Newsletter: Today: Trump Will See Lots of Love … for ‘Papa Bush’

President Trump will attend the funeral of President George H.W. Bush, but he isn’t scheduled to speak.

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Trump Will See Lots of Love … for ‘Papa Bush’

President George H.W. Bush preached “a kinder, gentler nation” and practiced a kind of bipartisanship that hasn’t been seen in the White House since. Bush’s state funeral on Wednesday will feature a eulogy from his son, former President George W. Bush — but not from President Trump, who will watch the proceedings from a pew. It’s the first time a sitting president has not spoken at the memorial of a predecessor since 1973, when President Nixon didn’t eulogize Lyndon B. Johnson. But considering Trump rose to power in open mockery of the Bushes and everything they stood for, it’s no surprise he’s been left out.

More Politics

-- Prosecutors are expected in court today to recommend a sentence for former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn, the only White House official to be charged in the Russia investigation. Their filing could shed light on how much assistance Flynn has provided to the inquiry.

-- Trump’s criticisms of the Russia investigation are so common, they no longer always register. But several presidential tweets about his former lawyer Michael Cohen and political advisor Roger Stone may have crossed a legal line.

-- About those auto tariffs: Trump’s top economic advisors pushed back on his claim that China has agreed to eliminate them on U.S. imports, saying no such agreement had been struck.

-- With Bush’s funeral this week and deep division over funding for border security, Congress is moving to push back Friday’s government shutdown deadline until Dec. 21. Yes, that’s right before Christmas.

Meanwhile, Back at Tejon Ranch …

For two decades, the proposed Centennial development at Tejon Ranch northwest of L.A. has been discussed, debated and litigated. Now, with the project set to come before the L.A. County Board of Supervisors one week from today, fresh concerns are being raised about its safety after a series of devastating wildfires hit California. The master-planned community would sit squarely within “high” and “very high” fire hazard severity zones. Representatives for the developers say they have taken the hazards into account and that modern building and safety practices can significantly reduce the risks.

Netflix Gives a Nod to Traditionalists

Netflix has built a business around doing things differently. But digital disruption is not the way to win an Oscar. In an effort to increase its chances of a best picture nomination, the company is showing Alfonso Cuaron’s critically acclaimed film “Roma” in theaters for three weeks before making it available online. That’s a break from its usual practice of releasing films online and in theaters at the same time. Even so, theater owners aren’t happy; they prefer to have an exclusive window for three months.

101 More Reasons to Love L.A.

Pescado zarandeado in Inglewood. Chongqing noodles in San Gabriel. Deconstructed avocado toast in Culver City. As the late restaurant critic Jonathan Gold expounded upon in his reviews, Southern California is a place of possibility. It’s in that spirit our Food section staff put together this year’s list of 101 Restaurants We Love, which is available now to subscribers and in print on Saturday. Using Gold’s final 101 list as a guide, Jenn Harris, Andrea Chang and Amy Scattergood scoured the L.A. area for a selection that builds on his legacy.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

On this date in 1881, the first edition of the Los Angeles Times was published, though back then it was called the Los Angeles Daily Times and was printed on a press powered by a waterwheel, which frequently got jammed by fish. Times have certainly changed since then.

CALIFORNIA

-- Bundle up: A cold front moving through the state will bring rain this week. The storm is expected to gain strength as it moves south into Los Angeles tonight.

-- The state’s biggest utilities will soon have more flexibility in covering costs associated with wildfires sparked last year and in years to come, but not those that began in 2018. It’s a gap in state law one legislator hopes to close.

-- At his swearing-in ceremony as Los Angeles County sheriff, Alex Villanueva promised to steer the department toward a new era of change.

-- Despite repeatedly denying allegations of harassment and workplace misconduct against its police chief, Beverly Hills has agreed to pay $2.3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a former high-ranking officer.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Singer Michael Buble on his young son’s cancer: “I can’t wait to never talk about it again.”

-- One Love Malibu, a cozy benefit concert with performers including Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani, raised money for fire victims but didn’t get much notice.

-- Street artist Ron English vowed to whitewash a $730,000 Banksy mural. Then things got even weirder.

-- Who invented abstract art? A Victor Hugo show at the Hammer Museum proves the critics and historians wrong.

NATION-WORLD

-- Lawmakers in Utah have passed changes to a voter-approved medical marijuana ballot measure under a planned compromise. It received the support of the Mormon Church but caused a backlash from pot advocates.

-- The University of North Carolina has proposed moving a toppled Confederate statue into a new $5-million building on the outskirts of campus.

-- The “yellow vest” protests against a planned diesel fuel tax increase in France aren’t limited to Paris; they’re tapping into deep anxiety nationwide.

-- The deaths of two girls in Israel have spurred a strike to protest inaction on violence against women.

BUSINESS

-- Without an Obamacare penalty, many are planning to drop health plans. The consequences could be dire.

-- Airport Wi-Fi can be a security nightmare. Here’s what you can do to stop cyber criminals.

SPORTS

-- The Dodgers have given manager Dave Roberts a new contract, and columnist Bill Plaschke says that was the right move.

-- The Lakers have an eclectic mix of veteran and young centers, and that’s fine by them.

OPINION

-- In the Trump era, sore losers are becoming the standard, while Bush-style grace is ever more rare.

-- California needs one single-use plastic law to rule them all.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort reportedly tried to broker a deal with Ecuador to hand over WikiLeaks found Julian Assange. (New York Times)

-- “How George H.W. Bush became a Democrat.” (Foreign Policy)

-- The secret life of bees and other insects. (Aeon)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Mexico’s presidential plane has flat-screen monitors, executive meeting rooms, sleeping quarters and a shower. Now, this luxurious Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner apparently could be yours, if the price is right. Mexico’s newly inaugurated president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, dispatched the plane to an airfield in Victorville with plans to put it up for sale. Meanwhile, he says he’ll be flying commercial.

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