Clear 365 Blogs

11/13: The Publicer Observer on upcoming news and a photo roundup

Nov. 13, 2009

The Public Observer offers a look at upcoming news and presents a photo roundup of recent images by The Associated Press.

OBAMA HEADS TO CHINA

President Barack Obama will continue his trip to Asia with APEC meetings in Singapore this weekend before heading to China for events in Shanghai and Beijing. Obama will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao before heading off to Seoul, South Korea.

The Chinese are ramping up for Obama's arrival Sunday with "Oba Mao" T-shirts and a statue of him that bursts into flames in Beijing.

"He's so hot right now, so I wanted to translate that through my work," said artist Liu Bolin.

Obama returns to Washington on Nov. 19.

SARAH PALIN IS "GOING ROGUE"

Former Alaska governor and ex-vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will release her new memoir Tuesday in which she writes of her teenage daughter's pregnancy without mentioning the father of her grandson and soon-to-be Playgirl cover model, Levi Johnston. The 413-page "Going Rogue" contains 68 color photos and recounts tension between the Palin camp and those who ran Sen. John McCain's campaign for the presidency. The omission of Johnston from the book might have some merit, he has warned Palin to stop attacking him publicly or else he might dish some dirt that "will hurt her."

Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters will air interviews with Palin in the coming week and she will embark on an approximately three-week book tour starting Nov. 18.

WORLD FOOD SUMMIT

A three-day United Nations food summit will be held in Rome starting Monday and will attempt to gain commitments from world leaders to help the world's 1 billion hungry people feed themselves. A draft declaration obtained by The Associated Press does not include a 2025 deadline for eradicating hunger, which was a goal sought by the United Nations. 

PHOTO ROUNDUP

Here are some recent images taken by The Associated Press.

Veteran Mario Morrone of Philadelphia pays his respects Wednesday to friends who died while serving in Vietnam during a Veterans Day visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Omm Ahmed, right, a woman militant in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), poses for a portrait Thursday in a house of a fellow fighter in the Gaza Strip. Founded in 1969, the DFLP is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist, secular political and military organization. Approximately 40 women militants for the DFLP started training 6 months ago as a response to Israel's January offensive. They range in age from 17 to 53 and many are married with children. (AP Photo/ Tara Todras-Whitehill)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, toasts Mikhail Kalashnikov, who invented the AK-47 assault rifle, during festivities Tuesday to celebrate his 90th birthday at the Kremlin in Moscow. The AK-47 is one of the world's most popular and reliable rifles. (AP Photo/Natalia Kolesnikova, Pool)

 

Joe Cada poses for photos Tuesday after winning the 2009 World Series of Poker at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Cada defeated Darvin Moon to win $8.5 million. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

Manjit Singh grimaces as he pulls a double decker London bus for some 21.2 meters by his hair to set a new Guinness world record in London on Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Diana Kubasova of Latvia, a candidate for the 2009 Miss Earth beauty pageant, plants a Palawan Cherry sapling Tuesday at the Nuvali upscale real property development at Sta. Rosa, Laguna province south of Manila, Philippines. More than 80 beauties from all over the world are vying for the Miss Earth title, an international beauty contest with a unique advocacy to save Mother Earth. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Fireworks are seen at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany on Monday during the commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov.9, 1989. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

A pair of Passion butterflies perch on flowers Wednesday at a Houston park. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Traffic backs up as a turkey makes its daily walk across a busy Rt 462 near Lancaster, Pa. on Tuesday. A pair of turkeys , who live in the wild, travel back and forth early and late in the day in search of food neighbors put out for the birds. (AP Photo/Intelligencer Journal, Marty Heisey)

 

President Barack Obama speaks Tuesday at a memorial services at Fort Hood, Texas. In the foreground is a photo of Sgt. Amy S. Krueger. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

A seagull flies along the Alabama Gulf Coast at sunrise Tuesday as Tropical Storm Ida makes landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

The Copacabana beach is seen Tuesday during a blackout in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A massive power failure threw Brazil's largest cities into darkness Tuesday night along with other parts of the country affecting millions of people. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Australian explosives detection dog Sabi is photographed Wednesday at Forward Operating Base Ripley in Tarin Kowt, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Sabi disappeared more than a year ago during a fierce battle between Australian troops and militant fighters. Sabi was with a joint Australian-Afghan army patrol that was ambushed in restive Uruzgan province in September 2008, but there was no sign of Sabi after the battle that followed - until now. (AP Photo/Andrew Mearse, Pool)

--Paul Chavez, Clear365 News Editor

11/6: The Publicer Observer on upcoming news and a photo roundup

Nov. 6, 2009

The Public Observer offers a look at upcoming news and presents a photo roundup of recent images by The Associated Press.

FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL ANNIVERSARY

The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall will be remembered Monday in Germany with ceremonies to commemorate the dismantling of the Cold War symbol. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will lead the U.S. delegation.

Check out this photo essay about the Berlin Wall by The Economist:

OBAMA HEADS TO ASIA

President Barack Obama will be in Asia starting Thursday to meet with foreign leaders and to attend regional economic summits. Obama starts out his trip in Tokyo and then will head to Singapore for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, before heading to China and then South Korea.

VETERANS DAY

U.S. military veterans will be honored Wednesday during Veterans Day. Obama has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until Veterans Day as a tribute to the soldiers killed in the Fort Hood, Texas, shooting rampage.

PHOTO ROUNDUP

Here's a look at recent images taken by The Associated Press.

Performers fill the streets Monday during the Day of the Dead parade in San Francisco's Mission District. Day of the Dead is a ritual celebrated by the indigenous people of Mexico for over 3,000 years, this celebration is held to honor and communicate with those who have passed into spirit world. It is believed that on the Day of the Dead it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. (AP Photo/Russel A. Daniels)

In this photo provided by the Bedford County, Pa. District Attorney's Office,Tina Griekspoor is seen holding a sign Tuesday in front of the Bedford County courthouse in Bedford, Pa. Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins says in exchange for Griekspoor and her mother Evelyn Border, both of Bedford, agreeing to hold the signs, he'll ask for probation instead of jail when they plead guilty. The mother and daughter were sentenced to be outside the court for forty-one-and-a-half hours, until 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Higgins says they swiped a gift card that a girl set on a shelf while a WalMart employee helped her. (AP Photo/Bedford County District Attorney's Office)

Hundreds of imported vehicles are parked in a storage lot Monday after being unloaded from freight ships in Elizabeth, N.J. After months of roller coaster-like sales, the auto industry offered signs of recovery from its yearlong slump on Tuesday, as most automakers reported higher October sales in the U.S. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Delegates dressed in traditional Ndebele outfits stand against a wall ahead of the Institute of African Royalty launch Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa. The kings, queens and chiefs of Africa say they have a role to play in democracy and development on the continent and that former South African President Nelson Mandela is their role model.Two dozen traditional leaders from across the continent gathered on a Johannesburg university campus to launch the Institute, which they say will be a combination of think tank and lobby group. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

In this photo provided by Carnival Cruise Lines, Academy Award winning actress Marcia Gay Harden reads Friday from "The Dream Plucker of Perrysport," which is claimed to be the world's largest children's book, to students from Brooklyn's PS23 at Rockefeller Center in New York. The 15 1/2-foot tall by 20-foot wide book was created by Carnival Cruise Lines to celebrate the upcoming U.S. debut of its new ship the "Carnival Dream." (AP Photo/Carnival Cruise Lines, Ray Stubblebine)

A Palestinian demonstrator gestures atop a separation barrier, moments after knocking down a segment of the concrete wall, during a protest Friday against the barrier in the West Bank village of Nilin, near Ramallah. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he does not want to run for another term in the January elections, blaming a stalemate in Mideast peace talks on Israel and the United States. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Yellow mums flourish in the front yard of a residence Friday in Roswell. (AP Photo/Roswell Daily Record, Mark Wilson)

 

A model wears lingerie Friday during the Ordifen Cup for Innovative Undergarments Elements Design 2009 at China Fashion Week in Beijing, China. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)

Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas throws the Health Care bill to the crowd on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday during a health care reform rally. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The snow covered Wilder Kaiser, part of the Kitzbueheler Alps, is reflected Thursday in lake Schwarzsee in Kitzbuehel, Austrian province of Tyrol. (AP Photo /Kerstin Joensson)

 

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez celebrates after winning the Major League Baseball World Series on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies in New York. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

 

Myanmar's detained opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, right, walks Wednesday with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell after their meeting at the Inya Lake Hotel, in Yangon, Myanmar. Campbell met Suu Kyi on Wednesday in a visit that marked the highest-ranking talks between an American and Myanmar's detained opposition leader in 14 years. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

The moon rises Tuesday above the Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

--Paul Chavez, Clear365 News Editor

11/2: I'm a BLVR

Nov. 2, 2009

BLVR covers the Bruins, Lakers, Vikings and Reds, who by fate or destiny became the favorite teams long ago of a young kid growing up in Southern California.

BRUINS

 

Oregon's mascot is hoisted into the air by fans after the Ducks whipped Southern California, 47-20, on Saturday in Eugene, Ore. The beatdown was the Trojans' worst loss since 1997. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Congrats to the Oregon Ducks for their complete dismantling Saturday night of the USC Trojans.

BRUINS

UCLA played tough earlier in the day against Oregon State, tying the game with 2:06 left after trailing 19-3 in the fourth quarter, but the Beavers scored late for a 26-19 win. The Bruins (3-4, 0-5 Pac-10) have lost five straight conference games after starting out 3-0, matching their worst start in Pac-10 play.

The Bruins next face the Washington Huskies on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Huskies quarterback Jake Locker has been nursing a deep thigh bruise he suffered Oct. 24 against Oregon and U-Dub Coach Steve Sarkisian said his star quarterback is "questionable" for the game against the Bruins.

"I should be ready to go," Locker told the Seattle Times and the Seattle P-I.

On the basketball front, the banged up Bruins are getting a little healthier with Jon Gold of "Inside UCLA" reporting that 17 of 18 players participated in today's rare open practice. The Los Angeles Times recently ran a story on the Bruins' rash of injuries, which prompted point guard Jerime Anderson to try yoga to help heal an injured groin muscle.

UCLA legend Bill Walton is retiring from his broadcast career with ESPN due to back problems, according to ESPN. Reminds me of the time that I ran into Walton in the parking lot near Pauley Pavilion, circa 1998 or so. I yelled out to him, "Hey, Big Guy," and Walton -- ever gracious -- stopped, walked over, shook hands, asked how I was doing and basically couldn't have been nicer. I told him that I liked his work in the broadcasting booth ( I think he was doing Clippers games at the time) and he smiled and thanked me profusely for the compliment. I had friends back then who hated Walton as an announcer and I've joked ever since that my compliment gave him the strength to carry on. At any rate, hope the back gets better soon and Luke brings another ring home.

LAKERS   

Lakers forward Pau Gasol may have a slight tear in his right hamstring and is not expected to play in the team's next two road games, according to the L.A. Times.

The world champions also declined to offer contract extensions to backup point guard (and former Bruin) Jordan Farmar and reserve forward Adam Morrison. Both can become restricted free agents in July, with the Lakers holding the right to match any offer they might receive from other teams next summer.

VIKINGS

Vikings quarerback Brett Favre returned to Lambeau Field on Sunday and put on a clinic, leading the Vikes to a 38-26 win at the place he called home for 16 years. S-I's Peter King featured Favre and the Vikings in his Monday Morning QB column. Packers fans greeted their former hero with boos and Favre was emotional after the game, choking up a bit in a post-game television interview. The Vikes (7-1) are going into their bye week and will next play Nov. 15 when they host the woeful Detroit Lions.

REDS

There are 153 days until Opening Day 2010.

I live in Los Angeles, but if I did live in Cincinnati, I'd be all over this Redsfest being held Dec. 4-5 at the downtown Duke Energy Convention Center. Sounds like a lot of fun.

--Paul Chavez, BLVR

10/30: The Public Observer on upcoming news and a photo roundup

IMAGE GALLERY

RELATED VIDEO

Oct. 30, 2009

The Public Observer offers a look at upcoming news and presents a photo roundup of recent images by The Associated Press.

30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS

Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979 and ended up holding 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The hostage crisis prompted then-President Jimmy Carter to approve a risky rescue attempt that had to be aborted after three of eight military helicopters failed before reaching Tehran. The long captivity and rescue debacle politically wounded Carter, who lost the White House to GOP challenger Ronald Reagan in November 1980. The hostages were released on Jan. 20, 1981, just hours after Reagan was inauguarated. The anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis comes at a time when tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high, this time over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

AFGHANISTAN RUNOFF ELECTION

Voters in Afghanistan will vote next Saturday (Nov. 7) in a presidential runoff election pitting incumbent President Hamid Karzai against former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. The first round of balloting on Aug. 20 was tainted by fraud and United Nations-backed election monitors threw out more than a million votes. The Taliban have threatened to violently disrupt the elections and made good on the threat earlier this week when they killed five U.N. election workers and three Afghans in a brazen attack in Kabul.

GOVERNOR ELECTIONS

Voters will head to the polls in Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday in gubernatorial elections that have drawn interest from President Barack Obama. Obama campaigned for Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds in Virginia recently and has endorsed New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election bid. Deeds is trailing in the polls and Corzine is in a tight race. Critics of the Obama administration are looking at the races as a referendum on the president's popularity, but most political experts say that state races tend to focus largely on local issues.

PHOTO ROUNDUP

Here's a look at recent photos taken by The Associated Press.

Malaysian ethnic Chinese walk barefoot over burning coals Monday, the final day of the Nine Emperor Gods festival at a temple in Kuala Lumpur. The men have abstained from meat for the past nine days in order to purify their bodies in preparation for this painful ritual, in which women are barred from participating. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Children prepare to fly a kite Wednesday in Bhubaneswar, India. (AP Photo/Biswaranjan Rout)

Hudson, a two-year-old Polar Bear devours a pumpkin Wednesday at the Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Ill. With Halloween nearing, several of the animals, including lions, tigers, polar bears, brown bears, and gorillas were given pumpkins to enjoy and play with as part of the zoo-wide behavioral enrichment program. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

A Great Blue Heron flies south Monday against a Florida sunset at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Bono of the Irish rock band U2 performs Sunday during their 360 world tour stop at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

A cone of moisture surrounds part of the Ares I-X rocket during lift off Wednesday on a sub-orbital test flight from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-B in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

 

In this photo provided by StarPix, Marisa Miller on Monday models a Harlequin Fantasy Bra designed exclusively for Victoria's Secret by Damiani in New York. Valued at $3 million, the Harlequin Fantasy Bra features a very rare, 16-carat heart-shaped champagne diamond pendant. Surrounding this jewel are more than 2,300 brilliant cut white, champagne and cognac colored diamonds. The weight of the entire bra totals nearly 150 carats. (AP Photo/Marion Curtis, StarPix)

 

In this publicity image released by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, Regis Philbin, dressed as Jon Gosselin, left, and Kelly Ripa, dressed as Kate Gosselin from the TLC reality show, "Jon and Kate Plus 8," are pictured Friday during the Halloween celebration on "Live! with Regis and Kelly." (AP Photo/Disney-ABC Domestic Television, David M. Russell)

 

President Barack Obama salutes Thursday as a carry team moves the transfer case containing the remains of Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin of Terre Haute, Ind., during a somber event at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del. Griffin was killed in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

People rush an injured child to a hospital after an explosion Wednesday in Peshawar, Pakistan. A car bomb tore through a market in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, hours after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in the country. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

Clouds are colored Tuesday by the early morning sunrise in Calais, Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Images of Saint Jude, the saint of lost causes, are attached to stalks Wednesday in front of a church in Mexico City. Thousands flocked to the church of Saint Jude Thaddaeus Wednesday as part of an annual pilgrimage in his honor. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

--Paul Chavez, Clear365 News Editor

10/23: The Public Observer on upcoming news and a photo roundup

Oct. 23, 2009

The Public Observer offers a look at upcoming news and presents a photo roundup of recent images by The Associated Press.

IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Iran plans to respond in the coming week to a United Nations-drafted proposal to ship much of its uranium to Russia for enrichment, an attempt to allay Western fears by curbing Tehran's potential to make a nuclear weapon.

DARFUR PEACE TALKS

The United Nations will broker peace talks mid-week aimed at resolving the long-running conflict in western Sudan that has killed an estimated 300,000 people in the Darfur region over the past six years. The conflict between rebel groups and government forces allied with the Janjaweed militia also has created some 2.7 million refugees.

KARADZIC GENOCIDE TRIAL

The U.N. war crimes tribunal will start a trial in The Hague, Netherlands on Monday accusing wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic with genocide. Karadzic, who is defending himself, plans on boycotting the start of his trial, claiming that he has not had enough time to prepare his defense. He was arrested in July 2008 in Belgrade while disguised as a New Age guru. Karadzic is charged with 11 counts of genocide and war crimes for allegedly orchestrating the 1992-95 Bosnian war that killed an estimated 100,000 people.

PHOTO ROUNDUP

Here's a look at recent images taken by photographers for The Associated Press.

Hungarian firemen repeat their fireman-oath Monday during a protest in downtown Budapest, Hungary. Thousands of fire fighters gathered together protesting for higher wages and against the government's austerity measuresin the planed 2010 budget. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)

A male Red Headed Agama, also known as the Red Headed Rock Agama, stands on a rock Monday in the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa. The lizards are a medium-sized lizard growing to lengths of between 13 and 15 inches (33 to 38 centimeters). The males color may change based on it's mood, with aggression often being a cause of the change. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

A Somali Islamic fighter cleans his rifle Monday near the front line in south Mogadishu. (AP Photo/Mohamed Sheikh Nor)

Felix, a female African elephant, eats a pumpkin Friday at the The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Natalie Anne Innocenzi, 16, reacts Tuesday to being chosen the 2010 Rose Queen by the Tournament of Roses Association in Pasadena, Calif. Innocenzi is a student at Arcadia Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

A 70-foot female blue whale, that officials believe was struck by a ship, is seen washed ashore Tuesday on the Northern California coast near Fort Bragg, Calif. Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say the whale was spotted on the shores near Fort Bragg in Mendocino County on Monday night, hours after an ocean survey vessel reported hitting a whale a few miles away. The dead animal has a gash on its back estimated to be more than 8 feet long. (AP Photo/Larry Wagner)

 

Greek actress Maria Nafpliotou, who plays the role of high priestess, right, gives the flame to Ino Menegaki during the lighting ceremony Thursday for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games at the temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, western Greece. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

People walk through the woods Monday to attend the coronation of Charles Wesley Mumbere as King of Rwenzururu in Kasese in western Uganda. An African man who worked for years as a nurse's aide in the United States, caring for the elderly and sick, is back in his homeland after he was crowned king of his people in the mountains of western Uganda. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo)

 

Samuel Bagdorf of San Francisco, who suffers from anxiety disorders, exhales Monday after smoking his marijuana pipe at the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Clinic in San Francisco. Pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers should not be targeted for federal prosecution in states that allow medical marijuana, prosecutors were told Monday in a new policy memo issued by the Justice Department. Under the policy spelled out in a three-page legal memo, federal prosecutors are being told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state law. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

 

Smoke billows from a gasoline warehouse and distribution center, belonging to the Caribbean Petroleum Corp. and owned by Gulf, as it covers San Juan from Catano, Puerto Rico on Friday. An explosion at the Gulf gasoline facility rocked the neighborhood outside Puerto Rico's capital, causing at least some minor injuries and forcing evacuations as firefighters raced to prevent additional blasts. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

--Paul Chavez, Clear365 News Editor

Tracking the stimulus via $1 billion LA freeway project

A surveying tripod sits on the Sunset Boulevard overpass above Interstate 405 in West Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 14, 2009. The federal stimulus package includes $189.9 million to help build a 10-mile carpool lane on the interstate's northbound lanes as part of a $1.034 billion project. (Clear365/Paul Chavez)

LOS ANGELES -- Everyone who lives in this sprawling metropolis at the end of the desert shares one common experience: the freeway.

The network of multi-lane highways that criss-cross the Los Angeles basin can either help you sail across town in 20 minutes or leave you mired in clutch-burning traffic for what seems like a hellish eternity.

Besides being a conduit for getting from San Pedro to Hollywood, the freeway has become a part of the Los Angeles landscape, as ubiquitous as the beach, the palm trees and the walls of the San Gabriel Mountains. The author Joan Didion in her 1970 novel "Play It As It Lays," wrote of the cultural significance of the freeway, which becomes a refuge for the book's tragic heroine, Maria Wyeth, who rides the freeway alone in her car to escape her disintegrating life. In a 1970s Esquire magazine article, Didion called the freeway "the only secular communion that Los Angeles has."

It's a theme expanded upon by David Brodsly in his 1981 essay book, "L.A. Freeway": "Every time we merge with traffic we join our community in a wordless creed: belief in individual freedom, in a technological liberation from place and circumstance, in a democracy of personal mobility. When we are stuck in rush-hour traffic the freeway's greatest frustration is that it belies its promise."

The freeway has been frequently on my mind since Monday, when I joined the ProPublica Reporting Network, a citizen journalism project run by the nonprofit, New York-based investigative reporting group ProPublica. I specifically volunteered for ProPublica's "Adopt a Stimulus Project."

The idea is simple. Pick a transportation project slated to receive money from the federal government's $787 billion stimulus package and then monitor it to make sure that taxpayers' money is being put to good use.

Earlier this week, I adopted the Interstate 405 HOV Expansion Project. The $1 billion project is the nation's largest highway transportation project receiving stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The $189.9 million earmarked by the federal government is sorely needed since the cash-strapped state hasn't been able to pony up the $614 million approved by voters in a bond measure for the project.

The project will add a carpool lane along 10 miles of the northbound I-405 between Interstate 10 and the U.S. 101 Ventura Freeway, one of the most congested corridors in the nation. Construction will run along a stretch of freeway that includes on- and off-ramps to Santa Monica Boulevard, UCLA, the Skirball Cultural Center and the Getty Center art complex.

This particular stretch of freeway also is rather infamous: O.J. Simpson in his white Ford Bronco took the I-405's Sunset Boulevard exit during his widely televised 1994 police chase; UCLA students in 1966 blocked the 405's northbound lanes at Wilshire Boulevard to protest an outrageous decision to send USC to the Rose Bowl, and comedian Bill Cosby's son, Ennis Cosby, was shot and killed in January 1997 near a Sepulveda Pass freeway exit after his car got a flat tire.

Thanks to ProPublica, I've been teamed up to monitor the I-405 project with Albert Kaplan, a retired executive from the technology sector. Over the course of a few days, we learned that the I-405 project is currently in the surveying stage and that construction isn't slated to start until the fall. This, despite a May 8 media event with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa where they announced the "groundbreaking" for the project.

We also found out that Kiewit Pacific Co. was awarded a $739 million bid for the construction of the project. The $1.03 billion total cost of the project reflects the base cost of $739 million, plus additional costs, including right of way enhancements and project support, according to Helen Gilstrap, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is the lead agency in the federal, state and local project.

There's also been some discrepancy over the number of jobs the project will create, with Schwarzenegger claiming the project will create 18,000 jobs based on a state formula. Federal government estimates use a different formula that add up to nearly 7,000 fewer jobs. For a detailed report, read this ProPublica article on our findings that was filed by Amanda Michel, who runs the group's "Adopt a Stimulus" citizen journalism project.

It's still too early to come away with any real conclusions about the effects so far of President Barack Obama's stimulus package. If the I-405 project provides any lesson, it's that benefits from the stimulus package won't appear overnight or even within the next few weeks, but may take at least a few more months, if at all.

In the meantime, Kaplan and I will continue to work with ProPublica to monitor the project. If you have any tips or comments please feel free to pass them along. I can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

--Paul Chavez, Clear365 News Editor

10/16: The Public Observer on upcoming news and a photo roundup

Oct. 16, 2009

Clear365 News Editor Paul Chavez offers a look at upcoming news and presents a photo roundup of recent images produced by The Associated Press in this installment of The Public Observer.

PAKISTAN GROUND ATTACK AGAINST TALIBAN

The Pakistani military will soon launch a major ground attack in in the northwest region of South Waziristan to drive out the Taliban. The military has been bombing targets in South Waziristan for months and announced two weeks ago that it would forge ahead with a ground campaign. Since that announcement, Pakistan has been rocked by a series of terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, that have left more than 170 people dead.

WINDOWS 7

Microsoft Corp. on Thursday will release it latest operating system, Windows 7. 

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN TRAVELS TO EASTERN EUROPE

Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic from Tuesday through Thursday to shore up relations with allies concerned over a recent U.S. decision to scuttle plans for a Eastern Europe-based missile defense shield. The trip is another in a series of domestic and foreign visits that Biden has embraced as he defines his role as vice president.

PHOTO ROUNDUP

Here's a look at some recent images taken by The Associated Press.

Gnomes giving the Hitler salute are seen Wednesday in the installation 'Dance with the Devil' by German artist Ottmar Hoerl at a square in Straubing, southern Germany. The exhibition with 1.250 gnomes opened Thursday.

 

Farmers demonstrate Friday on the Champs Elysee in Paris by burning tires and straw. Farmers blocked off the famous avenue to protest grain prices that have fallen below the cost of production.(AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)

 

A maple leaf falls on a crisp autumn day Wednesday in Freeport, Maine. Peak foliage color has arrived along Maine’s Downeast coast and the central interior of the state, according to the fall foliage report from the state Department of Conservation. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Australia's Lauren Mitchell performs on the beam during women's qualifying for the World Gymnastics Championships at the O2 Arena in London on Wednesday. The Championships are being held at the venue that will host gymnastics and basketball at the London 2012 Olympics. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

 

Tyren Scott, 9, of Paulina, La., asks President Barack Obama a question during a town hall meeting Thursday at the University of New Orleans in New Orleans, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

An artist works on an idol of Hindu goddess Kali in Calcutta, India on Monday. Kali, the goddess of destruction will be worshiped on Oct. 17. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

A woman walks in a park Tuesday in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns to Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada in their quarter final match Friday at the Japan Women's Open tennis tournament in Osaka, Japan. Wozniacki won 6-2, 7-6, 6-2. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

 

In this image rendered from video and released by KMGH-TV in Denver, a hot-air balloon is seen over Colorado, near Fort Collins. Larimer County sheriff's spokeswoman Eloise Campanella says the device, which is shaped like a flying saucer, has the potential to rise to 10,000 feet. Authorities thought a 6-year-old boy was inside the balloon and launched an intense search to find him. Turns out he was not in the balloon, but was hiding at home. (AP Photo/KMGH-TV)

--Paul Chavez, Clear365 News Editor

10/13: I'm a BLVR

Oct. 13, 2009

BLVR covers the Bruins, Lakers, Vikings and Reds, who by fate or destiny became the favorite teams long ago of a young kid growing up in Southern California.

BRUINS

The Oregon Ducks beat the Bruins 24-10 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday and I'm taking full responsibility for the loss. The Bruins were leading 3-0 at halftime and I stuck around my seat to give props to the athletes who were inducted this year into UCLA's Hall of Fame, including wide receiver J.J. Stokes and quarterback Cade McNown. After that, I headed out of Tunnel 5 with my buddy Landers and started looking for something to eat. The lines were long, I was kind of undecided, and then settled for the taco/burrito stand right outside my tunnel. I was ordering a carne asada burrito when I heard the public address announcer say that the Ducks were leading 7-3. Great, the Ducks ran back the second-half kickoff. Then, I decided to eat my burrito outside by the turnstiles. A tragic mistake. Kevin Prince's first pass after the kickoff return got picked off and run back for a TD, all before I was even done eating. By the time I got to my seat, less than 40 seconds had lapsed and the Ducks were up 14-3. Mea culpa. That's on me.

The Bruins' defense had a solid game against the Ducks, but the offense struggled and couldn't take advantage of good field position. The Bruins had a first-and-goal series at the Oregon 2-yard line in the first half, but couldn't punch it in. They similarly couldn't manufacture points in the second half, stalling, in particular, after Terrence Austin returned a punt to the Oregon 15-yard line with about 10 minutes left.

The Bruins (3-2, 0-2) face the California Golden Bears (3-2, 0-2) this weekend at home and both teams are desperate for a win. The loser of this game will have a tough, uphill road to a bowl game.

On the bright side, the future looks good. UCLA last week got a commitment from Southern California prep star Malcom Jones, who is rated fifth at running back by Rivals.com. 

LAKERS

What is wrong with Golden State's Stephen Jackson? He flipped out Friday in a pre-season game against the Lakers, picking up five fouls and a technical in less than 10 minutes and jawing with Kobe Bryant. The Warriors suspended Jackson, who publicly demanded a trade last month, for two exhibition games because of his weird behavior and Jackson today relinquished his captain title during a meeting with the Warriors brass.

Pau Gasol and Luke Walton missed practice today with minor injuries.

The Los Angeles Times has a feature story on forward Lamar Odom adjusting to the married life and the Lakers have a Q&A with Adam Morrison that touches on his cooking specialty (toast) and what he was doing during the Orwellian year of 1984.

VIKINGS

The Vikings beat up the winless Rams on Sunday at the Metrodome, 38-10, to improve their record to 5-0. This could've been a letdown game for the Vikings following the emotional Monday night game against the Packers and a short week. But, the Vikes did what championship teams do and took care of business. Adrian Peterson had 2 touchdowns and 69 yards in 15 carries, but he says that he's not worried about his numbers as long as the team keeps winning.

The Vikings should have more of a contest this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens. The game marks the return to the Metrodome of former Vikings center Matt Birk, who played for the Vikings for the past 11 seasons. The Ravens, as usual, boast a strong defense and quarterback Joe Flacco has shown that he can move the offense. The Vikings, of course, have a pretty good defense, too.

Did you know? The Vikings are the only team in the NFL that hasn't allowed a rushing TD this season.

The Vikings have not scored a rushing touchdown against the Ravens in their three previous matchups. Peterson can move into second place in Viking history if he produces a 100-yard game against the stingy Ravens defense. All Day is currently tied with the great Chuck Foreman with 17 100-yard games.

The Vikings also announced that actor Tommy Lee Jones will blow the Gjallarhorn (from Norse mythology) before the Ravens game. He's apparently an avid Vikings and Brett Favre fan.

REDS

The infield at Great American Ball Park is getting re-sodded.

MISC.

 

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, right, jokes with side judge Jeff Lamberth as the Broncos and the New England Patriots warm up Sunday before their NFL game in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

This retro trend in the NFL has got to end. The Broncos uniforms were hideous and the refs looked like candy-stripers out there. I nearly got one of those sensory overload seizures that kids get when they play video games too much. Listen, if I really wanted to see jerseys from the 50s or 60s or 70s, I'd build a time machine and go back there myself. I know the league is trying to sell more jerseys, but let's stick with the current unis.

The bad use of helmet awards goes to Seattle's Owen Schmitt. (19-second mark)

Ocho Cinco Sees The Light

--Paul Chavez, BLVR

10/9: The Public Observer on upcoming news and a photo roundup

Oct. 9, 2009

The Public Observer takes a look at upcoming news and presents a photo roundup of recent images taken by The Associated Press.

HEALTH CARE REFORM

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a 10-year, $829-billion health care reform proposal that would extend coverage to 94 percent of eligible Americans. The bill's main author, Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., got a boost for his plan in recent days when the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the health care bill would reduce the federal deficit by $81 billion over the next 10 years.

SECRETARY CLINTON TRAVELS TO EUROPE, RUSSIA

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton leaves later today for a five-day overseas trip that includes visits to Switzerland, Britain and Ireland before going to Russia. Clinton will be pressing Moscow for a strong commitment on possible tough new sanctions if Iran fails to come clean about its suspect nuclear program.

TURKEY AND ARMENIA RAPPROCHEMENT

Foreign ministers from Turkey and Armenia will sign a deal Saturday (Oct. 10) in Zurich, Switzerland, to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries, even though a major dispute remains over the World War I-era massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire. Armenia calls the slayings a genocide, while Turkey claims the death toll is inflated and the victims died as a result of civil war.

So-called "football diplomacy" has helped warm relations, with Turkish President Abdullah Gul visiting Armenia a year ago for a soccer match between the two countries. Armenian President Serge Sarkisian said he would attend a World Cup qualifier Wednesday (Oct. 14) between the two nations, if there was progress on opening a shared border.

NEW SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

The United Nations will elect five new members into the UN Security Council on Thursday to replace the five outgoing nations with terms expiring this year. The UN Security Council is comprised of five permanent members -- the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China -- and 10 non-permanent members. The five permanent members have veto power over Security Council decisions, which are binding on all UN member states.

'WIZARD OF WESTWOOD' TURNS 99

John Wooden, the legendary college basketball coach who lead UCLA to 10 national championships, turns 99 on Wednesday and a site has been set up to wish him Happy Birthday.  Wooden also has a new book coming out next week called "A Game Plan for Life: The Power of Mentoring."

PHOTO ROUNDUP

Here's a look at recent images taken by photographers for The Associated Press.

A woman looks at the moon through a sieve, a ritual performed before breaking fast, on the Karwa Chauth festival Wednesday in Allahabad, India. Married Hindu omen fast throughout the day and break it in the evening after looking at the moon through a sieve to seek long life for their husbands. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Amparo Martinez, left, watches as her daughter, Sorayo Martinez, 4, is given a dose of swine flu vaccine Tuesday in Oregon City, Ore. Children and health workers are the first to receive vaccines from the first batch to hit Oregon. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

 

Sean Tucker flies his Oracle Challenger bi-plane inverted over US Marine Corps Major Nathan Miller, flying an F/A-18 Blue Angel #5 on Thursday over San Francisco Bay. The U. S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels and Tucker are preparing for two air shows this weekend for Fleet Week San Francisco 2009 festivities, which celebrate the area's long naval history. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

 

Palestinian children visiting the Marah Land Zoo outside Gaza City on Thursday look at a donkey painted in a zebra-like pattern. Zoo keepers have found a creative way to draw crowds to the Gaza zoo that suffered losses during the war with Israel. Zoo workers replaced two zebras that died of hunger during the January war with donkeys painted black and white. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

 

An unidentified man sits on a bench in front of the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J., on Wednesday with the New York skyline in the distance. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

 

Models present creationby British fashion designer Alexander McQueen for his Ready to Wear Spring Summer 2010 fashion collection, presented in Paris on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

 

Kalamazoo Wings ice hockey players practice on pink ice at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska, on Tuesday. The pink ice is part of the Alaska Ace's "Paint The Rink Pink" promotion, designed to focus attention on breat cancer awareness and raise money for the fight against the disease. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)

 

A physically disabled Afghan girl waits Tuesday at the International Committee of the Red Cross orthopedic center in Kabul, Afghanistan. The center, which provides new limbs, wheelchairs and physical therapy for the disabled, has registered 91,000 disabled since 1988 and about 80 percent of them are victims of war and conflict. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

 

The body of an unidentified man hangs from his neck under a bridge on the old Rosarito highway as authorities stand by Friday in Tijuana, Mexico. Authorities found the dead man beaten, naked and castrated, and have not identified him but believe he is Rogelio Sanchez, a Baja California state government official who went missing this week. No suspects were named. The homicide is characteristic of Mexico's brutal drug gangs, which often dump mutilated victims in public places. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)

--Paul Chavez, Clear365 News Editor

10/6: I'm a BLVR

Oct. 6, 2009

BLVR covers the Bruins, Lakers, Vikings and Reds, who by fate or destiny became the favorite teams long ago of a young kid growing up in Southern California.

BRUINS

I'm taking full responsibility for the loss Saturday at Stanford. I was looking ahead to the Oregon game. My bad. The Bruins (3-1, 0-1) face the Ducks at 12:30 p.m. this Saturday at the Rose Bowl with the oddsmakers listing Oregon as 6 1/2-point favorites.

The quarterback spot appears to be a bit of a mystery for both teams. Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli had to leave Saturday's blowout win over Washington State with a knee injury and he hasn't practiced so far this week. UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince may be back at the helm after suffering a broken jaw in the Bruins' win Sept. 12 at Tennessee.

The big question surrounding the Ducks is this: Which one of their hideous uniforms will they pick for the game? The Ducks have 80 different garish jersey/pant/helmet combinations in their closet. 

In a previous posting, I predicted a 31-9 UCLA victory. I still like the sound of it.

In other UCLA news, there's a good feature story today in The New York Times about professional basketball players going back to campus over the summer to work on their degrees, including former Bruin star Russell Westbrook. The Times reported that about 45 players, or roughly 10 percent of the league, hit the books over the summer.

Also, UCLA will induct eight new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, with quarterback Cade McNown, point guard Tyus Edney and wide receiver J.J. Stokes leading the class.

LAKERS

The world champion Los Angeles Lakers begin their title defense in exactly three weeks when they play the Clippers at the Staples Center.

Lakers point guard Derek Fisher, 35, tells the Los Angeles Times that he's not contemplating retirement yet, even though he's entering his 14th season in the league and final year of his contract. D-Fish, who made two clutch 3-pointers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, trained hard over the summer, wrote a book and held his first basketball camp in Los Angeles.

Surprise Lakers tweet of the day: @LakersReporter Phil Jackson said that Adam Morrison has been the team's best shooter in camp. "He's played really well, shot the ball very well."

VIKINGS

The showdown at the Metrodome took place last night and Brett Favre prevailed, leading the Vikings to a 30-23 win over his former longtime employer, the Green Bay Packers. Favre was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 271-yard, 3-TD performance. This was probably the most hyped Monday Night Football game of all-time and it certainly delivered, especially in the first half, which ended with Minnesota clinging to a 21-14 lead. Favre, who will turn 40 on Saturday, completed 24 of 31 passes with no interceptions and had an ear-to-ear grin after several of his big plays.

Brett Favre (4) celebrates with Chester Taylor (29) after Favre threw a touchdown pass during the first half Monday against the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

The win gave Favre his first victory over the Packers and made him the first player in NFL history to beat all 32 teams in the league.

Defensive end Jared Allen also had a monster game for the Vikings, finishing with six tackles, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Allen had plenty of opportunity to show off his celebratory sack dance based on calf roping.

Kudos also to former Bruin and current Vikings punter Chris Kluwe who launched several kicks that pinned the Packers deep in their own territory. You can't put a price on field position in the NFL and Kluwe made sure the Packers didn't have a short field to work with.

The game, by the way, was the most watched cable TV program in history.

REDS

The Reds finished in fourth place in the National League Central Division with a 78-84 record, 13 games behind front-runner St. Louis. This is the ninth losing season in a row for Cincy, which is their longest slump in more than 50 years. Injuries dashed all hopes for the Reds before the All-Star break. Four of their five starting pitchers and seven of the team's eight opening-day regulars spent time on the disabled list this season.

On the bright side, the Reds did win 27 of their last 40 games and pitcher Homer Bailey, 23, went 6-1 with a 1.70 ERA down the stretch.

In other Reds news, the team will induct three players into the Reds Hall of Fame: third baseman Chris Sabo of the 1990 World Series-winning team, pitcher Pedro Borbon of the 1970s Big Red Machine and turn-of-the-20th-century pitcher Tony Mullane, an Irish immigrant who pitched both right- and left-handed. Mullane's good looks prompted the nickname "The Apollo of the Box" and his popularity with female fans lead the then-Cincinnati Red Stocking to start Ladies Day on the Mondays when he pitched.

--Paul Chavez, BLVR