A killing’s consequences in the Mideast

Jan. 6, 2020 5 AM PT

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A Killing’s Consequences in the Mideast

The killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Suleimani at Baghdad’s airport in a strike ordered by President Trump is creating an ever-growing pileup of consequences.

Iran says it will no longer abide by the most important limits in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, a development that could place Tehran back on the headlong pursuit of nuclear weapons, though it did leave open a door to return to compliance.

Iraq’s parliament has voted to expel more than 5,000 U.S. troops in a resolution that is nonbinding but nonetheless a powerful rebuke.

At the same time, the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said it is suspending operations against Islamic State so that it could concentrate on protecting troops.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., congressional Democrats are expressing deep doubts about Trump’s leadership and decision-making, while Trump has continued to aim a stream of invective toward his adversaries in Congress and toward Iran, including a threat to strike Iranian cultural sites, which would violate the Geneva Convention.

More About the Situation

— Suleimani’s slaying has intensified debate in domestic and international legal circles over when extrajudicial killings of adversaries can be justified, particularly in the gray zone between wartime and peacetime.

— Some former U.S. hostages in Iran say Trump’s bellicose threats are reviving their 1979 trauma. There are also growing concerns for the five Americans believed to be in Iranian custody.

— Across California, Iranian Americans’ reactions varied from shock to alarm to relief at the killing of Suleimani. Meanwhile, some Iranian Americans were reportedly questioned at the U.S.-Canada border in British Columbia.

A Long-Distance Crime Wave

Vehicle burglaries have been on the rise in California, but L.A.’s Westside is seeing a particularly troublesome increase: Authorities say Bay Area gang members traveling in rental cars to the area have been committing crimes against unsuspecting tourists at shopping centers, museums and other high-traffic areas. “You have tourist suspects targeting tourist victims,” says one officer.

How the Globes Muddied Our Crystal Ball

By this point in most Hollywood awards seasons, it’s pretty clear who the front-runners are in the annual race to pat each other on the back. But last night’s Golden Globes have taken an already wide-open contest and further shaken it up. Sam Mendes’ World War I epic “1917” and Quentin Tarantino’s 1960s fantasia “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” were the big victors. Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” made history as the first Korean film winner. And Netflix, which was poised to dominate in movies and TV, ended up with just two awards. Here are all the winners and nominees — and our awards columnist’s take on what it all means for the Oscars.

More About the Golden Globes

— Awkwafina became the first woman of Asian descent to win the award for lead actress in a movie comedy/musical for “The Farewell.”

— Tom Hanks teared up during an emotional speech (it’s one of our seven must-see moments), while host Ricky Gervais roasted Marvel, “Cats” and Felicity Huffman.

— Our fashion hits and misses from the red carpet.

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OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

— The story of Giichi Matsumura, a Japanese American man from Santa Monica who had been incarcerated for three years at the Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II and went missing during a hike. His remains were found in October and positively identified last week.

— Chancy Arnold, the longest-serving Border Patrol agent in the nation, has seen a lot change in his lifetime.

— A look at Gavin Newsom’s ambitious and uneven first year as governor of California.

— The late rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle was a bookworm. Now, a book club begun in his honor is helping black men find inspiration in what he read.

— How Los Angeles became America’s best and most exciting food city. Plus, why we stopped the practice of italicizing non-English words in our food stories.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

On this date in 1968, a group of students from Caltech became part of a national campaign to save “Star Trek” which was facing cancellation after two seasons and low ratings.

“Students at Caltech have found little time for demonstrations, protests and draft card burnings rampant on many of the nation’s campuses,” The Times reported back then. “But Saturday night, a throng of more than 200 chanting, banner-waving Caltech scholars conducted a torchlight procession through the streets of Burbank to carry a protest to the steps of the National Broadcasting Company.”

Jan. 6, 1968: Caltech students protest the rumored cancellation of the “Star Trek” TV series outside NBC Studios in Burbank.

CALIFORNIA

— Human-caused ignitions spark California’s worst wildfires but get little focus from the state.

— Real estate developers pushing to get new projects approved at Los Angeles City Hall will be banned from giving campaign contributions to the council members vetting their projects. But there’s a big loophole for corporate contributions that could mask source of giving.

— Activist Courtney Everts Mykytyn, an L.A. mom who challenged white parents to integrate schools, has died at 46.

— Columnist Frank Shyong explains how HiFi, or Historic Filipinotown, got its name.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

— John Baldessari, a gentle giant of Conceptual art whose irreverent questions about the nature of art brought him international acclaim and shaped a generation of younger talent, has died at 88.

— A combative Lara Logan plans a comeback on Fox News’ streaming service. Can she succeed?

— The surviving members of Nirvana reunited at the Hollywood Palladium for a show that proved powerful.

— Modern Props is a Hollywood institution, but after 42 years, the prop house is closing up shop. Do you recognize this device that has shown up in more than 100 feature films and TV shows?

NATION-WORLD

— Authorities say Al-Shabab extremists overran a key military base used by U.S. counter-terror forces in Kenya before dawn Sunday, killing three American Department of Defense personnel and destroying several U.S. aircraft and vehicles before they were repelled.

— Venezuelan National Assembly President and opposition leader Juan Guaidó was violently blocked by national guardsmen from presiding over a special session of congress where rivals tried to replace him.

— In New York, throngs of demonstrators joined by elected officials walked solemnly across the Brooklyn Bridge in a solidarity march against anti-Semitism and all acts of hate.

BUSINESS

— The wine industry is facing dramatic consequences from the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs.

— This retiree got a big surprise: taxes.

SPORTS

— What was the greatest legacy of the late NBA commissioner David Stern? Columnist LZ Granderson says it was how he embraced LGBTQ inclusion and changed the dialogue on HIV/AIDS.

— For the first time since the 2010 NFL season, there aren’t any quarterbacks among the final eight in the NFL playoffs who were selected first in the draft. Here are the match-ups.

OPINION

— President Trump, it’s pretty simple: Destroying cultural heritage sites is a war crime.

— A Ventura County teacher writes that his classroom’s latest equipment for school lockdowns is a poop bucket. Yes, it’s come to this.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

— What is the true cause of the opioid epidemic? New research sheds some light and raises more questions. (The Atlantic)

— A weekend of bushfire devastation in Australia, in pictures. (The Guardian)

ONLY IN L.A.

If you’re looking for someone to explain the physics of soccer, the Sunday soccer league at Caltech is a good place to start. With teams such as the Cambrian Explosion, Cataclysmic Variables, IcyGood and the Cosmics, the so-called Nerd League brings together astrophysicists, engineers, biologists and more for the beautiful game. Where else would errant shots be blamed on poor vectoring?

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