Today’s Headlines: California’s fire prevention plan

State leaders are looking to spend now in hopes of preventing another disastrous year of fires.

TOP STORIES

California’s Fire Prevention Plan

After the worst fire season in California history and as drought conditions raise fears for the future, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have unveiled a $536-million proposal to increase efforts at firefighting and a variety of prevention measures.

According to an outline provided by legislative staff, more than $350 million would be spent on fire prevention and suppression efforts, including prescribed fires and other projects designed to reduce the vegetation growth that has fueled California’s devastating fires. The package also includes $25 million for fortifying older homes that weren’t built using fire-resistance methods required during construction over the last decade.

Lawmakers significantly boosted funding for the Newsom administration’s plan to construct more fuel breaks across the state. And they added $36 million for fire resiliency and recovery efforts across conservancies from the Santa Monica Mountains to the San Diego River.

The proposal, which the Legislature could send to the governor’s desk as soon as Monday, marks an early agreement by the governor and lawmakers to spend more than half of the $1 billion in wildfire funding Newsom called for in his state budget proposal in January.

Parsing the Risks of Reopening

Newsom has taken criticism on all sides for a series of consequential and politically risky calls over the past year as he’s led California through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now his biggest decision of all, to fully reopen a state of 40 million people for business by June 15, may be less risky than it seems.

Public health experts say it’s unlikely that another surge of the virus would overwhelm the hospital system in California. Absent a new variant or mutation that renders vaccines ineffective across the U.S., they believe the chance that Newsom would need to reinstate the kinds of restrictions that frustrated some voters and helped fuel a recall effort against him is almost zero.

Still, the governor acknowledged this week that a dangerous, vaccine-resistant mutation of the virus could halt California’s progress, a worst-case public health scenario that could spell trouble for him if he has to make the difficult decision to close businesses again. But with continued masking and precautions, the governor said he doesn’t anticipate that California will move backward.

More Top Coronavirus Headlines

— The Cal State L.A. mass COVID-19 vaccination site will now turn away adults who don’t have an appointment, state officials said, after a surge of demand.

— A group of parents — who say their children have been illegally shortchanged by Los Angeles Unified School District’s return-to-school plan — is seeking a court order to force the district to reopen “to the greatest extent possible” within seven days.

— A look at California’s dizzying road to reopening in graphics.

For more, sign up for Coronavirus Today, a special edition of The Times’ Health and Science newsletter.

You Might Get Stung

They call themselves the KHive — an extensive, loose-knit and fiercely loyal fanbase that celebrates and defends Vice President Kamala Harris with equal fervor.

They share videos of Harris stepping off Air Force Two, make offline friendships, and wear socks and hoodies bearing her name and likeness. They organize virtual “cooking Sunday” parties and offer support to other hive members. But it’s not all sweetness. Almost any politician, activist or reporter who has questioned Harris has felt the group’s sting.

The KHive is the type of modern political army that politicians increasingly rely on for both support and defense. They don’t have the strictly defined worldview that identifies groups that have formed around Sens. Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. Still, the KHive has one big unifying cause: their belief that they need to push back against Harris’ critics.

More Politics

— Biden has announced his administration’s first steps toward greater gun regulation, aimed at reining in ghost guns, reducing violence and better tracking weapons. Here’s what else his plan includes.

— An associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz is working toward a plea deal with federal prosecutors investigating a sex trafficking operation, potentially escalating the legal and political jeopardy facing the Florida congressman.

— California has many problems, but a mass exodus isn’t one of them, Mark Z. Barabak writes.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Writer Andrew Schwarzman dreamed of getting Cecil De Mille’s attention. He was so eager, he went the extra mile: singing outside the famed director’s window.

As The Times reported on April 11, 1936, his plan did not go as intended. Schwarzman, 31, “made such a disturbance outside of the dining-room window” that De Mille and his guests got up and left the table. A judge found him guilty of disturbing the peace. The Times reported that Schwarzman had attempted a similar self-audition once before and received a warning to stay away.

He did, however, get his photo in The Times.

April 10, 1936: Andrew Schwarzman, writer, is shown demonstrating the singing he did under the window of Cecil De Mille’s home. His song drove the film director’s guests from the dining table.

(Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA)

YOUR WEEKEND

— Dodger Stadium is open to the public once again with today’s game. Here’s how to attend as well as a look at the renovated park.

— Disneyland Resort is set to reopen its two theme parks on April 30. In June it plans to open the Marvel-themed Avengers Campus at California Adventure.

— Do yourself a fava and take advantage of this spring-y legume while you can.

— From swimming pools to showgirls, here’s how you can tell Las Vegas is revving up.

CALIFORNIA

— One of the U.S. Space Force’s three main prongs, the division that will develop and buy space technologies and services, will be based in El Segundo, officials announced.

— When federal agents raided a Beverly Hills safety deposit store, they also seized personal documents, money and heirlooms belonging to dozens of innocent people. Now legal challenges are mounting.

— First, a neighborhood in Sonoma County fought a tent city for homeless people. Then they learned to embrace it, and a new model for providing services emerged.

— A rare species of toad depends on a successful breeding season. And “toad heaven” would not be possible without the annual cooperation of Deep Springs College.

NATION-WORLD

— Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband and closest confidant and advisor, has died, Buckingham Palace announced. He was 99.

— In Bryan, Texas, authorities said one person was killed and five were wounded in a shooting at a cabinet-making business. A state trooper was also shot during a manhunt that resulted in the suspect being taken into custody.

— George Floyd died of a lack of oxygen from being pinned to the pavement with a knee on his neck, a medical expert testified at former Officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial, emphatically rejecting defense theories.

— U.S. officials picked up nearly 19,000 children traveling alone across the Mexican border in March, authorities said, the largest monthly number ever recorded and a major test for Biden.

— The mission of U.S. forces in Iraq has shifted to training and advisory roles, allowing for a redeployment of combat forces remaining in the country, U.S. and Iraq delegates said this week after a third round of strategic talks.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

— “Law & Order: SVU” is lost without Stabler and Benson’s relationship. Their pairing is what makes the show work, writes author Carmen Maria Machado.

— Kyoko Takenaka recorded racist things men said in bars, compiling them into the film “Home.” For many, it hit home.

— “Wynonna Earp” came at a dark time for queer women on TV. Then it changed the game. Its fourth and maybe final season ends today.

— L.A.’s Music Center announced the launch of its first in-person performances since the start of the pandemic. Audiences can gather again for live shows as soon as next month.

BUSINESS

— At a time when every other studio wants to be a Netflix competitor, Sony Pictures has decided to become one of its top suppliers.

— Citing high wildfire risk, a judge has halted construction of a massive Tejon Ranch development north of Los Angeles that has been in the works for two decades.

SPORTS

— The tale of José Rojas: how an Orange County kid kept the faith and made the Angels roster.

— The Lakers announced that they will raise their 17th NBA championship banner on May 12 at Staples Center.

OPINION

— Living in an encampment shouldn’t put you first in line for homeless housing, The Times’ editorial board writes. It should be offered to the people who need it most desperately.

— It’s about time Newsom reopened California. We’re going to get our summer back, writes columnist George Skelton.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

— New York is the first state to offer a “vaccine passport,” a first glimpse of how post-pandemic life might look in some parts of the country. The only trouble? It doesn’t really work. (Washington Post)

— “My life is strewn with carcasses of friendships I held sacred but that seem to have withered in the glare of Zoom and the absence of gossip.” What will happen to them after the pandemic? (Vanity Fair)

ONLY IN L.A.

On a recent weekend afternoon, the scene near Venice Pier was pulsing with the sounds of salsa and bachata dancing. “The soothing drips of the bachata music draw me,” writes Daniel Hernandez, “and I am amazed by what I see: synced couples fiercely switching their hips against one another, tight and close. This being the Westside, a good portion of the people look and move like professional or semi-professional dancers. Few are in masks. But everyone looks great, even in beach attire.”

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