Newsletter: Today: Trump Goes Back to Blaming ‘Both Sides’ in Charlottesville
President Trump has caused a new furor by giving the foes of white supremacists equal blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Va. 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
Trump Goes Back to Blaming ‘Both Sides’
In the gilded lobby of New York’s Trump Tower, President Trump returned to the topic of the violence in Charlottesville, Va.: “What about the alt-left that came charging at the — as you say — the alt-right? Do they have any semblance of guilt?” Before departing, Trump condemned the alleged white supremacist charged in a deadly car attack; suggested more jobs would improve race relations; mentioned the Trump Winery in Charlottesville; and said of plans to remove Confederate statues: “So this week it’s Robert E. Lee…. I wonder — is it George Washington next week? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You really have to ask yourself, where does it stop?” (Read the transcript here.) New White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly was seen looking at the floor. Afterward, Trump drew a fresh round of rebuke from Democrats, many Republicans and business leaders, and got a thank-you tweet from former KKK leader David Duke.
More From the Charlottesville Aftermath
-- Who was responsible for the violence over the weekend? Here’s what witnesses say.
-- The Hollywood Forever Cemetery will remove a monument commemorating Confederate veterans; some activists threatened vandalism.
-- In some states, it’s illegal to take down monuments or change street names honoring the Confederacy.
All Is Slightly More Quiet on the Korean Front
You know things have been tense when it’s seen as a positive sign that North Korea has returned to its usual rhetoric of planning to “wring the windpipes of the Yankees and point daggers at their necks” if the U.S. and South Korea conduct their annual military exercises next week. For now, at least, the latest nuclear crisis appears to have eased. But the long-term threats remain.
Why Buying American Is Complicated, Part 1
For a president who preaches an “America first” philosophy, it seems like a no-brainer: Add a “buy American” provision into the North American Free Trade Agreement that would give the edge to U.S. companies when it comes to federal government purchases. But as officials start talks today with their Mexican and Canadian counterparts to rewrite NAFTA, doing so won’t be easy. It’s a proposition made even more complicated by competing interests among American companies.
Would a Tariff Burn Up the Solar Industry?
Speaking of competing interests … . Two bankrupt solar panel makers in the U.S. want President Trump to slap tariffs on their competitors in China and other countries so they can get back on their feet. But American solar installers and some unlikely allies — including conservative think tanks and big electricity companies — say that would be penny-wise and pound-foolish, considering the estimated 88,000 jobs that could evaporate when the price of panels doubles. Meanwhile, coal, oil and gas firms stand to benefit.
LAUSD’s Building Plan Is Complete, Just in Time for an Enrollment Drop
It took 20 years and cost $10 billion, but the largest school construction project in the U.S. has come to an end. With the opening of the $160-million Maywood Center for Enriched Studies in southeast Los Angeles County this week, the final piece of the L.A. Unified puzzle is in place. But the picture of what the school district looks like now is different: Enrollment is shrinking, staggered scheduling is gone, and the question now is how to pay for renovations of old campuses and maintenance of new facilities.
MUST-WATCH VIDEO
-- Ten minutes from President Trump’s Q&A in which he blamed “both sides” for the violence in Charlottesville and spoke about White House advisor Stephen K. Bannon’s future.
-- Two Border Patrol agents discuss the changes at the U.S.-Mexico border, looking at the situation decades ago and now.
-- Kevin Costner has cut his asking price for his ocean bluff property in Carpinteria. Just $55 million now!
CALIFORNIA
-- Carol T. Christ, UC Berkeley’s 11th chancellor and the first woman to lead the nation’s top public research university, unveiled plans for a “Free Speech Year” as right-wing speakers prepare to come to campus.
-- A group of California lawmakers called for the National Park Service to rescind a permit issued for a pro-Trump rally organized by a blogger and scheduled for Aug. 26 in San Francisco.
-- A third woman has come forward claiming that film director Roman Polanski sexually assaulted her in the 1970s when she was underage.
-- L.A. County sheriff’s detectives are searching for the journal and friends of a man who overdosed at the home of a prominent Democratic donor in West Hollywood.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- “My fight every day was their fight 250 years ago”: The “Hamilton” creative team speaks about why the show works.
-- Surprise! A stealth Louis C.K. movie will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival next month.
-- MoviePass, a subscription ticket reselling startup, is trying to become the Netflix of movie theaters. But the world’s largest chain, AMC Theatres, isn’t happy about that idea.
-- Robert Yancy, son of the late R&B star Natalie Cole and grandson of music legend Nat King Cole, has died at age 39.
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD
If you grew up in the 1950s or ’60s, you probably remember Fess Parker, the 6-foot-6 actor who first played Davy Crockett and then Daniel Boone on TV. The man who made coonskin caps a kids’ fashion statement was born on this date in 1924 and died March 18, 2010.
NATION-WORLD
-- The federal deficit would swell and premiums for some health plans would rise sharply if the Trump administration makes good on a threat to cut off subsidies for low- and medium-income buyers of health insurance, the Congressional Budget Office said.
-- With a strong push from President Trump, Alabama Sen. Luther Strange secured a runoff spot in the Republican primary for the seat he has held since he was appointed to replace Jeff Sessions.
-- In a direct challenge to Trump, Iran’s president says it could restart its nuclear program “within hours.”
-- Hong Kong police arrested a pro-democracy opposition party member, saying surveillance footage contradicted his claim of being kidnapped by mainland Chinese.
-- Your solar eclipse checklist: what to look for on the big day.
BUSINESS
-- With plans to protest outside Google’s offices this weekend, conservatives are taking America’s culture wars directly to Silicon Valley.
-- Wells Fargo’s chairman and two directors will step down amid the continuing fallout from the bank’s sham-accounts scandal.
SPORTS
-- The Dodgers are glad to finally have Yu Darvish, and all his complexities, in L.A.
-- Inglewood residents and a church wouldn’t be displaced under a new agreement between the City Council and the Clippers on a potential arena.
OPINION
-- Trump doubles down on his irresponsible, inexcusable comments about Charlottesville.
-- The trio that pulled the U.S. back from the nuclear brink.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- David French argues that Trump’s comments are the stuff of the alt-right’s dreams. (National Review)
-- Are Confederate statues considered art? (The News & Observer)
-- “It’s hard not to take it personally”: The Japanese American star of a touring production of “The Little Mermaid” faces fans who are upset Ariel isn’t white. (Buffalo News)
ONLY IN L.A.
Outside, a 6-foot chartreuse sculpture of a dog stands sentinel. Inside, three real rescue dogs rule the roost. When Robert Alschuler and Meryl Wecksler bought this 1940s ranch house in Santa Monica two decades ago, it was mostly white and beige. Now it’s just as colorful as the contemporary art that fills it. “If someone comes in and says this house is so you — it’s so crazy and out there and eclectic,” Wecksler says, “I say thank you.”
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
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