Wednesday, November 2, 2011

1 person dead, at least 3 hurt in Santa Ana shooting, car crash

Santa Ana shooting scene
Santa Ana police Wednesday night were investigating the circumstances that led to one person being fatally shot and at least three others injured in a vehicle collision.

The incident occurred near South Grand and East Edinger avenues, the Santa Ana Police Department said.

"We have what we believe to be a homicide," Cpl. Anthony Bertagna told The Times.

He said about three people appear to have been injured in the collision. No other details were immediately available.

ALSO:

Bryan Stow writes his own name, family says

Ex-police officer charged with possession of child porn

L.A. fans rejoice as Frank McCourt agrees to sell Dodgers

-- Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Image: Map shows the area where the shooting was reported. Credit: Google Maps

Trial set for woman charged with hiring hit man to kill husband

Sandra Jessee booking photo

A 60-year-old woman is scheduled for trial Thursday in Orange County on charges that she conspired to have her husband killed so she could save money by not paying for his cancer treatments and profit from his insurance and 401(k) benefits.

Sandra Jessee, who lived in Placentia, faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole, the Orange County district attorney's office said. Jessee was tried previously, but a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict in July 2009.

Jessee is charged with conspiring to kill her third husband, Jack Jessee, beginning on June 1, 1998, the district attorney's office said. She allegedly plotted the crime with Thomas Dayton Aehlert, 41, who is her son from a previous marriage. Aehlert pleaded guilty in October to one count of second-degree murder in connection with the case and is scheduled to be sentenced in March.

Prosecutors said Jessee and Aehlert arranged to have Jack Jessee killed by a hit man for $50,000. Jack Jessee was stabbed to death in August 1998, prosecutors said. The case went cold until 2005, when authorities uncovered additional evidence.

The trial is scheduled to begin at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

ALSO:

Bryan Stow writes his own name, family says

Ex-police officer charged with possession of child porn

L.A. fans rejoice as Frank McCourt agrees to sell Dodgers

-- Robert J. Lopez
twitter.com/LAJourno

Occupy Oakland: Videos show flash mob, some violent behavior [Updated]

Here are some videos from Wednesday's Occupy Oakland protests, which brought thousands of protesters to the city's streets.

In this video from KGO-TV, some protesters particpate in a flash mob:








In video from on YouTube, some protesters are bused from downtown Oakland to the Port of Oakland on Wednesday afternoon:

 

A video from KPIX-TV shows some violent behavior. (See video here.)

[Updated at 9 p.m., Nov. 2: Some Occupy Oakland protesters denounced the behavior shown on the video, saying it was the work of a fringe group.]

So far, officials said  no arrests have been made.

“The world is watching Oakland tonight. We need to make  sure this remains a safe place for everyone,” said Mayor Jean Quan, who was joined at an early Wednesday evening news conference by Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan and port officials.

ALSO:

Bryan Stow writes his own name, family says

Ex-police officer charged with possession of child porn

FULL COVERAGE: Occupy Wall Street protests around the nation

-- Shelby Grad

About 8,000 Southern California Edison customers without power

About 8,000 Southern California Edison customers across several counties were still without power Wednesday night, the utility said.

Earlier in the day, more more than 18,000 people had been without electricity, Southern California Edison said in a Twitter message.

The areas without power Wednesday night included parts of Calabasas, Fontana, Lancaster, Simi Valley and Stanton.

Heavy winds earlier in the day knocked down power lines and were blamed for several brush fires. The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for strong winds and critical fire weather through 9 p.m. Wednesday.

ALSO:

Bryan Stow writes his own name, family says

Ex-police officer charged with possession of child porn

L.A. fans rejoice as Frank McCourt agrees to sell Dodgers

-- Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Occupy Oakland: Protesters leave port, plan to return downtown

The number of Occupy Oakland protesters gathered at the Port of Oakland was thinning fast Wednesday night, and organizers were calling for demonstrators to reconvene at the civic center plaza downtown.

About 8:30 p.m., a group of organizers on a flatbed truck drove through the crowd and asked them to reconvene at the plaza at 10 p.m. to celebrate.  "This night is not over," one said through a bullhorn. "Meet us there. This night is not over."

Trucker Manny Singh honked his horn and pumped his fist in support.

The port was officially shut down late Wednesday, port officials said. The night shift was supposed to report at 7 p.m., then 9 p.m., before the shift was cancelled entirely.

LAPD renews call for help in Grim Sleeper case

Lonnie Franklin Jr
Top Los Angeles police officials Wednesday evening renewed their call for help from the public to identify possible victims of alleged serial killer Lonnie Franklin Jr.

During a sparsely attended community meeting at a Bethel A.M.E. Church in South Los Angeles, officials also provided information on six additional women whom they say were slain by by Franklin.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives said they have now linked Franklin, 59, to the six additional murders, bringing the total number of women he is believed to have killed to 16. 

Franklin, suspected of being the so-called Grim Sleeper, is already charged with murder in the slayings of 10 women whose bodies were found on the streets of South Los Angeles over two decades.

LAPD bomb squad uses robot to check for explosives in Tarzana

LAPD bomb squad incident in Tarzana
Los Angeles police Wednesday evening were investigating reports of a possible explosive device inside a vehicle in Tarzana.

Bomb squad officers used a robot to search a vehicle in the 5500 block of Reseda Boulevard after reports of a man who had caused a disturbance, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The man was taken into custody while officers continued searching the vehicle. They were still at the scene Wednesday evening, the LAPD said.

A number of items were removed from the vehicle, but police had not determined if any explosives were recovered. The incident snarled rush-hour traffic in the area.

ALSO:

Bryan Stow writes his own name, family says

Ex-police officer charged with possession of child porn

L.A. fans rejoice as Frank McCourt agrees to sell Dodgers

-- Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Graphic: Map shows the area where the LAPD bomb squad responded.

Credit: Times' Mapping L.A.

Occupy Oakland: Truckers at port support protesters

Occupy Oakland demonstrators who converged on the Port of Oakland on Wednesday evening said  truckers were mostly supportive of their cause, honking, waving and even allowing protesters to scramble on the roofs of their trailers.

"When the crowd started dying down they'd honk and wave to get us excited," said Audra Casanova, 26, of Oakland, who marched with her husband and 6-month-old baby, Alexander.

Casanova, a UC Berkeley comparative literature student with $42,000 in educational debt, said:  "We're fighting for our children, really, so they're not owned by federal loans like we are."

Mann Singh, 42, of Pittsburg sat patiently in his truck with a smile on his face.

"I'm happy. I'm supporting them," he said as demonstrators crowded the area listening to music.

City moves to bail out vendors hurt by Occupy San Diego protest

Occupy79
San Diego officials moved Wednesday to bail out two food vendors whose businesses have been hurt by the Occupy San Diego protest in the plaza behind City Hall.

Mayor Jerry Sanders announced that the owner of a coffee cart will get a rent waiver for October and will not be charged rent until she is able to bring her cart back to the plaza. The city's lease with the owner of Centre City Coffee calls for a payment of $1,000 a month or 15% of the gross receipts, whichever is greater.

The owner says protesters have harassed her and scared away her customers. She closed her cart last week and has not returned, according to the mayor's staff.

Occupy Oakland: Videos show flash mob, some violent behavior

Here are some videos from Wednesday's Occupy Oakland protests, which brought thousands of protesters to the city's streets.

In this video from KGO-TV, some protesters particpate in a flash mob:








In video from on YouTube, some protesters are bused from downtown Oakland to the Port of Oakland on Wednesday afternoon:

 

This video from KPIX-TV show some violent behavior:

So far, officials said  no arrests have been made.

“The world is watching Oakland tonight. We need to make  sure this remains a safe place for everyone,” said Mayor Jean Quan, who was joined at an early Wednesday evening news conference by Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan and port officials.

ALSO:

Bryan Stow writes his own name, family says

Ex-police officer charged with possession of child porn

FULL COVERAGE: Occupy Wall Street protests around the nation

-- Shelby Grad

Occupy Oakland: Unions provide food for thousands of protesters

Union food

Even protesters have to eat.

A festive atmosphere reigned in Oakland's Civic Center Plaza late Wednesday afternoon as workers from the United Food and Commercial Workers union carried tray after steaming tray of burgers, beans and rice in for a mass feast.

The union was one of many under the Alameda Labor Council umbrella that staged the giant foodfest for thousands of Occupy Oakland demonstrators, who called for a citywide "general strike" Wednesday to protest economic conditions. The line wound around the corner.

PHOTOS: Occupy protests around the nation

Among those present were about 20 home healthcare workers from Placer County who had just arrived in two vans, donning "United Domestic Workers of America" shirts.

Occupy Oakland: Thousands of protesters rally at port

Oaklandport
Thousands of Occupy Oakland protesters descended Wednesday night on the Port of Oakland, but police said so far they have made no arrests and that the demonstration had largely been peaceful.

“The world is watching Oakland tonight. We need to make  sure this remains a safe place for everyone,” said Mayor Jean Quan, who was joined at an early evening news conference by Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan and port officials.

Despite several incidents of vandalism around the downtown area, Jordan said no arrests had been made. He said there has been a minimal police presence among the protesters but that his department was sufficiently prepared to deal with any problems.

PHOTOS: Occupy protests around the nation

 “We’re trying to do the best we can with the resources we have,” he said. The chief estimated the number of protesters at around 4,500, but local media reports put the number at about 10,000.

Isaac Kos-Read, the port's director of external affairs, said that maritime operations "are effectively shut down" because demonstrators are preventing goods from leaving.

"The decision was made by the protesters," he said, noting that there is not as much activity at the port in the evening.

The port does about $8.5 million in export and import business a day, he said.

ALSO:

Bryan Stow writes his own name, family says

Ex-police officer charged with possession of child porn

FULL COVERAGE: Occupy Wall Street protests around the nation

-- Lee Romney in Oakland and Maria L. La Ganga in San Francisco

Photo: Protesters in Oakland declared a "general strike" and marched on the port Wednesday evening. Credit: Robert Galbraith / Reuters

Mendota High School chess team celebrates national victory

Medota-youtube_dvd.original

This time the Knuckleheads -- the surprising chess champions from drought-weary Mendota where almost half of the Central Valley town is unemployed -- knew they had a chance.

Going into the state championship last year, it had never occurred to the Mendota High School players or their coach, Vaness French, that they could win against teams from more affluent towns.

Last weekend going into the National Scholastic Championship in Santa Clara, "we knew we had a shot but that it wasn't going to be easy. This is nationals. Anyone weak is going to be served up as sushi,"  French said.

At first, it was ugly.

"Our kids got whipped in the first rounds," said "Tio" Ernie Lozano, the team's longstanding mentor. "They were so down and dejected, but they weren't giving up."

The One Best Way to Run

The best-selling book “Born to Run” popularized the notion of barefoot running, and as a result, scores of runners have given up cushioned shoes and opted to exercise barefoot or in barely-there running shoes. But as the book’s author, Christopher McDougall, explains in this week’s New York Times Magazine, many barefoot runners still don’t know how to run.

“Barefoot-style” shoes are now a $1.7 billion industry. But simply putting something different on your feet doesn’t make you a gliding Tarahumara. The “one best way” isn’t about footwear. It’s about form. Learn to run gently, and you can wear anything. Fail to do so, and no shoe — or lack of shoe — will make a difference….

The only way to halt the running-injury epidemic, it seems, is to find a simple, foolproof method to relearn what the Tarahumara never forgot. A one best way to the one best way.

Earlier this year, I may have found it. I was leafing through the back of an out-of-print book, a collection of runners’ biographies called “The Five Kings of Distance,” when I came across a three-page essay from 1908 titled “W. G. George’s Own Account From the 100-Up Exercise.” According to legend, this single drill turned a 16-year-old with almost no running experience into the foremost racer of his day.

To learn more, read the full article, “The Once and Future Way to Run,” and be sure to check out the video, “The Lost Secret of Running.” Please share your thoughts and join the discussion below.

Occupy Oakland: Protesters vandalize banks, grocery store

Oakland bank

Anti-Wall Street protesters in Oakland have vandalized a Whole Foods store and shattered windows at two downtown banks.

Windows were shattered at a Bank of America branch, where someone also spraypainted "Class War" and "Shut it Down," near Lake Merritt and a Chase bank at 20th and Webster streets.

Police officers on Wednesday afternoon stood outside the Chase bank, where vandals also defaced the ATM machines, spraypainting them black.

"For the Commune," one graffiti message reads.

"Withdraw Only," another reads.

Sheila Dvorak, 29, was visiting Oakland from upstate New York and geared up for a peaceful march Wednesday evening to the Port of Oakland to voice her concerns about healthcare.

She stood somewhat stunned near the shattered Chase bank windows.

"I think the root of the movement is peaceful," said Dvorak, who marched across the Brooklyn Bridge with Occupy Wall Street last month. "I would ask whoever broke these windows to remember that. It's the only way we'll get what we want."

"This doesn't feel right," she added. "It's not what I expected."

As she spoke, someone posted another sign on the busted window: "We are better than this."

Occupy Oakland: Hundreds of teachers fail to show up for work

Protesters

Hundreds of teachers failed to show up for work Wednesday as Occupy Oakland protesters called for a citywide "general strike" to protest economic conditions.

An estimated 16% of teachers in the Oakland Unified School District did not show up to class on Wednesday, said district spokesman Troy Flint.

The troubled district usually has about 2,000 teachers working on a given day and from 20 to 25 absent. On Wednesday, about 315 to 320 stayed away in response to the general strike. Occupy Oakland had called for “no work and no school” for the day.

No schools were closed, although, in some instances, classes had to be consolidated or children redistributed, Flint said. Although student absenteeism was higher than usual, the district did not have an official number of absent students.

“We do support some of the ideals of Occupy Oakland, particularly the concept that services have been dramatically underfunded,” Flint said. “We wanted to allow teachers who were fighting for public education and children to have their voice.”

Bryan Stow writes his own name, family says

Bryan Stow
Bryan Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan who was brutally beaten at Dodger Stadium on opening day, has written his name, his family said Wednesday in an update on its website.

"This picture speaks volumes and we are so proud of him," the family wrote on its blog, alongside a picture showing Stow's handwritten name.

Stow continues to show improvement.

"His memory, while often times off, is incredible for his type of injury," his family stated. "His answers are sometimes wrong, but the fact that they are right most of the time is amazing. Sometimes, we see a difference in his personality but other times, his old self shines through."

The family has documented a series of positive steps in Stow's recovery. Last month, he went outside the hospital for the first time in six months and said, "It's magical." He also said he wanted to see his children.

Stow, a father of two, was walking through the Dodger Stadium parking lot with two friends after the Dodgers' opening day victory over the Giants in March when he was attacked. Louie Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Norwood, 30, have been charged in connection with the attack.

Stow suffered a serious brain injury in the attack.

Last week, the Dodgers were criticized for suggesting that Stow might have been partly to blame for the beating that left him in a coma, citing the fact that he had been drinking.

Lawyers for Stow's family expressed outrage over the comments, saying that Dodgers' owner Frank McCourt is trying to shift focus away from what they consider poor security at the stadium.

"How you are judged in life is how you react after mistakes," said attorney Thomas Girardi. "Oh so here it is: Let's blame the innocent guy for the lack of security at Dodger Stadium."

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-- Kimi Yoshino

Photo: An image of Dodger Stadium beating victim Bryan Stow  is shown on the scoreboard before a San Francisco Giants game in April. Credit: Beck Diefenbach / Reuters

2 arrested in Halloween night beating of gay men in Long Beach

A Halloween night attack on two gay men on the streets of Long Beach is being investigated as a hate crime.

The men were leaving the Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach when two other men approached them, made a derogatory reference to homosexuals and then beat them -- one into unconsciousness, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported.

Police said they have arrested two men, ages 19 and 27, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Now, detectives are investigating the assault as a hate crime, Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Pratt told the newspaper. The newspaper did not print the suspects' names.

The victims, in their late 50s and early 60s, suffered moderate injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

As Dodger Stadium attendance fell, so did neighborhood gridlock

Traffic was at a standstill before the Dodgers' home opener in 2007. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times
In the aftermath of the Bryan Stowe beating at the parking lot of Dodger Stadium and the Frank McCourt woes in recent months, attendance plummeted on game days -- making life a little easier for neighbors of the ball park.

Nicholas Amoroso, a 26-year-old wardrobe stylist who lives next to the stadium, said traffic has been much lighter this season.

He recalls the near-gridlock from last year and said it caused a lot of headaches.

"Traffic was so bad," he said. "It's been much better recently."

With the recent troubles plaguing the team, officials have tried to woo neighbors back.

Nearby residents, Amoroso said, get free tickets. Before, he could get maybe two or three tickets. Now, he can easily get almost a dozen.

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Could Frank McCourt's sale of team lure NFL to Dodger Stadium?

-- Ricardo Lopez

Photo: Traffic was at a standstill before the Dodgers' home opener in 2007. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Judge restricts release of emails among climate scientists

Mann_treering
A county Circuit judge in Virginia has sided with the University of Virginia's effort to restrict the release of personal emails from one of its former faculty members.

The decision late Wednesday would allow the university to alter an agreement it had reached with the American Tradition Institute, which was seeking communications between Michael Mann, a physicist and climate scientist, and other scientists from 1999 to 2005, when Mann was employed by the university.

The American Tradition Institute, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and Colorado, is a nonprofit policy research and education group that has close ties to energy interests that have opposed climate legislation, including the Koch Brothers.

Mann, now a professor at Penn State University, is best known for his contributions to the so-called hockey stick graph that has been at the center of warnings that Earth's temperature rise has been precipitous and historically unprecedented. It has been used as one of thousands of data analyses that have led the vast majority of climate scientists to conclude that man's emission of greenhouse gases is trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Mann was caught up in a controversy in 2009 related to stolen emails that global-warming skeptics alleged showed an attempt to squelch dissenting views and manipulate data to exaggerate the hockey-stick graph. Mann and others have subsequently been cleared by several high-level scientific panels in England and the U.S.

Those investigations have not satisfied conservative groups that cast doubt about the scientific consensus on climate change. They were seeking, through a public-records request, emails among Mann and other scientists. The emails requested by the group are identical to those identified in a subpoena from Virginia Atty. Gen. Ken Cuccinelli that was rejected by a different judge last year.

Academics have viewed the subpoena and records request as having a potentially chilling effect on academic freedoms at public institutions such as the University of Virginia. But those seeking the information counter that the public has a right to know what goes on inside the universities its taxes fund.

Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Gaylord Finch also granted Mann standing in the records case.

The judge ordered the university and ATI to choose an independent third party by Dec. 20 to evaluate which correspondence should be disclosed and which should be protected.

ALSO:

Another 'climategate' inquiry clears professors

After three strikes, is the 'climategate' scandal out?

British climate researcher had high scientific standards, review finds

-- Geoff Mohan

Photo: Michael E. Mann, a Penn State University professor at the center of a dispute over the release of emails sent while he taught at the University of Virginia. Credit: Penn State University

 

Home Cooking With Jean-Georges

Delicious no-meat recipes for your holiday table.

When the celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten turned 50, he decided it was time to start enjoying weekends again. Four years later, the chef and owner of several restaurants says he has also rediscovered the joy of cooking at home.

“Now my wife and I cook together on the weekend,’’ he said. “We have fun in the kitchen. The house is always full, and we’re always cooking – outside, inside, for six, eight, a dozen, 20 people.’’

But he quickly discovered that his high-end cooking style, made famous in restaurants like Jean Georges and Vong, had to be reimagined for the home table. He opted for simple, flavorful recipes with foods from local suppliers near his cottage in Westchester County, north of New York City, and he focuses on simplicity and casual presentation that inspires a convivial atmosphere.

“At the restaurant, everything is plated,’’ he said. “At home I try to put everything in the middle of the table and have everybody dig in.’’

Mr. Vongerichten’s adventures in home cooking are the basis of his new cookbook, “Home Cooking With Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes,” published this week by Clarkson Potter. Unlike many cookbooks from top chefs, “Home Cooking” is filled with flavorful recipes simple enough for a new cook but sophisticated enough to inspire experienced home chefs.

For this year’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving series, Mr. Vongerichten has offered three favorite recipes: a creamy onion tart, a carrot and avocado dish inspired by his travels in Morocco and a simple green bean and almond recipe that bursts with fresh flavor. (Go to the interactive recipe collection to see all the dishes in the series so far.)

Home Cooking With Jean-Georges
Creamy Onion Tart

For four generations, the Vongerichten family has been turning out this tart, which is like a quiche but creamier. Chef Jean-Georges says, “My grandmother taught me how to make the basic pâte brise pastry crust when I was young. The one thing I learned simply by eating her endless variations on delicious tarts for dinner every night is that this dough can be used for just about anything — sweet or savory.”

For the tart:
1 large white onion, very thinly sliced
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/2 recipe pâte brise (below), blind-baked

Pâte brise (enough for 2 8-inch crusts):
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured, cut up and chilled
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening, chilled
1 large egg

To prepare the crust:

1. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, butter and shortening on low speed until crumbly. With the machine running, add 2 tablespoons cold water and the egg. Beat just until the dough comes together in large clumps.

2. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a 1-inch-thick round disc. Wrap each tightly in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. Alternatively, the dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

3. For each crust, on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough into a 10-inch round. Carefully transfer the dough to an 8-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing the dough gently against the bottom and up the sides. If necessary, trim the edges against the rim.

4. Line the dough with foil, then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Freeze overnight, or until very hard.

5. To blind-bake a tart shell, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

6. Bake the frozen crust until the edges are set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Poke holes all over the bottom of the crust with a fork, then return to the oven. Bake until the bottom is set and the crust is blond, about 8 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack.

To make the tart:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, combine the onion, 2 tablespoons of the butter and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until very tender and pale gold, about 25 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cream in a slow, steady stream. Still whisking, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, whisking occasionally.

3. Whisk in the eggs, a little at a time, until well incorporated and smooth. Stir in the onion, then season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer the mixture to the tart shell, spreading it in an even layer.

4. Bake until the tart is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Unmold and serve warm.

Yield: 6 servings.

Home Cooking With Jean-Georges
Carrot and Avocado Salad With Crunchy Seeds

This is easily one of my favorite fall salads. The creaminess of avocado and sour cream is amazing with the spiced zing of the carrots and the toasted, nutty seeds.

For the salad:
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
Cumin and Citrus Roasted Carrots (see below)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into thin wedges
4 cups sprouts, preferably a mix of radish and beet
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sour cream
Edible flowers, for garnish, optional

Cumin and Citrus Roasted Carrots
1 pound medium carrots, peeled
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 oranges
2 lemons, halved

To prepare the carrots:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a wide pot of water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until a knife pierces them easily, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, cumin, thyme, chili flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper until crushed and pasty. Add the vinegar and 1/4 cup of the oil and continue pounding until well mixed. Alternatively, pulse in a food processor or blender until pasty.

4. Drain the carrots and arrange in a medium roasting pan in a single layer. Spoon the cumin mixture over. Cut the whole orange in half. Arrange the orange halves and 2 of the lemon halves over the carrots, cut sides down. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the carrots are golden brown. Transfer the carrots to a platter.

5. When citrus is cool enough to handle, squeeze 2 tablespoons juice each from the roasted orange and lemon into a small bowl. Squeeze in 2 tablespoons orange juice from the remaining orange half as well as 2 tablespoons lemon juice from the remaining lemon. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the carrots.

To make the salad:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and golden, but not golden brown, about 7 minutes. Cool completely.

2. Arrange the carrots on a serving platter, reserving the accompanying sauce. Put the avocado and then the sprouts on top. Drizzle with the reserved sauce.

3. Dollop the sour cream over the top, then sprinkle with the seeds. Garnish with flowers if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Home Cooking With Jean-Georges
Pan-Roasted Green Beans With Golden Almonds

This simple almond-shallot topping goes with just about any simply cooked vegetable, but it tastes best with green beans. Instead of simply blanching the beans, I char them until they develop a smoky richness.

Kosher salt
8 ounces green and/or wax beans, trimmed
1/4 cup blanched whole almonds, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, thinly sliced
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt (a teaspoon or so, or to taste). Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until bright green but still firm, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice water. When cool, drain again. Pat dry with paper towels until completely dry.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the almonds and the oil, adding more oil if needed to just cover the almonds. Cook over medium heat until the almonds are golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shallot. It will cook in the residual heat.

3. Coat a large skillet with oil. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the beans and season with salt. Cook, tossing frequently, until beans are charred dark brown in spots and tender-crisp, about 7 minutes.

4. Top with the almond mixture, then the parsley. Grate the zest from a quarter of the lemon directly over the beans, then cut the lemon into wedges for serving. Season with pepper and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Why Do Some People Climb Mountains?

For many of us in Colorado, a state that boasts more than 50 peaks rising over 14,000 feet, summer is not complete without “bagging a fourteener.”

Some of those fourteeners — gentle Bierstadt, for instance, or the twin peaks of Grays and Torreys — require nothing more than stamina and a good pair of shoes to get to the top. They are formidable, to be sure, but they entail hikes, not climbs. My goal this year was a far more challenging destination: Longs Peak.

I had wanted to climb Longs since arriving in Colorado a decade ago, but the mountain always seemed too daunting. Even the easiest route to the top requires scrambling over slick rocks along sheer cliffs. (Segments of the route are aptly named the Ledges and the Narrows.) One is well advised to begin the climb by 3 a.m. so as to be up and off the summit before afternoon thunderstorms roll in. The mountain — ably assisted by gravity — has claimed many lives.

Let’s be clear: I am no mountaineer. I own no ice ax, no pitons. Yet the allure of Longs is such that it attracts thousands of ordinary Coloradans each year (including twin brothers next door who climbed it this summer to celebrate – get this – their 11th birthday).

As I set out on my trek in predawn darkness, the headlamps of dozens of climbers traced a constellation along the switchbacks ahead. It seemed a bizarre nocturnal pilgrimage. After the sun rose, while we climbed loose rock toward the summit, I asked some around me: Why are you doing this? An older gentleman said simply, “To prove I can.” Then he added, for good measure, “I’m afraid of heights.”

Mike and Melissa Rietz, who met years ago while students at Colorado State University, told me they were climbing Longs — after leaving the kids back home in Michigan — to re-experience the lives they led before settling down as Midwestern parents.

Once on the summit, I found more enigmatic clues to people’s motivation in the tattered register, tucked in a rock, that climbers sign to record their accomplishment. “Take That, Dad!” one climber had written. “With God,” wrote a second. Another: “Better to live one day as a lion.”

For some, the meaning of the climb becomes clear in hindsight. A friend told me that her father had climbed Longs as a young man. A short time later, he began a slow and fatal decline from Parkinson’s. Over the years, as his health deteriorated, that early feat became part of the family lore, a reminder of the fit body he had once inhabited. For him, Longs was not a mountain. It was a 14,259-foot metaphor.

As for me, I decided finally to climb the peak because, at 47, I am one year shy of my mother’s age when she succumbed to cancer. That same disease recently struck two friends, whose lives have been upturned by radiation treatment and brain surgery. On the backside of summer and at the midpoint of life, Longs no longer seemed a goal I could postpone for one more year.

George Mallory may have felt compelled to climb Everest “because it’s there,” but I climbed Longs for a simpler reason: because I’m here.

David Baron, health and science editor at the public radio program “PRI’s The World,” is the author of “The Beast in the Garden: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature.”

Shark sighting scares pro surfer right out of the water

Shark attackA shark scare has apparently had a chilling effect on a pro surfing competition in San Francisco, where one of the event's top surfers was frightened out of the ocean after spotting “the biggest fin I’ve ever seen in my life coming at me.”

Former L.A. Times sportswriter Pete Thomas reported in his outdoors blog that Dusty Payne of Hawaii made a sudden exit from the water after seeing what he claimed was a large and menacing shark.

The sighting comes just days after a man surfing off the coast of Monterey was attacked by a shark, suffering deep puncture wounds to his neck and arms. Authorities said the shark also took a king-size chomp out of Eric Tarantino’s red surfboard.

Payne was in the midst of competing against South Africa’s Jordy Smith off Ocean Beach when he suddenly started paddling out of the water. There was about 5 minutes left in the heat, Thomas reported.

Smith remained in the water and won the heat in the Rip Curl Pro Search.

Lifeguards patrolled the waters in a small boat before and during the next heat.

The timing of the surfing competition is not ideal when it comes to sharks, Thomas noted. Fall is when adult great whites congregate off the Farallon Islands to feed on elephant seals and sea lions.

Afterward, Payne said it was definitely a shark that prompted him to make for land, Thomas reported.

"I've seen dolphins,” the surfer said, “and it wasn't a dolphin."

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-- Steve Marble

Photo: California state parks lifeguard Kevin Brady holds a surfboard bearing the scars from a shark attack off Monterey. Credit: David Royal / Monterey County Herald

Occupy Oakland: Thousands gather for general strike

 

Photo: A demonstrator with the Occupy movement marches Tuesday in Oakland. The group called for a general strike today, and planned to march on the city's port later in the day. Credit: Eric Thayerr / Getty ImagesThousands of peaceful protesters gathered in downtown Oakland Wednesday morning to kick off a planned "general strike" to draw attention to the Occupy movement's core concern over economic inequality.

The day's actions -- which some believe will mark the largest East Bay protest since the Vietnam War -- include marches on banks, teach-ins, a dance flash mob and an attempt to shutter the Port of Oakland come evening.

Wednesday morning, loud music played in Frank Ogawa Plaza, the City Hall square that has been the site of the Occupy Oakland encampment. The camp was fully reestablished just days after the city ordered it razed last week. 

PHOTOS: Occupy protests around the nation

A heavy response to those demonstrating the camp's demolition by riot-geared police lobbing tear gas placed Oakland's movement in the national and even international spotlight. Occupy Oakland has since garnered support from as far away as Cairo and Melbourne, and solidarity marches were planned Wednesday in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and elsewhere.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has sought to placate protesters by allowing them to return, but many remain angry at her. Meanwhile, the city's business leaders and police officers union are irate that Quan allowed the camp to flourish again, saying it creates uncertainty and economic stress for the city.

Mayor Villaraigosa says new Dodgers owner should be from L.A.

Dodgers

The new owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers should be local -- and love the city, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a brief interview with The Times.

Villaraigosa made the remarks after appearing at a Wednesday morning news conference concerning  security at LAX.

"As a Dodger fan and an Angeleno, it has been a very, very tough season," Villaraigosa said. "I can't describe the anguish we felt with the beating of Bryan Stow."

He called current owner Frank McCourt's decision to sell the Dodgers a "new chapter."

"I'm looking forward to local ownership," Villaraigosa said. "I want the owner to be from Los Angeles. I want someone who loves this town and believes in this city."

The new owner would be the third since Peter O'Malley sold the team to News Corp. in 1998. The Dodgers had remained in the O'Malley family since their patriarch, Walter, moved the team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958.

Bidders could include Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks, who was a runner-up when the Texas Rangers were auctioned in bankruptcy court last year. Chicago White Sox executive Dennis Gilbert, the former player agent who also bid on the Rangers, is expected to assemble a group to bid on the Dodgers.

Southern California businessmen Ron Burkle, Alec Gores and Alan Casden also could be bidders. Burkle and Gores have ties to professional sports, and Casden pursued the Dodgers before McCourt bough the team.

Other potential suitors include Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner, each of whom live in Los Angeles. Former Dodgers stars Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser also have expressed interest in putting together an investment group to bid on the team.

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-- Dan Weikel 

Photo: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says the new owner of the Dodgers should be local. Credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times

L.A. rejoices as Frank McCourt agrees to sell Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles leaders and Dodgers fans reacted with relief and joy to news that Frank McCourt planned to sell the team.

McCourt had become a divisive figure in Los Angeles over his stewardship of the Dodgers, and there made been a growing push around the city for a change in ownership.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich called the expected sale "a big step forward in restoring a family-friendly baseball franchise for Los Angeles County."

FULL COVERAGE: Dodgers and the McCourts

"Frank McCourt's pathetic legacy from shirking responsibility in the Bryan Stow beating case was further soiled by the inference that Bryan had culpability in his own severe beating," he said.

"As a Dodger fan and an Angeleno, it has been a very, very tough season," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "I can't describe the anguish we felt with the beating of Bryan Stow."

He called current owner Frank McCourt's decision to sell a "new chapter."

Frank McCourt sale of Dodgers will be ‘rebirth,’ councilman says

Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes, whose district includes Chavez Ravine, said the announcement that Frank McCourt would sell the Dodgers is "a new beginning."

"On the one hand I feel relief for the McCourts because they're ending a chapter, a period of their life that has been very difficult.... They are a family, when all is said and done, that is going through a major, major crisis, and that's ending," Reyes said.

But on the other hand, "It's exciting to see that there's a sense of rebirth, a sense of new beginning, and the possibility of winning a championship."

Reyes said he plans to be among the fans at opening day next year and hopes the "next set of owners or owner will understand the significance of being a good neighbor" to the city.

He said that despite all the negative publicity, the Dodgers' charitable foundation was deeply involved in the community, helped provide new baseball diamonds and was supportive of causes including the Boys and Girls Club.

As for the prospect of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban purchasing the Dodgers, Reyes chuckled: "He definitely has a lot of energy, and that energy can go two ways."

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-- Ari Bloomekatz

Photo: Dodger Stadium. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Dodgers bloggers jubilant over Frank McCourt decision to sell

Frank McCourt
Dodgers fans who blog about the team took the news of Frank McCourt’s decision to sell as a chance to get creative in their jubilation.

Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness led with a photo of a couple frolicking on a hilltop at sunset, with the headline, “Frank McCourt Gets One More Push Out That Door.”

“The day you never thought would come? Yeah, it’s just about here,” the blog’s lead exclaimed in relief.

True Blue LA heralded the news with the 1930s-era photo “We Win!” which announced the end to Prohibition and was also used in the introduction to the TV show “Cheers.”

Wind blows power lines across train tracks in O.C.

High winds continued to cause havoc across the Southern California on Wednesday, downing power lines across train tracks between Anaheim and Fullerton and blocking trains headed to Union Station in downtown L.A.

The power lines were strewn across the tracks at La Palma Avenue near the Anaheim-Fullerton border, officials said.

Metrolink spokeswoman Sherita Coffelt said Southern California Edison crews were working on removing the lines.

Metrolink Orange County tweeted that 91 Line trains to Los Angeles will be "delayed up to 30-40 min due to track maintenance and OC Line service delays."

A Fullerton Police Department spokesperson said authorities had not received any calls for assistance due to the situation.

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Lindsay Lohan could return to jail after court hearing

High winds bring fire warnings, traffic tie-ups, power outages

Man walking across freeway dies after being hit by several cars

-- Matt Stevens

LAX safer after $1.6-billion security investment, report says

Los Angeles International Airport
A study released Wednesday concludes that $1.6-billion in security measures in the decade since 9/11 have helped make Los Angeles International Airport much safer. But LAX still needs to improve emergency management, police coordination and other functions, the report says.

"The report confirms what we know to be true: LAX is safe and is safer today than it was following 9/11," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said, adding that the airport has already implemented many of the report's recommendations. "We will be taking concrete steps to further enhance security and protect the flying public."

LAX, the nation's third-busiest commercial airport, has been identified as one of the top potential targets for terrorists in the state. Since 9/11, the airport has added about 250 law enforcement personnel and spent $1.1 billion to expand security operations and $500 million for capital improvements such as fencing, barriers, security cameras, baggage screening systems and a new communications center, according to the report.

In the wake of media reports of problems related to police staffing, fire safety and law enforcement communications at LAX, the mayor created a 27-member panel a year ago to assess airport security and make recommendations.

High winds bring fire warnings, traffic tie-ups, power outages

Santa Ana winds, which forecasters said could reach up to 70 mph during the day, ripped through Southern California on Wednesday, sending up red-flag fire warnings, slowing motorists and potentially contributing to power outages.

Thousands of Simi Valley residents were without power Wednesday morning, according to Southern California Edison, with some areas not expected to have service restored until about 10:30 a.m.

Meanwhile, an overturned box truck forced officials to close the slow lane of the eastbound 101 Freeway just west of the 405 Freeway interchange.

The accident caused slowing as far east as Burbank and south to Skirball Center Drive, said a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman.

Newport Beach jogger reports being chased by coyote

A Newport Beach man's morning jog turned into an adventure when a coyote began to pursue him and his dogs.

Brian Clarkson, 37, said he was jogging at about 8 a.m. Tuesday with his two Yorkie mixes on a trail near University Drive and Irvine Avenue when a coyote that "seemed hungry and desperate" began running toward them.

"I've never been chased by a coyote looking for a kill before," Clarkson told the Daily Pilot.

A man riding a horse yelled at the coyote, which was only momentarily deterred, according to Clarkson.

The rider then escorted Clarkson out of harm's way.

74-year-old fatally beaten with baseball bat inside a Wal-Mart


Lakewood homicides

A 74-year-old man was fatally beaten with a baseball bat Tuesday inside a Lakewood Wal-Mart in what authorities believe was an unprovoked attack by a homeless man.

The incident occurred in the sporting-goods section of a Wal-Mart on Carson Street in Lakewood.

A 47-year-old man was taken into custody by Los Angeles Sheriff's Department officials.

"Witnesses have drawn the conclusion that the suspect is homeless,'' Lt. Eddie Hernandez told City News Service. "We haven't confirmed that. ... The victim was in the sporting-goods section. The suspect approached him and started to attack him with a baseball bat, causing severe head trauma.''

Ammonia leak at San Onofre nuclear plant is contained

Photo: San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Credit: Allen J. Schaben  / Los Angeles Times

An ammonia leak that prompted an emergency alert at the San Onofre nuclear power plant did not pose a threat to the public, and only a few workers inside the plant were evacuated, officials said.

Southern California Edison spokeswoman Lauren Bartlett said the leak occurred about 3 p.m. Tuesday in a make-up water-treatment system in a non-nuclear part of the facility. As a precautionary measure, some workers were evacuated.

The plant's two units were operating normally throughout the day.

The Level Two alert at the plant was called off shortly after 6 p.m. and normal operations were resumed, the Orange County Emergency Operations center said in a statement.

Officials have set up a hotline if people have questions about the alert that was declared at the Orange County facility. People are asked to call (714) 628-7085. The hotline will be open until 9 p.m.

San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant leak contained

Photo: San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Credit: Allen J. Schaben  / Los Angeles Times

An ammonia leak that prompted an emergency alert at the San Onofre nuclear power plant did not pose a threat to the public, and only a few workers inside the plant were evacuated, officias said.

Southern California Edison spokeswoman Lauren Bartlett said the leak occurred about 3 p.m. Tuesday in a make-up water-treatment system in a non-nuclear part of the facility. As a precautionary measure, some workers were evacuated.

The plant's two units were operating normally throughout the day.

The Level Two alert at the plant was called off shortly after 6 p.m. and normal operations were resumed, the Orange County Emergency Operations center said in a statement.

Officials have set up a hotline if people have questions about the alert that was declared at the Orange County facility. People are asked to call (714) 628-7085. The hotline will be open until 9 p.m.

Coastal Commission staff urges rejection of park plan

Citing concerns about endangered bird habitat and wetlands, California Coastal Commission staff members have recommended rejecting Newport Beach's plans for Sunset Ridge Park.

The fate of the 20-acre public sports park rests in the hands of the 12 commissioners when they meet Wednesday in Oceanside.

Compared to other parts of town, the city's west side has fewer soccer fields and baseball diamonds, which are both proposed at Sunset Ridge, but this facility, which would have sweeping views of the coastline, has been stalled in legal and administrative wrangling.

The commission's central issue is the park's access road, proposed to be just west of West Coast Highway and Superior Avenue. While the road would avoid sensitive habitat, it follows the path of a larger arterial road planned for the adjacent Banning Ranch property.

Commission staff members sought an agreement preventing future expansion of the road onto sensitive California gnatcatcher habitat, but the ranch owners declined, and now the city's plans hang in the balance.

Both the city and Banning Ranch developers argue that the commission should focus on the application at hand, according to the Daily Pilot.

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--Mike Reicher, Times Community News

Educating the public about the costs of treating cancer


research into cancer


Professor Richard Sullivan – lead author of The Lancet Oncology's Commission Affordable Care in High Income Countries, which reported in September and about which I wrote a blog post entitled "According to the Lancet, saving lives is an unaffordable burden. What a terrifying prospect" – has contacted me. The subject of the Commission was the ever-increasing cost of cancer medicine and "what makes a medicine cost-effective". The issues surrounding end of life medical care were also included – and charities involved in this area understood the conclusions to mean that palliative care was "futile".


Consequently, Professor Sullivan is anxious to clarify the Commission's stance on this incredibly difficult subject. I quoted his answers on BBC Radio 4's Today programme – and have listened to them again, just to make sure I was not imagining what he said – which seemed to imply that it was only worth spending money on drugs if an extra year of life was guaranteed. Although this is what I heard, Professor Sullivan is insistent that this is not the correct interpretation of his words. I am very happy to do as he requests and quote his email.


He writes: "Firstly, your comment about medicines giving only one year of life being the only ones of value – that is not what I said, nor what the report says should happen; this report is about having the debate about exactly what makes a medicine cost effective; and this is, simply put, a matter of how much it extends life, controls the particular cancer or improves the quality of life and its cost. Many medicines and other technologies provide a small benefit for very high cost. The question for society is what it is willing to pay and whether, within finite budgets, it is prepared to take money from one area e.g. mental health to pay for another.


"Secondly, you will see from the title of the Commission – Affordable Care in High Income Countries – and the list of authors that this report is about all developed countries, especially and particularly the USA. There is substantial evidence now that particularly in the USA a culture of excessive usage of diagnostics and other tests as well as over-treatment does exist. This report is not about telling doctors to write off their patients. It's about pointing out that in healthcare systems like the USA which are driven by reimbursement there are serious incentives for excessive application of medical technologies that go way beyond what one would consider the best standard of care."


I understand completely that this is, possibly, a "no-win" subject, which is incredibly difficult and uncomfortable to discuss, but one which needs desperately to be debated. Listening to the press conference at the publication of the Commission, Professor Sullivan explains the reasons for the huge rise in cost. Firstly, we have an aging population – and with age comes a greater risk of cancer; secondly, the new technologies – not just medicine but imaging, radiotherapy, surgery and nuclear medicine, including the new personalised medicine/tailor-made therapies; thirdly, the acceleration of new technology which explains the increase in healthcare professionals and infrastructure costs.


Interestingly, those taking part in the Commission included clinicians, pharmacists, patient groups etc, but the pharmaceutical industry would not agree to participate – on the advise of their legal teams. Interpret that as you will…


The opening of the Commission says "We are at a crossroads for affordable care, where our choices – or refusal to make choices – will affect the lives of millions of people". Professor Sullivan is extremely anxious that "the public must be educated on the huge struggle we are having with healthcare and cancer affordability". He says: "The debate must be brought back into the community."


So – that is what I am doing. What do you think? How should we divide our dwindling resources so that everyone is treated fairly? What about palliative care and the costs involved? The Commission describes preventative measures – lifestyle issues particularly – but we do not seem to be taking this to heart. Why? Surely early diagnosis would help too – yet the NHS seems reluctant to put more money into preventative medicine, as do the private health insurance companies.


Please email me your thoughts: judith.potts@telegraph.co.uk.



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