Newsletter: Today: The Debate — 99% Nasty, 1% Nice. Trump in Turmoil.
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 Debate — 99% Nasty, 1% Nice
Donald Trump threatened to have Hillary Clinton criminally prosecuted if he becomes president. She said that he was unfit to serve and that the tape of his crude remarks about women, in addition to his attacks on many other groups, proved it. And on it went during the second debate, the nastiest and most personally vicious of modern times, which was preceded by a Trump news conference with four women, three of whom have accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct. Only at the debate’s very end, when an audience member asked the two candidates to name one positive thing about each other, was there a much-needed moment of civility. Our three-judge panel gives the victory to Clinton.
More About the Debate
-- Fact-checking the debate: Emails, Obamacare, San Bernardino, “the sex tape†and more.
-- Another shocker: Trump breaks with his running mate, Mike Pence, on policy in Syria.
-- Read the transcript of key moments in the debate, annotated by Times journalists and open for your comments.
-- Editorial: Trump doesn’t redeem himself.
Trump in Turmoil
Pence rebuked him. A number of prominent Republicans did too, and some even asked Trump to abandon his campaign. Yet Trump called a 2005 video that revealed him boasting of sexually mauling women — and getting away with the behavior because of his celebrity — “locker room†talk. And he vowed to never drop out of the race. Did the debate do anything substantial to dig him out of the hole that he’s dug for himself? Trump’s people say yes, but political analyst Cathleen Decker says no.
More About the Trump Tape
-- “Today†co-anchor Billy Bush, the other party in Trump’s lewd taped conversation, has been suspended by NBC News.
-- A brief history of Trump and his campaign’s record of controversy involving women.
A New Mother and a Seasoned Vet, Both Killed in the Line of Duty
Lesley Zerebny had a 4-month-old daughter and had been in the Palm Springs Police Department for just 1½ years. Jose “Gil†Vega was the father of eight and planning to retire in December after 35 years in the department. Both were killed as they responded to a domestic disturbance call, after a gunman opened fire on them and another officer, who was wounded. As Palm Springs mourns, questions remain, including why the suspect was found wearing body armor and with high-capacity firearm magazines.
A Battle Royal in Highland Park
The Marmion Royal apartment building in Highland Park isn’t subject to rent control, so when a new owner took over, it wanted to renovate and negotiate dramatically higher rents. But the tenants are having none of that — they’ve banded together, stood in the way of sandblasting crews and demanded de facto rent control. To get what they want, they’re withholding their rent payments and putting them in a trust account. Now, they face a mass eviction.
The Pension Plan That Backfired
Not long after he took office in 1991, Gov. Pete Wilson was facing a budget crisis. One solution: trying to exert more control over the state’s public pensions. But his plan backfired, and the effects still are being felt today. Read the latest in our pension crisis series, a partnership of The Times, CALmattters and Capital Public Radio.
Getting Back to Where They Once Belonged
Paul McCartney brought out the classics, and a duet with Neil Young. Bob Dylan went mostly for darker, more recent material. And the Rolling Stones rocked on for two hours, but not before getting in a joke: “Welcome to the Palm Springs Retirement Home for British Musicians.†That was the scene at the Desert Trip festival, which drew not just baby boomers but also its fair share of millennials and other young adults. The Who and Roger Waters closed out the three-night event, to be repeated this weekend.
OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND
-- L.A. police commissioners are considering reforms that would improve LAPD transparency and training on using deadly force.
-- A massive backlog at the L.A. County coroner’s office has been a painful problem for the families of the deceased.
-- Here’s why the National Rifle Assn. is not putting up much of a fight against Proposition 63, a gun control measure in California.
-- In its 100th anniversary year, the National Park Service is melting down over workplace harassment charges.
-- Documents show the egg industry launched a secret two-year campaign against a vegan mayonnaise competitor.
-- What’s behind the decline of reality TV this fall?
-- Meet Sharon Horgan, creator of the HBO series “Divorce†and writer-star of Amazon’s “Catastrophe,†whose brain “looks at the [bad] side of things all the time whilst living a lovely life.â€
-- Natashia Deón may be the hardest-working debut novelist in Los Angeles.
CALIFORNIA
-- If Proposition 55 passes, the state budget will rely even more on California’s highest earners.
-- Amid growing homelessness, Santa Ana has turned an old bus terminal into a shelter.
-- L.A. Unified has backed down and agreed to pay lifetime health benefits for 10 employees who worked at El Camino Real Charter High School through last year.
-- George Skelton: Few people are paying attention to the U.S. Senate contest, because it may be putting them to sleep.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- The action-thriller “The Accountant†and its star Ben Affleck, who plays an accountant-assassin, aimed to depict autism honestly.
-- The film “The Birth of a Nation†met expectations at the box office, but its chances in the Oscar competition appear slim.
-- Norah Jones looks forward to going back to a familiar sound with her new album “Day Breaks.â€
-- A weird, lovely night at David Lynch’s Festival of Disruption in downtown L.A.
NATION-WORLD
-- Hurricane Matthew has triggered fears of massive flooding in North Carolina.
-- Two professors won the Nobel Prize in economics for their contributions to contract theory.
-- Killings are on the rise again in Tijuana, a city haunted by years of violence.
-- Thousands of Yemenis marched on Sunday to protest a Saudi-led coalition airstrike that hit a funeral hall, killing over 140 people.
-- In Iraq, the families of some people suspected of ties to Islamic State are facing retribution as extremists are pushed out.
-- A great white shark research group has confirmed that the waters off Long Island’s Montauk Point are a shark “nursery.†The group is also in a feud with shark researchers in Massachusetts.
BUSINESS
-- A peek at how Wells Fargo and its rivals differed in their goals for getting new accounts.
-- Steven Spielberg, Hollywood’s highest-grossing director, is teaming up with the entertainment division of China’s second-richest man.
-- Samsung has temporarily halted production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones after reports that replacements for the fire-prone phones were also overheating.
SPORTS
-- Bill Plaschke: The Dodgers are reviving that old October angst with their Game 2 loss to the Washington Nationals.
-- Mistakes and a failed fake punt cost the Rams in a 30-19 loss to the Buffalo Bills, ending a three-game win streak.
OPINION
-- Like many immigrants, this law professor owes a debt to the Republican Party … of the 1980s.
-- To leave a note on the car you dinged or not to leave a note. That is the question.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- After the Trump video, writer Kelly Oxford asked those on Twitter to post their stories of being sexually assaulted. The response was overwhelming. (Washington Post)
-- Chinese companies are selling an opioid that’s so strong, it’s considered a chemical weapon. No questions asked. (Associated Press)
-- Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passes along some life advice. (New York Times)
ONLY IN L.A.
Pizza. Chicago has its deep-dish; New York has the fold. Los Angeles — we’ve got style. Have you pondered an eight-point pie stuffed with ricotta? Or a clamshell-topped pizza made of dough that sits for 96 hours to develop a slightly sweet and sour taste? Start off your week with a slice of L.A. from some of the newest pizzerias in town. After all the bitterness out there, it will leave a good taste in your mouth.
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
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