L.A. museum will do self-review
Los Angeles After months of mounting scandals, the J. Paul Getty Trust announced Saturday that its board of trustees had formed a special committee to investigate its acquisition of antiquities and its use of tax-exempt funds.
The committee, composed of five board members, will review facts related to an Italian criminal probe of the Getty museum’s acquisition of allegedly looted antiquities and an investigation by the state attorney general into spending and management practices by the trust and its chief executive, Barry Munitz.
The trust’s announcement marks the first public move at the country’s third largest private foundation in response to the investigations, an ethical breech by its former antiquities curator and low staff morale reported by current and former employees since the departure of the Getty Museum’s popular director almost a year ago.
Rally calls for contracts for Louisiana firms
Baton Rouge, La. Hundreds of people rallied at the state Capitol on Saturday, pushing state officials to give more hurricane reconstruction work to Louisiana residents.
“This is not just a New Orleans struggle,” said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who spoke along with the Rev. Al Sharpton. “Our nation’s character is on trial. This is our nation’s challenge.”
The storms left as many as 296,000 Louisiana residents without jobs, costing $300 million in unemployment benefits, state officials say.
Sharpton accused the federal government of awarding bids to politically connected companies at the expense of local contractors. He specifically named Halliburton Co., formerly run by Vice President Dick Cheney, which has a subsidiary doing cleanup work in Mississippi.
Clinton says Democrats need to take on issues
Austin, Texas Democrats can’t be afraid to talk about hot-button issues, including abortion, and should fight back against personal attacks from conservatives if they want to regain power in Washington, former President Bill Clinton said Saturday.
“You can’t say, ‘Please don’t be mean to me. Please let me win sometimes.’ Give me a break here,” Clinton said. “If you don’t want to fight for the future and you can’t figure out how to beat these people then find something else to do.”
Clinton, whose 2004 memoir “My Life” was a best seller, drew roaring applause during his speech from the several hundred people gathered in the Texas House chamber to kick off the 10th annual Texas Book Festival.
Paramount will remove offensive billboards
Los Angeles Paramount Pictures is removing some billboards promoting the upcoming 50 Cent film “Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ” after community activists complained they promoted gun violence.
The billboards depict the rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, holding a gun in his left hand and a microphone in his right. At least two were near schools.
Activists in a south Los Angeles neighborhood staged a rally Tuesday to protest the signs.
“Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ” stars 50 Cent as a drug dealer who turns away from crime to pursue his true passion – music. It is scheduled to open Nov. 9.