Today’s Headlines: Security cameras at Pelosi home weren’t ‘actively monitored’

Hello, it’s Thursday, Nov. 3, and we’re excited to announce the launch of a new L.A. Times newsletter! L.A. Goes Out, with its first edition on Nov. 16, is a curated list of events — big events downtown as well as small happenings around SoCal, art-house cinema, the latest on the dance scene and more — to help local readers plan their weekend. Our colleague and L.A. Goes Out host Steven Vargas told us: “As I was prepping for the launch of L.A. Goes Out, my friend asked me what the newsletter is about.

“The first thing that came to mind was Kendall Jenner’s infamous advice on experiencing things: ‘I think you should experience it. You always say you want to experience things but I don’t think you actually want to experience things because you would experience it if you wanted to experience things.’

“My friend was just as confused as Kendall’s sister Kylie. But, honestly, if you want to experience things, you can. L.A. Goes Out will help with where to start.” So sign up here.

TOP STORIES

Capitol Police admitted cameras weren’t being monitored ‘actively’ the night Paul Pelosi was attacked

Security cameras for the San Francisco residence of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were not actively being monitored by U.S. Capitol Police the night of a violent home-invasion attack against her husband, the government agency said. Capitol Police said in a statement that when Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., with her security detail — as she was during Friday’s break-in — the “cameras were not actively monitored.”

Officials in Washington noticed a problem at the Pelosi home only when they saw police car lights in the video feed, a law enforcement source told The Times. Details about the Capitol Police recording were first reported by the Washington Post.

The speaker’s absence — along with that of her security detail — made her home a much easier target. It also has raised new questions about security measures for top officials in a time of rising political divisions and growing threats.

A poll shows Robert Luna ahead of Alex Villanueva

Retired Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna has gained support among likely voters in the race for Los Angeles County sheriff as he holds a solid lead over incumbent Alex Villanueva, according to a new poll.

The findings from the latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, showed that 40{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} of likely voters and people who had already voted said they’d chosen Luna, while 32{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} said they were voting for Villanueva.

Only 26{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} said they were undecided, compared with 36{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} of undecided voters in a previous poll conducted in September.

More politics

• Next week’s election will be the most significant turnover in political leadership at L.A. City Hall in nearly a decade. Our final poll in the mayor’s race is coming Friday. Sign up for the L.A. on the Record newsletter and get the results in your inbox.
• Republicans and allied groups nationwide pumped about $50 million into campaign ads this election cycle invoking, condemning or demonizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to an analysis. Democrats say this record of spending contributed to the attack that left Paul Pelosi hospitalized.
• Support from Los Angeles’ many political clubs can provide an essential boost for first-time candidates. But this election season, two incidents have brought scrutiny to the clubs, putting leaders on the defensive.

Sign up for our California Politics newsletter to get the best of The Times’ state politics reporting and the latest action in Sacramento.

Biden issued a warning that election deniers would lead the U.S. down a ‘path to chaos’

President Biden issued the stark warning about threats to American democracy, using a prime-time speech to highlight the stakes in next week’s midterm election.

“As I stand here today, there are candidates running for every level of office in America … who won’t commit to accepting the results of the election they’re in,” he said.

“That is the path to chaos in America,” he added. “It’s unprecedented. It’s unlawful.”

In the speech, which was hosted by the Democratic National Committee, Biden repeated warnings he had issued in recent months. The president has sought to paint Republicans as an extremist party loyal to former President Trump’s “Make America Great Again,” or “MAGA” movement, and has argued that a GOP victory on Nov. 8 would endanger American democracy.

California could soon be the world’s fourth-largest economy

The state has long faced criticism for driving away business and workers, due to high taxes and prices and tough regulations. Nonetheless, there are mounting predictions from some economists that the Golden State could soon surpass Germany to become the world’s fourth-largest economy.

Moving from the world’s fifth- to fourth-largest economy would be another step up for California — which would trail only the U.S., China and Japan, countries with more than three times California’s population. But some economic experts say the expected bump may have more to do with Germany’s struggling economy and the falling value of the euro than California’s growth.

L.A. schools have a plan to reverse enrollment woes: Recruit newborns

Los Angeles schools chief Alberto Carvalho has launched a student recruitment campaign beginning just about as early as possible — targeting newborns in maternity wards, starting with L.A. County-USC Medical Center.

In a school system confronting troubling enrollment projections — a 30{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} decline over the next decade — the “Born to Learn” campaign is part inspiration and perhaps part desperation. Carvalho is out to pitch an L.A. Unified School District education to the parents of prospective students — even before the babies have lost their umbilical cords.

And there’s swag contained in a cheery 8.5-inch cardboard cube with LAUSD-branded gear: a beanie, a onesie, a bib and a plush blanket that Carvalho could not resist referring to as a “blankie.”

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A welcome downpour: Reveriano Alvear cleans the sidewalks and gutters at the corner of South Broadway and 7th Street in Los Angeles on Wednesday after a much-needed rainstorm.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

CALIFORNIA

A man blamed his girlfriend’s killing on anti-Asian hate. Police said it was a murder-for-hire scheme. Nelson Chia, 73, was arrested Friday in connection with the Aug. 21 killing of his longtime girlfriend, 60-year-old Lili Xu, in Oakland. Chia cried and mourned his partner in interviews with local media outlets, but according to Oakland police, Chia hired her killer.

Orange County bus mechanics, machinists and techs are set to begin a strike, halting service. The stoppage, which will disrupt bus service across Orange County, comes two weeks after a strike appeared to have been averted. OCTA said there would be no O.C. Bus service beginning today.

NATION-WORLD

A Netanyahu government would probably clash with the Biden administration. Already having made history as the longest-serving prime minister and currently on trial for corruption, Netanyahu was famously fond of Biden’s predecessor, President Trump. Trump in turn showered Netanyahu with praise and favors, and the alliance of admiration pushed Israel closer to the GOP camp in what had always been a bipartisan relationship.

The Parkland school killer was formally sentenced to life in prison. Nikolas Cruz, shackled and in a red jail jumpsuit, watched Judge Elizabeth Scherer but showed no emotion as she sentenced him to 17 consecutive life terms for the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in suburban Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and an additional 17 terms for the attempted murders of those he wounded.

CVS and Walgreens announced opioid lawsuit settlements totaling $10 billion. Together, the developments amount to what could be the last round of huge settlements after years of litigation over the drug industry’s role in an overdose epidemic that has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. over the last two decades.

North Korea is covertly shipping artillery shells to Russia, the White House said. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. believed North Korea was “trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa.” He declined to provide a specific estimate on the quantity of ammunition being sent to bolster the Russian effort against Ukraine.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

The “Rust” script supervisor’s lawsuit against Alec Baldwin can proceed, a judge said. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge concluded that Mamie Mitchell, the film’s script supervisor, could advance her claims of assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence against Alec Baldwin, who fatally wounded cinematographer Halyna Hutchins a year ago.

Review: A herculean human effort and two cute robots equal triumph for “Good Night Oppy.” The new documentary directed by Ryan White aims to capture a sense of childlike wonder, and in the process, the amazing story of the Mars Exploration Rover mission manages to feel emotionally like “E.T.” and look like “Star Wars.”

We ran 26 holiday movie plots through an AI art generator. We’re sorry and you’re welcome. Here at The Times Holiday Workshop, located somewhere between the North Pole and the equator — all right, Los Angeles — we are faced annually with a glut of new holiday films, from Lifetime and Hallmark and elsewhere. So why not have a little fun with it?

Latino culture is American culture. A new generation is proving it. A Hollywood talent manager, curator, playwright and scholar talk about how Latinx artists are approaching representation with greater nuance.

BUSINESS

The Fed unleashed another big rate hike. The Federal Reserve pumped up its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a point but hinted that it could soon reduce the size of its rate hikes. The Fed’s move — the sixth rate hike this year — raised its key short-term rate to its highest level in 15 years.

OPINION

You owe another $5 for excessive force by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies. Pay up. Five bucks. A fiver, a five-spot, a fin. If you live in Los Angeles County, that’s how much you owe for the legal settlements the Board of Supervisors approved for five people killed or injured by sheriff’s deputies’ actions. Nearly $50 million, spread out over 10 million residents, averages out to $5 a person. Pony up.

SPORTS

“Reuben never misses.” Prep esports teams like Quartz Hill are preparing future pros. High schools have embraced the chance to field popular esports teams, treating squads like Quartz Hill High’s “Rocket League” team like any other sport. CIF data show that 40 schools and 431 players competed in esports in the fall of 2019, compared with 215 schools and 2,789 players in the spring of 2022.

Unable to trade Cam Akers, the Rams face a big question: Should he stay or should he go? Coach Sean McVay said he met with Akers and spoke with his agent about options for the third-year running back, who has not practiced or played in the last two games because of what McVay has described as an internal issue.

Column: The problem that nearly cost the Kings’ Gabe Vilardi his career. It’s easy to forget, now that Kings forward Gabriel Vilardi is dominating entire shifts and controlling the puck as if it were magnetized to his stick, that a bad back nearly ended his career before it could truly begin.

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

The long, strange trip of Jerry Garcia’s cannabis pipe. With his bird’s nest beard and spectacles, Garcia captivated legions of fans with a blend of blues, folk and psychedelic rock while playing with the Grateful Dead. Few people would be surprised to hear that the guitarist for the eclectic California rock band got high.

But before his death, Garcia tried to get clean and, in the process, gave away a beloved bone and leather pipe. It was last seen in 1991, at the San Francisco home of keyboardist Merl Saunders, before it disappeared — until now. So how did it get to a Marin County antiques shop? The Times’ Nathan Solis has the story.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Lucy Field Wanzer and her medical school colleagues.

(Courtesy of UCSF Archives and Special Collections)

One hundred and forty-six years ago this week, on Nov. 1, 1876, Lucy Field Wanzer graduated from the University of California Medical Department, which would later become UC San Francisco. She was the first female medical school graduate west of the Rocky Mountains.

According to UCSF, her initial application was rejected because she was a woman, and she had to endure a lengthy appeals process, but by the end of it, the regents had adopted a resolution that “young women offering themselves for admission and passing the required examination must be received to all the privileges of the Medical Department.” But it wasn’t smooth sailing after that. Wanzer was told by an instructor that women shouldn’t be physicians and she ought to have her ovaries removed. “Her reply: ‘Then men students ought to have their testicles removed.’”

A Jan. 5, 1984, article in The Times about the battle against sexism in medicine further revealed Wanzer’s grit. When she “started medical school, the first lecture was on male syphilitic sores,” said a Culver City anesthesiologist who’d researched the topic. “That is not the way you start medical school. I think they did it to her deliberately. They also did things like arranging the male cadavers in strange positions to try to embarrass her. She was just determined and kept plugging away.” Wanzer would go on to build a medical practice in San Francisco where she worked for 56 years.

Times staff writer Amy Hubbard contributed to this report.

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