Circle

Charles Rosen, the renowned pianist and prolific writer whose award-winning book "The Classical Style" has been read by music students around the world, has died. He was 85. The New York-born musician had been suffering from cancer and died Sunday evening at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, according to his London representative, Owen White International Artist Management. In his long career, Rosen combined a concert pianist's virtuosity with a well-rounded cultural erudition that made him a forceful and sometimes feared presence in New York's intellectual circles.

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review Proposition 8, California's same-sex marriage ban. On Sunday, gay and lesbian couples lined up to get married as Washington state's new law approving same-sex unions went into effect. And today, many religious conservatives are asking whether the USA is going the way of ancient Rome. The Supreme Court will be deciding whether to uphold the appeals court ruling that struck down Proposition 8. In addition, the justices will be deliberating on the constitutionality of provisions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that deny legal benefits to same-sex couples who are married.

If you're looking for an intriguing book for an NFL fan, check out the recently released “Coaching Confidential” by Gary Myers, which examines the high-pressure lives of coaches in the league. Through interviews with more than 20 head coaches, Myers provides a behind-the-scenes look at the teams and personalities of the nation's No. 1 sports league. Among the anecdotes: --Denver quarterback John Elway offering in 1993 to pay Mike Shanahan $300,000 out of his own pocket to come back and coach the Broncos.

The New York Film Critics Circle's selection of "Zero Dark Thirty" as the year's best picture moves that film and its director, Kathryn Bigelow, whom the group also awarded, to the head of a pack of well-reviewed contenders at the beginning of an awards season that culminates Feb. 24 with the Oscars. "Zero Dark Thirty," the action thriller chronicling the decade-long hunt for and eventual killing of Osama bin Laden, has emerged as a favorite among reviewers and film writers since its initial screenings Thanksgiving weekend.

"Zero Dark Thirty," director Kathryn Bigelow's chronicle of the decade-long search for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was named best film of the year Monday by the New York Film Critics Circle. Bigelow also won best director for the picture, her first film since the 2009 Iraq war drama, "The Hurt Locker," while Greig Fraser won for cinematography. Both "The Hurt Locker" and Bigelow took top honors from the organization three years ago. "Zero Dark Thirty" is set to open in theaters on Dec. 19 AWARDS: Oscars 2013 Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's epic "Lincoln," and Sally Field was named supporting actress as the 16th's president's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.

Homework for boxing fans: Write down the name Leo Santa Cruz. Then start looking for his next fight. He is a Mexican-born resident of Los Angeles who, Saturday night at Staples Center, remained unbeaten in 23 fights. He beat a tough and game Victor Zaleta of El Paso in a bantamweight brawl that featured punchers appearing to carry considerable more weight and danger than the normal 118 pounders. Santa Cruz won with a straight right to the face in the eighth round. By then, Zaleta had taken quite a beating and seemed to go down, not just with the right to the face, but under the totality of punches.

BOSTON - When Mitt Romney decided to tackle a universal healthcare system for Massachusetts, he wasn't motivated by a campaign promise or a heart-wrenching story. He was inspired instead by an intriguing set of numbers. During his first two years as governor of Massachusetts, Romney had spent much of his time slashing the state's budget deficit, a tedious exercise that left him with little flexibility. With his political legacy at stake and a presidential campaign looming, he zeroed in on healthcare, noting that it was consuming a third of the state's $23-billion budget, with $1 billion directed each year to cover the costs for 460,000 state residents who were uninsured.

Manny Pacquiao fans can circle April 20 on their calendar for his next fight after his fourth bout against Juan Manuel Marquez on Dec. 8. However, speculating that an April opponent will be Floyd Mayweather Jr. is extremely premature, Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said Thursday. "Nobody's even talked to Mayweather," Arum said. "If Mayweather wants to fight, great. Manny will fight anybody. " The Manila Bulletin, a leading newspaper in the Philippines, where Pacquiao is a congressman, reported the April 20 date.

Peter Chernin is poised to turn his boutique television and movie production company into a global powerhouse. The former News Corp. president is in preliminary discussions to merge his independent entertainment company with two prominent reality television production firms, Endemol and Core Media Group, according to people familiar with the discussions. Endemol is one of the biggest producers of reality TV around the globe. Its credits include CBS' hit “Big Brother” and ABC's “Wipe Out.” It has recently segued into scripted programming, producing the drama “Hell on Wheels” for AMC. Core Media, formerly known as CKX, owns 19 Entertainment, which produces "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" for Fox. CKX also owns the licensing rights to the names and images of Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali and operates Graceland, the last home of Elvis Presley and a tourist attraction drawing more than half a million visitors annually.

The last time Indy-style race cars swept around the two-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana was seven years ago, and it was a race to remember. Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan came to the finish line side by side at more than 200 mph. Franchitti then edged ahead to win as Franchitti's wife, actress Ashley Judd, burst into joyful tears on pit road. But as they celebrated, the race already had been dropped from the next year's schedule, in no small part because the 92,000-seat facility — then called California Speedway — was less than half full that October day in 2005.