Newsletter: Today: Next Stop, Supreme Court? Documenting the Undocumented in the U.S.

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, including our weekend recommendations and weekly look back into the archives.

TOP STORIES

Next Stop: Supreme Court?

The court ruled. Passions flew. For now, President Trump’s executive order barring travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the U.S. remains blocked. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 against the administration’s arguments. (Read the ruling here.) Trump tweeted: “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!” The next step: appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court (though it may not want to hear it), or going back to Seattle. Meanwhile, more lawsuits are still being filed against the travel ban.

More Politics

-- Tom Price won Senate confirmation to be Health and Human Services secretary, overcoming bitter opposition from Democrats.

-- Trump showed some interest in a dead immigration bill, one that Republicans killed.

-- Eureka! Scientists have found a political voice.

-- How do you feel about America right now? Make your own sign and see what your fellow readers have drawn.

From the White House: ‘Buy Ivanka’s Stuff’

L’affaire Nordstrom continues. Congress members have asked the Office of Government Ethics to look into Kellyanne Conway’s sales pitch for Ivanka Trump’s products during a TV interview from the White House. Ethics attorneys say the White House is largely responsible for policing itself, though. All that Press Secretary Sean Spicer would say is that Conway was “counseled on that subject.”

Documenting the Undocumented in the U.S.

President Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, and according to calculations by the Los Angeles Times, up to 8 million of the nation’s 11.1 million immigrants who are in the country illegally could be considered priorities for deportation. A new analysis by the Pew Research Center says that 1 million live in L.A. and Orange counties, second only to the greater New York area. Meanwhile, immigration arrests in Southern California have sparked fear and outrage, but officials say they are routine.

Building Too Tall? No Problem in L.A.

Is your building project too big for its surroundings as described by L.A.’s zoning laws? Most of the time, it isn’t a problem. A Times analysis of nearly 1,000 cases heard before the city’s Planning Commission and local planning commissions found that about 90% of requests for general plan amendments, zoning or height district changes have been given the OK since 2000. Why? Read on.

Old Vs. New School at the Grammys

One is a classicist, the other an innovator. At the Grammy Awards on Sunday, Adele and Beyoncé are up for several of the music industry’s most prestigious prizes, including album, record and song of the year. As pop music critic Mikael Wood explains, how each superstar got to the top isn’t just a difference in musical styles, but also a reflection of a business model in transition.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

Two years before the Stonewall riots in New York City, there was the gay-rights demonstration outside the Black Cat tavern in Silver Lake. On Feb. 11, 1967, people gathered to protest a police raid on the tavern in which patrons were beaten and more than a dozen arrested, to be charged with lewd conduct for same-sex kissing. On Saturday, an event will mark the 50th anniversary.

CALIFORNIA

-- The L.A. city attorney’s office has filed criminal charges against 25 people who own, operate or work with five casting workshop companies, alleging they required actors to pay illegal fees in exchange for auditions.

-- NASA says the San Joaquin Valley keeps sinking at an alarming rate because of groundwater pumping and irrigation.

-- How will California battle climate change? A new proposal revs up the debate over the state’s cap-and-trade program.

-- Audrey Hepburn’s sons are in a legal dispute over the use of her Givenchy gowns and image for charity.

YOUR WEEKEND

-- Dinner for two: Recipes perfect for Valentine’s Day from The Times’ database.

-- Your alternative V-Day dining guide: No reservations required.

-- An inspiration for exploring near and far: our California Bucket List, updated daily.

-- Think ahead: Mid-March may be the sweet spot for spectacular wildflowers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Movie reviews: “The Lego Batman Movie” is the best Batman movie since “The Dark Knight” (watch Justin Chang’s video review), while “Fifty Shades Darker” is dimmer than its predecessor.

-- “I know Donald,” says veteran music executive Clive Davis. “I know personally that he would want to foster a creative community … I hope that political expediency does not override this.”

-- One of Hollywood’s leading talent agencies is canceling its traditional Oscars party and will instead hold a protest rally.

-- We could use a good laugh. Enter “The History of Comedy,” an eight-part documentary series on CNN.

NATION-WORLD

-- The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said he needs several thousand more troops to help Afghan government forces break a stalemate with the Taliban.

-- A San Francisco Jewish leader was detained at an Israeli airport, stirring accusations of government pressure on groups opposed to policies in the occupied West Bank.

-- Kenya’s High Court overturned a government order to close the world’s biggest refugee camp, home to more than 300,000 Somali refugees.

-- A bribery scandal has engulfed two of the Latin America’s highest-profile figures.

-- Is this a “Black Mirror” episode? Robot bees may come to the rescue as bee populations dwindle.

BUSINESS

-- Tension is high as Tesla prepares to begin production of the Model 3. Its success or failure will mark a key event in automotive history.

-- In Gilroy, the biggest fresh garlic producer in the nation is giving its employees a hefty raise, reflecting the desperation of farmers to attract a dwindling number of farmworkers.

SPORTS

-- Several Patriots players have decided not to visit President Trump at the White House.

-- Our Dodgers newsletter looks at the team’s top 10 prospects.

OPINION

-- At least one part of the government is still functioning properly: the court system.

-- West Coast states form a wall against Trump’s reactionary agenda: See the David Horsey cartoon.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The parallels between the tea party movement and the anti-Trump resistance. (The Atlantic)

-- Is it time to give the concept of “willpower” a rest? (Nautilus)

-- Of chickens crossing roads and dead parrots: “100 more jokes” that have shaped American humor. (Vulture)

ONLY IN L.A.

She was registered nurse, enrolled in a standup comedy class. He was an attorney with a love of football. They met at a singles bike ride in Marina del Rey … on Valentine’s Day. In honor of the big day next week, here’s an L.A. love story.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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