Stand

CINCINNATI - The Rev. Chris Beard is a theological conservative, make no mistake about it. He believes the Bible is the word of God. He believes the Holy Spirit speaks to him directly. He believes, as an article of faith, that abortion and same-sex marriage are wrong. Still, when a group of religious leaders in Ohio held two days of meetings in Cincinnati recently to talk about economic and racial justice, issues usually associated with the political left, there was Beard, a fourth-generation Pentecostal preacher with a disarming smile, a shaved head and a set of convictions that knock holes in the stereotypes about white evangelical Protestants.

You can draw a straight line, in terms of architectural history, from William Randolph Hearst'ssprawling estate in San Simeon to the corner of Broadway and 11th Street in downtown Los Angeles. It was at that downtown site in 1913 that Hearst commissioned architect Julia Morgan to design a headquarters for his Los Angeles Examiner newspaper, which he'd founded in 1903. Morgan produced one of the most remarkable designs of her prolific career, a 103,500-square-foot Mission Revival building draped with Italian and Moorish touches, including domes covered in yellow and blue tile.

So how many omega-3 fatty acids are enough — and how should you get them? That likely depends on your age and your specific health concerns. The United States does not yet have guidelines for DHA or EPA, and consensus among nutrition experts is elusive. But specialty groups, some governmental agencies and individual experts have started to take a stand. For healthy adults without major medical issues, the European Food Safety Agency recommends a daily dose of 250 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA, while the National Heart Foundation of Australia suggests 500 milligrams.

PATTERSON, Calif. - Amazon.com Inc.for years has fought government efforts to tax e-commerce. Now it's poised to pocket millions of dollars in sales taxes paid by California customers. As part of a pact reached last year with state lawmakers, some online retailers agreed to begin collecting sales taxes this fall. About half of the projected $316 million raised in the first full year is expected to come from merchandise sold by Amazon, which is also setting up two California fulfillment centers that will employ at least 1,000 workers each.

'Life is short. Have an affair." That's the slogan of the Ashley Madison dating service, a website for people who want to cheat on their partners. That's right, unlike traditional Internet dating sites -- where you're expected to say you're unattached no matter what the truth is -- Ashley Madison is honest about its duplicity. Unlike match.

Los Angeles' most famous hot dog bun needs a roll. Trouble is, Tail O' the Pup owner Dennis Blake doesn't have a place to roll it to. The landmark hot dog stand that resembles a mustard-slathered wienie-in-a-bun -- featured in movies and music videos and considered an important piece of L.A. architecture -- has sat on wheels and been covered with a tarp in a Torrance warehouse since being evicted five years ago from its longtime home. Blake badly wants to return the Pup to its chowhound followers.

"A boring, foul-mouthed film, that glorifies the worst, not the best, of human nature" is how John Boland described the movie "Stand By Me" (Letters Annex, Sept. 28). I find such a narrow-minded description of such a wonderful film more offensive than any "profanity" that appeared in the film. "Stand By Me" is one of the most honest and realistic portrayals of childhood I've ever seen. If Boland can't handle such a true reflection of life on the screen, then I suggest he stick strictly to watching Spielberg movies.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand A Novel Helen Simonson Random House: 368 pp., $25

As a developer prepares to gobble up Molly's Burgers, preservationists in Hollywood are taking a stand. They charge that Los Angeles officials are sacrificing a potential cultural landmark by selling the walk-up burger joint at 1605 N. Vine St. at a discount price to a company they claim is luring jobs out of Hollywood. Land around the 20-stool eatery is to be sold to Pacifica Ventures, a Santa Monica-based development company that builds and operates out-of-state movie soundstages.

Re "School newspaper drops a V-bomb," Feb. 16 After four decades as a physician watching the surgical, medical and psychological aftermath of violence against women, it is encouraging that a 15-year-old boy will stand up to be counted in front of his peers. In an honorable world, Cleveland High School Principal Bob Marks would display the same kind of courage and stand alongside his student editor. Michael C. Storrie-Lombardi MD Pasadena

WASHINGTON -- The presidential candidates have just placed their opening bets, and three states stand out as keys to the 2012 election: Ohio, Virginia and, perhaps surprisingly, Iowa. Romney's first TV ad of the general election campaign, which debuts Friday, will air in four states, including Ohio, Virginia and Iowa. (Notably, it repeats his pledge to “end Obamacare,” the law based on his Massachusetts model).  The Romney campaign wouldn't confirm the scope of the buy but didn't wave off an attempt to confirm James Hohmann's report in Politico, which listed that trio of states, plus North Carolina.  President Obama included Ohio, Virginia and Iowa in his most recent buy as well.

When Lee Baca took over the L.A. County Sheriff's Department in 1998, he publicly pledged to end excessive use of force and brutality by deputies, noting that if he didn't fix the problem someone else from outside the office might well do it for him. Nearly 14 years later, however, little has changed. Baca's jails are the subject of multiple investigations. The FBI is examining allegations of deputy misconduct and violence. Internal affairs is investigating a secret clique within an elite anti-gang unit whose members allegedly sported tattoos of gun-toting skeletons.

LA JOLLA - From Florenz Ziegfeld's synchronized showgirls toAndrew Lloyd Webber's roller-skating actors to aSpider-Man who flies, musical theater has often encouraged dance and movement extravaganzas. So imagine the anxiety of the team putting together the new musical, "Hands on a Hardbody," which has its premiere Saturday at the La Jolla Playhouse. The story's 10 characters are tied - figuratively - to a Nissan pickup truck. How do you take that reality and turn it into a show-stopping number?

A case underway in a nondescript Victorville courtroom lacks the trappings of a trial of the century -- there's no celebrity in the dock, no DNA evidence or CNN trucks broadcasting from the parking lot. But the case could have monumental consequences for California children. The trial pits a group of parents at Desert Trails Elementary School against the district that runs that school, and it turns on two related questions: How much power does California law give parents to seize control of a failing school?

SAN FRANCISCO - Dustin Moskovitz, at 27 the world's youngest billionaire, gained fame and fortune after founding Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg. He also gained the "Facebook 15. " He packed on the extra pounds while chowing down on free snacks and guzzling four sodas a day at the social networking giant. Today, Moskovitz is a svelte version of his former self. He runs Asana, a start-up named after the Sanskrit word for traditional yoga sitting positions. That's fitting since the company holds twice weekly group yoga classes at its San Francisco offices.

Following an emotionally charged hearing, an Orange County judge ruled that two Fullerton police officers will stand trial for the death of a mentally ill homeless man who was beaten in a violent confrontation last summer. The ruling means that Manuel Ramos, 38, could be the first police officer in modern Orange County history to be tried for murder for on-duty actions . Ramos is charged withsecond-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, will be tried on charges of involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force.

I speak in defense of our teachers. Recently, I viewed the movie "Stand and Deliver." It tells about a teacher who fought the system. The results were fantastic. He took students who were pushed aside because it was assumed they didn't have the intelligence to learn. We have some fantastic teachers--so let's untie their hands. Our students are in need of good education. C. ESTHER BERNAL Anaheim

SACRAMENTO - Legislation that opponents fear will strip the state Public Utilities Commission of its power to regulate Internet phone services in California put the commission on the spot, and it punted. For the second consecutive meeting, the commission Thursday postponed taking a stance on the proposal that would prohibit the PUC and other state agencies from regulating phone service using Internet connections. The commission, meeting in Fresno, had been expected to oppose a Senate bill written by state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima)

WASHINGTON - President Obama's decision to endorse same-sex marriage staked out a stance that carries uncertain political risks but one he said was rooted in the biblical admonition "to treat others the way you would want to be treated. " Obama's endorsement Wednesday, a milestone for the gay rights movement, was the first from a sitting president and a potentially powerful tail wind for a cause still struggling for electoral approval. It comes as the country remains divided over whether same-sex marriages should have the same recognition and legal standing as traditional ones, and six months before an election expected to be so tight it may hinge on small slices of votes in a handful of key states.