Caught in the rough at the Old Head course

Some other time. On this fine day we are not to be deflected from our plan to make the 110-mile tour of the Ring of Kerry, as the Iveragh peninsula’s spectacular coast road is known, with seaside golf en route.

An early alarm helps us to steal a march on the caravan of buses that camp outside the Malton in readiness for the daily round of rocky passes and scenic lay-bys.

Our first stop, Dooks, sits mid-table in the league of Kerry’s links courses and extends a relaxed greeting. “Any time before nine,” says the secretary. “Members’ times after that.” After the usual scramble to reach the tee and open fire before the members’ army arrives, we can breathe easily and settle into golf’s leisurely rhythm. Between the first green and second tee we crest a ridge and a fine view unfolds: golf holes rolling down to the sea in green and gold waves, with the hills of Dingle across the water.

A timeless scene? Far from it. The long sandbars that separate Dingle Bay proper from a sheltered zone known as Castlemaine Harbour are fast disappearing, and the erosion of these precious beach playgrounds and natural breakwaters threatens the coast road, homes and golf course. Rossbeigh beach lost a 1,200ft sand dune in 2008, the tower that marked the entrance to the harbour collapsed in 2011 and the dunes suffered another major breach in last January’s storms.

• The best US golf holidays

“Remember the view,” says the greenkeeper, when we pause to congratulate him on the excellence of his work and the beauty of his workplace. “It might not be there next time you come.” While the villagers wring their hands and the authorities sit on theirs, golf clubs reach into their members’ pockets to shore up their sea holes with rock walls. Perhaps we should be less quick to complain about steep Irish green fees.

At the wild west end of the peninsula, Waterville is the Ring of Kerry’s halfway house and feels the full force of the ocean. “If it wasn’t for the millions we’ve spent on rock armour, you’d be playing a nine-hole course,” says secretary Neil Cronin.

Coastal erosion may not have been in the business plan 40 years ago, when an Irish-American gang of tycoons decided to resurrect and reshape Waterville’s old course and add top-dollar golf to the attractions of a village previously known for its fishing and good hospitality, by appointment over many years to Charlie Chaplin and family.

Bringing in the Tiger Woods roadshow for pre-Open warm-up stays and long nights of carousing in the Butler Arms was a brilliant coup. It marked the change in fashion from parkland to links golf, and won Waterville a place at golf’s top table.

Waterville in County Kerry (Photo: Fotolia/AP)

Today’s travelling golfer knows his bent grass from his fescues, and Waterville spares no expense to get the links experience just right. The country house comforts of Waterville House include a Fazio-designed practice green beside the Butlers Pool, one of Ireland’s most famous salmon fisheries.

Waterville saves its best golf for the back nine. Never mind the score: holing the same ball you originally teed off with is worth a fist pump at the long 11th, which cuts a deep trench between mountainous sandhills to a raised green, cruelly tilted to repel.

“We could be in Hawaii,” one seasoned American golfer says to another, without irony, as we turn the corner from estuary to open sea at the 16th and shield our eyes from the glare of late sun on the water. How often does Ireland get compliments like that?

The fair city of Cork serves up the same weather but a different style of golf, in garden surroundings on the edge of town. Mixed feelings in the minibus.

• 36 hours in... West Coast Ireland

“I make a better score on a parkland course,” says a German player, “so I am happier.” Those in the Anglo-Saxon seats are amazed by this selfish approach to the game, and cast their votes for the links game. Coming to this corner of Ireland to play golf in a town park seems to be missing the point, like ordering steak at Sheekey’s.

The great Alister MacKenzie, of Augusta and Cypress Point fame, may have designed Cork Golf Club to wipe the sneer off the faces of links golf snobs. Cork Harbour gives a marine breadth to the scene, and MacKenzie’s course picks its way through the entrails of an old limestone quarry. Small boys perch on the rocks waving red and green flags to direct traffic at the blind 6th, and every hole is an adventure.

Nearby Fota Island is something else again: a resort course designed for championships. The professionals love it. Let Padraig Harrington count the ways: “It’s 15 minutes from the airport,” he explained at this year’s Irish Open, “it has an excellent hotel and spa on site, and great practice facilities.”

And the course? This is fine, too: a test for every shape of shot, with banks for spectators and masses of space for the professionals to hit their immense drives while the rest of us start 100 yards forward without having to thread the needle down a sniper’s alley of trees. Production values are immaculate, and the closing hole is a beauty: downthe hill to a lakeside green in front of the clubhouse, made for television.

The formidable 4th at the Old Head in Kinsale is called The Razor's Edge

Links or parkland? The final solution may be a visit to Old Head, an exclusive golf sanctuary on a rocky promontory near the pretty port of Kinsale, known for its smart yachts and fish restaurants. Old Head is known for its green fee, which has come down a little from €1,000 for a tee time at the height of the Celtic Tiger boom.

The layout is not complicated: a gatehouse at one end, a lighthouse at the other, 200 acres and 7,200yd of golf in between, 300ft above the sea. Between shots we look down on gannets and guillemots on the wing, while helicopters buzz overhead. “Strictly Prohibited” signs often tell us to abandon the search for a ball, and we do. The transition between fairway and cliff is so abrupt in places, Old Head would be no place for a stroll in the mist.

Golf course architects like to sign their work with a flourish – an island green, a tee shot over the beach, Turnberry’s drive past the lighthouse. Old Head has so many signature moments, I lost count.

Is it worth £200? That depends on your spending profile, and the weather. On this giddy platform between sea and sky, exposure to the elements is total, witness the many shipwrecks detailed on storyboards around the course. On a fine summer’s day, Old Head would fit many a golfer’s dream of the hereafter. Trying to stay on course in a high wind would be hell.

Old Head spells out its weather policy loud and clear. “We never close, and there are no refunds. But we’re good about letting you reschedule if you’re unlucky with the weather.”

So there it is. Golf is a game of luck, and if your visit of a lifetime coincides with pea soup or a gale, the crafty old Irish will invite you back for a return visit. Better luck next time.

Yardage from medal tees; green fees are those that apply on summer weekdays

Dooks, Glenbeigh (00353 66 976 8205; dooks.com) 6,327yd par 71, €90 (£65).

Waterville (066 947 4102; watervillegolflinks.ie) 6,810yd par 72, €150. (£109).

Cork, Little Island (021 435 3451; corkgolfclub.ie) 6,533yd par 72, €60 (£44).

Fota Island, Deerpark course (21 488 3700, fotaisland.ie) 6,488yd par 71, €75 (£55).

Old Head, Kinsale (21 4778 444, oldhead.com) 6,508yd par 72, €230 (£167).

June prices per person for dinner and b & b in a shared room

The Sheraton Fota Island Hotel and Golf Course resort in Cork

Malton Hotel, Killarney (064 663 8000; themalton.com) £110.

Smuggler’s Inn, Waterville (066 947330; the-smugglers-inn.com) £60.

River Lee Hotel, Cork (021 425 2700; riverleehotel.ie) £100.

Fota Island Resort, Cork (021 488 3700; fotaisland.ie) £178.

Rozzer’s, Killeen House Hotel, Killarney (64 663 1711; rozzers.net).

Fishy Fishy, Kinsale (021 470 0415; fishyfishy.ie)

Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies to Cork from Heathrow, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh from £60 return. Car hire: avis.co.uk, £98/week (medium car).

A travel guide to the west coast of Ireland; Tourism Ireland (ireland.com/golf).

Summary: Adam Ruck tries his hand on some of the most spectacular parks and links courses in Cork and Kerry – and for once has the weather on his side


Long Island, whose neat rows of single-family homes came to symbolize the American dream in postwar suburbia, is showing signs of change.

For 36 years, Marlene Leichter and her husband, Morty, have lived in the same sprawling three-level house in Great Neck, but now they have had enough of traditional suburban life.

Summary: Like other suburbs around the U.S., Long Island is seeing a boomlet in alternatives to the long-treasured single-family home, from rental buildings near transit hubs for young people to multistory condo developments often aimed at empty nesters.


A breastfeeding mum whose own baby nearly died of starvation after she began following a naturopath's water-only diet has avoided imprisonment, with a magistrate handing her a suspended sentence of 14 months.

The woman, a university-trained midwife at a Sydney hospital, was given a 14-month good behaviour bond at Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday.

Magistrate Ian Guy also lifted a strict AVO condition which had denied the woman unsupervised access to the now two-year-old son since he was admitted to Westmead Hospital on the brink of death in May 2015.

"The case against the defendant demonstrates a serious example against her training and against the telltale signs which would have been blindingly obvious to anyone," Mr Guy said.

"I accept she was following advice.

"That does not mean that she was somehow seduced, tranced into blindly following."

When the woman took her eight-month-old son to hospital last year, he weighed just 6.5kg, was emaciated and severely dehydrated, had sunken eyes, dangerously low sodium levels and flexed hands and feet.

"Had he not presented at hospital at that time, he would have died within days," Mr Guy said.

The explanation for his condition was that the woman had been treating her son for severe eczema.

The infant was often covered in blood from scratching his eczema and the washing line was constantly full of bloodied sheets that had to be washed, a close friend of the woman said in evidence.

During sentencing submissions, defence lawyer Richard Kouchoo said his client was a loving mother who was desperate to put an end to her son's discomfort and, after orthodox medical treatments failed to improve his condition, sought advice from naturopath Marilyn Bodnar.

Bodnar advised a "raw food diet" and eventually "water only" for the woman, who was exclusively breastfeeding her son.

At one point, she modified the water-only rule by eating only watermelon for three days.

Mr Kouchoo said his client was herself a victim because she had been influenced by the "opportunistic" Bodnar.

However, DPP prosecutor Alex Brown said the boy was "the most vulnerable victim in the care of a mother" and that he was deprived nutrition for four weeks.

The woman's family noticed the child's and her own weight loss and told her to stop the diet, but she did not, Ms Brown said.

"Nothing but imprisonment is warranted in this matter," she told the court.

Bodnar is due to face trial next week on reckless grievous bodily harm and aiding the failure to provide care to a child.

The mother will give evidence during the trial, which was a critical fact in Mr Guy's sentencing decision.

Mr Guy said the case was an "extraordinarily serious example" of failing to provide care to a child.

The woman can no longer work as a midwife, but hopes, once this is all over, to have a job working with children, Mr Kouchoo said.

Her son is showing "great progress" in his development and health, he said.

Summary: A mother and midwife has been given a 14-month suspended sentence for starving her baby because she followed strict dietary advice from a naturopath.


Treasurer Scott Morrison says the most significant challenge for Australia's economy is encouraging investment.

"Supporting investment in our economy is critical and it is not just a problem that Australia has, it is shared by the world's economies - China, United Kingdom, the United States, across Europe, South-East Asia," he told reporters in Melbourne on Wednesday, just a week after he moved to block two Chinese bidders from the sale of a 99-year-lease on the NSW Ausgrid electricity network.

Mr Morrison said strong investment created more jobs, but it had to be supported by a strong commonwealth government balance sheet as well.

Mr Morrison said he had paid close attention to outgoing Reserve Bank chief Glenn Steven's comments that Australia needed to attract more foreign investment to build new businesses while being cautious about existing assets.

Mr Stevens was "absolutely right" to say it was better for governments to borrow to build productive infrastructure than to make payments.

"Where I commend the NSW government is that they are seeking to realise assets in order for them to invest in productive infrastructure," the treasurer said.

Summary: Treasurer Scott Morrison says encouraging investment in Australia's economy is a significant challenge for the future.


Waltons insulated garden rooms are luxury garden buildings that are made from high quality materials. Double skinned, 72mm thick walls, double glazed windows and insulation in the walls, roof and floor retain heat for comfortable use all year round.

Our 3m wide garden rooms provide just the spot for working from home, relaxing or entertaining, and can be custom designed to meet your own specific requirements.

Summary: Walton's have a wide range of garden buildings including sheds, summerhouses, log cabins and much more.


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More than 40 Rhode Island boarding school alumni are speaking out, demanding justice for a string of alleged sexual assaults by staff and peers going back into the 1970s.

Two lawyers representing former students of the elite St. George's School, which counts the likes of former presidential candidate Howard Dean and "Modern Family" actress Julie Bowen in its alumni, claim there has been a cover up for years at the school.

SEE ALSO: Connecticut high court revisits death penalty for 11 inmates

"I have never run across anything like this," Eric MacLeish, one of the lawyers in the case and a St. George's alum, told People Magazine.

"Officials were not reporting claims from students but instead, imposing gag orders on those victims," MacLeish added. "There are prosecutable crimes that occurred here and I expect more victims will be coming forward."

SEE ALSO: The 25 poorest members of Congress

The school issued its own report on the matter recently, saying it investigated the incidents and found there were 26 victims in the 1970s and 1980s, but "the school could have done more to keep its students safe." Other reports have questioned if the school acknowledged the incidents at the time or did anything about them. See the former students speak out:

Dozens of alums from elite boarding school come forward with tales of sexual abuse

In this Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 photo buildings at St. George's School rest on top of a hill in Middletown, R.I. The exclusive New England boarding school, whose alumni include Astors, Vanderbilts and Bushes, has been rocked by a sex abuse scandal. Dozens of former students say they were raped or molested by employees or schoolmates over the past four decades. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

In this Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 photo a sign rests at an entrance to St. George's School in Middletown, R.I. The exclusive New England boarding school, whose alumni include Astors, Vanderbilts and Bushes, has been rocked by a sex abuse scandal. Dozens of former students say they were raped or molested by employees or schoolmates over the past four decades. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

In this Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 photo a car departs an entrance to St. George's School in Middletown, R.I. The exclusive New England boarding school, whose alumni include Astors, Vanderbilts and Bushes, has been rocked by a sex abuse scandal. Dozens of former students say they were raped or molested by employees or schoolmates over the past four decades. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

In this Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 photo a sign rests near a stone wall near the edge of the campus belonging to St. George's School, in Middletown, R.I. The exclusive New England boarding school, whose alumni include Astors, Vanderbilts and Bushes, has been rocked by a sex abuse scandal. Dozens of former students say they were raped or molested by employees or schoolmates over the past four decades. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Harry Groome, of Arlington, Mass., third from right, a former student at St. George's School from 1978-1982, speaks to members of the media while sitting with attorneys, Carmen Durso, fifth from right, and Eric MacLeish, fourth from right, and former students from the school, right and second from right, during a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students who say they were sexually abused at the prestigious Rhode Island boarding school are calling for an independent investigation into the abuse. Groome claims he was raped at age 14 by a fellow student. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Katie Wales Lovkay, of Granby, Conn., left, who attended St. George's School from 1977-1980, is tearful while facing reporters as Harry Groome, of Arlington, Mass., right, who attended the school from 1978-1982, looks on during a news conference, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students of the prestigious boarding school in Middletown, R.I., are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse that they say spanned three decades and involved at least seven former staff members. Lovkay claims she was sexually assaulted by the school's now deceased athletic trainer, while Groome claims he was raped at age 14 by a fellow student. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Katie Wales Lovkay, of Granby, Conn., left, is tearful while facing reporters, as Anne Scott, of Charlottesville, Va., right, looks on during a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students of the prestigious boarding school in Middletown, R.I., are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse that they say spanned three decades and involved at least seven former staff members. Scott and Lovkay, who both attended St. George's School from 1977-1980, claim they were sexually assaulted by the school's now deceased athletic trainer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Anne Scott, of Charlottesville, Va., right, and Katie Wales Lovkay, of Granby, Conn., behind left, who both attended St. George's School from 1977-1980, face reporters during a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students of the prestigious boarding school in Middletown, R.I., are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse that they say spanned three decades and involved at least seven former staff members. Scott and Lovkay claim they were sexually assaulted by the school's now deceased athletic trainer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Anne Scott, of Charlottesville, Va., center, and Katie Wales Lovkay, of Granby, Conn., right, who both attended St. George's School from 1977-1980, face reporters during a news conference as attorney Eric MacLeish, left, looks on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students of the prestigious boarding school in Middletown, R.I., are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse that they say spanned three decades and involved at least seven former staff members. Scott and Lovkay claim they were sexually assaulted by the school's now deceased athletic trainer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Katie Wales Lovkay, of Granby, Conn., center right, who attended St. George's School from 1977-1980, hugs a former classmate, left, following a news conference, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students of the prestigious boarding school in Middletown, R.I., are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse that they say spanned three decades and involved at least seven former staff members. Lovkay claims she was sexually assaulted by the school's now deceased athletic trainer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Katie Wales Lovkay, of Granby, Conn., right, who attended St. George's School from 1977-1980, hugs a former classmate, following a news conference, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students of the prestigious boarding school in Middletown, R.I., are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse that they say spanned three decades and involved at least seven former staff members. Lovkay claims she was sexually assaulted by the school's now deceased athletic trainer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Katie Wales Lovkay, of Granby, Conn., who attended St. George's School from 1977-1980, is tearful while facing reporters during a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students of the prestigious boarding school in Middletown, R.I., are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse that they say spanned three decades and involved at least seven former staff members. Lovkay claims she was sexually assaulted by the school's now deceased athletic trainer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Harry Groome, of Arlington, Mass., center right, who attended St. George's School from 1978-1982, hugs a former classmate, center left, as Katie Wales Lovkay, of Granby, Conn., left, who attended the school from 1977-1980, looks on following a news conference, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Boston. Former students of the prestigious boarding school in Middletown, R.I., are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse that they say spanned three decades and involved at least seven former staff members. Lovkay claims she was sexually assaulted by the school's now deceased athletic trainer, while Groome claims he was raped at age 14 by a fellow student. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

CAMBRIDGE, MA - OCTOBER 21: Anne Scott, photographed in the Cambridge office of her lawyer, Eric MacLeish. Anne Scott entered St. Georges School as a 10th-grader in 1977, just a few years after the prestigious prep school first admitted girls at its campus in Middletown, R.I. She was a good student, and a three-sport athlete, from the suburbs of Wilmington, Del. But a month after she arrived, a field hockey injury brought her into the orbit of the schools longtime athletic trainer. He molested and raped her, and threatened to come after her if she told anyone. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The accusers are calling for an independent investigation.

There is no statute of limitations for rape in Rhode Island.

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Summary: Over 40 alumni of St. George's School have requested an independent investigation into the molestation incidents that they say happened at the school.


DUBAI—Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investment vehicle Mubadala Development Co. on Thursday posted a net loss of $1.2 billion for the first half due to lower commodity prices and diminished investment gains, underscoring how cheaper oil prices are straining the emirate’s main financial entities.

Mubadala, which owns interests across the globe, ranging from private-equity giant The Carlyle Group to EMI Music Publishing and General Electric, swung to a loss of 4.4 billion U.A.E. dirhams ($1.2 billion) for the six-month period...

DUBAI—Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investment vehicle Mubadala Development Co. on Thursday posted a net loss of $1.2 billion for the first half due to lower commodity prices and diminished investment gains, underscoring how cheaper oil prices are straining the emirate’s main financial entities.

Mubadala, which owns interests across the globe, ranging from private-equity giant The Carlyle Group to EMI Music Publishing and General Electric , swung to a loss of 4.4 billion U.A.E. dirhams ($1.2 billion) for the six-month period from a net profit of 625 million dirhams a year earlier. It attributed the loss to the drop in oil prices, lower gains on investments and higher impairments.

Revenue for the period climbed to 14.3 billion dirhams from 13.6 billion dirhams, Mubadala said.

Abu Dhabi and other Persian Gulf states are facing unprecedented challenges as the decline in oil prices has reduced their main source of income, resulting in widening budget deficits and a broad economic slowdown. Regional governments are responding by cutting back on spending and introducing economic reforms aimed at stimulating private-sector growth.

“The global economic challenges we have faced since the beginning of 2015 persist,” said Mubadala’s chief executive, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak.

Mubadala was set up in 2002 to help diversify the Abu Dhabi economy and is fully owned by the emirate’s government. It has invested in a wide range of sectors such as semiconductors, aerospace, and energy.

It is in the middle of merging with another Abu Dhabi fund, the International Petroleum Investment Company. Each fund had close to around $66 billion in assets at the end of June, according to Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.

IPIC, Mubadala’s planned merger partner, said in June it booked a $2.7 billion loss for last year, blaming lower commodity prices. IPIC is also grappling with the fallout of a major international scandal involving Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd, or 1MDB.

Other state entities, together known as Abu Dhabi Inc., have also been hit hard by the drop in oil prices. The Abu Dhabi Energy Co. and Arabtec, a regional construction group, have been posting losses due to the economic slowdown triggered by the collapse in energy prices.

Write to Nicolas Parasie at nicolas.parasie@wsj.com

Summary: Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investment vehicle Mubadala posted a first-half net loss of $1.2 billion due to lower commodity prices and diminished investment gains.


Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

Fans walk outside of Levi's Stadium before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles in Santa Clara.

Fans walk outside of Levi's Stadium before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles in Santa Clara.

Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor at a Town Hall meeting in September.

Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor at a Town Hall meeting in September.

San Francisco 49ers Chief Executive Officer Jed York gestures while speaking to reporters during a media conference Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. York answered questions regarding the announcement that Jim Tomsula has been relieved of his head coaching duties. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

San Francisco 49ers Chief Executive Officer Jed York gestures while speaking to reporters during a media conference Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. York answered questions regarding the

A field-sized flag adorns the field of Levi's Stadium during the National Anthem in a pregame ceremony before the 49ers played the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, September 14, 2014.

A field-sized flag adorns the field of Levi's Stadium during the National Anthem in a pregame ceremony before the 49ers played the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, September

Fans walk outside of Levi's Stadium before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Fans walk outside of Levi's Stadium before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Julie Brock hugs friend David Goodman outside Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, before the Grateful Dead's first show on the "Fare Thee Well" tour at on Saturday, June 27, 2015. The tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band.

Julie Brock hugs friend David Goodman outside Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, before the Grateful Dead's first show on the "Fare Thee Well" tour at on Saturday, June 27, 2015. The tour celebrates

Fans tailgate at Levi's Stadium before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Fans tailgate at Levi's Stadium before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Fans walk into Levi's Stadium before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Fans walk into Levi's Stadium before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Photographers take pictures of Chip Kelly after he is introduced as the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016.

Photographers take pictures of Chip Kelly after he is introduced as the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016.

Fans cheer during the half time show at Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium, Sunday, February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Fans cheer during the half time show at Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium, Sunday, February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, Calif.

A sign advertising an NHL outdoor hockey game is displayed outside of Levi's Stadium Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, in San Jose, Calif. The San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings will play in an outdoor NHL hockey game at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 21. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A sign advertising an NHL outdoor hockey game is displayed outside of Levi's Stadium Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, in San Jose, Calif. The San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings will play in an outdoor NHL hockey game

Lonnie Padilla catches a football thrown by his wife Sheri in parking lot zone green 1 outside of Levi's Stadium before the 49ers face the Denver Broncos's on August 17, 2014 in Santa Clara, CA.

Lonnie Padilla catches a football thrown by his wife Sheri in parking lot zone green 1 outside of Levi's Stadium before the 49ers face the Denver Broncos's on August 17, 2014 in Santa Clara, CA.

Santa Clara threatening to take over management of Levi's Stadium from 49ers

The 49ers aren't containing their misery to just the field this season; it looks like they've got major trouble brewing off it as well.

Santa Clara mayor Lisa Gillmor told NBC Bay Area that if the 49ers do not agree to turn over financial documents disclosing how they spent taxpayer money, the city may be forced to take over stadium operations.

"If they don't cure the breach, we are going to take steps to take back management of the stadium," Gillmor told NBC Bay Area.

An audit presented to the Santa Clara City Council on Thursday showed that the 49ers organization has not shared budget documents with the city — something that is required by the stadium contract. An independent auditor told NBC that taxpayer funds may have been used to "reseed the field several times."

Using city money for NFL events is illegal under Santa Clara city law.

"We have to stop the bleeding of the General Fund money into the stadium," Gillmor told NBC Bay Area. "It's against the law."

On Sunday, the 49ers fired back in a statement of their own:

"The Mayor's accusations that money is going from the City's General Fund into the stadium are false and irresponsible. As the Mayor surely knows, since she voted for the agreements, the stadium does not use general fund money. In fact, funds are flowing into the General Fund from the stadium. The 49ers Stadium Management Company has generated over $5.5 million for the City's General Fund over the last two years, plus an additional $2 million in fees to the City. On top of that, another $2 million has also gone to the Discretionary Fund.

"The successful management of Levi's Stadium by the 49ers Stadium Management Company has allowed the Santa Clara Stadium Authority to reduce its outstanding debt by over $200 million since opening, and fund over $16 million in cash reserves. Those figures do not even include the significant increase in sales and hotel tax revenues generated by the stadium, hotels and other local businesses that will contribute to the Santa Clara General Fund on an annual basis as a direct result of the ongoing operation of Levi's Stadium."

MORE: Is 49er 'dark money' targeting Santa Clara officials?

It's the latest volley in a power struggle between the 49ers and the city of Santa Clara, with whom they've signed a 40-year stadium lease.

A coalition called Stand Up for Santa Clara recently called attention to a $49,265 contribution made to a politic consulting outfit aiding politicians perceived to be friendly to the 49ers. Stand Up for Santa Clara believes it constitutes a "behind-the-scenes effort by allies of the San Francisco 49ers to oust City Council members."

They've called the contribution "dark money."

The 49ers have pledged to hand over the financial documents to the auditor on Monday.

Summary: The mayor has accused the 49ers of breaching their contract with the city.


A retired miner whose life has been "buggered" by black lung will speak about his health battle at a public hearing about the disease west of Brisbane.

Percy Verrall, aged in his early 70s, is among the speakers at Friday's hearing held by a Queensland parliamentary committee investigating the disease's re-emergence.

Mr Verrall is one of the state's 16 confirmed cases of black lung or pneumoconiosis, an incurable disease previously thought to have been eradicated 30 years ago.

One ex-miner has died from the illness caused by long-term exposure to fine airborne coal dust and the union has said it is aware of more cases.

Mr Verrall has previously told a Senate committee how he had been in and out of hospital with bleeding lungs and could barely walk as a result of the disease following 30 years' working in the mines.

"I said to my wife that if I had found out then that I was going to be like this I would have got out of the mine straight away. It has buggered my life," he said.

Representatives from the Ipswich Retired Coal Miners' Association and CFMEU will also speak at the hearing at the Ipswich suburb of Bundamba.

The Queensland Parliament's Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis Select Committee will hold additional hearings in Brisbane and the regions before Christmas.

The six-person committee will build upon what has already been learned about the disease from a Senate inquiry and independent review.

A report is due back to parliament in April.

Summary: A retired miner who can barely walk as a result of black lung is among those who will speak at a public hearing about the disease west of Brisbane on Friday.


The first eight families to be resettled in Tasmania under a federal scheme for refugees fleeing violence in Syria and Iraq have arrived in the state.

The new Tassie residents have been granted permanent visas after the Abbott government in September 2015 said it would make an extra 12,000 humanitarian places available for Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

About 20 families will call Tasmania home by Christmas, Premier Will Hodgman said in a statement on Friday. They'll join an existing Syrian community of about 300, many of whom arrived in the 1970s and 1980s.

Summary: Tasmania has welcomed its first group of families fleeing violence in Syria and Iraq.


All hospitals in Syria's besieged rebel-held eastern Aleppo are out of service after days of heavy air strikes, its health directorate and the World Health Organisation say, though a war monitor said some were still functioning.

White House national security adviser Susan Rice said the United States condemned "in the strongest terms" the latest air strikes against hospitals and urged Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to take steps to halt the violence.

Intense air strikes have battered the eastern part of the city since Tuesday, when the Syrian army and its allies resumed operations after a pause lasting weeks. They launched ground attacks against insurgent positions on Friday.

The war monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said at least 27 people, including children, had been killed in eastern Aleppo on Saturday by dozens of air strikes and barrel bombs and dozens of artillery rounds.

Warplanes, artillery and helicopters continued bombarding eastern Aleppo on Saturday, hitting many of its densely populated residential districts, the Observatory said.

"This destruction of infrastructure essential to life leaves the besieged, resolute people, including all children and elderly men and women, without any health facilities offering life-saving treatment ... leaving them to die," said Aleppo's health directorate in a statement sent to Reuters.

Elizabeth Hoff, the WHO representative in Syria, said on Saturday that a UN-led group of aid agencies based over the border in Turkey "confirmed today that all hospitals in eastern Aleppo are out of service".

The monitoring group said some hospitals were still operating in besieged parts of Aleppo but said many residents were frightened to use them because of the heavy shelling.

Medical sources, residents and rebels in eastern Aleppo say hospitals have been damaged by air strikes and helicopter barrel bombs in recent days, including direct hits on the buildings.

"The United States again joins our partners ... in demanding the immediate cessation of these bombardments and calling on Russia to immediately de-escalate violence and facilitate humanitarian aid and access for the Syrian people," Rice said in a statement.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted that reports of air strikes hitting civilians and hospitals in east Aleppo were "sickening" and called for a return to diplomacy.

Both Russia and Assad's government have denied deliberately targeting hospitals and other civilian infrastructure during the war, which began in 2011 and was joined by Russia's air force in September 2015.

The charity Doctors Without Borders said in a message there had been more than 30 hits on hospitals in eastern Aleppo since early July.

All hospitals in eastern Aleppo are out of action following renewed attacks. (AAP)

Health and rescue workers have previously been able to bring damaged hospitals back into operation but a lack of supplies is making that harder.

Summary: Health agencies are reporting that all hospitals in eastern Aleppo are now out of action following renewed attacks on rebel-held parts of the city.


A group of Harvard University alumni wrote a letter Monday blasting the school’s overseers for allowing pay for Harvard’s endowment managers to continue to rise, even as investment performance has faltered.

The group, from the class of 1969, has long been critical of the multi-million-dollar pay packages at Harvard Management Co. In its letter, the group demands “a full accounting of how the endowment has been managed for the last 10-15 years,’’ including the sums invested internally and by outside firms.

The writers, among whom are professors, lawyers, and a clergyman, further say that the endowment should provide greater disclosure of its investment contracts and fees.

“The university community, which has suffered in many ways from the financial crisis and may now suffer again from flat returns, deserves to know exactly who is managing the money, how well they have performed, and how much money they have received,’’ the letter said.

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The group’s letter was in reaction, in part, to a 2015 consultant’s report, recently reported on by Bloomberg News, that cited employees and others complaining of lax investment benchmarks, “an inattentive board and complacent culture,” also dubbed by some “lazy, fat and stupid.”

The controversial McKinsey & Co. consulting report apparently was commissioned by Harvard after it promoted Stephen Blyth to run the $35.7 billion fund at the end of 2014. Blyth resigned in July, after just a year-and-a-half running the nation’s largest educational endowment, after an unspecified medical leave.

Harvard has hired Columbia University’s endowment chief, N.P. “Narv” Narvekar, to take over the fund next month.

Emily Guadagnoli, a spokeswoman for Harvard Management, said the endowment manager has taken steps to “further align the interests of investment professionals with those of the University.”

Starting this fiscal year, in-house money managers will have a portion of their bonuses tied to overall performance of the fund.

Other policies adopted after the financial crisis still apply, such as tying the majority of managers’ pay to industry benchmarks. And bonuses are paid over a number of years, with portions withheld if performance later declines.

The endowment has come under intense scrutiny over the past few years as its performance has lagged numerous rivals, including Yale University, Stanford University, and MIT. Harvard suffered a 2 percent loss on its investments in fiscal 2016, pushing its 10-year annual return to 5.7 percent. Yale and MIT both posted gains, while Stanford posted a small loss of 0.4 percent.

Harvard’s underperformance has cost the university billions of dollars in potential returns. Yale’s endowment, a perennial top performer, posted a 3.4 percent gain for the latest year; its annualized return over a decade was 8.1 percent.

From 2009 through 2015, the alumni said in their letter, total compensation at the Harvard endowment has soared to $175.3 million from $68.2 million, amid lagging results. Pay for the top five highest-compensated managers continued to rise in every year but 2011, when they faced clawbacks for the steep losses of the financial crisis.

“Harvard has brushed off our concerns for years,’’ the alumni said in their letter, complaining that neither president Drew Faust nor former president Lawrence Summers has ever responded personally to their letters.

This time, the group addressed their letter instead to the members of the Harvard corporation, its highest board of directors.

Summary: The group took issue with rising pay for Harvard’s endowment managers, even as investment performance has faltered.


Big businesses in South Australia will get access to $31 million in funding to review and improve their power use so they can save money on bills, with the state government criticising "predatory" power generators.

Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis says the money, provided through a mid-year budget review, will help businesses audit their facilities to see where energy efficiencies can be made and implement the necessary changes.

The funds will be rolled out over two years, with audits completed by June 2017.

Mr Koutsantonis said the process will prevent SA from losing jobs if it is too expensive for manufacturers to operate in the state.

"If they can't compete with their interstate or international competitors then they won't survive and we'll lose these jobs here," he told reporters on Tuesday.

Up to 500 SA businesses will be able to share in funds to cover a third of the cost of an energy audit.

Among them at least 110 will be able to receive funds to make changes, which could include installing solar systems with battery storage units or special equipment that reduces power usage.

Mr Koutsantonis said helping businesses use less energy or create their own would break up the monopolies held by the state's "predatory" power generators.

"Their monopoly behaviour does not belong in the 21st century and that's why we're using our procurement to go out and incentivise new generation here in South Australia," he said.

"If they keep on using this predatory practice of pricing, the government will react even stronger in the upcoming budget."

Summary: The SA government is offering big businesses in the state money to help them review and improve their energy processes, so they can reduce power costs.


has been indicted on rape charges for the incident involving a 16-year old prostitute he allegedly hired.

In addition to rape, a grand jury also indicted the

on the following charges: criminal sexual act, sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, and patronizing a prostitute.

at a Holiday Inn outside NYC. Prosecutors say he paid the girl $300 to have sex. Taylor denies having sex with her -- in fact sources connected to Taylor tell TMZ part of his defense will be that he

LT's agent Mark Lepselter says their legal team "made a strategic decision to not put any of our evidence in front of the grand jury. We look forward to presenting our evidence at the appropriate time."

LT's lawyer says that they knew the indictment

was coming -- and they're confident they will

succeed in proving LT's innocence.

Summary: Lawrence Taylor has been indicted on rape charges for the incident involving a 16-year old prostitute he allegedly hired.In addition to rape, a grand jury…


The deadly truck crash Monday night struck at one of Germany’s most hallowed holiday institutions, the Christmas market, unsettling a country that has been an anchor of stability in a continent rocked by terror attacks and political upheaval.

Open-air markets selling mulled wine, grilled sausages and sweets, alongside crafts and ornaments, represent a German Christmas tradition going back centuries. Crowds of locals and tourists normally jam the fair-like festivitiesfound in almost every German town and city, where collections of quaint wooden stalls are generally policed but not surrounded by barriers.

An attack on a Christmas market had been feared amid the recent rise in terrorism across Europe. Last year, following the November 2015 attacks by Islamic radicals in Paris, turnout fell in many German markets. Yet this year attendance rebounded, hitting record levels in some cities, even after police reported last week that a 12-year-old German-Iraqi boy had twice failed to detonate a homemade bomb at a market in the city of Ludwigshafen.

But while the motive of Monday’s attack in Berlin remained unclear, its heavy toll—12 dead and at least 48 injured—is bound to give wing to new concerns.

“I love Christmas markets, but what has happened tonight scares me,” said Charalampos Koutalakis, who lives with his family in Berlin, adding he won’t visit any bigger Christmas markets this year. “I’m afraid, especially because of my children.”

“It reminds me of Nice and it is frightening, but you cannot hide,” said 32-year-old Christopher Wutschke from Frankfurt, referring to the July truck attack on the French Riviera city that killed 86 people. “It could happen anywhere.”

The Berlin incident comes nine months ahead of a general election that Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will run for a fourth term, warned last month would “not be easy.”

Ms. Merkel’s re-election bid could become even tougher amid a heightened feeling of insecurity, with voters already unsettled by the inflow of more than a million asylum seekers, many of them from the Middle East, since the beginning of last year.

After three successful elections and more than a decade in power, Ms. Merkel’s approval ratings—at 57% according to an Infratest Dimap poll published less than two weeks ago—are the envy of her European peers.

But past incidents, from the mass sexual assaults during New Year celebrations in Cologne to this summer’s attacks by radicalized migrants from Syria and Afghanistan, showed Ms. Merkel wasn't immune to sudden drops in confidence. In February, her ratings hit a low of 45%—high by European standards but a steep fall from the 75% she had in April 2015.

An upsurge of populism has scrambled the politics of Britain and Italy this year, and will color coming elections in France and the Netherlands.

Ms. Merkel faces her own antiestablishment insurgency in the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which has won seats in regional legislatures this year on a law-and-order, anti-immigration, anti-Islam and euroskeptic platform.

“When will the rule of law fight back?” Marcus Pretzell, a member of the European Parliament for the party, wrote on Twitter after the crash Monday night. “When will this goddamn hypocrisy end? These are Merkel’s dead!”

Right now, the AfD is far too small to come anywhere near taking power nationally—an Infratest Dimap poll from Dec. 8 gave it 13% of the votes—but in Germany’s proportional electoral system, even a small rise could compromise Ms. Merkel’s ability to form a coalition.

Depending on the outcome, this could either open the door to a coalition of left-of-center parties or herald a period of uncertainty and instability by forcing the chancellor to woo smaller parties, such as the Greens.

More immediately, the incident could affect Germany’s politics in two different ways.

If the truck incident is determined to have been an attack and the probe points to the involvement of a refugee—as some German media were reporting early Tuesday and as was the case in two nondeadly attacks last summer in southern Germany—the nation’s mood toward migrants would sour further.

A poll by Spiegel/TNS research in September found 82% of Germans wanted Ms. Merkel to change her migrant policy. Only 15% thought Ms. Merkel should stick to her present course.

A further hardening of the mood could force Ms. Merkel, who has tread a fine line this year between a broadly welcoming message and a gradual tightening of refugee policies on the ground, such as a sharp increase in deportation of rejected asylum seekers, to seek a rapprochement with critics in her own parties.

The event could also radically change the way Germans—and the authorities—think of security in the era of blind, random terror.

Berlin’s recently elected city government just decided to shelve an earlier initiative to have video surveillance cameras installed around the capital’s crime hot spots, citing concerns over citizens’ privacy.

The German capital and the country’s large cities—and the Christmas markets that dot them at this time of year—feature none of the highly visible armed patrols or concrete slabs barring traffic that are a common sight in France and Belgium.

“It would be wrong to close the Christmas markets,” Julia Klöckner, a deputy chairman of Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, told the mass-market Bild daily Monday night. “But we have to protect them better.”

—Zeke Turner and Nina Adam contributed to this article.

Write to Bertrand Benoit at bertrand.benoit@wsj.com and Daniel Michaels at daniel.michaels@wsj.com


After nine months living in an RV that had to be moved every three nights, Andrea Johnson thought she’d lost her two children behind one of the many doors in their new two-bedroom apartment.

Johnson was doing dishes when the place went silent so she mounted a search and found them in the last place she expected — already tucked into their slots in their new bunk beds, Jose, 12, on the bottom, Amber, 8, on top.

“It was the first time they ever put themselves to bed on their own,” said Johnson, 43, during an interview on her only day off from work, a Wednesday. “They were so thankful that they wanted to go to bed early.”

The bunk-bed set, with mattresses, built-in drawers and twin dressers, came courtesy of the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund. It was delivered, set up and made up to mark the end of an odyssey that began the way so many odysseys begin in Silicon Valley, with an eviction.

The Sunnyvale apartment complex where Johnson had grown up with a single, working mom, and where she was raising her own kids as a single, working mom, was sold.

Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

Andrea Johnson fixes a screen door while daughter Amber plays on her bike outside their new home, a two-bedroom apartment.

Andrea Johnson fixes a screen door while daughter Amber plays on her bike outside their new home, a two-bedroom apartment.

Andrea Johnson and daughter Amber play around in the kitchen of their new apartment after school.

Andrea Johnson and daughter Amber play around in the kitchen of their new apartment after school.

Working mother Andrea Johnson and daughter Amber, 8, look at the phone at their new apartment in San Jose while planning a trip to the library.

Working mother Andrea Johnson and daughter Amber, 8, look at the phone at their new apartment in San Jose while planning a trip to the library.

Jose Francisco Alvarez (left), 12, gives a kiss to his mother Andrea Johnson, after arriving home from school, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Jose, otherwise known as Joey, has autism and goes to a school in Palo Alto that is able to attend to his needs. Andrea and her daughter Amber and son Joey lived in their R.V. for 9 months before getting permanent housing.

Jose Francisco Alvarez (left), 12, gives a kiss to his mother Andrea Johnson, after arriving home from school, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Jose, otherwise known as Joey, has autism and

Amber gets the top spot in the bunk-bed set that came courtesy of The Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

Amber gets the top spot in the bunk-bed set that came courtesy of The Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

The wall in the bedroom of Amber Phillips, 8, who shares her room with her brother Joey Alvarez, 12, in San Jose, California, on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Amber and Joey lived in their R.V. with their mother Andrea for 9 months before getting permanent housing earlier this year.

The wall in the bedroom of Amber Phillips, 8, who shares her room with her brother Joey Alvarez, 12, in San Jose, California, on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Amber and Joey lived in their R.V. with their mother

(l-r) Andrea Johnson, helps son Jose Alvarez, 12, who is autistic, put on a wrist device before going to the library, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Andrea, her daughter Amber and son Joey lived in their R.V. for 9 months before getting permanent housing.

(l-r) Andrea Johnson, helps son Jose Alvarez, 12, who is autistic, put on a wrist device before going to the library, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Andrea, her daughter Amber and son Joey

Sunnyvale, California, on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000.

Sunnyvale, California, on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000.

(l-r) Andrea Johnson helps daughter Amber Phillips, 8, access the computer at the San Jose Public Library, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Andrea, her daughter Amber and son Joey lived in their R.V. for 9 months before getting permanent housing.

(l-r) Andrea Johnson helps daughter Amber Phillips, 8, access the computer at the San Jose Public Library, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Andrea, her daughter Amber and son Joey lived in

Andrea Johnson sings in the car as she drives her children to the library, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Andrea, her daughter Amber and son Joey lived in their R.V. for 9 months before getting permanent housing.

Andrea Johnson sings in the car as she drives her children to the library, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Andrea, her daughter Amber and son Joey lived in their R.V. for 9 months before

Andrea Johnson (center), and daughter Amber Phillips, 8, (right) meet with case worker Stephano Joseph (left) in San Jose, California, on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Andrea and her daughter Amber and son Joey lived in their R.V. for 9 months before getting permanent housing.

Andrea Johnson (center), and daughter Amber Phillips, 8, (right) meet with case worker Stephano Joseph (left) in San Jose, California, on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Andrea and her daughter Amber and son Joey lived

Andrea Johnson (right) chats with daughter Amber Phillips, 8, while Amber plays in the front yard and Andrea fixes the screen door to their apartment, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Andrea and her daughter Amber and son Joey lived in their R.V. for 9 months before getting permanent housing.

Andrea Johnson (right) chats with daughter Amber Phillips, 8, while Amber plays in the front yard and Andrea fixes the screen door to their apartment, in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Andrea

The backside of the R.V. that mom Andrea Johnson lived in with her daughter Amber Phillips, 8, and son Joey Alvarez, 12, for 9 months before finding permanent housing, in San Jose, California, on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016.

The backside of the R.V. that mom Andrea Johnson lived in with her daughter Amber Phillips, 8, and son Joey Alvarez, 12, for 9 months before finding permanent housing, in San Jose, California, on Monday, Nov.

With helping hand, Bay Area family puts RV life in rear-view

Eight years on a month-to-month lease became a 60-day notice to vacate. The favorable rent she was able to cover while working as an in-home care provider could not be found anywhere else. She did not have much but she had an RV, so she loaded up the two kids and the two cats and went mobile.

“I’m used to doing everything on my own,” said Johnson, who has a diploma from Homestead High School in Cupertino, Steve Jobs’ alma mater, and national certification as a medical assistant. “I’m not a victim except of circumstances.”

Truth is, she didn’t mind life in the RV, getting up at 5 a.m. to boil water to get the kids washed before getting them off for school. She still had her car, which she parked near the RV, switching in and out to protect her parking spot. But every day was like a “three-men-in-a-boat” conundrum.

“The kids never missed a day of school and I never missed a day of work,” she said. “It was crazy trying to move cars and move kids, finding places to do your laundry and homework and juggling doctors appointments. And looking for a place to live at the same time and everybody telling you ‘no’ because they only want the techies to move into their building.”

There were only two aspects to it Johnson couldn’t work around. One is that her son, Jose, has special needs that require close monitoring and supervision.

The other is the parking restrictions in Sunnyvale. Stay anywhere more than three nights and she’d be towed. Stay anywhere for two nights and she’d be ticketed. She tried moving the RV to the rough side of town where the transients are, but then other hassles would ensue.

She finally found a spot next to Sunnyvale Community Services, an independent nonprofit that provides emergency assistance. Because the organization is located just outside a residential community, she could stay more than three nights without attracting police attention. She was even able to sneak the plug for her RV into an outlet at the agency to recharge her generator.

Johnson was trying to stay discreet but was unknowingly on the radar of Stephano Joseph, a case manager for Sunnyvale Community Services. One day, Johnson came over and inquired about a food giveaway, and that was an indication that she needed more than parking and power for her RV.

When Joseph knocked on the RV door, Johnson “didn’t know what a case manager was,” she said. “Here I am, a stubborn independent female who is used to doing everything on her own.”

She took some convincing, but once she was approved for the organization’s Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program, doors started to open. It took two months, but Joseph found Johnson and her children a two-bedroom apartment on a cul-de-sac in San Jose, on the side of Interstate 280 nearer the hills and just past the Santa Clara city line.

“The living room is bigger than the RV,” Johnson said, pointing from her front door to the vehicle in its own designated parking spot.

She has a one-year lease, and her rent is subsidized by the city of Sunnyvale. As Johnson’s income rises, the subsidy will drop proportionately. She is completing work for her licensed vocational nursing certificate, which will triple her earnings power, she said. She has a new job coming in about six weeks, with better pay. By next year, she expects to be able to cover the entire rent.

But she never could cover the furnishings.

“I worked my butt off to get this stuff,” she said. But she never could find free beds, so the three of them slept on blow-up mattresses until the day Joseph caught wind of this arrangement.

Sunnyvale Community Services has a three-way arrangement with the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund and a furniture store in Silicon Valley. The bedroom set, which has a double mattress on the bottom for Jose and a single on top for Amber, is the only brand new furniture in the apartment.

“We’re finally home, Mom,” Jose said when Johnson found her kids tucked in on their own that first night.

Then he slept through the night for the first time since their eviction.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art

Donations to the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund help thousands of people in the Bay Area throughout the year. Assistance is in the form of grants paid directly to the supplier of services, such as a landlord. Individuals do not receive direct grants. For more information, visit www.seasonofsharing.org

Critical family needs / housing assistance and food banks

Generally, 85 percent of the total funds are distributed for critical family needs and housing assistance, and the remaining 15percent is allocated to food banks for emergency food services.

Four percent of grants for critical family needs and housing assistance is paid to fiscal sponsors for fee management; fees are covered by The San Francisco Chronicle and the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund.

* Food bank total includes a one-time grant of $14,099 to Santa Cruz County in 1989.

Summary: With helping hand, Bay Area family puts RV life in rear-view  After nine months living in an RV that had to be moved every three nights, Andrea Johnson thought she’d lost her two children behind one of the many doors in their new two-bedroom apartment.  Johnson was doing dishes when the place went silent so she mounted a search and found them in the last place she expected — already tucked into their slots in their new bunk beds, Jose, 12, on the bottom, Amber, 8, on top.  “It was the first time they ever put themselves to bed on their own,” said Johnson, 43, during an interview on her only day off from work, a Wednesday.  The bunk-bed set, with mattresses, built-in drawers and twin dressers, came courtesy of the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.  The Sunnyvale apartment complex where Johnson had grown up with a single, working mom, and where she was raising her own kids as a single, working mom, was sold.  Eight years on a month-to-month lease became a 60-day notice to vacate.  The favorable rent she was able to cover while working as an in-home care provider could not be found anywhere else.  “I’m used to doing everything on my own,” said Johnson, who has a diploma from Homestead High School in Cupertino, Steve Jobs’ alma mater, and national certification as a medical assistant.  Truth is, she didn’t mind life in the RV, getting up at 5 a.m. to boil water to get the kids washed before getting them off for school.  “The kids never missed a day of school and I never missed a day of work,” she said.  It was crazy trying to move cars and move kids, finding places to do your laundry and homework and juggling doctors appointments.  [...] looking for a place to live at the same time and everybody telling you ‘no’ because they only want the techies to move into their building.  There were only two aspects to it Johnson couldn’t work around.  The other is the parking restrictions in Sunnyvale.  Stay anywhere more than three nights and she’d be towed.  Stay anywhere for two nights and she’d be ticketed.  Because the organization is located just outside a residential community, she could stay more than three nights without attracting police attention.  Johnson was trying to stay discreet but was unknowingly on the radar of Stephano Joseph, a case manager for Sunnyvale Community Services.  When Joseph knocked on the RV door, Johnson “didn’t know what a case manager was,” she said.  Here I am, a stubborn independent female who is used to doing everything on her own.  “The living room is bigger than the RV,” Johnson said, pointing from her front door to the vehicle in its own designated parking spot.  By next year, she expects to be able to cover the entire rent.  [...] she never could cover the furnishings.  “I worked my butt off to get this stuff,” she said.  [...] she never could find free beds, so the three of them slept on blow-up mattresses until the day Joseph caught wind of this arrangement.  Sunnyvale Community Services has a three-way arrangement with the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund and a furniture store in Silicon Valley.  The bedroom set, which has a double mattress on the bottom for Jose and a single on top for Amber, is the only brand new furniture in the apartment.  “We’re finally home, Mom,” Jose said when Johnson found her kids tucked in on their own that first night.  [...] he slept through the night for the first time since their eviction.  Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.  Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art  Donations to the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund help thousands of people in the Bay Area throughout the year.  Assistance is in the form of grants paid directly to the supplier of services, such as a landlord.  Individuals do not receive direct grants.  For more information, visit www.seasonofsharing.org  Where the money goes  Distribution of funds  Critical family needs / housing assistance and food banks  Contra Costa  Generally, 85 percent of the total funds are distributed for critical family needs and housing assistance, and the remaining 15percent is allocated to food banks for emergency food services.  Four percent of grants for critical family needs and housing assistance is paid to fiscal sponsors for fee management; fees are covered by The San Francisco Chronicle and the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr.  Fund.  * Food bank total includes a one-time grant of $14,099 to Santa Cruz County in 1989.


Alphabet Inc. pushed out two managers on its drone-delivery project amid infighting on its team, according to people familiar with the situation, casting the program’s future in uncertainty and marking the latest setback for a Google sister company.

Alphabet, Google’s parent, has been developing delivery drones in its research arm since 2012 with the hopes of transforming logistics. But the drone project—dubbed Project Wing—has had a bumpy ride, with its original head departing in 2014.

Alphabet last month pushed out the project’s chief, Dave Vos, and its top commercial executive, Sean Mullaney, in large part because of conflict between the group’s engineers and its commercial team, according to the people familiar with the matter. It also issued notices to several other Project Wing workers, giving them 90 days to find other positions within Alphabet, one former employee said.

Alphabet confirmed Mr. Vos’s departure and declined to comment on Mr. Mullaney.

Messrs. Vos and Mullaney are the latest top executives to recently leave Alphabet units intended to extend the company’s business beyond internet search. Tony Fadell, former chief executive of its home automation firm Nest, disclosed he was going in June. Two months later, there were unrelated departures by Bill Maris, head of investment unit GV, and Chris Urmson, chief technology officer of the self-driving car project.

Some of the disagreement at Project Wing arose over Messrs. Vos and Mullaney’s efforts to push for more commercial tests of the drones in the near future, one person said. Mr. Vos had said publicly that he aimed for commercial operations to launch next year.

The engineering team wanted to delay to ensure the drones were reliable and safe, the person said. Some engineers also disagreed over the decision to deliver food to some faculty and students in a test at Virginia Tech in September, two people said. Some employees viewed the test as a publicity stunt, one said.

The setback is likely to delay Wing’s previously unannounced plans to test its delivery drones in Ireland, two people said. Mr. Mullaney had led talks with Irish aviation officials about a potential series of test flights that would ferry food between restaurants and customers in suburban or rural Ireland, the people said. The tests remain a possibility, one person said.

Wing had spoken with Starbucks Corp. about delivering coffee, but those talks fell apart some time ago, the people said. Starbucks declined to comment.

Astro Teller, the leader of Alphabet’s research arm, called X, has taken over the drone project in the interim as it searches for a new boss, one person said.

Messrs. Vos and Mullaney didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The Alphabet spokeswoman said in an email that Mr. Vos left to “pursue new opportunities.” She added that he “helped to build a strong foundation of aviation culture on the team, and brought Project Wing to a place where we understand and can execute delivery missions end-to-end, repeatedly and safely.”

The spokeswoman declined to comment on Mr. Mullaney. His LinkedIn page says he left the project in October. MarketWatch earlier reported Mr. Vos was leaving Wing.

The Alphabet spokeswoman said the company is committed to Wing and the concept of delivery drones. Mr. Teller has spoken recently about the potential for delivery drones to not only upend logistics, but also reinvent the concept of ownership by giving people access to some goods in minutes versus having to keep such items on hand for the rare moments they are needed.

“We believe that opening the skies to faster, more efficient transportation of goods is a moonshot worth pursuing,” she said.

Write to Jack Nicas at jack.nicas@wsj.com

Summary: Alphabet pushed out two leaders of its drone-delivery project amid infighting on the team, according to people familiar with the situation, casting the program in uncertainty and marking the latest setback for a Google sister company.


OLYMPIA, Wash. — Four Washington state electors who cast their vote for someone other than Democrat Hillary Clinton will each be fined $1,000 next week, the secretary of state’s office said Thursday.

David Ammons, a spokesman for Secretary of State Kim Wyman, told The Associated Press that the electors will have 60 days to pay the fine, and said the office is putting together an appeals process in case of a challenge.

Clinton won the state’s popular vote last month, earning her 12 electoral votes. Under state law, presidential electors — who are chosen by their party at their state convention — sign a pledge to vote for their party’s nominees for president and vice president. But during Monday’s Electoral College vote in Olympia, Clinton got just eight votes, while former Secretary of State Colin Powell got three and Native American tribal elder and activist Faith Spotted Eagle got one vote.

Republican Donald Trump finished with 304 votes — winning all but two of the Electoral College votes he claimed on Election Day — and Clinton had 227 after losing five — the four in Washington state and one in Hawaii. It takes 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency.

A group called the Hamilton Electors, co-founded by Washington elector Bret Chiafalo, had sought to block Trump by encouraging both Democratic and Republican electors in every state to unite behind an alternate Republican candidate.

Texas put Trump over the top, despite two Republican electors casting protest votes.

Chiafalo, along with electors Esther John and Levi Guerra voted for Powell and elector Robert Satiacum voted for Spotted Eagle. The four also voted for someone other than Clinton’s running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, for vice president. John voted for Maine’s Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, Chiafalo voted for Democratic Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Satiacum cast his vice presidential vote for Native American and environmental activist Winona LaDuke, and Guerra voted for Democratic Washington U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell.

Chiafalo said he wasn’t surprised by the secretary of state’s decision, but said he would appeal.

“I stand by my belief that it’s unconstitutional,” he said.

The last time an elector broke from the popular vote in Washington state was in 1976, when Mike Padden of Spokane Valley, who is currently a Republican state senator, voted for Ronald Reagan in 1976 instead of Gerald Ford, who had won the state.

The fine — which has never previously been imposed — was first established by the Legislature following Padden’s vote.

Summary: OLYMPIA, Wash. — Four Washington state electors who cast their vote for someone other than Democrat Hillary Clinton will each be fined $1,000 next week, the secretary of state’s office said T…


A family birthday and an important cause helped David Arquette reunite his family – including ex-wife Courteney Cox – at a Hollywood premiere Tuesday night.

Arquette, 42, stars in the new indie film Sold, which sheds light on the horrors of the global sex-trafficking trade.

When Arquette explained to his ex how important the subject matter was, she immediately told him, “I’m in,” the actor told PEOPLE. “That’s the support I get from my family. When it’s really important you ask for their love and support, and they came out really big for me tonight.”

Arquette’s whole family, including Cox, 49, her partner Johnny McDaid, Arquette’s about-to-pop pregnant girlfriend, Christina McLarty, and Arquette siblings Patricia, Rosanna and Alexis, all came together before the film for a family dinner to celebrate Patricia’s 46th birthday.

Arquette said the film’s sensitive subject matter inspired a conversation with his and Cox’s 9-year-old daughter Coco.

“She’s too young to see the film, even though it is done very tastefully,” said Arquette, “but it opened up a discussion for what this film’s about and why she couldn’t see it. She’s getting to an age where she’s becoming a young woman and she needs to be aware of creepers.”

On a much lighter note, Arquette said Coco can’t wait to meet the baby boy McLarty is about to deliver. “She s really excited,” he shared with PEOPLE. “It’s an amazing experience and she’s been such a trooper about it.”

RELATED: Courteney Cox on Her Ex, David Arquette: I Want Him to Be Happy

Busy Philipps Describes Courteney Cox in Three Words

Summary: The blended extended family also gathered to celebrate Patricia Arquette’s 46th birthday


BY GEORGE RUSH AND JOANNA MOLLOY With Kasia Anderson and Lauren Rubin

Sunday, June 2th 2002, 1:80AM

'No more pencils, no more books." That's the old end-of-the-school-year rhyme, but it could turn out to be true for New York City children caught in the budget squeeze. And that's why some of the biggest names in hip hop are planning a protest at City Hall on Tuesday.

That's when Russell Simmons, Jay Z, Ja Rule, Mos Def, Fat Joe, Patti LaBelle, Me'Shell NdegÃ©Ocello, Lil' Bow Wow, Grandmaster Flash, Ashanti, KRS One, Damon Dash and the Wu-Tang Clan will join thousands of teachers to demonstrate against Mayor Bloomberg's proposed school cuts of at least $205 million.

Jay Z has even sent out a call to the city's public school kids over radio stations like Power 105 and Hot 97 to walk out of their classes at 2:30 p.m. and meet him at the 3:30 protest.

This is not a concert. It's a serious rally that could herald a new era of rap-tivism.

"Hip hop artists have the biggest mouths, bigger than any mayor in this country," said Island/Def Jam record and Phat Farm clothing mogul Simmons, who organized the artists and who'll speak at the rally. "We've all been too silent about the cutbacks, but if hip-hop artists decide to help fight them, no one can beat them."

Simmons got involved after Cynthia Nixon of "Sex in the City" was arrested at City Hall during a recent cutback protest on behalf of the Alliance for Quality Education.

"I love Cynthia Nixon," he told us. "I love her dedication. I asked what I could do, and she asked me, 'Can't hip hop get involved?' "

Simmons, a Queens public school alumnus, turned to the Hip Hop Action Network, which he founded last June.

"The more I learned, the more disturbed I got," Simmons told us. "The kids don't have desks, they don't have books. The music programs are gone. The teachers are underpaid."

The father of one child with another on the way, Simmons emphasizes that it'll be a peaceful protest. However, he says he and some of the artists are willing to be arrested ... la Nixon if need be.

"I was willing to last time, but nobody would arrest me," he admitted sheepishly.

Quincy Jones is getting his bones in order. The music legend had a nasty fall in Vegas in November and, after trying to shrug off the pain, he had arthroscopic surgery last month on his shoulder and his knee.

"Hey, after brain surgery it was a breeze," says Jones, who has weathered two aneurysms. "I'm the bionic man!"

Wearing a black sling on one arm and girlfriend Lisette Derouaux on the other, Le Q stopped by the wrap party for the romantic comedy "Marmalade," written by his pals Jennie Kusner and Jill Sorenson.

The Ford models based the story for the movie on their own adventures in the fashion jungle.

"It's about being put out to pasture," says Kusner, whose character dons a fat suit to get plus-size model jobs.

The pic features Karen (Duff) Duffy, Tony-nominated Sam Robards, Sarita Choudhury, Eric Schaeffer and Michael T. Weiss. Oh, and an 18-year-old cat named Wentworth, making its star-turn in the title role.

Heidi Fleiss and Tom Sizemore won't be reconciling, we hear. A spy spotted a moving van outside Sizemore's Beverly Hills home the other day.

The former Hollywood madam wants no part of the actor after he got through a movie shoot in Vancouver allegedly with the help of some call girls - just like those Heidi used to peddle.

"She's tired of his lying and his abusiveness," a Fleiss friend tells us.

Macy Gray may want to bring a Barcalounger to her next show.

Performing in Belgium last week, the singer struggled through her first few songs before deciding to lie down on the stage, the London Daily Mirror reports.

Her audience in Antwerp seemed befuddled by her horizontal routine. Still, they called her out for an encore. Returning to the stage with a sun hat covering her face, Gray tried delivering her hit, "I Try," but couldn't quite finish the song.

Her rep didn't return calls.

Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), who has a reputation for gruffness, tried a new kind of tongue-lashing last week at a GOP conference meeting in Washington.

As chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, Thomas was trying to play down talk of friction with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R-La.).

With House colleagues looking on, the men first hugged. Then, spies tell Roll Call, Tauzin pointed to his face - as if to invite a peck on the cheek. Thomas is said to have made a bolder move, closing in on Tauzin's ear with tongue extended. "I don't know if there was actual contact," said one witness. "But it was headed in that direction, so I turned away."

Asked about Thomas' lingual lunge, Tauzin rep Ken Johnson joked: "I can neither confirm nor deny the incident."

London may be growing on Gwyneth Paltrow. The actress, getting raves there in "Proof," has been paying over $14,000 a month for a two-bedroom duplex. Now she's said to have asked about buying it. (She already has a New York townhouse and a house in L.A.)

Samuel L. Jackson and his wife, LaTanya, have sold their 5,000-square-foot Tudor-style home in Encino, Calif., for just under $2 million. They've moved into the 11,000-square-foot Beverly Hills home he bought from Roseanne Barr for $8.9 million two years ago and has been renovating, the L.A. Times reports

"West Wing" president Martin Sheen has put his Santa Monica pied- a-terre up for sale for under $2.2 million. He spends most of his time in Malibu.

DENISE RICHARDS has decided she likes her computer-generated butt. We reported last week that the actress was outraged to see her booty amplified on outdoor ads for "Undercover Brother." This week, Richards said that producer Brian Grazer "is an expert marketer. If that's what it takes to get people into the theaters, then I'm cool with it" ...

DEMOCRATS ARE tapping the street smarts of Loud Records founder Steven Rifkind. The Apollo Theater partner, who has developed the Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep, is said to have become an informal adviser to Sen. Charles Schumer and gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo on how to reach young voters

CATHY BLANEY, a leading fund-raiser for Gov. Pataki, clashed this week with GOP gadfly Louis Wein. Blaney tried to shoo away the would-be gubernatorial candidate when he kept showing up in the press room at the Republican State Convention at the New York Sheraton. When Wein addressed her as "honey," Blaney declared, "You will not call me honey! I'm a woman!" Said Wein: "That's what I call my daughters."

A VERY eligible Billy Joel showed up with five exotic women at Fuel on the Bowery the other night. "It was like the UN of babes," said a spywitness ...

SPIKE LEE has been there courtside for the Knicks through harsh and happy times. Now it's their turn. The team bought a front-row table for the Directors Guild of America awards at the Waldorf-Astoria June 9 to root for Spike when he's honored. Either that, or to get a better look at Halle Berry, who'll present it to him

ANDREA BOCELLI groupies who couldn't get into his sold-out Garden show, take heart. The opera prince has agreed, for the first time, to allow seats behind the stage where he's performing. Tickets just went on sale. The blind tenor knows it's about the music, not what you can see

CANDACE BUSHNELL can keep up with her new boyfriend, New York City Ballet star Charles Askegard, on the dance floor. The couple showed their moves Wednesday night at a party to celebrate artist John Scribner's droll shadow box portrait of the "Sex and the City" author. Also at the bash at Christian Roesche's Tribeca loft were Jay McInerney (just back from St. Bart's with girlfriend Jeanine Pepler), Andre Balazs, Peter and Alison Rockefeller, Campion Platt and Robert and Robin Leacock

CHRIS NOTH has enlisted Nanci Griffith to perform on his Cutting Room stage Thursday night in a benefit concert for Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation

BIG BOON for downtown: The respected architect Richard Meier has teamed up with culinary star chef Jean Georges Vongerichten to open a new restaurant, Shanghai on Leonard Street below Canal.

Summary: 'No more pencils, no more books."That's the old end-of-the-school-year rhyme, but it could turn out to be true for New York City children caught in the budget squeeze. And that's why some of the biggest names in hip hop are planning a protest at City Hall on Tuesday. That's when Russell Simmons, Jay Z, Ja Rule, Mos Def, Fat Joe, Patti LaBelle, Me'Shell NdegÃ©Ocello, Lil'


By DANIEL YOUNG Daily News Restaurant Critic

Wednesday, March 5th 1997, 2:02AM

IDENTIFYING THE THREE traditional colloquialisms that refer to the bite-size hamburgers of the pre-McDonald's era "belly bombers," "belly busters" and "sliders" causes me no discomfort. There, it's done.

But fully explaining the origin of these terms is an unpleasant task I am passing on to Michael Ronis, the griddle man/co-owner of Sassy's Sliders, a new franchise prototype on the corner of First Ave. and 10th St.

"It was called a slider for the way it slid down your throat," explains Ronis, "and actually for how it slid out the other way, too." Hence the alternate terms suggesting an attack by these sometimes greasy burgers on our midsections.

The pioneer who first launched this digestive assault was J. Walter Anderson of Wichita, Kansas. In 1916, Anderson divided unwieldy amounts of ground meat into smaller patties, mashed in shredded onions, seared them quickly on both sides and thus invented what soon became the White Castle belly bomber. Exhibiting a flash of genius and imagination shown by few mortals, he placed freshly baked buns on top of the patties as they cooked to absorb the beef flavor, the onions and let's be frank here the grease.

It was the grilled (and therefore sweet) onions and steamed buns rather than the meat itself that made White Castle's nickel burgers and their many imitators great. Since both were cooked for a time with the meat and absorbed its juices, the belly bomber became a fully integrated sandwich, a singular sensation. Whereas you could imagine enjoying a great New York steakburger without a roll or toppings, a slider without bun, onions and pickle would probably be repellent (I can't say for sure, since I absolutely refuse to try).

There was also something very appealing about their diminutive size. Like silver dollar pancakes, sliders somehow taste different than their larger forebears. They're fun to gobble down.

"People like to eat multiples of things," notes Ronis, who today regards "unlimited eating" as a marketable concept.

In creating Sassy's Sliders, a cheerful, '50s-style burger joint with a counter and stools in the East Village, Ronis and his partners are also selling nostalgia. Franchises like McDonald's and Burger King put most of the old belly-busting eateries out of business, while White Castle long ago stopped making real good ones, partly by substituting frozen for freshly ground meat.

The metropolitan area's best, old-style burger joint still in existence is White Manna, a streamlined hut opened 50 years ago in Hackensack, N.J. It can, however, be considered a native of Queens since the diner-like eatery was designed for the 1939-40 World's Fair.

Today, the fast food landmark is run by brothers Ronny and Ofer Cohen. (Ronny, along with Ronis, helped me devise my recipe for sliders.) White Manna's oniony, 85-cent burgers made with soft, 11/2-ounce patties go down as easily as ever. Four of them make a good appetizer.

Ronny Cohen enjoys recounting tales of a regular customer known as what else? Tiny, who routinely consumed 18 double burgers in a single sitting. (Some claim he once downed 32 singles.) The Cohens supplied Tiny's beverages gratis, which meant an entire pot of coffee or five Cokes. Sadly, he and his appetite moved to Michigan.

"We lost 10% of our business," laments Ronny Cohen.

SASSY'S SLIDERS: 163 First Ave., at 10th St.; (212) 228-2900.

WHITE MANNA: 358 River St., Hackensack, N.J.; (201) 342-0914.

Sliders (aka Belly Bombers, Belly Busters)

1pound ground chuck (or ground round)

10small hamburger buns (Wonder brand), potato rolls or five hot-dog buns, each cut in half)

Separate ground meat into 10 little balls (about 11/2 ounces each).

Heat a little vegetable oil in a skillet over a high flame. Place the balls of meat on the skillet, perhaps a few at a time, and gently flatten down with a spatula.

Top each patty with a slice of onion. When cooked on underside, flip patties with onion so that the onion lands on the bottom and gets browned.

Top the patties with the buns (buns may also be toasted separately or, better yet, warmed in a steamer).

Draw a circle of ketchup on one side of each bun and center it with a slice of pickle. Slide a cooked patty and onion onto the other side of the buns, close and gobble.

Summary: IDENTIFYING THE THREE traditional colloquialisms that refer to the bite-size hamburgers of the pre-McDonald's era "belly bombers,""belly busters"and "sliders"causes me no discomfort. There, it's done. But fully explaining the origin of these terms is an unpleasant task I am passing on to Michael Ronis, the griddle man/co-owner of Sassy's Sliders, a new franchise prototype on the corner of First Ave. and 10th St. "It was called a slider for the


Sunday, April 25th 2004, 1:80AM

When Monty Python's "Life of Brian" reached America's shores in the fall of 1979, one of the many religious leaders offended by it here made the astonishing claim that religious satire is not covered by the First Amendment. Others worried that it would trigger violence among angered Christians and Jews.

Nevertheless, the movie was viewed - uncensored - by millions of satisfied customers, without provoking either a constitutional crisis or reported instances of stonings.

Back then I was an entertainment writer for the Detroit Free Press and "Life of Brian" was the first movie I was ever asked to review. According to the yellowed review in my clippings file, I gave it a rave qualified only by a warning that the devout should stay away.

"'Life of Brian' ... is quintessential Monty Python," I wrote as a Python addict and true believer in the irreverent. "It's outrageous, chaotic and ... hilarious."

If you haven't seen the movie with a live audience, mark your calendar: It begins its 25th-anniversary rerelease Friday at the Landmark Sunshine. Following in the parted sea left by Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," the timing of the reissue is quintessential Monty Python, too.

One of the cheekiest and most quoted movies of the last half century ("Blessed are the cheesemakers"), "Life of Brian" tells the story of Brian Cohen, the boy born in the next manger over from Jesus'. When the Wise Men accidentally show up at his bunk with gifts, it marks him for a life of mistaken identity.

Brian (the late Graham Chapman) grows up to become a modest Jew with conventional tastes: He loves women and hates Romans. He already has an overbearing Jewish mother (played by director Terry Jones), the last thing he needs is a following. But every time he looks out the window - as he does, stark-naked, one bracing morning - there's the throng.

All six Python members play multiple roles, though Michael Palin seems to show up most often. When he's not lisping as a gay Pontius Pilate, he's a bitter ex-beggar blaming Jesus for ruining his business by curing his leprosy, or lulling the masses to sleep as the street speaker known as Boring Prophet.

Eric Idle plays more than a half-dozen characters himself, but in retrospect, his greatest contribution is the song "Look on the Bright Side of Life," a cheerful ditty sung during the crucifixion finale.

While no "Passion of the Christ," "Life of Brian" was a big commercial success in 1979, grossing $20 million in the U.S., the most of any Python film.

Liking a movie that has fun with the life of Christ is risky business - maybe now more than ever - and if my budding career as a movie critic had been dependent on the mail generated by my review of "Brian," it would have been snipped right there.

But as passionate as some people get over perceived offenses to their faith, there really is room under the First Amendment for irreverence and satire, and most of us are agreed on that. The only way humor can hurt you is if you split a gut. With "Life of Brian," that's a possibility.

A disclaimer at the end of Tony Scott's "Man on Fire" reads "Special thanks to Mexico City: A very special place."

If that isn't irony, what is?

Judging Mexico City by what we see in the film, it is the armpit of the Earth.

As a young girl being protected by Denzel Washington's character explains, there are four kidnappings a day and most victims die. The police are not only corrupt, but in the employ of crime lords. And the barrios are the architectural equivalent of junk art.

The only settings in the movie that one might call special and mean it as a compliment are the home of the girl's wealthy parents and an upscale restaurant where her father (pop star Marc Anthony) meets with his sleazy lawyer (Mickey Rourke).

In an interview with the Toronto Sun, Scott recalled getting cornered by a gang of gun-wielding hoods while scouting the slum of Naza where the film would be shot. He got away uninjured but his bodyguard was pistol-whipped.

"In a way it was terrifying but it was exciting," Scott said. "Mexico City is dark, dangerous, sexual, dirty, nasty, beautiful. It is everything."

A very special place indeed.

Summary: MY PASSION FOR 'BRIAN' Blessed are the Pythons for poking fun at inflexible faith When Monty Python's "Life of Brian"reached America's shores in the fall of 1979, one of the many religious leaders offended by it here made the astonishing claim that religious satire is not covered by the First Amendment. Others worried that it would trigger violence among angered Christians and Jews. Nevertheless, the movie was viewed - uncensored - by millions of satisfied customers,


I once wanted to write a novel called ''Bad Taste,'' about a female character who has incomprehensibly rotten instincts when it comes to making romantic choices. While I was toying with this idea, I was also deeply enamored of a man whose upper-middle-class presentation (which included engraved stationery of the thickest stock, on which he penned the most proper of thank-you notes) couldn't fully mask some alarming tendencies, one of which required him to report in monthly to a law-enforcement agent as to his whereabouts. This relationship had followed upon a two-year involvement with another questionable sort who ended up serving a yearlong prison sentence after we stopped going out, convicted of some white-collar malfeasance he may or may not have committed. By that low point in his life he was married to another woman, but all the same, he sent me letters from the clink describing his daily routine (which seemed to consist of working out in the gym and taking computer courses courtesy of the federal government). I always felt a faint outlaw thrill when an envelope bearing a Pennyslvania postmark and an anonymous, ''Stalag 17''-like return address (Bunk #, Unit #, Division #) arrived in the mail, as if I were implicated in the whole sordid drama, a Bonnie Parker by proxy.

Clockwise from top left: Ted Bundy (Newscom); George Hyatte (Tennessee Department of Correction/Associated Press); Scott Peterson (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department/Reuters); Robert Chambers (Seth Wenig/Reuters); Erik Menendez (Erik Menendez/Associated Press); Gary Gilmore (Associated Press).

Although my yen for bad-boy types has always had its limits, at least in real life, I was reminded of these wayward ex-boyfriends by the ''Bonnie and Clyde'' doings that took place outside a Tennessee courthouse on Aug. 9. These starred Jennifer Forsyth Hyatte, a 31-year-old former prison nurse who stands accused of killing a corrections officer in the attempt to spring her 34-year-old convict husband, George Hyatte, who was serving 35 years for aggravated robbery and assault, as he was leaving a hearing in handcuffs and shackles. After his wife, in response to her husband's directive, ''Shoot 'em!'' opened fire on the two officers escorting Hyatte, fatally injuring one, the couple set off on a 300-mile escape route. In a strangely calm conclusion to the manhunt that this murderous outburst set off, the lovebirds were arrested -- ''without incident'' -- a mere day and a half later in a Best Value motel along Interstate 71 in Columbus, Ohio.

Jennifer Hyatte, the mother of three from a previous marriage and herself the daughter of a former sheriff's deputy, had no prior criminal record. She was married less than three months to her current husband when she sacrificed her own prospects in a wild plot to free him. Her mother characterized her as a loving wife and mother; her ex-husband seconded these claims. Jennifer had sole custody of her children and had put herself through nursing school. The questions that inevitably arise are How did she go from being a solid citizen to acting like a bandit? And why?

Whatever the reasons behind Mrs. Hyatte's perplexing behavior -- a rescue fantasy, a need to nurture, the sexual excitement of being with a violent person (also known as hybristophilia), a wish for attention, a sense of low self-esteem, a grandiose us-against-them scheme -- she is far from alone in her seemingly lunatic infatuation with a man behind bars. Indeed, she is part of what has been recognized as a growing phenomemon, one common enough to have spawned Web sites like WriteaPrisoner.com and inmates.com as well as psychological studies with titles like ''Women Who Love Men Who Kill.'' This is the phenomenon of women who are attracted to the scent of demonic males -- fatally dangerous guys like Erik and Lyle Menendez, Robert Chambers and Scott Peterson. (Both Menendez brothers married in prison; Chambers was reportedly so besieged by transfixed females vying to smuggle him contraband that he had to be transferred to another jail; and Peterson has received at least two marriage proposals). The indubitably handsome and unlamented Ted Bundy was perhaps the archetypal demonic male, one who successfully posed as the dreamboat next door time and again, with the charm and verbal facility to knock the socks off any young woman unlucky enough to meet up with him when he was out cruising for prey. But while it would make for a simpler hypothesis if we could attribute the allure of inmates to their brute physical appeal, the truth is that even a one-eyed serial killer like Henry Lee Lucas had women panting after him, while John Wayne Gacy -- no one's idea of attractive and gay to boot (he killed 33 young men during homosexual encounters) -- became involved with a woman in prison.

I suppose we who believe in an unconscious life should understand by now that if it's difficult to figure out the rationale for your friends' marriages and love affairs, it's well nigh impossible to figure out why some women fall for miscreants. The apparent emotional illogic of killer cachet may make for a sweet lyric in a Waylon Jennings song -- ''Ladies love outlaws like babies love stray dogs'' -- but it has left cultural observers scrambling for answers. These range from assigning blame to Western culture as a whole for adulating male violence to blaming a particular family background for creating the sort of vulnerable female who is looking to have some power in a world that has granted her none by hooking up with a man who is both dependent on her and has exhibited his dominance over others.

It has been more than 25 years since Gary Gilmore was executed after issuing his succinct last words, ''Let's do it.'' I had a crush on him from the moment he appeared on the scene for any number of reasons: his good looks; his soulful letters to his pretty girlfriend, Nicole; the wounded aura of defiance he carried with him. Even after reading everything ever written about him, from Norman Mailer's ''Executioner's Song,'' which glamorized him, to his brother Mikal's ''Shot in the Heart,'' which cut him down to pitiful and thuggish size, I think I'd still pick his photo out of a lineup of eligible men. What's a lady to do? Such is the unreasonable pull of pheromones, such are the crooked ways of love.

Daphne Merkin, a critic and novelist, is a frequent contributor to the magazine.

Summary: What do women see in men behind bars?