Thursday, December 4, 2008

Top of The Times: Thursday December 4, 2008

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Top of the Times

Today's Headlines | Thursday, December 4, 2008



Today's Headlines


The rich Marange diamond field draws illegal miners as well as regime thugs who will gun them down.

The brand was created to compete with efficient imports but has never shown a profit, making it vulnerable as automakers struggle.

The aging show makes its pitch for larger audiences with an all-star, prime-time special announcing this year's contenders.

The life of Edith Rodriguez could have been saved by proper treatment, a sealed report says. She died May 9, 2007.

Conservatives who fled liberal views of Scripture have formed a breakaway church in North America.




California/Local


Pamela Griffin long imagined her husband, Robert Griffin, getting out. His indictment in a federal case targeting the Aryan Brotherhood stunted those dreams. As the trial unfolds, her fears mount.

LOS ANGELES

Killer of sword-wielding man won't face charges

The former Assembly speaker's son and three other suspects in a fatal stabbing in San Diego identified themselves as members of The Hazard Crew. Police say the group fits the definition of a criminal

Youth is turned over to Child Protective Services after escaping from Tracy home. His aunt, a Girl Scout leader and her husband are charged with torture, kidnapping and false imprisonment.




Movie Reviews


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Baz Luhrmann's epic is ambitious. Maybe overly so.

Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn get coal in their stockings. What did they do to deserve this?

History steps in -- in the form of the Proposition 8 battle -- to make this seem more than a standard-issue biopic.




Arts and Entertainment


Art house films such as festival selection 'Adam' face an 'extremely challenging' marketplace.

He taps his inner David Frost to costar in the tale of the 1977 interviews.

The move, coming in February, is driven by dramatically higher royalty fees for airing music online.




National


A new Arkansas law that bars unmarried adults from adopting or fostering children puts the spotlight on same-sex parenting.

Government lawyers had demanded at least 45 years for Ahmed Ressam, who was first sentenced in 2005.

TACA airlines says events were out of its control. A statement from Ontario airport says the airline did not request that passengers be allowed to exit the plane. Passengers are still confused.




World


As many politicians call for giving up most of the territory, residents are divided on whether to resist by violent means.

'Pakistan needs to act with resolve and urgency and cooperate fully and transparently,' Rice says. India says evidence increasingly points to a militant group in Pakistan.

Anonymous threats warn of unspecified harm if teachers don't hand over their year-end bonuses.




Business


Steps include letting carmakers delay payments to a retiree trust

Lavish parties and extravagant events are in vogue as the economic slowdown causes marketers to focus on their high-net-worth customers.

Court deals a potentially fatal blow to MGA, which had lost the copyright case over Barbie's top rival.

The Torrance institutional coffee roaster has agreed to take over the Superior Coffee unit of Sara Lee, almost doubling its business.




Sports


Assistants Norm Chow, Steve Sarkisian and DeWayne Walker once were on the same side. But this week they are opponents in the USC-UCLA game.

Unbeaten Utes shouldn't be overshadowed by all the talk about USC's slim chances.

She didn't handle it the smoothest way possible, but her wondering if athletes should get so much money is a good start to a difficult discussion.




Features


Restaurants can be great places to explore vintages, thanks to proprietors' expertise, passion and respect for customers' budgets.

Sure, nutmeg and cinnamon are Christmas staples, but try adding Hungarian moula, Madagascar vanilla beans and sumac to the mix.




Opinion


There are many other types of legitimate partnerships that could use legal validation.

Legalizing it seems like a good idea in these cash-strapped times. But there are many reasons to just say no.

Mumbai serves as a reminder that fanatics committed to violence have been with us for millenniums.




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