Newsletter: Today: But Will They Tame The Donald? Simone Biles’ Cash in the Vault
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
But Will They Tame The Donald?
Apparently Donald Trump doesn’t hate everyone in the media. Down in the polls (wait, says who?), he brought in the executive chairman of conservative website Breitbart News and promoted another advisor. With Stephen Bannon’s reputation as a battler and Trump’s vow to do “whatever it takes to win this election,” a fierce campaign season looks to get even more so. Here’s what you need to know about Bannon and Kellyanne Conway.
More Politics
-- Hillary Clinton: Trump “is still the same.”
-- This UC Irvine economist never met Trump but is now a key advisor of his.
-- When it comes to Trump, GOP senators battling for their seats are used to contortions.
These Homeowners Resist Evacuation — and Walls of Fire
As the Blue Cut fire started to tear through the Cajon Pass, about 80,000 people were ordered to evacuate. But some refused to budge. There were homes to protect, prized possessions to guard and memories, they said — even though officials say staying means placing themselves, and possibly the firefighters who would have to rescue them, in harm’s way. Read on to see why the intensity of this week’s blaze is bewildering even veteran firefighters.
An Oscar Hopeful Faces His Past
Ever since “The Birth of a Nation” premiered at Sundance earlier this year, it’s been talked about as an Oscar contender, as has Nate Parker, the film’s director, writer and star. Now, Parker is facing questions about the past. Parker was accused of raping a woman in 1999 and was later acquitted. His roommate, Jean McGianni Celestin, who has a writing credit on the film, was convicted in the case, but the verdict was overturned. Though Parker had previously discussed it in interviews, new details have emerged and much of Hollywood is learning of it for the first time.
The Religious Movement Accused of a Coup
The movement known as Hizmet, which means “service” in Turkish, was inspired by the teachings of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen and focuses on education and building social networks. An estimated 1.2 million Turks went through Hizmet schools. Now the Turkish government is accusing its members of being behind the recent coup attempt, and it wants the U.S. to arrest and extradite the 75-year-old Gulen, who’s living in exile in Pennsylvania. Who are Hizmet’s followers? Read on.
Simone Biles’ Cash in the Vault
Simone Biles won four gold medals, including the individual all-around title, making her one of only six gymnasts ever to win that much gold at the same Olympics. Will she make it into the even more rarefied club of Olympians who have turned their success into a long-term income stream? She has a head start, with experts saying her pre-Olympics deals were worth between $2 million and $4 million. Here’s why she could be an exception to most Olympic champions’ brief run with fame and fortune.
More Olympics
-- Ryan Lochte has slightly changed his robbery story, and two swimmers were pulled off a plane by authorities.
-- For Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross, the beach volleyball bronze-medal match felt like gold.
-- A naked official, a military exemption and a big-time underachiever.
CALIFORNIA
-- Herb Wesson is one of L.A. City Hall’s most powerful politicians. He’s also having problems paying his bills on time.
-- Exide cleanup: Parts of three L.A.-area schools are fenced off due to lead contamination.
-- A human-trafficking sweep in L.A. leads to 153 prostitution-related arrests and the rescue of 10 sex-trafficking victims.
-- An Internet poker bill has undergone last-minute changes ahead of a showdown vote.
NATION-WORLD
-- This Louisiana town was flooded six months ago. Now the water is back, even higher, and rescues continue.
-- A report documents horrific torture in Syrian prisons.
-- Germany’s vice chancellor isn’t apologizing for giving the middle finger to neo-Nazis.
-- Drones take to the sea as the Pentagon looks to extend its robot fighting forces.
-- Did physicists discover a previously unknown fifth force of nature?
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- Ten years later, the writer of “Snakes on a Plane” looks back on a phenomenon.
-- Arthur Hiller, former film academy president and director of “Love Story,” has died at 92.
-- J.K. Rowling will explore Hogwarts in-depth in three new e-books.
-- Larry Wilmore discusses the end of “The Nightly Show.”
-- The late vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson connected some of the highest points in jazz.
BUSINESS
-- The pullback from Obamacare by Aetna and other insurers puts pressure on upcoming enrollments.
-- Video games in the Olympics? The e-sports industry will have to get past some hurdles.
SPORTS
-- USC’s linebackers might be the football team’s most important group.
-- Yasiel Puig is thriving in minor leagues, as the Dodgers have moved into first place.
OPINION
-- Is Trump smart to ignore conventional political wisdom?
-- How will voters cope with 17 state propositions on the November ballot? They’ll probably just say no.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- “We can’t go anywhere without seeing ghosts”: The life of a paramedic on the U.S.-Mexican border. (California Sunday Magazine)
-- An interactive tour of Canada via the music of the Tragically Hip, whose singer-lyricist is the country’s unofficial poet laureate and has terminal brain cancer. (CBC News)
-- The origins of the burkini in Australia. (Washington Post)
ONLY IN L.A.
Classic car enthusiasts from around the world are gathering for Monterey Car Week, which ends with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday. Among the rarities will be a 1921 Stutz Model K Bearcat — prized all the more because it has its original paint, body and engine, in original condition. “You don’t repaint the Mona Lisa,” says its current owner, who’s selling it at auction. Expected price: as much as $500,000.
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
