Hello, it's Thursday, April 13, and here are the stories you shouldn't miss today:
TOP STORIES
L.A.'s mental health crisis system remains dependent on police
While campaigning for mayor in mid-August, Karen Bass spoke about a brand-new three-digit mental health crisis hotline — 988 — and its promise to save lives of people suffering from mental illness by avoiding deadly confrontations with police.
But the rollout of 988 and related psychiatric emergency services has so far failed to live up to that promise, a Times investigation has found.
San Joaquin Valley farmers bolster defenses for an epic snowmelt
Even as blue skies return, flood-weary farmers in the San Joaquin Valley have only to look east, to the towering Sierra mantled in snow, to know there is worse to come.
For the first time in decades, Tulare Lake is reemerging from the valley floor, as rivers swollen with runoff from heavy rains and snow spill down from the Sierra Nevada into the valley, overwhelming canals and levees.
The lake's return has engulfed thousands of acres of cropland, orchards, highways and homes, upending the region's economy, possibly for years.
With a Black Californian headed to the moon, many see cosmic justice
Pomona native Victor Glover Jr.'s selection for NASA's Artemis II moon mission isn't just historic. His fellow Black Americans say it will change how the world sees them — and how they see themselves.
It's been more than half a century since Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on Earth's only natural satellite. Some Black Americans said they thought they'd never see the day when one of their own would be poised to do the same.
Feinstein's continued Senate absence sparks call for her resignation
Weeks after announcing she had been diagnosed with shingles, the extended absence of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) from the Senate has left Democrats in a tight spot given the party's slim majority in the chamber, spurring some high-profile calls for her resignation.
Without Feinstein, who at 89 is the oldest sitting senator, the confirmation of President Biden's judicial and administrative nominees has been complicated.
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With Ukraine war next door, Moldova fears Russian subversion
As the world maintains its focus on Russia's year-old invasion of Ukraine, a similarly existential, if less bloody, fight is being waged in Moldova as it struggles to keep from being turned once more into a puppet of Moscow.
Like Ukraine, Moldova is trying to ward off a bigger, better-equipped foe — but without benefit of the same massive level of Western aid that has been poured into its war-torn eastern neighbor.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
CALIFORNIA
'I've had bears eat my chickens': Bear sightings are on the rise in Sierra Madre. Sierra Madre plans to vote on a proclamation that would urge the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to update its policies for a sustainable managed bear population.
Former Whittier police officers were charged with assault in a 2020 shooting that left a man paralyzed. Cynthia Lopez, 34, and Salvador Murillo, 41, each face multiple assault charges for the incident that left Nicholas Carrillo paralyzed from the waist down, according to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón.
Young activists helped elect Kenneth Mejia. Now some say he's a 'toxic' boss. Two former employees say L.A. City Controller Mejia created an uncomfortable work environment. His chief of staff says the accusations are false or "absurdly distorted."
L.A. City Council members propose a $30-an-hour wage by 2028 for hotel and LAX workers. Councilmembers Curren Price and Katy Yaroslavsky introduced a motion for a law that would boost the pay of workers at hotels with more than 60 guest rooms. Certain categories of Los Angeles International Airport workers would also be covered.
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NATION-WORLD
The U.S. names a veterinary drug mixed with fentanyl as an 'emerging threat.' Xylazine was detected in about 800 drug deaths in the U.S. in 2020. By 2021, it was present in more than 3,000 fatalities — with the most in the South.
As India's population soars above all other nations, fewer women have jobs. India's economy is among the fastest-growing in the world. But the number of Indian women in the workforce, already among the lowest in the world, has been shrinking for years.
EPA pollution limits aim to boost U.S. electric vehicle sales. The Biden administration proposes new pollution limits that would require as many as two-thirds of new cars sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
HBO Max to be renamed Max in a bid for a bigger streaming audience. With the switch, the company hopes to entice new subscribers who might have been put off by HBO's reputation for elite programming.
The real force behind the celebrity booze boom isn't (just) money. It's easy enough to dismiss celebrity-endorsed alcohol brands as yet another cash grab. To hear Jason Momoa and company tell it, though, there is space for ambitions more philosophical than pecuniary.
Aisha Tyler says fans still call her the 'Black girl from "Friends."' Tyler, the only Black actor with a recurring role on the sitcom, recently revealed she was actually "petrified" to take on the role. "I was shocked you couldn't hear my teeth chattering the entire time I was on set."
BUSINESS
In a blow to Fox News, a judge rules the network withheld evidence in the Dominion case. Former producer for Maria Bartiromo said off-camera conversations with attorneys of former President Trump were not submitted as evidence in the Dominion defamation case.
Michael Jordan sneakers sell for a record $2.2 million. The Air Jordan 13s are now the most expensive sneakers known to have sold — ever.
Twitter company 'no longer exists'; it's now part of Musk's X Corp. It's unclear what the change means for Twitter, which has seen a sweeping overhaul since Chief Executive Elon Musk bought the company for $44 billion last year.
SPORTS
Dodgers-Giants rivalry: Has friendly familiarity replaced icy hostility? Where icy hostility has often existed between the two rivals, there is more of a friendly familiarity now, thanks in part to the prevalence of former Dodgers playing on the Giants' side.
Column: Lakers' bold first step into the playoffs is a staggering stumble The Lakers' play-in game Tuesday night against the Timberwolves should have been a bold first step into a bright postseason. Instead, it was one long grind and, man, it was hideous.
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OPINION
Opinion: This rapidly spreading deadly fungus is a warning about climate change. Researchers increasingly believe that the yeast, Candida auris, is the first pathogenic fungus to arise from global warming.
Column: Even Republican voters want more gun laws. Why don't their representatives? "I don't know if members of Congress think we're stupid, but when it comes to the legislative body's response to the gun violence crisis, it is getting away with a lot of crap," writes LZ Granderson.
ONLY IN L.A.
Can you smoke a joint at the Hollywood Bowl? Rules are rules, but that hasn't stopped generations of Bowl-goers from firing up on the premises. (Los Angeles Times)
Can you smoke a joint at the Hollywood Bowl? "If someone was smoking a joint in one of the designated areas," an L.A. Philharmonic rep replied in an email to The Times, "one of the house staff or security would ask them to stop."
Rules are rules, of course, but that hasn't stopped generations of Bowl-goers from firing up on the premises.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Sidney Poitier, shown on April 13, 1964, when he won the lead actor Oscar for "Lilies of the Field." (Los Angeles Times)
Fifty nine years ago today, Sidney Poitier, the trailblazing actor and activist, made history when he became the first Black man to win the Oscar for best actor for his work in "Lilies of the Field."
After he died last year, The Times compiled a list of where to watch some of his most notable film performances.
Times reporter Greg Braxton also wrote about how Poitier's quiet dignity calmed his nerves during an interview with the actor in 2000.
We appreciate that you took the time to read Today's Headlines! Comments or ideas? Feel free to drop us a note at headlines@latimes.com.
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