Hello, it's Thursday, June 15, and here are the stories you shouldn't miss today:
TOP STORIES
L.A. Council looks at suspending a colleague yet again
With yet another colleague facing criminal charges, Los Angeles City Council members are weighing their third suspension vote in three years. But this time around, they are taking a more cautious approach to that decision.
On Wednesday, Council President Paul Krekorian said he wants the council to take up a proposal for suspending Councilmember Curren Price, who has been charged with embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest. But instead of calling for an immediate vote, he said council members should let Price first respond to the charges.
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Counterfeit pills now found in pharmacies across Mexico
Earlier this year, The Times found that pharmacies in several northwestern Mexico cities were selling counterfeit pills over the counter, passing off powerful methamphetamine as Adderall and deadly fentanyl as Percocet and other opioid painkillers. But four more months of investigation showed the problem is much broader than previously understood.
During five trips to Mexico, Times reporters purchased and tested 55 pills from 29 pharmacies in eight cities. A little more than 50% — 28 pills — were counterfeit.
Southern Baptists finalize ouster of O.C.'s Saddleback Church
The Southern Baptist Convention refused to readmit Saddleback Church, rejecting appeals by the Orange County megachurch after it was ousted for having female pastors.
During their annual meeting in New Orleans, Southern Baptist church representatives also voted to uphold the executive committee's February decision to expel Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., over female pastors. They finalized the ouster of a third congregation, Freedom Church in Vero Beach, Fla., for "lack of intent to cooperate in resolving concerns regarding a sexual abuse allegation."
Murder-suicide, arson: What went wrong at Fire Station 81?
Officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department knew firefighter Jonathan Tatone was targeting a colleague. They did nothing about the harassment. Then Tatone struck. On June 1, Tatone opened fire at Station 81 off Sierra Highway in what became known as the "Sierra Incident."
An L.A. County Sheriff's Department investigative report reviewed by The Times raises questions about how the county Fire Department — and the county itself — handled the workplace dispute and whether the shooting could have been prevented.
Both the department and the county declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Wendsler Nosie Sr., a longtime opponent of the proposed Resolution Copper mine and former chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, gathers with others at Oak Flat, a piece of land held sacred by the tribe that could be destroyed by the mine.
Read more: "
How Apache opposition to a copper mine became a religious liberty test" (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
CALIFORNIA
P-22, whose death came after a car hit him, was already critically ill, necropsy shows. Los Angeles' famous mountain lion had kidney disease, infections and other chronic conditions before he was captured and euthanized following a vehicle strike.
Archbishop to pray for L.A. hours before Dodgers honor Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. L.A. Archbishop José H. Gomez will hold a Mass on Friday "praying in a special way for our city" before the Dodgers honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on Pride Night.
Conservative Temecula school board fires superintendent in latest controversial move. The conservative Temecula school board voted 3 to 1 to oust Jodi McClay, who served as the Temecula Valley Unified School District superintendent since June 2020.
These are California's dirtiest beaches. Is your favorite on the list? Heal the Bay's annual report card ranks the state's dirtiest — and cleanest — beaches based on water-quality analyses. Two from L.A. County made the 'beach bummer' list.
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NATION-WORLD
Americans are warned not to mail checks as fraud cases escalate dramatically. Banks issued roughly 680,000 reports of check fraud to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, also known as FinCEN, last year. That's up from 350,000 reports in 2021.
The 'no China' policy: Inside the alternative universe of Taiwan's 'West Wing'-like hit. A popular new Netflix drama set in Taipei depicts all the hallmarks of a Taiwanese political campaign, with one glaring omission: debate over how to handle China. That existential question is looming over Taiwan's actual presidential election, to be held in January.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
Weapons expert in Alec Baldwin case was likely hungover on set, prosecutors say. The weapons supervisor on the film set where Alec Baldwin shot and killed a cinematographer was drinking and smoking marijuana in the evenings during the filming of "Rust," prosecutors are alleging.
Polemaster's Playhouse offers a sexy safe space to make it rain for queer and BIPOC dancers. Miles Woods set out to create an authentically safe space for pole dancing with the Playhouse, which features dancers of every gender identity, race and creed. "If you're straight, we do not care," he said. "Gay, don't care. We have trans bodies here, masc bodies here, femme bodies, all colors, all shades. I want it all."
Not your abuela's telenovelas: How Spanish-language streamers are shaking up TV. By innovating the telenovela form with higher production values and modernized storylines, Spanish-language streamers are trying to bridge the generation gap between young Latino viewers and their abuelas.
BUSINESS
Bounced paychecks, frozen 401(k)s — How Fresno's 'shining star' let down the people it aimed to serve. For the last decade, Bitwise had been selling a powerful dream to cities across the Central Valley and the country. That dream was abruptly shattered when Bitwise furloughed all 900 of its employees on Memorial Day evening with no answers from any of its leaders.
Sundance Institute gets $4 million to support Indigenous filmmakers. The nonprofit behind the annual Sundance Film Festival has received its largest endowment ever — totaling $4 million — to fund programs meant to boost Indigenous filmmakers from California tribes.
A Glendale woman's greenwashing lawsuit against Delta Air Lines aims to set a precedent. Delta's pledge to "become the world's first carbon-neutral airline on a global basis" is the focal point of a class-action lawsuit arguing that Delta's carbon neutrality claims amount to little more than greenwashing.
SPORTS
Trevor Bauer denies he sexually assaulted a fourth woman who filed a lawsuit against him. The former Dodgers pitcher is facing new allegations of sexual assault, this time from an Arizona woman who in a lawsuit accused him of choking her until she lost consciousness, raping her, impregnating her and holding a knife to her throat.
Dodgers need to remember their history and trade for pitching. "The Dodgers need another starter who can give them length and give the bullpen a break. They don't need an ace, they don't even need a top-of-the-rotation guy. They simply need a veteran arm that will take the mound every fifth day and keep the game close for six innings," writes Bill Plaschke.
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OPINION
Column: If the GOP candidates won't take on Trump, why run at all? "Maybe an anti-Trump message is unsellable to Republican voters. To many, it will be. But if the rivals won't try, they should just limp away from this so-called race. That might not be unprecedented, but it would be welcome," Jackie Calmes writes.
Opinion: Affirmative action isn't hurting Asian Americans. Here's why that myth survives. "A big part of our research has been to identify anti-Asian discrimination, so we understand how charges that Asian Americans are held to a higher standard in college admissions might feel like another instance of anti-Asian bias. But we just don't see an Asian American penalty in college admissions," Janelle Wong and Viet Thanh Nguyen write.
Editorial: Another Los Angeles public corruption case? Curren Price should resign. The string of criminal complaints and scandals is a flashing neon sign over City Hall showing that the political culture of Los Angeles is rotten and needs a complete overhaul. The question at this point is whether City Hall is capable of reforming itself.
ONLY IN L.A.
Families clap during a game of musical chairs on the dance floor at the Garibaldina Society's La Famiglia Dinner on June 4, 2023. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
The Garibaldina Society is the oldest Italian club in Los Angeles, and it's currently in the midst of a renaissance.
Founded in 1877 as the Società Garibaldina di Mutua Beneficenza, the club has historically been a place where older Italians and Italian Americans gather to dance, play bocce, cook, eat and celebrate their culture. But now the Garibaldina is welcoming a different membership — some of whom are Italian, many of whom are not.
"The club is being regenerated," said Jim Richetts, 88, who served as president in 2016 and 2020. "And that's because younger people are finding out about it, and we're making an effort to let them know."
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Arlington National Cemetery — the most prestigious burial grounds in the United States. (Nathan Howard / Associated Press)
On June 15, 1864, Arlington National Cemetery was established as a burial ground for Union soldiers.
The cemetery has taken in the remains of more than 232,000 Americans, including presidents and judges, admirals, astronauts, war heroes and social pioneers.
In 1994, 130 years after the cemetery was established, The Times wrote about how the hallowed ground went from humble beginnings to America's most prestigious burial site.
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