By Elvia Limón
Hello, it's Monday, Aug. 22, and here are the stories you shouldn't miss today.
TOP STORIES
Celebrities accused of drought restriction violations
They're among the biggest names in sports, comedy and entertainment: Sylvester Stallone, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Hart and Kim and Kourtney Kardashian.
But as Southern California struggles with a third year of punishing drought and unprecedented water restrictions, they also are among the biggest names in water waste in the tony San Fernando Valley enclaves of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, documents obtained by The Times show.
The celebrities were among more than 2,000 customers who were issued "notices of exceedance" by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, which found that they had surpassed 150% of their monthly water budgets at least four times since the agency declared a drought emergency at the end of last year.
Can politicians reach young voters on TikTok?
As Gen Z's go-to social media app, TikTok has surged in popularity, with more than 138 million active U.S. users. Now politicians are catching on, trying to attract young voters.
But how to do it right? The platform's short-form videos must be thoroughly authentic and avoid coming off like the meme of a Steve Buscemi character asking "How do you do, fellow kids?" Security concerns are also brewing.
The biggest challenge, according to UC San Diego political science professor Thad Kousser? Passing the "teenager eye-roll test."
More politics:
- Retired Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna has an early edge over incumbent Alex Villanueva in the runoff for Los Angeles County sheriff, a new poll shows.
- Republican voters have nominated loyalists of former President Trump in several Democratic states, making the GOP's odds of winning those general election races even longer.
- As the 2022 Iowa State Fair entered its final weekend, the 2024 political traffic was noticeably light. It speaks to the careful dance that potential presidential candidates are attempting as Democrats remain uncertain about President Biden's political future and many Republicans avoid taking on Trump.
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'A scene of lawlessness'
Illegal street takeovers, or sideshows, have been a part of urban Southern California culture for years. They often sprawl across multiple roads, with hordes of spectators blocking intersections to watch drivers hurtle around — and sometimes scattering when vehicles careen into the crowd.
Those who attend say they aren't hurting anyone. But there is a growing backlash in some neighborhoods, with residents demanding that authorities do more to crack down on the illegal gatherings that can turn deadly in a flash. In the last eight months, at least six people have died during or near street takeovers.
What to know about Omicron subvariants BA.4.6 and BA.2.75
As the coronavirus wave fueled by the super-infectious Omicron subvariant BA.5 continues to recede, health officials are turning a wary eye to what might come next.
Experts in California are closely tracking two newer subvariants, BA.4.6 and BA.2.75. It isn't clear whether they will spread to a worrisome extent in the state, but they've caused concern elsewhere in the world.
More top coronavirus headlines:
Stay up to date on variant developments, case counts and vaccine news with Coronavirus Today.
Surviving L.A. streets with an emotional support duck
Autumn McWilliam takes a Pekin duck known as Cardi D everywhere: on the bus, the train — even to the dreaded DMV. Walking with the duck feels like being part of a celebrity entourage, she says, with newly minted fans flocking for a closer look.
But Cardi D is more than a source of amusement for tourists and locals. In her first four months of life, she has become a comfort animal — an "emotional support duck" — for McWilliams, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, depression and anxiety.
McWilliams, 33, has been homeless off and on for half her life. She says she relies on Cardi D to keep her calm. The duck relies on McWilliams to keep her safe.
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OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND
A woman who gave her name only as S. at home in Makariv, Ukraine, a town that had been under Russian occupation. She says a Russian soldier taunted her after her neighbor was raped and killed. (Kyrylo Svietashov / For the Times)
Russia's 'most hidden crime' in Ukraine war: Rape of women, girls, men and boys. Ukrainian authorities believe cases of sexual assault by Russian occupiers are vastly underreported. Shame and many factors underlie survivors' unwillingness to report rapes.
An L.A. mob once massacred 18 Chinese people. Now, there's a push to never forget the racist assault. In a city long accused of bulldozing its history, the area of the massacre was redeveloped, and the Chinese community was rebuilt in a different location. More than 150 years later, city officials have put out a public call for ideas to memorialize this history.
A rural California prison was set to close this summer. It's still open, and inmates want a say. Inmates and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation agree that the remote, aging prison, which needs millions of dollars in repairs, must be shut down. The town of Susanville — where local officials say they face economic devastation if they lose more than 1,000 prison jobs — sued the state last year, and a judge issued a temporary restraining order that halted the closure.
CALIFORNIA
A protester wounded by the LAPD reflects on the two-year legal battle and $1.25-million settlement. Iz Sinistra was badly injured when he was shot in the head with a beanbag projectile by LAPD officers in 2020. The incident sent Sinistra to the hospital for four days with bleeding in his brain. He spent the next two years in a blur of medical and legal appointments as he fought to heal and hold the city accountable.
The Coast Guard rescues 19 migrants off the Redondo Beach coast. The Coast Guard said there were men and women on the boat but did not release information on the migrants' country of origin.
San Bernardino police shot Robert Adams seven times from behind, an autopsy suggests. The autopsy diagram indicates that Adams suffered a bullet wound in the back and wounds to the arm, thigh and ankle. None of the bullets had a front-to-back trajectory, meaning he was shot from behind, said civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the victim's family.
USC breakaway fraternities make their own rules and defy a campus ban. In 2017, the university banned fall rush for first-year students after multiple reports of hazing at fraternity houses and long-standing faculty concerns. However, the eight fraternities that disaffiliated from USC last week welcomed first-year students Friday to a recruitment event.
L.A. County will receive $3.78 million in federal grants for wildfire recovery efforts. The award is part of a more than $317-million fund California received for efforts to rebuild infrastructure after wildfires burned more than 1.6 million acres throughout the state four years ago.
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NATION-WORLD
A Georgia jury awards $1.7 billion in a Ford truck crash case. Jurors in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta, returned the verdict in the years-long civil case involving what the plaintiffs' lawyers called dangerously defective roofs on Ford pickup trucks, lawyer James Butler Jr. said.
Singapore to decriminalize gay sex but will limit the change. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loon said he believes it is the "right thing to do now," as most Singaporeans will accept it. But he vowed that the repeal will be limited and will not shake Singapore's family and societal norms.
Many are still seeking food and shelter a year after a 7.2 earthquake struck southern Haiti. The quake killed more than 2,200 people. In several camps surrounding the southern coastal city of Les Cayes — one of the hardest-hit areas — people complained repeatedly that no government official had visited, despite repeated promises that they were on their way.
Daughter of Russian ideologist known as 'Putin's brain' killed in a car explosion. The Moscow branch of the Russian Investigative Committee said preliminary information indicated that a bomb planted in the SUV driven by Daria Dugina, 29, exploded and killed the TV commentator, daughter of Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and writer.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
HBO's first 'Game of Thrones' spinoff recaptures the power and grandeur of the original. Set 172 years before the death of the Mad King and the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, "House of the Dragon" immediately thrusts viewers into the familiar sights and sounds of the "Game of Thrones" universe: Flea Bottom and its brothels, dragons and their flames, the Red Keep and its Iron Throne.
'Dragon Ball Super' beats Idris Elba's 'Beast' at the box office with $20.1 million. "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" topped the charts in its first weekend in theaters, with $20.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates. "Beast," meanwhile, settled for a second-place debut, with $11.6 million.
Gary Busey was charged with criminal sexual contact in New Jersey, police say. Police said the 78-year-old actor has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact, one count of criminal attempt/criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment.
BUSINESS
HBO Max's big shakeup continues. The latest victim: 'Sesame Street.' The media giant shocked and angered fans by removing nearly 200 episodes of the seminal children's series from the streaming platform. The move comes on the heels of mass layoffs at HBO and HBO Max, among other efforts by the merging company to rebrand and cut costs.
Six Flags gets treated like a 'day-care center for teenagers.' Its CEO is not happy. The nation's largest regional theme park company is trying to attract more middle-class families by raising ticket prices and upgrading its food, beverages and amenities. At the same time, it is eliminating promotional deals and other packages that have drawn teenagers and low-income parkgoers.
OPINION
California should go bolder on climate, even if it's an 11th-hour push. The state's greenhouse-gas reduction goals, once heralded as pioneering and ambitious, now lag other states and countries. California isn't on track to meet even those outdated targets. And it's been years since lawmakers have enacted major climate legislation on par with the landmark SB 32 in 2016.
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SPORTS
Dodgers vs. Miami Marlins. The Dodgers closed out their three-game series against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. Read our game coverage here.
USC transfer Bobby Haskins is ready to make noise on the field — and in the karaoke bar. The USC offensive tackle transfer has been an essential voice in the locker room, and he's ready to "dive head first" into helping the Trojans.
La Mirada teen swimmer Kayla Han makes national waves, with Paris 2024 on the horizon. Han went from an unknown teenager to a budding star at the 2021 Olympic trials. She now confronts loftier expectations.
ONLY IN L.A.
A sampling of meats and sides from Moo's Craft Barbecue. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Friday night lights with a Southern California twist. High school football fans can enter the world of Texas barbecue without leaving the state. We've gathered 10 destinations near high schools in the Southland for your fall and winter pregame dinner option. It's barbecue food at its smoky best, for tailgating in a parking lot or pigging out on a pregame meal.
We focused on brisket that melts in your mouth. The best places have quality meat and great bark, and the fat is perfectly rendered. Plus, you can get mac and cheese so tasty you'll want a second helping, baby-back ribs so good you'll lick the sauce from your fingers, cornbread so alluring you'll want more and more. And hamburgers so big — who needs French fries?
FROM THE ARCHIVES
San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal swings a bat at Los Angeles Dodgers catcher John Roseboro as Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax, right, tries to break it up during the third inning of a game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. (Associated Press)
Fifty-seven years ago, the San Francisco Giants' Juan Marichal struck the Dodgers' John Roseboro in the head with a baseball bat. It was one of the most violent incidents in baseball history.
The Dodgers entered that Sunday-afternoon game leading the National League, with third-place San Francisco trailing by 1½ games. Bad feelings between the teams dated back to the days when both were in New York, and a pennant race intensified those feelings, The Times reported in 1990.
Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax was on the mound, with Marichal pitching for the Giants. Marichal and Koufax had exchanged brushback pitches to Maury Wills and Willie Mays, respectively. Little did anyone know, however, that the player who would taking the brunt of the rivalry would not be Koufax but catcher Roseboro.
The photo of the incident became a Sports Illustrated cover that seemingly has been reprinted for years, writes Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke. It was a picture that adorned the program at Roseboro's funeral.
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