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TikTok stars like Bella Poarch can turn random songs into hits. So why not make ’em themselves?

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-06-01/tik-tok-bella-poarch-addison-rae-jxdn-dixie-damelio

Two Friday nights ago, amid the manmade waters of Mandalay Bay Beach in Las Vegas, Jxdn gave what he called his “first performance ever” — a real thrill, to judge by a video clip the 20-year-old social media influencer posted on Instagram, in which he flung himself around the stage as he yelped his wounded pop-punk song “Think About Me.” “Wow,” he wrote later in the video’s caption. “Never felt this type of feeling.” Yet the gig was hardly his first time in front of an audience. Born Jaden Hossler, Jxdn is an established star on TikTok, where he developed a following of millions as a member of Sway House, the L.A.-based bad-boy creator collective known for its bite-size videos of good-looking (if hard-to-distinguish) Gen Z guys doing … well, whatever. Now Jxdn is looking to use his newfangled celebrity to launch an old-fashioned music career — and he’s not alone. Last month Bella Poarch, whose video of herself lip-syncing to a British grime track is the most-liked TikTok clip of all time (49 million at last count), released her debut single, the droll “Build a Bitch”; not long before that, the app’s second-most-followed personality, Addison Rae, dropped her first song, “Obsessed.” Other high-profile TikTokers who’ve gotten in on the act include Dixie D’Amelio, Chase Hudson (a.k.a. Lil Huddy) and Nessa Barrett, who’s reportedly dating Jxdn and has a pair of sexy-gloomy trap-grunge duets with him. The result is an inversion of what happened on TikTok in 2020, when any musician who wanted to get near the Billboard Hot 100 took to the ultra-popular video-sharing platform in the wake of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” which broke chart records after countless kids posted clips of themselves dancing to the song in their bedrooms. COVID-19’s shutdown of the concert business attracted even veteran musicians — think Mick Fleetwood glugging from a bottle of Ocean Spray — suddenly in need of a way to keep in front of content-hungry fans. But given that the Ocean Spray meme that put Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” back on the chart was launched by a random dude on TikTok, it’s no wonder that influencers would eventually try to make hits themselves. Music Chase Hudson, aka Lil Huddy, is best known as the TikTok influencer who dated Charli D’Amelio. Now, he’s reinvented himself as a fledgling pop-punk star. March 4, 2021 As modern as the particulars are, this attempted crossover has plenty of historical precedent. If TikTok is the new reality television — a short-attention-span blend of “The Real World” and “America’s Got Talent,” let’s say — then perhaps these young pop hopefuls represent the 2020s equivalent of Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian, each of whom took a stab at becoming a singer as just one more way to extend her brand. And don’t forget Bhad Bhabie, the irascible teenage rapper who parlayed a viral appearance on “Dr. Phil,” of all shows, into a major-label deal. Of course, pop music — long a destination for cultural carpetbaggers thanks to the low barrier to entry — is less easily monetizable now than it was back in Hilton’s and Kardashian’s pre-streaming heyday. The former sold 77,000 copies of her self-titled 2006 debut in its first week of release, according to Billboard — more than many acts sell over the entire life of a project these days. Yet the shift from $13 CDs to $9.99-a-month Spotify has done nothing to diminish the perceived cool of rappers and pop stars, which helps explain why marketing-minded TikTokers — already reasonably close to music thanks to the app’s foundation in lip-sync and dance-challenge videos — are so eager to make records that will bring in only a fraction of the money they can make hawking branded hoodies or cosmetics. Only a churl would lament the existence of these testaments to the out-of-nowhere potential of a great pop hit. (Friendly reminder that Cardi B got her start on Instagram.) But believing in pop’s glorious exploitability doesn’t mean you can’t separate the ridiculous from the sublime. So is this stuff any good? For Rae and D’Amelio, charter members along with Hudson of L.A.’s Hype House collective, the answer is a soft no. Rae hits all the right marks in “Obsessed,” in which she recounts a sensual date-night drive down Sunset; the beat throbs satisfyingly as the 20-year-old, wearing a “dress so tight you can’t even speak,” competently cribs Selena Gomez’s breathy coo. As an emotional experience, though, “Obsessed” — like D’Amelio’s similarly blank “F—boy” — is almost comically empty, with zero feeling that anything is at stake for the narrator. Poarch’s “Build a Bitch,” in which she informs a guy that women aren’t designed to a customer’s specifications, is much more interesting; the lyric is witty and detailed, while Poarch — a 24-year-old Filipino-American woman who served in the Navy before hitting it big on TikTok — sings in a high, lilting voice that goes right to the edge of Barbie-girl parody. On YouTube the song’s creepy-funny video has already been viewed more than 100 million times, enough to secure “Build a Bitch” a slot on the competitive Hot 100. Barrett’s “La Di Die” is effective too, with dark thoughts on fame and depression that she delivers with understated despair. Music ‘Sour’ is 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, following the chart-topping success of her first-ever single, ‘Drivers License.’ May 20, 2021 Differences in quality aside, these songs are linked by a preoccupation with self-esteem and mental health — “I can love myself as much as you love me, and that’s important,” Rae told Vogue of her song — that bespeaks a certain faith in the algorithm: Where Hilton and Kardashian modeled their throwaway singles on Nelly Furtado and Katy Perry, today’s TikTok wannabes look to Billie Eilish and Tate McRae. The male influencers are doing the same with the nth-wave emo that has resurged in popularity lately thanks to acts like Machine Gun Kelly; indeed, MGK’s producer, Travis Barker of Blink-182, is working with Jxdn on a debut album expected soon. (Other proven writers and producers who’ve thrown in their lot with TikTok talent include Benny Blanco, who oversaw “Obsessed,” and Salem Ilese, who co-wrote “Build a Bitch” after scoring a TikTok hit of her own last year with the sly “Mad at Disney.”) There’s something of a ready-made vibe to melodramatic pop-punk songs such as Lil Huddy’s “21st Century Vampire” and Jxdn’s “Think About Me,” as though these guys had simply shown up at someone’s studio at the appointed hour and done what they were instructed to do. Here in the era of the pop auteur — of Taylor Swift and the Weeknd and Olivia Rodrigo — we tend to think poorly of that plug-and-play approach (as “Obsessed” shows us we should). But assuming the style is right, sometimes the process can free a singer from the burden of taste, like a private-school kid rolling out of bed only to put on his uniform, in a way that gives the music real energy. “Never in my life would I have thought this would happen to me,” Jxdn wrote last week on Instagram after his song “Angels & Demons” racked up its 100 millionth stream on Spotify. Then he offered a heartfelt guarantee emblematic of a cohort raised on likes: “I’m forever grateful and forever determined to always make music that people love.”

Coronavirus name game: Farewell, B.1.1.7. Hello, Alpha!

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-06-01/coronavirus-name-game-farewell-b-1-1-7-hello-alpha

Do you confuse the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant with B.1.351? What about P.1, P.2 and P.3? The COVID-19 pandemic is confusing enough without arcane scientific nomenclature getting in the way. And so, nearly six months after the emergence of the first variants to “of concern,” the World Health Organization has unveiled a new naming system. B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the United Kingdom and is often referred to as “the U.K. variant,” gets the more easily remembered moniker Alpha. B.1.351, which you may know as “the South Africa variant,” will henceforth be referred to as Beta. P.1, aka “the Brazil variant,” is Gamma. And the variant associated with India, which you probably didn’t even realize was called B.1.671.2, will be Delta. Science & Medicine The Biden administration is boosting efforts to identify and track coronavirus variants to help scientists see where the pandemic is heading next. Feb. 7, 2021 That covers the four “variants of concern” recognized by the WHO. They have earned that designation from the global health agency because they’re more transmissible than the original coronavirus strain, they make people they infect sicker or they’ve shown resistance to medicines or vaccines. (The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a slightly longer list.) The WHO also recognizes six “variants of interest” that have been implicated in outbreaks or shown a propensity to spread but are thought to be less threatening than the variants of concern. These include the B.1.427/B.1.429 variants that originated in California and the B.1.526 variant from New York. They’ll be known as, respectively, Epsilon and Iota. The naming system was developed by scientists who have been tracking the evolution of the coronavirus since the pandemic’s earliest days. Those scientists will continue to use their letter/number framework, but the past few months have shown that such nomenclature can be confusing to the general public. That’s why these variants have come to be known for the places where they were first identified. But scientists frown on naming diseases after places, which can be stigmatizing. The WHO has collaborated with the World Organization for Animal Health and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization to develop guidelines for naming diseases. (In their book, the Spanish flu should be known as the 1918 H1N1 virus.) Science & Medicine Confusion over the terms ‘variant’ and ‘strain’ predate this coronavirus. It seems virologists never got around to defining their terms. Feb. 4, 2021 If the Greek letters catch on, this problem will go away. And if we get to the unfortunate point where variants outnumber Greek letters, the WHO will come up with a new naming scheme, it said. It’ll have to. Short combinations of Greek letters presumably would not sit well with sororities and fraternities. Once you reach full immunity, your risk of getting a moderate to severe case of COVID-19 is greatly reduced, and you’ll want to go places and see people. Here are some guidelines and resources. Only in public or around unvaccinated people, according to the CDC. If you’re around other fully vaccinated people in a private setting, go ahead and take your masks off. The CDC has relaxed its guidance for wearing masks outdoors. Yes, you can visit one other household with unvaccinated people, indoors and without masks even, as long as they and anyone they live with are at low risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19. Avoid mixing with more than one household at a time. Be sure to check and follow the rules in place for wherever you’re headed, but in general, yes. And you don’t have to quarantine when you return home. The CDC recommends that you do not. In California, stadiums and other large venues that are opening are doing so with limited capacity and physical distancing and other measures in place. Suggested reading for the vaccinated: For those who aren’t yet:

Mardy Fish offers support to Naomi Osaka. He's been on his own mental health journey

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-06-01/mardy-fish-offers-his-support-to-naomi-osaka-hes-been-there

Tennis star Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion at age 23. She also suffers from depression and anxiety. On Monday, Osaka withdrew from the French Open and announced she was stepping away from the sport for an undisclosed amount of time, a decision she said she made in part for her own mental health. Retired tennis player Mardy Fish was one of the many people who publicly offered support for Osaka. “Mental Health is nothing to criticize. Nothing to joke about,” he tweeted. “Pls take your mental health seriously.” Mental Health is nothing to criticize. Nothing to joke about. Pls take your mental health seriously. Without my support system, I truly believe I would not be here today. Here for you @naomiosaka https://t.co/8UdJexQPVj Fish knows because he’s been there. Around 10 years ago, Fish went from enjoying what he described as a “nice” tennis career to becoming one of the sport’s elite players. But just as he was reaching the pinnacle of success, Fish started experiencing anxiety attacks that became more frequent and more intense as time went on. As former Times sports editor and columnist Bill Dwyre wrote in 2015: “The joy was that he got himself up to No. 7 in the world in 2011. The pain was that that climb caused him to lose the joy.” Finally, Fish couldn’t continue. In a 2015 piece for the Player’s Tribune, Fish recalled having multiple anxiety attacks in the car on his way to a 2012 U.S. Open match against Roger Federer, which Fish called “the biggest tennis match of my life.” Sports Naomi Osaka revealing her struggles with depression and anxiety shows why her decision to withdraw from the French Open deserves understanding. June 1, 2021 He wrote: “I am hours away from playing the greatest player of all time, for a chance at my best-ever result, in my favorite tournament in the world. I am hours away from playing the match that you work for, that you sacrifice for, for an entire career. “And I can’t do it. “I literally can’t do it.” So he didn’t. He continued: “And just like that, it hit me — I remember it so vividly, and so powerfully. Oh God, I thought. I’m … not going to do it. I’m not going to go out there, anxious, in front of 22,000 people. I’m not going to play Roger. “I’m not going to play. “I didn’t play.” Fish defaulted to Federer and didn’t play much competitive tennis for the next several years. He returned to the U.S. Open in 2015, losing in the second round before retiring on his own terms and advocating for mental health along the way. Entertainment & Arts Athletes, actors and other prominent figures fiercely defend Naomi Osaka on social media after the tennis star withdrew from the French Open. June 1, 2021 “Mental health is not a very easy thing to talk about in sports,” he wrote in the Player’s Tribune. “It’s not perceived as very masculine. We’re so trained to be ‘mentally tough,’ in sports. To show weakness, we’re told, in so many words, is to deserve shame. “But I am here to show weakness. And I am not ashamed.” Osaka essentially made the same statement Monday. And the outpouring of support she’s received from the sports world shows such issues may not be as taboo as they once were. You shouldnt ever have to make a decison like this-but so damn impressive taking the high road when the powers that be dont protect their own. major respect @naomiosaka https://t.co/OcRd95MqCn stay strong ❤️ I admire your vulnerability Just a question for the tennis authorities — is it better for your sport to have Naomi Osaka playing and not speaking to the media or not playing at all? https://t.co/B0MXQKCilp As human beings we have to do better at supporting each other. Mental health is real. And to fine a person for trying to protect their peace is not giving somebody a safe place to be a persons best self. I support you Naomi https://t.co/0NeSTQlh5B doing media is forced upon us. it’s time to start protecting those that don’t want to speak.... let their game speak for them. being forced to do media shouldn’t be part of being an athlete ❤️ https://t.co/4Q68z2jHxd

Letters to the Editor: The GOP is acting more like a crime family than a political party

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-06-01/gop-is-acting-more-like-a-crime-family

To the editor: Aside from the six Senate Republicans who voted to break their party’s filibuster against creating a bipartisan Jan. 6 commission, the others acted like members of a crime family. (“Senate Republicans block Jan. 6 commission to study Capitol insurrection,” May 28) When their the boss asked for a personal favor (as Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly did) and they abandoned their oath of office to comply, they proved they were no longer worthy of the public trust. I don’t understand why they are concerned about winning the next election when they have no agenda other than hanging on to former President Trump’s coattails. The only things Trump is concerned about are staying out of jail and preserving his wealth. How does that help 330 million Americans? June Thompson, Los Angeles .. To the editor: How did we become a nation where the minority rules? The vote on the Jan. 6 commission was 54 to 35, but because of the filibuster Republicans won and were able to block passage of the bill. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton won the national popular vote by about 2.9 million, but Donald Trump became president because of the electoral college. An overwhelming bipartisan majority of Americans supported President Biden’s coronavirus relief package, but Republicans in Congress vowed to do everything possible to defeat it. When is this going to stop? How can politicians who keep going against the majority win elections and govern against the will of the people? We have a serious case of the tail wagging the dog, and we need to take a hard look at the filibuster and the electoral college. Cynthia Lum, Hermosa Beach .. To the editor: The necessary number of GOP senators refused to support the creation of a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. It’s time for corporate America to step up and help save our democracy. Recently, corporate America applied pressure on Georgia after that state passed a number of voter suppression measures. While the measures were not reversed, a strong message was sent. Perhaps the Republicans will respond to corporate America; no one else seems to get through to them. Todd Collart, Ventura

The secret behind this queer, Latinx-owned plant shop is 4 words: Come as you are

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2021-06-01/the-queer-mexican-couple-behind-the-long-beach-plant-shop-plantiitas

On a recent morning, the fog outside in Long Beach is thick, but the vibes inside Kevin Alcaraz and Anthony Diaz’s spacious shop, Plantiitas, are bright and welcoming. There’s a statue of La Virgen perched high for protection. A sea of green plants — including Oxalis triangularis and maranta lemon lime prayer plants, Alocasia ‘Silver Dragon’ and Hoya engleriana — is spread across three large wooden tables made by local artisan Sarven Manguiat. A progress Pride flag hangs on the front door, and a large mural on the back wall reads “Para Todxs Sale el Sol” — the sun comes out for everyone. Lifestyle In our Plant PPL series, we interview people of color in the plant world, including plantfluencers, plant stylists, floral artists, enthusiasts, experts and garden store owners. Sept. 7, 2022 Compared with other minimal and pricey plant boutiques in town, Plantiitas seems to say, “Yes, you can breathe near the plants.” But it also says, “Come as you are.” Alcaraz, a freelance makeup artist, immigrated to this country from Mexico when he was 18. Diaz, the founder of an ASL interpreting service, is first-generation Mexican American. “I wanted to have something that said, ‘They are not ashamed to be brown,’” Alcaraz, 27, says. “Also I want it to be a place where people feel safe.” Their approach has been transformative. The couple’s plant shop has had long lines since it opened last fall. So much so that their neighbors sometimes joke that they must be selling something harder than pothos. “For us to describe the feeling of love and support and just warmth that we’ve received ... it’s been mind-blowing,” Diaz, 31, says. “It’s been overwhelming.” Alcaraz is the visionary in the relationship, Diaz is the practical one. The couple met at a gym in Huntington Park and have been married for five years. Opening a plant shop is not something they had planned — or even thought possible — before last year. “Black- and brown-owned plant businesses,” Diaz says, “there aren’t a whole lot.” Plantiitas started with a one-off post on Facebook. Alcaraz had a couple of houseplants that were thriving, so he repotted them and put them in a macramé hanger he made in quarantine. He posted an image of the plants early in the pandemic, and they sold immediately. Then he began posting and selling more plants, eventually saving up $1,000. Alcaraz took that money and bought a truckload of plants and pots that he planned to sell on two tables and a rack outside his and Diaz’s garage. “I said to Anthony, ‘We’re going to sell everything or we’re going to have a jungle.’” They advertised the sale on social media for a Saturday last May. Within one day, every plant was sold. Both Diaz and Alcaraz’s jobs had dried up because of COVID, so they began focusing on their new venture full time. They grew it from a couple of tables outside to a garage filled with greenery and open for business every Saturday and Sunday. Swarms of masked people, newly obsessed with plants during the pandemic, were showing up — and demand only grew. “It got to the point where we had people lining up along our driveway just to get to our garage,” Diaz says. Lifestyle As plant stores begin to reopen in Los Angeles, we share a few of our favorites. June 15, 2020 There were also a few naysayers. “We had some Karens coming and asking [as they were buying plants], ‘Do you have permits to do this?’” Alcaraz remembers, “and I was like, ‘We do. God is our permit.’” Before long, though, Alcaraz and Diaz knew it was time to look for an official space. Somewhere they could stretch out and not have to worry about the city busting them — or violating social distancing guidelines. Besides, they were over the struggle of lugging their supply from their third-floor apartment to their first-floor garage every weekend. Plantiitas’ home on a sleepy stretch of 4th Street was the first storefront they applied for. In a subconscious way, the couple had been preparing for this moment their entire lives. Diaz grew up in Southeast L.A., tending to his grandparents’ garden. Alcaraz was born and raised in a small town in Jalisco, Mexico, called Margaritas (“small town, big chisme,” he jokes), where his family owned orchards and his grandmother helped cultivate his green thumb by talking to her plants every morning. But being business owners of color working in the plant world brought with it a specific set of challenges. They didn’t have immediate access to capital. They didn’t have the “linguistic knowledge of what a business is and how to set it up,” Diaz says. Basics, like “not knowing the idea of purchasing as a company versus purchasing as a customer. All of those things are things that nobody lays out for you. “The other stores aren’t going to want to share those secrets with you. I can’t tell you how many hours Kevin invested driving to different greenhouses to just show up, to ask questions, to feel powerless and hopeless until things started falling into place.” These hurdles frustrated Diaz and Alcaraz but made them even more dedicated to operating a shop that is of the Long Beach community and for the Long Beach community. That meant centering the shop in the experiences of Long Beach’s queer and Latinx population. For Diaz, that means prioritizing the mental health of people of color. Early on in the pandemic, when he was struggling with anxiety, depression and PTSD, he turned to plants. They became a lesson in self-care. Plants needed water and so did he. Plants needed sun and so did he. The plants needed to be treated kindly and so did he. Lifestyle Andi Xoch, creator of @LatinxWithPlants hosts plant pop-ups on the weekends outside her home in Boyle Heights June 16, 2020 Diaz thinks Plantiitas can offer the same for others — not only by selling plants but by hosting community healing events. Prices are affordable. Small common plants in the shop start at $3, while the rare niche ones can sell for up to $300. But a solid chunk of them range between $10 and $30. “I came with probably $100 to this country, so I had to work really hard to buy some things,” Alcaraz says. “I didn’t want people to be like I was going to a store and just checking everything out and saying, ‘One day.’ No. The day they come is the day I want them to take something home.” Working with local artists is another important part of the equation. The mural that has become synonymous with Plantiitas is a remixed take on La Catrina, a Mexican symbol tied to Día de Muertos. It was painted by Long Beach artist Karina Vazquez, who was born in Guadalajara. “Seeing how much they were doing with what they had, I really admired them for that,” Vazquez says about working with the couple. “And also knowing that they’re Mexican, I was like, ‘My people.’” The feminine image Vazquez painted features a thin handlebar mustache in a nod to queerness, with a sun behind the figure’s head and vines for arms, intended to welcome all people into the space. It’s working. One Plantiitas customer, Amanda Demaray, 31, says she comes to the shop weekly and has done so since it opened in October. “The whole vibe is just … ,” says Demaray, lifting her hands to the sky, gesturing at some intangible energy. “I like to come when I’m not in the best mood, and it totally changes my day.”

'Friends' reunion director wishes people were kind to Matthew Perry

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-06-01/friends-reunion-details-matthew-perry-matt-leblanc

Matthew Perry is fine, thank you very much. So says the director of “Friends: The Reunion,” who wishes people would stop being “unkind” to the actor. Fellow “Friends” cast member Matt LeBlanc has also generated a lot of buzz after he went viral for a particular pose he struck during the recent HBO Max special. Fans raised concerns for Perry’s health after the actor appeared to be slurring his speech during the show, which was filmed over two days in April and began streaming last week. A source later said that Perry had had emergency dental work done right before shooting began. “He was great,” director Ben Winston told the Hollywood Reporter in an article published Saturday. “People can sometimes just be unkind. I wish they weren’t. I loved working with him. He’s a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show.” Television Matthew Perry slurred his words in recent interviews for ‘Friends: The Reunion,’ then quit personalized-video site Cameo. But there’s an explanation. May 27, 2021 Meanwhile, “Friends” fans on Twitter in Ireland and England declared LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribbiani, to be everyone’s uncle — or dad. Seems his crossed arms and striped short-sleeve shirt struck a chord across the pond in Ireland and England. “Matt LeBlanc is your uncle at a wedding buying you too many beers and getting your name mixed up with your siblings while rolling his eyes lovingly at your aunt drunkenly flailing to Dancing Queen,” an Irish music producer and performer tweeted. “Who wore it best, #mattleblanc or my Dad??!!,” tweeted one woman from Leitrim, Ireland, who included a crazy-accurate side-by-side comparison of the two men. Television A long-awaited reunion, after more than a year of racial reckoning, offered ‘Friends’ a chance to own up to its past failings. It didn’t take it. May 27, 2021 “Matt LeBlanc looks like the Dad on Christmas that is happy to see you open your gifts even though he doesn’t know what any of them are cos your Mum got them all,” one Londoner wrote. “Matt le blanc looks like a fella you’d end up having a deep conversation with in the residents bar after a wedding. ten pints deep and he’s giving you the best advice you’ll ever get. you’ll never meet him again but his sage wisdom sticks with you forever. a gentleman,” tweeted a guy who gave his location as both London and Cork. And yet another tweeted, “Matt LeBlanc looks like a minibus driver sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Westport on the Sunday morning after a stag weekend to ferry the lads back across the country.” “‘Ye paid HOW much? Ye should’ve called me. I know a fella who would’ve done it for half that.’ #mattleblanc,” a Dublin woman said. Television Most but not all of ‘Friends: The Reunion’ is airing in China: LGBTQ references and appearances by BTS, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber have been cut. May 28, 2021 Also, one more note from the Hollywood Reporter article: When asked whether the international shots in the reunion were a way to address criticisms of a lack of diversity in “Friends,” which ran from 1994 to 2004, director Winston said a definite no. “Doing the research for this show, you hear that it was the No. 1 show in India and in Ghana,” he said. “It’s insane to me that a show that was written and performed in 1994, there is a 20-year-old woman in Ghana who says it changed her life. And my 9-year-old niece in London can quote every line from the show. “It came from that.”

In rural Northern California town, officials vote to rename Jim Crow Road

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/in-rural-northern-california-town-officials-vote-to-rename-jim-crow-road

A Northern California county has voted to rename Jim Crow Road after a debate over the racist implications of the name and accusations of “woke cancel culture.” The 4-1 vote by the Sierra County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday came after property owners along the road, located about three miles from Downieville, asked for a name change in early April. The name will be changed to Crow City Road, as recommended by the county’s historical society. The controversy over the road’s name unfolded in this community about 100 miles northeast of Sacramento. Sierra County is one of the least ethnically and racially diverse counties in California: About 93% of the 3,000 people who make up Sierra County are white. “I am very pleased at the action of my colleagues and all who weighed in on this issue,” said Lee Adams, a Sierra County supervisor who originally brought the issue before the board. “Not only has an insensitive name been retired, but the new name acknowledges the lost community of Crow City that was a very early part of Sierra County history.” The road was said to be named after a Native Hawaiian man who came to the area as a Gold Rush pioneer in 1849. There also exists a Jim Crow Canyon, Jim Crow Creek and there was once a community known as Crow City. The words “Jim Crow” have come to stand for the racist laws that for generations kept Black people segregated in the American South. The phrase itself, which predates the Gold Rush, originated in blackface minstrelsy. (Last year, 2,500 miles away in Georgia, Jim Crow Road — named for Glennon “Jim” Crow — was renamed G.C. Crow Road.) At the Tuesday public hearing, nearly a dozen people spoke in favor of changing the road name. Among them was William Pangman, who has owned property there since 1976. “It’s really a matter of respecting, particularly, the dignity of Black Americans and those who recognize a real empathy is needed in that regard,” Pangman said. “The despicable and abhorrent perception of the term Jim Crow very much exists and is very much in the public mind.” In a letter to the board last month, Pangman mentioned protests in cities across the country over the past year, stating that that, “should leave no doubt that hurtful social issues, particularly the name and denotation of patterns of racial injustice, is embodied in the categorical name of “Jim Crow.” Property owners also referenced the public relations problem the road name has created for neighbors in the resort and tourist industry, including the owner of the Sierra Shangri-La, a small, rustic resort along the street. Betsy Mathieson, a resident of Sierra City, said the county’s economy “relies heavily on tourists.” “Tourists come to Sierra County for relaxation and recreation. They don’t have our insider knowledge of the history of the name Jim Crow Road,” Mathieson said. “The name Jim Crow Road does not endear us to tourists.” Mathieson urged the board to do the right thing, citing the 100th anniversary of the destruction of a thriving Black community in Tulsa, Okla. When Adams first brought the issue before the board in April, three of the supervisors spoke out against renaming the road, with one of them questioning why someone would buy property there if they took issue with it. On Tuesday, four of the five supervisors voted in favor of the resolution to change the name. The only no vote came from Terry LeBlanc, who in an April discussion said, “you might as well just burn the history books because, you know, this is just going way too far as far as I’m concerned.” At the public hearing, LeBlanc said, “I’m just not into this.”

Supreme Court overturns 9th Circuit's rule that favors those seeking asylum

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-06-01/supreme-court-overturns-9th-circuit-decision-that-favors-asylum-seekers

The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a rule used by the 9th Circuit Court in California that presumed immigrants seeking asylum were telling the truth unless an immigration judge had made an “explicit” finding that they were not credible. The justices in a 9-0 decision said this rule “cannot be reconciled” with law set by Congress that gives immigration judges the authority to weigh often conflicting accounts and to decide whether the applicant is entitled to asylum. “For many years, and over many dissents, the 9th Circuit has proceeded on the view that, “[i]n the absence of an explicit adverse credibility finding [by the agency], we must assume that [the immigrant’s] factual contentions are true’ or at least credible,” wrote Justice Neil M. Gorsuch in Garland vs. Dai. He said this rule was not justified and gave immigrants the benefit of the doubt in close cases. “Congress has carefully circumscribed judicial review” of immigration decisions, he added. Typically, an immigration judge hears from an immigrant seeking asylum and may also hear evidence from the government that calls into question the person’s account or reasons for seeking refuge in this country. The judge then decides whether the applicant is entitled to asylum, usually without formally concluding whether the applicant has been credible or deceitful. If an asylum request is turned down by an immigration judge and the Board of Immigration Appeals, the applicant may then seek a review from an appellate court. The 9th Circuit Court took the position that any failed applicant’s account would be presumed to be credible and true, even despite conflicting evidence, unless there was a previous finding from an immigration judge or board that the account was not credible. In the case decided Tuesday, Ming Dai, a Chinese national, applied for asylum as a refugee and said he and his family were fleeing persecution based on China’s policy of forced abortions. He told of his wife being abducted and him being beaten in 2009 when she became pregnant with a second child. “Please grant me asylum so that I can bring my wife and daughter to safety in the USA,” he said in his asylum application. Only later when pressed did he agree to tell the “real story,” Gorsuch said. “Mr. Dai proceeded to admit that his daughter returned to China to go to school; that his wife chose to return to her job and her elderly father; that Mr. Dai did not have a job in China, and this was why he stayed in the United States,” he said. An immigration judge rejected Dai’s claim for asylum, and the Bureau of Immigration Appeals agreed, but without formally concluding that his original story lacked credibility. When he appealed, the 9th Circuit said his stated reasons for seeking asylum should be “deemed” as credible and true, and granted him asylum. In a second case decided with Dai’s, a Mexican national Cesar Alcaraz-Enriquez was arrested when trying to enter the country illegally. He said he feared his life would be in danger if he were returned to Mexico. Immigration agents learned from a probation report that he had been convicted earlier of abducting and brutally beating a girlfriend in California. He told agents he didn’t hit her “that hard” and said he was trying to protect his young daughter from his girlfriend. After weighing the evidence, immigration judges denied his bid to avoid removal, but the 9th Circuit granted his appeal. The court sent both cases back to the 9th Circuit to be reconsidered. Gorsuch noted that as many as 12 of the 9th Circuit’s judges had disagreed with the court’s presumption that favored asylum applicants. It is the second time in two weeks the justices unanimously reversed the 9th Circuit on an issue of immigration law. Last week, Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke for the court in reviving the “unlawful retry” prosecution of a Mexican national who had been deported more than 20 years ago for a DUI conviction (U.S. vs. Palomar-Santiago). The 9th Circuit said it was “fundamentally unfair” to charge him with unlawful reentry, since the high court later said DUI was not a violent offense warranting deportation. But last week, the court said immigrants who failed to challenge their deportation at the time could not contest it now.

Biden to suspend Trump’s eleventh-hour oil leases in Arctic

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-06-01/biden-to-suspend-trumps-eleventh-hour-oil-leases-in-arctic

The Biden administration will suspend Arctic refuge drilling rights sold in the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency, a move that buys time for further environmental analysis, according to a person familiar with the decision. The Interior Department decision will temporarily halt action on 11 leases spanning about 553,000 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, said the person, who asked not to be named before a formal announcement. Politico reported the development earlier. Spokespeople for the Interior Department and its Bureau of Land Management did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The department’s Bureau of Land Management is set to conduct fresh environmental analysis of the Jan. 6 sale of oil leases in the refuge. Just two oil companies and an Alaska economic development corporation bought the right to explore for oil and gas on tracts in the refuge’s coastal plain during that January auction. Opinion The Trump administration pushed through oil leases on land protected by presidents back to Eisenhower. No major oil companies offered bids. Feb. 22, 2021 But environmentalists have raised questions about whether the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority was legally qualified to participate. Although the state-owned company has financed small oil projects in Alaska, it has never sought to acquire its own drilling rights, and BLM has previously disqualified bids by entities with no intent to develop their leases. Environmentalists and native Alaskans also have gone to court to challenge the scale of the underlying auction, arguing that industrial oil development would threaten one of America’s last truly wild places as well as the calving caribou, migratory birds and Arctic foxes that rely on it. The Biden administration’s planned suspension falls short of some advocates’ push for the entire lease sale to be invalidated. On the campaign trail, President Biden vowed to permanently protect the refuge. But his administration has defended a separate Trump-era decision to green-light a massive ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. oil development in the National Petroleum Reserve — a top priority for the state’s Republican congressional delegation, including senior Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Congress has mandated two coastal plain oil auctions by Dec. 22, 2024, as a way to pay for the 2017 tax cuts.

Man charged in BB gun shooting case is suspected in six more cases, authorities say

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/bb-gun-shooter-suspect-bail

Authorities have expanded their investigation of an Anaheim man charged with attempted murder in the firing of a BB gun at a Tesla in Norco last week, saying the man is now a suspect in at least six other similar cases and possibly more. Jesse Leal Rodriguez, 34, has so far been charged with only the incident involving the Tesla, and on Tuesday he pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges at an arraignment hearing in Riverside County, where his bail was set at $1 million. The California Highway Patrol is investigating Rodriguez in at least six more shooting incidents, according to a declaration filed on Friday in support of enhanced bail provided by CHP Officer Steven Cuevas. Rodriguez’s arrest last week came amid a spate of about 100 similar shootings across Southern California, which began in late April and have targeted motorists from Cerritos to Riverside. No serious injuries have resulted from the shootings. “Rodriguez is suspected of 7 cases of firing a BB gun at occupied vehicles while those vehicles were being driven,” Cuevas wrote. “Rodriguez was in possession of a BB gun and his vehicle was identified. Numerous CHP areas are currently investigating well over 100 similar incidents, some of which could possibly be linked to Rodriguez.” Last week, Rodriguez was charged with three counts of attempted murder and assault in connection with the alleged shooting of the Tesla, which was carrying a driver and two passengers. Around 1:30 p.m. last Tuesday, the Tesla was shot at with a BB gun in the area of Hamner Avenue and Hidden Valley Parkway in Norco. A maroon Chevrolet Trailblazer was captured by the car’s video system when its window was shot out, according to the district attorney’s office. CHP later pulled over a maroon Trailblazer at about 9:30 p.m. in a shopping center parking lot. The driver, Rodriguez, was arrested, and a BB gun, BBs, and other related items were found in his vehicle, according to the district attorney. Rodriguez has a prior record of firearms convictions. In 2010, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to a felony charge for illegally carrying a loaded firearm and being part of a street gang. He was sentenced to 16 months in state prison and three years probation, according to court records. In December 2012, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm by a felon with a gang enhancement. In April 2013, he was sentenced to 32 months in state prison.

Tony Gonzalez sells Beverly Hills mansion to billionaire investor Wayne Boich

https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2021-06-01/tony-gonzalez-sells-beverly-hills-mansion-to-billionaire-investor-wayne-boich

NFL legend Tony Gonzalez found a deep-pocketed buyer in Beverly Hills, selling his 13,000-square-foot mansion to billionaire investor Wayne Boich for $21.15 million, according to a source not authorized to comment on the deal. Boich, who serves as chairman and CEO of Boich Investment Group, got a decent discount on the property. Gonzalez and his wife, former “Beat Shazam” DJ October Gonzalez, originally sought $30 million for the mansion last summer and trimmed the price to $28 million a few months later. The star tight end paid $7.1 million for the property in 2016 and quickly tore down the preexisting 1950s traditional-style home, replacing it with a Georgian-inspired showplace designed by architect Philip Vertoch. There’s a host of highlights across the two-story floor plan, including a 24-foot entry, a study with double-doors and a full-size classroom designed for homeschooling. Another custom space comes in the speakeasy-inspired music lounge with a bar, floor-to-ceiling wine storage and chiseled limestone fireplace. Seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms complete the interior, including a spacious primary suite with a deck overlooking the backyard. Out back, the estate also adds a swimming pool, lighted tennis court and cabana with a gym. Under the home, there’s a subterranean garage with room for eight cars. An Orange County native, Gonzalez was a standout at Huntington Beach High School before attending UC Berkeley, where he played football and basketball. During his prolific 17-year career in the NFL, the 45-year-old tight end played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons, making 14 Pro Bowl teams and being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019. The Beverly Hills mansion is the latest addition to Boich’s country-spanning collection of homes. Wayne and his wife, Cynthia, reside in Miami, where they own a waterfront mega-mansion in the celebrity-riddled North Bay Road neighborhood, and they also own a place in the Hamptons. Michelle Graci of Rodeo Realty held the listing with Branden and Rayni Williams of the Beverly Hills Estates. Steven Schaefer and Jay Luchs of Newmark Residential represented Boich.

Los Angeles Times in Education and L.A. Department of Water and Power Team Up for Student Poster Contest

https://www.latimes.com/about/pressreleases/story/2021-06-01/los-angeles-times-in-education-and-l-a-department-of-water-and-power-team-up-for-student-poster-contest

Los Angeles Times in Education and its corporate sponsor, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), teamed up again this year for the 9th annual student poster contest to promote conservation of water and energy, which is a complement to the “Water, Energy, The Environment and You” curriculum guide offered through Times in Education and sponsored by LADWP. Local students in grades four through 12 who were participating in Times in Education were invited to create a piece of artwork that illustrates how Angelenos can do their part to conserve water or energy and an explanation of why conservation is important. “The poster contest helps the City and LADWP communicate with our local residents and businesses about important water conservation, energy efficiency and environmental practices such as the increase use of renewable energy,” said Walter Zeisl, LADWP Manager of Education Outreach. “What’s more, the program provides important lessons on these topics through three teachers’ guides and most importantly utilizes the Times as a living textbook, a very valuable and important educational resource used by thousands of students annually.” The overall winner of this year’s contest is Hannah Lee, a fifth grade student at Hancock Park Elementary. First, second and third place prizes were also awarded at each grade level. “The entries proved difficult to evaluate,” said Heidi Stauder, education coordinator for The Times in Education program. “Though our entries were fewer this year due to distance learning, they were spectacular and much harder to judge,” she said. Seven judges from the LADWP selected the winner from more than 150 entries. Along with bragging rights, Lee will be awarded a $100 gift card and will have her artwork featured in an ad in The Times this summer. The winning entries are currently on display on the Times in Education website.

Southern California is well represented in the Women's College World Series

https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/story/2021-06-01/socal-players-in-college-softball-world-series-ucla

Top-seeded Oklahoma is one of six schools in the eight-team bracket at the Women’s College World Series this week with Southland high school graduates on their rosters. One of the top candidates for freshman of the year is Tiare Jennings of Oklahoma, who starred at Long Beach St. Anthony. She’s hitting .469 with 23 home runs and 72 RBIs. Kinzie Hansen from Norco is hitting .433 with 16 home runs and 45 RBIs. Taylon Snow from Chino Hills has a .343 average. No. 2-seeded UCLA is coming to Oklahoma armed with the best of the best in Southland graduates. With pitcher Rachel Garcia (Highland) as well as hitters Maya Brady (Oaks Christian) and Kelli Godin (Santa Ana Mater Dei), the Bruins will be showing what California high school softball is all about. Arizona’s roster is filled with Southland graduates. The leading hitter, with a .439 batting average, is Janelle Meoño from Hacienda Heights Wilson. UCLA Sports UCLA softball star Maya Brady is proud to be Tom Brady’s niece and inherited her family’s fierce competitive edge, which is helping her make a name for herself with the Bruins. April 28, 2021 For Georgia, there’s freshman pitcher Riley Orcutt, from Santa Ana Mater Dei. Senior Raquel Dominguez, from Silverado, is playing for Oklahoma State. And James Madison pitcher Alexis Bermudez is from St. Paul and has a 9-1 record. Get our high school sports newsletter Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Column: The California recall is fascinating — especially if you're an East Coast TV anchor

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-06-01/california-recall-national-news

Over the last few weeks, I’ve come to understand that Caitlyn Jenner is leading the field in the recall race to succeed Gavin Newsom as California governor, presumably due to her cogent grasp of the state’s important issues. At least, that’s the impression I’ve gleaned from Jenner’s appearances on cable news programs, where she has been grilled by teams of anchorpersons. On May 26 alone, she appeared on the set of “CBS This Morning” and the Fox News program “America’s Newsroom.” That followed a May 11 sit-down with CNN’s Dana Bash. And a one-on-one interview with Fox’s Sean Hannity on May 5. I thought I was very qualified. Why? Because I am an outsider. — Caitlyn Jenner, on why she’s running for California governor Plainly, the East Coast media are becoming fascinated with the California recall election, and specifically with Jenner’s candidacy. CBS called Jenner “one of the highest-profile challengers” to Newsom in the recall, though it failed to point out the reason: Networks such as CBS have paid no attention to any other candidate. Some context is useful here. To begin with, almost all the fascination with the recall election seems to be taking place outside California’s borders. The state’s voters haven’t shown much enthusiasm for the recall at all. Get the latest from Michael Hiltzik Commentary on economics and more from a Pulitzer Prize winner. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. A recent poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies co-sponsored by the L.A. Times found that only 36% of California registered voters would vote to recall Newsom, while 49% opposed removing him. Compared with the institute’s prior poll on the topic, released in February, the recall percentage was flat and opposition was rising. Also, as Politico’s Carla Marinucci observes, Jenner to this day “hasn’t had a public appearance, press conference, major policy announcement or in-depth interview with any state political reporter.” It’s not hard to figure out why. In-state political reporters would know enough to call Jenner out on her serial misstatements and misrepresentations about state politics and economics. She knows it’s safer to rely on national TV interviewers’ ignorance and their tendency to take all interview subjects at the subjects’ own level of self-esteem. It’s possible that all this could change in the months between now and the recall vote, which hasn’t yet been scheduled. As the vote comes nearer, Californians might pay more attention. A political misstep by Newsom could crater his standing, which is trending higher at the moment. Voters might blame him for wildfires and electricity outages in the next few months (though the state’s utilities are more inviting targets for their ire). The gulf between outsiders’ and residents’ approach to California politics isn’t new. As a resident of California for the better part of four decades, I’ve been a voracious consumer of reportage about the state from outsiders. It’s not often that I’ve seen a piece that describes a place I recognize. During the tenure of the only other California governor to win office through a recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger (2003-11), out-of-state political pundits continually lamented that Schwarzenegger’s foreign birth made him ineligible to run for president, which they assumed he would win handily. Business Caitlyn Jenner didn’t vote? Neither did past GOP candidates Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman. May 12, 2021 Never mind that these encomiums were heard while Schwarzenegger’s popularity in California was sinking — in a stinging defeat, all four of the ballot initiatives he had promoted lost in 2005 — and that his most notable gubernatorial action, canceling an increase in the car tax within hours of taking office, blew a $4-billion hole in the state budget that he was unable to fill, except through borrowing. (To be fair, former Gov. Schwarzenegger has played an entirely laudable role in encouraging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.) It’s all too easy for out-of-state TV anchors and reporters to focus on celebritude and superficialities when dealing with California politics. The alternative is doing one’s homework, spending time in the state, educating oneself about the issues important to voters and separating realistic solutions from talking points and sloganeering. Political reporters, especially in the New York-Washington, D.C., axis, are trained to see everything as a personality contest, with no issue having a life of its own. One sees the same tendency in coverage of other complicated subjects, such as Social Security, Medicare or the Affordable Care Act — is there any wonder why the public’s understanding of these subjects is often so flawed? Let’s see how that works in Jenner’s case. In her interviews on Fox, CBS and CNN, she’s received virtually no pushback for flagrant misstatements. On Fox, interviewers Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino nodded along when Jenner said that California was poised to lose a congressional seat as a result of the 2020 census because “so many people have left.” Actually, no. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, California gained 2.2 million residents. It lost a seat simply because a few other states grew faster; since the number of House seats is fixed at 435, faster-growing states can gain seats from slower-growing states. Hemmer observed that 70,000 residents have left the state in the last year, without noting that the figure, which applies to 2020, came to about 17 hundredths of a percent of California’s population of more than 40 million. Business A new survey concludes that California is most anti-business state, but it can’t explain why it’s also the fastest-growing. May 10, 2021 Jenner asserted that taxes are crushing the spirit of Californians. For example, “We have the highest gas tax — over 50% of our gas is taxes, just for state” tax. Let’s see. Combining the state gas tax, sales tax on gasoline, and fees including a charge for underground tanks and for marketing high-carbon fuel, California charges about $1.01 per gallon in taxes and fees. The average price of a gallon during the recent holiday weekend was $4.20 for regular and $4.50 for premium, which places the levies at about 25%, not more than half. The Fox interviewers didn’t query Jenner on her claim, though as she spoke the program was displaying a background image placing the state’s taxes and fees on gas at only 62.47 cents per gallon. The interviewers sat silently by as Jenner asserted that Newsom has “destroyed the economy.” Never mind that the state’s economy has done better throughout most of Newsom’s tenure than those of Texas and Florida, the two states to which it is most often compared. Or that in April, California accounted for 38% of the nation’s new jobs. She claimed to have talked to a CEO of a company that left the state, someone who complained that California is “not a friendly business environment.” As I’ve reported, this is a vacuous mantra that plays up the state’s avoidance of conservative nostrums such as deregulations and low taxes, but doesn’t explain why the state has been booming. Over at CBS, the network deployed no fewer than three anchors and reporters to interview the candidate, but still failed to nail down her self-contradictions. Asked whether she was qualified to run the state, she replied, “I thought I was very qualified. Why? Because I am an outsider.” Politics The tragedy of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s governorship Dec. 10, 2010 The insiders with political experience in Sacramento, she explained, “are the ones who are responsible” for California’s high tax rates and its homeless crisis. Yet she also said that she would succeed as governor by surrounding herself in Sacramento with “all these people with political experience.” None of these interviewers really tried to elicit specifics from Jenner about what she would do about the state’s manifest problems. How would she address homelessness, when voters reject ballot initiatives aimed at expanding the supply of affordable housing? What would she do about the drought and the incipient water crisis in the state? Who knows? How would she pay for the recall itself, which, as my colleague John Myers reports, is estimated to cost $400 million? Why should we have it at all, since its ostensible rationale, which was Newsom’s handling of the pandemic, has disappeared with the state’s turning into a national success story in its battle against COVID-19 and its economy is poised to open nearly completely on June 15 — and given that Newsom will be up for reelection in November 2022? Despite the unwillingness or inability of non-Californian interviewers to ask penetrating questions of a candidate for high office, Jenner’s TV appearances have been a sequence of train wrecks. She illustrated the homeless crisis by telling Hannity about a resident with an aircraft hangar next to hers, explaining that he was leaving the state because he can’t stand seeing the homeless as he walks down the street. She told CNN’s Bash that she hadn’t bothered to vote for president or statewide ballot measures in November, choosing to spend election day playing golf instead. Yet she still got invitations to appear on cable news shows. Make no mistake: Jenner has achieved what appears to be her goal in running in the recall. That’s to keep herself visible on TV in the void left by the expiration of her reality TV series. The TV news programs get what they value too, attracting viewers by featuring a celebrity without turning them off by seriously discussing homelessness, taxes, economics and all those other subjects that sound boring but actually have influence on the quality of life. The cable news programs don’t really care about the California recall, or they’d have the other challengers on for interviews. Those candidates include John Cox, who got slaughtered by Newsom in the 2018 gubernatorial election, 62% to 38%. But they’re a dull bunch, none of whom has anything like Jenner’s twinkle. So you can expect to see more of Jenner. No one denies that California needs solutions to the social and economic potholes that lie ahead. It’s also evident that television news is in a bad way, if having Jenner on the air is the best they can do to cover the recall election. She and the news crews are all playing the same game, in the laziest and most inane manner possible.

70% of adult Californians are partially vaccinated against COVID-19

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/70-percent-adult-californians-partially-vaccinated-covid-19

One month ahead of the target date set by the Biden administration, California has now at least partially vaccinated 70% of its adult residents against COVID-19. Clearing that hurdle is a vital development as the state prepares to fully reopen later this month. The progress, however, comes alongside a significant drop in the number of people seeking their first vaccine shot. At the peak, providers statewide were administering about 400,000 vaccine doses per day. Over the last week, an average of about 141,000 shots have been doled out daily, according to data compiled by The Times. Although dose figures gathered over the weekend might be low due to reporting lags because of the holiday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that the state was seeing a significant drop in people starting their vaccine regimens. He noted the trend meant an even larger drop was on the horizon. “It’s those first doses, those first shots, that are way down,” he said. “And so you can see that cliff coming in the next week or two.” California After 14 months of life torn asunder by the pandemic, the holiday brought relief to Californians who are cautiously resuming the things they normally do, starting with barbecues and trips to the beach. May 31, 2021 Although 70.1% of residents 18 and older in the Golden State have received at least one dose, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 54.6% are fully vaccinated — having received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both required doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. Roughly 4.7 million California adults are due for a second inoculation in the days and weeks ahead, federal figures show. At any rate, California falls short of 80% people vaccinated. To achieve herd immunity, the point at which the larger population is protected against the virus, 80% of residents need to have been vaccinated or have natural immunity. And with the inoculation campaign now more than 5 months old, gains are harder to come by. As Newsom recently noted, achieving an initial baseline level of vaccine coverage — 10%, 20%, 30% — “was easy compared to getting from 60% to 70%. Getting from 70% to 80% will be even more challenging.” “We can’t afford to run ... the 90-yard dash,” he said during a briefing Thursday. “We’ve got to finish the job.” California California’s ‘Vax for the Win’ program seeks to boost interest in vaccines by offering cash rewards. If you’ve gotten a shot, you’re already eligible. May 28, 2021 To reverse the downward trend in first vaccination shots, state officials have unveiled a $116.5-million vaccine incentive program called “Vax for the Win.” All Californians who have received at least one vaccine dose will be automatically entered into a series of drawings this month for the chance to win one of 10 $1.5-million prizes, or one of 30 $50,000 awards. And 2 million vaccine recipients (those with a first shot as of May 27 or later) will also be eligible for either a $50 prepaid gift card or a $50 grocery card. The first drawing will be held Friday, when 15 Californians will win $50,000. “Increasingly, you’re seeing a number of states, five or six, with these larger cash grants, and we have seen some enthusiasm in those states,” Newsom said. “And we want to see if we can replicate that enthusiasm here.” California A California workplace safety board on Thursday is scheduled to consider whether to relax mask and physical distancing rules for workers. June 1, 2021 Despite the recent slowdown in the pace of vaccinations, California continues to measure up well when compared with other states. California ranks 12th in terms of the share of its adult population that is at least partially vaccinated, according to the CDC. At the top of that leader board are Vermont with 82%; Hawaii, 80.5%; and Massachusetts, 78.7%. Roughly 71.2% of Pennsylvania adults have received at least one dose, as have 67.9% of those in New York, 59.9% in Florida and 57.1% in Texas. Early last month, President Biden called for 70% of American adults to receive at least one dose by July 4, and for 160 million adults to be fully vaccinated by that point. “Let’s celebrate our independence as a nation, and our independence from this virus,” he said at the time. According to the latest CDC data, more than 133 million adult Americans, including 16.7 million Californians, have been fully vaccinated. Entertainment & Arts Until June 15, Disneyland is for California residents only due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Cast member insights on a day experiencing reduced-capacity lines. June 1, 2021 California is also continuing to see progress in its pandemic metrics, boasting — as it has for weeks — one of the lowest coronavirus case rates in the country. The number of Californians hospitalized with COVID-19, which peaked above 21,000 during the height of the state’s fall-and-winter surge, is also receding. On Monday there were 1,069 such patients statewide — a roughly 23% decrease from two weeks prior. “The most powerful protection you can have is the vaccine, so please consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a recent statement. Entertainment & Arts Until June 15, Disneyland is for California residents only due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Cast member insights on a day experiencing reduced-capacity lines. June 1, 2021 As the pandemic recedes, California continues to reopen its economy. In the penultimate weekly update of the state’s COVID-19 reopening roadmap, four more counties — Marin, Monterey, San Benito and Ventura — moved into the least-restrictive yellow tier. Counties within that category, of which there are now 19, can allow most businesses to operate indoors with some modifications. Reaching that level requires counties to record — for two consecutive weeks — an adjusted daily case rate of fewer than 2 per 100,000 people, a rate of positive test results of less than 2%, and a less than 2.2% rate of positive test results in communities heavily impacted by the virus. Another four counties — Nevada, Sacramento, San Joaquin and Solano — also progressed Tuesday into the orange tier, the second-least-restrictive tier on the reopening ladder. Thirty-five of California’s 58 counties now call the orange tier home. Four remain in the more restrictive red tier, which is the second-most-restrictive tier, but none are in the strictest purple tier. The tier system is slated for retirement on June 15, when state officials say they will lift coronavirus-related capacity restrictions and physical distancing requirements for attendees, customers and guests at almost all businesses and other institutions, and allow people who are fully vaccinated to go without masks in most situations. “Though it is only two weeks until full reopening, every day matters for our businesses,” Ventura County Executive Officer Mike Powers said in a statement Tuesday. “Expanded customer capacity will help impacted businesses. We appreciate the hard work of our community members in getting us to this point.”

Firefighter fatally shot, captain injured by colleague at Agua Dulce fire station

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/at-least-1-firefighter-hit-in-active-shooting-at-santa-clarita-fire-station

Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl L. Osby has dealt with the loss of many lives over the years, “but none as tragic as today,” he said Tuesday. Never before has an off-duty firefighter walked into one of his firehouses, taken aim with a gun and started shooting — until Tuesday morning at Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce, where a gunman killed a fellow firefighter and wounded a captain before later turning the gun on himself. “As a fire chief, I never thought that when our firefighters face danger, that they would face that danger in one of our community fire stations,” Osby said hours after the shooting. California An off-duty firefighter killed a fellow firefighter and critically wounded a captain in a shooting at Agua Dulce fire station Tuesday morning, officials said. June 1, 2021 The deceased victim, who has not been identified, was a 44-year-old firefighter who had been with the department for more than 20 years, officials said. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, a 54-year-old fire captain, was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, where he remained in critical but stable condition Tuesday afternoon. Officials scrambled to keep up with the day’s chaotic chain of events, which began with the shooting about 10:50 a.m. After the attack, the gunman fled to his home on Bent Spur Drive in Acton — about 10 miles away — where he barricaded himself before allegedly setting the house on fire. Although Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies couldn’t enter because of the flames, fire crews similarly had no way of knowing whether the man inside was armed as they attempted to battle the blaze. By 3 p.m., the 3,600 square-foot home had been reduced to near rubble, and the person believed to be the gunman had been found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a small pool on the property, according to sheriff’s officials. L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the motive for the attack is still under investigation. A county source with knowledge of the situation said there was an ongoing dispute between the deceased and the shooter, who worked different shifts but lived in the same area. The argument — potentially about how the station was run and maintained — escalated Tuesday morning, the source said. The gunman shot and killed the firefighter, and the captain was wounded when he tried to intercede. Osby, who has worked at Station 81, called it a “small, hometown-type fire station — very quiet, very quaint.” “Generally speaking, the people on that shift would have a good working relationship,” he told The Times. “Obviously something went wrong with that relationship today.” Lt. Brandon Dean of the sheriff’s homicide bureau said the person in the small pool outside the Acton residence was believed to be the suspect. “We feel fairly confident that is our shooter, but we cannot say with 100% confidence,” he said during a news briefing. According to property records, the home is owned by a veteran county firefighter. Dean said no deputies fired weapons and no one else was believed to have been at the home. After the house caught fire, aerial footage showed thick black smoke billowing as flames chewed through the structure. Fire crews eventually doused the flames through a series of water drops from the air, and investigators were able to move in. “Firefighters leave their homes and loved ones every day knowing the risks involved in our profession,” Edward A. Kelly, president of the International Assn. of Firefighters, said in a statement. “The challenges of being a firefighter or paramedic include seeing and experiencing some of life’s most horrifying circumstances. Nothing, however, can adequately prepare anyone for today’s tragedy.” The deceased firefighter is survived by a wife and three daughters, Osby said, describing him as “truly dedicated, one of our better firefighters, amazing, and a true loss to our department.” The attack spurred an outpouring of support and heartbreak from Greater Los Angeles. “My heart is with our firefighters and the families of those affected,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said on Twitter. Calling it a “heinous act of violence,” L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said firefighters risk their lives at work every day. “Between emergency calls, the fire station must have felt like their safe haven,” she said. “Unfortunately that sense of safety has now been shattered.” L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis said she was directing flags to be flown at half-staff at all county buildings. “My most sincerest condolences to the family of the firefighter who was tragically killed in today’s shooting at Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce,” she said. The shooting happened only days after a mass shooting at Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose left nine people dead and saw the White House similarly ordering flags at half-staff. Osby said firefighters often provide assistance to others and asked that the community in turn provide its support, assistance and prayers during their time of need. “I stand here with a heavy heart,” he said. “Today is truly a sad day and a tragic day for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.” Times staff writer Leila Miller contributed to this report.

CAA to sell majority stake in production firm to South Korea's JTBC Studios Co.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-06-01/caa-sells-majority-stake-in-production-firm-to-south-koreas-jtbc-studios-co

Creative Artists Agency said Tuesday that it will sell a majority stake in production company Wiip to a South Korean studio. The Century City talent agency did not disclose financial terms of the deal, which limits CAA’s involvement in production. The company divested most of its shares in Wiip to settle a long-running dispute with the Writers Guild of America. The union had raised concerns that the agency had a conflict of interest in representing its clients while running a production company. CAA will remain a minority shareholder in Wiip. South Korea-based JTBC Studios Co. said it believes its investment in Wiip “will deliver an unprecedented experience for a global audience.” The studio has produced dramas including “The World of the Married” and “Itaewon Class.” Wiip has worked on series including Apple TV+’s “Dickinson” and the HBO crime drama “Mare of Easttown.” “The U.S. market is the heartland of the content business,” Si Kyoo Kim, chief executive of JTBC Studios, said in a statement. “We expect this partnership to bring a significant opportunity for JTBC Studios to make our first step into this dynamic market, for which we have yearned for a long time. We believe that this partnership between outstanding creative talents at JTBC Studios and Wiip will deliver an unprecedented experience for a global audience.” Company Town CAA says it’s reached a deal with the WGA nearly two years after writers fired their agents over concerns about packaging and affiliated production companies. Dec. 16, 2020 Wiip was created in 2018 by Paul Lee, a former ABC executive and founder of BBC America, and Matteo Perale, former head of strategy and corporate development at CAA. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to see our partners at JTBC Studios recognize the tremendous creativity coming out of Wiip and significantly increase their investment,” Lee, Wiip’s CEO, said in a statement. “We look forward to doing more business together in the U.S., Korea and the rest of the world to attract the highest level of talent together.” CAA’s divestment marks a victory for the WGA, which had pushed for major agencies to reduce their stakes in production companies. The union believed those production holdings posed a conflict of interest. WGA had also reached an agreement with talent agency WME for its parent company, Endeavor, to reduce its majority stake in production company Endeavor Content. Under WGA’s agreement, CAA and its investor TPG could not own more than 20% of Wiip. “This transparency will allow the Guild to make sure that CAA is negotiating appropriate deals for writers in these circumstances, and that TPG’s ownership interest is not suppressing the value of writers’ services,” the WGA‘s agency negotiating committee wrote in a letter to WGA members in December. In addition to reducing their stakes in production companies, CAA and other talent agencies also agreed to end packaging — in which an agency collects fees for pulling together talent for projects — by the end of June 2022. CAA and JTBC Studios did not immediately respond to requests for comment. WGA spokesman Neal Sacharow wrote in an email that “we won’t know any deal terms until a deal is made.” Company Town The deal is the latest in the media industry that’s aimed at boosting streaming services to compete against Netflix and Disney+. May 26, 2021 JTBC has already been producing some of the most-watched shows out of South Korea, including the Netflix hit “Itaewon Class.” “These shows have found mass audiences outside of South Korea and Asia, and adding Wiip’s premium drama storytelling well positions JTBC as [a] global production powerhouse to feed the hungry demand from the fiercely competitive global streamers,” said Eunice Shin, a partner with global consulting firm Prophet. Times staff writer Anousha Sakoui contributed to this report.

Coachella tickets go on sale today. Here's everything to know so far

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-06-01/coachella-stagecoach-festivals-april-2022

The premier music festivals of Southern California, Coachella and Stagecoach, will at long last return in spring of 2022. Promoter Goldenvoice announced dates for the much-anticipated return of shows to the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., after what will be two years of COVID-19-related closures and postponements. Coachella will take place on successive weekends, April 15-17 and April 22-24; the country music festival Stagecoach will return April 29-May 1. Coachella passes went on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at the festival’s website. Festival hopefuls have to register and wait in a digital line, where they’ll have ten minutes to purchase tickets with a one-off code. Tickets range from $499 to $5,366, depending on VIP tiers and accommodations. Tickets purchased prior to the pandemic will be honored for 2022. The 2021 edition of Coachella had been planned for April 9-11 and April 16-18, but it was cancelled following public health orders from Riverside County. Headliners were to include Frank Ocean, Rage Against the Machine and Travis Scott. Music Coachella and Stagecoach may not be returning until 2022, but from Rolling Loud to BottleRock to Desert Daze, the 2021 festival season is in full swing. May 28, 2021 Goldenvoice did not announce 2022 lineups for Coachella or Stagecoach, though other nearby events such as Hard Summer (Aug. 31-July 1; Future, DJ Snake), BottleRock Napa Valley (Sept. 3-5; Guns N’ Roses, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters) and Las Vegas’ Life Is Beautiful (Sept. 17-19; Green Day, Billie Eilish, Tame Impala) have full slates of acts scheduled. Other major outdoor local venues like the Hollywood Bowl and the Greek Theatre have announced rescheduled and newly booked shows for the summer and fall of 2021. The state’s June 15 reopening will remove most restrictions on outdoor events, but indoor venues and nightclubs still will have some regulations on crowds and protocols.

Hollywood's newest media giant to be named Warner Bros. Discovery

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-06-01/warner-bros-discovery-company-name

Discovery plans to name its proposed new company Warner Bros. Discovery, following its planned merger with WarnerMedia. The transaction, which was announced last month, is a long way from being completed. The proposed $43-billion tie-up needs the approval of regulators, but Discovery is continuing its outreach to Hollywood. On Tuesday, the New York company said it intends to lean into the historic roots of the Burbank-based Warner Bros. after the merger is completed in mid-2022. “The Warner Bros. Discovery name will honor, celebrate and elevate the world’s most-storied creative studio in the world with the high quality, global nonfiction storytelling heritage of Discovery,” the company said in a statement. Two weeks ago, AT&T startled Wall Street — and much of Hollywood — when it announced that it was getting out of the entertainment business just three years after the Dallas telecommunications giant bought the legendary Time Warner Inc. for $85 billion plus debt. After AT&T took over the company in June 2018, it changed the name that had long celebrated the marriage of the iconic Time Inc. magazine empire with the nearly 100-year-old Warner Bros. studio. AT&T picked WarnerMedia as a nod to its media holdings, and because the Time Inc. portion of the company had been cleaved out of the company. The Time Warner entertainment company was frequently confused with Time Warner Cable, which has since been absorbed by Charter Communications and provides TV and internet service to consumers. WarnerMedia was clean and succinct. Although Discovery executives will manage the proposed new entity, more than two-thirds of the company will be composed of the WarnerMedia assets, including HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros. studio, CNN, TNT, TBS and Cartoon Network. So Discovery is taking second billing, as was the case when General Electric merged its NBC assets with much of the Universal entertainment portfolio. That company, now owned by Comcast, is called NBCUniversal. The Warner Bros. Discovery logo will include the name amid puffy white clouds (reminiscent of the old DreamWorks SKG signature) and contain the tagline: “the stuff that dreams are made of.” Discovery said the phrase was borrowed from a famous line in the iconic film “The Maltese Falcon,” and will pay “additional homage to the rich legacy of Warner Bros. and the focus of what the proposed company will be about.” “We love the new company’s name because it represents the combination of Warner Bros.’ fabled hundred year legacy of creative, authentic storytelling and taking bold risks to bring the most amazing stories to life, with Discovery’s global brand that has always stood brightly for integrity, innovation and inspiration,” Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav said in a statement. Zaslav will run the new entity.

'So damn impressive': Celebrities stand with Naomi Osaka after French Open exit

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-06-01/naomi-osaka-french-open-statement-celebrity-reactions-tweets

Athletes, actors and other prominent figures have come out swinging on behalf of Naomi Osaka after the Japanese tennis champion withdrew from the French Open to prioritize her mental health. Among the many who voiced their support for Osaka over the holiday weekend were basketball stars Steph Curry and Lisa Leslie, as well as tennis greats Billie Jean King, Venus Williams and Serena Williams, who said she wished she could give her frequent opponent “a hug” amid the furor surrounding her actions. On Monday, Osaka announced her departure from the Grand Slam tournament after winning her first-round match — and incurring a $15,000 fine for opting out of a subsequent news conference. The ace athlete, who lives in Los Angeles, had previously stated that she would not participate in press events during the competition, citing a disregard for players’ mental well-being. “I have suffered long bouts of depression since the U.S. Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that,” Osaka said Monday in a statement on social media. “I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media. I get really nervous and find it stressful to always try to engage and give you the best answers I can. So here in Paris I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious so I thought it was better to exercise self-care and skip the press conferences.” Sports Naomi Osaka’s decision to not participate in news conferences at the French Open is drawing reactions from Billie Jean King, Rafael Nadal and others. May 29, 2021 While speaking with reporters in Paris after triumphing in her own first-round match, Serena Williams defended Osaka’s decision, acknowledging that players “have different personalities, and people are different.” “I feel for Naomi,” she said. “I know what it’s like. I’ve been in those positions. ... Not everyone is the same. I’m thick. Other people are thin. You just have to let her handle it the way she wants to, in the best way she thinks she can, and that’s the only thing I can say. I think she’s doing the best that she can.” “It’s incredibly brave that Naomi Osaka has revealed her truth about her struggle with depression,” another tennis icon, King, tweeted. “Right now, the important thing is that we give her the space and time she needs. We wish her well.” On Instagram, Serena Williams’ sister and fellow tennis phenom, Venus Williams, encouraged Osaka to “take care” of herself and looked forward to seeing her “back winning soon.” Other sports luminaries who wished Osaka well in the comment section of her latest Instagram post were Coco Gauff, Sloane Stephens, Kyrie Irving and Usain Bolt. Sports Naomi Osaka withdraws from the French Open, saying on Twitter it’s “the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being.” May 31, 2021 The sports community also rallied behind Osaka on Twitter, where Golden State Warriors point guard Curry showed “major respect” for the 23-year-old athlete’s courage to speak up for herself. “You shouldnt ever have to make a decison like this-but so damn impressive taking the high road when the powers that be dont protect their own,” he tweeted. “It’s so sad that we are in a time that when a young person tells you they need help or a break, people respond with anger and lack of support!” former Los Angeles Sparks center Leslie wrote. “I stand with you @naomiosaka Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.” A number of Hollywood stars stood with Osaka on social media as well. Among her celebrity admirers were Sanaa Lathan, Patton Oswalt, Padma Lakshmi, Olivia Munn, Roxane Gay, Gene Simmons, Ava DuVernay and Jada Pinkett Smith, who remarked that Osaka’s withdrawal is “your loss French Open.” Sports Naomi Osaka has been fined $15,000 by the French Open tournament referee for skipping the post-match news conference after her first-round victory. May 30, 2021 “Shouldn’t one’s athletic ability be the focus and what’s most important?” tweeted “Red Table Talk” host Smith. “@naomiosaka was clearly ready to play & had enough awareness of self to recognize her mental health challenges around the media. Mental health should be one’s first consideration. I’m proud of her.” “Prioritizing Mental health can be life saving,” actor Lathan wrote. “This is not a game. Proud of her for exercising this amount of self care even in the face of huge opposition.” In response to her announcement, French Tennis Federation President Gilles Morreton said in a statement that the organization is “sorry and sad” for Osaka and touted its commitment “to all athletes’ well-being and to continually improving every aspect of players’ experience in our Tournament.” “The outcome of Naomi withdrawing from Roland-Garros is unfortunate,” Morreton said. “We wish her the best and the quickest possible recovery, and we look forward to having Naomi at our Tournament next year.”

Keep your cool at mealtime with these summer salads

https://www.latimes.com/recipe/list/keep-your-cool-at-mealtime-with-these-summer-salads

Summer will be exceptionally blissful this year as we ease into normalcy after the restrictions of the last 14 months. I don’t know about you, but much as I welcome some warmth from the sun and more hours of daylight, I do not particularly want to be shvitzing over a hot stove in the 90+ degree heat we’ve had these last few years. Enter the summer salad. Rife with superstar produce like juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, crunchy green beans and crisp greens, it can be breakfast, lunch or dinner. It can be a first course, a side dish or an entree. Its components can be prepped ahead so assembly at mealtime can be quick and easy. It is a happy recipient of grilled proteins and vegetables leftover from your last barbeque. And even composed salads can require minimal if any cooking. Bread salad, a watermelon salad with feta and mint, an heirloom tomato salad and a grappa-marinated peach and basil salad all promise no added heat in your kitchen. Some slicing, some dicing, a sprinkle of this, a drizzle of that and you’ve got a bowl full of bright colors and flavors. What does minimal cooking mean? Boiling a pot of water or heating a skillet; not heating the oven and being done with the stovetop heat in 30 minutes or less. Making pasta for a salad with Israeli couscous or orzo. Hard-boiling eggs and sautéeing bacon for a spinach salad. Blanching beets, wax beans and haricots vert for a summer vegetable salad. Charring the components of a sausage, okra and corn salad in a skillet on the stove. Toasting pepitas for a kale salad with peaches (hint: Buy them already toasted and you won’t have to “cook” for this recipe either.) We’ve all heard the expression “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” These salads allow you to do just that — and with some pretty delicious food in tow.

For Pride Month, here are 22 L.A.-centric ways to show support for the LGBTQ community

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2021-06-01/20-la-centric-ways-support-lgbtq-community

If you’re looking to champion the LGBTQ community, especially during Pride Month, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of organizations in L.A. and nationwide to support, thematic (and philanthropic) clothing collaborations to wear, authors to read and other key avenues for exploration. Here are 22 ways to show support for — and to celebrate — LGBTQ organizations and creatives this month. Donate or volunteer for these organizations that are making major strides in the movement toward equality. 1. The Los Angeles LGBT Center is the nation’s largest LGBTQ organization, with 800 employees who provide programs, services and global advocacy in the areas of medical and mental health, social services and education for individuals and their families. Established in 1969, the nonprofit has several locations in Los Angeles that provide various services, including housing for homeless youths and programs for senior citizens. From 6 to 9 p.m. June 27, the LGBT Center will have its Pride Picnic at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in L.A. (Tickets for socially distanced parties of six are $150 for general admission and $450 for VIP.) lalgbtcenter.org 2. The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs and services for people younger than 25. Its Trevor Lifeline (866-488-7386) allows individuals who are struggling an opportunity to speak with a trained volunteer counselor 24/7. thetrevorproject.org 3. Gay for Good is a community-building organization that promotes a better world through service projects such as park restorations, providing meals for the homeless and volunteer work. Founded in Los Angeles, the organization has 17 chapters nationwide, including one for the Orange County and Long Beach area. gayforgood.org Lifestyle It’s worth noting that today’s legal weed scene wouldn’t exist without the efforts of LGBTQ activists. June 1, 2021 4. The It Gets Better Project is a national nonprofit that aims to empower and connect individuals as they navigate their sexuality and gender identity. The organization began as a social media campaign and has grown into a multimedia platform that reaches millions through media programming and community-based service providers. itgetsbetter.org 5. GLSEN is focused on ending discrimination, harassment and bullying related to sexual orientation and gender identity in schools nationwide. Composed of educators, students and local chapters, the nonprofit aims to create safe environments for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade through inclusive policies and curriculum. glsen.org 6. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles is a performing arts organization that uses music as a form of communication and bonding among the LGBTQ community and Los Angeles residents and guests. The nonprofit also provides outreach programs including its Alive Music Project for middle and high school students and works with the Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network. The Gay Men’s Chorus will present a free “Pride Shining Through” virtual concert 8 to 9 p.m. Saturday featuring songs such as “This Is Me,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “Raise You Up.” (Donations of $20 or more will support the event and the organization.) gmcla.org 7. Vox Femina Los Angeles is a female chorus that performs music primarily by women composers. Founded in 1997, the group made its debut as guest performers with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. Comprised of individuals from various backgrounds, cultures, races, beliefs and sexual identities, Vox Femina features a wide array of singing talent. The group’s next performance will be virtual because of current COVID-19 restrictions. The Vox Cabaret will start at 5 p.m. June 12 with host Abdullah Hall, artistic director of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles. Tickets are between $10 to $250 (for a catered-meal package). voxfemina.org Wear your pride on your sleeve. Or your foot. Or wherever else. These five brands created Pride-themed capsule collections to celebrate the occasion with a portion of proceeds going toward LBGTQ organizations, including a few of the nonprofits mentioned above. 8. Converse launched a collection of 16 colorful slides and sneakers ($30-$115) as well as three shirts ($20-$30), with proceeds benefiting the It Gets Better Project, Ali Forney Center, BAGLY and OUT MetroWest. converse.com 9. Pair of Thieves is selling Pride-theme underwear ($12.99), socks ($6.99) and three-packs of masks ($14.99), with half of the proceeds benefiting the Trevor Project. Also, the L.A. brand is teaming with eatery Rocco’s WeHo (8900 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood) for the Make Up for Lost Pride event at 4 p.m. June 12. It will feature celebrity guests, an exclusive in-person look at the brand’s Pride collection and various giveaways. pairofthieves.com 10. Ralph Lauren’s Pride capsule collection includes a graphic tee, sweatshirt, sweater, fanny pack, baseball cap, water bottle and socks, sunglasses and fragrance. Prices range from $16 for socks to $128 for a fleece sweatshirt; 100% of the price of each polo shirt benefits the Stonewall Community Foundation and 25% of other items benefits the organization. Additionally, Ralph Lauren Fragrances and Ralph Lauren Eyewear will show support through donations to the Stonewall Community Foundation. ralphlauren.com 11. Disney released a large Pride collection of apparel, plush toys and accessories, including the Loungefly Disney Mickey Mouse rainbow mini backpack ($49.90), available at hottopic.com. The company also has a Mickey Mouse ringer T-shirt ($19.99) for children. (Mickey appears in a rainbow of colors with “LOVE” emblazoned on the shirt.) Additionally, the company released its first Pride-theme Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars memorabilia. All pieces from the collection benefit LGBTQ organizations, including GLSEN and Minus18. shopdisney.com 12. Savage X Fenty has launched its first Pride capsule collection, called Savage X Pride, on Tuesday. Shot in Los Angeles, the campaign was created entirely with individuals from the LGBTQ community — from the talent in front of the camera to the behind-the-scenes creatives involved. Pieces include thigh-high stockings, a whip, bralettes, jock straps, boxer briefs and robes from $16.95 to $69.95, with an inclusive size range of 30A-42H and XS-3X as well as small to XXXL. A portion of the collection’s proceeds benefit five organizations, including GLAAD. savagex.com Consider reading Wade into the works of these five writers whose stories cover subjects including identity, sexuality and empowerment. 13. “Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir” by Brian Broome This debut memoir follows Broome’s journey growing up as a gay Black man in Ohio during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He addresses childhood trauma and his experience with racism and homophobia but manages to include humor throughout his self-exploration. $26. brianbroome.com 14. “Fairest: A Memoir” by Meredith Talusan Talusan’s debut memoir follows a young boy from the Philippines who immigrates to America, where she becomes a woman. Her book explores race, class, sexuality and community through her unique life experiences. $27. mtalusan.com 15. “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous: A Novel” by Ocean Vuong The critically acclaimed Vietnamese American poet’s debut novel is written as a letter from a son to his single mother who is unable to read. The book follows the fictional family’s history while exploring class, race and the power of overcoming trauma to find joy. $26. oceanvuong.com Lifestyle In honor of LGBTQ+ relationships in Los Angeles, here’s a roundup of our favorite L.A. Affairs columns. June 7, 2023 16. “Lot: Stories” by Bryan Washington The Houston-born author wrote a short-story collection set in his hometown that explores a fictional narrator’s experience as the gay son of a Black mother and Latino father as well as the neighborhood and characters surrounding him. $25. brywashing.com, amazon.com 17. “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle The longtime memoirist’s latest book follows her journey to find herself and her authentic voice. Championed by Reese Witherspoon, “Untamed” is Doyle’s third book in a series of woman-empowering memoirs. $28. momastery.com The Cooper Do-Nuts uprising in May 1959 in L.A. is considered the first LGBTQ revolt in the U.S. However, it’s worth educating yourself about other aspects of LGBTQ history, including Stonewall, the LGBTQ civil rights movement, and today’s top leaders and creatives who are shaping policy as well as Hollywood. 18. FX’s “Pride” is a series of six documentaries that tell the history of the LGBTQ community. The episodes are executed by filmmakers including Cheryl Dunye, Andrew Ahn, Tom Kalin and Yance Ford, who each explore a different decade from the 1950s to present day. Streaming on FX Now, fxnetworks.com/shows/pride. 19. New York Public Library’s “The Stonewall Reader” is an anthology that documents the fight for LGBTQ rights in the 1960s while spotlighting activists such as Ernestine Eckstein and Sylvia Rivera, the latter co-founder of Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries, who were at the forefront of the Stonewall uprising. The book includes first-person accounts, diaries and newspaper articles from the time. $18. amazon.com Image A fun list of the best things to do in L.A. in May, June and July. May 26, 2021 20. Matthew Todd’s “Pride: The Story of the LGBTQ Equality Movement” chronicles major events in the LGBTQ movement from Stonewall to global Pride parades with personal testimonies from Travis Alabanza, Bisi Alimi, Georgina Beyer, Jonathan Blake, Deborah Brin, Maureen Duffy and David Furnish. $40. amazon.com 21. Andrew Gelwicks’ “The Queer Advantage: Conversations With LGBTQ Leaders on the Power of Identity” includes interviews with major trailblazers including George Takei, Margaret Cho, Billie Jean King, Adam Rippon, Troye Sivan and Dan Levy as conducted by Gelwicks, a bicoastal celebrity fashion stylist best known for his work styling “Schitt’s Creek” star Catherine O’Hara. $30. andrewgelwicks.com, amazon.com 22. ONE Gallery’s “Pride Publics: Words and Actions” multisite outdoor exhibition is a visual dialogue among historical and contemporary LGBTQ change-makers featuring 28 large-scale (4-by 5-foot) black-and-white posters of contemporary LGBTQ+ artists, writers and community organizers and inspiring quotes will be wheat-pasted in public spaces in West Hollywood and later in L.A. Derrick Austin, Rocío Carlos, Cassils, Rick Castro, Ani Cooney, Patrisse Cullors, Durk Dehner, Angela Divina, Ramy El-Etreby, Joey Terrill and Yozmit are among the people being highlighted. Organized by the ONE Archives Foundation and curated by multidisciplinary artist Rubén Esparza, the free exhibition will kick off with a window display at a public art site in West Hollywood (868 N. Robertson Blvd. near the intersection at Santa Monica Boulevard) on June 5. In October, the posters will be at multiple sites in Los Angeles. There will also be a gallery installation viewable from the window of the site in West Hollywood. onearchives.org/pridepublics.

AMC eyes ArcLight theater locations. What about the Cinerama Dome?

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-06-01/amc-eyes-arclight-theaters-but-what-about-cinerama

AMC Entertainment, owner of the world’s largest theater chain, is eyeing cinema locations previously operated by ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres. In a Tuesday filing, AMC Chief Executive Adam Aron said the company is “in discussions” with “multiple landlords” of locations previously operated by the popular Los Angeles-based circuits. The Leawood, Kan.-based company on Tuesday said it reached an agreement to raise $230.5 million in cash by selling equity to investment firm Mudrick Capital Management, exchanging 8.5 million shares at a price of approximately $27.12 per share. AMC said it would use the cash to acquire additional theater leases and improve existing locations. The deal differs from AMC’s multiple previous capital-raising efforts during the pandemic, which were intended to keep the company out of bankruptcy court as theaters suffered from closures, restrictions and a lack of new Hollywood movies. Inside the business of entertainment The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. As the box office starts to improve with hits including “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “A Quiet Place Part II,” AMC is exiting the crisis with a mountain of debt exceeding $5 billion. Still, the company appears to be looking for opportunities to expand in key areas as the industry recovers. “Given our scale, experience and commitment to innovation and excellence, AMC is being presented with highly attractive theater acquisition opportunities,” Aron said in the statement. “With our increased liquidity, an increasingly vaccinated population and the imminent release of blockbuster new movie titles, it is time for AMC to go on the offense again.” ArcLight and Pacific’s parent company, Los Angeles real estate company Decurion Corp., said in April that it would not reopen its locations, making the respected chain one of the highest-profile movie business casualties of COVID-19’s impact on the economy. The closures sent the film industry into mourning, with filmmakers including Rian Johnson, Edgar Wright, Barry Jenkins and Lulu Wang joining an outpouring of grief, especially over the historic Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard. Company Town The permanent closure comes after a year of shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. April 12, 2021 Much speculation has swirled around the fate of the Cinerama Dome, a famous location beloved by cinephiles that appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood.” In the wake of the closure, Twitter users hoped aloud that a company like Netflix, which owns the landmark Egyptian Theatre, would step in to revive it. Netflix has declined to comment. Crucially, AMC’s announcement did not specifically mention the Cinerama Dome location, which is owned by Decurion. Other theaters in the ArcLight circuit, such as the Santa Monica and Culver City locations, were leased from landlords, who have been squeezed during the pandemic. Company Town Even if the Cinerama Dome is bought, ArcLight may not be the last chain to fall to the pandemic. April 16, 2021 Aron declined to comment beyond his Tuesday statement. Pacific Theatres founder William R. Forman built the treasured dome in 1963. Many film industry insiders expect Decurion to retain control of the Cinerama Dome and potentially bring in another company to operate it. Running former Arclight and Pacific locations could further beef up AMC’s already robust presence in Southern California and Los Angeles, where AMC’s flagship locations include multiplexes in Burbank and Century City. Los Angeles, home of the film industry, is among the biggest box office markets. ArcLight, launched in 2002, had 11 locations, including six in the Los Angeles area. Pacific had six locations, all in California, including theaters in Glendale at the Americana at Brand and at the Grove shopping complex.

Granderson: Fights for LGBTQ and racial justice have to go hand in hand

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-06-01/gay-pride-black-lives-matter-intersection-movements

During a heated debate over a bill that would ban employment and housing discrimination because of sexual orientation, New York City Councilman Edward L. Sadowsky said “no democracy is safe unless it protects and guards zealously the rights of each minority.” This was on May 23, 1974. Sadowsky was one of 19 who voted in support of the bill first introduced in 1971. Councilman Angelo J. Arculeo was one of the 22 who opposed, saying “it attempts to give legal identity to homosexual orientation and thereby mandate public acceptance.” Oh, the horror. The front-page New York Times article about the bill’s defeat reported that when the measure lost, supporters yelled “bigot” from the balcony. Protesters would later stage a sit-in at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. That same day, the public heard a white New York police officer tell a Black elementary school student who had just been shot to “die you little f—.” That statement was part of an hourlong recording played during the murder trial of former NYPD Officer Thomas Shea, who shot 10-year-old Clifford Glover in the back, killing him. Shea, who drove an unmarked car and was in plainclothes the day of the shooting in April 1973, said Glover and Add Armstead — his 50-year-old stepfather with a thin face and receding hairline — fit the description of two Black suspects in their early 20s. I’m pretty sure you can figure the rest out. Shea said the child pointed a gun at him as he was running away. Hundreds of officers searched the sewers and streets for days looking for the gun. Some officers searched the home of Glover’s relatives without warrants looking for the gun. No gun was ever found. “I was very, very scared,” the officer would later testify about his encounter with the 5-foot-tall, 90-pound fourth-grader he shot in the back from roughly 15 feet away. A jury of 11 white men and one Black woman acquitted him. Afterward, Shea was seen planting thank-you kisses on the cheeks of members of the jury at an Italian restaurant. It was like a scene from “The Godfather: Part II,” which was released later that year. Fast-forward to 2021. The LGBTQ community is still trying to get employment and housing protections, this time with the Equality Act, and people of color are still trying to get police accountability with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Democrats — who control the House, the Senate and the White House — blame Republicans for the current holdup, which is an excuse they really should workshop before the 2022 midterm election. When I think about a day like May 23, 1974, I see a day in the life of queer people of color, who for decades were made to feel as if they had to choose between their race and their queer identity. Previous generations weren’t taught that some great Black writers and artists, such as Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin, were queer. That the first openly LGBTQ person to run for office was a World War II veteran by the name of Jose Sarria. Or that Bayard Rustin, an openly gay Black man, mentored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and organized the March on Washington. Perhaps if previous generations were taught these things, queer people of color wouldn’t need to spend time trying to determine which aspect of their existence was less likely to get them killed. Judging from the current attempts to prevent the teaching of LGBTQ history and critical race theory in school, it’s safe to assume many want to keep things as they were. It was actually quite remarkable to comb through newspaper articles from nearly 50 years ago and read the same arguments being made with nearly the same scenarios attached to them. On that day in 1974, Councilman Archie Spigner said he did not like the idea of LGBTQ teachers influencing children. Last year, Steven Arauz was fired for being gay from Forest Lake Education Center, an Adventist school in Florida, which received public money. In 1974, an officer on the recording can be heard gloating, “The good guys won,” after Glover was shot. Recently, the public saw video of Louisiana state troopers beating and ridiculing Ronald Greene, who would later die. Audre Lorde — the self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” — wrote the anguished poem “Power” about Shea’s acquittal for Glover’s killing. In that work, she referenced statements heard in the police recording. Fittingly, it was also Lorde who said, “There is no such thing as single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” *** In June 2017, Black Lives Matter supporters in Minneapolis stopped the Pride parade multiple times to protest police officers being allowed to participate following the acquittal of Jeronimo Yanez, the officer who killed Philando Castile in 2016. Last year, BLM and Pride held combined marches all over the country. The partnership wasn’t always smooth, but it would be a pity if society’s return to post-pandemic normalcy leads to a break in this alliance. I remember covering the BLM solidarity march in West Hollywood — and being struck at hearing Breonna Taylor’s name mentioned alongside Black transgender women whose lives were also lost due to violence. Women such as Nina Pop, who was found stabbed to death in her apartment just weeks before George Floyd was murdered. A death that received little media attention despite Pop being the fifth transgender woman of color killed in the U.S. in a month. In years past, those two names would have been heard at two different protests, chanted by two different groups of people, who for too long believed that these are two different fights. But they’ve always been linked together. Which is why together is the best way to fight. @LZGranderson

When will America finally dismantle its racist myths? Two powerful new books try

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2021-06-01/when-will-america-finally-dismantle-its-racist-myths-two-powerful-new-books-try

On the Shelf Myths and Monuments How the Word is PassedBy Clint SmithLittle, Brown: 352 pages, $29Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of An American MythBy Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason StanfordPenguin: 416 pages, $32If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores. The 2015 massacre at a Black church in South Carolina, the 2017 white supremacist rally in Virginia and the murder of George Floyd last year in Minnesota each spurred an effort to dismantle the lingering stench of the Confederacy. After every tragedy came a wave of removals of flags, monuments and signs across the South. But these were small steps, and two powerful new books, “How the Word Is Passed” and “Forget the Alamo,” make the case for giant leaps: major rethinking and revisions of the way public schools and tourist sites present our deeply flawed history. “When I visited plantations on field trips with school as a kid, they only talked about the beauty of the house and the fine china,” recalls Clint Smith, the author of “How the Word Is Passed” who grew up in New Orleans near Robert E. Lee Boulevard and Jefferson Davis Highway. In one history class, “seceding from the Union was talked about in terms of states’ rights and taxes. No one mentioned slavery.” The echoes of those experiences, along with more recent events, inspired Smith’s book. He visits Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and lesser-known sites like the Whitney Plantation, Blandford Cemetery and Angola Prison to examine how each presents — or ignores — its deep connection to slavery and the implications for America’s understanding of itself. Books Scott Ellsworth talks about ‘The Ground Breaking,’ a new follow-up to ‘Death in a Promised Land,’ his pioneering 1982 exposé of atrocities in Tulsa. May 18, 2021 Smith traces this willful forgetting to the Lost Cause, the wildly successful Southern whitewashing of the Civil War that has Confederates fighting for freedom as opposed to slavery. He still sees it in the way some white people, who thrill to a parade of World War II movies, moan “there they go again” when a series like Barry Jenkins’ “Underground Railroad” takes center stage. “We don’t have enough public conversations about slavery,” Smith says, “We had slavery for 250 years and have only not had it for about 150. And the residue has shaped every part of our social, political and economic infrastructure, like redlining, Jim Crow and mass incarceration. To suggest that this history has nothing to do with our contemporary inequality is morally and intellectually disingenuous.” Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford have also resurrected a long-suppressed slavery saga in “Forget the Alamo.” Home to one of America’s most famous battles, the Alamo is sacred ground for white Texans and central to the Lone Star State’s grandiose origin story — another “Lost Cause.” As a founding myth that belongs to the whole country, it is long overdue for reassessment. “It’s one thing to remove a statue of Jefferson Davis, but this is a national monument on the level of Gettysburg,” Burrough says. The authors argue that Texas middle school students have long received a warped version of history: William Travis, Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett were unadulterated heroes who bravely fought to the death against Santa Anna and the other bad hombres. That’s wildly inaccurate and woefully incomplete. There is the neglected role of the Tejanos, Mexicans living in the region. But “the most surprising thing we found,” Burrough says, “was the centrality of slavery to the revolt.” The one constant in Stephen Austin’s negotiations with Mexico was his insistence on slavery, something abolitionist Mexico steadfastly resisted. “That’s difficult for Americans, who’ve grown up seeing Mexico as this backward, corrupt country to realize,” says Burrough, “that Mexico had the moral high ground.” Books Former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey always wrote of public pain and private struggle. Her memoir, ‘Memorial Drive,’ lets her mother speak. July 22, 2020 “Forget the Alamo” punctures numerous misconceptions and explores the insidious ways they penetrated popular culture, from Disney’s “Davy Crockett” in the 1950s to John Wayne’s “The Alamo” in 1960 and far beyond. “By and large, even as a sweeping reassessment of the country’s racial past has begun within the Confederate milieu, Texas has gotten a pass,” Burrough says. “That’s strange given that we’re standing on about 30 years of academic reassessment of the Alamo and the Texas Creation Myth. Almost none of it has seeped into the mainstream discourse. With Latinos poised to be a majority in Texas, it’s past time for there to be a constructive debate about what it all means.” Both these books are measured in their indignation, but they differ in their approach. “Forget the Alamo” is written as traditional reporting and analysis of the underlying causes, the “heroes” and the battle itself, with some flashes of humor and steel. “Bowie was a murderer, slaver, and con man,” the authors write. “Travis was a pompous, racist agitator and syphilitic lech; and Crockett was a self-promoting old fool who was captive to his own myth. ... They fought for freedom, just not everybody’s freedom.” The authors also recount the battle to tell the story, revealing how numerous politicians, most recently George P. Bush, have capitulated to public (read: white) pressure and reverted to the “Heroic Anglo Narrative.” And for good measure, they shred the pack of lies surrounding the fraudulent Alamo artifacts bought by rock legend Phil Collins — a dubious collection that inspired Texas to spend taxpayers’ millions to build a fancy new museum. While “Forget the Alamo” is an in-depth investigation into a quintessentially American myth, “How the Word Is Passed” roams disparate sites across not just the South but also New York — to show how complicit the North was in pursuit of profit — and even Africa. Stop by stop, Smith weaves a tapestry of willful ignorance before pointing the way toward improvement. He exposes the falsehoods still being peddled in places like Angola, the notorious Louisiana prison and former plantation with a museum and tour that “not only seems to be indifferent to the history of the place but which seems to make a mockery of it.” At Blandford, he discovers a Confederate cemetery that boasts of Tiffany windows honoring the valor of its soldiers, as well as a Memorial Day commemoration rife with hypocrisy and distortions. (Speakers argued that Confederate soldiers — killers of Americans — should be honored as American veterans.) Smith’s book is more intimate in tone than “Forget the Alamo.” While facts and interviews with scholars ground his work, the emotional texture comes through conversations with ordinary folks visiting the sites. He also deftly uses sensory details, as when putting the reader with him inside a plantation cabin, “listening to a creak of the floor and thinking how the board must have groaned under the bodies of the people with no choice but to sleep directly on it.” Smith unearths signs of progress as well. Monticello has evolved in telling its story; the Whitney Plantation was founded on the premise that plantation tours should be about the evil of slavery and not big-house beauty. A chapter on the roots and current meaning of the annual Juneteenth celebration in Galveston, Texas, is downright joyful in parts. Books In travel writer Richard Grant’s “The Deepest South of All,” Natchez, Miss., is full of characters, stubborn racist traditions and lots of contradictions. Sept. 2, 2020 The two histories aim for different readers. Burrough says changing the way Texans think means getting the government to change how it teaches students. Right now, Alamo tall tales stand in for reality because the largely Anglo elite ignores the Latino perspective without fear of repercussions. “We wrote this hoping, perhaps naively, that there are thinking people in the state’s power structure and media that just hadn’t given this a lot of thought.” Smith agrees on revising education. “It’s important we start young,” he says. “Right now we’re asking young people to unlearn so much stuff they’ve learned. Why not just teach them the right thing from the beginning?” Yet his target isn’t people in power. He wrote the book he’d have wanted both as a high-school teacher and as a teen himself. “When I learned the history of this country in earnest, which didn’t truly happen until graduate school, it was so profoundly freeing,” he says. “It was emancipatory because I realized that so much of what this country has told you about people who look like you is not true. Back then I would have wanted something that gave me the ability to name and understand so many of the lies this country has told me.” Even as “the waters are rising on reassessing the past,” as Burrough puts it, the forces of reaction are lashing back. “There are people here that say even raising questions about the Alamo means you’re trying to bring down the government,” he says. Indeed, states like Texas and Oklahoma are scrambling to reverse the tide, passing bills legislating against new analysis of slavery and racism in their schools. The irony of publishing books in this environment is not lost on the authors. Books Walter Mosley, Luis Rodriguez, the coiner of #BlackLivesMatter and others sketch a hopeful future for L.A. and the U.S. after George Floyd protests. June 8, 2020 “State legislation against critical race theory is a new iteration of the Lost Cause,” Smith says. “The insidiousness of white supremacy and racism is that it takes an empirical statement and turns it into an ideological one. If I say, ‘The Confederacy was a treasonous army predicated on maintaining and expanding the institution of slavery,’ some white people interpret that as being reflective of my ideological disposition and politics. In fact, it’s just what’s on the historical record. Say that in your classroom and you’re seen to be doing something radical and political.” And so for all the incremental progress, there is still no broader reckoning with the facts, as there was in Germany after World War II. Without it, Smith finds it difficult to hold out hope for systemic change. Understanding the past can enable us to decide “what policy needs to be created to repair the harm,” Smith says. “And we still have a ways to go.”

Review: The devil can't make you watch this so-so 'Conjuring' sequel

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-06-01/the-conjuring-3-review

The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials. All hell breaks loose early and often in “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.” A creepy old Connecticut house shudders in the grip of demonic forces that shred the wallpaper (an improvement, honestly) and tear at the body and soul of an 11-year-old boy, triggering acrobatic contortions so violent they make Linda Blair’s head spins look like hot yoga. If “The Exorcist” seems by now too obvious a point of reference, it’s one this movie nonetheless invokes, first when an old priest arrives on this misty night and later when a heroic young man dares the devil to abandon the poor boy and take him instead. The devil gladly complies, vacating the body of young David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard) and seizing hold of his older sister’s boyfriend, Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor). But Arne, rather than hurling himself to his death, lives on, now hosting a demonic parasite that takes its not-so-sweet time making itself known. Jump scares galore ensue, blowing your eardrums and filling the screen with jack-in-the-box apparitions and hallucinatory washes of red. By the time Arne is arrested for the brutal murder of his landlord (Ronnie Gene Blevins), the movie has already laid out its case, aptly summed up by the title. Proving it in a court of law will be a trickier matter, one that naturally falls to Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), that God-fearing, ghost-busting duo who have given these movies their romantic pulse and spiritual oomph. In this latest movie, directed by Michael Chaves from a script by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, they set out to prove that Arne is not guilty by reason of demonic possession — a tricky task that will bring them into contact with all manner of fellow true believers and professional skeptics. (The fine ensemble cast includes Keith Arthur Bolden, Ashley LeConte Campbell, Eugenie Bondurant and especially John Noble as a delectably strange priest turned paranormal expert.) Like its superior predecessors, “The Conjuring” (2013) and “The Conjuring 2” (2016), “The Devil Made Me Do It” was ripped from one of the Warrens’ real-life case files, this one centered on a 1981 murder trial that they successfully — and none too scrupulously — turned into a cause célèbre. Whether you regard the Warrens as righteous spiritual warriors, wily hucksters or both, their self-promotional acumen has never been in doubt, as the mere existence of these movies amply demonstrates. (Ed Warren died in 2006; Lorraine Warren, who served as a consultant on the series, died in 2019.) As a rule, the words “based on a true story” should trigger any viewer’s skepticism; that’s even more the case when a movie is as straight-faced in its presentation of supernatural events as these are. Not that you had to believe a second of the first two “Conjuring” movies — both directed with pulse-quickening intensity by James Wan (who’s credited as a producer here) — to find them wildly entertaining, especially since stories about possessions and hauntings are predicated on a shivery suspension of disbelief to begin with. If the illusion is slower to take hold in “The Devil Made Me Do It,” it’s because of the heightened moral stakes — the question of a man’s guilt or innocence in the matter of a monstrous crime — as well as the movie’s more workmanlike approach to shocks and scares. Chaves made his feature debut with “The Curse of La Llorona” (2019), one of several feature-length offshoots, like “The Nun” and the “Annabelle” movies, in the increasingly tangled “Conjuring” franchise. (I think we’re supposed to call it a universe, but some directives, like the devil himself, should be resisted.) Chaves is a solid craftsman with a weakness for easy jolts, but also a gift for filling the frame with strategically unnerving pools of light and shadow; he can turn even a daylit room into something ominous and suggestive. He also orchestrates a memorable flashback to young David’s first encounter with evil, a scene that will make you grateful that waterbeds went the way of the dodo. What Chaves doesn’t demonstrate so far is anything approaching the kinetic virtuosity of Wan’s filmmaking, his ability to send the camera skittering up and down hallways and stranding us alongside the characters in a labyrinthine fun house of horrors. To some degree that’s the right approach for this particular story, where the real antagonist isn’t a haunted house but rather a curse of mysterious and exceedingly malicious provenance. Ed and Lorraine have admittedly broken a lot of curses over the years, amassing a storehouse of creepy dolls and tchotchkes in the process (as referenced in one of the movie’s slyer punchlines). But nothing they’ve done has quite prepared them for this case’s swerve into satanic cult worship, blood sacrifice and other forms of occult deviance, all of which operate by their own outlandishly sinister rules. It’s in the parsing of those rules that “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” hits the occasional sweet spot, if less consistently or surprisingly than its predecessors did. Narratively speaking, the most pleasurable aspect of these films is the way they function as paranormal detective stories, knottily intricate puzzles in which the battle for the human soul also becomes a battle of wits. That’s another reason why the Warrens — at least as played by Farmiga and Wilson, making the most as always of their retro-nerdy-sexy chemistry — are such an endearing detective duo: They’re Nick and Nora with less banter and more holy water. It helps, of course, that the Warrens come off as committed (some might say committable) do-gooders and that you never catch them, say, eagerly negotiating book and movie deals mid-trial, as their real-life counterparts are said to have done. That’s not the only time “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it” stacks your sympathies in favor of Ed and Lorraine, never more risibly than with sepia-toned flashbacks to their original meet-cute — the beginnings of a love story to make audiences swoon and demons shudder. Here, and not for the first or last time, the power of kitsch compels you. ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ Rated: R, for terror, violence and some disturbing imagesRunning time: 1 hour, 52 minutesPlaying: Starts June 4 in general release and on HBO Max

Dodgers' Trevor Bauer doesn't know why he's giving up so many home runs ... yet

https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2021-06-01/trevor-bauer-dodgers-giving-up-home-runs-seeks-answer

It’s the one blemish on an otherwise brilliant two-month start to the season for Trevor Bauer, the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner who signed a three-year, $102-million deal with the Dodgers in February. The 30-year-old right-hander gave up three earned runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings of the Dodgers’ 9-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday to improve to 6-3 with a 2.24 ERA in 12 starts. He has yielded only 40 hits while striking out 96 — the most in the NL — and walking 23 across 76 1/3 innings. But 13 of those hits (roughly 33%) have been home runs, including solo shots to Justin Williams and Tyler O’Neill and a two-run shot to Dylan Carlson on Monday night. Of the 22 runs Bauer has given up this season, 17 have scored on home runs. “It’s just frustrating,” Bauer said. “Forty percent of the hits I give up are homers. I haven’t given up a run on a non-homer in over a month. Good pitches, bad pitches, it just seems my luck on homers is terrible right now. Dodgers His mind filled with self-doubt, Max Muncy strongly considered retirement in 2017. Now the Dodgers’ first baseman is among the game’s top hitters. May 31, 2021 “It’s frustrating when you have a chance to get out of jams and I can’t just give up a hit, a double or something. It has to be a homer.” Bauer said he will do a deep dive into advanced statistics and video to search for reasons for the high percentage of long balls. “I can’t continue to give up 40% of my hits for homers, that can’t hold,” Bauer said. “But my home-run-to-fly-ball rate is kind of average. I’m gonna look at some distributions of pitches and pitch types and locations and try to figure out if there’s something I can adjust. “It’s very odd because I don’t give up many hits, and all of a sudden, when I do, it’s a home run. Hopefully it regresses back to the mean, but we’ll dig in and see if we can figure it out. My gut reaction is it’s not anything necessarily that I’m doing. It’s not one specific pitch. It’s righties and lefties. There aren’t any patterns.” Dodgers The Dodgers say Mookie Betts’ slump isn’t tied to potential injury issues, but the normally standout outfielder has performed in a strangely pedestrian manner. May 31, 2021 Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he doesn’t know why Bauer has given up such a high percentage of homers, but he is not concerned. “Walker [Buehler] was going through that a month ago,” Roberts said. “It’s just cyclical. I think it will correct itself.”

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy dies after high-speed desert pursuit

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/san-bernardino-sheriffs-deputy-dies-after-high-speed-desert-pursuit

A 17-year veteran of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department died in a hospital after a high-speed pursuit ended in gunfire on Monday. Sgt. Dominic Vaca, 43, of the Morongo Basin Station was shot after an attempted traffic stop in Yucca Valley, a desert community outside Joshua Tree National Park. “The gunshot wound he sustained earlier today was too severe for him to overcome,” Sheriff John McMahon said in a video posted just before midnight Monday. The pursuit began when deputies spotted a man riding a motorcycle with no license plate near Paxton Road and Imperial Drive just after 12:30 p.m., officials said. The deputies tried to stop the motorcyclist, but he fled, so they started chasing him. California A motorcycle chase in Yucca Valley ended Monday with a rider killed and a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy wounded by gunfire, sheriff says. May 31, 2021 The man abandoned his motorcycle and ran into the desert near Dumosa Avenue and Sunnyslope Drive, officials said. When deputies found him, he began shooting at them, according to McMahon. The motorcyclist was killed when deputies returned fire, and Vaca was airlifted to a hospital. “Our prayers are with him and his family as we all mourn this difficult time,” McMahon said. Homicide investigators were still on the scene Tuesday morning, officials said. A handgun has been recovered. The motorcyclist has not yet been identified.

California to consider ending some workplace mask requirements

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/california-to-consider-ending-some-workplace-mask-requirements

A California workplace safety board on Thursday is scheduled to consider whether to relax mask and physical distancing rules for workers. The proposal would allow workers in a room to take off masks if everyone in a room is fully vaccinated and do not have COVID-19 symptoms. Masks would still be required if anyone in a room was not fully vaccinated, according to the proposal. “Vaccinated persons are at lower risk for COVID-19 infection and transmission,” officials wrote. “In mixed groups of vaccinated and unvaccinated people, however, unvaccinated employees would be at risk without the use of face coverings indoors.” The plan also states that, until July 31, employees in indoor settings or outdoor events of 10,000 or more people must continue to either physically distance from others or be given the option to wear respirators — like an N95 respirator — for voluntary use. N95 respirators are designed to filter out 95% of very small particles in the air when properly worn. The proposal, drafted by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, will be discussed at a meeting of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, whose seven members are appointed by the governor. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. Thursday. If the board approves the proposal, it will be sent to the state Office of Administrative Law, which will have 10 days to decide on the proposal. The proposal is similar to the one the board was set to consider on May 20 but decided to postpone taking action on. In practice, the proposal would dramatically change how offices could function if no guests are allowed and everyone in a room has been fully vaccinated, which means two weeks have passed since a person’s final vaccine dose. An employer would need to have documentation of a worker’s vaccination records on file. But the proposal also likely means that California workers in places like stores and restaurants — and who interact with members of the public — will still need to mask up for the foreseeable future even after June 15, when the state is set to lift mask requirements for vaccinated people in most settings. (People will still be required under a federal order to wear masks when taking public transport after June 15, such as on planes, airports, buses, trains and transit stations.) The proposal also states that workers must generally be allowed to wear masks if they choose to continue wearing one, even if it’s not required. Existing rules require workers to wear masks and practice physical distancing unless they’re alone — either in a room or outside. Workers can remove masks when eating or drinking but must be physically distant from others. Existing rules in California also generally require everyone, such as members of the public in a store, to wear masks in indoor public settings. Local governments and stores are free to impose stricter mask requirements if they wish. L.A. County has signaled it will align with California’s standards on June 15. There is growing scientific consensus that COVID-19 vaccines are extraordinarily effective, and there is generally low risk that a fully vaccinated person — even if unmasked — will get infected with the coronavirus from an unvaccinated, unmasked person, especially when rates of daily coronavirus cases are low.

Supreme Court turns down Johnson & Johnson's appeal of $2-billion talc verdict

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/justices-turn-down-johnson-johnson-appeal-talc-verdict

The Supreme Court has let stand a $2-billion verdict against Johnson & Johnson in favor of women who say they developed ovarian cancer from using the company’s talc products. The justices did not comment Tuesday in rejecting Johnson & Johnson’s appeal of the verdict. The company had argued that it was unfair for it to face a single trial that involved 22 cancer patients who came from 12 states and had different backgrounds. A Missouri jury initially awarded the women $4.7 billion, but a state appeals court dropped two women from the suit and reduced the award to $2 billion. The jury found that the company’s talc products contained asbestos and that asbestos-laced talc can cause ovarian cancer. The company disputes both points. Johnson & Johnson, which is based in New Brunswick, N.J., has stopped selling its talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in the U.S. and Canada, but it remains on the market elsewhere. Business Johnson & Johnson resolved a woman’s claims that asbestos-laced baby powder caused her cancer before a jury got a chance to consider the allegations. Jan. 6, 2020 The company faces thousands of lawsuits from women who allege that asbestos in the powder caused their cancer. Talc is a mineral similar in structure to asbestos, which is known to cause cancer, and they are sometimes obtained from the same mines. The cosmetics industry agreed in 1976 to make sure that its talc products do not contain detectable amounts of asbestos. The lead attorney for the women during the trial, Mark Lanier, praised the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear Johnson & Johnson’s appeal. “This decision sends a clear message to the rich and powerful: You will be held to account when you cause grievous harm under our system of equal justice under law,” Lanier said. Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Brett M. Kavanaugh took no part in the court’s action. Alito owns $15,000 to $50,000 in Johnson & Johnson stock. Kavanaugh’s father headed the trade association that lobbied against labeling talc a carcinogen and including a warning label on talc products. Ethicists contacted by the Associated Press said they did not think E. Edward Kavanaugh’s role required his son to step aside from the case.

7 movies to catch at this year's Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-06-01/los-angeles-latino-international-film-festival-afro-brazilian-diaspora-indigenous

Combining in-person screenings and virtual events, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival returns to the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood this week. The curated lineup features heavyweight Latino titles including a special presentation of the highly anticipated musical “In the Heights,” based on Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ stage show, and “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” a heartfelt documentary about the Puerto Rican icon. Putting forward one of its strongest programs since reemerging in 2018 after a long hiatus, the less conspicuous gems at LALIFF include unique stories from Latin America focused on Afro Latinos and Indigenous populations, as well as a variety of titles by American Latinos that include always topical immigration yarns as well as unexpected genre offerings. For the record: 9:34 a.m. June 1, 2021An earlier version of this story identified “In the Heights” as the festival’s opening night film. “7th & Union,” a drama about an ex-fighter, is the opening night film on Wednesday. As the festival is composed of nearly 20 features and two dozen shorts, navigating everything at the public’s disposal might be a challenge, so we are highlighting seven thematically varied movies not to miss. LALIFF runs Wednesday through Sunday. This singularly intersectional adoption story from Colombia follows Camilo, a young Black man raised in the Quillacinga Indigenous reservation near the Cocha Lagoon. Although he had always felt part of the community and followed its rules and traditions, as an adult he yearns to find his biological mother for a sense of direct connection. In the documentary, director Viviana Gómez Echeverry examines, with a keenly observational eye, Camilo’s troubled state of mind as his loving adoptive parents support his search for identity. Interwoven in the same arc are the Indigenous people’s efforts to maintain sovereignty over their land and resources amid the government’s plan to privatize them for tourism purposes. Venezuelan-born, Miami-based writer, director and star Maria Corina Ramirez transfigures her personal accounts into a contemplative debut feature about an undocumented high school student uncertain about her future in the U.S. This is the rare film that deploys voice-over not as narration but to lace the images with introspective poetry as the protagonist debates what to share with the world in her valedictorian speech. Ramirez’s understated performance and supporting narrative choices resonate with humble determination. They come from lived-in knowledge and a talent to present those experiences gracefully in each scene. “Bridges” is one of the most accurate film portrayals of what immigrant youths withstand in this country. A dystopian drama that conveys the racial inequity rampant in Latin America, actor Lázaro Ramos’ first feature film as a writer-director is a searing and frightening fiction. Within this alternate world, Black individuals in Brazil are referred to as “high-melanin citizens.” The racist government, unwilling to address the horrors of slavery and pay reparations, passes a measure that will deport all Black Brazilians to the African continent. Through dynamic sequences that sharply exploit this heightened realm to express the films’ ideas, Ramos firmly tackles the complex plight of Afro Latinos. The subject is alarmingly relevant in the U.S., where the Republican Party has prioritized banning critical race theory in an effort to perpetuate an untruthful status quo. Meticulously researched, this portrait of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of 2017’s Hurricane Maria goes beyond examining the infuriating neglect of the island by the United States government in a time of crisis to paint an expansive picture of the neocolonial practices that have devastated its economy. Brilliant documentarian Cecilia Aldarondo traveled to nearly every corner of the territory to contrast the conditions of locals — defined by uncertainty, scarcity and resilience — with the opportunistic vision that voracious outsiders have for what they see as a profitable tax haven. Archival footage reminds us that, both now and decades ago, foreign plans for so-called improvement never have Boricuas in mind. Along the lines of great modern vampire films such as “Let the Right One In” and “Only Lovers Left Alive,” this eerie horror drama centers on three siblings trapped in a disturbing lifestyle. Hesitant but loyal, Dwight (Patrick Fugit) is tasked with hunting prey to feed his pallid younger brother, Thomas (Owen Campbell), who is allergic to the sun and awake only at night. Fed up with such a dark existence, Dwight wishes to escape their strict sister, Jesse (Ingrid Sophie Schram). Subdued in its approach to well-trodden tropes, director Jonathan Cuartas’ genre offering grounds the myth in an urban reality thanks to the cast’s fittingly muted acting. Three women grapple with a distinct aspect of their sexuality in a fascinating multi-narrative plot that unfurls over the course of two days in San Mateo, an Indigenous Mixtec small town. The astutely penned social drama from Mexican writer-director Ángeles Cruz, a Mixtec woman herself, addresses the patriarchal systems that hinder women’s most intimate choices, as well as the effects of economic hardship that force individuals in rural areas to migrate to urban centers. Cruz guides the ensemble cast, which includes prolific actor Noé Hernández, to superbly nuanced interactions often underlined with a sorrowful mood. Her stellar work joins a much-needed wave of Indigenous stories and storytellers in Mexican cinema in recent years. In her best lead role to date, and a bilingual one to boot, Chilean actress Lorenza Izzo (“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”) commands this tragicomedy set across the late 1960s and early ’70s. As Celina, a single mother in San Francisco, she explores the institutionalized sexism and social stigmatization that prevent women from achieving their professional goals and taking charge of their reproductive health. Breaking the fourth wall and often providing historical context, which is admittedly a bit obvious at times, director Lissette Feliciano presents a lively and poignant tribute to womanhood. The unapologetically Latinx movie, which is LALIFF’s closing-night presentation, takes its name from Janis Joplin’s 1967 song. Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival When: Wednesday-SundayWhere: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, and virtual screeningsInfo: LALIFF.org

Kathleen Turner dishes on her crush on Michael Douglas and their TV reunion

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-06-01/kathleen-turner-michael-douglas-kominsky-method

In the 1980s, Kathleen Turner was as hot as it gets: She was funny, sultry, adventurous and sassy in films like “Body Heat,” “Romancing the Stone” (one of three movies she’s made with Michael Douglas), “Prizzi’s Honor” and “The Man With Two Brains.” And she used that classic low, raspy voice to incredible effect as Jessica Rabbit in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” And then came rheumatoid arthritis, which took her off the front burner for years. But now she’s back with Douglas and more bad-assier than ever in “The Kominsky Method.” The actress talked with The Envelope about reuniting with her former crush, pushing back against Hollywood and how some starlets today are just boring. You were able to shoot “The Kominsky Method” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What was it like to work with Michael Douglas so closely again? Easy. It was a no-brainer. We just … “Hello, you!” “Hello, you!” You know? It serves the [on-screen] relationship, because it was clear that we knew each other well. Is your connection any different now than it was 30-odd years ago? Oh, sure. First of all, this isn’t an adventure story. We’re not exactly throwing ourselves down hills. My God, it is really so long ago. I had a ball doing [those movies with him], and we had some fine directors. It was another life, do you know what I mean? You two had so much chemistry in those films, as you do now. Did you have a crush on each other? Heavens, I certainly had a crush on Michael during “Romancing.” That was before I had any involvement [with my future husband]. I was fancy-free, as they say. At that point, Michael said he was separated from Diandra [Luker, his first wife]. And so it seemed as though, you know, we could have a relationship, but then Diandra came down to Mexico and that killed that. So there you go. But I was knocked out by him for a while, you bet. He had such a great head of hair. He still does. But thinking about it, I didn’t want that lifestyle. I didn’t want to move to Hollywood or live that way. You’ve suffered since the 1990s with rheumatoid arthritis — did playing a character on “Kominsky” who is also ill push buttons in you? These things always do. It doesn’t make what I’ve gone through more important, but it is a reminder. Though rheumatoid arthritis and the accompanying operations and difficulties isn’t going to kill me — but what Roz has will. But Roz is a badass. When she says, “I’m f— with you,” I love that stuff. Were you resentful at the way your illness shifted your career trajectory and delayed this next phase in your life? No, I was too busy fighting. I was too busy trying to hold on to what I could. I was trying to get up a flight of stairs. That’s where my focus was. And over the course of your career, you’ve done more than your share of fighting to get the shots you want or the scripts you want or the work you want. Are you exhausted? I’m a woman who has an opinion; you can put it that way. I don’t do characters that are like each other. Each role I do is probably opposite to the one before. I think people or industry experts just expect if you’re good or successful in one aspect, you should stay there — and I don’t agree. Now that restrictions are being lifted around New York, where you live, what are you most looking forward to getting back to? What I’ve missed more than anything is the live performance, theater. Both watching and doing — that’s like withdrawal to me. The last couple of years, I’d created a cabaret evening called “Finding My Voice,” partly because I’ve never sung before really, and partly it’s about my life and stuff. I had all kinds of bookings in 2020, and like everybody, those were lost. What was singing in public for the first time like? Very intimidating at first. I’m not really known for my singing voice, although I’m told it’s pretty darn good. I was more nervous than I’ve been in years. Are you a tenor or an alto? I’m a baritone, honey. That’s one reason I haven’t sung in public before. There aren’t any roles written for me. And they wouldn’t use your singing voice when you played Jessica Rabbit, right? They got Amy Irving to do it. Was that your decision? I wanted to, actually, but Amy was married to [executive producer] Steven Spielberg at the time. It was a done deal. What advice would you offer women getting into the business of acting these days? It’s tough now. Harder than it was when I was starting out. I shot this pilot and went to dinner with the cast and they spent the entire meal talking about how many calories there were in pasta and how naughty they were to eat it. I thought, “Do they spend hours every day thinking only about themselves?” That’s boring. I don’t want to use all my energy on my appearance or social media and stuff. I’m still kind of a rebel in that way.

Australian court upholds government ban on residents traveling abroad

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/australia-court-upholds-coronavirus-ban-international-travel

An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal government’s near-blanket ban on international travel by residents, a measure that was instituted to keep the coronavirus out. Australia is alone among developed democracies in preventing its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country except in “exceptional circumstances” where they can demonstrate a “compelling reason.” Most Australians have been confined to their island nation since March 2020 under a government emergency order made under the powerful Biosecurity Act. Libertarian group LibertyWorks argued before the full bench of the federal court in early May that Health Minister Greg Hunt did not have the power to legally enforce the travel ban, which has prevented thousands of Australians from attending weddings and funerals, caring for dying relatives and meeting newborn babies. LibertyWorks lawyer Jason Potts argued that Australians had a right to leave their country under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that Australia had ratified. But the three judges ruled that the complaint was based on the “erroneous premise that the right is absolute.” World & Nation A TV and film industry is booming in Australia’s coastal town of Byron Bay, and promoters are banking on expansion, thanks to its A-list celebrities. March 26, 2021 LibertyWorks’ lawyers also argued that such a biosecurity control order could be imposed only on an individual and not an entire population, and only if that individual had symptoms of a listed human disease, had been exposed to such a disease or had failed to comply with travel requirements. The judges ruled that that interpretation of the law would frustrate Parliament’s clear intentions when lawmakers created the emergency powers in the Biosecurity Act in 2015. “It may be accepted that the travel restrictions are harsh. It may also be accepted that they intrude upon individual rights,” the judges said in their ruling. “But Parliament was aware of that.” LibertyWorks President Andrew Cooper said he was considering an appeal to the High Court. World & Nation Australia has started its COVID-19 inoculation program days after its neighbor New Zealand, with little sense of hurry in either country. Feb. 22, 2021 “We are very disappointed in the judgment today. We continue to believe that the outbound border closure is defective in law and, perhaps more importantly, unjust on human rights grounds. We must remind ourselves also that often things that are legal are not necessarily just,” Cooper said in an email. “While Europe and most of the world open up their borders, only North Korea and Australia stubbornly continue with strict controls over their citizens’ ability to leave their country,” Cooper added. He had expected hundreds of thousands of Australians to fly within weeks if he had won. Critics of the emergency order say that it is harshest for the 30% of Australians who were born overseas. World & Nation Drew Pavlou’s battle against the University of Queensland illustrates China’s influence over a key U.S. ally. Dec. 21, 2020 The government says tough border controls have played an important part in Australia’s relative success in containing the coronavirus spread. Surveys suggest that most Australians approve of their government’s drastic border controls. The Australian newspaper published a survey last month in which 73% of respondents said the international border should remain closed until at least the middle of next year. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. last week reported that its own survey had found 79% of respondents agreed that the international border should stay shut until the pandemic was under control globally. Critics of the travel restrictions argue that decisions on who can travel and why are inconsistent and lack transparency. Start your day right Sign up for Essential California for the L.A. Times biggest news, features and recommendations in your inbox six days a week. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Esther and Charles Baker, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple from Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, were twice refused exemptions to fly to New Jersey to attend their youngest son’s wedding in June last year. They appealed to the federal court, citing religious and cultural reasons among their exceptional circumstances. But a judge dismissed their case and ordered the couple to pay the government’s legal costs for their challenge. A person at the center of a coronavirus cluster in Melbourne had been allowed to attend a wedding in India. He was not infected in that country but rather during the required 14-day hotel quarantine upon his return. Authorities said he was infected by a traveler in another room on his floor and that the coronavirus was carried in the air. Melbourne began a seven-day lockdown Friday because of the outbreak, which by Tuesday had grown to more than 50 cases.

The world's greatest cardsharp reveals all

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/the-worlds-greatest-cardsharp

Fremont Street, once the world capital of swank, used to be Steve Forte’s turf. But on a spring day, he was just another face in a crowd, snaking through two relics of downtown Las Vegas, Binion’s and the Four Queens casino. No one bothered the man many consider the greatest card handler who ever lived. Within the world of casino experts and magicians, Forte handles a deck of playing cards the way Roger Federer wields a tennis racket. Not just among the best, but the best, full stop. In his hands, cards appear to shuffle but remain in perfect order. Cards apparently dealt from the top of the deck are taken invisibly from the bottom. After years of being a reclusive figure, the 65-year-old Forte has published “Gambling Sleight of Hand,” his life’s work of underground card moves in a two-volume book of nearly 1,100 pages. Among sleight-of-hand aficionados, the book was a once-in-a-lifetime sensation: Even at $300, the first printing of 1,000 sold out in one week. On this day, Forte agreed to visit places he doesn’t have much use for now. But soon enough, he showed his skill, making jaw-dropping observations about the games unfolding around him. His book is a fitting coda to a career that screams to be a biopic (in fact, a script of Forte’s life is being shopped around). He went from dealing prodigy, to one of the youngest casino managers ever in Las Vegas, until he ventured to the other side of the law and made millions — “ripping and tearing,” as card cheats say. Then he became one of the most in-demand casino security consultants in the world. Said Jamy Ian Swiss, a noted writer on sleight-of-hand magic: “Anybody writing a movie about a professional cheater would never put in a character like Steve Forte. People wouldn’t believe him. They think he’s some kind of Superman. This isn’t realistic. The guy can’t be all these things. But he is.” :: The streets of Newton, Mass., where Forte grew up, had fire hydrants painted red, white and green. A proudly Italian neighborhood. For Newton’s working class in the 1960s, working hard wasn’t always enough. Many played the numbers. “They were always looking for the impossible dream,” Forte recalled. “And it was a complete suckers game.” Forte’s father, John, was a construction worker who made extra cash Friday nights picking up people from a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot and driving them to a clandestine dice game. He compulsively played the numbers, figuring that if he lost four games in a row, he was certain to hit it big on the fifth. One day when Forte was a teenager, he and his father swung by a restaurant where gambling went on in the cellar. Seated at one table was an old-timer shuffling cards. Noticing Forte was interested, the man motioned him over. “Let me show you something, kid,” he said. The old-timer flashed the top card of the deck. An ace. He began shuffling. A lot. Miraculously, the ace remained on top. Forte was floored. The old-timer not only exerted perfect control over the cards, he did it so suavely. An obsession took hold. In time Forte realized these games his father played weren’t pure games of chance — the more you’d play, the more likely you’d lose. It was a mathematical certainty. But he understood something those hoping to luck their way to a better life did not; you could improve your odds. Teenage Steve visited the library and checked out the seminal books on gambling at the time: Edward Thorp’s “Beat the Dealer” and John Scarne’s “Guide to Casino Gambling.” He never returned the books. He was hired at his local American Legion hall and dealt cards during charity casino nights. The kid was a natural. Even after accepting a junior college scholarship to play basketball, the glitz and flashing lights of casinos beckoned. There was only one place to go. At 20, Forte left school, packed everything he owned into a ‘74 Camaro and drove west. :: Las Vegas in the late 1970s was a city where the mob had outsized influence. “How do you feel about unions?” asked one job interviewer. “I don’t even know what a union is, sir,” Forte responded. “I just want to deal craps.” “Right answer, kid.” Interview over. Forte was hired on the spot. Two hours after turning 21, he dealt his first game. His bosses recognized a talent that belied Forte’s age. When a casino veteran discovered Forte never attended blackjack school, the veteran was astounded: “You cradle that deck like a mother cradles her baby.” Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. Off work, Forte was a gambler himself, preferring blackjack and low-limit seven-card stud. Forte played nearly every day for seven years, and had the mathematical formulas — when to play, when to fold — down cold. He coupled that knowledge with what’s called advantage play: exploiting biases in gameplay that nudge the odds back toward the player’s favor. Although advantage play is legal, the line between it and cheating can appear blurry. If a blackjack dealer accidentally flashes his card, the gambler has every right to use that information. There’s nothing illegal about mentally tracking high cards over many rounds of blackjack — card counting. But most casinos can kick you out without cause. “Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of advantage players are genuinely trying to stay on the right side of the law,” said Jason England, a friend of Forte’s and a gaming consultant. Forte assembled a team who’d scout the casino floor, hoping to find a dealer handling cards a certain way. They’d play that table, and if the stars aligned, that dealer might unintentionally reveal the hole card. Another example: In a game of blackjack, dealers would peek at the hole card if a high card was showing, to check if it was blackjack. In bending the hole card back, the high card would bend in the other direction, causing it to subtly warp and reflect light in a slight but distinctive way. When the dealer presented the deck to cut, Forte would cut exactly one card above the convex card. There’s a good chance he now has a 10 or an ace. The playbook Forte’s team employed grew more sophisticated. They’d look for any subtle asymmetry in the back design of playing cards to track high cards. They’d strap electronic card-counting devices to their legs in blackjack games, a practice allowed at the time. These tactics involved information available to all players, so they were considered legal, relying more on perceptiveness than chicanery. The irony was Forte’s star within the casino industry — his day job — was on the rise. He became casino manager at the Sundance Hotel & Casino at just 28. When playing, he used an alias — Michael Panaggio — always volunteering to spell his last name to make it more believable. Even so, the Nevada Gaming Control Board caught on. In 1982, authorities raided a table at a Reno casino where Forte’s team was playing. They accused him of cheating. Forte showed what he was actually doing — cutting to that imperceptibly bent card. Was this illegal? There was no statute against it. They struck a deal: In exchange for Forte demonstrating some of his moves for security experts, he’d plead guilty to misdemeanor trespassing. To the Gaming Control Board, Forte was biting the hand that fed him. He kept playing, and in 1984 the board revoked his work card. Forte could no longer work at any casino in Nevada. His livelihood gone, a switch flipped in Forte. California A reporter journeys across Santa Monica in search of a story about a louche moment in the tony city’s history. May 26, 2021 “Once I made the decision to go for the money, I never thought twice about it. I was too young and immature, and I knew I was out of line,” Forte said. “They were accusing me of being a cheat anyways, so what was the difference?” Las Vegas history is filled with inventive cheaters. Hustlers attached mirrors, called shiners, to carefully placed cigarette packs or casino chips, in hopes it would reflect a dealer’s hole card. A more sophisticated version was a periscope-like contraption built into a lowball glass, where the gambler could stare into their drink and glimpse the card with a mirrored ice cube. Some schemes had a Rube Goldberg-ian complexity. Say a blackjack dealer asked Forte to cut the cards. As Forte lifted the deck, he quickly thumbed up the side like a flipbook. A teammate standing behind Forte recorded the move with a camera hidden in a sports bag. He wore a cowboy hat to hide antennas boosting the radio signal. The footage was transmitted to a van outside, where an accomplice watched a replay in slow motion. He’d read back the next 10 cards to another accomplice on the casino floor with an earpiece, who’d visually cue Forte what cards were coming up. Atlantic City, 1987. As Forte played blackjack, an accomplice nearby quietly read the order of the cards dealt into a mini-cassette recorder. After several hands, the accomplice dashed to a payphone and relayed the sequence to a room upstairs, where it was run through a computer program to determine the optimal hands to play. When it came time to shuffle, the dealer, who was in on the scam, would “false shuffle”—keeping the sequence of cards intact. Now the team knew when to hit, stand and double down. Forte said he made out with $100,000. The team was caught. Agreeing to plead guilty to avoid a drawn-out appeals process, Forte asked the judge to let him serve his sentence before the upcoming birth of his son. He ended up serving two months for third-degree theft, half in maximum security and half in a work-release program. Forte then became a security consultant full time and his company, International Gaming Specialists, became the go-to expert for casinos worldwide. Ironically, casinos that Forte and team once cheated were now paying him upward of $25,000 for a consult. Science & Medicine In the COVID-19 era, my 12-year-old played more video games than ever. What kind of parent was I to allow this? But then I talked to experts. May 7, 2021 He was known mostly in the casino world until he appeared on the 1996 Fox television show “The Hidden Secrets of Magic,” even though Forte doesn’t consider himself a magician. He closed his demonstration with the center deal, a notoriously difficult move, in which Forte apparently dealt four kings from the middle of the deck. It was the first time Forte’s card-handling abilities were exposed to a national audience. Even master magicians had never seen anything like it. So years ago when a friend of Penn Jillette, the talking half of Penn & Teller, offered to take him to Forte’s house, Jillette jumped at the chance. Jillette vividly recalled Forte demonstrating “the scoot,” throwing dice in such a manner so that the top number of one die stayed on top, even as the other die tumbled. “It looked like it was bouncing but was actually sliding,” Jillette said. “That delicacy of movement, and the hundreds of hours represented in learning that movement just struck me with awe.” Then Forte broke out the playing cards. “I had my face down there, four inches from where his hands were. There was no chatter, no eye contact, nothing else for me to think about,” Jillette said. “I’m just trying to see what he’s doing with his fingers. I could not do it.” When Forte self-published “Gambling Sleight of Hand” in February 2020, Jillette bought the book for himself and Teller. It’s now in a third printing. :: The Sin City of yore — the Rat Pack roaming the Copa Room at the Sands, casinos run by mobsters — has largely vanished into desert dust. In a way, so too has Forte. Most of his friends from the heyday have moved away. Forte now considers himself retired, though he continues to consult now and then. Forte has lost some hand strength and can’t handle a deck as smoothly as he did in his 30s. He misses it. “It’s one of the few hobbies I truly treasured,” he said. ”This one was dear to me.” Still, his eye for spotting discrepancies — unconscious mistakes casino dealers make that a cheater might exploit — remains tack sharp. At the Four Queens Hotel and Casino on Fremont Street, Forte watched blackjack dealers go through the motions. Within five seconds, Forte noticed how one dealer held her deck in such a way that the corner edges were exposed. Forte stopped in front of a roulette table. He pointed out how metal deflectors on the wheel would influence the speed of the ball. By tracking the ball speed and the wheel’s spin rate, Forte said, he could predict where the ball might land (yes, you can bet while the wheel is spinning). Counting off in quarter seconds, he determined this roulette wheel took 1.75 seconds to make one revolution. He also noticed the ball tended to drop in a certain area. If the wheel were a clock face, that would be between 12 and 3. That, Forte said, is where he’d bet. The dealer spun the wheel and sent the ball rolling. The ball bounced and clattered, eventually landing on black 28 — exactly in the part of the wheel Forte predicted. Pang is a special correspondent.

Photos: 26 photos that captured the month of May

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/photos-the-best-27-photos-for-may

May was a month that saw conflict as well as a difficult milestone. In this month, exactly a year after his death at the hands of a white police officer, the nation continued to mourn and pay its respects to George Floyd. The CDC cleared children 12 and older for COVID-19 vaccinations. A conflict between Israel and Hamas flared that could spell the end of Benjamin Netanyahu’s time as prime minister. There was also dancing, the return of graduations, ducklings and a once-in-a-decade super moon that lighted up early-morning skies. This was May 2021, as seen by Los Angeles Times photojournalists. Thank you for reading and supporting local journalism. Follow @latimesphotos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Why Jean Smart singles out her 'Hacks' role as the best of them all

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-06-01/jean-smart-hacks-mare-easttown-hbo

“I was always a late bloomer, but this is ridiculous!” Jean Smart laughs. The 69-year-old actress is referring to the deluge of great roles that have come her way in the last five or six years, including those in “Fargo,” “Legion” and “Watchmen.” Her two latest projects, “Hacks” and “Mare of Easttown,” both on HBO, couldn’t be more different, but that’s the point for Smart, who says she seeks out characters who feel new to her. “Ideally, I want to do something [I haven’t done before],” she says. “Or at least a version of that person I’ve never been able to show. The thing about actors, which is why I feel so lucky, is that most actors go their entire career and they don’t ever really get to show what they can do or what they’re capable of. I feel extraordinarily grateful that I’ve been in so many interesting roles, at least in the last couple years. Part of me wishes it would have happened 20 years ago, or even 30 years ago would have been nice — I don’t think I’m a better actor now than I was then — but I am certainly not complaining.” Television Jean Smart plays a Las Vegas comedian in “Hacks,” but the real subject of HBO Max’s new series is the generational divide. May 13, 2021 On “Hacks,” Smart stars as Deborah Vance, an old-school stand-up comedian with a Vegas residency who is forced into hiring a young writing assistant named Ava (Hannah Einbinder). It’s a laugh-out-loud comedy from creators Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, and it feels both nostalgic and current, thanks to its cross-generational appeal. It’s also exactly what Smart was looking for when she was cast last summer. “I read it, and I just said, ‘This has it all. This could be so great,’” the actress recounts. “It’s so funny, and it’s balanced with these dark moments. If I could pick out a dozen of my favorite parts I’ve ever done, on stage or in front of the camera, and put them in the body of one person, I feel like [Deborah] is an amalgam of a lot of my favorite things.” Smart, who shot “Hacks” and “Mare of Easttown” in succession last year, didn’t do any stand-up in preparation to play Deborah, partially due to the pandemic and partially because she wanted to make the character her own. She cites such comedians as Phyllis Diller, Elayne Boosler and Joan Rivers as influences, but not specific inspirations. Deborah is compelling because she exists alongside these iconic women in the world of “Hacks” as a unique entity. “I wanted it to come from my own instincts of having watched comedians over the years and my own sense of humor,” Smart says. “There are a lot of incredibly talented women out there. But each one of them has their own style, so I wanted to have my own style. I didn’t want to pick someone and try to copy them. If you try to compare Ellen DeGeneres to Joan Rivers, they’re completely different women with completely different styles.” She adds, “I told the writers I wanted to emphasize the generational differences in terms of tastes and comedy. Deborah thinks that Hannah has something to offer, but I think she definitely believes Hannah’s generation and her type of humor has thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Just to say something to shock your audience into laughing isn’t nearly as valuable and doesn’t take as much talent as actually coming up with something really hilarious. They’re always going to disagree about certain things, and I don’t think you’ll see Deborah turn into Andrew Dice Clay to embrace that shock value.” “Mare of Easttown” differs both tonally and thematically, and Smart says her main reason for taking the role of Helen was to get to play Kate Winslet’s mom (she claims to have responded “Duh!” when asked to do it). She loved the page-turning whodunit aspect of the series from the outset, but it was really the relationship between Helen and Mare that interested her. “As unhealthy as it seems from the outside, hopefully it comes across that there’s love and respect there,” says Smart, who worked on her accent for the series with a dialect coach ahead of production. “They haven’t had easy lives. I don’t think Helen’s ever been a particularly happy person. I don’t think she had a particularly good marriage. Whenever there’s a suicide in a family — and they’ve had two — there’s so much blame and so much regret and so much bitterness. “The fact that they still coexist at all and find moments of humor and joy and love is extraordinary. I thought it was an interesting, fun dynamic to have that kind of relationship with a daughter who you loved and admired and who made you nuts.” It wasn’t necessarily purposeful for Smart, who will executive produce and star in Amblin’s “Miss Macy” for director Tate Taylor later this year before filming the second season of “Hacks,” to take on two female-led projects simultaneously. She sees it more as a reflection of a changing entertainment industry. “The relationship between Ava and Deborah is just so special,” the actress says. “It’s one of the most interesting, fun relationships I’ve ever gotten to explore on film. It is a really good, interesting time for women right now, although I don’t take any credit for trailblazing. But I’m certainly the lucky recipient of it.”

10 LGBTQ-owned California cannabis brands for Pride Month

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2021-06-01/lgbtq-owned-california-weed-brands-pride-month

As Pride Month rolls along, it’s worth noting that legal weed — not just in California but across the country — owes a huge debt of gratitude to the LGBTQ community. That’s because activists fighting for access to medical marijuana for terminally ill patients during the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and ’90s (most notably Dennis Peron) helped get California’s first-in-the-nation medical marijuana law on the books in 1996. Other states followed suit, setting the stage for legal, nonmedical cannabis use in 16 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (though it remains illegal under federal law). “You can draw a direct line from this particular period in time and the work of these queer activists and the legalization that created the modern cannabis industry in California,” said Andrew Freeman, co-founder of the L.A.-based Drew Martin cannabis brand with his partner, (in and out of business) Drew Martin Gosselin, and another business partner. “However, it sometimes feels like that history has been a bit forgotten — especially when you look at queer representation in today’s cannabis space, which tends to be straight, white and male. That’s not reflective of the demographics of those that consume products, and that’s not reflective of those who fought for the decriminalization and legalization of the plant.” Given the legal cannabis movement’s deep roots in the gay activist community, Freeman thinks there’s a larger role LGBTQ-founded brands should play moving forward. “I think as queer-owned companies today, we have a unique opportunity — and a responsibility — to continue the work that was started generations ago,” he said. “The struggle for decriminalization and legalization that was led by these activists is inextricably linked to today’s struggle to repair the damage the war on drugs has caused the Black and brown communities.” Lifestyle In the run-up to 4/20, a look at some of the ways Southern California is shaping the cannabis conversation. April 15, 2021 In acknowledgment of the LGBTQ community’s contributions to cannabis commerce and culture, here’s a look at some of the Golden State’s queer-founded, -owned or -helmed cannabis brands with a few other marijuana movers and shakers — activists, educators and artists — thrown in. Altered PlatesRun by the brother-sister team of chef Holden Jagger and Rachel Burkons, this L.A.-based hospitality consulting group helps big brands and cannabis clients make on-site social consumption of cannabis and CBD compliant and educational. Burkons also serves as the executive director of California-based culinary cannabis advocacy group Crop to Kitchen. BesitoMaggie Connors launched the female-founded, queer-led Besito (Spanish for “little kiss”) brand in 2019 with sleek, brushed-metal single-use 2:1 THC:CBD ratio vape pens with a hexagonal shape that makes them stand out and stay put (as opposed to round, pen-like vapes that tend to roll across the coffee table). The L.A.-based brand has since expanded into 1 gram prerolls and 10-packs of mini prerolls that clock in at 0.35 mg each. besito.la Cann Founded by Luke Anderson and Jake Bullock, this Venice-based, wildly popular sparkling beverage brand specializes in low-calorie, low-dose, THC-infused “social tonics” (8 to 35 calories, 2 milligrams of THC and 4 milligrams of CBD per 7.5-ounce can) in mad refreshing flavors that include lemon lavender, grapefruit rosemary, blood orange cardamom, ginger lemongrass and pineapple jalapeño. Bonus? They’re vegan and gluten-free. drinkcann.com Lifestyle Original launch plans stymied, local cannabis brand Drew Martin turns to Zoom smoke-ins. July 21, 2020 CalexoOakland- and L.A.-based Calexo, co-founded by Brandon Andrew, Ken Pelletier, Ian Colon and Aiko Oshima and launched last year, is a relative newcomer to the cannabis-infused drink business but is already a standout thanks to the boldly patterned artwork on its bottles and the bubbly beverages inside them. Each 22-ounce, fruit juice-based, single-serving, 80-calorie bottle (offered in two flavors, citrus rose and cucumber citron) contains 10 milligrams of nano-emulsified THC. The smaller particles mean there’s less lag time between consumption and onset — about 15 minutes for most people. calexo.co Drew Martin A joint effort among Freeman, Gosselin and business partner Nicholas Pritzker, this year-old brand offers low-dose, prerolled joints that combine sun-grown cannabis with one of four botanical blends: rose petals and peppermint; ginger root, lemon balm and damiana; lavender and passionflower; and chamomile, yerba santa and calendula. (On top of that, they source their flower from queer-farmer-owned Spirit Chicken Farm in Mendocino County.) Lifestyle June is Pride Month. Celebrate and learn about LGBTQ organizations and creatives through our list. June 7, 2021 For the month of June, the company has partnered with two other LGBTQ-owned brands on this list (Cann and Sonder) to create a Pride bundle (including a sweatshirt while supplies last) that will benefit queer BIPOC organizations working in the cannabis space, including Copper House, Supernova Women and the scholarship program at pottery studio Pot LA. The Pride package of goodies will be available exclusively at Sweet Flower and MedMen in the L.A. area, Sava and Airfield Supply Co. in the Bay Area and Lighthouse in Palm Springs. drewmartin.co Emily Eizen In addition to creating psychedelic, color-saturated photo-based images for cannabis clients (including Flower by Edie Parker, Besito and the Sweet Flower dispensary chain) that manage to perfectly capture the vibe of getting high, L.A.-based queer multimedia artist Emily Eizen turns out trippy takes on furniture, home decor and limited-edition 16-by-20-inch poster prints, the last of which can be ordered via her website ($25). emilyeizen.com Laganja EstranjaThe nom du drag of L.A.-based choreographer and musical artist Jay Jackson, Laganja Estranja has appeared on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (2014) and “So You Think You Can Dance” (2018 and 2019) and parlayed her role as an LGBTQ+ icon and cannabis advocate into a series of partnerships within the traditionally bro-centric weed business, including a 2016 preroll collaboration with the Hepburns and a 2019 edibles collaboration with Fruit Slabs. She’s also created an assortment of merchandise that hits the fashion-meets-flower sweet spot, including T-shirts and totes bearing pot-leaf designs that call to mind the Louis Vuitton and Versace logos as well as two of the funniest stoner tees out there: One proudly proclaims “High Top” and the other “Baked Bottom” ($40 each). “The Baked Bottom and High Top shirts were actually an idea from one of my #BUDS on Instagram for 4/20,” Estranja said, “but the punchy graphics and athletic font make them great for Pride too.” laganjaestranja.com SonderFaun Chapin and M. Paradise launched Sonder in the Bay Area in 2018, and the brand quickly made a name for itself with stylish, eye-catching vape pens. Its newest product, a sublingual called Space Crystals, is sort of a grown-up, THC-infused version of Pop Rocks that snaps and crackles under the tongue. It’s available in three flavors, including a perfect-for-Pride-Month strawberry Champagne flavor called Cheers Queers. sondertime.com Stone Road A Venice-based brand that sources its cannabis from Northern California family farms (including its own 57-acre, off-the-grid farm in Nevada City), Stone Road was launched by Chief Executive Lex Corwin in 2016 and offers jars of flower, hash-infused joints (rolled by hand using French paper), concentrates and its newest product, roll-your-own pouches of preground flower about the size of an envelope clutch purse. In a nod to Pride Month, the brand is donating 10% of its June profits to the LGBTQ Freedom Fund, a group that pays bail for members of the LGBTQ community in U.S. jails and immigration facilities. stoneroad.org Sundae SchoolDae Lim and Mia Park started their 4-year-old brand in New York City as a Korean-inspired unisex smokewear label (we first met them at New York Fashion Week Men’s in 2018) but relocated to L.A. — and expanded into cannabis — in 2019. The star of their THC-based offerings (which include joints and edibles) is the 0.3-gram tiny but mighty mini preroll (eight to a pack). sundae.school (wearables) and sundae.flowers (combustibles and edibles) Archives When it comes to luxury apparel brands tapping into the growing popularity of pot, there hasn’t been much movement beyond the enthusiastic embrace of the marijuana-leaf motif. April 5, 2019

Disneyland won't be locals-only for long. Navigating the reduced-capacity lines

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-06-01/disneyland-wait-times-rides-lines-covid-19-pandemic

For the first time ever, Richard Grant of San Diego felt dizzy during a recent trip to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. The 31-year-old personal trainer and his girlfriend were resting on a bench outside California Adventure’s Soarin’ Around the World simulator on the afternoon of May 5. Like thousands of other guests, they had returned to the parks smack in the middle of reopening week after a whopping 13-month closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think it’s because you can go on so many rides in a row so quickly,” Grant said of his lightheaded state. “That’s why we’re sitting down right now, because I was feeling kind of nauseous. I needed a minute.” Grant and Stephanie Bush, a 23-year-old hotel office supervisor from San Diego, had ample time to make themselves queazy because capacity at the Disney parks in Anaheim, with tickets available for California residents only, was capped at 25% in compliance with pandemic safety guidelines. When Orange County entered the yellow tier in mid-May, Disneyland was given the go-ahead to raise its cap to 35%. That still means shorter wait times for attractions. But all good things must come to an end. On June 15, Disneyland will open to out-of-state visitors and there will be no capacity limits imposed by the state (though it’s unknown if staffing can be fully ramped up so quickly). This means ticketholders have a unique opportunity to experience a less-crowded theme park. Entertainment & Arts With COVID-19 abating in California, Disneyland reopened on April 30. After 13 months away, how did it feel? May 2, 2021 Of course, with fewer employees in the park the lines for food can be lengthy. And since the rides have remained socially distanced, a Pirates of the Caribbean boat might be loaded with just two guests. That means wait times can fluctuate greatly. One day, according to visitor reports, lines for the Haunted Mansion jumped from 25 minutes to 60 minutes with little warning — though as you’ll read, some guests have been offered an intriguing short cut resulting in a wait time under seven minutes. And waits for Radiator Springs Racers can range from 13 minutes to an hour. But what would life in pandemic times be without unpredictability? (For those who want a little more certainty, Disneyland has a mobile app for checking wait times while you’re in the park and there are other websites that track the park’s wait times.) A Los Angeles Times study from 2017 concluded that pre-pandemic wait times for Disneyland and California Adventure attractions averaged about 24.4 minutes each. On May 5, we clocked post-reopening wait times of 17 rides across both parks at an average of 11.9 minutes — and that’s based on a sampling of what were considered the busiest rides before the public health crisis hit. “It’s definitely given us a chance to explore a little bit more,” Bush said. “It’s also given us a chance to try out smaller rides that I don’t think we would really go on, like ... the ‘Monsters, Inc.’ one. We’ve never really been on that one before, but we went on it because we get to ride all the rides twice today.” Travel & Experiences Visitors to Disneyland and California Adventure are experiencing more sore feet and sunburn while waiting to ride some of the parks’ increasingly popular attractions. July 12, 2017 Multiple reopening-week attendees suddenly found themselves lining up for in-demand attractions they’d grown accustomed to ignoring, previously deterred by eternal queues jam-packed with hundreds of tired, sweaty visitors. “I feel like I’ve never even made it on Radiator Springs [Racers] because the line’s always been so long,” Grant said, referring to the premier attraction at California Adventure’s Cars Land. “Today, I was like, ‘Wow.’ Just, like, a breeze.” “There’s no way that we could have ever gone on Splash Mountain,” said James Wilde, a 30-year-old street artist from Los Angeles. “The line’s always been so crazy. ... I would skip it normally because it’s just such a time suck.” Still, some couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic when reminiscing about what was once an essential — if sometimes frustrating — slice of the theme park experience. “Honestly, I feel like half the ride is the anticipation building up to it,” said Brian David, a 39-year-old producer from Los Angeles. “I mean, obviously you just want to ride the rides, but I have a lot of fond memories of standing in some of the lines.” Business Emotions run high as Disneyland reopens after an unprecedented yearlong pandemic closure. A lot has changed. April 30, 2021 In the name of science, this Los Angeles Times reporter documented her experience in the enchanted reduced-capacity theme parks, bouncing from queue to queue at record speed, flanked by her 19-year-old brother and longtime Disneyland companion, Andrew. Here’s what we found, complete with comparative data from 2017 and expert insight from helpful cast members. Pre-pandemic wait: 41 minutesPost-reopening wait: 15 minutes, 58 secondsRide time: 4 minutes, 11 seconds The force was with us on a Wednesday morning as cheerful cast members admitted us to Disneyland — our preselected starting park — a half-hour prior to opening. A warm Disney welcome awaited us on Main Street U.S.A., where dozens of employees waved enthusiastically from the sidewalks as we made our way to a near-empty Tomorrowland. There’s something oddly dystopian about seeing Disneyland’s bustling, futuristic utopia reduced to a late pandemic-era ghost town, where the estimated wait time for the park’s fan-favorite simulator attraction was a measly five minutes. The actual wait ended up being slightly longer — just enough time to apply some sunscreen for the 80-degree day ahead of us. A cast member estimated that the reopening-week wait for Star Tours ranged from 5 to 15 minutes. A day prior, however, the line reached a maximum of 25 minutes for a special occasion: May the 4th, the unofficial “Star Wars” holiday. Pre-pandemic wait: 65 minutesPost-reopening wait: 5 minutes, 56 secondsRide time: 4 minutes Tomorrowland projects an idyllic vision of the future, but surely not even the innovative minds at Disney could have envisioned a future in which the wait for its most popular roller coaster would be estimated at five minutes. Before running up the vacant ramp to the main queuing area, Andrew and I couldn’t help but snap photos of the red figure 5 on the digital Space Mountain marquee — certain we would never see such a sight again. In the past, we’ve spent 45 to 85 minutes inching through the vast outdoor courtyard of Space Mountain, built to accommodate hundreds of thrill-seeking guests. According to one cast member, the wait for the pitch-black indoor coaster has occasionally peaked at 45 minutes even under reduced capacity. But most post-reopening guests have queued for about 15. We arrived at the attraction mere minutes after the park opened (so early that the music was not yet turned on inside the ride), which likely contributed to our miraculously short wait. (Can confirm: Silent Space Mountain is a bizarre experience.) Pre-pandemic wait: 33 minutesPost-reopening wait: 1 minute, 3 secondsRide time: 3 minutes, 37 seconds Simply mad as a hatter how brief the wait was for this glow-in-the-dark classic. We spent triple the amount of time in our caterpillar buggies as we did queuing for them on the outer reaches of Fantasyland, looking out over the astonishingly deserted magical landscape. A cast member estimated that the post-reopening wait for this kid-friendly adventure has ranged from three to 30 minutes. Pre-pandemic wait: 41 minutesPost-reopening wait: 7 minutes, 36 secondsRide time: 2 minutes, 10 seconds Believe it or not, you can fly, you can fly, you can fly through the line now for Peter Pan’s Flight, a timeless Disneyland staple that has maintained its soaring popularity since its 1955 debut. We’ve often opted not to embark on this beloved voyage over the luminous streets of London because of its notoriously lengthy wait, which — on a busy pre-pandemic day — could rival those of much newer, more action-packed attractions such as Splash Mountain or Indiana Jones Adventure. On Wednesday morning, however, the wait for Peter Pan’s Flight was estimated at 10 minutes, and our first skyward trip to Neverland in years instantly reminded us why it continues to be a crowd favorite. A cast member told us the wait has consistently fluctuated between five and 25 minutes since the park reopened. Pre-pandemic wait: 17 minutesPost-reopening wait: 14 minutesRide time: 2 minutes, 14 seconds The open-air, cottagecore line for this freshly updated attraction extended all the way to a waiting area typically designated for princess meet-and-greets, which have been restructured to adhere to social distancing guidelines amid the pandemic. No complaints here, as the queue for the whimsical ride inspired by Disney’s debut feature film was mainly located in the shadow of Princess Aurora’s castle and subsequently boasted some of the most picturesque views of the park. Formerly called Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Enchanted Wish has emerged from the pandemic with a slight uptick in wait times, likely bolstered by its shiny new figurines and romantic storyline. According to one cast member, the wait for the fairy tale ride has regularly reached 30 minutes since the reopening, while Times game critic Todd Martens reported a 45-minute wait on opening day. Entertainment & Arts Disneyland Imagineers anticipated criticism of the inclusion of ‘true love’s kiss’ in its Snow White ride redo. How they worked to empower Snow White. May 26, 2021 Pre-pandemic wait: 30 minutesPost-reopening wait: 5 minutes, 52 secondsRide time: 3 minutes, 40 seconds Another mountain, another five-minute wait. The already all-outdoor queue for this mineshaft Frontierland coaster required zero pandemic modifications — except for some plexiglass dividers between parallel lanes leading up to the runaway-train platform. A cast member explained that queues for fast-paced rides, such as Thunder and Space mountains, have been chugging right along under new pandemic guidelines, while those of more drawn-out attractions, such as the nearby Haunted Mansion, have seen more significant delays because of holding areas that can no longer accommodate large crowds of people. As such, the wait for Thunder Mountain has steadily hovered around 10 minutes since reopening. Pre-pandemic wait: 23 minutesPost-reopening wait: 26 minutes, 26 secondsRide time: 12 minutes, 32 seconds Yo ho, yo ho, a Pirates line for me! The line for Pirates of the Caribbean, practically an attraction in and of itself, easily clinched the award for longest — and most entertaining — wait of the day. No longer confined to dank tunnels beneath the park’s surface, the reconfigured queue stretched all the way across New Orleans Square to the towering gates of the Haunted Mansion. “Hey, look, it’s Tiana,” my eagle-eyed brother remarked casually as we ambled through the lively riverside town. Sure enough, there was the elegant Louisiana princess, surveying her New Orleans kingdom at a safe distance from atop an ornate balcony. As if on cue, a little girl wearing a ruffled Minnie Mouse dress in front of us screamed — and I mean screamed — “Tiana!” at the “Princess and the Frog” star, who answered her call with a graceful air-kiss and wave. Bumbling vagabond of the seven seas Jack Sparrow also appeared on an adjacent patio, locking eyes with individual guests as we passed under a bridge into the main queuing area. (He tipped his pirate hat toward me, nbd.) At one point, Disney worlds collided when Jack said something to make Tiana laugh next door. Personally, I hope Disneyland sustains this chaotic crossover energy when the park returns to normal operations. Also, it raises the question: Where was Snow White while we waited for Enchanted Wish? Or Chewbacca while we queued for Star Tours? Take notes, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. New Orleans Square is where it’s at. Pre-pandemic wait: 23 minutesPost-reopening wait: 6 minutes, 13 secondsRide time: 5 minutes, 42 seconds The line for this cult classic house of horrors snaked along the perimeter of the nearby French Market restaurant and through what used to be a Fast Pass distribution center before arriving at the spooky estate. Upon entering the graveyard, however, we reached an unexpected fork in the queue, where a cast member asked us if we wanted to skip the attraction’s swelling portrait room (remember that holding area the Thunder Mountain folks warned us about?) and cut to the front of the line. More curious than impatient, we agreed and were promptly escorted down a dim flight of stairs, haphazardly decorated with a few creepy paintings and an antique chair — none of which (I’m willing to bet) were there before the pandemic, when the shortcut was likely only accessible to employees. Within seconds, we emerged at the end of the extended portrait hall and plopped straight into our doom buggies, shaving nearly 20 minutes off our estimated wait time. Pre-pandemic wait: 45 minutesPost-reopening wait: 24 minutes, 22 secondsRide time: 4 minutes By midday, the lines were getting a little longer, but not much — even for the ever-popular Indiana Jones Adventure, which projected a 25-minute wait. After crossing under Tarzan’s treehouse, we spent the majority of our time in an elevated, breezy hut that was once rarely used for extra queuing space when Adventureland was particularly busy. Designed to resemble an archaeologist’s quarters, various animal bones and insect specimen decorated the queue and made for a fascinating stroll to the temple of doom, during which I finished half the turkey sandwich I packed for lunch. No time to look out for booby traps once inside the cave, where the line picked up serious speed in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines. A cast member estimated that the average post-reopening wait for the turbulent thrill-ride has been 35 minutes. Pre-pandemic wait: 38 minutesPost-reopening wait: 17 minutes, 35 secondsRide time: 9 minutes, 50 seconds The slightly lengthier line for Disneyland’s fan-favorite waterslide allowed us a few opportunities to stand still (what a concept!) — a welcome relief for my weak legs, which were already a tad sore from walking nonstop all the zip-a-dee-do-dah day. While maneuvering through the cavernous queue, my brother had enough time to stream a European football game between Chelsea and Real Madrid on his phone before fantasizing with me about which “Princess and the Frog” songs would be featured as part of the ride’s incoming and long-overdue makeover. According to a cast member, the opening-week wait for Splash Mountain averaged between 25 and 30 minutes, sometimes hitting 40 in the heat of the afternoon. Pre-pandemic wait: 90 minutes or morePost-reopening wait: 11 minutes, 41 secondsRide time: 4 minutes, 40 seconds An elongated outdoor queuing area proved ideal for this interactive flagship attraction at Galaxy’s Edge, allowing us time to linger and marvel at the intricate exterior of Han Solo’s trusty spacecraft — basically the Aurora’s castle of the “Star Wars” expansion. By contrast, we were rushed through the equally-as-intricate interior of the sky cruiser and into the cockpit to ensure we spent as little time in an enclosed space as possible. Overall, a much quicker experience than that of pre-pandemic times, when the ride was still brand new and attracting massive, guess-I’ll-spend-my-whole-day-here crowds. A cast member told us the post-reopening wait times for Smuggler’s Run have been erratic, maxing out at 40 minutes before suddenly dropping to 15 without rhyme or reason. Pre-pandemic wait: 20 minutesPost-reopening wait: 19 minutes, 13 secondsRide time: 9 minutes, 30 seconds Because of distancing guidelines, the outdoor queue for Disneyland’s newest ride flirted with the Galaxy’s Edge — literally brushing up against the outermost rim of the sci-fi sector. Despite the immersive, high-tech attraction opening just a couple of months before the World Health Organization declared a pandemic, pre-COVID and post-reopening wait times have remained pretty consistent thanks to a virtual boarding group system that pulses guests through the queue in smaller packs to avoid the typical deluge. We entered the Disneyland app’s virtual Rise of the Resistance queue the minute it opened at 7 a.m. and ended up boarding with group 73 around 1 p.m. — an alternative yet effective way of determining a fledgling attraction’s popularity that doesn’t involve endlessly zig-zagging back and forth in the Southern California sun. Pre-pandemic wait: 94 minutesPost-reopening wait: 1 minute, 46 secondsRide time: 2 minutes, 9 seconds A moment of silence for the production designers behind the queue for this newly reimagined free-fall attraction, who truly outdid themselves when recreating the evil Collector’s lair — complete with all sorts of gizmos and gadgets aplenty, whosits and whatsits galore. Alas, we had zero time to admire their exquisite handiwork while zipping through this nonexistent line — nor were we able to listen to the Collector’s villainous monologue, or Rocket the Raccoon’s brilliant escape plan. (Key story elements have been removed from the post-reopening queuing experience to lessen the amount of time spent inside the 13-story building.) Why were we saving the Guardians of the Galaxy and how did they come into the Collector’s clutches? Why were we executing this rescue mission to the tune of Elvis’ “Burning Love” while plummeting several floors in a gantry lift? No idea, but we had a whole lot of fun doing it. According to a cast member, the abbreviated wait for Mission — Breakout! has plateaued at five minutes. Pre-pandemic wait: 86 minutesPost-reopening wait: 13 minutesRide time: 4 minutes, 41 seconds Shout-out to the brave and patient souls who routinely waited upwards of 80 minutes to embark on this Pixar-inspired drag race before the public health crisis. We were not strong enough. But the extra-reduced capacity at California Adventure presented a rare opportunity to motor through the scenic sandstone canyons of Radiator Springs faster than Lightning McQueen. Leave it to Radiator Springs Racers, though, to still post the occasional 80-minute wait due to semi-frequent breakdowns that limit the daily ride window. Luckily, we seemed to catch the temperamental attraction on a smooth day. Pre-pandemic wait: 26 minutesPost-reopening wait: 4 minutes, 53 secondsRide time: 2 minutes, 27 seconds Not even Dash Parr himself could have zoomed through the Incredicoaster queue at this rate. (Yes, I will keep making Disney-related speed puns to underscore the abnormally fast pace of every. single. line!) For anyone who hasn’t seen “The Incredibles,” the mischievous middle Parr child possesses super speed — a fact surely listed in his superhero profile on Pixar Pier. Can’t say for certain, though, because we had no time to read his or anyone else’s bio while weaving through now-useless lane dividers leading to the parks’ sole loop-de-loop coaster. A cast member told us the post-reopening wait for the Incredicoaster has averaged 10 minutes, but — similar to its sister attraction in Cars Land — has been known to peak at 45 after a breakdown. Pre-pandemic wait: 48 minutesPost-reopening wait: 8 minutes, 50 secondsRide time: 7 minutes, 22 seconds We weren’t quite able to run like the wind, Bullseye, through the carnival-esque queue for this 3D arcade-game of an attraction. But we were able to walk through at a relatively brisk pace while completely skipping the colorful indoor section of the line. Embarrassed to report that my losing score on this competitive ride was almost as low as the estimated wait, which has consistently ranged from 15 to 25 minutes since California Adventure’s reopening. One cast member mused that Midway Mania has never been so quiet in her five years working the hit attraction, urging us to enjoy it while we can. Pre-pandemic wait: 49 minutesPost-reopening wait: 18 minutes, 46 secondsRide time: 4 minutes, 49 seconds Instead of meandering through the museum-esque hall of pilots and aircrafts inside the hangar, most of this wait was spent tracing the perimeter of the keenly disguised IMAX theater. (I took advantage of this open-air setting to safely consume a second turkey sandwich.) Once indoors, we skipped the pre-boarding instructions and immediately buckled our seatbelts for takeoff. A cast member informed us that the reopening-weekend wait for Soarin’ has averaged 40 to 50 minutes. But since then, it’s been more like 20. Todd Martens, Joe Fox, Priya Krishnakumar and Jon Schleuss contributed to this report.

How Hailee Steinfeld learned to open up by playing poet Emily Dickinson

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-06-01/hailee-steinfeld-emily-dickinson

The Apple TV+ series “Dickinson” is a whirl of mindfully anachronistic elements. Against a tapestry of corsets, chores, oak trees and floating lines of poetry, the show employs contemporary music, language and behavior to shake the viewer out of any conventional expectations and into recognizing how radical Emily Dickinson really was. The series saturates her life in Amherst, Mass., with seances and scandals, wild nights and passionate affairs. It also explores the pressing issues of the 1850s, precisely because they are still just as pressing today — political polarization, gender inequity, systemic racism, anti-immigrant sentiment — and the role of the artist to address and engage in it all. Young Emily, played by Hailee Steinfeld, has been visited by ghosts, visions both glorious and macabre, and Death, played by rapper Wiz Khalifa, who kindly stops for Emily every so often to stoke her morbid obsessions. The result is a quirky, often-bleak comedy, poised to become bleaker since its second season ended on the cusp of the Civil War, even as Emily endured repeated visions of a soldier getting shot in the chest. Steinfeld, speaking by phone from New York while filming Season 3, recalls an early conversation with creator Alena Smith, who explained that “Dickinson” wouldn’t be a straight biopic. “She said, ‘Those have been made. Yes, we are taking what we do know, the little we do know — if it’s even true about Emily and her life — and putting it into the show. The rest of it is our imagination, and her poetry, and what we think writing these certain poems might have looked like.’” That choice has led to circus scenes, operas and one very large bumblebee. Adds Steinfeld, “How fun it is to use the work of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, poets of all time as the foundation, the driving force of this show.” “Dickinson” is Steinfeld’s first starring role in a television series. The 24-year-old actress was nominated for an Oscar for her role in “True Grit” a decade ago and has worked steadily in film ever since, as well as forging a successful pop music career after showing off her chops in the last two “Pitch Perfect” movies. She portrays the eventually reclusive Emily as brilliant, tortured, adventurous, vulnerable and deeply self-absorbed. Steinfeld recalls feeling plenty of trepidation at taking on the role. “I was like, I’m the furthest thing from a poet. I could never, never write a poem.” But playing Emily has affected her, just as reading Dickinson affects everyone. “Her poetry makes you think about things you don’t want to think about or talk about or have to address or have to admit that it’s a real feeling, so shooting this show can in some ways be exhausting.” Shooting Dickinson’s times can be just as tough. “The show has served as a beautiful reminder that we’ve come a long way, when we look at the constraints that women were under, physically, emotionally and mentally,” Steinfeld adds. “But in so many other aspects of the show, we’re reminded that there’s still a lot of work to be done. That’s equally as motivating as it is upsetting. But that’s what I love about the show so much.” Steinfeld also serves as an executive producer on “Dickinson.” “I was involved in decisions about casting, and design, and a whole host of conversations and discussions and questions I had never ever been concerned about as an actor,” she says. “But how fun to be so involved, and how crazy to be so involved. I love seeing all the emails, I love being on these calls, I love knowing what it takes to create something.” The actress, who does not shy away from engaging her fans on social media, is aware of the irony of playing a woman who was famously unknown until after her death. In Season 2, Emily wrestled with the conflicting pulls of fame and creativity; the latter won. Steinfeld has considered the question as well. When she was still filming the second season and promoting the first in New York, she drove through Times Square and saw a massive billboard of herself as Emily. “It made me [think], would she have wanted this? How absurd is this? At the same time, I’m like, ‘This is cool, I kind of like that.’ Whatever happens in my life happens, I’m perfectly content as long as I get to do the work and make pieces of art that resonate with people. That’s why we do it, right? To connect. So as long as I can continue to do that, billboards or not, I feel so lucky to be able to do what I love.” The show also offered the chance to merge her acting and musical careers, providing the song “Afterlife” for the Season 1 finale. And when it came time to return to the recording studio, she found her approach took a Dickinsonian turn. She was working with new songwriting partners, which she describes as akin to blind speed-dating: “You’re going into a room with people you’ve never met before, and you’re trying to get to the end result of something really beautiful and honest, so therefore you have to completely open up.” In the past, she would have held back a little in front of strangers. But after playing the poet with such an open heart, Steinfeld charged ahead — as Emily would have — and for the first time, felt the poetry in her songwriting. “I wrote everything I wanted to, and I never felt prouder of my writing.”

Wanda Sykes, Jane Krakowski, Kenan Thompson and others: How to be funny in dark times

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-06-01/wanda-sykes-jane-krakowski-kenan-thompson-comedy-roundtable-2021

The pandemic affected everyone in ways large and small, but for those tasked with helping us laugh through the saddest year in recent memory, it was an odd mix of concern, precaution and silliness. Being in production wasn’t always comfortable, but the six actors who gathered remotely for The Envelope’s Comedy Roundtable were driven by the need to create in a time of anxiety. “People needed to laugh,” says Wanda Sykes, who stars in the new Netflix family series “The Upshaws.” “I know I needed it.” But how do you shoot a television comedy and remain safely 6 feet apart? Well, you don’t, says Robin Thede, who created and stars in “A Black Lady Sketch Show” on HBO Max. Instead, “you test six times a week and make sure your cast does not have COVID, and you don’t go anywhere, and you make them vow to go to work and home, and that’s it. I took six months to learn everything I could, and with HBO and all the doctors and everything, we just figured out how to put it up safely.” From an acting perspective, going back to work was heartening, says Michiel Huisman of HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant.” “It was strange to pretend that everything was sort of back to normal in front of the camera, right? But also kind of nice?” “I think that it saved us, especially the actors,” added Thede. “To be free and be these crazy characters and just to be with each other. And luckily with the nature of the show, everything is strange, so we can kind of use that. But I can’t imagine somebody shooting a serious drama during the height of the pandemic.” “What I have found so wonderful about coming back right now is the sense of community,” noted Jane Krakowski of Apple TV+’s “Dickinson.” “Like, seeing you guys, it’s almost a sense of needing an audience again. Just having our crew chuckle at something, it makes you feel, ‘Oh, thank God, we can still do this.’ People still want to laugh.” Awards The Envelope Showrunners Roundtable gathers the creators of ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘Dickinson,’ ‘Hacks,’ ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ ‘Genius: Aretha’ and ‘Small Axe’ to talk television today. July 2, 2021 Anna Konkle, co-creator and star of Hulu’s “PEN15,” and Kenan Thompson, longtime “Saturday Night Live” regular and now star of his own sitcom, NBC’s “Kenan,” also joined in the May 2 conversation to discuss what it takes to be funny during a pandemic and why it’s so important for their comedies to reflect the absurdity of our times. Excerpts of their conversation here have been edited for length and clarity. Jane, “Dickinson” is a 19th century period comedy, and you play Emily Dickinson’s mother ... Jane Krakowski: Her hotter, younger millennial mother, I think it is. Anna Konkle: That’s right. Robin Thede: Let them know. Noted! Was it hard to be funny in a constricting corset, a constricting era for women? Krakowski: It was part of the reason I wanted to really do it. It almost didn’t matter how it ended up coming out. I was just so excited about the creative adventure that it was going to be and about what [showrunner] Alena Smith was trying to do. How deliberately anachronistic it was. It was a very different type of show for me. Kenan, you were also mixing things up by moving between “SNL” and your own family sitcom, “Kenan.” Kenan Thompson: It’s very surreal. Most of the time as an actor, you just want to keep working, so it doesn’t matter where you show up that day. You just know you have something to do ... and you hope that it’s funny. So whether it’s sketch or a long, drawn-out scene, I still have to study it and tackle it and use the same kind of muscles to break down the rhythms of it. It’s an interesting challenge to go back and forth after shooting a week’s worth of a sitcom and then do a live show and then hop back to it. Wanda Sykes: With all that traveling, you must have a TSA PreCheck, huh? Thede: Listen, are you flying private or commercial — how is this working? I know you’re not on no commercial flight every week. Thompson: No, but I know people. That’s all I can say, I know people. Anna, with “PEN15,” you and co-creator Maya Erskine relive the awkwardness of middle school by playing 13-year-olds ... surrounded by a cast of actual 13-year-olds. How have you pulled that off for two seasons? Konkle: When I’m around the kids that are 13, I feel like the most wrinkled alien in the entire world. But they make it easy; they treat me like one of the kids. In terms of the show, when we first were talking about making it, it was, like, eight or nine years ago, and that’s how long it took to make, because nobody wanted to make the show, for obvious reasons. We thought that the stories at 13 ... [sexual experimentation], the trauma that was happening, which we both found devastating and funny, was an area that we weren’t supposed to talk about. We thought that because there wasn’t the right mechanism to tell it. It was mostly either indie films telling R-rated stories or Nickelodeon stuff about a 13-year-old that was always really happy. That wasn’t our experience. So we thought if we play these characters and we try to do it earnestly, we can tell the array of stories that we’re really interested in. The surprise has been that other people think it’s funny. It’s hysterical, but there’s real pain there too. Konkle: There’s a dark sense of humor there. And I don’t know if any of you relate to feeling like this, but sometimes with comedy, I feel like I laugh at the wrong times. Thede: Yeah, if somebody falls down and hurts themselves, I laugh way too hard. Konkle: Same, exactly! The sadder, the darker material that wasn’t even intended to be funny, that’s good. Michiel, in “The Flight Attendant,” you play a mutilated dead guy for most of the series. Dark comedy is quite a switch from your previous outings on “Game of Thrones” and “Treme.” Michiel Huisman: I’m so honored to be part of this group, because I really barely have been able to dip my toes in the world of comedy. But I love comedy. And I always thought it would be so fun to be a part of a comedy show, and so “The Flight Attendant” came, and I thought it was maybe the good kind of mix. It definitely wants to be a dark comedy, but it’s also really trying to deal with some heavier subjects like addiction and loss and trauma. So I thought maybe this was a good one for me. But then in the end, I don’t know if I was funny. Thompson: You were. Thede: We can validate, yes. Huisman: I just got killed, and that was funny. Thede: But then you had to keep talking after you were dead. A dead body talking and bragging to someone is very funny. Konkle: Do you find a comedic scene is scarier than something that’s more dramatic? Huisman: Yes, because it’s a whole new thing. When I was listening earlier to Kenan and you were talking about how you’re approaching a scene and you were finding the rhythm, I thought, “Oh, yeah.” Maybe that’s just not really my first instinct, to find the rhythm of it. I try to think about the character, but I noticed on set that Kaley Cuoco, who has done a lot of comedy, is so much more in tune with the rhythm. I really had to get used to that. It also meant directors telling me to just keep going and hurry up. Just say it. Please. Thede: When we have additional drama actors on my sketch show, I find that they speak very slowly and deliberately. And other actors are constantly like, “All right, pick it up. Get to the joke.” It’s interesting. [Comedians] don’t waste a lot of time thinking .... If we wasted time to think, we’re going to miss the punchline. Krakowski: I spent two television shows, I’m not sure how many years in entirety, in the rhythms of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, which was a gift of comedy. It’s the highest form of great joke writing that I have ever gotten the chance to do. And the jokes are plenty on the page. And so you get into that rhythm. I knew where Tina and Robert were going to land or what they were going for. It was very exciting, exhilarating and scary to say yes to [“Dickinson”], something that was such a different comic rhythm than what I had done. Our show, I don’t want to say dramedy ... but it’s a bit of a dramedy. There are many scenes that are completely heartfelt and sincere. The challenge for me is trying to find where you go in and out of it in our show. Where you can be stripped bare and be completely honest, which are some of my favorite scenes to play because they are so different than what I’m used to doing. Then where you want to still put in the joke, because it’s what I love to do. I want to find the comedy wherever I can find it. Is it important for series comedy to be topical now? Thede: Back in the day, even 10 years ago, you could make a comedy that was really farcical and really silly and people didn’t need to relate to it. But today if your comedy is not relatable in some sort of way, people don’t want it. Even with these wild sketches we do, we have to ground it some way. We have this sketch where it’s just black women seeing each other in a courtroom, and we’ve done two different versions of it. It’s just a joyful sketch. It’s one of our most watched. It’s about the experience of what happens when you go into this professional environment and see a bunch of black women there, working in a space where you don’t expect them to be. That’s something that’s super relatable to my audience. It has to feel authentic and grounded in some way. And then the audience will let you go to a really crazy place. Wanda, “The Upshaws” is one of the few modern sitcoms I can think of featuring a working-class Black family, which seems critical right now. Sykes: I give credit to [co-creator] Mike Epps. He said, “Look, I want to do a show about a Black working-class family — I want to do Black ‘Roseanne.’” And it hit me. I was like, “Damn, you know what? What happened to those families? Where are the working-class families?” When we got to the late ‘80s, ‘90s, it was all Black people in suits with good jobs. It wasn’t that working-class family. But it is important [to see], because that’s how most of America lives. I remember growing up, and the shows that I loved to watch (“Good Times,” “What’s Happening!!”). The conversations that they were having on those shows, we were having at our kitchen table. I really wanted to create a show unapologetically for Black, working-class people. But white people are free to watch it. I’m sure you’ll love it. It’s very relatable. Thede: The quality of the banter between you and Mike, even from the clips, was giving me “Sanford and Son” energy. I haven’t seen this in a long time. It’s just two powerhouses going back and forth. It’s everything we need. Some of the most creative and daring comedy today is coming from women. “PEN15” is a great example. Konkle: The stories that have been some of the scariest have innately been more female-driven stories. I wasn’t as in tune or didn’t want to be as in tune with the idea that I have a lot of shame about being a woman. And that’s just internalized. So we deal with that in the show. Maya was so incredible to bring in an autobiographical piece of her story of masturbating, and growing up learning that that was gross, and we were sluts but guys talking about it at the lunch table was funny and in the movies was funny. And that’s been the same since I was 13, in year 2000. And to be in her 30s and be like, “I don’t know, should we put this in the show?” It really keeps lighting up that side of my brain where I’m like, “What else have I been conditioned to think is not funny, or is gross, or whatever?” The reality is, it’s just as funny as “Something About Mary’s” [semen] in the hair [scene] that I watched when I was that age, so we keep pushing ourselves to do that. For me it was new and scary to share those personal, shame-y stories. Thompson: What she just said was so powerful. I want to encourage you to continue telling those stories that make you feel uncomfortable, because that just lit me up inside, to hear your perspective about things that aren’t the norm, or haven’t really been told. I beg that you continue to do what makes you uncomfortable. Inspiration often comes from the oddest places but rarely from one’s comfort zone. Thompson: I was so surprised to see the guy from probably the scariest thing I’ve ever seen on television on a comedy roundtable. Your performance in “The Haunting of Hill House” is just so good ... the drama and natural acting ability. And to hear your real voice now, I’m like, “Oh, he’s a brilliant actor,” because you were in character without question.You were that guy. You were going through those experiences with your family, and it was totally believable and it scared the crap out of me. It’s really impressive. Huisman: Thanks, Kenan. That means so much. When we were talking about keeping a scene fresh or making it feel like it’s the first time that you’re saying these lines, it reminded me of a British director I once had the pleasure of working with, Mike Newell. An old-school director. When preparing for a scene, he would talk about it over a cup of tea. Before every take, he would say [British accent] “And remember, never before.” In other words, he just gave you 10 notes and now forget it and just do whatever happens because only then can we keep it fresh and discover something that we didn’t know yet. I love that. So often in the back of my head it’s like, “Never before.” Thede: It only works in that accent, though. If I screamed that at my cast they’re just going to laugh at me. Thompson: I wanted to ask you, Wanda, where you go for your inspiration for stand-up? When you do a special, where do you go to focus on humanity? Do you go to a diner and look around? Do you ride the train for a week and look around? Sykes: It depends on the current situation. When I first became a mom, I didn’t really have any place to go. I had to be home. So it was basically looking around my house, practicing standing outside of myself, just observing what I was doing. And just how surreal it was. I never would’ve pictured myself doing the things that I’m doing. Like, yesterday I was in the pet store buying crickets for my sons and my daughters. They got geckos for Christmas. I didn’t know what you had to feed the geckos. So I’m standing there, holding the bag of crickets, and it’s like I heard my ancestors say, “You’ve been around white people too much.” The best comedy always looks so spontaneous, but is it really? Thompson: Comedy is presented and thought-out. If there’s any kind of gap or questioning, it kind of throws the audience off. Sykes: Absolutely. The audience is there because they just want to laugh and have a good time. You put the audience at ease. And if you’re standing up there looking like you’re searching for your words or unsure, then it makes the audience uneasy. Then they’re like, “Ooh, she don’t know what she doing. Oh, this isn’t going to be funny.” So, yeah, comedy is just like, keep it moving ... and don’t give them space to boo.

Hashtags felt dated and cringeworthy. So why are influencers still using them?

https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-06-01/hashtags-influencers-use-them

Internet fads tend to have a distinct life cycle. First, the embrace by early adopters and tastemakers, particularly the young. Next, an explosion of popularity leading to inescapable ubiquity. Finally, death by overexposure and a wretched zombie afterlife of continued usage by parents and the terminally uncool. Not long ago, hashtags were firmly on that trajectory. Born as a way to make social media content searchable and then recruited as a cheeky form of commentary, they quickly became a signifier of trying too hard. Wrapping up that status update with a paragraph-long wall of #blesseds and #forthewins? You might as well hoist a skateboard and ask, “How do you do, fellow kids?” But now a generation of influencers and would-be influencers, many of them natives of platforms that didn’t exist when the hashtag first started trending, are bringing it back, and for the most undeniable of reasons: It’s an indispensable tool for turning internet fame into money. For Katie Feeney, a hashtag can be worth $100,000. That’s the upper end of what she says some brands will pay her to post videos that include their custom hashtags to her 5.6 million TikTok followers. “A year ago, I wasn’t using hashtags at all,” Feeney, 18, told The Times. But once she started taking her career as an influencer more seriously, they became a big part of her online presence. “I didn’t really realize how important hashtagging is.” It’s a shift industry insiders say is becoming more and more common. Between the companies that will pay influencers to use specific hashtags and the TikTok algorithm’s reliance on hashtags in determining which videos go viral, the little pound sign has become a potent weapon in any professional TikToker’s arsenal. Feeney’s profile is knee-deep in them. As she tries on prom dresses: #prom. #prom2021. #promdress. #promdresses. #promszn. As she and her friends show off where they’re going to college: #college. #highschool. #seniors. #classof2021. #senioryear. #seniorszn. #2021. As she previews possible styles for her dorm room: #dorm. #dormlife. #dormroom. #college. #collegedorm. #aesthetic. #roomdecor. #roominspo. #decor. #collegelife. Between TikTok and the other platforms on which she has a presence — including Snapchat’s TikTok clone Spotlight, which has paid her more than $1 million — Feeney’s celebrity is proving quite lucrative. Hashtags helped her get there. “It’s surprising how fast you can grow when you actually follow the best practices,” she said. Technology and the Internet Frozen in time since the Jan. 6 insurrection, perhaps forever, Donald Trump’s Facebook page lives on as an internet destination for #MAGA fans and #Resistance types alike. April 23, 2021 Hashtags were a grass-roots invention, born out of popular demand. In 2007, not long after Twitter launched, an early adopter named Chris Messina came up with the idea of retrofitting pound signs into an ad-hoc system for sorting through the platform’s rising volume of tweets. The idea was a hit among users, but Twitter itself was initially uninterested. Only after it had acquired other companies that had already implemented hashtags did Twitter “begrudgingly” incorporate the feature, Messina said in an interview. Instagram followed suit, then Facebook, and soon enough hashtags were a near-universal feature of platform architecture. They were taking on cultural cachet, too. In the first few years of the twenty-teens, social movements including the Arab Spring and Kony 2012 latched on to the hashtag as a cross-platform branding tool, as did more mainstream corporate marketing campaigns. Drake turned #YOLO into an entire ethos; Kanye West coined the term “hashtag rap”; Jimmy Fallon riffed on how ubiquitous the symbol had become. But by 2015, something had changed. “When we worked with creators five, six years ago, everybody hated the hashtags,” said Brian Nelson, who works with Feeney and other influencers through his marketing agency, the Network Effect. “In the millennial age group, the latter millennials thought it was corny. That was what I was getting from everyone; those are the exact words. Like, an eye roll.” Blogs started churning out lists of the most annoying hashtag trends. People complained that even if hashtags were easier for machines to read, they were harder for actual humans. And flooding social media with a torrent of tags went from a sketch comedy conceit to an actual annoyance. Social media’s increasingly visible dark side may have also put a dent in their popularity. “Hashtags don’t only attract unmet friends: they also attract opponents,” internet theoretician Mark Bernstein said over email. “By late 2014, organized groups were exploiting hashtags to find their foes, frustrate them, and to drive them from the internet.” Analysis by the media research firm Zignal Labs corroborates this rise-and-fall arc. Looking at how often certain generic hashtags were used between Twitter’s 2006 launch and May 2021, data Zignal compiled for The Times show that the use of many hashtags — including #fashion, #photo, #selfie, #travel, #food, #weekend, #fitness, #joke and #springbreak — rose for several years, peaked and then declined. A few others rose before flattening out, and only three (#christmas, #earthday and #nature) have continued to get more popular. Neither Twitter, TikTok, Facebook nor Instagram provided The Times with their own data on trends in hashtag use. By the end of the decade, the prognosis looked grim. “Are hashtags dead?” a marketing agency pondered in 2018. “Hashtags Are Dead,” declared another agency in 2020. It seemed like hashtags may have been a momentary cultural blip, doomed to fall out of fashion like low-rise jeans and middle parts. And then, like low-rise jeans and middle parts, they were pulled back from the brink — by TikTok. Music Chase Hudson, aka Lil Huddy, is best known as the TikTok influencer who dated Charli D’Amelio. Now, he’s reinvented himself as a fledgling pop-punk star. March 4, 2021 TikTok didn’t invent the idea that you could make money by posting on social media, of course; before Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae were household names, there were YouTubers and Instagrammers and even, briefly, Vine stars. But TikTok has changed what that economy looks like. While Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are now scrambling to add tools that will help popular users monetize their content, TikTok has had those tools in place for a while now, giving rise to an entire ecosystem of “hype houses” and TikTok-native pop stars — not to mention a slew of copycat apps. TikTok’s algorithm treats hashtags as an important signal in determining what shows up in its main feed. For anyone hoping to get rich off viral videos, then, the incentive to append hashtags, corny or not, is strong. Nelson, the marketing executive, said he has seen an increase in usage among his clients as they seek out “every tool possible to get in front or gain followers.” Platforms host meetings with Feeney and other stars to advise them on “best practices” for (among other things) hashtag use. Nowhere is the utility of hashtags more evident than in the proliferation of viral “hashtag challenge” videos encouraging users to upload videos of themselves performing an easy-to-imitate dance or meme. “You’re going to pay five people, but thanks to the ‘one-to-many-to-many’ model that is inside the structure of TikTok, you can get maybe hundreds, if not thousands — and sometimes hundreds of thousands — of videos created for free,” said Alessandro Bogliari, chief executive of the Influencer Marketing Factory, which acts as a middleman between influencers and brands. The behavior this economy encourages can be bizarre. If a corporate-sponsored hashtag gets trendy enough, people will start adding it to their own posts — no matter how unrelated the two are — in an attempt to surf the wave of virality. That results in incongruities such as a black-and-white clip of a rat hurling itself off a ledge, set to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” that features hashtags sponsored by Samsung and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics; or a Mastercard-funded hashtag showing up below a vaguely disturbing montage of someone turning their hand into a single giant finger with prosthetic makeup. It’s hard to imagine that the companies spending $100,000 on hashtags are doing it with rodent deaths and B-movie grotesqueries in mind. But in some sense that’s exactly what they’re paying for: organic, bottom-up influence on the app everyone wants a piece of. At least for now, it’s enough to keep the money and the hashtags flowing. “Thanks to TikTok,” Bogliari said, “hashtags came back — mostly because of self-interest.”

L.A. Affairs: 23 LGBTQ+ dating stories for Pride Month

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2021-05-27/la-affairs-14-lgbtq-love-stories-pride-month

In a nod to Pride Month, here’s a look back at some editor-curated, best-of, LGBTQ+-themed, reader-submitted L.A. Affairs columns.

Good luck, Amazon. Unpacking MGM's vault may be harder than it sounds

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/newsletter/2021-06-01/mgm-amazon-and-the-value-of-hollywood-oldies-the-wide-shot

This is the June 1, 2021, edition of The Wide Shot, a weekly newsletter about everything happening in the business of entertainment. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Jeff Bezos’ online bookstore Amazon.com was barely a year old in 1996 when Kirk Kerkorian bought storied movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for a third and final time. For eccentric billionaire Kerkorian, part of the attraction to MGM then was similar to Amazon’s today — the film company’s extensive library of older movies, including the Rocky Balboa and James Bond titles. Kerkorian rode Hollywood’s DVD boom and sold MGM for about $4.9 billion in 2004, netting himself a $900-million return, according to a Los Angeles Times story. Amazon’s $8.45-billion bet on MGM is about building the e-commerce giant’s streaming platform, not packaging discs and TV licensing deals, but the tools are essentially the same. Speaking last week about MGM’s portfolio of more than 4,000 film titles and 17,000 TV episodes, Bezos told shareholders the company was looking forward to “reimagining and developing the deep catalog of MGM.” In the past, a trove of beloved oldies was valuable because of the cash flow generated from licensing and home video sales. In the streaming era, film libraries like MGMs are desirable for two main reasons. First, classic movies are comfort food and keep subscribers on the service. Second, they provide fodder for remakes, spinoffs and TV shows. Inside the business of entertainment The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. But unpacking MGM’s vault will be harder than it sounds, according to people familiar with the company. Much of the library is already committed to other streaming services through licensing, and it will be years before Amazon can put the bulk of MGM’s titles on Prime Video. The “Rocky” titles currently stream on HBO Max. The 007 movies appear on such streamers as Netflix, Disney’s Hulu and Fox Corp.’s Tubi. Paramount+ has a deal to stream new MGM movies, in addition to library titles. It’s a problem familiar to previous buyers. When Sony Corp. and a group of partners bought MGM from Kerkorian, executives at the Tokyo-based company were frustrated that so many rights were already committed. MGM, which Sony bought to bolster its home video business, later was hammered by the DVD bust and filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in 2010. Plus, those much-heralded “derivative” rights — granting the ability to make sequels, spinoffs, etc. — are often not as clean as you’d think. Remakes can be complex, especially for older titles, with rights split with filmmakers and other stakeholders. United Artists, which became part of MGM in the early 1980s, was known for sharing rights with talent during its heyday. The biggest example is James Bond, which is split 50-50 financially between MGM and the Broccoli heirs, who wield enormous clout over the super-spy series’ creative direction. So don’t expect a straight-to-streaming Bond movie or a Moneypenny sitcom. “This acquisition of MGM is not as clean and simple as Disney buying Lucasfilm,” said Chad Fitzgerald, an entertainment attorney at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump. “There are going to be a lot of rights holders that Amazon is going to need to account to, just like MGM has had to do.” Amazon and MGM declined to comment. Still, despite the complex matrix of rights that is sure to arise as Amazon picks through its purchase, Amazon’s MGM deal is a smart long-term play, said Steven E. Blume, co-founder of Content Partners, a Los Angeles company that specializes in acquiring and monetizing libraries, including Revolution Studios. Amazon needed to do something to stay competitive with Netflix (which is building its own massive library of originals) as well as Disney+ and HBO Max (which came to streaming with big built-in catalogs). “Amazon’s in the long game,” Blume said. “Over time you’ll slowly start to see MGM titles appear on Amazon. ... But it will take a while.” Some of MGM’s classics have already been picked over, with re-imaginings of “Rocky” (“Creed”), “RoboCop,” “Child’s Play” and “The Magnificent Seven” in theaters, “Fargo” for TV (FX) and “Four Weddings and a Funeral” for streaming (Hulu). There’s still stuff to revive, though. MGM is working with “Sonic the Hedgehog” director Jeff Fowler on a live-action/CGI hybrid version of “The Pink Panther.” Also tricky is valuing MGM’s piece of the Mark Burnett-produced reality TV shows. For example, MGM produces “Shark Tank” in association with Sony Pictures, which controls global distribution for the format and owns the U.S. version, which airs on Disney’s ABC with reruns on Comcast’s CNBC. The Japanese format on which “Shark Tank” is based (called “Dragon’s Den”) is owned by Nippon TV. MGM’s library has both shrunk and expanded over the years. Kerkorian combined UA with MGM in 1981, bringing in the Rocky and Bond franchises, before selling MGM/UA to Ted Turner. Turner quickly sold the studio back but kept the MGM titles made before 1986, which he would use to fuel his TV movie channel empire. Those pre-1986 films, including “Gone With the Wind” and “The Wizard of Oz,” now belong to Warner Bros. The UA movies remained with MGM. In 1990, Kerkorian sold again. When he retook control in 1996, he went on a buying spree, orchestrating the purchase of “The Silence of the Lambs” home Orion Pictures, which also included AIP-owned B-movies and blaxploitation pictures such as “Blacula” and “Foxy Brown.” In 1998, MGM bought Polygram’s library, adding the likes of “The Graduate,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Fargo.” MGM has endured an often troubled history since its golden age; Peter Bart accused Kerkorian of transforming “corporate demolition into a high art.” But the endurance of the remaining library is noteworthy. Rather than dying with physical DVDs, legacy studio libraries are as valuable as ever, thanks to increasing scarcity and demand from streaming services. Streaming changed the war, not the weapons. — These filmmakers were told white men “wouldn’t relate to” the Tulsa Race Massacre. Then came HBO’s “Watchmen.” — Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have begun selling tickets to travelers from out of state for admission starting June 15, the day California is scheduled to loosen its pandemic restrictions on most businesses. — Globes, Globes, Globes. The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. taps new diversity, ethics and legal consultants as pressure to reform mounts. — Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity enter the streaming fray amid cord-cutting. For the first time, Fox News will make its most popular programming available online to consumers who don’t subscribe to cable. Paramount’s “A Quiet Place Part II” gave the domestic pandemic box office a jolt, grossing $57 million through the four-day Memorial Day period. The results marked a pandemic-best for a U.S. opening and provided the latest sign that American audiences are willing to go back to the movies when theaters are open and playing films worth seeing. Disney’s “Cruella,” which is also available on Disney+ for an upcharge, scored $21.3 million for the three-day frame and $26.5 million during the long weekend. The $43-billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery is clearly intended to boost the new combined company’s efforts in subscription streaming. But will it also cause more consumers to abandon their cable bundles? Probably not. Analysts at MoffettNathanson explained why: WarnerMedia and Discovery together operate more than 25 pay-TV channels (CNN, Investigation Discovery, TNT, HGTV, etc.). And people actually watch those networks. The combined Discovery and WarnerMedia channels account for about 30% of total TV viewing hours in the U.S. measured by Nielsen, a higher share than any other company. That means Discovery-WarnerMedia will be more likely to preserve the status quo of traditional TV viewing, analysts Craig Moffett and Michael Nathanson argued. “New Discovery’s heavy concentration of cable networks means that they will ... be less likely than AT&T would have been on their own to strip-mine their networks” for streaming content, they wrote. The worst-case scenario for cable and satellite operators would be if AT&T, in its quest to build HBO Max, put all its good content on streaming and left its linear networks with the scraps. Ratings would collapse even more, and viewers would flee the bundle faster. John Cena, the pro wrestler turned actor and star of Universal Pictures’ “F9,” posted a groveling apology on Chinese social media site Weibo to atone for an apparently very grave transgression: referring to Taiwan as a country in an interview while promoting the movie. The incident created a fracas across political divides, with the likes of Keith Olbermann and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) criticizing Cena. It was the latest example of a star or studio bending over backward to appease mainland Chinese sensibilities, echoing controversies over Tom Cruise’s jacket in “Top Gun” (altered to remove Japanese and Taiwanese flags) and the inclusion of a map in “Abominable” recognizing China’s disputed territorial claims. Universal and Cena are highly incentivized to play nice with China, where “The Fast and the Furious” franchise does huge business. Still, the Cena thing was weird, even if we can admire his Mandarin skills. — WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar says he will stay at the company at least through the merger. He plans to reassess his options next year, after AT&T spins off and combines the company with Discovery. (WSJ) — From dashing duke to Hollywood heartthrob. Regé-Jean Page reflects on life beyond “Bridgerton.” (Variety) — After a year of upheaval, HBO Max has carved out its place. Despite corporate shakeups, the streaming service has managed to establish itself. (The Ringer) Uhhh... I guess it’s a good time to start listening to the audiobook of Brad Stone’s “Amazon Unbound,” which I downloaded sometime last month.

What's on TV Tuesday: 'New Amsterdam'; 'House of Payne'

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-06-01/whats-on-tv-tuesday-new-amsterdam-house-of-payne

During the coronavirus crisis, the Los Angeles Times is making some temporary changes to our print sections. The prime-time TV grid is on hiatus in print but an expanded version is available in your daily Times eNewspaper. You can find a printable PDF online at: latimes.com/whats-on-tv. America’s Got Talent Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and host Terry Crews return in the season premiere of the unscripted competition series. 8 p.m. NBC Mike Tyson: The Knockout The conclusion of this two-part documentary covers the controversial boxer’s conviction and subsequent prison term for raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington. The film also spotlights Tyson’s professional comeback following his release, including his bout with Evander Holyfield, during which he bit Holyfield’s ear. 8 p.m. ABC LEGO Masters (season premiere) (N) 8 p.m. Fox Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer The four-part series concludes with “Behavior,” which examines the critical importance of public engagement during a health crisis. 8 p.m. KOCE Superman & Lois Realizing that his wife is about to snap, Clark (Tyler Hoechlin) urges Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) to reach out for help. Also, their son Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) lands in a dangerous situation. Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Alex Garfin, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Dylan Walsh and Wolé Parks also star. 9 p.m. The CW Mental Samurai (N) 9 p.m. Fox Philly D.A. Philadelphia’s progressive district attorney Larry Krasner recruits law students to lead reform in the finale of the unscripted series. 9 p.m. KOCE Tyler Perry’s House of Payne Calvin (Lance Gross) goes out of his way to show Laura (Quin Walters) how wonderful their marriage would be despite everything that wrong in his previous marriage. 9 p.m. BET Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living (N) 9:30 p.m. BET Frontline The new episode “The Jihadist” profiles Syrian militant and former al-Qaida commander Abu Mohammed al Jolani, who seeks a new relationship with the West. 10 p.m. KOCE Cruel Summer On the first day of school everyone learns that the drama of the summer is anything but over and that some people will pay more for the consequences of Jeanette and Kate’s (Chiara Aurelia, Olivia Holt) deception than others. Harley Quinn Smith also stars. 10 p.m. Freeform Mr Inbetween (N) 10 p.m. FX Doubling Down With the Derricos (season premiere) 10 p.m. TLC New Amsterdam Dr. Sharpe (Freema Agyeman) offers help to Mina (Nadia Affolter) and Max (Ryan Eggold) is faced with a tough decision about Luna (Nora Clow) in this new episode of the medical drama. 10 p.m. NBC Baseball The Chicago White Sox visit the Cleveland Indians, 3 p.m. FS1; the Angels visit the San Francisco Giants, 6:30 p.m. BSW; the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Dodgers, 7 p.m. SportsNetLA NBA Basketball Playoff The Lakers visit the Phoenix Suns, 7 p.m. SportsNet WNBA Basketball The Phoenix Mercury visit the Chicago Sky, 5:30 p.m. ESPN; the Indiana Fever visit the Seattle Storm, 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 CBS This Morning (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Kelly and Ryan Kathleen Turner (“The Kominsky Method”). (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Dan Abrams. (N) 10 a.m. KABC Home & Family Lisa Lillien (“Hungry Girl”); author Drew McIntyre (“A Chosen Destiny”). (N) 10 a.m. Hallmark The Wendy Williams Show Bill Bellamy; Dawn Richard performs. (N) 11 a.m. KTTV The Talk Paul Reiser; Renée Felice Smith; Jerry O’Connell. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS Tamron Hall Constance Wu (“Solo”); the cast of “David Makes Man.” (N) 1 p.m. KABC The Kelly Clarkson Show Clarkson and Y’All cover “Kiss”; Kevin Hart; author Matthew Logelin (“Fatherhood”). (N) 2 p.m. KNBC The Ellen DeGeneres Show James Corden (“Peter Rabbit 2”); Patti Harrison (“Together Together”); Drew Brees. (N) 3 p.m. KNBC The Real (N) 3 p.m. KCOP Amanpour and Company (N) 11 p.m. KCET; 1 a.m. KLCS Conan Nasim Pedrad. 11 p.m. TBS The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 11:34 p.m. KNBC The Late Show With Stephen Colbert John Krasinski; Yo-Yo Ma performs. 11:35 p.m. KCBS Jimmy Kimmel Live! 11:35 p.m. KABC Late Night With Seth Meyers Rob Lowe; Domhnall Gleeson; Brian Gleeson; Emerald Fennell. 12:36 a.m. KNBC The Late Late Show With James Corden Viggo Mortensen; Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler perform. 12:37 a.m. KCBS Nightline (N) 12:37 a.m. KABC A Little Late With Lilly Singh Pride Month. (N) 1:36 a.m. KNBC The Nutty Professor (1996) 8:15 a.m. Showtime Field of Dreams (1989) 9 a.m. AMC Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011) 9 a.m. Epix Thelma & Louise (1991) 10 a.m. Sundance Boys on the Side (1995) 10:09 a.m. Encore The Breakfast Club (1985) 10:15 a.m. AMC First Man (2018) 10:30 a.m. FX Pieces of April (2003) 10:45 a.m. TMC The Avengers (2012) 11:15 a.m. Epix How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) 11:30 a.m. FXX Teen Titans GO! to the Movies (2018) 11:30 a.m. Cartoon Network The Italian Job (2003) 11:43 a.m. Cinemax About Last Night ... (1986) Noon Showtime Dead Ringer (1964) 12:45 p.m. TCM Shrek (2001) 1:30 p.m. Freeform Logan (2017) 1:30 p.m. FX Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) 1:50 p.m. Encore Good Will Hunting (1997) 1:55 p.m. Starz Silver Linings Playbook (2012) 2 p.m. Showtime First Cow (2019) 2 p.m. TMC The Bad Seed (1956) 2:45 p.m. TCM Amistad (1997) 3:30 p.m. Cinemax Shrek 2 (2004) 3:30 p.m. Freeform Saving Private Ryan (1998) 4 p.m. AMC Sleepless in Seattle (1993) 4:15 p.m. Showtime Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) 4:30 p.m. FX Captain Phillips (2013) 5 and 11 p.m. BBC America The Fifth Element (1997) 5 and 10:45 p.m. IFC The Band Wagon (1953) 5 p.m. TCM The Devil’s Own (1997) 5:15 p.m. Encore Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) 6 p.m. Showtime Ghostbusters (1984) 6 p.m. Syfy Saint Maud (2019) 6:25 p.m. Epix The Client (1994) 6:30 p.m. Ovation Biloxi Blues (1988) 7:10 p.m. Encore Brigadoon (1954) 7:15 p.m. TCM Deadpool 2 (2018) 7:30 p.m. FX Enemy of the State (1998) 8 p.m. AMC A Few Good Men (1992) 8 p.m. BBC America The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019) 8 p.m. HBO Little Women (2019) 9 p.m. Encore First Reformed (2017) 9:30 p.m. TMC Selena (1997) 10 p.m. Bravo Men of Honor (2000) 11 p.m. AMC Pacific Heights (1990) 11:18 p.m. Encore Krisha (2015) 11:30 p.m. TMC Entertainment & Arts TV highlights for May 30-June 5 include the National Memorial Day Concert, specials about the Tulsa Race Massacre and the finale of “Mare of Easttown.” May 30, 2021 TV Grids for the entire week of May. 30 - June. 5 as PDF files you can download and print May 28, 2021 Television Movies on TV this week: May 30: ‘The Great Escape’ on TCM; ‘American Graffiti’ on Cinemax; ‘Forrest Gump’ on CMT and more May 28, 2021 Movies on TV for the entire week, May. 30 - June. 5 in interactive PDF format for easy downloading and printing May 28, 2021 Television Looking for what to watch on TV? Here are the television listings from the Los Angeles Times in printable PDF files. June 18, 2021

Soccer newsletter: Breaking down Chelsea’s dramatic Champions League win

https://www.latimes.com/sports/newsletter/2021-06-01/soccer-uefa-champions-league-liga-mx-soccer

Hello, and welcome to the L.A. Times soccer newsletter. I’m Kevin Baxter, The Times’ soccer writer, and we begin today with a look back at Saturday’s Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City, a game that matched one of the best coaches in recent Premier League history … against City’s Pep Guardiola. Chelsea’s 1-0 win was something of a twist ending given that Guardiola has long been considered the gold standard against which all other managers are measured. Not just in England but in all of Europe. So City, not surprisingly, was heavily favored in its first European final over a Chelsea team whose manager, Thomas Tuchel, was still learning his players’ names. Guardiola, after all, had won 14 major trophies — including two Champions League titles — with Barcelona and seven at Bayern Munich. In five seasons at Manchester City, he won 10 more, including three league crowns. But the one Cup he really wanted was the one that slipped through his fingers Saturday in Portugal, where he was out-managed by a guy who was without a job four months ago. Tuchel’s pedigree might not be as blue blood as that of Guardiola, who came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and went on to play for Johan Cruyff during his 11 seasons with the Spanish giant. Tuchel played 77 games in the lower tiers of German soccer before a knee injury ended his career. But he quickly worked his way to the top as a manger, beginning with Augsburg’s reserve team at the age of 34. Seven years later, he replaced Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, and in his last two seasons as a manager he’s done something Guardiola has never managed by taking two different teams to the Champions League final in consecutive seasons, losing last summer with Paris Saint-Germain before winning last week with Chelsea. When Tuchel took over at Stamford Bridge in January, Chelsea was in ninth place, having won just two of its last eight. It would lose just three more EPL games the rest of the season, beating Manchester City both in league play and the FA Cup semifinals. Along the way, Chelsea dispatched both Madrid teams in Champions League knockout play, and when Tuchel got to the final, his club played the same way it had played on the road. Guardiola and Manchester City, meanwhile, had once again laid waste to English soccer, dropping points just six times in their final 29 league matches. City was unbeaten in both the EFL Cup and the Champions League, beating Turcel’s former team Paris Saint-Germain, to reach the final. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now. pic.twitter.com/VpMfvSiGeA Then Guardiola, a man used to the big stage, was seemingly blinded by the spotlight and began to overthink things. Since winning his second Champions League title with Barcelona a decade ago, Guardiola had made the semifinals of the tournament five times without winning another crown. He took Manchester City to the quarterfinals twice and the semifinals once, only to come home empty-handed each time. Now he was in the final again, and he decided to scrape a formula that had been successful all season, benching both of his holding midfielders, Fernandinho and Rodri, and starting five attacking mids instead. It was just the second time all season Ilkay Gundogan, City’s leading scorer, had started a match without one of those two players behind him. In the biggest game of the season City’s biggest offensive threat had to drop back and fill that role. And that wasn’t Guardiola’s only mistake. He also used Kevin De Bruyne as a false nine, which isn’t his best or favorite position. As a result, City, which averaged nearly six shots on goal in the EPL, put just one on Chelsea’s net in the Champions League final. “I did what I thought was the best decision,” Guardiola said afterward. It certainly didn’t work out for the best with City, 19 points better than Chelsea in a 38-game league season, finishing one goal behind Chelsea in the game that really mattered. The only score came just before the intermission when Mason Mount sent a long through ball from his own end forward for Kai Havertz, who timed his run perfectly. With Havertz streaking in on him alone, Ederson, the City goalkeeper, gambled and came off his line, only to have Havertz dance around him at the top the box and tap the ball into the empty net. Guardiola began unloading his bench in the 60th minute, eventually sending on Gabriel Jesus (for De Bruyne, who sustained two facial fractures in a collision with Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger), Fernandinho and Sergio Aguero to no avail. “I’m almost speechless,” said Tuchel, who dedicated the win to his family. It was also a game in which Christian Pulisic made U.S. soccer history, coming on in the 66th minute to become the first American male to play in a Champions League final. He is also the second male to take home a winners’ medal following Jovan Kirovski, now the Galaxy’s technical director, who got one with Borussia Dortmund in 1997. Sadly Chelsea, the only London club to win the Champions League, was still celebrating its second title in nine seasons when social media once again weighed in in an ugly way, ruining the moment. Sky Sports reported that Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker both received monkey emojis on their Instagram pages after the game. Sterling was targeted for abuse after City’s semifinal win over PSG. Earlier this spring, English soccer teams and players engaged in a social media boycott to protest racist content. Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber. The seventh time proved the charm for Cruz Azul, which erased a frustrating history of failure in the Liga MX finals Sunday by beating Santos Laguna on aggregate to win its first title in 24 years. Cruz Azul, which has made heartache a frequent visitor for its long-suffering supporters, had played in the final six times since then, losing each time. Six months ago, they endured a disastrous playoff collapse, blowing a 4-0 lead in their two-leg semifinal with Pumas and getting eliminated on away goals by a score in the penultimate minute of regulation. As a result, even Mexican president Manuel López Obrador felt compelled to acknowledge Sunday’s cathartic result, tweeting, “Congratulations to Cruz Azul, the spell is over.” And while Sunday’s victory — which came on a 1-1 home draw that gave Cruz Azul a 2-1 edge in the two-leg series — didn’t completely erase all that frustration, it sure helped. The deciding goal came from Jonathan Rodríguez, who scored six minutes into the second half. But the final 40 minutes were anything but easy with both teams fighting — literally — to the end. Five minutes into stoppage time, a scuffle broke out on the field, leading to cards being issued to players on both sides. Santos had the ball nearly two-thirds of the game, taking 11 shots; just one was on target. In the opening leg, Santos had 16 shots but put just one on goal. With the victory, Peruvian Juan Reynoso cemented his place in club history, becoming the first man to win a title for Cruz Azul as both a player and coach. Reynoso, who took over for Robert Siboldi after last year’s playoff collapse, won four trophies as a defender and captain with the team, including the 1997 Invierno title, Cruz Azul’s last in Liga MX. “I’m grateful for entering the history of this club,” he said. For goalkeeper Jesus Corona, the title was his first since making his Mexican debut in 2003. Three previous trips to the finals ended in defeat. “I started trying 18 years ago, 12 years in the team and now at 40, finally, we’ve arrived,” said Cruz Azul’s captain. “It’s been tough, and it was time that we got to enjoy something good. It’s well deserved, and this is for our fans and for all of us that have had to put up with a lot of criticism. That made us stronger.” Times Mexico City correspondent Kate Linthicum captured the euphoria in CDMX after Cruz Azul ended a historic curse with an elusive title. Few teams in MLS are more in a need of a do-over to the first two months of the season than LAFC, which is off to the worst start in its brief four-year history. Less than two years removed from a Supporters’ Shield season in which it lost just four times in 34 games while averaging 2½ goals a match, LAFC has lost three times in seven games this season, scoring just more than a goal a game. It will begin the three-week MLS international break two points out of the Western Conference cellar after a 2-1 loss to New York City FC, which finished the game with 10 men. But the break gives coach Bob Bradley a chance to try to find a solution for his scuffling team before the season starts up again June 19. “We must continue to get better,” he said. “I’ve said it too many times. I think there’s periods of really good football but moments when we need to raise the level, moments where we need to push teams back a little more. “We just have to keep working. We’ve got to find a way with each player to push them in training, show them little things that they did on their best days and get as many guys back to top level. And then we’ve got to continue as a group to iron out little things.” The players are also searching for a solution. “I don’t think there is one specific answer for, ‘What is the one thing we need to do to get to our best level?’ I just think there’s times where our mentality slips a little bit, our focus slips a little bit,” said forward Corey Baird, who scored the team’s only goal in Saturday’s loss. This time, LAFC (2-3-2) couldn’t blame injuries for its struggles. Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi, the league’s last two Golden Boot winners who have both missed multiple games this season with injury, started together for just the sixth time in MLS play over the last two seasons. They managed only one shot on goal between them. “A very, very frustrating day,” Bradley said. Contrast that with the Galaxy, who have seen things break their way this season. In their last game before the break, playing without two starters — midfielder Sebastian Lletget, who was called up for a U.S. men’s national team match, and defender Derrick Williams, who was sitting out a red-card suspension — the Galaxy beat San Jose 1-0 when an attempted cross from Samuel Grandsir struck a San Jose defender and ricocheted into the goal. Goalkeeper Jonathan Bond made the score stand up by making 12 saves, two short of the Galaxy’s franchise record. He earned MLS player of the week honors after the performance. Seven games into his MLS career, Bond leads the league with 40 saves. “Those can become character points down the stretch,” coach Greg Vanney said of the gut-check victory. “Early in the season, character-building lands when you lock it down or hold on. The next step, if we want to truly be a championship team, we have to win that game going away.” Saturday’s win sent the Galaxy (5-2-0) into the break in third place, with a conference-best four victories in as many tries at home. And the team only figures to get better coming out of the break. Two prospective starters — defender Séga Coulibaly and holding midfielder Rayan Ravelson — could join the team in time for its next game June 19 against the Seattle Sounders. So while the break has the potential to slow the Galaxy’s momentum, it also gives them a chance to complete their roster. MLS handed down the biggest penalties in its history last week, fining David Beckham’s Inter Miami $2 million and imposing a number of other sanctions for violating the league’s designated-player regulations — otherwise known as the Beckham Rule. The league said Inter Miami team broke roster-designation regulations in the signings of Blaise Matuidi and Andrés Reyes and also failed to disclose agreements that led to underreported salaries for Leandro González Pirez, Nicolás Figal and Julián Carranza. In addition to the team fine, managing owner Jorge Mas was fined $250,000 and Paul McDonough, the team’s sporting director, was suspended by the league through the 2022 season. McDonough, who left Miami for Atlanta United in January, severed his relationship with the Atlanta club shortly after the sanctions were announced. As for Beckham, the league absolved him, saying it found no wrongdoing on his part. I have a couple of reactions to that. First, how did this originally slip past MLS? Yeah, league officials eventually caught it, but since MLS is a single-entity structure that must approve each deal, such blatant violations of their own rules shouldn’t have gotten past them in the first place. We’ll probably never know the details because the closely guarded MLS is perhaps the most opaque of the major U.S. sports leagues, leaving us no way to check its work. Second, I have no reason to doubt Beckham’s innocence — but I do have questions. MLS has long displayed a preference for style over substance, and it would certainly be embarrassing if the league had to sanction its most visible and high-profile owner, who was also the first designated player in MLS history. By many accounts, Beckham has been an active, hands-on owner this season, making it difficult to believe he knew nothing — although if the rule-breaking involved outside compensation, perhaps he was kept in the dark. If Inter Miami wins an MLS Cup in the near future — which seems unlikely, because even with the cheating the second-year team is 9-17-5 in its history — Beckham will surely get the credit and the league will make him a visible participate in the trophy ceremony. In the meantime — guilty or innocent — he will be linked to the most egregious scandal in MLS history. Perhaps that is penalty enough. Both the U.S. and Mexico warmed up for Thursday’s Nations League semifinals over the weekend with the U.S. falling to No. 13 Switzerland 2-1 on Sunday, a day after El Tri beat Iceland by the same score. The Galaxy’s Sebastian Lletget scored the only goal for the U.S., while Mexicans accounted for all three goals in their game, Hirving Lozano getting two for his team and Edson Alvarez netting an own goal for Iceland. “I couldn’t imagine winning the Champions League ever in my life, and now I’m here. It’s just crazy. I can’t explain it, it’s just incredible. I have no words. I’ve been hugging my family and friends — I’m just so proud.” Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, in an interview with CBS Sports, after winning the Champions League title Until next time... Stay tuned for future newsletters. Subscribe here, and I’ll come right to your inbox. Something else you’d like to see? Email me. Or follow me on Twitter: @kbaxter11.

Column: This solar company wouldn't let a dead woman out of her contract

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-06-01/column-solar-power-dead-customer

Worthwhile products sell themselves. So it’s always been strange to me that some companies selling solar power systems resort to the skeeviest sales practices imaginable — telemarketing, robocalls, hyper-aggressive salespeople. Solar power is a good thing. It’s part of the solution to climate change. Yet some players in this industry go out of their way to come off as disreputable. Just the other day, a solar salesman I encountered while walking my dog wouldn’t take no for an answer, trying three times to get me to stop and hear his pitch. But the following story really takes the cake. Brigid de Jong’s mother-in-law, Ruby, died in late October at the age of 91. De Jong’s husband stopped by his mom’s house near Fresno about a week later to put things in order. That’s when he noticed solar panels had been installed on the roof. The work clearly had been done recently. The system wasn’t even hooked up yet. “We talked with her every day before her death,” De Jong, 67, told me. “She never mentioned getting solar.” She and her husband looked into things and discovered a contract that Ruby apparently had signed online in September. “This was strange because she was not computer savvy at all,” De Jong said. “And the email address on the contract wasn’t hers. It was a Gmail account. She had an AT&T email address.” De Jong contacted the solar company, Vivint Solar, which was acquired by San Francisco’s Sunrun last October. She explained the situation and asked that the contract be canceled and that Vivint remove its equipment from the house. That was five months ago. Since then, Vivint has been giving De Jong the runaround and repeatedly asking whether she planned to sell the house to someone who may be interested in solar power. “It is absurd that getting the solar panels installed was a matter of a few weeks but having them removed is taking months and months,” an exasperated De Jong emailed the company. Vivint finally informed her that the company’s “review committee” had determined that “we are unable to move forward with the cancellation of the contract.” Let’s be real clear about what that meant. Vivint sold a 25-year contract to a 91-year-old woman. And then, after the woman’s death a few weeks later, the company said it wouldn’t drop her as a customer and wouldn’t remove the solar panels. My best guess is that Vivint was hoping it could get a dead customer’s family to pay off her contract, even though the family had no obligation to do so. Or perhaps the company was hoping it could foist its panels onto whoever purchased the house. Vivint (now Sunrun) is no stranger to customer dissatisfaction. A 2017 report by the Campaign for Accountability found that more than half of all complaints about solar companies received by the Federal Trade Commission involved Vivint and rival SolarCity. “Among other things,” the report found, “consumers reported poor customer service and being tricked into buying solar panels.” The watchdog group urged the FTC last year to investigate solar companies’ “false and deceptive marketing practices” during the pandemic, particularly cases involving seniors. It said cracking down on solar companies “is all the more urgent” in light of Sunrun’s acquisition of Vivint. Both companies, it said, “have track records of deceptive marketing.” Vivint’s 25-year contract with De Jong’s mother-in-law stipulated that she would pay Vivint 18.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for all power generated by the solar panels on her roof, with her rate rising by 3% every year. Is that a good deal? No, it turns out. Not even close. According to PG&E, the utility serving Ruby’s home, the average cost for electricity for the company’s customers as of March 31 was 28.3 cents per kilowatt-hour. However, De Jong said her mother-in-law was enrolled in California Alternate Rates for Energy, a state program that provides low-income people with monthly discounts of as much as 35% off their utility bills. PG&E told me the average power cost for its CARE customers is 17.7 cents per kilowatt-hour. Not only is that less than the 18.5 cents quoted by Vivint, but the company’s 3% annual rate hikes all but guaranteed its price would consistently surpass what a CARE member should pay. “PG&E believes it’s more important than ever for customers to know the right things to ask and research when considering solar,” said Ari Vanrenen, a spokeswoman for the utility. She encouraged all energy customers to check out the California Public Utilities Commission’s Solar Consumer Protection Guide. In any case, I’m pleased to say that shortly after I contacted Sunrun about all this, a company exec phoned De Jong to say the contract would be canceled. “They made it seem like they were doing it out of the goodness of their heart,” De Jong said. Wyatt Semanek, a Sunrun spokesman, conveyed much the same to me. “Our human-centered philosophy has inspired us to take another look at this case, which came to us as part of the Sunrun acquisition of Vivint Solar,” he said. “Considering the unique set of circumstances, Sunrun has determined that this account warrants a full-system cancellation.” Sunrun’s human-centered philosophy notwithstanding, the company left many questions unanswered. Why was an unknown email address on the contract? Why did it take months to resolve this? What was Sunrun hoping to gain by holding a dead person to her contractual obligation to purchase overpriced electricity? Semanek didn’t address any of those questions directly. “This isolated case is the result of human error,” he said without elaborating. “When Sunrun reviewed Ms. De Jong’s case, we recognized mistakes that had been previously overlooked and promptly moved to engage with her family and cancel the existing contract,” he said. I suspect most of us would agree that explicitly refusing to cancel the contract for five months hardly counts as “promptly.” Sunrun subsequently told De Jong she could keep the solar panels on the house for free. Semanek said any buyer of the house would be able to contract with Sunrun for solar service at no additional cost. De Jong told me she was glad to have this mess behind her. “I still can’t believe it happened,” she said. I’ll conclude by making the same point I started with: Good products sell themselves. They don’t require trickery. Some companies in the solar business, however, seem to think they need to bamboozle people into buying their products. They bring darkness to something that should be full of light.

Review: ‘Ahead of the Curve’ celebrates lesbian triumph while trying to find new purpose in uncertain times

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-06-01/ahead-of-the-curve-documentary-lesbian-magazine-deneuve-curve-franco-stevens-review

The true story of how Deneuve magazine — later renamed Curve — was able to launch in 1990 is as outlandish as the best urban legends. When banks refused to lend Franco Stevens, then a 20-something lesbian, money to finance the venture, she took a gamble on her future. Stevens applied for multiple credit cards, cashed them all out, then hit the horse tracks. Her winning streak earned her enough money to get her lesbian lifestyle magazine off the ground. Stevens’ legacy is the subject of “Ahead of the Curve,” a glossy documentary directed by Jen Rainin (Franco’s wife) and co-directed and produced by Rivkah Beth Medow. Told through a mix of archival footage and new interviews with Stevens, early members of the Deneuve/Curve staff and some celesbians, the film shows how vital Stevens and the long-running magazine were for lesbian visibility and community from the beginning. These glimpses into the past that provide historical context to Stevens’ and the magazine’s journey are among “Ahead of the Curve’s” most compelling moments. With the evolution and prevalence of LGBTQ representation in mainstream media today, when various major brands unveil rainbow iterations of their logos and products just for Pride month, it’s easy to forget that the landscape was very different 30 years ago. Deneuve first hit newsstands when just putting the word “lesbian” on the cover was revolutionary. At a time when societal views and public policy were hostile to the LGBTQ community, Deneuve/Curve let lesbians see themselves as vibrant and beautiful human beings who come in a spectrum of shapes and sizes reflecting a range of stories and experiences all worth embracing. And although the film celebrates the magazine’s impact, staffers also reflect on its past shortcomings, such as not being inclusive enough when it came to featuring Black and brown lesbians. Television As its fourth and maybe final season ends Friday, “Wynonna Earp” deserves credit for refusing to “bury its gays” — and turning anxiety into comfort. April 9, 2021 And Curve’s success was not without hardships. The magazine’s original name landed it in legal trouble. Later, Stevens suffered an accident, which led her to sell the magazine. (Since filming the documentary, Stevens has reacquired Curve and launched a new foundation.) Woven through “Ahead of the Curve,” which opens with Stevens receiving the news that Curve’s future as a print magazine is in peril, is an exploration of where queer women stand in the present. Through conversations with younger activists, Stevens confronts the tough question of whether there is even a need for a lesbian print magazine in this digital age. The documentary also briefly touches on the standing of the word “lesbian” among queer women. As the language people use to discuss their own identity has evolved, some have come to perceive the label as outdated or, worse, exclusionary. Others embrace the identity as empowering and refuse to let “lesbian” be co-opted by a vocal minority who exclude trans women from their ranks. It’s a discussion that deserves more space than the film can provide. While “Ahead of the Curve” doesn’t offer any solid answers, it does make the case that understanding lesbian history should be a key part in assessing the future. Poet and educator Denice Frohman, who is among those Stevens meets in the film, sums it up best: “It’s so incredibly important for us to be connected to our lineage to those who came before us … those who walked through a door and cracked it open wider so that we could walk through it after them.” “Ahead of the Curve” honors that lineage and Stevens’ legacy while reaffirming that there is still more work to be done for lesbian visibility and representation that is inclusive of all queer women. 'Ahead of the Curve' Not ratedRunning time: 1 hour, 37 minutesPlaying: Available June 1 on VOD and Laemmle Virtual Cinema; screenings with Q&A, 7:30 p.m., June 1, Laemmle Royal, West L.A.; 7:30 p.m., June 2, Laemmle NoHo 7, North Hollywood; 7:30 p.m., June 3, Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena

Essential California: The pandemic and the scrub jays

https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2021-06-01/california-scrub-jays-essential-california

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Tuesday, June 1. I’m Scott Sandell, newsletter editor at The Times, and I’m writing from Los Angeles. Two weeks from today, California is scheduled to fully reopen its economy, lifting most of the restrictions we’ve lived with for more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it won’t be like the Before Times, over the Memorial Day weekend there were glimmers of our previous existence: People paid their respects at Los Angeles National Cemetery in Westwood. There were barbecues and crowds at the beaches. Travel at L.A. International Airport on Friday was the busiest it had been in a year-plus. Amid the optimism, reason for caution remains: The coronavirus is indeed still out there, fewer than 50% of L.A. County residents are fully vaccinated, and how we bounce back economically and psychologically from being in survival mode is far from clear. For some, it’s been just enough to get through working — or being out of work — and putting the kids through Zoom classes. Some took up home improvement projects. Some took solace in banana bread baking, playing “Animal Crossing,” knitting or old-school roller-skating. For many, living through the pandemic has meant a new appreciation of the little things. Bird-watching fits in that category. According to the National Audubon Society, downloads of its bird guide app in March 2020 nearly doubled from the previous year, with usage rising dramatically throughout last year. Online sales at stores such as Wild Birds Unlimited also grew significantly at the height of stay-home orders. At my place, we got by with a little help from our fine-feathered friends — a pair of California scrub jays in the yard. Though they’re not enshrined as the state bird, as the California quail is, or protected as an endangered species, as the California condor is, there’s something quintessentially Californian about these boisterous, screeching, blue-and-gray birds that can be seen in parks, yards and wooded areas along the western part of the Golden State, as well as the Pacific Northwest and Baja California. Our California scrub jay pair just seemed to appear one day outside our window, although who knows how long they had been living in the area. Soon, they became the center of our attention, with daily feedings of unsalted peanuts in the shell and my 5-year-old son becoming obsessed with their activity. He now knows what they’re called in Spanish (chara californiana), Mandarin (xicongya) and German (Buschhäher). But until recently, I didn’t even know the term “California scrub jay” — for decades I mistakenly referred to them as “blue jays.” That’s why I turned to Nicole Michel, the National Audubon Society’s director of quantitative science, for some help. First off, she explained the name. “When I was a kid, it was just the scrub jay,” Michel said. “Then they split into the Florida scrub jay and the western scrub jay, then the island scrub jay on Santa Cruz Island.” By 2016, the American Ornithologists’ Union announced it had split the western scrub jay into two species: the California scrub jay and Woodhouse’s scrub jay further inland. “They’re incredibly intelligent birds” and play an important ecological role, Michel explained. They store acorns (or, in my case, peanuts) in caches, “and they can remember up to 200 different caches.” When the birds forget, and the conditions are right, some of those acorns become oak trees. Still, the Aphelocoma californica is both beloved and maligned. (Check out this haiku.) “They’re the people’s bird of coastal California,” said Michel, who holds a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology and began her avian studies because her grandfather “was really into birds.” “But he hated scrub jays. He actually would shoot them, because they would get into the nests of swallows, eat the eggs, and kill the nestlings. Of course, I feel strongly that you shouldn’t shoot them. That’s just nature; they gotta eat too.” Speaking of nature, all is not necessarily well in the California scrub jay world. The estimated population in California and Nevada has been on the decline, while more are being spotted in Oregon and Washington. Among the factors for this shift are West Nile virus; habitat change and loss, as coastal areas are developed; and climate change. That’s a lot to think about. But for now, my family is grateful for the two California scrub jays who are helping us cope with the pandemic of 2020-21. [For more about outdoor life in Southern California, sign up for our weekly newsletter The Wild.] And now, here’s what’s happening across California: Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing. Though many Memorial Day ceremonies remained virtual this year, there were opportunities to mark the occasion in person. In the San Francisco Bay Area, thousands paid homage to the nation’s military fallen at the San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio and at the USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum in Alameda, among other places. (San Francisco Chronicle) At Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, crowds visited the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall, a half-size replica of the memorial in Washington, D.C. (Daily Breeze) And further afield, in Delaware, President Biden marked his first Memorial Day weekend as commander in chief in a deeply personal manner, as he paid tribute to those lost while remembering his late son Beau, a veteran who died six years ago Sunday. (Associated Press) A hacking group infiltrated computers in the Azusa Police Department and gained access to critical data before demanding a ransom be paid. Some who follow such hacks said they were alarmed by the breach, which exposed a trove of sensitive information. Los Angeles Times The arrest of a homeless man and at least two community activists at Griffith Park six weeks ago drew scant attention at the time, particularly when compared with the uproar generated by the city of L.A.’s decision to clear a massive encampment at Echo Park Lake in March. But it has emerged as yet another source of conflict over the city’s handling of its recreation areas during a huge homelessness crisis. Los Angeles Times Can the Queen Mary be saved? The ship is so creaky and leaky that it needs $23 million in immediate repairs, according to a trove of court documents and inspection reports released in May. There is growing concern that if something is not done soon, the ship could fall into critical disrepair and be in danger of sinking. But who will pay for it? Los Angeles Times “I was going to buy an all-electric car but chickened out.” Columnist Steve Lopez was ready to make the jump from hybrid to all-electric vehicle but had some second thoughts. Turns out, he’s not alone — and that’s a problem that needs to be addressed. Los Angeles Times Schools face a mental health crisis as the pandemic ends but trauma remains. Many K-12 educators say they are ill-equipped and need more tools and training to navigate their students’ often crushing mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression brought on or exacerbated by the pandemic. Los Angeles Times The front-page shockers began in early April and just kept coming: A young mayor from the San Francisco Bay’s wine country had been accused of sexually abusing and assaulting women. The headlines were stunning, and they came not from Sonoma County’s leading media outlet, the Press Democrat, but from its big-city rival, the San Francisco Chronicle. That has had repercussions of its own. Los Angeles Times Would Gov. Gavin Newsom benefit from an early recall vote? Columnist Mark Z. Barabak looks at the political calculus for the Democratic governor and his Republican challengers. Los Angeles Times Recall fever sweeps across San Diego’s North County, targeting city councils and school boards. Signature drives are in full swing to get recalls on the ballot for city council members in Oceanside and Carlsbad. School board trustees in Fallbrook, Encinitas, Vista and La Mesa also could face recalls, mostly as a result of their positions on when to reopen classrooms. San Diego Union-Tribune A year after the George Floyd protests, the Los Angeles Police Department is in the midst of transition, and few are fully satisfied with the current state of affairs. Police boosters say the city would be better served if all the scrutiny placed on cops in the past year were redirected toward criminals. Critics of the LAPD say the changes so far mark some progress but fall far short of their demands. Los Angeles Times “I walked into something nobody should ever see”: An in-depth look at the terror and heroism amid last week’s deadly shooting at a San Jose light rail yard. Mercury News A man accused of firing a BB gun at a car on the 91 Freeway vehemently disputed the charge, saying in a jailhouse interview that authorities were “trying to get me to confess to things I didn’t do.” Los Angeles Daily News A heat wave has increased the risk of fire across much of Central and Northern California. The National Weather Service said a high-pressure system will build through Wednesday. Associated Press NBA veteran Russell Westbrook grew up in Southern California and played at UCLA before being drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. Now the Washington Wizards guard is an executive producer on the documentary “Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre” on the History Channel. Los Angeles Times Will L.A. flatten a legendary Boyle Heights tortilla factory? Columnist Gustavo Arellano examines the plight of La Gloria Foods. Los Angeles Times A new book recounts San Diego’s role in rescuing a sub crew trapped 1,575 feet under the sea: In 1973, a rescue off Cork, Ireland, was a three-day cliffhanger that riveted the world. San Diego Union-Tribune Soul food, Afghan dumplings and “extreme” hummus: The best restaurant fare a food reporter ate around Sacramento in May. Sacramento Bee Free online games Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games in our new game center at latimes.com/games. Los Angeles: mostly sunny, 76. San Diego: mostly sunny, 69. San Francisco: partly cloudy, 63. San Jose: sunny, 82. Fresno: mostly sunny, 106. Sacramento: mostly sunny, 97. This week’s birthdays for those who made a mark in Southern California: Actor Morgan Freeman (June 1, 1937), actress and U.N. special envoy Angelina Jolie (June 4, 1975) and Snap Inc. co-founder Evan Spiegel (June 4, 1990). If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

Today's Headlines: Las Vegas' reopening bet

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/newsletter/2021-06-01/las-vegas-coronavirus-reopening-todays-headlines

Las Vegas is betting on gamblers and tourists returning. Will the lost jobs come back too? Las Vegas’ Reopening Bet A year and two months since the coronavirus paralyzed the nation and drove record unemployment, the U.S. is emerging from the aftershock of the pandemic crisis. In Las Vegas, where gambling revenue dropped nearly 45% last year and tens of thousands of the city’s service industry employees remain out of work, casinos and restaurants are set to return to full capacity today. Nevada recently received $4 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds, with $130 million going directly to Las Vegas. But its comeback will be determined by how safe people feel in convention centers and on gambling floors. “It is, in a sense, a test of America’s ability to reclaim itself,” writes Times national correspondent Kurtis Lee. “But the contours of that comeback are not fully drawn, and many wonder whether they will return to the livelihoods they lost or be forced into another year of uncertainty.” A More Normal Memorial Day On any other Memorial Day, the scene would have been ordinary: Crowds flocking to the beach with umbrellas and towels as morning clouds gave way to blazing sunshine, children playing at the amusement park arcade, families posing for photos by the Ferris wheel and roller coaster as waves crashed on the shore. But after more than 14 months of life amid the pandemic, the holiday weekend brought no small measure of relief as Californians cautiously resumed doing the things they’d normally do, starting with barbecues and trips to the beach. State officials expect California to fully reopen on June 15. For all the signs of a return to normality, caution was still in order Monday at the Los Angeles National Cemetery in Westwood, where the annual Memorial Day ceremony was canceled for the second year in a row. But the crowds, which began arriving just after sunrise, were still substantial across the 127-acre grounds. Across the country, in Delaware, President Biden marked his first Memorial Day weekend as commander in chief by honoring the nation’s sacrifices in a deeply personal manner: He paid tribute Sunday to those lost while remembering his late son Beau, a veteran who died six years ago to the day. The next day, he laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. More Top Coronavirus Headlines — Schools face a mental health crisis among students as pandemic trauma remains. — Black residents of Los Angeles County now have the highest risk of coronavirus infection and COVID-19 hospitalization and death of any racial or ethnic group, new data show. — Columnist Sandy Banks’ family is divided over COVID-19 vaccinations. Here’s how they cope. The Voting Rights Fight Texas Democrats pulled off a dramatic last-ditch walkout from the state House of Representatives on Sunday night to block passage of one of the most restrictive voting bills in the U.S. It marked one of Democrats’ biggest protests to date against Republican efforts nationwide to impose stricter election laws, and they used the spotlight to urge Biden to act on voting rights. But the victory for them may be fleeting: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who had declared new voting laws a priority in Texas, announced that he would order a special session to finish the job. He called the failure of the bill “deeply disappointing” but did not say when he would bring lawmakers back to work. The bill at issue would empower poll watchers, create criminal penalties and add new restrictions on where, when and how to vote. Who Will Save the Queen Mary? The historic ocean liner the Queen Mary has been identified with Long Beach for decades. But after years of neglect by a string of operators, the ship needs $23 million in immediate repairs, according to court documents and inspection reports released last month. If something is not done soon, there’s concern the ship could flood or even capsize within the next two years, according to the reports. Docked in Long Beach since 1967, the ship is a longtime tourist attraction, hotel and history buff destination that retains strong support from city leaders. But nobody seems willing or able to pay for it. The city of Long Beach owns the Queen Mary, but officials said it’s not their responsibility to make repairs on the ship that for decades has been leased out to various entities. The current operator is locked in bankruptcy proceedings. — Workplace shootings are all too common in California. The deadly one in a San Jose rail yard last week fits a pattern. — Huang Guanjun was a champion runner who was unable to hear or speak. He was one of 21 who died in a Chinese ultramarathon. — The sexual misconduct allegations rocking L.A.’s largest LGBTQ theater company. — Columnist Steve Lopez: “I was going to buy an all-electric car but chickened out. Here’s why.” On this day in 1959, Pat Boone and his family arrived in Los Angeles. Boone had returned to the city to begin filming “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” He portrayed Alec McEwan in the 1959 adaption of the Jules Verne novel. — Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered a comprehensive, independent investigation into the case of Kevin Cooper, whose high-profile quadruple-murder conviction three decades ago has been under intense scrutiny for years. — A hacking group infiltrated computers in the Azusa Police Department and gained access to crucial data before demanding a ransom be paid. Some who follow such hacks said they were alarmed by the breach, which exposed a trove of sensitive information. — A veteran L.A. County sheriff’s deputy was charged earlier this year with sexually abusing his underage niece in San Bernardino County, according to court records and interviews with the alleged victim’s family. — A fight over Jim Crow Road is dividing the small town of Downieville. Support our journalism Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. — In Tulsa, Okla., hundreds gathered for an interfaith service dedicating a prayer wall outside historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church on the centennial of the first day of one of the deadliest racist massacres in the nation. — Turkish agents have captured a nephew of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen in an overseas operation and have brought him to Turkey to face prosecution, Turkey’s state-run news agency said. — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, was confronted by possibly the most serious challenge yet to his rule as rivals moved to join forces to try to dislodge him from office. — China’s ruling Communist Party said it would ease birth limits to allow all couples to have three children instead of two, in hopes of slowing the rapid aging of its population. — John Krasinski’s thriller sequel “A Quiet Place Part II” opened over the Memorial Day weekend to a pandemic-best $47.4 million, according to studio estimates. — What to make of the stunning conclusion of “Mare of Easttown”? We break it down. — Behind Hollywood producers’ push to form a union. Will it succeed? — Gustavo Dudamel and Frank Gehry gave Youth Orchestra Los Angeles’ new Inglewood concert hall a sound check, and our classical music critic listened in. — La Gloria Foods, a tortilla plant in Boyle Heights, is in danger of closing. The family that owns it blames a dispute with the L.A. Department of Public Works. — Johnson & Johnson is asking for Supreme Court review of a $2-billion verdict in favor of women who say they developed ovarian cancer from using the company’s talc products. — Trevor Bauer pitched six innings and Chris Taylor hit a 14th-pitch, bases-clearing double to power a win over the St. Louis Cardinals and snap a three-game losing streak. — Tennis star Naomi Osaka, who said last week that she would skip news conferences at the French Open to protect her mental health, said she would withdraw from the Paris tournament. — After decades of disgrace, Cruz Azul won the Mexican league soccer championship. The team’s history of losing even inspired a verb — cruzazulear — that the Mexican Academy of Letters defines as “losing a game when victory was practically assured.” Free online games Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games in our new game center at latimes.com/games. — Columnist Mark Z. Barabak on why California Gov. Gavin Newsom may prefer an early recall election vote. — As a Korean American, cartoonist Robin Ha often feels pressured to change to fit in, as these cartoons show. — How 60 years of racial violence between 1863 and 1923 shaped America. (CNN) — One result of the pandemic: a reassessment of how we think about work. People aren’t just leaving jobs, they’re changing their line of work. (Time) With its cocktails and “country French” cuisine, Taix French Restaurant has been an Echo Park standby for decades. Now, real estate developers are planning a project on its Sunset Boulevard site that would replace the building with a six-story complex, including a smaller version of the restaurant. Should L.A. try to protect the original? Comments or ideas? Email us at headlines@latimes.com.

Meet the young stars of Mexican, U.S. men's national soccer teams

https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2021-06-01/meet-the-young-stars-of-mexican-u-s-mens-national-soccer-teams

The U.S. and Mexican soccer federations are loaded with young talent that could alter the future of the teams for years to come. Here is a look at the top 10 Under-24 players on the Mexico and U.S. rosters: Roberto Alvarado, 22, MF, Cruz Azul (Liga MX) ... Has appeared in 20 games for Mexico, including all six of El Tri’s matches in the last Gold Cup. ... Has three international goals. ... Helped Mexico qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Games. Edson Alvarez, 23, D, Ajax (Eredivisie) ... Has made 35 appearances with the senior national team. ... Started three of Mexico’s four games in the 2018 World Cup and nine of Mexico’s last 10 Gold Cup matches. ... Played on consecutive league champions with Ajax, for which he has made 10 Champions League appearances. ... One of four under-24 players on the Nations League roster. Uriel Antuna, 23, MF Guadalajara (Liga MX) ... Former Galaxy midfielder… Has played 16 times for the national team, picking up three goals and an assist in his first competitive game in 2019. ... Scored three times for Mexico in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament, including the only goal in a 1-0 win over the U.S. Gerardo Arteaga, 22, D, Genk (Belgium) ... Has played seven times for the senior national team. ... Made his professional debut for Santos Laguna as a 16-year-old and appeared in 19 games in his first season in Belgium. Sebastian Cordova, 23, MF, América (Liga MX) ... Has played six times for the senior national team, scoring twice. ... Led the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament with four goals, helping Mexico earn a berth in Tokyo. Diego Lainez, 20, MF, Betis (La Liga) … Made his first international start against the U.S. in 2018, the second of nine international appearances. ... His only international goal was a game-tying score in the final four minutes of a 2-2 draw with Algeria in 2020. ... Made his professional debut for América at 16 and then jumped to Betis two years later on a $15.4-million transfer, becoming the youngest Mexican player to emigrate from Liga MX. Jose Juan Macias, 21, F, Guadalajara (Liga MX) ... Has four goals in five games with the national team. ... Saved Mexico with a game-tying score in the final nine minutes of regulation in the championship game of the Olympic qualifying tournament. ... Won the CONCACAF Champions League in Guadalajara in 2018. Soccer The U.S. and Mexico national soccer federations took different paths to building their rosters. Nations League and World Cup qualifiers will show whether investment in youth worked. June 1, 2021 Jorge Sanchez, 23, D, América (Liga MX) ... Has 12 appearances with the national team. ... Has won three leagues titles in Liga MX. ... Played in both of Mexico’s first two games this season. Johan Vásquez, 22, D, Tigres, (Liga MX) ... His only international appearance was a 27-minute stint off the bench in a 2019 friendly with Trinidad & Tobago. ... Won the CONCACAF Champions League with Monterrey in 2019. ... Scored Mexico’s penultimate goal in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying competition, making the all-tournament team. Alexis Vega, 23, F, Guadalajara (Liga MX) … Made the first of seven appearances with the national team in 2019. ... Scored his only senior international goal that summer against Cuba in the Gold Cup. ... Converted the winning penalty kick in the championship of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament, where he was named best player. Brenden Aaronson, 20, MF, Red Bull Salzburg (Austrian Bundesliga) … Made the first of four international appearances in 2020, scoring his first goal in his second game. ... Made the jump from MLS to Salzburg in January, scoring the second goal in his team’s win over Wien in the Austrian Cup in May. Tyler Adams, 22, MF, RB Leipzig (Bundesliga) ... Played 35 times for U.S. youth national teams and made his senior debut in 2017 as an 18-year-old. ... Has 12 senior international caps. ... Scored the goal that sent Leipzig on to the Champions League semifinals last summer. Reggie Cannon, 22, D, Boavista (Portuguese Liga) … Played the first of 14 games for the U.S. in 2018. ... Spent one year at UCLA before signing with FC Dallas as a teen. ... Moved to Portugal on a transfer last September. Sergiño Dest, 20, D, Barcelona (La Liga) ... Has one goal in seven appearances with the national team. ... Became the first American to play for Barcelona last fall, going on to make 30 appearances last season. ... The son of an American father, he turned down his native Netherlands to play for the U.S. Weston McKennie, 22, MF, Juventus (Serie A) … Has six goals in 21 games for the U.S. ... The Texas native spent seven years in the FC Dallas youth system but never played in MLS, making his pro debut in Germany with Schalke. ... Completed a $22.2-million transfer to Juventus last March. ... Had the fastest hat trick in U.S. history in 2019, scoring three times against Cuba in the first 13 minutes of a Nations League rout. Yunus Musah, 18, MF, Valencia (La Liga) … Played the first of four games with the senior national team last fall at 17. ... Also made his first-team debut for Valencia last year. ... Played for youth national teams in England and was eligible to play for Ghana and Italy as well before choosing the U.S. Christian Pulisic, 22, F, Chelsea (EPL) ... Turned down Croatia to play for the U.S. and made the first of 36 appearances with the national team in 2016, becoming, at 17, the youngest American to play in a World Cup qualifier. ... Two months later, he notched the first of 15 international goals, making him the youngest goal scorer in U.S. history. ... He is also the youngest American, at 20, to wear the captain’s armband. ... Jumped from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea in 2019 for a U.S.-record $73-million transfer fee. Gio Reyna, 18, F, Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga) … Made his national team debut the day before his 18th birthday. ... Has two goals in four games with the U.S. ... Is the son of former national team player Claudio Reyna. ... Passed up chances to play for Argentina, England and Portugal. Josh Sargent, 21, F, Werder Bremen (Bundesliga) … Played 56 times for U.S. youth national teams. ... Made his senior debut in 2017, becoming the only American to be called up by the U-17, U-20 and senior team in the same calendar year. ... Made his senior debut in 2018 at 18, scoring in the second half of his first game. Timothy Weah, 21, F, Lille (Ligue 1) … Made the first of 10 senior international appearances in 2018, a month after his 18th birthday. ... Scored his first goal two months later. ... Father George, the 1995 FIFA player of the year and widely regarded as the best African player of his generation, is the current president of Liberia. ... Timothy, born in New York, was eligible to play for France, Jamaica and Liberia before declaring for the U.S.

How to get your PPP loan forgiven

https://www.latimes.com/business/newsletter/2021-06-01/ppp-loan-forgiveness-business

Good morning. I’m L.A. Times Business reporter Samantha Masunaga, filling in for Rachel Schnalzer to bring you our weekly newsletter. The window to apply for federal Paycheck Protection Program loans, which have provided a lifeline for many small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, closed Monday. The next steps for recipients: Spend the money and erase the debt. The loans are designed to be forgiven, but it’s not automatic. Recipients can keep the money if they demonstrate that they used it for certain purposes and largely refrained from cutting jobs and pay. As of last week, 3.3 million PPP loans, worth a combined $279.4 billion, have been forgiven out of a total of 5.2 million loans issued last year, according to the Small Business Administration. About $1 billion in PPP loans were not forgiven, while $81.5 billion in loans are under review, and applications for forgiveness have not been received for $159.1 billion worth of loans. Overall, more than 99% of loan value has been forgiven for those that have completed the forgiveness process, the SBA said. Here’s a look at the process and tips on what small businesses can do to improve their chances of getting loan forgiveness. Who’s eligible: For your loan to be fully forgiven, you must have maintained your employee head count and those employees’ compensation levels, as well as spent at least 60% of the PPP money on payroll costs. That includes wages, bonuses and benefits, including employer-paid insurance and sick leave, said Kelsey Sheehy, a small-business expert with financial advice website NerdWallet. The rest of the loan money must have been spent on what the SBA defines as eligible expenses: operating costs, mortgage payments, utilities, protective equipment for workers and property damage from civil unrest last year that was not covered by insurance. The loan forgiveness is not all-or-nothing. Borrowers who spent most of their PPP money on eligible expenses can get that portion of their loan forgiven, Sheehy said. They’ll have to repay the rest. When to apply: Borrowers can apply for forgiveness after they have spent all of the loan money they want forgiven. Those who received a PPP loan in the initial round had only eight weeks to use the money. For PPP loans issued after June 5, 2020, borrowers are given six months to spend the cash. They don’t have to start repaying the loan until 10 months after the spending period ends. “Borrowers have a pretty lengthy grace period to apply for loan forgiveness,” Sheehy said. She advised PPP loan recipients to apply before they have to begin repaying, though they can send in applications up to the loan’s maturity date. Gather records: Borrowers should keep good records of the expenses they paid with the loan money. Gathering documentation can be one of the more time-consuming parts of applying for loan forgiveness, Sheehy said. Even if the loan amount doesn’t require itemized expense lists, PPP loan recipients should keep receipts and be able to account for every dollar spent, in case the SBA asks for it later. “You don’t want to be in a position where a year from now ... you’re scrambling,” she said. The process: Borrowers should work with their PPP loan lender and make sure they have the right forms to fill out. The form will be “pretty explicit” in what’s required, said David Blankenhorn, an Orange County-based mentor at Score, a nonprofit network of volunteer small-business mentors that partners with the SBA. If loan recipients have questions, they should contact their lender. “You want to be crystal clear on what your lender’s process is for loan forgiveness,” Sheehy said. “Be in constant communication with your lender so you know exactly what’s expected of you before those deadlines start coming up.” Borrowers can also ask for additional advice and guidance from Score, small-business development centers and community financial institutions, she said. After the borrower fills out the forms and adds any necessary documentation, the lender will send the form to the SBA, which determines whether the loan qualifies for forgiveness. If borrowers fill out the form correctly and have all documentation of expenses, the chances of getting the loan forgiven are “pretty good,” Blankenhorn said. If the lender fully denies a loan-forgiveness application, the borrower can request a review of the application by the SBA. If the SBA denies forgiveness, the borrower can appeal to the SBA’s office of hearings and appeals within 30 days. ◆ Upcoming COVID-19 financial relief for Californians could include checks, business grants and child savings accounts, Patrick McGreevy reports. ◆ If you lost work, you may be able to get free health insurance. Certified financial planner Liz Weston explains how. ◆ Southern California home prices jumped 20% in April compared with a year earlier, reaching an all-time high. Jack Flemming explores why. ◆ House hunting? Flemming shows what $700,000 could buy in seven L.A. communities. ◆ Uber has reneged on the “flexibility” it gave drivers to win their support for Proposition 22, writes columnist Michael Hiltzik. ◆ Even fraud alerts can be part of a scam, columnist David Lazarus cautions. He breaks down how a con artist made a play for more than $10,000 using a Chase bank fraud warning. A San Francisco start-up tells would-be parents that its test can identify embryos with the lowest likelihood of developing cancer, schizophrenia and other diseases. But there are concerns. My colleague Melody Petersen recently spoke with experts to learn more about Orchid Inc.’s tests. One concern: that parents could select an embryo thought to be at a reduced risk of one disease without understanding it is at a higher risk for something else. “If you pick an embryo that’s at low risk for breast cancer, you may actually be increasing your risk for other traits,” said Peter Kraft, a Harvard professor of epidemiology. Experts also point to ethical questions about such tests. Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, an assistant professor at Baylor University’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, said he’s worried about claims to reduce the risk of schizophrenia, given discrimination against those with psychiatric disorders. “Even though these companies are trying to market this technology within a medical context,” he told Petersen, “we have to be really careful about potential misuses.” Read the full story here. Have a question about work, business or finances during the COVID-19 pandemic, or tips for coping that you’d like to share? Send us an email at californiainc@latimes.com, and we may include it in a future newsletter.

What Nations League will tell us about the future of U.S. and Mexico soccer teams

https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2021-06-01/u-s-nations-league-team-proven-vehicle-for-young-talent-to-shine

Alexi Lalas knows a turning point when he sees one. It happened in his first national team start, at the Coliseum against a Mexican team that had lost only one of its previous 26 games against the U.S. But on that day, the 20-year-old Lalas helped the Americans gut out a 2-2 draw, starting a streak that would see them lose just one of eight games with Mexico. “I was right there in that shift,” Lalas said. “It was kind of the start of that generation that didn’t accept that we should continue to be inferior to Mexico on the field, that we should continue to lose.” By the time a teen-aged Landon Donovan made his international debut nine years later — also against Mexico at the Coliseum — the pendulum had swung back and the U.S. was inferior once again. Donovan changed that, with his game-winning goal beginning a roll that would see the U.S. go 9-2-2 in its next 13 games with Mexico, its most successful stretch ever in the cross-border rivalry. Soccer The USMNT and El Tri are loaded with young talent that could alter the future of the U.S. and Mexico soccer teams for years to come. June 1, 2021 Now another group of young Americans is poised to flip the script anew in this week’s Nations League in Denver. If both teams win their preliminary matches Thursday — the U.S. against Honduras and Mexico over Costa Rica — they will meet for the 71st time in Sunday’s championship game. The U.S. heads into the semifinals with perhaps the deepest and most talented collection of young players in its history. Nineteen of its 23 players are with top-division teams in Europe, where nine of them appeared in at least 30 league games this season. Twelve of those European-based players are under the age of 24. Meanwhile Mexico, ranked 11th in the world by FIFA, has a roster that includes 12 veterans from the last World Cup in Russia, where it fielded the second-oldest team in the tournament. If the momentum shifts once more, the change may be a lasting one since the core of the U.S. team could be together for a decade, while Mexico’s aging squad will soon need a makeover. “This young generation, they come with a swagger and a confidence, an arrogance that they want this moment. It is their time,” Lalas said. “If I was the Mexican Soccer Federation, that would be cause for concern.” The two countries have followed different paths to this latest crossroads, paths influenced in large part by their domestic leagues. The deep academy system in Liga MX has made Mexico a world power at the youth national team level, where it has reached the final in three of the last five U-17 World Cups while winning gold in the 2012 Olympics. “The level of talent showcased on [the] U-17s, U-20s is second to none. It’s probably one of the four, eight [top] programs on the youth level in the world,” said Galaxy general manager Dennis te Kloese, who was director of Mexico’s youth national teams for several years before taking over the entire national team program ahead of the 2018 World Cup. “So there’s a lot of talent. That’s not the question.” Soccer Soccer: And he vows he will remember at least one of the boots when they meet again. Jan. 20, 1997 Once those players reach a first-team roster in Mexico, however, they can get stuck there, which is why just eight of the 23 players on Mexico’s Nations League team play on the continent, while more than half play in Liga MX. The exorbitant transfer fees Mexican clubs often ask for their players and the relatively high salaries in Liga MX are two reasons players don’t leave. Another factor slowing the development of young talent is a Liga MX rule that allows teams to carry as many as nine foreign players on match-day rosters. Under pressure from Tata Martino, coach of the Mexican national team, that number will drop to eight next year and to seven in 2022-23. “In the United States they give an outlet to young players and in Mexico they are more concerned about bringing foreigners than about giving the young players of Mexico an opportunity,” Carlos Hermosillo, whose 35 goals rank fourth all time for Mexico, said in Spanish. “The clubs have to understand that in order to grow our football, we have to generate young players.” The Mexicans have heard that chatter, which is why so many of their players took delight in their team qualifying for the Olympics — a U-23 tournament — for the third time in four tries while the U.S. did not. “The young players in Mexico, they’re aware of all the talk around the U.S. [about] the young players playing in Europe,” said Stu Holden, a former U.S. national team player and now an analyst for Fox Sports who covered the Olympic qualifiers. “They have some really good young players that will be on the verge of making those moves to Europe in the next couple of months. Or at least in the next year, year and a half. Soccer June 17 marks the two-year anniversary of Mexico stunning Germany in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. For many fans, this is the most significant victory for El Tri. June 17, 2020 “So I don’t think it’s as clear as we’re head and shoulders above them with our next level of talent.” U.S. players have gotten there first partly because they typically face far fewer hurdles. While the MLS academy system is still growing, it has already helped current national team players such as Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Tim Weah and Josh Sargent move to major clubs in Europe without playing a game in MLS. Several others, including Christian Pulisic, Jordan Siebatcheu, Antonee Robinson, Sebastian Lletget, Sergiño Dest, Konrad de la Fuente and Yunus Musah, were developed on the continent. “These American players don’t depend on Major League Soccer and these Mexican players depend on their domestic league to go abroad. And that’s a huge problem because if the domestic league thinks their product is worth more, there aren’t going to be teams in Europe to take a chance on them,” said Hérculez Gómez, a former U.S. international who played five years in Liga MX. “Your avenues for opportunity are greater on this side than in Mexico.” It’s not like Mexicans have never played for big clubs. Dozens have, just not now, with only two under-24 players on the Nations League roster — Edson Álvarez and Gerardo Arteaga — playing in Europe. The U.S. has six times as many, which gives it an advantage, said Te Kloese. “There’s not a lot of science to it. And it goes back to younger players,” he said. “The more players you have at higher competition and in good environments and playing the best against the best, that’s how players get better. “Obviously that is going to matter. It’s going to make a positive impact on U.S. Soccer’s program. 100% sure.” Soccer Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget is one of four MLS players called up to a European-heavy USMNT roster ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League Final Four. May 24, 2021 Yet it was Mexico’s success and the U.S. failure in the last World Cup cycle that led both countries to this latest potential turning point. Mexico won the CONCACAF qualifying tournament, beat defending champion Germany in its World Cup opener in Russia and advanced to the knockout round for a seventh straight time. Brazil is the only other country to have achieved the feat. And Mexico kept winning, losing just twice in 25 matches since Martino took over as coach in 2019, climbing into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in 15 years. As a result, there has been little reason to change course and the inevitable roster overhaul has been delayed, with just five players on the Nations League roster having made their senior international debut since the last World Cup. “It’s actually kind of a huge dilemma for them right now,” Holden said. “Tata really hasn’t turned the team over yet because no one’s taking those spots.” Added Claudio Suárez, whose 177 international caps are the most in Mexican history: “My point of view is you have to take the best players you have at the moment. It’s not important if they’re 30-something or 22 or 23. You have to take the best. You have to think about winning, not building a foundation.” But, he added “it’s incredible that there’s no long-term project … planning for the future.” Soccer When Jozy Altidore joined the U.S. national team as a precocious teenager a decade ago, some of his chores included carrying water bottles to training sessions and picking up equipment afterward. April 1, 2017 For the U.S., meanwhile, the failure to qualify for World Cup for the first time in more than three decades led U.S. Soccer to start over, with national team coaches Dave Sarachan and Gregg Berhalter issuing the soccer equivalent of open auditions, giving 64 players their first senior national team caps in the last 3 1/2 years. Fourteen of the 23 players on the Nations League roster made their senior international debuts during that period. “The lowest point in U.S. Soccer history was not qualifying for the World Cup,” Lalas said. “And yet we find ourselves in possibly the most positive and bullish moment in our history, given not just the talent that we have, but the depth of the talent. It remains to be seen whether it’s going to live up to the expectations that we have.” That question will be answered in the crucible of CONCACAF competition, including Nations League and this fall’s World Cup qualifiers. Because while the players on the U.S. roster have a combined 80 games of experience in the Champions League, just seven of them have appeared in a World Cup qualifier. And the two competitions couldn’t be more different. “The only way you can get comfortable in that environment is experience with it,” said Donovan, who played in 40 World Cup qualifiers, behind only Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore among Americans. “There’s no simulation for going to Barbados, on a tiny little island, playing on a horrible field, 95-degree weather with 90% humidity other than doing it and feeling the pressure involved. “We don’t have enough guys right now who have been through enough of those experiences.” Mexico does. And if this young American team can’t adapt to those challenges, it won’t matter how many of them play in Europe or how many Champions League games they win.

After decades of rocky seas in Long Beach, Queen Mary in danger of sinking. Can it be saved?

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/queen-mary-could-capsize-without-urgent-repairs-report-shows

In the 85 years since its maiden voyage, the RMS Queen Mary has survived rogue waves, transatlantic crossings and even a world war. For the last five decades, it’s enjoyed a second life docked in Long Beach, riding waves of popularity and tough times as a tourist attraction. But the historic ship is now facing its most challenging voyage yet. After years of neglect by a string of operators, the Queen Mary is so creaky and leaky that it needs $23 million in immediate repairs, according to a trove of court documents and inspection reports released last month. There is growing concern that if something is not done soon, the ship could fall into critical disrepair and be in danger of sinking. The Queen Mary has long struggled as a tourist attraction, in part because of the inherent costs that come with maintaining such a large vessel. Its struggles led to a variety of failed proposals that would have sent it to Canada, New Zealand and even back to England. In 1992, the city fought a plan to move it to Hong Kong. In 1997, a promoter proposed sailing it to Japan for a few years as a way of raising money for repairs. The city rejected that idea too. At one point, Disney eyed the Queen Mary as the center of an oceanside theme park, but that plan fell through too. “The city’s been trying to get the Queen Mary right for 40-plus years,” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said during a news briefing last month. “It’s been from one leaseholder to the next. ... It has not succeeded to the point where there has been the right partner and the right preservation plan in place.” The Queen Mary’s current state of disrepair is extensive: Structural steel is corroded, the bilge system is aging, the hull is compromised and leaks and safety hazards abound, according to an April 28 inspection by city-hired marine engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group, as first reported in the Long Beach Post. Docked in Long Beach since 1967, the ship is a longtime tourist attraction, hotel and history buff destination that retains strong support from city leaders, including Garcia, who recently said it was important to preserve the ship’s presence in the port city. But nobody seems willing or able to pay for it. The city of Long Beach owns the Queen Mary, but officials said it’s not their responsibility to make repairs on the ship that for decades has been leased out to operators. The current operator is locked in bankruptcy proceedings. Meanwhile, the ship could flood or even capsize within the next two years, according to the recent reports. “Urgent category work items … should be addressed immediately for safety from flooding in the next two years,” court documents said, noting that the current status of various systems “could lead to flooding throughout the ship, potential capsizing of the ship and life safety and environment issues.” In the news briefing, Garcia said the ship is “an important part of not just Long Beach history, but of the history of the country and its relationship with the U.K.” Business Eagle Hospitality Trust’s Chapter 11 filing could be the start of a wave of bankruptcies for the industry. The company operates the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Jan. 20, 2021 Many companies with ambitious plans have tried to keep the Queen Mary financially afloat. Over the years, operators have hosted music, food and holiday festivals, including New Year’s Eve and Halloween celebrations and Friday the 13th-themed “haunted room” offerings that take advantage of the floating hotel’s historical, first-class interiors. Queen’s Seaport Development Inc. operated the vessel from 1993 to 2005 before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Save the Queen LLC faced similar financial woes in 2009. When L.A.-based real estate investment firm Urban Commons arrived in 2016, it came with a promise and a plan. The company signed a 66-year lease and within three years formed Eagle Hospitality Trust for the purpose of raising funds for a $250-million commercial development around the ship called Queen Mary Island. But in January, the trust and its affiliated entities filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with more than $500 million in liabilities, along with a motion to sell their assets, including their leasehold interest in the Queen Mary. City officials said Urban Commons is still on the hook for failed lease obligations, and have moved to block the sale of the lease to a new bidder until the issues can be remedied. The city’s formal objection was filed May 14, and court documents outlined additional urgent safety concerns on the vessel, including that the ship’s lifeboats and lifeboat support systems show significant signs of rotting and deterioration and need to be removed and replaced. The April inspection also found that critical items outlined in a 2015 survey were “largely un-started at this time.” Howard Wu, a principal at Urban Commons, said in a statement that revenue all but dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic, “which has made preservation resources difficult for a time.” “However, we will continue to do whatever we can to help recover and to preserve a vibrant future which we believe to be in the near horizon,” Wu said. Business The latest renderings of the Queen Mary Island entertainment complex show a 65-acre site packed from the surrounding streets to the water’s edge with stores, restaurants, sports venues and entertainment facilities. Aug. 15, 2017 Some who know the Queen Mary best were not surprised by the eye-popping amount needed to preserve the vessel, and said the city bears some blame for its own inaction. “The city was never able to keep up with the maintenance on that ship, regardless of who they leased it to,” said Ed Pribonic, who spent nearly three decades as the Queen Mary’s monthly inspector. He listed asbestos and electrical wiring issues as some of his top concerns about the ship’s safety and stability. Pribonic said the city often tried to downplay his critical reports, which chronicled the ship’s degradation for years. His contract was terminated in 2019. Although he has a fondness for the Queen Mary and would like to see it stabilized, Pribonic worried that “the amount of money and the amount of time it would take — I can’t see who’s going to step up and take on that responsibility. We’re talking hundreds of millions of dollars and years of work.” Beyond the immediate crucial repairs, the city has also raised questions about Urban Commons’ use of COVID-19 relief loans, as well as its use of $23 million in bond proceeds and tidelands trust funds issued in 2017 to address some of the ship’s critical repairs, many of which have not been completed, according to court documents. That number is on top of the urgent $23-million items outlined during the April inspection. Wu said that the company worked with the city to create a budget and that repairs “were decided and planned together.” “The Queen will always have a list of repairs that are to be prioritized together between the lessee and the city — as was done with the advancement of the $23 million for urgent repairs three years ago,” he said. “Those monies were directed to the highest-priority repairs at that time, jointly with the city, and each project and expense was decided openly and transparently.” In a statement last month, Long Beach officials reaffirmed the city’s objection to the sale of the lease and argued that the city should not be required to spend its own funds to repair the ship because its issues had been well-documented. The city will “continue to work with the bankruptcy court to achieve an outcome which will best position the ship for long-term success,” Long Beach director of economic development John Keisler said in a May 20 memo. Business The Luxe Rodeo Drive is the first L.A.-area luxury hotel to go out of business because of the pandemic. An unusually high loan delinquency rate may mean more hotel closures are likely to follow. Sept. 19, 2020 During the recent news conference, Garcia said the Queen Mary should “absolutely be preserved.” Once the largest ship the world had ever seen, the Queen Mary transported royalty, celebrities and politicians during its heyday in the 1930s. After the start of World War II, it was painted gray and converted into a troopship that ferried Allied soldiers, earning the nickname the “Grey Ghost” for its speed and camouflaged color. It was eventually retrofitted to its former luxurious glory before its final journey to Long Beach, and it has continued to draw visitors ever since. Wu noted that a pre-pandemic economic impact report found that $115.2 million in spending from visitors, tourists and event vendors associated with the Queen Mary in Los Angeles County generated $205.3 million in economic output and $6.1 million in tax revenue in 2019 and supported more than 2,200 jobs, among other items. “While profit margins for the Queen Mary operation have always been thin, and during the major repair and renovation periods operational income was negative ... our commitment to her legacy and preservation has never faltered,” he said. Despite myriad issues, some said it is worth the hurdles to preserve the legendary ship, which is one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Historic Hotels of America.” “The Queen Mary is worth saving for many reasons, including its historic significance as one of the fastest and grandest ships of its time, its important role in WWII carrying troops, its unique sense of place [and] one of the finest examples of Art Deco decor,” said Lawrence Horwitz, executive vice president of Historic Hotels of America. Horwitz also noted that the ship plays a valuable role in tourism, and that millions of visitors have come to see the Queen Mary during its decades in Long Beach. The city’s objection to the sale of the lease is expected to go before a judge this month, and an auction will probably be delayed until later this summer, officials said. Long Beach has also been considering shifting control of the Queen Mary to its Harbor Commission, which oversees the Port of Long Beach, and is conducting a study to determine the feasibility of that plan. The Queen Mary has been closed since May 7, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It does not have an established reopening date at this time, city officials said.

Taix, an Echo Park favorite, could be overhauled. Should the city protect its building?

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/taix-restaurant-echo-park-preservation-debate

Taix French Restaurant has been an Echo Park standby for decades, an old-school gathering place for cocktails and “country French” cuisine that has seen generations of birthday parties, meetings and gatherings after Dodgers games. Now, real estate developers are planning a project on its Sunset Boulevard site that would replace its longtime building with a new complex that would rise to six stories and include housing and retail. Holland Partner Group says the new project would house a smaller version of the restaurant, which has been dubbed “New Taix” by its owner. The plan has set off a debate over whether L.A. should try to protect the building that has been home to Taix for decades — or whether doing so would jeopardize the cherished business itself. The tug of war over Taix has pitted historic preservationists and longtime fans of the restaurant against its owner and the developers planning its overhaul. In recent weeks, it has drawn a polarizing proposal from Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, which has alarmed critics who say it would undercut L.A.’s whole system of historic protection. Historic preservationists have called to save the Taix building, urging the city to formally recognize the restaurant as a landmark and to potentially incorporate the structure into the new development. Angelenos have phoned in to city hearings to plead for the building to be saved, recounting treasured memories in its bar, booths and banquet rooms. Business But don’t cry into your French onion soup: The country French eatery vows to stay open as part of the new complex. Aug. 22, 2019 “Taix is much more than a menu. It’s the building itself. The building really matters,” said Susan Winsberg, who told city commissioners that she had some of her happiest moments at the Echo Park restaurant. “It’s somewhere that you’re going to go, not to just eat — you’re going to go to feel something,” Winsberg said in an interview. “To feel together and feel like you belong, and that the city means something to you other than real estate.” But the restaurant owner has argued that saving that building could end up hurting his business. Michael Taix, who has championed the redevelopment plan, told members of the Cultural Heritage Commission that restaurant revenues could not continue to support the overhead at “our mega-sized, grossly energy-inefficient, outdated building.” The “New Taix” would retain its beloved feel by installing patinaed mirrors and a faux-tin ceiling and reusing its cherrywood bar and existing “Cocktails” sign, he wrote. He argued that the city should designate the “site” — not the building — as historically significant. “We’re trying to survive,” Taix said in an interview. “People feel like, ‘They’re taking a piece of my Taix away.’ But when did Taix become theirs? Last I checked, I owned it. And I made the changes that kept it surviving through very difficult times.” The Echo Park Improvement Assn. contended in a letter that enshrining the building as a historic monument would complicate the redevelopment process and could put Taix’s future at risk. Historic buildings can still be altered and even torn down under Los Angeles city rules, but the requirements allow for more review before that can happen. Preservationists argued that the developers could still spare the Taix building and incorporate it into the new project. “Nobody wants another multistory box that looks like it belongs in Irvine,” said Christine Kantner of the Silver Lake Heritage Trust. “If the building was preserved and something was built around it, that would be the draw.” O’Farrell, who represents the area, has proposed designating the restaurant site as a monument, but not the building itself. In his modified version of the proposal, O’Farrell specified three features that should be preserved: its cherrywood bar top, a red-and-white “Taix” sign and another advertising “Cocktails.” At a city hearing, his aide Craig Bullock argued that historic recognition for Taix “should not be an impediment for them to continue their business.” Its “ability to continue to do business, which the Taix family has done for nearly a century, is the primary reason this building has garnered such attention,” Bullock added in a written statement. The idea put forward by O’Farrell alarmed preservationists, who said it would not only affect the storied restaurant but the entire system for historic preservation in Los Angeles. Adrian Scott Fine, senior director of advocacy for the Los Angeles Conservancy, said it would pare back historic protection to “mere building fragments” and set a dangerous precedent. Fine argued that such a “neutered” form of historic protection could allow developers to try to sidestep the higher degree of environmental review required when demolishing a historic monument, by “calling something a historic cultural monument when it really is only two signs and a bar top.” Richard Schave, co-founder of the Esotouric tour company, called it a “bait and switch.” O’Farrell is billing his move as recognizing a historic monument, Schave said, but his proposal is “taking away all the power of the nomination.” Holland Partner Group, which is planning a 74-foot-tall project that would include 170 new housing units and incorporate the new version of Taix at the Echo Park site, said it would be able to move forward with its plans under the O’Farrell proposal. Tom Warren, its executive managing director for Southern California, said the developer is working on “creating a special environment that recognizes how much people care about this location.” “There was concern about this setting a precedent. We don’t believe it does,” said Warren, who compared it to the way the city had sought, decades ago, to preserve specific aspects of the Original Farmers Market on Fairfax Avenue. Housing & Homelessness A spruced-up Echo Park Lake reopened Tuesday, exactly two months since it was closed in the wake of a police crackdown on a large homeless encampment. May 26, 2021 Bullock said that concerns about a risky precedent seemed “exaggerated” because the Cultural Heritage Commission had not recommended making Taix a monument based on its architectural significance; the commission found it had contributed to social, economic and cultural history. One commissioner compared its French Norman Revival exterior to “Disneyland.” Ken Bernstein, who heads L.A.’s historic preservation office, said the commission nomination had nonetheless applied to the building. Fine rejected the comparison to the Farmers Market. Back then, Fine said, the council had limited the scope of its designation, “but not to the point of it being just architectural salvage placed onto a new structure.” Holland spent more than $170,000 last year lobbying city agencies and officials over its Sunset Boulevard project, according to city records. The decision on landmarking Taix is scheduled to be taken up by the council this week. The debate over preserving the Echo Park restaurant is one that Los Angeles has repeatedly grappled with when beloved businesses are in the path of new development. Even if a building becomes a monument, the city cannot force a particular business to keep operating, raising concerns about whether historic protection could end up preserving an empty shell. Residents clamored two years ago to save Tom Bergin’s, an Irish bar on Fairfax Avenue, amid concerns that it would be torn down. The city ultimately declared the building a monument but excluded its parking lot so that new development could rise more easily around it — a move that bar owners said would ensure their business could survive. L.A. has also landmarked a Norms restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard and the closed Johnie’s Coffee Shop on Wilshire Boulevard. Preservationists pulled back, however, on a bid to turn a former warehouse for the gay club Circus Disco into a monument; developers of a new project on the Hollywood site instead agreed to save its fanciful clown entrance and other artifacts. Los Angeles has lagged behind other cities such as San Francisco that register “legacy businesses,” said Kim Cooper, also of Esotouric. Such businesses could then be eligible for added assistance to help them stay afloat. Two years ago, Councilman Curren Price introduced a motion to explore such a program, but the idea has yet to be hammered out. As the plan to recognize Taix — but not its building — heads to a council vote, fans of the longtime haunt who had campaigned to make it a monument say they are opposing O’Farrell’s amended version of the nomination. “A real place has these intangible, almost indescribable elements, which have to do with the entire experience of it,” Cooper said. Saving just a few items — yet calling it a landmark — “leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.”

The Times podcast: Las Vegas doubles down on reopening at full capacity

https://www.latimes.com/podcasts/story/2021-06-01/the-times-podcast-las-vegas-reopening

Listen to this episode of The Times: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google In 2019, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority estimated it hosted nearly 43 million tourists. Officials were expecting a record year for 2020, and the Nevada metropolis did set one … in the negative direction. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, barely 19 million visitors came to town — the lowest total in decades. Today, restaurants and casinos will return to full capacity. If the move is successful, you’ll see a flip on the city’s tagline. What happened to Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. Our guests are Los Angeles Times national correspondent Kurtis Lee and Culinary Union Local 226 secretary-treasurer Geoconda Argüelo-Kline. Plus, a rant about loquats! Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times national correspondent Kurtis Lee and Culinary Union Local 226 secretary-treasurer Geoconda Argüelo-Kline More reading: Las Vegas is betting on the gamblers and tourists returning. Will lost jobs come back? Democratic candidates court Culinary Union, the kingmaker of Nevada COVID pushed Cirque du Soleil into bankruptcy protection. Now for a Vegas comeback Listen to more episodes of The Times here.

Column: Why Newsom may prefer early California recall election vote

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-06-01/gavin-newsom-early-california-recall-election-vote

Late summer brings many splendors to California. Sultry nights. Pennant drives. Leaves flaming crimson and yellow in the Sierra. It might also bring just the second vote ever to oust a governor before his term is ended. As things increasingly look up for Gavin Newsom — businesses reopening, COVID-19 waning, schools returning to in-person instruction — it’s now likely a decision on his political fate will come closer to Labor Day than Thanksgiving. That’s earlier than originally anticipated and reflects growing Democratic confidence that Newsom will survive a recall attempt. A recent poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California showed what others have found: A healthy majority of those questioned oppose the governor’s removal. Democrats are strongly against the effort, Republicans are strongly in favor and independents are nearly evenly split. In a state with far more Democrats and independents than Republicans, that’s not a winning formula for those seeking to chase Newsom from office ahead of the November 2022 election. More significantly, the poll found little difference from an opinion survey conducted in March. Those fixed attitudes and a limited appetite for news coverage suggest the recall hasn’t really captivated voters like the one in 2003, which drew worldwide attention and a color wheel of candidates highlighted by the presence of mega-movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. This time we’ve got Caitlyn Jenner and a bear that John Cox is schlepping around the state. Politics As the effort to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom moves forward, candidates line up to replace him. Sept. 7, 2021 All that could change, which is why Newsom would probably schedule a snap election for tomorrow if it were in his power. It’s not. There are target dates and election guidelines written into state law. But it’s not as if those rules were carved in stone tablets handed down from Mt. Whitney. There is a certain amount of flexibility built into the process and you can be certain Newsom’s fellow Democrats will look out for the governor’s interests and do all they can to help him stay in office. The clock began ticking on the recall election on April 26, when the secretary of state announced that proponents had gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. There is a mandatory 30-day period allowing for those who signed petitions to withdraw their support, though no serious effort is underway to change minds. Then there’s time required to assess the costs of the election, which are currently projected in the neighborhood of $400 million. There’s some question whether that review by the Legislature and state Department of Finance can be wrapped up quickly or requires the full 60 days allotted. Obviously a shorter time frame would allow for an earlier vote. Then it’s up to Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis — Newsom’s fellow Democrat — to schedule the election within 60 to 80 days. It doesn’t take a political science degree to figure out where her thumb rests on the scale. Both sides profess not to care when voters have their say. “Our focus is on winning and we’ll beat the Republican recall whenever the election’s called,” said Nathan Click, a Newsom campaign spokesman. “That’s our approach.” “Bring it on,” said Anne Dunsmore, campaign manager for Rescue California, one of the groups leading the recall effort. “We got him either way.” There are reasons both sides may prefer to hold the election as soon as possible — or, conversely, wait until after trick-or-treaters have finished doing their thing. Less time means less opportunity for circumstances to turn south on the governor, whether it’s a resurgence of COVID-19, a new scandal involving the state’s beleaguered Employment Development Department, or a bone-headed decision by Newsom to go back to the French Laundry for dessert. (A wildfire season from hell won’t necessarily weigh against his chances of political survival; voters tend not to blame their governor for a natural disaster if he responds quickly and forcefully. As Pete Wilson proved by facing down an epic series of calamities in the early 1990s, voters might even reward him. It could be a different story, though, if prolonged blackouts leave food rotting in refrigerators and voters dripping sweat on their ballots.) Politics The GOP investment plays into Democratic efforts to cast the recall as a partisan power grab. March 25, 2021 Right now polling shows that Republicans — which is to say those most eager to oust Newsom — are far more interested in the recall than Democrats and independents. That suggests right now they’re likelier to take part in the election. The governor could use some time to rally his supporters and engage their interest; it’s debatable whether summer and its many distractions offers the best window to do so ahead of an August or early September election. Moreover, many voters are creatures of habit. “Will people used to elections in November turn out for an election that’s not in November?” asked Jim Ross, a Democratic strategist who worked for Newsom when he was San Francisco mayor. “It’s not a reason you shouldn’t go ahead before then. But it is something to consider.” There’s an old saying in politics: If you’ve got the votes, call the roll. It looks — for now, anyway — like Newsom is poised to beat the recall effort. While there have been differences of opinion, the growing consensus within the governor’s political orbit is that it’s best for the election to take place sooner rather than later. With Democrats running the show in Sacramento, it’s a good bet that’s what will happen.

L.A. fire commissioner says union pressure led Garcetti to remove him from panel

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/la-fire-commissioner-andrew-glazier-removed-garcetti

A longtime member of the citizen panel overseeing the Los Angeles Fire Department says Mayor Eric Garcetti is removing him from his post at the request of the powerful firefighters union. The decision to replace Andrew Glazier on the Board of Fire Commissioners when his term expires this month has led to a messy and dramatic episode at City Hall, exposing tensions between the fire union and the five-member commission. A Garcetti spokesman confirmed that Glazier is not being reappointed but denied that “politics” were involved. The union said it isn’t behind the commissioner’s departure. “Mayor Garcetti makes decisions about who sits on the Fire Commission solely with Angelenos’ safety in mind, not politics,” said Alex Comisar, the mayor’s spokesman. Comisar said Glazier’s time on the panel is ending after eight years to “allow other committed Angelenos” the chance to serve. City commission posts are typically given to supporters of the mayor. The vast majority are unpaid. Public disputes between commissioners and the mayor’s office are rare, making the backlash surrounding Glazier’s exit unusual. California Garcetti is on track to miss his goal to greatly increase the number of female LAFD firefighters, renewing questions about why more women aren’t on the force. Jan. 27, 2020 Groups representing Black and female firefighters are urging Garcetti to reconsider his decision to remove Glazier. And some of the other fire commissioners are criticizing his removal. On Wednesday, Garcetti nominated Corinne Tapia Babcock, who sits on the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners, to fill the spot being vacated by Glazier on the fire commission. Known as a commissioner who regularly challenged LAFD policies, Glazier was first appointed in 2013 by Garcetti to serve out the remaining term of another commissioner. Garcetti reappointed Glazier in 2016 to a full five-year term. Glazier is the first Garcetti appointee on the fire commission not to be retained. One member, Steve Fazio, was appointed by former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and stepped down in 2015 to run for state Senate, Fazio confirmed. Glazier wrote a letter last month to several people at the LAFD saying it wasn’t his decision to step down. In the letter, reviewed by The Times, Glazier said he had “learned” that Freddy Escobar, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, or UFLAC, “demanded” his removal in exchange for the fire union’s support of a high-profile alternative policing program backed by Garcetti. The city-county program, promoted last year by the mayor in the months after George Floyd’s murder, would use mental health specialists to respond to non-emergency 911 calls. “I am not certain how the [city-county program] became tied to my removal; since it hasn’t yet come for discussion at a Board of Fire Commission[ers] meeting, I do not know if the proposed pilot program is good policy or not,” Glazier wrote. Glazier is chief executive of a nonprofit that runs employment training programs for currently and formerly incarcerated people, according to his LinkedIn page. He declined to comment to The Times, saying his letter speaks for itself. Glazier said he was told by a “senior official” in the mayor’s office that Escobar asked for Glazier’s removal in exchange for the union’s support for the program, KPCC reported. Escobar, in an email to The Times, denied that UFLAC was involved in Glazier’s departure and said the union continues to oppose the city-county response program. The program would place county workers in or near city fire stations, which the union opposes, Escobar said. “The notion that UFLAC ‘demanded’ anything of the mayor’s office, let alone something as inconsequential as an advisory member of the fire commission, is completely false and absolutely ludicrous,” Escobar said. “The fact that he is making patently untrue allegations about both the mayor’s office and UFLAC while he is headed out the door should tell you everything you need to know about this individual,” he added. Escobar also told KPCC that the decision not to renew Glazier’s term “is a good thing for the city and the LAFD.” Another fire commissioner, Rebecca Ninburg, said in an email to The Times that a top Garcetti staffer informed her about the union’s displeasure with Glazier. “I was told back in February of this year, by a senior mayor’s staff, that Andrew’s line of questioning makes the union upset, and they’re holding up the alternative dispatch [program] negotiations because the union is angry with him,” Ninburg said. Ninburg said that during the same conversation, the senior staffer asked her to move to another commission, but Ninburg declined. Comisar, Garcetti’s spokesman, declined to comment on Ninburg’s statements. Another commissioner, Jimmie Woods Gray, said she was “very upset” to hear that Glazier was leaving. “He does the work,” she said. “He investigates, he researches, he visits [the fire stations] — all the firefighters know him.” Glazier and Ninburg have at times clashed with Escobar at commission meetings, particularly over issues such as the LAFD’s inability to dramatically boost the number of female firefighters. At the same time, union leaders have suggested that the commissioners are overstepping their roles. At a January 2020 meeting, Glazier said during a discussion about female firefighters that the department’s culture “avoids actively confronting uncomfortable truths,” which prompted Escobar to tell Glazier that his comments were “insulting.” California The Biden administration could nab L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. If so, he will leave with a mixed legacy. May 15, 2021 The Stentorians of Los Angeles City, which represents African American firefighters, said in a letter sent last week to Garcetti’s office that it is “unwise to discontinue the service of one of our strongest allies in the department.” “Today’s atmosphere is in tremendous upheaval, unrest, and have created uncertain times broken out along racial lines,” wrote Gerald Durant, president of the Stentorians. Glazier’s “departure would be an enormous loss to the department’s strides to create a membership that reflects the city we serve.” Kristine Larson, president of Los Angeles Women in the Fire Service, also sent a letter to city leaders, noting that Glazier is a “strong proponent for equity, inclusion and diversity at all ranks.” Several years ago, UFLAC pressured Garcetti’s office to remove a top fire inspector from his post at the LAFD. The fire inspector was transferred out of his job and later sued the city, which agreed to pay him $800,000 to settle the case. It’s unclear what kind of relationship Glazier and Garcetti have today, but they have appeared close in the past. Garcetti officiated at Glazier’s wedding and, in 2004, introduced a resolution that praised him for his work for the city and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Vatican issues new law criminalizing priestly abuse of adults, not just of minors

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/vatican-criminalizes-priestly-abuse-adults

Pope Francis has changed Roman Catholic Church law to explicitly criminalize the sexual abuse of adults by priests and to say that laypeople who hold church office can also be sanctioned for similar sex crimes. The new provisions, released Tuesday after 14 years of study, were contained in the revised criminal law section of the Vatican’s Code of Canon Law, the in-house legal system that covers the 1.3-billion-strong Catholic Church. The most significant changes are contained in two articles, 1395 and 1398, which aim to address major shortcomings in the church’s handling of sexual abuse. The law recognizes that adults, too, can be victimized by priests who abuse their authority, and said that laypeople in church offices, such as school principals or parish economists, can be punished for abusing minors as well as adults. The Vatican also criminalized the “grooming” of minors or vulnerable adults by priests compelling them to look at pornography. It’s the first time that church law has officially recognized as criminal the method used by many sexual predators to build relationships with their victims and then sexually exploit them. The law also removes much of the discretion that had long allowed bishops and religious superiors to ignore or cover up abuse, making clear that they can be held responsible for failing to properly investigate and sanction errant priests. A bishop can be removed from office for “culpable negligence” or if he fails to report sex crimes to church authorities, though there is no punishment foreseen in the church law if he fails to report the crime to police, the law says. Ever since the 1983 code was issued, lawyers and bishops have complained that it was completely inadequate to deal with the sexual abuse of minors, since it required time-consuming trials. Victims and their advocates, meanwhile, have argued that it left too much discretion in the hands of bishops who had an interest in covering up for the priests in their charge. World & Nation U.S. Roman Catholic bishops tallied 4,434 sex abuse allegations against clergy in 2018-19 — triple the number from the previous year. June 26, 2020 The Vatican has issued piecemeal changes over the years to address the problems and loopholes, most significantly requiring all cases to be sent to the Holy See for review and allowing for a more streamlined administrative process to defrock a priest if the evidence against him is overwhelming. More recently, Francis passed new laws to punish bishops and religious superiors who failed to protect their flocks. The new criminal code incorporates those changes and goes beyond them, while also recognizing accused priests are presumed innocent until proven otherwise. According to the new law, a priest who engages in sexual acts with anyone — not just a minor or someone who lacks the use of reason — can be defrocked if he uses “force, threats or abuse of his authority” to engage in sexual acts. Monsignor Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Vatican’s legal office, said that could cover any rank-and-file member of the church who is sexually abused by a priest if it can be shown that the priest used force or abused his authority. World & Nation Even as it has pledged to go after predators provide support to those harmed by clergy, the Catholic Church has done little to identify and reach sexual abuse victims. Jan. 4, 2020 That provision is contained in a section detailing violations of the priest’s obligation to remain celibate. Another section of the law concerns priestly crimes against the dignity of others, including sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. The Vatican has long considered any sexual relations between a priest and an adult as sinful but consensual, believing that adults are able to offer or refuse consent purely because of their age. But amid the #MeToo movement and scandals of seminarians and nuns being sexually abused by their superiors, the Vatican has come to realize that adults can be victimized, too, if they are in a relationship with a power imbalance. That dynamic was most clearly recognized in the scandal over ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington. Even though the Vatican knew for years that he slept with his seminarians, McCarrick was put on trial only after someone came forward saying he had abused him as a youth. Francis defrocked McCarrick in 2019. In a new provision aimed at addressing sex crimes committed by laypeople who hold church offices, such as founders of lay religious movements or even church administrators, the new law says laypeople can be similarly punished if they abuse their authority to engage in sexual behavior. News Alerts Get breaking news, investigations, analysis and more signature journalism from the Los Angeles Times in your inbox. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Since these laypeople can’t be defrocked, penalties include losing their jobs, paying fines or being removed from their communities. The need for such a provision was made clear in the scandal involving Luis Figari, the lay founder of the Peru-based conservative group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a conservative movement that has 20,000 members and chapters throughout South America and the U.S. An independent investigation concluded that he was a paranoid narcissist obsessed with sex and watching his underlings endure pain and humiliation. But the Vatican dithered for years on how to sanction him, ultimately deciding to remove him from Peru and isolate him from the community. The new law takes effect Dec. 8.

Elliott: Naomi Osaka needs empathy and help, not condemnation for showing strength

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-06-01/naomi-osaka-depression-anxiety-french-open-withdraw

Naomi Osaka needs help, not condemnation. She needs empathy, not iron-fisted Grand Slam tournament executives threatening to bar her from tennis’ most prestigious events. Osaka’s disclosure she has suffered bouts of depression since she defeated Serena Williams in an emotionally charged 2018 U.S. Open final blew wide the prison doors for those who endure mental health issues in silence for fear of being judged weak or flawed if they reveal their struggles. Her withdrawal from the French Open on Monday and her decision to step away from competition for an unspecified amount of time were strong declarations she’s ready to start healing, a tough but necessary step. “I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris,” she said. Osaka acknowledged she could have been more precise when she said last week she would skip post-match news conferences because past questions had inflamed her self-doubts. That didn’t seem reason enough for such a dramatic, rule-breaking action; other players said they had faced unpleasant or repetitive questions but consider news conferences valuable for promoting the sport and staying connected with fans. Sports Naomi Osaka withdraws from the French Open, saying on Twitter it’s “the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being.” May 31, 2021 By saying she has battled depression, Osaka provided crucial context for her decision and turned the discussion of athletes’ mental states in a new and healthier direction. It’s not a sign of weakness to seek help for stress or anxiety. It’s a sign of strength, and it demands respect. “I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer,” said Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam event singles champion. “More importantly, I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly.” Her conversations with the media generally have been reflective, her humility charming. “Though the tennis press has always been kind to me (and I wanna apologize especially to all the cool journalists who I may have hurt), I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media,” she said. At the French Open, she said, “I thought it was better to exercise self-care” and skip post-match interviews. She offered to help tournament organizers find ways to improve post-match interview rules “when the time is right.” No tennis player casually gives up a chance to win a Grand Slam tournament even if it’s played on a surface — clay — that has given her trouble. Each of the last five French Open women’s champions was a first-time winner. The second-seeded Osaka might have extended that to six in this unpredictable world. It’s better that she’s taking care of herself and not stretching her frayed emotions. If her initial statement was incomplete and her timing was off in issuing it a few days before the French Open began, those mistakes were compounded a million times over by people who should know better. After she was fined $15,000 for skipping the news conference following her first-round victory over Patricia Maria Tig on Sunday, top executives of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open issued a joint statement saying additional missed interviews would subject her to heavier fines and the possibility of being defaulted from the tournament or suspended from future Grand Slam events. It was heavy-handed and ominous. Calling it sexist and condescending isn’t a big stretch. “The Grand Slam statement just threw flames on it in a major way,” said Pam Shriver, who was one of tennis’ greatest doubles players and now does commentary for ESPN. “For them to throw the threat out there that she could be defaulted was so insensitive and tone deaf. ... When it comes to someone’s health, until you know the full facts, it was almost careless.” Shriver understood Osaka’s mention of the 2018 U.S. Open as the trigger of her depression. Osaka, then a 20-year-old up-and-comer, was jeered by fans who wanted to see Williams win and match Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam tournament singles titles. When Williams got into a verbal dispute with chair umpire Carlos Ramos, the crowd backed Williams and booed when Osaka triumphed. A shaken Osaka apologized for winning. Sports Serena Williams won the first scheduled night session in French Open history, overcoming two set points to beat Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (6), 6-2. May 31, 2021 “The way she handled it, we were all in such admiration. That was the biggest trauma in tennis except for the tragedy that happened to Monica Seles,” Shriver said, referring to a fan’s on-court stabbing of Seles in 1993. “To win your first major under those circumstances, that seems like an understandable start time to have those problems.” Osaka’s woes weren’t visible, but they were real. “For an athlete, when you have a physical injury, there’s usually a timeline. There’s a diagnosis that comes with a timeline to get better,” Shriver said. “Depression and mental illness and your mental health, it’s a whole different arena of health matters.” Shriver is the mother of three teenagers, two of whom experienced mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. So have many other young adults. Shriver can understand how Osaka would be among that number — and how she can become a role model in getting better. “Young people connect with Osaka, and young people, I think teenagers who have struggled, I think they’re going to connect even more because she’s come out openly now about her mental health, naming it depression,” Shriver said. “I think for a lot of young people, it’s the epidemic that’s commingling with the pandemic.” Shriver also said she doubts Osaka will play at Wimbledon in late June. “She shouldn’t compete until she feels healthy in all ways, until she gets some things straightened out,” Shriver said. Osaka needs time and understanding, not condemnation and fines. Tennis is better when she’s competing.

The Sports Report: Will Anthony Davis play for Lakers in Game 5 vs. Suns?

https://www.latimes.com/sports/newsletter/2021-06-01/lakers-suns-nba-playoffs-clippers-dodgers-naomi-osaka-sports-report

Howdy, I’m your host, Austin Knoblauch, filling in for Houston Mitchell, who’s on vacation (probably practicing his version of a Trevor Bauer strikeout celebration). Let’s get right to the news. Dan Woike on the Lakers: As the Lakers left Los Angeles for Phoenix ahead of Game 5 on Tuesday night, they boarded their flight unsure whether Anthony Davis would be able to play in the biggest game of the playoff series. Go beyond the scoreboard Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Davis, who will be listed as questionable after an MRI examination confirmed a strained groin, is hanging on to the hope that he’ll improve between now and tipoff, but the Lakers have to be prepared for the possibility that Davis is going to miss at least one of the remaining games in the first round. “We’re going to treat it overnight, do everything we can to get it feeling better and we’ll see where he’s at tomorrow,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Monday. Even if Davis is able to play, he’ll be in some diminished capacity. That’s bad news for the Lakers and their scuffling offense, one that’s been among the NBA’s worst this postseason. While they’ve won twice on the backs of their primary shot creators — LeBron James, Dennis Schroder and Davis — they’re only scoring 105 points per 100 possessions. The good news is that Phoenix has been among the four teams that have been less efficient offensively during the playoffs. The hope is the Lakers can draw on experience from earlier in the season when the team was forced to play without Davis. Following the All-Star break, the Lakers won four straight games with Davis sidelined before James suffered an ankle injury. More: LeBron James’ load gets heavier with Anthony Davis’ health in doubt More: Even without Anthony Davis, Lakers remain confident they can beat Suns Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber. Mike DiGiovanna on the Dodgers: It was an epic showdown, all right, just not the one most anticipated. What began as a marquee pitching matchup between former Southern California prep stars Trevor Bauer of the Dodgers and Jack Flaherty of the St. Louis Cardinals gave way to a battle royale between Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor and Cardinals reliever Genesis Cabrera. The utility man and the hard-throwing left-hander stared each other down for 14 pitches Monday night, the tension rising throughout a grueling at-bat that came with two outs, the bases loaded and the score tied in the bottom of the sixth inning, before Cabrera finally blinked. After fouling off a total of eight two-strike pitches — six fastballs ranging from 97 to 99mph, an 82-mph curve and a 90-mph changeup — Taylor lashed a 97-mph fastball into the right-center-field gap for a three-run double to push the Dodgers toward a 9-4 victory before 18,071 at Dodger Stadium. “That was a huge at-bat, the difference in the game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He just wasn’t gonna be denied. The guy is throwing 97-98 mph with a breaking ball and changeup. C.T. was just relentless in that at-bat. It was probably the best one we’ve had this year.” Helene Elliott on Naomi Osaka withdrawing from the French Open: Tennis star Naomi Osaka, whose declaration last week that she would skip news conferences at the French Open in order to protect her mental health stirred impassioned debates over whether athletes’ customary post-competition media obligations harmed their emotional well-being, said Monday she would withdraw from the prestigious tournament in Paris. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion who represents Japan and lives in Los Angeles, also said in a statement on Twitter and Instagram that she had been suffering long bouts of depression since she won the U.S. Open in 2018 “and I have had a really hard time coping with that.” She expressed surprise that her decision to avoid news conferences had become a major topic of discussion and added, “I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can go back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris.” Officials of tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open — had issued a statement that posed the possibility she would be fined in increasing amounts or defaulted from tournaments if she continued to defy regulations that require players to appear at post-match news conferences. She was fined $15,000 for skipping a news conference after her first-round victory over Patricia Maria Tig on Sunday, though she did a brief on-court TV interview afterward. More: Naomi Osaka needs empathy and help, not condemnation, for showing strength Jack Harris on the Angels: Dylan Bundy threw one two-seamer over the right half of the plate, another over the left half, and a slider straight down the middle. All three had the same result, flying out of the park in what was another poor display from the Angels’ opening day starter, and another sound defeat for a ball club that became just the eighth in the majors to reach 30 losses this season. The San Francisco Giants beat the Angels 6-1 on Monday, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. “He was bitten by the homer, no question,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said of Bundy. “That was the difference in the game.” Bundy gave up three home runs in the Memorial Day matinee: a two-run blast to Evan Longoria in the fourth, and solo shots to LaMonte Wade Jr. in the fifth and Mauricio Dubón in the sixth. “You got to throw everything on the edges [of the strike zone] nowadays,” Bundy said. “None of them were where I wanted them.” After giving up just five home runs in his 11 starts last season, Bundy has now yielded a dozen in 10 starts this year — including seven in his past three outings. Kate Linthicum on Cruz Azul’s Mexican league title: There was once a sports team so cursed that its very name became slang for “choke.” The team was Cruz Azul, a professional soccer club based in Mexico City with a flair for losing critical matches in spectacular fashion — including six league finals since 1999. The repeated humiliations spawned a verb — cruzazulear — that the Mexican Academy of Letters defines as “losing a game when victory was practically assured.” To be a fan of the club was to be the butt of a national joke: Die-hard supporters endured not only the heartbreak of loss but also relentless teasing. Then on Sunday, after decades of disgrace, the unthinkable happened. With a second-half goal from Uruguayan forward Jonathan Rodríguez, Cruz Azul won the Mexican league championship — its first title in 24 years. Fireworks boomed in Mexico City. Caravans of cars filled the streets, horns blaring. Fans draped in blue mobbed the iconic Angel of Independence monument, and videos circulated showing children, grown men and grandmothers in tears. “The curse is over,” tweeted President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — no small thing given that his preferred sport is baseball. Cesar Ramírez, a 38-year-old accountant, danced, sang and sobbed with strangers at the massive celebration downtown. FIRST ROUNDAll times Pacific WESTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Utah vs. No. 8 Memphis Memphis 112, Utah 109Utah 141, Memphis 129 Utah 121, Memphis 111Utah 120, Memphis 113Wednesday: at Utah, 6:30 p.m., NBATV*Friday at Memphis, TBD, TBD*Sunday: at Utah, TBD, TBD No. 2 Phoenix vs. No. 7 Lakers Phoenix 99, Lakers 90Lakers 109, Phoenix 102Lakers 109, Phoenix 95Phoenix 100, Lakers 92Today: at Phoenix, 7 p.m., TNTThursday: at Lakers, TBD, TBD*Saturday: at Phoenix, TBD, TBD No. 3 Denver vs. No. 6 Portland Portland 123, Denver 109Denver 128, Portland 109Denver 120, Portland 115Portland 115, Denver 95Today: at Denver, 6 p.m., NBATVThursday: at Portland, TBD, TBD*Sat., June 5: at Denver, TBD, TBD No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Dallas 113, Clippers 103Dallas 127, Clippers 121Clippers 118, Dallas 108Clippers 106, Dallas 81Wednesday: at Clippers, 7 p.m., TNTFriday: at Dallas, TBD, TBD*Sun., June 6: at Clippers, TBD, TBD EASTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Philadelphia vs. No. 8 Washington Philadelphia 125, Washington 118Philadelphia 120, Washington 95Philadelphia 132, Washington 103Washington 122, Philadelphia 114Wednesday: at Philadelphia, 4 p.m., NBATV*Friday: at Washington, TBD, TBD*Sunday: at Philadelphia, TBD, TBD No. 2 Brooklyn vs. No. 7 Boston Brooklyn 104, Boston 93Brooklyn 130, Boston 108Boston 125, Brooklyn 119Brooklyn 141, Boston 126Today: at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m., TNT*Thursday: at Boston, TBD, TBD*Saturday: at Brooklyn, TBD, TBD No. 3 Milwaukee vs. No. 6 Miami Milwaukee 109, Miami 107Milwaukee 132, Miami 98Milwaukee 113, Miami 84Milwaukee 120, Miami 103Milwaukee wins series, 4-0 No. 4 New York vs. No. 5 Atlanta Atlanta 107, New York 105New York 101, Atlanta 92Atlanta 105, New York 94Atlanta 113, New York 96Wednesday: at New York, 4:30 p.m., TNT*Friday: at Atlanta, TBD, TBD*Sunday: at New York, TBD, TBD *-if necessary FIRST ROUNDAll times Pacific East DivisionPittsburgh vs. NY Islanders New York 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT)Pittsburgh 2, New York 1Pittsburgh 5, New York 4New York 4, Penguins 1New York 3, Pittsburgh 2 (2OT)New York 5, Pittsburgh 3New York wins series, 4-2 Washington vs. Boston Washington 3, Boston 2 (OT)Boston 4, Washington 3 (OT)Boston 3, Washington 2 (2 OT)Boston 4, Washington 1Boston 3, Washington 1Boston wins series, 4-1 Central Division Carolina vs. Nashville Carolina 5, Nashville 2Carolina 3, Nashville 0Nashville 5, Carolina 4 (2OT)Nashville 4, Carolina 3 (2OT)Carolina 3, Nashville 2 (OT)Carolina 4, Nashville 3 (OT)Carolina wins series, 4-2 Florida vs. Tampa Bay Tampa Bay 5, Florida 4Tampa Bay 3, Florida 1Florida 6, Tampa Bay 5 (OT)Tampa Bay 6, Florida 2Florida 4, Tampa Bay 1Tampa Bay 4, Florida 2Tampa Bay wins series, 4-2 North Division Toronto vs. Montreal Montreal 2, Toronto 1Toronto 5, Montreal 1Toronto 2, Montreal 1Toronto 4, Montreal 0Montreal 4, Toronto 3 (OT)Montreal 3, Toronto 2 (OT)Montreal 3, Toronto 1Montreal wins series, 4-3 Edmonton vs. Winnipeg Winnipeg 4, Edmonton 1Winnipeg 1, Edmonton 0Winnipeg 5, Edmonton 4 (OT)Winnipeg 4, Edmonton 3 (3OT)Winnipeg wins series, 4-0 West Division Colorado vs. St. Louis Colorado 4, St. Louis 1Colorado 6, St. Louis 3Colorado 5, St. Louis 1Colorado 5, St. Louis 2Colorado wins series, 4-0 Vegas vs. Minnesota Minnesota 1, Vegas 0 (OT)Vegas 3, Minnesota 1Vegas 5, Minnesota 2Vegas 4, Minnesota 0Minnesota 4, Vegas 2Minnesota 3, Vegas 0Vegas 6, Minnesota 2Vegas wins series, 4-3 SECOND ROUND East Division New York Islanders vs. Boston Boston 5, New York 2New York 4, Boston 3 (OT)Thursday: at New York, 4:30 p.m., NBCSNSaturday: at New York, 4:15 p.m., NBCSN*Monday, June 7: at Boston, TBD, TBD*Wednesday, June 9: at New York, TBD, TBD*Friday, June 11: at Boston, TBD, TBD Central Division Tampa Bay vs. Carolina Tampa Bay 2, Carolina 1Today: at Carolina, 4:30 p.m., NBCSNThursday: at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m., USASaturday: at Tampa Bay, USA*Tuesday, June 8: at Carolina, TBD, TBD*Thursday, June 10: at Tampa Bay, TBD, TBD*Saturday, June 12: at Carolina, TBD, TBD West Division Colorado vs. Vegas Colorado 7, Vegas 1Wednesday: at Colorado, 7 p.m., NBCSNFriday: at Vegas, 7 p.m., NBCSNSunday: at Vegas, 5:30 p.m., NBCSN*Tuesday, June 8: at Colorado, TBD, TBD*Thursday, June 10: at Vegas, TBD, TBD*Saturday, June 12: at Colorado, TBD, TBD North Division Winnipeg vs. Montreal Wednesday: at Winnipeg, 4:30 p.m., NBCSNFriday: at Winnipeg, 4:30 p.m., USASunday: at Montreal, 3 p.m., NBCSNMonday: at Montreal, TBD, TBD*Wednesday, June 9: at Winnipeg, TBD, TBD*Friday, June 11: at Montreal, TBD, TBD*Sunday, June 13: at Winnipeg, TBD, TBD *-if necessary 1925 — Lou Gehrig bats for Pee Wee Wanninger in the eighth inning and replaces Wally Pipp at first base to start his streak of 2,130 consecutive games. 1946 — Assault, ridden by Warren Merhtens, wins the Belmont Stakes to become the seventh horse to capture the Triple Crown. 1968 — Stage Door Johnny, ridden by Heliodoro Gustines, wins the Belmont Stakes in a record time of 2:27 1-5 and spoils the Triple Crown bid of Forward Pass, who finishes 1 1/4 lengths behind. 1975 — Nolan Ryan of the California Angels pitches his fourth no-hitter to tie Sandy Koufax’s record, beating the Baltimore Orioles 1-0. 1975 — Kathy Whitworth wins the LPGA tournament by one stroke over Sandra Haynie. 1986 — Pat Bradley wins the LPGA tournament and becomes the first to win all four major women’s tournaments, beating Patty Sheehan by one stroke. 1992 — The Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup for the second straight year, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 for a four-game sweep. 1996 — The LSU women win their 10th consecutive NCAA track team title with 81 points, the longest victory string in women’s college sports. 2002 — Detroit advances to the Stanley Cup finals for the fourth time in eight years with a 7-0 win over Colorado in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. Colorado becomes the first NHL team to play in four consecutive Game 7s. Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek sets an NHL record by recording his fifth shutout of the playoffs. 2004 — Detroit and Indiana combine for just 60 first-half points in the Pistons’ 69-65 victory, breaking the NBA playoff record of 62 set by the Pistons and Nets during the second round. 2008 — Hillary Will is the 11th woman in NHRA history to win a national event when she takes the Top Fuel event at the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals. Will drives her dragster to a 4.744-second run at a top speed of 304.53 mph, beating No. 1 qualifier Larry Dixon for her first career win in Top Fuel. 2010 — French Open upset specialist Robin Soderling strikes again, rallying past defending champion Roger Federer in a rainy quarterfinal, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. The loss ends Federer’s record streak of reaching the semifinals in 23 consecutive major events. 2012 — Jonathan Crawford pitches the seventh no-hitter in NCAA tournament history, shutting down Bethune-Cookman in a 4-0 victory in the opener of the Gainesville Regional. 2012 — Alex Miklos hits a go-ahead RBI triple in the 21st inning as Kent State outlasts Kentucky 7-6 in the second-longest game in NCAA tournament history. Chris Taylor’s epic at-bat against the Cardinals was baseball beauty for the Bleed Blue faithful. Watch it here. Until next time... That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Lakers-Clippers playoff roundtable: Which L.A. team has the best shot to advance?

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-06-01/lakers-clippers-roundtable-nba-playoffs

The NBA postseason began with a spirited debate about whether the Clippers had intentionally slipped to the No. 4 seed at the end of the regular season to defer a matchup with the Lakers—a team that had to play its way into the postseason—until the back half of the playoffs. Forget a Staples Showdown; both Los Angeles teams now find themselves in survival mode as they head into Game 5 of their series this week, though headed in opposite directions. The Lakers not only lost Game 4 to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, they will also be without a healthy Anthony Davis, regardless of whether he’s cleared to play tonight. The Clippers, given up for toast after consecutive home losses to the Dallas Mavericks to start their series, have since found their groove, outscoring the Mavericks 213-159 since falling behind 30-11 in Game 3. Ahead of tonight’s Lakers-Suns matchup and tomorrow’s Clippers-Mavericks showdown, Times executive sports editor Christian Stone moderated a playoff roundtable with staff writers Brad Turner, who covers the Lakers, and Andrew Grief, who’s on the Clippers beat. Stone: Andrew, we’ll start with you. I was struck by this line in our colleague Dylan Hernández’s (very good) column on Monday: “In a matter of hours Sunday, the Clippers replaced the Lakers as the Los Angeles team most likely to advance to the next round.” That’s a bit of whiplash from, say, five days ago, but I think it captures the city’s mood as both teams head into Game 5. Agree? Disagree? Greif: Yes, I nodded when reading Dylan’s observation. Injuries are of course the largest reason why I agree: Anthony Davis is in pain, Chris Paul is making those elbow jumpers like nothing ever happened to his shoulder, and Luka Doncic spent Game 4 wincing against the Clippers because of his neck pain. But, in the case of Clippers-Mavericks, I think injuries aren’t the full reason why Doncic smacked himself in the forehead with a water bottle Sunday out of frustration. The Clippers have their own hurt contributor (center Serge Ibaka spent the last four days tweeting from his “voodoo room” in L.A.), after all, but more importantly they have surging confidence after methodically outplaying Dallas over the last seven quarters inside a road arena where more than 17,000-plus had shown up prepared to pour dirt on their season. Clippers Kawhi Leonard and Paul George lead the Clippers to a Game 4 defeat of the Mavericks, and the series is looking like it could be over. May 31, 2021 The Clippers were mocked after saying they had “no concern” after falling behind 2-0 in this series, but it was in part because coach Tyronn Lue felt he’d finally understood how to attack Dallas after two games. Plan, meet execution: Paul George is averaging 25.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 61.7% on twos in the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard is averaging 33.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists while making 68.5% of his shots inside the arc and 47.6% outside. Stone: BT is on a Lakers videoconference as I write this, so I’m going to stay with Andrew here. It’s easy to scream “regression to the mean” after the fact, but ... REGRESSION TO THE MEAN! Yes, the Mavs got too many easy scores in the first 104 minutes of this series, but a lot of those threes were contested threes. It was unsustainable — what was it, 51% from beyond the arc — and the Clippers had to know that, right? Greif: They knew it, not that it probably gave them much solace as the Mavericks kept it up into the first minutes of Game 3 hitting … every … single … shot. But, in the paraphrased words of Tyronn Lue, the thought was, let’s see if Dallas can keep this up for an entire series. Just as Games 1 and 2 were outlier shooting performances in Dallas’ favor, Game 4 went the other way, proving Lue’s hunch correct that the Mavericks would have to cool off at some point. They made a ridiculous 42 of their 74 shots in Games 1 and 2 when the defender was considered “very tight” or “tight.” In two games since, Dallas is shooting 31 for 82 in the same circumstances. Why the change? It’s not just luck. His smaller lineups have done a better job switching and staying near shooters. Stone: BT, same question I posed to Andrew about the line in Dylan’s column about how, heading into Game 5, the Clippers have replaced the Lakers as the Los Angeles team most likely to advance to the next round. Thoughts? Turner: Let’s keep it 100: Whenever Dylan writes about any L.A. team, it’s always “the end is near.” But my dude does raise an interesting point. If Anthony Davis is not able to play because of a strained groin — he’s listed as questionable for Game 5 and day to day for the rest of the series — it will be a tall task for the Lakers to advance. Can a 36-year-old LeBron James carry the Lakers past a tough Suns team without running mate Davis? James will have to be the best player on the court for that to happen. He’ll have to lead the Lakers in scoring and assists. Wouldn’t put that past him, but he needs help from “the others,” as Shaq calls role players. Lakers It’s unclear if Lakers star Anthony Davis will play in Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns, but his teammates remain confident they can win without him. May 31, 2021 Here is one big problem for the Lakers: three-point shooting. They have been horrendous, making just 29.1% of their treys. The Lakers have been very good on defense. They are just having a hard time scoring against a good Suns defense. Watching the Clippers play with such force and a dominant personality on defense is something they have to maintain to advance. Having covered the NBA playoffs for all these years, one knows the momentum can change so fast and it doesn’t always last. Game 5 for both teams will be fun to watch. Stone: I think BT is correct when he talks about how quickly momentum can pivot. Here one day, gone the next. But at this point, I have a hard time envisioning the Mavs winning the series for this reason: the ease with which the Clippers are getting to the basket. Andrew, fill in the blank, Dallas’s rim protection … Greif: … Has inspired such little fear that Ty Lue has called the Clippers’ offensive strategy “get to the paint or die trying.” The Clippers were not all that good at getting to the rim for well past the midway point of the regular season. In terms of shot attempts within five feet, they’re still only in the middle of the pack among playoff teams too. But what happens when the Clippers have gotten there is interesting: 71% shooting. That’s a full 9 percentage points better than their accuracy within five feet in the regular season. Kawhi Leonard made nine of his 11 shots in the paint in Game 4. Sports The Lakers and Clippers open the NBA playoffs on May 22-23. Here’s a guide to the Los Angeles Times’ complete coverage. May 21, 2021 Spacing out Dallas with the smaller lineup helped open up driving lanes, no doubt, but credit is due to Paul George, in particular, for how much he’s tried to live in the paint when his three-point shooting hasn’t been on. Stone: We’ll close with BT and the big headline today: If Davis is out, or if he’s severely limited, what is the Lakers’ postseason ceiling, even with LeBron at his best? Surely they can win this series, but beyond that, can they win the conference in a best-case scenario? Turner: Hold on now. Let’s not be so quick to say the Lakers can win this seven-game series if Anthony Davis can’t play the rest of it. The Suns are good, very good, and even with an injured Chris Paul (shoulder), they play hard and have the home-court advantage. But say the Lakers get past the Suns, you have to wonder how long can the banged-up Lakers — AD, KCP, LeBron (ankle) — keep pushing forward in the playoffs with so many health issues. Unless Memphis somehow reaches the Western Conference finals, the Lakers will have to start every playoff series on the road, and that’s not easy. The one thing the Lakers have going for them is their defense. They are holding the Suns to 99 points per game, tied for second best in the playoffs. That won’t stop no matter who they play, and it will always give them a chance to win games, or even a series. But if AD’s body can’t hold up, the Lakers’ chances of repeating are nearly impossible.

Why was the mob in L.A. so much quieter than in Chicago or New York?

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/why-was-the-mob-in-l-a-so-much-quieter-than-chicago-or-new-york

Quick, now: When you think of bootleggers, blackmailers, gunsels and hoodlums in natty double-breasted topcoats, what city comes to mind? Chicago, probably. New York, maybe. Detroit, possibly. But surely not Los Angeles. Organized crime, in the place that liked to preen that it was the simon-pure “white spot” of America? Pull up a chair, kids. L.A.’s mobsters were few in number, and maybe they were wearing board shorts under those topcoats — yes, I joke — but organized crime rackets and L.A. go way back together, and also way up, from City Hall and the LAPD, and down to speakeasys, vice dens, gambling joints and brothels. Our sunshine racketeers weren’t Capone-grade, but Al Capone did come to town a couple of times. The first time, in December 1927, he was a guest at the Biltmore Hotel for a day or two before his incognito was blown and the cops hustled him back on a train to Chicago. “I thought you liked tourists!” he complained to The Times then. “Who ever heard of anybody being run out of Los Angeles that had money?” The second time, in 1939, he stayed for about 10 months — as a guest of the federal prison hospital on Terminal Island. From the years before Prohibition until well after the Second World War and even into the Disco Decade — when “gangs” had come to mean drug and street gangs — organized crime ran a full-service range of criminality: kickbacks, loan sharking, extortion, payoffs, shakedowns. And did civic L.A. mount a white horse to drive them out? As if. In the 1920s and beyond, L.A. mobsters found themselves in vigorous criminal competition with the graft operations being run boldly out of the mayor’s office and parts of the LAPD. There were times when Angelenos must have wondered whether the police “vice squad” was for vice or against it. Explaining L.A. With Patt Morrison Los Angeles is a complex place. In this weekly feature, Patt Morrison is explaining how it works, its history and its culture. L.A.’s criminal backstory gets mugshot-detailed scrutiny in a new book, “Los Angeles Underworld,” a kind of illustrated scrapbook of organized crime and its civic cousin. Its central figure is Jack Dragna, a man The Times once said was “perhaps the only classic ‘godfather’ that the city has ever known.” It’s written by Avi Bash and J. Michael Niotta — Dragna’s great-grandson. L.A. had far fewer Italians than did New York, but Sicilians like Dragna “came out West because either they were on the lam, or because they were ranchers or farmers as they had been back in Sicily,” Niotta told me. “The climate in Southern California was very similar to Sicily. And before Prohibition, I wouldn’t say it was an organization so much as maybe local criminals and loose confederations. Prohibition is what gave them a reason to organize and come together.” If they were going to keep the money coming in, they had to come together to deal with another mob called “the Combination,” “the Spring Street clique” — officials who used the authority of City Hall to profit from the same criminal delights that enriched the mob, sometimes working in competition, sometimes hand in glove. Joe Domanick, an authority on the LAPD’s history, described it in The Times: “The LAPD’s central vice squad was on the take; and a loose, organized-crime syndicate was protected by the top aide of Mayor George Cryer. It wasn’t violent, big-time, high-profile, Chicago-style organized crime. But its corrupting influence was just as real.” In the next decade, Mayor Frank Shaw ratcheted up the racket. He scammed city projects and contracts, and his brother sold the answers to LAPD hiring exams to candidates he favored. The long-gone magazine Liberty wrote in 1940 that in the 20 years before Shaw was recalled, in 1938, “the city of Los Angeles had been, almost uninterruptedly, run by an underworld government invisible to the average citizen.” When the mob wasn’t competing with City Hall profiteers, it was paying them off. A 1937 grand jury minority report by some city reformers made it plain: “[A] portion of the underworld profits have been used in financing campaigns [of] . . . city and county officials in vital positions . . . [While] the district attorney’s office, sheriff’s office, and Los Angeles Police Department work in complete harmony and never interfere with . . . important figures in the underworld.” Like a dissatisfied customer posting a Yelp rating, mobster Tony Cornero, whose happenin’ offshore gambling ships were the recent subject of a Times article, was said to have complained that he wasn’t getting the police protection he had paid for. Prohibition in California had leveraged small-time operators into the big leagues. Because the Volstead Act — the operating manual for Prohibition — arguably loopholed 200 gallons of “non-intoxicating ciders and fruit juices” for an individual’s personal use, wink-wink, men like Dragna earned the gratitude of Inland Empire wine-grape growers by buying up and brokering grapes for the newly furtive wine trade. The mob added hard liquor to its menu, which amped up the hardcore crime and intra-gang battles it took to protect the bootleg racket, into the mix with prostitution, gambling and the like. If things didn’t get too bloody too publicly, the city and the mob could keep a lid on things. “As long as it was quiet, no bloodshed in the streets,” Niotta figures, “then it was fine, because [L.A.] wanted to have this image of a family-friendly, fun, touristy place. But they also wanted these vices discreetly.” But if crime got overloud, and moral crusaders demanded a banners-flying campaign against vice, the blue uniforms in the “white spot” city obligingly went in for crime theater and made enough penny-ante busts — couples drinking hooch in parked cars, random hapless hookers, sidewalk craps players, Italian families pouring Chianti at Sunday suppers — to quiet the indignant. California Native American settlements were first, and then the rancho system -- Spanish then Mexican land grants throughout California -- were built atop and near those settlements and still shape our geography and place names. May 4, 2021 The big fish kept getting bigger. After World War II especially, racketeers moved in on the popularity of restaurants and nightclubs. They leaned on the owners, or owned clubs themselves. Dragna’s Club Alabam, says his great-grandson, earned him a snazzy reputation as a “cafe man.” Nightclubs attracted movie stars, and the movies attracted the mob the way they attracted everyone else. Even in his abbreviated stay here, Capone managed to take a tour of stars’ homes. A good-looking fellow named Johnny Rosselli was organized crime’s point man for its studio shakedowns. (One of Rosselli’s criminal stage names was Jimmy Hendricks.) He pulled the strings of some studio unions to extort moguls with the threat of strikes — eventually he was convicted of extortion — but he was enough of a creature of Hollywood himself that he married an actress and produced a couple of crime films. He never got closer than his shoe-leather to a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, but you have to hand it to the man: He does have an IMDb listing. Niotta thinks that it was L.A.’s almost idiotically complex civic sprawl — so many cities, so many city council members, so many cops and sheriffs — that paradoxically helped to keep organized crime from getting any more organized. It was just too expensive to recruit and pay off enough people in every city and police enforcement agency, “so if you were paying off the cops in [one] area, there’s always another pair of hands.” Courageous clean-government crusaders began to sanitize L.A. city government, but organized crime didn’t flag. A new generation of Italian and Jewish mobsters found L.A. to be fun and profitable. This was the legendary age of the West Coast mob: Dragna and the glamorous Bugsy Siegel elbowing into the racing news wire racket before Siegel was rubbed out — perhaps for not delivering on his big Las Vegas plans; Dragna trying to rub out Mickey Cohen for defying him. And all the while, legalized vices in Nevada were beginning to leach the dirty lucre out of L.A. After Siegel’s murder, The Times editorialized sternly that Los Angeles was “No Winter Resort for Racketeers.” Dragna was more than 25 years in his grave when Daryl F. Gates, the chief of the LAPD, summoned a news conference in the fall of 1984 and triumphantly announced a score of bookmaking conspiracy arrests, including the local mob capo, in Operation Lightweight. “We feel the name is appropriate because organized crime is such a lightweight in Southern California,” said the chief, with the note of acid mockery that reporters knew well. As for mob families, he taunted them as the “Mickey Mouse Mafia.” By 1996, the California attorney general’s report on “Organized Crime in California” dwelled on the dangers of Russian mobsters and Asian street gangs, and was practically dismissive of “traditional” organized crime as “ineffective for many years because it has not been able to enforce its territorial control” here. California In Southern California, an area code can say a lot about a person. Are you a 310, a 213 or a 323? What does it mean if you have a 562 or an 818? Jan. 26, 2021 And it’s true, too, that, as Domanick pointed out, the corrupt decades of civic and mob crime in L.A. did ultimately beget the city’s clean-government protections like the civil service, and the commission and weak-mayor systems it has today. Through all of his rummaging into his family’s history, Niotta found some personal solace in an FBI file he came across quoting an informant who said, in Niotta’s words, that Dragna had been “disgusted by the fact that the Mexican border was being used by the syndicate for narcotics. And he went back to New York and spoke to the [mafia families] commission about it. He was definitely against narcotics.” Niotta was born long after Dragna died, but what, if he were given the chance, would be the one question he’d like to put to L.A.’s perhaps-classic godfather? It took him a moment. “I’ve got about a million questions. If I could only ask one, I would ask one word: Why?” California L.A. is a place like no other. You’ve got questions. Patt Morrison probably has answers and can definitely find out. Jan. 12, 2021

Horse racing newsletter: Great finish to Hollywood Gold Cup

https://www.latimes.com/sports/newsletter/2021-06-01/hollywood-gold-cup-horse-racing

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as Santa Anita holds its last Grade 1s of the meeting. Let’s start with a brief report from Belmont Park in advance of Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. The information was obtained from the NYRA press office. Trainer Brad Cox has the presumptive favorite in Essential Quality, who finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby despite a troubled trip. “This horse has put us in this position and we feel very fortunate to be a part of it,” Cox told the NYRA communications staff. “He’s accomplished so much already, being a champion 2-year-old. But at some point, he’ll be retired to stud and it’s our job now to continue to add to his legacy. A Grade 1 win at 3 [years old] is going to be huge for this horse and we’re hopeful it can happen in the Belmont.” “It’s a great feeling to be in this position and have a realistic shot,” Cox said. “He gives us a fantastic opportunity on Saturday.” Not particularly revelatory stuff, but you’ve got it nonetheless. Essential Quality was expected to arrive at Belmont on Tuesday morning. In the other news on Monday, Keepmeinmind will be skipping the Belmont Stakes and instead be pointed to the Belmont Derby, a turf race, on July 10. Agamemnon, a 4-year-old gelding, suffered a catastrophic injury in Monday’s third race, a six-furlong allowance turf race for Cal-breds. He was near the sixteenth pole when he suffered the injury to one of his front legs. The damage was so severe he was immediately euthanized. It was the ninth death at Santa Anita since the season started on Dec. 27 and the seventh racing. It was the first fatality since April 19. Agamemnon was trained by Ron McAnally. It was the eighth lifetime start for the horse, who had won two races and $70,800. Three Grade 1s. That’s good on any day. Let’s review them. Grade 1 $300,000 Shoemaker Mile: Smooth Like Strait put on an impressive gate-to-wire performance while winning the turf race by 1½ and earning a spot in the Breeders’ Cup (Turf) Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 6. The 4-year-old colt went right to the lead and was contested every stride until the top of the stretch when he put things in gear and won effortlessly. Smooth Like Strait paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.20. Say the Word was second, followed by Restrainedvengence, Next Shares, Whisper Not and Crossfirehurricane. Michael McCarthy (winning trainer): “[Monday] feels very gratifying because the horse shows up and runs hard every time. I don’t think he was getting the respect he deserved earlier in the year, but he showed up and put together a nice campaign. He was so relaxed for [jockey] Umberto [Rispoli] out there today. The horse responded beautifully to Umberto, they have become quite the partnership. I’m super happy for the horse and the connections. I’ve had an immense amount of faith in this horse all along, and I really believe that there are big things coming for him later in the year.” Rispoli (winning jockey): “I was just waiting for a Grade 1 for this horse; he deserves so much. So does the owner, Michael Cannon. He deserves it, he tries hard every time with me, we have some feedback after the races, he’s always positive. He always says, ‘Don’t worry, we’re gonna go to the Breeders’ Cup’. … I’m so glad for Michael (McCarthy) and the groom, who treats him like a son, also the work rider, they do an amazing job with this horse. He’s so clever, so smart, he deserves a Grade 1.” Grade 1 $300,000 Hollywood Gold Cup: Trainer Bob Baffert picked up his eighth Hollywood Gold Cup win as Country Grammer outbattled Royal Ship down the stretch to win the 1¼-mile race by a head. The last time the two horses met, in the Californian, Royal Ship won by a neck. Country Grammer paid $5.60, $3.20 and $2.60. Royal Ship was second, followed by Express Train, Rushie, Heywoods Beach, Two Thirty Five and Brown Storm. Baffert (winning trainer): “Elliot Walden and WinStar bought him to bring to California because they figured 1¼ mile was his distance. His form on the dirt was really good last year. It looked like he was beat today, but he kicked it in. I’m so happy for WinStar Group. It’s exciting. He ran a big race last time and just got beat. He was really ready to go today and I think the distance was the key. He got it done with a lot of class and determination.” Flavien Prat (winning jockey): “He ran super well. He broke well and I was able to get myself in a good spot. I was a little bit worried when I saw Mike Smith [aboard Royal Ship] on the outside of me, I wish I could have kept him inside. Mike took the lead on me, but my horse was really game to come back.” Grade 1 $300,000 Gamely Stakes: The final Grade 1 of the Santa Anita meeting was won by longshot Maxim Rate in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares. Maxim Rate came late on the outside to win by a half-length. Maxim Rate paid $29.80, $12.00 and $7.40. La Signare was second, followed by Bodhicitta, Keeper Ofthe Stars, Going to Vegas, Charmaine’s Mia and Red Lark. Simon Callaghan (winning trainer): “We knew she was training really well coming into this race. We felt that the setup will be perfect. A mile and an eighth, back here in California I think is totally her game. We had some speed to run at and it actually turned out exactly how we wrote up the race before. The Grade 1 was our main aim and to pull it off is fantastic. … Now we’ll just space the races out and it will be nice to get to the Breeders’ Cup.” Juan Hernandez (winning jockey): “I just watched a couple of replays of her. It looked like she was a really nice filly. She broke out of there, really clean break, she relaxed really well for me. She’s a very classy filly, you can do whatever you want with her. I had a really good trip all the race and I just waited for the quarter pole to start working on her and when I asked her to go she took off. She’s a very nice filly.” Enjoying this newsletter? Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. A look at graded stakes or races worth $100,000 on Monday. Belmont (3): $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes, NY-bred fillies 3-years-old, 7 furlongs. Winner: Betsy Blue ($8.10) Belmont (4): $200,000 Commentator Stakes, NY-breds 3 and up, 1 mile. Winner: Bankit ($6.90) Belmont (6): $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes, NY-bred fillies and mares 4 and up, 1 mile on turf. Winner: Robin Sparkles ($2.70) Belmont (7): $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes, NY-bred 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs. Winner: River Dog ($3.60) Belmont (8): $125,000 Kingston Stakes, NY-breds 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Winner: Vintage Hollywood ($6.90) Belmont (9): $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes, NY-bred fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 mile. Winner: Bank Sting ($10.40) Lone Star (7): $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Winner: Our Iris Rose ($48.40) 4:01 Lone Star (8): $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge Stakes, 3 and up, 5 furlongs on turf. Favorite: Archidust (9-5) Santa Anita (7): Grade 1 $300,000 Shoemaker Mile, 3 and up, 1 mile on turf. Winner: Smooth Like Strait ($3.40) Lone Star (9): $300,000 Texas Derby, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Warrant ($7.80) Santa Anita (8): Grade 1 $300,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, 3 and up, 1 ¼ miles. Winner: Country Grammer ($5.60) Lone Star (10): $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff, fillies and mare 3 and up, 1 mile on turf. Winner: Laura’s Light ($3.60) Santa Anita (9): Grade 1 $300,000 Gamely Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles on turf. Winner: Maxim Rate ($29.80) Lone Star (11): Grade 3 $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes, 3 and up, 1 mile. Winner: Mo Mosa ($48.60) A final thought I love getting new readers of this newsletter, and you certainly can’t beat the price. If you like it, tell someone. If you don’t like it, you’re probably not reading this.Either way, send this along to a friend, and just have them click here to sign up. Remember, it’s free, and all we need is your email address, nothing more.Any thoughts, you can reach me at john.cherwa@latimes.com. You can also feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa. Now, the star of the show, Monday’s results. We’ll be back on Friday. Santa Anita Charts Results for Monday, May 31. Copyright 2021 by Equibase Company. Reproduction prohibited. Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 70th day of a 81-day meet. Clear & Firm FIRST RACE. 1 1/8 Mile Turf. Purse: $63,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000. Time 23.73 48.47 1:13.00 1:36.78 1:48.52 Winner–Coast of Roan Ch.g.5 by James Street out of Susan B Good, by Good Journey. Bred by Ed Delaney (CA). Trainer: Doug F. O'Neill. Owner: Ed Delaney. Mutuel Pool $273,547 Exacta Pool $147,728 Superfecta Pool $61,087 Super High Five Pool $58,909 Trifecta Pool $100,764. Scratched–none. COAST OF ROAN stalked the pacesetter from inside, shifted to the two path around the far turn, bid outside nearing the stretch, put in a head in front at the sixteenth pole then was floated out by MEMO DADDY and held over the runner-up. ASTRONAUT broke out and bumped rival at the start, tucked inside early, came out into the stretch, rallied and was gaining rapidly. MEMO DADDY (CHI) took control early from inside, responded when challenged into the lane, held a short lead to the mid-stretch then drifted out some and yielded grudgingly. SECRET CLUB came away slow, took the first turn three then two wide, angled to the inside on the backstretch, saved ground into the lane and closed well along the rail. LURE HIM IN was in range racing off the rail, took aim three wide outside the top pair leaving the second bend and lacked the needed late kick in deep stretch. IRISH HEATWAVE bumped at the start, raced between rivals then angled four to five wide into the lane, drifted inward in the stretch and failed to rally. AVIGALE (IRE) broke out and bumped rival, reserved in the early going, raced outside a rival then angled to the rail on the far turn and made no impact. BIG BUZZ got bumped leaving the gate, tracked three wide around the first turn, four to five wide into the stretch and lacked further response. CLAYTON DELANEY stalked the leader outside a rival, dropped back between rivals on the far turn and tired. SECOND RACE. 6 Furlongs. Purse: $61,000. Maiden Special Weight. 3 year olds and up. Time 22.07 45.70 58.46 1:11.41 Winner–Kahuna Magic Dbb.c.3 by Into Mischief out of Katie's Garden, by Elusive Quality. Bred by Mr. & Mrs. J. S. Moss (KY). Trainer: John A. Shirreffs. Owner: Jerome S. Moss. Mutuel Pool $261,643 Daily Double Pool $57,290 Exacta Pool $130,762 Superfecta Pool $54,931 Trifecta Pool $89,653. Scratched–none. KAHUNA MAGIC stalked the front quartet into and around the turn, eased out into the stretch, drew alongside BRUTTO with a sixteenth remaining and overhauled that rival for the score. BRUTTO broke awkwardly, chased outside the top trio, went four wide through the turn, struck the front approaching the eighth pole, cleared briefly then was tested by KAHUNA MAGIC in the final sixteenth and could not hold on. TRAINER PLEASE broke in and bumped rival at the start, vied for the lead from inside to the lane, lost command in upper stretch and stayed on to secure the show. DERBY PROSPECT vied for command three deep and weakened in the final furlong. MONGOLIAN FORD vied between rivals into and around the turn then gave way in the stretch. DONCIC stumbled a bit and got bumped in the beginning, settled at the back off the inside, raced three wide into the turn, four wide into the drive, lacked further response, was eased in the stretch and walked off. THIRD RACE. 6 Furlongs Turf. Purse: $63,000. Allowance. 3 year olds and up. Time 22.26 45.09 57.01 1:08.95 Winner–Perfectionistic Dbb.c.4 by Vronsky out of Seasontoperfection, by Poteen. Bred by Old English Rancho (CA). Trainer: Philip D'Amato. Owner: The Ellwood Johnston Trust, Baze, Ashley, Hilvers, Mary, Hilvers, Peter and Tevelde, Ken. Mutuel Pool $411,151 Daily Double Pool $29,105 Exacta Pool $223,292 Superfecta Pool $87,882 Super High Five Pool $6,726 Trifecta Pool $148,342. Scratched–none. 50-Cent Pick Three (2-4-8) paid $168.35. Pick Three Pool $82,311. PERFECTIONISTIC unhurried in the beginning, came out into the stretch, rallied and got up in time. TOO LATE stalked the pace outside a rival, bid outside in upper stretch, led late and got nailed by the winner. POSTERIZE sped clear and angled to the inside, roused nearing the stretch, held a narrow lead with a furlong to go but got outkicked in the late stages. SINGLE ME OUT raced off the pace early on, went two wide into the turn, exited three wide, went between rivals at the eighth pole and finished well. HIT THE SEAM raced off the rail while in range, took the turn four wide wide, chased through the drive but needed to find more in deep stretch. EUSTACE tracked the pace from inside, cut the corner into the stretch and lacked the needed late punch. DESERT SWARM closest in pursuit up the backstretch, went two wide around the turn and weakened. AGAMEMNON settled on the inside, remained near the rail in the stretch, was injured inside the sixteenth pole and vanned off. FOURTH RACE. 1 Mile. Purse: $24,000. Starter Allowance. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $12,500. Time 24.03 47.41 1:11.39 1:23.83 1:36.79 Winner–Colosi B.g.6 by City Zip out of Accept, by Good Reward. Bred by Tracy Farmer (KY). Trainer: Mark Glatt. Owner: Agnew, Dan J. and Cohen, Mark L.. Mutuel Pool $302,496 Daily Double Pool $39,007 Exacta Pool $166,950 Superfecta Pool $92,957 Trifecta Pool $143,436. Scratched–Conquest Cobra. 50-Cent Pick Three (4-8-5) paid $173.20. Pick Three Pool $46,231. COLOSI was forwardly placed off the inside, chased the leader two wide into the lane, drew alongside and gained command mid-stretch and drove clear. CONTAGION raced along the inside then angled out around the clubhouse turn, came three wide into the drive, rallied and got up for second. STUDLY PERFECTION sped to the front and was a bit rank on the first turn, set all the pace to the stretch, lost command mid-stretch and lost the place. RINSE AND REPEAT stalked the leader from inside, dropped to mid-pack on the backstretch, entered the lane two wide and could not rally. SWAMP SOUFFLE went two then three wide around the first turn, tracked outside a rival, entered the lane two wide and was never a factor. TIZONA stumbled leaving the gate, traveled two wide around the first turn, stayed in the two path into the second bend, drifted four wide into the stretch and came up empty. FIFTH RACE. 6½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $61,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Time 23.29 45.69 1:10.01 1:16.50 Winner–Thrilling B.f.3 by Uncle Mo out of Together (IRE), by Galileo (IRE). Bred by Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY). Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy. Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC. Mutuel Pool $501,662 Daily Double Pool $50,404 Exacta Pool $325,980 Superfecta Pool $122,752 Trifecta Pool $184,122 X-5 Super High Five Pool $4,098. Scratched–none. 50-Cent Pick Three (8-5-3) paid $67.10. Pick Three Pool $141,521. 50-Cent Pick Four (4-8-5-3) 164 tickets with 4 correct paid $1,387.75. Pick Four Pool $298,216. 50-Cent Pick Five (2-4-8-5-3) 69 tickets with 5 correct paid $9,810.95. Pick Five Pool $785,721. THRILLING set the pace up the backstretch under pressure, dueled around the turn, shook free in upper stretch, inched away then held late. QUEEN OFTHE TEMPLE chased off the inside then between runners, angled four wide leaving the turn, got floated out in the lane, rallied late and edged RED DIAMOND for second. RED DIAMOND got bumped at the start, settled in mid-pack, drifted out upper stretch, rallied and was outkicked for the place. BUY AMERICAN reserved in the early going, angled out upper stretch and finished willingly. BURGOO ALLEY (IRE) hesitated and broke slow, chased along the inside then two wide into the stretch and finished willingly along the rail. WHAT A FEELING stalked in the two path to the stretch, tipped out in the lane and lacked a serious bid. CIELO D'ORO was in range early, went four wide into the turn, exited five wide, came out in upper stretch and kept on through the final furlong. KALON pressed the pace from outside, dueled for command around the turn, lost contact with the winner in upper stretch and flattened in the late stages. SPEEDCUBER broke in and bumped rival, sat off the pace outside rivals, went three deep into the turn, three wide into the stretch and failed to threaten. THE PHARAOH'S GIRL angled in on the turn and was never a factor. SOCIALLY SMART got bumped on both sides at the start, raced in range outside a rival, dropped back on the turn and tired. PEACEFIELD jumped the track crossing surfaces early, dropped to the back and trailed into the turn, went two wide into the lane and never threatened. SIXTH RACE. 6½ Furlongs. Purse: $65,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $62,500. Time 22.48 44.85 1:09.73 1:16.42 Winner–Ground Attack B.g.7 by Surf Cat out of Stardust Magic, by Grand Slam. Bred by Bruce Headley (CA). Trainer: Karen Headley. Owner: Estate of Bruce Headley, Barnhart, Nancy and Foxx, Roxana. Mutuel Pool $365,645 Daily Double Pool $37,091 Exacta Pool $149,620 Superfecta Pool $48,996 Trifecta Pool $96,355. Scratched–Manhattan Up. 50-Cent Pick Three (5-3-2) paid $221.20. Pick Three Pool $70,464. GROUND ATTACK pressed the pace from inside then dueled into the turn, held a short lead through the bend and into the stretch, cleared with a furlong to go and fended off the runner-up. SURFING STAR chased the top pair outside a rival, went three then four wide around the turn, closed from outside but was not enough to get by the winner. SPEED PASS set the pace under pressure from inside, dueled leaving the backstretch and around the turn, fought to upper stretch but could not match strides with the top pair in the final furlong but stayed on to hold third. THANKS MR. EIDSON hopped slightly at the start and came away a bit slow, was reserved behind the field up the backstretch, angled to the rail on the turn and could not rally. DESSMAN was off slow to begin, went up outside the top pair then chased two wide into the turn, came three wide into the lane and flattened out. SEVENTH RACE. 1 Mile Turf. Purse: $300,000. 'Shoemaker Mile Stakes'. 3 year olds and up. Time 23.46 46.43 1:10.09 1:22.04 1:34.19 Winner–Smooth Like Strait B.c.4 by Midnight Lute out of Smooth as Usual, by Flower Alley. Bred by Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY). Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy. Owner: Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC. Mutuel Pool $473,571 Daily Double Pool $49,099 Exacta Pool $178,047 Superfecta Pool $64,268 Trifecta Pool $114,166. Scratched–Raymundos Secret. 50-Cent Pick Three (3-2-2) paid $69.60. Pick Three Pool $80,991. SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT vied for the lead from inside, held a short lead to the far turn, cleared at the five-sixteenths, drew away in upper stretch and held safely under right-handed urging. SAY THE WORD raced off the pace in the two path or outside a rival, exited the far turn three wide, raced four wide upper stretch, finished well and closed the gap on the winner late. RESTRAINEDVENGENCE pressed from between, could not keep pace around the far turn, chased from inside into the stretch and held the show. NEXT SHARES settled on the inside, moved into the two path leaving the far turn then three wide in upper stretch and finished evenly. WHISPER NOT (GB) vied for the lead three deep, chased the winner two wide past the five-sixteenths and weakened. CROSSFIREHURRICANE was off slow to begin, tucked inside early, entered the stretch two wide and never made an impact. EIGHTH RACE. 1¼ Mile. Purse: $300,000. 'Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes'. 3 year olds and up. Time 22.92 47.16 1:12.09 1:37.18 2:02.23 Winner–Country Grammer B.c.4 by Tonalist out of Arabian Song, by Forestry. Bred by Scott Pierce & Debbie Pierce (KY). Trainer: Bob Baffert. Owner: WinStar Farm LLC. Mutuel Pool $516,821 Daily Double Pool $50,698 Exacta Pool $230,686 Superfecta Pool $82,326 Super High Five Pool $27,149 Trifecta Pool $132,847. Scratched–none. 50-Cent Pick Three (2-2-2) paid $25.00. Pick Three Pool $66,924. COUNTRY GRAMMER brushed from outside early, stalked three wide early, applied pressure near the half-mile marker, headed rival leaving the backstretch and took over at the three-eighths, put away inside rival then dueled with ROYAL SHIP, lost command at the top of the stretch, fought back through the lane and dug in late edge the runner-up. ROYAL SHIP (BRZ) tracked three deep and between foes into the first turn, moved closer up the backstretch, bid three deep on the far turn and dueled into the stretch, gained command at the top of the lane, continued to battle with COUNTRY GRAMMER through the final furlong and got outkicked in the closing moments. EXPRESS TRAIN broke out, raced four deep then came five wide into the lane and outkicked RUSHIE for the show honors. RUSHIE stumbled at the start, angled to the inside, steered four wide into the stretch and got outfinished for the show. HEYWOODS BEACH got bumped into rival early, chased from between, was put in tight by inside and rival and steadied at the five-sixteenths, came four wide into the stretch and could not rally. TWO THIRTY FIVE came in and bumped rival early, raced four wide around the first turn, traveled four wide into the second bend then entered the lane six wide and had little left. BROWN STORM (CHI) got bumped between rivals early, vied for the lead then cleared first time through the stretch, angled in and set the pace along the rail, lost command at the three-eighths pole, lost ground through the far turn and faded in the drive. NINTH RACE. 1 1/8 Mile Turf. Purse: $300,000. 'Gamely Stakes'. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Time 22.82 45.94 1:09.86 1:34.36 1:46.61 Winner–Maxim Rate Grr.m.5 by Exchange Rate out of Catch My Eye, by Unbridled's Song. Bred by Fred W. Hertrich lll & John D. Fielding (KY). Trainer: Simon Callaghan. Owner: Slam Dunk Racing, Stable Currency LLC and Branham, James D.. Mutuel Pool $592,770 Daily Double Pool $174,264 Exacta Pool $266,800 Super High Five Jackpot Pool $23,203 Superfecta Pool $104,078 Trifecta Pool $169,082. Scratched–Raymundos Secret, Stela Star (IRE). 50-Cent Pick Three (2-2-7) paid $52.55. Pick Three Pool $279,981. 50-Cent Pick Four (2-2-2-7) 1372 tickets with 4 correct paid $438.85. Pick Four Pool $788,751. 50-Cent Pick Five (3-2-2-2-7) 178 tickets with 5 correct paid $3,726.05. Pick Five Pool $867,860. 20-Cent Pick Six Jackpot (5-3-2-2-2-7) 33 tickets with 6 correct paid $6,522.30. Pick Six Jackpot Pool $400,205. Pick Six Jackpot Carryover $353,386. MAXIM RATE raced outside a rival while in range, took aim three wide leaving the far turn, bid three deep in upper stretch and proved best late. LA SIGNARE (FR) tracked from inside early on, moved out into the stretch, angled out further in the lane, closed well and was gaining to the wire. BODHICITTA (GB) settled off the pace and angled to the inside, exited the far turn three wide, angled out further with a furlong to go and summoned a mild late bid. KEEPER OFTHE STARS was closest to the leader early, applied pressure leaving the backstretch, challenged around the far turn and into the stretch but faltered in deep stretch. GOING TO VEGAS stalked the pace from inside, tipped off the rail in the stretch and lacked further response. CHARMAINE'S MIA set pace from inside, maintained a short lead into and around the second bend, roused at the top of the stretch, lost the lead inside the furlong pole and yielded in the final sixteenth. RED LARK (IRE) lagged behind early and steered to the inside, went two wide into the far turn, three wide into the stretch and never threatened.

Biden honors victims of Tulsa Race Massacre at centennial event

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/biden-honor-forgotten-victims-tulsa-race-massacre

President Biden traveled to Tulsa, Okla., on Tuesday to mark a shameful and largely forgotten part of American history, calling for racial reconciliation on the 100th anniversary of the violent destruction of the city’s thriving Black community by a white mob. Biden became the first president to participate in a public remembrance of the 1921 race riot that left hundreds of Black people dead and burned what was known as “Black Wall Street” to the ground. Incited by a local newspaper’s reports that a Black male had been accused of stepping on a white girl’s foot, Tulsa’s white residents and civil society leaders confronted a group of Black Tulsans trying to protect the accused from a lynch mob. The white rioters unleashed violence on a massive scale, looting, setting fire to the Greenwood district and even using small airplanes to drop projectiles on it. “My fellow Americans, this was not a riot,” Biden said before a crowd of roughly 200 people, including many descendants of victims. “This was a massacre — among the worst in our history, but not the only one. And for too long, forgotten by our history.” Describing the events of May 31 and June 1, 1921, in harrowing details — a Black man being dragged to death, a couple being shot in their home, eight churches being burned to the ground, bodies being dumped in mass graves — Biden urged the country to bear witness at long last. “We do ourselves no favors pretending that none of this happened,” he said. “We can’t just learn what we want to know, but what we should know ... the good, the bad ... everything. That’s what great nations do. They come to terms with their dark sides.” The high-profile visit comes amid another national reckoning on race and is in keeping with Biden’s campaign promise to focus on issues of racial equity. It’s a promise that, by its very necessity, underlines the persistence of racism and prejudice in a country founded on the idea of equality. Just last week, Biden played host at the White House to relatives of George Floyd, the Black man killed a year ago when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. But the visit did not coincide with any action by lawmakers, a reminder that the president can achieve only so much alone. Congress has been slow to act on police reform legislation, despite Biden’s urging. And although Democrats are set to take up voting rights legislation this month, they are unlikely to meet the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a GOP filibuster under current Senate rules. Rather than expanding voting rights, many Republican-led states are enacting new laws making it harder for people to cast ballots. Calling those laws an “unprecedented assault on our democracy,” Biden vowed that June would be “a month of action” in Congress on voting rights. He announced that Vice President Kamala Harris would be overseeing the administration’s efforts in that area. Harris, in a statement, said the nearly 400 bills introduced across the country by lawmakers seeking to make voting laws more restrictive are a reaction to the record turnout in 2020 that helped Democrats retake the White House and Senate. “These bills seek to restrict the options that make voting more convenient and accessible, including early voting and vote by mail,” she said. “Our administration will not stand by when confronted with any effort that keeps Americans from voting.” Biden reminded the crowd of his party’s narrow control in the House and Senate. He even mentioned “two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republican friends,” an allusion to Sens. Joe Manchin III and Kyrsten Sinema of West Virginia and Arizona, respectively, who currently stand in the way of any Democratic attempt to circumvent the filibuster by changing Senate rules. Opinion In 1921 a white mob rampaged through the Black Tulsa neighborhood of Greenwood, killing scores and destroying 25 square blocks of businesses and homes. The past is not really past. May 31, 2021 In Tulsa, Biden met privately with three survivors of the massacre, all of whom are more than 100 years old, and toured a new $20-million cultural center and museum erected to mark the attack. Issuing a presidential proclamation Monday declaring a national “day of remembrance,” Biden said discriminatory laws and practices implemented in the aftermath of the riot made it impossible for Black Tulsans to recover and rebuild. They included discriminatory local housing ordinances, redlining by mortgage companies and federal highway projects that forced the razing of homes in Black areas. “The federal government must reckon with and acknowledge the role that it has played in stripping wealth and opportunity from Black communities,” Biden’s proclamation stated. In his speech, Biden announced new measures aimed at narrowing the wealth gap between Black and white people, and reinvesting in underserved communities by expanding access to homeownership and small-business ownership. Sports The Tulsa Race Massacre has been largely glossed over for a century. Russell Westbrook ensures that the story of Black Wall Street will not be forgotten again. May 28, 2021 The administration plans to take steps to address disparities that result in Black-owned homes being appraised at tens of thousands of dollars less than comparable homes owned by whites, as well as issue new federal rules to fight housing discrimination. Additionally, Biden’s White House will direct an additional $100 billion to small, disadvantaged businesses over the next five years, part of an effort to increase the share of federal contracts going to those businesses by 50% over that period. Federal contracting dollars have historically been a foundation for business ownership and development, said Major Clark III, acting chief counsel for the office of advocacy of the Small Business Administration. In 2019, small disadvantaged businesses — defined as at least 51% owned and controlled by a socially or economically disadvantaged person or people — received 10.29%, or $51.6 billion, of federal contracting dollars. Biden’s proposal, Clark said, will “go a long way” in keeping the U.S. economy very competitive and boosting Black businesses. “In order for the economy to grow ... all sectors should have some ability to participate not only in the job part but also in the equity [and] ownership part of this great nation.” But while Biden has expressed his support for a study of potential reparations for Black people whose families were devastated by slavery and the Jim Crow era, he has stopped short of backing direct payments by the government. That said, Biden’s decision to shine a presidential spotlight on Tulsa’s community and its difficult past was praised by citizens and historians who have long sought to illuminate the tragic events. “The mentality of the mob to declare that there would never again be another Black Wall Street in Tulsa, that mentality still survives in many institutions, and unfortunately in many people’s hearts,” Lauren Usher, a descendant of a riot victim, said as she introduced Biden. “He understands that as a nation we are and we must be strong enough to confront the dark periods of our history.” Times staff writer Samantha Masunaga in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Op-Ed: The day Facebook accused me of hate speech

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-06-01/facebook-hate-speech-censorship

There are many things you cannot post on Facebook. You can’t make terrorist threats. You cannot incite a riot. You cannot upload pictures of humans having sex with wombats. You definitely cannot post the words “stupid Americans.” Just like that: the word “stupid” alongside the word “Americans.” I know it seems stupid, but since stupidity is the whole point here, please follow along carefully. About a month ago I uploaded a post that contained the sentence “Yes, Virginia, there are stupid Americans.” Do not ask why I wrote those words. I’m the victim here; I can’t be expected to recall everything. My post had no particular purpose or rationale. What’s the fun of being a humor writer if you can’t be pointlessly irrational now and then? Three minutes later — three minutes — Facebook sent me an alert that my post had been intercepted and blocked from publication. I was then given the option to accept or disagree with the Facebook decision. I was not given the option to speak with an attorney. I chose “Disagree,” as shown here in Exhibit 3. Facebook then sent a reply confirming that I disagreed with its decisions. Just in case I wanted to forget the whole thing or something. Agreeing to disagree apparently wasn’t good enough. Facebook insisted that I explain why I disagreed with its decision to block my post about stupid Americans. This triggered a lengthy exchange about “Community Standards.” Five minutes after submitting my disagreement, Facebook rejected my disagreement. Five minutes. Courts take longer to handle parking violations. I was assigned a case number and a deadline for a final appeal. Then came my arraignment. All appeals are handled by Facebook’s Oversight Board. Clearly, the playing field here was not level, but I stood my ground. It was as if I were sitting on one side of a seesaw and Charles Barkley was sitting on the other. Now we come to my favorite part. Before I had a chance to write “WTF??” (which may or may not be permitted on Facebook), the Oversight Board expanded on its view of “Community Standards,” the rules that I stood accused of violating. The two words “stupid Americans,” it said, constitute hate speech. At least to Facebook they do. It was a standoff. A gunslinger moment. I was on trial without a courtroom. Facebook submitted a series of evidentiary images about Community Standards (Exhibits 8 through 10). I objected again. I assume my objections were considered, but I can’t be sure. I could not hear or see a thing — no judge and no jury of my peers. Nor could I find the courthouse bathrooms. All I remember was a Facebook reply stating that any juxtaposition of the words “stupid” and “Americans” is an offense against the community. It was never clear whether we were discussing my community or Facebook’s. I was pretty sure my community had no standards, let alone any opinions about stupid Americans. Facebook rested its case with a dramatic closing argument about free expression and personal dignity. Facebook was using my own argument against me. I should have objected again, but I was in the bathroom at the time. I should point out that my jury had been seated before my offense occurred. After censoring my post, Facebook sent me the names and contact information for the members of its Oversight Board. I am pretty certain that our nation’s legal system requires that both parties be involved in choosing jurors, and the jury is seated before the trial begins, not after. Hey, I’ve seen all of the John Grisham movies. I scanned the list of names. It included photographs and bios for each member of the Oversight Board along with each member’s experience in sorting hate speech from humorous commentary. This list includes law professors, journalists, a former prime minister of Denmark, a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker. I still have the list in case you wish to contact them. I did not. I had had enough of stupid people for one day. I considered my fate and did what any thinking American would do when faced with the loss of his constitutional rights. I surrendered. I quietly returned to my first post and its original purpose, which by now I had forgotten. I made a few edits so that it no longer read, “Yes, Virginia there are stupid Americans.” The new version read as follows: I never heard from Facebook or its Oversight Board again. I had learned my lesson. Any Facebook post containing the words “stupid Americans” cannot survive Facebook’s “hate speech” test. There may be a good reason for this and, boy, if I knew I wouldn’t be sitting here. I recommend that you alert your friends. It’s possible that some Facebook users would be terrified by the words “stupid Americans,” but I doubt it. I also suspect that the members of Facebook’s Oversight Board dread their role as censors. Most of them strike me as highly accomplished, intelligent people who love their jobs and do not enjoy their role as public censor. God knows there is little enough fun in the world as it is. I also doubt that anyone cares about my joust with Facebook over hate speech. After all, I am but a voice quacking in the void. However, I am certain of one thing. Facebook readers have no reason to fear me or anything I write. The only thing they have to fear is Facebook itself. David Chartrand writes humorous commentary from his home in Olathe, Kan.

Op-Ed: How populism greased the skids for the right wing's conspiracy-mongering paranoia

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-06-01/republican-party-populism-conservative-ideas

Over Memorial Day weekend, Michael Flynn, who briefly served as Donald Trump’s first national security advisor, appeared at a QAnon-affiliated conference in Dallas. During a Q&A session, an audience member asked, “I want to know why what happened in Myanmar can’t happen here.” What happened in Myanmar was an old-fashioned military coup. Flynn replied, “No reason. I mean, it should happen here.” The crowd cheered both the question and the answer. I bring this up not to dwell on the fact that this is disgraceful and dangerous stuff. Flynn, a retired general, has been saying loony things for quite a while. No, I bring this up to ask a different question: Why aren’t more conservatives and elected Republicans more horrified by this and stuff like it? The timing of Flynn’s remarks was darkly fortuitous, and not just because he offered his comments on the eve of Memorial Day, when we honor the men and women who gave their lives defending our Constitution. They also coincided with a spirited debate about the nature of conservatism, and whether the right’s descent into such conspiracy-mongering paranoia and nationalism is a betrayal of conservatism or the inevitable result of conservative ideas. Some even argue that this is what conservatism was always about. It’s certainly true that the Trump era has revealed a lot about how serious — or rather unserious — some prominent Republicans and conservatives really were about their reverence for the Constitution. But instead of going down various intellectual and historical rabbit holes, I’ll just say that trying to lay this at the feet of conservative ideas is a distraction. The core problem afflicting the right — and to a great degree, the country — is the elite surrender to populism. Definitions of populism vary, but for our purposes it’s best understood as the politics of the mob. The defining emotion of populism and mobs alike is passion and the invincible twin convictions that “we” are right and that “we” have been wronged by “them.” It’s a bit like Charles de Gaulle’s line about the difference between patriotism and nationalism. “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.” Populism is often immune to reason and contemptuous of debate. “The people of Nebraska are for free silver, and I am for free silver,” William Jennings Bryan proclaimed. “I will look up the arguments later.” Both parties have, at various times, hitched their wagons to populism. Andrew Jackson, William Jennings Bryan, Huey Long and George Wallace rode the populist tiger while Franklin Roosevelt and, to a lesser extent, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama harnessed the beast for their purposes. Conservatives deserve special criticism for fomenting populism because conservatism is supposed to be temperamentally skeptical of excessive political passion. But that decision has less to do with conservative ideas than it has with the corruption of prioritizing political power over principle — an error that is inherent to politics and human nature, as the founders understood well. Certainly, on paper, intellectual progressivism provides as much permission for indulging populism as conservatism does. The surrender to populism was greased by what Marxists call “material conditions.” Institutions of all stripes — the media, organized religion, education, etc. — have lost much of their ability to temper passions. This is in part because of the deeply entrenched cultural conviction that passion and feelings trump facts and arguments. Thanks to a generation of polarizing culture-war politics, mass self-sorting of voters into rival camps, and misguided reforms that gave populists outsize power to dominate primaries, Congress no longer serves its proper function as the place where political disagreements are worked out. It’s now a giant stage for political theatrics and popular-front policing. The media has become balkanized. When most Americans got their news from a handful of outlets, extremism was filtered out of the national conversation. Such gatekeeping is gone, because the walls that made the gatekeepers powerful have been demolished, and many of the erstwhile gatekeepers would rather lead the mob than tell its members to lay down their pitchforks. The new business model, fueled by social media, is to grab a relative handful of “sticky” customers seeking to have their passions ratified, not rebutted. The former hierarchies of credibility have been flattened. Anyone with a web browser can find the “facts” the mob needs. In short, the right changed with the times. Its problem now is that it rode the tiger so long, it doesn’t know how to get off — and it’s not even sure it wants to. @JonahDispatch

Kauai beat COVID-19. Now the Hawaiian island faces a new challenge: Rebuilding the economy

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/hawaii-kauai-coronavirus-economy

Homeless people here on Hawaii’s northern island got an unusual invitation last year: Come set up camp at a spectacular beach, with showers, toilets and electricity, and meals delivered by the local food bank. The offer was part of an aggressive plan by Kauai’s leaders to contain the coronavirus. The public campgrounds were all but deserted because tourism had collapsed under the weight of the pandemic and strict quarantine rules. Letting a few hundred people stay in five designated parks reduced the chance that they would wander the island, catch the virus and become vectors. “I go to sleep to the sound of the waves,” said Gary Morris, 44, a combat veteran who has found a supportive community at Salt Pond Beach Park on the south coast. “People here are like family.” The plan worked. On Kauai, population 72,000, COVID-19 has claimed a total of two lives — a death rate 60 times lower than that of the nation. There have been just 320 infections — and the homeless population has stayed safe. With half of its population fully vaccinated, Kauai is well ahead of the rest of Hawaii and the nation, which has a rate of 41%. . But now the island faces a new challenge: how to rebuild the economy. Tourism-dependent Hawaii has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and the situation is especially difficult on Kauai. Food banks are working overtime. Homelessness appears to be increasing. The highway that rings much of the island winds past boarded-up stores and restaurants. Among the casualties is the Ono Family Restaurant, which served Spam and eggs, shave ice and other Hawaiian favorites for 40 years. “It was too hard to keep going,” owner Kenny Ishii said in February, announcing on YouTube that after months in limbo he was scrapping plans to reopen. “Three hurricanes was easy compared to this,” he said. As a string of islands, Hawaii had a built-in advantage over other U.S. states when it came to fighting the pandemic: strict control over its borders. Housing & Homelessness Sanctioned tent camps sprouted up in San Francisco at the beginning of the COVID pandemic and have become key to the city’s homelessness response. May 7, 2021 Early on, the state imposed a 14-day quarantine period for anyone arriving on the islands and arrested and jailed violators. Later, officials backed off, letting travelers avoid quarantine by providing negative results from approved coronavirus tests taken within three days of departure for Hawaii. Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami pushed the state to let him impose additional requirements. Kauai is the least developed of Hawaii’s four main islands, and he argued that if the virus took off, its three hospitals would be overwhelmed — they had just 20 ICU beds. “We’re literally on our own in the middle of the ocean in these types of situations,” Kawakami said in an interview at his office in Lihue, the county seat. Last December, after Hawaii Gov. David Ige declined his requests, the mayor opted out of the state system, reverting to mandatory quarantines. The decision extended Kauai’s longstanding reputation for an independent spirit. Two centuries ago, the island was the last to submit to rule by Hawaii’s king, and in 2007, protesters on surfboards thwarted plans for a car ferry from Oahu. Kawakami said he felt acutely responsible to constituents whom he knew from working his way up in the family grocery chain. “For us, numbers of cases aren’t numbers,” he said. “They are actual people with names who we grew up with.” The tight rules made Kauai a public health success story, but alienated many in the business community. The unemployment rate, which had hovered around 20% all last summer, had finally begun to drop, and the restrictions appeared to stall the economic recovery. In the first three months of this year, the number of visitors fell 93% compared with the same period in 2020 — a much larger drop than on Maui or the Big Island. “What the mayor did was super unwarranted while the rest of the state was open and doing OK,” said charter fisherman Lance Keener. He and his wife had taken on $120,000 in debt to stay in business: “We were right about at the end of our funds, and we wanted to work.” Dr. Janet Berreman, Kauai district health officer, defended the mayor against his critics. “If you have out-of-control rates of disease, people aren’t going to be frequenting businesses, tourists aren’t going to be coming, and workers aren’t going to be showing up,” she said in an interview. In a compromise in January, Kawakami instituted a unique system to make quarantine a lot shorter and a little more fun. Sections of six hotels became “resort bubbles.” Visitors and residents who provided evidence of negative tests could stay for three days — wearing electronic tracking bracelets — and then go on their way after testing negative again. National Guard troops conducting enforcement at Lihue Airport showed no mercy. Dustin and Cindy Rocksvold — vacationers from California who had overlooked the requirement to obtain negative results before boarding — said in an interview that they were forced to fly back to Honolulu and get tested before returning, a $910 overnight misadventure. Again, Kauai’s strategy worked, and the island went for days at a time with no new confirmed coronavirus cases. But the economy was struggling. Residents missed fixtures like the Kukui Grove Cinema, whose closure left the island without a movie theater. “I French-kissed my first girlfriend right there,” said longtime resident Todd Jebens, 45, pointing to the empty parking lot. “I took my son to all the ‘Star Wars’ movies. I can still smell the popcorn, walking past.” Unemployment has declined to 10% as more tourists have arrived on Kauai. But visitor numbers aren’t likely to rebound to pre-pandemic levels for at least two years, according to a forecast by the University of Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization. One factor limiting recovery of tourism is a severe shortage of rental cars. Last year, rental companies across the state tried to cover losses by selling off vehicles. With rental prices surging to as much as $700 a day, desperate tourists have resorted to driving U-Haul trucks. Some would-be visitors have canceled their trips. In early April, Kauai rejoined the state system, enabling travelers to avoid quarantine with a single negative pre-flight test. More than 100 people have since tested positive for the virus — the island’s worst surge. After aggressive contact-tracing identified several hundred people to quarantine, the island is back to about half a dozen new cases a week. World & Nation Over 700 coffee growers in Hawaii are now eligible to receive settlement payments in a lawsuit alleging big retailers were selling counterfeit Kona. March 17, 2021 In contrast to Texas, Florida and other states that have banned government mandated “vaccine passports,” Hawaii has begun allowing people who show proof of vaccination to bypass testing and quarantine requirements when traveling between islands. But the shots must have been given in Hawaii. For now, officials’ inability to verify vaccinations given on the mainland or abroad has prevented them from expanding the system to include people arriving from across the Pacific. Even before the pandemic, life for many on Kauai was getting harder. Wealthy outsiders were competing to buy homes, driving up housing prices and rents. The disparities have only grown. After housing prices fell briefly, more mainland residents plunged into the real estate market, often buying sight-unseen to move to the island to work remotely. Hannah Sirois, a Kauai real estate agent, said the perception of safety from the virus enhanced the attraction of the surfing mecca known for gentle rains, brilliant sunbursts and magnificent rainbows. “This island is so green,” she said, “and people locked down on the mainland wanted renewal, life and peace and everything that green is associated with.” Studio apartments fashioned from carports now rent for more than $1,000 a month. The median sale price of a single-family house on Kauai soared past $1 million in January, up 30% from the same month last year, widening the gap between rich and poor. “I can walk in one direction past mansions that I can’t even see because of gates and plants and things that have completely blocked the view,” said Felicia Cowden, a county council member. “And I can walk in the other direction by houses that have six or eight cars parked in front of them, because that’s how many working adults are crammed into a single-family unit.” Back at Salt Pond Beach Park, several dozen occupants maintain a tidy campsite, with tents pitched beneath palm trees and toys stacked for children. But the campers are growing anxious. They have until June 30 to leave so that the park can reopen for public use. Morris, the combat veteran, said he had come to love Hawaii since arriving five years ago from California. “But the one thing I won’t ever get here,” he said, “is a place to live.”

Secretary of State Blinken in Central America to target corruption, immigration

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-06-01/blinken-central-america-corruption-immigration

In search of trustworthy partners, the Biden administration dispatched its top diplomat to Costa Rica on Tuesday to take Central American officials to task on corruption in their countries and to examine how they can more efficiently block “irregular” migration to the U.S. He could be facing a tough crowd. U.S. relations with the governments of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, in particular, are badly strained, complicating President Biden’s plan to use $4 billion over the next four years to boost democratic reforms and improve the economies in those three so-called Northern Triangle nations — the source of most migrants attempting to enter the U.S. illegally. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, arriving here on his first official trip to Latin America, held talks with the president of Costa Rica and most of that nation’s Cabinet, and was to meet with other Central American counterparts later Tuesday night, including a sidebar session with the representatives of the Northern Triangle countries. “What we hope and expect to hear from our partners are commitments to address all the issues” that drive illegal immigration, such as an erosion in democracy, poor security, poverty and corruption, Blinken said in a news conference at the Casa Presidencial in San Jose, the capital. “We’re in many of these challenges together,” he said. “What we’re seeing in too many places around the world, including this region, is backsliding from those basic principles” of democracy, human rights and rule of law. Blinken is attending an annual meeting of the foreign ministers of the eight-member Central American Integration System, an economic and political association of all Central American countries plus the Dominican Republic. Administration officials say they have already made clear to the Central American presidents that very little of the $4 billion will go to the central governments but instead will be channeled through nongovernmental organizations and other private entities. Politics Biden will condition billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to push for reform. Will it work? March 10, 2021 To underscore that warning, the U.S. Agency for International Development last week announced that it was diverting all aid it gives El Salvador from the government to “civil society” groups that monitor human rights and fight corruption. (USAID did not say how much money was involved.) The move came after Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele fired the country’s attorney general and Supreme Court magistrates and then ignored entreaties from Washington and elsewhere to reconsider what was widely seen as an illegal power grab. “We recognize that in some cases we don’t have perfect development partners,” said Mark Feierstein, special advisor at USAID, “but we’re confident that we can identify in Central America ... reformers within government ... [and] civil society actors who can hold their governments accountable.” Relations with Bukele have been especially tense. He refused in recent months to receive Biden’s visiting envoy in charge of the Northern Triangle, Ricardo Zúñiga; he eventually relented, then appeared to be stunned by the scolding he received, officials said. He dug in afterward, saying the firings were “irreversible.” Politics California’s Norma Torres fled Guatemala at 5. Now the only Congress member from Central America says the immigration debate is ‘very, very personal.’ May 27, 2021 The State Department announced last week that it was returning a former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Jean Manes, to the country as charge d’affaires. Officials said the situation was too delicate — and the potential for more abuses by Bukele too great — to wait for confirmation of an ambassador, which could take several months. Manes is considered a diplomat who can get Bukele’s ear. The Biden administration is concerned about what it sees as similar erosions of democracy in Guatemala, where President Alejandro Giammattei has sought to undercut the courts, and in Honduras, which has an especially difficult problem. Its president, the staunch Trump ally Juan Orlando Hernandez, is under federal investigation in the U.S. on drug-trafficking allegations. Administration officials have said privately they will shun him. Meeting with the foreign ministers of those countries might yield better results as Blinken hopes to enlist their cooperation on immigration and hear plans for reforms at home. Blinken scheduled one-on-one encounters with the foreign ministers of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. In addition to the Costa Rican president and foreign minister, Carlos Alvarado Quesada and Rodolfo Solano, he will meet with Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, who is attending as an observer. Dealings with Nicaragua, which was also present at the summit, could become a point of contention. No U.S. administration has had a good relationship with Managua for years, ever since President Daniel Ortega began cracking down on the opposition and news media and staying in power through suspicious elections. World & Nation Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has carried out a war on the press, jailing journalists and closing news outlets. In a blow to the storied La Prensa newspaper, he barred delivery of newsprint and ink. Feb. 21, 2020 For the Central Americans, the pressing issue is the COVID-19 pandemic. They are hoping to be near the top of the list if and when the U.S. starts giving out vaccines overseas. Costa Rica has seen its worst spate of infections and deaths in recent weeks. Blinken announced that procedures for the U.S. to distribute 80 million doses to other countries should be finalized within the next two weeks, but he did not say who would get them. It will be based on need and an effort to counter “inequity,” he said. China, on its march to make inroads everywhere, including Latin America, has been offering vaccines to Central American countries, notably El Salvador, where Bukele has turned his country’s diplomacy closer to Beijing after years of recognizing Taiwan. Alvarado, asked if Costa Rica would turn to China for vaccines despite concerns about conditions Beijing reportedly puts on them, said any decision to accept vaccine doses would be based on his country’s “dignity,” with “no strings attached.” Blinken’s trip to Central America will be followed by the first official visit by Vice President Kamala Harris to the region. Harris, whom Biden put in charge of dealings with the Northern Triangle states to combat the “root causes” of immigration, plans to visit Guatemala and Mexico next week. Harris announced last week that 12 major corporations, including Microsoft and Nestle’s Nespresso, have agreed to invest in Central America. She has said the private investment is a key component of the administration’s plan to shore up economies and employment opportunities. “To maximize the potential of our work, it has to be through collaboration, through public-private partnerships,” Harris said at a “Call to Action” meeting with the business executives.

Letters to the Editor: Who cares if offshore wind farms are unsightly? The planet is dying

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-06-01/offshore-windmills-unsightly-planet-is-dying

To the editor: I understand there’s a debate over whether solar and wind farms are visually displeasing, but why is this slowing down the adaption to clean renewable energy? Are there that many people saying how beautiful oil rigs, oil derricks, big smoke-filled oil refineries and those huge cylindrical oils containers are? Do East Coast drivers comment on the visual and aromatic beauty around Exit 13A of the New Jersey Turnpike? Do West Coast drivers do the same when driving by oil refineries on the 405 Freeway? We transitioned from the steam engine to an oil- and gas-based energy system for reasons other than beauty. It was called progress. It’s now time to progress away from dirty oil and gas to a clean renewable energy system. Jonathan Light, Laguna Niguel .. To the editor: Wind farms are but one example of expensive climate solutions that will take years to come online. Reducing the highway speed limit to 55 mph would cut down tailpipe emissions. Even electric car owners find a significant improvement in range by slowing down, which means less energy is pulled from the grid. Basing registration fees on engine horsepower would also encourage more efficient vehicles. These simple actions could be implemented now instead of 10 years from now. Jim Winterroth, Torrance

Letters to the Editor: What a Times editorial on antisemitism got wrong about Jews

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-06-01/editorial-on-antisemitism-wrong-about-jews

To the editor: I applaud your timely editorial condemning antisemitic attacks. Unfortunately, what we are seeing is that many will condemn antisemitism only when it emanates from white nationalists. I am grateful that you specifically cite the violent antisemitism caused by those who claim to be liberating Palestine. The violence perpetrated upon the Jewish community proves that anti-Zionism is indeed antisemitism. But as an Iranian Jew, I take issue with the description of Jews as “people who are, for the most part, white and often lead lives of privilege.” There are many nonwhite Jews from the Middle East, North Africa, Ethiopia and elsewhere. In fact, Los Angeles has one of the largest populations of Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews. We are not white, and most of us escaped brutal regimes in the Middle East and came to America with nothing. Your mischaracterization does a disservice to many communities, including Jews, with whom we must unite in the fight against antisemitism. Saba Soomekh, Beverly Hills The writer is associate director of the American Jewish Committee-Los Angeles. .. To the editor: I was heartened by your editorial calling out the terrifying surge in antisemitic attacks. The trend is painfully familiar to Jews everywhere. However, I was dismayed by what I consider to be reckless and inciteful language. In a paragraph intended to combat antisemitism, you repeated some of its most pernicious tropes. You claimed that Jews are “for the most part, white and often lead lives of privilege.” A large percentage of Jews worldwide, and especially within Los Angeles, are of Persian, North African or Arabian descent. Plenty of Jews are financially comfortable, and plenty in my own community rely on my philanthropic support for basic necessities. Historically, Jews have been put in a vise in which they are vilified (and murdered) for simultaneously representing two extremes: all-powerful, media-controlling and uber-privileged, and at the same time irredeemably base, akin to vermin, pitiful and powerless, and thus worthy of elimination. You reinforced the former aspersion, thus undermining the intent and perhaps impact of an otherwise very important editorial. Rabbi Adam Kligfeld, Los Angeles

China reports human case of H10N3 bird flu — a possible first

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/china-reports-human-case-h10n3-bird-flu

A man in eastern China has contracted what might be the world’s first human case of the H10N3 strain of bird flu, but the risk of large-scale spread is low, the government said Tuesday. The 41-year-old man in Jiangsu province, northwest of Shanghai, was hospitalized April 28 and is in stable condition, the National Health Commission said on its website. No human case of H10N3 has been reported elsewhere, the commission said. “This infection is an accidental cross-species transmission,” its statement said. “The risk of large-scale transmission is low.”

Climate change responsible for 37% of global heat deaths, study says

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/climate-change-one-third-global-heat-deaths

More than one-third of the world’s heat deaths each year are due directly to global warming, according to the latest study to calculate the human cost of climate change. Scientists say that’s only a sliver of climate’s overall toll — even more people die from other extreme weather amplified by global warming such as storms, flooding and drought — and the heat death numbers will grow exponentially with rising temperatures. Dozens of researchers who looked at heat deaths in 732 cities around the globe from 1991 to 2018 calculated that 37% were caused by higher temperatures from human-caused warming, according to a study Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. That adds up to about 9,700 people a year from just those cities, but it is much more worldwide, the study’s lead author said. “These are deaths related to heat that actually can be prevented. It is something we directly cause,” said Ana Vicedo-Cabrera, an epidemiologist at the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine at the University of Bern in Switzerland. The highest percentages of heat deaths caused by climate change were in cities in South America. Vicedo-Cabrera pointed to southern Europe and southern Asia as other places with high numbers of climate-related heat deaths. California As a second major heat bears down on Southern California, experts are warning the public to take seriously the health dangers of extreme temperatures. Sept. 5, 2020 Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is South America’s most populous city, has the most climate-related heat deaths, averaging 239 a year, researchers found. About 35% of heat deaths in the United States can be blamed on climate change, the study found. That’s a total of more than 1,100 deaths a year in about 200 U.S. cities, topped by 141 in New York. Honolulu had the highest portion of heat deaths attributable to climate change, 82%. Scientists used decades of mortality data in the 732 cities to plot curves detailing how each city’s death rate changes with temperature and how the heat-death curves vary from city to city. Some cities adapt to heat better than others because of air-conditioning, cultural factors and environmental conditions, Vicedo-Cabrera said. Then researchers took observed temperatures and compared them with 10 computer models simulating a world without climate change. The difference is warming caused by humans. By applying that scientifically accepted technique to the individualized heat-death curves for the 732 cities, the scientists calculated extra heat deaths from climate change. California Record heat. Record acres burned. Sky-high air pollution. The extremes California has experienced in recent weeks all have one thing in common: They were made worse by climate change. Sept. 13, 2020 “People continue to ask for proof that climate change is already affecting our health. This attribution study directly answers that question using state-of-the-science epidemiological methods, and the amount of data the authors have amassed for analysis is impressive,” said Dr. Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin. Patz, who wasn’t part of the study, said it was one of the first to detail climate change-related heat deaths now rather than projected ones in the future.

Mexico raids building project, seizes land next to Teotihuacán pyramids

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/mexico-raids-building-project-teotihuacan-pyramids

Mexico sent in 250 National Guard troops and 60 police officers Monday to seize land next to the pre-Hispanic ruins of Teotihuacán, where authorities have said bulldozers were destroying outlying parts of the important archaeological site. Mexican archaeological officials reported last week that they had been trying since March to halt the private construction project, but work continued on what local media say were plans to build some sort of amusement park. The National Institute of History and Anthropology said the National Guard helped authorities put up seizure notices on the property just north of Mexico City. The seizure allows prosecutors to take control of the plot while those responsible for the work are investigated on criminal charges of “irreparably damaging” the national heritage. The long time it took to stop the project underlines how Mexico’s unwieldy, antiquated legal system makes it hard to enforce building codes and zoning laws or stop illegal construction, even on protected historical sites. The Culture Department said last week that it had repeatedly issued stop-work orders since March but that the building crews had ignored them. The department estimated that at least 25 ancient structures on the site were threatened, and said it filed a criminal complaint against those responsible. Apparently, owners of farm plots are trying to turn the land into a recreation area. The area is just outside and across a road from the site’s famous boulevard and pyramid complex. World & Nation New discoveries reveal that Mexico’s Teotihuacan was not the peaceful, pastoral culture experts long thought it was. Nov. 12, 2002 The United Nations international council on monuments and sites said bulldozers threatened to raze as much as 15 acres at the site, which is a protected area. The council also said looting of artifacts had been detected. The destruction so close to the capital raised questions about Mexico’s ability to protect its ancient heritage. Teotihuacán is the country’s most-visited archaeological site, with more than 2.6 million visitors per year, and Mexico has hundreds of smaller, more remote and often unexplored sites. Teotihuacán is best known for its twin Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, but it was actually a large city that housed over 100,000 inhabitants and covered around eight square miles. The still-mysterious city was one of the largest in the world at its apex between 100 BC and AD 750. But it was abandoned before the rise of the Aztecs in the 14th century. Even its true name remains unclear. Its current name was given to it by the Aztecs. But the Aztecs may have actually called the city “Teohuacan” — “the city of the sun” — rather than Teotihuacán, which means “city of the gods” or “place where men become gods.” The Pyramids of the Sun or Moon customarily drew tens of thousands of visitors for the spring and fall equinoxes before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

He watched two missiles destroy his bookshop. 'My soul came out of me'

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/missiles-destroy-gaza-bookshop-war-israel-hamas

The call sealing Samir Mansour’s bookstore for destruction came in the early morning. For days, Gaza had been subject to Israeli bombardment, a relentless aerial assault that turned towers, boulevards and commercial districts in an instant into rubble-filled craters. Now, according to the Israeli soldier’s voice coming through Mansour’s cellphone in accented Arabic, it was the turn of the six-story Kuheil building, which had housed Mansour’s bookshop and publishing house since 2008. He had 10 minutes to get out. Mansour, 53, wasn’t there. He was at home, a little more than a mile away, and watched, as if in a trance, a live broadcast of the first missile smacking into the building. He got dressed and headed to the bookshop, thinking he might still have time to save some of the more than 100,000 books inside, or at least salvage from his computer hard drive the designs for manuscripts he was soon to publish. Arriving at the site, he saw that the rear of the building had already collapsed. Then, as he strode past a line of onlookers, a second missile hit, demolishing the rest. “It was like I had my child in there,” Mansour said. “Like my soul came out of me.” A week after the 11-day armed confrontation between Israel and Hamas ended in an uneasy truce, the 2 million people sardined into this impoverished coastal enclave are trying to map out a Gaza transformed yet again by war. Among the litany of loss — at least 248 people dead, tens of thousands more displaced, over 1,000 housing and commercial units damaged — is the destruction of the Samir Mansour Bookstore, a place that for many here was a cultural mecca. World & Nation May 18, 2021 “It’s a crime,” said Yusri Ghoul, a Palestinian novelist from Gaza who had four of his books published by Mansour. “The occupation wants to send the message that ‘even your books, even the Palestinian narrative, we will destroy.’” The bookstore’s location on Thalatheeni Street, an easy walk from Gaza’s top universities, made it an essential stop for thousands of students, said Ali Abdul Bari, a Gaza-based social activist. “It’s in the memory of every person who went to university here,” Abdul Bari said, adding that he would go there often to buy books on culture, literature and economics both for himself or as gifts for friends. For Mansour, who began his apprenticeship with his father at 14, the shop was his way of branching out further on his own, of building a reputation beyond the family publishing business. World & Nation May 12, 2021 “The loss is indescribable. … I went up the ladder step by step, and now I’m back down to zero,” he said. He established his first bookshop in 2000 on Gaza City’s Wahda Street, a small store that still stands today. He didn’t have much capital to start, he said, but after eight years, with an eye to the student foot traffic from the universities, he opened up what he came to consider the main branch, expanding to occupy the first two floors of the Kuheil building — a 1,700-square-foot space — with a staff of 16 employees. It eventually constituted 70% of his business. His favorite spot was his office. There, Mansour would meet with authors to discuss their new works, hash out contracts or pore over the minutiae of book layouts. “A book’s smell, its title, the design cover … everything has a memory for me,” he said. Politics May 21, 2021 He eventually built a roster of more than 100 authors. But he also spent much of his time on the road, collecting books in Arabic and English that — with Gaza subject to a crushing blockade by Israel and Egypt since 2007 — you couldn’t find anywhere else. “I remember my father, when I was a kid, it was always two weeks here, two weeks in Egypt. He was always coming and going,” said Mansour’s 21-year-old son, Mohammad. “I gave my job the attention I should have given my kids. I should have traveled with them, shown them things,” Mansour said. “Instead I worked. And now it’s gone.” Start your day right Sign up for Essential California for the L.A. Times biggest news, features and recommendations in your inbox six days a week. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Another leading bookshop, Iqra’a, was also destroyed. Refaat Areer, an English literature professor at the Islamic University of Gaza, said that half the books in any Gaza resident’s home library would probably have been sourced at those two establishments. Mansour’s store was particularly good at stocking English-language titles and bestsellers. “To many young Palestinians, this is a blow to their favorite places,” Areer said. “When we started our book club 10 years ago, the first thing we did was go to Mansour and check what English books he sells so we could plan our reading lists accordingly. With these bookshops gone, it means fewer books coming to Gaza and fewer people will be reading books.” A week after the airstrike, Mansour drove to where his shop once stood. The force of the blasts had pancaked all six floors. Only an elevator shaft remained standing, its green doors at the top comically still in place, portals to nowhere. Already, men in dust-covered overalls were scurrying over the mountain of rubble, scavenging and dumping whatever they could sell onto a nearby donkey cart before the municipality cleaned everything up. Mansour stepped around the edge of the wreckage, fishing out the tattered remains of books — one teaching beginner-level English; Agatha Christie’s “Curtain,” detective Hercule Poirot’s final case; a few paperback anthologies by Palestinian poet Ghassan Kanafani. “I’ll save these. They’ll be a sort of museum piece,” he said. World & Nation May 20, 2021 In the days before the missiles hit Mansour’s bookstore, the neighborhood had taken several airstrikes, one of them hitting the road right in front of the Kuheil building. Still, Mansour said, he had never expected his store would be a target. “I’m someone with no relation to factions or parties. I have nothing to do with politics. I’m careful that the books I get have nothing to do with politics,” he said. “So why should it be destroyed? This is what I don’t know.” The Israeli military said the building was targeted because Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, had used it as an intelligence-gathering and weapons-production site. That was news to Mansour and others who worked or lived there. “When the doorman called me after the Israeli military warned him, I asked if he was sure it was the right Kuheil,” said Ramadan Najili, 35, who owned a print shop in the building’s basement and had lived in one of the apartments there since 2015. Entertainment & Arts May 25, 2021 He pointed to the United Nations compound across the street. “I thought it was safe here because of the U.N. I was going to tell my family to come and shelter here during the conflict,” he said. News of the destruction of Mansour’s shop has spread to book lovers well beyond Gaza. A GoFundMe page set up by two human rights lawyers has amassed more than $177,000 toward its goal of $250,000 to rebuild the store. “We’ve seen a lot of support. I’ve had cultural places named after me, and people getting in touch all over the world,” Mansour said. “But whatever I get, it won’t compensate for the time that it took to build this. That has another taste, another feeling.” Still, he plans to start rebuilding soon. At first he thought he would choose another location. Not anymore. “I sacrificed so many things to create this. It has a special place for me,” Mansour said. “Our solution is to restore things to what they were.” Special correspondent Hana Salah in Gaza City contributed to this report.

In stunning increase, Peru now says its COVID-19 death toll exceeds 180,000

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-01/new-data-peru-covid-death-toll-over-180000

In a stunning increase, Peru has announced a newly calculated COVID-19 death toll of more than 180,000, far more than double the country’s previous official count. The announcement Monday was made in the presidential palace in Lima during the presentation of a report by a working group commissioned to analyze and update the death toll. The results of the study put the new tally at 180,764 out of a population of about 32.6 million, compared to recent data indicating that 69,342 people had died from COVID-19. “A significant number of deaths were not classified as caused by COVID-19,” Health Minister Oscar Ugarte said, adding that the criteria for assigning COVID-19 as a cause of death were changed. Ugarte said that previously only those who “had a positive diagnostic test” were considered to have died as a result of the coronavirus, but other criteria have since been incorporated. World & Nation Seizing on COVID-19 to expand its global influence, China has emerged as a major player in the vaccine sweepstakes — particularly in Latin America. Feb. 18, 2021 The new COVID-19 toll comprises deaths reported between March 2020 and May 22 of this year. Among Latin American countries, only Brazil and Mexico have reported higher death tolls from the disease. Questions about Peru’s death toll surfaced soon after the beginning of the pandemic. Scenes of cemeteries filling up with new burials and and hospitals buying refrigerated containers to act as makeshift morgues suggested that the situation was far worse than the official data showed.

Huge U.S. flag stolen from veterans cemetery in Westwood

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/flag-stolen-veterans-cemetery-westwood-los-angeles-memorial-day

Authorities said a huge American flag and several smaller flags were stolen from the Los Angeles National Cemetery over the Memorial Day weekend. Les’ Melnyk, a spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration, said the garrison flag at the veterans cemetery in Westwood was reported stolen sometime late Sunday or early Monday. The cemetery’s gates were closed at the time, Melnyk said. Veterans Affairs police are investigating the theft of the largest flag, which measures 25 feet by 30 feet, Melnyk said. California After being reduced to burials and limited visitations during the coronavirus pandemic, national cemeteries will resume military honors services, officials say. June 9, 2020 The crime “cannot detract in the slightest way from the honor and respect we pay on this Memorial Day to those servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation,” Melnyk said. Rebekah Adams, a volunteer at the Los Angeles National Cemetery Support Foundation, said it would have been a difficult task to remove the flag, which is usually handled by three people. “It’s so sad and shocking something like this would happen on Memorial Day,” Adams said. The cemetery dates to the late 19th century and is operated by the Veterans Administration.

Jim Murray on Lakers announcer Chick Hearn's Walk of Fame moment

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-06-sp-jimmurray6-story.html

Column by the late Jim Murray on Chick Hearn, originally published Sept. 25, 1986. * “Top of the key to Baylor.... Baylor yo-yo-ing in the frontcourt.... Give and go to Goodrich!.... Bounce pass to West.... Dribble-drive to the basket.... He turns.... He’s fouled!.... Oh, no, Mendy didn’t call it! No harm, no foul.... High post by Wilt.... Turnaround fake by Jerry.... He puts Cazzie in the popcorn machine. . . . He shoots!.... He scores!.... Fall back, baby!” A lot of my friends have their own pieces of sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard. Spencer Tracy. Claudette Colbert. Mary Pickford. Gable. Doug Fairbanks. Bogie. Errol Flynn. ‘Course, I didn’t know all of them personally. But Tracy has been a friend of mine ever since “Captains Courageous.” And Gable and Colbert crept into my heart in “It Happened One Night.” But now, guess who’s joining Tracy and Gable and Katharine Hepburn and John Wayne? Guess who’s joining legends like Tom Mix and Iron Eyes Cody and Charlie Chaplin and Mack Sennett? Francis Dayle Hearn is who. Chick Hearn. The world’s greatest basketball announcer. The machine gun that talks like a man. The guy who did more than any other to take pro basketball out of the drafty gyms in Peoria and Altoona and put it on prime time. Every basketball player signing a million-dollar contract should take off his hat stepping across that slice of sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard they dedicated to Chick Hearn Wednesday. It’s a shrine of their biz if not show biz. Basketball was a tough sell when Francis Hearn came along. I remember in the late winter of ’61 going down to the Sports Arena where they were staging a playoff game between the then-St. Louis Hawks and the newly arrived--from Minneapolis--Los Angeles Lakers. It was a Sunday afternoon, and they used to click off the attendance on a screen high above the arena floor. It read 2,800 that day as the teams took the floor. Now, mind you, this was a playoff game. The division final. But not only were there few customers, there were hardly any other journalists covering games in those days. But the Lakers had made a very important acquisition just before that series. In later years, they were to acquire Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, even Magic Johnson. None, however, was ever so important as the free agent they picked up that winter of ’61. Chick Hearn and pro basketball made Romeo and Juliet, ham and eggs, gin and tonic look like unmatched opposites. It was like a river joining a sea. Caruso finding a song, Van Gogh a brush. Any sport needs a lively nomenclature, word pictures that go into the language. Simple terms like bases loaded, circus catch, circuit clout, screwball and squeeze play all served to dramatize the grand old game of baseball that even became the national pastime, thanks to the fertile mind of some chronicler of press row. Ted Husing took football out of its dock-fight image and invented secondaries, even tertiaries for its defensive postures, and talked of whole hosts of tacklers and coffin corner kicks until the game today is so full of colorful allusions it is almost liturgical in scope. Chick Hearn did the same things for pro basketball, which had almost no language of its own when he came along. No more would division playoff games be played before 2,800 spectators after Chick hit the scene. They became the hardest tickets in town once Chick was out in front of the tent. He didn’t make basketball occult, he made it fun. He knew it as a player himself and he was far from a homer. Chick became almost a public scold when a player malingered. Or an ownership. That’s why he has his gold star and his own section of sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard. He didn’t play the pro game but he sold it. As Elgin Baylor said at the dedication ceremony: “You made us stars. When you have a product, you need somebody to promote it. That was Chick.” The Hollywood Walk of Fame is for entertainers, communicators, pioneers, builders. That’s why Chick’s there. He qualifies on all counts. That’s why he finds himself across the street from Spencer Tracy and Claudette Colbert on Hollywood and Highland and not far from Adolphe Menjou and the forecourt famous of the Chinese theater. He belongs to the ages now. Wallace Beery, Brian Donlevy, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart--and Chick Hearn. Pretty heady stuff for the ex-backcourt man from East Aurora and Peoria. Pretty soon they’ll be selling star maps to his home and he’ll have a busload of people waving when he puts out the garbage in the morning. Paparazzi will be waiting in the bushes with poised shutters when he emerges to go to work. They’ll want Robert De Niro to do “The Chick Hearn Story.” Hollywood Boulevard is marbled with the names of men and women who helped build a multimillion-dollar industry. Chick Hearn is there because he’s one of them.

Betty Broderick: Murder, Trial and Jail

https://www.latimes.com/la-broderick-sg-storygallery.html

Key Times articles about the case of La Jolla socialite Betty Broderick, convicted of murdering her ex-husband and his new wife in 1989.

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Watch Marshawn Lynch answer all media questions with just a thank-you

https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-marshawn-lynch-interview-20141222-htmlstory.html

Marshawn Lynch finally opened up. About a month after being fined $100,000 for violating the NFL's media policy and then answering nearly every question with "yeah" after the following week's game, the Seattle Seahawks star running back is no longer giving reporters one-word answers. Following Sunday's huge 35-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals for the NFC West lead, Lynch averaged nearly five whole words per response. But every single time he was merely thanking the reporter for asking the question, rather than actually answering it. He was asked numerous times about his monstrous 79-yard touchdown run, during which he went full out Beast Mode in breaking tackles and just bulldozing guys. His answer the first time, "Thank you." The second and third times, "Thanks for asking." After that third response, a reporter asked, "What's that?" Lynch replied, "I said, 'Thanks for asking.' " The reporter kept pressing, "Can you talk about the run?" Lynch: "I know. I said, 'Thanks for asking.' I appreciate it." He was also asked numerous times about the upset stomach that kept him out of much of the first half. Lynch's answers: "Thank you for asking," "Thanks for asking," and "I appreciate you asking about my stomach. Thank you." OK, so maybe Lynch really hasn't opened up to the media just yet. His postgame interviews are still more entertaining than 99% of the others we hear on a weekly basis. Twitter: @chewkiii

Schwarzenegger fathered a child with longtime member of household staff

https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0517-arnold-20110517-story.html

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, separated after she learned he had fathered a child more than a decade ago — before his first run for office — with a longtime member of their household staff. Shriver moved out of the family’s Brentwood mansion earlier this year, after Schwarzenegger acknowledged the paternity. The staff member worked for the family for 20 years, retiring in January. “After leaving the governor’s office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago,” Schwarzenegger said Monday night in a statement issued to The Times in response to questions. “I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry. Photos: A political marriage with star power “I ask that the media respect my wife and children through this extremely difficult time,” the statement concluded. “While I deserve your attention and criticism, my family does not. “ A spokesman for the former first lady said she had no comment. Since leaving office, Schwarzenegger has maintained a high public profile, meeting with world dignitaries, attending a White House summit on immigration and working to revive his movie career. To protect their privacy, The Times is not publishing the former staffer’s name nor that of her child. In an interview Monday before Schwarzenegger issued his statement, the former staffer said another man — her then-husband — was the child’s father. She said she voluntarily left her position with the couple earlier this year after reaching a longstanding goal of working for them for two decades. “I wanted to achieve my 20 years, then I asked to retire,” she said, adding she received a severance payment and “left on good terms with them.” Later Monday, The Times informed the woman of the governor’s statement and she declined to comment further. Schwarzenegger took financial responsibility for the child from the start and continued to provide support, according to a source who declined to be identified because of the former governor’s request for privacy. The former first couple of California announced their separation in a joint statement issued last week. The two have been married 25 years. There was no mention of a cause for the separation. In keeping with their very public — and political — lives, two distinctly different portraits of the marriage and its status have emerged in the days since the breakup became public. Schwarzenegger, 63, suggested that the split was temporary and the couple were working toward reconciliation. “We both love each other very much,” the former governor said at an appearance last week at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. “We are very fortunate that we have four extraordinary children and we’re taking one day at a time.” Friends of Shriver, 55, offered a grimmer assessment, saying she had been unhappy for years but made no move until after her parents died and Schwarzenegger finished his term as governor. Her father, Sargent Shriver, died Jan. 18, nearly a year and a half after the death of her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. The marriage between Shriver and Schwarzenegger — pairing one of Hollywood’s top box office draws and a member of one of America’s most storied Democratic political clans — has long been a subject of public interest. As an actor, Schwarzenegger reveled in his macho image. But his behavior became an issue during his first campaign for governor, in the 2003 recall election, when more than a dozen women said he had groped them over a period of many years. Schwarzenegger at first denied the allegations, then apologized. Shriver offered a timely and politically crucial defense of her husband, vouching for his personal integrity. After his landslide election, she emerged as one of the most visible first ladies in California history, maintaining a high profile as she promoted volunteerism and directed a wildly popular annual conference on women. Although friends of the couple speak of difficulties in their marriage throughout Schwarzenegger’s governorship, any tensions were kept out of public view. The couple’s four children range in age from 13 to 21. Once Schwarzenegger left office in January, the two effectively began leading separate lives. Schwarzenegger has been jetting around the world, heading to Brazil’s Xingu River with director James Cameron, to London for Mikhail Gorbachev’s 80th birthday party, to Val d’Isere in France for skiing. Schwarzenegger, who had to put aside acting and his business interests while serving in Sacramento, quickly plunged back into those pursuits. Last week, a bidding war took place at Cannes to make two more installments of the “Terminator” franchise starring Schwarzenegger, and the former governor also signed to star in a third movie. He is working on an animated children’s series based on his life and also exploring real estate and other business investments. He has traveled the globe — apart from Shriver — delivering high-priced speeches and also participated in a White House summit on immigration reform. He is expected to pen his memoirs soon. Shriver, a longtime television journalist who gave up her job at NBC when Schwarzenegger took office, has worked on her women’s empowerment website, guest-edited an issue of Oprah Winfrey’s magazine and promoted causes such as Alzheimer’s research (her father suffered from the disease). She also took her son Patrick and some of his friends on an East Coast college tour in April. Last Friday, after the couple’s separation was made public, Shriver sent a Twitter message to her followers, which number more than 750,000: “Thank you all for the kindness, support and compassion. I am humbled by the love. Thank you.” Photos: A political marriage with star power mark.barabak@latimes.com victoria.kim@latimes.com. Times staff writers Seema Mehta, Nathaniel Popper, Maeve Reston, Harriet Ryan and Abby Sewell contributed to this article.

Farrah Fawcett dies at 62; actress soared with, then went beyond, 'Charlie's Angels'

https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-farrah-fawcett26-2009jun26-story.html

Farrah Fawcett, who soared to fame as a national sex symbol in the late 1970s on television’s campy “Charlie’s Angels” and in a swimsuit poster that showcased her feathery mane and made her a generation’s favorite pinup, died Thursday. She was 62. Fawcett, whose celebrity overshadowed her ability as a serious actress, was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2006. She died at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, said Paul Bloch, her publicist. Three months after she was declared cancer-free in 2007, doctors at UCLA Medical Center told her the cancer had returned and spread to her liver, and she repeatedly sought experimental treatment in Germany. Actor Ryan O’Neal, her longtime companion, called her cancer fight “long and brave” and said her family and friends took comfort in “the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world.” Kate Jackson called her “Charlie’s Angels” costar “an inspiration” who “showed immense courage and grace throughout her illness.” “When I think of Farrah, I will remember her kindness, her cutting dry wit and, of course, her beautiful smile,” Jackson said in a statement. Another “Charlie’s Angels” costar, Jaclyn Smith, said in a statement, “Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels.” As an actress, Fawcett was initially dismissed for her role as Jill Munroe in “Charlie’s Angels,” one of the “jiggle” series on ABC-TV in the late 1970s. But she transformed her career and some popular perceptions in 1984 with “The Burning Bed,” a television movie about a battered wife that brought her the first of three Emmy nominations. She further established herself as an actress in the play and later feature film “Extremities,” about a rape victim who takes revenge on her attacker. Robert Greenwald, who directed “The Burning Bed,” told The Times on Thursday, “She was incredibly gutsy, courageous and a risk-taker. She had this wonderful beauty, this very successful career and, unlike many people, she used it to open doors and take big chances.” Yet for many, the poster of her wearing a wet, one-piece swimsuit and a blinding smile endured. “If you were to list 10 images that are evocative of American pop culture, Farrah Fawcett would be one of them,” Robert Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, told The Times. “That poster became one of the defining images of the 1970s.” Fawcett was part of a new generation of celebrities whose fame was fueled by heightened coverage of their ongoing personal dramas, Thompson said. She had many: a failed marriage to actor Lee Majors; a stormy, long-term relationship with O’Neal; a son who fought drug addiction; a writer-director boyfriend, James Orr, who was convicted of assaulting her; a Playboy video that featured her using her naked body as a paintbrush; and a spacey 1997 appearance on David Letterman’s late-night TV show that caused critics to question her mental state. For her part, Fawcett once said all she had to do to get on the cover of People was to “have a new boyfriend or even a new dog,” Texas Monthly reported in 1997. At first, her mane nearly eclipsed her fame. “Charlie’s Angels” showcased the long, feathered tresses that framed her face, launching a national fad of copycat haircuts. Many Fawcettphiles believed the hair had as much to do with the poster’s sales as anything, The Times reported in 1977. Within six months, the poster sold five million copies, outstripping the records of such previous sex symbols as Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe. It wound up selling a reported 12 million copies. “You were a real man if you had her poster. She was our pinup girl,” Mike O’Meara, a radio show host who was in high school when it came out, told the Baltimore Sun in 2006. Fawcett quit the series that brought her initial fame in 1977 after a single season, saying producers were preventing her from growing as an actress. With Jackson and Smith, Fawcett had played a private investigator whose main talent seemed to be the ability to wield a gun while going braless and shouting, “Freeze, turkey!” “Charlie’s Angels” was so popular that 59% of the television audience tuned in, according to Time magazine, and the Los Angeles Times’ review of the series premiere pointed out why: The show dripped with sexuality and “good-natured but quite intentional teasing.” Along with “Three’s Company” -- a double-entendre-filled ABC sitcom that debuted six months after “Charlie’s Angels” in fall 1976 -- the show is credited with helping to launch television’s “jiggle” era. Still, the show was seen as empowering women, even if they did take their orders from an unseen male boss named Charlie. “In an odd way, even with all that Lycra and bralessness, the show was a feminist statement,” Thompson said. “This was an hourlong drama with women as action heroes. They were working in areas of power that generally we didn’t see women in much.” Fawcett, who had appeared in shampoo ads, would triumph over critics who dismissed “Charlie’s Angels” as little more than a commercial for hair products. But first she appeared in two lightweight feature films: “Somebody Killed Her Husband” (1978) and “Sunburn” (1979). She surprised critics with her intense portrayal of the battered wife who immolates her husband in the TV movie “The Burning Bed.” The 1984 Times review noted her “growing acting skill” and “deeply moving performance.” The phrase “Burning Bed” entered Hollywood’s lexicon as shorthand for actresses who wanted to be taken seriously. “Managers would call and say, ‘She’d like to do her ‘Burning Bed,’ ” Greenwald, the film’s director, said Thursday. The off-Broadway play “Extremities” provided another dramatically taxing showcase in 1983. Following Susan Sarandon in the starring role, Fawcett broke her wrist during a fight scene and lost weight because the part was so physically demanding. She also earned respectable reviews. When the film of “Extremities” followed in 1986, The Times’ Charles Champlin called her performance “further declaration of her arrival as a serious and intelligent actress who happens to be beautiful.” Robert Duvall cast Fawcett as his wife in his 1997 independent film “The Apostle,” about a Texas Pentecostal preacher who escapes to Louisiana after accidentally killing his wife’s lover. Again, she won praise. “That woman’s work has been very underrated,” Duvall told Texas Monthly, citing her Emmy-nominated performance in “Small Sacrifices,” a 1989 TV movie in which her character kills her children. “That woman knows how to act.” With O’Neal, with whom she had a son, she starred in “Good Sports,” a short-lived 1991 CBS sitcom that was her last network television series. She received her final Emmy nomination in 2003 for guest-starring on “The Guardian” on CBS. Farrah Leni Fawcett was born Feb. 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas, to James Fawcett, who founded a pipeline construction company, and his wife, Pauline. Her older sister, Diane, died of lung cancer in 2001. While studying painting and sculpture at the University of Texas at Austin, Fawcett was used to being judged by her looks. College men lined up to meet the freshman at her sorority in 1965, her college boyfriend told Texas Monthly. After she was voted one of the 10 most beautiful women on campus, a Hollywood publicist came calling. Her parents wanted her to finish college before coming west, but they gave in after her junior year. Within two weeks of arriving, Fawcett had an agent and a significant other -- Majors, who had arranged an introduction after seeing her photograph, she often said. She signed a contract with Screen Gems, Columbia’s television subsidiary, and got bit parts on shows such as “The Flying Nun” and “The Partridge Family.” Majors married Fawcett in 1973 and became “The Six Million Dollar Man” on ABC a year later. She sometimes appeared on the series. Her contract for “Charlie’s Angels” stipulated that she had to be home every night by 6:30 to make Majors’ dinner at their Bel-Air home, but the domesticity didn’t last. While on location in 1979, Majors arranged for his dashing buddy O’Neal to look in on Fawcett. By fall, she had moved into O’Neal’s Malibu beachfront home, Time magazine reported in 1997. They had a tumultuous relationship that lasted for many years but they never married, although O’Neal said this week that the seriously ill Fawcett had said yes to his latest marriage proposal. “As chaotic and crazy as their relationship is, I don’t know who could put up with the two of them better than each other,” her close friend Alana Stewart said in the Time article. In 1985, Fawcett and O’Neal became the parents of a son, Redmond, whose teenage exploits were tabloid staples. From age 13, he had been in and out of drug treatment programs and has admitted abusing heroin, the London Daily Express reported in 2007. He has had several drug-related arrests in the last year. Redmond, now 24, was allowed to temporarily leave jail April 25 to visit his mother at her home. He had been arrested earlier that month on charges of trying to smuggle drugs into a jail facility in Castaic and recently was admitted to a court-ordered rehabilitation program. When Fawcett and O’Neal broke up in 1997 -- she attributed it to conflicts over parenting -- it was the beginning of a troubled time for her. First, another actress accused her of stealing $72,000 worth of clothes. Then Fawcett appeared on Letterman’s show to promote the video that showed her hurling her gold-painted naked body against a canvas. Chatting with the host, she looked disoriented and sounded incoherent. She repeatedly claimed it had been an act. Orr, a sometime boyfriend, was convicted of slamming Fawcett’s head to the ground and choking her during a fight. She admitted smashing windows at his Bel-Air mansion with a baseball bat. The couple got back together but broke up for good before he was sentenced to three years’ probation, The Times reported in 1999. For years, Fawcett lived in the Bel-Air home she bought with Majors in 1976; it was sold for $2.7 million in 1999. More recently, she called a Beverly Hills condo home. Fawcett’s relationship with O’Neal was on-again, off-again after their breakup. She helped nurse him back to health after he was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2001, and he was there for her soon after she was diagnosed with anal cancer. Two breast cancer survivors also rallied to her side: her “Charlie’s Angels” costars, Smith and Jackson. When tabloids quickly reported her cancer recurrence in 2007, Fawcett suspected that details of her medical care were being leaked. Her complaints led UCLA Medical Center to dismiss an employee who had surreptitiously reviewed Fawcett’s medical records and those of more than 30 other high-profile patients. A new state law aimed at protecting patient privacy also grew out of the records violations Forced to battle her cancer publicly, Fawcett made “Farrah’s Story,” a video diary that unsparingly chronicled her struggle to fight the disease and efforts to protect her privacy. It aired on NBC in mid-May. Throughout the documentary, O’Neal is a steady presence, and he was with her when she died. In May, O’Neal told People magazine: “I won’t know this world without her.” In addition to her son, Fawcett is survived by her father. Instead of flowers, the family suggests donating to cancer research through the Farrah Fawcett Foundation, P.O. Box 6478, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Henry Fuhrmann, Assistant Managing Editor / Copy Desk, Library and Standards

https://www.latimes.com/la-mediacenter-fuhrmann-story.html

Henry Fuhrmann is a former assistant managing editor for the copy desks, the library and standards at the Los Angeles Times. After joining The Times in 1990, Fuhrmann served as a copy editor and news editor on the Metro, Foreign and Calendar desks; as an assistant editor, senior copy desk chief and deputy section editor in Business; and as the first chief of the morning copy desk, which he helped establish in 2007 to serve latimes.com. He started as assistant managing editor in March 2009 and left in 2015. Fuhrmann previously worked at Newsday, where he was a member of the first class of copy editors in Times Mirror’s Minority Editorial Training Program. Before entering the news business, he studied engineering at Caltech and UCLA and worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He holds two degrees in journalism: a bachelor’s from Cal State L.A. and a master’s from Columbia. Fuhrmann was born in Japan and grew up in Ventura County, about an hour’s drive up the coast from Los Angeles. He was a father of two daughters and a past president and longtime officer of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Assn. Fuhrmann died Sept. 14, 2022. Henry Fuhrmann | 1957-2022

'Ms. Marvel': G. Willow Wilson, Sana Amanat on Kamala Khan's transformation

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2014-03-27/ms-marvel-g-willow-wilson-sana-amanat-on-kamala-khan-transformation

The new Ms. Marvel was a media sensation months before her first adventure was published: Kamala Khan, the girl behind the superhero’s mask, would be Marvel’s first Muslim character to star in her own title. But what shape her comic book series would take, and whether sales would match the hype, remained to be seen. “People love to talk about new and different,” said “Ms. Marvel” writer G. Willow Wilson. “They don’t always love to buy and read new and different.” The fear in debuting such a risky character, series editor Sana Amanat said, is always: “If we do something like this, is it a gimmick?” As “Ms. Marvel” No. 1 heads to a third printing and this month’s No. 3 approaches, early indications are that the teenage Kamala’s story has resonated with readers — and drawn new customers into comic stores. The debut issue, released in February, sold out its first printing and finished in the top 25 of more than 400 titles on Diamond Comic Distributors’ chart of sales to comic shops for the month. And Marvel said it was the publisher’s top digital comics seller last month, besting even issues of “All-New X-Men” and “Superior Spider-Man.” At the center of the series’ story is 16-year-old Jersey City, N.J., Avengers fan fiction writer Kamala, a daughter of Pakistani Muslim immigrants who loves the smell of bacon — “delicious, delicious infidel meat,” she jokingly calls it — but abides by the rules of her faith and doesn’t eat it. She is an American, but has a different background than her classmates and struggles to find a sense of belonging. “She’s awkward and unsure in terms of where she fits in and what she wants and who to believe about who she is,” said Amanat, who spearheaded the character’s creation with Wilson and series artist Adrian Alphona, by phone from the Marvel offices in New York. “I think those are conflicts that we can all connect with and we continue to connect with whether we’re teenagers, adults -- just kind of figuring out where we are in the world and what our place is and where we want to be.” When a mysterious-to-her mist descends and empowers her with the ability to shape-shift, Kamala, who idolizes Captain Marvel, at first adopts Carol Danvers’ old Ms. Marvel moniker, her “classic, politically incorrect” old uniform — and her blond hair and lighter skin tone. “It makes sense that at first she would think ‘Well, if I’m going to be a superhero, this is how I should look. This is how I’ve been told a superhero must look,’ ” said Wilson, on the phone from her home in Seattle in a separate interview, adding that the pressure young women feel to live up to unrealistic media images is more intense still for those of minority backgrounds. The opening arc follows Kamala as she works to come to terms with her powers and herself. (“Being someone else isn’t liberating,” she says in Issue 2. “It’s exhausting.”) Having a teenager struggling with identity become a shape-shifter has a certain metaphorical power. But it wasn’t obvious at the outset that morphing would be her superhuman ability. “Her power set was actually the toughest thing, I think, to narrow down in the character creation process,” Wilson said. “I really did not want her to have the classically girly power sets -- I didn’t want her to float. I didn’t want her to sparkle. I didn’t want her to be able to read people’s minds. I think a lot of these sort of passive abilities are often given to female characters -- becoming invisible, using force fields. I wanted her to have something visually exciting, something kinetic.... The idea of making her a shape-shifter nicely paralleled her personal journey.” But the writer notes that polymorphs in comics are most often shown as bad guys, a la the mutant villainess Mystique. “It made sense that if we were going to attack one set of stereotypes, we might as well take on them all,” she said. Alongside “Captain Marvel,” “She-Hulk,” “Black Widow” and the upcoming “Elektra,” “Ms. Marvel” is part of a wave of Marvel superheroine titles that are born of a growing, enthusiastic female comics readership, one that fills room after bigger room at boisterous Women of Marvel panels. Their stories are more character exploration, less exploitation. “It’s not about the side boob,” Wilson said of “Ms. Marvel” and others. “It’s not about the tight costumes. It’s about real 21st century challenges and values that women have.” Her and Alphona’s series was in for some expected heat upon announcement because of sometimes intense feelings about Islam in America, but it also was not going to be immune from criticism from Muslims. Kamala’s family dynamics could have been a touchy issue, though each member is ultimately treated sympathetically. Her father complains that her devout brother is using religion to avoid getting a job; her mother too worries that Aamir will be a “penniless mullah.” And there’s Kamala’s curiosity about that forbidden bacon. “I think people, especially in the Muslim community, are rightly cautious any time you hear ‘Oh, there’s going to be a Muslim character,’ ” said Wilson. “People’s guard immediately goes up because often what are portrayed in the media as ‘sympathetic’ characters end up rehashing the same stereotypes and racist baggage that all of the unsympathetic characters have reflected.” But, she said, she and Amanat were confident that “when the book actually came out and people saw how the characters were represented in the series ... they would be reassured. That’s pretty much what happened.” Kamala’s upbringing has much in common with Amanat’s. The editor is a Pakistani American Muslim who grew up in New Jersey. The character’s development started with her conversations with former senior editor Stephen Wacker, whom she credits with helping get the title approved at Marvel. Amanat admired Wilson’s earlier work in both comics (the Eisner Award nominee “Air”) and novels (the World Fantasy Award-winning “Alif the Unseen”), and Wilson’s background -- she’s a white American raised without a religion who chose Islam as an adult, has lived in Egypt, is married to an Egyptian, and is the mother of two daughters with mixed backgrounds being raised as Muslims -- gave the writer a unique window into the character. “She really understands so many different worlds because she lives in all of them,” Amanat said. Not everyone is hooked on the new series just yet, however. “My first review was from my 12-year-old nephew,” Amanat said. “He told me there was not enough fighting in Issue 1.”

Shelby Grad – Deputy Managing Editor, News

https://www.latimes.com/shelby-grad-deputy-managing-editor-news

As deputy managing editor for news, Shelby Grad supervises the Los Angeles Times’ daily report on all platforms. He manages a team that includes Audience Engagement, the News Desk, the Multiplatform Editing Desk, Utility Journalism and editors overseeing A1 and the weekend edition. Grad came to The Times as a community stringer after graduating from San Jose State University in 1993. He served as a county government and urban affairs reporter in the Orange County edition before becoming an editor. He worked on the Los Angeles city desk from 2002 to 2022, overseeing coverage of wildfires, earthquakes, epic rains, epic droughts, public corruption and celebrity misbehavior, among other things. Grad ran the paper’s Pulitzer-winning coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack in 2015, the Bell corruption scandal in 2010 and the San Diego wildfires in 2003. He served as city editor for a decade, launching L.A. Now and other digital efforts, and oversaw the California and Metro departments starting in 2014 as deputy managing editor until moving to his new role. You can follow him on Twitter @shelbygrad, where his slightly twisted obsession about Los Angeles history and design are on full display.

Former President Reagan Dies at 93

https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-ronald-reagan-dies-20040604-story.html

Ronald Reagan, the Hollywood actor who became one of the most popular presidents of the 20th century and transformed the political landscape of an era with his vision of conservative government, died Saturday at his home in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 93. His wife, Nancy, his greatest fan and fierce protector, was at his side. For 10 years, he suffered from Alzheimer’s, an incapacitating brain disease. In 1994, he bade a poignant farewell to “my fellow Americans.” In a hand-written letter, made public by his office, he said he was setting out on “the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life.” In a statement relayed by chief of staff Joanne Drake, who represents the family, Nancy Reagan said: “My family and I would like the world to know that President Ronald Reagan has passed away. We appreciate everyone’s prayers.” Drake said Reagan’s death came at 1 p.m. and was caused by pneumonia, complicated by Alzheimer’s. The disease robbed Reagan of his ability to remember much of his own remarkable history: that he had served eight years as governor of California and eight more as president of the United States, and that he had led America’s politics rightward toward the middle. Only one Democrat has succeeded him: Bill Clinton, a “new Democrat,” who did as much or more to achieve such conservative goals as balancing the federal budget and changing welfare than anything Reagan himself accomplished. Reagan inspired a missionary corps of conservatives who hold countless elected offices and government jobs to this day. Others have been elected since he left the White House. Indeed, biographer Lou Cannon likened the Reagan revolution to a time bomb, citing political analyst Michael Barone’s tally showing that more Reagan Republicans won congressional seats in 1994 than they did when he was president. Even in his final years, he was a role model. President George W. Bush, who tugged the country even farther right, has called Reagan “a hero in the American story.” As recently as last month, Nancy Reagan had said her husband’s disease was worsening. “Ronnie’s long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him,” she said. When he died, she and Reagan’s son and daughter Ronald Prescott Reagan and Patti Davis were at the family home, chief of staff Drake said. She said son Michael Reagan arrived a short time later. He had spent all day Friday with his father. Reagan’s death brought accolades and condolences from around the world. President George W. Bush was told while visiting Paris to mark the anniversary of D-day. “It’s a sad hour in the life of America,” Bush said, adding that Reagan “leaves behind a nation he restored and a world he helped save.” Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Reagan’s contemporary and political ally, declared that “millions of men and women … live in freedom today because of the policies he pursued.” Former presidents offered statements of praise. Gerald R. Ford called Reagan “an excellent leader of our nation during challenging times.” Bill Clinton said, “He personified the indomitable optimism of the American people … [and kept] America at the forefront of the fight for freedom.” George H.W. Bush said, “We had been political opponents and became close friends. He could take a stand … and do it without creating bitterness.” In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called Reagan “a great American patriot” and said, “He was a hero to me.” World and national leaders were expected to gather at the National Cathedral in Washington for Reagan’s funeral, after his body lies in state for two days at the Reagan presidential library and museum near Simi Valley, and then for two days in Washington at the Capitol Rotunda. Then the body was to be returned to the presidential library for private burial. Details of the arrangements were not final. Optimism Was Catching As the nation’s 40th president, Reagan left lasting contributions to the world, his nation and the people he served. Graced with a gift for storytelling, a ready wit and a visceral understanding of the aspirations of his countrymen, Reagan had the rare distinction of leaving office more popular than when he arrived. Part of his gift was his ability to make Americans, shaken by the Vietnam War and the scandal of Watergate, feel good about themselves. His optimism was real and unyielding. Once, after surgery forcolon cancer, he told reporters: “I didn’t have cancer. I had something inside of me that had cancer in it, and it was removed.” It helped that he was an actor. “There have been times in this office,” he once told interviewer David Brinkley, “when I’ve wondered how you could do the job if you hadn’t been an actor.” People called him the Gipper, because he played Notre Dame football star George Gipp in the 1940 movie “Knute Rockne — All American.” On his deathbed, Gipp urges Coach Rockne to implore the Fighting Irishto “win one for the Gipper.” As president, Reagan urged his fellow Americans to do the same, time and again: to write Congress for tax relief, to vote Republican — so they, too, could win one for the Gipper. People also called him the Great Communicator, because he understood the presidency was a pulpit, and he used it to preach. Mostly his sermons were about a simple kind of conservatism: cut taxes so investments of the wealthy would trickle down to the poor; build America’s military might so world Communism would topple and fall. “Mr. Gorbachev,” he shouted, at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin during a visit in June 1987, “tear down this wall!” Ten years later, after the Berlin Wall had tumbled and the Soviet empire collapsed, Reagan was strolling in Armand Hammer Park near his home. The Toledo Blade reported that a Ukranian from Ohio and his 12-year-old grandson asked if Reagan would sit on a park bench with the boy for a picture. He obliged. The grandfather later told the New York Times that they had thanked him for opposing communism. Yes, Reagan replied, that had been his job. Pluses and Minuses Reagan left a tangled legacy. He presided over a historic agreement to ban intermediate range nuclear missiles with the Soviet Union, which he had reviled as an “evil empire.” But he also presided over a debacle in Lebanon with uncounted victims, including 241 U.S. troops, mostly Marines; and he presided over the Iran-Contra affair, a scandal that severely damaged his administration. Reagan’s tenure produced lower inflation, interest rates and unemployment. But his term also saw a busted budget and record deficits, which made America a net importer and tripled the national debt. It “mortgaged much of our future vitality,” said conservative columnist George F. Will. Nearly 15 years passed before the nation was able to post a surplus. The president himself was a man of striking contradictions, say Jane Mayer, a New Yorker magazine staff writer, and Doyle McManus, the Times’ Washington bureau chief, in their book, “Landslide: The Unmaking of the President, 1984-1988.” He was a gifted leader, they write, but he could be detached and indecisive. He was an overwhelmingly popular politician, they say, but he could be shy and intensely private and kept a personal distance from almost everyone except his wife, Nancy. “On balance, Reagan was a strong man, but an extraordinarily weak manager,” biographer Cannon said in his book “President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.” He restored public confidence in the presidency, Cannon wrote, “without mastering the difficult art of wielding presidential power.” Reagan often said: “Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem.” In fact, Cannon said, “Reagan thought so little of government that he did not think enough about it.” As a result, he treated the presidency with a hands-off style of management that tested the abilities of those charged to run the executive branch, sometimes with unhappy results. But he also could be a very personal president. He shared jellybeans from a jar in the Oval Office. A recent collection, “Reagan: A Life in Letters,” revealed that he hand-wrote an astonishing assortment of notes to friends, adversaries, world leaders and plain folks, from Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev to a seventh-grader who requested federal help because his mother had declared his bedroom a disaster area. Reagan’s letters asked whether governments truly reflected the needs of their people, told of his imaginings about a ballistic missile defense system and suggested, with a fatherly chuckle, that the youngster volunteer to clean up his room himself. Many Americans saw in him things they also wanted to believe about themselves, said cultural historian Garry Wills, in his book “Reagan’s America: Innocents at Home.” They were convinced, Wills wrote, that both he and they were hopeful and independent, strong and God-fearing, as well as destined to be extraordinary. They shaped their faith in him and in themselves to accommodate any uncomfortable realities, Wills said, and they ignored his inconsistencies. This helped to shield Reagan from political disapproval. Confounding opponents, he seemed at times to be immune to controversy. “The Teflon-coated presidency,” complained former Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.), when criticisms would not take hold, but slipped off instead like grease on a nonstick frying pan. Reagan was protected, too, by his style. He did not turn political foes into personal enemies. House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, an earthy populist from Boston who championed liberal causes with a fervor to match Reagan’s devotion to conservative crusades, often went from Capitol Hill down to the White House at the end of the day for a quiet chat between two Irish pols. “There’s just something about the guy that people like,” O’Neill once explained to the Washington Post. “They’re rooting for him, and of course they’re rooting for him because we haven’t had any presidential successes for years — Kennedy killed, Johnson with Vietnam, Nixon with Watergate, Ford, Carter and all the rest.” O’Neill remembered how Reagan would say to him, “Tip, you and I are political enemies only until 6 o’clock. It’s 4 o’clock now. Can we pretend that it’s 6 o’clock?” Finally, Reagan was sustained by his sense of humor, which he often exercised in times of adversity. When a would-be assassin gunned him down outside a Washington hotel during the third month of his presidency, he quipped to a doctor laboring to save his life: “I hope you’re a Republican.” As in “win one for the Gipper,” when Reagan did not have a good line of his own, he borrowed one from a movie in which he had appeared, or which he especially liked. To Reagan, the presidency was often the stage for a well-rehearsed script. He tapped the talents of a stable of writers, including the eloquent Peggy Noonan. On the 40th anniversary of D-day, she provided his tribute on the palisades of Normandy to American veterans who had flown to France for the occasion. “These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc,” he intoned, his delivery a marvel of dramatic narrative and pauses at the punch lines. “These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped win a war.” Veterans cried, said the Washington Post, adding that he had moved “even reporters and Democrats to tears.” His writers knew history. Left to himself, Reagan sometimes garbled it. This mattered little, however, because he had perfect pitch for its music. “Reagan would embody great chunks of the American experience, become deeply involved with them emotionally, while having only the haziest notion of what really occurred,” Wills says. “He had a skill for striking ‘historical’ attitudes combined with a striking lack of historical attention.” What he was doing was acting, but it served him well, even in times of trouble. Alexander M. Haig caused a stir, for example, by resigning abruptly as secretary of state after battling the White House staff and embarrassing the administration with an emotional pronouncement following the assassination attempt that “I am in control here.” As Reagan prepared to answer questions from reporters about Haig’s departure, he regaled his aides with jokes. Chief of Staff James A. Baker cautioned against levity at serious moments. “Don’t worry, Jim,” Reagan replied. “I’ll play it somber.” And he did. Small Town Roots Ronald Wilson Reagan was born Feb. 6, 1911, in Tampico, Ill., the second son of John Edward Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan. His father, an Irish-Catholic Democrat, was a shoe salesman and charming storyteller, but he had a restless spirit and a drinking problem. In the early years of Reagan’s childhood, his father had difficulty holding a job. The Reagans moved from one small town to another in rural Illinois. For a brief period, they resided on the South Side of Chicago. By the age of 8, he had lived in seven homes. In 1920, when Reagan was 9, the family settled down at last in the small community of Dixon, about 100 miles due west of Chicago. Dixon was where Reagan went to high school, played football and fell in love with a preacher’s daughter. It was where he took up his famous duties as a lifeguard in Lowell Park, northeast of town on the Rock River. He was credited with saving 77 lives. He was “Dutch” Reagan then, a nickname given to him when he was a baby by his father, who thought he looked like “a fat little Dutchman.” Reagan preferred “Dutch” to Ronald, which he considered not manly. His mother was a pious woman who had a big influence on her sons, Neil and Ronald. Cheerful and energetic, she taught that people were innately good and could achieve great things with perseverance. She gave Ronald his first taste of acting: playing parts in moralistic church skits, some of which she wrote. By contrast, in an early autobiography, “Where’s the Rest of Me? The Ronald Reagan Story,” he described coming home to find his father “flat on his back on the front porch and no one there to lend a hand but me. He was drunk, dead to the world. I wanted to let myself in the house and go to bed and pretend he wasn’t there.” Instead, the scrawny 11-year-old tugged his father inside and put him to bed. Reagan said that he felt no resentment and credited his mother. “She told Neil and myself over and over that alcoholism was a sickness — that we should love and help our father and never condemn him for something that was beyond his control.” But it scarred him: As a youngster, he tried to avoid the trouble that alcoholism caused at home; as an adult, Cannon said, sometimes he could not bring himself to confront the trouble that infighting caused on his White House staff. After high school, Reagan enrolled in Eureka College, a small Christian school 21 miles east of Peoria. Early on, he found his public voice. The college president, under fire for restrictions against smoking, dancing and staying out after 9:30 p.m., compounded his problems by threatening to eliminate courses and fire teachers to save money. Reagan, the freshman representative, was asked to speak on behalf of students who were in revolt. “He did not call for a return to law and order or ask the students to protest to the trustees through established channels,” writes Bill Boyarsky, a retired Times city editor, political writer and columnist, in his book, “Ronald Reagan: His Life & Rise to the Presidency.” Nor did he criticize the faculty for supporting the students, as he did during student unrest when he was the governor of California. Instead, Boyarsky says, “he offered a resolution calling for a student strike.” Reagan’s emotional appeal prevailed: All but a few students refused to attend classes. Ultimately, the president of Eureka College resigned. In his autobiography, Reagan said he discovered while he was making his strike speech “that an audience has a feel to it, and, in the parlance of the theater, the audience and I were together…. It was heady wine.” When he graduated from Eureka in 1932, the nation was deep in the Depression. “We didn’t live on the wrong side of the railroad tracks,” Reagan said later about those meager years, “but we lived so close to them we could hear the whistle real loud.” Even in the depths of the nation’s economic catastrophe, Reagan was determined to succeed. He wanted to be a broadcaster. He was attracted to radio partly by the new president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Memorizing portions of FDR’s first inaugural address, Reagan later echoed Roosevelt’s cadence. As for FDR’s New Deal politics, “I was a near-hopeless hemophilic liberal,” Reagan wrote later. “I bled for ‘causes.’ ” He landed a part-time announcer’s job at WOC in Davenport, Iowa. Within a year, WOC had merged with its big-sister station, WHO in Des Moines, and Reagan was hired as a sports announcer and re-createdChicago Cubs games. Reagan often told a story during his presidency of how he would get abbreviated information about a game in progress by telegraph and relay it to listeners as if he were describing the action. Except once, when the ticker died. “When the [telegraph] slip came through, it said, ‘The wire’s gone dead.’ Well, I had the ball on the way to the plate,” Reagan recalled to a group of baseball players at a Hall of Fame lunch at the White House in 1981. “So I had Billy [Jurges] foul one off…. And I had him foul one back at third base and described the fight between the two kids who were trying to get to the ball. Then I had him foul one that just missed being a home run.” Finally, with Reagan sweating and listeners wondering about this odd succession of foul balls, the ticker started to click again. “And the slip came through the window, and I could hardly talk for laughing,” Reagan recalled. “It said, ‘Jurges popped out on the first pitch.’ ” Radio loved Reagan’s voice, but he longed to be an actor. WHO sent him to Catalina Island in 1937 to cover the Cubs during spring training. While he was in California, he wrangled a screen test and signed a contract for $200 a week with Warner Brothers studio. Private and Public Transition Reagan acted in 52 movies cast as a good guy and in one made-for-TV film, “The Killers,” cast as a villain. He later said he regretted making the picture. It was considered too violent for television and was released in theaters just as his political career began. In 1940, he married actress Jane Wyman, and they appeared together in a sequel to their first pairing in “Brother Rat.” It was called “Brother Rat and a Baby.” Within a year, their first child was born, a daughter they named Maureen Elizabeth. Later they adopted a son, Michael Edward. Their daughter died in August 2001 of melanoma. She was 60. Reagan’s big movie break came with “Knute Rockne — All American,” the film that immortalized the Gipper. But his most challenging part came in “Kings Row,” a 1942 picture in which he played a small-town playboy whose legs are needlessly amputated by a vicious surgeon. Both he and critics called it his best performance. He became a board member of the Screen Actors Guild. Stars who commanded big money — Robert Montgomery, Cary Grant, James Cagney — welcomed him as an equal. Reagan’s film career was sidetracked by World War II, and it never recovered. Disqualified from combat because he was nearsighted, he was sent to the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Forces in suburban Culver City, which made over 400 training films. He was discharged on Dec. 9, 1945, as a captain. His involvement with the Screen Actors Guild increased, and with it a growing interest in public life, which Wyman complained took all his time. In 1948, their marriage — to Reagan’s painful surprise — headed for divorce. It was for him a personal trauma. “The plain truth was,” he said, “that such a thing was so far from even being imagined by me that I had no resources to call upon.” The trauma coincided with his first stirrings of conservatism. He remained a Democrat, urging Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for president as a Democrat and campaigning for Helen Gahagan Douglas in her futileU.S. Senate race against Richard M. Nixon. It would not be until the early 1960s that he switched parties. “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party,” he said. “The party left me.” By 1947, Reagan had become president of the Screen Actors Guild. He was swept up in ideological turmoil that tormented Hollywood. The House Un-American Activities Committee began investigating claims of Communist influence within the studios. Writers and actors were blacklisted. Some never worked again. Reagan was convinced that Communists intended to seize control of the movie industry so it could be used as “a worldwide propaganda base.” The remedy, he wrote in “Where’s the Rest of Me?” was “that each American generation must be re-educated to the precariousness of liberty.” Reagan and other actors appeared before HUAC to testify to their opposition to Communism. They “lent [their] names” to the luster of its hearings, say Larry Ceplair and Steven Englund in their book, “The Inquisition in Hollywood.” In 1952, he married Nancy Davis, a young actress whose mother, Edith Luckett, had been on stage and whose stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, was a prominent neurosurgeon. She gave up acting to devote herself to her husband. They had two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott. For Reagan, there was comfort in having a family again. Enter General Electric, stage right. For eight years, beginning in 1954, Reagan served GE as the host of a televised series of dramas. He also was its goodwill ambassador to employees and to civic and business groups around the country. While his motive was to make money, over time the experience of speaking to business people helped crystallize his views and prepared him for active politics. His talks, initially only lighthearted reminiscences of Hollywood’s Golden Age, began to grow more serious. In speeches with titles like “Encroaching Government Controls” and “Our Eroding Freedoms,” he broadened his scope to include a wide range of national issues. At first, he confined his deepest political beliefs to private communications — a 1960 letter to Vice President Richard M. Nixon, for instance, in which he said of John F. Kennedy: “Under the tousled boyish haircut is still old Karl Marx.” By 1962, his speeches had become more political — and more controversial. Under pressure, General Electric ended the arrangement. He had become so popular, he said, that at least three years of bookings had to be canceled. “It would be nice to accept this as a tribute to my oratory,” Reagan later wrote. “But I think the real reason had to do with a change that was taking place all over America. People wanted to talk about and hear about encroaching government control. And hopefully they wanted suggestions as to what they themselves could do to turn the tide.” Moving to World Stage Reagan’s political fortunes rose from the ashes of Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater’s spectacular defeat in 1964. Reagan offered a friendly antidote to Goldwater’s strident rhetoric. Reagan’s tone suggested patriotic concern and continuity with the past. Unlike Goldwater, he could sell conservatism with a smile. In a fund-raising address televised to the nation, Reagan honed “the speech,” as it was known during his GE days, into a clarion call. Americans saw the smoothest, most articulate, most attractive champion of the Republican cause in a generation. Biographer Bill Boyarsky says Reagan’s speech, “A Time for Choosing,” stirred conservatives just as William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” speech had electrified farmers and factory workers in 1896. Goldwater lost to Lyndon Johnson, but Reagan won national acclaim. The next spring, Holmes P. Tuttle, a wealthy Los Angeles car dealer who had promoted the fund-raising speech, invited other millionaires to support Reagan in a race for governor of California. The millionaires, later known as Reagan’s “kitchen Cabinet,” hired the California campaign management team of Stuart Spencer and Bill Roberts. They, in turn, hired professors to brief Reagan on state issues and broaden his command of literary allusions. His years on television for GE, then as host of “Death Valley Days,” had made Reagan a familiar face. But it brought criticism as well. Democrats derided him as a puppet who mouthed words scripted by others. In “An American Life,” a later autobiography, he recalled that incumbent Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown aired an ad in which he told schoolchildren, “I’m running against an actor,” then added, “and you know who killed Lincoln, don’t you?” Reagan, for his part, gave versions of “the speech” at every opportunity. He argued that government was too big, taxes were too high and regulation was strangling business. Often he ended with, “Ya basta!” It was Spanish for, “Enough, already!” Californians said yes, overwhelmingly. Reagan defeated Brown by nearly 1 million votes and swept Republicans into every major executive office except attorney general. During his eight years in Sacramento, Reagan’s performance foreshadowed his stewardship in Washington. Against Democratic majorities among lawmakers for most of the time in both places, he portrayed himself as a “citizen politician” determined to “squeeze, cut and trim” and get government off “the backs of its people.” The champion of striking students at Eureka College vowed to restore order at protest-torn campuses throughout California and was pleased to see the firing of nationally respected University of CaliforniaPresident Clark Kerr. Reagan also supported the first-ever UC student tuition. He appointed a former member of the John Birch Society to head his Office of Economic Opportunity and to campaign against legal assistance for the rural poor. In a compromise, Boyarsky writes, he gave up a permanent ceiling on welfare appropriations, but he succeeded in reducing welfare rolls. Squeezing, cutting and trimming government were harder. In his first year, he proposed slashing the state budget by an unprecedented 10% — but ended up signing a spending program 10% larger than his predecessor’s. He kept proclaiming “squeeze, cut and trim,” but his budgets, hammered by inflation, ballooned from his first of $4.6 billion to his last of $10.2 billion. He signed what at the time was the biggest state tax increase in the nation’s history: $844 million in the first year, $1.01 billion in the second. It marked the first of a roller-coaster series of tax increases and rebates. One of his most remarkable flip-flops involved his opposition to payroll withholding of state income taxes. “My feet are in concrete,” he said, over and over. But in 1970, when the state faced a serious cash flow crisis, Reagan finally gave in. “That sound you hear,” he told reporters, “is the concrete breaking around my feet.” That same year he found himself in a personal controversy. He had paid no state income tax himself because of “business reverses.” As he campaigned, he had been dismissive of some environmental concerns. “You know, a tree is a tree,” he said. “How many more do you need to look at?” But as governor, he signed some of the nation’s strictest air and water quality laws, increased state parkland and started requiring environmental impact reports on state construction projects. He signed a historic abortion reform bill authored by a Democrat that vastly liberalized the procedure in California. Advocates promoted it as a model for other states. Later, as a national political figure, Reagan would hold the support of the most militant anti-abortionists, while doing relatively little to advance their cause. “Reagan was not as good as the Republicans like to think, or as bad as the Democrats would have you believe,” declared Democratic Assembly Speaker Jesse M. Unruh, who had opposed him unsuccessfully when he ran for a second term. Reagan’s march on Washington began almost as soon as he reached the state Capitol. He ran for president in 1968, but fell to Nixon. By 1975, when Reagan completed his second term as governor, Nixon had resigned in disgrace. Reagan began an all-out, two-year drive to wrest the 1976 nomination from incumbent Gerald R. Ford, an appointed vice president who became president on the resignation of Nixon. Reagan fell short by a handful of delegates to the Republican national convention. But Ford lost to Jimmy Carter, and Reagan became the front-runner to challenge Carter in 1980. This time Reagan was not to be denied. He flirted with asking former President Ford to be his running mate, but negotiations faltered — so he turned to George Bush, who in the primaries had called his fiscal policy “voodoo economics.” By 1983, Reagan vowed, he would cut taxes, boost defense spending and balance the budget. Under Carter, Americans had been battered by double-digit inflation, stagnant growth and a fuel shortage that caused long lines at gasoline stations. They had been humiliated by the imprisonment of 52 Americans who were being held hostage in Iran and by Carter’s unsuccessful efforts to free them, including an aborted military rescue that cost the lives of eight American servicemen. Reagan preached optimism. If he were elected, America would stand tall again, he said, and competence would return to Washington. “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” he asked voters. Absolutely not, they responded, and gave him a resounding victory: 51% of the vote to Carter’s 41%. Independent John Anderson won nearly 7%. Reagan won the electoral vote 489 to 44. Tumultuous First Term When Reagan took office at the age of 69, he was better positioned than any Republican since Eisenhower to lay a firm hand on government. He froze hiring and new regulations. He swept even low-level Democrats out of their jobs and replaced them with Republicans. He won a 25% cut in personal income taxes and big tax breaks for businesses. He called for deep cuts in social programs, and he increased Pentagon spending by more than 9% per year between fiscal 1981 and 1984. To presidents with programs, their first 100 days in office are important. Reagan did not have that long. On his 70th day, he was shot by John W. Hinckley Jr., a 25-year-old drifter who had hidden in a crowd of reporters outside the Washington Hilton, where Reagan had just spoken to labor leaders. A .22-caliber bullet entered his chest under his left shoulder. It careened off a rib and lodged in his left lung — within an inch of his heart. The bullet was removed during a two-hour operation, but not before he had lost nearly half his blood and edged close to death. Reagan had been in far graver danger than he let on. He had walked into the hospital and did not collapse until he was out of sight. “Honey, I forgot to duck,” he told Nancy, borrowing a line from boxer Jack Dempsey. Hinckley, who had a history of psychiatric problems, was trying to impress actress Jodie Foster, whom he idolized. He had fired six shots, wounding four people. Press secretary James Brady was hit in the head and has been in a wheelchair since. Hinckley was committed to a mental institution. Twelve days after the shooting, Reagan was back at the White House. His strength and gallant demeanor touched the public. Characteristically, however, he did not change his long-standing opposition to gun control. Brady, on the other hand, became a national leader in the fight to curb handguns. Despite the interruption, Reagan lost little momentum. In the middle of his first summer as president, more than 11,000 federal air traffic controllers, members of one of the few unions to support him, walked off their jobs — and he fired them. It was a blow to organized labor, already in decline. But it showed that Reagan meant what he said, especially about guarding the economy against inflation. Before the end of his first summer as president, Congress had enacted his historic tax cut and his budget legislation largely intact. To justify increasing defense spending while slashing taxes, Reagan had embraced supply-side economics — a theory that enjoyed little standing among many economists. Supply-siders held that higher spending and lower taxes would not increase the deficit. Instead, the theory held, tax cuts would unleash such a wave of economic growth that government income would actually rise. It did not happen. As defense spending rose and the tax cuts kicked in, the predicted surge in economic growth did not materialize. The deficit soared toward record levels. Eventually, the national debt nearly tripled. Before Reagan’s first year was up, the nation’s economy plunged into the worst downturn in years. By March of 1982, Reagan, who had acknowledged “a slight and, I hope, a short recession,” was reduced to denying that the nation was in a depression. Unemployment reached a 41-year record of 10.8% that November, and the global effects of the slowdown did severe damage to Third World debtor nations and the world’s banking system. Reagan’s budget director, David Stockman, was among the disillusioned. He granted a series of devastating interviews to William Greider, who published them in the Atlantic Monthly, quoting Stockman as saying, “None of us really understands what’s going on with all these numbers.” “Stay the course!” Reagan urged the nation, insisting that supply side simply needed more time. But even Republicans feared that without additional revenue, the deficit would reach uncontrollable proportions. Republican senators forced him to accept a three-year, $100-billion tax increase. Reagan sought to pass it off as closing loopholes. The economic turmoil cost the Republicans 25 seats in the House of Representatives. But Democrats were hesitant to press their own solutions for the recession, and when Reagan’s tax increase began boosting economic indicators in the fall of 1983, the president could claim full credit. All the while, superpower relations degenerated to an unnerving low. Arms control negotiations stalled. Some Americans, including a number of religious leaders, urged a freeze on nuclear weapons. To blunt the movement, Reagan assailed the Soviet Union as an “evil empire.” He called communism “another sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages even now are being written.” He announced a plan to develop a space-based defense system, called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), to destroy Soviet missiles before they could reach the United States. Moscow bristled. American critics said SDI would never work. They named the system Star Wars, after the George Lucasspace fantasy film. But Reagan would not give it up, and it became a persistent stumbling block to an arms control agreement. In September of 1983, a Soviet fighter shot down an unarmed South Korean airliner that had strayed into Soviet air space over a Russian peninsula. The attack killed 269 people, including a U.S. congressman. Although an isolated incident, it deepened fear of a superpower conflict. In the Middle East, the administration tried hard to bring peace. Reagan sent Marines into Lebanon as part of a multinational force to end warfare between Christians and Muslims. But the administration was divided. Reagan’s advisors showed signs of the infighting that would come to cost him dearly during his second term. Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger opposed the mission in Lebanon. But Reagan, encouraged by Secretary of State George P. Shultz, stepped up U.S. involvement. Pro-Iranian terrorists crashed a bomb-laden van into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans. Reagan held the Marines in place despite the increasing risk. Terrorists struck again. A truck filled with explosives broke through inadequate defenses around a Marine barracks in Beirut. It blew the building to pieces and killed 241 U.S. servicemen. It was “the saddest day of my presidency,” Reagan wrote in “An American Life,” and “perhaps the saddest day of my life.” On the day after the bombing, he ordered Marines and Army Rangers to invade the Caribbean island of Grenada to oust a cadre of Cuban troops, effectively overthrow a new Marxist government and bring home 800 American medical students. Many allies and a number of Democratic leaders called the invasion meddling in Grenada’s affairs and suspected that it was intended to distract Americans from the horror in Beirut. The facts show otherwise, Cannon said. Although Reagan did not issue his formal order for the invasion until the day after Beirut, planning for a military evacuation of the students from Grenada had been underway for four days, and Reagan and his advisors had reached a consensus to invade the island one day before. In the end, the 5,000-member invasion force, facing little opposition, sustained 19 fatalities. But Americans reveled in the show of military muscle. During all of this, Reagan refused to bring the Marines home from Lebanon. He left them at risk for three more months until he quietly ordered all 1,500 to retreat to the safety of U.S. Navy ships offshore. By now the economy was back up. The president and the Federal Reserve had curbed inflation, “the most enduring,” Cannon judged, “of Reagan’s economic legacies.” The president, who might have been doomed by recession and plagued by misadventures abroad, basked in respect. As the 1984 election approached, he held a big lead in the polls. His television commercials declared: “It’s morning again in America.” Triumph and Scandal Reagan campaigned on patriotism, prosperity and military strength. His opponent, Walter F. Mondale, who was Carter’s vice president, failed to seize on a compelling issue. He saddled himself with a pledge to raise taxes. He said Reagan would raise taxes too, but would not be candid enough to admit it ahead of time. A poor performance during one debate gave Reagan his only uneasy moment. It prompted speculation that the president, well past 73, might be too old for the job. When the matter came up in the next debate, he remarked with a disarming smile, “I want you to know that … I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Even Mondale, 56, laughed. Reagan won by the largest electoral raw vote landslide in history. He received 59% of the popular vote, carried 49 states and got 525 electoral votes — to Mondale’s 13. Even before his second inauguration, planning was underway for Reagan to visit Germany for the 1985 economic summit on the 40th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis. Chancellor Helmut Kohl asked him to honor dead German soldiers as an act of reconciliation. Touched by Kohl’s emotion and eager to reciprocate his support as an ally, Reagan agreed — and kept his word, despite relentless objections fromElie Wiesel and other Jewish leaders, as well as groups of American veterans, prominent Republicans and his own wife, Nancy. The ceremony would be at a cemetery in Bitburg. Protests exploded into outcries when snow melted on the graves and revealed that 49 SS troops were among the 2,000 German soldiers buried there. Wiesel begged Reagan to abandon the Bitburg visit, citing SS participation in the Holocaust. “One million Jewish children perished,” he pleaded. “If I spent my entire life reciting their names, I would die before finishing the task. Mr. President, I have seen children — I have seen them being thrown in the flames alive. Words, they die on my lips…. May I, Mr. President, if it’s possible at all, implore you to do something else … to find another way, another site. That place, Mr. President, is not your place. Your place is with the victims of the SS.” Reagan added a stop to honor the Jews who had died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, but it hardly helped. When the president finally visited the German graves, he lost a measure of his stature in the Jewish community. “Within two months of Bitburg,” Cannon said, “Reagan would authorize the first stages of a backdoor deal with Iran that would demonstrate in even greater measure … [his] inadequate historical understanding, political naivete and awesome presidential stubbornness.” Emboldened by his landslide reelection, the Reagan administration reached beyond what was legal and provided arms to the Iranians in return for American hostages in Lebanon — and used proceeds to finance a war by guerrillas, called Contras, trying to overthrow the Marxist government of Nicaragua. The deal developed into a scandal called Iran-Contra, and it cost the president mightily. Nicaragua’s governing coalition, the Sandinistas, supported guerrillas of its own, who were trying to overthrow pro-American leaders in El Salvador. The Sandinistas, Reagan told the Washington Post, were “terrorists” in a “revolution being exported to the Americas.” As early as 1981, Reagan had approved a request by William J. Casey, his CIA director and a longtime cold warrior, for $19 million to help the contras overthrow the Sandinista government in the name of democracy and anti-communism. It was secret money, and it went to 500 insurrectionists — including national guard members in the former regime of despised Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. Reagan called them “freedom fighters” and “the moral equal of our Founding Fathers.” Rightists won control of the Salvadoran assembly, and they elected as president Roberto d’Aubuisson, suspected of being tied to the unsolved murder of Oscar Arnulfo Romero, a Catholic archbishop and outspoken foe of the far right. Now Reagan found himself supplying covert aid to members of a deposed despot’s national guard, who were trying to overthrow the lawful government of Nicaragua, in defense of a right-wing leader in El Salvador who was associated with death squads. Reagan did not flinch. In 1982, the Washington Post disclosed his covert aid. He won several fights in Congress to send the Contras official assistance, but he lost others, and by May of 1984 the Contras were broke. Robert C. McFarlane, the president’s national security advisor, said Reagan told him to keep the Contras together “body and soul.” McFarlane passed the instruction along to a Marine lieutenant colonel, Oliver North, who was a member of the National Security Council staff. Congress passed an amendment, called Boland II, barring the use of funds to support, either directly or indirectly, any military or paramilitary operations in Nicaragua. Less than a month before his reelection, Reagan signed the legislation. But he thought that helping the Contras was the “right thing to do,” according to Cannon. “He had no interest whatever in the legal restrictions that Congress believed it had imposed on him.” At the same time, his second term brought an acute deterioration in his White House team, with disastrous consequences. He allowed James A. Baker, his pragmatic chief of staff, to trade jobs with Donald Regan, his secretary of the Treasury. For four years, said Jane Mayer and Doyle McManus, Baker had helped guard Reagan “from his own worst instincts.” Regan, on the other hand, let Reagan be Reagan. The loss of Baker at the White House, along with his political savvy, was widely blamed for many of the subsequent troubles that befell the president. Regan and McFarlane distrusted each other; Cannon said they barely spoke. McFarlane also was at odds with Secretary of State Shultz and Secretary of Defense Weinberger, especially on Iran. McFarlane wanted to woo Iran away from Soviet influence, even if it meant encouraging the sale of Western arms to Iran for its ongoing war against Iraq. Shultz and Weinberger opposed it adamantly. American policy forbade selling arms to Iran and other sponsors of terrorism. To Reagan, this was yet another wrangle over government policy. He was not really interested in government, Cannon said. He “was so obviously wearied by extensive analysis, particularly of foreign policy, that aides plunged into arcane material at their peril. If Reagan became sufficiently bored, he simply nodded off.” He had even less appetite for personal conflicts among his staff. “Reagan had learned in childhood from his father’s alcoholic eruptions to withdraw at any sign of disharmony,” Cannon said. In March of 1984, William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut, had been kidnapped by terrorists linked to Iran, and CIA Director Casey told Reagan he wanted Buckley back. Moreover, Casey saw merit in McFarlane’s Cold War view of Iran as a barrier against the Soviet Union. Terrorists took more hostages, seven Americans in all. This seized Reagan’s attention like no policy debate ever could. It evoked what Mayer and McManus call the “hard-liner’s soft touch.” The danger, they say, “was that, left to his own good intentions, the president would confuse the human interest with the national interest…. There was no clearer example of this danger than in his approach to the hostages.” In August 1985, McFarlane later testified, Reagan secretly approved the first of eight shipments of missiles and missile parts to Iran. Four of the shipments were made through Israel, which provided the arms and received replacements from the United States. The other shipments were made directly. Reagan signed three “findings,” or authorizations, for the secret sales. One spoke of freeing the hostages. Attached to another was a memo. Cannon says Reagan did not bother to read it, so Adm. John Poindexter, who had succeeded McFarlane as national security advisor, initialed it on Reagan’s behalf. It approved using a private agent as a go-between. North already had arranged for such an agent. He called it the Enterprise. It was a network of secret operatives, shadow corporations and Swiss bank accounts. He could use them to do something that might be illegal under Boland II but would further a cause dear to the president. He could divert profits from the Iranian arms sales to the Contras. It would keep them together “body and soul.” Secretly, Cannon says, North and the Enterprise demanded far more money from the Iranians than they paid the Defense Department for the missiles; just two of the shipments had yielded $6.3 million in profits. North kept none of the money for himself, but fellow operatives in the Enterprise pocketed some. North gave much of the rest to the Contras. On Nov. 3, 1986, a Lebanese magazine, Al-Shiraa, told about a McFarlane visit to Iran and said he had sent weapons on Reagan’s behalf. Three days later the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post broke the first full story of the Iran arms sales. Diversion of profits to the Contras remained a secret, but Congress exploded in anger, and the trading of arms for hostages sputtered to a close. By Cannon’s count, Reagan had sold more than 2,000 missiles and in excess of 200 spare parts to Iran. Operatives in the Enterprise had pocketed $4.4 million. Another $3.8 million had gone to the contras, in defiance of the law established by Boland II. The CIA’s Buckley had died in captivity. Three American hostages had been released, but terrorists had taken three others in their stead. The president’s first reaction was a “no comment,” his second, a denial. Then his denial became confusing: He said that Weinberger and Shultz had supported an initiative toward Iran, which he had already denied existed. He refused to concede that he had traded arms for hostages. “Our government has a firm policy not to capitulate to terrorist demands,” he declared to the American people in a televised speech. “That no-concessions policy remains in force, in spite of the wildly speculative and false stories about arms for hostages and alleged ransom payments. “We did not — repeat, did not — trade weapons or anything else for hostages.” This became his version of the truth, Cannon said, and the one that Reagan believed forever. A Los Angeles Times poll found, however, that only 14% of those who watched him on television believed him. Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III opened an inquiry. So did congressional committees and a bipartisan review board headed by former Sen. John G. Tower, a Republican from Texas. An independent counsel, former federal judge Lawrence Walsh, a Republican, began a criminal investigation. Meese’s investigation discovered the diversion of funds to the Contras. Now the attorney general and other top aides worried that the president might be impeached. McFarlane tried to kill himself. Reagan forced Poindexter to resign. He fired North, then called him “a national hero.” The Tower commission said that Regan, as chief of staff, bore “primary responsibility for the chaos that had descended upon the White House.” Reagan forced Regan to resign. Walsh indicted 14 people, mostly lesser players. They included Poindexter, who was convicted of five felony counts of conspiracy, obstruction of Congress and lying to Congress. His conviction was overturned. Walsh charged Weinberger with perjury. But before Weinberger could be tried, he was pardoned by Reagan’s vice president, George H.W. Bush, after he was elected president. Ten others were convicted. Walsh found that Reagan had “participated or acquiesced in covering up the scandal.” Had he authorized sending money from Iran to the contras? Walsh could not find out. Reagan consistently denied it. The answer was a mystery and might be forever. A Thaw in Cold War In domestic policy, Reagan came under attack for responding too slowly to the growing health threat of AIDS, but he won praise, at least from conservatives, for keeping his pledge to change the Supreme Court. In 1981, he appointed the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, a moderately conservative judge from Arizona. In 1986, he promoted conservative Justice William H. Rehnquist to be chief justice and appointed another conservative, Antonin Scalia. He nominated Robert H. Bork, the conservative who fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox for Richard Nixon during Watergate. But the nomination was defeated after a battle that injected enduring bitterness into confirmation hearings. Reagan had to settle for Anthony M. Kennedy. While hardly a liberal, Kennedy later would vote against overturning Roe vs. Wade, which upholds the right to abortion. Nor was Iran-Contra the only trouble abroad. In late 1985, four Palestinians hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro with 400 passengers aboard. The hijackers surrendered in Egypt, but not before killing Leon Klinghoffer, 69, a New Yorker confined to a wheelchair. He was singled out because he was Jewish. When an Egyptian plane tried to fly the hijackers home, U.S. Navy fighters forced it to land in Sicily, where they were arrested. The interception gave the administration a boost. In April 1986, American planes struck Libya in retaliation for a terrorist attack on a West Berlin nightclub that claimed the life of a U.S. serviceman. Libyan officials said leader Moammar Kadafi was not harmed, but three dozen civilians were killed, including his adopted daughter, and that nearly 100 people, including two of his sons, were injured. The raid was sharply criticized internationally, but it, too, gained Reagan popularity at home. His overwhelming triumph, however, was an improvement in superpower relations that presaged the end of the Cold War. Nothing displayed Reagan’s capacity for political accommodation more clearly than his dealings with Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev. During his second term, Reagan carried the burden of his anti-Soviet rhetoric and the stakes he had raised with SDI, his space-based defense program, into four summit meetings with Gorbachev. Reagan doggedly pursued both a reduction in nuclear weapons and better treatment for dissidents and Soviet Jews. Reagan had three good reasons to reach out to Gorbachev, Cannon says. He had little to show for his first four years in foreign policy. He had built up the military and could bargain from strength. He was freer to deal with the Soviets than any other president because he, of all people, could not be accused of being soft on communism. Reagan believed in Armageddon. It made him a visionary. “My dream … became a world free of nuclear weapons … ,” he said in “An American Life.” Because “I knew it would be a long and difficult task to rid the world of nuclear weapons, I had this second dream: the creation of a defense against nuclear missiles, so we could change from a policy of assured destruction to one of assured survival.” But during negotiations, Cannon said, his two dreams clashed. The Soviets refused to retire any of their strategic long-range missiles unless Reagan gave up SDI, his proposed system of defensive missiles to knock down enemy weapons. SDI frightened the Soviets. If it ever worked, they said, it would provide a screen behind which the United States could launch an atomic attack of its own. Moreover, they said, SDI violated an antiballistic missile treaty in effect since 1972. The treaty permitted laboratory research of antimissile components, but it banned testing and deployment. On this, too, the Reagan administration was divided. Defense Secretary Weinberger and Assistant Defense Secretary Richard Perle wanted a broader interpretation of the treaty to permit testing. Secretary of State Shultz and Paul Nitze, his leading arms negotiator, said anything but the traditional interpretation would anger the Soviets and cause problems with allies and members of Congress. As usual, Cannon says, Reagan tried to avoid the disagreement. He said he would interpret the ABM treaty broadly to permit testing, but as a matter of policy he would abide by the traditional interpretation and stop short of conducting any tests. “A deliberate deceit,” the Soviets responded. So it was that prospects seemed dim when Reagan and Gorbachev sat down on Nov. 19, 1985, in Geneva for their first summit. Reagan was the first U.S. president since Eisenhower to go more than four years without meeting his Soviet counterpart. During those four years, there were three Soviet leaders. They “kept dying on me,” he quipped. From the start, Reagan was relaxed and cordial. As Gorbachev, bundled against the cold, approached the mansion on Lake Geneva where they would hold their initial session, Reagan took off his overcoat and strode out onto the top step to greet him. In “An American Life,” he wrote: “As we shook hands for the first time, I had to admit — as Margaret Thatcher and [Canadian] Prime Minister Brian Mulroney predicted I would — that there was something likable about Gorbachev.” Reagan developed a personal sense of Gorbachev as someone he could deal with. But by afternoon the two of them were arguing about SDI. Reagan said the United States would never launch an initial strike with nuclear weapons and would prove it by sharing SDI technology with the Soviets. Gorbachev did not believe him. For his part, the Soviet leader said that his nation had no aggressive intentions. How could Americans believe that, Reagan asked, if Gorbachev did not believe him? Reagan suggested some fresh air. He and Gorbachev strolled out to a pool house and talked in front of a blazing fire. They achieved no momentous breakthrough, but as they walked back, Reagan invited Gorbachev to meet again, this time in Washington. Gorbachev accepted and proposed a subsequent meeting in Moscow. It set the stage for negotiation, not denunciation. The two leaders shared “a kind of chemistry,” Reagan told Cannon. “Yes, we argued, and we’d go nose to nose. But when the argument was over, it was like it is with us. He wasn’t stalking out of there and [saying] ‘down with the lousy Americans’ or anything. We fought it out, and maybe knew we were going to fight it out again, but when the meeting was over, we were normal.” In “An American Life,” Reagan said he was reminded of his after-hours relationship with Tip O’Neill. The Soviet leader “could tell jokes about himself and even about his country, and I grew to like him more.” They ended the summit with a promise: to seek a 50% cut in nuclear weapons. It looked impossible. Gorbachev remained adamant: no SDI, or no cuts. Reagan was committed to both: SDI and cuts. Worse, Cannon says, Reagan’s advisors were more sharply divided than ever. Weinberger and Perle distrusted arms control and wanted SDI, at least partly to block an agreement. But Shultz and Nitze wanted an agreement so badly they were willing to give ground on SDI. Gorbachev suggested meeting in Iceland or Britain before the Washington summit to see if he and Reagan could break the deadlock. Reagan chose Iceland. They met on Oct. 11, 1986, in Reykjavik. The two leaders argued about the missile cuts and about SDI, and their advisors negotiated through the night. By morning, they had neared agreement on the cuts — but they remained far apart on SDI. In “An American Life,” Reagan says that Gorbachev would not budge on any SDI development outside the laboratory. Reagan stood. “The meeting is over.” He turned to Shultz. “Let’s go, George. We’re leaving.” Shultz was crushed, but Reagan was unfazed. “I went to Reykjavik determined that everything was negotiable except two things,” he told the American people afterward. “Our freedom and our future.” Over the coming year, Shultz, Gorbachev and his advisors negotiated persistently to eliminate at least a lower level of weaponry: the U.S. and Soviet arsenals of intermediate and short-range missiles. In September 1987, Shultz and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze announced an agreement in principle on an Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty, and Gorbachev came to Washington that December. Crowds along the streets applauded him. Like an American politician, Gorbachev stopped his car, got out and shook hands. On Dec. 8, Reagan and the Soviet leader sat at a White House table once used by Abraham Lincoln and put their names to a ban on all nuclear missiles with ranges of 300 miles to 3,400 miles. The destruction of these missiles — about 1,700 by the Soviet Union and 800 by the United States — was well underway by the time Reagan left office. As for the long-range missiles, it was obvious before the remaining Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Moscow that SDI would be an insurmountable obstacle to any reduction. But Reagan went to the Soviet Union anyway. He received a welcome from the Russians to match Gorbachev’s in America. As Reagan walked through the Arbat, where artisans sold their wares, crowds pressed forward to greet him. KGB agents charged the people, causing a panic. But their friendly intentions carried the day. Reagan spoke to students at Moscow State University, offering them his vision of the American dream. He met with 96 dissidents and pressed Gorbachev on human rights. Gorbachev already had allowed hundreds to emigrate who were on lists Reagan had given him, and he would free thousands more. Reagan met three more times with Gorbachev. Once was in New York when the Soviet leader spoke to the United Nations; the second time was in San Francisco, after Reagan had left office; and the third time was in Moscow, when Reagan was nearly two years into retirement. By now, Reagan was calling Gorbachev “my friend.” Reagan never abandoned what he said was his favorite Russian proverb, doveryai no proveryai: trust but verify. But the warmth of their friendship started the thaw that ended the Cold War. Going Home Happy When he departed the White House and came back to California, Ronald Reagan had good reason to be satisfied. He had failed to balance the federal budget; the national debt had nearly tripled to $2.68 trillion. But his recession, which Cannon calls “the worst since the Depression,” had been followed by what would become the longest peacetime recovery in history. Reagan had achieved an unprecedented breakthrough in arms control, and his diplomacy had been crucial to peace. He was, Gorbachev declared, a “great political leader.” His credibility with Congress and the American people, dismayingly low during Iran-Contra, had recovered. His achievements as well as his unyielding belief that nothing was impossible and his uncanny ability to persuade Americans to believe in him and in themselves had earned Ronald Reagan a job performance rating in the Gallup Poll of 63% when he left Washington. It had been 51% when he arrived. On Jan. 11, 1989, when he bade farewell from the Oval Office, there were two things he was proudest of. “One is the economic recovery…. The other is the recovery of our morale. America is respected again in the world, and looked to for leadership.” The United States, he said, was a shining city upon a hill. “And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure and happier than it was eight years ago. But more than that. After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steadily no matter what the storm…. “As I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women across America, who for eight years did the work that brought America back: My friends, we did it. We weren’t just marking time, we made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. “All in all, not bad. Not bad at all. And so, good-bye. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.” Times staff writers Richard T. Cooper in Washington and Carl Ingram in Sacramento and researchers Anna M. Virtue in Miami and Jacquelyn Cenacveira and Janet Lundblad in Los Angeles contributed to this story.