Today’s Headlines: Jan. 6 committee says Trump ‘summoned the mob’ and ‘lit the flame’

By Laura Blasey and Amy Hubbard

Hello, it’s Friday, June 10, and before we dive into the Jan. 6 committee hearings, we’d like to shout out a new project from Times staff called Global California. It’s all about looking at the Golden State’s influence beyond the West Coast and is based on deep reporting by correspondents in far-flung corners. We open the project with food: Jaweed Kaleem finds California cuisine taking over Europe — at one London restaurant, artichoke thistles are flown in from Santa Barbara. Chefs talk about what “California” means when it comes to food (with nods to lighter sauces, bold flavors and amazing produce; plus one German chef really loves In-N-Out).

Now, here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:

TOP STORIES

The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was the ‘culmination of an attempted coup’

Americans watching the first Jan. 6 Select Committee hearing were jolted back to the horror of the Capitol attack in early 2021, as the panel deployed never-before-seen footage of violence and graphic, emotional testimony from an officer wounded in the melee to place then-President Trump at the center of what House members called a conspiracy to overrule the will of voters in the 2020 election.

“President Trump summoned the mob, assembled the mob and lit the flame of this attack,” the committee’s vice chairwoman, Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), said at the hearing, which highlighted a 10-minute video montage of the Jan. 6 insurrection as well as recorded depositions of those closest to the former president.

Also:

• Key moments from Day One.
• The two-hour opener was televised drama of the highest order — likely because the effort to overthrow the U.S. government in evidence was not mere fiction or even spectacle. It was a damning true story, well told, writes TV critic Lorraine Ali.
• Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for Michigan governor and ardent defender of Trump, was charged with misdemeanors for his role in the Capitol riot.
• Full coverage of the hearings.

Gov. Gavin Newsom eyes the political road ahead

With little chance of losing in November and unencumbered by typical reelection politics, the governor can continue to focus on inserting the state into the national debate over reproductive rights and gun control, issues that matter deeply to Californians and could boost his political profile among Democrats beyond the state for whatever office he seeks next.

More politics

• Will the L.A. school board runoff revert to the familiar mudslinging, big-spending format?
• Analysis: U.S. unwillingness to squarely face migration at this week’s Summit of the Americas in L.A. has turned the issue into the elephant in the room.
• Although the bulk of gun reforms advanced by the House is unlikely to pass in the Senate, a Democrat’s “red flag” bill stands a chance. It would temporarily remove guns from those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.
• In red California, an anti-mask recall effort fizzled, and Natalie Adona, harassed by election deniers, won her race for Nevada County clerk-recorder and registrar of voters in a landslide.
  

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‘The threat is real’

Southern California is facing a potentially treacherous wildfire season this year, officials say. Fire officials in recent years have been sounding the alarm about California’s changing conditions, with blazes across the West growing hotter, faster and harder to fight due to increasing heat and dryness.

This year, fuel moisture levels — or the amount of water in vegetation — are at least four months ahead of where they should be in terms of dryness, officials said. Nearly all of California is classified under severe, extreme or exceptional drought. As the weekend kicks off, much of the state is heading into a dangerous heat wave, with temperatures predicted to reach 106 degrees in Sacramento today and 117 in Borrego Springs on Saturday. Summer is being transformed into “danger season” in the U.S., one climate scientist said.

Is it time for an ‘Emmett Till’ moment?

After 14-year-old Emmett was kidnapped, beaten, shot, lynched and dumped in a river by two white men in 1955 (they were famously acquitted by an all-white jury), his mother allowed her son’s mutilated face to be photographed: “Let the people see” what happened to him. It shocked the nation and fueled the civil rights movement.

Some say the gruesome photos of the 19 children killed in Uvalde, Texas, should be published. But would it make a ripple in today’s “desensitized” world? One media expert argued in favor: “I can’t imagine that most Americans would look at a photograph ... [of] the damage that an assault weapon does to a child’s body, and then not be horrified.”

How EBay sellers dodge its assault weapons ban

After a 2019 Times investigation and pressure from Congress, EBay changed its policies to make it harder to sell parts and accessories for assault rifles. Yet almost three years later, the site still hosts numerous listings that appear to violate its strictures. Example: The “Universal Magazine Speed Loader For Rifle” had sold 59 units before The Times asked EBay about it; the site then took the product down.

Some sellers are brazen about their products. Others openly acknowledge trying to avoid detection: “You know what platform (rifles / pistol) these are for — EBay won’t let me use those words.”

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Inside a grunion run: Each spring and summer, a few days after a full or new moon, the small, silvery fish wash ashore to spawn by the thousands on Southern California beaches. It’s finally grunion time.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

CALIFORNIA

A second military aircraft crashed in Imperial County, less than 48 hours after the previous crash. Firefighters were called Thursday evening to Highway 78 near Palo Verde, where one person was injured in a routine training flight. On Wednesday, an MV-22B Osprey crashed during a training mission near Glamis. All five Marines aboard the Osprey tiltrotor aircraft were killed.

Take five minutes right now to check for leaks. Saving water during California’s drought includes checking for leaks inside and outside. You’ll save money too. Here are some easy ways to find and stop leaks.

Todd Ament has agreed to plead guilty in an Orange County corruption scandal. The former head of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce was charged last month with lying to a mortgage lender during the purchase of a $1.5-million home in Big Bear. The 99-page affidavit in support of the complaint contained a host of other allegations, including his participation in a self-described “cabal” that steered Anaheim’s government.

The trial of a former L.A. gang member for the deaths of 10 in a 1993 fire was a step back in time. It recalled the days when gangs turned entire blocks into drug bazaars, when rivals shot it out in broad daylight, when even the police and politicians couldn’t deny who controlled those streets.

NATION-WORLD

The fate of Ukraine’s Donbas region hinges on the city of Severodonetsk. That was President Volodymyr Zelensky’s warning as he called on defenders to push back against Russian advances, which have increasingly darkened the outlook for the eastern part of his embattled country.

The lab leak theory behind COVID-19 needs fresh study, a group of experts says. The group, drafted by the World Health Organization to help investigate the origins of the pandemic, says further research is needed, and that includes a more detailed analysis of the possibility it was a laboratory accident.

As El Salvador’s president tries to silence the free press, journalist brothers have exposed his ties to street gangs. The brothers, two of El Salvador’s most celebrated journalists, produced a damning report exposing President Nayib Bukele’s ties to the street gangs, highlighting a recent rise in homicides as the result of a broken pact between the government and El Salvador’s largest gang. Their work came at great risk.

A Michigan police officer has been charged with murder in a Black man’s death. Patrick Lyoya was on the ground when he was shot in the back of the head following an intense physical struggle recorded on a bystander’s video. Grand Rapids Officer Christopher Schurr has been charged with second-degree murder.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

“The Bachelor” made a “sideshow” of its first Black star. Now he’s speaking out. Matt James starred in what had been billed as a landmark season for a reality franchise that had been repeatedly criticized for racism and cultural insensitivity. In a new memoir, James shares his experiences and how he came to feel the show botched its opportunity to reverse its troubled history.

Brazil’s Anitta, global phenom and LGBTQ icon, is set to conquer America. On Saturday, Anitta will join Christina Aguilera as one of the headliners of L.A.’s annual Pride in the Park, an outdoor concert and celebration of the city’s LGBTQ community. The show follows the 29-year-old’s monumental debut at Coachella, where she became the first Brazilian solo artist to take the main stage.

The Grammys will add a songwriter of the year category for 2023. The Recording Academy announced plans to hand out a newly created award beginning with the 65th Grammys ceremony. The prize, modeled on the organization’s producer of the year award, will “recognize the written excellence, profession and art of songwriting.”

“When she howled, you could feel it.” Singer-songwriter Angel Olsen channeled the death of her parents, and her coming out, into the emotionally and musically rich album “Big Time,” writes pop music critic Mikael Woods.

LeBron mania informs a tale of friendship in Rajiv Joseph’s “King James” at the Taper. James himself never appears onstage, but his status on his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, determines the frame of mind of two fans who have been brought together by a common love of the sport and mutual worship of their idol, writes theater critic Charles McNulty.

BUSINESS

Peter Rice has been ousted as Disney’s TV chief in a major shake-up. The widely admired TV veteran was dismissed over issues of “cultural fit,” according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment. He has been replaced by his top lieutenant, Dana Walden, effective immediately.

Beverly Hills is getting an ultra-luxe hotel chain so exclusive you’ve probably never heard of it. Aman, the Swiss company owned by Russian real estate developer Vlad Doronin, attracts notably affluent guests. Now the celebrity-beloved hospitality brand is coming to Beverly Hills as part of a $2-billion garden-like residential complex called One Beverly Hills.

A new alcohol rule hangs over state bars and restaurants. By the end of summer, every bar and restaurant employee who serves alcohol in California — including those at wineries, breweries, distilleries, brewpubs, event centers and stadiums — must obtain a new certification. Some worry about a lack of awareness of the new law as the industry continues to struggle with the pandemic.

SPORTS

The Big Brothers Big Sisters organization brought us together, but sports kept us together. Columnist Bill Plaschke writes: “From the moment we began playing with baseball cards on our second visit to that last NBA game shortly before his final breaths, sports was the bond that survived cross-country moves and long separations and numerous life changes to become a cornerstone of our lives. ... My brother, my son, my best friend.”

Is Rich Strike a one-hit wonder? The Kentucky Derby winner isn’t getting universal respect. A strong run or a win in the Belmont Stakes would certainly change that.

OPINION

The class of 2022 would like a word. In a riveting video from the Opinion staff, a group of Southern California graduating seniors is interviewed. When did you first get a phone? Do you see yourself having children? Are you going to vote this year? What are some misconceptions about your generation? Takeaway: “We’re looking to fix some stuff.”

YOUR WEEKEND

The Belasco, at 1050 S. Hill St. in Los Angeles, made our list of best live-music venues.

(WACSO / For The Times)

Check out one of these SoCal live-music venues. We recommend the best 55. Until COVID-19 pushed pause on concerts in 2020, most didn’t need to be reminded of live music’s transcendent nature, or how many opportunities L.A. offered to experience it. But live music is back, and so are many of the area’s historic venues. The Times’ music staff has compiled a list of their favorite spots, so go ahead — buy that ticket.

Make fair foods and learn more about Juneteenth. With “Watermelon & Red Birds,” Nicole A. Taylor created a cookbook dedicated to the holiday’s foods and customs. Taylor writes about the importance of public parks and fairgrounds in Black Americans’ leisure lives while also educating readers on the racism that played out in those spaces over the past centuries that ostracized Black Americans too. Fair foods such as funnel cakes, turkey legs and corn dogs connect Black Americans to these spaces and are wonderful for celebrating Juneteenth, since the holiday falls near the start of summer, exactly when these foods are best to enjoy. Try these recipes for corn dogs and Sweet Potato Spritz.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

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The surreal case of a CIA hacker’s revenge. The story of Joshua Schulte and the CIA includes accusations of a massive leak of agency secrets, a workplace with a frat-house vibe — including Nerf gun battles and ridiculous nicknames — a stash of child pornography, and other bizarre twists. At the heart of it is a jailed man who continues to wield power because of the secrets in his head: “We live in an era that has been profoundly warped by the headstrong impulses of men who are technically sophisticated but emotionally immature. From the whoopie-cushion antics of Elon Musk to the Panglossian implacability of Mark Zuckerberg, a particular personality profile dominates these times: the boy emperor.” The New Yorker

Inside the Taliban’s secret war in the Tanjshir Valley. “Of course no one knows what is happening here,” a shopkeeper said. “No one is allowed to come here; I don’t even know how you got here.” The Washington Post made a rare visit to the valley for a glimpse of a conflict that the Taliban flatly denies is taking place. Thousands of the group’s forces are visible across the valley, and “residents say assaults on Taliban positions are a regular occurrence, and dozens of people have been killed, with some civilians imprisoned in sweeping arrests.” Residents talk of back-to-back funerals for civilians, but both the Taliban and the National Resistance Front are believed to be playing down civilian casualties. “Maybe two or three people have died, [but] it was probably from the cold or from falling off a mountain,” said the Taliban information minister. Washington Post

FROM THE ARCHIVES

September 2015: The entire Academy Award-winning John Williams score from “E.T.” was performed at the Hollywood Bowl.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Forty years ago this week, on June 11, 1982, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was released in theaters. The Steven Spielberg film soon gained status as a classic. In The Times’ review on the day of the film’s release, critic Sheila Benson said “‘E.T.’ is so full of love and wonder, of pure invention and the best kind of screen magic, that it’s not only the film of the summer, it may be the film of the decade and possibly the double decade.” Some might argue the quadruple decade.

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