame

The Lakers (9-22) look to break a three-game losing streak in Denver on Tuesday night against the Nuggets (13-18).

Denver previously beat the Lakers in late November in overtime, 101-94.

The Lakers will play without Ryan Kelly (hamstring), Steve Nash (back) and Julius Randle (leg). Danilo Gallinari (knee) and JaVale McGee (leg) are out for the Nuggets. Randy Foye has also missed games with a quad injury.

For an in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers at Denver Nuggets.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Kobe Bryant leads Lakers past Nuggets, 111-103

Lakers 111, Nuggets 103 (final)

With a triple-double, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to an eight-point victory on Tuesday night in Denver against the Nuggets, ending a three-game losing streak.

Bryant scored 23 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists in 31 1/2 minutes, shooting six for 11 from the field.

The Lakers took a 23-point lead in the third quarter, but turnovers helped the Nuggets climb all the way back to within five in the fourth.

Carlos Boozer added 19 points off the bench. Ronnie Price scored 18, Wesley Johnson 16 and Jordan Hill 12 as the Lakers shot 52.6% from the field and 56.0% from three-point range (14-25).

Ty Lawson and Jusuf Nurkic each scored 16 points and Lawson added nine assists. The Nuggets shot 44.8% from the field and 30.8% from distance (8-26).

Bryant neared a quadruple-double, though not an attractive one, with nine turnovers. The Lakers had 20 as a team -- Denver had just 11.

After sparking the Nuggets' run, Nate Robinson was ejected in the fourth quarter after picking up a second technical foul for arguing a call.

New Lakers center Tarik Black didn't play. He's expected to go through his first practice with the Lakers on Wednesday.

The Lakers (10-22) return home to host the Memphis Grizzlies (23-8) on Friday at Staples Center. The Nuggets (13-19) travel to Miami, to play the Heat (14-18) on Thursday.

Lakers 83, Nuggets 71 (end of third quarter)

After pushing ahead by 23 points, the Lakers seemed to take their foot off the gas, the Nuggets scrambling to trim the deficit to 12 after three quarters.

In 24 1/2 minutes, Kobe Bryant needed just one more rebound for a triple-double with 14 points, 10 assists and nine boards. Bryant shot five for nine from the field but turned the ball over six times.

The Lakers were led by Wesley Johnson with 16 points. Ronnie Price added 13 while Jordan Hill scored 12.

Ty Lawson scored 12 points with seven assists as the Nuggets shot 40.6% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range (5-17).

The Lakers hit 54.1% from the field and 63.2% (12-19) from deep.

Lakers 62, Nuggets 46 (halftime)

The Lakers continued to bombard the Nuggets, shooting 61% from the field for the half, while Denver hit just 37.2%.

Wesley Johnson and Carlos Boozer each scored 11 points. Kobe Bryant scored 10 with seven rebounds and six assists. Ronnie Price and Jordan Hill added eight apiece.

The Lakers shot 69.2% from three-point range (9-13), while Denver was a paltry 16.7 (2-12). Arron Afflalo, Timofey Mozgov and Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with nine each.

Denver had an 8-1 advantage on the offensive glass, although the Lakers had fewer opportunities with 16 missed shots. The Nuggets couldn't connect on 27 of their 43 attempts.

Lakers 33, Nuggets 29 (end of first quarter)

The Lakers opened up on fire in Denver on Tuesday night, hitting 11 of their first 12 shots to build up a 12-point lead.

Eventually, the Nuggets were able to close the game to within four points, finishing the quarter on a 6-2 run.

Kobe Bryant and Wesley Johnson led all scorers with eight points each. Bryant hit all three of his attempts and dished out four assists.

Wilson Chandler scored seven to pace Denver.

The Lakers shot 66.7% from the field and 71.4% from three-point range. The Nuggets hit 42.9% and 33.3%, respectively.

Both teams turned the ball over twice. The Lakers did not attempt a free throw.

Pregame

The Lakers (9-22) look to break a three-game losing streak in Denver on Tuesday night against the Nuggets (13-18).

Denver previously beat the Lakers in late November in overtime, 101-94.

The Lakers will play without Ryan Kelly (hamstring), Steve Nash (back) and Julius Randle (leg). Danilo Gallinari (knee) and JaVale McGee (leg) are out for the Nuggets. Randy Foye has also missed games with a quad injury.

For an in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers at Denver Nuggets.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kobe Bryant leads Lakers past Nuggets, 111-103

Lakers 111, Nuggets 103 (final)

With a triple-double, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to an eight-point victory on Tuesday night in Denver against the Nuggets, ending a three-game losing streak.

Bryant scored 23 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists in 31 1/2 minutes, shooting six for 11 from the field.

The Lakers took a 23-point lead in the third quarter, but turnovers helped the Nuggets climb all the way back to within five in the fourth.

Carlos Boozer added 19 points off the bench. Ronnie Price scored 18, Wesley Johnson 16 and Jordan Hill 12 as the Lakers shot 52.6% from the field and 56.0% from three-point range (14-25).

Ty Lawson and Jusuf Nurkic each scored 16 points and Lawson added nine assists. The Nuggets shot 44.8% from the field and 30.8% from distance (8-26).

Bryant neared a quadruple-double, though not an attractive one, with nine turnovers. The Lakers had 20 as a team -- Denver had just 11.

After sparking the Nuggets' run, Nate Robinson was ejected in the fourth quarter after picking up a second technical foul for arguing a call.

New Lakers center Tarik Black didn't play. He's expected to go through his first practice with the Lakers on Wednesday.

The Lakers (10-22) return home to host the Memphis Grizzlies (23-8) on Friday at Staples Center. The Nuggets (13-19) travel to Miami, to play the Heat (14-18) on Thursday.

Lakers 83, Nuggets 71 (end of third quarter)

After pushing ahead by 23 points, the Lakers seemed to take their foot off the gas, the Nuggets scrambling to trim the deficit to 12 after three quarters.

In 24 1/2 minutes, Kobe Bryant needed just one more rebound for a triple-double with 14 points, 10 assists and nine boards. Bryant shot five for nine from the field but turned the ball over six times.

The Lakers were led by Wesley Johnson with 16 points. Ronnie Price added 13 while Jordan Hill scored 12.

Ty Lawson scored 12 points with seven assists as the Nuggets shot 40.6% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range (5-17).

The Lakers hit 54.1% from the field and 63.2% (12-19) from deep.

Lakers 62, Nuggets 46 (halftime)

The Lakers continued to bombard the Nuggets, shooting 61% from the field for the half, while Denver hit just 37.2%.

Wesley Johnson and Carlos Boozer each scored 11 points. Kobe Bryant scored 10 with seven rebounds and six assists. Ronnie Price and Jordan Hill added eight apiece.

The Lakers shot 69.2% from three-point range (9-13), while Denver was a paltry 16.7 (2-12). Arron Afflalo, Timofey Mozgov and Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with nine each.

Denver had an 8-1 advantage on the offensive glass, although the Lakers had fewer opportunities with 16 missed shots. The Nuggets couldn't connect on 27 of their 43 attempts.

Lakers 33, Nuggets 29 (end of first quarter)

The Lakers opened up on fire in Denver on Tuesday night, hitting 11 of their first 12 shots to build up a 12-point lead.

Eventually, the Nuggets were able to close the game to within four points, finishing the quarter on a 6-2 run.

Kobe Bryant and Wesley Johnson led all scorers with eight points each. Bryant hit all three of his attempts and dished out four assists.

Wilson Chandler scored seven to pace Denver.

The Lakers shot 66.7% from the field and 71.4% from three-point range. The Nuggets hit 42.9% and 33.3%, respectively.

Both teams turned the ball over twice. The Lakers did not attempt a free throw.

Pregame

The Lakers (9-22) look to break a three-game losing streak in Denver on Tuesday night against the Nuggets (13-18).

Denver previously beat the Lakers in late November in overtime, 101-94.

The Lakers will play without Ryan Kelly (hamstring), Steve Nash (back) and Julius Randle (leg). Danilo Gallinari (knee) and JaVale McGee (leg) are out for the Nuggets. Randy Foye has also missed games with a quad injury.

For an in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers at Denver Nuggets.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

James B. Edwards dies at 87; helped build modern GOP in S. Carolina

James B. Edwards, South Carolina's first Republican governor since Reconstruction and later energy secretary for two years in the Reagan administration, died Friday. He was 87.

His death at home in the Charleston suburb of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., was confirmed by his son-in-law Ken Wingate.

The oral surgeon served in the state Senate and helped build the modern Republican Party in South Carolina before becoming governor in 1974.

Edwards was limited to one term under state law at the time. After leaving the governor's mansion, he headed to Washington as President Reagan's energy secretary.

Edwards, who was born in 1927 in Florida but moved to Charleston County as a toddler, returned in 1982 to become president of the Medical University of South Carolina, a position he held for 17 years before retiring.

Entering the 1974 governor's race, Edwards was not sure of his chances in the GOP primary facing well-known retired Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. troops in Vietnam.

Edwards, who served in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II and as a Navy Reserve officer during the Korean War, won the nomination but was still a Republican running in a Democratic state.

That year, however, the Democrats were divided after the state Supreme Court ruled that Democratic front-runner Charles D. "Pug" Ravenel did not meet the residency requirements to run for governor.

Edwards defeated U.S. Rep. Bryan Dorn — who became the Democratic nominee in a special convention — by about 17,500 votes.

In a 1999 Associated Press interview, Edwards said the job he most enjoyed was governor, particularly working on economic development, education and energy issues at a time when people seemed to work together. During his tenure, the Education Finance Act was passed. It remains the basis for how K-12 public education is funded in South Carolina.

"Anything you wanted, you could ask anyone in the state to help you," he recalled. "I put away partisan politics when I got to Columbia. We had the whole Senate and the House, the vast majority working with us."

As Department of Energy secretary, Edwards served two years working on Reagan's plan to close down the agency — an idea that never made it through Congress.

In 1982, Edwards was recruited to take the MUSC job. He planned to stay only a year or so but ended up staying 17 years during a time when the university's budget grew from $200 million to $840 million. During his tenure, more than 10,000 health professionals graduated from the university.

news.obits@latimes.com

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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James B. Edwards dies at 87; helped build modern GOP in S. Carolina

James B. Edwards, South Carolina's first Republican governor since Reconstruction and later energy secretary for two years in the Reagan administration, died Friday. He was 87.

His death at home in the Charleston suburb of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., was confirmed by his son-in-law Ken Wingate.

The oral surgeon served in the state Senate and helped build the modern Republican Party in South Carolina before becoming governor in 1974.

Edwards was limited to one term under state law at the time. After leaving the governor's mansion, he headed to Washington as President Reagan's energy secretary.

Edwards, who was born in 1927 in Florida but moved to Charleston County as a toddler, returned in 1982 to become president of the Medical University of South Carolina, a position he held for 17 years before retiring.

Entering the 1974 governor's race, Edwards was not sure of his chances in the GOP primary facing well-known retired Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. troops in Vietnam.

Edwards, who served in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II and as a Navy Reserve officer during the Korean War, won the nomination but was still a Republican running in a Democratic state.

That year, however, the Democrats were divided after the state Supreme Court ruled that Democratic front-runner Charles D. "Pug" Ravenel did not meet the residency requirements to run for governor.

Edwards defeated U.S. Rep. Bryan Dorn — who became the Democratic nominee in a special convention — by about 17,500 votes.

In a 1999 Associated Press interview, Edwards said the job he most enjoyed was governor, particularly working on economic development, education and energy issues at a time when people seemed to work together. During his tenure, the Education Finance Act was passed. It remains the basis for how K-12 public education is funded in South Carolina.

"Anything you wanted, you could ask anyone in the state to help you," he recalled. "I put away partisan politics when I got to Columbia. We had the whole Senate and the House, the vast majority working with us."

As Department of Energy secretary, Edwards served two years working on Reagan's plan to close down the agency — an idea that never made it through Congress.

In 1982, Edwards was recruited to take the MUSC job. He planned to stay only a year or so but ended up staying 17 years during a time when the university's budget grew from $200 million to $840 million. During his tenure, more than 10,000 health professionals graduated from the university.

news.obits@latimes.com

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

James B. Edwards dies at 87; helped build modern GOP in S. Carolina

James B. Edwards, South Carolina's first Republican governor since Reconstruction and later energy secretary for two years in the Reagan administration, died Friday. He was 87.

His death at home in the Charleston suburb of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., was confirmed by his son-in-law Ken Wingate.

The oral surgeon served in the state Senate and helped build the modern Republican Party in South Carolina before becoming governor in 1974.

Edwards was limited to one term under state law at the time. After leaving the governor's mansion, he headed to Washington as President Reagan's energy secretary.

Edwards, who was born in 1927 in Florida but moved to Charleston County as a toddler, returned in 1982 to become president of the Medical University of South Carolina, a position he held for 17 years before retiring.

Entering the 1974 governor's race, Edwards was not sure of his chances in the GOP primary facing well-known retired Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. troops in Vietnam.

Edwards, who served in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II and as a Navy Reserve officer during the Korean War, won the nomination but was still a Republican running in a Democratic state.

That year, however, the Democrats were divided after the state Supreme Court ruled that Democratic front-runner Charles D. "Pug" Ravenel did not meet the residency requirements to run for governor.

Edwards defeated U.S. Rep. Bryan Dorn — who became the Democratic nominee in a special convention — by about 17,500 votes.

In a 1999 Associated Press interview, Edwards said the job he most enjoyed was governor, particularly working on economic development, education and energy issues at a time when people seemed to work together. During his tenure, the Education Finance Act was passed. It remains the basis for how K-12 public education is funded in South Carolina.

"Anything you wanted, you could ask anyone in the state to help you," he recalled. "I put away partisan politics when I got to Columbia. We had the whole Senate and the House, the vast majority working with us."

As Department of Energy secretary, Edwards served two years working on Reagan's plan to close down the agency — an idea that never made it through Congress.

In 1982, Edwards was recruited to take the MUSC job. He planned to stay only a year or so but ended up staying 17 years during a time when the university's budget grew from $200 million to $840 million. During his tenure, more than 10,000 health professionals graduated from the university.

news.obits@latimes.com

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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State appeals court overturns ban on LAPD's vehicle impound policy

A state appeals court panel Friday overturned a ban on the Los Angeles Police Department's controversial vehicle impound policy that restricts when officers can seize the cars of unlicensed drivers.

The three-judge panel from California's second appellate district found unanimously in favor of the LAPD and Chief Charlie Beck. In 2012, when he implemented the impound policy, Beck thrust the department squarely into the contentious debate over the rights of immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Under the terms of the policy, called Special Order 7 by the department, if police stop an unlicensed driver who meets several requirements — including having auto insurance, valid identification and no previous convictions for unlicensed driving — officers cannot invoke the part of the state vehicle code that authorizes them to confiscate the vehicle for 30 days, a punishment that comes with costly fines and charges.

In a city with roughly 400,000 immigrants who are in the country illegally and forbidden by state law to obtain driver's licenses, Beck argued the monthlong impounds unfairly burdened such drivers, who often have few practical options other than to risk having their cars seized in order to drive to work or take their children to school.

The Police Protective League, the union that represents the LAPD's rank-and-file officers, and a Los Angeles resident sued over the policy, arguing Beck was illegally attempting to supersede state laws governing vehicle impounds.

In a statement, the LAPD said it was "pleased by the court's decision reaffirming the department's authority to provide direction to its officers regarding this important matter. Maintaining the public's trust is improved when the communities we serve believe the actions of our officers are fair, consistent and constitutional in each neighborhood of the city."

Peter Bibring, an attorney for the Southern California chapter of the ACLU, which was part of the coalition supporting the LAPD's policy, echoed the department, saying the ruling was "a big win for police-community relations."

As the case wound its way through the courts, legislators last year passed a law that beginning on Jan. 1 will give immigrants in the country illegally the right to be issued driver's licenses. That law, and how it might affect Special Order 7, was not addressed in Friday's ruling.

Bibring said the judges' decision was still important because there could be problems with the law's rollout and, inevitably, some people will not apply for driver's licenses.

But it seems the law could create uncomfortable scenarios for Beck.

For example, an immigrant in the country illegally could apply for a license but fail to pass the tests required to receive one. That person could go on driving without a license and, under the LAPD's policy, might avoid having his car impounded despite not being qualified to drive in the eyes of the state.

Friday's decision, which was widely expected in light of the tough grilling the judges gave attorneys representing the union and the resident, reverses a lower court's finding that the impound policy was illegal.

In their written ruling, the appellate judges concluded that neither the union nor the resident, Harold Sturgeon, had legal standing to challenge the policy. They also rejected the argument that Beck had overstepped, saying the policy fell within the chief's broad authority to implement state laws.

The impound policy had remained in effect throughout the appeals process.

Attorney Richard Levine, who represented the Police Protective League, said union officials were still reviewing the ruling and would decide in the coming week whether to appeal to the state Supreme Court.

joel.rubin@latimes.com

Twitter: @joelrubin

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Ex-L.A. Unified teacher wins $3.35 million after firing from JROTC job

After Archie Roundtree and Gerardo Loera clashed at John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley, their careers quickly diverged. Roundtree lost his job and his teaching certification. Loera rose to become chief academic officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest school system.

This month, however, Roundtree, 57, received a measure of vindication regarding the events that ended his career.

After a three-week trial, a Superior Court jury found that Loera had targeted Roundtree for blowing the whistle on problems with the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Polytechnic. Loera was the school principal at the time.

The verdict was $3.35 million in damages, including more than $1 million for Loera's conduct.

L.A. Unified has denied that Loera or anyone else did anything improper and may appeal.

The lawsuit arises from events that occurred three years ago, when Roundtree headed the JROTC at the San Fernando Valley campus. Loera had hired Roundtree in 2009, after the retired Air Force major left an Apple Valley school that had discontinued the program.

Roundtree said he taught students about drill and military ceremonies, the history and structure of the Air Force as well as government systems and the Constitution and Bill of Rights. He also taught ethics, fitness, ways to deal with stress and good conduct.

In the fall of 2011, Roundtree met with Loera to discuss the instructor's concern that the schedule allowed for only an introductory JROTC class, which he felt was not enough to build a program. He said he also believed Poly was not complying with two key rules.

For one, Poly failed to enroll at least 100 students for two full quarters. And too few students chose to be in JROTC; rather, they had been assigned involuntarily to the class, according to testimony.

Roundtree wrote a request to the Air Force that Loera signed, asking for Poly to offer the program temporarily with fewer than 100 voluntary cadets. And the letter talked of these students being enrolled for two quarters. The Air Force approved it, according to court documents.

"I thought he would shake my hand and be happy to stay in compliance with the law," Roundtree said. "I thought he would appreciate me bringing that to his attention."

But Roundtree reported that Loera did not abide by the commitment. The teacher also later raised concerns about the school's other JROTC instructor teaching geometry. The Air Force paid half the cost of its instructors and expected them to teach only JROTC, he said.

Scheduling more JROTC courses was challenging because they no longer counted toward a student's physical education requirement. The school system also was focusing more intensively on English and math.

Loera complained to the Air Force about Roundtree, accusing him of undermining the program to force a transfer to another school. He also directed an assistant principal to compile student complaints, which, Loera testified, first surfaced without his prompting. Within L.A. Unified, Loera was regarded as a JROTC supporter, sometimes serving as the district's designated expert on the subject.

Loera, 41, did not respond to requests for an interview.

In a statement, L.A. Unified said that "each of the administrators' actions were taken with the students' interests at heart and were not done in retaliation against Major Roundtree."

In court documents and at trial, Roundtree's attorney, Renuka V. Jain, raised several issues with Loera's conduct. She offered evidence that Roundtree learned that a case was being made against him only after the military had already taken steps that led to his "decertification" as a JROTC instructor. That action can't be appealed.

Moreover, under the teachers contract, Jain said, Roundtree should have had a chance to address all of the accusations against him.

At trial, witnesses from the Air Force, relying on information from L.A. Unified, sided with the school district. The Air Force has declined to comment.

The jury, on Dec. 16, found that Roundtree proved that district employees retaliated for his report of a violation of a federal law or regulation. It also found that Loera and two other administrators made "one or more defamatory and untrue statements" with the intent to harm Roundtree.

Loera had never been under an obligation to keep Roundtree at Poly, but his actions against him ultimately prevented the instructor from teaching ROTC at any campus after he finished the school year at Poly, Jain said.

Loera left Poly for a senior management position later that same year.

The district's share of damages owed was more than $1.8 million. Loera was assessed $1 million, and assistant principal Adriana Maldonado-Gomez, $500,000. The district said it will pay these costs because the administrators acted within the scope of their duties.

"I respect the jury verdict, but that cannot replace what was taken from me," said Roundtree, who returned to Apple Valley and works as a part-time driving instructor and substitute teacher.

The Air Force closed its program at Poly last June. It hadn't attracted enough students.

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblume

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-L.A. Unified teacher wins $3.35 million after firing from JROTC job

After Archie Roundtree and Gerardo Loera clashed at John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley, their careers quickly diverged. Roundtree lost his job and his teaching certification. Loera rose to become chief academic officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest school system.

This month, however, Roundtree, 57, received a measure of vindication regarding the events that ended his career.

After a three-week trial, a Superior Court jury found that Loera had targeted Roundtree for blowing the whistle on problems with the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Polytechnic. Loera was the school principal at the time.

The verdict was $3.35 million in damages, including more than $1 million for Loera's conduct.

L.A. Unified has denied that Loera or anyone else did anything improper and may appeal.

The lawsuit arises from events that occurred three years ago, when Roundtree headed the JROTC at the San Fernando Valley campus. Loera had hired Roundtree in 2009, after the retired Air Force major left an Apple Valley school that had discontinued the program.

Roundtree said he taught students about drill and military ceremonies, the history and structure of the Air Force as well as government systems and the Constitution and Bill of Rights. He also taught ethics, fitness, ways to deal with stress and good conduct.

In the fall of 2011, Roundtree met with Loera to discuss the instructor's concern that the schedule allowed for only an introductory JROTC class, which he felt was not enough to build a program. He said he also believed Poly was not complying with two key rules.

For one, Poly failed to enroll at least 100 students for two full quarters. And too few students chose to be in JROTC; rather, they had been assigned involuntarily to the class, according to testimony.

Roundtree wrote a request to the Air Force that Loera signed, asking for Poly to offer the program temporarily with fewer than 100 voluntary cadets. And the letter talked of these students being enrolled for two quarters. The Air Force approved it, according to court documents.

"I thought he would shake my hand and be happy to stay in compliance with the law," Roundtree said. "I thought he would appreciate me bringing that to his attention."

But Roundtree reported that Loera did not abide by the commitment. The teacher also later raised concerns about the school's other JROTC instructor teaching geometry. The Air Force paid half the cost of its instructors and expected them to teach only JROTC, he said.

Scheduling more JROTC courses was challenging because they no longer counted toward a student's physical education requirement. The school system also was focusing more intensively on English and math.

Loera complained to the Air Force about Roundtree, accusing him of undermining the program to force a transfer to another school. He also directed an assistant principal to compile student complaints, which, Loera testified, first surfaced without his prompting. Within L.A. Unified, Loera was regarded as a JROTC supporter, sometimes serving as the district's designated expert on the subject.

Loera, 41, did not respond to requests for an interview.

In a statement, L.A. Unified said that "each of the administrators' actions were taken with the students' interests at heart and were not done in retaliation against Major Roundtree."

In court documents and at trial, Roundtree's attorney, Renuka V. Jain, raised several issues with Loera's conduct. She offered evidence that Roundtree learned that a case was being made against him only after the military had already taken steps that led to his "decertification" as a JROTC instructor. That action can't be appealed.

Moreover, under the teachers contract, Jain said, Roundtree should have had a chance to address all of the accusations against him.

At trial, witnesses from the Air Force, relying on information from L.A. Unified, sided with the school district. The Air Force has declined to comment.

The jury, on Dec. 16, found that Roundtree proved that district employees retaliated for his report of a violation of a federal law or regulation. It also found that Loera and two other administrators made "one or more defamatory and untrue statements" with the intent to harm Roundtree.

Loera had never been under an obligation to keep Roundtree at Poly, but his actions against him ultimately prevented the instructor from teaching ROTC at any campus after he finished the school year at Poly, Jain said.

Loera left Poly for a senior management position later that same year.

The district's share of damages owed was more than $1.8 million. Loera was assessed $1 million, and assistant principal Adriana Maldonado-Gomez, $500,000. The district said it will pay these costs because the administrators acted within the scope of their duties.

"I respect the jury verdict, but that cannot replace what was taken from me," said Roundtree, who returned to Apple Valley and works as a part-time driving instructor and substitute teacher.

The Air Force closed its program at Poly last June. It hadn't attracted enough students.

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblume

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Shawn Levy's 'Museum' debut had special effect on director

The first time 20th Century Fox offered Shawn Levy the job of directing "Night at the Museum," he passed. And the second time. And the third. And the fourth. And the fifth.

Levy had directed the 2003 family comedy "Cheaper by the Dozen" for Fox, and that had proved successful. But for a director who had never done a single visual effect, the idea of taking the reins of a big-budget, effects-driven comedy — the story of an American Museum of Natural History security guard (Ben Stiller) who discovers that the exhibits magically come to life after dark — was, frankly, terrifying.

"I rejected it a half-dozen times because I was straight-up scared," Levy, 46, remembered on a recent morning in his office on the Fox lot. "Finally, I said, 'If I don't make some bold gestures, I'll never know what I can do.'"

Originally conceived as a one-off, 2006's "Night at the Museum" went on to gross nearly $575 million worldwide, spawning a trilogy that has now come to a conclusion with "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb." The third film in the franchise — which brings the story to the British Museum in London — opened this past weekend to $17.3 million, less than the first two films but still strong enough to pull ahead of Sony Pictures' competing family film, a remake of the musical "Annie."

After years of development, the third "Night" film coalesced around the idea of saying goodbye. In "Secret of the Tomb," Stiller's character is struggling to accept that his college-age son is leaving the nest, even as the museum exhibits are facing their own possible demise. "The idea of letting go became the dominant theme," Levy said.

With the death in July of Robin Williams, who played Theodore Roosevelt throughout the three films, that theme, Levy said, "has become much more poignant."

"This movie was already about a farewell, and I genuinely didn't know how it would play in the aftermath of Robin's passing," Levy said. "I put it in front of some audiences two months after Robin's death, and I was relieved and moved at the extent to which they gave me the feedback that, while it was sad, it was a respectful, loving kind of sad."

For Levy, "Secret of the Tomb" caps a phenomenally busy year that also saw him direct September's dramedy "This Is Where I Leave You" — an adaptation of Jonathan Tropper's bestselling novel about a dysfunctional family that comes together after the father's death to sit shiva, the Jewish ritual of mourning — and produce October's Disney comedy "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."

"I could work a lot of years and not have a more frantic pace than this year," said Levy, who also has four daughters with his wife, Serena.

Despite his punishing schedule, Levy — who also has numerous projects in development, both large and small — radiates a restless, boyish, almost gee-whiz enthusiasm for filmmaking that's somewhat surprising to see in a director carrying the burden of a billion-dollar global franchise on his shoulders. Actor Owen Wilson, who has appeared in all three "Night at the Museum" films, marvels at Levy's stamina: "Shawn has really held on to his kid energy. You could imagine him at 80 and he'd still be youthful."

From early in life, Levy, who grew up in Montreal, Canada, displayed an unusual level of ambition and drive. "When I was 10 years old, I was taking a theater class, and I asked the teacher, 'What's the best university for theater?' " he recalled. "She said, 'Yale.' "

After graduating from Yale — where he cut his teeth directing a young Paul Giamatti in a production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" — Levy attended USC film school while supporting himself as an actor with parts on TV series such as "Beverly Hills 90210" and "21 Jump Street." (Of one of his earliest roles, in the 1987 schlockfest "Zombie Nightmare," the less said, the better. "I play a bad boy with Duran Duran-style long hair who throws a fistful of spaghetti in his mom's face," Levy said.)

Making his studio directing debut with 2002's "Big Fat Liar," Levy quickly found his groove in the family-comedy genre. Ever since, in films like "Real Steel," "Date Night" and "This Is Where I Leave You," he has never strayed far from the often-fractious relationships between flesh and blood.

"Without question, I have some dysfunctional family dynamics in my past: an early divorce of my parents when I was 3, remarriages, step-siblings, half siblings," he said. "All of that is at play in the movies."

Still, Levy's films have tended to be fairly light, mainstream-friendly affairs, which may partly explain why he's never been a critics' darling. Not that he seems particularly troubled by that. "If you live by metrics of applause elsewhere, that's not a road to inner happiness," he said. "I'm not a dark guy, so unsurprisingly I'm never going to be drawn to dark material."

Following the success of 2009's "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," Levy wasn't certain he wanted to return to the franchise. "As long as it was simply about a new museum, Ben and I weren't compelled to make it," he said. "We had drafts that went to the Louvre, drafts that went to Cairo. It was when we came up with this notion of 'the end' that it really had a reason to be."

Levy was in the editing room cutting the film together when he got a call from his agent that Williams — who had worked on "Secret of the Tomb" for three months, far more than on either of the previous films — had committed suicide.

"I had a very weird reaction," he said. "I got very emotional but also angry in disbelief. My agent told me that it would be less than half an hour before the news became public, so I called Ben. It was an intense, horrible day."

On the set, Levy hadn't seen signs of the profound depression that drove Williams to take his life. "I saw a guy who certainly was weary because he had just shot a full season of a TV show," Levy said. "But he was Robin. He was prepared. He said to me repeatedly, 'Let's make this the best of the three.'"

Indeed, throughout the trilogy, Williams had always lifted the spirits of those around him, said costar Ricky Gervais: "I remember doing the junket for the second movie with Robin. Everyone knows junkets are soul-destroying, but honestly, with Robin it was a joy. You'd just watch him do his thing."

For Levy, "Secret of the Tomb" represents saying goodbye to Williams and to the franchise that launched him into the studio-tentpole big leagues. But in another way, it opens him up to pursue new avenues, some of which — like "This Is Where I Leave You" — are outside of his usual wheelhouse. Among other things, he is currently developing "Forty Thieves," a new take on the Ali Baba folk tale, and a comedy about a grown-up Tinker Bell to star Melissa McCarthy.

"Most directors have their thing, and they do their thing," Levy said. "I didn't need to go do a $19-million, R-rated shiva movie like 'This Is Where I Leave You,' but I needed to for me. It was an opportunity to use different muscles. And now I know I love that."

josh.rottenberg@latimes.com

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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USC receiver George Farmer is ready for a repeat performance

USC receiver George Farmer had an outstanding performance in the regular-season finale against Notre Dame.

A repeat in Saturday's Holiday Bowl against Nebraska could jump-start the fourth-year junior's 2015 season.

"It is something I can definitely build upon," said Farmer, who caught two touchdown passes against the Fighting Irish, one on a career-long 48-yard play.

Farmer is the son of former NFL receiver George Farmer, who played for the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins.

Being the son of a former pro brings pressure, but Farmer said his father provided guidance and served as a role model.

"He knows what's going on and what to look for," Farmer said. "Him being by my side has been a great blessing."

Questions about USC? Email me at LNThiry@gmail.com or tweet @LindseyThiry and I will respond to select messages in a weekly USC Now mailbag.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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The trip 'Into the Woods' is spooky, thoughtful, delightful

"Into the Woods," the deliciously arch, deceptively deep, fractured fairy tale with its soaring Sondheim showstoppers, has made it to the big screen virtually untouched by Hollywood's big, tall, terrible giants, whose meddling can so often make a mess of things.

As you'd expect, the woods have been partially repopulated by movie stars — Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp among them — who, thankfully, can actually sing.

Director Rob Marshall, who did a pretty swell job of bringing the "Pop! Six! Squish! Uh Uh!" of "Chicago" to film, wraps all of his love for Broadway musicals around his cast, pulling out performances that have already drawn awards nominations for Streep and Blunt.

The other major roles are filled by actors who have spent their share of time doing musical theater, in addition to their film and TV work. Among them are Tony winners Christine Baranski and James Corden, Tony-nominated Billy Magnussen and the young stage veterans Lilla Crawford, who starred as "Annie" on Broadway, and Daniel Huttlestone, whose credits include "Oliver!" and "Les Misérables," both in London.

I suspect James Lapine eased the transition from stage to screen. He won a Tony for the droll wit of the musical's book in the first place and took on screenplay duties for the film, ensuring that the way his words intertwined so tightly with Stephen Sondheim's Tony-winning music and lyrics on stage would remain intact.

While Marshall has taken care to not break the musical's magical spell, he hasn't materially changed it either. So if you are expecting an experience that feels as if it could happen only in the movies, the director's way through the "Woods" won't take you there.

The special effects are like showy accessories, fun but not fundamental, though the witch's comings and goings are a smoky, spooky blast. The overall look of the film is lush and storybook-like, with a lovely painterly touch and soft rich hues, heavy on the blues, that matches its sometimes-introspective mood.

Shooting on location does give the story visual depth. The trees, leaves and streams are beautifully real, as is the quaint village at the edge of the woods. England's countryside, villages and castles provide much of the raw material, all well used by director of photography Dion Beebe and production designer Dennis Gassner. John DeLuca proves facile in staging the musical numbers around all those rocks and trees; David Krane is respectful in adapting the score. Peter Swords King's work on makeup and tresses is top notch, with a special shout out to J. Roy Helland, who handled the witch's.

But what makes "Into the Woods" so entertaining is the cleverness of the tale itself and the way specific characters match the talents of its storytellers. A strong ensemble was assembled by those involved in casting — Francine Maisler, Bernard Telsey and Tiffany Little Canfield.

The foundation of the story begs, borrows and steals liberally from many favorite fairy tales: Cinderella (Kendrick) with her lost slipper, Prince Charming (Pine) searching to find her, the wicked stepmother (Baranski) and her daughters (Lucy Punch and Tammy Blanchard) in the way. Kendrick, Pine and Baranski all pitch-perfect, including their comic timing.

Then there's Red Riding Hood (Crawford) and her fated trip into the woods to visit an ailing Granny (Annette Crosbie) with the hungry Wolf (Depp) lurking. Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy), locked in her tower, throws down that long golden braid to her prince (Magnussen), and others who do not wish her as well. Young Jack (Huttlestone) still trades in his cow for magic beans, enraging his mother (Tracey Ullman) and enraging a giant (Frances De La Tour) more.

All important to stitch the tales together is the Baker (Corden) and his barren wife (Blunt), whose efforts to break the witch's curse so they may have a child require a great many trips into the woods to find, as the witch requires, "a cow as white as milk [Jack's], a cape as red as blood [Red's], hair as yellow as corn [Rapunzel's] and a slipper as pure as gold [Cinderella's]."

Not surprisingly, the witch is key. In Streep's good hands she crackles with rage, resentment and revenge, but she also has a wicked sense of humor and never, ever forgets this is a fable.

Though all the performances are, like the prince, charming, Blunt as the Baker's wife is particularly good as a young wife trying to sort out her role in this life. The actress effortlessly moves through so many moods, it's as if her charisma is carried on the wind.

The film's youngsters are both great. Crawford makes a mischievous Red Riding Hood's munching and musing such fun. Huttlestone as the not-too-bright Jack delivers "Giants in the Sky" so well that of all the songs in the film, it's the one that keeps playing in my head.

In starting with fairy tales, Lapine and Sondheim were already dealing with layered stories. But in using the woods as the central intersection, there are any number of other ideas in play, other morals. Some serious, like those about parenthood — will the Baker be a fit father? Or whether the prince Cinderella wished for is really who she wants.

If anything, some of the darker themes are heightened. Cutting toes to make a slipper fit, the blood dripping; blinding both the bad and the good in revenge, a banishment, a death — may be too much for some little ones.

But mostly, it is delightful to stroll "Into the Woods" and get lost in this musical, magical world.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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PUC leader critical of San Bruno officials, email shows

Two years after a deadly gas explosion in the Bay Area city of San Bruno, California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Peevey described the city's mayor as "emotional" and the city manager as "nuts," according to emails newly released by the San Francisco utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

The Peevey comments are part of an internal memo sent to fellow executives by PG&E Vice President Brian Cherry, who has since been fired. Peppered by criticism, Peevey, 76, is ending 12 years as PUC president on Dec. 31 and not seeking a third term.

In the memo, Cherry recounted a meeting New Year's Eve of 2012 at Peevey's Sea Ranch vacation home on the rugged northern Sonoma County coast. The chat ended amicably, he said, "with a dram or two of Johnny Walker Blue Label whiskey."

Neither Peevey nor a PUC spokeswoman would comment on the Cherry memo or its contents.

Cherry reported that much of the conversation that day focused on a PG&E gas rate case and blame for the September 2010 explosion of a natural gas transmission pipeline that killed eight people, injured 66 and leveled 38 homes in a San Bruno neighborhood, near San Francisco International Airport.

Peevey, Cherry wrote, was angry about conversations he had with San Bruno officials that had been leaked to reporters. Peevey had told the officials "they could expect nothing from the commission if the outcome is litigated and not settled."

Peevey "characterized the mayor as emotional and the city manager as nuts," Cherry wrote to his supervisor. "As for the other parties, he believes they have been and continue to be unreasonable and he stated many of them were also unethical."

San Bruno officials responded Monday. The latest emails, said San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane, "provide additional undisputed proof of the same public corruption between PG&E and the CPUC that has led to the termination of top PG&E executives and a shake-up of this state agency."

Peevey "has never demonstrated a particular interest in the positions or opinions of the city of San Bruno,"  City Manager Connie Jackson said. "He has been consistently rude and dismissive in person and otherwise."

Peevey's comments in private meetings with PG&E, she said, were "inappropriate for a public official, a decision maker of his status.... These emails demonstrate with very clear evidence what we suspected for a very long time, that Mr. Peevey and the commission itself have been far too engaged with the utility."

In what critics described as a growing scandal, federal and state law enforcement agencies have launched investigations into the allegedly improper memos and the relationship between the utility and regulators. The U.S. attorney in San Francisco has filed criminal charges against the utility related to the San Bruno explosion.

The Cherry memo was one of about a dozen emails and internal documents that PG&E released Monday. The messages, the company said, could reflect improper communications with state regulators.

PUC rules require that private conversations be shared with all parties in an ongoing legal proceeding, such as the natural gas rate case and the probe of the blast.

PG&E said it plans to release a total of 65,000 messages and related documents detailing contacts with the PUC by the middle of February.

"We believe we can all agree that the business of the commission is the business of the public," PG&E Chief Executive Tony Earley said in a statement. "We support open access to communications taking place between the commission and all parties."

PUC administrative law judges are proposing levying a $1.4-billion penalty against PG&E for negligence and poor record keeping.

The utility said it would appeal the proposed decision, which would require that the fine be paid by shareholders of the parent company, PG&E Corp., and not by its Northern and Central California ratepayers. A decision by the five-member commission is expected early next year.

In the meantime, both Peevey and a second commissioner, Mike Florio, have said they would not cast votes on either the PG&E penalty or the gas rate case because of their past communications with the firm.

Peevey is days away from ending his 12-year tenure as a commissioner, mostly as president. He played a leading role in getting the energy crisis of 2000-01 under control. He served under former Govs. Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger as well as current Gov. Jerry Brown.

Brown has publicly praised Peevey for his leadership of the 1,000-person PUC and for his work to expand the use of solar power, energy efficiencies and the fight to curb global warming and climate change. More recently, the governor has said there's a need for "fresh eyes" at the powerful commission.

Brown, however, has not indicated when he might name a successor to Peevey. The governor's newest appointee, Michael Picker, a former Brown renewable energy adviser, is considered a front-runner for the job.

marc.lifsher@latimes.com

Twitter: @MarcLifsher

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Body found near water off Venice Beach; authorities investigating

A dead man was found along the water's edge Monday afternoon off Venice Beach near Marina del Rey, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials.

Originally, authorities said the body was found in the water. 

A passerby found the man's body around 1:50 p.m. and authorities were called, sheriff's officials said. At least one person preformed CPR on the victim until medical crews arrived, officials said. 

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. 

A rigid inflatable boat was located a short distance from the body. It was unclear if it belonged to the victim, officials said. 

The cause of death was not released. 

No other information about the victim was released. 

Follow Ryan Parker for breaking news at @theryanparker and on Facebook. 

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

8:38 p.m.: This story has been updated with more information from the scene. 

This story was originally published at 3:18 p.m. 

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Body found near water off Venice Beach; authorities investigating

A dead man was found along the water's edge Monday afternoon off Venice Beach near Marina del Rey, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials.

Originally, authorities said the body was found in the water. 

A passerby found the man's body around 1:50 p.m. and authorities were called, sheriff's officials said. At least one person preformed CPR on the victim until medical crews arrived, officials said. 

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. 

A rigid inflatable boat was located a short distance from the body. It was unclear if it belonged to the victim, officials said. 

The cause of death was not released. 

No other information about the victim was released. 

Follow Ryan Parker for breaking news at @theryanparker and on Facebook. 

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

8:38 p.m.: This story has been updated with more information from the scene. 

This story was originally published at 3:18 p.m. 

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N.Y. police say gunman who killed officers told bystanders to watch him

Minutes before he gunned down two police officers, a man told two bystanders, "Watch what I'm going to do," officials said Sunday as they pieced together the movements of a killer whose actions further roiled relations between the mayor and police unions and cast a shadow on a civilian-led protest movement alleging police brutality.

Politicians, clergymen and activists urged an end to the politicization of Saturday's killings of New York Police Department Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. Some political leaders said demonstrators who are critical of police should halt their almost nightly marches until Liu and Ramos are buried.

"I'm asking all of those to hold off on any form of protest until these officers are laid to rest in a peaceful manner," the Brooklyn borough president, Eric Adams, said as he stood in front of a growing memorial to Liu and Ramos.

Bouquets of flowers, candles, a Christmas wreath and a menorah began covering the sidewalk near the busy intersection where Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, ambushed the officers as they sat in their patrol car.  As night fell, scores of people gathered at the spot for a candlelight vigil in the officers' memory.

At the same time, marchers in Harlem held a separate "vigil for justice" organized by a group that has held demonstrations alleging police brutality.

This time, there were no anti-police chants or signs among the roughly 50 marchers. Many of them participated in past protests that followed the death in July of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died during an altercation with police, helping set off the ongoing demonstrations.

"I'm here because all life is valuable and all life matters," said Elle Green, a social worker. "Just because you're angry doesn't mean you're anti-law enforcement," she said, referring to rage over Garner's death.

"We want to see changes, but at the same time, we want the police to know that we support them," said Stephen Phelps, a clergyman who also has taken part in protests accusing police of abuse of power.

It was unclear how, or whether, the boisterous marches of the last five months would continue given the fallout from Saturday's killings. Leaders of the city's police unions, who have accused Mayor Bill de Blasio of siding with protesters, say his leniency toward them laid the groundwork for Brinsley's rampage.

"There's blood on many hands tonight," the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Assn., Patrick Lynch, said Saturday night. "That blood on the hands starts at City Hall in the office of the mayor."

Even some of those urging an end to the political jabs Sunday expressed anger at De Blasio, who has defended protesters' rights to demonstrate and who on Friday further angered critics by meeting with some protest organizers.

"What if that was your son sitting in that police car, if that was your son that got shot in the head?" said Juan Rodriguez, a Brooklyn civic leader and friend of Ramos who took part in a news conference outside the slain officer's home. De Blasio "needs to show a little more support for the officers in blue."

Many police officers turned their backs on De Blasio when he arrived at the hospital where Liu and Ramos were taken after they were shot. The mayor, who took office in January with promises to improve community-police relations, has rejected accusations that he is biased against the police and has repeatedly defended Police Commissioner William J. Bratton and the 35,000-strong force as the best in the world.

Lynch last week called on police officers to sign statements demanding that De Blasio not attend funerals of officers killed on duty. It was unclear when funerals for Liu and Ramos would be held or whether De Blasio would follow mayoral tradition and attend them.

Liu was 32 and had been married for two months. Ramos was 40 and had a 13-year-old son, Jaden, who posted an online tribute to his father, calling him "the best father I could ask for."

"It's horrible that someone gets shot dead just for being a police officer. Everyone says they hate cops but they are the people that they call for help," Jaden wrote.

Outside the house where Ramos grew up, his aunt delivered a brief statement. "I hope and pray that we can reflect on this tragic loss of lives that have occurred so that we can move forward and find an amicable path to a peaceful coexistence," Lucy Ramos said.

Police gave a detailed account of Brinsley's last hours and of his troubled background. According to law enforcement officials in Maryland and New York, Brinsley's rampage began about 5:30 a.m. Saturday when he used a key that he was not supposed to have to enter the apartment of his former girlfriend in Owings Mills, Md.

The two argued and Brinsley shot her in the stomach, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said. It was about 5:50 a.m.

"At about 6:05 he calls the girlfriend's mother and says he shot her by accident and hopes she lives," Boyce said. The woman was expected to survive.

Police think Brinsley, 28, then caught a bus to New York City and took his ex-girlfriend's cellphone. Officials used pings from the phone to trace his movements, some of which were captured on video. Brinsley was seen near a major bus drop-off point in Manhattan, getting ready to board a subway. A couple hours later, he was again captured on video, talking to two men in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The men have been contacted by police and are not suspected of involvement in the shooting, Boyce said.

"He asks for their gang affiliation," Boyce said. "He asks them to follow him on Instagram. He then says, 'Watch what I'm going to do.'"

Minutes later, Brinsley approached the officers' car from behind and opened fire through the passenger-side window. Police responding to calls of shots fired pursued Brinsley, who ran into a nearby subway station and shot himself to death.

Brinsley had posted on Instagram earlier: "I'm putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let's take 2 of theirs." He hashtagged the names of Garner and Michael Brown, an unarmed black man killed by police in Ferguson, Mo., in August.

Jimmy Hicks has lived in the neighborhood for decades and is accustomed to seeing officers on patrol. "I said to myself, 'Oh, my gosh,'" when he heard what happened, Hicks said. He credited police with helping bring down crime in the area and dismissed critics who accused them of being overly aggressive.

Hicks, who is black, said he felt sorry for the families of Garner and other unarmed men who have died in encounters with police. "But the cops have a job to do," he said. "They're not racist."

Boyce said Brinsley, a black man who was born into a Muslim family, showed no signs of radicalization, despite anti-police rants he posted on social media in the hours before the killings. He was estranged from his family, and his mother described him as having a troubled childhood and a history of suicide attempts, Boyce said. Even Brinsley's mother feared him, he said.

Brinsley had at least 19 arrests — 15 in Georgia and four in Ohio, Boyce said. His convictions included felony shoplifting, grand larceny, destroying property and possession of a stolen gun.

On the morning of the shootings, he posted a portentous message on Facebook. "I Always Wanted To Be Known For Doing Something Right," Brinsley wrote. "But My Past Is Stalking Me And My Present Is Haunting Me."

tina.susman@latimes.com

Times staff writer Matt Pearce in Los Angeles and special correspondent Maya Srikrishnan in New York contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

8:35 p.m.: The story was updated throughout with new information.

2:03 p.m.: The story was updated with information from a police news conference. 

1:20 p.m.: Updated with details from court records about the gunman. 

1:05 p.m.: Updated throughout with details. 

This post was originally published at 10:20 a.m.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

LACER Afterschool Programs give students a reason to go to class

Aaron Cornejo could hardly believe it when he saw his report card with all A's and Bs for the first time.

"I had to look at my report card again like 'I actually have those grades?'" said Cornejo, 17. "I told myself if I could do this, I'm capable of doing more stuff."

Before joining one of the LACER (Literacy, Arts, Culture, Education and Recreation) Afterschool Programs in the sixth grade, Cornejo said he used to come home from school and plop down in front of the TV.

"I would get lazy. I wouldn't even try to do my homework. But LACER changed that," Cornejo said. "The teachers at LACER would tell me that I'm capable, and I would believe in myself."

Eight years later, the Hollywood High School senior won the John Liechty Outstanding Student Award, an honor LACER gives to high-achieving students at each of the six schools that offer the free afterschool program.

One of Cornejo's main motivations to do well in school has been his love of music and participation in the LACER marching band. Band members must maintain at least a 2.0 average.

Despite state and federal budget cuts in the arts and other school programs, LACER has tried to step up and make a difference where it can, said founding member William Seymour, who runs the program. Marching band, for example, was cut from Hollywood High School in 2009; LACER now provides support for the program.

The band is one of a variety of classes LACER offers in addition to student assistance with homework.

"They love the afterschool [program], and when they love the afterschool [program], that means they go to school," Seymour said. "We're a saving grace for so many students, and the ones that come to us are the ones that really want … to take full advantage of it."

Between 96% and 98% of LACER high school participants graduate, Seymour said.

Through the generosity of Times readers and a match by the McCormick Foundation, $810,000 was granted to local literacy programs this year as a result of the Los Angeles Times Holiday Campaign.

The Holiday Campaign, part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund, raises contributions to support established literacy programs run by nonprofit organizations that serve low-income children, adults and families who are reading below grade levels, at risk of illiteracy or who have limited English proficiency.

Donations are tax-deductible as permitted by law and matched at 50 cents on the dollar. Donor information is not traded or published without permission. Donate online at latimes.com/donate or by calling (800) 518-3975. All gifts will receive a written acknowledgment.

taylor.goldenstein@latimes.com

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Up next for the Kings: Monday vs. Flames

When: 7:30 PST.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: TV: Ch. 13. Radio: 790.

Etc: The Flames were surging a little more than a month ago, the surprise story of the league. On Nov. 26, they were 14-8-2. Since then, they've won three games. Calgary finally grabbed a point in Saturday's shootout loss in Vancouver, having suffered seven straight defeats in regulation. The Kings have won back-to-back games at home after a 1-3-1 trip. This is their final game before the Christmas break. Forward Marian Gaborik has sparked the Kings, of late, with six goals in his last four games.

Twitter: @reallisa

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Americans' love of snacks has spread far beyond that bag of chips

Symbols matter, which is why it's important to acknowledge that our truest national emblem isn't an eagle or a dollar sign or even a handgun, though each will have its proponents.

No, I see a partially unwrapped Twinkie, draped alluringly in cellophane, surrounded by sports drinks. Or a take-out pizza studded with Fritos, a single slice drawn forth with strings of cheese still connecting it to the pie as a metaphor for our shared devotion to fat.

Our national symbol, in other words, really ought to be a snack. Once a rare treat associated with special events such as fairs or birthday parties, snacking is now something akin to a national sport. In a recent article about soaring sales of snack foods, the Wall Street Journal cited government data showing that, while only 10% of Americans snacked three or more times a day in the late 1970s, the figure had risen to 56% in 2010.

Can it really be that low? Snacks seem to be everywhere, and in fact Hartman Group, a market research firm, found in a 2013 survey that 90% of consumers snack multiple times daily. In my experience, no gathering of small children is complete unless a parent has been designated to bring the snacks, as if a bunch of kids, who were made to run around, would expire from the slightest exertion without frequent doses of fat and carbohydrates.

Many snacks are nutritionally dubious, yet increasingly they are crowding out traditional breakfasts, lunches and dinners. About half of Americans replace meals with snacks at least three to four times a week, Hartman discovered. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, says American kids take in nearly 200 more calories a day from snacks than they did in the 1970s. No wonder so many are overweight.

But of course this isn't just about food, for snacks, having turned eating into an empty sacrament, are now the most reliable insignia of our culture. Just the other day, I read that the owner of the New Republic wanted it to publish more "snackable" items. His staff quit en masse over his larger plans for the venerable publication, but can anyone doubt he had his finger on the American pulse? The market value of Twitter, with its 140 character limit, is around $23 billion, versus perhaps $2 billion for New York Times Co.

Once you start looking, it's hard not to see snacking everywhere. Many of us who listen to music now prefer songs to albums, a preference abetted by the digital revolution in music distribution. In some quarters, at least, hookups are preferable to enduring relationships or even temporary monogamy. Disposable fashion from stores such as H&M, backed by Chinese manufacturing, has enabled us to snack on clothing.

Or thumb through almost any magazine; you'll be struck by its hyperkinetic tenor — all those bite-sized items studded with sprightly images, like canapes topped with nuts. Magazines are full of this stuff, which makes them feel as if they offer a meal of hors d'oeuvres compared with the feast of text many once cooked up on their glossy pages.

The Internet, of course, has promoted snacking. As I write this, email alerts come and go, inviting me to take a break and snack on a little human interaction. I like reading books on an iPad, but the temptation to snack on some tweets after every few paragraphs can be hard to resist. Snacking can be habit-forming; any online document that I encounter longer than a screenful of text sets me to skimming impatiently.

We gravitate toward snacks because they're fast, easy and require little commitment. They also taste good. Online, snackable items are easily digested by grazing readers, and just as easily shared — the way we once shared meals. In keeping with our demand for flexibility and immediate gratification, snacks are always available, require little investment and can be consumed without the time and consideration that used to go into more primitive forms of nourishment, such as sit-down dinners or books.

It's been said that you are what you eat, and in some sense we Americans are becoming snacks, at least to the businesses that consume our labor. Companies that once had lasting relationships with workers nowadays often prefer outside contractors, or employees who can be rescheduled — or terminated — at the whim of management. Firms, in other words, prefer to snack on labor, a practice that makes it all the more difficult for workers to schedule (or pay for) meals.

Snacking suits the way we live — Hartman says 40% of adult meals excluding snacks are eaten alone — but it isn't always satisfying. Even if they fill us up, snacks mostly just bloat us with their emptiness, which in turn leaves us wanting something more. Maybe it would be better if we waited for dinner, the way we used to, and then sat down to eat it with somebody we care about.

I'm going to work on this, I swear, just as soon as I grab a microwave chimichanga to tide me over. While I'm at it, I wonder what's happening on Twitter?

Daniel Akst is an author and former Los Angeles Times columnist.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Americans' love of snacks has spread far beyond that bag of chips

Symbols matter, which is why it's important to acknowledge that our truest national emblem isn't an eagle or a dollar sign or even a handgun, though each will have its proponents.

No, I see a partially unwrapped Twinkie, draped alluringly in cellophane, surrounded by sports drinks. Or a take-out pizza studded with Fritos, a single slice drawn forth with strings of cheese still connecting it to the pie as a metaphor for our shared devotion to fat.

Our national symbol, in other words, really ought to be a snack. Once a rare treat associated with special events such as fairs or birthday parties, snacking is now something akin to a national sport. In a recent article about soaring sales of snack foods, the Wall Street Journal cited government data showing that, while only 10% of Americans snacked three or more times a day in the late 1970s, the figure had risen to 56% in 2010.

Can it really be that low? Snacks seem to be everywhere, and in fact Hartman Group, a market research firm, found in a 2013 survey that 90% of consumers snack multiple times daily. In my experience, no gathering of small children is complete unless a parent has been designated to bring the snacks, as if a bunch of kids, who were made to run around, would expire from the slightest exertion without frequent doses of fat and carbohydrates.

Many snacks are nutritionally dubious, yet increasingly they are crowding out traditional breakfasts, lunches and dinners. About half of Americans replace meals with snacks at least three to four times a week, Hartman discovered. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, says American kids take in nearly 200 more calories a day from snacks than they did in the 1970s. No wonder so many are overweight.

But of course this isn't just about food, for snacks, having turned eating into an empty sacrament, are now the most reliable insignia of our culture. Just the other day, I read that the owner of the New Republic wanted it to publish more "snackable" items. His staff quit en masse over his larger plans for the venerable publication, but can anyone doubt he had his finger on the American pulse? The market value of Twitter, with its 140 character limit, is around $23 billion, versus perhaps $2 billion for New York Times Co.

Once you start looking, it's hard not to see snacking everywhere. Many of us who listen to music now prefer songs to albums, a preference abetted by the digital revolution in music distribution. In some quarters, at least, hookups are preferable to enduring relationships or even temporary monogamy. Disposable fashion from stores such as H&M, backed by Chinese manufacturing, has enabled us to snack on clothing.

Or thumb through almost any magazine; you'll be struck by its hyperkinetic tenor — all those bite-sized items studded with sprightly images, like canapes topped with nuts. Magazines are full of this stuff, which makes them feel as if they offer a meal of hors d'oeuvres compared with the feast of text many once cooked up on their glossy pages.

The Internet, of course, has promoted snacking. As I write this, email alerts come and go, inviting me to take a break and snack on a little human interaction. I like reading books on an iPad, but the temptation to snack on some tweets after every few paragraphs can be hard to resist. Snacking can be habit-forming; any online document that I encounter longer than a screenful of text sets me to skimming impatiently.

We gravitate toward snacks because they're fast, easy and require little commitment. They also taste good. Online, snackable items are easily digested by grazing readers, and just as easily shared — the way we once shared meals. In keeping with our demand for flexibility and immediate gratification, snacks are always available, require little investment and can be consumed without the time and consideration that used to go into more primitive forms of nourishment, such as sit-down dinners or books.

It's been said that you are what you eat, and in some sense we Americans are becoming snacks, at least to the businesses that consume our labor. Companies that once had lasting relationships with workers nowadays often prefer outside contractors, or employees who can be rescheduled — or terminated — at the whim of management. Firms, in other words, prefer to snack on labor, a practice that makes it all the more difficult for workers to schedule (or pay for) meals.

Snacking suits the way we live — Hartman says 40% of adult meals excluding snacks are eaten alone — but it isn't always satisfying. Even if they fill us up, snacks mostly just bloat us with their emptiness, which in turn leaves us wanting something more. Maybe it would be better if we waited for dinner, the way we used to, and then sat down to eat it with somebody we care about.

I'm going to work on this, I swear, just as soon as I grab a microwave chimichanga to tide me over. While I'm at it, I wonder what's happening on Twitter?

Daniel Akst is an author and former Los Angeles Times columnist.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

USC Now mailbag: Sarkisian, Orgeron and roster depth

The mailbag was thin but thoughtful and per the usual, the Ed Orgeron mailbag ban has been put off anoher week.

Questions or comments about USC? Email me at LNThiry@gmail.com or tweet @LindseyThiry and I will respond to select messages in a future mailbag.

Comment: I am quite disgusted with Sark. There are few, if any, truly successful college football coaches who can both play call and be a head coach at a major football university. His game management has been terrible and his play calling has been mediocre. I was for Sark being hired, but he has got to learn that his multi-tasking efforts are not working.

It is amazing to see how successful Kiffin is now that he can focus on just one thing. Sark would do well to learn this valuable lesson.

Sark should hire Orgeron. Orgeron is a great assistant coach and an amazing recruiter. If Sark can't handle Orgeron's popularity and intensity, then he has no business being a head coach at a football powerhouse university.

The decline in SC's defense is blatant. Why not hire Pendergast back? His ability and resume are first rate.

Let us all remember one thing, and that is that Sark's job is to do what is best for USC -- not to do what is best for his friends or what is best for his ego. If Sark wants to be a legend, like McKay or Carroll, he will have to change his ways.

 -- Robert S.

 Reply: This was a loaded email, Robert. Lucky for you, I have nothing but time.

I'll start at the end: I've read a lot of emails this season, Robert – but I think your last paragraph hit the nail on the head.

Now, back to the beginning.

Steve Sarkisian called the plays for five seasons at Washington. He inherited an 0-12 team and improved it to 8-4 his final season (9-4, if including the bowl game that he did not coach).

Calling the plays seemed to work for him … then.

But, I agree with you. He should give up play-calling at USC after this season.

Sarkisian has a staff of talented assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Clay Helton, who called USC's most dynamic game last season in its victory at the Las Vegas Bowl.

And it is not as though Sarkisian would still have no say if he turned over play-calling. He's the head coach – he can have the final call on everything – but there is no need for him to micromanage and overlook other parts of the team (defense, anyone?).

Robert, I banned any future talk about Ed Orgeron in last week's mailbag – but here we go again.

Sarkisian should not hire Orgeron. Orgeron was given a chance to come back and he declined. A year later, the program has to keep moving forward.

I doubt it's Orgeron's intensity that Sarkisian would be worried about. But popularity? You're correct there.

Orgeron was a fan and player favorite. So consider this scenario: USC is losing an early-season game at the Coliseum and fans chant "Coach O! Coach O!" Before you know it, the program is in disarray again.

Sarkisian should have retained defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. That was a blunder on his part. USC's defense underperformed this season, but not to a degree that calls for defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox to be fired.

Wilcox deserves more than a season to install his system and recruit players who work in it.

Comment: Taking the reports about Coach O at face value: A year ago, Sark tries to convince O to join his staff; Haden offers to make him the highest paid assistant in the country. O says no. A short year or so later, Bill Plaschke visits O and O says he needed the time off to clear his mind, USC is the best place in the world to coach and he is open to coming back.

Now you say Sark doesn't want O back, basically, because he would be a competitor. So what have you heard or know that the rest of us aren't privy to? If he comes back, O should work with Wilcox on defensive game plans, coach the D-Line and recruit - the things he does best and the things that would help the team the most. Maybe he doesn't see that as his role - is that it?

-- Ron Serandos

Reply: Common sense, Ron. It's common sense.

I am not a body language specialist, but even I can tell Sarkisian is tired of the Orgeron situation. It is not happening.

Who are you firing to give Ed Orgeron his job back? By your suggestion, I'm guessing defensive line coach Chris Wilson is fired and recruiting coordinator Peter Sirmon is demoted?

And why suddenly do fans think Orgeron is a defensive coordinator?

Orgeron was offered a nice payday and a position on Sarkisian's staff. He turned it down and USC moved on.

Comment: I get so tired of hearing that the lack of players does not lead to losses. That fatigue did not cause Nelson to step out of bounds, or Pullard to forget to jump for that pass. With 85 players those games do not come down to the last play…. If less players makes NO difference, all schools would save money and do it. It's downright stupid to think it doesn't. That's why the NCAA did it. The logic that it has not hurt USC is downright absurd.

--Christopher Rivera, Corvallis, Ore.

Reply: Let's revisit an article by The Times' Gary Klein earlier this season that addressed the depth situation.

When this article was published, midway through the season, USC played an average of about 43 recruited scholarship players per game. USC had used an average 51 players per game, three fewer than its opponent.

In USC's final season before sanctions, former coach Pete Carroll played an average of about 49 recruited scholarship players.

The discrepancy in players used is not so significant that the talent on this season's roster could not make up the difference.

It came down to coaching and execution more than fatigue.

And remember, five USC players – the same number as conference champion Oregon -- were voted first-team All-Pac-12 Conference by conference coaches.

USC had more than enough talent to finish better than 8-4.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Inside the Mind of Leonardo' tours Italy, not Da Vinci's head

Peter Capaldi of "Doctor Who" performs excerpts from some 6,000 pages of Leonardo da Vinci's journals for the documentary "Inside the Mind of Leonardo," but what you actually glean from the artist's mind here seems peripheral compared with, say, J. M. W. Turner's personal and professional torments as depicted in Mike Leigh's "Mr. Turner."

Part of "Leonardo" feels like a guided sightseeing tour of Italy, tracking his footprints through Tuscany, Florence and Milan. Although the film does pay visits to some illustrious sites such as Andrea del Verrocchio's workshop where Da Vinci once apprenticed, this travelogue also makes many irrelevant stops.

Though billed as a 3-D experience, "Leonardo" is flat in more ways than one. It's unclear which of the labor-intensive animated sequences are actually based on Da Vinci's sketches and drawings, and Capaldi's soliloquies don't really elevate the film much above the kind of educational documentaries you'd see at a museum. Only during the nature photography is the 3-D discernible.

Where filmmaker Julian Jones falls short, though, Da Vinci's works speak for themselves. The thrilling spectacle of "Mona Lisa" will leave few unmoved.

"Inside the Mind of Leonardo."

No MPAA rating.

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Playing: Crest Theatre, Westwood.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Neutrogena pays $400,000 to settle hazardous-waste violations

It cost Neutrogena $400,000 to make one blemish go away.

In 2010, inspectors with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control showed up unannounced at the cosmetic company's manufacturing facility in Los Angeles and found several violations, the agency said in a release.

Neutrogena workers were treating its hazardous waste in a wastewater treatment system without a permit and had failed to perform several precautionary steps in storing and disposing of its materials, inspectors found.

The company brought the plant up to code that same year. But Reed Sato, the agency's lead counsel noted that "these violations created an unnecessary potential for harm to Neutrogena's employees and to the environment."

Neutrogena agreed to pay a $400,000 settlement for the violations, the agency said. 

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

College ratings system may rank loan repayments, graduation statistics

The Obama administration on Friday is releasing the rough outlines of a much-anticipated college ratings system that may grade schools on such factors as graduation rates, loan repayments and post-graduation income. Many details remain to be decided over the next few months, with some wary colleges and universities sure to protest any measurements that might hurt their reputations.

Without committing to any criteria, the U.S. Department of Education listed factors that it said could wind up in the final ratings system expected to be completed by the start of the 2015-16 school year. Those included the average net price after financial aid, federal loan defaults, the percentages of students who are low-income and the first in their families to attend college, and enrollment in graduate programs.

Officials emphasized that any grading system would not numerically rank schools or assign them A-F grades but instead would probably place them in such categories as high-performing, average or low. Special attention would be given to schools that improve.

Addressing concerns that the proposal could hurt schools that enroll large numbers of low-income students, Department of Education leaders said they may group schools by admissions selectivity and program offerings so that, for example, a Cal State does not compete against an Ivy League campus or an engineering college with one that mainly trains teachers and social workers.

Ted Mitchell, the U.S. undersecretary of Education who oversees higher-education issues, described the framework as "a work in progress" and said he was confident the final system would provide clear measurements on "elemental building blocks of quality, accessibility, affordability and outcomes."

In an interview, Mitchell said the plan's grouping of colleges would "avoid creating perverse incentives" such as schools pushing out low-income students or dropping majors that may not lead to very lucrative careers. And he said that four-year schools that grant bachelor's degrees would be judged separately from two-year community colleges that offer associate's degrees.

President Obama first suggested a ratings system in August 2013 to help families compare schools and to help taxpayers judge whether the massive federal investments in financial aid and other grants are worthwhile.

The ratings proposal progressed more slowly that anticipated, with much lobbying by some worried schools and opposition from Republicans who described it as an unnecessary bureaucracy. The Obama administration wanted to publicly present a framework before the end of the fall semester; experts noted that was accomplished with no time to spare, as most schools are closing for winter break.

Mitchell said it took much work to winnow down possible criteria and to test databases for reliable information. A public comment period will extend through Feb. 17 (at collegefeedback@ed.gov) and more meetings with academics will be held after that.

Among the decisions ahead is whether colleges will be evaluated in all the categories or just given one evaluation.

Some critics have predicted any system will be unworkable since important data on incomes and transfer students are not easily available. But others, particularly public universities, said they welcomed the transparency.

"Change is hard," said Mitchell, former president of Occidental College and the California state Board of Education. Yet he added that many colleges were accustomed to such ratings as U.S. News & World Report's.

Michael V. Reilly, executive director of the American Assn. of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, said he was pleased that the plan seemed to address concerns of schools with large populations of low-income students. But Reilly said many colleges remain anxious about future details and question the ratings' usefulness for students who are locked into attending only schools close to home. A low score will "embarrass the local schools" without offering alternatives to families, he said

Peter McPherson, president of the Assn. of Public and Land-grant Universities, said he supported the plan's general thrust but wanted to ensure that it accounted for the part-time and transfer students who make up a large portion of state schools.

larry.gordon@latimes.com

Twitter: @larrygordonlat

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Capital punishment in U.S. continues its decline

The death penalty continued its slow and steady two-decade decline this year, as fewer convicted murderers were sentenced to die and most executions were limited to just three states, according to a report to be released Thursday.

The number of new death sentences plummeted from 315 in 1996 to 72 as of Wednesday, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

The number of executions carried out has fallen sharply as well. This year, 35 convicts were put to death, compared with 98 in 1999. And whereas 20 states were carrying out executions in the 1990s, only seven did so this year.

"The relevancy of the death penalty in our criminal justice system is seriously in question when 43 out of the 50 states do not apply the ultimate sanction," said Richard Dieter, the center's executive director.

Most of the executions took place in Texas (10), Missouri (10) and Florida (8). The other states to carry out executions were Oklahoma (3), Georgia (2), Arizona (1) and Ohio (1).

Even in Texas, the number of new death sentences has fallen sharply, from 48 per year in the late 1990s to fewer than a dozen per year recently.

Experts say the trend reflects a steep drop in violent crime, a growing use of "life without parole" sentences for convicted killers and a skepticism over the death penalty itself.

Nationwide, there were about 10,000 fewer murders in recent years compared with the 1990s. The FBI reported 24,526 murders in 1993; last year there were 14,196.

Some prosecutors pursuing a murder case don't seek the death penalty because of the high cost of litigating such cases. Others are deterred by the need for absolute proof.

"DNA confirmed there were a lot of innocent people on death row, and judges and juries have become more cautious as a result," Dieter said.

Another key factor is the growing reliance on life-term prison sentences that include no option for parole. In the 1980s and beyond, jurors often said they decided in favor of a death sentence because they feared a murderer who was sentenced to "life in prison" would be released on parole in a decade or two. But since the 1990s, every state has allowed for life terms in prison with no possibility of parole.

Faced with that option, many jurors vote for a life sentence rather than death.

Kent Scheidegger, counsel for the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in Sacramento, said the drop in death sentences reflected the decline in murders. "The murder rate today is a bit more than half what it was in the mid-90s," he said.

He also said prosecutors were concentrating on the most aggravated murders. "In years past, you would sometimes see death sentences for simple cases of robbery-murder. You don't see that much any more," he said. "When you read of a new death sentence being rendered today, it is typically for a particularly horrific murder, which is exactly how the system is supposed to work."

California held its position as the nation's leader in sending convicts to death row, though their chances of being executed are remote. About 1 in 4 of the nation's condemned prisoners is held in California.

In October, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund counted 3,035 inmates nationwide facing death sentences. The states with the largest number were California (745), Florida (404), Texas (276) and Alabama (198).

California carried out its last execution in 2006, and in July, U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney ruled the state's death penalty system unconstitutional because of the long delays in carrying out the sentences. The state has appealed the issue to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Dieter foresees a time in the next decade when executions become so rare and confined to so few states that the Supreme Court will declare the punishment unconstitutional. "It won't happen this year or next, but they could say it has becomes so unusual as to be outside the standards of decency," he said.

david.savage@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidgsavage

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Capital punishment in U.S. continues its decline

The death penalty continued its slow and steady two-decade decline this year, as fewer convicted murderers were sentenced to die and most executions were limited to just three states, according to a report to be released Thursday.

The number of new death sentences plummeted from 315 in 1996 to 72 as of Wednesday, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

The number of executions carried out has fallen sharply as well. This year, 35 convicts were put to death, compared with 98 in 1999. And whereas 20 states were carrying out executions in the 1990s, only seven did so this year.

"The relevancy of the death penalty in our criminal justice system is seriously in question when 43 out of the 50 states do not apply the ultimate sanction," said Richard Dieter, the center's executive director.

Most of the executions took place in Texas (10), Missouri (10) and Florida (8). The other states to carry out executions were Oklahoma (3), Georgia (2), Arizona (1) and Ohio (1).

Even in Texas, the number of new death sentences has fallen sharply, from 48 per year in the late 1990s to fewer than a dozen per year recently.

Experts say the trend reflects a steep drop in violent crime, a growing use of "life without parole" sentences for convicted killers and a skepticism over the death penalty itself.

Nationwide, there were about 10,000 fewer murders in recent years compared with the 1990s. The FBI reported 24,526 murders in 1993; last year there were 14,196.

Some prosecutors pursuing a murder case don't seek the death penalty because of the high cost of litigating such cases. Others are deterred by the need for absolute proof.

"DNA confirmed there were a lot of innocent people on death row, and judges and juries have become more cautious as a result," Dieter said.

Another key factor is the growing reliance on life-term prison sentences that include no option for parole. In the 1980s and beyond, jurors often said they decided in favor of a death sentence because they feared a murderer who was sentenced to "life in prison" would be released on parole in a decade or two. But since the 1990s, every state has allowed for life terms in prison with no possibility of parole.

Faced with that option, many jurors vote for a life sentence rather than death.

Kent Scheidegger, counsel for the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in Sacramento, said the drop in death sentences reflected the decline in murders. "The murder rate today is a bit more than half what it was in the mid-90s," he said.

He also said prosecutors were concentrating on the most aggravated murders. "In years past, you would sometimes see death sentences for simple cases of robbery-murder. You don't see that much any more," he said. "When you read of a new death sentence being rendered today, it is typically for a particularly horrific murder, which is exactly how the system is supposed to work."

California held its position as the nation's leader in sending convicts to death row, though their chances of being executed are remote. About 1 in 4 of the nation's condemned prisoners is held in California.

In October, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund counted 3,035 inmates nationwide facing death sentences. The states with the largest number were California (745), Florida (404), Texas (276) and Alabama (198).

California carried out its last execution in 2006, and in July, U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney ruled the state's death penalty system unconstitutional because of the long delays in carrying out the sentences. The state has appealed the issue to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Dieter foresees a time in the next decade when executions become so rare and confined to so few states that the Supreme Court will declare the punishment unconstitutional. "It won't happen this year or next, but they could say it has becomes so unusual as to be outside the standards of decency," he said.

david.savage@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidgsavage

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More