Today’s Headlines: Fears grow as floodwaters threaten to drown this California city and prison complex
Hello, it’s Monday, April 24, and here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:
TOP STORIES
Fears grow as floodwaters threaten to drown this California city and prison complex
Just west of this normally dusty prison town, a civic nightmare is unfolding: Tulare Lake, a body of water that did not exist just two months ago, now stretches to the horizon — a vast, murky sea in which the tops of telephone poles can be seen stretching eerily into the distance.
Anxious residents in this Central Valley city of 22,000 know all too well that the only thing keeping this growing lake from inundating their homes and businesses — as well as one of the state’s largest and most crowded prison complexes — is a 14.5-mile-long dirt levee that rises up from sodden earth to the west, south and east.
And that levee, according to city officials and local farmers, could be in big trouble.
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NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell exits, citing ‘inappropriate relationship’ at company
Comcast said in a statement that the company and Shell “mutually agreed” that he would depart effective immediately, after an investigation into inappropriate behavior led by outside counsel.
Comcast does not plan to immediately start a search for Shell’s successor.
Instead, Comcast President Mike Cavanagh will take over Shell’s senior executive team and lead the entertainment company in the interim, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and Cavanagh said in a note to employees.
He threatened to kill his son. He was still able to purchase a gun. Now, a bereaved mother asks how
Camara said she feels as if the state cares more about the privacy of a dead man than her right to know how he bought the gun that killed her son.
She wants to see a law named after her only child — a Wyland’s Law — that will save other kids, if she can just figure out what went wrong.
The best moments at the 2023 Festival of Books
The most fascinating people, events and moments at the L.A. Times Festival of Books: Matthew Perry, Rachel Kushner, Meghan Trainor, James Ellroy, Katie Porter and more.
OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND
How a stripper, a barista and an electrician ended up at a ‘Troublemakers School’ for L.A. labor activists. As the labor movement struggles, a “Troublemakers School” draws more than 400 activists. Here are some of their stories.
Disney neglected it. Critics panned it. ‘Blood In Blood Out’ became an L.A. classic anyway. The film stumbled at the box office 30 years ago but was saved from obscurity by Latino audiences, who reclaimed it as a cornerstone of their representation in cinema.
What ex-cast members wish you knew about Disneyland. Working at Disneyland isn’t always wonderful, but these former cast members have mostly fond and funny memories of working at the Happiest Place on Earth.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
The 28th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books returned to USC on Saturday and Sunday — and in a big way. Many of the 550 guests stopped by our portrait studio.
CALIFORNIA
One city’s NIMBY attitude is being challenged by developers desperate to build housing. For years, the city of La Cañada Flintridge has blocked a development group from building a housing project. But now, the group may have the legal footing to force the project forward.
How the mayor of a small Inland Empire town became one of Congress’ most powerful Democrats. A decade ago, Pete Aguilar was mayor of Redlands. How did he become the highest-ranking Latino serving in Congress?
Sorry, San Francisco is not the crime-ridden hellhole the far right claims it is. The celebration of an iconic transgender club is a reminder of what San Francisco is really about, columnist Anita Chabria writes.
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NATION-WORLD
Intensified Sudan fighting hastens evacuations of diplomats, citizens. Foreign governments evacuate diplomats, staff and others from Sudan as rival generals continue to battle.
Ukrainian troop positions spark counteroffensive speculation. Ukrainian forces have crossed the Dnipro River, fueling speculation that Kyiv’s long-awaited spring counteroffensive against Russia may be at hand.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
Matthew Perry says he’ll remove Keanu Reeves insult in future editions of his book. His potshot at Keanu Reeves was “a mean thing,” the “Friends” star says at the Festival of Books, where he delves into his brutally revealing memoir.
Bad Bunny apologizes to Harry Styles at Coachella Weekend 2: ‘We love you.’ Bad Bunny blamed his team for throwing shade at Harry Styles and Zendaya made a surprise appearance during Coachella Weekend 2.
Meghan shuts down ‘frankly ridiculous’ rumors ahead of the king’s coronation. The former actress Meghan Markle shut down rumors surrounding letters exchanged between her and King Charles III years before his coronation.
BUSINESS
Struggling Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy protection. The firm said its 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 Buy Buy Baby stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers as it “begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations.”
SPORTS
How much can Rams fix their depleted roster with 2023 NFL draft picks? After the Rams went 5-12 last season and essentially have done nothing to improve the roster, can they use the NFL draft to fill their many holes?
Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe diagnosed with torn labrum in left shoulder. Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will have surgery to repair the injury this week.
With little cap room, where Chargers must be on money with NFL draft picks. Salary-cap constraints means the Chargers need to be on the money with their NFL draft picks in order to fill roster holes and compete in playoffs.
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OPINION
You aren’t imagining it, cyclists and pedestrians: L.A. traffic lights favor cars. The system behind traffic flow in the city prioritizes drivers’ convenience above all else. An update would help Angelenos share the road.
I grew up next to an L.A. oil well. California can protect others from what I went through. The Legislature could force more fossil fuel companies to compensate people for cancer and other illnesses in neighborhoods next to wells in Los Angeles and beyond.
Don’t let local officials just phone it in. They must show up to public meetings. It’s great that technologies widely used during the pandemic allowed more members of the public the option to participate in their city council meetings from home, or anywhere else. But for public meetings to remain public, government officials should still have to be there in person.
ONLY IN L.A.
Watch as fire-breathing dragon bursts into flames during Disneyland’s Fantasmic show. A fire erupted Saturday night during Disneyland’s Fantasmic fireworks and light show, forcing throngs of stunned fans to evacuate the area.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
On this day in 1990, NASA launched the Hubble telescope into space. On page 14 of the print paper the day after, the Los Angles Times published this infographic breaking down the parts of the powerful telescope.
L.A. Times science writer Lee Dye wrote about the incredible feat. “It is five, some say six, telescopes wrapped into one,” he wrote in his story.
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