Newsletter: Today: Trump the Compromiser? Oh Snap! They’re Going to Be Super-Rich.
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 the Compromiser?
On inauguration day, President Trump spoke of “American carnage.” Last night, in his first speech to Congress, it was about starting a “new chapter of American greatness” — one that includes tax reform, a healthcare overhaul, a “great, great wall,” rebuilding infrastructure, new education law, immigration reform and much more. Trump sought to rally a divided country behind his nationalist goals, but in the short term, he’ll need unity among Republicans to advance the agenda. Watch the speech here and read the transcript, annotated by Times journalists.
Who Will Carry Trump’s Long-Handled Broom?
So how will Republicans in the House and the Senate deliver what President Trump wants, especially with the disparate elements that now make up the GOP? As Cathleen Decker writes in her analysis, Trump is “more comfortable sketching the broad outlines of what he wants done — and leaving to others the gritty and politically difficult work of pulling it off.” Here’s a closer look at some of the battles ahead.
More Politics
-- In the night’s most emotional moment, Trump acknowledged the widow of a Navy SEAL killed in Yemen. But criticism of the botched operation is mounting.
-- Here are the stories of Trump’s speech guests whose relatives were killed by people in the U.S. illegally.
-- Trump called a clean-water rule that was enacted under Obama “horrible, horrible” and moved to roll it back.
-- Trump’s push for American-made products could disrupt NAFTA supply chains and raise consumer prices.
Oh Snap! They’re Going to Be Super-Rich
When Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy were frat brothers at Stanford, Spiegel threw parties while Murphy stuck around to clean up. Now, as co-creators of Snapchat, they’re poised to lead a company worth somewhere north of $20 billion — potentially L.A.’s biggest initial public stock offering. But who are they? Here’s a closer look at the jet-setting chief executive Spiegel, chief technology officer Murphy and the classmate who hatched the idea but was ousted and got a $158-million settlement.
A Possible Turning Point in South L.A.’s Politics
L.A.’s Central Avenue has been known as the birthplace of the West Coast jazz scene and a place of refuge for African Americans fleeing the South for a better life. Voters in the city council district that surrounds it have elected an African American since the early 1960s. But now Latinos outnumber blacks there, and some think this could be the year the council seat goes to a candidate who reflects those changing demographics.
He’s Not Vin, but He’s No Ordinary Joe
As the Dodgers’ new television broadcaster, 29-year-old Joe Davis has a tough act to follow: Vin Scully called Dodgers games for 67 years, after all. So what advice does the legend have as the new guy goes on the air for a spring training game tonight? “My prayer for him, for anyone, is maybe the hardest thing — be yourself,” Scully told Bill Plaschke. “I’m not replacing Vin Scully,” Davis said. “Nobody out there can replace him.”
CALIFORNIA
-- “It looked like the airplane didn’t start right, something was wrong”: The co-owner of an airport cafe describes what she saw before a small plane crashed in a Riverside neighborhood.
-- Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León has pledged a nonpartisan review into actions taken last week by Democratic leaders to remove Sen. Janet Nguyen from the house floor.
-- L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said last fall he would stop planning commissioners from meeting privately with real estate developers, but he has yet to do so.
-- Five former press secretaries who worked for four Democratic and Republican governors of California try to explain Sean Spicer, as columnist Robin Abcarian listens in.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- Warren Beatty has called on the motion picture academy president to publicly clarify the Oscar mix-up.
-- The tourist at the Oscars who became known as “Gary From Chicago” had finished a 20-year stay in prison just before meeting Hollywood’s A-list.
-- Oscars rewind: Watch a time-lapse of the Academy Awards red carpet in two minutes.
-- L.A. art collectors Alan Hergott and Curt Shepard are donating 22 works exploring gender and identity to MOCA.
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD
In the 1950s, Harry Belafonte became known as the King of Calypso, but his work in activism and film has resonated throughout his long career too. “A lot of people come out of oppression and never want to deal with it again,” he once told The Times. “And there are others who come out prepared to do battle for the rest of their lives against the pain and inequity.” Belafonte marks his 90th birthday today.
NATION-WORLD
-- Meet Daryle Jenkins, the activist who digs up dirt on the far right.
-- Amid protesters’ cries of “Jews don’t expel Jews,” hundreds of Israeli police enforced a court order to clear out an illegal settlement in the West Bank.
-- The Trump International Hotel and Tower is opening in Vancouver, Canada, and some in town want the Trump name off of it.
-- Inside the underground beauty salon that defied Islamic State in Mosul.
-- Bidding for the publishing rights to books from former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama has reportedly hit the $60-million mark.
BUSINESS
-- Wendy’s is adding self-service ordering kiosks to at least 1,000 of its restaurants, part of an expected wave of automation to hit the fast-food industry.
-- Columnist Michael Hiltzik explains why Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is getting some bad news about her favorite thing, school vouchers.
SPORTS
-- L.A. could be losing another sportscasting legend: Kings broadcaster Bob Miller is expected to announce his retirement Thursday.
-- Speedy USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson is one of the most intriguing players at the NFL combine.
OPINION
-- Doyle McManus: Trump’s speech promised the world and left out the details.
-- A resident of Porter Ranch makes the case for not reopening the Aliso Canyon gas facility.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- What can one propaganda photo of Kim Jong-un tell us about North Korea’s nuclear program? A lot. (New York Times)
-- Did you know northern Virginia is the heart of the Internet? This 2016 story tracks down the buildings that house Amazon’s cloud service, which went haywire yesterday. (The Atlantic)
-- Trump and the Oscars gaffe have something in common: Both lead some people to theorize we’re living in a Matrix-like simulation. (The New Yorker)
ONLY IN L.A.
Are you ready for the big election next Tuesday? What election, you say? Yes, L.A. and many other California municipalities are holding one. But Los Angeles could hit a record low for turnout in a mayoral contest, upholding its reputation as a bastion of voter apathy. As one person told us: “It’s never even occurred to me to vote for the mayor.”
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