The Los Angeles Times today announced plans to cut 250 positions across the company, including 150 positions in editorial, in a new effort to bring expenses into line with declining revenue. In a further cost-cutting step, the paper will reduce the number of pages it publishes each week by 15%.

More here. 

Great story in The Forward about Sasha Baron Cohen’s new project. Dressed in leather and studs, his arms and chest shaven, Cohen spoke in a heavy German accent, with “ultra-gay” movements and mannerisms as he interviewed a Jew and a Palestinian:

“Vait, vait. Vat’s zee connection between a political movement and food. Vy hummus?”

We exchanged astonished glances. “Hamas,” we explained, “is a Palestinian Islamist political movement. Hummus is a food.”

“Ya, but vy hummus? Yesterday I had to throw away my pita bread because it vas dripping hummus. Unt it’s too high in carbohydrates.”

The Hamas-hummus confusion went on for several minutes. Then, the interviewer declared: “Your conflict is not so bad. Jennifer-Angelina is worse.” 

My piece on illegal drugs detected in city sewers is up.

The CCTV building in Beijing:

Newsweek finds out Cindy McCain is behind on the property tax bills on her La Jolla, Calif. condo.

 Shortly after NEWSWEEK inquired about the matter, the McCain aide e-mailed a receipt dated Friday, June 27, confirming payment by the trust to San Diego County in the amount of $6,744.42.