Today: To Confirm or Not to Confirm?

Oct. 5, 2018 5 AM PT

A showdown in the Senate, after a few more twists and turns in the Brett Kavanaugh saga.

TOP STORIES

To Confirm or Not to Confirm?

It’s not usual for a Supreme Court nominee to write an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal saying he “might have been too emotional” when testifying about sexual misconduct allegations — or for retired Justice John Paul Stevens to say publicly that a man he once lauded does not belong on the nation’s highest court. But little else in the confirmation process for Brett Kavanaugh has been usual. This morning, a preliminary vote in the Senate looms. Republicans on Thursday expressed confidence they had the votes to confirm Kavanaugh, while Democrats complained that the FBI’s investigation into the allegations against the judge was incomplete.

‘I’m Not Running for the Party of Trump’

With a different president in office, Young Kim might have been a shoo-in to succeed Ed Royce as a Republican representing the 39th Congressional District covering parts of Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Instead, she’s neck and neck with Democrat Gil Cisneros, as voter antipathy toward President Trump makes it more difficult to get her message across. As a woman, a Korean American and an immigrant, she is not the typical GOP candidate.

Get more midterm election coverage on our Decision California page.

More Politics

-- In a speech highly critical of China’s behavior, Vice President Mike Pence laid out a more confrontational approach to Beijing.

-- These internal documents capture the Trump administration debate about ending temporary protected status for thousands of migrants in the U.S.

Stopped on the Grapevine

On the Grapevine portion of the 5 Freeway, a team of L.A. County sheriff’s deputies has made a series of drug busts since 2012, netting more than a ton of meth, among other drugs, and resulting in more than 1,000 arrests. A Times data analysis shows that more than two-thirds of drivers pulled over were Latino and that deputies searched the vehicles of more than 3,500 drivers who were found to have no drugs or illegal items. That raises red flags among some experts. The department says racial profiling “plays no role.”

Shaking Out the Details

San Francisco has taken an unprecedented step toward improving seismic safety by releasing a list of the city’s 156 tallest buildings, roughly 100 of which were built before modern seismic codes. But it’s only a starting point. The experts who compiled the list for City Hall say officials should take action to get more of the buildings structurally evaluated and have the ones most prone to collapse retrofitted.

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FLASHBACK FRIDAY

In 1935, actress Mae West said she received threats that someone would throw acid in her face unless she delivered $1,000 to the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Bronson Avenue. In an attempt to capture the extortionist, a male investigator dressed up as West and made a drop-off. But things did not go as planned.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Bradley Cooper sings, Lady Gaga acts, and their version of “A Star Is Born” is a total knockout, according to film critic Kenneth Turan.

CALIFORNIA

-- A judge has sentenced onetime rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight to 28 years in prison for killing a man in a 2015 hit-and-run.

-- The MacArthur Foundation has revealed its “eclectic class” of 2018 fellows, including a skid row violinist and a visionary neuroscientist.

-- The father and brother of a Trader Joe’s manager killed by an L.A. police officer’s bullet in Silver Lake have filed claims for damages with the city.

-- Fitbit data helped lead to the arrest of a 90-year-old man in the death of his stepdaughter in San Jose.

YOUR WEEKEND

-- Two hi-fi bars in L.A. deliver vinyl-only audiophile sound for people who want to focus on really listening to music.

-- At the new restaurant Otoño in Highland Park, you’ll want to check out the paella and tapas.

-- La Jolla Village, sometimes called the Beverly Hills of San Diego, is the ideal setting for a big-splurge fall weekend.

-- Fall gardening: All the L.A. plant sales you don’t want to miss.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- For Ryan Gosling, the approval of Neil Armstrong’s sons was a giant leap in bringing “First Man” to movie theaters.

-- A look at the difficult decisions facing “Big Brother” host Julie Chen and other spouses caught up in the #MeToo era.

-- The Adult Swim Festival in Los Angeles today through Sunday will feature concerts, rides and a “Rick and Morty”-themed orchestra.

-- Will Vinton, the award-winning animator known for pioneering the groundbreaking technique known as Claymation, has died at age 70.

NATION-WORLD

-- The U.S. Justice Department charged seven Russian intelligence officers with hacking as other Western nations alleged cybercrimes by Moscow.

-- As Chicago braces itself, jurors are deciding whether to convict a white police officer of murder in the death of a black teenager.

-- Survivors of an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia are leaving the disaster-hit region of Central Sulawesi out of frustration over the relief effort.

-- When Canada legalizes marijuana on Oct. 17, it will join Uruguay as the only countries to allow recreational cannabis nationwide.

BUSINESS

-- The Trump administration has wrapped trucks into its updated driverless vehicle policy, saying it will “no longer assume” that human truckers need to be in the cab.

-- The Circa complex overlooking Staples Center has opened. In its 2 million square feet are 648 apartments, including penthouses that rent for $25,000 a month.

SPORTS

-- With a 6-0 victory over Atlanta in Game 1 of the National League Division Series and Game 2 tonight, the Dodgers are right where they want to be. Columnist Bill Plaschke took in the scene.

-- LeBron James has ended a two-week cleanse that forbade wine, among other things. Did it change anything? “Yeah,” James said. “It made me want wine more.”

OPINION

-- The Times Editorial Board adds its voice: Brett Kavanaugh doesn’t belong on the Supreme Court.

-- Following Trump’s money exposes an awful truth: Our president is a “financial vampire.”

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- “I am an independent, impartial judge”: Kavanaugh’s op-ed defending himself. (Wall Street Journal)

-- “We were Brett Kavanaugh’s drinking buddies. We don’t think he should be confirmed.” (Washington Post)

-- A buildup of carbon dioxide emissions is raising the risk of satellite collisions. Really. (Scientific American)

ONLY IN L.A.

What has 19 bedrooms, 29 bathrooms, a two-story library and oh so much more? The Beverly House, a 1920s Mediterranean Revival-style mansion in Beverly Hills. It was once owned by publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, served as a honeymoon spot for John and Jacqueline Kennedy and provided the backdrop for the gruesome horse-head scene in “The Godfather.” It’s back on the market, listed for $135 million. Take a look, and who knows? Maybe you’ll want to make an offer they can’t refuse.

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