CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 19, 2011 | By Ann Simmons and Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times
Environmental officials reassured residents Saturday that radiation in Southern California's air remained below levels of concern as workers in Japan struggled to contain releases from a stricken nuclear power plant. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials also sought to debunk an e-mail hoax that predicted acid rain would result from Japan's nuclear accident. The fraudulent e-mail was issued in the fire agency's name and claimed that radioactive particles released in Japan could mix with rain and "cause burns, alopecia or even cancer.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 11, 2011 | By Corina Knoll, Los Angeles Times
As Bell's newly elected council members considered slashing city services and laying off workers, the man accused of stealing millions of dollars from the working-class community ? leaving it in financial disarray ? was ordered to stand trial. Former City Administrator Robert Rizzo showed little emotion Thursday as he was reprimanded by Judge Henry J. Hall for leading officials in one of L.A. County's poorest cities in a "massive ongoing conspiracy to enrich themselves. " Hall ordered Rizzo, his onetime assistant Angela Spaccia, recently recalled Mayor Oscar Hernandez and former Councilman Luis Artiga to appear in Los Angeles County Superior Court on March 24 to face charges of misappropriation of public funds, making unauthorized loans, conflict of interest and falsification of public records.
NATIONAL
March 2, 2011 | By James Oliphant, Washington Bureau
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), who runs the House committee charged with weeding out government abuses, fired his press spokesman Tuesday after it was revealed that the aide had been sharing private correspondence from reporters with a New York Times writer. The actions marked the end of a colorful pairing between the press-savvy Issa, chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and his outspoken spokesman, Kurt Bardella, who was known in some Washington circles as "Mini-Me.
NEWS
March 1, 2011 | By James Oliphant, Washington Bureau
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), who runs the House committee charged with weeding out government abuses, fired his press spokesman Tuesday after it was revealed that the aide had been sharing private correspondence from reporters with a New York Times writer. The swift-moving drama marked the end of a colorful pairing between the press-savvy Issa, chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and his outspoken front man, Kurt Bardella, who was known in some Washington circles as "Mini-me.
NATIONAL
February 19, 2011 | By Katherine Skiba, Washington Bureau
A preacher's son and perpetual optimist, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker pledged a "return to frugality in government" during his inauguration speech in Madison. The boyishly handsome Republican spoke from the flag-draped rotunda in the state Capitol, where a band sounded "On, Wisconsin" and well-wishers burst into applause. Six weeks later, boisterous protesters have seized the same real estate, comparing the energetic, 43-year-old governor to Adolf Hitler and Darth Vader. There's even talk of a recall election.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
February 17, 2011 | By Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times
Mel Gibson's entertainment attorney was summoned to a meeting 11 months ago in Century City and presented with two troubling pieces of information: The movie star's estranged girlfriend had secretly recorded him in a series of vulgar, racist rants, and she wanted $20 million. Attorneys for the woman, Oksana Grigorieva, a Russian musician and the mother of Gibson's daughter, played excerpts of the recordings. Notes made by the actor's attorney suggested her lawyers wanted to resolve the couple's differences confidentially and keep the tapes private: "Never should become public.