High-tech hits home with smarter kitchen appliances and gadgets

Imagine virtually fishing, hunting or gathering your food from a hologram, then having the real goods delivered to your door. Or having your refrigerator offer dinner suggestions based on which ingredients you have on hand, then alerting your oven to preheat based on your chosen recipe. Perhaps you might prefer to come home to a cocktail already prepared by your automated bartender, confident it not only knows how you like your martini but also when you've reached a sensible limit.

All that may sound like a trend forecaster's dream, but, trust us, it's happening in 2015 — or maybe soon thereafter.

Online apps and programs: You may not have a smart appliance in your kitchen, but according to a survey conducted by NextMarket, at least 58% of us use mobile technology there at least some of the time. Popular programs and apps allow searching for, collecting and storing recipes and even generating grocery lists in real time based on what you are currently using. Yummly searches recipes from favorite websites, generates shopping lists and partners with Instacart for delivery to your door within an hour. Grocery IQ builds shopping lists from barcodes or from spoken instructions and even searches for coupons.

Smart appliances and gadgets: Major manufacturers of large kitchen appliances are entering the market, offering smart refrigerators and ovens that will track contents and expiration dates, incorporate cooking applications and allow remote operation. LG's Smart ThinQ refrigerator offers dinner suggestions based on what you have in it and then talks to its companion oven to set the precise cooking time and temperature. In the future? The same company has been working on a "health manager" feature to offer recipe suggestions based on your age, gender, weight, height and body mass index. It will even generate weekly meal plans based on personal profiles and provide recipes for each dish. Pure Imagination's Perfect Bake system, with a digital scale and app, measures ingredients from your recipes by weight and will automatically adjust if you overpour.

3-D food printers: The first commercial microwave oven took decades to become popular. The same might be true for the 3-D printer. While a handful of printers are commercially available now, similar issues of cost, size and limitations are being addressed. Choc Edge's Choc Creator will create three-dimensional chocolates you design yourself. The F3D prototype designed by students at the Imperial College London will print a pizza dough and then the topping and bake them using the same cooking technology as Hasbro's Easy-Bake Oven.

On the drawing board: These ideas may seem far out, but they're already being worked on. A wristband microwave that collects body heat you can use to warm a cup of coffee. A smart knife that tests food's freshness, nutrient content and bacteria level when you cut into it and keeps it fresher by infusing it with negative ions. How about a gel patch you place on your forehead that gives you the tastes and smells of favorite food memories, no matter what's on your plate? In the future, you could make a raw carrot taste like the best cheeseburger you ever had.

noelle.carter@latimes.com

Twitter: @noellecarter

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: quarter-by-quarter updates

Lakers 61, Cavaliers 57 (halftime)

Nick Young made a three-pointer to give the Lakers their biggest lead of the game, 40-32, but the team slumped and Cleveland quickly took over the lead.

The lead see-sawed 11 times in the first half, with the Lakers finally holding a four-point advantage at the half.

Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving led Cleveland with 14 points apiece, while LeBron James added 13.  The Cavaliers shot 50% from the field.

Kobe Bryant has a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists in 17 minutes.  At the half, he's seven rebounds away from a triple-double.

The Lakers shot 58.1% from the field, led by Bryant and Jordan Hill.  Every Laker who played, 10 in all, scored at least two points.

Lakers 30, Cavaliers 30 (end of first quarter)

The Lakers started slowly against the Cavaliers, falling behind by as many as 11 points less than five minutes into the game.

Cleveland had scored 21 points with 6:04 left in the opening quarter, but stalled for four minutes, the Lakers taking a two-point lead with a 17-4 run.

Kobe Bryant had seven points and eight assists in 11 minutes to lead the Lakers, who shot 65% from field. Center Jordan Hill added 10 points on five-of-six shooting.

J.R. Smith converted a trio of three-pointers to lead the Cavaliers, who shot 50% from the field, with nine points. Kyrie Irving added eight, Kevin Love seven and LeBron James two.

Pregame

The Lakers (12-27) host the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-20) on Thursday night at Staples Center.

The Cavaliers have lost six in a row, including Tuesday night in Phoenix against the Suns, with LeBron James returning from back and knee issues.

Kobe Bryant (rest), Jordan Hill (knee) and Ronnie Price (elbow) are all expected to play. The Lakers are missing Julius Randle (knee) and Steve Nash (back).

Anderson Varejao (knee) is out for the season for the Cavaliers. Newly acquired guard/forward Iman Shumpert (shoulder) also won't play.

For an in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers vs. Cavaliers.

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

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

High-tech hits home with smarter kitchen appliances and gadgets

Imagine virtually fishing, hunting or gathering your food from a hologram, then having the real goods delivered to your door. Or having your refrigerator offer dinner suggestions based on which ingredients you have on hand, then alerting your oven to preheat based on your chosen recipe. Perhaps you might prefer to come home to a cocktail already prepared by your automated bartender, confident it not only knows how you like your martini but also when you've reached a sensible limit.

All that may sound like a trend forecaster's dream, but, trust us, it's happening in 2015 — or maybe soon thereafter.

Online apps and programs: You may not have a smart appliance in your kitchen, but according to a survey conducted by NextMarket, at least 58% of us use mobile technology there at least some of the time. Popular programs and apps allow searching for, collecting and storing recipes and even generating grocery lists in real time based on what you are currently using. Yummly searches recipes from favorite websites, generates shopping lists and partners with Instacart for delivery to your door within an hour. Grocery IQ builds shopping lists from barcodes or from spoken instructions and even searches for coupons.

Smart appliances and gadgets: Major manufacturers of large kitchen appliances are entering the market, offering smart refrigerators and ovens that will track contents and expiration dates, incorporate cooking applications and allow remote operation. LG's Smart ThinQ refrigerator offers dinner suggestions based on what you have in it and then talks to its companion oven to set the precise cooking time and temperature. In the future? The same company has been working on a "health manager" feature to offer recipe suggestions based on your age, gender, weight, height and body mass index. It will even generate weekly meal plans based on personal profiles and provide recipes for each dish. Pure Imagination's Perfect Bake system, with a digital scale and app, measures ingredients from your recipes by weight and will automatically adjust if you overpour.

3-D food printers: The first commercial microwave oven took decades to become popular. The same might be true for the 3-D printer. While a handful of printers are commercially available now, similar issues of cost, size and limitations are being addressed. Choc Edge's Choc Creator will create three-dimensional chocolates you design yourself. The F3D prototype designed by students at the Imperial College London will print a pizza dough and then the topping and bake them using the same cooking technology as Hasbro's Easy-Bake Oven.

On the drawing board: These ideas may seem far out, but they're already being worked on. A wristband microwave that collects body heat you can use to warm a cup of coffee. A smart knife that tests food's freshness, nutrient content and bacteria level when you cut into it and keeps it fresher by infusing it with negative ions. How about a gel patch you place on your forehead that gives you the tastes and smells of favorite food memories, no matter what's on your plate? In the future, you could make a raw carrot taste like the best cheeseburger you ever had.

noelle.carter@latimes.com

Twitter: @noellecarter

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Michael Douglas to be honored by the Genesis Prize Foundation

Michael Douglas will receive a $1-million prize from a group founded by Russian billionaires seeking to strengthen Jewish culture at a time when the Jewish population is shrinking worldwide and Israel is eager for support from international figures, including Hollywood celebrities, in its decades-long conflict with the Palestinians.

The Genesis Prize Foundation was set to announce Wednesday night in New York City that Douglas was the recipient of its second annual award to celebrate "the richness and diversity of Jewish culture." The two-time Academy Award winner will be honored by the Israeli prime minister during a ceremony in Jerusalem in June. The 70-year-old actor was selected by a committee that included Nobel literature laureate Elie Wiesel.

Douglas is an intriguing choice; his selection may be criticized by ultraconservative Jews. His father, Kirk Douglas, who was born Issur Danielovitch, is the son of Jewish immigrants from what is now Belarus. Michael Douglas' mother, Diana Dill, is not Jewish, and he was not raised in the faith. Douglas embraced his Jewish identity later in life and last year traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the bar mitzvah of his son Dylan.

In a phone interview from New York, Douglas, who won an Academy Award for lead actor for his 1987 portrayal of Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street," and as producer of 1975 best picture winner "One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest," acknowledged that his selection would likely "not go without controversy or debate." He added that as a Reform Jew who was in an interfaith marriage with Catherine Zeta-Jones, he has often been made to feel estranged from his faith by Orthodox Jews.

But he noted that he was inspired by his son Dylan's devoutness and his father's reaffirmation of his Jewish lineage and his second bar mitzvah when he was 83. Douglas said that he hoped the award would "encourage a new generation and remind them what their roots are and that they are welcome" in the fold.

"It is an unconventional choice," said Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of the foundation, who added that the actor was chosen for "his professional achievements and for his passion for his Jewish heritage and the Jewish state."

"The Douglas family's experience of connecting with its heritage and embracing it on their own terms embodies an inclusive approach for Jews of diverse backgrounds," Polovets added.

The foundation is part of the Genesis Philanthropy Group, started in 2007 by Russian businessmen to foster Jewish identity among about 3 million Russian-speaking Jews, many of whom immigrated to Israel and other countries after the fall of the Soviet Union. The aim of the Genesis Prize is to recognize personalities who may inspire Jews about their history and to bolster wider support for Israel, which has drawn international condemnation for its treatment of Palestinians, notably after last year's war in the Gaza Strip.

The selection last year of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the first Genesis prize ruffled some in certain Jewish quarters. Bloomberg is not devout, and some Israelis thought he had not done enough with his fortune or political influence to promote the Jewish state. The billionaire donated his $1-million prize to fund innovative projects by young adults to improve global and community problems.

Bloomberg appeared "no more Jewish than the cop on the street who eats a bagel for lunch and picked up some Yiddish from a stint in Brooklyn," Jane Eisner, editor of the Jewish Daily Forward, wrote last year. "What are these Jewish values that we so vaguely admire? Is Michael Bloomberg the best person to answer that question before an increasingly skeptical younger generation?"

The Genesis Philanthropy Group, which has endowed the prize foundation with $100 million, was founded by businessmen Polovets, Alexander Knaster, German Khan, Pyotr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, one of Russia's richest oligarchs who has reported ties to President Vladimir Putin. The men made their fortunes in banking, oil, telecommunications and other businesses. The philanthropy is close to the Israeli government and spends $15 million to $20 million a year on a number of projects, including sending about 3,000 Russian-speaking Jews to Israel every year to learn about their culture.

Polovets, head of the AAR Consortium, which manages Russian energy assets, said part of the focus of the Genesis group was to promote diversity in the Jewish community in hope of encouraging a younger, less religious generation to embrace its heritage.

"Israel is facing external threats, as do Jews in many European countries," said Polovets, who graduated from Stanford University and lives in New York. "We have to be as inclusive and tolerant as possible, and stop askingwhich of your grandmothers was Jewish and which one was not. Otherwise, our numbers will continue to diminish at an alarming rate."

The worldwide Jewish population has declined from 18 million in 1988 to 13.8 million in 2013, according to the World Almanac. The drop is partly attributed to aging, mixed marriages and a lack of religious devotion.

The honoring of Douglas, who as a U.N. messenger of peace has lobbied for human rights and anti-nuclear proliferation, indicates that Israel is seeking support from Hollywood after many in the film industry did not publicly back the country during its war with the Palestinian group Hamas last year.

"There is always a way to support and strengthen the Jewish people and the Jewish state by identifying, expressing and working for Jewish solidarity," said Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident and chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, who headed the award committee. "Michael Douglas did precisely this in his own inimitable and very impressive way."

Douglas said he was exploring how to donate his $1-million prize but noted that part of it would likely go to groups that work with interfaith marriage and other tolerance issues.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Michael Douglas to be honored by the Genesis Prize Foundation

Michael Douglas will receive a $1-million prize from a group founded by Russian billionaires seeking to strengthen Jewish culture at a time when the Jewish population is shrinking worldwide and Israel is eager for support from international figures, including Hollywood celebrities, in its decades-long conflict with the Palestinians.

The Genesis Prize Foundation was set to announce Wednesday night in New York City that Douglas was the recipient of its second annual award to celebrate "the richness and diversity of Jewish culture." The two-time Academy Award winner will be honored by the Israeli prime minister during a ceremony in Jerusalem in June. The 70-year-old actor was selected by a committee that included Nobel literature laureate Elie Wiesel.

Douglas is an intriguing choice; his selection may be criticized by ultraconservative Jews. His father, Kirk Douglas, who was born Issur Danielovitch, is the son of Jewish immigrants from what is now Belarus. Michael Douglas' mother, Diana Dill, is not Jewish, and he was not raised in the faith. Douglas embraced his Jewish identity later in life and last year traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the bar mitzvah of his son Dylan.

In a phone interview from New York, Douglas, who won an Academy Award for lead actor for his 1987 portrayal of Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street," and as producer of 1975 best picture winner "One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest," acknowledged that his selection would likely "not go without controversy or debate." He added that as a Reform Jew who was in an interfaith marriage with Catherine Zeta-Jones, he has often been made to feel estranged from his faith by Orthodox Jews.

But he noted that he was inspired by his son Dylan's devoutness and his father's reaffirmation of his Jewish lineage and his second bar mitzvah when he was 83. Douglas said that he hoped the award would "encourage a new generation and remind them what their roots are and that they are welcome" in the fold.

"It is an unconventional choice," said Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of the foundation, who added that the actor was chosen for "his professional achievements and for his passion for his Jewish heritage and the Jewish state."

"The Douglas family's experience of connecting with its heritage and embracing it on their own terms embodies an inclusive approach for Jews of diverse backgrounds," Polovets added.

The foundation is part of the Genesis Philanthropy Group, started in 2007 by Russian businessmen to foster Jewish identity among about 3 million Russian-speaking Jews, many of whom immigrated to Israel and other countries after the fall of the Soviet Union. The aim of the Genesis Prize is to recognize personalities who may inspire Jews about their history and to bolster wider support for Israel, which has drawn international condemnation for its treatment of Palestinians, notably after last year's war in the Gaza Strip.

The selection last year of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the first Genesis prize ruffled some in certain Jewish quarters. Bloomberg is not devout, and some Israelis thought he had not done enough with his fortune or political influence to promote the Jewish state. The billionaire donated his $1-million prize to fund innovative projects by young adults to improve global and community problems.

Bloomberg appeared "no more Jewish than the cop on the street who eats a bagel for lunch and picked up some Yiddish from a stint in Brooklyn," Jane Eisner, editor of the Jewish Daily Forward, wrote last year. "What are these Jewish values that we so vaguely admire? Is Michael Bloomberg the best person to answer that question before an increasingly skeptical younger generation?"

The Genesis Philanthropy Group, which has endowed the prize foundation with $100 million, was founded by businessmen Polovets, Alexander Knaster, German Khan, Pyotr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, one of Russia's richest oligarchs who has reported ties to President Vladimir Putin. The men made their fortunes in banking, oil, telecommunications and other businesses. The philanthropy is close to the Israeli government and spends $15 million to $20 million a year on a number of projects, including sending about 3,000 Russian-speaking Jews to Israel every year to learn about their culture.

Polovets, head of the AAR Consortium, which manages Russian energy assets, said part of the focus of the Genesis group was to promote diversity in the Jewish community in hope of encouraging a younger, less religious generation to embrace its heritage.

"Israel is facing external threats, as do Jews in many European countries," said Polovets, who graduated from Stanford University and lives in New York. "We have to be as inclusive and tolerant as possible, and stop askingwhich of your grandmothers was Jewish and which one was not. Otherwise, our numbers will continue to diminish at an alarming rate."

The worldwide Jewish population has declined from 18 million in 1988 to 13.8 million in 2013, according to the World Almanac. The drop is partly attributed to aging, mixed marriages and a lack of religious devotion.

The honoring of Douglas, who as a U.N. messenger of peace has lobbied for human rights and anti-nuclear proliferation, indicates that Israel is seeking support from Hollywood after many in the film industry did not publicly back the country during its war with the Palestinian group Hamas last year.

"There is always a way to support and strengthen the Jewish people and the Jewish state by identifying, expressing and working for Jewish solidarity," said Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident and chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, who headed the award committee. "Michael Douglas did precisely this in his own inimitable and very impressive way."

Douglas said he was exploring how to donate his $1-million prize but noted that part of it would likely go to groups that work with interfaith marriage and other tolerance issues.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Michael Douglas to be honored by the Genesis Prize Foundation

Michael Douglas will receive a $1-million prize from a group founded by Russian billionaires seeking to strengthen Jewish culture at a time when the Jewish population is shrinking worldwide and Israel is eager for support from international figures, including Hollywood celebrities, in its decades-long conflict with the Palestinians.

The Genesis Prize Foundation was set to announce Wednesday night in New York City that Douglas was the recipient of its second annual award to celebrate "the richness and diversity of Jewish culture." The two-time Academy Award winner will be honored by the Israeli prime minister during a ceremony in Jerusalem in June. The 70-year-old actor was selected by a committee that included Nobel literature laureate Elie Wiesel.

Douglas is an intriguing choice; his selection may be criticized by ultraconservative Jews. His father, Kirk Douglas, who was born Issur Danielovitch, is the son of Jewish immigrants from what is now Belarus. Michael Douglas' mother, Diana Dill, is not Jewish, and he was not raised in the faith. Douglas embraced his Jewish identity later in life and last year traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the bar mitzvah of his son Dylan.

In a phone interview from New York, Douglas, who won an Academy Award for lead actor for his 1987 portrayal of Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street," and as producer of 1975 best picture winner "One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest," acknowledged that his selection would likely "not go without controversy or debate." He added that as a Reform Jew who was in an interfaith marriage with Catherine Zeta-Jones, he has often been made to feel estranged from his faith by Orthodox Jews.

But he noted that he was inspired by his son Dylan's devoutness and his father's reaffirmation of his Jewish lineage and his second bar mitzvah when he was 83. Douglas said that he hoped the award would "encourage a new generation and remind them what their roots are and that they are welcome" in the fold.

"It is an unconventional choice," said Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of the foundation, who added that the actor was chosen for "his professional achievements and for his passion for his Jewish heritage and the Jewish state."

"The Douglas family's experience of connecting with its heritage and embracing it on their own terms embodies an inclusive approach for Jews of diverse backgrounds," Polovets added.

The foundation is part of the Genesis Philanthropy Group, started in 2007 by Russian businessmen to foster Jewish identity among about 3 million Russian-speaking Jews, many of whom immigrated to Israel and other countries after the fall of the Soviet Union. The aim of the Genesis Prize is to recognize personalities who may inspire Jews about their history and to bolster wider support for Israel, which has drawn international condemnation for its treatment of Palestinians, notably after last year's war in the Gaza Strip.

The selection last year of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the first Genesis prize ruffled some in certain Jewish quarters. Bloomberg is not devout, and some Israelis thought he had not done enough with his fortune or political influence to promote the Jewish state. The billionaire donated his $1-million prize to fund innovative projects by young adults to improve global and community problems.

Bloomberg appeared "no more Jewish than the cop on the street who eats a bagel for lunch and picked up some Yiddish from a stint in Brooklyn," Jane Eisner, editor of the Jewish Daily Forward, wrote last year. "What are these Jewish values that we so vaguely admire? Is Michael Bloomberg the best person to answer that question before an increasingly skeptical younger generation?"

The Genesis Philanthropy Group, which has endowed the prize foundation with $100 million, was founded by businessmen Polovets, Alexander Knaster, German Khan, Pyotr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, one of Russia's richest oligarchs who has reported ties to President Vladimir Putin. The men made their fortunes in banking, oil, telecommunications and other businesses. The philanthropy is close to the Israeli government and spends $15 million to $20 million a year on a number of projects, including sending about 3,000 Russian-speaking Jews to Israel every year to learn about their culture.

Polovets, head of the AAR Consortium, which manages Russian energy assets, said part of the focus of the Genesis group was to promote diversity in the Jewish community in hope of encouraging a younger, less religious generation to embrace its heritage.

"Israel is facing external threats, as do Jews in many European countries," said Polovets, who graduated from Stanford University and lives in New York. "We have to be as inclusive and tolerant as possible, and stop askingwhich of your grandmothers was Jewish and which one was not. Otherwise, our numbers will continue to diminish at an alarming rate."

The worldwide Jewish population has declined from 18 million in 1988 to 13.8 million in 2013, according to the World Almanac. The drop is partly attributed to aging, mixed marriages and a lack of religious devotion.

The honoring of Douglas, who as a U.N. messenger of peace has lobbied for human rights and anti-nuclear proliferation, indicates that Israel is seeking support from Hollywood after many in the film industry did not publicly back the country during its war with the Palestinian group Hamas last year.

"There is always a way to support and strengthen the Jewish people and the Jewish state by identifying, expressing and working for Jewish solidarity," said Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident and chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, who headed the award committee. "Michael Douglas did precisely this in his own inimitable and very impressive way."

Douglas said he was exploring how to donate his $1-million prize but noted that part of it would likely go to groups that work with interfaith marriage and other tolerance issues.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tax breaks do figure into NFL stadium plan in Inglewood

When developers and city officials unveiled plans last week for an NFL stadium in Inglewood, they painted a picture of a rare thing: A big-ticket project completed with no tax money whatsoever.

Turns out it's not that simple.

Plans filed by the Hollywood Park Land Co. — a development group that includes St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke — call for a stadium that would be built with probably more than $1 billion in private money, but which would eventually recoup tens of millions from Inglewood taxpayers once it opens. It's a relatively modest public tab in a world where upfront subsidies approaching $500 million are not unusual. But it's not what Chris Meany, Hollywood Park's senior vice president said last week, either.

"There will be no public dollars, no taxpayer dollars used for this project," he said. "The entire project has been privately capitalized and is being privately funded."

The nuance between that statement — similar claims were made by Inglewood Mayor James Butts — and tax breaks that could reach $100 million lies in the fine print of a 185-page initiative plan filed by the developers earlier this month. It includes two paragraphs of how Inglewood would eventually reimburse the project for the costs of roadwork, utility work and public parks on the nearly 300-acre site. Meany estimated those costs at $60 million. The city would also reimburse costs of security, medical services and shuttles to off-site parking during stadium events, which Butts estimated at about $8 million a year.

These payments would only kick in after the project is generating at least $25 million a year in tax revenue for Inglewood — a city with a general budget of about $86 million — and will only cover things a local government would normally provide, Meany said.

"The only money in this is for public things," Meany said Monday. "And not a single dollar of reimbursement will come to us until the city has had an extraordinary payday."

While it is a lot of money by any means, it's far less than taxpayers have put up in other stadium deals. State and local governments in Minnesota issued $498 million in bonds to help fund a new stadium for the Vikings in Minneapolis. Civic leaders in St. Louis on Friday proposed roughly $400 million in state bonds and tax credits to help finance a stadium to keep the Rams there.

But the reimbursement — first reported by the Associated Press on Monday — could dampen trust in the stadium proposal, said Raphael Bostic, a professor of governance and public policy at USC. And that could pose a hurdle for a project that could need Inglewood voters to approve a zoning change later this year.

"The process by which these things happen goes a long way toward determining their outcome," Bostic said. "This is one of those where it could really lead people to become skeptics."

Bostic said voters — and city officials — ought to think about how much bang they'll get from whatever bucks the developers eventually recoup.

"The biggest consideration ought to be what sort of things, what spillovers, could be generated by this stadium to justify that" [public investment, he said. "In general, there's a mixed record."

To Butts, the stadium is a great deal. He said Monday he fully supports the project and is willing to trade a little tax money down the road for a big development today.

"There are no tax dollars going toward private infrastructure," he said. "The only thing that will happen is when we are making $25 million that we never would've had — in excess of that even — will we start to pay back what was basically loaned to us by the developers."

As for Meany, he said his development team isn't trying to mislead anyone, and they'll be glad to make their case publicly later this year.

"We filed this in a public document," he said. "We're not hiding anything."

Times staff writer Andrew Khouri contributed to this report.

tim.logan@latimes.com

angel.jennings@latimes.com

Twitter: @bytimlogan

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boys' basketball: Crespi takes over first place in Mission League

 Less than two weeks into the Mission League season, Crespi is the only team that hasn't suffered a league defeat.

The Celts improved to 2-0 on Monday night with a 59-52 win over Harvard-Westlake. De'Anthony Melton had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Alex Copleland led Harvard-Westlake with 21 points.

Alemany handed Loyola its first defeat with an important 64-51 road victory over the Cubs, ranked No. 1 in Division 1A. Daron Henson had 14 points, Shacquille Dawkins 12 and Ernie Sears 12. Stone Gettings had 19 points for Loyola.

 In the Western League, Joseph Robinson scored 24 points in Palisades' 62-41 win over Hamilton. Fairfax improved to 15-0 with an 85-42 win over LACES. Donald Gipson had 19 points and Lindsey Drew added 11 points and nine assists. Westchester defeated Venice, 85-44, with Evan Council scoring 17 points.

In the East Valley League, Arleta opened with a 63-56 win over North Hollywood. Poly defeated Monroe, 94-38, behind Cesar Reyes, who scored 38 points. Verdugo Hills defeated Grant, 69-35.

In the Eastern League, Garfield defeated South Gate, 59-47. Alexis Farias scored 23 points.

In the Moore League, Long Beach Poly improved to 13-2 and 3-0 with a 78-59 win over Long Beach Jordan. Compton defeated Lakewood, 84-59.

Mayfair defeated Norwalk, 61-31. Kendall Small had 17 points. Mayfair is 3-0 in the Suburban League.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tax breaks do figure into NFL stadium plan in Inglewood

When developers and city officials unveiled plans last week for an NFL stadium in Inglewood, they painted a picture of a rare thing: A big-ticket project completed with no tax money whatsoever.

Turns out it's not that simple.

Plans filed by the Hollywood Park Land Co. — a development group that includes St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke — call for a stadium that would be built with probably more than $1 billion in private money, but which would eventually recoup tens of millions from Inglewood taxpayers once it opens. It's a relatively modest public tab in a world where upfront subsidies approaching $500 million are not unusual. But it's not what Chris Meany, Hollywood Park's senior vice president said last week, either.

"There will be no public dollars, no taxpayer dollars used for this project," he said. "The entire project has been privately capitalized and is being privately funded."

The nuance between that statement — similar claims were made by Inglewood Mayor James Butts — and tax breaks that could reach $100 million lies in the fine print of a 185-page initiative plan filed by the developers earlier this month. It includes two paragraphs of how Inglewood would eventually reimburse the project for the costs of roadwork, utility work and public parks on the nearly 300-acre site. Meany estimated those costs at $60 million. The city would also reimburse costs of security, medical services and shuttles to off-site parking during stadium events, which Butts estimated at about $8 million a year.

These payments would only kick in after the project is generating at least $25 million a year in tax revenue for Inglewood — a city with a general budget of about $86 million — and will only cover things a local government would normally provide, Meany said.

"The only money in this is for public things," Meany said Monday. "And not a single dollar of reimbursement will come to us until the city has had an extraordinary payday."

While it is a lot of money by any means, it's far less than taxpayers have put up in other stadium deals. State and local governments in Minnesota issued $498 million in bonds to help fund a new stadium for the Vikings in Minneapolis. Civic leaders in St. Louis on Friday proposed roughly $400 million in state bonds and tax credits to help finance a stadium to keep the Rams there.

But the reimbursement — first reported by the Associated Press on Monday — could dampen trust in the stadium proposal, said Raphael Bostic, a professor of governance and public policy at USC. And that could pose a hurdle for a project that could need Inglewood voters to approve a zoning change later this year.

"The process by which these things happen goes a long way toward determining their outcome," Bostic said. "This is one of those where it could really lead people to become skeptics."

Bostic said voters — and city officials — ought to think about how much bang they'll get from whatever bucks the developers eventually recoup.

"The biggest consideration ought to be what sort of things, what spillovers, could be generated by this stadium to justify that" [public investment, he said. "In general, there's a mixed record."

To Butts, the stadium is a great deal. He said Monday he fully supports the project and is willing to trade a little tax money down the road for a big development today.

"There are no tax dollars going toward private infrastructure," he said. "The only thing that will happen is when we are making $25 million that we never would've had — in excess of that even — will we start to pay back what was basically loaned to us by the developers."

As for Meany, he said his development team isn't trying to mislead anyone, and they'll be glad to make their case publicly later this year.

"We filed this in a public document," he said. "We're not hiding anything."

Times staff writer Andrew Khouri contributed to this report.

tim.logan@latimes.com

angel.jennings@latimes.com

Twitter: @bytimlogan

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Seahawks back in NFC title game after whipping Panthers, 31-17

Cam, meet Kam.

Now, say goodbye.

Seattle safety Kam Chancellor intercepted a pass by Carolina's Cam Newton on Saturday and ran it back for a 90-yard score, putting an exclamation point on a 31-17 victory by the Seahawks in an NFC divisional playoff game at CenturyLink Field.

It was the longest touchdown in Seahawks postseason history -- four yards longer than Percy Harvin's touchdown in last season's Super Bowl -- and it broke open a hard-fought game that was close for three quarters.

The Seahawks, looking to become the first team in a decade to repeat as Super Bowl champions, will play the winner of Sunday's game between Dallas and Green Bay next weekend for the right to represent the NFC in the NFL's marquee game Feb. 1 in Glendale, Ariz.

Before Chancellor scored the touchdown that practically had the stadium swaying, Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes to give the Seahawks a somewhat comfortable lead.

It was the fourth time in three seasons the Seahawks and Panthers faced each other, with Seattle winning all four. The first three games, however, were decided by a combined 13 points.

Saturday's game was 17-10 through three quarters, but the Seahawks eased away with a field goal by Steven Hauschka and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to tight end Luke Willson.

Then came Chancellor's touchdown, in which he jumped a route by tight end Ed Dickson, snared the ball in stride and ran uncontested almost the entire length of the field as the 12th Man crowd erupted in celebration.

Seattle led at halftime, 14-10, on a pair of Wilson touchdown passes. He floated a 16-yard throw to Doug Baldwin in the first quarter, and connected with Jermaine Kearse for a 63-yard score in the second.

The latter was the longest pass play in Seahawks postseason history, surpassing a 56-yard connection from Dave Krieg to Steve Largent three decades ago.

Seattle harried and hurried Newton throughout the first half, intercepting one of his passes and nearly picking off two more. Newton was also charged with a fumble on a bad exchange with running back Jonathan Stewart.

But Newton made his share of plays, too, forging a 7-7 tie midway through the second quarter with a seven-yard touchdown pass to rookie Kelvin Benjamin. Newton directed another scoring drive at the end of the first half, with the Panthers collecting a 35-yard field goal from Graham Gano.

The Panthers qualified for the playoffs by winning the NFC South with a 7-8-1 record, becoming just the second losing team in NFL history to reach the postseason. The first such team was Seattle in 2010, Pete Carroll's first season, when the Seahawks won the NFC West at 7-9 before upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in the first round.

The Seahawks were favored by 11 points in this one, among the most lopsided spreads in divisional round history.

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