Peanut Corp. officials indicted in salmonella outbreak

Several officials at the now-defunct Peanut Corp. of America knew their products may have harbored salmonella bacteria, but they covered up the evidence and sold the food anyway, alleged a 76-count federal indictment unsealed this week.

Peanut butter, roasted peanuts and other items prepared at PCA’s Blakely, Ga. plant were linked to a 2009 salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 700 people across 46 states and may have contributed to nine deaths.

One of the largest food-based recalls in history resulted, affecting thousands of products made since 2007, including cookies, cereal and even pet treats, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

This week’s indictment pins much of the blame on four former PCA officials, accusing them of engaging “in multiple schemes to defraud the company’s customers.”

The four allegedly failed to keep rodents and insects out of the Blakely plant, continuing to ship products even when testing showed salmonella contamination, fabricating quality assurance labels and lying to and misleading investigators once the outbreak occurred, according to the Justice Department.

“These indictments will have a far-reaching impact on the food industry,” said food safety attorney William D. Marler. “Corporate executives and directors of food safety will need to think hard about the safety of their product when it enters the stream of commerce."

"Felony counts like this one are rare, but misdemeanor charges that can include fines and jail time can and should happen,” he said.

Stewart Parnell, his brother Michael Parnell and Samuel Lightsey face charges of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy and introduction of adulterated and mis-branded food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. Stewart Parnell, PCA’s president, is also facing obstruction of justice charges, as are Lightsey and Mary Wilkerson.

Michael Parnell was a food broker working on PCA’s behalf. Lightsey was the operations manager at the Blakely plant. Wilkerson served in several positions, including that of the plant’s quality assurance manager.

The Justice Department “will not hesitate to pursue any person whose criminal conduct risks the safety of Americans who have done nothing more than eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” said Stuart F. Delery, who heads the department’s Civil Division, in a statement.

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Interstate 5 reopens through the Grapevine

From Times Staff

February 20, 2013, 9:44 a.m.

The California Highway Patrol has reopened a stretch of Interstate 5 through the Grapevine that was closed earlier today because of ice.

The highway was opened to vehicles with escorts at about 9:15 a.m., said CHP Officer Ed Jacobs. The freeway was closed between Castaic and Grapevine Road about 6:35 a.m., Jacobs said.

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'Twilight' author Meyer plots another trilogy

MIAMI (AP) — Stephenie Meyer's "The Host" doesn't have much in common with her Twilight series, except maybe the potential for a franchise.

Meyer is working on a sequel to the 2008 novel she began writing as an escape from the editing of "Eclipse," the third book in the Twilight vampire saga. And now that it too has reached the big screen, she's got more books in mind.

"Once you've created characters that have life to them, unless you kill them all, you know where their stories go. You're always aware of what happens next," Meyer told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. "I've got outlines for the next books. I would hope that this would be a three-book arc, but we'll see."

At an advance screening of "The Host," which premieres March 29, Meyer said she wrote the book when she was "kind of overwhelmed with vampires and red ink and a lot of people kind of having expectations of what they wanted from the next book and knowing that I wasn't always answering those."

"The Host" trades the vampires and werewolves of Meyer's previous works for space invaders. An alien race takes over the minds of their human hosts but leaves their bodies intact so that they can perfect the planet they believed humans were ruining. One human, a young woman named Melanie Stryder, refuses to give up her head space so easily.

Saoirse Ronan plays both Melanie and her alien invader in the film. Max Irons and Jake Abel play her love interests.

"The Host" will inevitably draw comparisons to the book and film series that made Meyer a phenomenon, but she hopes the story stands alone and appeals to a broader audience than just "Twi-hards."

For one thing, she calls it her "guy friendly" work because it explores bonds and loyalties beyond simple romantic love.

"When you're a teenager, love feels like life and death, but this is actual life and death, which is kind of more fun," Meyer told the Miami audience.

"Not to mention all the explosions and gunfire," said Abel, who plays Ian O'Shea, one of the human rebels in the story.

What "The Host" does have in common with the Twilight saga is a love triangle, though one complicated further by two distinct entities sharing one body.

"Jake and Max call it the 'love box,'" Meyer told AP.

Though she's attracted to complicated relationships, that conflict probably won't surface in the sequel she's writing.

"I feel like the 'love box,' as it is, is played out in this novel. It completely resolves into two happy places, so that won't be a focus going forward," Meyer said.

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Well: Caffeine Linked to Low Birth Weight Babies

New research suggests that drinking caffeinated drinks during pregnancy raises the risk of having a low birth weight baby.

Caffeine has long been linked to adverse effects in pregnant women, prompting many expectant mothers to give up coffee and tea. But for those who cannot do without their morning coffee, health officials over the years have offered conflicting guidelines on safe amounts during pregnancy.

The World Health Organization recommends a limit of 300 milligrams of caffeine a day, equivalent to about three eight-ounce cups of regular brewed coffee. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated in 2010 that pregnant women could consume up to 200 milligrams a day without increasing their risk of miscarriage or preterm birth.

In the latest study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers collected data on almost 60,000 pregnancies over a 10-year period. After excluding women with potentially problematic medical conditions, they found no link between caffeine consumption – from food or drinks – and the risk of preterm birth. But there was an association with low birth weight.

For a child expected to weigh about eight pounds at birth, the child lost between three-quarters of an ounce to an ounce in birth weight for each 100 milligrams of caffeine from all sources that the mother consumed each day. Even after the researchers excluded from their analysis smokers, a group that is at higher risk for complications and also includes many coffee drinkers, the link remained.

One study author, Dr. Verena Sengpiel of the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden, said the findings were not definitive because the study was observational, and correlation does not equal causation. But they do suggest that women might put their caffeine consumption “on pause” while pregnant, she said, or at least stay below two cups of coffee per day.

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Correction: The story was revised to clarify that the child lost up to an ounce in birth weight for each 100 milligrams of caffeine that the mother consumed daily.

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Herbalife CEO confirms discussions with investor Carl Icahn

Herbalife Ltd. Chief Executive Michael Johnson said the company has had "short discussions" with billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who last week disclosed that he had purchased 13% of the company's stock and would consider efforts to take the company private.

Johnson, speaking to analysts in a conference call Wednesday morning, did not elaborate.

"Yes, we’ve had short discussions with Mr. Icahn but beyond that nothing concrete to discuss," Johnson said.

Icahn and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman have engaged in a public battle about the value of Herbalife, a Los Angeles maker of weight loss and nutritional products.

In December, Ackman accused Herbalife of operating a fraudulent pyramid scheme in which about 90% of its independent distributors make no money while a fortunate few at the top of the pyramid get rich from commissions of those they brought into the business. He said his fund, Pershing Square Capital Management, had a $1-billion short against Herbalife shares. If the stock falls, Ackman and his investors profit.

Icahn said he thinks Ackman's attacks were misguided. He disclosed last week that he had gone long on the stock, buying nearly 13% of the company's shares and planned to discuss bringing the company private, a move that could drive up its share price.

In his call with analysts, Johnson said Ackman's attacks were "unprecedented, untrue and unfair." He noted that many of the company's independent distributors do not get into the business to profit, but instead to obtain the opportunity to buy its products at wholesale prices for personal consumption.

In response to Ackman's allegations, the company has decided to include a new compensation disclosure to all potential distributors, Johnson said. The disclosure will note that about 90% of distributors make little or no income.

On top of that, Johnson said, the company intends to create a new job title for distributors who buy for personal use, a title that would make it more clear that they're not selling the product for a profit.

Herbalife said it sells its weight-loss shake mixes, supplements and vitamins through a network of independent distributors who counsel consumers about their health needs while selling them appropriate products.

In a regulatory filing Tuesday, Herbalife said it achieved record sales of $4.1 billion in 2012. The company also raised its guidance for 2013, but disclosed that it planned to spend $10 million to $20 million fighting Ackman's allegations.

Herbalife also said the Securities and Exchange Commission was reviewing the company's business model and it's possible that regulatory agencies from other countries might also get involved.

Herbalife shares were down 93 cents, or 2.3%, in morning trading.

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O.C. shootings: Ladera Ranch neighbor heard a 'bunch of ruckus'

Authorities believe the man suspected of killing three people in a series of slayings and carjackings in Orange County early Tuesday also fired at vehicles on the 55 Freeway, causing minor injuries to at least one person.

Officials said the suspect fired either while driving or that he stopped, got out of his vehicle and fired rounds at passing cars. At least three victims have reported minor injuries or damage to their cars.
Authorities asked people to contact police if they believe they were targeted.

Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said the series of shootings ended when the gunman shot himself to death as police attempted to stop him in the city of Orange.

Amormino said a shotgun has been recovered and that there may be additional weapons. In addition to the Sheriff's Department, the FBI, Santa Ana police, California Highway Patrol and Tustin police are assisting the investigation.

The suspect's alleged series of killings appeared to begin early Tuesday at a home in Ladera Ranch, where Amormino said deputies found a woman shot to death about 4:45 a.m.

Deputies were called to the house on Red Leaf Lane when someone inside reported a shooting, Amormino said. It was unclear whether anyone else was home at the time, but no other injuries were reported.

The suspect, initially described as a man in his 20s, fled the area in an SUV to Tustin, where "multiple incidents" occurred in the city and near the Santa Ana border, Amormino said.

"There's a lot to sort out," he told The Times. A news conference is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Tustin Police Lt. Paul Garaven said the suspect attempted to carjack multiple vehicles in Tustin, with each shooting occurring a few minutes apart.

Police received a report about 5:30 a.m. of a carjacking near Red Hill Avenue and Nisson Road near the 5 Freeway in Tustin, Garaven said.

The carjacking suspect opened fire and wounded a bystander, he said.

Soon after that, another carjacking was reported near the southbound 55 Freeway at McFadden Avenue, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. There, the suspect allegedly confronted a man in a BMW, ordered him out of the vehicle, walked him to the curb and "executes our victim," Bertagna said.

Another shooting was reported on Edinger Avenue near the Micro Center computer store in Tustin, Garaven said. Officers confirmed that another carjacking had taken place, he said.

One person was killed and another was taken to a hospital. Officers spotted the suspect in a stolen vehicle, followed him into the city of Orange and initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of East Katella Avenue and North Wanda Road, Garaven said.

The suspect then shot and killed himself, Garaven said.

Amormino said deputies were still trying to piece together a possible motive and the relationship between the suspect and victims, including the woman at the first incident in Ladera Ranch.

"Ladera Ranch is a very quiet community," Amormino said. "It's very rare for something of this nature to occur there."

Jason Glass said he was across the street from the Ladera Ranch crime scene, working in his garage, when between 2 and 3 a.m. he heard what he now believes were three to five gunshots. About 4 a.m., Glass said, he "heard a bunch of ruckus" -- no yelling, but lots of doors slamming -- before a car sped away from the house.

"I just thought somebody was being really loud and obnoxious," Glass said.

Glass said a couple had lived at the home for about a year with three children. The family was quiet, he said.
"No noise ever came out of that house," he said. "No cops ever came to that house, nothing. This is really weird."

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McCartney, Mumford top eclectic Bonnaroo lineup

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — There will be a British invasion of the main stage at Bonnaroo this year.

Paul McCartney and Mumford & Sons are among the headliners for the 2013 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn.

The four-day festival, held on a rural 700-acre farm, always features an eclectic roster, but this year's event, to be held June 13-16, is even more varied than usual.

Returnees Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers also hold down a headliner spot. R. Kelly, Bjork, Wu-Tang Clan, Wilco, Pretty Lights, The Lumineers, The National, Kendrick Lamar, Nas and ZZ Top also top the list announced Tuesday by "Weird" Al Yankovic via Bonnaroo's YouTube channel.

Tickets will go on sale at noon Eastern Standard Time on Saturday.

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Ask Well: Coaxing Parents to Take Better Care of Themselves

Dear Reader,

Your dilemma of wanting to get your parents to change their ways to eat better and exercise reminds me of an old joke:

How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but the light bulb has to really want to change.

Sounds like your parents may be about as motivated as the light bulb right now. Still, there are things you can do to encourage them to move in a healthier direction. But the first step should not be to hand them a book. Unless you lay some prior groundwork, that gesture may seem almost as patronizing as an impatient tone of voice – and probably as likely to backfire.

Instead, start a conversation in a caring, nonjudgmental way. Ask, don’t tell. “Say, ‘You know, I might not know what I am talking about, but I am really concerned about you,” suggested Kevin Leman, a psychologist in Tucson, Ariz., and author of 42 books on changing behavior in families and relationships. Ask simply if there is anything you can do to help.

Leading by example is also more effective than lecturing. “The son can role-model health by inviting his parents to dinner and serving healthful items that he is fairly certain they will find acceptable, or ask them if they are interested in going out dancing with him and his wife,” suggested Ann Constance, director of the Upper Peninsula Diabetes Outreach Network in Michigan.

Pleasure is a better motivator for change than pain or threats. Use the grandchildren as bait. Ask if they want to take the grandchildren to the zoo or a park that would require a good bit of walking around for everyone. Or the grandchildren could ask them to come along on one of those 2K fund-raiser-walks that many schools hold. After all, a day with the grandchildren is always a pleasure in itself. (O.K., usually a pleasure.)

Tempted to give them the gift of a health club membership? “Save your money,” Dr. Leman said. Try a more indirect (and cheaper) approach. Create a mixed-tape of up-tempo music from their era. (“Songs they listened to from the ages of 12-to-17, which is what we all listen to for the rest of our lives,” said Dr. Leman) They will enjoy it any time — maybe even while walking.

If you really want someone you love to make a change, the key is to ask them to do something small and easy first because that increases the chances they will do something larger later. Psychologists call that “the foot in the door technique,” said Adam Davey, associate professor of public health at Temple University in Philadelphia, referring to a classic 1966 experiment called “Compliance Without Pressure.” In the study, which has been duplicated by others in many forms, researchers asked people to sign a petition or place a small card in a window in their home or car about keeping California beautiful or supporting safe driving. About two weeks later, the same people were asked to put a huge sign that practically covered their entire front lawn advocating the same cause.

“A surprisingly large number of those who agreed to the small sign agreed to the billboard,” because agreeing to the first small task built a bond between asker and askee “that increases the likelihood of complying with a subsequent larger request,” Dr. Davey explained.

Any plan for behavioral change is most likely to succeed if it is very specific, measurable and achievable, according to Ms.Constance.

And the new behavior should also be integrated into daily life — and repeated until it becomes a habit. For example, if you want to walk more, start with a 10-minute walk after dinner on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Ms. Constance suggested. The next week, bump it up to 12 minutes.

Don’t give up, even if you meet initial resistance — it is never too late for your parents or you or any of us to change. “Taking up an exercise program into one’s 80s and 90s to build strength and flexibility can result in very tangible and enduring benefits in a surprisingly short time,” insisted Dr Davey.

As for instructive reading, Dr. Leman is partial to one of his own books, “Have a New You by Friday,” and Dr. Davey recommends “Biomarkers: The 10 Keys to Prolonging Vitality,” by William Evans. Ms. Constance recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site on physical activity and exercise tips for the elderly, as well as the National Institute of Health’s site on the DASH diet.

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Samuel Adams beer now in a can

Cans of Samuel Adams Boston Lager will be available in 12-packs nationwide by early summer. (Boston Beer Co.)

By Stuart Pfeifer

February 19, 2013, 10:38 a.m.

Add Samuel Adams to the growing list of beers available in cans.

The Boston Beer Co. said it will start selling its popular Samuel Adams Boston Lager in cans for the first time this summer, the Associated Press reports.

The move will allow beer fans to take the popular lager places where glass bottles may not be allowed, such as pools, parks, beaches and sporting events.

Once considered to impair the taste of fine beers, cans are now used by more than 180 craft breweries, according to the website ontaponline.com.  

Brewers have long been using a thin, plastic lining inside cans to reduce the dreaded metallic taste.

There are other benefits: Brewers appreciate that cans are lighter and more compact than bottles, reducing shipping costs, and they won’t shatter into a thousand pieces if dropped, ontaponline.com noted.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, Calif., already sells its Torpedo Extra IPA in cans. Redhook Ale Brewery in Woodinville, Wash., recently started offering Long Hammer IPA in cans.

The Boston Beer Co. says cans of Samuel Adams lager will be available in 12-packs nationwide by early summer. It suggests a price range of $14.99 to $17.99.

Shares of Boston Beer Co. were up $4.19, or 2.8%, in trading Tuesday morning.

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Jerry Buss dies at 80; Lakers owner brought 'Showtime' success to L.A.

Longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss has died at the age of 80. Last week, it was revealed that he was hospitalized with an undisclosed form of cancer.

When Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979, he wanted to build a championship team. But that wasn't all.

The new owner gave courtside seats to movie stars. He hired pretty women to dance during timeouts. He spent freely on big stars and encouraged a fast-paced, exuberant style of play.

As the Lakers sprinted to one NBA title after another, Buss cut an audacious figure in the stands, an aging playboy in blue jeans, often with a younger woman by his side.

PHOTOS: Jerry Buss through the years

"I really tried to create a Laker image, a distinct identity," he once said. "I think we've been successful. I mean, the Lakers are pretty damn Hollywood."

Buss died Monday of complications of cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to his longtime spokesman, Bob Steiner. Buss was 80.

Lakers fans will remember Buss for bringing extraordinary success — 10 championships in three-plus decades — but equally important to his legacy was a sense of showmanship that transformed pro basketball from sport to spectacle.

Live discussion at 10:30: The legacy of Jerry Buss

"Jerry Buss helped set the league on the course it is on today," NBA Commissioner David Stern said. "Remember, he showed us it was about 'Showtime,' the notion that an arena can become the focal point for not just basketball, but entertainment. He made it the place to see and be seen."

His teams featured the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard. He was also smart enough to hire Hall of Fame-caliber coaches in Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.

"I've worked hard and been lucky," Buss said. "With the combination of the two, I've accomplished everything I ever set out to do."

A Depression-era baby, Jerry Hatten Buss was born in Salt Lake City on Jan. 27, 1933, although some sources cite 1934 as his birth year. His parents, Lydus and Jessie Buss, divorced when he was an infant.

His mother struggled to make ends meet as a waitress in tiny Evanston, Wyo., and Buss remembered standing in food lines in the bitter cold. They moved to Southern California when he was 9, but within a few years she remarried and her second husband took the family back to Wyoming.

His stepfather, Cecil Brown, was, as Buss put it, "very tight-fisted." Brown made his living as a plumber and expected his children (one from a previous marriage, another son and a daughter with Jessie) to help.

TIMELINE: Jerry Buss' path

This work included digging ditches in the cold. Buss preferred bell hopping at a local hotel and running a mail-order stamp-collecting business that he started at age 13.

Leaving high school a year early, he worked on the railroad, pumping a hand-driven car up and down the line to make repairs. The job lasted just three months.

Until then, Buss had never much liked academics. But he returned to school and, with a science teacher's encouragement, did well enough to earn a science scholarship to the University of Wyoming.

Before graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, when he was 19 he married a coed named JoAnn Mueller and they would eventually have four children: John, Jim, Jeanie and Janie.

The couple moved to Southern California in 1953 when USC gave Buss a scholarship for graduate school. He earned a doctorate in physical chemistry in 1957. The degree brought him great pride — Lakers employees always called him "Dr. Buss."

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