Newsletter: Today: The Baffler Strikes Again

Once again, politicians on two coasts are wondering what the message from the White House is.

TOP STORIES

The Baffler Strikes Again

When President Trump speaks (or tweets), people listen — then often debate what he meant. On Wednesday, he posted, “I have decided that sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved,” a tweet that baffled many, considering state officials have fought against the wall. In a White House session on gun safety, he left a bipartisan group of lawmakers confused about what he wanted to achieve, urging them to pass “one terrific bill” and stand up to the National Rifle Assn. (at one point, Sen. Dianne Feinstein shook with glee), but he also appeared to protect against some ideas opposed by the NRA. And, back on Twitter, he added “disgraceful” to the list of insults he’s thrown at his own attorney general, Jeff Sessions. This time, Sessions is pushing back.

More Politics

-- Trump’s communications director and close aide Hope Hicks announced her resignation and will leave the West Wing in a few weeks, White House officials said.

-- Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, will stand trial in mid-September on charges stemming from the Russia investigation. It will overlap with the congressional midterm election.

-- A career official in the Department of Housing and Urban Development says she was demoted after raising concerns over Secretary Ben Carson’s office redecorating costs.

On Homelessness, the Buck Stops Here

As homelessness has spread across Los Angeles County, it often elicits a mixture of sympathy, fear and anger. The latest in a series of Times editorials on the homeless says it’s time to turn these emotions into constructive action — and no one gets a pass. Meanwhile, in Sacramento, there’s another battle playing out: Nearly two years after state lawmakers approved a $2-billion bond to help finance new housing for the homeless, none of it has been spent, as a lawsuit alleges the proposal would illegally divert funds from mental health services.

1-800-GET-A-GOOD-LAWYER

The ads were seemingly inescapable: “Let your new life begin, call 1-800-GET-THIN.” But this week, federal prosecutors charged that the Lap-Band surgery operation was at the center of a massive scheme that subjected patients to unnecessary tests and defrauded them and insurers of $250 million. Authorities have arrested two Southern California doctors after a federal grand jury indicted them for allegedly creating fraudulent medical bills.

Would a Bigger 710 Freeway Be Better?

For decades, the 710 Freeway has been the commercial spine of Southern California, with a steady stream of trucks carrying goods from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to points beyond. For decades, there’s been a fight over how to improve it, given all the traffic and pollution. The surrounding neighborhoods have come to be known as “the diesel death zone.” Today officials are considering new plans to widen the freeway and encourage zero-emission or low-emission trucks. Yet familiar battles lie ahead.

Behind the Screeners

How do you know you’re somebody in the Hollywood universe? Film screeners, the DVDs sent out during awards season, are one measure. Though many filmmakers would prefer their work be seen in a theater, screeners are a crucial way of getting movies in front of Oscar voters and others. But as with so many things in life, they were invented by accident — and could be on their way out in the digital age.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Two weeks after the bloodshed in Parkland, classes resumed at the Florida high school where a gunman killed 17 people.

-- Times film critics Kenneth Turan and Justin Chang make their Oscar picks: Who will win? And who should win?

CALIFORNIA

-- Residents of Montecito have again been warned to evacuate ahead of a storm this week. This time, they’re not taking chances.

-- The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has sharply criticized Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, claiming her warning helped an estimated 800 “criminal aliens” avoid capture.

-- One of L.A.’s tiniest city departments, the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority, has been hit with multiple sexual harassment complaints.

-- Police say sexual predators have been posing as Uber and Lyft drivers and attacking women leaving bars and clubs.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Brian Tyree Henry, the breakout star of FX’s “Atlanta,” says he is thrilled that he is “exhausted beyond belief” these days.

-- One of Mike Kaplan’s missions in life is to see movie posters accepted as a legitimate art form. A new show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art helps.

-- A court in Alabama has unsealed the will of Harper Lee, and the result raises questions about the fate of the estate of the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

-- Quentin Tarantino’s next film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” will star Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

In 1935, he was listed by Central Casting as “English type, No. 2008, Niven, David.” By 1959, David Niven had won an Oscar. And in more than 90 films spread over nearly half a century, he became the personification of the British gentleman.

NATION-WORLD

-- After their teacher fired a gun at school, Georgia students used the opportunity to challenge Trump’s proposal to arm teachers.

-- Two months after Hurricane Maria ripped through Puerto Rico, scores of people were still dying in its aftermath, new government data suggest.

-- A casket bearing the body of the Rev. Billy Graham lay in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, but it signaled more than the death of a religious leader. It also marked two historic passages.

-- Afghanistan’s president offered the Taliban amnesty for war crime convictions and recognition of the insurgent group as a political party in a bid to end the nation’s long conflict.

-- A rare signal from the early universe has sent scientists some clues about dark matter.

BUSINESS

-- Dick’s Sporting Goods says it will no longer sell assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines and will not sell guns to anyone under 21. Walmart also says it will no longer sell firearms and ammunition to people younger than 21.

-- By buying Ring and other smart-home start-ups, Amazon and other huge tech firms are trying to lure more people into their ecosystems.

SPORTS

-- The chief executive of the U.S. Olympic Committee, who missed the Winter Olympics while battling prostate cancer and has come under fire for the organization’s handling of sexual abuse scandals, has resigned.

-- The Cleveland Browns own the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the NFL draft. Will they select Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold or someone else?

OPINION

-- Holy crap: the “godly” side of that man of faith, Donald Trump.

-- The authors of a study on Disneyland employees say the workers are undervalued, disrespected and underpaid.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Jared Kushner’s family’s business reportedly received large loans from companies after Kushner attended White House meetings with their executives. (New York Times)

-- A visit in pictures to a New York 24-hour daycare center, where parents who work odd hours drop off the kids for the night. (The Guardian)

-- Why have Chinese censors blocked “Winnie the Pooh” and the letter N online? (Language Log)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

In May, the San Joaquin Valley town of Lemoore will become the surfing capital of the world. Though it’s a 100-plus-mile drive from the Pacific Ocean, teams of top professional surfers will head there to compete in a much-talked-about but rarely seen artificial wave pool built by surf legend Kelly Slater. Hang 10 near Hanford? Gnarly, dude.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with friends. Comments or ideas? Email us at headlines@latimes.com.