Newsletter: Today: Let’s Do This, California. ‘Dead Man Walking.’
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
Let’s Do This, California
If there’s one thing this campaign season has taught us, it isn’t over until it’s over. California and five other states go to the polls today. According to the Associated Press’ delegate count, Hillary Clinton has already become the first woman to clinch a major party’s presidential nomination. But she didn’t declare victory, and Bernie Sanders’ campaign criticized the media’s “rush to judgment.” Live coverage of all today’s proceedings is here.
More From the Campaign Trail
-- After AP calls the nomination for Clinton, will voters still turn out?
-- Republican critics line up against Donald Trump for his comments about a Latino judge.
-- A quick refresher for everything that’s on the ballot.
The Grim Sleeper: ‘Dead Man Walking’
Just before Lonnie David Franklin Jr. sat down in court, Donnell Alexander muttered the words, “Dead man walking.” Alexander, who kept a journal of the trial, was there for his sister Alicia. She was among the 10 Grim Sleeper murders for which Franklin was sentenced to death by an L.A. County jury. This was the scene inside and outside the courtroom.
How to Solve Prison Overcrowding?
California’s prison population is again rising after hitting a low of about 127,000 in February. To comply with a federal order to reduce overcrowding, thousands are housed in private prisons as far away as Mississippi. What to do? It now seems likely that voters will get the chance in November to decide whether to make thousands more inmates eligible for parole. Gov. Jerry Brown says it’s an incentive for prisoners to behave well, while former Gov. Pete Wilson calls it “a great leap backwards.”
The Gangs of Caracas
The people of Venezuela are enduring a lot in the country’s economic crisis: lack of basic foodstuffs, political instability, social unrest and interminable lines. But the biggest worry may be violent crime, as marauding armed gangs mug pedestrians and force restaurants to close early. As Patrick J. McDonnell reports, a common saying is: “Before the thieves would only rob you. Now they kill you.”
Soar Like an Eagle, but Watch Out for That Plane
Good news: The number of bald eagles, once an endangered species, has been growing dramatically over the last two decades. Bad news: The number of collisions between bald eagles and airplanes has also risen rapidly. The FAA reported 17 such incidents last year in the U.S., including four in Alaska. Take a look at how officials are trying to figure out a way to keep the national bird out of harm’s way.
CALIFORNIA
-- Former Assemblyman Tom Calderon pleaded guilty in a federal money-laundering case.
-- The father of a former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexual assault draws outrage after reportedly stating that his son should not be imprisoned over “20 minutes of action.”
-- South L.A. wins a “Promise Zone” designation that could help bring in federal money.
-- Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion is under contract to sell to a billionaire’s son.
NATION-WORLD
-- A survey shows schools suspend minority students at much higher rates than their white peers, sometimes starting in preschool.
-- This is what it’s like to live in the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
-- Lancome draws outrage in Hong Kong after dropping a pro-democracy pop singer.
-- David Lamb, a longtime L.A. Times correspondent who covered the Vietnam War, has died at 76.
-- Part microbe, part machine: A bionic leaf sucks up carbon dioxide as it makes liquid fuel.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- Video: Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe discuss their hit show “Outlander.”
-- Peter Shaffer, the Oscar-winning British playwright whose stage dramas “Amadeus” and “Equus” were turned into acclaimed movies, has died at 90.
-- A view from inside the Kanye West concert chaos in New York.
-- The new SFMOMA reflects a sea change that has engulfed one San Francisco neighborhood.
-- The documentary “They Call Us Monsters” tackles the issues around juvenile offenders.
BUSINESS
-- Janet Yellen signals that the Fed will wait to raise interest rates.
-- Sumner Redstone’s firm changes Viacom’s bylaws, creating a big hurdle for a sale of Paramount.
SPORTS
-- After a 3-1 victory over the Sharks on Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins are one win away from claiming the Stanley Cup.
-- The Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell is having a ball in China, but he’s dead serious about his future in L.A.
-- Street-fighting MMA sensation Kimbo Slice has died at 42.
-- The UFC has lifted its ban on reporter Ariel Helwani, who was escorted out of the Forum for breaking two news stories about the organization.
OPINION
-- In case you missed it: Here are The Times’ endorsements for today’s election.
-- There are 34 people running for Barbara Boxer’s U.S. Senate seat. Here are most, in all their glory.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- A Syracuse law professor is compiling a database of war crimes in Syria. (Der Spiegel)
-- Plagiarism runs rampant in the world of self-publishing. (The Atlantic)
-- Would you like to buy a castle in the U.S.? (Bloomberg)
ONLY IN L.A.
The bride and groom said, “I do.” And then came the order to move. Quickly. The brush fire in Calabasas on Saturday forced the mandatory evacuation of the couple’s 50-person wedding party at the Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga. Here’s how they picked up and partied on — at a nearby beach.
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
