Nominee

Downtown L.A.'s Staples Center may be home to the Grammys, but it's a relatively nondescript industrial complex in Burbank that's attracting some of the awards show's most notable nominees this week. Fender Musical Instruments' new artist showroom has become a hub for well-known musicians of all stripes. And with the Grammy Awards scheduled to air Sunday, business is brisk. Just as dress designers clamor to get their gowns on Oscar contenders, makers of musical equipment such as Fender are doing their best to get their newest products in the hands of Grammy-nominated pop stars.

Ben Affleck shared his tips for how to win an Oscar pool. Steven Spielberg hoisted an elaborate floral centerpiece off his table so he could better see his fellow lunch guests (including the youngest lead actress nominee, Quvenzhané Wallis). And 66-year-old uber-producer Frank Marshall ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") deejayed the whole affair. It was the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' annual Oscar nominees luncheon at the Beverly Hilton. For a few hours Monday, more than 100 contenders for the 85th Academy Awards sipped Champagne, rubbed elbows with fellow nominees and received a few tips on Oscar speech making, all without worrying about who would wind up winners and losers come Feb. 24. "It's my favorite day of the year," said Harvey Weinstein, the financier behind best picture nominees "Django Unchained" and "Silver Linings Playbook.

WASHINGTON - President Obama's choice to be the next CIA director will face tough questions at his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, but it appears unlikely that lawmakers' concerns will derail his nomination. Some Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee, including Mark Udall of Colorado and Ron Wyden of Oregon, were miffed that John Brennan had not read the 300-page executive summary of a Senate report on the CIA's interrogation program before meeting with them recently.

BILIN, West Bank - Like many Palestinians, West Bank farmer Emad Burnat punctuates his life story with events from the Israeli occupation of his village. His first son was born amid the optimism that followed the 1993 Oslo peace accords, and another came just as the 2000 Palestinian uprising erupted. His youngest, Gibreel, was born the same week that Israel began constructing a separation barrier through his hometown of Bilin. That's when Burnat got his first camera, initially to capture his newborn, but later to document his village's fight against the Israeli military and nearby settlers.

Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" was named best animated film of 2012 at the 40th Annie Awards on Saturday evening at UCLA's Royce Hall. Rich Moore also was named best director for the animated comedy about a video game villain who dreams of being a hero, and Alan Tudyk won the Annie for voice acting as King Candy in the box-office hit. Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee won for their screenplay and Henry Jackman, Skrillex, Adam Young, Matthew Thiessen,...

There are three acceptable reasons for the Senate to reject a president's nominee for a Cabinet position: The candidate lacks credentials for the position; he fails to meet high ethical standards for personal behavior; or he holds extreme views. It was clear before former Sen. Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearings that he possessed the necessary personal and professional qualifications to serve as secretary of Defense. Hagel's testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday demonstrated that his views about foreign and defense policy are not only well within the mainstream but consonant with those of the president who selected him. As predicted, Hagel was aggressively questioned by Republicans on the committee, some of whom laid traps designed to portray him as hostile to Israel, indulgent of Iran and naive about the possibility of abolishing nuclear weapons.

Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg, who is nominated for an Academy Award for directing this year's  best picture nominee "Lincoln," will receive the American Cinema Editors' ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award at the 63rd ACE Eddie Awards on Feb. 16 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. "Steven Spielberg is a cinematic treasure," said the ACE Board of Directors in a statement Wednesday morning. "For over four decades he has been moving audiences around the world with his unique, powerful brand of storytelling.

WASHINGTON - As former Sen. Chuck Hagel seeks to fend off critics aiming to derail his confirmation as Defense secretary, he has an incongruous ally: a Pittsburgh philanthropist who made his fortune as one of the world's top horse-race bettors. Bill Benter, a prolific donor to Democrats and liberal groups who keeps a low public profile, financed an ad campaign by a group of centrist national security veterans who hailed Hagel's "bipartisanship and independence of conscience and mind.

WASHINGTON - Sen. John F. Kerry pledged Thursday that as secretary of State he would de-emphasize the military role "thrust upon us" by Sept. 11, saying "we cannot afford a diplomacy that is defined by troops or drones or confrontation. " Appearing at his confirmation hearing before longtime colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Massachusetts Democrat said it was time to spotlight America's international efforts to promote human rights, fight disease and lift the world's poor.

Oscars, smoshkers. With his scenery-chewing performance on the sidelines last weekend, Jim Harbaugh has elevated himself to the top of this year's list of the world's greatest dramatic actors. “Maybe he's just being himself?” you say. Well, all the great ones are. I see him more as a sequel to Bobby Knight, a whiny, arrogant and profane antagonist, an unfortunate role model, a troubled and troubling anti-Wooden. The lip-syncing Harbaugh was doing to the refs last Saturday would've made Charlie Sheen blush.