Newsletter: Today: ‘Spygate’ Sputters

Even top Republicans are bursting President Trump’s bubble on his claims that his campaign was spied upon by the Obama administration.

TOP STORIES

‘Spygate’ Sputters

A little over a week ago, President Trump began using the term “Spygate” for the latest conspiracy theory aimed at questioning the legitimacy of the Russia investigation. Senior Republican lawmakers are not backing him up. Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, who gained fame for doggedly pursuing Hillary Clinton over the Benghazi attack, has addressed the issue head-on, saying he believes the FBI acted appropriately when a confidential informant met with three of Trump’s campaign aides. Meanwhile, Trump took more public swipes at Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, who stepped aside from overseeing the Russia investigation because he had served as a senior Trump campaign aide.

More Politics

-- Officials say Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy increased the number of immigrant children in government shelters 22% during the last month.

-- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is trying to hash out enough of a denuclearization agreement to allow Trump to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in less than two weeks.

North Korean senior official Kim Yong Chol, left, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meet in New York.

(U.S. Department of State / AFP / Getty Images )

-- The other Trump-Kim summit? Kim Kardashian West paid a visit to the White House to make a case to Trump and his staff on behalf of a woman serving a life sentence for drug offenses.

A Hearing for a Former USC Dean

An attorney representing former USC medical school dean Carmen Puliafito acknowledged at a state medical board hearing Wednesday that the physician used hard drugs while employed by the university, but said the doctor has been in recovery for months and should be allowed to practice medicine. The hearing marked the first time Puliafito’s version of events has been aired publicly since The Times detailed his double life of using drugs and partying with criminals and prostitutes.

The ‘Roseanne’ Ripple Effect

ABC’s “Roseanne” reboot is over, but the Roseanne Barr show over her tweeting and its repercussions continues. Though Barr at one point said she was quitting Twitter, she’s done anything but. Trump got in the mix, and made it about (surprise) himself. ABC executives, who were willing to take a risk in an effort to recapture some of the glory days, licked their wounds. But the people who may feel the effects of the show’s cancellation the most are the many blue-collar employees who lost their jobs.

Today’s Sermon: Don’t Call 911

The First Congregational Church of Oakland has made a startling declaration: Dozens of its members have vowed to never call the police, unless it’s a matter of life and death. “We can no longer tolerate the trauma inflicted on our communities by policing,” said one white church volunteer, as churchgoers held photos of African Americans shot dead by law enforcement. It’s part of a tiny but growing movement among liberal houses of worship in the U.S. “divesting” from police.

Visionary Development or a Real Dump?

In the hills above Chatsworth, Wayne Fishback is filling a ravine with construction debris. Critics, including some L.A. County officials, say it’s an unpermitted dump and a hazard. He says it’s a sustainable means of leveling land that could help solve one of the L.A. area’s most vexing problems: homelessness. It’s not the first time he’s tangled with authorities over a landfill operation.

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MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Times sportswriter Andy McCullough and columnist Dylan Hernandez talk Dodgers baseball and Clayton Kershaw’s impending return.

-- How the HBO series “Barry” gave Henry Winkler another signature role decades after playing Fonzie.

CALIFORNIA

-- More than a month after House Speaker Paul D. Ryan anointed his lieutenant as his heir apparent, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is still struggling to lock down support.

-- L.A. lawmakers have been using their power over homeless housing via “letters of acknowledgment” that can block or reshape proposed projects.

-- State officials have launched an experiment: paying for people to test their drugs for fentanyl, which has been responsible for a growing number of overdose deaths.

-- Authorities say more than a dozen people were injured in a chain-reaction crash on the 15 Freeway in the Cajon Pass when thick fog reduced visibility.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- A New York grand jury has indicted disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein on two counts of rape and another of a criminal sexual act.

-- South Korean boy band BTS’ album “Love Yourself: Tear” has entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, a first for a K-pop act.

-- Rosie O’Donnell is a hot-button name for many, but she says her role on the Showtime comedy “SMILF” has offered her some relief from a hellish year.

-- The national tour production of “The Color Purple” opened this week in Hollywood, and theater critic Charles McNulty found it lacking in the energy department.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

“If you want to be in for the long haul, you just have to trust your judgment about the material,” Clint Eastwood said 25 years ago. “If you go whoring for the money, the audiences will figure you out. They know when you’re being a jerk.” It’s a philosophy that’s worked well for the actor-director, who turns 88 today.

NATION-WORLD

-- The faked death of a prominent Kremlin critic and journalist in Ukraine is raising questions about the implications of using deception.

-- Prosecutors say the man who killed three people in a knife and gun rampage through the Belgian city of Liege carried out an act of “terrorist murder.”

-- Palestinian groups have announced a unilateral cease-fire with Israel after latest the Gaza violence.

-- Oil-rich Saudi Arabia is turning to another resource to power the kingdom: sunshine.

BUSINESS

-- The Fed has taken the first step to scale back Volcker Rule limits on investment trades by large banks enacted after the financial crisis a decade ago.

-- A UCLA study has found that most Uber and Lyft drivers in L.A. work full time and still struggle to make ends meet.

SPORTS

-- The Washington Capitals spoiled the Vegas Golden Knights’ playoff party, pulling out a split of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.

-- In the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors will meet tonight for a record fourth consecutive season.

OPINION

-- The suspension of California’s nearly 2-year-old right-to-die law on a technicality leaves the sick and dying in the lurch.

-- Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer writes in defense of Orange County’s “NIMBY” stance on homelessness.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- In North Korea, what is ordinary life like? (The Economist)

-- A community college in Texas is working hard to accommodate low-income students, but it can only do so much. (The Atlantic)

-- “A very brief guide to the extremely long beef between Drake and Pusha T,” the two feuding hip-hop stars. (Washington Post)

ONLY IN L.A.

If you’re looking for a house with two panic rooms, a biometric security system, a helipad, and bedrooms that can be sealed off from the rest of the home … you’re out of luck. A Hollywood Hills mansion billed as L.A.’s most fortified home has just been snapped up for $3.65 million. Was it a steal? You be the judge.

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