Hello, it's Friday, August 4, and here are the stories you shouldn't miss today:
TOP STORIES
'Heat dome' to return to broil Southern California this weekend. After a brief reprieve, a persistent "heat dome" that has broiled the Southwest since early July will return to Southern California this weekend, bringing another round of sweltering temperatures.
Highs are expected to peak Sunday in most of Los Angeles County, reaching triple digits in the valleys and deserts, and into the 90s downtown and the upper 80s along the coast.
The worst of this latest heat wave, which is not expected to be as hot as others this summer, will hit Saturday and continue through Monday, forecasters said.
It's on. DeSantis accepts Newsom request for debate: 'Put up or shut up.' 'Let's get it done.'
DeSantis accepted Newsom's debate request during an appearance Wednesday night on Sean Hannity's Fox News show. The televised event is set to take place this fall.
"Absolutely, I'm game. Let's get it done," DeSantis said. "Just tell me when and where. We'll do it."
According to the terms Newsom proposed, the debate would happen either Nov. 8 or 10 in one of three battleground states: Nevada, Georgia or North Carolina. It would not be held in front of an audience, but it would be broadcast live during a 90-minute segment on Fox News.
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Hollywood actors are on strike, but many A-list celebrities are still working. Inside the side deals debate. SAG-AFTRA has approved agreements with independent producers, allowing more than 110 independent film projects and series to move forward during the strike.
But the action has created confusion, sparked allegations of favoritism and spurred a vigorous debate about whether the deals have helped or hindered the actors' cause.
SAG-AFTRA has defended the agreements, calling them a "vital part" of its strategic approach to the negotiations. But entertainment attorney J. Christopher Hamilton called SAG-AFTRA's decision to offer interim agreements "a really bad move."
Need a new or renewed U.S. passport? Get ready to wait. There's a national passport appointment backlog as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on travel.
As of March 24, 2023, the latest available data, passport processing times were 10 to 13 weeks, and expedited service was taking seven to nine weeks.
The State Department is receiving roughly 400,000 passport applications a week, down from 500,000 earlier in the year. Last year, more than 22 million passports were issued, and the department is on track to surpass that number this year.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block to step down after boosting enrollment, diversity and rankings. Block, 74, said he is eager to return to his UCLA faculty position as a researcher in sleep cycles and circadian rhythms — which he called his primary identity — when his 17-year chancellorship ends on July 31, 2024.
Until then, he will help launch two new satellite sites in downtown L.A. and San Pedro, hire more diverse faculty and lay the groundwork for an ambitious new fundraising campaign.
"I'm going to miss all of the people that I work with ... that level of excitement of being at the helm of a great institution," Block said in an interview this week. "But you can't do this forever. It just seemed like a good time to leave the ship when the ship was sailing."
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Trash piles up along the East Fork of the San Gabriel River in San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in Angeles National Forest. Volunteers who attempt to clean it up refer to it as "the East Fork toilet." (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Trash heaps, wild parties and slaughtered animals: Blight invades a beloved L.A. escape. Nine years after then-President Obama upgraded Southern California's mountainous backyard to national monument status, with a promise of a cleaner and safer wilderness within an hour's drive of 18 million people, it is anything but.
CALIFORNIA
It survived 'Stumptown.' Now an ancient redwood may finally be protected for good. The behemoth known as the Clar Tree persevered, even as an estimated 95% of California's original redwood forest was chopped or burned in the centuries after European colonization. Now it may be able to live out the rest of its lengthy life without fear of being felled.
A 'failure to launch': Why young people are having less sex. In 2021, UCLA's California Health Interview Survey found the number of young Californians ages 18 to 30 who reported having no sexual partners in the previous year reached a decade high of 38%. In 2011, 22% of young people reported having no sexual partners during the previous year, and the percentage climbed fairly steadily as the decade progressed.
She got naked and shot up a Bay Area freeway, D.A. says. Now she could face 22 years in prison. Sacramento resident Sequoia Dunkinsell, 32, was charged with four counts of brandishing a firearm, three counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count each of shooting at an occupied vehicle, making criminal threats, negligent discharge of a firearm, possession of a loaded firearm and reckless driving, the San Francisco district attorney announced.
Why child marriage is legal in California — and the unexpected groups fighting to keep it that way. While child marriage is recognized as a human rights violation by the United Nations, there is no minimum age requirement to become married in California. For minors seeking to wed, however, the state requires approval from a guardian and a court order.
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NATION-WORLD
Her bedroom was 100 degrees during a Phoenix heat wave — and her AC was out. Karen Shute understood what could happen when the AC goes out in Phoenix, the hottest major city in America. On the news, she'd seen the stories: dozens of people who die of heat exposure in their homes each summer. Most were senior citizens like her. But young or old, the majority of Phoenix residents could not survive the summers without the machines that keep their houses cool.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives to visit left-ruled Latin American nations. An 11-member group of lawmakers and staff plan to leave Aug. 14 to meet with officials and civil society groups in the region's three largest leftist-ruled democracies: Brazil, Chile and Colombia.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
How to watch the Taylor Swift concert from the comfort of your sofa. Night after night, thousands of Swifties are gathering to watch the superstar perform their favorite songs through their five-inch phone screens.
Lizzo counters 'outrageous' claims in dancers' lawsuit: 'I am not the villain.' "These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing," the 35-year-old said Thursday in a statement posted on her official Instagram account. "My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations, but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed."
Commentary: The way TV news covers Trump's legal problems could make or break democracy. Tuesday's announcement of four felony counts accusing Trump of scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 election should have stopped the country in its tracks. Instead, the bombshell news slipped into the same slow drip of revelations that have turned Trump's perpetual legal reckonings into the networks' white noise.
BUSINESS
Watch this giant teddy bear 'drive' a Tesla. A wealthy tech activist is on a one-man mission to prove Tesla's Full Self-Driving mode isn't ready to be on the road.
Employers' push to end remote work and return to the office is stalling. After watching and waiting, some chaotic back-and-forth and a few false starts, the white-collar American workforce appears to be settling — for now — into a hybrid mode.
Mattel is hiring a 'chief Uno player' to play Uno Quatro and earn $4,444 a week for a month. If you have four hours a day to spare for four weeks in a row, Mattel is looking to hire one lucky TikToker to be the company's new "Chief Uno Player."
SPORTS
Dodgers' Joe Kelly doesn't want your sympathy. He just wants to get you out. Fan favorite Joe Kelly is back in Los Angeles, hoping to turn around his season and provide the Dodgers with help in the bullpen.
Wilt Chamberlain's jersey from his first L.A. Lakers championship team is for sale. Now you can wear the No. 13 Lakers jersey that Chamberlain wore on several historic occasions anytime you want. For roughly $4 million, that is.
Commentary: USC may not be able to escape its Oregon problem in Big Ten after all. USC was enthralled by the Big Ten opportunity for many reasons — the money and the exposure, mostly. But Oregon being stuck behind in the Pac-12 would be an undeniable advantage to the Trojans as they try to ascend back to prominence under Lincoln Riley.
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OPINION
Heat waves are disasters. Why don't they get federal disaster relief? As temperatures continue to break records, it makes little sense to exclude life-threatening heat waves from federal relief. That's why Congress should get behind the Extreme Heat Emergency Act, straightforward and common-sense legislation introduced in June by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.).
Trump's election lies got him indicted, but they've worked all too well. "It's still early but, yes, Trump could well be nominated and reelected in 2024. And there is little reason to believe the new charges will shake the political dynamic buoying him, except perhaps to further solidify Republican voters' rally-'round-Trump response, as previous indictments have done," Jackie Calmes writes.
YOUR WEEKEND
Taylor Swift performs onstage during a stop on her Eras Tour at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on July 28. (Jeff Kravitz / TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Mana)
13+ events where Swifties can celebrate the Eras tour around L.A. Taylor Swift's record-smashing Eras tour made landfall in L.A. on Thursday. To celebrate, locations around Los Angeles will host themed events. Here are suggestions for people who couldn't snag Swift tickets or just want to soak in the Swift vibes.
12 of the best spots to try yakitori in Los Angeles, and what to order when you're there. L.A. is home to traditional-minded yakitori masters as well as more modern spins on the skewers, and both can draw hourslong waits — so make a reservation when possible.
These Peruvian restaurants in Downey are serving up more than just delicious food. There's a distinct decor that Peruvian restaurants have that remind you, in case you were uncertain, that this is a Peruvian restaurant. You might see a Peruvian flag at the entrance, a painting of Machu Picchu on the wall or a gold-plated tumis, and llamas throughout the restaurant. It may feel kitschy to some, but to fellow Peruvians, you might feel as if you're in your abuela's kitchen.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
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Meet the worst dressed woman in NYC. At the moment, Kristina Avakyan's TikTok has a little over 18,000 followers, on par with what would be considered a micro-influencer, yet her impact has become pervasive thanks to what some call "personal-style extremism." The Cut
Gwyneth Paltrow's guesthouse is going on Airbnb. We have questions. The one-night (technically 19-hour) stay will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9, for up to two guests. The listing goes live on Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. Pacific time, and promises time with Paltrow, Goop freebies, meals and snacks, pool access, a guided transcendental meditation session, plus the guarantee of getting "gooped." Washington Post
This 18-year-old Colombian survived cancer. Now she's the World Cup star. The 2023 Women's World Cup is already breaking records. It's the biggest tournament to date, with 32 participating teams. And though it's possibly the last opportunity for several iconic players to win big for their home countries, there's also an unmistakable rising star on the field this year: Colombia's Linda Caicedo. NPR
FROM THE ARCHIVES
A technician makes checks on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Peter Cosgrove / Associated Press)
On this day 16 years ago, NASA's Phoenix spacecraft took off for Mars' north pole.
As The Times reported in 2007, it launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on a 10-month journey to the north pole of Mars, where it was expected to be the first craft to taste the water of another planet.
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