Foundation

In 1986, lawmakers decided the problem of illegal immigration had to be dealt with. More than 3 million people were living in the United States after crossing the border illegally or overstaying their visas. A new law signed by President Ronald Reagan gave legal status and a path to citizenship to most of those unauthorized residents - helping many secure a slice of the American dream but also giving fuel to critics who sought to turn "amnesty" into a pejorative. Less than 30 years later, the number of immigrants living in the country illegally is thought to have nearly quadrupled, and the freighted baggage of amnesty looms over new efforts to reform the nation's immigration laws.

WASHINGTON -- A conservative think tank said Monday that immigration reform would be costly to taxpayers -- the latest in a growing, but contradictory, body of research on the costs and benefits of providing a path to citizenship for those living in this country without legal status. The Heritage Foundation study swiftly became ammunition for Republicans who are arguing against the sweeping immigration reform measure proposed by a bipartisan group of senators. Heritage said the immigrants would become a drain on taxpayers because they would receive $6.3 trillion more in government benefits over their lifetimes than they would pay in taxes.

Vietnam veteran John Otte did his best to forget the war. He got married, raised two sons and made a career working at credit unions. But as Otte neared retirement, memories of combat flooded back. Starting in 2005, he filed a series of claims with Veterans Affairs for disability compensation, contending that many of his health problems stemmed from the war. The VA agreed, and now the 65-year-old with two Purple Hearts receives $1,900 a month for post-traumatic stress disorder and diabetes - and for having shrapnel scars on his arms.

The last time they tried this, it didn't go so well. The last time the Lakers attempted to win a playoff series without Kobe Bryant, they had home-court advantage, a future Hall of Famer, and absolutely no chance. The year was 1996, and after lurching through the regular season into a first-round, best-of-five series against the Houston Rockets, the unsteady Lakers collapsed into a dysfunctional heap. After they played one of their worst games of the season in losing the series opener at the Forum, Magic Johnson, in his brief foray between retirements, challenged coach Del Harris.

The 131-character dispatch arrived mournfully within two hours of sunrise May 4, at 7:58 a.m. to be exact. "When u give Give GIVE and they take Take TAKE at wat point do u draw a line in the sand?" Kobe Bryant wrote on his Twitter feed, adding the hashtags "hurt beyond measure," "gave me no warning," and finally, "love?" Bryant's career with the Lakers has often been pushed aside by internal family matters, the recent court battle over his memorabilia the latest in a string of cheerless events.

Asthma sufferers have long relied on inhalers for relief from wheezing or coughing attacks. But as of Dec. 31, Primatene Mist -- the only available over-the-counter asthma inhaler -- was taken off shelves because of its adverse effect on the environment. Other inhalers are available, but these require a doctor's prescription. Some people with asthma aren't happy about the change, but lung doctors and asthma specialists agree that Primatene Mist wasn't the best option for patients anyway.

Just as he's about to end a week-long trip to the African nation of Chad as a UNICEF ambassador, Lakers forward Pau Gasol plans on getting involved this year with another civic project. "I'm finalizing the details so I can have my own foundation," Gasol told The Times on Thursday in a phone interview. "I'll continue to have the relationships I have with UNICEF and other organizations. But I will also have my own foundation that I will be very involved with because I want to continue to have a big impact and make a big difference in different fields, particularly with children.

Badly matched foundation can look downright scary: too gray, too goopy, too mask-like. This is an area where one size does not fit all. And now the diversifying face of America, the rise of high-definition image technology and a photo-happy population has translated to consumer demand for foundation that's natural looking, full of skin-healthy ingredients and color-customized for the fairest through the deepest complexions. Beauty companies, rising up to meet the demand, have steadily expanded their offerings - and it seems to be paying off. According to market researcher NPD Group, in the 12-month period ending in October, total U.S. foundation sales generated $965 million, up 7% in dollars from the same time last year.

Thank you for publishing a correction on Sept. 18 stating that the Atlanta-based Children's Wish Foundation is not the organization charged with fraud and misleading advertising in California. It would be very difficult to describe what has happened since The Times misidentified us in a story regarding fraud charges made by California's attorney general. The organization actually charged is the Children's Wish Fund, based in Carson, Calif. Members of our staff, supporters and our accountants in Washington have all received calls demanding answers to the fraud charges, accusing us of not fulfilling our obligations to very ill children and threatening not to support our organization.

Performing artists in music, dance and theater and arts organizations with budgets of as much as $150,000 may apply for grants and fellowships from the California Community Foundation's annual Brody Arts Fund Awards. Fellowships of up to $5,000 will go to individuals, and organizations will receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Ten awards will be made in each category. Applications, which must be submitted by March 19, are available by calling the foundation at (213) 413-4042.

For 15 days the lobbying was fierce by groups hoping to win a piece of the $1 million being given away by an organization looking for ways to make Los Angeles a better place by 2050. Each of the 279 public service groups angling for the 10 $100,000 grants offered by the Goldhirsh Foundation begged supporters to go online and vote for their application. As the noon Wednesday deadline for voting arrived, the foundation's running "leader board" listed the vote rankings in the competition's eight categories.

We agreed to meet at the Kettle in Manhattan Beach. I arrived early so I could remove the knives from the table. I had never met Shannon Mora, but she's the wife of UCLA football Coach Jim Mora so I could only imagine. First thing I wanted to know: "Are you forced to put everything in the form of a question at home?" "No, I comment, make statements and question," Shannon said. "He doesn't allow me to do that," I explained. "But you're not sleeping with him," she said, and I guess I had just never given any thought that someone did. We laughed because we share something in common: We both like Jim Mora.

Two more men died from bacterial meningitis late last year, according to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The organization said Tuesday that a 30-year-old Los Angeles man and a 30-year-old San Diego student both died in December from the disease. Public health officials have not said whether the cases were the same strain as the one that caused the death of a 33-year-old West Hollywood lawyer last weekend. State officials said they were investigating the additional deaths and would report their findings if bacterial meningitis is confirmed.

Reacting to the death of a young West Hollywood lawyer over the weekend and growing concerns about the possible spread of bacterial meningitis, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation gave hundreds of free vaccinations to visitors who showed up Monday at its facilities. The organization, which initially ordered about 1,000 doses and plans to acquire more, said it would continue providing the shots as needed. Brett Shaad, 33, contracted meningitis and died several days later after attending a gathering of gay men in Palm Springs.

Responding to fears of a deadly meningitis outbreak among gay men, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation announced Sunday that it will begin offering free vaccines to help counter a spread of the potentially deadly disease. Worry over a meningitis outbreak started last week after 33-year-old Brett Shaad, a West Hollywood lawyer, died of the disease on Friday. Shaad became critically ill shortly after he attended an annual Easter weekend gathering of gay men in Palm Springs, according to the foundation.

Saying an adult film company shirked new rules requiring performers to use condoms, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation lodged a complaint this week to test whether Los Angeles County officials will follow the letter of the law when it comes to unprotected sex in porn. Officials from the foundation said they filed the complaint with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health after receiving an anonymous tip and accompanying video footage from someone who had been on the set of an Immoral Productions shoot.

Parents of students at Glenoaks Elementary School have established a foundation to raise money for the school. The first goal of the foundation is to buy new playground equipment. Future goals include expansion of the word processing program, a physical educational consultant for the primary grades and foreign language instruction. The first fund-raiser will be an "Ask a Professional Day" from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 21 at the school, 2015 E. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale.

Re "Going Beyond the Bake Sales and Carwashes," Dec. 2: Yes, we do live in an "exclusive Newport Beach neighborhood." What the article fails to mention, however, is that in that neighborhood lies an elementary school where 28% of the children qualify for a government-sponsored school lunch program! How wonderful it is that there are citizens with purely altruistic motives who are willing to spend countless hours, with courage and perseverance, to form a grass-roots organization and build it into a foundation that hopes for $2 million by 2000, and that this foundation will benefit all children at Newport Elementary.

The James Beard Foundation announced its awards nominees Monday during a luncheon at the historic Lowndes Grove Plantation in Charleston, S.C. There are 59 award categories including best restaurant and chef, best restaurant design, best radio show/audio webcast and more. Jonathan Gold Quiz: The birds Some Los Angeles chefs and restaurateurs made the cut. Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco (who's name also is behind PIGG in L.A.) and Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Animal and Son of a Gun were among the nominees for Best Chef West; Caroline Styne of Lucques in West Hollywood was nominated for Best Restaurateur; and Suzanne Goin of Lucques and Nancy Silverton of Pizzeria Mozza were nominated for Outstanding Chef.

The James Beard Foundation announced its 2013 Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America inductees. Of the six culinary professionals honored, one award was given to a California chef, Michael Mina. The foundation gives the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America award each year to professionals who have made a notable contribution to the food and beverage industry in the U.S. The honorees include: Eric Asimov, the chief wine critic for the New York Times; Dorothy Kalins, the editor who founded Saveur magazine in 1994; Barbara Lynch, a James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur from Boston; Zarela Martinez, a chef and restaurateur in New York; Michael Mina from Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point, the now-closed XIV in Los Angeles and Michael Mina in San Fransisco; and Bill Yosses, the White House executive pastry chef in Washington D.C. The award recipients will be honored at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards held at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York on May 6. This year's awards theme is "Lights!