Today: The Prototypical Trump Visit Awaits

March 12, 2018 5 AM PT

President Trump is heading to California this week for the first time since his inauguration to view border wall prototypes and raise money for the GOP.

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The Prototypical Trump Visit Awaits

Any way you look at it, President Trump’s visit to California on Tuesday will be loaded with symbolism. In San Diego, he’ll visit prototypes for his long-promised border wall. (Some folks in Tijuana have already taken a look and weighed in.) In Beverly Hills, he’ll appear at a high-priced fundraiser. And not lost on anyone are the many high-profile clashes Trump has had with the Golden State, including last week’s Justice Department lawsuit seeking to invalidate three “sanctuary state” laws. Trump is visiting California later in his term than any other Jet Age president, perhaps a reflection of how it’s become the center of the so-called resistance. Though it’s unclear how many protesters will greet the president, over the years, the state hasn’t been a kind venue to him, whether in the election, his real estate business or various court cases. Still, if the president is listening and has some free time, Times columnist Steve Lopez has an open invitation for him to visit his Cal State L.A. class and hear from some real “Dreamers.”

From the Tijuana side, John Thurston peers over the border fence to view border wall prototypes.

Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Trade Curtain

Peter Navarro used to believe in free trade and welcomed the support of Hillary Clinton when he ran for office as a Democrat in California. Since then, he’s written books such as “The Coming China Wars” and “Death by China” and been pegged as holding fringe views on trade. But now, the former UC Irvine economics professor has moved to center stage in the Trump administration, as the president has unveiled tariffs on imported metals and appears to be gearing up for other aggressive trade actions.

More Politics

-- Senior administration officials are expressing confidence that Trump won’t be taken advantage of by North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in direct talks, but critics suggest the president’s impulsiveness and inexperience could spell disaster.

-- Trump and Rep. Maxine Waters engaged in a sharp war of words through the weekend, with Trump calling Waters a “very low-IQ individual” and Waters firing back by calling him “con man Don.”

-- Trump again suggested executing drug dealers, saying it is “a discussion we have to start thinking about. I don’t know if this country’s ready for it.”

-- Pressed by Trump, the Pentagon is proposing to stage a military parade in November with veterans in historical uniforms and warplanes, but no tanks.

The Power of a Letter

As L.A. battles a homelessness crisis, City Council members have promised to build thousands of units of housing to help people get off the streets and obtain the supportive services they need to stay off them. The council members have also hung on to their power to stop those projects via a letter that’s required before a project can get funding. Council members say the letter keeps them involved in the process so they can build community support, but others say it can act as a veto.

A Burning Question at the Fire Department

Four years ago, after a series of Times reports exposed nepotism and mismanagement in hiring at the L.A. Fire Department, Mayor Eric Garcetti vowed to revamp the process and increase the number of female firefighters. Yet despite some aggressive recruitment, there have been minimal gains. Last month, 3.1% of its firefighters were women, according to department data — up just two-tenths of a percent since July 2013, the month Garcetti took office. Why has hiring female firefighters been an uphill battle?

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

-- Ismael Chamu attends UC Berkeley but lives in a trailer with no heat or sewer hookups. Soon, he’ll be scrambling to find a new place to live.

-- “Hamilton” tickets without the wait, or the cost? It helps to be an L.A. politician.

-- After a brush with fame, Dexter, the pet peacock who was refused a seat on United, has moved on.

-- Amelia Earhart found! Great for science, but sad news for mystery buffs.

-- Female directors are leading the charge on TV as never before.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Jacumba Hot Springs offers a glimpse into the ever-changing nature of the U.S.-Mexico border.

-- Mark Hamill receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

CALIFORNIA

-- A woman who was at the Yountville veterans care facility where a gunman killed three women recounts the moment he walked in the door.

-- Pomona is mourning a police officer who was killed on his last day of training. “His dream was just beginning,” says one member of the department.

-- Sister Catherine Rose Holzman, one of two nuns fighting a court ruling involving the sale of a former Los Feliz convent to singer Katy Perry, collapsed and died during a hearing.

-- No prominent Republicans have filed to run against Sen. Dianne Feinstein, meaning there will be two Democrats facing each other. In California’s House races, Democratic candidates are flooding the ballots too.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- At the South by Southwest Film Festival, the new movie “Jinn” follows a teenage girl’s exploration of Islam and identity. (With lots of pizza.)

-- “American Idol” has returned on a new network, but will it have the same glory from its prime years?

-- The Church of Scientology announced on Twitter that it will launch a TV network tonight.

-- Is Arie Luyendyk Jr. really a monster? Three former Bachelors weigh in.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

Liza Minnelli, who was born on this date in 1946, grew up in L.A. among the movie industry’s moneyed elite before going on to win an Oscar, an Emmy, Tonys and a special, non-competitive Grammy. Over her long career, she’s collected a lot more than honors too. An upcoming auction of memorabilia from her and her parents, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, includes a $20,000 floral-print check made out to Andy Warhol.

NATION-WORLD

-- With Trump as a model, a Nevada brothel owner is running for office and aiming to reshape the GOP.

-- It’s official: Xi Jinping can now rule China for as long as he wants.

-- France’s far-right National Front severed its ties to firebrand founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, and got a visit from former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon.

-- Scientists found something cool trapped in diamonds: a type of ice not previously known on Earth.

BUSINESS

-- Cigna is buying Express Scripts for $52 billion, which could mean lower drug costs … but not necessarily for consumers anytime soon. (Surprised?)

-- Should you roll your 401(k) into your IRA at retirement? Think about these factors.

SPORTS

-- March Madness: UCLA will face St. Bonaventure in an NCAA tournament play-in game on Tuesday. But USC, which reached the Pac-12 Conference tournament title game, did not make the cut.

-- Sen. Bernie Sanders visited the Dodgers at spring training and is still pretty upset about them moving from Brooklyn in 1957.

OPINION

-- John Grisham: Eight reasons for America’s shameful number of wrongful convictions.

-- Is Trump turning the U.S. into Putin’s Russia? That question lurks in two documentaries.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Why evangelical Christians are so loyal to Trump. (The Atlantic)

-- Hate this Daylight Saving Time business? Here’s a recap at the 100-year history of DST in the U.S. (National Geographic)

-- A look at the differing concepts of what constitutes a copy in the Chinese art world, and how that upsets Western museums. (Aeon)

ONLY IN L.A.

You may have passed the Hotel Figueroa on your way to L.A. Live or Staples Center, but did you know it was built in 1926 as a haven for female travelers? The Times once noted that it was “the largest project of its kind to be financed, built, owned, and operated by women.” Take a peek at how the hotel’s been redesigned, including a nod to female artists.

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