Newsletter: Today: Immigration — the Path, the Politics and the Personal

After being criticized for shifting his position on the so-called Dreamers, President Trump will propose a path forward.

TOP STORIES

Immigration — the Path, the Politics and the Personal

President Trump has left for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to rub elbows with the “globalist elites” he has so often railed against. But before taking off in Air Force One, he made some news for those wanting to stay in the U.S.: He said he will send a proposal to Congress next week that would give the “Dreamers” a way to achieve full citizenship in 10 to 12 years. In exchange the package would include new limits on legal immigration and money for his “big, beautiful wall.” The next question: How will Congress react? Trump’s announcement came on the same day the Justice Department sent threatening letters to 23 states, cities and counties over their sanctuary policies, vowing to issue subpoenas or cut off federal funds if they don’t comply. And while the national debate goes on, columnist Steve Lopez visited a Westlake Village father who became a foe of illegal immigration after his son died in an accident with a Honduran-born driver.

More From Washington

-- Trump said he is “looking forward” to meeting with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Not only that, “I would do it under oath” — unlike Hillary Clinton, he said.

-- The political battle over a memo involving surveillance entered a new phase when Democrats announced they have drafted their own, competing document.

-- For Democrats to flip the House this year, they’ll have to take some key seats in California. This graphic tracks the races.

Who Wants to Run the EPA in San Francisco?

It’s one of the most important jobs at the Environmental Protection Agency: overseeing California and the rest of the Pacific Southwest. It’s also one of the hardest to fill. Several people inside the Trump administration say oil and gas lobbyist Ryan Flynn was set to take over and was even seen in the office this week; he says it was all a big mistake. It’s at least the second time an executive has bailed in the final stages. Why is it so difficult? Read on.

A Virtual ‘Death Warrant’

“I’ve just signed your death warrant.” That was part of a dramatic statement from Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who sentenced former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar to 40 to 175 years in prison for molesting young female athletes — in addition to the 60 years he’ll serve for child pornography. The scandal’s fallout led Michigan State President Lou Anna K. Simon to resign, after it came out that victims had raised red flags but administrators did not act. The U.S. Olympic Committee’s chief executive also wants the entire USA Gymnastics board to step down.

Straight Outta Sichuan

For a genre that challenges authority — to put it politely — hip-hop has still managed to find a place in authoritarian China. Though it’s been mostly an underground phenomenon, some rappers have managed to break through, largely by toeing the line with government censors. Instead of rhymes about white lines, how about a nice spicy Chongqing hot pot? It’s the latest in our series on hip-hop.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- A homeless veteran riding the Metro explains why he refuses to be a statistic.

-- At Sundance, director Ethan Hawke discusses why he purposely avoided showing violence in the film “Blaze.”

CALIFORNIA

-- A Riverside County Superior Court judge has barred the parents of 13 siblings found last week living captive in their Perris home from contacting their children.

-- The judge in the Brock Turner case, who sentenced the former Stanford swimmer to just six months in jail in a sexual assault case, will face a recall vote.

-- State Senate leader Kevin De León warned Sen. Tony Mendoza that he will be suspended if he returns to work before the completion of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations.

-- An off-duty LAPD officer who fired his gun during a confrontation with a group of teenagers last year in Anaheim won’t face charges.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- The mother of a stuntman who fell to his death working on the TV series “The Walking Dead” has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against AMC.

-- Elton John has announced his retirement from touring with a tour that will last for three years.

-- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on her new Sundance documentary, her #MeToo revelation and the “Gins-burn” sketches on “Saturday Night Live.”

-- Meryl Streep is joining the cast of HBO’s “Big Little Lies.”

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

If there was ever any doubt, the ’80s and ’90s are back. Candice Bergen returns to TV with a new version of the sitcom “Murphy Brown,” adding to a nostalgia wave that includes “Fuller House” and a “Roseanne” reboot. The only question left: How does Vice President Mike Pence spell “potato”?

NATION-WORLD

-- Fifteen low-income Kentucky residents have sued the federal government, challenging the recent move to allow states to impose work requirements on some Medicaid enrollees.

-- An Iranian protester who removed her headscarf and waved it in public like a flag last month hasn’t been seen since.

-- A reporter in Alabama has discovered what may be the wreckage of the Clotilda, the last slave ship to reach the U.S.

-- “Snake news”? Pope Francis has brought a biblical bearing to the global debate over fake news by condemning the phenomenon as satanic and saying it began in the Garden of Eden.

BUSINESS

-- So much for affordable housing: The Southern California median home price in December broke the record set last decade during the bubble era.

-- What is an “inappropriate” emergency room visit? Columnist Michael Hiltzik looks at how Anthem expanded its policy of punishing patients for them.

SPORTS

-- In our ongoing look at NFL myths, we debunk another one. No, players don’t hate the other teams, except when it comes to game day.

-- Vladimir Guerrero, who captivated a generation of Angels fans, joined Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman in being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame.

OPINION

-- It seems like a no-brainer: Throwing rude teenagers off L.A. Metro trains won’t help in making the public feel comfortable about using mass transit.

-- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is showing some magical thinking on Syria.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- “Little girls don’t stay little forever. They grow into strong women that return to destroy your world.” Nassar’s accusers, in their own words. (New York Times)

-- Inside a British men-only charity fundraiser where many of the hostesses were subjected to harassment. (Financial Times)

-- An interview with Randy Rainbow, whose Trump-mocking Broadway showtune parodies have brought him fame. (Mother Jones)

ONLY IN L.A.

Free Billy? The well-being of Billy, an Asian elephant kept at the Los Angeles Zoo for nearly three decades, is again the subject of debate at City Hall. The speakers at an impassioned hearing Wednesday included Cher, Lily Tomlin and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. Here’s why some people want Billy to be moved to an animal sanctuary.

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