A stab of the throttle, and the rear tires break loose. A little more gas — really, just a little more — and you’re sideways.

In Hellcat guise, Dodge’s Challenger coupe and Charger sedan are true muscle cars: loud, heavy, unwieldy, scary, silly and, yes, extremely fast.

Dodge has hewed to the original muscle car formula, transforming relatively inexpensive (and tame) rides with the addition of high-performance V-8 engines cranking out more than 700 horsepower.

The performance is staggering: 0-60 mph comes in about 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of about 200 mph for both cars. It is Ferrari-like speed for a fraction of the price: for the 2019 models, the Challenger SRT Hellcat starts at around $61,000 and the Charger SRT Hellcat at about $67,000.

Dodge’s original muscle cars — like the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona — were once drag strip mainstays, cementing the brand’s reputation among enthusiasts. Today’s performance would’ve been unfathomable back in the muscle car heyday of the 1960s, so I wondered, do these new vehicles contain any of the old Dodge DNA?

I was particularly curious about how the Hellcat models compared to the Daytona. That’s because it was the ride of choice of Big Willie Robinson, the subject of “Larger Than Life,” a seven-part podcast I hosted for The Times that documented the street racer’s effort to bring peace to an L.A. torn apart by the Watts riots.

“When you get around cars, man, there ain’t no colors, just engines,” Robinson told The Times in 1981.

Speed wasn’t always Robinson’s focus, but the car he drove was still exceedingly fast. And rare. Only 501 of the 1969 Daytonas were made — and they were “purpose-built to win NASCAR races,” according to Brandt Rosenbusch, manager of historical services for FCA US, the parent company of Dodge. These days, examples can fetch more than $500,000 when they cross the auction block.

“The fact that Dodge was willing to bring out such a radical car with the expressed purpose of winning is amazing,” Rosenbusch said. “These are now one of the most collectible cars among enthusiasts.”

The one Robinson drove — he dubbed it the King Daytona — was especially rare. It was one of only a few dozen 1969 Daytonas built with a Hemi motor, whose hemispherical combustion chambers aid performance. Robinson’s wife, Tomiko, had a matching Hemi car she called the Queen Daytona.

This fall, I finally got the chance to compare the 1969 Daytona to its spiritual successors. Dodge lent me a 2019 Charger Hellcat (price as tested: $74,915) and a 2019 Challenger Hellcat Redeye ($91,169), a special version of the car that adds 80 horsepower for a total of 797.

Between the two Hellcat variants, the Redeye more closely resembles the 1969 Charger Daytona: both are uncommon coupes that offer top-of-the-line performance from the brand. (However, in relative dollars, the Redeye is quite a bit more expensive than the 1969 Hemi Daytona, which cost around $5,600 new, or about $40,000 today.)

Few cars can compare to the go-fast looks of the Daytona, with its sleek nose cone and towering rear wing. Still, the Redeye signals it means business with dual hood scoops that, unlike so many modern cars, actually function, feeding the engine air.

Our tester came with a $6,000 widebody package that outfits the car with flared fenders that accommodate enormous Pirelli P-Zero tires paired with 20-inch wheels. A $3,495 graphics package swaths the hood, roof and trunk lid in matte black paint. The effect of these options is immense, transforming the car into something legitimately menacing.

Despite appealing touches like an 8.4-inch touchscreen that runs the intuitive Uconnect vehicle management system, the interior of the Redeye was a letdown. It is bathed in plastic that can feel cheap in places, and the front seats were squishy and unsupportive, betraying the car’s sporting nature. The dated interior points to the age of this iteration of the Challenger platform, which bowed in 2008.

But there are touches that reveal a sense of fun — and even mischief. One amusing detail: the Redeye and the Charger Hellcat come with two keys, a black one and a red one. Use the black key, and you’ll be able to access only 500 horsepower. You’ll need the red one to unlock the car’s full potential.

The Redeye’s 6.2-liter V-8 does its share of barking and snarling, but it’s the high-pitched whine of the supercharger, which pressurizes air fed into the engine, that is the defining feature of the car’s aural character. The sound doesn’t immediately scream “muscle car,” but it is an aggressively mechanical one that I grew to appreciate.

Fifty years after the Daytona debuted, the Redeye offers, right off the showroom floor, performance for which Robinson and his ilk would have had to pay dearly.

Dodge clocks the Redeye’s quarter-mile, the traditional drag racing length, at 10.8 seconds. The August 1970 issue of Popular Hot Rodding described the King Daytona, which Robinson had souped up at Keith Black Racing Engines, a Hemi specialist then based in South Gate, as a “true low, low 12-second street machine.”

I couldn’t get any seat time in the late Robinson’s car — it was destroyed in 1971, and his wife’s matching car was wrecked a few years later. But I did track down a 1969 Hemi Daytona owned by car collector Greg Joseph.

Joseph actually knew Robinson; he met the leader of the Brotherhood of Street Racers in the 1990s via former Times Publisher Otis Chandler. At the time, Joseph was curating the muscle car collection of Chandler, whose holdings included a 1969 Hemi Daytona of his own.

Joseph said he was touched by the realization that he, Chandler and Robinson and his street racer wife each owned one of these unique rides.

“They truly were icons,” Joseph said. “It kind of brings back the nostalgia, the memories of the time when I went to all the drag races.”

Joseph, a retired history professor who long taught at Long Beach City College, said he sees the through line from the Daytona to the Redeye, in part because both harness what he called “state-of-the-art technology to go fast.”

“This is all-out high-performance,” said Joseph, gesturing at the Redeye. “Same with the Daytona.”

Still, the Redeye isn’t entirely state-of-the-art. It derives its power from a pushrod V-8 — that’s old-fashioned technology in an era of overhead cam motors with variable valve timing — but I get Joseph’s point. This is a car whose launch can be programmed via a special mode that holds the RPM at a desired spot in the power band for optimal acceleration.

And the Redeye carries over other technology from the 2018 Challenger Demon, an even higher-performance version of the car that put out 840 horsepower — and did zero to 60 in 2.3 seconds — but was sold for only one year. Among the goodies that have found its way from the Demon to the Redeye is an intercooler chiller system that keeps the motor at the ideal temperature.

Although the Redeye was the more extreme of the two cars I tested, the Charger Hellcat seemed to turn more heads during the week I drove it. As with the Challenger, this version of the Charger has been around for several years, but in Hellcat guise, the exterior modifications stand out. Perhaps that’s because they’re transforming a sedan with comparably more sedate looks.

At one stoplight, a man in a black minivan eyed the Charger Hellcat lustily from the neighboring lane. I edged the car forward, summoning a bark from the big V-8, and the other driver laughed appreciatively. Up the street, our lanes merged into one, and he happily ceded the road.

The minivan may have been no match for the Charger Hellcat, but the American muscle car rivalry is alive and well. And in many ways — even as manufacturers move toward increased electrification and hybridization — we are in the midst of a new golden age for these vehicles. A horsepower war touched off by the launch of the 2015 Challenger and Charger Hellcats shows no signs of slowing down. Chevrolet’s Camaro ZL1 offers 650 horsepower, and Ford is readying a top-end Mustang — the Shelby GT500 — packing 760 horsepower.

The Hellcat cars both deliver a quintessential muscle car ride. But it wasn’t easy for me to see a link to the Dodge drag strip heroes of yore, amid the many trappings of modernity.

Still, I was able to find a connection to the past in an unexpected place: some of the new cars’ shortcomings. Details like the Redeye’s subpar seats — yielding in all the wrong places — seemed to telegraph Dodge’s focus on speed, and little else. Thinking about the Hellcat cars this way, I grew to view many of their flaws as charming. And the ties to the 1960s were ultimately driven home via a mishap.

Before the Redeye was lent to The Times, it underwent some mechanical work that left the interior smelling of gasoline. Workers had attempted to mitigate it, but the bouquet of fuel stubbornly persisted.

But it didn’t bother me. It felt a little rough, a little raw. Like how old cars sometimes smell after they’ve been throttled hard.

Even if it was unintended, it made the Redeye feel a little bit closer to 1969.

A little bit closer to the Daytona. A little bit closer to Robinson.

2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Times’ take: Prodigious power in a family friendly package
Highs: Good value for the performance delivered
Lows: Interior materials are lacking
Vehicle type: Four-door, five-passenger sedan
Base price: $67,495
Price as tested: $74,915
Powertrain: 6.2-liter, eight-cylinder, supercharged gasoline engine
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 707
Torque: 650 pound-feet
Estimated fuel economy rating: 13 miles per gallon city / 22 highway / 16 combined

2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye

Times’ take: The ultimate American muscle car
Highs: Truly menacing looks, and performance that lives up to them
Lows: Options quickly add up to a pricey ride
Vehicle type: Two-door, five-passenger coupe
Base price: $71,945
Price as tested: $91,169
Powertrain: 6.2-liter, eight-cylinder, supercharged gasoline engine
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 797
Torque: 707 pound-feet
Estimated fuel economy rating: 13 miles per gallon city / 22 highway / 16 combined

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Call it the end of a retail era. After 41 years at the Fred Segal center, Ron Robinson is closing his Melrose Avenue bricks-and-mortar store in early 2020. (He shuttered his Santa Monica location in November.) Although the news may coincide with Barneys New York’s bankruptcy and a shifting retail landscape, Robinson emphasized that his stores shouldn’t be lumped in with the others.

He said he’s closing his doors to have more free time. “It was a decision I made,” the 70-year-old entrepreneur said, sipping coffee on the patio of Mauro Cafe adjacent to his West Hollywood store. “I said, ‘I’m just not up for another five years or 10 years.’ … It’s important to know that this isn’t a going-out-of-business. This isn’t lost-our-lease. This isn’t bankruptcy. … I’m at a certain age and I want the time for me.”

Robinson kicked off his farewell festivities in November with a friends-family-and-customers soiree called “A Happy Ending,” the first in a series of farewell events at the store. The boutique will remain open in January and, likely, into February. “We’re flexible,” Robinson said. “The landlords here really wanted us to stay. … I don’t have a firm [closing] date.”

Before the party, Robinson walked around his 6,000-square-foot store, introducing his employees as if they were celebrities in their own right. He presented his wife, Stacy, who is the company’s vice president, with the same zest as he did the children’s department manager, Walter Giedrocz. “I wanted you to meet everybody,” Robinson said, explaining that a number of his employees had been with him for 25 years. “They’re part of our family.”

No surprise, celebrities have long been a part of the clientele.

Stacy Robinson reminisced about the time Bruce Springsteen tried on underwear at the store, and she told a story about Robin Williams jumping behind the counter for an impromptu comedy bit while shopping for Hawaiian shirts. She held a commemorative yearbook from last year’s 40th anniversary, which revealed additional anecdotes, such as that actress-singer Rita Wilson was a sales associate before her career (and that of husband Tom Hanks) took off.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Ron Robinson shared his own memories. “I lived on that parking lot,” he said, motioning to a row of cars behind the boutique. He explained that, prior to opening his store in 1978, he worked as a salesman, buyer and vice president for Fred Segal in 1968. During that time, he lived on the property. “There was a duplex there, and there was another duplex next to it. I lived in each one as I worked here, and they knocked it down for parking.”

During Robinson’s trip down memory lane, he strolled through the boutique’s Apothia cosmetic and fragrance shop in addition to the men’s, women’s and home design departments. In the children’s section, Robinson pointed to a wall and ceiling covered with butterflies. He commissioned them from French fashion designer Christian Lacroix eight years ago. “They said, ‘We don’t want to do a kids shop,’” Robinson said, “and I said, ‘You’ll want to do this kids shop.’” They agreed.

Robinson opened his children’s department 35 years ago. “I started that as a single guy, no kids,” he said. “But I knew that my customers wanted a black leather motorcycle jacket and a pair of denim jeans for their baby, so I got it for them.” (Robinson now has a 27-year-old son, Max.)

Once the store closes, Robinson will shift focus to real estate and development endeavors as well as exploring various philanthropic opportunities. He said he looked forward to spending time with his family in addition to continuing his Apothia fragrance brand, which launched with one perfume, named If, in 2000. He developed the scent by surveying 100 women from around the country. Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Garner and Macy Gray, whom Robinson met through the store, also participated in its creation, he said.

Apothia has since expanded to 12 scents in the form of perfumes, candles, diffusers, lotions and body washes ($30-$95) available at the Ron Robinson boutique and the Apothia website. Apothia also collaborated with MissoniHome on a line of five candles in 2014. Recently, a few of the scents were rereleased and are available at the Italian label’s Miami and New York stores.

Robinson said his Ron Robinson retail website would add new merchandise as he felt inclined. “I had a dream, and thankfully, my dream came true,” he said. “I read a quote that really signified what I’m doing. [Dr. Seuss] said, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.’ … I’m saying farewell to retail because I’ve done it for 41 years. We’ve been very fortunate.”

• Where: 8118 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles

  Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, with extended hours expected during the holidays.

  Info: (323) 651-0239

• ronrobinson.com
• apothia.com

Leslie Saeta loves Christmas.

Standing in her South Pasadena kitchen in early December, you would think it is Christmas as Saeta, dusted in flour and flanked by wreaths, bakes dozens of frosted sugar cookies for her annual holiday party.

The first party took place 33 years ago: “We had 45 friends for the party,” Saeta recalls. “Now, we have more than 200.”

How does she do it?

We caught up with Saeta, a 60-year-old marketing executive turned Instagram star, in the beginning stages of her monthlong party prep, an annual adventure she chronicles on her popular blog and Instagram account, My 100 Year Old Home, to find out.

She has taped a color-coded Excel spreadsheet to-do list to the kitchen cabinet. On it, she has detailed her pre-party plan: She and her friends will prepare 500 crab cakes with lemon dill sauce on the Thursday and Friday before the party (color coded orange). Fig jam and holiday decor will be finished one week prior (yellow); flowers are to be arranged on Friday (blue). Many of the recipes (categorized by assorted colors) will have to be increased by tenfold.

The home is an ideal setting for a holiday party. The kitchen walls are painted a pale green, and the white cupboards and Carrara marble countertops add to the older home’s modern farmhouse vibe — familiar to the 259K who follow her on Instagram. There are sparkling Christmas trees in the living room and dining room; 18 wreaths hang throughout the five-bedroom house. While holiday songs play on Pandora, fragrant evergreen swags, tied to the dining room chairs, scent the air.

1/18

Every year, Leslie Saeta transforms her South Pasadena home into a Winter Wonderland — in October.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

2/18

For her holiday cocktail party for 200, Saeta will make 17 appetizers, which will be laid out on her dining room table.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

3/18

Saeta works on sugar cookies in her South Pasadena kitchen, three weeks before her annual party.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

4/18

An array of festive cookie cutters includes a black one that’s a replica of Saeta’s 100-year-old home.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

5/18

Saeta ices sugar cookies. 

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

6/18

Saeta bakes desserts in advance of the holiday party and freezes them.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

7/18

Frosted sugar cookies are a Saeta holiday tradition.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

8/18

The blogger and DIY guru created the place mats, which include verses from holiday carols. 

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

9/18

DIY tree decorations, made by Saeta, are detailed on her blog My 100 Year Old Home.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

10/18

The color scheme, and the pillows, reflect the holiday. 

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

11/18

Wreaths in Saeta’s craft room are among 18 that hang throughout the house.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

12/18

The holiday is in the details for Saeta. 

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

13/18

A vintage sign hangs in the family room.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

14/18

The entryway of the South Pasadena home, which Saeta and her husband bought from his parents.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

15/18

Leslie Saeta works in her kitchen, with Sport by her side.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times )

16/18

Holiday decor gives the modern farmhouse-style kitchen a festive mood.  

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

17/18

The entryway features greenery from the Original Los Angeles Flower Market. 

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

18/18

Leslie Saeta and Sport. 

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times )

Saeta cooks everything for the stand-up cocktail party herself, including 17 hors d’oeuvres and desserts she bakes in advance and stores in two freezers. By 3 p.m. the day of the party, she says, she is done and “off the clock.” (She hires caterers to help her with serving and cleanup.)

“I really enjoy it,” Saeta says as she cuts snowflake-shaped cookies with a cookie cutter. “It’s so rewarding to cook for people. It’s our gift to our friends, our children and our community.”

After more than 30 years of entertaining, Saeta has learned that, with a little planning, it is possible to throw a party for a huge crowd without a lot of stress.

And that’s really the essence of her blog and Instagram account.

“I want to show people that they can throw a party and have fun and it doesn’t have to be perfect,” she says. “I don’t host house tours because this is where I live. It’s not a place to show. It’s a place to share.”

On the night before the party, Mary Liz Burns, who has attended the party since the beginning, helps Saeta get ready with a crew of friends whose kids all grew up together. “It’s a South Pasadena tradition,” she says. “Everyone knows about it. There’s always a line for the crab cakes. The key to their success is that they are bite-sized. You just pop them in your mouth.”

Burns is not surprised by her longtime friend’s success as an online influencer. “Leslie puts 250% into everything she does,” she says. “People might have hosted similar events in the past but stopped or quit. She has always understood the bigger picture of what the holidays mean to people.”

And then there’s The Dress: “Our husbands went to high school together,” Burns explains. “Our wedding pictures are almost identical. We got married at the same place. Our wedding dresses look so similar except she made hers.” Of course she did.

Thanks to the popularity of Joanna Gaines’ farmhouse-modern design (Google Trends listed farmhouse style as the No. 1 trending home style of 2019), My 100 Year Old Home has become a beacon for the fans and followers who are drawn to Saeta’s warmth and unpretentious style — she shops at Costco, Trader Joe’s and the wholesale Original Los Angeles Flower Market in downtown Los Angeles — and affordable DIY tips.

Of course, it helps that she and her husband, David, happen to live in a traditional 1913 South Pasadena home that exudes Norman Rockwell charm.

The residence, which has been decked out for the holidays since October, is a favorite with set decorators and location scouts who have filmed commercials, television shows and, most recently, the Ben Affleck film “The Way Back.”

“Last year, it took the film crew two and a half days to put away all of my Christmas stuff, dress the sets and then put all of my Christmas stuff back when they were done,” she says, laughing at the memory.

David grew up in the house, and the couple purchased it from his parents in 1998. Since then, the pair, who have three grown sons, have remodeled the house three times. “They were always very generous about the changes,” Saeta says of her in-laws.

As a self-described “open book,” Saeta says she enjoys sharing her life at home, including DIY crafts and entertaining projects, the family’s irresistible 7-year-old Labrador, Sport, and the home’s Hollywood exploits.

Saeta works about 70 hours a week on her blog, Instagram and brand endorsements and tries to answer every direct message and comment that she receives.

Still, it doesn’t feel like work.

‘It’s the best job in the world,” she says. “I get paid to create things. I’ve done that all of my life.”

Leslie Saeta’s Christmas Party Menu

HORS D’OEUVRES

· Spicy grilled shrimp

· Beef tenderloin with rolls

· Smoked turkey with cranberry-orange muffins

· Smoked paprika salmon with lemon dill sauce

· Chicken lettuce wraps

· BLT tomatoes

· Skewered chicken with peanut sauce

· Skewered flank steak with peanut sauce

· Crab cakes with lemon dill sauce

· BBQ chicken sliders

· Ham and Swiss sliders

· Phyllo with spinach dip

· Whipped sweet potatoes in crusts with pecan topping

· Brie cups with pomegranates

· Seared ahi tuna in sesame wonton cups with maple soy sauce

· Pesto stuffed mushrooms

· Fig, pear and gorgonzola grilled cheese sandwich

DESSERTS

· Double mint chocolate cookies

· Peanut butter fudge

· Frosted sugar cookies

· Coconut joy candy bars

· Christmas crack (Saltine cracker toffee)

WARSAW — 

Protesters gathered in large numbers across Poland on Wednesday evening to denounce legislation being pushed by the populist ruling party that would give the government the power to fire judges.

The protesters voiced fears that the legislation, if passed, would mark an end to the separation of powers, and be the most dangerous blow to the young democracy’s foundations since the right-wing party, Law and Justice, came to power in 2015.

They also warned that it would add to Poland’s marginalization in the European Union and possibly even lead to its eventual departure from the 28-country bloc.

People chanted, “Free courts!” as they gathered in front of the Parliament in Warsaw and at court buildings in cities across the nation of 38 million people, including Katowice, Krakow, Wroclaw, Olsztyn, Bialystok and Poznan. Private broadcaster TVN24 said there were protests in 160 places.

“Today is a difficult day. Once again the fate of free courts hangs in the balance,” Igor Tuleya, a judge who has been a prominent critic of the government, told a crowd in Warsaw.

A prosecutor, Dariusz Korneluk, said regular citizens would also suffer if judges are intimidated to the point they issue government-friendly rulings, fearing retribution if they don’t. “We are here because the foundations of our country’s system are under threat,” he said.

Earlier Wednesday, the Parliament’s Bureau of Research, which analyzes the legality of draft laws, warned that the new legislation violates judicial independence and the primacy of EU law.

Among other items in the draft law, which the lower house will begin debating Thursday, the government would have the power to discipline judges who carry out rulings in line with EU law, including questioning judicial appointments. The Supreme Court said that could put Poland irremediably at odds with the European bloc.

“With this law, the Polish authorities are attempting to remove what little remains of judicial independence in Poland,” Amnesty International said.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the changes are aimed at preventing “chaos” stemming from a recent EU court decision. That November ruling by the European Court of Justice left it up to the Polish courts to determine whether a new disciplinary chamber for judges within the Supreme Court and a separate council that appoints judges are sufficiently independent.

“No serious state can allow some judges to question the ability to make appointments or the sentences and decisions made by other judges,” Morawiecki said Tuesday.

If passed, the laws would give the government the power to fire or fine judges who rule in ways or express positions that it doesn’t like. One new provision would require judges to declare what associations they are affiliated with and all names under which they appear online.

Critics call the draft legislation repressive and fear it would lead to a final blow against any independence left for Poland’s judicial system after four years of overhauls under Law and Justice.

The Supreme Court said those provisions represent a “continuation of the lawlessness of the 1980s,” a time when Poland was ruled by a repressive communist regime.

“Everything is there: a ban on the freedom of speech by judges, the establishment of a surveillance mechanism and a drastic reduction of their right to have profiles on social networks,” the court said.

Law and Justice over the last four years took control of the Constitutional Tribunal, the public prosecution system and a body that appoints judges. However, the EU court blocked key measures that would have given it control of the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, many Polish judges have continued to assert their independence, issuing judgments that in some cases have gone against the interests of the ruling authorities. For instance, journalists accused by the party of defamation for critical remarks and investigations have won cases. So have several people who have sued the government for the country’s dangerously high smog levels.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Law and Justice has a majority in the lower house of Parliament, meaning the legislation is likely to pass there. The Senate, however, is controlled by the opposition and will seek to block it. But the upper house is much less powerful, and while it can slow down the passage of the laws and suggest changes, it can’t stop them entirely.

MANILA  — 

A Philippine court Thursday found key members of a powerful political clan guilty of a 2009 massacre in a southern province that left 57 people, including 32 media workers, dead in a brazen execution-style attack that horrified the world.

Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes acquitted several members of the Ampatuan family and police officers, citing a lack of evidence. Families of the victims and media watchdogs welcomed the convictions but said the fight for justice was far from over.

“This is a partial victory,” Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu, who lost his wife, sisters, an aunt and many followers in the gruesome Nov. 23, 2009, killings, told reporters outside the packed and heavily secured courtroom.

Mangudadatu raised his right fist to show he would fight on with the expected appeals of those convicted.

“This momentous verdict should help provide justice to the families of the victims, and build toward greater accountability for rights abuses in the country,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

“Even with these convictions, the families’ search for justice remains far from over. Some 80 other people accused have yet to be arrested,” he said.

Solis-Reyes sentenced five key members of the Ampatuan family — led by former town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who oversaw and led the killings — to life imprisonment. The 40-year prison term is the maximum punishment allowed by law. They were also ordered to compensate the victims’ families.

Applause and cheers rang out in the courtroom, where some relatives of the victims heard the reading of the verdict from a 761-page decision.

The case involved more than 100 detained suspects, and it is seen as a test of the Southeast Asian nation’s notoriously clogged and vulnerable judicial system.

Although the mass killing largely unraveled as an offshoot of a violent electoral rivalry common in many rural areas, it has also showcased the threats faced by journalists in the Philippines. Thirty-two of those gunned down were local reporters and media workers, the worst single attack on journalists in the world.

“If I have the power to kill them all in a blink of an eye, I would have done it. But I realized in the end that I’m not a demon like them,” said Mary Grace Morales. Her husband, a reporter for a local provincial newspaper, and her elder sister, the paper’s publisher, were among those killed, mostly in a blaze of automatic rifle fire as they begged for their lives.

Ampatuan Jr. was convicted of leading nearly 200 armed followers who blocked a seven-vehicle convoy carrying the wife, sisters and other relatives and lawyers of Mangudadatu, a politician who decided to run for governor of Maguindanao province. He challenged the powerful Ampatuan clan, who held sway over almost every aspect of life in an impoverished region long racked by an Islamic insurgency.

The journalists joined the convoy to cover the filing of candidacy for Mangudadatu in an election office in Maguindanao’s capital. Mangudadatu, now a legislator in the House of Representatives, was not in the convoy for security reasons.

The gunmen commandeered the convoy, including the passengers of two cars that got stuck in the traffic, to a nearby hilltop, where a waiting backhoe had dug huge pits to be used in burying the victims and their vehicles.

Ampatuan Jr. and his followers opened fire on the victims at close range and hurriedly escaped after sensing that army troops were approaching. The badly mutilated bodies were found inside the vans, sprawled on the ground or buried in the pits with some of the vehicles, in a gruesome scene that drew international outrage and shocked many, even in a country long used to political violence.

The Ampatuans have denied the charges against them.

At least three witnesses who testified against them have been killed over the years, according to Nena Santos, a lawyer for Mangudadatu and families of several other victims. She said she had been threatened with death multiple times and was offered a huge amount of money to withdraw from the case.

Gloria Teodoro, whose journalist husband was among the victims, said the government should work to eradicate the lethal mix of problems that allowed the massacre to happen, including the large number of high-powered firearms in the hands of many politicians and clans and a long-entrenched culture of impunity.

Otherwise, she said, such political violence, even on a less gruesome scale, would go on.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

PERTH, Australia — 

Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales declared a seven-day state of emergency Thursday as oppressive conditions fanned around 100 wildfires.

Around 2,000 firefighters were battling the blazes, half of which remain uncontrolled, with the support of U.S. and Canadian backup teams and personnel from the Australian Defense Force.

The last state of emergency ran for seven days in mid-November amid “catastrophic” fire risk and was the first implemented in New South Wales since 2013. Central Sydney reached a maximum of 102 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, while outer suburbs were at 108.

A statewide total fire ban announced on Tuesday will remain in place until midnight on Saturday.

Around 7.4 million acres of land has burned nationwide during a torrid past few months, with six people killed and more than 800 homes destroyed.

The annual Australian fire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer, started early after an unusually warm and dry winter.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities were concerned with the unpredictable conditions.

“With extreme wind conditions, extreme hot temperatures, we have a good idea, a good sense, of where the most concerning areas are, but again when you’ve got those turbulent conditions, embers and spot fires can occur very unpredictably,” she told reporters.

Sydney’s air pollution levels on Thursday ranged from poor to hazardous. During the past month, hazardous smoke has often blanketed Australia’s most populous city and made its skyline barely visible.

Hospitals have recorded a 10% increase in visits from patients with respiratory conditions during the past week.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Wildfires are also burning in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology said Tuesday was the hottest day on record in Australia with an average of 105.6 nationwide.

Perth, the capital, on the west coast, is experiencing its hottest December with average temperatures for the month at 97 and seven degrees above the mean.

Adelaide, in the southeast, is currently experiencing a four-day heat wave culminating in a high of 113 on Thursday.

The unprecedented conditions have reignited debate on whether Australia’s conservative government has taken enough action on climate change. Australia is the world’s largest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas.

Protesters on Thursday camped outside Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Sydney residence demanding urgent action on climate change.

Morrison, who is traveling, conceded last week that “climate change along with many other factors” contributed to the wildfires.

Here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:

TOP STORIES

Trump Is Impeached. What’s Next?

A sharply divided House of Representatives has impeached President Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — a condemnation that will permanently mar his legacy and one that only two other presidents have faced in the nation’s history.

The impeachment votes, in which every Republican voted no, followed more than 11 hours of debate in the House. In their speeches, Democrats frequently called Trump’s impeachment their constitutional duty, while Republicans called it a sham. (Some in the GOP likened it to the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor and the crucifixion of Jesus.)

Now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi must decide how soon to send the two articles of impeachment to the Senate. The speaker hinted that she might delay doing so — perhaps a way to put pressure on Senate Republicans to accept at least some Democratic demands about how the trial should be conducted.

Regardless, Trump is expected to be acquitted in the Senate and remain in office — and become the first impeached president to run for reelection.

Meanwhile, Back at the Rally …

As a Democratic House majority voted for impeachment last night, Trump was in his element: a “Merry Christmas” rally in Battle Creek, Mich.

For two hours and one minute, the president riffed about the “Space Force,” nuclear submarines, “Crooked” Hillary Clinton and low-flush toilets. At one point, he suggested the late Rep. John Dingell was in hell — a comment that drew murmurs of surprise and rare boos.

But while he opened his speech saying, “By the way, it doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached,” he vented his anger at what he called an “illegal and unconstitutional” impeachment.

The View From California

The historic impeachment vote was met with many cheers in California, which has been the heart of the resistance to the president and his policies, as well as jeers from the red corners of the Golden State.

Yet even here in one of the bluest states in the country — a place that has defied Trump on everything from immigration to climate change — voters say they are getting tired. Even if they approve of the job their elected officials are doing to get rid of a president for whom they did not vote, many say they are getting sick of the partisan divide they see coming out of Washington.

More About Impeachment

— The I-word: Democratic presidential candidates barely mention it. Republicans running in swing states have been trying to change the subject.

— How impeachment works: Yes, the action can be hard to follow. We break it down.

Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Times photographer Genaro Molina shot this photo of Muhammad Ali at a gallery opening in Watts on this day in 1996. “Ali arrived as the evening sun was setting and all this amazing light was spilling into the gallery,” Molina recalled. “There was one small patch of late afternoon light spilling in and I placed my hands in the the light, palms open, swirling in a narrow stream of light suggesting to Ali to place his face in the beam. Ali’s smile at me suggested he knew exactly what to do. He stepped into the light and everyone made their image. This is mine.”

CALIFORNIA

— The family’s new puppy was expensive and lovable, but she wasn’t a goldendoodle — or even a she. And after the dye started washing off in the bath, it became clear he was very, very sick.

— Christopher Darden, best known for prosecuting O.J. Simpson, is now representing Ed Buck, the Democratic donor accused of supplying fatal doses of narcotics to two men who died in his West Hollywood apartment.

— The family of an intellectually disabled man who was shot and killed by an off-duty LAPD officer in a Costco in Corona has sued the officer and the city.

— A man believed to be homeless was found dead outside L.A. City Hall.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

— “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is an epic failure of nerve, Justin Chang writes. He was hardly the only critic to find it a disappointing retread.

— Chang’s verdict on “Cats”: It’s a horror, and occasionally a hoot.

— A dark new adaptation isn’t your grandparents’ “A Christmas Carol,” and not only because Scrooge is hot.

— When it comes to small roles in big movies, it’s not the size of the part that counts, it’s how the actor plays it. Here are three to watch.

NATION-WORLD

— A federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate unconstitutional but delayed the decision’s impact, providing a limited victory for Republicans but leaving most parts of the law intact.

— The Supreme Court will decide if religious freedom shields Catholic schools from being sued by their teachers.

— The Trump administration, eager to show progress on prescription drug costs, is moving forward on its plan to let Americans get cheaper medicines from abroad.

— This Texas family supports the Border Patrol, but could lose land to Trump’s wall.

— Mass protests erupted across Poland denouncing the populist ruling party’s legislation to give the government the power to fire judges.

BUSINESS

— Meet the new NAFTA, same as the old NAFTA, mostly — not that California businesses mind. They’re just relieved to have some certainty.

— Mexico will soon boost its minimum wage by 20%. It will still be less than $1 an hour.

SPORTS

— On early signing day, the nation’s top high school football prospects made their college choices. Here’s a recap.

— Serving the community, not running a sports team, is what Magic Johnson does best, columnist Bill Plaschke writes.

— Turns out Dodgers infielder Max Muncy had a good reason to be peeved about all those autograph requests.

OPINION

— California has power over PG&E. It should use it, The Times’ editorial board writes.

— Columnist Steve Lopez: Let’s shift stalled bullet train funds to L.A. and San Francisco, where they’ll do some good.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

— A former investment manager alleges in a whistleblower complaint to the Internal Revenue Service that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has amassed about $100 billion in accounts intended for charitable purposes, according to a copy of the complaint. The church said it takes seriously its responsibility to care for members’ donations. (Washington Post)

— The music that prisoners made in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust is being discovered and performed. (60 Minutes)

— Among China’s food trends this year: carbonated coffee and hot-pot-flavored everything, including toothpaste. (Goldthread)

ONLY IN L.A.

Is it Our Lady of Guadalupe — or a sidewalk water stain? In Artesia, the faithful say it’s la virgencita herself appearing in the concrete outside Holy Family Catholic Church. In today’s Column One feature, reporter Gustavo Arellano looks at a spot that could be mineral deposits or a harbinger of miracles.

If you like the Today’s Headlines newsletter, please share it with friends. Comments or ideas? Email us at [email protected].

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

The prolific RB Leipzig forward is generating transfer talk once again, with Don Hutchison saying the German would be a shrewd addition at Anfield

Liverpool should be in the transfer mix if Timo Werner becomes available, says former Reds midfielder Don Hutchison, with the RB Leipzig frontman considered to be a “good fit” for the Premier League leaders.

The prolific Germany international striker has long been linked with a move to England.

With 84 goals recorded across 138 appearances for Leipzig, and with another 11 efforts netted for his country, the 23-year-old is one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe.

Werner’s loyalty to his current employers has kept him off the market, but it is considered to be only a matter of time before a big-money switch is pushed through.

Chelsea, with a two-window embargo at Stamford Bridge having been lifted, are said to be mulling over an approach.

Hutchison, though, believes that Jurgen Klopp should be eyeing up a fellow countryman, despite a £7.25 million ($10m) deal for Japan international winger Takumi Minamino being close to completion.

Quizzed by ESPN FC on whether Werner could end up at Chelsea, Hutchison said: “I thought you were going to say Liverpool because he’d be a good fit there!.

“I think Timo Werner anywhere in the Premier League would be a good fit.

“I’ve always liked him, I think he’s one of the quickest out there, he knows where the back of the net is.

“He’s only young as well, plays with high energy, so I think he would be sensational for the Premier League.”

Hutchison’s former Scotland international team-mate Craig Burley also had his say on a potential move for Werner.

He is excited by the prospect of a proven performer arriving in the Premier League, be that at Chelsea or somewhere else.

The ex-Blues star said: “Would I like to see him at Chelsea? I don’t particularly care, I’m not bothered. I have no preference.

“He’s clearly a good player who eventually is going to have to make, I would think, a big move.”

Werner is currently chasing down a Bundesliga title triumph with Leipzig, who sit top of the table in Germany, with Julian Nagelsmann’s side also through to the last 16 of the Champions League – where they will meet Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.

Du 24 au 26 décembre prochains, Meghan Markle passera son premier Noël avec la famille royale. Et c’est peu dire si la jeune femme va devoir faire très attention…

Noël approche et pour Meghan Markle, ces fêtes de fin d’année vont rimer avec stress et mondanité. Car la jeune épouse du prince Harry sera pour la première fois à la table de réveillon de la reine, à Sandringham. La future maman sait d’ors-et-déjà qu’elle pourra compter sur sa mère Doria Ragland et son époux pour éviter le faux pas. Il ne faut évidemment pas blesser, ni bousculer la reine en cette période. Mais Meghan va peut-être aussi écouter les conseils de Sarah Ferguson.

La duchesse d’York a déjà connu les noëls avec la famille royale. Dans la presse britannique, elle explique avoir trouvé les journées « épuisantes » à Norfolk. Pendant deux jours, du 24 au 26 décembre, la reine ne se repose pas et veut impérativement que le protocole soit respecté. Il y a des règles pour chacun des invités. Que cela plaise ou non. Meghan est avertie !

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Parmi les règles instaurées par la reine Elisabeth, il y a la cérémonie de présentation des cadeaux juste après le thé (des cadeaux allant de confitures maison à de la porcelaine), l’apéritif au martini ou encore le dîner avec une cravate noire et un placement strict, alternant un homme, une femme. Mais une autre règle, révélée par Fergie, risque de plaire à Meghan Markle. En effet, la duchesse âgée de 59 ans raconte qu’elle « devait changer sept fois de tenues entre la veille de Noël et le jour J ». Il y avait évidemment un dress code pour chaque occasion. L’épouse du prince Harry devrait ainsi prendre du plaisir à choisir toutes ses tenues, elle qui est une férue de mode et qui ne s’en cache pas. Elle pensera probablement aussi à quelles tenues pour sa mère, Doria ayant l’immense honneur d’être présente durant ces festivités. Pour l’anecdote, la mère de Kate Middleton n’a jamais eu cette chance !

Le jour de Noël, la tradition reprendra toute sa place. Une cérémonie à l’église dès 11 heures, une marche pendant le discours de la Reine, un thé de Noël et un diner luxueux. Encore et toujours. Mais entre deux moments forts, Meghan se rapprochera de la reine. D’après l’ex-majordome de Diana, Paul Burrel, la jeune femme « tentera d’attirer l’attention de la monarque. Le meilleur moment pour cela c’est quand la reine est assise à table pour jouer aux cartes. C’est un moment où Meghan pourrait passer du temps avec la reine, et lui dire ce qu’elle pense, ce qu’elle ressent ». Que de pression pour ce premier Noël.

Crédits photos : Jackson Chris/PA Wire/ABACA

Sur le plateau de C à Vous, les rappeurs Bigflo & Oli ont raconté une drôle d’anecdote au sujet d’une de leur chanson qui évoque Michel Drucker.

“Nous aussi. T’as rencontré Michel Drucker ? Devine quoi ? Nous aussi“, chantent Bigflo et Oli dans leur dernier titre, Nous aussi 2. Dans cette chanson, les deux rappeurs, de leurs vrais noms Florian et Olivio, racontent leur parcours et leur histoire, celle de deux artistes bien décidés à faire carrière dans le monde de la musique, et qui finissent par rencontrer le succès. Pourtant, n’allez pas croire toutes les paroles de la chanson : les deux jeunes gens n’ont jamais rencontré le plus emblématique des animateurs et meilleur ami des stars.

Ils s’en sont ouvert à l’occasion de leur passage sur le plateau de C à Vous, ce mardi 18 décembre. “C’est un mensonge, nous ne l’avons pas encore rencontré“, ont-ils confessé. “Je dois dire la vérité : c’était une manière de dire qu’on a fait de la télé.” Pourtant, les deux frères ne sont pas passés loin de rencontrer enfin la star qu’ils évoquent dans leur morceau. Michel Drucker avait en effet accepté de faire une apparition dans leur clip !

Seulement voilà, à la dernière minute, l’animateur a été contraint d’annuler : “Il devait être dans le clip mais il y a eu un problème de planning.” Mais Bigflo et Oli ne désespèrent pas : “J’espère qu’on le verra un jour“, ont-ils affirmé avant de lancer un appel au principal intéressé : “Michel, on t’a cité dans la chanson mais malheureusement on a menti mais ça serait bien que tu nous fasses pas mentir et qu’on se voit. Merci pour ta gentillesse.” Le message est passé.

Crédits photos : Agence / Bestimage