Headlines From The Times

40 pounds of fentanyl were seized and 18 people arrested, as federal agents and local authorities in Los Angeles raided MacArthur Park on Wednesday in what First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli is calling "Operation Free MacArthur Park." Following the raid, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on X that the DEA and LAPD had "taken back MacArthur Park." Meanwhile, what started as a transit dream in 1962 is finally becoming a reality in Los Angeles. After nearly 65 years of roadblocks, the first phase of Metro's long-awaited D Line extension opens on Friday. It'll add nearly four miles of track under Wilshire Boulevard from Koreatown to Beverly Hills with three stations along the way, and Metro says the D Line could dramatically cut commute times. Read more at https://www.latimes.com

CNN founder Ted Turner has died at 87. Turner revolutionized television in 1980 by launching CNN, the first 24-hour news channel, creating an "always on" cycle that defines media today. He went on to build a cable empire, including with TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is proposing a pied-à-terre tax on luxury properties over $5 million for owners who don't live in the city full-time. He says it will raise at least $500 million for free child care and other social services. Billionaire Ken Griffin, whose $238 million Central Park penthouse was featured in Mamdani's video on Tax Day, has fired back, calling the tax discriminatory and saying he'll create more jobs and build out his offices in Miami. And if your summer bucket list includes a trip to Yosemite, you might find yourself stuck in hours of traffic instead of taking in the views. The park is seeing its largest crowds in a decade, with more than half a million people visiting so far this year, after the Trump administration slashed the National Park System's staff by 25% in February and ended the reservation system entirely. Read more at https://www.latimes.com

Both Iran and the U.S. are claiming control over the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway where prior to the war about 20% of the world's oil, or over 100 tankers, passed through each day. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth branded this mission "Project Freedom" and described the U.S. as having a "red, white and blue dome over the strait.” Meanwhile, voters in Ohio and Indiana are headed to the polls on Tuesday in primaries that offer a temperature check on President Trump's second term, with gerrymandering at the center of both elections. And Delta announced they'll stop serving free snacks and drinks on flights under 349 miles unless you're sitting in first class, impacting about 500 flights per day starting May 19th. Read more at https://LATimes.com. 

 

Kylie Jenner is facing a second lawsuit from a former housekeeper, who says she suffered abuse, harassment, and discrimination while working for the celebrity. Meanwhile, the State Department detained five Iranian green card holders, based in the Los Angeles area, and is now trying to strip them of their residency. Far-right influencer Laura Loomer taking credit for two women's arrests and saying she had been "quietly documenting" their social media and sharing that information with the government.  And the Kentucky Derby kicks off Saturday, with this year's favorite being Renegade, a bay colt bred in Kentucky. Read more at https://LATimes.com.

The Pentagon says the Iran War is costing $25 billion, but Democratic leaders are skeptical of the pricing, and Harvard’s Linda Bilmes says the war could end up costing up to $1 trillion. "Wars always cost more than expected" is how Bilmes puts it. Meanwhile, a new poll from Ipsos and Reuters found that only 24% of Americans see the war as being worth it. And the Iran War is costing everyday Americans too. The U.S. will keep a naval blockade on Iran until they give up their nuclear program, meaning oil prices will likely remain high, and when oil goes up, so does the cost of shipping, travel, and even groceries. Read more at https://LATimes.com.