Today’s Headlines: Calls grow for L.A. City Council members to resign after leaked audio
By Elvia Limón and Laura Blasey
Hello, it’s Tuesday, Oct. 11, and here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:
TOP STORIES
Padilla, Garcetti, Bass and Caruso call for resignations
The chorus of civic leaders calling for Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo to step down from the Los Angeles City Council grew louder, as U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, Mayor Eric Garcetti and both mayoral candidates called on the embattled politicians to resign. The political implosion — unparalleled in recent L.A. history — was set off by a leaked audio recording reported by The Times.
The leaked conversation, which took place roughly a year ago, involved the three Los Angeles council members and a powerful labor leader. Martinez was heard making racist statements, and the group disparaged other politicians.
Following outrage over the racist comments she made about a colleague’s then-toddler son, Martinez stepped down Monday from her leadership position as president of the City Council.
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- Martinez’s ascension as the first Latina to become City Council president personified the gains in political representation that Latinos had made in the city. She now faces political freefall over unguarded words caught on tape.
- Los Angeles City Hall has felt under siege for the last few years. The racist comments in the leaked recording are only part of a chaotic political landscape in the city, where an election is just weeks away.
- The leaked audio was part of a “serious security and privacy breach,” the L.A. County Federation of Labor told affiliates in an email, according to text provided to The Times.
- Times columnists weigh in: Steve Lopez (“Council President Nury Martinez shamed the office, let down the city. She should step down”) and Erika D. Smith (“Nury Martinez’s racism feeds into Black Angelenos’ worst fear. It’s us versus them”).
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Are Halloween, Thanksgiving and winter holiday gatherings safe?
COVID-19 has scrapped many large holiday celebrations in the last two years. But with the pandemic in a lull and plentiful resources available to help thwart the worst the coronavirus has to offer, there’s hope that fall and winter gatherings — including Halloween, Thanksgiving and other end-of-year holidays — could be closer to normal for many Californians.
But that optimism, as always, is tinted with caution. Families with members who are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness should consider taking some additional precautions, officials say. There’s also the possibility of a resurgence over the colder months, as has happened each of the past two years.
Stay up to date on variant developments, case counts and vaccine news with Coronavirus Today.
California doesn’t know how many died in the record heat wave
It was the state’s worst heat wave ever recorded in September. For 10 grueling days, meteorologists tracked record-setting temperatures as they boiled across the state — 116 degrees in Sacramento, 114 in Napa, 109 in Long Beach. But for all the data on soaring temperatures, there was little information on the heat wave’s human toll — how many people had been sickened or even killed.
The state’s ongoing struggle to account for heat wave illnesses and deaths — despite promises to improve monitoring — has frustrated some public health experts who say the lack of timely information puts lives in jeopardy.
The Dodgers’ mariachis have become a very L.A. tradition
Every Tuesday this season, the Dodgers have hosted a mariachi to play before and during games. Mariachis had played at Dodger Stadium for years, but a recent Tuesday provided unprecedented exposure as one group performed in front of 56,000 fans.
What began as an experiment last October became a cultural breakthrough. A year later, the in-game sounds of a live mariachi are a hallmark of the Dodger Stadium experience that will continue into the postseason for every Game 1 and potential clinching game the Dodgers play.
“It started off as a trial run to see if we could hype the crowd a bit more,” said Cierra VanDyke, the Dodgers’ manager of marketing and promotions. “And it was a hit.”
Deadly Russian missile strikes target Ukrainian cities
Russia rained missiles on cities and towns across Ukraine in its most concerted blitz since the start of the war, targeting civilian population centers and infrastructure far from the front lines where Moscow’s forces in recent weeks have faced a series of humiliating defeats.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking soon after deadly cruise missile and “kamikaze” drone strikes hit at least 10 Ukrainian cities, indicated the attacks came in vengeance for a weekend blast that damaged a bridge connecting the occupied Crimean peninsula to Russia. He called the attack on the Kerch Bridge “a terrorist act” by Ukraine and warned that more “severe retaliation” lay in store.
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CALIFORNIA
Art Laboe has died; his “Oldies but Goodies” show ruled the L.A. airwaves. The disc jockey filled Southern California’s airwaves for more than 70 years. He was one of the first to play rock ’n’ roll on the West Coast and was a pioneer in creating a compilation album, calling it “Oldies but Goodies.” His inviting baritone voice became a beacon for generations of fans, particularly Latinos. Laboe died while battling pneumonia. He was 97.
After nearly 200 years, the Tongva community has land in L.A. County. For thousands of years, the San Gabriel Mountains provided food and trading routes for Los Angeles’ first people until centuries of displacement, enslavement, incarceration and genocide rendered the Tongva nearly invisible. A land transfer made public represents a historic effort to give the land back.
Students want more online classes, and it’s reshaping community colleges. The pandemic forced students online, but some found greater flexibility, and they’re not ready to give it up. The demand for virtual classes represents a dramatic shift in how instruction is delivered in one of the nation’s largest systems of public higher education and stands as an unexpected legacy of the pandemic.
A pro-Russia hacking group targeted the LAX website and other U.S. airports. The Los Angeles International Airport website was inaccessible Monday morning as pro-Russia group Killnet claimed the site as one of 14 it was targeting. Airport officials said there were no disruptions to operations or airport systems and the cause of the disruption was under investigation.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
NATION-WORLD
Tourists can’t get enough of Pablo Escobar, even if his legacy remains contested in Colombia. Three decades ago, Medellín was an epicenter of assassinations, massacres and car bombs linked to the eponymous hometown cartel and its notorious boss, Pablo Escobar. But with a reversal of fortunes and a little help from Netflix, the city has become a booming global tourist destination, though Escobar’s legacy remains a point of tension among locals.
A Key Senate chair urged the U.S. to freeze cooperation with the Saudis. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez called for freezing all U.S. cooperation with Saudi Arabia, delivering one of the strongest expressions yet of U.S. anger over Saudi oil-production cuts that serve to boost Russia in its war in Ukraine.
The death toll climbed to 25 in a massive Venezuelan landslide, with dozens still missing. The tragedy occurred following heavy rains caused by Hurricane Julia, and has destroyed more than 300 homes and affected businesses in the city of 50,000 people located along Venezuela’s main industrial corridor.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
Steve Lacy is redefining what it means to be a rock star for Gen Z. The Compton-raised singer-songwriter’s bummed-out yet deliriously horny viral hit simultaneously topped five different hip-hop/R&B and alternative rock charts. It doesn’t scream “hit single” at first, but Lacy’s sly ambiguity across genre and desire spoke to millions of Gen Z fans, positioning him for a new level of stardom.
Two podcasters set out to learn “All About Agatha.” Kemper Donovan and Catherine Brobeck set out to read and rank all of Agatha Christie’s 66 mystery novels and discuss them in exhaustive detail. For six years, thousands of fellow Christie enthusiasts across the globe have downloaded the podcast about their “joyfully geeky” project.
Singer Rex Orange County was charged with sexual assault. The 24-year-old singer, born Alex O’Connor, was charged with six counts of sexual assault after a woman accused him of attacking her multiple times in London. O’Connor denied all charges in a British courtroom on Monday, and a provisional trial date was set for Jan. 3.
Cecilia Alemani doesn’t like quotas. Instead, the Venice Biennale curator used time capsules to feature a record-breaking number of women artists.
BUSINESS
A champion of the big screen has retired at a pivotal moment. John Fithian, president and chief executive of the National Assn. of Theatre Owners, the trade organization representing movie theaters, will step down on May 1. He was a high-profile defender of the so-called theatrical window — the weeks-long period of time separating a movie’s big-screen release from its debut on home video — but his departure comes as streaming takes on an even bigger cultural role.
The third-largest rail union rejected a deal, renewing the possibility of a strike. The union’s rejection of its deal with freight railroads could lead to a strike that could cripple the economy — but before that could happen both sides will return to the bargaining table.
OPINION
I once fell for the fantasy of uploading ourselves. It’s a destructive vision. Whether it’s Elon Musk’s plan to colonize Mars or Mark Zuckerberg’s promise of a Metaverse, tech supremacists — mostly white and male — have for years promised a clean escape from the troubles of Earth and our bodies, writes columnist Jean Guerrero. It was a seductive idea for her as a teen, until she learned empathy for her “embodied self.”
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SPORTS
Are the Panthers a remedy for the shaky Rams? Carolina is having a tough time: Coach Matt Rhule was fired; starting quarterback Baker Mayfield is almost certainly out because of a high-ankle sprain, and backup Sam Darnold is on injured reserve. But Rams coach Sean McVay has his own troubled team to worry about.
The Dodgers wisely chose Julio Urías for Game 1. With Julio Urías named the starter for Game 1 for the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, Andrew Friedman has broken from the most troubling of October traditions, writes columnist Dylan Hernandez. The president of baseball operations has refrained from overthinking. He’s not being controlled by his fears of what could go wrong. He isn’t prioritizing his vanity over what’s best for the team.
Will the Ducks make the playoffs? This will be the first full season for general manager Pat Verbeek, who replaced Bob Murray in February. Verbeek traded several veterans at the deadline, shedding big contracts and adding prospects and picks to a rebuilding process that has a few years to go. We gathered five things to watch for, including: Which of their young players will step up?
Will the Kings challenge for the Stanley Cup? The team took a big leap forward by reaching the playoffs last season and taking Edmonton to seven games despite being depleted by injuries. The next step for them is to win a playoff round or two, and they’re capable of that if a few things go right. We highlight five things to watch for this season, including: How many points will Kevin Fiala score?
ONLY IN L.A.
Farewell to an artist who made an impact on West Coast art. Billy Al Bengston, a Ferus Gallery pioneer and purveyor of custom car culture, has died at age 88. Bengston came of age as an artist in the late 1950s, as part of a group of young West Coast contemporary art luminaries who helped establish Walter Hopps’ Ferus Gallery as a counterculture hot bed on North La Cienega Boulevard. His flamboyant personality, colorful sartorial choices and love of California custom car, motorcycle and surf culture defined him as a person and an artist.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Ninety-four years ago this month, on Oct. 9, 1928, American explorer Richard E. Byrd set out from Los Angeles on his first Antarctic expedition. The Times wrote: “Science’s thrust at the last frontier — the Antarctic — begins this evening at Los Angeles Harbor, when Commander Richard E. Byrd and fourteen modern crusaders sail on the Norwegian whaler C.A. Larsen on the first leg of their voyage to the Ross Quadrant — which bleak expanse for the next two years will be the scene of their endeavors.”
Byrd planned to map the region and become the first to fly across the South Pole. He accomplished both from a base his team built called Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf. They also discovered previously unknown territory including a range of mountains, dubbed the Rockefeller Mountains.
In 2005, The Times wrote about when the last living explorer from that 1928 expedition appeared as a guest on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” Norman Vaughan brought along his polar bear mittens from the trip.
Times staff writer Amy Hubbard contributed to this report.
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