Newsletter: Today: At Notre Dame, All Hope Is Not Lost

Fire has devastated the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, but “we will rebuild,” says French President Emmanuel Macron.

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At Notre Dame, All Hope Is Not Lost

For more than eight centuries, Notre Dame de Paris has been at the heart of the city’s spiritual, intellectual and cultural life. On Monday, onlookers wept, gasped in horror and sang “Ave Maria” as more than 400 firefighters battled a fast-moving blaze that consumed large parts of the 850-year-old Gothic monument. Across the world, others watched too, including President Trump, who tweeted some firefighting advice that wasn’t well received. Among the devout, the misery of the spectacle was heightened by the timing: Holy Week, just six days from Easter Sunday. When the smoke cleared, officials said Notre Dame’s roof was mostly destroyed, but they believe the cathedral structure has been saved. The fate of many art treasures inside was unclear, though some had been removed because the building was undergoing renovations. French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed Notre Dame will be reconstructed.

A ferocious and fast-moving blaze destroyed large parts of Notre Dame in Paris.

(Ian Langsdon / EPA)

Pushback on Trump’s ‘Sanctuary’ Threat

California Democrats including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and a number of mayors have stepped up their attacks on Trump over his threat to send immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities. Trump’s response has been to double down on an idea that his own aides have told him is probably illegal and unfeasible — and that some experts say could backfire and lure more migrants to the U.S. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has moved to restart a policy that forces Central American asylum seekers to return to Mexico to await adjudication of their claims, an approach dubbed “Remain in Mexico.” It comes after a federal appeals court in California temporarily lifted an injunction that had blocked the policy.

A Taxing Time

Are you better off now than you were after tax day last year? Experts say most Americans received at least some benefit from the Republican tax law. But a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times nationwide poll has found that most taxpayers say they did not feel it had fattened their paychecks, and only about 1 in 4 supported it. Partisan politics has something to do with it, but the overall reaction was “meh.” The poll also asked those who expect to vote in a Democratic primary which candidate they preferred. Survey says? Read on.

More Politics

-- The Justice Department says it will release the redacted report from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III on Thursday morning. Lawyers have used color coding to conceal classified or other protected information.

-- The Interior Department’s office of inspector general disclosed that it has opened a formal investigation into alleged ethical conflicts by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for natural resources industries who won Senate confirmation to his post just four days ago.

-- Sen. Bernie Sanders has released his tax returns, which show he is among the top 1% of earners in the U.S.

An Investigation That Shook USC

It began with an anonymous tip about a former USC gynecologist. It led to dramatic changes, including the resignation of university President C.L. Max Nikias. On Monday, the Los Angeles Times series about allegations of misconduct against Dr. George Tyndall, who’s been accused of sexually abusing hundreds of students, won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Three investigative reporters with The Times — Harriet Ryan, Matt Hamilton and Paul Pringle — were named by Pulitzer judges for their work.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Since 1942, the L.A. Times has won 45 Pulitzer Prizes, six of which were gold medals for public service. The first was for a successful legal fight that resulted in the clarification and confirmation for all American newspapers of the right of free press as guaranteed under the Constitution. Here’s a look back at all of The Times’ Pulitzer-winning work.

CALIFORNIA

-- Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer J. Mossimo Giannulli, have pleaded not guilty to charges against them in a college admissions scandal that’s ensnared dozens of wealthy parents.

-- The Marine Corps says a special operations Marine was killed during training at Camp Pendleton.

-- Missing before tax day on Tuesday: more than $2 billion in tax revenue, which could put a crimp in state lawmakers’ plans.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- More Pulitzers: Ellen Reid, the Los Angeles composer whose debut opera centered on a young woman’s agonizing struggle with the psychological effects of sexual assault, has won the Pulitzer Prize for music.

-- Hollywood writers and their talent agents have dug in their heels and showed no signs of backing down from entrenched positions after their failure Friday to arrive at a new agreement.

-- Ariana Grande closed out the first weekend of Coachella, and critic Mikael Wood thinks she was not the pop star we needed at the festival.

NATION-WORLD

-- U.S. measles cases have surged again and are on pace to set a record for the most illnesses in 25 years.

-- Authorities in Florida say a cassowary — a large, flightless and dangerous bird native to Australia and New Guinea — attacked and killed its owner when the man fell at his farm.

-- The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant has begun removing fuel from a cooling pool at one of three reactors that melted down in the 2011 disaster.

-- Indonesia’s election focuses on this question: Who will be more Islamic?

BUSINESS

-- Warner Bros. plans to expand its Burbank headquarters by acquiring a nearby studio complex and moving into two Frank Gehry-designed office towers fashioned to look like icebergs alongside the 134 Freeway.

-- Consumer columnist David Lazarus argues that, when looking at the idea of “Medicare for all,” the question to ask is, “How many people will it cover?”

SPORTS

-- The Clippers mounted the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history, rallying from a 31-point deficit in the second half to defeat the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of their first-round series.

-- Joc Pederson’s walk-off home run helped the Dodgers pull off a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds after Yasiel Puig started the game with a two-run homer of his own.

OPINION

-- UCLA’s hands are anything but clean in the college admission scandal.

-- The rise of robots doesn’t have to mean the fall of human workers.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The complete list of Pulitzer Prize winners and links to the work. (Pulitzer.org)

-- Small-dollar donors have been giving a lot to Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, according to a fundraising report filed with the Federal Election Commission. (Politico)

-- Eight things you may not know about Leonardo da Vinci, on the 500th anniversary of his death. (The Conversation)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

A pair of bald eagle hatchlings on the north side of Big Bear Lake have gained internet fame after emerging from their shells days ago. Viewers of a live webcam broadcast are following the exploits of the two and their mother, Jackie, who’s fed them pieces of fish. But online, everyone’s a critic: Some Facebook commenters have chided the male in the nest, Shadow, for not bringing the new mother fresh fish to feed the chicks.

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