L.A. Times - Asia

Trump claims bragging rights on North Korea, but Kim also acting from position of strength

Tracy Wilkinson — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:00:00 PDT

Within minutes of North Korea’s announcement that it was suspending nuclear and missile tests and closing a test site, President Trump proclaimed a victory of sorts.

“Big progress!” he tweeted, eager to bask in the glow of credit for having influenced a significant reversal by a traditionally intractable...

There's a way around those crowds in Malta

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:00:00 PDT

In regard to “Mingle With Millenniums,” by Alice Short, April 8: I was in Malta in October, and there are a couple of things that should have been mentioned.

The streets are very narrow and the roads are very congested, but there’s a great bus system with a 21 euro (about $26) ticket that lets...

Bay Area falling behind on quake safety despite booming tech economy

Rong-Gong Lin II — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:00:00 PDT

Property values are soaring to stratospheric levels. The tech-fueled economy is booming. But the Bay Area has stalled on seismic safety effort. Some fear officials are losing a golden moment with so many flush with so much money.

Don't run out of money in retirement: Here's how much to use per year, and why

Liz Weston — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:00:00 PDT

Dear Liz: I am confused about “safe withdrawal rates” from retirement accounts. I’ve read that withdrawing 4% of savings each year is the gold standard that financial planners utilize to ensure that life savings are preserved in retirement.

However, if the Standard & Poor’s 500 index returns on...

Racing! Golden Gate adds a racing day on May 31

John Cherwa — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:00:00 PDT

Horse racing newsletter

Decoding your baby's DNA: It can be done. But should it be?

Soumya Karlamangla — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:00:00 PDT

A groundbreaking $25-million federal effort has studied the value of sequencing babies' entire DNA, known as their genome. Tests show this can help some very sick newborns, but it also raises complex questions.

Naked gunman fatally shoots 4 in Nashville-area Waffle House

Times staff — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:50:00 PDT

A naked gunman fatally shot four people at a Nashville-area Waffle House early Sunday, police said.

According to a tweet by the Metro Nashville Police Department, the gunman opened fire at 3:25 a.m. CDT. A patron wrestled the rifle away, but the gunman fled on foot and remains at large.

The Waffle...

Will courts hold oil companies accountable for climate change disasters?

Jason Mark — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:15:00 PDT

The attorney for Chevron Oil was attempting a classic bit of courtroom performance: Offer a stunning admission — then make a protest of innocence.

“Chevron accepts the scientific consensus regarding climate change,” Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., an attorney for the California-based oil giant, said...

Take down Robert E. Lee's statue and put up a memorial to lynching

Jason Ward — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:05:00 PDT

As is common throughout the South, the lawn at the Clarke County Courthouse in Mississippi, is peppered with monuments. A granite marker lists the Ten Commandments, and a veterans memorial honors residents who fell in foreign wars. A Confederate soldier tops another granite monument installed over...

Want to better understand the Trump presidency? Give 'Moby-Dick' another read

Steven Almond — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:05:00 PDT

I have spent many anguished hours pondering how it is that a man of such low character and dubious qualifications occupies the Oval Office. I’ve spent even longer trying to understand his presidency. I’ve pored over polls and research papers, absorbed an ocean of think pieces. None has solved the...

Make online retailers pay taxes in their home states — no matter where their customers live

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:00:00 PDT

To the editor: Your print headline, “Online buyers must pay taxes,” should have read, “Online sellers must pay taxes.” (“Make online retailers collect taxes,” editorial, April 19)

Think about it: If I’m on vacation in Arizona and buy something there, I pay Arizona sales tax, not the sales tax of...

The CIA closed its original 'black site' years ago. But its legacy of torture lives on in Thailand

Shashank Bengali, Chris Megerian — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:00:00 PDT

Collaborating with the CIA ushered in an era of impunity for Thai security forces that adopted the agency's torture methods, according to human rights groups.

What a 1968 mouse experiment teaches us about L.A.'s growing density (hint: it isn't good)

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:00:00 PDT

To the editor: John B. Calhoun, an ethologist, conducted research on the effects of population density in his 1968 experiment, the “mouse universe.” He created a habitat for mice where the only restriction was space.

He began by introducing four pairs of mice. The population reached 620 by day...

Insurers that refuse to pay for an injection to treat arthritic knees have a point

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:00:00 PDT

To the editor: Although I agree that it’s generally accurate to put the words “insurer” and “insanity” together, the case for hyaluronic acid injection in patients with osteoarthritis is not a good illustration of this madness. (“The insanity of covering a $50,000 knee operation but not a relatively...

Does City Hall really believe Elon Musk can solve L.A.'s traffic problems so quickly?

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 04:00:00 PDT

To the editor: I remain of the belief that Elon Musk is one of the greatest innovators of the modern era.

However, while SpaceX seems to work well (for government work), my question is this: Will the fast-tracked, technology-testing tunnel being built by Musk’s Boring Co. proceed as well, and as...

In Paraguay, presidential front-runner is son of aide to ex-dictator Stroessner

Andres D'Alessandro, Patrick J. McDonnell — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 03:30:00 PDT

The son of a top aide to former dictator Alfredo Stroessner is expected to be elected president of this South American nation as Paraguayans go to the polls Sunday.

The heavy favorite is Mario Abdo Benitez, 46, a former senator and standard-bearer of the center-right Colorado Party, which has long...

Islamic State suicide bomber kills 31 at Afghan voter center

Associated Press — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 03:20:00 PDT

A suicide bomber struck a voter registration center in the Afghan capital Sunday, killing at least 31 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Majro said another 54 people were wounded in Sunday's attack, updating an earlier toll. Gen. Daud...

Can a dinner conversation — or a hundred — ease racial division?

Emily Alpert Reyes — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 03:00:00 PDT

Seven strangers sat at a dinner table in downtown Los Angeles, ringed by reporters jotting down notes, and set out to talk about race.

They included a Muslim physician originally from Pakistan; a Los Angeles transplant who had lived in Canada and Japan and whose family had emmigrated from Taiwan...

Beyoncé turns Coachella into Beychella once more

Gerrick D. Kennedy — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 02:55:00 PDT

“How did you do that so fast,” Beyoncé asked, impressed that a fan showed up to her headlining set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday night decked out in the sorority themed garb inspired by her set.

That a fan showed up in a homemade homage to an outfit they saw just a...

California lawmakers say they'll keep releasing sexual misconduct records. And yet a bill to guarantee that is about to be killed

John Myers — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 00:05:00 PDT

Last October, after accusations of a “pervasive” culture of sexual misconduct in politics blazed through Sacramento, the question was whether the California Legislature would disclose records pertaining to abuse investigations.

The answer, in a limited fashion, was yes. Six months later, the question...

Portraits from the L.A. Times Studio at the 2018 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

Sat, 21 Apr 2018 23:30:00 PDT

Portraits from the L.A. Times Studio at the 2018 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

Buzz over Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a sight to see

Dylan Hernandez — Sat, 21 Apr 2018 23:00:00 PDT

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was everywhere Saturday night, the image of his face on the navy blue shirts worn by fans gathered at the gates of StubHub Center two hours before the Galaxy’s scheduled kickoff.

One, two, three … There was no point in counting. It looked as if every other fan had the shirt.

...

Journalist is among more than two dozen reported killed in Nicaragua street protests

Associated Press — Sat, 21 Apr 2018 22:55:00 PDT

In the grainy, nighttime video, journalist Angel Gahona, clad in jeans and a blue shirt, holds up a cellphone and narrates as he approaches the facade of city hall in Bluefields, Nicaragua, reporting live via Facebook on protests that have rocked the Central American nation for four days.

Seconds...

Albert Pujols gets his 2,992nd hit with two-run home run in Angels' 4-3 win over Giants

Mike DiGiovanna — Sat, 21 Apr 2018 22:50:00 PDT

The ball rifled off the bat of Albert Pujols at 104 mph and shot toward the gap in right-center field in the sixth inning Saturday night, easily clearing the wall for the 618th home run and 2,992nd hit of the Angels slugger’s career.

Gone was a streak of 41 innings — dating to an April 14 game...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn't score, so the Galaxy are shutout by Atlanta United 2-0

Kevin Baxter — Sat, 21 Apr 2018 22:40:00 PDT

When the Galaxy added Zlatan Ibrahimovic last month, coach Sigi Schmid’s task was to find a way to integrate the Swedish superstar into the offense.

Instead Ibrahimovic has become the offense, scoring the team’s last three goals and leading L.A. in both scoring and shots on goal. When he finds...