DOUCHE OF THE DAY: Dad accused of selling meth while pushing toddler in shopping cart

(KABC photo)

A man accused of selling drugs while pushing his toddler around in a shopping cart in Glendale was arrested. Police say 32-year-old Eric Lopez was taken into custody on Wednesday on suspicion of selling drugs and child neglect. Officers searched his pockets and found 10 individual bags of meth. Police say the toddler was under dressed and smelled of feces and vomit. The child was taken to a hospital and is now in custody of the county. [ABC]

Brennan Confirmed as CIA Director After Drone Delay

The U.S. Senate approved John Brennan as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency Thursday after a Republican senator ended his delay of the vote earlier in the day. His elevation to the post was widely expected, though he faced vocal opposition from critics like Sen. Rand Paul, who filibustered the vote and demanded more answers from President Barack Obama’s administration on when they might use unmanned drones to target Americans suspected of being terrorists. [KTLA]

For Sale: Naming Rights For (Parts Of) The Hollywood Bowl

Photo of the Hollywood Bowl by martysalgs via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

Picture it: Your name (or your company's name) up on the box office plaza at the Hollywood Bowl. It can be yours...for a price. The operators of the historic performance venue, The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, have been approved to offer naming rights for certain areas of the Bowl. Unlike the home of Major League Soccer's L.A. Galaxy, whose stadium has just been rechristened the StubHub Center thanks to new naming rights, the Hollywood Bowl (thank gawd!) will remain the Hollywood Bowl, and no one's name or logo is going on the ampitheatre's iconic shell. Donors will be able to put their names on places like the aforementioned box office plaza, the main stage and the conductor's suite. Money from the naming rights will go towards improvements at the Bowl. [LAist]

United Holds Flight for Man to See Dying Mother

See! Kindness does exist. If Kerry Drake missed his connecting flight, he wouldn’t get to the hospital in time to say goodbye to his mother. Drake got the news on the morning of January 24 that his mother, who had been ill for years from rheumatoid arthritis and had been especially sick the last four months, was dying. To get to his mother in Lubbock, Texas, the San Francisco resident booked a United Airlines flight, with only 40 minutes between connecting flights in Houston. hen his first flight was delayed, Drake thought he would miss his connecting flight to Lubbock, the last one of the day. He started crying, obviously distraught. The flight attendants brought napkins for his tears, said they would do what they could to help, and most importantly, got his connecting flight information to the captain. When he got off the airport train and was running toward the gate, “I was still like maybe 20 yards away when I heard the gate agent say, ‘Mr. Drake, we’ve been expecting you,’” he said. With the information from the flight attendants, the captain had radioed ahead about Drake’s situation, and the Lubbock crew had delayed departure to get him on board. Until that point, Drake had been rushing on adrenaline to make the flight. Finally sitting on that second airplane, he realized how much had gone into helping him get on that plane. “I was overcome with emotion,” he said. Even his luggage arrived on time. The Houston ground crew made sure of it. He made it to the hospital in time to see his mother. “At one point she opened her eyes, and I think she recognized me,” said Drake, who spent the night at the hospital. “Around 4 a.m. she had a real moment of coherence, a last rally, although we didn’t know it at the time. It was the last time.” She died that morning. [KTLA]

 Sam Mendes says no to next James Bond film

(OTRC photo)

Sam Mendes says he won't be directing the next James Bond film but may work on the series again in the future. Mendes directed "Skyfall," which is the first Bond film to rake in more than $1 billion in revenue. But the director says he has made the decision to focus on other projects "that need my complete focus over the next year and beyond." They include upcoming London stage productions of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "King Lear." Mendes told the movie magazine Empire that he was honored to have been part of the Bond family, "and very much hope I have a chance to work with them again." Before turning to film, Mendes worked in theater. He won an Academy Award for the 2000 film "American Beauty." [ABC]