'Amazing Spider-Man 2' debuts electrifying Super Bowl teaser

"You wanted to be the hero, now you gotta pay the price."

It's an ominous message Jamie Foxx's shocking villain Electro has for Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker in a new teaser for "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." Released Thursday, the clip is designed to tout the movie's upcoming Super Bowl spot, which is set to air Sunday during the big game.

The film, which like its predecessor, 2012′s "The Amazing Spider-Man," is directed by Marc Webb ("[500] Days of Summer"), has Spidey battling multiple villains, including Foxx's Electro and Paul Giamatti's Rhino. In the brief clip, the electrifying antagonist is glimpsed unleashing some of his shocking powers, while Spidey flies through the sky and leaps onto the streets of New York.

Emma Stone returns in the sequel as Peter Parker's gal pal Gwen Stacy, with Chris Cooper and Dane DeHaan playing Norman Osborn and his son, Harry, respectively. Sally Field also reprises her role as Peter's Aunt May, and Campbell Scott makes an appearance as Peter's father, Richard.

The first full trailer for the movie arrived in early December, featuring plenty of action and big-screen spectacle moments as Spider-Man faced off against Foxx's villain across New York. When the production was filming in Times Square this past summer, photographers snapped shots from the set of Garfield and Stone together, and of Foxx as Electro. (Click through the gallery above to see some of the images.)

In the original comics, Electro is an electrician named Max Dillon who gains the ability to generate and control electricity after he's struck by lightning while repairing a power line. The character, who first appeared in 1964, is typically seen wearing a green suit and a yellow lightning bolt mask, but Foxx's Electro appears to be more closely modeled on the Ultimate version of the villain.

Sony has great expectations for the superhero franchise. The studio already has announced that the third and fourth installments in the saga of Peter Parker are set for release on June 10, 2016, and May 4, 2018.

Additionally, the company announced plans for new movies about Spider-Man's nemesis Venom and the collective of bad guys known as the Sinister Six via its Electro Arrives website. Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Ed Solomon will write the screenplay for "Venom," while Drew Goddard will write, and potentially direct, "The Sinister Six," focusing on the the villains in the franchise.

Kurtzman and Orci, along with Jeff Pinkner, will write the script for "The Amazing Spider-Man 3."

"The Amazing-Spider Man 2″ will open in both IMAX 3D and on conventional movie screens next summer. The film will begin its international rollout April 16, 2014, and will debut in North America on May 2.

– Gina McIntyre and Noelene Clark | @LATHeroComplex

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Cheating inquiry finds 'systemic problems' in U.S. nuclear force

WASHINGTON — Nearly half of the officers responsible for maintaining and operating nuclear-armed missiles at a Montana base have been implicated in a widening cheating investigation, a sign of deep cultural and command problems in the nuclear force, the leader of the Air Force said Thursday.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said at a Pentagon news conference that 92 of 190 launch officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base had been suspended because of the investigation into the sharing of answers on a proficiency test last year.

For the first time since the Air Force disclosed the cheating scandal this month, officials acknowledged that the cheating stemmed from a climate of fear created by commanders, who decided which officers on launch crews would be promoted based on whether they scored perfectly on monthly tests.

"I believe that we do have systemic problems," James said. "The need for perfection has created a climate of undue stress and fear."

The number of implicated officers has nearly tripled since Jan. 15, when the Air Force announced that 16 had shared text messages with answers to a monthly missile proficiency test and that 17 others were aware of the suspected cheating but took no action.

Air Force officials continued to say they had no firm evidence that cheating went beyond the single test last year or that it had occurred at the two other Minuteman III missile bases, one in North Dakota and another in Wyoming. They acknowledge, however, that a climate of fear exists at all three installations.

The 550 launch officers at the three bases take three written tests each month on missile safety, handling of launch codes and classified war plans. They also complete a monthly test in a simulator and an annual inspection, along with periodic unannounced inspections.

Eight times a month, a two-man crew completes a 24-hour shift in an underground launch center.

The cheating investigation is focusing on a "core group" of about 40 officers at Malmstrom who are believed to have been most involved in sharing test answers, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, head of the Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees missiles and long-range bombers that carry nuclear weapons.

The rest were aware of the cheating but may not have used the answers, he said.

With all 92 officers under investigation suspended from launch duty, the remaining crews at Malmstrom have been required to work more shifts, and senior officers have been moved back to launch duty to keep the base's 150 missiles operational, Wilson said.

Wilson said he had a "force improvement program" to fix what were described as systemic problems that the intercontinental ballistic missile force faces. He said commanders would be disciplined if they were found to have contributed to those problems.

"We're going to take this wherever it goes," he said.

Some former launch officers say that cheating in various forms on the tests has been common for decades, though they say the pressure to achieve perfect scores has increased in recent years — ironically, as the importance of nuclear weapons to U.S. national security has declined with the end of the Cold War.

After a 2007 incident in which nuclear weapons were mishandled at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, the Air Force created Global Strike Command to reinforce the need for rigorous attention to the secure and reliable handling of the weapons.

The result was even more pressure on launch crews and more tests, said Bruce Blair, a former Minuteman launch officer and co-founder of Global Zero, an organization that advocates worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons.

"Suddenly there were nothing but inspections going on constantly," he said. "This new organization [Global Strike Command] needed a mission, and it meant that testing took on a life of its own."

david.cloud@latimes.com

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For the record

Stock Spotlight: On the Jan. 27 Monday Business page, a column about Clean Energy Fuels Corp. said that the company was based in Seal Beach. It is based in Newport Beach.

Atlanta snowstorm: An article in the Jan. 30 Section A about a crippling snowstorm in Atlanta referred to Duluth, Ga., as a northwest suburb of Atlanta. It is a northeast suburb

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Clippers' Doc Rivers lobbies to make DeAndre Jordan an All-Star

CLIPPERS NOTES

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan dunks during a Dec. 1 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Jordan is having an All-Star-caliber season. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press / December 1, 2013)

By Ben Bolch

January 29, 2014, 10:16 p.m.

Doc Rivers' message had a nice ring to it: Vote for D.J.

The Clippers coach said Wednesday he had lobbied his fellow Western Conference coaches to cast an All-Star vote for center DeAndre Jordan, who has become one of the game's elite big men in his sixth NBA season.

"I got a great response," Rivers said, "but that's why you go under a curtain and you vote for real because [they say], 'Yeah, I'm going to vote for him' and then they [pull] that other lever."

The coaches will select the seven reserves from the West who will be announced Thursday afternoon on TNT: three frontcourt players, two backcourt players and two wild-card players from any position.

The starting frontcourt players are the Clippers' Blake Griffin, Minnesota's Kevin Love and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. New Commissioner Adam Silver will select a replacement for injured Lakers star Kobe Bryant, though it does not have to be a backcourt player.

Jordan entered Wednesday leading the NBA in field-goal percentage (.645) and rebounding (13.9) while ranking fourth in blocks (2.4). He was also averaging a career-high 9.5 points per game.

Being selected one of the final frontcourt players will be a, well, tall order. Among the other candidates are Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, Houston's Dwight Howard, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka, San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Golden State's David Lee and Memphis' Zach Randolph.

"It's going to be a tough one," Rivers said of Jordan's being selected as an All-Star. "There's just a lot of guys at that position, the four-five."

Etc.

Clippers reserve forward Antawn Jamison was unavailable for the Clippers' game against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday because of a viral illness. Jamison has played only 21 games, averaging 11.3 minutes.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch

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Blake Griffin spearheads Clippers' 110-103 win over Wizards

Home, road, wherever.

It doesn't really seem to matter where the Clippers are playing these days as they continue to roll along toward the All-Star break.

They returned home from the best Grammy trip in franchise history to sustain the good vibes, a 110-103 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at Staples Center requiring some late resolve.

BOX SCORE: Clippers 110, Wizards 103

J.J. Redick scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and DeAndre Jordan made all four of his free throws in the final minutes after being intentionally fouled to help the Clippers win a fourth consecutive game.

"I'm going to ask Doc [Rivers] if I can shoot the techs from now on," joked Jordan, who made six of 10 free throws overall and finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin also displayed plenty of wow-inducing moves on the way to 29 points and super sub Jamal Crawford made a couple of shots from another area code.

Crawford made a 29-foot jumper to end the first quarter and topped it with a 33-footer with the shot clock running out late in the third quarter. He later made a 22-footer while falling down and finished with 21 points, his eighth game in a row with at least 19 points.

Not everything was perfect for the Clippers. Washington rallied from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter because of some shaky defense and a flurry of Clippers turnovers that resulted in repeated fastbreak baskets.

The Wizards pulled to within 100-99 on a layup by Kevin Seraphin, but the Clippers' Darren Collison made a driving layup and a block by Jordan helped his team force a shot-clock violation. Jordan then made two pairs of free throws while being intentionally fouled over a 19-second span to help the Clippers (33-15) pull away.

"I don't think there should be a rule change because it's like the intentional walk," Rivers said of the so-called hack-a-whoever strategy. "I just think the more you make, the less they'll foul. … I just think every time [Jordan] makes a few like this, it's a good thing."

Bradley Beal had 20 points for the Wizards (22-23), who could not complete a back-to-back sweep after beating Golden State on Tuesday.

Among his array of moves, Griffin had a spinning layup and leaped from the middle of the paint for a one-handed dunk. Griffin also picked up his 11th technical foul of the season, tying him with Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins for the most in the NBA.

Crawford got the Clippers rolling after a sluggish start.

The Wizards had some success intentionally fouling Jordan late in the first half. He missed two free throws and then glared at a fan who had heckled him over the misses after being hacked on a clear-path foul. Jordan redeemed himself by stepping to the line and making the next two free throws, triggering cheers from his critic.

"When he goes to the line in those situations, he's got to be confident and do what you do in practice," Griffin said. "He was big tonight."

The Clippers departed for Oakland afterward for another game Thursday against Golden State, concluding what Rivers called "a nine-game road trip" because the journey up the California coast came so close to the Wizards game and their recently completed seven-game trip.

The trails continued to be almost entirely happy ones.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch

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Kevin Durant, Thunder overwhelm Heat, 112-95

Down by 18 points midway through the opening quarter, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder looked well on their way to witnessing a rout.

That's exactly what happened. And they enjoyed every moment.

Durant remained sizzling with 33 points, Serge Ibaka had 22 and the Thunder roared back to embarrass the Miami Heat, 112-95, on Wednesday night at Miami, erasing a 22-4 deficit by outscoring the two-time defending champions by 43 points over a 33-minute span.

The Thunder led by as many as 25, and shot 16 for 27 from three-point range. Durant has now scored at least 30 points in 12 straight games, matching the league's longest such streak since Tracy McGrady had a run of 14 games in the 2002-03 season.

The Thunder (37-10) extended its winning streak to nine, inching closer to Indiana in the race for the league's best record. And the Oklahoma City bench outscored Miami's reserves 39-21, with Derek Fisher going five for five on three-pointers for his 15 points.

Phoenix 126, at Milwaukee 117: Goran Dragic scored 30 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter despite sustaining an apparent injury to his left elbow, and the Suns won their third in a row to begin a four-game trip.

at Minnesota 88, New Orleans 77: Kevin Love had 30 points and 14 rebounds to carry the Timberwolves over the .500 mark for the first time in 11 chances. The Pelicans were without Anthony Davis (dislocated left index finger).

Houston 117, at Dallas 115: Chandler Parsons scored 26 points and the Rockets won again without James Harden, despite the Mavericks getting 38 points and 17 rebounds from Dirk Nowitzki.

Chicago 96, at San Antonio 86: Jimmy Butler had 19 points and Carlos Boozer added 16 points and 12 rebounds and the Bulls handed the injury-riddled Spurs their third straight loss.

Philadelphia 95, at Boston 94: Evan Turner's layup at the buzzer gave the 76ers a victory in a matchup of the two worst teams in the Atlantic Division.

Memphis 99, at Sacramento 89: Mike Conley had 27 points and 10 assists as the Grizzlies won their fourth in row.

Charlotte 101, at Denver 98: Al Jefferson matched a season high with 35 points, including a key basket in the final seconds, and also had 11 rebounds for his 14th double-double in 22 games.

at Toronto 98, Orlando 83: Kyle Lowry scored a season-high 33 points and dished out 11 assists, Amir Johnson had 22 points and 11 rebounds and the Raptors beat the Magic for the fifth time in a row.

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Ducks go back indoors and lose to Minnesota Wild, 4-2

Will the Dodger Stadium hangover merely be a 72-hour condition or can the Ducks manage to shake the malaise before it lingers?

The Ducks started slowly, and sloppily, not showing the necessary urgency until falling behind by three goals in the third period. Their offensive verve eventually showed up — as expected — but it was that age-old story of a too late arrival.

The Wild protected the lead and held on to beat Anaheim, 4-2, on Tuesday night at Honda Center.

It was only the second time the Ducks have lost in regulation at home this season, the first time was a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Jan 21.

Minnesota star Zach Parise, playing in his third game since returning from a foot injury, had a hand in three of the four goals, recording two assists and scoring on a nifty deflection to make it 3-1 at 6:35 of the third period.

This was the first game for the Ducks following their 3-0 victory against the Kings at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, an entertainment spectacle with a hockey game almost hidden inside.

It was natural, and almost expected, that there would be some form of a letdown after the big event, a win over their Southern California rivals.

What could they do? Bring back KISS for a pregame gig or wear those pumpkin-colored uniforms from the outdoor game again?

OK, those bright jerseys are best hidden in some storage unit deep inside Honda Center.

Still, Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau even sounded a note of caution back on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

"It's not like us to have a game like this," Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. "Bruce warned us, I think, in his speech after the outdoor game, the outdoor game wasn't our Stanley Cup.

"That was one game. It's over now and we just got crushed by the Wild."

Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller prevented the game from being put out of reach in the first period, and the Ducks were almost fortunate to be tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. The opportunistic Wild regained the momentum by scoring just 13 seconds into the second period on the power play when Mikael Granlund converted Parise's centering pass.

"There were so many points like that that just killed momentum, killed anything we got going," Lovejoy said.

Said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf: "You've got to engage every shift. We can't just go out and pretend."

He set up Dustin Penner's goal in the first period, at 18:13, a one-timer from the left circle, which made it 1-1. It was Penner's 13th goal of the season.

The other Ducks goal came at 10:53 of the third period, by Mathieu Perreault (10th of the season), cutting Minnesota's lead to 4-2. The Wild scored two goals in rapid succession in the third, turning a 2-1 game into a 4-1 lead.

The game marked the return of Ducks defenseman Luca Sbisa, who was rusty after having missed 26 games because of a hand injury. He took two minor penalties, both for hooking, in the first period.

"It was a messy game for us out there," Getzlaf said. "It didn't start well…. Myself included, I didn't play well tonight. I've got to be better than that. We were standing around a lot in our own zone."

Said Lovejoy: "We were far too loose with the puck. We didn't bring it tonight."

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

Twitter: @reallisa

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Short-handed Houston Rockets beat San Antonio Spurs again

Dwight Howard scored 23 points, Terrence Jones had 21 and the Houston Rockets held on for a 97-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night in Houston.

The Rockets, who played without leading scorer James Harden, trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half before scoring 33 in the third quarter to go on top. San Antonio closed to within 90-88 in the final minutes, but Howard and Jeremy Lin helped Houston hold on for the win, its third without a defeat against the Spurs this season.

San Antonio is 1-11 against teams in the NBA's top seven in winning percentage this season, 32-1 against everyone else. Boris Diaw scored a season-high 22 points for the Spurs.

Harden, sidelined because of a bruised left thumb, is the NBA's No. 7 scorer, averaging 23.7 points a game.

Memphis 98, at Portland 81: Zach Randolph had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Mike Conley had 19 points and seven assists, and the Grizzlies handed the Trail Blazers only their fifth home loss this season. Portland (33-13), whose five-game home win streak ended, slipped three games behind first-place Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division. Memphis has won three straight and seven of eight.

Washington 88, at Golden State 85: Bradley Beal scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half, and the Wizards held the normally high-scoring Warriors to 37.5% shooting and 19 points below their season average. Golden State has lost five of its last seven games.

New Orleans 100, at Cleveland 89: Anthony Davis had 30 points, eight blocks and seven rebounds, and Eric Gordon scored 20 for the Pelicans. Davis, one of three No. 1 overall picks in the game (along with the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving and Anthony Bennett), was dominant at both ends of the floor as the Pelicans won their third straight. He injured fingers on his left hand in the final minutes but was taped up during a timeout and stayed in.

at New York 114, Boston 88: Carmelo Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes for the Knicks, who won their third in a row and avenged an embarrassing home defeat. New York lost by 41 points the last time the Celtics came to Madison Square Garden.

at Detroit 103, Orlando 87: Andre Drummond had 13 points and 17 rebounds, and the Pistons ended a four-game losing streak.

Indiana 104, at Lakers 92

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Lakers hang around with Pacers but still fall for 17th loss in 20 games

It was the best of teams, it was the worst of teams.

The Lakers surprisingly stayed with the team holding the best record in the NBA for about three quarters Tuesday night before predictably fading to fall into a virtual tie for the worst record in the Western Conference.

Technically, the Lakers stayed out of the bottom spot by percentage points after a 104-92 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center, about the only positive spin that could be put on a season spiraling out of control on multiple fronts.

The Lakers received more bad injury news in a season full of it, learning that persistent pain and swelling in Kobe Bryant's injured left knee would sideline him well into next month and force him to miss the All-Star game Feb. 16 in New Orleans.

Bryant will be re-examined in three weeks but could require further conditioning after being cleared to return, raising the possibility that he may not be ready to come back before March.

As he paused for a brief interview with The Times in a loading-dock area after the game, Bryant described himself as "disappointed" in the setback.

"It's like an internal swelling," Bryant said of his knee. "It's different. It's not something that's kind of on the surface where you can pinpoint and feel the swelling around. It's deep in there. . . . It's frustrating."

One can only wonder where the Lakers might be in the standings by the time Bryant is ready to return.

Their fifth consecutive defeat left them with a 16-30 record and a .348 winning percentage, a few ticks above the .341 of Sacramento (15-29). The Lakers have not been in last place in the West this late in a season since the end of the 1974-75 season, when they finished 30-52.

"It's been that type of year," said center Pau Gasol, who shrugged off a sore groin to collect 21 points and 13 rebounds. "I don't really like to think about our record too much. I'd kind of rather stay positive and work every single day to make it better and help the team win."

Jodie Meeks also scored 21 points for the Lakers, who otherwise struggled against the league's best defense. Manny Harris missed all six of his shots and Nick Young made only five of 16 coming off the bench.

It was not the kind of feel-good vibe the Lakers wanted on a night they commemorated late owner Jerry Buss with giveaway bobblehead dolls and video tributes one day after his birthday.

David West scored 19 points and Lance Stephenson had 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Pacers (35-9), whose game notes must have seemed like a cruel joke to the perpetually short-handed Lakers because they included the phrase "Injuries: None."

"Sometimes there's just a lack of physical talent there," Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni said of his team, which has sustained injuries to five point guards. "You can't get around it and we have guys that are playing extra minutes and out of position, but they're playing as hard as they can play."

Indiana star Paul George struggled through a four-for-21 shooting performance on the way to 14 points but made a behind-the-back move on a breakaway dunk and drilled a three-pointer at the end of the third quarter that extended the Pacers' lead to 79-69.

Bryant was recently selected for his 16th All-Star game in fan voting but said he was skittish about playing even before his latest setback because he has played in only six games this season. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will now pick an All-Star replacement for Bryant, with West Coach Scott Brooks deciding who will start in his spot.

The Lakers said Bryant's workouts would consist of non-weight-bearing exercises, mostly a stationary bike, which didn't go over well with him.

"I'm ready to throw the bike in the damn pool right about now," he said, "but you do what you got to do. . . . I've been through worse. The Achilles' was much much worse. This is frustrating but it's still — with the Achilles' I couldn't move at all. With this one, at least I can walk around a little bit, at least I can do the bike, do something active. Just trying to find the positive in it."

The way things are going for Bryant and the Lakers, that could take some doing.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

melissa.rohlin@latimes.com

Correspondent Eric Pincus contributed to this report.

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Farm bill compromise protects California's egg law

WASHINGTON — California's egg law survived a congressional effort to scramble it as key lawmakers from both parties announced an agreement Monday on a multiyear farm bill.

That means beginning next year, all eggs sold in California will have been laid by hens that had plenty of room to flap their wings.

The compromise farm bill, which could come up for a House vote Wednesday, would avert deep cuts sought by Republicans in the federal food stamp program and end direct payments to farmers — a controversial provision under the previous farm bill in which farmers received federal subsidies regardless of their output.

House passage is not assured, but the lower-than-expected cuts to the food stamp program are likely to bring more Democratic support. Senate action would follow in coming weeks.

Although the exclusion of the egg provision seems like a big win for hens, the debate really focused on states' rights.

Congressional negotiators rejected an effort, led by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), to prevent California from requiring eggs sold in the Golden State to be produced under standards that give hens enough room to spread their wings.

King, who hails from the top egg-producing state, had persuaded the Republican-controlled House to include in its farm bill a measure to prohibit a state from interfering with another state's production of agricultural products. He contended the California law infringed on Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce by imposing conditions on farmers who want to sell eggs in the nation's most populous state.

King did not respond to a request for comment Monday after it was clear that his measure had not been included in the compromise bill.

The provision drew opposition not only from California officials, including Gov. Jerry Brown, but from state lawmakers of both parties throughout the country.

"This is a victory for states' rights," said Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), contending that King's language would have "led to a race to the bottom for agriculture production laws nationwide, trampled on the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution and imperiled the fate of California egg producers."

The Humane Society of the United States warned that King's egg provision could nullify scores of laws across the nation dealing with food safety, animal welfare and other matters.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, called King's measure "a radical overreaching amendment."

California voters in 2008 approved Proposition 2, requiring state chicken farmers to give egg-laying birds enough room to stand and spread their wings.

State legislation passed two years later added a requirement that, when the initiative took effect in 2015, eggs sold in the state would have to come from farms that meet the California standards.

The California Farm Bureau Federation hailed the compromise House-Senate bill and called for its passage.

"Although the debate about the King amendment focused on eggs, the amendment threatened other state-specific standards to prevent pests and diseases that threaten California crops," federation president Paul Wenger said in a statement.

He said it was "time for Congress to support the final bill and send it to the president."

The farm bill would mitigate many of the House-sought cuts to the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, by reducing funding by $8 billion over 10 years, far less than the $39 billion once sought by Republicans.

Reliance on food stamps has surged since the Great Recession. Nearly 48 million Americans are enrolled in the assistance program, up 47% since 2008. Total costs jumped from about $38 billion to nearly $80 billion.

The bill's overall price tag was expected to come in below spending levels authorized under the previous law, though a final estimate had not been released. The legislation also averts a significant increase in milk prices that would have occurred without a deal.

Congress' inability to pass a farm bill was another consequence of the partisan warfare that erupted between the House and Senate after Republicans regained control of the lower chamber after the 2010 midterm election.

The traditional alliance of lawmakers from urban and rural districts — one faction strongly supportive of nutrition assistance programs and the other of subsidies that boost farming interests — had served to give the legislation significant bipartisan backing when it was reauthorized every five years. The last farm bill passed in 2008, and its provisions were extended an additional year as part of a January 2013 budget deal.

"We never lost sight of the goal," said Rep. Frank D. Lucas (R-Okla.), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. "We never wavered in our commitment to enacting a five-year, comprehensive farm bill."

richard.simon@latimes.com

michael.memoli@latimes.com

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Pete Seeger dies at 94; balladeer was America's conscience

Pete Seeger, the iconoclastic American singer, songwriter and social activist who did battle with injustice in America armed with a banjo, a guitar and the transformative power of song, has died. He was 94.

Seeger died Monday at New York Presbyterian Hospital, his grandson Kitama Cahill-Jackson told the Associated Press.

A veteran of the labor, peace and civil rights movements, Seeger remained relevant as an activist into his 90s. He was equally musician and revolutionary, playing a major role in the folk music revival that began in the late 1950s while helping to craft the soundtrack of 1960s protests through such songs as "We Shall Overcome," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!"

"At some point, Pete Seeger decided he'd be a walking, singing reminder of all of America's history," Bruce Springsteen said at the all-star Madison Square Garden concert marking Seeger's 90th birthday in 2009.

"He'd be a living archive of America's music and conscience, a testament to the power of song and culture to nudge history along, to push American events towards a more humane and justified ends," said Springsteen, who had performed Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" with Seeger at the Lincoln Memorial concert marking President Obama's 2008 inauguration.

VIDEO: 'Turn, Turn, Turn

Gifted at connecting with audiences, Seeger called his ability to inspire regular folks to sing along his "cultural guerrilla tactic." "There's no such thing as a wrong note as long as you're singing it," he told the 15,000-strong crowd at his birthday celebration.

Seeger's life of music and political activism could be summed up in "The Hammer Song," the enduring anthem he wrote more than 60 years ago with his good friend Lee Hays to support the progressive political movement in the U.S.:

If I had a hammer

I'd hammer in the morning

I'd hammer in the evening

All over this land/ I'd hammer out danger

I'd hammer out a warning

I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters

All over this land.

Popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary in the 1960s, the song embodied the heart of Seeger: his musicality, his activism, his optimism and his lifelong belief that songs could and should be used to build a sense of community to make the world a better place.

"I'd really rather put songs on people's lips than in their ears," he said.

Seeger inspired a generation of folk singers and musicians that included the Kingston Trio and Joan Baez, who once said: "We all owe our careers to Pete Seeger."

VIDEO: 'This Land Is Your Land' with Arlo Guthrie

As a member of two influential folk groups, the Almanac Singers and the Weavers, Seeger wrote or co-wrote "We Shall Overcome," the anthem of the civil rights movement based on an early 20th century gospel song; "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," which became an anti-Vietnam War protest song; and another political anthem, "Turn! Turn! Turn!," which turned to a passage from the Bible — "to everything there is a season" — for the lyrics.

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NHL pluses and minuses: Blues honor Jaden Schwartz's late sister

HOCKEY

St. Louis Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz and his teammates raised awareness and money for a foundation in his late sister's name by attending a hockey game at Yale last week. (Elsa Garrison / Getty Images / January 23, 2014)

Helene Elliott

January 27, 2014, 4:18 p.m.

Times columnist Helene Elliott rates the pluses and minuses in the NHL from the previous week:

Plus

+ Kudos to the St. Louis Blues for detouring during an East Coast trip to practice at Yale on Friday and attend a women's hockey game in honor of Mandi Schwartz, the late sister of Blues forward Jaden Schwartz. The team's presence helped raise awareness and funds for a foundation established in her name. Mandi, a former Yale hockey player, died of leukemia in April 2011.

+ The Winnipeg Jets are enjoying a post-coaching-change bounce. They've won six of seven games since Paul Maurice replaced Claude Noel and their victims include the league-leading Ducks — Anaheim's only regulation loss at home this season — and the No. 2 Chicago Blackhawks.

+ Good news for fans of the U.S. Olympic team: San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski just had a scoring spree of six goals in three games and 19 in 21. He paused Saturday to dish off a couple of assists to Joe Thornton. Through Sunday's games Pavelski led all Americans in the NHL with 28 goals.

Minus

- The Montreal Canadiens held a closed-door meeting Saturday after a 5-0 loss to the Washington Capitals, their fourth straight defeat. Goaltender Carey Price was "mercifully" pulled for the second time in three games, according to Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette, because of "a rudderless lineup in front of him throwing him a cement life raft." Ouch.

- Playing their last game at the United Center until March 4, the Blackhawks on Sunday scored the first goal but gave up the next three in a 3-1 loss to Winnipeg. They have a six-game trip before the Olympic break, another game on the road afterward, and a Stadium Series outdoor game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field on March 1.

- After seeming to solve their eternal goaltending problem, the Philadelphia Flyers are shaky again. Steve Mason has been pulled twice in three games since he signed a three-year, $12.3-million contract extension and has been pulled in three of his last six starts. The Flyers have lost three straight and seven of their last 10.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

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Republicans seek to tap California drought for a political edge

WASHINGTON — Beleaguered and outnumbered, California Republicans think they may have found a crucial ally — drought.

Up and down the state's increasingly dry Central Valley, Republicans have pounded away at the argument that Democratic policies — particularly environmental rules — are to blame for the parched fields and dwindling reservoirs that threaten to bankrupt farms and wipe out jobs.

In his latest campaign video, Republican Doug Ose stands in the middle of dried-out Folsom Lake. At a mere 17% capacity, the usually scenic reservoir favored by boaters and sunbathers looks like the set of "Mad Max." As the camera pans, Ose declares, "We're facing a real crisis."

"Where's our representative?" he demands, referring to Rep. Ami Bera, a freshman Democrat elected in 2012 on a razor-thin margin, whom he hopes to unseat this fall.

House Speaker John A. Boehner joined the effort recently, flying to Bakersfield and promising to shepherd legislation through the House to divert some of the state's dwindling water supply to farmers.

"When you come to a place like California, and you come from my part of the world, you just shake your head and wonder what kinds of nonsense does the bureaucracy do out here?" the Ohio Republican said, referring to the long-running diversion of millions of gallons from farms to the habitats of endangered fish.

"How you can favor fish over people is something that people from my part of the world never understand," he said.

Whether the politics of water can help the Republican Party make gains in this year's congressional elections remains to be seen. Republicans have bet on the water issue in the past to little avail. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, for example, made attacks on water-related environmental regulations a major element of her unsuccessful campaign against Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2010.

Already, however, the renewed partisan focus on the issue has complicated Gov. Jerry Brown's job, as his administration scrambles to develop emergency plans to keep water flowing to cities where the spigots of homes and businesses are in danger of running dry.

And this time may be different.

Across the state's agricultural heart, crisis is bearing down. Laborers face unemployment, and the owners of small companies that rely on a robust farming industry are panicked. The GOP is leveraging their anger.

Until now, "nobody cared," said Tony Quinn, an editor of the California Target Book, which handicaps political races. "In a drought, all of a sudden there is rationing, there is no boating, no fishing. People are told not to flush when they pee in the toilet. We'll be going through all that. People begin to pay attention."

"Republicans are looking for an issue in this very Democratic state," Quinn added. "Congressional candidates throughout the Central Valley are going to seize on this."

Indeed, Republican strategists hope the issue could help in half a dozen districts in and around the Central Valley. In addition to Ose's race against Bera, Republican strategists hope anger over water restrictions could help them with otherwise uphill challenges to Democratic incumbents Jerry McNerney of Stockton and Jim Costa of Fresno.

Water politics could also help Republicans defend incumbents who might be vulnerable if Brown appears headed to a lopsided victory. Democrats have eyed three Central Valley Republicans — Reps. David Valadao of Hanford, Jeff Denham of Turlock and Devin Nunes of Tulare — as possible targets.

The political advantage exists even though the plan Boehner unveiled last week, which would give more water to farms and less to habitat conservation, stands almost no chance of becoming law. The Brown administration dismisses the proposal as crude and potentially catastrophic, and its odds in the Democratic-controlled Senate are about nil.

Leading Democrats argue that the Republican proposals ignore the reality that California's water woes are complex and caused by diverse issues. Among them are gambles that agricultural interests took when they invested heavily in operations that rely on unstable water supplies.

Relaxing of endangered species protections would not necessarily free up any water amid a drought this severe. Moreover, Democrats note, proposals to fund large water conservation and recycling programs have foundered in the GOP-controlled House.

"This is a political stunt," said Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez), a veteran of the state's water tensions. "Their argument is so stupid."

The drought has already complicated Brown's efforts to win approval for his long-range plan to build two 35-mile tunnels that would divert as much as 67,500 gallons of water every second from the Sacramento Delta to thirsty cities and farms to the south.

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California Republicans seek to tap drought for a political edge

WASHINGTON — Beleaguered and outnumbered, California Republicans think they may have found a crucial ally — drought.

Up and down the state's increasingly dry Central Valley, Republicans have pounded away at the argument that Democratic policies — particularly environmental rules — are to blame for the parched fields and dwindling reservoirs that threaten to bankrupt farms and wipe out jobs.

In his latest campaign video, Republican Doug Ose stands in the middle of dried-out Folsom Lake. At a mere 17% capacity, the usually scenic reservoir favored by boaters and sunbathers looks like the set of "Mad Max." As the camera pans, Ose declares, "We're facing a real crisis."

"Where's our representative?" he demands, referring to Rep. Ami Bera, a freshman Democrat elected in 2012 on a razor-thin margin, whom he hopes to unseat this fall.

House Speaker John A. Boehner joined the effort recently, flying to Bakersfield and promising to shepherd legislation through the House to divert some of the state's dwindling water supply to farmers.

"When you come to a place like California, and you come from my part of the world, you just shake your head and wonder what kinds of nonsense does the bureaucracy do out here?" the Ohio Republican said, referring to the long-running diversion of millions of gallons from farms to the habitats of endangered fish.

"How you can favor fish over people is something that people from my part of the world never understand," he said.

Whether the politics of water can help the Republican Party make gains in this year's congressional elections remains to be seen. Republicans have bet on the water issue in the past to little avail. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, for example, made attacks on water-related environmental regulations a major element of her unsuccessful campaign against Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2010.

Already, however, the renewed partisan focus on the issue has complicated Gov. Jerry Brown's job, as his administration scrambles to develop emergency plans to keep water flowing to cities where the spigots of homes and businesses are in danger of running dry.

And this time may be different.

Across the state's agricultural heart, crisis is bearing down. Laborers face unemployment, and the owners of small companies that rely on a robust farming industry are panicked. The GOP is leveraging their anger.

Until now, "nobody cared," said Tony Quinn, an editor of the California Target Book, which handicaps political races. "In a drought, all of a sudden there is rationing, there is no boating, no fishing. People are told not to flush when they pee in the toilet. We'll be going through all that. People begin to pay attention."

"Republicans are looking for an issue in this very Democratic state," Quinn added. "Congressional candidates throughout the Central Valley are going to seize on this."

Indeed, Republican strategists hope the issue could help in half a dozen districts in and around the Central Valley. In addition to Ose's race against Bera, Republican strategists hope anger over water restrictions could help them with otherwise uphill challenges to Democratic incumbents Jerry McNerney of Stockton and Jim Costa of Fresno.

Water politics could also help Republicans defend incumbents who might be vulnerable if Brown appears headed to a lopsided victory. Democrats have eyed three Central Valley Republicans — Reps. David Valadao of Hanford, Jeff Denham of Turlock and Devin Nunes of Tulare — as possible targets.

The political advantage exists even though the plan Boehner unveiled last week, which would give more water to farms and less to habitat conservation, stands almost no chance of becoming law. The Brown administration dismisses the proposal as crude and potentially catastrophic, and its odds in the Democratic-controlled Senate are about nil.

Leading Democrats argue that the Republican proposals ignore the reality that California's water woes are complex and caused by diverse issues. Among them are gambles that agricultural interests took when they invested heavily in operations that rely on unstable water supplies.

Relaxing of endangered species protections would not necessarily free up any water amid a drought this severe. Moreover, Democrats note, proposals to fund large water conservation and recycling programs have foundered in the GOP-controlled House.

"This is a political stunt," said Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez), a veteran of the state's water tensions. "Their argument is so stupid."

The drought has already complicated Brown's efforts to win approval for his long-range plan to build two 35-mile tunnels that would divert as much as 67,500 gallons of water every second from the Sacramento Delta to thirsty cities and farms to the south.

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Spurs no match for Heat in NBA Finals rematch

MIAMI -- Chris Bosh scored 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting, LeBron James added 18 points and the Miami Heat rolled past the San Antonio Spurs, 113-101, on Sunday in an NBA Finals rematch from last season.

Mario Chalmers scored 16 points for Miami, which used Dwyane Wade as a reserve for the first time since Jan. 6, 2008. Wade -- an All-Star starter again this season -- had not played in Miami's last four games while dealing with ongoing knee rehabilitation, and finished with eight points and five assists in 24 minutes.

Michael Beasley scored 12, Norris Cole scored 11 and Ray Allen added 10 for Miami. Bosh has made 17 of his last 18 shots from the floor.

Tim Duncan led San Antonio with 23 points. Boris Diaw added 15, Marco Belinelli scored 12 and Tony Parker finished with 11 for the Spurs, who went on a 13-0 run late in the fourth quarter and were still down by 13 when the spurt was over.

Chalmers -- the last starter from either side who was in the game -- made a three-pointer midway through the fourth to give Miami a 106-80 lead. As the building slowly emptied, the Spurs slowly chipped away, with Nando De Colo getting six points and an assist during the run that was nowhere near enough to make any real difference.

Roger Mason Jr. snapped the scoreless drought for Miami, making a three-pointer from nearly the same spot that Allen made his infamous game-tying one that saved the Heat with 5.2 seconds left in Game 6 of last season's Finals, when the Spurs were one stop away from their fifth championship. Miami won that one in overtime, then prevailed in Game 7 for its second consecutive crown.

Sunday's game was the first official meeting between the teams since that finale. San Antonio visited Miami in the preseason, a night where the Finals rematch was the only thing really worth talking about, but at least the Spurs didn't have to see Miami's third championship banner hanging from the rafters of AmericanAirlines Arena that night.

Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich acknowledged that it's still difficult to think about. Coaches, he said, would understand.

"All the good stuff fades away and you remember the stuff that passed you by," Popovich said. "That's the way we think, sad as it is."

Unlike those Finals thrillers, this one wasn't a down-to-the-wire affair.

With a minute to go in the first half, Miami's lead was 53-50. It was 91-71 by the start of the fourth, a 38-21 blitz by the Heat over a span of 13 minutes eliminating any semblance of drama.

The third quarter was all Miami, and eliminated all doubt. Bosh was 4 for 4 from the field, on the way to a 12-point quarter. Miami outrebounded San Antonio 14-3 in the quarter, with James and Cole each grabbing one more rebound in that period than the entire Spurs roster.

And by the time the fourth started, the blowout was well underway.

Before Sunday, the Spurs faced a road deficit bigger than 15 points only once this season. A three-pointer by Chalmers took care of that, making it 81-65 Miami late in the third. And the margin eventually grew to 29, that all coming after the Spurs subbed Duncan and Parker out and gave them the rest of the day off in the latter portions of the third.

Brooklyn 85, at Boston 79: Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett returned to their former home court for the first time since being traded last July. They didn't have any highlights on the court until Garnett stole the ball from Rajon Rondo and went in for a layup that ended the Celtics' last threat.

at Golden State 103, Portland 88: Stephen Curry had 38 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and the Warriors used a smothering defense to beat the Trail Blazers.

at New Orleans 100, Orlando 92: Anthony Davis had 22 points, a career-high 19 rebounds and seven blocked shots and Tyreke Evans scored 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to keep the struggling Magic at bay.

Phoenix 99, at Cleveland 90: Markieff Morris scored 27 points and the Suns rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Cavaliers after the break, 56-29. Channing Frye finished with 16 points for the Suns, including four three-pointers after halftime.

at Dallas 116, Detroit 106: Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points, Devin Harris had a season-high 14 for the second game in a row and the Mavericks handed the Pistons their fourth straight loss.

Denver 125, at Sacramento 117: Ty Lawson scored 27 points, Wilson Chandler had 20 and the Nuggets defeated the Kings, who played without leading scorers DeMarcus Cousins (ankle) and Rudy Gay (Achilles').

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Directors Guild Awards: Alfonso Cuaron wins top honor for 'Gravity'

Alfonso Cuaron won the Directors Guild of America's award for directorial achievement in feature film for "Gravity," the outer space survival story starring Sandra Bullock.

"This is truly an honor and I'm humbled by it," Cuaron said as he accepted the award, winning the DGA prize on his first nomination. 

With this year's best picture Oscar race so tightly contested, the DGA award arrived as the last strong indicator of what film might be the eventual winner. (Eligibility restrictions reduce the impact of next week's Writers Guild Awards.) Last weekend, "American Hustle" won Screen Actors Guild ensemble honors, while "Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave" tied for the Producers Guild's best picture prize.

WATCH: Oscar contenders discuss their films

Cuaron's win, coupled with the PGA prize, would seem to mark "Gravity" as the best picture front-runner heading into the Oscars on March 2.

The DGA winner has gone on to win the director Oscar all but seven times in 65 years. One of those exceptions came last year, when Ben Affleck took the DGA prize for "Argo" after not being nominated by the Motion Picture Academy. "Argo" did wind up winning the Academy Award for best picture.

"The Square," the revelatory, riveting account of Egyptian revolution, won the DGA documentary award. Accepting the prize, director Jehane Noujaim delivered an emotional speech, noting that the movie had yet to be cleared by censors in Egypt. 

PHOTOS: Oscars 2014: Top nominees

"But it has been pirated, copied and uploaded again and again and 750,000 people have seen it in the last couple of days," Noujaim said. "I called Ahmed (Hassan), one of the main characters, and he told me, 'I can't walk the streets! Girls want to take pictures with me! The film has spread far beyond Cairo to villages you haven't even heard of.'"

Steven Soderbergh received the Robert B. Aldrich Award for his work with the DGA over his career. 

"I didn't want to join. I was forced to join," Soderbergh said, saying he initially believed the guild didn't have anything to offer him. "Learning I was wrong over and over again was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

Soderdergh returned to the stage later to accept his first DGA non-honorary award for his direction of the HBO Liberace biographical drama "Behind the Candelabra." He thanked his collaborators, whom he called, with joking appreciation, "performance enhancers."

For television series, finales took the night. Beth McCarthy-Miller won DGA honors for the last episode of "30 Rock," while Vince Gilligan prevailed on the drama side for the "Breaking Bad" farewell.

Each of the five DGA feature film director nominees received medallions presented by a member of their movie's cast. The introductions provided many of the evening's highlights, with the reliably engaging Tom Hanks introducing "Captain Philllips" director Paul Greengrass and Rob Reiner wondering why, with all the nudity in "The Wolf of Wall Street," Martin Scorsese didn't include any bared flesh in his scenes in the film.

Introducing Cuaron, Bullock noted, "They say it's all smoke and mirrors in this business, but you had not the option of smoke or mirrors, but just your imagination."

"I go through life and I'm not very starstruck," Cuaron told The Times before the ceremony. "But my teen crushes were with directors. I talk to them and I get so embarrassed. I still get like a teen with a rock star. Even with people who are friends now. We've had endless dinners. But I still get nervous beforehand."

The DGA awards ceremony was held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel in Century City. The ceremony is not televised.

ALSO:

WATCH: Writers Guild Awards online Feb. 1

WATCH: Hancock, Jonze, Greengrass dicuss their films

GRAPHIC: Steve McQueen, Chiwetel Ejiofor on key scenes

    

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For the record

New Orleans recovery: In the Jan. 19 Section A, an article about the recovery of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans said that the nonprofit group Make It Right had built 100 homes and planned to erect an additional 150. The group plans to build a total of 150 homes, 100 of which have been built.

Mideast allies: In the Jan. 25 Section A, an article about U.S. allies' concerns that the Obama administration is scaling back its role in the Middle East said that Iran agreed Jan. 20 to a six-month interim deal that calls for a partial lifting of sanctions in exchange for a partial freeze on its nuclear enrichment work. Iran agreed to a deal in November, and it took effect Jan. 20.

Homicide Report: In the Jan. 19 Section A, an article about the neighborhood with Los Angeles County's highest homicide rate gave the wrong age for Jacky Pineda, whose fiance was killed in December. She is 27, not 22.

Sheriff's candidate: An article in the Jan. 23 LATExtra section about who might be appointed to replace resigning Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca on an interim basis misspelled the last name of a candidate for sheriff in the election later this year. The candidate is Assistant Sheriff Jim Hellmold, not Hellmond.

9/11 museum: In the Jan. 25 Section A, an article about the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York said that Charles G. Wolf is a member of the 9/11 museum board. He is not.

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Death toll in Egypt clashes hits 49

Egyptian security forces clash with supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in downtown Cairo. (Hazem Abdelhamid / Almasry Alyoum, EPA / January 25, 2014)

By Laura King

January 26, 2014, 12:39 a.m.

CAIRO -- The death toll in Saturday's clashes on the third anniversary of Egypt's democratic uprising climbed to 49, with nearly 250 injured, the Health Ministry said Sunday, making it the most violent day in four months.

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Up next for Clippers: Saturday at Toronto

CLIPPERS

Darren Collison drives against Chicago's D.J. Augustin during the first half of the Clippers' 112-95 win Friday over the Bulls. Collison had 17 points with four assists. (Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press / January 24, 2014)

By Broderick Turner

January 24, 2014, 10:35 p.m.

CLIPPERS AT TORONTO

When: 4 p.m. PST.

Where: Air Canada Centre.

On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 980, 1220.

Records: Clippers 30-15; Raptors 22-20.

Record vs. Raptors (2012-13): 1-1.

Update: The Clippers have lost their last four games in Toronto, last winning there in 2008. It is the sixth game of a seven-game trip. The Clippers are 3-2 on trip.

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Pasta to please the pickiest palates

In Italy, it's so critical that the pasta be cooked right that I've seen a whole dinner party standing around the pot at the crucial moment to ensure the spaghetti wouldn't be overcooked. Some people prefer freshly made pasta, the more eggs the better. Others swear by dried pasta and insist on certain brands from Gragnano outside Naples. I say there's room for both.

The Factory Kitchen

Longtime Valentino chef Angelo Auriana is back in town as chef/partner in the Factory Kitchen downtown. At this casual Italian restaurant, head straight to the pasta section of the menu for his silky mandilli di seta (handkerchief pasta) tossed in a fragrant almond-basil pesto from Liguria embellished with Sardinian sheep's milk cheese. Wide ribbon noodles are speckled with olives and sauced in a rich duck ragú. To try too, his paccheri (large dried pasta tubes) in a spicy tomato sauce enriched with pork sausage. His ricotta gnocchi? Ethereally light, the best in town.

1300 Factory Place, Los Angeles, (213) 996-6000, http://www.thefactorykitchen.com. Pasta dishes, $18 to $22.

Bucato

At his new Culver City restaurant, Evan Funke takes a purist's stand, making pasta with only flour and eggs and rolling it out with a long wooden rolling pin as they do in Emilia-Romagna. That means even his cacio e pepe is made with fresh, square-cut spaghetti alla chitarra, upsetting those who insist it should be made only with dried pasta. Taken on its own terms, though, it's delicious. Go for his pappardelle with a gentle lamb ragú. And who could resist the delicate ravioli with peas, pancetta, brown butter and Parmigiano Reggiano?

3280 Helms Ave., Culver City, (310) 876-0286, http://www.bucato.la.com. Pasta dishes, $15 to $17.

Angelini Osteria

Pasta e fagioli can be made with either fresh or dried pasta. I've always loved the version of the bean soup Gino Angelini makes at Angelini Osteria. He uses maltagliati ("badly cut" fresh pasta scraps) — not a lot of them, but enough to give the velvety beans a lift. Add a swirl of olive oil and some black pepper and it's pure comfort, Italian style. But then I so love his bombolotti all' Amatriciana, fat ridged-tube pasta in a sauce made with his house-cured guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes and dried hot peppers too.

7313 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 297-0070, http://www.angeliniosteria.com. Pasta, $9 to $22.

irene.virbila@latimes.com

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C'mon, give dried fruit a chance

I knew dried fruit had an image problem, but I had no idea how bad it had gotten.

Sure, I can kind of understand how prunes, er, "dried plums," might have an issue — let's face it, any time your marketing solution involves changing your product's name entirely, well, things are tough.

But the other day, I was talking to Cooks County's Roxana Jullapat, and she told me that in her restaurant, merely putting the word "raisin" on the menu was enough to kill sales for a dish completely. Interestingly, actually adding the raisins had no effect whatsoever. People seem to like them, just so long as they're added on the down-low.

Truly, dried fruit has become the ingredient that dare not speak its name.

What's weirdest about that is all the really good cooks I know love dried fruit. On Facebook recently, cookbook author Maria Speck (her "Ancient Grains" is terrific) polled colleagues about which dried fruits they had in their pantries. I was feeling pretty proud: dark and golden raisins, currants, apricots, cranberries, sour cherries, figs and prunes (yes, I call them prunes, and proudly!).

But when other cooks chimed in, there were so many others mentioned that I felt like a piker. How could I have overlooked apples, mangoes, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, barberries … ? The list goes on and on.

So why do others hate them?

It wasn't so very long ago that even raisins were regarded as exotic ingredients, reserved for special occasions only. Until the 1870s, almost all raisins had to be imported from Europe. It wasn't until the birth of the gigantic vineyards of the Central Valley (located smack in the middle of one of the finest natural dehydrators known to man) that they began to become commonplace.

The Santa Clara Valley south of San Francisco proved to be just as hospitable for prunes. In the 1850s, a visitor brought over cuttings of the famed Agen prune trees from southwestern France; 50 years later there were more than 90,000 acres, almost all of them of that variety.

Indeed, before the Napa Valley became vinified, it was far better known for its prune orchards, and that's much more recent history. In 1960, Napa's prunes were more valuable than Napa's grapes.

Do we take raisins, prunes and their like for granted today because they've become so familiar?

I certainly don't. Dried fruit tastes too good to ignore just because of some silly fashion. Particularly at this time of year when there's not a lot of sweetness to be had (produce-wise), dried fruit can come to the rescue in both savory dishes and desserts.

Think like a Sicilian and combine raisins with salty or pungent flavors. I made a pasta the other day with broccoli, salted anchovies, raisins and pine nuts. Or toss a handful of raisins into a kale and wild rice salad to offset the dark greens' slight bitterness. (Steep them in warm water or brandy to soften a little before cooking.) Raisins or prunes are great with braised meats; just add them close to the end so they soften but don't fall apart.

Sweets? Besides the obvious — scattering raisins in just about anything possible: cookies, cakes, puddings and even pie fillings — I always have a jar of prune compote in the refrigerator during the winter. Make a strong brew by cooking black tea in a simple syrup with spices and orange zest, and poach the prunes just long enough to soften them slightly. The slight bitterness of the tea and the perfume of orange balances the sweetness and warm spice.

Serve the prunes and their syrup with a spoonful of yogurt and you've got a terrific dessert that's always on hand.

And if you love dried fruit as much as I do, you might even have them for breakfast.

russ.parsons@latimes.com

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Blast kills 3, wounds dozens at Cairo security building

Egyptian police sit on the street after a blast at security headquarters in downtown Cairo. (Khalil Hamra, AP / January 24, 2014)

By Laura King

January 23, 2014, 11:37 p.m.

CAIRO -- A strong explosion rocked a security headquarters in downtown Cairo, and state television reported at least three people were killed and 35 injured.

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California should give all kids the pre-K advantage

"Early education is our No. 1 priority." That's the 2014 message from California Democrats. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg introduced the Kindergarten Readiness Act (SB 837) on Jan. 6, and Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez included an aggressive early education agenda in Democrats' budget recommendations in December.

If the lawmakers' efforts succeed, and if Gov. Jerry Brown joins the effort — so far, his budget doesn't earmark the necessary funding — California could claim the lead in the nationwide movement to give children what's needed to thrive during the crucial first five years of their lives.

Viewed in purely political terms, this is a remarkable turn of events. In 2006, California voters decisively defeated Proposition 82, backed by actor-director Rob Reiner, which would have made pre-kindergarten available to all 4-year-olds in the state.

But a lot has changed since then. New research buttresses the argument for educating kids early. And a more thrifty financing strategy makes the idea more politically attractive.

During the 2006 campaign, backers of the ballot measure made their case by relying on iconic, decades-long studies of small-scale preschool programs. That research showed that children who enrolled in gold-standard early education were significantly more likely to graduate from high school, enroll in college, earn more, remain off the welfare rolls and stay out of prison than those who didn't have the same experience.

Having reviewed those studies, Nobel laureate economist James Heckman estimates that every dollar spent on preschool can yield as much as $7 in benefits to society, a rate of return that would make Warren Buffett envious.

Preschool critics countered that the studies were based on boutique experiments that couldn't be duplicated on a large scale. But recent research confirms that programs similar in scope to what's being proposed in California are having a sizable impact. A 2013 National Institute for Early Education Research report on poor New Jersey youngsters who attended well-financed and well-run preschools concludes that, half a dozen years later, these children are outperforming their un-preschooled peers in reading, math and science.

The New Jersey experience confirms that high quality is essential if preschool is going to fulfill its promise, and SB 837 mandates well-trained teachers and small classes. While that's a start, the Department of Education and state school districts, which would fill in the details, would have to be monitored to make sure that the programs offered education with a curriculum based on solid evidence, not glorified baby-sitting.

The proposed law would make half-day preschool, also known as transitional kindergarten, universally available for 4-year-olds. But as any parent will tell you, education doesn't begin at age 4.

Especially for poor youngsters, it's imperative to lay a solid foundation through early education. Recent research by Stanford psychology professor Anne Fernald finds that the language gap between poor and affluent children is already evident at 18 months. There's a six-month gap at age 2, and by the time they enter kindergarten as 5-year-olds, there's a two-year gap.

It's hardly surprising that many of these youngsters flounder in school; they simply aren't prepared. But poverty needn't be destiny. A companion measure to the Kindergarten Readiness bill, which state Sen. Carol Liu plans to introduce in February, would help close this gap with the nation's first evidence-based, comprehensive, birth-through-age-3 program for the most vulnerable children.

Although the worst of the financial crisis is behind us, it's essential that taxpayers' money be invested prudently. One reason the 2006 proposition failed is that it carried a stiff price tag — $2.3 billion annually — which would have been paid for by a 1.7% "soak-the-rich" tax.

This time around, the expansion of transitional kindergarten and the birth-through-3 program would be paid for out of the state budget surplus and by redirecting current funding.

Making kindergarten universally available is estimated to cost $198 million annually, for a total of $990 million by the time the law is fully implemented. That's about what has been cut from the state's early education budget since 2009, is less than half the cost of the Reiner proposal and is less than 1% of the projected 2020 budget, when the surplus is estimated to be nearly $10 billion. As for the birth-through-3 program, it could be paid for with funds for programs that would be replaced once kindergarten was expanded.

If revenue projections hold, the state should be able to afford the entire early education agenda while also building a rainy-day fund and paying off the debt accumulated during the recession.

Nationwide, this may be a tipping-point year for early education. The 2014 federal budget increases Head Start's budget by $612 million; that's enough to restore program cuts and invest in the Obama administration's Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships for infants and toddlers.

In statehouses and cities, after years of making cuts needed to balance budgets, there's an appetite for better childhood options. In his State of the State address this year, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo promoted pre-K for all. This isn't a red state-blue state issue: Georgia was the first state to provide universal preschool and Oklahoma enrolls the nation's highest percentage of 4-year-olds in state-funded pre-kindergarten.

It has been generations since California could call itself a national leader in education. With a high-quality birth-to-5 initiative, the state could reclaim its reputation for excellence and level the playing field for hundreds of thousands of poor children. What a boon to the state and a legacy for Brown, the Legislature and the voters.

David L. Kirp, a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley, is the author, most recently, of "Improbable Scholars: The Rebirth of a Great American School System."

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5 killed, scores wounded as 3 blasts rock Cairo

CAIRO -- A trio of explosions in the Egyptian capital Friday, one of them an apparent vehicle bomb in front of a downtown security headquarters, killed at least five people and injured scores of others, according to officials and state media reports.

Four of the deaths were reported at the security headquarters, where the powerful early-morning explosion sheared off the building's façade, shattered windows over a wide radius and damaged a museum building directly across the street.

About three hours later, a second blast went off near a metro station a few miles away, killing one person, according to the health ministry. Shortly after that, a third explosion was reported near a police substation, with no immediate reports of casualties.

The timing of the attacks was symbolic, coming on the eve of a holiday hailing the police. Saturday also marks the third anniversary of the start of the uprising centered in Tahrir Square, which drove Hosni Mubarak from power. In advance of the commemorations, the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, said any unrest would be dealt with harshly.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday's explosions, but the interim government has consistently blamed the Muslim Brotherhood, the movement of deposed President Mohamed Morsi, for such attacks, even when another group claims responsibility. The Brotherhood has been branded a terrorist organization.

Angry onlookers gathered in front of the police headquarters, some shouting slogans against Morsi and in favor of army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Sisi, who is expected to disclose soon whether he will run for president.

Friday is the main Muslim prayer day and a weekend day in Egypt, so few passers-by were on the streets when the first bomb went off before 7 a.m., and the fatalities were thought to be mostly police on duty at the headquarters. But more people were out and about when the second and third blasts hit at midmorning.

Attacks against the security forces are common in the restive Sinai peninsula but relatively rare in major Egyptian cities. A bombing last month at a security headquarters in the northern city of Mansoura killed at least 15 people.

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Hassan is a special correspondent.

Laura.King@latimes.com

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Trojans break through with first conference victory

USC men's basketball Coach Andy Enfield acknowledged this week that his players were starting to get frustrated after their poor start in Pac-12 Conference play this season.

Not anymore.

The Trojans won their first Pac-12 game of the season Wednesday night, and California lost its first, as the Trojans defeated the Golden Bears, 77-69, at the Galen Center.

BOX SCORE: USC 77, California 69

USC improved to 1-5 in conference games and 10-9 overall. Cal fell to 5-1 and 14-5.

The Trojans used a well-balanced attack — four of their players scored in double digits — and a drop in turnovers to take an early lead and then hold it for much of the game.

"We made a lot of shots early on, it gave us a lot of confidence," Enfield said.

USC was led by forward Nikola Jovanovic with 23 points, followed by Byron Wesley with 14 points and Pe'Shon Howard and Julian Jacobs, who each scored 12 points.

The Trojans committed 11 turnovers, but that was down from 18 in their previous home game against top-ranked Arizona.

Enfield had ascribed a good part of USC's poor start in Pac-12 play this season to the Trojans' inability to play well for the full 40 minutes.

But on this night the Trojans took a 41-32 lead into the locker room at halftime and didn't let up in the second half.

"We just gave effort for 40 minutes, which was nice to see," Enfield said. "It's a great win for our program and our team."

This game better resembled what USC had hoped for when Enfield was hired in April.

He arrived in Los Angeles with fanfare after two years as coach at Florida Gulf Coast University, where his fast-paced, high-powered offense was dubbed "Dunk City."

Instead, it had been rough sledding for the Trojans against their rivals in the Pac-12.

Within the Pac-12, USC entered the game 11th in total scoring, 10th in field-goal percentage, 11th in free-throw percentage and 12th in turnovers.

The Trojans also had suffered from an inability to stop teams from going on scoring binges, and for a moment Wednesday it appeared they'd have the same problem with Cal.

With about two minutes left in the first half, Cal went on an 8-0 run to cut USC's lead to 35-30. But the Trojans stopped the run there to take the halftime lead.

The Trojans play host to Stanford on Sunday and Cal plays UCLA the same day at Pauley Pavilion.

james.peltz@latimes.com

Twitter: @PeltzLATimes

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Kevin Durant, Thunder defeat Spurs, 111-105

Kevin Durant had 36 points to offset Tony Parker's season-high 37, and the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder survived a testy 111-105 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, their third win this season over the defending Western Conference champions.

Reggie Jackson had 27 points and Serge Ibaka added 14 points for Oklahoma City (33-10), which reclaimed the West's best record.

The Spurs lost their top defensive stopper, Kawhi Leonard, who left late in the first half after sustaining a non-displaced fracture in his right hand. Durant scored 24 points after Leonard left the game and has now scored 30 or more in nine straight games.

at Phoenix 124, Indiana 100: The Suns had six players in double figures, with three scoring at least 20 points, to rout the Pacers. Phoenix shot 69% from three-point range (11 of 16) and took advantage of 20 Indiana turnovers while turning it over only nine times.

Chicago 98, at Cleveland 87: D.J. Augustin scored 25 points in a start for Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson matched a career high with 26 filling in for Carlos Boozer as the Bulls improved to 7-2 since trading Luol Deng and, at 21-20, moved over .500 for the first time since Nov. 22.

at Toronto 93, Dallas 85: DeMar DeRozan scored a career-high 40 points and the Raptors overcame a 21-point, first-quarter deficit to end a two-game losing streak. Monta Ellis had 21 points for the Mavericks, who committed 21 turnovers and were playing without Dirk Nowitzki, who got the night off.

Boston 113, at Washington 111 (OT): Jeff Green scored 39 points, Gerald Wallace made a driving layup with 2.5 seconds remaining in overtime and the Celtics broke a 10-game road losing streak. John Wall had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double for the Wizards (20-21), who haven't won a game to move above .500 since Halloween 2009

Philadelphia 110, at New York 106: Evan Turner scored a career-high 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the 76ers ended a three-game losing streak and sent the Knicks to a fifth consecutive defeat.

at Houston 119, Sacramento 98: Dwight Howard and James Harden combined for 50 points in three quarters to help the Rockets cruise past the Kings, who lost leading scorers Rudy Gay (Achilles' tendon) and DeMarcus Cousins (sprained ankle).

Atlanta 112, at Orlando 109: Paul Millsap had 24 points, Jeff Teague added 23 and the Hawks, who blew a 19-point lead, handed the Magic its 12th loss in 13 games.

at Milwaukee 104, Detroit 101: Caron Butler scored 30 points and the Bucks rallied from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to end a nine-game losing streak

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McNamara's Picks: 'Rake,' 'Sherlock,' 'Blacklist,' 'Fleming'

"Rake." Greg Kinnear stars as scapegrace defense attorney Keegan Deane … and that's pretty much all you need to know. Who doesn't love Greg Kinnear? In just about anything? 

This role, based on an Australian show of the same name, seems particularly well-suited to his talents. "Key" is a man of perpetual optimism and very little self control. He never met a dollar, or drink, he didn't think he could double, counting on his fast-talk and winning smile to get him out of all sorts of trouble. Which they have, and haven't. 

Though perhaps a trifle tamer than his Aussie counterpart, Key is still on the frayed edges of professional society. Divorced, living on a friend's sofa, dodging creditors and at least one loan shark and bouncing between "borrowed" offices, he still believes he is one big case, or crap game, away from the big time. And even if it's mostly, and often dangerous, self-deception, his nonjudgmental and strangely sunny outlook pays off. In the court room, he takes on the cases no one else will touch, and in his life, well, many people are angry at Key, but few, including his ex (Miranda Otto) can bear to kick him completely to the curb. 

Although this is very clearly a star vehicle, Kinnear is surrounded by a strong cast including Otto, John Ortiz as his best friend Ben, Necar Zedegan as Ben's prosecutor wife, and Tara Summers as Leanne, Key's long-suffering assistant, all of whom are equally quick and complicated. Key may be the punchline of his own joke, but you'll be very glad he shared it with you. Fox, Thursdays, 9 p.m.

 PHOTOS: Faces to watch 2014 | TV

"Sherlock." In an undeniably unusual episode, John (Martin Freeman) and fiancee Mary Morstan (Amanda Abbington) tie the knot, with Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) serving as best man. As one might imagine, things go terribly awry and not just because Sherlock does not know how to give a proper toast. Although not, perhaps, as narratively smooth as the almost universally perfect episodes that precede it, "The Sign of Three" does contain a number of truly splendid moments, many of them contributing to Cumberbatch's masterful ability to evoke a man using his brain to activate his heart. PBS, Sunday, 10 p.m.

"The Blacklist." One of the fall's biggest hits roared back from its holiday break to prove it's not all about seeing James Spader's Red, former rogue operative turned asset, drop clues, bon mots and bad guys. Most, perhaps, but not all.

Having identified Meera (Parminder Nagra) as the CIA mole (Who else in the cast can match Spader in intensity and multi-tasking motivation?) Red is clearly bent on cleaning house, and not just the Agency's. As Elizabeth (Megan Boone, who gets stronger every week) draws closer to becoming an adoptive mother, Red puts her on the trail of a shady adoption ring.  NBC, Monday, 10 p.m.

BEST TV OF 2013 Lloyd | McNamara

"Parks and Recreation." Celebrate Amy Poehler's finally winning something -- a Golden Globe -- by keeping her very good and hilariously funny show alive for another year. Having been recalled from her dream job as City Council member, our man in Pawnee, Leslie Knope (Poehler) is trying to settle back into her old job as assistant Parks and Rec director while planning her future and everyone else seems to be in a similar state of flux. This week, Andy (Chris Pratt) apparently finds his true calling. Cannot wait to see what that is, and whatever else the gang is up to, because a week without "Parks and Recreation" is like, well, a week without parks or recreation. NBC, Thursday, 8:30

"Black Sails." Michael Bay's big-ticket prequel to "Treasure Island" gets off to a somewhat rocky start. Like "Deadwood," it attempts to balance historical grit with modern psychology (and certainly profanity) while capturing the high-seas romance that made "Treasure Island"  the template for virtually every adventure tale that followed. (Wasn't Long John Silver the first sympathetic anti-hero?) Whether or not "Black Sails" finds its sea-legs and becomes the break-out hit Starz so desperately needs remains to be seen. But it's already been renewed for a second season, so it might be worth getting on board early. Starz, Saturday, 10 p.m.

"The Legend of Lizzie Borden." Why on earth hasn't Netflix or some streaming service procured the rights to this brilliantly creepy and historically evocative (Oh, that mutton stew!) movie starring Elizabeth Montgomery? The absurdly lifeless Lifetime remake, which premieres on Saturday at 8 p.m., reminds us not only that this Golden Age still has a long way to go when it comes to TV movies, but also just how fabulous Montgomery and her 1975 version (Fionnula Flannigan, Bonnie Bartlett! Fritz Weaver!) really was.  

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Australian Open: It's terrible for the 2s as Azarenka, Djokovic fall

MELBOURNE, Australia — Victoria Azarenka's 18-match winning streak at the Australian Open ended Wednesday in a 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 quarterfinal loss to Agnieszka Radwanska, continuing the flow of stars tumbling out of the year's first major.

Fifth-seeded Radwanska ended her own streak of three consecutive quarterfinal defeats at Melbourne with a stunning display of versatile shot-making that shocked and confused the big-hitting Azarenka.

The result means both defending champions and No. 2 seeds were out in the quarterfinals — Novak Djokovic lost in five sets to Stan Wawrinka on Tuesday night.

Azarenka's defeat followed the fourth-round exits of top-ranked Serena Williams and No. 3 Maria Sharapova and leaves 2011 French Open champion Li Na as the only major winner to reach the women's semifinals.

Radwanska faces No. 20 Dominika Cibulkova, who routed Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-0. Li, a two-time finalist here, plays 19-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard.

Radwanska played drop shots and slices from the baseline, forcing Azarenka to come forward and then lobbing or passing her. She hit touch volleys with calm precision, instinctively anticipated Azarenka's shots and avoided big-swinging rallies, continually mixing it up and saving the power for when she needed it.

"She was aggressive. She was making everything. She was guessing right," Azarenka said. "I was just playing a little bit too predictably."

The previous night, Djokovic's bid for a fourth consecutive Australian title ended in a dramatic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 quarterfinal loss to Wawrinka, who had lost 14 previous matches to the Serbian. The eighth-seeded Swiss will face No. 7 Tomas Berdych in a semifinal.

A year ago Djokovic held off Wawrinka 12-10 in the fifth set in a 5-hour 2-minute fourth-rounder en route to his third straight Australian title. He also edged Wawrinka in five sets in a U.S. Open semifinal.

"I don't want to lose every time in five sets against Novak. I had to find a solution," Wawrinka said. "I had to fight within myself to fight against him. . . . That means being really aggressive."

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Ducks appear distracted in 3-2 loss to Jets

The Ducks were on Anaheim ice Tuesday night, but their minds seemed to be on Dodger Stadium.

Goalie Jonas Hiller was beaten by shots that routinely find his glove. The Ducks' offensive pressure was intense, but the aim was off, with 36 shots blocked.

Because of it, the Ducks' 22-game unbeaten-in-regulation start at Honda Center ended Tuesday when the last-place Winnipeg Jets of the Central Division claimed a 3-2 upset.

BOX SCORE: Jets 3, Ducks 2

"I never really felt in the game," Hiller said after surrendering three goals on Winnipeg's first 11 shots and getting replaced by Frederik Andersen with 4:17 left in the second period.

Hiller, who was 14-0-2 with a 1.86 goals-against average at home before Tuesday, speculated part of it might have been the distractions of the Ducks' Dodger Stadium game Saturday against the Kings.

Despite a frenzy of 42 shots on Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec, the Ducks got only two past him.

After Ducks center Nick Bonino scored with 9:42 remaining in the third period, Pavelec endured a power play in which Ducks Ryan Getzlaf, Cam Fowler and Matt Beleskey took their best desperate shots at him and came away empty.

It was the Ducks' first regulation loss at Honda Center since their Game 7 first-round playoff loss to the Detroit Red Wings on May 12.

"To be the first team to beat them here … we battled so hard, you don't see 36 blocked shots every day," Pavelec said. "We knew they were coming, but we handled it real well."

Getzlaf called the loss "one of those games … weird. We threw a lot over the net tonight. You're going to have nights like that, unfortunate the streak had to end like that."

With the Kings coming to Honda Center on Thursday before the Dodger Stadium event, Getzlaf said he hoped the loss to the Jets (23-23-5) wasn't a so-called trap game of lost focus.

"There's a lot of distractions with this outdoor game, everyone's been talking about it for two weeks, it's hard to focus on the two points at hand," Getzlaf said. "But it's an excuse our group hasn't been a part of before and won't be a part of again.

"When there's distractions, you have to play through them."

The Ducks (37-10-5) worked feverishly on two power plays in the second period trying to force a tie only to find themselves down, 3-1, when forward Evander Kane beat Hiller on a high shot to the goalie's left.

The hosts weren't sweating too profusely about a surprising 2-1 deficit after the first, considering they lead the NHL with 17 come-from-behind wins.

But a series of little breakdowns sealed their fate.

A Ducks pass hit an official's skate and forced them to spend an extra minute in the Winnipeg zone. Bonino missed a wide-open shot high and right. Saku Koivu launched a shot over the goal.

Ducks forward Patrick Maroon had an even better chance trying to follow a Francois Beauchemin shot, but he pushed the shot just left of the left goal post, lifting his head in despair.

The Ducks went ahead on Fowler's blue-line blast 3:59 into the game, with the puck nicking the stick of Jets defenseman Zach Bogosian past Pavelec.

Pavelec had an excuse.

Hiller didn't for allowing what appeared to be a routine effort by forward Blake Wheeler that eluded Hiller's glove 5:19 into the game. It was Wheeler's team-best 18th goal.

"Tough to forget about," Hiller said.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire

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Ukraine: Clashes between protesters and police turn deadly

KIEV, Ukraine -- Two people have died in clashes between protesters and police in the Ukrainian capital Wednesday, according to medics on the site, in a development that will likely escalate Ukraine's two month-long political crisis.

An Associated Press reporter saw medics declare two people dead near the barricades where police and protesters have confronted each other for three days. Police earlier reported one death, but it was unclear whether that was a separate victim.

Oleh Bondar, a medic, said the two men died of bullet wounds, but would not specify whether they were rubber or real bullets.

Police began dismantling barricades near a government district in Kiev on Wednesday morning, but protesters soon pushed them back to their original positions.

Ukraine's political crisis reached a new phase last week after President Viktor Yanukovych pushed through harsh anti-protest legislation. That prompted street battles at a cordon of riot police and buses near the Ukrainian parliament. Protesters threw rocks and fire bombs and police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

The clashes injured hundreds of protesters and police, but the deaths were likely to stoke anger and cause more people to join the protests and clashes.

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Lakers lose in a different way as Bulls get 102-100 OT victory

CHICAGO — The Lakers found a new way to lose, if that's even possible anymore.

They played well enough for 52 minutes and 59.1 seconds but the final 0.9 was a killer for them, an inbounds pass leading to an open layup that meant a 102-100 overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls at United Center.

It was a bizarre play, too easy after the Lakers fought admirably long, but Manny Harris, the newest Lakers addition, received instruction from the Lakers' bench to line up on what would be the wrong side of Chicago forward Taj Gibson as Mike Dunleavy inbounded the ball from under the Bulls' basket.

BOX SCORE: Bulls 102, Lakers 100 (OT)

Harris guarded Gibson near the free-throw line but stood closer to the top of the key than the basket, allowing Gibson to cut down unimpeded, take Dunleavy's pass and beat a late-arriving Pau Gasol.

"We didn't know exactly what was going to happen," said Harris, who signed a 10-day contract with the Lakers last Thursday. "At the last second, we switched and had me check the top of the key just in case someone popped out. So once I did that, Taj got wide open."

This strange season is getting stranger for the Lakers (16-26).

Gasol seemed especially hurt by the loss, maybe because he had a near-perfect game, becoming the first Lakers player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2001 to finish with at least 20 points, 19 rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals.

"You don't lose a game in one play, but to lose a game like that with a layup still hurts," Gasol said in a downtrodden voice. "Tough way to lose a game that we worked hard for."

Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni substituted the taller Harris on the final play for point guard Kendall Marshall.

"It wasn't his fault. It was the team's fault," D'Antoni said.

Nick Young had another significant game, scoring 31 points in 43 minutes, including a 17-footer from the right baseline to tie the score with six seconds left in overtime.

Kobe Bryant liked that one, smiling from the bench and repeatedly showing the "count it" sign with two of his right fingers.

But nobody accounted for Gibson in the final second or reserve guard D.J. Augustin the rest of the night (27 points, five of seven from three-point range).

Bryant hoped the Lakers had turned a corner, crediting their improved play to Young calling out teammates for not backing him up in a skirmish last Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.

"Things had just kind of been cruising along and skating along and I think the altercation in Phoenix kind of brought things to a head a little bit, saying 'This is not OK, things need to change,'" Bryant said before tip-off.

"If you're upset about something, you need to be upset about it instead of trying to sweep it under the rug."

Of course the Lakers then got swept around by Chicago in the final second of overtime.

Maybe it's why Bryant wasn't optimistic enough to predict the Lakers would make the playoffs.

"I don't know. I have no clairvoyant powers whatsoever," he said.

Bryant won't be back from a fractured knee until at least early February.

It's not long from now, but who knows how far the Lakers will have fallen by then.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

Twitter: @Mike_Bresnahan

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