Newsletter: Today: Trump Finally Said It: Racist Violence Is Repugnant
President Trump finally denounced the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists by name, but the controversy doesn’t end there. 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 Finally Said It: Racist Violence Is Repugnant
It took President Trump two days to read a statement explicitly blaming white supremacists for racist violence in Charlottesville, Va. It took less than an hour for him to start a Twitter attack on Merck Chief Executive Kenneth C. Frazier, who resigned from a White House manufacturing council in protest of the president’s initial response. That disparity in reaction time, coupled with the fact Frazier is African American, only added more fuel to the furor over the president’s response.
More Politics
-- The CEO of Merck wasn’t alone: Top leaders from Intel and Under Armour also quit the advisory panel over the Charlottesville controversy.
-- Trump retweeted Jack Posobiec, who has pushed the PizzaGate and Seth Rich conspiracy theories.
-- Trump’s choice in the Alabama Senate race is struggling ahead of today’s primary, as Republican loyalties split.
The Shockwaves of Charlottesville
As Charlottesville began to recover from the weekend of violence that left three people dead, the shockwaves from it continued to be felt. White nationalists and pro-Confederate groups have announced rallies and speaking events in Virginia, Texas and beyond. City officials in Kentucky and Maryland have promised to swiftly tear down Confederate monuments after years of debates. And in Durham, N.C., protesters took things into their own hands, toppling a 15-foot statue of a Confederate soldier.
How Pyongyang Gets Its Provisions
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he has decided not to launch a missile attack on Guam, not long after Defense Secretary James N. Mattis warned that such an attack could escalate to war. Though it’s not clear if the announcements were linked, the immediate standoff has deescalated somewhat. (Time to book that trip to Guam?) As for the longer term, sanctions could have an effect, but much depends on how strictly China cooperates. Here’s a look at how Chinese companies act as shopping agencies to help North Korea violate sanctions.
They Survived the Fire, but the Memories Burn
California is entering peak wildfire season, but in the southern Sierra Nevada, many residents are still reeling from the Erskine fire that destroyed their homes more than a year ago. Particularly hard hit was a small community of low-income residents and retirees called South Lake, which became a charred ghost town. For one couple, that meant spending nearly 13 months in a trailer. But even for those who are rebuilding, the memories are painful.
Netflix: We’re Going to Shondaland!
Some of Hollywood’s juiciest story lines these days aren’t on screen; they’re in the boardrooms where the fight to reshape the industry is taking place. Last week, Disney announced it was creating its own movie and TV streaming service and dropping its deal with Netflix. This week, Netflix revealed it had nabbed Shonda Rhimes, one of TV’s most prolific producers, from Disney-owned ABC Studios. The deal involves more creative freedom for the producer of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” plus a boatload of cash. Will it inspire more big moves involving the networks and digital players like Amazon? Stay tuned.
MUST-WATCH VIDEO
-- President Trump’s remarks about the deadly violence in Charlottesville.
-- Breaking down the Rams’ 13-10 victory over the Cowboys.
-- The UFC’s Conor McGregor takes questions about his upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
CALIFORNIA
-- A man photographed at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville is out of a job at a Berkeley hot dog eatery.
-- Authorities looking for the bodies of two missing Thai exchange students along the raging Kings River have found evidence of another couple who disappeared recently.
-- The L.A Board of Education ordered a deep cleaning of all classrooms before the start of school today, but no extra money or staff. It involved lots of elbow grease and apple cider vinegar.
-- A fire in the L.A. River? Yes, and it burned itself out.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- A stuntwoman was killed while riding a motorcycle on the set of the Ryan Reynolds movie “Deadpool 2” in Vancouver, Canada.
-- John Bailey, the new president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, discusses the push for diversity, the academy’s delayed movie museum and much more.
-- A jury has ruled in favor of Taylor Swift, awarding the pop star $1 in her sexual assault case against former radio DJ David Mueller.
-- “Weird Al” Yankovic has a poignant new message for North Korea: “Please don’t nuke us.”
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD
Rose Marie first gained fame at the tender age of 3 as a talent show contestant and nightclub performer. Soon she would be billed as “Baby Rose Marie the Child Wonder” and become an NBC radio star. By age 15, she had retired — to go to high school. But retirement wouldn’t last long, and eventually she’d star on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” She turns 94 today.
NATION-WORLD
-- Vice President Mike Pence is visiting South and Central America as the White House struggles to resolve the crisis in Venezuela.
-- A 23-year-old man who said he hated the U.S. government has been arrested for allegedly trying to blow up an Oklahoma City bank.
-- Here’s a guide to some of the far-right symbols seen in Charlottesville.
-- Another grim milestone for Yemen: The number of suspected cholera infections has soared to half a million.
-- Drink to your health? A study shows it depends on how much drinking you do.
BUSINESS
-- Los Angeles officials plan to launch an unprecedented initiative to share information about cybersecurity threats with businesses in the city.
-- The hacker attack on HBO has been a headache for the channel, but its effects have not been as great as once anticipated.
SPORTS
-- Several Chargers raved about the atmosphere in StubHub Center for their preseason opener, but the attendance fell far short of capacity in the NFL’s smallest stadium.
-- Once a major league slugger, Ike Davis is revamping his career as a pitcher in the minor leagues.
OPINION
-- Trump’s first response to Charlottesville was tepid and mealy mouthed. His second was too late.
-- Don’t suppress the vote, but find smart ways to keep voting records up to date.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- Meet the man behind the Twitter account @YesYoureRacist, which has been publishing photos of torch-carrying white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville. (News & Observer)
-- A short anti-Nazi film from the 1940s went viral this week, but a study of its effects indicated it was less than effective. (Vox)
-- Coincidence or something else? An aggressive form of brain cancer is killing former baseball players. (New York Times)
ONLY IN CALIFORNIA
When life gives you avocados, you make guacamole. And when it doesn’t, you pay more. A shortfall of production in California, the leading U.S. avocado grower, means the wholesale price for a box has nearly doubled. Will millennials have to choose between buying that house and avocado toast? Just kidding!
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
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