Newsletter: Today: Trump’s Intelligence Test of Wills. The Anxiety of Being Muslim in America.
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
Trump’s Intelligence Test of Wills
Top U.S. intelligence officials will testify in the Senate today about Russian cyberattacks during the presidential election. On Friday, they’ll have a tougher audience: Donald Trump, who has continued to insult, well, their intelligence and in another twist aligned himself with fugitive WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a pair of tweets. Will the officials be able to craft a convincing case for the president-elect and the public?
Repealing Obamacare: The Devil Is in the Lack of Details
Republicans are eager to repeal Obamacare; they’ve been talking about it for six years. But a problem, even for a growing number of GOP lawmakers, is the current lack of a concrete plan. That issue has come up over and over again as Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence and other Republican leaders have failed to provide details, other than promising executive action after Trump takes the oath.
More Politics
-- Michael Hiltzik: Republicans call Obamacare a “failure,” but these seven charts show they couldn’t be more wrong.
-- Rex Tillerson will get a $180-million retirement package from Exxon Mobil Corp. if he is confirmed as Trump’s secretary of State.
-- Trump plans to nominate Wall Street attorney Jay Clayton to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. Trump reportedly had been considering Los Angeles lawyer Debra Wong Yang.
The Anxiety of Being Muslim in America
The anxiety manifests itself in actions big and small: eschewing the hijab in public, taking a self-defense class or having “the talk” with kids over what to do if someone harasses them for being Muslim. “I’m really concerned that Trump has brought out something that was maybe hidden before,” says one father in San Marcos. “The hate is just out now.”
U-C-L-A Hike, Hike, Hike
It’s been six years since the University of California raised tuition. Now the UC system says it has no choice, as it tries to handle a boom in students and a drop in money from the state. Its proposal calls for a 2.5% hike in base tuition, along with a bigger bump for nonresidents. But some students say they already are struggling with paying for food and rent, especially in areas like Westwood and Berkeley, and they’re looking for tuition to be rolled back.
Bolt to L.A. or Stay in San Diego?
The next turn in the San Diego Chargers’ saga should come within a week and a half, as owner Dean Spanos decides whether to bolt and join the Rams in Los Angeles or stay and continue a 15-year quest for a new stadium. It’s a choice that will have an effect beyond San Diego too, as the NFL deals with the possibility of the Raiders leaving Oakland and with a big drop in TV ratings. Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno break it down.
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CALIFORNIA
-- Before the “Ghost Ship,” the warehouse’s owner struggled to find tenants who would pay their rent.
-- More than $1.6 billion in new funding will allow the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to begin construction on the next phase of the long-awaited Westside subway.
-- Killer Charles Manson’s failing health has reopened old wounds in the cult murder saga.
-- A San Diego bank robber inserted his ATM debit card at the teller window during the heist and you can guess what happened.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- The HBO documentary “Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds” is a thoughtful, emotional film, made all the more poignant by the events of last week.
-- Norman Lear is rebooting the old 1970s show “One Day at a Time” for a new generation.
-- The Palm Springs International Film Festival gets going today, with stars and foreign-language films galore.
-- The lineup for the first Soulquarius festival in Santa Ana next month spans generations of soul music and already has fans talking.
-- How did conservative lightning rod and Twitter pariah Milo Yiannopoulos get a $250,000 book deal? The answer is business as usual.
NATION-WORLD
-- Police took four people into custody after the attack of a mentally disabled man broadcast on Facebook Live that included profanity against Trump and “white people.”
-- White supremacist Dylann Roof told jurors at his death penalty hearing in South Carolina that “there is nothing wrong with me psychologically.”
-- A federal grand jury in North Dakota is looking into a violent November clash between Dakota Access pipeline opponents and officers.
-- Brazilian authorities are searching for dangerous convicts after they escaped from a maximum-security prison during a riot in which 56 inmates were killed.
-- Research shows that brain shrinkage is less pronounced in older people whose diets hew closely to the traditional Mediterranean diet.
BUSINESS
-- After a disappointing holiday season, Macy’s said it is cutting more than 10,000 jobs and going ahead with plans to close 68 stores.
-- Troubled Faraday Future has unveiled a “new species” of automobile. Is it already extinct?
SPORTS
-- The L.A. Galaxy has seen an exodus of coaches and players.
-- The Lakers’ Julius Randle is among elite company after notching the third triple-double of his career and his second this season.
OPINION
-- College campuses are breaking apart into “safe spaces.”
-- Is soy milk really “milk”?
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- The outsize influence of rural voters on elections isn’t just an American phenomenon. (The Atlantic)
-- Scholars answer the question: “What scientific term or concept ought to be more widely known?” (Edge)
-- Why does a Chinese businessman want to turn a small Iowa town into a hot spot for Chinese tourists? (BuzzFeed News)
ONLY IN L.A.
He calls himself “Jesus Hands” and told Vice News that he and his wife altered the Hollywood sign to read “HOLLYWeeD” on New Year’s Day. Now, police plan to present their case to the district attorney’s office. Here’s why this Pomona artist says he did it.
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