Kings' trip drags to ugly, and costly, finish with 4-1 loss in Chicago

If the Central Time Zone pushed around and roughed up the Kings over the weekend, well, then Monday night was far worse.

To review: They lost to the Blackhawks, 4-1, at United Center. They lost ground in the Western Conference playoff race. And they lost one of their better puck-moving defensemen, Andrej Sekera, in the third period, and could only hope they don't lose him for a longer period than that.

So just how did "Chelsea Dagger" sound?

The Kings had to listen to the Blackhawks anthem — the Fratellis song played after every Chicago goal at United Center — four times, including twice in an error-riddled 64-second span in the second period when a power-play goal by defenseman Duncan Keith and an unassisted effort by Niklas Hjalmarsson expanded the lead to 3-1.

Those goals came on consecutive shots, and it could have been a more lopsided final result if not for the athletic exploits of Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who faced 40 shots.

And the night was full of daggers elsewhere, too

It started with Vancouver winning, 4-1, in St. Louis, extending the second-place Canucks' lead to five points over the fourth-place Kings in the Pacific Division. Scoreboard watching didn't get much better as the night went on as the third-place Calgary Flames were winning at Dallas at the same time the Kings were losing in Chicago.

The Calgary game ended a few minutes after the Kings lost. The Flames now lead the Kings by three points. Winnipeg holds the final wild-card spot and is two points ahead of the Kings, who finished 3-2 on their challenging trip, losing the last two games.

"We need points and we didn't get any tonight. At the end of the day we go home," Kings captain Dustin Brown said. "First thing we have to do is take care of business at home. It's not where we want to be [in the standings], but we can't sit here and feel bad for ourselves.

"We have to go out and play. We still have a chance, so that's what I think guys in this room have been really good at — realizing that the opportunity is there."

If Sekera is out for any significant period of time, that would be another blow to the Kings defense. Sekera, who was acquired from Carolina shortly before the trade deadline, was injured late in the second period and did not return.

Sekera was moving a bit carefully in the hallway and said one of the Blackhawks fell on his leg.

"Something doesn't feel right," he said. "I will know more about it and I will see the doctor tomorrow. I felt something went wrong and that was the night for me."

Sekera has been a major asset since joining the Kings in late February. He has one goal and three assists and has not had a minus game since March 1 at Winnipeg, bringing a measure of stability to the defense corps.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter wasn't pleased by a questionable hooking penalty called on Sekera just 39 seconds into the second period, leading to the Keith goal at 1:39 that made it 2-1.

"I didn't like the call," Sutter said. "Duncan scores a power-play goal and the third goal, [Kyle] Clifford loses coverage on Hjalmarsson. That's the difference.

The Kings' fourth line struggled all night as Clifford, Mike Richards and Jordan Nolan were all a minus-two. Defensemen Matt Greene and Alec Martinez were each a minus-three. The Kings' lone goal was by defenseman Jake Muzzin, who tied it, 1-1, with 32 seconds left in the first period on a shot from the left wing.

Brown noted that the Blackhawks caused many of the Kings' turnovers.

"We had a lot of them tonight," he said. "Everyone."

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

Twitter: @reallisa

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Kings' trip drags to ugly, and costly, finish with 4-1 loss in Chicago

If the Central Time Zone pushed around and roughed up the Kings over the weekend, well, then Monday night was far worse.

To review: They lost to the Blackhawks, 4-1, at United Center. They lost ground in the Western Conference playoff race. And they lost one of their better puck-moving defensemen, Andrej Sekera, in the third period, and could only hope they don't lose him for a longer period than that.

So just how did "Chelsea Dagger" sound?

The Kings had to listen to the Blackhawks anthem — the Fratellis song played after every Chicago goal at United Center — four times, including twice in an error-riddled 64-second span in the second period when a power-play goal by defenseman Duncan Keith and an unassisted effort by Niklas Hjalmarsson expanded the lead to 3-1.

Those goals came on consecutive shots, and it could have been a more lopsided final result if not for the athletic exploits of Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who faced 40 shots.

And the night was full of daggers elsewhere, too

It started with Vancouver winning, 4-1, in St. Louis, extending the second-place Canucks' lead to five points over the fourth-place Kings in the Pacific Division. Scoreboard watching didn't get much better as the night went on as the third-place Calgary Flames were winning at Dallas at the same time the Kings were losing in Chicago.

The Calgary game ended a few minutes after the Kings lost. The Flames now lead the Kings by three points. Winnipeg holds the final wild-card spot and is two points ahead of the Kings, who finished 3-2 on their challenging trip, losing the last two games.

"We need points and we didn't get any tonight. At the end of the day we go home," Kings captain Dustin Brown said. "First thing we have to do is take care of business at home. It's not where we want to be [in the standings], but we can't sit here and feel bad for ourselves.

"We have to go out and play. We still have a chance, so that's what I think guys in this room have been really good at — realizing that the opportunity is there."

If Sekera is out for any significant period of time, that would be another blow to the Kings defense. Sekera, who was acquired from Carolina shortly before the trade deadline, was injured late in the second period and did not return.

Sekera was moving a bit carefully in the hallway and said one of the Blackhawks fell on his leg.

"Something doesn't feel right," he said. "I will know more about it and I will see the doctor tomorrow. I felt something went wrong and that was the night for me."

Sekera has been a major asset since joining the Kings in late February. He has one goal and three assists and has not had a minus game since March 1 at Winnipeg, bringing a measure of stability to the defense corps.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter wasn't pleased by a questionable hooking penalty called on Sekera just 39 seconds into the second period, leading to the Keith goal at 1:39 that made it 2-1.

"I didn't like the call," Sutter said. "Duncan scores a power-play goal and the third goal, [Kyle] Clifford loses coverage on Hjalmarsson. That's the difference.

The Kings' fourth line struggled all night as Clifford, Mike Richards and Jordan Nolan were all a minus-two. Defensemen Matt Greene and Alec Martinez were each a minus-three. The Kings' lone goal was by defenseman Jake Muzzin, who tied it, 1-1, with 32 seconds left in the first period on a shot from the left wing.

Brown noted that the Blackhawks caused many of the Kings' turnovers.

"We had a lot of them tonight," he said. "Everyone."

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

Twitter: @reallisa

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Kings' trip drags to ugly, and costly, finish with 4-1 loss in Chicago

If the Central Time Zone pushed around and roughed up the Kings over the weekend, well, then Monday night was far worse.

To review: They lost to the Blackhawks, 4-1, at United Center. They lost ground in the Western Conference playoff race. And they lost one of their better puck-moving defensemen, Andrej Sekera, in the third period, and could only hope they don't lose him for a longer period than that.

So just how did "Chelsea Dagger" sound?

The Kings had to listen to the Blackhawks anthem — the Fratellis song played after every Chicago goal at United Center — four times, including twice in an error-riddled 64-second span in the second period when a power-play goal by defenseman Duncan Keith and an unassisted effort by Niklas Hjalmarsson expanded the lead to 3-1.

Those goals came on consecutive shots, and it could have been a more lopsided final result if not for the athletic exploits of Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who faced 40 shots.

And the night was full of daggers elsewhere, too

It started with Vancouver winning, 4-1, in St. Louis, extending the second-place Canucks' lead to five points over the fourth-place Kings in the Pacific Division. Scoreboard watching didn't get much better as the night went on as the third-place Calgary Flames were winning at Dallas at the same time the Kings were losing in Chicago.

The Calgary game ended a few minutes after the Kings lost. The Flames now lead the Kings by three points. Winnipeg holds the final wild-card spot and is two points ahead of the Kings, who finished 3-2 on their challenging trip, losing the last two games.

"We need points and we didn't get any tonight. At the end of the day we go home," Kings captain Dustin Brown said. "First thing we have to do is take care of business at home. It's not where we want to be [in the standings], but we can't sit here and feel bad for ourselves.

"We have to go out and play. We still have a chance, so that's what I think guys in this room have been really good at — realizing that the opportunity is there."

If Sekera is out for any significant period of time, that would be another blow to the Kings defense. Sekera, who was acquired from Carolina shortly before the trade deadline, was injured late in the second period and did not return.

Sekera was moving a bit carefully in the hallway and said one of the Blackhawks fell on his leg.

"Something doesn't feel right," he said. "I will know more about it and I will see the doctor tomorrow. I felt something went wrong and that was the night for me."

Sekera has been a major asset since joining the Kings in late February. He has one goal and three assists and has not had a minus game since March 1 at Winnipeg, bringing a measure of stability to the defense corps.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter wasn't pleased by a questionable hooking penalty called on Sekera just 39 seconds into the second period, leading to the Keith goal at 1:39 that made it 2-1.

"I didn't like the call," Sutter said. "Duncan scores a power-play goal and the third goal, [Kyle] Clifford loses coverage on Hjalmarsson. That's the difference.

The Kings' fourth line struggled all night as Clifford, Mike Richards and Jordan Nolan were all a minus-two. Defensemen Matt Greene and Alec Martinez were each a minus-three. The Kings' lone goal was by defenseman Jake Muzzin, who tied it, 1-1, with 32 seconds left in the first period on a shot from the left wing.

Brown noted that the Blackhawks caused many of the Kings' turnovers.

"We had a lot of them tonight," he said. "Everyone."

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

Twitter: @reallisa

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Iran backs off key component in nuclear talks

Iran is backing off an earlier apparent agreement to allow enriched uranium to be shipped out of the country to Russia as a way to assure the material can't be used as nuclear bomb fuel. 

Speaking on the sidelines of ongoing negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian reporters the country has "no plans to ship the uranium stockpile abroad at all," Iran's Mehr news agency reported.

He insisted that Iran had never had plans to do so. But he said there were other ways to assure that the material is not diverted for weapons use, even if it remains in Iran.

Since late last year, it has been widely expected that such transfers would be one ingredient in the agreement to restrict Iran's nuclear program.

Araqchi's statement comes at a moment when the bargaining has become difficult on several issues. Officials are saying that while they have reached agreement on many issues, it remains unclear if a a deal can be reached.

However, Western diplomats and analysts noted Monday that there are other ways to assure Iranian compliance with any international agreements to restrict Iran's nuclear program. The enriched uranium can be converted into forms that make it difficult to use the material for weapons, as is being done as part of the pending interim agreement that is now in effect.

The material can also simply be kept under close monitoring, said one Western official, who declined to be identified, citing the sensitivity of the subject. Iran appears to be accepting U.S. proposals for highly-intrusive monitoring and inspections of its nuclear sites, a U.S. official said Sunday.

A senior State Department official said Monday that how Iran's stockpile would be dealt with "had not yet been decided in the negotiating room, even tentatively."

"There have been viable options that have been under discussion for months, including shipping out the stockpile. But resolution is still being discussed," the official said in a statement.

The handling of the stockpile hasn't been under discussion in the latest round of talks, the State Department official said.

U.S. officials noted that Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's nuclear organization, said in several press interviews last winter that "no fuel is supposed to leave Iran."

Even so, some observers predicted the disclosure about the shipments would be a disruption, coming only two days before six world powers and Iran are expected to wrap up a preliminary agreement to curb the Iranian nuclear program.

"Seems like a serious setback this late in the day," Ray Takeyh, an Iran specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations said in an email.

Ali Vaez, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Iran's position on the issue "is not a deal breaker," and wasn't really backtracking from a concession.

He said Iran has already agreed to reduce its stockpile of low-enriched uranium to a few hundred kilograms, from 8,000 kilograms. He said there are many options for neutralizing the material Iran has agreed to give up, including diluting it, oxidizing it and turning it into pellets.

It may not be too surprising that Iran is unwilling to send its material out of the country. In October, 2009, Iran suddenly backed away from a plan previously agreed to by its then-president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to send three quarters of its enriched uranium to Russia as part of an an agreement.

Iran's abrupt move to back away from that 2009 proposal suggested that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei viewed the idea of such shipments as a breach of Iran's rights.

He has insisted throughout the negotiatiions that Iran's sovereign rights to pursue nuclear technology should be observed, and the country should not be treated like a pariah. He is under strong pressure from Iranian hardliners not to allow negotiators to make too many concessions.

The disclosure comes at a time when Iran is taking a tough line on some issues in bargaining, apparently in hopes of winning concessions in the final hours.

Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted that Iran must have all United Nations sanctions on Iran lifted at the start of any nuclear deal. U.S. officials, meanwhile, continue to insist that sanctions should be removed in phases, gradually, as Iran shows it will live up to its part of the deal.

Khamenei's website is emphasizing his demand that sanctions be immediately removed.

It quotes the leader saying that the lifting of sanctions should be "part and parcel of the talks, not the results of them."

The website also quotes Ali Akbar Salehi, chief of Iran's nuclear organization, saying that the United States is trying to trick Iran by proposing to have a broad preliminary deal finished this Tuesday, followed by a comprehensive deal at the end of June.

That two stage approach is a "ploy and a trick" that the United States has used before to try to take advantage of negotiating partners, Salehi is quoted as saying.

Correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

1:25 a.m.: This article has been updated with information from a senior U.S. State Department official. 

This article was first published at 12:57 a.m. 

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Iran backs off key component in nuclear talks

Iran is backing off an earlier apparent agreement to allow enriched uranium to be shipped out of the country to Russia as a way to assure the material can't be used as nuclear bomb fuel. 

Speaking on the sidelines of ongoing negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian reporters the country has "no plans to ship the uranium stockpile abroad at all," Iran's Mehr news agency reported.

He insisted that Iran had never had plans to do so. But he said there were other ways to assure that the material is not diverted for weapons use, even if it remains in Iran.

Since late last year, it has been widely expected that such transfers would be one ingredient in the agreement to restrict Iran's nuclear program.

Araqchi's statement comes at a moment when the bargaining has become difficult on several issues. Officials are saying that while they have reached agreement on many issues, it remains unclear if a a deal can be reached.

However, Western diplomats and analysts noted Monday that there are other ways to assure Iranian compliance with any international agreements to restrict Iran's nuclear program. The enriched uranium can be converted into forms that make it difficult to use the material for weapons, as is being done as part of the pending interim agreement that is now in effect.

The material can also simply be kept under close monitoring, said one Western official, who declined to be identified, citing the sensitivity of the subject. Iran appears to be accepting U.S. proposals for highly-intrusive monitoring and inspections of its nuclear sites, a U.S. official said Sunday.

A senior State Department official said Monday that how Iran's stockpile would be dealt with "had not yet been decided in the negotiating room, even tentatively."

"There have been viable options that have been under discussion for months, including shipping out the stockpile. But resolution is still being discussed," the official said in a statement.

The handling of the stockpile hasn't been under discussion in the latest round of talks, the State Department official said.

U.S. officials noted that Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's nuclear organization, said in several press interviews last winter that "no fuel is supposed to leave Iran."

Even so, some observers predicted the disclosure about the shipments would be a disruption, coming only two days before six world powers and Iran are expected to wrap up a preliminary agreement to curb the Iranian nuclear program.

"Seems like a serious setback this late in the day," Ray Takeyh, an Iran specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations said in an email.

Ali Vaez, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Iran's position on the issue "is not a deal breaker," and wasn't really backtracking from a concession.

He said Iran has already agreed to reduce its stockpile of low-enriched uranium to a few hundred kilograms, from 8,000 kilograms. He said there are many options for neutralizing the material Iran has agreed to give up, including diluting it, oxidizing it and turning it into pellets.

It may not be too surprising that Iran is unwilling to send its material out of the country. In October, 2009, Iran suddenly backed away from a plan previously agreed to by its then-president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to send three quarters of its enriched uranium to Russia as part of an an agreement.

Iran's abrupt move to back away from that 2009 proposal suggested that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei viewed the idea of such shipments as a breach of Iran's rights.

He has insisted throughout the negotiatiions that Iran's sovereign rights to pursue nuclear technology should be observed, and the country should not be treated like a pariah. He is under strong pressure from Iranian hardliners not to allow negotiators to make too many concessions.

The disclosure comes at a time when Iran is taking a tough line on some issues in bargaining, apparently in hopes of winning concessions in the final hours.

Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted that Iran must have all United Nations sanctions on Iran lifted at the start of any nuclear deal. U.S. officials, meanwhile, continue to insist that sanctions should be removed in phases, gradually, as Iran shows it will live up to its part of the deal.

Khamenei's website is emphasizing his demand that sanctions be immediately removed.

It quotes the leader saying that the lifting of sanctions should be "part and parcel of the talks, not the results of them."

The website also quotes Ali Akbar Salehi, chief of Iran's nuclear organization, saying that the United States is trying to trick Iran by proposing to have a broad preliminary deal finished this Tuesday, followed by a comprehensive deal at the end of June.

That two stage approach is a "ploy and a trick" that the United States has used before to try to take advantage of negotiating partners, Salehi is quoted as saying.

Correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

1:25 a.m.: This article has been updated with information from a senior U.S. State Department official. 

This article was first published at 12:57 a.m. 

16.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iran backs off key component in nuclear talks

Iran is backing off an earlier apparent agreement to allow enriched uranium to be shipped out of the country to Russia as a way to assure the material can't be used as nuclear bomb fuel. 

Speaking on the sidelines of ongoing negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian reporters the country has "no plans to ship the uranium stockpile abroad at all," Iran's Mehr news agency reported.

He insisted that Iran had never had plans to do so. But he said there were other ways to assure that the material is not diverted for weapons use, even if it remains in Iran.

Since late last year, it has been widely expected that such transfers would be one ingredient in the agreement to restrict Iran's nuclear program.

Araqchi's statement comes at a moment when the bargaining has become difficult on several issues. Officials are saying that while they have reached agreement on many issues, it remains unclear if a a deal can be reached.

However, Western diplomats and analysts noted Monday that there are other ways to assure Iranian compliance with any international agreements to restrict Iran's nuclear program. The enriched uranium can be converted into forms that make it difficult to use the material for weapons, as is being done as part of the pending interim agreement that is now in effect.

The material can also simply be kept under close monitoring, said one Western official, who declined to be identified, citing the sensitivity of the subject. Iran appears to be accepting U.S. proposals for highly-intrusive monitoring and inspections of its nuclear sites, a U.S. official said Sunday.

A senior State Department official said Monday that how Iran's stockpile would be dealt with "had not yet been decided in the negotiating room, even tentatively."

"There have been viable options that have been under discussion for months, including shipping out the stockpile. But resolution is still being discussed," the official said in a statement.

The handling of the stockpile hasn't been under discussion in the latest round of talks, the State Department official said.

U.S. officials noted that Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's nuclear organization, said in several press interviews last winter that "no fuel is supposed to leave Iran."

Even so, some observers predicted the disclosure about the shipments would be a disruption, coming only two days before six world powers and Iran are expected to wrap up a preliminary agreement to curb the Iranian nuclear program.

"Seems like a serious setback this late in the day," Ray Takeyh, an Iran specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations said in an email.

Ali Vaez, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Iran's position on the issue "is not a deal breaker," and wasn't really backtracking from a concession.

He said Iran has already agreed to reduce its stockpile of low-enriched uranium to a few hundred kilograms, from 8,000 kilograms. He said there are many options for neutralizing the material Iran has agreed to give up, including diluting it, oxidizing it and turning it into pellets.

It may not be too surprising that Iran is unwilling to send its material out of the country. In October, 2009, Iran suddenly backed away from a plan previously agreed to by its then-president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to send three quarters of its enriched uranium to Russia as part of an an agreement.

Iran's abrupt move to back away from that 2009 proposal suggested that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei viewed the idea of such shipments as a breach of Iran's rights.

He has insisted throughout the negotiatiions that Iran's sovereign rights to pursue nuclear technology should be observed, and the country should not be treated like a pariah. He is under strong pressure from Iranian hardliners not to allow negotiators to make too many concessions.

The disclosure comes at a time when Iran is taking a tough line on some issues in bargaining, apparently in hopes of winning concessions in the final hours.

Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted that Iran must have all United Nations sanctions on Iran lifted at the start of any nuclear deal. U.S. officials, meanwhile, continue to insist that sanctions should be removed in phases, gradually, as Iran shows it will live up to its part of the deal.

Khamenei's website is emphasizing his demand that sanctions be immediately removed.

It quotes the leader saying that the lifting of sanctions should be "part and parcel of the talks, not the results of them."

The website also quotes Ali Akbar Salehi, chief of Iran's nuclear organization, saying that the United States is trying to trick Iran by proposing to have a broad preliminary deal finished this Tuesday, followed by a comprehensive deal at the end of June.

That two stage approach is a "ploy and a trick" that the United States has used before to try to take advantage of negotiating partners, Salehi is quoted as saying.

Correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

1:25 a.m.: This article has been updated with information from a senior U.S. State Department official. 

This article was first published at 12:57 a.m. 

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Kerry to skip Kennedy bash, suggesting Iran talks are still sticky

Secretary of State John F. Kerry said early Sunday he would be unable to attend the Monday dedication of an institute honoring the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, an acknowledgement that negotiations seeking a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program would not be finished Sunday, as had been hoped.

              In a statement from this city, where negotiations have been underway since Thursday, a spokeswoman for Kerry said he regrets that he will not be able to attend the dedication with the family of the Massachusetts Democrat "given the ongoing nuclear negotiations."

              Both U.S. and Iranians officials were hoping to finish a preliminary agreement on the nuclear program Sunday, and to fly home at the end of the day. But Iran has not met the demands of the U.S. and five other world powers on several remaining issues. It is now uncertain if the two sides will reach a deal by the Tuesday deadline.

              The two sides are seeking a deal that would ease sanctions on Iran if it accepts curbs aimed at keeping it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"Secretary Kerry was very much looking forward to being a part of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute's dedication in Boston this week, and to honoring the work of his friend's life, and [the Senate], where they served side by side for nearly 25 years, with the Kennedy family and Sen.  Kennedy's friends," spokeswoman Marie Harf said in the statement.

The foreign ministers for the world powers have been arriving this weekend in hopes of smoothing remaining disagreements and giving their countries' blessing to the deal.

But as often happens in such negotiations, the closing days have been contentious. Both sides are under intense pressure to get the best possible terms, because they face powerful resistance to the agreement in their home countries.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Kerry to skip Kennedy bash, suggesting Iran talks are still sticky

Secretary of State John F. Kerry said early Sunday he would be unable to attend the Monday dedication of an institute honoring the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, an acknowledgement that negotiations seeking a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program would not be finished Sunday, as had been hoped.

              In a statement from this city, where negotiations have been underway since Thursday, a spokeswoman for Kerry said he regrets that he will not be able to attend the dedication with the family of the Massachusetts Democrat "given the ongoing nuclear negotiations."

              Both U.S. and Iranians officials were hoping to finish a preliminary agreement on the nuclear program Sunday, and to fly home at the end of the day. But Iran has not met the demands of the U.S. and five other world powers on several remaining issues. It is now uncertain if the two sides will reach a deal by the Tuesday deadline.

              The two sides are seeking a deal that would ease sanctions on Iran if it accepts curbs aimed at keeping it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"Secretary Kerry was very much looking forward to being a part of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute's dedication in Boston this week, and to honoring the work of his friend's life, and [the Senate], where they served side by side for nearly 25 years, with the Kennedy family and Sen.  Kennedy's friends," spokeswoman Marie Harf said in the statement.

The foreign ministers for the world powers have been arriving this weekend in hopes of smoothing remaining disagreements and giving their countries' blessing to the deal.

But as often happens in such negotiations, the closing days have been contentious. Both sides are under intense pressure to get the best possible terms, because they face powerful resistance to the agreement in their home countries.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Air Canada plane skids off Halifax runway on 'abrupt' landing

An Air Canada plane made an "abrupt" landing and left the runway at the Halifax airport in bad weather, and officials said early Sunday that 25 people were taken to a hospital for observation and treatment of minor injuries.

The airline said a preliminary count showed Flight AC624 from Toronto had 132 passengers and five crew members.

"We are thankful no serious injuries have been reported," Halifax Stanfield International Airport tweeted. The airport said its airfield remained closed.

Airport spokesman Peter Spurway said the aircraft touched down in stormy conditions.

"It came down pretty hard and then skidded off the runway," Spurway said. He said he didn't know whether runway conditions played a role.

The Halifax region is currently under a snowfall warning, with an Environment Canada alert saying, "Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow."

Power went off at the airport, which meant an emergency response center had to be moved to a nearby hotel, Spurway said.

The cause of the outage was not clear, but Nova Scotia Power said they had since restored service.

Mike Magnus, a businessman who was on the plane, said the plane was at the "furthest tip of the airport" when it stopped. He says he heard that the plane may have clipped a power line that caused the power outage at the airport.

"It was so chaotic at the time. I'm pretty sure the landing gear broke on it. The engine on my side popped off," the 60-year-old said by phone from Halifax.

Magnus believes at least one engine was torn off the Airbus A320. He says the nose of the plane was sheared off and he believes the wings were damaged too.

He added that the snow that covered the runway likely deadened any sparks that may have caused a fire and engulfed the plane.

"The snow caused it and the snow saved it," he said.

Flight tracking service FlightAware showed that the plane is an AirbusA320.

Another flight tracking site, Flightradar24, listed several canceled flights at the airport Sunday morning.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

1:55 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from a passenger.

This article was first posted at 1:37 a.m.

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Chino Hills High loses boys' Division I state title game in double OT

Frustration was visible on the faces of Chino Hills players and their coach, Steve Baik. Their chance to win a state Division I championship on Friday night appeared to vanish with 3:18 left in regulation when standout junior guard Lonzo Ball was called for his fifth foul in a loose-ball situation at Haas Pavilion.

He ran off the court disgusted. The Huskies ended up losing in double overtime, 79-71, to Danville San Ramon Valley.

"It's really frustrating," Baik said. "I'm disappointed we weren't allowed to play with the guys who deserved to be on the court. San Ramon Valley played a heck of a game."

Ball finished with 30 points and his brother, LiAngelo, scored 23 points before he fouled out in the second overtime.

Keith Smith, the nephew of L.A. Windward Coach Steve Smith, had 20 points for San Ramon Valley (27-6). Christian Fuca, whose father, Joey, was an athlete during his days at Crespi High, had 18 points, including four three-pointers.

"We made some critical mistakes in not guarding Fuca," Baik said.

Smith, in discussing the strategy for Lonzo Ball, said, "We tried to attack him every chance we got. He's a key component to everything they do, so the idea was to get him out of his comfort zone, be physical and tire him out. He's an unbelievable player. One of the best I've played against."

Damien wins Division III title

San Diego State-bound Jeremy Hemsley established a lasting memory for his senior season, delivering 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to help La Verne Damien defeat Moraga Campolindo, 70-57, in the Division III final.

"Losing was not an option," he said.

Damien (29-5) wore down Campolindo in the fourth quarter after holding a four-point lead after three quarters. Chris Hansen had 25 points and 14 rebounds for Campolindo (28-5).

"He's a special young man," Damien Coach Matt Dunn said of Hemsley, a 6-foot-4 point guard. "I don't know if anybody will coach a more talented, better player who was all in. He's all in for our team, for our school."

Micah Robinson made five three-pointers and finished with 17 points for Damien. Bryce Peters scored 12 points and Malik Fitts had nine points and 12 rebounds.

"The guys found me," Robinson said. "When I get a hot hand and am feeling it, they get it to me."

Campolindo Coach Matt Watson said of the Spartans, "That team is so long it's like a bunch of spiders coming at you from all angles."

Sierra Canyon is Division V champ

How dominant was 6-foot-8 sophomore Cody Riley of Chatsworth Sierra Canyon in the Division V championship game?

So dominant that he put himself in the record book with 22 rebounds, the most in state championship game history. He also had 18 points and three blocks as Sierra Canyon (26-4) cruised to an 80-55 victory over San Francisco University (28-8).

The outcome was never in doubt. Sierra Canyon scored the game's first 14 points. University trailed, 36-23, at halftime and never threatened the Trail Blazers, an Open Division team sent back to Division V after losing in the Southern Section quarterfinals.

The starting lineup of four sophomores and a junior is so good that Sierra Canyon figures to be one of the top teams in the country next season, especially after 6-8 Ira Lee returns from a shoulder injury to join Riley and form one of the most imposing duos around.

Sophomore Remy Martin turned in a big performance with 19 points. Terrance McBride and Devearl Ramsey each scored 13.

As for Riley's performance, Coach Ty Nichols said, "He's a kid who deserves to have his name in the record book. Our goal for him all year long was to average double-double. To get 22 rebounds in any high school game is phenomenal."

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Chino Hills High loses boys' Division I state title game in double OT

Frustration was visible on the faces of Chino Hills players and their coach, Steve Baik. Their chance to win a state Division I championship on Friday night appeared to vanish with 3:18 left in regulation when standout junior guard Lonzo Ball was called for his fifth foul in a loose-ball situation at Haas Pavilion.

He ran off the court disgusted. The Huskies ended up losing in double overtime, 79-71, to Danville San Ramon Valley.

"It's really frustrating," Baik said. "I'm disappointed we weren't allowed to play with the guys who deserved to be on the court. San Ramon Valley played a heck of a game."

Ball finished with 30 points and his brother, LiAngelo, scored 23 points before he fouled out in the second overtime.

Keith Smith, the nephew of L.A. Windward Coach Steve Smith, had 20 points for San Ramon Valley (27-6). Christian Fuca, whose father, Joey, was an athlete during his days at Crespi High, had 18 points, including four three-pointers.

"We made some critical mistakes in not guarding Fuca," Baik said.

Smith, in discussing the strategy for Lonzo Ball, said, "We tried to attack him every chance we got. He's a key component to everything they do, so the idea was to get him out of his comfort zone, be physical and tire him out. He's an unbelievable player. One of the best I've played against."

Damien wins Division III title

San Diego State-bound Jeremy Hemsley established a lasting memory for his senior season, delivering 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to help La Verne Damien defeat Moraga Campolindo, 70-57, in the Division III final.

"Losing was not an option," he said.

Damien (29-5) wore down Campolindo in the fourth quarter after holding a four-point lead after three quarters. Chris Hansen had 25 points and 14 rebounds for Campolindo (28-5).

"He's a special young man," Damien Coach Matt Dunn said of Hemsley, a 6-foot-4 point guard. "I don't know if anybody will coach a more talented, better player who was all in. He's all in for our team, for our school."

Micah Robinson made five three-pointers and finished with 17 points for Damien. Bryce Peters scored 12 points and Malik Fitts had nine points and 12 rebounds.

"The guys found me," Robinson said. "When I get a hot hand and am feeling it, they get it to me."

Campolindo Coach Matt Watson said of the Spartans, "That team is so long it's like a bunch of spiders coming at you from all angles."

Sierra Canyon is Division V champ

How dominant was 6-foot-8 sophomore Cody Riley of Chatsworth Sierra Canyon in the Division V championship game?

So dominant that he put himself in the record book with 22 rebounds, the most in state championship game history. He also had 18 points and three blocks as Sierra Canyon (26-4) cruised to an 80-55 victory over San Francisco University (28-8).

The outcome was never in doubt. Sierra Canyon scored the game's first 14 points. University trailed, 36-23, at halftime and never threatened the Trail Blazers, an Open Division team sent back to Division V after losing in the Southern Section quarterfinals.

The starting lineup of four sophomores and a junior is so good that Sierra Canyon figures to be one of the top teams in the country next season, especially after 6-8 Ira Lee returns from a shoulder injury to join Riley and form one of the most imposing duos around.

Sophomore Remy Martin turned in a big performance with 19 points. Terrance McBride and Devearl Ramsey each scored 13.

As for Riley's performance, Coach Ty Nichols said, "He's a kid who deserves to have his name in the record book. Our goal for him all year long was to average double-double. To get 22 rebounds in any high school game is phenomenal."

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Shabab gunmen's siege at Somali hotel ends with 17 dead

Somali troops on Saturday took full control of a hotel that extremist gunmen stormed and occupied for more than 12 hours following a suicide bombing. At least 17 people died and dozens were wounded.

The gunfire has stopped and security agents have accessed the whole building, said senior police officer Capt. Mohamed Hussein. He had earlier said the gunmen were believed to have occupied the third and fourth floors of the the Maka Mukarramah hotel in the capital Mogadishu.

"The operation has ended we have taken full control of the hotel," Hussein said.

Hussein said security forces found four more bodies in the hotel Saturday, plus nine dead on Friday. Four people died in the hospital, according to Duniya Mohamed, a doctor at Madina hospital in Mogadishu. Hussein Ali, an official of Mogadishu's ambulance service, said there were 28 wounded.

There was no immediate indication of how many of the dead were attackers, all of whom were killed according to Hussein.

Somalia's ambassador to Switzerland was among those killed in the attack, said Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Shabab, an Al Qaeda-linked Islamic extremist group that has carried out many attacks in Somalia, claimed responsibility for the assault on the hotel, which is popular with Somali government officials and foreigners.

Shabab controlled much of Mogadishu between 2007 and 2011, but was pushed out of Somalia's capital and other major cities by African Union forces.

The attack started around 4 p.m. Friday when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car at the gate of the hotel. Gunmen then quickly moved in.

Hours later, the militants were still holed up in the hotel's dark alleys and rooms. Sporadic gunfire could be heard, but it appeared that the security forces waited until daybreak before trying again to dislodge the militants.

Shabab routinely carries out suicide bombings, drive-by shootings and other attacks in Mogadishu, the seat of Somalia's Western-backed government — often targeting government troops, lawmakers and foreigners.

Despite major setbacks in 2014, Shabab continues to wage a deadly insurgency against Somalia's government and remains a threat in the East African region.

The group has carried out attacks in neighboring countries, including Kenya, whose military is part of the African Union troops bolstering Somalia's weak government against Shabab insurgency.

At least 67 people were killed in a September 2013 attack by Shabab on a mall in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

1:17 a.m.: This article was updated with new details throughout.

This article was first posted at 12:32 a.m.

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Where to watch the lights go out for global Earth Hour 2015

Earth Hour 2015 will happen at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, when landmarks, hotels, universities, buildings and individuals shut off their lights to raise awareness of climate change. It's an hour -- based on local time wherever you are -- meant to be a call to action too.

The World Wildlife Fund organizes the annual event, which started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. The organization reports that 7,000 cities, 1,200 landmarks and 172 countries and territories will go dark this year.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and Times Square in New York City are among the landmarks that plan to participate. You can stay home and turn out the lights or go to these events and places.

Las Vegas: Casinos and hotels on the Strip will power down their exterior lighting and marquees, leaving one of the world's most famous roadways in darkness.

Los Angeles: The blue glow of Staples Center, Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier and the colorful pylons at Los Angeles International Airport will go dark.

San Francisco: Ghirardelli Square is dousing the lights and throwing a #GoDark Earth Hour Party from 6 to 9:30 p.m. It's a dark chocolate (get it?) tasting party too. The Golden Gate Bridge and Transamerica Pyramid building will cut the lights too.

Ritz-Carlton and Hilton hotels: Some hotels around the world will switch off non-essential lights at all properties and organize events too. The Ritz-Carlton says in a statement that its hotel in Dubai's International Financial Center will host "Stories by Candlelight" for kids while guests at the Istanbul Ritz-Carlton will be treated to a traditional Turkish shadow play in the lobby.

Hilton hotels are participating too. The Conrad Macao, Cotai Central will turn off external lights, dim indoor lights in restaurants and lounges, and create a 280-candle display of the Earth Hour logo in the lobby.

UNESCO sites: Thirty UNESCO World Heritage Sites will go dark, including the Acropolis in Athens, Edinburgh Castle in Scotland and the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

Info: Find an event or location near you at Earth Hour 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Where to watch the lights go out for global Earth Hour 2015

Earth Hour 2015 will happen at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, when landmarks, hotels, universities, buildings and individuals shut off their lights to raise awareness of climate change. It's an hour -- based on local time wherever you are -- meant to be a call to action too.

The World Wildlife Fund organizes the annual event, which started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. The organization reports that 7,000 cities, 1,200 landmarks and 172 countries and territories will go dark this year.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and Times Square in New York City are among the landmarks that plan to participate. You can stay home and turn out the lights or go to these events and places.

Las Vegas: Casinos and hotels on the Strip will power down their exterior lighting and marquees, leaving one of the world's most famous roadways in darkness.

Los Angeles: The blue glow of Staples Center, Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier and the colorful pylons at Los Angeles International Airport will go dark.

San Francisco: Ghirardelli Square is dousing the lights and throwing a #GoDark Earth Hour Party from 6 to 9:30 p.m. It's a dark chocolate (get it?) tasting party too. The Golden Gate Bridge and Transamerica Pyramid building will cut the lights too.

Ritz-Carlton and Hilton hotels: Some hotels around the world will switch off non-essential lights at all properties and organize events too. The Ritz-Carlton says in a statement that its hotel in Dubai's International Financial Center will host "Stories by Candlelight" for kids while guests at the Istanbul Ritz-Carlton will be treated to a traditional Turkish shadow play in the lobby.

Hilton hotels are participating too. The Conrad Macao, Cotai Central will turn off external lights, dim indoor lights in restaurants and lounges, and create a 280-candle display of the Earth Hour logo in the lobby.

UNESCO sites: Thirty UNESCO World Heritage Sites will go dark, including the Acropolis in Athens, Edinburgh Castle in Scotland and the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

Info: Find an event or location near you at Earth Hour 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

16.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Where to watch the lights go out for global Earth Hour 2015

Earth Hour 2015 will happen at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, when landmarks, hotels, universities, buildings and individuals shut off their lights to raise awareness of climate change. It's an hour -- based on local time wherever you are -- meant to be a call to action too.

The World Wildlife Fund organizes the annual event, which started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. The organization reports that 7,000 cities, 1,200 landmarks and 172 countries and territories will go dark this year.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and Times Square in New York City are among the landmarks that plan to participate. You can stay home and turn out the lights or go to these events and places.

Las Vegas: Casinos and hotels on the Strip will power down their exterior lighting and marquees, leaving one of the world's most famous roadways in darkness.

Los Angeles: The blue glow of Staples Center, Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier and the colorful pylons at Los Angeles International Airport will go dark.

San Francisco: Ghirardelli Square is dousing the lights and throwing a #GoDark Earth Hour Party from 6 to 9:30 p.m. It's a dark chocolate (get it?) tasting party too. The Golden Gate Bridge and Transamerica Pyramid building will cut the lights too.

Ritz-Carlton and Hilton hotels: Some hotels around the world will switch off non-essential lights at all properties and organize events too. The Ritz-Carlton says in a statement that its hotel in Dubai's International Financial Center will host "Stories by Candlelight" for kids while guests at the Istanbul Ritz-Carlton will be treated to a traditional Turkish shadow play in the lobby.

Hilton hotels are participating too. The Conrad Macao, Cotai Central will turn off external lights, dim indoor lights in restaurants and lounges, and create a 280-candle display of the Earth Hour logo in the lobby.

UNESCO sites: Thirty UNESCO World Heritage Sites will go dark, including the Acropolis in Athens, Edinburgh Castle in Scotland and the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

Info: Find an event or location near you at Earth Hour 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Valencia restaurant owner accused of slavery, beating employee

An Indian national who was employed at a Valencia restaurant endured three years of slavery -- including regular beatings -- and was so scared of his boss that he feared for his life if he ever tried to escape, authorities said Wednesday.

The victim's boss, 47-year-old Pardeep Kumar, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of human trafficking and holding a person in involuntary servitude, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Merrill Ladenheim.

The victim, a 55-year-old man whose identity was not released, came to the U.S. three years ago to work as a chef at Tandoori Grill, Ladenheim said.

After confiscating the chef's passport, Kumar beat his employee with a 2-foot-long piece of steel and a 3-foot-long metal mop handle, Ladenheim said. 

The chef also worked seven days a week, about 12 to 14 hours each day, authorities said. He was barred from contact with the outside world, and he allegedly was forced to live in Kumar's Newhall home.

"He was demoralized over quite a lengthy time," Ladenheim said. "He was extremely terrified."

Investigators learned about the alleged abuse through a chain of communications that spanned halfway around the globe.

A fellow employee at the restaurant informed the chef's brother in Mumbai that his brother was enduring sustained abuse, authorities said.

On Tuesday, the brother in Mumbai sent an email to the county sheriff's department. Later that day, Kumar was arrested and the chef was hospitalized for treatment.

Kumar is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

The victim is planning to stay in the U.S. to assist in the prosecution of Kumar but plans to return to India, authorities said.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno and @JPanzar.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

10:30 p.m.: This story was updated throughout with additional details.

This story was originally published at 5:35 p.m.

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Valencia restaurant owner accused of slavery, beating employee

An Indian national who was employed at a Valencia restaurant endured three years of slavery -- including regular beatings -- and was so scared of his boss that he feared for his life if he ever tried to escape, authorities said Wednesday.

The victim's boss, 47-year-old Pardeep Kumar, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of human trafficking and holding a person in involuntary servitude, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Merrill Ladenheim.

The victim, a 55-year-old man whose identity was not released, came to the U.S. three years ago to work as a chef at Tandoori Grill, Ladenheim said.

After confiscating the chef's passport, Kumar beat his employee with a 2-foot-long piece of steel and a 3-foot-long metal mop handle, Ladenheim said. 

The chef also worked seven days a week, about 12 to 14 hours each day, authorities said. He was barred from contact with the outside world, and he allegedly was forced to live in Kumar's Newhall home.

"He was demoralized over quite a lengthy time," Ladenheim said. "He was extremely terrified."

Investigators learned about the alleged abuse through a chain of communications that spanned halfway around the globe.

A fellow employee at the restaurant informed the chef's brother in Mumbai that his brother was enduring sustained abuse, authorities said.

On Tuesday, the brother in Mumbai sent an email to the county sheriff's department. Later that day, Kumar was arrested and the chef was hospitalized for treatment.

Kumar is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

The victim is planning to stay in the U.S. to assist in the prosecution of Kumar but plans to return to India, authorities said.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno and @JPanzar.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

10:30 p.m.: This story was updated throughout with additional details.

This story was originally published at 5:35 p.m.

16.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Valencia restaurant owner accused of slavery, beating employee

An Indian national who was employed at a Valencia restaurant endured three years of slavery -- including regular beatings -- and was so scared of his boss that he feared for his life if he ever tried to escape, authorities said Wednesday.

The victim's boss, 47-year-old Pardeep Kumar, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of human trafficking and holding a person in involuntary servitude, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Merrill Ladenheim.

The victim, a 55-year-old man whose identity was not released, came to the U.S. three years ago to work as a chef at Tandoori Grill, Ladenheim said.

After confiscating the chef's passport, Kumar beat his employee with a 2-foot-long piece of steel and a 3-foot-long metal mop handle, Ladenheim said. 

The chef also worked seven days a week, about 12 to 14 hours each day, authorities said. He was barred from contact with the outside world, and he allegedly was forced to live in Kumar's Newhall home.

"He was demoralized over quite a lengthy time," Ladenheim said. "He was extremely terrified."

Investigators learned about the alleged abuse through a chain of communications that spanned halfway around the globe.

A fellow employee at the restaurant informed the chef's brother in Mumbai that his brother was enduring sustained abuse, authorities said.

On Tuesday, the brother in Mumbai sent an email to the county sheriff's department. Later that day, Kumar was arrested and the chef was hospitalized for treatment.

Kumar is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

The victim is planning to stay in the U.S. to assist in the prosecution of Kumar but plans to return to India, authorities said.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno and @JPanzar.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

10:30 p.m.: This story was updated throughout with additional details.

This story was originally published at 5:35 p.m.

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Officials powerless to stop proposed anti-gay initiative

Over the decades, California has chiseled out some of its most colorful laws at the ballot box.

There have been proposed initiatives seeking to allow public school children be able to sing Christmas carols, to require drug testing of state legislators, to outlaw divorce and to divide California into six states.

But the proposed initiative submitted by a Huntington Beach attorney that would authorize the killing of gays and lesbians by "bullets to the head" — or "any other convenient method" — is testing the limits of the state's normally liberal attitude on putting even the most extreme ideas on the ballot if enough signatures are collected.

MORE: Other controversial initiatives over the years

The proposed initiative has been met by a firestorm of anger, yet there appears to be nothing that can stop it from being given a formal name and advancing to the signature gathering process.

For a fee of $200, Matthew McLaughlin submitted what he called the Sodomite Suppression Act to the state attorney general's office, which has little choice but to give it a ballot-worthy name, summarize its effects and set the clock running for gathering signatures.

"Mr. McLaughlin's immoral proposal is just the latest — and most egregious — example of the need to further reform the initiative process," Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) said.

Some of California's most controversial laws have been given life through the initiative process, though some lived only briefly. A 1996 initiative legalized marijuana for medicinal use, a law that still stands. Two years earlier, voters approved the so-called Save Our State initiative, which denied a public education and other benefits to those in the country illegally — a law that was quickly declared to be illegal.

Two lawmakers said they were so revolted by McLaughlin's submitted initiative that they have proposed a bill that would increase the fee for filing a ballot measure from $200 to $8,000.

"We live in California, the cradle of direct democracy, but we also need a threshold for reasonableness," said Low, who co-authored the legislation with Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica).

But to get on the ballot, McLaughlin and any supporters he has would have to collect more than 365,000 signatures in 180 days, a high bar even for well-financed efforts.

"In California, this has the same chance as a snowball's chance in hell," said Jaime Regalado, professor emeritus of political science at Cal State L.A.

Kurt Oneto, a Sacramento attorney who specializes in the initiative process, said Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris does not have the ability to turn down McLaughlin's proposed ballot measure, regardless of how she might feel.

"The state gets serious initiatives that are submitted and we get silly ones, and every now and then we get ugly ones like this," Oneto said. "I would submit this is probably the ugliest one I remember."

McLaughlin's proposal calls same-sex intimacy "a monstrous evil" and says it would be better for gay people to die than for Californians to "be killed by God's just wrath against us for the folly of tolerating wickedness in our midst."

It also would make the spreading of "sodomistic propaganda" punishable by a $1-million fine, 10 years in jail or deportation from the state. And it would ban gay people from holding public office.

If the proposal collected enough signatures, it would be placed on the November 2016 ballot. If voters were to approve it, the decision on whether to make it a law would ultimately rest with the courts, which have overturned measures approved by the voters, including Proposition 8, which barred same-sex marriages.

McLaughlin could not be located for comment. The address he lists with the state bar is a postal box at a Beach Boulevard strip mall, his phone goes straight to voicemail and no one came to the door at the downtown Huntington Beach address where he is registered to vote.

The state bar shows that McLaughlin's law license is active and that he graduated from UC Irvine and then George Mason University School of Law. A Huntington Beach attorney with the same name and identical academic background submitted an initiative more than a decade ago that would have allowed public school teachers in California to use the Bible as a textbook.

"Even if you don't believe its teachings, you'll agree that it includes rich usage of the English language," McLaughlin told The Times in a 2004 interview, saying that the Bible helped him become an honor student at Costa Mesa High School.

Earlier this month, the California Legislature's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus filed a formal complaint against McLaughlin with the State Bar of California, asking that he be investigated.

An online petition at change.org calling for McLaughlin to be disbarred had more than 17,000 signatures Monday.

Dave Garcia, director of policy for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, said that anybody who signs McLaughlin's proposal and "calls for the murder of gay people" should expect that "their names are going to be made public."

hailey.branson@latimes.com

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

emily.foxhall@latimes.com

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Supreme Court hears arguments in dispute over EPA mercury rule

Lawyers for the coal and electric power industries go before the Supreme Court on Wednesday hoping to block a strict new federal rule against mercury and other toxic air pollutants.

Supporters say the rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency will save lives, but industry groups complain it will cost $10 billion a year to implement, resulting in higher energy bills for consumers.

The case is a key test of whether the high court will move to rein in the Obama administration's ambitious regulations.

At issue is whether the Clean Air Act requires regulators to weigh the cost of regulations against the expected benefit to the public health.

In the past, neither the law nor the high court had said a cost-benefit analysis is  required for new regulations. Congress told the EPA in 1990 to study toxic air pollutants and set emission standards that were "appropriate and necessary" to protect the public.

In the two decades since then, the EPA concluded chemicals like mercury and arsenic were especially dangerous because they settle in rivers and lakes and build up in the food chain. Regulators decided coal-burning power plants were the primary source of these toxic air pollutants.

The EPA adopted the "mercury and air toxic standards" in 2012 and said they would go into effect in three years.

Lawyers for the coal and power industries argue it is common sense to consider the cost before deciding whether a regulation is appropriate. They also said an EPA study found a benefit of only $6 million a year from removing mercury from the air, a trivial amount compared with the estimated $9.6-billion-a-year cost of the regulation.

Environmentalists portray the case as one of "profits versus people." They also said the full benefit of the rule goes beyond mercury and includes lives saved and asthma attacks avoided. By this measure, the rule will yield benefits of more than $37 billion a year, they said.

U.S. Solicitor Gen. Donald Verrilli Jr., the Obama administration's top courtroom lawyer, will defend the regulation. "EPA properly declined to consider costs in deciding it was 'appropriate and necessary' to list power plants for regulation," he told the justices in his written brief.

The rule, unless stopped by the high court, will affect about 600 power plants nationwide. It is expected to hit hardest in parts of the Midwest and South that depend heavily on coal for producing electric power.

On Twitter: @DavidGSavage

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Supreme Court hears arguments in dispute over EPA mercury rule

Lawyers for the coal and electric power industries go before the Supreme Court on Wednesday hoping to block a strict new federal rule against mercury and other toxic air pollutants.

Supporters say the rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency will save lives, but industry groups complain it will cost $10 billion a year to implement, resulting in higher energy bills for consumers.

The case is a key test of whether the high court will move to rein in the Obama administration's ambitious regulations.

At issue is whether the Clean Air Act requires regulators to weigh the cost of regulations against the expected benefit to the public health.

In the past, neither the law nor the high court had said a cost-benefit analysis is  required for new regulations. Congress told the EPA in 1990 to study toxic air pollutants and set emission standards that were "appropriate and necessary" to protect the public.

In the two decades since then, the EPA concluded chemicals like mercury and arsenic were especially dangerous because they settle in rivers and lakes and build up in the food chain. Regulators decided coal-burning power plants were the primary source of these toxic air pollutants.

The EPA adopted the "mercury and air toxic standards" in 2012 and said they would go into effect in three years.

Lawyers for the coal and power industries argue it is common sense to consider the cost before deciding whether a regulation is appropriate. They also said an EPA study found a benefit of only $6 million a year from removing mercury from the air, a trivial amount compared with the estimated $9.6-billion-a-year cost of the regulation.

Environmentalists portray the case as one of "profits versus people." They also said the full benefit of the rule goes beyond mercury and includes lives saved and asthma attacks avoided. By this measure, the rule will yield benefits of more than $37 billion a year, they said.

U.S. Solicitor Gen. Donald Verrilli Jr., the Obama administration's top courtroom lawyer, will defend the regulation. "EPA properly declined to consider costs in deciding it was 'appropriate and necessary' to list power plants for regulation," he told the justices in his written brief.

The rule, unless stopped by the high court, will affect about 600 power plants nationwide. It is expected to hit hardest in parts of the Midwest and South that depend heavily on coal for producing electric power.

On Twitter: @DavidGSavage

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Man killed in daytime shooting in the middle of a Lennox street

A man was fatally shot Monday afternoon in the middle of a street in Lennox, just a few blocks from Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said.

He was riding a bicycle about 3:20 p.m. near 104th Street and Inglewood Avenue when a gunman got out of a vehicle and confronted him, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez.

The gunman fired several bullets, striking the man in the upper torso. The gunman fled the scene in a vehicle driven by another person, Navarro-Suarez said.

The man lay bleeding in the crosswalk when deputies arrived. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. His name was not released.

A person who works near the shooting scene but declined to be identified described the victim as a man in his early 20s.

Although the intersection is between two schools -- Jefferson Elementary and Felton Elementary -- the schools had not yet dismissed for the day at the time of the shooting, the worker said.

Sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact sheriff's Lt. Lewandowski at (323) 890-5500. Those who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno. 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Man killed in daytime shooting in the middle of a Lennox street

A man was fatally shot Monday afternoon in the middle of a street in Lennox, just a few blocks from Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said.

He was riding a bicycle about 3:20 p.m. near 104th Street and Inglewood Avenue when a gunman got out of a vehicle and confronted him, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez.

The gunman fired several bullets, striking the man in the upper torso. The gunman fled the scene in a vehicle driven by another person, Navarro-Suarez said.

The man lay bleeding in the crosswalk when deputies arrived. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. His name was not released.

A person who works near the shooting scene but declined to be identified described the victim as a man in his early 20s.

Although the intersection is between two schools -- Jefferson Elementary and Felton Elementary -- the schools had not yet dismissed for the day at the time of the shooting, the worker said.

Sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact sheriff's Lt. Lewandowski at (323) 890-5500. Those who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno. 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Man killed in daytime shooting in the middle of a Lennox street

A man was fatally shot Monday afternoon in the middle of a street in Lennox, just a few blocks from Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said.

He was riding a bicycle about 3:20 p.m. near 104th Street and Inglewood Avenue when a gunman got out of a vehicle and confronted him, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez.

The gunman fired several bullets, striking the man in the upper torso. The gunman fled the scene in a vehicle driven by another person, Navarro-Suarez said.

The man lay bleeding in the crosswalk when deputies arrived. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. His name was not released.

A person who works near the shooting scene but declined to be identified described the victim as a man in his early 20s.

Although the intersection is between two schools -- Jefferson Elementary and Felton Elementary -- the schools had not yet dismissed for the day at the time of the shooting, the worker said.

Sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact sheriff's Lt. Lewandowski at (323) 890-5500. Those who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno. 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Mystery herbs, an unbroken egg and a telltale chime

I stand barefoot before the woman. A white hat protects her from my negative energy. She gives me a stinging whack with a bouquet of mystery herbs and flowers.

I was about 20 minutes into my limpia — spiritual cleansing. The bouquet was doused in lotions and the smell clung to me with every slap.

A red flower tumbled to the flower and the woman looked at me (ominously, it seemed). She asked whether I knew what kind of flower it was. I had no idea.

The falling flower meant I was having love problems. That was no lie.

"Step on the bouquet and say all of the negative things you want to be rid of," the woman said.

To my surprise, I started to stomp on the herbs and flowers, leaving green leaves stuck to my feet. The woman recited prayers and I repeated my name, as she instructed. She asked that I be protected from jealousy and a bunch of other bad things. As I collected the bouquet from the floor, I felt better.

Maybe because a ceremony that also involved having an unbroken egg rubbed all over my head and body was over. (That egg told the woman that someone was jealous of me but that people were protecting me.)

Later, she tapped what looked like a hand-held metal chime and moved it from head to toe, in front and behind me, to test my energy. If she could make it from head to toe and then back again with the chime still sounding, I had good energy, she said.

The chime seemed to pause momentarily on the way back up toward my head, but it made it all the way to the top without stopping ringing. You have good energy, the woman reassured me.

The cleansing over, she told me not to wear dark shirts and not to cross my arms for the next seven days. That was easy, I thought, as I began to cross my arms — stopping in the nick of time.

Oh, and don't shower for the rest of the day, she added as a final note. So much for feeling cleansed.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Mystery herbs, an unbroken egg and a telltale chime

I stand barefoot before the woman. A white hat protects her from my negative energy. She gives me a stinging whack with a bouquet of mystery herbs and flowers.

I was about 20 minutes into my limpia — spiritual cleansing. The bouquet was doused in lotions and the smell clung to me with every slap.

A red flower tumbled to the flower and the woman looked at me (ominously, it seemed). She asked whether I knew what kind of flower it was. I had no idea.

The falling flower meant I was having love problems. That was no lie.

"Step on the bouquet and say all of the negative things you want to be rid of," the woman said.

To my surprise, I started to stomp on the herbs and flowers, leaving green leaves stuck to my feet. The woman recited prayers and I repeated my name, as she instructed. She asked that I be protected from jealousy and a bunch of other bad things. As I collected the bouquet from the floor, I felt better.

Maybe because a ceremony that also involved having an unbroken egg rubbed all over my head and body was over. (That egg told the woman that someone was jealous of me but that people were protecting me.)

Later, she tapped what looked like a hand-held metal chime and moved it from head to toe, in front and behind me, to test my energy. If she could make it from head to toe and then back again with the chime still sounding, I had good energy, she said.

The chime seemed to pause momentarily on the way back up toward my head, but it made it all the way to the top without stopping ringing. You have good energy, the woman reassured me.

The cleansing over, she told me not to wear dark shirts and not to cross my arms for the next seven days. That was easy, I thought, as I began to cross my arms — stopping in the nick of time.

Oh, and don't shower for the rest of the day, she added as a final note. So much for feeling cleansed.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Mystery herbs, an unbroken egg and a telltale chime

I stand barefoot before the woman. A white hat protects her from my negative energy. She gives me a stinging whack with a bouquet of mystery herbs and flowers.

I was about 20 minutes into my limpia — spiritual cleansing. The bouquet was doused in lotions and the smell clung to me with every slap.

A red flower tumbled to the flower and the woman looked at me (ominously, it seemed). She asked whether I knew what kind of flower it was. I had no idea.

The falling flower meant I was having love problems. That was no lie.

"Step on the bouquet and say all of the negative things you want to be rid of," the woman said.

To my surprise, I started to stomp on the herbs and flowers, leaving green leaves stuck to my feet. The woman recited prayers and I repeated my name, as she instructed. She asked that I be protected from jealousy and a bunch of other bad things. As I collected the bouquet from the floor, I felt better.

Maybe because a ceremony that also involved having an unbroken egg rubbed all over my head and body was over. (That egg told the woman that someone was jealous of me but that people were protecting me.)

Later, she tapped what looked like a hand-held metal chime and moved it from head to toe, in front and behind me, to test my energy. If she could make it from head to toe and then back again with the chime still sounding, I had good energy, she said.

The chime seemed to pause momentarily on the way back up toward my head, but it made it all the way to the top without stopping ringing. You have good energy, the woman reassured me.

The cleansing over, she told me not to wear dark shirts and not to cross my arms for the next seven days. That was easy, I thought, as I began to cross my arms — stopping in the nick of time.

Oh, and don't shower for the rest of the day, she added as a final note. So much for feeling cleansed.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Give cylists helmets, but don't ticket them for not having one

To the editor: State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) wants to pass a law mandating helmets for all bicyclists. Some bicyclists say they are safer without helmets. The Times says we need a study. You are all wrong. ("Require bike helmets? There's not enough safety data," editorial, March 19)

Anyone whose head has hit the pavement in a bike accident knows the value of helmets. That includes my neighbor, who spent two months in the hospital and suffers permanent brain damage after her helmetless accident, and me, who walked away with only a slight headache after a similar but helmeted accident.

Many who ride bicycles do so because it is the only mode of transportation they can afford. Many would have trouble paying for a helmet. I used to see them every day on the Green Line. Don't fine these poor people, and instead of wasting money on a study, use the funds to buy helmets to give away at Metro stations.

Russell Stone, Westchester

..

To the editor: One aspect of the misguided mandatory bicycle helmet bill is Liu's failure to consider how her law would actually be enforced.

Police would surely say they have much higher priorities to handle than such a minor infraction. Not only is Liu's mandatory helmet law unsupported by any data, but it is also fiscally irresponsible to ask this of our law enforcement officers.

If Liu wanted to help improve street safety, her attention would be much better spent supporting bicycle infrastructure that would prevent crashes rather than demanding that law enforcement spend their time hunting down bareheaded cyclists.

Marc Caswell, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Give cylists helmets, but don't ticket them for not having one

To the editor: State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) wants to pass a law mandating helmets for all bicyclists. Some bicyclists say they are safer without helmets. The Times says we need a study. You are all wrong. ("Require bike helmets? There's not enough safety data," editorial, March 19)

Anyone whose head has hit the pavement in a bike accident knows the value of helmets. That includes my neighbor, who spent two months in the hospital and suffers permanent brain damage after her helmetless accident, and me, who walked away with only a slight headache after a similar but helmeted accident.

Many who ride bicycles do so because it is the only mode of transportation they can afford. Many would have trouble paying for a helmet. I used to see them every day on the Green Line. Don't fine these poor people, and instead of wasting money on a study, use the funds to buy helmets to give away at Metro stations.

Russell Stone, Westchester

..

To the editor: One aspect of the misguided mandatory bicycle helmet bill is Liu's failure to consider how her law would actually be enforced.

Police would surely say they have much higher priorities to handle than such a minor infraction. Not only is Liu's mandatory helmet law unsupported by any data, but it is also fiscally irresponsible to ask this of our law enforcement officers.

If Liu wanted to help improve street safety, her attention would be much better spent supporting bicycle infrastructure that would prevent crashes rather than demanding that law enforcement spend their time hunting down bareheaded cyclists.

Marc Caswell, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

16.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Give cylists helmets, but don't ticket them for not having one

To the editor: State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) wants to pass a law mandating helmets for all bicyclists. Some bicyclists say they are safer without helmets. The Times says we need a study. You are all wrong. ("Require bike helmets? There's not enough safety data," editorial, March 19)

Anyone whose head has hit the pavement in a bike accident knows the value of helmets. That includes my neighbor, who spent two months in the hospital and suffers permanent brain damage after her helmetless accident, and me, who walked away with only a slight headache after a similar but helmeted accident.

Many who ride bicycles do so because it is the only mode of transportation they can afford. Many would have trouble paying for a helmet. I used to see them every day on the Green Line. Don't fine these poor people, and instead of wasting money on a study, use the funds to buy helmets to give away at Metro stations.

Russell Stone, Westchester

..

To the editor: One aspect of the misguided mandatory bicycle helmet bill is Liu's failure to consider how her law would actually be enforced.

Police would surely say they have much higher priorities to handle than such a minor infraction. Not only is Liu's mandatory helmet law unsupported by any data, but it is also fiscally irresponsible to ask this of our law enforcement officers.

If Liu wanted to help improve street safety, her attention would be much better spent supporting bicycle infrastructure that would prevent crashes rather than demanding that law enforcement spend their time hunting down bareheaded cyclists.

Marc Caswell, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Milos Raonic barges in on dream semifinals with upset of Rafael Nadal

It was a done deal in the desert. Then it wasn't.

World-ranking Nos. 1 and 4, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, made it to the semifinals a day earlier. Then, No. 2 Roger Federer took apart Tomas Berdych like a biology student working on a frog.

Friday at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells brought another day of gorgeous sunshine, gently swaying palm trees and lots of tennis fans in a state-of-the-art stadium. Anticipation was about as big as the 16,000-plus crowd.

The last time the Big Four of men's tennis had all made it to the semifinals was the 2012 Australian Open. The last time the top four seeded men's players had achieved that at this Indian Wells event was 1987.

So, all that remained was for No. 3 Rafael Nadal to do what he has always done against Milos Raonic, a 24-year-old Canadian, who is 6 feet 5 and serves like it. Nadal had faced Raonic five times previously and won all five. In those matches, Raonic had won a set. Just one.

A Federer-Nadal match — anywhere, any time — gets the blood boiling in tennis fans. They have played 33 times, Nadal winning 23 of those. In finals, Nadal is 14-6.

They played for 4 hours 48 minutes in a 2008 Wimbledon final that many think was the singular match of all time. Nadal won in five sets and ended Federer's 65-match, grass-court winning streak. Several other of their remaining 32 matches also make tennis fans' top 10.

Federer certainly did his part here Friday. His 6-4, 6-0 walk in the park over poor, stunned Berdych ranked with his best Muhammad Ali tennis. When he plays like this, Federer floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. His shots don't hit lines, they tick them and explode. He gets to shots before shots get to him.

He will turn 34 in August. Tennis journalists have stopped asking him about age. The conclusion is obvious. Everybody else gets old. Federer apparently went along with Ponce de Leon on the apocryphal exploration trip to Florida in the early 1500s to find the Fountain of Youth. De Leon didn't find it. Federer did.

He's always been almost as good a diplomat as a player.

"I'm just very happy I'm playing at the level I'm playing," he said, "and that I can put myself in contention to win almost any tournament."

Berdych laughed when asked if there were something he could have done to turn around the match's momentum.

"No," Berdych said. "He was doing pretty much everything perfect."

So, in the second match, was Nadal, against a vastly improved Raonic. He broke serve at 1-1 of the first set and ran it out for a 6-4 victory.

Then he got a break point in the first game of the second set, two more at 2-2 and one more at 4-4. Nadal plays, and always has, like a bulldog clamped down on your pants leg. But Raonic, shockingly, kept shaking loose.

Once it got to the tiebreaker and Raonic continued to shake loose, there was a feeling of the turning of the tide. In the tiebreaker, Nadal had three match points and won none of them. In Vegas, you could get great odds against that ever happening to the most determined, focused player in the sport.

On the first match point, Raonic hit a 134-mph serve and followed it with a big ground stroke. The next one, at 8-7, Raonic hit an overhead off a Nadal lob from the baseline. Too bad they didn't have the speed gun on it.

Then, at 10-9, Nadal hit into the net.

Raonic won on his third set point, when Nadal netted another shot. And so, the final set began with the feeling of, oops, this could very well happen.

Raonic started his service game for the match, at 6-5, with a 146-mph ace. At 30-15, he hit one 130, Nadal challenged and lost to the Hawkeye camera. Now, it was Raonic's match point.

Which was achieved, for the 4-6, 7-6 (10), 7-5 victory with a 143-mph first serve that set up Nadal's final wide shot.

The Spaniard with 14 major titles to his name, three shy of Federer, packed up, whirled at midcourt to wave to and acknowledge the fans, and even stopped to sign some autographs. In the stands, the Canadian flags were waving in all corners. Raonic, in a nod to the many snowbirds on hand, called this Southern California desert "as close to home as I can get."

Nadal, who still feels he is in recovery mode after missing months of last season because of a wrist injury and appendicitis surgery, said, "I'm happy with the way I played. I'm happy with the way I competed ¿ I'm not happy that I lost."

Raonic said, "This isn't where it ends ... It's always, OK, what is next?"

What is next is still a pretty good show: Djokovic vs. Murray, Federer vs. the interloper.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com

Twitter: @DwyreLATimes

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Milos Raonic barges in on dream semifinals with upset of Rafael Nadal

It was a done deal in the desert. Then it wasn't.

World-ranking Nos. 1 and 4, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, made it to the semifinals a day earlier. Then, No. 2 Roger Federer took apart Tomas Berdych like a biology student working on a frog.

Friday at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells brought another day of gorgeous sunshine, gently swaying palm trees and lots of tennis fans in a state-of-the-art stadium. Anticipation was about as big as the 16,000-plus crowd.

The last time the Big Four of men's tennis had all made it to the semifinals was the 2012 Australian Open. The last time the top four seeded men's players had achieved that at this Indian Wells event was 1987.

So, all that remained was for No. 3 Rafael Nadal to do what he has always done against Milos Raonic, a 24-year-old Canadian, who is 6 feet 5 and serves like it. Nadal had faced Raonic five times previously and won all five. In those matches, Raonic had won a set. Just one.

A Federer-Nadal match — anywhere, any time — gets the blood boiling in tennis fans. They have played 33 times, Nadal winning 23 of those. In finals, Nadal is 14-6.

They played for 4 hours 48 minutes in a 2008 Wimbledon final that many think was the singular match of all time. Nadal won in five sets and ended Federer's 65-match, grass-court winning streak. Several other of their remaining 32 matches also make tennis fans' top 10.

Federer certainly did his part here Friday. His 6-4, 6-0 walk in the park over poor, stunned Berdych ranked with his best Muhammad Ali tennis. When he plays like this, Federer floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. His shots don't hit lines, they tick them and explode. He gets to shots before shots get to him.

He will turn 34 in August. Tennis journalists have stopped asking him about age. The conclusion is obvious. Everybody else gets old. Federer apparently went along with Ponce de Leon on the apocryphal exploration trip to Florida in the early 1500s to find the Fountain of Youth. De Leon didn't find it. Federer did.

He's always been almost as good a diplomat as a player.

"I'm just very happy I'm playing at the level I'm playing," he said, "and that I can put myself in contention to win almost any tournament."

Berdych laughed when asked if there were something he could have done to turn around the match's momentum.

"No," Berdych said. "He was doing pretty much everything perfect."

So, in the second match, was Nadal, against a vastly improved Raonic. He broke serve at 1-1 of the first set and ran it out for a 6-4 victory.

Then he got a break point in the first game of the second set, two more at 2-2 and one more at 4-4. Nadal plays, and always has, like a bulldog clamped down on your pants leg. But Raonic, shockingly, kept shaking loose.

Once it got to the tiebreaker and Raonic continued to shake loose, there was a feeling of the turning of the tide. In the tiebreaker, Nadal had three match points and won none of them. In Vegas, you could get great odds against that ever happening to the most determined, focused player in the sport.

On the first match point, Raonic hit a 134-mph serve and followed it with a big ground stroke. The next one, at 8-7, Raonic hit an overhead off a Nadal lob from the baseline. Too bad they didn't have the speed gun on it.

Then, at 10-9, Nadal hit into the net.

Raonic won on his third set point, when Nadal netted another shot. And so, the final set began with the feeling of, oops, this could very well happen.

Raonic started his service game for the match, at 6-5, with a 146-mph ace. At 30-15, he hit one 130, Nadal challenged and lost to the Hawkeye camera. Now, it was Raonic's match point.

Which was achieved, for the 4-6, 7-6 (10), 7-5 victory with a 143-mph first serve that set up Nadal's final wide shot.

The Spaniard with 14 major titles to his name, three shy of Federer, packed up, whirled at midcourt to wave to and acknowledge the fans, and even stopped to sign some autographs. In the stands, the Canadian flags were waving in all corners. Raonic, in a nod to the many snowbirds on hand, called this Southern California desert "as close to home as I can get."

Nadal, who still feels he is in recovery mode after missing months of last season because of a wrist injury and appendicitis surgery, said, "I'm happy with the way I played. I'm happy with the way I competed ¿ I'm not happy that I lost."

Raonic said, "This isn't where it ends ... It's always, OK, what is next?"

What is next is still a pretty good show: Djokovic vs. Murray, Federer vs. the interloper.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com

Twitter: @DwyreLATimes

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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U.S. veterans return to Iwo Jima for 70th anniversary

Dozens of aging U.S. veterans gathered on the tiny, barren island of Iwo Jima on Saturday to mark one of the bloodiest and most iconic battles of World War II 70 years ago.

The vets, many in the early 90s and some in wheelchairs, toured the black sand beaches where they invaded the deeply dug-in forces of the island's Japanese defenders.

They were bused to the top of Mount Suribachi, an active volcano, where an Associated Press photo of the raising of the U.S. flag while the battle was still raging became a potent symbol of hope and valor to the war-weary public back home that was growing increasingly disillusioned with the seemingly unending battle in the Pacific.

For some of the veterans, the return to the island where many of their comrades died and which is still inhabited only by a contingent of Japanese military troops, brought out difficult emotions.

"I hated them," said former Sgt. John Roy Coltrane, 93, of Siler City, North Carolina. "For 40 years, I wouldn't even buy anything made in Japan. But now I drive a Honda."

Speeches at the Reunion of Honor ceremony held near the invasion beach were made by senior Japanese politicians, descendants of the few Japanese who survived the battle. Also speaking were the U.S. secretary of the Navy and the commandant of the Marine Corps, who noted that the battle for Iwo Jima remains at the "very ethos" of the Marine Corps today.

The Marines invaded Iwo Jima in February 1945, and it was only declared secured after more than a month of fighting. About 70,000 U.S. troops fought more than 20,000 Japanese — only 216 Japanese were captured as POWs and the rest are believed to have been either killed in action or to have taken their own lives.

The island was declared secure on March 16, 1945, but skirmishes continued. In about 36 days of battle, nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines were killed and 20,000 wounded.

Though a tiny volcanic crag, the island — now called Ioto on Japanese maps — was deemed strategically important because it was being used by the Japanese to launch air attacks on American bombers. After its capture, it was used by U.S. as an emergency landing site for B-29s, which eventually made 2,900 emergency landings there that are estimated to have saved the lives of 24,000 airmen who would have otherwise had to crash at sea.

All told, 27 Medals of Honor were awarded for action in the battle, more than any other in U.S. military history.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Lakers suffer their 50th defeat of the season, 80-73 to Utah

The Lakers had beat the Jazz the last time the teams played, in Utah last month, which only seemed to inspire the Jazz to win nine of 11 games since that defeat.

So when the teams met Thursday night at Staples Center, the Lakers were unable to duplicate the feat in dropping an 80-73 game to the Jazz.

The Lakers lost their fourth consecutive game, scoring a season low in points in the process.

Tarik Black had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Wesley Johnson had 12 points, but the Lakers still dropped to 17-50.

"It's the same story I've been telling the guys," Lakers Coach Byron Scott said. "If we don't trust each other and move the ball and do all the little things that we have to do, then it's a struggle. That's basically what it was."

The Lakers knew they were going up against one the NBA's best shot blockers in Utah's Rudy Gobert, a

7-foot-1 center with a long wingspan and the leaping ability to alter shots at the rim.

But that didn't mean the Lakers weren't going to attack Gobert, who entered the game averaging 2.8 blocks per game since he became a starter for the Jazz 14 games ago.

Rookie Jordan Clarkson was the first to try Gobert early in the first quarter, seeing his shot redirected in an easy manner.

Then Black went inside against Gobert, and Black also had his shot blocked later in the first.

Now that Gobert had the Lakers' full attention, Black went back inside and shot an awful-looking hook shot over Gobert, the ball floating over the rim for an airball.

But Black stepped up and dunked on Gobert a few plays later, drawing smiles from his teammates sitting on the Lakers' bench.

Black wasn't done, throwing down a dunk on Gobert on the fast break. As he ran back down court, Blake glared at Gobert.

A few plays later, Black tried to dunk on Gobert again, but the shot was blocked. The two stood next to each other while Jordan Hill shot two free throws and smiled, Black and Gobert acknowledging each other's play.

Gobert did finish with three blocked shots.

"As far as shots go, you have to take off quick or try to finish strong or float the ball as high as you can," Black said. "He's been one of the best shot blockers in the league since he's gotten that starting job."

Jeremy Lin of the Lakers had been dealing with back spasms, but was able to play 22:28 through his pain.

So it gave more playing time to Jabari Brown, whose 10-day contract expires Friday. Brown had seven points.

"I anticipate that he'll be back," Scott said about signing Brown to a second 10-day contract.

The Lakers couldn't stop Trey Burke late in the game. His back-to-back baskets gave the Jazz what turned out to be a comfortable five-point lead in the fourth. Burke finished with 17 points.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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