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Bestia's Ori Menashe, Taco Maria's Carlos Salgado win Best New Chef awards

Written By kolimtiga on Selasa, 31 Maret 2015 | 23.50

In a ceremony in New York on Tuesday, local chefs Ori Menashe of the downtown Italian restaurant Bestia and Carlos Salgado of Costa Mesa's tasting-menu restaurant Taco Maria were named Best New Chefs by Food & Wine, an award the magazine bestows on 10 young chefs each year.

Other winners included Bryce Shulman of New York's Betony, El Bulli alum Katie Button of Asheville's Curate, and the team of Michael Fojtasek and Grae Nonas of Olmaie in Austin, who met in the kitchen of the Los Angeles restaurant Son of a Gun.

In the universe of chef awards, it can be argued that the Best New Chef medals are among the most prestigious, putting recipients at the front of a class of young chefs predicted to have influence on America's food culture. Past winners from Los Angeles have included Nancy Silverton, Roy Choi, Suzanne Tracht, Suzanne Goin, Ari Taymor, Michael Voltaggio, Mark Peel, Josiah Citrin, Ricardo Zarate, Celestino Drago, Nobu Matsuhisa, and the team of Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook.

While a James Beard Foundation award tends to honor the hot restaurant everybody knows about, the Best New Chef awards are much more aligned with currents in the restaurant world, identifying just who is behind a mysterious culinary revival in Indianapolis, or which young San Diego hotel chef is likely to break out as a regional star.

Israeli-raised Menashe was noted for his knack for charcuterie and a killer dish of truffled ricotta gnocchi; Orange County native Salgado was recognized for his elegant evening tasting menus and for his tacos with spot prawns, peanuts and purslane.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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Gabby Douglas returns to spotlight with reality TV show

It seems that Gabby Douglas has come out of hiding. In a big way.

Last weekend, the all-around gymnastics champion from the 2012 London Games returned from a three-year hiatus to compete at the Jesolo Trophy in Italy.

Now comes word of a reality TV show centered around her family.

"Douglas Family Gold" is among eight new series announced this week by the Oxygen network. It will follow the 19-year-old as she seeks to defend her title at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

"The bi-coastal Douglas family shuttles between California and Ohio to support Gabby's training regimen while also juggling their own lives," the network said.

Douglas' brother, John, is an Olympic hopeful in track and field. There are also two sisters, Arie and Joy, and a mother, Natalie, who serves as Gabby's "momager."

This wouldn't be the first reality show featuring an Olympic athlete. Figure skater Johnny Weir had a brief series, "Be Good Johnny Weir," in 2010.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bestia's Ori Menashe, Taco Maria's Carlos Salgado win Best New Chef awards

In a ceremony in New York on Tuesday, local chefs Ori Menashe of the downtown Italian restaurant Bestia and Carlos Salgado of Costa Mesa's tasting-menu restaurant Taco Maria were named Best New Chefs by Food & Wine, an award the magazine bestows on 10 young chefs each year.

Other winners included Bryce Shulman of New York's Betony, El Bulli alum Katie Button of Asheville's Curate, and the team of Michael Fojtasek and Grae Nonas of Olmaie in Austin, who met in the kitchen of the Los Angeles restaurant Son of a Gun.

In the universe of chef awards, it can be argued that the Best New Chef medals are among the most prestigious, putting recipients at the front of a class of young chefs predicted to have influence on America's food culture. Past winners from Los Angeles have included Nancy Silverton, Roy Choi, Suzanne Tracht, Suzanne Goin, Ari Taymor, Michael Voltaggio, Mark Peel, Josiah Citrin, Ricardo Zarate, Celestino Drago, Nobu Matsuhisa, and the team of Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook.

While a James Beard Foundation award tends to honor the hot restaurant everybody knows about, the Best New Chef awards are much more aligned with currents in the restaurant world, identifying just who is behind a mysterious culinary revival in Indianapolis, or which young San Diego hotel chef is likely to break out as a regional star.

Israeli-raised Menashe was noted for his knack for charcuterie and a killer dish of truffled ricotta gnocchi; Orange County native Salgado was recognized for his elegant evening tasting menus and for his tacos with spot prawns, peanuts and purslane.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gabby Douglas returns to spotlight with reality TV show

It seems that Gabby Douglas has come out of hiding. In a big way.

Last weekend, the all-around gymnastics champion from the 2012 London Games returned from a three-year hiatus to compete at the Jesolo Trophy in Italy.

Now comes word of a reality TV show centered around her family.

"Douglas Family Gold" is among eight new series announced this week by the Oxygen network. It will follow the 19-year-old as she seeks to defend her title at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

"The bi-coastal Douglas family shuttles between California and Ohio to support Gabby's training regimen while also juggling their own lives," the network said.

Douglas' brother, John, is an Olympic hopeful in track and field. There are also two sisters, Arie and Joy, and a mother, Natalie, who serves as Gabby's "momager."

This wouldn't be the first reality show featuring an Olympic athlete. Figure skater Johnny Weir had a brief series, "Be Good Johnny Weir," in 2010.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bestia's Ori Menashe, Taco Maria's Carlos Salgado win Best New Chef awards

In a ceremony in New York on Tuesday, local chefs Ori Menashe of the downtown Italian restaurant Bestia and Carlos Salgado of Costa Mesa's tasting-menu restaurant Taco Maria were named Best New Chefs by Food & Wine, an award the magazine bestows on 10 young chefs each year.

Other winners included Bryce Shulman of New York's Betony, El Bulli alum Katie Button of Asheville's Curate, and the team of Michael Fojtasek and Grae Nonas of Olmaie in Austin, who met in the kitchen of the Los Angeles restaurant Son of a Gun.

In the universe of chef awards, it can be argued that the Best New Chef medals are among the most prestigious, putting recipients at the front of a class of young chefs predicted to have influence on America's food culture. Past winners from Los Angeles have included Nancy Silverton, Roy Choi, Suzanne Tracht, Suzanne Goin, Ari Taymor, Michael Voltaggio, Mark Peel, Josiah Citrin, Ricardo Zarate, Celestino Drago, Nobu Matsuhisa, and the team of Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook.

While a James Beard Foundation award tends to honor the hot restaurant everybody knows about, the Best New Chef awards are much more aligned with currents in the restaurant world, identifying just who is behind a mysterious culinary revival in Indianapolis, or which young San Diego hotel chef is likely to break out as a regional star.

Israeli-raised Menashe was noted for his knack for charcuterie and a killer dish of truffled ricotta gnocchi; Orange County native Salgado was recognized for his elegant evening tasting menus and for his tacos with spot prawns, peanuts and purslane.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

High court lets stand school's ban on U.S. flag shirts on Cinco de Mayo

Written By kolimtiga on Senin, 30 Maret 2015 | 23.50

The Supreme Court rejected a free-speech appeal Monday from several California high school students who were told they could not wear a shirt emblazoned with an American flag on the Cinco de Mayo holiday.

The court's action has the effect of upholding school officials who said they acted because they feared an outbreak of fighting between white and Mexican American students.

The court's action sets no legal precedent but it raises questions about whether students have the same free-speech rights as adults on matters that may provoke controversy.

Many school officials in recent years have told students they may not wear the Confederate flag on their clothing at school or display anti-gay messages. The case of Dariano vs. Morgan Hill Unified School District drew greater attention because an American flag was considered the provocative message.

The Live Oaks High School south of San Jose had seen at least 30 fights between white and Mexican American students. And the annual celebration of the Mexican holiday on May 5 had heightened the tension.

On that day in 2010, the principal told several white students they must remove their shirts featuring an American flag or go home.

They went home but, with the help of their parents, later sued the school officials for violating their rights under the 1st Amendment.

Federal judges in San Francisco rejected their free-speech claim on the grounds that the school officials had a reasonable fear that their shirts could provoke fighting or a disruption of the school's activities.

Lawyers for the parents had urged the justices to hear an appeal, and they won the backing of prominent 1st Amendment advocates. They cited a ruling from the Vietnam War era which said young people do not lose their constitutional rights when they go to school. But the justices have steered clear of school free-speech disputes in recent years.

In turning down the Dariano case Monday, the court as usual did not explain its reasoning for refusing to hear an appeal. But the court's action is likely to be read as strengthening the authority of school officials to suppress the display of clothing or other symbols that might trigger trouble.

Twitter: @DavidGSavage

ALSO:

Opinion L.A.: Mexican flag, si; American flag, no?

Op-Ed: Cinco de Mayo -- a truly Mexican American holiday 

Supreme Court revives Notre Dame's challenge to contraceptive policy

Attorneys battle over who will argue for gay marriage in Supreme Court

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

High court lets stand school's ban on U.S. flag shirts on Cinco de Mayo

The Supreme Court rejected a free-speech appeal Monday from several California high school students who were told they could not wear a shirt emblazoned with an American flag on the Cinco de Mayo holiday.

The court's action has the effect of upholding school officials who said they acted because they feared an outbreak of fighting between white and Mexican American students.

The court's action sets no legal precedent but it raises questions about whether students have the same free-speech rights as adults on matters that may provoke controversy.

Many school officials in recent years have told students they may not wear the Confederate flag on their clothing at school or display anti-gay messages. The case of Dariano vs. Morgan Hill Unified School District drew greater attention because an American flag was considered the provocative message.

The Live Oaks High School south of San Jose had seen at least 30 fights between white and Mexican American students. And the annual celebration of the Mexican holiday on May 5 had heightened the tension.

On that day in 2010, the principal told several white students they must remove their shirts featuring an American flag or go home.

They went home but, with the help of their parents, later sued the school officials for violating their rights under the 1st Amendment.

Federal judges in San Francisco rejected their free-speech claim on the grounds that the school officials had a reasonable fear that their shirts could provoke fighting or a disruption of the school's activities.

Lawyers for the parents had urged the justices to hear an appeal, and they won the backing of prominent 1st Amendment advocates. They cited a ruling from the Vietnam War era which said young people do not lose their constitutional rights when they go to school. But the justices have steered clear of school free-speech disputes in recent years.

In turning down the Dariano case Monday, the court as usual did not explain its reasoning for refusing to hear an appeal. But the court's action is likely to be read as strengthening the authority of school officials to suppress the display of clothing or other symbols that might trigger trouble.

Twitter: @DavidGSavage

ALSO:

Opinion L.A.: Mexican flag, si; American flag, no?

Op-Ed: Cinco de Mayo -- a truly Mexican American holiday 

Supreme Court revives Notre Dame's challenge to contraceptive policy

Attorneys battle over who will argue for gay marriage in Supreme Court

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers preview

Monday's visit to Philadelphia may be the most important game left on the Lakers' schedule.

The Lakers (19-53) owe their 2015 first-round pick to the 76ers (18-56), via the Phoenix Suns and the Steve Nash trade, provided it's not a top-five selection.

A Lakers' loss would give the Sixers their 19th victory, evening the race to the bottom in the win column. If the Lakers can climb to third in the NBA draft lottery standings, the team would have a 96% chance of staying in the top five.

At fourth, where they currently reside, the Lakers have an 83.8% chance of keeping their pick.

Nick Young is out with a knee injury for the Lakers, while Ronnie Price (elbow), Kobe Bryant (shoulder) and Julius Randle (knee) are all done for the season.

Jeremy Lin sat out Sunday with an upper respiratory infection.

Philadelphia will play without Joel Embiid (back) and Tony Wroten (knee), also out for the year.

Key matchup

Nerlens Noel has jumped into rookie of the year consideration, evolving into an impact defender.

Through March, Noel is averaging 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.1 blocks a game.

On Friday, he scored a career-high 30 points in a loss to the Clippers.

After sitting Jordan Hill for three games to get a look at some of the team's younger players, Coach Byron Scott put the forward/center back into the rotation.

Against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, Hill was impressive with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Neither Ed Davis nor Carlos Boozer played (coach's decision).

X-factor

Robert Covington can be an explosive scorer, especially from the outside.  On Sunday, the forward hit five of nine three-point attempts for 19 points in a losing effort against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Lakers have a stronger attack with Lin in the lineup, along with Jordan Clarkson.  Guards Wayne Ellington and rookie Jabari Brown have also been important scorers for the Lakers over the last month.

Outlook

The Sixers have been a competitive team in recent games, although they generally struggle to close in fourth quarters -- an issue for the Lakers as well.

Philadelphia would benefit with a loss, staying in third place in the lottery and hurting the Lakers' chances, thus improving the odds the Sixers get the Lakers' pick.

When the game actually tips, the players aren't concerned with all of the above, but are playing to win.

The home team should have the advantage on Monday.

Twitter: @EricPincus

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers preview

Monday's visit to Philadelphia may be the most important game left on the Lakers' schedule.

The Lakers (19-53) owe their 2015 first-round pick to the 76ers (18-56), via the Phoenix Suns and the Steve Nash trade, provided it's not a top-five selection.

A Lakers' loss would give the Sixers their 19th victory, evening the race to the bottom in the win column. If the Lakers can climb to third in the NBA draft lottery standings, the team would have a 96% chance of staying in the top five.

At fourth, where they currently reside, the Lakers have an 83.8% chance of keeping their pick.

Nick Young is out with a knee injury for the Lakers, while Ronnie Price (elbow), Kobe Bryant (shoulder) and Julius Randle (knee) are all done for the season.

Jeremy Lin sat out Sunday with an upper respiratory infection.

Philadelphia will play without Joel Embiid (back) and Tony Wroten (knee), also out for the year.

Key matchup

Nerlens Noel has jumped into rookie of the year consideration, evolving into an impact defender.

Through March, Noel is averaging 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.1 blocks a game.

On Friday, he scored a career-high 30 points in a loss to the Clippers.

After sitting Jordan Hill for three games to get a look at some of the team's younger players, Coach Byron Scott put the forward/center back into the rotation.

Against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, Hill was impressive with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Neither Ed Davis nor Carlos Boozer played (coach's decision).

X-factor

Robert Covington can be an explosive scorer, especially from the outside.  On Sunday, the forward hit five of nine three-point attempts for 19 points in a losing effort against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Lakers have a stronger attack with Lin in the lineup, along with Jordan Clarkson.  Guards Wayne Ellington and rookie Jabari Brown have also been important scorers for the Lakers over the last month.

Outlook

The Sixers have been a competitive team in recent games, although they generally struggle to close in fourth quarters -- an issue for the Lakers as well.

Philadelphia would benefit with a loss, staying in third place in the lottery and hurting the Lakers' chances, thus improving the odds the Sixers get the Lakers' pick.

When the game actually tips, the players aren't concerned with all of the above, but are playing to win.

The home team should have the advantage on Monday.

Twitter: @EricPincus

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

High court lets stand school's ban on U.S. flag shirts on Cinco de Mayo

The Supreme Court rejected a free-speech appeal Monday from several California high school students who were told they could not wear a shirt emblazoned with an American flag on the Cinco de Mayo holiday.

The court's action has the effect of upholding school officials who said they acted because they feared an outbreak of fighting between white and Mexican American students.

The court's action sets no legal precedent but it raises questions about whether students have the same free-speech rights as adults on matters that may provoke controversy.

Many school officials in recent years have told students they may not wear the Confederate flag on their clothing at school or display anti-gay messages. The case of Dariano vs. Morgan Hill Unified School District drew greater attention because an American flag was considered the provocative message.

The Live Oaks High School south of San Jose had seen at least 30 fights between white and Mexican American students. And the annual celebration of the Mexican holiday on May 5 had heightened the tension.

On that day in 2010, the principal told several white students they must remove their shirts featuring an American flag or go home.

They went home but, with the help of their parents, later sued the school officials for violating their rights under the 1st Amendment.

Federal judges in San Francisco rejected their free-speech claim on the grounds that the school officials had a reasonable fear that their shirts could provoke fighting or a disruption of the school's activities.

Lawyers for the parents had urged the justices to hear an appeal, and they won the backing of prominent 1st Amendment advocates. They cited a ruling from the Vietnam War era which said young people do not lose their constitutional rights when they go to school. But the justices have steered clear of school free-speech disputes in recent years.

In turning down the Dariano case Monday, the court as usual did not explain its reasoning for refusing to hear an appeal. But the court's action is likely to be read as strengthening the authority of school officials to suppress the display of clothing or other symbols that might trigger trouble.

Twitter: @DavidGSavage

ALSO:

Opinion L.A.: Mexican flag, si; American flag, no?

Op-Ed: Cinco de Mayo -- a truly Mexican American holiday 

Supreme Court revives Notre Dame's challenge to contraceptive policy

Attorneys battle over who will argue for gay marriage in Supreme Court

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Merger of frequent flier programs brings good and bad news

Written By kolimtiga on Minggu, 29 Maret 2015 | 23.50

The merger of American Airlines and US Airways took another key step forward this weekend as the nation's largest carrier began to fold the loyalty reward programs for the two airlines together.

Once the loyalty programs are merged, nearly 100 million travelers will be members of American's AAdvantage program, making it the largest airline rewards program in the world.

The good news for American's AAdvantage members is that the number of accumulated miles needed to book a flight hasn't changed, said Brian Karimzad, founder of the rewards program monitoring site, MileCards.com.

Also, the merger will do away with some fees previously charged to US Airways Dividend Miles members, such as a $25 to $50 processing fee to book an award.

The bad news for US Airways fliers is that some destinations require more miles under AAdvantage than they did under the Dividend Miles program, Karimzad said.

For example, it costs about 5,000 miles more to book a flight to Hawaii from the mainland under the AAdvantage program than it did under the US Airways frequent flier program.

To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Merger of frequent flier programs brings good and bad news

The merger of American Airlines and US Airways took another key step forward this weekend as the nation's largest carrier began to fold the loyalty reward programs for the two airlines together.

Once the loyalty programs are merged, nearly 100 million travelers will be members of American's AAdvantage program, making it the largest airline rewards program in the world.

The good news for American's AAdvantage members is that the number of accumulated miles needed to book a flight hasn't changed, said Brian Karimzad, founder of the rewards program monitoring site, MileCards.com.

Also, the merger will do away with some fees previously charged to US Airways Dividend Miles members, such as a $25 to $50 processing fee to book an award.

The bad news for US Airways fliers is that some destinations require more miles under AAdvantage than they did under the Dividend Miles program, Karimzad said.

For example, it costs about 5,000 miles more to book a flight to Hawaii from the mainland under the AAdvantage program than it did under the US Airways frequent flier program.

To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

More strikes on Yemen as Arab leaders agree to form joint military force

Arab leaders agreed Sunday to the creation of a joint military force.

The heads of the Arab League countries said the unit would be made up of volunteers and could be called up when a member state was facing a security or safety threat.

The agreement was made on the second day of the Arab Summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, where the crisis in Yemen was high on the agenda.

Saudi-led airstrikes targeted key military sites and weapons depots for a fourth day in an effort to drive out Shiite Houthi rebels who are advancing through the country.

The Arab League's statement, read out by Secretary-General Nabil Arabi, said that the coalition operation would "continue until Houthi militias withdraw and submit their weapons."

He added that the challenges faced by Arab nations are "obvious and unquestionable" and intervention in Yemen became necessary after all peaceful avenues were exhausted.

The creation of the unified force, announced by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, has long been an ambition of the 22-member Arab League, but one that has proved unobtainable.

"The Arab leaders have decided to agree to the principle of a joint Arab military force," he said.

Sisi said a "high-level" team would be created to look at the structure of the force.

Citing Egyptian military and security officials, the Associated Press reported that the proposed force would comprise 40,000 elite troops and have its headquarters in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, or Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.

Arabi said that joining would be optional for Arab League members and Iraq has already voiced its concerns about the idea, according to Saudi-owned Al Aribiya television.

As airstrikes in Yemen entered their fourth day Sunday, they continued to target key military sites and weapons supplies aimed at debilitating the Houthis.

Ahmed Hassan Asiri, a spokesman for the Saudi-led mission, said in his Sunday briefing that the militias had been driven out of contested air bases and all jet fighters in the country had been destroyed.

Scud missiles have also been targeted in the last 24 hours and many had been eliminated, he said.

But Asiri warned that there remains a chance the Houthis are still hiding some missiles and Saudi-led forces were working hard to locate them.

Despite the heavy bombardment, Houthis were continuing to make advances toward the southern Saudi Arabia borders and the southern coastal city of Aden.

Asiri said the militias were deliberately targeting residential areas to confuse people into thinking that their homes were being targeted by the coalition carrying out airstrikes.

Medical sources in Al-Houdiedah said the airstrikes that targeted the airport there had damaged some nearby houses and injured 30 people, mostly women and children. Some were in critical condition.

Saudi tanks were also seen mobilizing toward the Yemen border, heightening fears that a ground invasion could be imminent.

The strikes are supported by embattled President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who was forced to flee the coastal city of Aden several days ago.

He says the militias are backed by Iran, a claim the Islamic Republic denies, and told the Arab Summit on Saturday that the strikes must continue until the rebels are defeated.

That call was backed by Saudi Arabia's King Salman who said the operation will continue "until it achieves its goals for the Yemen people to achieve security."

Special correspondent Boyle reported from Cairo and Alaya'a from Sana, Yemen. Special correspondent Amro Hassan in Berlin contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

8:34 a.m.: This article was updated with Saudi military briefing, other details.

5:26 a.m.: This article was updated with new details throughout.

This article was first posted at 3:49 a.m.


23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Merger of frequent flier programs brings good and bad news

The merger of American Airlines and US Airways took another key step forward this weekend as the nation's largest carrier began to fold the loyalty reward programs for the two airlines together.

Once the loyalty programs are merged, nearly 100 million travelers will be members of American's AAdvantage program, making it the largest airline rewards program in the world.

The good news for American's AAdvantage members is that the number of accumulated miles needed to book a flight hasn't changed, said Brian Karimzad, founder of the rewards program monitoring site, MileCards.com.

Also, the merger will do away with some fees previously charged to US Airways Dividend Miles members, such as a $25 to $50 processing fee to book an award.

The bad news for US Airways fliers is that some destinations require more miles under AAdvantage than they did under the Dividend Miles program, Karimzad said.

For example, it costs about 5,000 miles more to book a flight to Hawaii from the mainland under the AAdvantage program than it did under the US Airways frequent flier program.

To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Merger of frequent flier programs brings good and bad news

The merger of American Airlines and US Airways took another key step forward this weekend as the nation's largest carrier began to fold the loyalty reward programs for the two airlines together.

Once the loyalty programs are merged, nearly 100 million travelers will be members of American's AAdvantage program, making it the largest airline rewards program in the world.

The good news for American's AAdvantage members is that the number of accumulated miles needed to book a flight hasn't changed, said Brian Karimzad, founder of the rewards program monitoring site, MileCards.com.

Also, the merger will do away with some fees previously charged to US Airways Dividend Miles members, such as a $25 to $50 processing fee to book an award.

The bad news for US Airways fliers is that some destinations require more miles under AAdvantage than they did under the Dividend Miles program, Karimzad said.

For example, it costs about 5,000 miles more to book a flight to Hawaii from the mainland under the AAdvantage program than it did under the US Airways frequent flier program.

To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

West L.A. neighborhood to be recognized as 'Sawtelle Japantown'

Written By kolimtiga on Sabtu, 28 Maret 2015 | 23.51

Life along Sawtelle Boulevard circa 1960 was a lark for 7-year-old Sandy Toshiyuki.

If she wanted a hamburger or tacos at the nine-stool Ketchie's stand or a loaf of Weber's bread from Safe & Save Market, she would simply say: "Charge it." On the first of every month, her father, the local druggist, would walk up and down the boulevard settling her accounts.

"It was that kind of Mayberry existence," said Toshiyuki, now 62 and a resident of Venice.

Ketchie's was demolished by an errant pickup truck nearly 30 years ago, and the tranquil small-town ambiance has similarly been obliterated in the West Los Angeles Sawtelle neighborhood, where Japanese Americans banded together before and after World War II, with years in internment camps in between.

Known informally as Little Osaka, to distinguish it from downtown Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, the enclave has evolved into an eclectic haven for hipsters and devotees of Pan-Asian food. Commercial rents are soaring. Artsy and tech-oriented Millennials — including Michelle Phan, the style blogger and YouTube sensation — have taken up residence in contemporary apartments that have risen in place of nurseries and bungalows.

Fearing that Sawtelle was rapidly losing its identity, a grassroots community group last year began pushing the city to acknowledge the area's distinctive history. At noon Sunday, Councilman Mike Bonin will join leaders of three venerable Japanese churches and the Japanese Institute of Sawtelle to unveil signs marking the area as "Sawtelle Japantown."

"The thing that got this effort going was the past," said Randy Sakamoto, 68, a Sawtelle historian. "People were forgetting there was a Japantown and how strong it was. I told them: 'We're at least going to put up a sign so people in the future will know it was here.'"

Japanese immigrants began settling in the early 1900s in Sawtelle (or soh te ru, as they called it), where barley and celery were farmed in open fields. Restrictive covenants and overt resistance by white residents prevented them from living in communities such as Westwood, Bel-Air and Brentwood —though many labored in the gardens of those areas' well-to-do white inhabitants.

Sawtelle's Japanese Americans were among those the U.S. government sent to Manzanar and other internment camps during World War II. After the war, many returned to re-establish Sawtelle as a thriving, self-contained district with its own fish markets, noodle shops and auto-repair garages.

"People formed a community here and developed a credit union system to raise capital for buying property," said Jack Fujimoto, a longtime community leader. "It was kind of like a commune."

Midori Yamaguchi opened an eponymous variety store in the 1950s, and her son Henry, 84, recalls helping amid the shelves filled with fabric, calligraphy brushes, rice paper and sweets. Youngsters would hang out in the candy aisles while playing hooky from Japanese language and culture classes at the institute.

A few years ago, Yamaguchi sold the property, at the corner of Sawtelle and Mississippi Avenue, to Manny Salzman, who came to West Los Angeles as a teenager from Uruguay and began frequenting Sawtelle's restaurants and shops in the mid-1980s.

Salzman built nine roomy apartment units atop several commercial spaces and named the complex Yamaguchi in honor of the beloved store and family.

Two trendy eateries — ROC Kitchen (dumplings and other Taiwanese specialties) and Seoul Sausage Co. (Korean fusion) — are among his ground-floor tenants.

Nearby, David Owen Taylor is developing two 3,000-square-foot custom homes that he'll call the Osaka Residences and hopes to sell for about $2 million each. One inquiry about the property, he said, came from a brother and sister who sold their Brentwood compound and "want to be where the action is — sushi and noodle shops."

The area's transformation has been a mixed blessing. Side streets back up with traffic on busy days. Parking is at a premium.

Amid the changes, Ronald Kageyama, 52, is holding firm to some of the old ways. He lives next door to and works at FK Nursery on Colby Avenue, founded by his grandfather in 1936.

"I like that it's progressing," he said of his lifelong neighborhood, "but I think it's sad that a lot of the old feel is gone."

martha.groves@latimes.com

Twitter: @MarthaGroves

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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'The Royals': Behaving badly never looked so good

From the Clampett's Beverly Hills mansion to Lord and Lady Grantham's pile o' bricks, aka Downton Abbey, television has inspired house envy in viewers pretty much since its invention. The newest entry, however, puts them all in their place: the behemoth baroque estate inhabited by the modern British monarchs of "The Royals," the first scripted series by E!, already renewed for a second season.

While the show's plotlines may raise eyebrows with salacious shenanigans depicting badly behaved princes and princesses (the network emphasized that it's not based on England's actual Windsor family), the setting couldn't be more proper. Serving as the family castle is Blenheim Palace, the opulent 300-year-old Oxfordshire mansion where Winston Churchill was born. Occupied in real life by the Dukes of Marlborough, Blenheim has exorbitant upkeep costs, so like many vast, privately-owned European estates, it throws open its doors to the paying public for private events (weddings and parties) and as a film location (the next James Bond film has been shooting there of late).

"Really, the bottom line for this royal family was to make their surroundings as rich as possible, so Blenheim was an obvious choice," says production designer Max Gottlieb. "Colors like red and gold play so well on film and there's quite a lot of it there."

Gottlieb says a starting point for creating the show's look came from something his brother once told him. "He was at Buckingham Palace on a tour and there was a particular corridor that a guard pointed to and said, 'If you went down that hall, I'd have to shoot you.' For 'The Royals,' I absolutely want to take viewers down that hall."

While the exterior and more palatial areas of Blenheim are authentic (other locations include Greenwich Naval College and Wilton Hall, a grand country house in Salisbury), the private rooms of the series' sovereignties were created on soundstages near London. Princess Eleanor's bed chamber reflects her edgy, rebellious nature with antiques that haven't been treated reverentially. "We took that element of her personality into account — her disregard for the palace's vintage pieces means that she'd shove them off to the side and put in some new, modern pieces."

Most of the furnishings come from prop houses, with some pieces bought at vintage stores and the Kempton Park Market, a popular outdoor shopping extravaganza that takes place each Thursday in the town of Sunbury. The wallpaper in Eleanor's room, a platinum and matte design purchased from a prop house, was given a hazy blue wash. Heir to the throne — and mostly good guy (think Prince Harry) — Prince Liam's University room sports rich, red walls with a mix of modern and Tudor furnishings. Lecherous Prince Cyrus' quarters are all paneled wood walls with chesterfield sofas and an always-blazing fireplace. "It's very much like an old-style English gentleman's club," says Gottlieb. "Cyrus is a camp character with a vicious edge, so it's all a bit too much in a sense."

The palace's head of security oversees the goings on from an office in a clock tower, also re-created in a studio. "There's an actual clock tower at Blenheim, so we used that as an inspiration," says Gottlieb. "We try to make every detail as real as possible, so his office walls appear to be chiltern stone, a very lovely honey-colored type that you can only find here [in England]. Of course, it's actually made in a plaster shop and painted by my team!"

The series' sets are so luxe that it prompts the question: Do the actual royals live this well? Says Gottlieb, "I believe that the actual bedrooms in Buckingham Palace are smaller, but since I've never been down THAT corridor, I don't really know!"

Note: If you want to give your own digs the "Royals" treatment, Sothebys and online auction houses like 1st Dibs can provide authentic, period furnishings, while Horchow has several quirkier takes on the look (gold lion-footed stool with leopard print upholstery, anyone?).

'The Royals' airs at 10 p.m. Sundays on E!.

home@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimeshome

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

'The Royals': Behaving badly never looked so good

From the Clampett's Beverly Hills mansion to Lord and Lady Grantham's pile o' bricks, aka Downton Abbey, television has inspired house envy in viewers pretty much since its invention. The newest entry, however, puts them all in their place: the behemoth baroque estate inhabited by the modern British monarchs of "The Royals," the first scripted series by E!, already renewed for a second season.

While the show's plotlines may raise eyebrows with salacious shenanigans depicting badly behaved princes and princesses (the network emphasized that it's not based on England's actual Windsor family), the setting couldn't be more proper. Serving as the family castle is Blenheim Palace, the opulent 300-year-old Oxfordshire mansion where Winston Churchill was born. Occupied in real life by the Dukes of Marlborough, Blenheim has exorbitant upkeep costs, so like many vast, privately-owned European estates, it throws open its doors to the paying public for private events (weddings and parties) and as a film location (the next James Bond film has been shooting there of late).

"Really, the bottom line for this royal family was to make their surroundings as rich as possible, so Blenheim was an obvious choice," says production designer Max Gottlieb. "Colors like red and gold play so well on film and there's quite a lot of it there."

Gottlieb says a starting point for creating the show's look came from something his brother once told him. "He was at Buckingham Palace on a tour and there was a particular corridor that a guard pointed to and said, 'If you went down that hall, I'd have to shoot you.' For 'The Royals,' I absolutely want to take viewers down that hall."

While the exterior and more palatial areas of Blenheim are authentic (other locations include Greenwich Naval College and Wilton Hall, a grand country house in Salisbury), the private rooms of the series' sovereignties were created on soundstages near London. Princess Eleanor's bed chamber reflects her edgy, rebellious nature with antiques that haven't been treated reverentially. "We took that element of her personality into account — her disregard for the palace's vintage pieces means that she'd shove them off to the side and put in some new, modern pieces."

Most of the furnishings come from prop houses, with some pieces bought at vintage stores and the Kempton Park Market, a popular outdoor shopping extravaganza that takes place each Thursday in the town of Sunbury. The wallpaper in Eleanor's room, a platinum and matte design purchased from a prop house, was given a hazy blue wash. Heir to the throne — and mostly good guy (think Prince Harry) — Prince Liam's University room sports rich, red walls with a mix of modern and Tudor furnishings. Lecherous Prince Cyrus' quarters are all paneled wood walls with chesterfield sofas and an always-blazing fireplace. "It's very much like an old-style English gentleman's club," says Gottlieb. "Cyrus is a camp character with a vicious edge, so it's all a bit too much in a sense."

The palace's head of security oversees the goings on from an office in a clock tower, also re-created in a studio. "There's an actual clock tower at Blenheim, so we used that as an inspiration," says Gottlieb. "We try to make every detail as real as possible, so his office walls appear to be chiltern stone, a very lovely honey-colored type that you can only find here [in England]. Of course, it's actually made in a plaster shop and painted by my team!"

The series' sets are so luxe that it prompts the question: Do the actual royals live this well? Says Gottlieb, "I believe that the actual bedrooms in Buckingham Palace are smaller, but since I've never been down THAT corridor, I don't really know!"

Note: If you want to give your own digs the "Royals" treatment, Sothebys and online auction houses like 1st Dibs can provide authentic, period furnishings, while Horchow has several quirkier takes on the look (gold lion-footed stool with leopard print upholstery, anyone?).

'The Royals' airs at 10 p.m. Sundays on E!.

home@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimeshome

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

'The Royals': Behaving badly never looked so good

From the Clampett's Beverly Hills mansion to Lord and Lady Grantham's pile o' bricks, aka Downton Abbey, television has inspired house envy in viewers pretty much since its invention. The newest entry, however, puts them all in their place: the behemoth baroque estate inhabited by the modern British monarchs of "The Royals," the first scripted series by E!, already renewed for a second season.

While the show's plotlines may raise eyebrows with salacious shenanigans depicting badly behaved princes and princesses (the network emphasized that it's not based on England's actual Windsor family), the setting couldn't be more proper. Serving as the family castle is Blenheim Palace, the opulent 300-year-old Oxfordshire mansion where Winston Churchill was born. Occupied in real life by the Dukes of Marlborough, Blenheim has exorbitant upkeep costs, so like many vast, privately-owned European estates, it throws open its doors to the paying public for private events (weddings and parties) and as a film location (the next James Bond film has been shooting there of late).

"Really, the bottom line for this royal family was to make their surroundings as rich as possible, so Blenheim was an obvious choice," says production designer Max Gottlieb. "Colors like red and gold play so well on film and there's quite a lot of it there."

Gottlieb says a starting point for creating the show's look came from something his brother once told him. "He was at Buckingham Palace on a tour and there was a particular corridor that a guard pointed to and said, 'If you went down that hall, I'd have to shoot you.' For 'The Royals,' I absolutely want to take viewers down that hall."

While the exterior and more palatial areas of Blenheim are authentic (other locations include Greenwich Naval College and Wilton Hall, a grand country house in Salisbury), the private rooms of the series' sovereignties were created on soundstages near London. Princess Eleanor's bed chamber reflects her edgy, rebellious nature with antiques that haven't been treated reverentially. "We took that element of her personality into account — her disregard for the palace's vintage pieces means that she'd shove them off to the side and put in some new, modern pieces."

Most of the furnishings come from prop houses, with some pieces bought at vintage stores and the Kempton Park Market, a popular outdoor shopping extravaganza that takes place each Thursday in the town of Sunbury. The wallpaper in Eleanor's room, a platinum and matte design purchased from a prop house, was given a hazy blue wash. Heir to the throne — and mostly good guy (think Prince Harry) — Prince Liam's University room sports rich, red walls with a mix of modern and Tudor furnishings. Lecherous Prince Cyrus' quarters are all paneled wood walls with chesterfield sofas and an always-blazing fireplace. "It's very much like an old-style English gentleman's club," says Gottlieb. "Cyrus is a camp character with a vicious edge, so it's all a bit too much in a sense."

The palace's head of security oversees the goings on from an office in a clock tower, also re-created in a studio. "There's an actual clock tower at Blenheim, so we used that as an inspiration," says Gottlieb. "We try to make every detail as real as possible, so his office walls appear to be chiltern stone, a very lovely honey-colored type that you can only find here [in England]. Of course, it's actually made in a plaster shop and painted by my team!"

The series' sets are so luxe that it prompts the question: Do the actual royals live this well? Says Gottlieb, "I believe that the actual bedrooms in Buckingham Palace are smaller, but since I've never been down THAT corridor, I don't really know!"

Note: If you want to give your own digs the "Royals" treatment, Sothebys and online auction houses like 1st Dibs can provide authentic, period furnishings, while Horchow has several quirkier takes on the look (gold lion-footed stool with leopard print upholstery, anyone?).

'The Royals' airs at 10 p.m. Sundays on E!.

home@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimeshome

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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West L.A. neighborhood to be recognized as 'Sawtelle Japantown'

Life along Sawtelle Boulevard circa 1960 was a lark for 7-year-old Sandy Toshiyuki.

If she wanted a hamburger or tacos at the nine-stool Ketchie's stand or a loaf of Weber's bread from Safe & Save Market, she would simply say: "Charge it." On the first of every month, her father, the local druggist, would walk up and down the boulevard settling her accounts.

"It was that kind of Mayberry existence," said Toshiyuki, now 62 and a resident of Venice.

Ketchie's was demolished by an errant pickup truck nearly 30 years ago, and the tranquil small-town ambiance has similarly been obliterated in the West Los Angeles Sawtelle neighborhood, where Japanese Americans banded together before and after World War II, with years in internment camps in between.

Known informally as Little Osaka, to distinguish it from downtown Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, the enclave has evolved into an eclectic haven for hipsters and devotees of Pan-Asian food. Commercial rents are soaring. Artsy and tech-oriented Millennials — including Michelle Phan, the style blogger and YouTube sensation — have taken up residence in contemporary apartments that have risen in place of nurseries and bungalows.

Fearing that Sawtelle was rapidly losing its identity, a grassroots community group last year began pushing the city to acknowledge the area's distinctive history. At noon Sunday, Councilman Mike Bonin will join leaders of three venerable Japanese churches and the Japanese Institute of Sawtelle to unveil signs marking the area as "Sawtelle Japantown."

"The thing that got this effort going was the past," said Randy Sakamoto, 68, a Sawtelle historian. "People were forgetting there was a Japantown and how strong it was. I told them: 'We're at least going to put up a sign so people in the future will know it was here.'"

Japanese immigrants began settling in the early 1900s in Sawtelle (or soh te ru, as they called it), where barley and celery were farmed in open fields. Restrictive covenants and overt resistance by white residents prevented them from living in communities such as Westwood, Bel-Air and Brentwood —though many labored in the gardens of those areas' well-to-do white inhabitants.

Sawtelle's Japanese Americans were among those the U.S. government sent to Manzanar and other internment camps during World War II. After the war, many returned to re-establish Sawtelle as a thriving, self-contained district with its own fish markets, noodle shops and auto-repair garages.

"People formed a community here and developed a credit union system to raise capital for buying property," said Jack Fujimoto, a longtime community leader. "It was kind of like a commune."

Midori Yamaguchi opened an eponymous variety store in the 1950s, and her son Henry, 84, recalls helping amid the shelves filled with fabric, calligraphy brushes, rice paper and sweets. Youngsters would hang out in the candy aisles while playing hooky from Japanese language and culture classes at the institute.

A few years ago, Yamaguchi sold the property, at the corner of Sawtelle and Mississippi Avenue, to Manny Salzman, who came to West Los Angeles as a teenager from Uruguay and began frequenting Sawtelle's restaurants and shops in the mid-1980s.

Salzman built nine roomy apartment units atop several commercial spaces and named the complex Yamaguchi in honor of the beloved store and family.

Two trendy eateries — ROC Kitchen (dumplings and other Taiwanese specialties) and Seoul Sausage Co. (Korean fusion) — are among his ground-floor tenants.

Nearby, David Owen Taylor is developing two 3,000-square-foot custom homes that he'll call the Osaka Residences and hopes to sell for about $2 million each. One inquiry about the property, he said, came from a brother and sister who sold their Brentwood compound and "want to be where the action is — sushi and noodle shops."

The area's transformation has been a mixed blessing. Side streets back up with traffic on busy days. Parking is at a premium.

Amid the changes, Ronald Kageyama, 52, is holding firm to some of the old ways. He lives next door to and works at FK Nursery on Colby Avenue, founded by his grandfather in 1936.

"I like that it's progressing," he said of his lifelong neighborhood, "but I think it's sad that a lot of the old feel is gone."

martha.groves@latimes.com

Twitter: @MarthaGroves

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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Stock indexes are slightly higher at end of a tough week

Written By kolimtiga on Jumat, 27 Maret 2015 | 23.50

 U.S. stocks were flat to slightly higher Friday, giving investors a break after four straight days of losses. The price of oil slipped following a big gain the day before, when traders worried that the escalating conflict in the Middle East would affect the flow of crude from the region.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average was unchanged at 17,681 as of 12:10 p.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added two points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,058 and the Nasdaq composite rose 12 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,875.

OIL PRICES: Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.38 to $50.03 a barrel in New York. That comes after five straight gains including a 4.5 percent jump on Thursday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, was down $1.40 at $57.77 a barrel in London.

MIDDLE EAST: The turmoil in Yemen is a key focus for investors, particularly in oil markets. The tensions have erupted into a regional conflict, with Saudi Arabia and its allies bombing Shiite rebels allied with Iran, while Egyptian officials said a ground assault will follow the airstrikes. Iran denounced the Saudi-led air campaign, calling it "a dangerous step."

The military action has turned impoverished and chaotic Yemen into a new front in the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

CHEMISTRY: Dow Chemical rose $2.06, or 4.4 percent, to $48.49 after saying it would spin off a part of its business into another company, Olin Corp. Olin's shares jumped $5.99, or 22 percent, to $33.17 on the news.

US GDP IN FOCUS: U.S. economic growth slowed in the fourth quarter and likely cooled even further in the first quarter as severe winter weather took its toll.

The Commerce Department said gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the October-December period, unchanged from its previous estimate a month ago. The economy surged at a 5 percent rate in the third quarter.

CURRENCIES: The euro fell 0.1 percent to $1.0869. The dollar rose 0.1 percent against the Japanese currency to 119.11 yen.

BONDS: U.S. Government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 1.97 percent from 1.99 percent late Thursday.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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With Whipclip, TV viewers can create and share clips of favorite moments

Written By kolimtiga on Kamis, 26 Maret 2015 | 23.50

Justin Bieber jokes will flood the Internet Monday night when Comedy Central premieres a "roast" of the pop singer.

Unfortunately, most of the chatter will come via text even though sarcasm, vocal cadence and other keys to making a one-liner punch are best captured on video. It's just that videos of TV programming are tough to find on the fly. 

But a new mobile app from one of Los Angeles' most successful technology entrepreneurs has set out to speed things up by striking deals with a number of television channels, including Comedy Central, to let viewers "clip" TV moments after they air.

Whipclip announced Thursday that the "Roast of Justin Bieber" would mark its first big partnership to see whether people desire the ability as much as Richard Rosenblatt.

The former chairman of MySpace and the co-founder of Internet firms Demand Media and iMall, Rosenblatt was watching the NFL playoffs last year at his home in Brentwood when Seattle Seahawks defensive back Richard Sherman launched into a famous rant. To send a video of the scene to his family, Rosenblatt's best option was waiting for an illegal copy to surface on YouTube.

The next day, Rosenblatt left a job as senior advisor at merchant bank The Raine Group to start Whipclip with Ori Birnbaum.

The app has a searchable library of about 100 shows from networks such as ABC, CBS and FOX as well as 10,000 music videos from Universal Music Group and Sony Music. That means users can clip both live and previously aired content. How long of a clip a user can make is determined by the content owner. For the roast, it's 30 seconds. Those content owners also have the ability to take down user-generated clips they don't like; a "panic button" was a key concession in getting access to live feeds.

The clips can be shared through text message, email, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest and eventually Snapchat and others. Rosenblatt said features like trending videos also might draw people to the app to see what's on TV or what they missed the night before.

The start-up plans to generate revenue by charging content owners to "promote" a clip to advertise programming.

Whipclip has raised $20 million in venture capital from a start-studded list of investors including talent agency William Morris Endeavor, talent manager Scooter Braun, Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber and entertainment industry advisor Gordon Crawford.

Chat with me on Twitter @peard33

 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

With Whipclip, TV viewers can create and share clips of favorite moments

Justin Bieber jokes will flood the Internet Monday night when Comedy Central premieres a "roast" of the pop singer.

Unfortunately, most of the chatter will come via text even though sarcasm, vocal cadence and other keys to making a one-liner punch are best captured on video. It's just that videos of TV programming are tough to find on the fly. 

But a new mobile app from one of Los Angeles' most successful technology entrepreneurs has set out to speed things up by striking deals with a number of television channels, including Comedy Central, to let viewers "clip" TV moments after they air.

Whipclip announced Thursday that the "Roast of Justin Bieber" would mark its first big partnership to see whether people desire the ability as much as Richard Rosenblatt.

The former chairman of MySpace and the co-founder of Internet firms Demand Media and iMall, Rosenblatt was watching the NFL playoffs last year at his home in Brentwood when Seattle Seahawks defensive back Richard Sherman launched into a famous rant. To send a video of the scene to his family, Rosenblatt's best option was waiting for an illegal copy to surface on YouTube.

The next day, Rosenblatt left a job as senior advisor at merchant bank The Raine Group to start Whipclip with Ori Birnbaum.

The app has a searchable library of about 100 shows from networks such as ABC, CBS and FOX as well as 10,000 music videos from Universal Music Group and Sony Music. That means users can clip both live and previously aired content. How long of a clip a user can make is determined by the content owner. For the roast, it's 30 seconds. Those content owners also have the ability to take down user-generated clips they don't like; a "panic button" was a key concession in getting access to live feeds.

The clips can be shared through text message, email, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest and eventually Snapchat and others. Rosenblatt said features like trending videos also might draw people to the app to see what's on TV or what they missed the night before.

The start-up plans to generate revenue by charging content owners to "promote" a clip to advertise programming.

Whipclip has raised $20 million in venture capital from a start-studded list of investors including talent agency William Morris Endeavor, talent manager Scooter Braun, Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber and entertainment industry advisor Gordon Crawford.

Chat with me on Twitter @peard33

 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

With Whipclip, TV viewers can create and share clips of favorite moments

Justin Bieber jokes will flood the Internet Monday night when Comedy Central premieres a "roast" of the pop singer.

Unfortunately, most of the chatter will come via text even though sarcasm, vocal cadence and other keys to making a one-liner punch are best captured on video. It's just that videos of TV programming are tough to find on the fly. 

But a new mobile app from one of Los Angeles' most successful technology entrepreneurs has set out to speed things up by striking deals with a number of television channels, including Comedy Central, to let viewers "clip" TV moments after they air.

Whipclip announced Thursday that the "Roast of Justin Bieber" would mark its first big partnership to see whether people desire the ability as much as Richard Rosenblatt.

The former chairman of MySpace and the co-founder of Internet firms Demand Media and iMall, Rosenblatt was watching the NFL playoffs last year at his home in Brentwood when Seattle Seahawks defensive back Richard Sherman launched into a famous rant. To send a video of the scene to his family, Rosenblatt's best option was waiting for an illegal copy to surface on YouTube.

The next day, Rosenblatt left a job as senior advisor at merchant bank The Raine Group to start Whipclip with Ori Birnbaum.

The app has a searchable library of about 100 shows from networks such as ABC, CBS and FOX as well as 10,000 music videos from Universal Music Group and Sony Music. That means users can clip both live and previously aired content. How long of a clip a user can make is determined by the content owner. For the roast, it's 30 seconds. Those content owners also have the ability to take down user-generated clips they don't like; a "panic button" was a key concession in getting access to live feeds.

The clips can be shared through text message, email, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest and eventually Snapchat and others. Rosenblatt said features like trending videos also might draw people to the app to see what's on TV or what they missed the night before.

The start-up plans to generate revenue by charging content owners to "promote" a clip to advertise programming.

Whipclip has raised $20 million in venture capital from a start-studded list of investors including talent agency William Morris Endeavor, talent manager Scooter Braun, Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber and entertainment industry advisor Gordon Crawford.

Chat with me on Twitter @peard33

 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Downton Abbey' to end run after sixth season

The time has come to bid adieu to the Crawley family and their mostly humble servants as "Downton Abbey" prepares to end its run after its upcoming sixth season.

After months of rumors, Carnival Films and Masterpiece on PBS, the co-producers of the show, along with ITV, the show's British network home, confirmed the news Thursday morning.

The drama, about dignified aristocrats and their servants, made its U.S. debut on PBS in 2011 and is largely credited with reigniting American fascination with British culture.

During it's run, it has racked up 51 Emmy nominations and has earned kudos as the top PBS drama of all time, and held its own in the ratings against its Sunday night competition. And it has often drawn heat for its roll-out process -- with British viewers getting first rights in the fall before the show makes its way to the U.S. in winter.

"Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years," said Gareth Neame, Carnival's managing director and executive producer of "Downton Abbey." "

He continued: "Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and 'Downton' is no exception. We wanted to close the doors of 'Downton Abbey' when it felt right and natural for the story lines to come together and when the show was still being enjoyed so much by its fans. We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up…"

The drama wrapped its fifth season -- stateside -- on March 1. Production for the sixth season will get underway later this year.

I tweet about TV (and other things) here: @villarrealy

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Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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Why the Getty is giving Cal State Long Beach's 1960s sculpture park a fresh look

In 1965, a university professor at Cal State Long Beach teamed up with an Israeli artist to organize a symposium that paired artists with industry (such as the local Bethlehem Steel works) to create a series of monumental pieces that would reside on the university's campus. Nine artists participated, producing massive abstract pieces made from concrete, earth and steel -- works that dot the campus to this day. 

But half a century is a long time, and some of the pieces are starting to show their age with peeling paint, structural issues and problems with moisture (from the sea air and lawn watering). To mark the 50th anniversary of the sculpture symposium, the University Art Museum has teamed up with the Getty Conservation Institute to survey and help conserve the collection. 

"For us, it provides an opportunity to have practical case studies that exemplify the challenges of working with outdoor sculptures," said Rachel Rivenc, a scientist at the institute. "These are quite different to objects than you find in a museum: There's the scale and the fact that they're outdoors and prone to damage from sun and rain and the ocean, which is very close."

The partnership also resurrects an interesting slice of Southern California art history -- one that sits at the intersection of art, technology and global politics.

The California International Sculpture Symposium was co-organized by Cal State Long Beach sculpture professor Kenneth Glenn and Israeli artist Kosso Eloul (best known for producing the eternal-flame sculpture at the Yad Vashem memorial in Israel). It was part of an international series of symposiums launched in Europe in 1959, and was the first held in the U.S.

"It was this response to the war and to the politics of the era," said Brian Trimble, the University Art Museum's interim director. "It was artists wanting to show that we as human beings could work together and be civil and not engage in destructive wars."

The symposium, which lasted for 12 weeks, brought together artists from Japan, Poland, the Netherlands, Canada, Israel and the U.S., among other places. Artists were then connected to local industry representatives, who allowed the artists to dip into the region's cutting-edge industrial technology. (Interestingly, one of the curators on the project was Maurice Tuchman, who would go on to found the Art and Technology program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the late 1960s.)

Piotr Kowalksi of Poland, for example, worked with North American Aviation Corp. in Orange County on a sculpture that was created using underwater explosion technology. The bulbous form of his resulting piece, titled "Now," looks like an explosion that's been frozen in stainless steel.

Likewise, Canadian sculptor Robert Murray teamed up with the Bethlehem Steel plant in San Pedro to produce a playing card arrangement of steel panels that pay tribute to Abstract Expressionist sculptor David Smith.

His sculpture, "Duet (Homage to David Smith)," is one of the first to be treated by conservators at the Getty. Over time, the piece has suffered damage and changed colors as the epoxy paints that Murray used, though revolutionary in the 1960s, turned out to be unstable. Once a light, peachy orange, the sculpture has grown darker over the years as subsequent paint jobs have tried to correct problems with fading.

"We took a cross-section of the paint and it has 14 different layers," Rivenc said. "Our goal has been to get as close as possible to the original light orange, but with a stable paint system. It's been an interesting case. We've looked at archival photographs and studied a range of other clues."

Interestingly, the placement of the final pieces around the 320-acre campus involved another important Southern California figure: architect Edward Killingsworth.

"Killingsworth was one of the Case Study architects," Trimble said. "He sited all of the works around the campus to tie in with the Modernist architecture. And he had a relationship to Arts & Architecture magazine, so two years after the symposium, the magazine featured the artists and the works."

The combined effort, Rivenc said, "was very pioneering, very forward-thinking."

It also served as the basis of the University Art Museum's effort to commission and collect monumental outdoor sculpture and showcase it on the campus. The university now has almost two dozen works in its collection -- including an architectural piece by renowned installation artist Robert Irwin.

The museum is to mark the anniversary of the symposium with a related exhibition in September, featuring prints by the original artists. In addition, the institution is collaborating with the Getty Conservation Institute and the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach to host a three-day conference in October about creating and conserving art in public places, titled "Far Sited."

The Cal State Long Beach Sculpture Park can be viewed during daytime hours seven days a week. See the downloadable PDF map for a self-guided tour. 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, csulb.edu/explore/museum

Find me on Twitter @cmonstah

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Supreme Court conservatives skeptical about EPA mercury rule

Written By kolimtiga on Rabu, 25 Maret 2015 | 23.50

The Supreme Court's conservative justices questioned the high cost of a new Obama administration environmental regulation Wednesday, raising the possibility they could block the strict emissions rule for coal-fired power plants.

Chief Justice John Roberts said it "raises a red flag" when the Environmental Protection Agency says the rule would cost about $9.6 billion a year, but save only about $6 million a year by removing toxic mercury from the air.

"Your position is you don't need to consider costs," a skeptical Justice Anthony Kennedy told a lawyer defending the new rule.

The justices sounded closely split on whether to uphold or reject the EPA's "mercury and air toxics" rule. It was adopted in 2012 and was due to take full effect this year.

Lawyers for the power industry and the state of Michigan urged the high court to block the rule because the EPA didn't conduct a cost-benefit analysis.

Justice Antonin Scalia called the failure to consider costs "silly" and not the normal way to regulate.

But the court's liberal justices defended the EPA, noting that neither the law itself nor past decisions told regulators they should weigh the costs against the harm to the public's health.

U.S. Solicitor Gen. Donald Verrilli said the EPA was told by Congress to protect the public against toxic pollutants like mercury and arsenic. The law "doesn't mention costs," he said.

But even liberal Justice Stephen Breyer voiced skepticism at one point. "Nine billion dollars is a lot of money," he said. It "begins to look irrational" if costs are not considered.

On Twitter: @DavidGSavage

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

9:22p.m.: The post was updated to reflect justices' comments during arguments.


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Supreme Court conservatives skeptical about EPA mercury rule

The Supreme Court's conservative justices questioned the high cost of a new Obama administration environmental regulation Wednesday, raising the possibility they could block the strict emissions rule for coal-fired power plants.

Chief Justice John Roberts said it "raises a red flag" when the Environmental Protection Agency says the rule would cost about $9.6 billion a year, but save only about $6 million a year by removing toxic mercury from the air.

"Your position is you don't need to consider costs," a skeptical Justice Anthony Kennedy told a lawyer defending the new rule.

The justices sounded closely split on whether to uphold or reject the EPA's "mercury and air toxics" rule. It was adopted in 2012 and was due to take full effect this year.

Lawyers for the power industry and the state of Michigan urged the high court to block the rule because the EPA didn't conduct a cost-benefit analysis.

Justice Antonin Scalia called the failure to consider costs "silly" and not the normal way to regulate.

But the court's liberal justices defended the EPA, noting that neither the law itself nor past decisions told regulators they should weigh the costs against the harm to the public's health.

U.S. Solicitor Gen. Donald Verrilli said the EPA was told by Congress to protect the public against toxic pollutants like mercury and arsenic. The law "doesn't mention costs," he said.

But even liberal Justice Stephen Breyer voiced skepticism at one point. "Nine billion dollars is a lot of money," he said. It "begins to look irrational" if costs are not considered.

On Twitter: @DavidGSavage

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

9:22p.m.: The post was updated to reflect justices' comments during arguments.


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Kitchen tip: Save those Parmigiano rinds (and a recipe)

Next time you think you've grated all the cheese you can from a wedge of Parmigiano, don't discard the rind.

Freeze it.

The rinds are excellent when you want to add extra flavor and richness to stews and soups, and many slow-simmered dishes. Just take a rind out of the freezer and steep it in the pot with whatever you're cooking. It'll add just a little more love to the dish.

Cooking is fun — at least it should be! No matter how long you've been in the kitchen, there is always something new to learn, whether it's a simple twist on an old technique, or a handy tip to save time and energy. In this series of short videos, I demonstrate a variety of kitchen tips, ranging from how to hold a chef's knife for maximum control to using a spoon to peel fresh ginger. If you have any gadgets, kitchen tips or questions you'd like me to explore, leave a comment or shoot me an email at noelle.carter@latimes.

SPRING VEGETABLES IN PARMESAN BROTH WITH GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI

Total time: 2 hours | Serves 6

    2 cups chicken broth
    2 cups water
    2 cloves garlic, sliced
    1 1/2 to 2 ounces rinds from Parmigiano-Reggiano
    Herb trimmings
    Salt
    2 dozen asparagus tips
    1/2 pound sugar snap peas
    Goat cheese ravioli (recipe below)
    2 tablespoons chopped chives
    1 ounce freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. In a soup pot, simmer the chicken broth, water, garlic, Parmesan rinds and herb trimmings until aromatic and flavorful, about 90 minutes. Strain and return to the soup pot.

2. In a wide pot, blanch the asparagus tips in plenty of rapidly boiling, generously salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Use a wire skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Cut the sugar snaps in half on a bias, then blanch them in the same way, stopping the cooking with the ice water bath and holding in a separate bowl. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.)

4. When ready to serve, warm 6 shallow pasta bowls. Bring the Parmesan broth to a simmer, taste and correct seasoning with salt to taste.

5. Bring a large, wide pot of water to a boil. Cook the goat cheese ravioli or fresh pasta squares until the pasta is tender, 3 or 4 minutes. Divide the ravioli among the serving bowls. Warm the asparagus tips in the same pot of water and divide them among the pasta bowls. Warm the sugar snaps in the same pot of water and divide them among the pasta bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with chives and then ladle over roughly one-third cup of hot Parmesan broth. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pass the remainder at the table.

Each serving, without ravioli: calories 41; protein 2 grams; carbohydrates 4 grams; fiber 1 gram; fat 2 grams; saturated fat 1 gram; cholesterol 4 mg; sugar 2 grams; sodium 319 mg.

GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI

Total time: 50 minutes, plus relaxing time for the dough | Serves 6

    1 1/2 cups flour
    2 eggs, plus more if needed
    12 ounces fresh goat cheese
    5 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
    1 egg yolk
    6 tablespoons minced chives
    3 tablespoons chopped parsley
    Salt to taste
    1 beaten egg white

1. In a food processor, mix the flour and 2 eggs until it just comes together to form a rough dough. If that doesn't happen, add a little more beaten egg, a teaspoon or so at a time. Remove the dough to a floured work surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the fresh goat cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg yolk, chives and parsley. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

3. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the remainder covered in plastic. Flatten the dough with your hand and then pass it through the widest setting of a pasta machine, folding the dough into thirds after the first time, and repeating until you make a thick sheet approximately 5 inches wide. Continue putting the dough through each setting, finishing with the second-to-thinnest setting; the sheet should be 6 1/2 to 7 inches wide. Lightly dust the machine or dough with flour if it sticks. The pasta will be very thin and almost translucent. Lay the pasta sheet on a floured surface.

4. To fill the pasta, place a small (2-teaspoon) mound of filling at 3-inch intervals, 1 inch from the edge, along the length of the pasta. Use a pastry brush or your finger to paint lightly around each mound with beaten egg white.

5. Fold the pasta over the filling lengthwise, making sure there's at least one-half inch from the edge of the fold to the beginning of the filling. Press down along the back edge with the side of your thumb to seal. Press between each mound of filling to seal the sides, then press along the front to make the final seal.

6. With a ravioli cutter, cut around the pasta to form a decorative edge, then cut between the filling, always front to back, to form the ravioli. Place the pasta on a baking sheet lined with a cotton dish towel sprinkled with flour. Repeat with the remaining pasta. If you make these early in the day, turn them over from time to time so they dry evenly.

Each serving: calories 318; protein 17 grams; carbohydrates 25 grams; fiber 1 gram; fat 16 grams; saturated fat 10 grams; cholesterol 122 mg; sugar 1 gram; sodium 271 mg.

Love cooking as much as I do? Follow me @noellecarter

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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Two Americans among dead in Germanwings crash; leaders visit site

Two American passengers were among 150 people who died when an Airbus A320 jet went down in the French Alps, officials said Wednesday, as leaders of three nations visited the crash site.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed the deaths of the two Americans and said officials were continuing to review records "to determine whether any other U.S. citizens might have been on board the flight."

Although there was no official confirmation of the Americans' identities, a Virginia man said his wife and daughter were aboard Germanwings Flight 9525 when it crashed Tuesday, the Washington Post reported.

Raymond Selke, of Nokesville, Va., told the paper his wife, Yvonne Selke, and daughter, Emily Selke, were among those killed.

A full list of the identities of those aboard the doomed Germanwings Flight 9525 that crashed Tuesday en route from Barcelona, Spain, to Duesseldorf, Germany, has not yet been released by Lufthansa, parent company of the low-cost airline.

However, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said travelers from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Britain, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Morocco and elsewhere were believed to be among the dead, who included 70 German and 49 Spanish passengers.

"The establishing of the nationality of some of the passengers is proving difficult. We are in contact with a total of 123 families," said Thomas Winkelmann, CEO of Germanwings. 

Valls added that he hoped identification of the victims and the release of their names would be done "as soon as possible," but that this information had to come from Lufthansa, which would not release it until all victims' families have been notified.

In Paris, the French air accident investigation bureau opened and began to examine the damaged cockpit voice recorder that was found in the wreckage of the plane in a rocky ravine in the southern French Alps. The recorder is "damaged, but readable," French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told journalists outside his ministry in Paris.

Investigators are hoping the recordings will solve the mystery of why the crew failed to respond to air traffic control radio calls and sent out no distress signal as the aircraft descended rapidly before slamming into a mountain around 11 a.m. There was radio silence from the plane for at least eight minutes as it dropped before finally hitting the mountain at an estimated speed of 435 mph.

The French air accident investigation bureau planned to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon, but Cazeneuve admitted the inquiry would take weeks.

Cazeneuve added that while terrorism was not at the top of the list of possible causes of the crash, nothing had been ruled out.

French President Francois Hollande, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in the crash zone Wednesday. Hollande and Merkel had made a detour to fly over the ravine littered with the wreckage of the Airbus before arriving at the mountain village of Seyne-les-Alpes. Rajoy arrived by road.

They met gendarmes, mountain rescue teams, members of the Red Cross and others involved in the search for bodies and evidence to explain the cause of the crash. French air accident investigators have been joined by their German counterparts at the scene. They were still searching for the second black box, the flight data recorder, on Wednesday afternoon.

The aircraft appears to have exploded into small pieces of debris that are scattered over roughly five acres of barren rocky mountain. An accident investigation team from Paris also was at the scene, added Cazeneuve, the French interior minister.

Searchers also face the grim task of combing the mountain for the remains of the six crew members and 144 passengers, who included two babies and 16 German schoolchildren returning from an exchange trip to Spain with their two teachers. Staff from the Joseph-Koenig Gymnasium school at Haltern-am-See, not far from Duesseldorf, held a special assembly in their memory and staff at Germanwings' headquarters in Cologne organized a silent tribute to the dead.

Special correspondent Willsher reported from Paris. 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

9:32 a.m.: This post has been updated with State Department confirmation of the deaths of two Americans.

9 a.m.: This story has been updated with reports that two Americans from Virginia were among those killed in the crash.

7:55 a.m.: This story has been updated with the three national leaders visiting the crash site and other details.

5:05 a.m.: This story was updated to include the most recent passenger figures. 

4:57 a.m.: This story was updated to include a statement from CEO of Germanwings Thomas Winkelmann. 

4:47 a.m.: This story was updated to include information about passengers who were killed on the Germanwings plane, in addition to the the ongoing search and recovery efforts. 

This story was first published at 1:39 a.m.


23.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two Americans among dead in Germanwings crash; leaders visit site

Two American passengers were among 150 people who died when an Airbus A320 jet went down in the French Alps, officials said Wednesday, as leaders of three nations visited the crash site.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed the deaths of the two Americans and said officials were continuing to review records "to determine whether any other U.S. citizens might have been on board the flight."

Although there was no official confirmation of the Americans' identities, a Virginia man said his wife and daughter were aboard Germanwings Flight 9525 when it crashed Tuesday, the Washington Post reported.

Raymond Selke, of Nokesville, Va., told the paper his wife, Yvonne Selke, and daughter, Emily Selke, were among those killed.

A full list of the identities of those aboard the doomed Germanwings Flight 9525 that crashed Tuesday en route from Barcelona, Spain, to Duesseldorf, Germany, has not yet been released by Lufthansa, parent company of the low-cost airline.

However, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said travelers from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Britain, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Morocco and elsewhere were believed to be among the dead, who included 70 German and 49 Spanish passengers.

"The establishing of the nationality of some of the passengers is proving difficult. We are in contact with a total of 123 families," said Thomas Winkelmann, CEO of Germanwings. 

Valls added that he hoped identification of the victims and the release of their names would be done "as soon as possible," but that this information had to come from Lufthansa, which would not release it until all victims' families have been notified.

In Paris, the French air accident investigation bureau opened and began to examine the damaged cockpit voice recorder that was found in the wreckage of the plane in a rocky ravine in the southern French Alps. The recorder is "damaged, but readable," French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told journalists outside his ministry in Paris.

Investigators are hoping the recordings will solve the mystery of why the crew failed to respond to air traffic control radio calls and sent out no distress signal as the aircraft descended rapidly before slamming into a mountain around 11 a.m. There was radio silence from the plane for at least eight minutes as it dropped before finally hitting the mountain at an estimated speed of 435 mph.

The French air accident investigation bureau planned to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon, but Cazeneuve admitted the inquiry would take weeks.

Cazeneuve added that while terrorism was not at the top of the list of possible causes of the crash, nothing had been ruled out.

French President Francois Hollande, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in the crash zone Wednesday. Hollande and Merkel had made a detour to fly over the ravine littered with the wreckage of the Airbus before arriving at the mountain village of Seyne-les-Alpes. Rajoy arrived by road.

They met gendarmes, mountain rescue teams, members of the Red Cross and others involved in the search for bodies and evidence to explain the cause of the crash. French air accident investigators have been joined by their German counterparts at the scene. They were still searching for the second black box, the flight data recorder, on Wednesday afternoon.

The aircraft appears to have exploded into small pieces of debris that are scattered over roughly five acres of barren rocky mountain. An accident investigation team from Paris also was at the scene, added Cazeneuve, the French interior minister.

Searchers also face the grim task of combing the mountain for the remains of the six crew members and 144 passengers, who included two babies and 16 German schoolchildren returning from an exchange trip to Spain with their two teachers. Staff from the Joseph-Koenig Gymnasium school at Haltern-am-See, not far from Duesseldorf, held a special assembly in their memory and staff at Germanwings' headquarters in Cologne organized a silent tribute to the dead.

Special correspondent Willsher reported from Paris. 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

9:32 a.m.: This post has been updated with State Department confirmation of the deaths of two Americans.

9 a.m.: This story has been updated with reports that two Americans from Virginia were among those killed in the crash.

7:55 a.m.: This story has been updated with the three national leaders visiting the crash site and other details.

5:05 a.m.: This story was updated to include the most recent passenger figures. 

4:57 a.m.: This story was updated to include a statement from CEO of Germanwings Thomas Winkelmann. 

4:47 a.m.: This story was updated to include information about passengers who were killed on the Germanwings plane, in addition to the the ongoing search and recovery efforts. 

This story was first published at 1:39 a.m.


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TV ratings: James Corden's 'Late Late Show' off to solid start

Written By kolimtiga on Selasa, 24 Maret 2015 | 23.50

CBS' "The Late Late Show With James Corden" kicked off overnight with laughs and solid ratings.

The show scored an overnight rating of 1.4/5 in 56 metered markets, according to early Nielsen numbers. That is up 27% from the same night last year. It is also a 17% increase over "The Late Late Show" season average (1.2/4) when it was hosted by Craig Ferguson.

Ferguson, the former Scottish-born host of CBS' late night show, told his studio audience in April 2014 that he would leave in December when his contract expired.

CBS announced in September that Corden would replace Ferguson. Popular overseas, the British writer, actor and comedian won a BAFTA for his performance in the sitcom "Gavin and Stacey," which he also co-wrote and co-produced, and took home a Tony in 2012 for his role in the play "One Man, Two Guvnors."

Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis were the host's first guests Monday night. Kunis, who recently starred in "Jupiter Ascending," seemingly confirmed to Corden that she had married Ashton Kutcher.  

Corden came in 17% ahead of NBC's "Late Night With Seth Meyers," which posted a rating of 1.2. "The Late Late Show" also topped NBC's "Last Call with Carson Daly," which earned a 0.8 overnight rating.

But the two Jimmys -- Jimmy Fallon's "Tonight Show" on NBC and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on ABC -- still dominated late night, each nabbing an overnight rating of 2.4/6.

"What it is on March 23 is not what it will be, and we can't beat ourselves up too much about it," Corden told The Times in a recent interview. "Because the very nature of these shows is that they're bred on familiarity and they're bred on connection, and it's impossible to have that straightaway."

Detailed viewership numbers for the show will be released later Tuesday.

For more news on the entertainment industry, follow me @saba_h

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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James Corden and the new niceness of late night

When I'm worried about something and I can't sleep, I count those nice guys instead of sheep, and I fall aaaasssleeeepp counting those niiiiiiice guys.

James Corden made his debut as the new host of CBS' "The Late, Late Show" on Monday night and it was an undeniably endearing, energetic and star-studded hour of television. Tom Hanks sang and danced his way through a retrospective of his film career (four words: "Joe and the Volcano"). A pre-taped segment featured the likes of Eddie Redmayne, Chris Rock, Lena Dunham, and Joe McHale longing for the gig as well as Jay Leno putting Corden through TV host boot camp.

Meryl Streep showed up just long enough to probably win an Emmy and there was even a moment of what passes for breaking news in certain circles: Under Corden's relentless coaxing, Mila Kunis revealed she and Ashton Kutcher have indeed married! Or maybe she didn't! But it was adorable!

Because Corden's adorable. Honestly, he is. At 36, the British actor is a genuine award-winning star of stage (Tony award for "One Man, Two Guvnors,"), screen (the Oscar-nominated "Into the Woods") and television (BAFTA for the BBC's "Gavin and Stacy"). Yet he could not have seemed more guy-next door accessible if he arrived with a tray of homemade cake pops.

Corden has a kindly face, a lively manner and the laugh of a child. During the first few minutes of Monday's "The Late, Late Show," he politely introduced himself as a married man with a son who turned 4 just the day before and a 16-week old daughter. Then he introduced us to his parents, who were just as adorable as he, and choked up a bit as he thanked them for for "everything."

And when the show was over, Corden sang a little song about wanting to be a comfort in those times "when the only light in the lonely night is the glow from your TV."

Just a lovely, lovely guy.

Which raises the question: What the heck is going on with late-night television? When did everyone get so darn nice? First Jimmy Fallon, all earnest admiration, game-nights and guitar, took over "The Tonight Show," managing to make Jay Leno look stern by comparison. Now here's this delightfully amiable Englishman taking over for the highly irreverent and often irregular Craig Ferguson.

As if hoping for a little Ricky Gervaisian edginess, Corden did establish the first late-night on-set bar (proudly sponsored by Bud Lite, which cannot be going down well with the British audience) but it was strictly for show, at least on Monday; the only drinking was done from the logoed coffee mugs.

Not that we want Corden lurching about or slurring his way in and out of occasional croons a la Dean Martin (well, maybe we do, because Deano was the bomb, but that's just not going to happen.)

Still, there's something a bit alarming in this slide into solicitous congeniality and child-like wonder in the after-hours, a blurring of night with day. Even Corden's set seemed more afternoon than post-midnight. Having waved away the safety of a desk, Corden situated himself to the left of his guests, in this case Kunis and Hanks, who come out together to congregate on a chat-friendly couch. Comparisons can, and have, been made to fellow Brit Graham Norton, but there's also a suspiciously Oprah-like feel as well, an equality that invites a pillow-talk intimacy that is not the traditional late-night way.

Traditionally, there's more of an edge to after-hours talk shows, be it Leno's monologue or David Letterman's prickly persona. Johnny Carson, who remains the industry standard, has been described in many ways though "nice" rarely make the top 10 adjectives. He was always gracious but there was a mystique to his performance, a distance that could border on aloofness. When he genuinely broke down it was an event, because "The Tonight Show" was very much his; the guests were guests, not cohabitants.

Now, the trend seems to be away from the observe and comment ownership of the stand-up comedian towards a host who is both multitalented — Fallon, Corden and Jimmy Kimmel are accomplished musicians — and more accessible.

Still a star in his own right, yes, but also an Everyman (literally; since the departure of Chelsea Handler from E!, late-night belongs exclusively to men) who can join in the skits yet still exude rapturous enthusiasm for the accomplishments of his guests.

A star who is happy to seem star struck, night after night.

One assumes that Stephen Colbert, who takes over for Letterman in September, is planning to brace a bit more than soothe. Though without his consciously asinine conservative persona it might be difficult — by all accounts Colbert too is a genuinely lovely guy.

Honestly, where will it end?

This alarming rise of nice is not Corden's doing, of course, though it may be why he's here. Indeed, many minutes of his first show were devoted to what seemed to be perfectly sincere astonishment at his getting "The Late, Late Show" gig. First he did literally that — express astonishment — and then, in another pre-taped segment, he offered a sweetly funny explanation clearly designed to answer any critics of his qualifications (and stare down Fallon's equally star-studded opener).

Apparently Corden got the job the old-fashioned way. According to the skit, CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves put a golden ticket in a Wonka Bar. Cue scenes of Simon Cowell, Joe Hale, George Lopez, Katie Couric, Billy Crystal, Redmayne, Rock and Dunham tearing through chocolate bars until Corden picks up one dropped by — who else? — Handler and finds himself the winner.

At CBS, Leno and others, including Allison Janney, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Shia Labeouf put him through talk show boot camp (a "Whiplash" reference was the night's funniest moment, while a waterboarding scene did test the limits of nice).

Where at first he fails, he eventually succeeds, and arrives at his opening night as confident as the little blue engine: He can do this job.

If the angst seems a bit disingenuous from a man who has already won a Tony and a BAFTA and held his own onscreen with Streep, well, it's almost impossible not to wish him well and hope he's right.

Because he just seems so nice.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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James Corden and the new niceness of late night

When I'm worried about something and I can't sleep, I count those nice guys instead of sheep, and I fall aaaasssleeeepp counting those niiiiiiice guys.

James Corden made his debut as the new host of CBS' "The Late, Late Show" on Monday night and it was an undeniably endearing, energetic and star-studded hour of television. Tom Hanks sang and danced his way through a retrospective of his film career (four words: "Joe and the Volcano"). A pre-taped segment featured the likes of Eddie Redmayne, Chris Rock, Lena Dunham, and Joe McHale longing for the gig as well as Jay Leno putting Corden through TV host boot camp.

Meryl Streep showed up just long enough to probably win an Emmy and there was even a moment of what passes for breaking news in certain circles: Under Corden's relentless coaxing, Mila Kunis revealed she and Ashton Kutcher have indeed married! Or maybe she didn't! But it was adorable!

Because Corden's adorable. Honestly, he is. At 36, the British actor is a genuine award-winning star of stage (Tony award for "One Man, Two Guvnors,"), screen (the Oscar-nominated "Into the Woods") and television (BAFTA for the BBC's "Gavin and Stacy"). Yet he could not have seemed more guy-next door accessible if he arrived with a tray of homemade cake pops.

Corden has a kindly face, a lively manner and the laugh of a child. During the first few minutes of Monday's "The Late, Late Show," he politely introduced himself as a married man with a son who turned 4 just the day before and a 16-week old daughter. Then he introduced us to his parents, who were just as adorable as he, and choked up a bit as he thanked them for for "everything."

And when the show was over, Corden sang a little song about wanting to be a comfort in those times "when the only light in the lonely night is the glow from your TV."

Just a lovely, lovely guy.

Which raises the question: What the heck is going on with late-night television? When did everyone get so darn nice? First Jimmy Fallon, all earnest admiration, game-nights and guitar, took over "The Tonight Show," managing to make Jay Leno look stern by comparison. Now here's this delightfully amiable Englishman taking over for the highly irreverent and often irregular Craig Ferguson.

As if hoping for a little Ricky Gervaisian edginess, Corden did establish the first late-night on-set bar (proudly sponsored by Bud Lite, which cannot be going down well with the British audience) but it was strictly for show, at least on Monday; the only drinking was done from the logoed coffee mugs.

Not that we want Corden lurching about or slurring his way in and out of occasional croons a la Dean Martin (well, maybe we do, because Deano was the bomb, but that's just not going to happen.)

Still, there's something a bit alarming in this slide into solicitous congeniality and child-like wonder in the after-hours, a blurring of night with day. Even Corden's set seemed more afternoon than post-midnight. Having waved away the safety of a desk, Corden situated himself to the left of his guests, in this case Kunis and Hanks, who come out together to congregate on a chat-friendly couch. Comparisons can, and have, been made to fellow Brit Graham Norton, but there's also a suspiciously Oprah-like feel as well, an equality that invites a pillow-talk intimacy that is not the traditional late-night way.

Traditionally, there's more of an edge to after-hours talk shows, be it Leno's monologue or David Letterman's prickly persona. Johnny Carson, who remains the industry standard, has been described in many ways though "nice" rarely make the top 10 adjectives. He was always gracious but there was a mystique to his performance, a distance that could border on aloofness. When he genuinely broke down it was an event, because "The Tonight Show" was very much his; the guests were guests, not cohabitants.

Now, the trend seems to be away from the observe and comment ownership of the stand-up comedian towards a host who is both multitalented — Fallon, Corden and Jimmy Kimmel are accomplished musicians — and more accessible.

Still a star in his own right, yes, but also an Everyman (literally; since the departure of Chelsea Handler from E!, late-night belongs exclusively to men) who can join in the skits yet still exude rapturous enthusiasm for the accomplishments of his guests.

A star who is happy to seem star struck, night after night.

One assumes that Stephen Colbert, who takes over for Letterman in September, is planning to brace a bit more than soothe. Though without his consciously asinine conservative persona it might be difficult — by all accounts Colbert too is a genuinely lovely guy.

Honestly, where will it end?

This alarming rise of nice is not Corden's doing, of course, though it may be why he's here. Indeed, many minutes of his first show were devoted to what seemed to be perfectly sincere astonishment at his getting "The Late, Late Show" gig. First he did literally that — express astonishment — and then, in another pre-taped segment, he offered a sweetly funny explanation clearly designed to answer any critics of his qualifications (and stare down Fallon's equally star-studded opener).

Apparently Corden got the job the old-fashioned way. According to the skit, CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves put a golden ticket in a Wonka Bar. Cue scenes of Simon Cowell, Joe Hale, George Lopez, Katie Couric, Billy Crystal, Redmayne, Rock and Dunham tearing through chocolate bars until Corden picks up one dropped by — who else? — Handler and finds himself the winner.

At CBS, Leno and others, including Allison Janney, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Shia Labeouf put him through talk show boot camp (a "Whiplash" reference was the night's funniest moment, while a waterboarding scene did test the limits of nice).

Where at first he fails, he eventually succeeds, and arrives at his opening night as confident as the little blue engine: He can do this job.

If the angst seems a bit disingenuous from a man who has already won a Tony and a BAFTA and held his own onscreen with Streep, well, it's almost impossible not to wish him well and hope he's right.

Because he just seems so nice.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
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