Newsletter: Today: OxyContin’s 12-Hour Problem. Behind the ‘Grim Sleeper’ Verdict.
I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss today.
TOP STORIES
‘You Want a Description of Hell?’ OxyContin’s 12-Hour Problem
A lot has been written over the last 20 years about OxyContin and its role in the nation’s prescription drug epidemic. But a Times investigation -- by reporters Harriet Ryan, Lisa Girion and Scott Glover -- uncovered something new about why so many people have become addicted. It involves the 12-hour dosing that Purdue Pharma pushed. This is the untold story of America’s bestselling painkiller.
More About OxyContin
-- “I’ve gotta get more medicine”: Watch the video that explains the OxyContin issue.
-- His next pill: An OxyContin user’s journey from pain relief to obsession and addiction.
-- Have you or a loved one had an experience with OxyContin? Please tell us about it.
Three Decades Later, a Guilty ‘Grim Sleeper’ Verdict
The nine women and one 15-year-old girl were found slain from 1985 to 2007 in South L.A., including a gap of 13 years that led to the name “Grim Sleeper.” Police were accused of indifference in hunting the killer down. Now, a jury has found Lonnie David Franklin Jr., a former L.A. police garage attendant and city garbage collector, guilty of their murders. Next: Jurors will hear evidence to help decide whether he gets life in prison or the death penalty. Here are the stories of the Grim Sleeper’s victims.
The FDA Puts a Cap on Vape Pens
Just a day after California moved to prohibit e-cigarettes in public places where smoking is already banned, the FDA announced its plans to regulate vaping the same as traditional cigarettes. Those in the fast-growing vaping industry complain that the million-dollar approval process will drive smaller players out of business.
As Water Agencies Bicker, a Town Stays Dry
A victim of the drought, East Porterville in Central California has drawn international attention for its lack of running water. Even after the state spent money last year for a new well, some residents still must use portable showers in a parking lot because of quarreling among government agencies. So now the state is planning to build its own water system, but it’s not as simple as just digging ditches.
Trouble in the House of Redstone
It’s a case most experts thought would settle, given its undercurrents of family discord, sex and hundreds of millions of dollars. But barring a last-minute deal, a trial to determine whether Sumner Redstone is mentally competent begins today in L.A. Court documents state two former girlfriends received $150 million from him over five years. Here’s how it came to this point.
Will Something Make These Kids Smile?
The Children’s Palace in North Korea is billed by the government as a temple to youth. Times reporter Julie Makinen was escorted there for a recent visit and a performance in the venue’s auditorium. Before the show, the audience of adolescents sat silently, staring straight ahead. Would something make them giggle?
CALIFORNIA
-- San Bernardino County plans to create a memorial to the terrorist attack victims.
-- The state Supreme Court seems likely to clear the way for a ballot measure allowing the early release of some prison inmates.
-- A judge rules that an L.A. County board made errors in its decision to reinstate a social worker involved in a child torture case.
-- Urth Caffe’s owner will fight allegations by a group of Muslim women that they were discriminated against in Laguna Beach.
NATION-WORLD
-- House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Donald Trump state they’re “not ready” to support each other.
-- A source says a top aide to Hillary Clinton has been questioned by the FBI in its email server investigation.
-- A Muslim candidate is the favorite in London’s mayoral race despite being called “radical” by rival.
-- Watch: Conductor Valery Gergiev confronts terrorism with Brahms in a Palmyra temple once overrun by Islamic State.
-- Video: American women in hijabs talk of strength and struggle.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- Enough with the ageist cracks about “Old-chella.” These Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees deserve better than that.
-- How a long-lost Rembrandt painting found its way to the Getty Museum.
-- “The Girlfriend Experience’s” Amy Seimetz on Hollywood’s oversimplification of the female psyche.
-- Movie review: B-movie fantasy meets hard-scrabble reality in Jean-Luc Godard’s exquisite “Band of Outsiders.”
-- Video: Jay Duplass talks about “Togetherness,” the HBO series he co-created, and his role on the Amazon series “Transparent.”
BUSINESS
-- Why so few workers take paid family leave.
-- Hospitals are wrestling with how to deal with California’s assisted suicide law, which goes into effect June 9.
SPORTS
-- The Rams’ rookie orientation and mini-camp begins today, and here’s what the coaches are looking for.
-- Pepperdine pitcher A.J. Puckett’s scoreless streak ends at 45 2/3 innings.
OPINION
-- Hillary Clinton speaks to the L.A. Times editorial board about war, women and her ability to navigate partisan obstructionism.
-- Rich Angelenos are giving less to charity, and the consequences are dire.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- A new “problem that has no name”: the bleak finances of the U.S. middle class. (The Atlantic)
-- Jon Snow is what? Some thoughts on “spoiler etiquette.” (Vulture)
-- Beware. Here’s what can happen when your video goes viral. (Dance/USA)
ONLY IN L.A.
People are strange, as the Doors’ Jim Morrison sang. An apparently false rumor on social media that Morrison once wrote lyrics in a cave at Malibu Creek State Park has made it a magnet for vandalism, graffiti and other nefarious activity. The cave is now closed, while officials prepare to blast its walls with walnut shells to remove a lot of paint. Take a virtual tour of the cave here.
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
