Newsletter: From ‘locked and loaded’ to ‘no rush’
President Trump shifts his tone on Iran and downplays talk of war.
TOP STORIES
From ‘Locked and Loaded’ to ‘No Rush’
President Trump’s approach to Iran, like most of his foreign policy, has veered from confrontational to conciliatory and a little bit of everything in between. On Monday, he said it appears that Iran was behind air attacks on two major Saudi Arabian oil facilities that knocked out more than half of all production capacity in the world’s largest oil exporter. But he emphasized that he wants to avoid a new Middle East war, saying “diplomacy is never exhausted” and that he is in “no rush” to decide on a response. Just a day earlier, Trump had tweeted the U.S. was “locked and loaded depending on verification.” For its part, Iran has denied responsibility for the attacks and ruled out a potential meeting between Trump and Iran’s president next week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
Guess Who’s Back in Town
After holding a campaign rally in New Mexico last night, President Trump is expected to arrive in California this morning for a two-day swing with fundraising stops in Palo Alto, Beverly Hills and San Diego. Although there are no public events scheduled, he is likely to take on the issue of homelessness, which he has used in recent months to bash the deep-blue state. Last week, a delegation from his administration met with city and county officials and homeless advocates in L.A., but it has revealed little about any plans Trump may have.
More Politics
— Nancy Pelosi, Hollywood and high taxes: Here’s everything Trump has tweeted about California.
— Sen. Elizabeth Warren has released a sweeping anti-corruption proposal, providing a detailed policy road map for a fight she says is at the core of her presidential campaign.
— Joe Biden’s childhood struggle with a stutter: How he overcame it and how it shaped him.
Your Scooter Mileage May Vary
When rental scooters descended upon L.A.’s Westside, cities there began trying to rein them in. One of the ways they’re doing so: a technology called geofencing, which remotely enforces speed, parking restrictions and even no-go zones. But the specifics of where the invisible fences are and what they do have been constantly shifting; they vary not only from city to city, but also from company to company.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
On this date in 1959, a groundbreaking ceremony for Dodger Stadium was held. During the event, several giant earth-movers plunged down a 200-foot slope, shoving tons of dirt ahead of them as spectators watched. Some people scooped up handfuls of dirt and packed it in souvenir cardboard boxes. The celebratory scene was in marked contrast to the forcible evictions of Chavez Ravine residents just a few months earlier.
CALIFORNIA
— Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a crackdown on illicit e-cigarettes and plans to launch a state-sponsored public awareness campaign about the dangers of the devices amid a nationwide outbreak of serious lung illness connected to vaping. Meanwhile, some vapers are seeking relief from nicotine addiction by turning to cigarettes.
— Residents seeking relief from jet noise at the Hollywood Burbank and Van Nuys airports are sharing ideas with officials on how to quiet the airspace.
— Here are the biggest wildfires burning in the state.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
— Comic Shane Gillis has been fired by “Saturday Night Live” over his use of racist slurs without ever setting foot in front of the sketch-comedy show’s cameras. Gillis wasn’t exactly repentant.
— Netflix has acquired the global streaming rights to “Seinfeld,” as it looks to bounce back after losing the streaming rights to “The Office” and “Friends.” Yadda, yadda, yadda.
— The Los Angeles Philharmonic said Chief Executive Simon Woods will depart the company immediately after less than two years on the job. The announcement comes as a stunning surprise to some supporters.
— YouTube superstar Lilly Singh has joined NBC’s late-night block: “My focus is on making sure the script of today’s show is funny.”
NATION-WORLD
— Indiana’s attorney general said that he will work with his Illinois counterpart to investigate the discovery of more than 2,000 medically preserved fetal remains at the Illinois home of a late doctor who performed abortions in Indiana.
— Israelis go to the polls today for the second time this year. Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu survive? This politician could bring him down.
— Luxembourg‘s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel delivered what might be the bluntest Brexit-related rebuke yet of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was in town for talks: “Stop speaking and act.”
— Checkbook diplomacy: The Solomon Islands have become the latest country to make a diplomatic break with Taiwan after receiving a pledge of development aid by China.
BUSINESS
— Unions representing more than 80,000 Kaiser Permanente workers said their members will participate in a weeklong strike starting Oct. 14 to protest the company’s labor practices.
— Writers Guild of America, West President David Goodman was easily reelected. That means a long-running dispute between the union and agents is likely to continue.
— Two Southern California online eyewear retailers are hoping to change the way you buy glasses for yourself and your kids. Consumer columnist David Lazarus takes a look.
SPORTS
— Boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya says some recent disparaging tweets from his high-profile boxers are the result of miscommunication.
— The NHL Players’ Assn. won’t exercise its option to reopen the current collective bargaining agreement, which means there’ll be labor peace in the NHL through Sept. 15, 2022. Columnist Helene Elliott looks at all the leverage the players gave up.
OPINION
— Robin Abcarian writes that the FBI’s Brett M. Kavanaugh inquiry was clearly a sham. So now what do we do?
— Jonah Goldberg says Trump is ignorant but Sen. Elizabeth Warren can’t use that excuse for her unconstitutional proposals.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
— Amazon adjusted its product-search system last year to more prominently feature listings that are more profitable for the company, people who worked on the project say. Amazon says it has for many years considered long-term profitability and does look at the impact of it when deploying an algorithm. (Wall Street Journal)
— What do college admissions offices really want? (Hint: Wealth.) This piece pulls back the curtain on those who strategically decide which kids to admit and calculate how much each must pay. (New York Times)
ONLY IN CALIFORNIA
Code Emu? A fugitive emu ruffled some feathers Friday, leading California Highway Patrol officers on a brief pursuit in Madera County before being taken into custody. The southbound runaway was apprehended after a 30-minute chase along California 99 (see the photographic evidence here) and returned to its owner the next day.
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