Swift

At least the shocker this year was related to music. The MTV Video Music Awards are always willfully chaotic, keeping alive the myth of pop as the provenance of rebels by placing a bunch of moderately edgy celebrities within a festive environment and fueling the mood with sexy performances, off-color jokes and "incidents" that are often staged, but good for a thousand Twitter tweets. One of these mostly bogus controversies usually goes a bit deeper, hinting at real issues of identity, status, personal power and self-expression -- the sticky stuff from which pop music is, in fact, made.

Swift donates $4 million Taylor Swift, the country superstar who became a professional songwriter at 14 and released her first album at 16, is kicking in $4 million toward the creation of a new education center that will bear her name at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, part of the museum's $75-million expansion. The Taylor Swift Educational Center will increase the museum's educational facilities seven-fold, officials said in announcing her pledge Thursday.

It was "The Jay Leno Show's" big prime-time debut, but Kanye West unquestionably stole some of the spotlight from the host to announce he'll be taking time off to reflect on his actions after his controversial outburst over the weekend at the MTV Video Music Awards. One day after the famously outspoken artist interrupted an acceptance speech from 19-year-old country star Taylor Swift at the award show, suggesting that her prize for best female video should have gone to Beyoncé, a contrite West appeared on Leno's new NBC show to deliver an apology.

OAKLAND - Aaron Negherbon remembers the plaintive email he received from a Marine sergeant in Afghanistan. "Aaron, I don't know if you can do this," it read. "Our supply truck was blown up and all the gear from my nine medics was destroyed. " The sergeant was requesting surgical kits, gauze, equipment for cutting into tracheas and "all the etc. " Negherbon, 38, founder and president of TroopsDirect, a nonprofit organization, had the supplies gathered, shipped and in the hands of front-line troops within 10 days.

Not long after 19-year-old country-pop sensation Taylor Swift walked off with the Country Music Assn.'s biggest awards in Nashville, the American Music Awards handed her more trophies to add to her growing collection. Swift, who came in with a field-leading six nominations, landed all but one of those, including the evening's top honor as artist of the year. She also was named favorite female pop-rock, country and adult contemporary artist. Her "Fearless" CD collected the favorite album trophy.

Teen "American Idol" runner-up David Archuleta makes an impressive debut near the top of the pop chart this week with his first album, but he couldn't come close to America's teen sweetheart Taylor Swift, who pummeled the competition with her sophomore album "Fearless." Swift's album sold 592,000 copies during its first week in stores, according to Billboard, the highest for a country release since the veteran Eagles sold 711,000 copies of "Long Road Out of Eden" a year ago. It's also the best debut for any female artist this year.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who recently revealed that he cuts off the water when his children take extremely long showers, may have entered a new realm of domestic drama Tuesday involving a more formidable member of his household: his wife. Schwarzenegger promised "swift action" after TMZ.com posted two pictures of Maria Shriver driving while apparently violating the hands-free cellphone requirement he signed into law. The pictures show Shriver with her right hand on the wheel and her left holding a cellphone to her ear. One is dated July 12, 2009, and the other was taken Sunday, according to TMZ. The pictures appear with an article that begins, "Maria Maria, cell phone cheatah!"

Re "Up a creek in a Swift boat," Opinion, March 2 As a Vietnam-era vet and antiwar activist, I continue to be appalled by the Swift boaters' hate campaigns. Who is more truly on the side of the troops than we who have served and decry the futility of wars that end in a quagmire? The Swifties, having attacked Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and then Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), must be in search of new soldiers to smear. Who will be next? Vietnam War veteran and anti-Iraq war Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel?

The nation's largest pork packer, Swift Independent Corp., said the buy-out offer is from a partnership led by a Texas investor group. The proposed cash and preferred stock transaction will be presented to Swift's board of directors at meetings later this week, company spokesman Bill Dillman said. The proposal comes from a partnership composed primarily of trusts of the Edwin L. Cox Jr. family of Dallas.

In her first major headlining tour, country upstart Taylor Swift will go straight to one of L.A.'s biggest stages. The teen singer will headline Staples Center on May 22 as part of a 52-date tour. Tickets go on sale Feb. 6 via Ticketmaster. While ticket prices have not been announced for the Los Angeles date, a press release promises that tickets in most markets will sell for $20 (not including applicable service fees). Swift was the top-selling artist of 2008. Combined, her self-titled 2006 debut and her recently released "Fearless" sold more than 4 million copies in 2008, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bid to indefinitely extend a transportation sales tax marks perhaps a last chance to jump-start what he hopes will be the cornerstone of his legacy: dramatically expanding rail service in L.A. A year before he leaves office, the mayor is desperate to break a logjam that has stalled his vision of quickly building a sprawling, interconnected rail system, including a subway extension across the traffic-clogged Westside....

Republican lawmakers have joined with the Los Angeles Board of Education and the mayor to seek the swifter firing of teachers accused of sexual misconduct. They also want to strip retiree health benefits and state pensions from school employees convicted of sex-related crimes against students. Those moves would require changes to state law that were included in proposals announced Tuesday by the Republican legislative leadership. The school board's resolution, approved Tuesday, matches closely, as do proposed laws sought by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat.

The Internet is abuzz with rumors that Tim Tebow and Taylor Swift are dating after they were seen dining together at Toscanova in the Century City Mall Monday. Tebow, the Denver Broncos starting quarterback, is deeply religious and publicly prays (Tebows) after games. Maybe his prayers have been answered.... He finally has a business partner? An unnamed source told ClevverNews that "After dinner, he walked her out, and then he walked back in to join two other people.

Tim Tebow and Taylor Swift shared a meal together Monday, so clearly they're in a super serious relationship. On the real, whether the pair have a star-studded romance (?), friendship (?) or business partnership (?) has become an enigma, a viral comet of Internet lore. Since they've remained mum about their rapport, we can only speculate which of the country singer's songs best describes her relationship with the Denver Broncos quarterback. Here are a few options... "Love Story" (If you've been to a wedding recently, you've heard it.)

The meeting began like so many post-crisis sessions in Los Angeles Unified: A district honcho told the crowd of anxious parents that the school system was not at fault in the sex abuse scandal that has rocked their campus. The principal bore "no responsibility for what happened" at Miramonte Elementary, local district Supt. George McKenna said. Parents "ought to be grateful" for the principal's professionalism and efficiency. Like students admonished by their teacher, the parents dutifully settled.

Social media sites were once again alive with people posting their reactions to the latest in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure saga. On Tuesday, Komen Vice President Karen Handel resigned from her position at the breast cancer foundation after being accused by some of instigating the group's decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood (Komen rescinded the decision late last week). "I am deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it," Handel's resignation letter read.

Re " 'Swift Boat' Veterans Set Sights on Rep. Murtha," Aug. 13 The Swift-boating of Sen. John Kerry was an effective tactic in the 2004 presidential election. So effective, in fact, that I'm certain that John O'Neil, the Swift-boaters' principal spokesman, still has a smirk on his face. The fact that their charges were false had little effect on the minds of those who were disposed to believe them. The repetition of the charges by the American media amplified them even after sufficient evidence had surfaced to debunk them.

The death of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno at age 85 conjures myriad memories and emotions but none more immediately indelible than a snowy day in State College, Pa. The jubilant scene seems like years ago … it's actually been less than three months. Paterno, in his 46th season as head coach, had just earned career win No. 409 with his team's 10-7 victory over Illinois. It was Oct. 29. The win pushed him ahead of Grambling legend Eddie Robinson as major-college football's all-time victories leader.

The Senate on Wednesday quietly approved a measure requiring President Obama to more swiftly withdraw troops from Afghanistan. The amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) was attached to a broader defense bill making its way through the Senate. It was approved by a voice vote, without dissent. “It is time to bring our men and women home,” Merkley said. “The U.S. Senate sent that message to the president today in unequivocal terms.” The Afghanistan amendment requires the president to develop an accelerated plan to withdraw troops ahead of the planned December 2014 deadline and transition security operations to the government of Afghanistan and submit that proposal to Congress within 90 days of the bill's passage.