Newsletter: Today: The Oscars No One Saw Coming. Trump’s Options to Fight ISIS.
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
The Oscars No One Saw Coming
The election. The Super Bowl. And now, the Academy Awards. It’s never over till it’s over, even if you’re giving a victory speech. In a moment more shocking than a streaker on stage, the team for the odds-on favorite musical “La La Land” was saying its thank-yous when it was revealed Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway had announced the wrong winner (watch it here) and the award belonged to the underdog coming-of-age story “Moonlight.” Backstage, panic ensued. (Paging Russia … or Steve Harvey? No, the accountants apologized.) It capped a night that defied expectations, including a small pro-President Trump rally outside the awards and relatively few takedowns of the president inside. As Cathleen Decker writes, the diversity of the winners — including the first Muslim actor to win and an Iranian director who had boycotted the ceremony over the travel ban — spoke more loudly than the jabs.
More About the Oscars
-- Film critic Kenneth Turan says the twist ending was embarrassing for the academy but may be good for the Oscars.
-- Photos: Red carpet arrivals, show highlights and best of the 89th Academy Awards.
-- Fashion police: the best- and worst-dressed.
-- Our blog of the entire night, plus the complete list of nominees and winners.
Trump’s Options to Fight ISIS
Trump has vowed repeatedly to “defeat” Islamic State but has never spelled out what that means. That could change soon, as Pentagon strategists are due to offer battle plan options as early as today after a monthlong review. What would an accelerated war against the militants in Iraq and Syria look like, especially when the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has warned that battlefield victories won’t be enough? It could involve more troops in operations around Mosul, where Islamic State has been creating car bombs on an industrial scale.
You Can Shut Us Out, but You Can’t Shut Us Up
In speeches or on Twitter, Trump has repeatedly called media outlets fake, disgusting or dishonest. Then on Friday the White House barred reporters from major news organizations such as the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and CNN from attending an off-camera news briefing. Readers should know: Regardless of access, the L.A. Times will continue to report on the Trump administration without fear or favor.
In Mexico, Trump’s Wall Is in Their Heads
President Trump’s “great, great wall” along the southern border hasn’t been built, but it’s already having an effect on the mind-set in Mexico. Though many factors — enhanced enforcement from the pre-Trump era, bad weather and higher smugglers’ fees, to name a few — are believed to have slowed down border crossing in the Nogales area, Trump’s name keeps popping up. “It’s just too hard now with Trump,” said one recent deportee, whose wife and two daughters, both U.S. citizens, live in St. Louis.
More Politics
-- Trump’s pick for Navy secretary has withdrawn from consideration, the second nominee to bail on a top Pentagon position because of problems untangling financial investments.
-- A White House spokeswoman said it’s too soon to say whether a special prosecutor should look into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
-- Trump’s promise to ramp up deportations spreads fear among California businesses.
Drought Report: We See the Lake as Half Full
Cachuma Lake north of Santa Barbara has been a symbol of California’s persistent drought. Even as many of the state’s reservoirs have filled this winter, the lake stayed dry, stuck in a “rain shadow.” Guess what? The shadow has lifted. Thanks to a storm on Feb. 17, the lake rose 31 feet in just a few days and, as of last measure, stands at 45% of capacity. Overall, federal authorities say more than 80% of the state is out of the drought.
OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND
-- Steve Lopez: Trump needs to stop terrifying immigrant families and consider the real cost of mass deportations.
-- Santa Paula offers a window into the fear, uncertainty and confusion that have gripped heavily Latino immigrant communities since Trump took office.
-- Meet El Salvador’s growing middle class: deportees from the U.S.
-- New Democratic Party chief Tom Perez vows to “take the fight” to Trump.
-- Herbert Fink, a hipster who helped make Rodeo Drive a fashion destination, has died at age 93.
-- Readers reach out to columnist Chris Erskine and his wife, Posh, in their time of need.
-- Up for a pentathlon? You’ll have to run, swim, ride, fence and shoot, all in one day.
CALIFORNIA
-- With Obamacare in jeopardy, some California politicians and healthcare advocates are considering going it alone with a “single-payer” system.
-- California Republicans were in a festive mood at their weekend convention in Sacramento, but the GOP still faces a hard reality here.
-- The State Bar is seeking to discipline former Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich, claiming that as a county prosecutor he suppressed important evidence in a murder case.
-- Authorities say they recovered the body of a 14-year-old boy on an island in the Los Angeles River. He had disappeared during a powerful storm this month.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- Bill Paxton, who died at age 61, will be remembered as an actor’s actor who had the rare ability to move seamlessly through time.
-- Judge Joseph A. Wapner, who presided over “The People’s Court,” has died at age 97.
-- The ABC miniseries “When We Rise” chronicles the gay rights movement as part of a universal struggle.
-- With pointed and political new work, 82-year-old artist Llyn Foulkes shows he’s far from finished.
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD
On May 16, 1929, motion-picture celebrities gathered for the first Academy Awards honoring the films of 1927 and ’28. The Times’ coverage back then: one photograph and two paragraphs under the front-page headline “Film-Merit Trophies Awarded.” After all, the winners had been announced three months earlier. More history in our Oscars timeline.
NATION-WORLD
-- Twenty-eight people were injured when a car plowed into a Mardi Gras parade crowd in New Orleans over the weekend.
-- Muhammad Ali’s son may sue after being detained at a Florida airport and questioned about his religion.
-- Thousands of Russians marched in Moscow to mark the death of Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken opposition leader who was gunned down two years ago.
-- Sri Lankans who once embraced Chinese investment are now wary of Chinese domination.
BUSINESS
-- Developers of affordable housing in California are on pins and needles over Trump’s tax plan.
-- Why Snapchat’s unprecedented real estate strategy in Venice could be tech’s new standard.
SPORTS
-- Kurt Busch survived a crash-filled Daytona 500 to win the race. Only 25 of 40 cars managed to finish.
-- Miguel Aguilar of the L.A. Galaxy is believed to be the first DACA recipient to become a professional athlete. He’s unsure of his place on the team and his home.
OPINION
-- What happens when the “bad hombres” are ICE agents? The finer points of immigration law get ignored.
-- Should you vote “no” or “yes” on Measure S? Here are the arguments on both sides.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- First person: A Muslim working at the National Security Council explains why she called it quits. (The Atlantic)
-- Inside the billionaire’s birthday party held just over a mile away from Mar-a-Lago. (Town & Country)
-- Remembering the golden age of Little Golden Books. (NPR)
ONLY IN L.A.
Where is there an apartment whose interior exists in Koreatown and exterior is in Long Beach? In “La La Land,” of course. That’s Hollywood. Here’s an insider’s guide to nearly every scene in the film and where they really happened, even if the film didn’t really win.
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
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