Hello, it's Wednesday, Jan. 11, and here are the stories you shouldn't miss today.
TOP STORIES
Newsom proposes cuts amid cloudy economic outlook
Facing a projected $22.5-billion budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year, Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced plans to reduce investments in the state's move to zero-emission vehicles, make cuts to other climate change programs and delay funding for 20,000 new child-care slots as California transitions from a time of economic surplus to shortage.
The governor's administration blamed high inflation, the Federal Reserve raising interest rates and volatility in the stock market.
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Digging out from days of relentless rain
Residents across California's Central Coast were allowed to return home following a torrential storm that swamped the region with rain and choked roadways with mud and debris.
But the storm is not entirely in California's rearview mirror. Major highways and other roads remained closed Tuesday because of flooding, rock slides and debris flows; power was out in various parts of the state; homes and other buildings were reported to have sustained significant damage; and several evacuation orders remained in place.
At least 17 people have died in the back-to-back storms that have hit California.
Omicron booster kept seniors out of hospitals
Israeli researchers have found that people 65 and over who got vaccine boosters to protect against the Omicron variant were 81% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who did not.
The preliminary findings have not yet been through the peer-review process. They are based on the medical records of more than 85,000 seniors who got a dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's retooled mRNA booster and more than 537,000 others in the same age group who did not get the shot.
More top coronavirus headlines:
- A World Health Organization official says the agency sees "no immediate threat" for Europe from a COVID-19 outbreak in China.
- China is suspending visas for visitors from South Korea and Japan, in apparent retaliation against those countries' restrictions on Chinese travelers.
- As COVID-19 rips through China, other countries and the WHO are calling on its government to share more comprehensive data.
Stay up to date on variant developments, case counts and vaccine news with Coronavirus Today.
L.A.'s mental health system, former chief face pressures
When Dr. Jonathan Sherin was appointed as the director of Los Angeles County's Department of Mental Health in 2016, he was hailed as a visionary. Sherin sought to shake up the system and implement holistic care defined by interconnectedness and humanity.
Sherin stepped down as head of the department on July 1. He and others say his plans for transformation were stymied by the intransigence of the bureaucracy he was tasked with leading.
Those pressures play into the county's decision about who will replace him. Many officials, including Sherin, back Interim Director Lisa Wong, a 30-year veteran of the agency, and support her getting the post on a permanent basis. Whoever does, however, will face many of the same dilemmas Sherin confronted.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Another wet week for L.A.: Metro workers clear a flooded section of Union Station on Tuesday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
CALIFORNIA
L.A. prosecutors to retry Danny Masterson on sexual assault charges. The 47-year-old actor was accused of raping and assaulting three fellow members of the Church of Scientology. A jury deadlocked on the charges in November, causing a mistrial.
Seeking reappointment, LAPD Chief Moore says he may stay only two or three more years. Moore expressed a desire to continue reforms on use of force and diversity but said he wanted to avoid a "haphazard" transition in the buildup to the 2028 Olympics.
The famous Bay Bridge lights may soon go dark, unless a bunch of millionaires step in. For nearly 10 years, the cascade of lights along the Bay Bridge have illuminated the San Francisco Bay. The public art installation, expected to be removed after just a few years, has become a fixture. Now the bridge may go dark for good.
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NATION-WORLD
Mpox has faded as a health crisis in the U.S. How did it happen? Reports of new cases are down to a trickle, and the threat seems to have virtually disappeared from the public consciousness.
Ukrainian troops to train on Patriot missile defense system in U.S. About 100 Ukrainian troops will head to Oklahoma's Fort Sill as soon as next week.
Haiti is left without elected lawmakers. Haiti awoke Tuesday stripped of its last democratically elected institution, its Senate — an alarming development that solidifies what some call a de facto dictatorship.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
How the HFPA faced its controversies during Golden Globes broadcast. It was inevitable that officials from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. would somehow broach the controversies that caused the Golden Globes to be yanked from the air last year. The only real question was how.
Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean to headline Coachella 2023. After two years of pandemic postponements and lineup chaos, 2023's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio will feature its most global and diverse slate of headliners to date.
The curious case of OCMA's sort-of-complete building. In Orange County, life frequently imitates "Arrested Development" — and it appears that the Orange County Museum of Art is no exception, writes columnist Carolina Miranda.
These are the takeaways from Prince Harry's slew of interviews. In a series of buzzy TV interviews, the Duke of Sussex was already telling all ahead of the release of his tell-all memoir, "Spare."
BUSINESS
Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen and more big names are among the FTX shareholders facing a wipeout. As share values plummet amid the crypto firm's implosion, a group of Wall Street and Silicon Valley elite, plus trusts and entities tired to billionaires, are stuck with worthless investments.
Powell: Fed has narrow role to play on climate change. As environmental activists push for central banks to restrict lending to energy companies, Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday that the Federal Reserve has only a limited role to play.
OPINION
Drain the swamp? McCarthy's House rules could weaken ethics oversight. In its first act, the House has moved to make it harder to investigate corruption by its members. So much for a "government that is held accountable."
House Republicans' first order of business: Balloon the $31-trillion national debt. A new budget rule allows Congress to pass mammoth tax cuts without offsetting the revenue loss. That means the cost gets added to the deficit and the debt.
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SPORTS
USC football coach Lincoln Riley defends keeping Alex Grinch and outlines plans for Year Two. Riley offered a vote of confidence in his defensive coordinator amid pleas from frustrated fans who spent the last week calling for his ouster.
Early college football 2023 top 25 rankings: Who will threaten Georgia's dynasty? Georgia looks to remain the team to beat in 2023, but other schools, including Michigan and Alabama, will challenge the Bulldogs.
ONLY IN L.A.
Corie Mattie paints a memorial of P-22 along Melrose Avenue in December. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
How to watch P-22's memorial service. The free tickets for the celebration of the legendary mountain lion at Griffith Park's Greek Theatre were all claimed just a few hours after the reservation window opened Monday, according to organizers.
But you haven't missed out — you can watch the Feb. 4 event virtually.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
John Gilbert on the front page of the Los Angeles Times in 1936. (Los Angeles Times )
Actor John Gilbert, labeled as "the screen's greatest lover," died in his sleep from heart disease 86 years ago. He was 38 years old. Gilbert had been ill for about two months.
Born July 10, 1897, in Logan, Utah, Gilbert rose from a humble beginning on the stage to fame in silent movies, only to have his career obstructed with the advent of the talking pictures, to which his voice was not entirely suited.
He was married four times and was said to have been romantically involved with Greta Garbo and Lupe Velez.
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