Newsletter: Today: Double Witching Hour

President Trump may cry “witch hunt,” but he faces a reckoning.

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Double Witching Hour

It was an hour of historic proportions: In two courtrooms 240 miles apart, President Trump’s former personal lawyer pleaded guilty to multiple crimes, and his former campaign chairman became a convicted felon, within 60 minutes of each other. The guilty plea by longtime Trump “fixer” Michael Cohen to eight charges of felony fraud and campaign finance law violations came with a dramatic statement: that “in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office” he arranged hush money for a porn star and a former Playboy playmate “for the principal purpose of influencing the election.” If there was any confusion, Cohen’s lawyer said that candidate was Trump. Cohen could be sentenced to several years in prison but could get less if he’s cooperating with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, exits federal court in New York on Tuesday.

(Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

Manafort’s Millions

Cohen’s guilty plea was disclosed just as a federal jury in Alexandria, Va., convicted Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on eight charges of tax evasion and bank fraud, while deadlocking on 10 others. Manafort could be sentenced to up to 80 years in prison and is facing another trial next month. “I feel very badly for Paul Manafort,” said Trump, who added that the case against him had “nothing to do with Russian collusion.” Sen. Mark R. Warner, ranking Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, saw it differently: “This verdict makes it absolutely clear that the Mueller probe is not a ‘witch hunt.’ ”

What’s Next?

Along with the proceedings against Cohen and Manafort came word that sentencing for Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security advisor, had been delayed again — an indication that Flynn might still be providing information to the special counsel. Some observers think the developments will increase pressure on Trump to agree to an interview with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Yet will they change the public’s feelings toward the president? History would suggest not.

Following the Money

Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of San Diego County and his wife, Margaret, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges they used $250,000 in campaign funds for family vacations, video games and even dental work. They also are accused of filing false campaign finance reports. Hunter’s campaign contends that the indictment is politically motivated and linked to his support of Trump.

More Politics

-- The Trump administration has imposed more sanctions against Russia, this time for helping North Korea evade international sanctions, as Moscow separately was accused of new cyberattacks in the U.S. targeting upcoming elections.

-- The publisher of a website that serves as a platform for white nationalism was a guest at the home of Trump’s top economic advisor, who expressed regret when told of his guest’s activity.

A Reminder of a Rocky Past

The city of Bell once saw its name dragged through the mud by graft and corruption. Nearly a decade later, it may see a site once owned by the city turned into a gravel yard. Bell was forced to sell the land to help pay back money lost to the extravagant salaries and misdeeds of former officials. But those nearby are upset about the health effects of a gravel yard that did not go through a full review process.

Under the Sea

Tim Rudnick has a dream: to build an Oceanarium on the pier in Venice. For years, the 75-year-old has set up tables there and explained various sea creatures to anyone who’ll listen. He recently made an underwater discovery he just had to tell columnist Steve Lopez about — along with his hopes for a permanent structure on the pier.

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MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Are you ready for an evacuation? With wildfires raging across California, more residents are facing that question. Here’s what to pack.

CALIFORNIA

-- State lawmakers have passed a bill that would overhaul the cash-bail system. Supporters call it a first step, while some opponents say it would lead to more people in jail.

-- The panel that oversees the Los Angeles Fire Department has voted to give the agency’s internal watchdog “unfettered access” to the disciplinary files of its firefighters.

-- The suspect in the Golden State Killer case will face 13 charges of kidnapping to commit robbery, in addition to numerous murder counts, and will be tried in Sacramento County.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Actress Asia Argento has denied allegations that she sexually assaulted a young actor when he was 17 and said a settlement was paid to avoid a public spectacle.

-- With its new Academy Gold internship program, the motion picture academy is attempting to boost the level of diversity in the film industry.

-- In two large installations in Los Angeles, artist Lauren Halsey riffs on the nature of space and black identity.

-- On Broadway in New York, the musicals “Pretty Woman” and “Head Over Heels” are trying oh-so-hard to revive beauty and the beat, theater critic Charles McNulty says.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

You may not know Miriam Nelson by name, but you may know her work: She choreographed pivotal scenes in the films “The Apartment,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,” as well as a slew of TV shows. Nelson, who recently died at age 98, also provided the tap sounds for many films, earning her the nickname “the Marni Nixon of tap.”

NATION-WORLD

-- Authorities say a man from Mexico living in the U.S. illegally has confessed to kidnapping and killing college student Mollie Tibbetts while she was jogging in her Iowa hometown.

-- The last known former Nazi camp guard living in the United States was deported to Germany.

-- A court in Vietnam began the trial of 12 people, including two American citizens, on subversion charges in a crackdown on dissent.

-- A vaccine scandal in China has angered parents and led anxious mainland residents to book trips to Hong Kong to inoculate their infants.

-- Research suggests a lower risk of dementia is associated with taking care of your cardiovascular system.

BUSINESS

-- At the Cheesecake Factory, the cost of workers’ rising wages is causing indigestion.

-- Are we in the longest bull market ever? It depends.

SPORTS

-- A change in college football’s redshirt rules could have significant implications for players and teams.

-- Phil Pote, whose success coaching high school baseball in South Los Angeles inspired efforts to rebuild the sport, has died at age 85.

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OPINION

-- Not surprisingly, Trump’s new Affordable Clean Energy plan is anything but.

-- Columnist Gustavo Arellano has a birthday greeting for former Gov. Pete Wilson: Gracias for making California what it is today.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Kelly Marie Tran, the first woman of color to have a leading role in a “Star Wars” movie, writes about toxic fan culture and the harassment she’s faced. (New York Times)

-- How contact lenses are taking a toll on the environment. (Scientific American)

-- The late writer V.S. Naipaul’s “lessons on life, literature, and being left alone.” (Vanity Fair)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Law enforcement is used to dealing with the snakes of society, but a ball python is another matter. When Santa Ana police received a report that a wayward 3- to 4-foot-long snake was inside a home, Officer Justin Collins took the call. “I saw it on our board and I knew most of my partners wouldn’t want to go out to it,” he says. After apprehending the snake, Collins took it home — at least until a spot at an animal shelter opens up or the owner comes forward.

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