Californians are one step closer to voting on a ballot initiative requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. Last week, the coalition It’s Our Right To Know filed a ballot initiative with the California Attorney General’s office. Volunteers must collect at least 850,000 signatures by April 2012 in order to place the initiative on the November 2012 state ballot. more › Read more from the original source: Label GMOs Initiative Filed, Will You Sign?
Posts Tagged ‘ church ’
Boat Captain Says He Lied About Wood’s Death
Catholic Church Buys Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral will become a Catholic cathedral, now that a federal bankruptcy judge has ruled that the megachurch will be sold for $57.5 million to the Roman Catholic Church . The ruling shocked Chapman University , which had fought hard to purchase the property, even upping their bid to $59 million. The Crystal Cathedral’s founder, Rev. Robert H. Schuller , 85, said he could not live with the thought of Chapman University using the cathedral for secular purposes. Roman Catholic Church leaders vowed to continue preaching the Gospel of Christ in the Crystal Cathedral, and that was what tipped Schuller in favor of selling the church to the Catholic Diocese of Orange at the last minute. Under terms of the bid, the Schullers can pay rent for the use of the Crystal Cathedral for 36 months, but then they must vacate the property.
Crystal Cathedral Salvation Plan
WATCH: All Eyes On The Jury
LOS ANGELES — After six weeks of listening, jurors in the involuntary manslaughter case of Michael Jackson’s doctor will get their first chance to talk about the case Friday. Their discussions behind closed doors in a downtown Los Angeles courthouse could lead to the conviction or acquittal of Dr. Conrad Murray, whom the panel has heard described alternately as an inept and opportunistic physician or a naïve outsider granted access into Jackson’s inner realm. The seven-man, five-woman panel listened intently Thursday as prosecutors and defense attorneys argued over whether Murray should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Jackson’s death in June 2009. The physician’s attorneys attacked prosecutors and their witnesses, saying they had over time developed stories and theories that placed the blame for Jackson’s death squarely on Murray. Jackson died from a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol, which Murray acknowledged giving Jackson to help him sleep. The real reason Jackson died, defense attorney Ed Chernoff argued, was because he craved the powerful anesthetic so much that he gave himself a fatal injection when Murray left his bedside. “They want you to convict Dr. Murray for the actions of Michael Jackson,” Chernoff said. “Poor Conrad Murray,” prosecutor David Walgren replied in his final speech to jurors. “Michael Jackson is dead. And we have to hear about poor Conrad Murray and no doctor knows what it’s like to be in his shoes.” Walgren noted that several doctors who testified – including two who were called by Murray’s attorneys – said they would have never given the singer anesthesia in his bedroom. Murray is solely to blame for Jackson’s death, Walgren argued, saying Murray had purchased more than four gallons of propofol to administer to Jackson and had been giving him nightly doses to help him sleep. Walgren repeatedly described Murray’s treatments on Jackson as unusual and called his actions on the day of the singer’s death – including not calling 911 and not mentioning his propofol doses to paramedics or other doctors – “bizarre.” Murray was essentially experimenting on Jackson, Walgren said. Murray should have known Jackson might die from the treatments, yet he lacked the proper life-saving and monitoring equipment. “What is unusual and unpredictable is that Michael Jackson lived as long as he did under the care of Conrad Murray in this situation,” Walgren said. The prosecutor repeatedly invoked the singer’s children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, and said Murray’s actions left them without a father. The children, who range in ages from 9 to 14, were not present, but Jackson’s parents and several of his siblings attended closing arguments. The Houston-based cardiologist’s culpability will be decided by jurors, who heard from 49 witnesses and have more than 300 pieces of evidence to consider. They were given lengthy instructions about how to deliberate and interpret the case. If Murray is convicted, he faces a sentence that ranges from probation to four years behind bars, and he would lose his medical license. The sentence will be decided by Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor and not the jury; the judge will receive input from attorneys for both sides and probation officials if necessary. A recent change in California law means that Murray, 58, might serve any incarceration in a county jail rather than a state prison. If acquitted, Murray would be free from criminal prosecution, but will likely be pursued by medical licensing authorities in the states of California, Nevada and Texas. In order to convict Murray, jurors will have to determine the cardiologist was substantially responsible for Jackson’s death. Despite days of scientific testimony about what likely happened in Jackson’s bedroom from experts for Murray and the prosecution, Walgren acknowledged that some things about the events in the King of Pop’s bedroom that led to his death will never be known. “The people won’t prove exactly what happened behind those closed doors,” he said. “Michael Jackson could give answers, but he is dead.” ___ AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report. ___ McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP View post: WATCH: All Eyes On The Jury
A Lawsuit Of Biblical Proportions Against Getty Museum
LOS ANGELES — The J. Paul Getty Museum on Thursday lost its bid for dismissal of the Armenian church lawsuit demanding the return of pages ripped from a sacred handwritten Armenian Bible dating back to 1256. Superior Court Judge Abraham Khan denied Getty’s motion to dismiss the claim and ordered four months of mediation in an attempt to resolve the dispute between the museum and the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, which filed suit in June 2010 on behalf its mother church, the Lebanon-based Holy See of Cilicia. The suit accuses Getty of harboring stolen illuminated medieval manuscripts, saying they are spiritually and historically sacred church masterpieces. The lawsuit claims the church had the Bible authenticated in 1947 or 1948 and it was returned with more than a half-dozen pages missing. The pages of painted parchment once formed the front pages of a larger work called the Zeyt’un Gospels. The church wants to send them to an Armenian museum in Yerevan so they can be reunited with the rest of the Bible. Getty officials say the more than half-dozen pages were legally acquired in 1994 for $950,000 from an anonymous private collector. The Los Angeles Times ( ) said museum attorneys argued during Thursday’s brief hearing that the lawsuit filing deadline expired decades ago. http://lat.ms/vQW5zV But the judge said he was unclear on the statute of limitations issue. Khan ordered mediation and another hearing on March 2 if the case isn’t settled. Under California law, lawsuits to recover allegedly stolen artworks from a museum or art dealer must be filed no later than six years after the owner learns of their whereabouts. “We are confident that we hold legal title,” the Getty Museum said in a statement after the ruling. Church attorney Lee Boyd said afterward that the museum failed to investigate the ownership history of the pages when it bought them from Armenian American heirs of a man the church says stole the pages in 1916. The Zeyt’un Gospels had briefly fallen into his hands when Turks expelled the Armenian community from Cilicia, then a region of the Ottoman Empire and now part of Turkey, during and after the World War I-era that Armenians term a genocide. More here: A Lawsuit Of Biblical Proportions Against Getty Museum
LeBron’s Flirtation With The NFL Getting A Little Bit Annoying
American wanted for $2 million Ponzi scheme captured in Pattaya
Immigration police in Pattaya captured an American wanted for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded 37 people out of the equivalent of 60 million baht. Read the original here: American wanted for $2 million Ponzi scheme captured in Pattaya
More Sunset Boulevard Road Closures Are Coming
A second set of road closures will be implemented while crews reconstruct the southern side of the Sunset Bridge. The first set of road closures was in effect from Sept. 30 through Thursday. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the closures are “necessary to raise the street intersections and utilities to meet the new height” of the reconstructed bridge. Emergency responders will still have access to the roads. Detailed Metro closures are as follows: Friday through Sunday: Sunset Boulevard will be closed between Barrington Avenue and Veteran Avenue from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Eastbound traffic on Sunset Boulevard will be detoured to southbound Barrington Avenue, to eastbound Wilshire Boulevard, to northbound Veteran Avenue and then back onto eastbound Sunset Boulevard. Local access will be maintained, per Metro. Westbound traffic on Sunset Boulevard will be detoured to southbound Veteran Avenue, to westbound Wilshire Boulevard, to northbound Barrington Avenue and then back onto westbound Sunset Boulevard. Local access will be maintained, per Metro. Eastbound Sunset Boulevard to the southbound 405 Freeway on-ramp and the northbound ramps will close at approximately 7 p.m. from Friday through Sunday. The ramps will be open during daytime hours, per Metro. Traffic on Sunset Boulevard will be operating with one lane in each direction on Saturday and Sunday. Monday through Oct. 29 Sunset Boulevard will operate with two lanes in each direction. Traffic traveling westbound on Sunset Boulevard to the southbound 405 Freeway on-ramp will be allowed to turn left onto the southbound freeway. Traffic traveling eastbound on Sunset Boulevard to northbound Church Lane will continue eastbound on Sunset to southbound Veteran Avenue, to westbound Montana Avenue, to northbound Sepulveda Boulevard and then back to Church Lane. Traffic traveling westbound on Sunset Boulevard to northbound Church Lane will be detoured at Sepulveda Way to northbound Sepulveda Boulevard and then back to Church Lane. Traffic traveling southbound on Church Lane to Sunset Boulevard will be detoured to continue southbound via Sepulveda Boulevard to: Eastbound Montana Avenue, to northbound Veteran Avenue and then back to Sunset. Westbound Montana Avenue, to northbound Church Lane and then back to Sunset. Bus Line 2, 233 and 761 will be detoured as follows: Bus Line 2: The eastbound line will take its regular route to Sunset Boulevard and Barrington Avenue. It will continue via Sunset Boulevard to southbound Church Lane, to eastbound Montana Avenue, and then continue on its regular route. The westbound line will take its regular route to Gayley Avenue and Veteran Avenue. It will continue via Gayley Avenue/Montana Avenue to northbound Church Lane, to westbound Sunset Boulevard, and then continue on its regular route. Bus Lines 233 & 761: The northbound line will take its regular route to Sunset Boulevard and Bellagio Road. It will continue via Sunset Boulevard to southbound Veteran Avenue, to eastbound Montana Avenue, to northbound Sepulveda Boulevard, and then continue on its regular route. The southbound line will take its regular route to Sepulveda Boulevard and Ovada Place. It will continue via Sepulveda Boulevard to eastbound Montana Avenue, to northbound Veteran Avenue, to eastbound Sunset Boulevard, and then continue on its regular route. After the southern side of the bridge is finished, crews will demolish the northern half of the bridge and begin reconstruction, according to Metro. Metro expects demolition and reconstruction on the northern half of the bridge to take approximately 12 months. Closures may change, so for the latest information visit the Metro website . Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . See original here: More Sunset Boulevard Road Closures Are Coming
EaterWire : Hacienda Playa Replaces Berri’s Pizza Cafe, Laurent Quenioux at Church & State, MORE!
PLAYA DEL REY— Up above is a shot of the now shuttered Berri’s Pizza Cafe outpost in Playa del Rey. Per the visible ABC notice looks like Hacienda Playa is taking over. [EaterWire] DOWNTOWN— Some details on that dinner cooked by chef Laurent Quenioux at Church & State . Quenioux hits the kitchen on October 19 to cook this five course menu priced at $65. Wine pairings optional. Call Church & State for a resy. [EaterWire] PALMS— Grub Street notes that Thai Market on Venice Blvd has expanded into Moo Moo Thai Cafe about two weeks ago. A new Thai menu is in place, too, will many pork-centric dishes. [Grub Street] Read the original post: EaterWire : Hacienda Playa Replaces Berri’s Pizza Cafe, Laurent Quenioux at Church & State, MORE!