Headlines From The Times

Twenty-one years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that national adult cases of syphilis had reached their lowest levels ever, and entirely eliminating the disease among newborns seemed to be within reach.But syphilis cases have risen dramatically over the last decade for both adults and infants — even though the disease is curable, and even though we could protect babies by getting pregnant people tested and treated in time.Today, L.A. Times public health reporter Emily Alpert Reyes discusses this disturbing trend, what it says about our society and how to get the fight against congenital syphilis back on track. We also hear from someone who had a stillbirth because of syphilis and wants everyone to learn from her story.More reading:The number of babies infected with syphilis was already surging. Then came the pandemicTwo crises in one: As drug use rises, so does syphilis1,306 U.S. infants were born with syphilis in 2018, even though it’s easy to prevent

Nearly half of imports in the United States go through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. They're the largest in the U.S., but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there's a humongous backlog of ships stuck at sea, making imported goods more expensive. The wait to unload cargo is so bad at the ports of L.A. and Long Beach that President Biden is taking action. Today, we're going to discuss the backup's repercussions with three L.A. Times reporters who cover the ports, the global market and the White House.More reading: Biden will announce expanded operations at Port of Los Angeles as supply chain crunch continuesNews Analysis: Ahead of holidays, Biden tries to untangle supply chain messPort truckers win $30 million in wage theft settlements

This month, comedy legend Dave Chappelle released his latest stand-up Netflix special, called "The Closer." It immediately drew criticism for jokes widely viewed as transphobic, and it has created turmoil behind the scenes at Netflix. But there’s also been a backlash to the backlash, by fans who say social justice warriors just want to cancel Chappelle. One group is particularly well positioned to have insights on the controversy: LGBTQ comedians. Today, we hear from three.More reading:What LGBTQ+ comedians really think of Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special Netflix’s Dave Chappelle PR crisis has been years in the makingNetflix takes a hit over fallout from Dave Chappelle special

Tall, bushy, spiny and fragrant, the pinyon pine is a beloved feature of the Mountain West — and not just for its beauty. The tiny piñon nuts in the tree’s cones are so good, people in the region have eaten them every fall for countless generations. But as climate change continues to affect the United States, something terrible is happening. The piñon harvest is getting smaller and smaller.Today we go to New Mexico, where the pinyon is the state’s official tree. We talk to Axios race and justice reporter Russell Contreras, who’s based out of Albuquerque and has an up-close view of the piñon’s slow disappearance. And a native New Mexican — Tey Marianna Nunn, director of the Smithsonian Institution's American Women’s History Initiative — tells us about the nut and tree’s cultural importance.More reading:Op-Ed: Pinyon and juniper woodlands define the West. Why is the BLM turning them to mulch?Locally foraged piñon nuts are cherished in New Mexico. They’re also disappearingPine nut recipes: From small seeds, inspiration

The Black Panther Party, a Black power political organization, was founded exactly 55 years ago in California’s Bay Area and grew into a nationwide group that pushed for housing, food equity, education and self-protection. Several famous figures emerged from the group, including Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis and Huey P. Newton.But history often overlooks those who do not serve in dynamic roles or who perform tasks away from public view. These people do the thankless but crucial work that keeps organizations running. Barbara Easley-Cox was one of these people.Today, Easley-Cox recounts what she experienced as a Black Panther, from California to Algeria to North Korea and beyond.More reading:Decades before Black Lives Matter, there were the Black Panthers in OaklandOpinion: 1969 SWAT raid on Black Panthers set the tone for police race problemsBobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver tell Cal State Fullerton audience about militancy, civil rights work

California requires each publicly traded company based in the Golden State to have at least one woman on its board of directors and, soon, at least one nonwhite or LGBTQ person. That’s because of a pair of laws mandating diversity at those high levels — laws that are having effects nationwide.Today, we examine the topic with L.A. Times national reporter Evan Halper. We also talk with Dr. Maria Rivas, who has served on several boards and frequently found herself the only woman or person of color there.More reading:California outlawed the all-white-male boardroom. That move is reshaping corporate AmericaColumn: California’s controversial law requiring women on corporate boards is back in the crosshairsNewsom signs law mandating more diversity in California corporate boardrooms

Wildfires across the American West this summer spewed out smoke full of particulates that darkened skies, created unnaturally beautiful sunsets and boosted health risks far and wide. This problem has been getting worse as the years go by. So how will we move forward?Today, we convene our monthly Masters of Disasters panel — L.A. Times air quality reporter Tony Barboza, wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and earthquake and COVID-19 reporter Ron Lin — to talk about what makes wildfire smoke special, how to protect yourself and what the future might be. We also discuss reasons to be optimistic. And no, we’re not apologizing for the corny jokes. You’re welcome.More reading:Wildfire smoke now causes up to half the fine-particle pollution in Western U.S., study findsWildfire smoke may carry ‘mind-bending’ amounts of fungi and bacteria, scientists sayAs ‘diesel death zones’ spread, pollution regulators place new rules on warehouse industryHow to keep the air in your home clean when there’s wildfire smoke outside

It’s been about a week since a big oil spill hit the Southern California shoreline near Orange County. Tar sullied sensitive wetlands. Birds and fish died. Miles of beaches were closed. The L.A. Times newsroom has produced dozens of stories trying to understand what happened, and what we’ve found so far isn’t pretty: aging offshore oil platforms and pipelines — being bought up by companies that have a history of safety violations.Today, we speak to L.A. Times investigative reporter Connor Sheets about the causes of the so-called Huntington Beach oil spill. And an environmental activist — Center for Biological Diversity oceans program director Miyoko Sakashita — describes what she found when visiting Southern California’s offshore drilling platforms in 2018.More reading:Full coverage: the Huntington Beach oil spillCalifornia attorney general launches investigation into Orange County oil spillFederal regulation of oil platforms was dogged by problems long before O.C. spillHow much would it cost to shut down an offshore oil well? Who pays?

Nearly a century ago, government officials pushed a Black family from their beachfront property in the Southern California city of Manhattan Beach. Now, in what could be a landmark in this nation’s efforts to correct past injustices to African Americans, the land is being returned to the family’s descendants.Today, we have an update to our June episode about the fight over Bruce’s Beach. And we hear from the historians, family members and grass-roots organizers who championed this cause for years until it could not be ignored. We also speak with L.A. Times environmental reporter Rosanna Xia about her work, which amplified the story of Bruce’s Beach to the world.More reading:Newsom signs bill to return Bruce’s Beach to Black familyOp-Ed: Bruce’s Beach will be returned to my family. I hope our fight will help othersEditorial: Beyond Bruce’s Beach is the tarnished American dream for Black AmericansManhattan Beach was once home to Black beachgoers, but the city ran them out. Now it faces a reckoning

Milwaukee is in the grips of the worst violence in its modern history. There were 189 killings there last year — the most ever recorded, almost twice as many as the year before.It’s not just Milwaukee. The nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice looked at 34 U.S. cities and found that 29 had more homicides last year than in 2019. What has caused this surge? How is it affecting members of the hardest-hit communities?Today, Los Angeles Times national correspondent Kurtis Lee takes us to Milwaukee’s north side to explore the neighborhood’s history and present and to hear from community members: victims’ families, as well as a pastor, a retiring police detective and a funeral home director. He also reflects on how it feels to be a young Black man covering the deaths of so many young Black men.More reading:On the front lines of the U.S. homicide epidemic: Milwaukee faces historic violenceA year like no other for L.A. crime: Homicides surge, robberies and rapes dropOp-Ed: Homicide rates are up. To bring them down, empower homegrown peacekeepers