After first drug dose failed to kill Arizona inmate, logs show 14 more

A convicted murderer who died in a botched execution last month in Arizona was injected with 15 separate doses of a drug combination because the initial drug protocol of one dose didn't seem to be enough to kill him, according to documents released by the state Department of Corrections to the inmate's attorney.

The reports, released late Friday, are just the latest twist in the execution of Joseph Rudolph Wood III. Witnesses and his attorneys said Wood gasped and snorted for more than 90 minutes before he died; the incident prompted the governor to order an investigation and reinvigorated a national debate over the death penalty.

Wood, 55, was sentenced to death in 1991 for the August 1989 shooting deaths of his estranged girlfriend, Debra Dietz, and her father, Eugene Dietz, in Tucson.

Arizona Department of Corrections protocol calls for a prisoner to be executed with an initial dose of 50 milligrams of hydromorphone and 50 milligrams of midazolam but stipulates that more doses can be administered as long as the agency's director gives the green light to do so. That was the case in this instance, said Doug Nick, a Department of Corrections spokesman.

Execution logs released to Wood's attorney show that the initial experimental drug concoction wasn't enough to kill him, leading officials to administer more drugs. On July 23, Wood received an injection at 1:52 p.m. at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. The second dose was administered at 2:08 p.m., and more doses were injected at a rate of almost every couple of minutes until Wood was pronounced dead at 3:49 p.m.

The final five doses were administered while Wood's lawyers were attempting to persuade a federal judge to stop the execution. The hearing with U.S. Judge Neil Wake, a conference call with the chief counsel of the Arizona attorney general's office, began at 3:27 p.m. The execution had been going on for more than an hour.

"The execution logs released today by the Arizona Department of Corrections shows that the experimental drug protocol did not work as promised," Wood's attorney, Dale Baich, said in a statement.

The Department of Corrections refused to release a copy of the report to the Los Angeles Times but issued a statement defending the agency.

"These records indicate the length of the procedure and the amount of drugs administered comply with the department's mandate under state law to administer … an intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death, under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections," the statement said.

Some are questioning whether the investigation into Wood's death should be done by the agency in charge of his execution.

"I feel the investigation should not be done by the Department of Corrections itself, but by an independent investigator who will thoroughly and impartially answer the questions of what happened and why," said state Sen. Ed Ableser.

It took so long for Wood to die that reporters witnessing the execution counted several hundred of his wheezes before he was declared dead, nearly two hours after the procedure began.

The incident comes at a time of controversy over other botched procedures and secrecy about what drugs are used and in what combinations.

"I thought it was shocking," said Deborah Denno, a professor at Fordham Law School and a death penalty expert, of the news that Wood received 15 doses.

"2014 has been a perversely banner year in botched executions," Denno said Saturday. "It's very disturbing. This is not a concocted problem by any means. This is a national concern right now."

She noted that U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. had said Thursday on PBS that although there is no legal requirement to disclose what drugs are used in executions, "transparency would be a good thing."

John McAdams, an associate professor of political science at Marquette University, said opposition to the death penalty has been the cause of recent problems with lethal injections.

"We didn't get stories like this for years and years until death penalty opponents pressured drug companies not to make available drug cocktails that were doing an effective job," McAdams said Saturday. "They're causing the trouble themselves and then they use the trouble they cause as argument against the death penalty."

Arizona officials didn't want to disclose where the state obtained the execution drugs because they wanted to protect the company from being bullied, he said.

Follow @theCindyCarcamo for national news

Times staff writer Maya Srikrishnan in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

9:46 p.m. Aug. 2: This story has been updated throughout.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

After first drug dose failed to kill Arizona inmate, logs show 14 more

A convicted murderer who died in a botched execution last month in Arizona was injected with 15 separate doses of a drug combination because the initial drug protocol of one dose didn't seem to be enough to kill him, according to documents released by the state Department of Corrections to the inmate's attorney.

The reports, released late Friday, are just the latest twist in the execution of Joseph Rudolph Wood III. Witnesses and his attorneys said Wood gasped and snorted for more than 90 minutes before he died; the incident prompted the governor to order an investigation and reinvigorated a national debate over the death penalty.

Wood, 55, was sentenced to death in 1991 for the August 1989 shooting deaths of his estranged girlfriend, Debra Dietz, and her father, Eugene Dietz, in Tucson.

Arizona Department of Corrections protocol calls for a prisoner to be executed with an initial dose of 50 milligrams of hydromorphone and 50 milligrams of midazolam but stipulates that more doses can be administered as long as the agency's director gives the green light to do so. That was the case in this instance, said Doug Nick, a Department of Corrections spokesman.

Execution logs released to Wood's attorney show that the initial experimental drug concoction wasn't enough to kill him, leading officials to administer more drugs. On July 23, Wood received an injection at 1:52 p.m. at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. The second dose was administered at 2:08 p.m., and more doses were injected at a rate of almost every couple of minutes until Wood was pronounced dead at 3:49 p.m.

The final five doses were administered while Wood's lawyers were attempting to persuade a federal judge to stop the execution. The hearing with U.S. Judge Neil Wake, a conference call with the chief counsel of the Arizona attorney general's office, began at 3:27 p.m. The execution had been going on for more than an hour.

"The execution logs released today by the Arizona Department of Corrections shows that the experimental drug protocol did not work as promised," Wood's attorney, Dale Baich, said in a statement.

The Department of Corrections refused to release a copy of the report to the Los Angeles Times but issued a statement defending the agency.

"These records indicate the length of the procedure and the amount of drugs administered comply with the department's mandate under state law to administer … an intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death, under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections," the statement said.

Some are questioning whether the investigation into Wood's death should be done by the agency in charge of his execution.

"I feel the investigation should not be done by the Department of Corrections itself, but by an independent investigator who will thoroughly and impartially answer the questions of what happened and why," said state Sen. Ed Ableser.

It took so long for Wood to die that reporters witnessing the execution counted several hundred of his wheezes before he was declared dead, nearly two hours after the procedure began.

The incident comes at a time of controversy over other botched procedures and secrecy about what drugs are used and in what combinations.

"I thought it was shocking," said Deborah Denno, a professor at Fordham Law School and a death penalty expert, of the news that Wood received 15 doses.

"2014 has been a perversely banner year in botched executions," Denno said Saturday. "It's very disturbing. This is not a concocted problem by any means. This is a national concern right now."

She noted that U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. had said Thursday on PBS that although there is no legal requirement to disclose what drugs are used in executions, "transparency would be a good thing."

John McAdams, an associate professor of political science at Marquette University, said opposition to the death penalty has been the cause of recent problems with lethal injections.

"We didn't get stories like this for years and years until death penalty opponents pressured drug companies not to make available drug cocktails that were doing an effective job," McAdams said Saturday. "They're causing the trouble themselves and then they use the trouble they cause as argument against the death penalty."

Arizona officials didn't want to disclose where the state obtained the execution drugs because they wanted to protect the company from being bullied, he said.

Follow @theCindyCarcamo for national news

Times staff writer Maya Srikrishnan in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

9:46 p.m. Aug. 2: This story has been updated throughout.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

After first drug dose failed to kill Arizona inmate, logs show 14 more

A convicted murderer who died in a botched execution last month in Arizona was injected with 15 separate doses of a drug combination because the initial drug protocol of one dose didn't seem to be enough to kill him, according to documents released by the state Department of Corrections to the inmate's attorney.

The reports, released late Friday, are just the latest twist in the execution of Joseph Rudolph Wood III. Witnesses and his attorneys said Wood gasped and snorted for more than 90 minutes before he died; the incident prompted the governor to order an investigation and reinvigorated a national debate over the death penalty.

Wood, 55, was sentenced to death in 1991 for the August 1989 shooting deaths of his estranged girlfriend, Debra Dietz, and her father, Eugene Dietz, in Tucson.

Arizona Department of Corrections protocol calls for a prisoner to be executed with an initial dose of 50 milligrams of hydromorphone and 50 milligrams of midazolam but stipulates that more doses can be administered as long as the agency's director gives the green light to do so. That was the case in this instance, said Doug Nick, a Department of Corrections spokesman.

Execution logs released to Wood's attorney show that the initial experimental drug concoction wasn't enough to kill him, leading officials to administer more drugs. On July 23, Wood received an injection at 1:52 p.m. at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. The second dose was administered at 2:08 p.m., and more doses were injected at a rate of almost every couple of minutes until Wood was pronounced dead at 3:49 p.m.

The final five doses were administered while Wood's lawyers were attempting to persuade a federal judge to stop the execution. The hearing with U.S. Judge Neil Wake, a conference call with the chief counsel of the Arizona attorney general's office, began at 3:27 p.m. The execution had been going on for more than an hour.

"The execution logs released today by the Arizona Department of Corrections shows that the experimental drug protocol did not work as promised," Wood's attorney, Dale Baich, said in a statement.

The Department of Corrections refused to release a copy of the report to the Los Angeles Times but issued a statement defending the agency.

"These records indicate the length of the procedure and the amount of drugs administered comply with the department's mandate under state law to administer … an intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death, under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections," the statement said.

Some are questioning whether the investigation into Wood's death should be done by the agency in charge of his execution.

"I feel the investigation should not be done by the Department of Corrections itself, but by an independent investigator who will thoroughly and impartially answer the questions of what happened and why," said state Sen. Ed Ableser.

It took so long for Wood to die that reporters witnessing the execution counted several hundred of his wheezes before he was declared dead, nearly two hours after the procedure began.

The incident comes at a time of controversy over other botched procedures and secrecy about what drugs are used and in what combinations.

"I thought it was shocking," said Deborah Denno, a professor at Fordham Law School and a death penalty expert, of the news that Wood received 15 doses.

"2014 has been a perversely banner year in botched executions," Denno said Saturday. "It's very disturbing. This is not a concocted problem by any means. This is a national concern right now."

She noted that U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. had said Thursday on PBS that although there is no legal requirement to disclose what drugs are used in executions, "transparency would be a good thing."

John McAdams, an associate professor of political science at Marquette University, said opposition to the death penalty has been the cause of recent problems with lethal injections.

"We didn't get stories like this for years and years until death penalty opponents pressured drug companies not to make available drug cocktails that were doing an effective job," McAdams said Saturday. "They're causing the trouble themselves and then they use the trouble they cause as argument against the death penalty."

Arizona officials didn't want to disclose where the state obtained the execution drugs because they wanted to protect the company from being bullied, he said.

Follow @theCindyCarcamo for national news

Times staff writer Maya Srikrishnan in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

9:46 p.m. Aug. 2: This story has been updated throughout.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eric Garner's death in NYPD chokehold case ruled a homicide

The controversial death of a New York City man who was placed in a chokehold by police was formally ruled a homicide Friday, a move that will almost certainly place the officers in front of a grand jury and heighten tensions between residents and the police department, city officials and policing experts said.

Eric Garner, 43, died after being placed in a chokehold that caused him to suffer neck and chest compressions during his arrest two weeks ago in the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island, according to findings released by the New York City medical examiner's office. Garner's weight, chronic asthma and cardiovascular disease were listed as contributing factors.

On July 17, officers approached Garner and questioned him. He was believed to be selling untaxed cigarettes, a charge on which he had been arrested several times previously. Videos of the incident show that Garner repeatedly said he had done  nothing wrong and asked the officers to leave him alone. As police tried to make an arrest, one of the officers placed his arm across Garner's throat and wrestled him to the ground. Garner can be heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe," while another officer presses his head against the sidewalk.

Two officers, Daniel Pantaleo and Justin D'Amico, face an internal investigation in connection with Garner's death. Pantaleo was placed on modified duty, meaning he was stripped of his gun and badge, while D'Amico was placed on desk duty.

"My administration will continue to work with all involved authorities, including the Richmond County district attorney, to ensure a fair and justified outcome," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.

Patrick Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Assn., issued a statement in support of Pantaleo and D'Amico, noting again that Garner's poor health and his refusal to submit to arrest may have played a role in his death.

"We believe, however, that if he had not resisted the lawful order of the police officers placing him under arrest, this tragedy would not have occurred," Lynch said.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York City chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the medical examiner's findings would almost certainly result in Pantaleo facing a grand jury. A spokesman for the NYPD declined to comment.

 "This case has to go before the grand jury," she said. "When the medical examiner rules a case a homicide by chokehold, and the entire world has seen a video of the people responsible for the chokehold, the case is going before the grand jury."

Garner's family was expected to speak out Saturday during a rally in Harlem alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton and National Action Network members.

From 2009 to 2013, the police department received 1,022 complaints of officers using chokeholds, according to data tracked by the city's Civilian Complaint Review Board. But very few, just 1 out of 50 in the first six months of this year, have been substantiated, records show. Chokeholds are a violation of department policy, Police Comissioner William J. Bratton has said.

Garner's death is the latest wedge driven between New York City's police and its residents. In recent years, for example, the department has been accused of unfairly targeting minorities through its stop-and-frisk program.

For New York's freshman mayor, who loudly decried such tactics and promised police reform, the incident leaves him in a bind.

DeBlasio appointed Bratton as police commissioner to assure New Yorkers that he was tough on crime. But when Bratton last led the department during the 1990s, he embraced the "broken windows" model of policing, which focuses on petty crimes — such as selling untaxed cigarettes.

"'Broken windows' is diametrically opposed to the overall political project that De Blasio says he's engaged in," said Alex S. Vitale, a professor of sociology at Brooklyn College and the author of a book on New York City policing. "But Bratton is still committed to this 'broken windows' approach."

The actions of the Richmond County Dist. Atty. Daniel Donovan will also play a major role in determining the long-term effect of Garner's death.

The NYPD has been implicated in a number of high-profile deaths and beatings, including those of Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell and Anthony Baez. Officers were acquitted of state criminal charges in each case, although Officer Francis Livoti was later convicted of violating Baez's civil rights after placing him in a chokehold in 1994.

Vitale said if Donovan brings minimal charges against the officers involved, it could ignite a firestorm similar the ones that followed the Diallo and Bell verdicts.

Lieberman and other experts said that Garner's death and Friday's ruling will place increased scrutiny on recent promises made by De Blasio and Bratton to reform the department and retrain officers.

"It should be chastening to the police department that what the world saw on video was deemed homicide by the medical examiner," Lieberman said. "The need for thorough and effective retraining of police officers in New York City is essential."

james.queally@latimes.com

alana.semuels@latimes.com

Semuels reported from New York, Queally from Los Angeles.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

1:50 p.m.: This post updated with comments from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

1:35 p.m.: This post updated with comments from the executive director of the New York City chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

1:02 p.m.: This post updated with comments from the Richmond County District Attorney's Office and a policing expert

12:35 p.m.: This post updated with comment from the National Action Network

This post published at 12:33 p.m.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eric Garner's death in NYPD chokehold case ruled a homicide

The controversial death of a New York City man who was placed in a chokehold by police was formally ruled a homicide Friday, a move that will almost certainly place the officers in front of a grand jury and heighten tensions between residents and the police department, city officials and policing experts said.

Eric Garner, 43, died after being placed in a chokehold that caused him to suffer neck and chest compressions during his arrest two weeks ago in the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island, according to findings released by the New York City medical examiner's office. Garner's weight, chronic asthma and cardiovascular disease were listed as contributing factors.

On July 17, officers approached Garner and questioned him. He was believed to be selling untaxed cigarettes, a charge on which he had been arrested several times previously. Videos of the incident show that Garner repeatedly said he had done  nothing wrong and asked the officers to leave him alone. As police tried to make an arrest, one of the officers placed his arm across Garner's throat and wrestled him to the ground. Garner can be heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe," while another officer presses his head against the sidewalk.

Two officers, Daniel Pantaleo and Justin D'Amico, face an internal investigation in connection with Garner's death. Pantaleo was placed on modified duty, meaning he was stripped of his gun and badge, while D'Amico was placed on desk duty.

"My administration will continue to work with all involved authorities, including the Richmond County district attorney, to ensure a fair and justified outcome," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.

Patrick Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Assn., issued a statement in support of Pantaleo and D'Amico, noting again that Garner's poor health and his refusal to submit to arrest may have played a role in his death.

"We believe, however, that if he had not resisted the lawful order of the police officers placing him under arrest, this tragedy would not have occurred," Lynch said.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York City chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the medical examiner's findings would almost certainly result in Pantaleo facing a grand jury. A spokesman for the NYPD declined to comment.

 "This case has to go before the grand jury," she said. "When the medical examiner rules a case a homicide by chokehold, and the entire world has seen a video of the people responsible for the chokehold, the case is going before the grand jury."

Garner's family was expected to speak out Saturday during a rally in Harlem alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton and National Action Network members.

From 2009 to 2013, the police department received 1,022 complaints of officers using chokeholds, according to data tracked by the city's Civilian Complaint Review Board. But very few, just 1 out of 50 in the first six months of this year, have been substantiated, records show. Chokeholds are a violation of department policy, Police Comissioner William J. Bratton has said.

Garner's death is the latest wedge driven between New York City's police and its residents. In recent years, for example, the department has been accused of unfairly targeting minorities through its stop-and-frisk program.

For New York's freshman mayor, who loudly decried such tactics and promised police reform, the incident leaves him in a bind.

DeBlasio appointed Bratton as police commissioner to assure New Yorkers that he was tough on crime. But when Bratton last led the department during the 1990s, he embraced the "broken windows" model of policing, which focuses on petty crimes — such as selling untaxed cigarettes.

"'Broken windows' is diametrically opposed to the overall political project that De Blasio says he's engaged in," said Alex S. Vitale, a professor of sociology at Brooklyn College and the author of a book on New York City policing. "But Bratton is still committed to this 'broken windows' approach."

The actions of the Richmond County Dist. Atty. Daniel Donovan will also play a major role in determining the long-term effect of Garner's death.

The NYPD has been implicated in a number of high-profile deaths and beatings, including those of Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell and Anthony Baez. Officers were acquitted of state criminal charges in each case, although Officer Francis Livoti was later convicted of violating Baez's civil rights after placing him in a chokehold in 1994.

Vitale said if Donovan brings minimal charges against the officers involved, it could ignite a firestorm similar the ones that followed the Diallo and Bell verdicts.

Lieberman and other experts said that Garner's death and Friday's ruling will place increased scrutiny on recent promises made by De Blasio and Bratton to reform the department and retrain officers.

"It should be chastening to the police department that what the world saw on video was deemed homicide by the medical examiner," Lieberman said. "The need for thorough and effective retraining of police officers in New York City is essential."

james.queally@latimes.com

alana.semuels@latimes.com

Semuels reported from New York, Queally from Los Angeles.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

1:50 p.m.: This post updated with comments from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

1:35 p.m.: This post updated with comments from the executive director of the New York City chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

1:02 p.m.: This post updated with comments from the Richmond County District Attorney's Office and a policing expert

12:35 p.m.: This post updated with comment from the National Action Network

This post published at 12:33 p.m.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cal State looks for ways to drive down cost of textbooks

It's the middle of summer and while many other students are hanging out at the beach or preoccupied with jobs, Elizabeth Rodriguez is emailing instructors for information about the books she will need as a Cal State Dominguez Hills junior this fall.

Her method is to find the books early and cheaply through online sites such as Amazon and EBay rather than paying full price for texts that can cost upward of $300 at the school bookstore.

The strategy is much simpler for Cal State San Marcos senior Jeffrey "J.J." Gutowski. He's stopped buying books altogether, unless he is convinced he needs them to pass a course, and then he will share a classmate's text or rent one online.

Such pushbacks to the soaring costs of textbooks have not gone unnoticed by officials at California State University, which launched a new effort recently to offer more affordable options such as digital textbooks, rentals, buy-back programs and, most significantly, incentives for faculty to redesign courses to feature low-cost or no-cost alternatives to textbooks.

The 23-campus system is also leading a joint endeavor with the University of California and community colleges to develop an online library of free textbooks in 50 popular courses.

As colleges look to reduce the overall cost of education, many are centering efforts on course materials, which, according to Cal State officials, sets an average student back by more than $1,000 annually.

That's an 18% addition to an undergraduate's annual $5,472 tuition. According to the UC website, students pay about $1,500 for textbooks and supplies, adding about 11% to the $13,200 in overall tuition and fees. And at California community colleges, many students can pay more for textbooks than for course fees, officials said.

A national student survey released in January by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Foundation found that 65% of respondents said they didn't purchase a textbook because it was too expensive — even though most feared that their grades would suffer.

Making course materials more affordable has become key to increasing student success, said Gerry Hanley, Cal State's assistant vice chancellor for academic technology services.

"My goal is to cut costs by 50% for all students, so instead of paying $1,000 a student would pay $500," said Hanley, who oversees the initiative that helps faculty find low-cost materials. "My real desire is to make materials free for everyone, but I recognize that the creation of content and publication is real work."

Students saved an estimated $30 million total in 2013-14 in Cal State bookstores by using digital textbooks, renting print copies, buying used ones and other sources, Hanley said.

A student looking for the intermediate accounting textbook at the Dominguez Hills bookstore, for example, would find a new copy for $318.75 and a used one for $239.25. Renting a new copy would cost $191.25 and a used copy $153 while a digital version of the text costs $59.49. Last spring, about 50,000 digital textbook titles were available to Cal State students and faculty systemwide.

Despite the growth of digital formats, the trend is for students to rent hardbacks, campus store manager Brian Lacey said.

Faculty are also collaborating with libraries and bookstores to offer options that can greatly reduce costs. At Dominguez Hills, a spring sociology course on aging offered a free e-book version of the required $104.50 textbook through the campus library.

More than 200 of the campus' 750 faculty have revised their courses to offer low-cost or no-cost alternatives to costly textbooks. For M. Keith Claybrook Jr., a lecturer in Africana studies, that means using scanned articles, drawing chapters from full textbooks to create customized readers and using e-books available for free through the campus library. Materials for an introduction to hip hop class taught in the spring retailed for $95.74 but students got them free.

"My role as an educator is to make sure [students] have the tools and resources needed to maximize learning," Claybrook said. "I don't want to penalize my students who have financial hardships or limitations that prevent them from getting course materials; I'm not here to make the bookstore or publishing company rich."

A program at the San Marcos campus offers faculty grants from $500 to $1,500 to those who redesign their course syllabus using "open education" resources or creating their own materials. Natalie Wilson, a lecturer in women's studies and literature who is a faculty representative for the program, has redesigned two courses and is revising a film studies class to be free.

"The textbook marketplace is broken with the problem being that the people choosing the textbooks aren't the ones who are actually buying the books," said Emily Rusch, executive director of the California Public Interest Research Group.

David Anderson, executive director for higher education at the Assn. of American Publishers, said publishers are doing their part to provide students with more alternatives, including offering more digital content that can rent for 60% less than the hardback.

But he cautioned against the use of free online materials that may not provide the quality that faculty are used to, which could shortchange students.

"Forty percent of students who go into a four-year university don't graduate and 20% need some form of remedial education," Anderson said. "For entering college students that need help, these learning materials are tailor-made to give them that help."

Cal State's open library was established under 2013 legislation to rein in skyrocketing education costs. The system received $2 million in grants and state funding and a council of academic appointees is reviewing free online books that can be used in the three higher education systems. The library so far includes texts for courses in chemistry, communications, economics, history and math.

Katie Boggs, a San Marcos senior majoring in business administration, said more of her professors are using older textbook editions and creating their own, cheaper workbooks that reduce costs considerably. But she still sometimes shares books with classmates, and said students need more upfront information about ways to avoid paying full price at the bookstore.

"Some professors have told us you can borrow books at the library, and it's a nice resource when they're available but they are few and far between," said Boggs, 21.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, learned that in her upcoming business law class, professor Charles Thomas is creating a cost-saving soft-bound reader using selected chapters from the full textbook — good news for someone who pays for materials out of her own pocket.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Golf: Marc Leishman leads at Firestone with a 64

'Guardians of the Galaxy's' heroes aren't what you'd expect

Kenneth Turan

Hard as it is to believe, within the memory of those still living, Marvel was not always the movie establishment's billion-dollar behemoth but a scrappy, iconoclastic comic book gadfly. So one of the most pleasant surprises of the altogether pleasant and surprising "Guardians of the Galaxy"...

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Golf: Marc Leishman leads at Firestone with a 64

Tiger Woods showed signs of a positive recovery Thursday at the Bridgestone Invitational.

Not just from back surgery, but from making bogeys.

Woods bounced back with birdies all three times that he made mistakes, opening with a two-under-par 68 on a soft, gentle day for scoring at Firestone. It left him four shots behind Marc Leishman of Australia, and hopeful that this time he can build on a solid start.

Woods opened with a 69 at the British Open two weeks ago, only to plunge down the leaderboard the rest of the week at Royal Liverpool.

"I hit a lot of good shots," Woods said. "I dropped shots at three holes out there today (and) got it right back on the very next hole."

For so many players, the opening round of this World Golf Championship at Akron, Ohio, felt like either a warmup or an audition for bigger events to follow. Ryan Moore was among three players at 65, a good start for someone looking for one big week to get him on the Ryder Cup team.

Charl Schwartzel and Justin Rose joined Moore one shot out of the lead. Two more Ryder Cup hopefuls — Patrick Reed and Francesco Molinari of Italy — were among those another shot back.

British Open champion Rory McIlroy, who next week will chase his second consecutive major in the PGA Championship, was among the leaders until not paying attention to packed sand in a bunker that sent him to a double bogey late in his round. He still wound up with a 69.

Leishman has quietly gone about his work in reasonable form, with top 10s recently at Congressional and Royal Liverpool. He had the perfect formula for Firestone, a big golf course where good scores are available by keeping the ball in play.

"I drove the ball well. It makes this course a lot easier when you're on the fairway," Leishman said. "It's pretty tough when you're playing from the rough. Then, I hit my irons really well and was rolling the ball awesome. So it's a pretty good combination for a tough golf course like this, something I can hopefully keep going."

Phil Mickelson's biggest struggle was with his health. He didn't arrive in Ohio until Wednesday night because of strep throat, and he opened with a 71.

McIlroy appeared to pick up where he left off in England. He wasn't expecting a hangover from winning his third major and didn't experience one except for his mistake from the bunker on the eighth hole.

"There's still so much to play for," he said. "No. 1 spot is up for grabs. Trying to get myself as far up the FedEx Cup points as possible. I haven't won a World Golf Championship before. Got another major coming up next week. It hasn't been that hard for me to refocus and get back to work."

Johnson done for year

Dustin Johnson is taking a leave of absence from golf to seek help for "personal challenges," a swift end to his season that will keep him from playing the PGA Championship, the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup.

In a statement Thursday from Hambric Sports Management, the 30-year-old Johnson said his leave of absence was effective immediately. It did not indicate how long he would be out, though agent David Winkle told the PGA of America he would not be at the PGA Championship next week or the Ryder Cup at the end of September.

"I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced," Johnson said. "By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion."

He asked for privacy "as I embark upon this mission of self-improvement."

Johnson, who tied for fourth in the U.S. Open and tied for 12th in the British Open, was No. 5 in the Ryder Cup standings and virtually certain to earn one of nine automatic spots when qualifying ends next week at the PGA Championship.

As long as he stays in the top nine, he will be replaced by the next player in the standings.

"We will certainly miss Dustin Johnson at Gleneagles, and we wish him the best," U.S. captain Tom Watson said. "As one of the longest hitters in the game with an undefeated record of 3-0 at Medinah in 2012, he has clearly been an asset for the United States team. That said, the United States is a team with an abundance of talent."

Johnson last year got engaged to Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of NHL great Wayne Gretzky.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Tyler Skaggs pulled early, Angels take Orioles to extras for 1-0 win

Albert Pujols hit an RBI single in the 13th inning, and the Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles, 1-0, on Thursday night to avert a three-game series sweep.

Tyler Skaggs and six relievers combined on a five-hitter, and David Freese matched a career high with four hits to help the Angels improve to 3-10 in one-run games on the road.

Skaggs had a no-hitter with two outs in the fifth inning before leaving with left forearm tightness. He was replaced by Mike Morin, who immediately gave up a bloop single to Caleb Joseph.

The Orioles didn't get another hit until Joseph singled leading off the eighth.

In the 13th, Kole Calhoun drew a leadoff walk from Ryan Webb (3-2) and Mike Trout singled before Pujols lined a single past the drawn-in infield.

Hector Santiago (3-7) pitched two shutout innings and Huston Street got three outs for his fourth save since joining the Angels on July 18.

Each of Baltimore's last six games has been decided by one run, four of them in extra innings. The Orioles fell to 12-4 in extra innings.

Baltimore starter Bud Norris scattered eight hits over seven innings, striking out four and walking one. The right-hander is 5-0 with a 0.43 ERA in six career starts against Los Angeles.

The Angels loaded the bases in the third before Pujols grounded into a double play for the second time in two at-bats. He made up for it later.

Despite the loss, the AL East-leading Orioles won the season series 4-2. All six games were decided by two runs or fewer.

Skaggs walked the first batter he faced, and then retired 14 straight before walking Steve Pearce in the fifth. The lefty threw one more pitch before leaving.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Garrett Richards has second bad outing in a row for Angels

Orioles 4, Angels 3

KEY MOMENT: The Angels rallied for three runs with two outs in the fifth inning, Chris Iannetta hitting a two-run single to center and Kole Calhoun smacking an RBI double to right, to pull to within 4-3, and they had their best hitter up with runners on second and third. But Mike Trout couldn't check his swing on Kevin Gausman's nasty split-fingered fastball in the dirt and struck out.

AT THE PLATE: Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones hit a two-run homer in the first, his 21st of the season and fourth in five games against the Angels this season. David Lough (double) and Caleb Joseph (single) knocked in runs with soft, two-out, opposite-field hits off Angels starter Garrett Richards in the fourth. "I'll be honest with you," Richards said, "I think they got just enough of those pitches to keep them fair."

ON THE MOUND: Richards allowed nine runs in 70 innings of nine starts from June 4 to July 19 but has allowed eight runs in 13 innings in his last two starts, losses to Detroit last Thursday and Baltimore on Wednesday night. Gausman, the fourth overall pick of the 2012 draft out of Louisiana State, retired the first 14 batters before walking three straight with two outs in the fifth. Iannetta and Calhoun came through with hits, but that was all the Angels could muster off Gausman. "He's got electric stuff," Calhoun said of the 23-year-old right-hander.

IN THE FIELD: Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis made a diving catch of Iannetta's third-inning drive to the gap. Third baseman Manny Machado back-handed Albert Pujols' fourth-inning shot down the line and, with his momentum carrying him into foul territory, made the long throw to first. Trout made a nice leaping grab of Markakis' fifth-inning drive at the center-field wall.

REHAB REPORT: C.J. Wilson, out since July 10 because of a right-ankle sprain, completed a bullpen workout Wednesday and is on track to return Saturday. That will probably push Hector Santiago, who has allowed one earned run and five hits in 10 1/3 innings of his last two starts, to the bullpen or to triple A to remain stretched out as a starter.

UP NEXT: Left-hander Tyler Skaggs (5-5, 4.49 ERA) will oppose Baltimore right-hander Bud Norris (8-7, 3.94 ERA) at Camden Yards on Thursday at 4 p.m. PDT. On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 710, 830, 1330

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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