Hello, and welcome to this week’s selection of top stories in pictures by Los Angeles Times photographers and correspondents.
“If war is hell, there’s a credible case Bakhmut is its ninth circle.”
— Nabih Bulos
The Ukraine war’s most vicious fight is happening in Bakhmut. Take a rare look inside as Russia besieges the Ukrainian city that has symbolic, if not strategic, value for both sides. “The long fight for Bakhmut has been block-by-block, house-by-house savagery grinding up men, materiel and masonry,” reports correspondent Nabih Bulos. But supporting it is a parallel combat; one backed by consumer tech — and plenty of drones.
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The federal government is weighing options as it considers major water cuts to protect the Colorado River and with it, life and prosperity for the seven states that heavily depend on the shrinking water lifeline.
The drought-ravaged Colorado River got a brief relief from snow, but a long-term water crisis remains and we need to adapt to it. Kicking the can down the dam is no longer an option.
“It’s going to take all of us, and it is a very scary situation.”
— Rosa Long, vice chair of the Cocopah Indian Tribe
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An onslaught of atmospheric rivers hit California this winter, exposing the delicate balance of the systems that provide critical water yet can prompt dangerous floods. Why was California hit with 31 atmospheric river storms?
Mammoth Lakes was particularly besieged by storms, thrown into chaos as snowfall crushed buildings, caused explosions and became a nightmare for residents.
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As the record Sierra “big melt” begins, whitewater rafters are among those enjoying the immense volumes of water sent through some of the most storied rafting rivers in the world — California’s epic snowpack promises a whitewater rafting season for the ages.
Record storms and epic snowpack will mean plenty of water for rafting companies like Sierra South Mountain Sports, shown here leading an early-season tour on the Upper Kern River. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
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Uganda may impose some of the world’s strictest anti-gay measures with punishments that include the death penalty, and even tourists could face prison under Uganda’s proposed anti-gay laws.
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In Boyle Heights a jogging path that has been used by walkers and joggers since the 1940s has become blocked by RV dwellers. Some residents complain, but people who call the RVs home say that they are scapegoated. “All I’m asking is for some patience, and we’ll get back on our feet,” said one RV dweller. “Nobody wants to be here, but it’s not right to be thrown out.”
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Dianne Feinstein, faces calls to resign yet vows to return to Senate once healed from shingles. Her extended absence has complicated the confirmation of President Biden’s judicial and administrative nominees, creating headaches for the president and the Democrats. Feinstein’s absence puts focus on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s promise to appoint a Black woman as senator.
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Drugs and death visited an eye surgeon in Malibu after a Fresno hairstylist and a Hollywood actor took over his home, dropped acid with him and drained his fortune.
In a swirl of LSD, ketamine, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana, Mark Sawusch had been flinging food and clothing around the house for days in fits of rage, talking to himself, rocking.
— as reported by Michael Finnegan
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On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Council appointed Heather Hutt, skipping a special election, as replacement for the 10th District’s former Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, despite objections from critics who labeled the move undemocratic.
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And finally, to end on a life-affirming note — California’s breathtaking superbloom is here. See the amazing photos from space and find out where to soak up the beauty of spring wildflowers in person.
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