Newsletter: Today: Trump’s War on Journalism
More from our editorial board: a look behind President Trump’s “fake news” claims. 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’s War on Journalism
“Pathetic.” “Very dishonest.” “The enemy of the American people.” President Trump saves some his most pointed words for the news media. The Times Editorial Board says his strategy is clear: “By branding reporters as liars, he apparently hopes to discredit, disrupt or bully into silence anyone who challenges his version of reality.” Part 4 in our series of editorials on the Trump presidency examines his war on journalism. So, what do you think of the series so far? We’ve received a lot of emails, but now you can also leave us a voicemail by calling (951) 39-HeyLA.
The EPA Is Down in the Dumps
Some concerned citizens are sending appreciative notes and cookies to lift the spirits of Environmental Protection Agency employees. Since Trump took office, morale has plummeted as his administration looks to stop work on climate change, cut the Superfund program in half and more. Even old-timers like Bill Ruckelshaus, the first EPA chief under Richard Nixon and later under Ronald Reagan, are saying, “Hang in there.”
More Politics
-- The White House and the GOP are aiming for a do-over of the failed Obamacare repeal plan, but chances for agreement are slim.
-- Trump’s team hopes his force of personality will break through with Chinese President Xi Jinping. That approach hasn’t worked for past U.S. leaders.
-- Civil rights groups are expressing alarm at Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions’ order for a review of more than a dozen federal agreements with troubled police forces.
-- Trump has signed a repeal of the FCC’s Internet privacy rule. Here’s what happens next.
A Sickening Attack in Syria. How Will Trump Respond?
In northern Syria, dozens of people are dead and many more injured after a suspected chemical weapons attack. The U.S. government publicly blamed Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces, while they denied responsibility. In a statement, Trump condemned Assad’s “heinous actions” but also sought to blame President Obama’s “weakness and irresolution.” The attack came just days after the Trump administration walked away from the previous U.S. policy calling for Assad to leave office.
Safety Net for a Stranger
Many readers reached out to columnist Steve Lopez after he profiled Edythe “Edie” Russell over the weekend. She’s the 78-year-old woman who was living in her PT Cruiser with her dogs, Chloe and Tippy, in a Carlsbad parking lot. The readers wanted to know how to help. And some living in the area found her, which is where this tale of a small community lending a helping hand begins.
Psst … Let’s Make a Development Deal!
It’s a secret practice that goes back decades in Los Angeles: developers and homeowner groups cutting confidential deals so that projects can move forward. “In certain parts of the city, unless you budget $1 million-plus for secret legal settlements, you shouldn’t even start a project,” says one developer. But is it “hush money” or a necessary tool for protecting communities? A dust-up in Culver City over parking is putting the issue in focus.
CALIFORNIA
-- The race to succeed Xavier Becerra in representing L.A.’s 34th Congressional District will go to a run-off June 6.
-- The Trump administration has eased the way for a project to take Mojave Desert groundwater and sell it to Southern California. Obama’s team had blocked it.
-- Officials say federal agents raided the Bicycle Hotel & Casino in Bell Gardens, seizing thousands of financial records amid a money-laundering investigation.
-- Police said a motocross rider, whose jump over the 60 Freeway became an Internet sensation, was critically injured performing an off-road stunt.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- The latest in our “L.A. Without the NEA” series: how Self Help Graphics empowers day laborers through art.
-- Academy Award-winning actress Lee Grant discusses classic films, the blacklist and being a female director in Hollywood.
-- Pitch-perfect comedy? Hank Azaria stars in the TV show “Brockmire” as a washed-up baseball announcer trying to get back to the big leagues.
-- A Pepsi ad starring Kendall Jenner has opened up a can of worms by riffing off of social protests.
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD
Oscar-winning actor and champion of conservative causes Charlton Heston died on this date in 2008. Back in 1996, Heston and screenwriter Gore Vidal had a memorable feud in the pages of The Times’ Calendar section. The actor was upset over Vidal’s claim of having written a scene into “Ben-Hur” that implied a gay relationship between Heston’s character and another. That “insults [director] Willy Wyler and, I have to say, irritates the hell out of me,” Heston wrote. Vidal responded in kind. Read the whole exchange here.
NATION-WORLD
-- North Korea fired another ballistic missile into the waters off its east coast, prompting a curt response from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
-- A federal appeals court in Chicago ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay and lesbian employees from workplace discrimination.
-- The Internal Revenue Service is resuming the use of private debt collectors, but it says to be on the lookout for scammers.
-- Voters in Ferguson, Mo., went to the polls for their first mayoral election since protests erupted there three years ago.
-- Strange but true: The new mayor of Sao Paolo is a celebrity businessman-turned-politician who once hosted “The Apprentice” in Brazil.
BUSINESS
-- Changes to the H-1B visa policy are making Silicon Valley tech companies and would-be job seekers nervous.
-- Wells Fargo & Co. has been ordered to rehire a whistle-blower and pay him $5.4 million in back pay, damages and legal fees.
SPORTS
-- UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has a new perspective after an injury-shortened season, and part of it is to keep “his inner LaVar Ball in check,” columnist Dylan Hernandez writes.
-- Vin Scully is a tough act to follow, but Times baseball reporter Bill Shaikin says new Dodgers announcer Joe Davis did just fine.
OPINION
-- When it comes to healthcare, Republicans need to take a Hippocratic Oath to do no harm.
-- Has the United States abandoned its commitment to human rights?
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- Trust documents show President Trump can pull out money from his businesses whenever he wants. (ProPublica)
-- A woman named Lisa Davis tracks down the “other Lisa Davis,” whose unpaid traffic tickets made her life a nightmare. But there’s a surprise. (The Guardian)
-- An adventure photographer heading out for his third expedition to climb Mt. Everest discusses the demons that drove him to the top. (National Geographic)
ONLY IN CALIFORNIA
If you’re going to Coachella, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair … and if one Santa Barbara-based company were to have its way, some joints too. Last week, it announced a limited-edition “Coachella Blend” of pre-rolled joints and matching white rose-cannabis garland. Organizers of this month’s giant music festival weren’t too high on the idea: They sent a cease-and-desist letter to stop the marketing of the product with the festival name.
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
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