Newsletter: Today: Hurricane Irma Surges Into Florida
The strongest part of Hurricane Irma hit the western edge of Florida, but the storm is so big, it’s been wreaking havoc throughout the state. Here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:
TOP STORIES
Hurricane Irma Surges Into Florida
From the Everglades to the Florida Panhandle to the theme parks of Orlando, no corner of the state was left unaffected by Hurricane Irma this weekend after it tore through the Caribbean. Its path has proved unpredictable, with the storm making landfall twice and battering a string of cities along Florida’s Gulf Coast with heavy rains, strong winds and dangerous storm surges. There were at least four traffic fatalities. As Irma heads toward Georgia and the Carolinas, it is expected to continue weakening and lose its hurricane status. But the storm’s passage by no means marks the end of the danger.
More About Irma
-- The incredible stories of the die-hards who looked Irma in the face and stayed.
-- A windy day among strangers (human, canine and otherwise) at a hotel near Fort Myers.
-- Fires, droughts and hurricanes: What’s the link between climate change and natural disasters?
The Next Phase in the War on Terror
Today is the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. Since then, the list of the fallen has grown, as police officers, firefighters, first responders and recovery workers die of illnesses linked to their work in the aftermath. Meanwhile, the war on terrorism is entering a new phase, as U.S. officials sort through a trove of data on Islamic State taken from offices, laptops and the cellphones of dead fighters in newly liberated areas of Iraq and Syria. The massive amount of information could offer clues to terrorist cells or plots.
A Deadly Quake in Mexico and a Warning for L.A.
Mexico is in mourning after Thursday’s massive earthquake that killed dozens of people and displaced thousands in one of the country’s poorest and most remote regions. The devastation would have been even worse if the quake had been centered in a densely populated area — exactly the scenario scientists have contemplated for the Los Angeles region and the San Andreas fault. Feeling anxious? Some envision an app that would show when the chance of a major earthquake in California increases. But don’t wait for that: Here’s how to prepare now.
Bannon’s Making a List, Checking It Twice …
President Trump’s former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon has quite the Republican Party enemies list: House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, former President George W. Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Trump’s chief economic advisor, Gary Cohn. In an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Bannon went after all of them for standing in the way of the president’s agenda. But are they the real reason for Trump not having yet transformed the GOP into the party “of the American worker”?
He Chose Faith Over Football
As an assistant football coach with the USC Trojans and the Seattle Seahawks, Rocky Seto got his share of college national championship and Super Bowl rings. But with a new season underway, Seto is far from the sidelines of an NFL stadium. That’s because he walked away from his nearly seven-figure salary for a higher calling, as rookie pastor of the Evergreen Baptist Church of San Gabriel Valley. “I know people think this is crazy,” he says.
OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND
-- The house columnist Steve Lopez bought for $130,000 in 1983 is now worth a fortune. He says that shows part of the problem California faces in the housing crisis.
-- Did Homeland Security ignore a breakthrough tool to block bioterrorism? A trial will decide.
-- Hmong marijuana farmers in Siskiyou County say they are growing pot for personal use, but authorities there are skeptical.
-- As rents soar in L.A., even Boyle Heights’ mariachis are singing the blues.
-- After Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps in World War II, Monterey emerged as the center of the resistance.
MUST-WATCH VIDEO
-- Hurricane Irma hits Florida’s west coast.
-- “Carmen” for commuters: A pop-up opera brings arias to the people during rush hour at L.A.’s Union Station.
-- A sneak preview of the Governors Ball for this year’s Emmy Awards, coming up Sunday.
CALIFORNIA
-- After months of avoiding the term “sanctuary city,” the L.A. City Council appears likely to adopt the moniker “city of sanctuary.”
-- Anaheim considers declaring a local emergency as the homeless population continues to grow along a Santa Ana River trail.
-- UC Berkeley is bracing for more protests when conservative talk show host Ben Shapiro visits later this week.
-- Retirement watch: The four California members of Congress most likely to bow out by 2018.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- “Star Trek,” “Young Sheldon,” “At Home With Amy Sedaris” and all the new TV shows to watch out for this fall.
-- After a bad summer at the movie box office, the “It” adaptation scared up monstrous numbers to start autumn.
-- With her feature directing debut, “Unicorn Store,” Brie Larson shows her unpredictable, unconventional talent.
-- Credit where it’s due: Why Gin Wong never quite became one of L.A. architecture’s household names, despite designing some of its more prominent structures.
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD
Irwin Allen’s sci-fi series “The Time Tunnel” lasted only one season, but it captured the imagination of many a baby boomer who watched it. The show starring James Darren and Robert Colbert premiered this week in 1966.
NATION-WORLD
-- Sen. John McCain showed his traditionally cantankerous self Sunday, criticizing President Trump and other Republicans on illegal immigration and climate change.
-- The E-Verify system is supposed to weed out would-be workers who are in the U.S. illegally, but its use is largely optional. Even in states that require E-Verify, its use is inconsistent.
-- China’s Xi Jinping is on the cusp of gaining power unseen since the days of Mao Tse-tung.
-- Sierra Leone faces a long slog to recovery after a devastating mudslide hit outside the country’s capital.
BUSINESS
-- Caught up in the Equifax hack? Here’s one thing you can do to protect yourself.
-- After Hurricane Harvey, Texans already have filed more than 100,000 storm-related claims on their car- and truck-insurance policies. It could go much higher.
SPORTS
-- The Dodgers’ losing streak has reached a record-tying 10 games. Fittingly, yesterday’s giveaway was a mini trash can.
-- At the U.S. Open, Rafael Nadal won his 16th Grand Slam title. Sloane Stephens won her first.
OPINION
-- University of California President Janet Napolitano: “Why I’m suing the Trump administration over DACA.”
-- “What Happened” in 2016? Hillary Clinton still doesn’t know.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- The story behind the “falling man” photo from 9/11, who “became the Unknown Soldier in a war whose end we have not yet seen.” (Esquire)
-- Should reporters be standing outside in a hurricane? A debate rages in real time. (New York Times)
-- A Politico review says that the criteria used in U.S. News and World Report’s university rankings create incentives for schools to favor wealthier students.
ONLY IN L.A.
When Greg Escalante became disillusioned after taking an uninspiring job at a ceramics factory, he got into trading bonds. But he never lost his eye for art and became a champion of the Lowbrow school, a California movement that drew from underground comics, punk music, tattoos, the custom car scene, and surf and skate culture. Escalante died last week at age 62. “If Lowbrow had a Mt. Rushmore,” one of his friends said, “he’d have to be on it.”
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