Newsletter: Today: A Hero From the Home of the Brave
Decades ago, a small town grappled with issues the nation is again debating today. On this Independence Day, we look back. I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss.
TOP STORIES
A Hero From the Home of the Brave
Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura was born in Gallup, N.M., to Japanese immigrant parents in 1925. He was a Boy Scout, delivered newspapers and played Hopalong Cassidy and Flash Gordon. Then, during World War II, much of the country would come to see anyone like him — of Japanese ancestry — as a threat. Not so in Gallup, where the town’s sheriff said, “They are citizens here, and we are not going to round them up.” Miyamura would go on to become an American hero during the Korean War. Here is the story of his bravery — and a lesson in tolerance that’s just as relevant today.
Pence’s High-Wire Act: Praising Trump and Lawyering Up
Like all vice presidents of the United States, Mike Pence is a proverbial heartbeat away from the presidency. Unlike any other veep, he operates in Donald Trump’s unique shadow. As drama swirls daily around the president’s efforts to turn Washington on its ear, Pence seems to have two basic mantras: Everything is normal, and “the greatest privilege of my life” is to work for Trump. At the same time, he’s moved to protect himself, by hiring a personal attorney and setting up an independent political committee.
More Politics
-- North Korea claims to have test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, which a weapons analyst says could be powerful enough to reach Alaska. U.S. and South Korean officials have claimed the launch was of an intermediate-range missile.
-- The White House says the Trump-CNN wrestling video “did not come from Reddit,” but a Reddit user with a history of posting racist, homophobic, anti-Islamic and anti-Semitic comments is claiming credit.
-- A federal appeals court has ordered the EPA to move ahead with an Obama-era rule to monitor and reduce methane leaks.
California’s Supreme Court: ‘Three Strikes’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Walk’
How do you reduce the big prison population in California? The state Supreme Court has ruled that forcing judges to lighten the sentences of some “three-strike” offenders isn’t the way to do it. Voters passed two ballot measures in the last five years aimed at reducing the number of inmates through sentencing, but the high court says judges have broad authority when it comes to three-strikers.
Another Workplace Scandal in Murdoch’s Empire
First, a sexual harassment scandal hit Fox News in New York, with Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly being shown the door. Now, new allegations of harassment have rocked Fox Sports in Los Angeles. Jamie Horowitz, the head of sports programming who tried to position Fox Sports 1 as a more provocative alternative to ESPN, has been abruptly fired. The move came about a week after Fox began investigating the claims.
Can Tesla Put the Pedal to the Metal?
Tesla is getting ready to face the ultimate road test in its quest to mass-produce electric cars. Though it has run into snags with its luxury Model X and Model S, chief executive Elon Musk tweeted that the company will deliver 30 Model 3s (the cars with a $35,000 base price) by the end of July, and ramp up production to 20,000 Model 3s a month by December. Can it get past the quality snafus, lack of a traditional dealer system and the growing competition? In six months, we may have a clearer idea.
MUST-WATCH VIDEO
-- Here’s how a group of volunteers is restoring Mosul University after Islamic State fighters were driven from the area.
-- Women in the Wildland Fire boot camp bring diversity to firefighting.
-- The online shop Loot Crate may have grown too fast.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
-- Here’s your handy-dandy guide to fireworks shows in and around Los Angeles, and some tips on how to photograph them.
-- Why you should be grilling with mayonnaise. Really.
-- Three of the first five U.S. presidents died on the Fourth of July. The eerie coincidence did not go unnoticed in early U.S. history.
CALIFORNIA
-- The human toll from California’s dangerous river conditions climbed again last weekend after authorities reported a boy drowned and another person missing.
-- An L.A. jury convicted a drug dealer of voluntary manslaughter in the beating death of his wife’s lover — a 20th Century Fox executive whose body was found in the desert more than two years after he disappeared.
-- California is seeing an increase in hate crimes, according to the state Department of Justice.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- What’s as American as baseball, mom and apple pie? TV shows with the word “American” in the title.
-- Speaking of … Neil Gaiman discusses the “American Gods” season finale and what’s on tap for Season 2.
-- On “A League of Their Own’s” 25th anniversary, Geena Davis still isn’t afraid to say “feminist.”
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD
It’s been 46 years since Doors frontman Jim Morrison died in Paris at age 27. Though he and the band are L.A. rock legends, they didn’t always light The Times’ fire. “Perhaps Morrison should give up performing, which seems to be an effort for him, and concentrate on reciting and writing poetry,” reads one 1968 review. And there were plenty more instances of The Times beating down the Doors.
NATION-WORLD
-- The Persian Gulf crisis over Qatar is testing and dividing the Trump administration.
-- French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to lift a state of emergency that has been in place since 2015, but also to harden permanent security measures to fight Islamic extremism and other threats.
-- And for a change of pace: At 10,000 feet above sea level in Colorado’s Rockies, a library takes shape, blending nature and books.
BUSINESS
-- Columnist Michael Hiltzik says that as the GOP moves toward repeal, a government report shows Obamacare is working well.
-- A trade disagreement is roiling the solar industry, and Trump may have the final word.
SPORTS
-- The Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez might not play until September, but whatever happens, he’s at peace with it.
-- Former player-turned-general manager Rob Blake faces the formidable task of reviving the L.A. Kings.
OPINION
-- How should an angry liberal celebrate the Fourth of July? Fly the flag even higher.
-- Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. delivered a speech that should make Trump’s ears burn.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- Why the Declaration of Independence was written as an appeal to France and Spain. (Smithsonian Magazine)
-- “It’s called firework. Not fire fun”: Inside the Southern California company that makes fireworks for shows across the nation. (Orange County Register)
-- Before Uncle Sam, the crude and cunning Brother Jonathan was a personification of America in cartoon form. (Atlas Obscura)
ONLY IN CALIFORNIA
Dude, where’s my car? A Simi Valley resident said she decided to take her husband’s white Ford Fusion for a much-needed car wash before brunch in Malibu. While she was waiting for the finishing touches, another woman posed as the owner and took off. Luckily for her, there was no clean getaway.
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