Newsletter: Today: Trump Strikes Back at Syria for Chemical Attack

A barrage of U.S. cruise missiles targeting a Syrian airfield marks a new chapter in the Syrian civil war. I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

Trump Strikes Back at Syria for Chemical Attack

For the first time since Syria’s complicated civil war began in 2011, the U.S. has deliberately targeted President Bashar Assad’s forces with military action. Two Navy destroyers fired dozens of cruise missiles at an airfield from where a gruesome poison gas attack is thought to have been launched. “It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons,” President Trump said. That marked an abrupt reversal of his previous hands-off stance toward Assad, and raised the specter of what comes next in a conflict where Russian and Iranian forces are also involved. In response, Russian and Iran officials condemned the U.S. attack.

How Should California Engage With Trump?

The relationship between California and President Trump is tense, to say the least. Most here didn’t vote for him. He’s threatened to pull funds from the “out of control” state if it doesn’t cooperate, but he also approved disaster relief during the recent winter storms. Part 6 of The Times Editorial Board’s series examines how California should engage with Trump: “California needs to be clear-eyed about the challenges it faces and strategic about how it responds. An all-out war with the federal government is neither sustainable nor wise. The state will have to choose its battles.”

Gorsuch and the Senate’s Slippery Slope

Neil Gorsuch is on track for an easy confirmation to the lifetime position of Supreme Court justice today, but it could be a slippery slope ahead for the U.S. Senate. A Republican rules change, dubbed “the nuclear option,” to break a Democratic filibuster will have long-lasting implications. Many worry the next step will change the deliberative nature of the Senate into another version of the more hotheaded House.

Nunes’ Fall From Grace

The inquiry into Russia’s interference in last year’s election took another unusual turn when Devin Nunes relinquished his position leading the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation, while he is under an ethics investigation for allegedly revealing classified information. Times political analyst Cathleen Decker, who wrote an in-depth profile of Nunes earlier this week, says it could be “another sign that the Trump method of operating can pose a threat to the president’s allies.”

More Politics

-- Sen. Dianne Feinstein considers running for reelection, which would make her California’s longest-serving senator if successful, while the state’s newest senator, Kamala Harris, brings a pragmatic touch to the Democrats.

-- Hillary Clinton says she won’t run for public office again.

China Picks Up the Climate Baton

China is the world’s largest producer of coal. Many of its cities are notoriously smoggy. And as recently as 2009, China said climate action was a Western conspiracy. Now — as the Trump administration rolls back Obama-era initiatives, and Trump and President Xi Jinping meet — China is stepping up its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pressuring other countries, including the U.S., to do the same. Why the change, and can China succeed at it? Read on.

Video: The Dangers of Whitewashing

From the moment Scarlett Johansson’s casting in the movie “Ghost in the Shell” was announced, the criticism began: Why was she playing a character who was Japanese in the original manga? Hadn’t Hollywood learned its lesson about the whitewashing of Asian roles? Times film critic Justin Chang and writer Jen Yamato take on the topic in this video and written dialogue.

Hey, Hockey Puck! Mr. Warmth’s Real Message

Don Rickles didn’t like the term “insult comedy” — “sarcasm and humorous exaggeration,” he called it. “If I were to insult people and mean it, that wouldn’t be funny.” But he didn’t get the nicknames “The Merchant of Venom,” “The King of Zing” and “Mr. Warmth” for nothing. What was the point of Rickles’ caustic comedy? As TV critic Robert Lloyd writes, it was that “the very state of being different is something we all share.” Relive some of those moments from Rickles, who died at age 90 in Los Angeles.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

On April 6, 1917, Congress voted to declare war on Germany, marking the entry of the United States into World War I, one of the deadliest conflicts in history. Harry A. Williams, a former sportswriter, went to Europe as a special correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and reported on the U.S. Army’s 91st Infantry Division. It was nicknamed the “Wild West Division,” because it was composed of soldiers from California and other western states.

CALIFORNIA

-- Lawmakers narrowly passed a $52-billion transportation plan to repair the state’s roads, highways and bridges. That means more taxes and fees. This graphic breaks down what you need to know.

-- The L.A. County Fair Assn. will pay $325,000 to resolve a lawsuit from tenants who lived at a fairgrounds trailer park and were charged not only rent, but also a 10% tax they should never have paid.

-- Authorities say a woman who fell 60 feet while taking a selfie on a Northern California bridge is not likely to face charges for crossing a closed walkway.

-- A Bay Area woman accused of killing the father of her two children has been released from custody after raising nearly $70 million to get out of jail.

YOUR WEEKEND

-- Where to go for Easter brunch, and a bunny petting zoo, in and around L.A.

-- Traditional and creative: our favorite Passover recipes.

-- A bookstore in Boyle Heights with a difference.

-- “Their Finest,” “Your Name” and more movie recommendations from our critics.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- From the Super Bowl to the Grammys to Coachella, Lady Gaga’s choreographer doesn’t miss a step.

-- Tan is the new black: Get a look at the latest design for the new LACMA building.

-- Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s founder, Paul O’Neill, has died at age 61, and there’s no better time, other than Christmas, to enjoy his heavy-metal renditions of Yuletide songs.

NATION-WORLD

-- Twitter has filed a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from unmasking whoever runs an account claiming to be a rogue member of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

-- For many Chinese, President Xi may run the country, but his wife is the real star.

-- Conservative French presidential contender Francois Fillon was doused with flour in Strasbourg. His response? “I hope at least that the flour was French.”

-- No. Just no. In Baja California, two researchers have found a previously unknown cave spider that is as wide as a softball. One scientist found out it’s apparently not lethal.

BUSINESS

-- Aerospace start-up companies are getting their “Shark Tank” moment in El Segundo.

-- Consumer columnist David Lazarus says a Texas Republican has his pockets stuffed with bank cash while leading an assault on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

SPORTS

-- Columnist Bill Plaschke: What’s wrong with this picture? Cheering for the Lakers to lose?

-- This weekend’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach provides a rematch for two drivers.

OPINION

-- Why you should be suspicious of the ad withdrawals from “The O’Reilly Factor.”

-- First person: My phone was searched at LAX, which apparently is the new normal.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- A study has found that Christians still make up the world’s largest religious group, but their numbers are declining in Europe. (Pew Research Center)

-- How to break the vicious cycle of loneliness. (The Atlantic)

-- Trump says he used to ride between subway cars in New York, but he’s not the only one who’s done so, even if it’s illegal. (New York Times)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

This is why we can’t have nice things. After a series of winter storms, a “super bloom” of desert flowers has sprouted in Southern California and drawn big crowds looking for the perfect shot to post on social media. Too many people, though, are straying from the beaten paths and crushing the delicate objects of their affection. Please, don’t step on the poppies.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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