CANBERRA, Australia — 

Conservationists fear hundreds of koalas have perished in wildfires that have razed prime habitat on Australia’s east coast.

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital President Sue Ashton said she hoped wildlife carers would be allowed to begin their search of the fire zone for survivors on Thursday. The fire was started by a lightning strike on Friday in a forest in New South Wales state, 190 miles north of Sydney, and has since burned 4,900 acres.

Two-thirds of that area was koala habitat, Ashton said.

“If we look at a 50% survival rate, that’s around about 350 koalas and that’s absolutely devastating,” Ashton said of the death toll.

“We’re hoping it’s not as bad as that, but because of the intensity of the fire and the way koalas behave during fire, we’re not holding out too much hope,” she added.

Koalas climb high into trees during wildfires and survive if the fire front passes quickly below them.

The koala colony was genetically diverse, Ashton said. Koalas prefer coastal forests, which are being cleared for suburban expansion. Increasingly isolated koala colonies have become inbred and diseased.

Australia’s wildfire season has made a particularly early and devastating start in the southern hemisphere spring due to above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall that has left much of the east coast in drought.

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MOSCOW — 

Following the cast of characters in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump is daunting, particularly when trying to figure out who’s who on the Ukrainian side. To help make things easier, here’s a snapshot guide to the main players.

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Volodymyr Zelensky — President of Ukraine. Zelensky won a landslide presidential election in April with 73% of the vote, defeating incumbent Petro Poroshenko. A political novice, Zelensky is a former comedian. He starred in “Servant of the People,” a popular television show in which he played a schoolteacher who unexpectedly becomes president. He had been in office just two months when he received the now infamous July 25 phone call from Trump that is at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

Andriy Yermak — Top advisor to Zelensky. Yermak met with Trump’s private lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, on several occasions after Zelensky’s election in late April. Yermak said that during the meetings, he became concerned that the Trump administration’s perceptions of Ukraine were not favorable or accurate. Yermak’s text exchanges with Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine; Gordon Sondland, U.S. ambassador to the European Union; and acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, in which the advisor tried to arrange a meeting between Zelensky and Trump, were released as part of the impeachment inquiry.

Yuri Lutsenko — Ukrainian prosecutor general from May 2016 to August 2019. Lutsenko fed information to Giuliani in early 2019 that helped fuel Trump’s conspiracy theories that former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was involved in nefarious dealings with a Ukrainian gas company, as well as the idea that Ukraine had colluded with Democrats in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Lutsenko’s animosity toward former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was also shared with Giuliani and appeared to stem from her criticism of his office’s lack of progress fighting corruption. His comments about Yovanovitch may have contributed to Trump’s decision to recall the diplomat. In the July 25 call, Trump appeared to praise Lutsenko, saying he was “very good” but was “shut down” by “bad people.” A close ally of former President Petro Poroshenko, Lutsenko was fired by Zelensky shortly after the newly elected president took office. In early October, Ukraine opened an investigation into Lutsenko’s possible abuse of power.

Viktor Shokin — Ukrainian prosecutor general from February 2015 to March 2016. Shokin was seen as lax in the pursuit of corruption cases, leading to Biden’s push for his removal in 2016. That call was backed by other international donors to Ukraine. Shokin filed an affidavit with an Austrian court in defense of oligarch Dmytri Firtash, who is fighting extradition to the U.S. to face bribery charges. In the affidavit, Shokin wrote that Biden had warned the Ukrainian government to keep Firtash out of Ukraine so the tycoon wouldn’t further influence the country’s politics. The affidavit also stated that Poroshenko dismissed Shokin because he was investigating the Ukrainian gas company where Hunter Biden was a member of the board of directors. However, there is no evidence that Ukraine was investigating either of the Bidens at the time of Shokin’s dismissal.

Dmytri Firtash — A Ukrainian oligarch fighting U.S. extradition charges in Vienna. A U.S. District Court indicted Firtash in 2013 on bribery and racketeering charges stemming from allegations that he paid bribes to Indian officials in a titanium deal. Firtash made his fortune selling Russian and Central Asian gas to Ukraine. His business interests include titanium, metals, chemicals and media. He financially backed pro-Russia political parties in Ukraine, had business ties with former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort and claims that the U.S. charges against him are politically motivated.

Lev Parnas — A Ukrainian-born American businessman who worked as a fixer for Giuliani in the pursuit of a disinformation campaign that included the idea that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Parnas is one of two Giuliani associates arrested this month on charges stemming from alleged efforts to funnel foreign money into U.S. elections. Parnas acted as a translator for Firtash’s team of American lawyers.

Igor Fruman — Born in Soviet Belarus, Fruman is a Florida-based businessman who was arrested along with Parnas on charges he invested foreign money in U.S. political campaigns. He is an associate of Giuliani and worked with Parnas to try to broker deals that included a proposal to bring American government officials to Zelensky’s inauguration for $250,000.

Ihor Kolomoisky — Ukrainian billionaire who made his fortune in banking, metals, oil and mass media. Kolomoisky’s television channel aired the popular sitcom starring Zelensky before he entered politics early last year. Kolomoisky’s close business ties to Zelensky have raised alarms for some Western governments, who fear the new president’s independence may be compromised by the oligarch. So far, there is no evidence that is true. Kolomoisky said in an interview with the Ukrainian Truth news website in May that Giuliani was trying to push a conspiracy against Joe Biden that would embroil Ukraine in a U.S. political scandal. Kolomoisky’s comments came after he said Giuliani’s associates, Parnas and Fruman, “demanded” he set up a meeting between Giuliani and Zelensky. Kolomoisky said he threw the men out of his office.

Andriy Bohdan — Zelensky’s chief of staff. Bohdan has close ties to Kolomoisky, for whom he was a personal lawyer.

Mykola Zlochevsky — Ukrainian businessman and former government minister behind the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. Hunter Biden served on Burisma’s board of directors, which has been at the heart of Trump’s allegation of corruption. Zlochevsky and Burisma have both been the subjects of various corruption investigations, but no formal charges have been brought. There is no evidence that any investigations into Hunter Biden’s affiliation with Burisma or Zlochevsky have been opened in Ukraine.

Sergei Leschchenko — Former lawmaker and investigative journalist. In 2016, Leshchenko revealed the existence of payments made to Manafort by a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine. Manafort was later convicted of charges related to money laundering in part because of the work he did in Ukraine. Giuliani accused Leshchenko of trying to undermine Trump by colluding with the Democrats in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, calling the young lawmaker an “enemy of the president of the United States.” Leshchenko was in consideration for a top position in the Ukrainian president’s new administration at the time but subsequently dropped his application to avoid jeopardizing relations with the White House.

Here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:

TOP STORIES

California’s Dangerous Winds

After enduring weeks of destructive fires, widespread blackouts and extreme weather conditions, California is facing another test today: powerful winds that forecasters are describing as historic and potentially disastrous.

In Southern California, Santa Ana winds of 50 to 70 mph, with isolated gusts of 80 mph, could ground helicopters that have been essential in fighting the Getty fire, which was started by a tree branch that fell on power lines (see the video). An “extreme red flag” warning has prompted urgent preparations for more potential fires and evacuations.

In Northern California, the winds could hit 65 mph, hindering efforts to contain the 76,000-acre Kincade fire, which has destroyed 189 structures, including 86 homes, and forced nearly 200,000 people to flee. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said it could shut off power to well over 1 million people in its latest bid to reduce wildfire risk.

A Brief Wildfire Preparation Guide

— Get your household ready for a wildfire in your area.

— Kids and smoke exposure: First off, don’t buy masks.

— How to prepare pets and large animals.

— Ways you can keep the lights on when the power goes out.

Fresh Ammunition

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Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, a decorated Army officer and the top Ukraine expert at the National Security Council, has told a House panel that he was so alarmed by White House efforts to press Ukraine to investigate President Trump’s political foes that he repeatedly complained to a superior. The testimony, which took place behind closed doors, gives fresh ammunition to Democrats, who introduced a resolution that could be approved Thursday to formalize procedures for their impeachment inquiry and quiet GOP complaints about the process.

In a Giving Mood

Californians don’t have a U.S. Senate race on the ballot in 2020. No matter. They have donated more than $13.2 million this year to senators or their challengers across the country, according to federal fundraising disclosures tracking donations of $200 or more. And it’s not all going to Democrats. Some candidates, such as Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.), have raised more money here than in their home states.

A Blot on D.C.’s Landscape

Spare us the political jokes for a moment. Mysterious black splotches are creeping over the gleaming Jefferson Memorial, a hallowed shrine at Arlington National Cemetery and other historic monuments and buildings in Washington. What’s causing the unsightly mix of bacteria, fungi and algae known as “biofilm”? As our latest Column One shows, theories abound.

The Battle of 187

The year was 1994. The issue: Proposition 187, an initiative that sought to punish undocumented immigrants by denying them certain services, including access to public healthcare and education, in California. The measure sparked massive protests. Yet it won easily at the ballot box. But the true battle of Prop. 187 was just beginning, and eventually it would transform the state. A new three-part podcast hosted by reporter Gustavo Arellano, “This Is California: The Battle of 187,” explores the history.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

On this date in 1949, the Rev. Billy Graham preached to thousands of faithful in an enormous tent at Washington Boulevard and Hill Street in Los Angeles — part of a more than eight-week tent revival that drew 350,000 and catapulted the young Southern Baptist preacher to religious stardom.

He quoted the Bible, discussed his tours of Europe after World War II and invoked the Cold War: “All across Europe, people know that time is running out,” he said. “Now that Russia has the atomic bomb, the world is in an armament race driving us to destruction.” This photo appeared in the Nov. 14, 1949, edition of The Times.

CALIFORNIA

— Long Beach authorities say three people were killed and nine were hurt Tuesday night during a mass shooting at a home.

— Southern California Edison says its electrical equipment will probably be found to be “associated” with 2018’s deadly Woolsey fire, which burned more than 1,000 homes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

— Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey told a political club that errors committed by sheriff’s department deputies and a coroner’s office investigator may have played a significant role in the decision not to criminally charge Ed Buck in the death of a man who overdosed in his West Hollywood apartment in 2017.

— Several groups are demanding the University of California drop the SAT and ACT as admission requirements, saying the tests violate state civil rights laws by discriminating against disabled, low-income and underrepresented minority students.

— George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide who was a key figure in the FBI’s Russia probe and spent 14 days in prison, is running for the U.S. House seat left vacant by resigning Rep. Katie Hill.

— On Day 1 of the new system for taxi and ride-hail pickups at LAX, there was plenty of confusion — but also plenty of quiet on the once-chaotic sidewalks next to the terminal.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

— With the long-awaited HBO Max, WarnerMedia is betting consumers will pay more for streaming — to the tune of $14.99 a month, making the service the most expensive gladiator in the streaming wars. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

— Martin Scorsese’s latest gangster movie “The Irishman” is a revelation that recalls another director’s late-career classic, critic Kenneth Turan writes.

— “Parasite” deserves to win all the Oscars, but it might not win any, columnist Glenn Whipp writes.

— It’s the season for Santa Anas, and cultural crankiness, columnist Mary McNamara writes.

— Kevin Spacey won’t face criminal charges in a sexual assault case involving a massage therapist who died unexpectedly last month.

NATION-WORLD

— The House overwhelmingly approved a resolution reaffirming its recognition of the Armenian genocide.

— For transgender migrants fleeing death threats, asylum in the U.S. is a crapshoot.

— Peru is confronting its dark past of forced sterilizations.

— The prime minister of Lebanon is resigning under pressure from paralyzing protests over corruption and taxes.

— In her quest for fair treatment by the British media, Meghan Markle has 72 female members of Parliament on her side.

BUSINESS

— Uber, Lyft and DoorDash have launched a $90-million fight against a new labor law, in an effort to exclude workers from being deemed employees.

— Tesla had a surprise third-quarter profit that came despite a nearly 40% revenue drop in its largest market.

— Senators grilled the CEO of Boeing about two 737 Max crashes and whether it hid information about a critical flight system from regulators.

SPORTS

— The NCAA is working on a plan to let athletes benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness. But will it meet California’s new standards?

— In the World Series, the Washington Nationals have forced a Game 7 against the Houston Astros after a huge disputed call.

— Kobe Bryant says Dwight Howard will “make a hell of an impact” with the Lakers.

— In a disappointing season for the Chargers, Joey Bosa’s been a highlight.

OPINION

— Republican lawmakers asked for a floor vote on impeachment. Now they’re getting one and are still upset. History may not look upon them well.

— House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has become the anti-Trump: disciplined and implacable.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

— How Scientology took over a Florida city. (Tampa Bay Times)

— Apps that purport to interpret the results of direct-to-consumer genetic testing are provoking fears of “the Wild West of genetics.” (Nature)

ONLY IN L.A.

Attention, bargain shoppers. A house in Holmby Hills has just gotten a huge price cut. Now, it was created by architect-to-the-stars Paul Williams. And it did belong to Max Azria, the late fashion mogul, and before him, Sidney Sheldon, an Oscar-winning producer-writer whose novels have sold over 300 million copies. But the 30,000-square-foot, 60-room mansion known as Maison du Soleil has resurfaced for sale at $78 million, down $10 million from its previous asking price. You can get a look for free here.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with friends. Comments or ideas? Email us at [email protected].

As a top supermodel-turned-beauty-entrepreneur, it’s safe to assume Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has good taste – if her incredible wardrobe is any indication, that is. 

And while matchy-matchy pantsuits and oversized blazers might be one thing, it seems the model’s good taste extends to her interiors. Listing their Malibu house this month, Huntington-Whiteley and her actor-husband Jason Statham let us look inside their Californian beach house — and it doesn’t disappoint. 

Listed for $29 million, this four bedroom and bathroom family home has serious style credit. Spanning over 3,900 square feet, the home — dubbed ‘Black House’ thanks to its all-black facade — is something of a looker (much like its owners). Featuring blonde timber floors, plenty of expansive windows and neutral finishings, it is refined, understated and beachy. 

Located in an exclusive, star-studded section of Malibu nicknamed ‘The Colony’ (after Colony Road), whoever buys the home will have neighbours including Tom Hanks and Jim Carrey. 

The house looks out directly onto the beach, with a small set of stairs leading directly from the terrace on to the sand. Finished with a custom spa, the house really does have it all — no matter the weather. 

With plenty of natural tones and finishes, Huntington-Whiteley’s easygoing aesthetic is on display, with a cream and coffee colour scheme found throughout the living and bedroom areas. Dark timber accents in the kitchen and part of the sitting room make the accent spaces pop, providing depth to the otherwise-neutral space. 

The entire space has been outfitted with custom lighting and a bespoke sound system. 

The couple share one son together, Jack, and also have a house in Beverly Hills, closer to the Los Angeles city centre. For those with a spare $29 million, the listing can be found here. 

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With the ranking of the fashion industry’s dominating brands constantly in flux, you’ll be pleased to know that the fight for the title of the one brand that out-popularises all others has come to a close.

Global fashion search platform, Lyst—who recently released their ranking of fashion’s hottest brands for the months of July to September—have analysed the search results from 2019’s third quarter of their more than nine million-strong shopper database to dictate the brands you should be adding to cart.

Unsurprisingly, Virgil Abloh’s Off-White performed exceedingly well within each and every criteria that brands are filtered through, including global Lyst and Google search data, conversion rates and sales, brand and product social media mentions and social engagement statistics worldwide.

And we could absolutely hazard a guess as to why the Milan-based brand has ranked highly. There’s no doubt Abloh is as hard a worker as they come within the industry, so much so that he’s taken a brief leave of absence from helming not only his own label, but also the menswear arm of French fashion house, Louis Vuitton.

But not before earning a highly-coveted seat on the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) board, launching his own signature homewares brand, Off-White “Home”, and perhaps most notably, designing Hailey Bieber’s custom lace wedding gown she wore at her recent nuptials to Justin Bieber.

Not to mention that his own brand has produced a constant stream of unique designs, with almost all of them instantly earning cult status upon their release, sneakers featuring the brand’s signature orange zip tie and garments emblazoned with graphic lettering immediately springing to mind.

One brand which has dramatically dropped out of favour, however, is Vetements. Having often appeared within Lyst’s top three brands for the past two years, it’s likely the label’s drop is related to Demna Gvasalia’s recent exit as its principal designer.

But it’s not all bad news—industry mainstays, including Gucci, Prada and Fendi, each responsible for creating covetable ready-to-wear items and accessories in their own right, have also ranked highly.

For 2019’s top ten most popular brands ranked, scroll on.

10. Vetements (previous quarter ranking, 11)

9. Saint Laurent (previous quarter ranking, 10)

8. Burberry (previous quarter ranking, 12)

7. Fendi (previous quarter ranking, 7)

6. Valentino (previous quarter ranking, 4)

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5. Prada (previous quarter ranking, 5)

4. Versace (previous quarter ranking, 6)

3. Gucci (previous quarter ranking, 1)

2. Balenciaga (previous quarter ranking, 3)

1. Off-White (previous quarter ranking, 2)

Amid mixed early season reviews for Petr Cech, the defender believes the former Leverkusen man has what it takes to be a success at Arsenal

Bernd Leno has all the attributes to thrive under Unai Emery at Arsenal, according to club and country colleague Shkodran Mustafi.

Germany international Leno joined Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen for £19 million ($25m) in June, but has been unable to displace veteran number one Petr Cech during their opening two Premier League games.

Both those matches, against champions Manchester City and Chelsea, have ended in defeat, with the 36-year-old Cech sometimes appearing ill at ease with head coach Emery’s demands that his teams build attacks from the back.

Such an approach would come more naturally to Leno, if Mustafi’s appraisal is accurate.

“I know Bernd very well because we played together since the Under-15s German team, so I have known him for a long time,” said the centre-back who, like his countryman, was overlooked for a place in Germany’s World Cup squad.

“He is a brilliant goalkeeper. He has everything a modern keeper needs: good feet, good hands and he has personality.”

Leno is one of five new arrivals at Emirates Stadium for the beginning of the post-Arsene Wenger era.

Old norms are being thrown out under Emery, with Aaron Ramsey dropped for the 3-2 loss at Chelsea, where star man Mesut Ozil was substituted during the second half.

“Competition is something that brings you to the next level, because if you have no competition and you know you are starting week in, week out, it takes a little bit of the quality [away],” added Mustafi, with Arsenal set to entertain another winless side in West Ham this weekend.

“When you know you have someone standing on your toes, you are going to try and be better and better every week.”

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The Gunners will look to finally break through this Premier League season as they host West Ham on Saturday.

Everything you need to know ahead of the Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon

Manchester City will be without Kevin De Bruyne when they take on Huddersfield in Sunday’s Premier League game at the Etihad Stadium.

De Bruyne will miss between two and three months with a knee injury.

As well as De Bruyne, City could also be without David Silva, who has been struggling with a hip injury in the last couple of weeks.

Danilo is still around a month from full fitness as he recovers from an ankle injury.

Neither side have any suspensions.

City could be unchanged from the team that beat Arsenal last weekend, given De Bruyne started on the bench due to a lack of playing time in pre-season, while David Silva missed out with his hip injury.

David Silva could start on Sunday but that depends on how he has trained during the week, and even then he is likely to only be fit enough for an hour.

Leroy Sane missed out at the Emirates Stadium because Pep Guardiola wanted a right-footer to cut in from the left-hand side to dovetail with Benjamin Mendy in his new role, and Raheem Sterling’s good performance means he is likely to retain his place.

Sergio Aguero missed a great chance against Arsenal but Guardiola and his coaching staff were happy with his overall contribution and that could count in his favour when the Catalan decides whether to stick with the Argentine or bring in Gabriel Jesus.

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Mathias Jorgensen, AKA Zanka, will miss the game with a muscle injury.

Jonathan Hogg is doubtful for the Terriers with a hip injury, but he will be assessed over the weekend.

Danny Williams is out with an ankle injury, while Erik Durm and Isaac Mpenza are lacking match fitness.

Kick off is 13:30 GMT (6:30 ET) on Sunday August 19 and will be shown on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. It will be shown on NBC in the United States, and on various channels around the world.

The Dutch winger is determined to force his way into Eusebio Di Francesco’s starting XI, with his outings to date having come from off the bench

Justin Kluivert has told Roma that he wants to “become a starter”, with the Dutchman determined to work his way off the bench.

The 19-year-old winger, who is the son of former Barcelona star Patrick, was a man in demand during the summer transfer window.

His exploits after graduating out of a famed academy system at Ajax saw Europe’s top clubs falling over themselves in an effort to secure his signature.

Kluivert eventually opted to further his development in Serie A, with the decision taken to avoid joining a truly elite club at this stage of his career.

He has had to be patient since arriving in the Italian capital, with two appearances made as a substitute, but he has made it clear that he made a move with the intention of starting every week.

Kluivert told Fox Sports: “I want to become a starter, I have joined Roma for just that.

“My time has not yet arrived, but I have played several minutes and I’m happy. I’m also satisfied with the training sessions . Things are heading in the right direction.

“My house is almost ready and everything is going as planned.

“Everyone knew that the start in Rome would be difficult because they expect so much. At Ajax I was freer on the field, while here I have to play more centrally. I feel more and more comfortable though.”

Despite having only seen 65 minutes of Serie A football so far, Kluivert does already have an assist to his name – having teed up Edin Dzeko during a 1-0 win over Torino on the opening weekend.

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I really wish U.S. Rep. Katie Hill had not resigned.

The Santa Clarita freshman Democrat has been charged with no crime, is going through what appears to be a miserable divorce, has always been frank about her bisexuality, had a relationship with a member of her campaign staff, but has denied an accusation that she had an affair with a male congressional staffer when she got to Washington, D.C., earlier this year. She is now the subject of a House ethics probe.

Should we have expected more from her? Yes, and I will get to that in a moment.

But she has done nothing — that we know of at least — that should have led her to step down.

If, as has been alleged, she had a consensual sexual relationship with a staffer in her congressional office, the 32-year-old Democrat should have earned a slap on the wrist. To show how seriously Congress has taken that sort of thing (not), it wasn’t even until last year that the House changed its rules to prohibit sexual relationships between members and their employees.

And wouldn’t you know it — the first lawmaker to fall afoul of the new House rule is a woman, and an unabashedly bisexual woman at that.

This is not to say that no male lawmaker has ever lost his job over sexual misconduct. In fact, since October 2017, when the MeToo movement exploded, at least four members of Congress outright resigned, and four said they would not run for reelection.

But let’s look at what they did.

On the Democratic side: U.S. Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota resigned and Rep. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada did not seek reelection after being accused by multiple women of unwanted touching. Rep. John Conyers of Michigan was accused by six former employees of sexual harassment.

In the Republican column: Using government funds, U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas settled a sexual harassment complaint with a staffer; Rep. Joe Barton, also of Texas, threatened to report a lover to the U.S. Capitol Police, fearing she might expose his other affairs; Rep. Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania settled a sexual harassment complaint with a female staffer. And, because I like to save the best for last, Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona offered a staff member $5 million to bear his child; and Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, who once served on the House Pro-Life Caucus, asked his pregnant lover to have an abortion.

There is, I daresay, a difference between those and the consensual conduct of which Hill is accused.

Which is why I think that Hill, to her credit, is taking one for her party. In a statement, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) indicated as much: “She has acknowledged errors in judgment that made her continued service as a member untenable. We must ensure a climate of integrity and dignity in the Congress, and in all workplaces.”

In a video posted Monday morning, a tearful but resolute Hill says she has resigned because “I will not allow myself to be a distraction from the constitutional crisis we are faced with, and the critical work of my colleagues.”

President Trump, on the other hand, has paid off a porn star who says she had sex with him, proudly boasted of sexual assault and still maintains his good graces with his evangelical base. Heck, another Republican has even been accused of stealing money to pursue affairs, and was rewarded by his constituents with reelection in 2018.

That would be U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), who has been charged with misusing campaign funds, some of which he allegedly used on trips with his family, others of which he allegedly used on trips with his lovers. He not only didn’t resign, he dug in.

His wife, who pleaded guilty, faces up to five years in prison, and he still hasn’t had the decency to resign. The only thing he has going in his favor is that, as far as I know, there are no naked selfies of him circulating around the internet.

Which brings me to Hill’s biggest sin.

Quite apart from the harsh double standards faced by female politicians — they can’t be too shrill, they have to be likable, on and on — Hill is also being punished, or punishing herself, for one colossally fantastically unbelievably stupid move: Posing for nude photographs, alone and with a woman who appears to be a lover, while running for Congress.

Someone released intimate photos of her that were published by the Daily Mail and the conservative website RedState, which has pursued this story with Kenneth Starr-like glee.

In one of the photos, she’s naked, holding a bong and appears to be stoned. There is, at the top of her thigh, an iron-cross tattoo that RedState has alleged is a Nazi symbol. The cross has been adopted by bikers and Goths too. Does anyone really believe Hill has Nazi sympathies? For heaven’s sake, she ran the largest homeless services organization in California. There is nothing in her record that would indicate such a proclivity.

Also, when the photo was taken in 2017, she was within her legal rights to use cannabis recreationally, but let’s face it, it’s not a good look for a neophyte congresswoman to be photographed naked about to take a bong hit. Even one from cannabis-friendly California.

Whoever disseminated the photos has committed a horrendous invasion of her privacy, and is trying to destroy her. Rightfully, she has contacted U.S. Capitol Police.

A series of text messages were also published by RedState, in which Hill appears to admit being drunk at last spring’s Democratic Party convention in San Francisco, and intimating she has a drinking problem.

Does she? Maybe. And if she does, she should have said so and announced a trip to rehab. Plenty of American politicians admit they have a substance abuse problem, get the help, do the work and resume their responsibilities as elected officials.

Hill became a star of the 2018 campaign. “Vice” followed her around for a documentary series and called her “the most millennial candidate ever.”

After she won the Democratic primary, she faced longtime Republican incumbent Steve Knight. Next to the wooden former cop, she was a breath of fresh air. She beat him by 9 percentage points.

But maybe it was exactly her millennialism that did her in. I can think of nothing more millennial than being destroyed for posing naked for photos that can be disseminated with the push of a button.

There’s one more thing: Her husband, Kenneth Heslep, who says in divorce papers that he’s a stay-at-home spouse, has asked for alimony. Good luck getting it, buddy, now that her career has imploded.

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WASHINGTON — 

Elected just a year ago, Rep. Katie Hill quickly became one of the highest-profile members of a celebrated freshman class led by Democratic women.

The 32-year-old Santa Clarita Democrat, who was elected to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-San Francisco) leadership team, knew her rapid political rise would mean she was under a microscope: “Any mistake you make is going to be much more noticeable,” she said in an interview with The Times in March.

The harsh glare caught up with Hill Sunday when she stunned her peers in Congress by announcing she would resign. The statement came amid allegations of affairs with a campaign aide, which she confirmed, and a House staffer, which she denied, as well as the release of several intimate photos, which she blamed on her estranged husband and “the brutality of hateful political operatives.”

Hill’s resignation is the first by a woman in Congress in the wake of the institution’s reckoning with the national #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, which prompted a new rule last year banning relationships between members and staffers.

She is also the first female member to publicly confront the troubling phenomenon of “revenge porn” —the public release of compromising material by a former partner.

Her decision to resign — just days after vowing to fight on despite a congressional ethics probe — was partly prompted by fears that her husband might have taken other compromising photos and would release them, according to a person close to Hill who did not want to be identified speaking about the matter.

Whatever the reasons for Hill’s decision to call it quits, she had few defenders on Capitol Hill, even though some columnists and pundits opined that she should have held on longer and was being treated unfairly. Hill’s gender and sexuality — she identifies as bisexual — raised immediate questions about whether a double standard is being applied to a female lawmaker.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), whom Hill endorsed for the presidency, said Monday that Hill’s gender is playing a role in the scandal. “Let’s also speak the truth that men and women are not held to the same standards,” Harris told BuzzFeed News. “I mean, look at who’s in the White House.”

Pelosi — who had taken Hill under her wing and helped mentor the millennial lawmaker — on Sunday praised Hill’s contributions to Congress in just 10 months, but also put a strong punctuation mark on her support for Hill.

“She has acknowledged errors in judgment that made her continued service as a member untenable,” Pelosi said in a statement. “We must ensure a climate of integrity and dignity in the Congress, and in all workplaces.”

Other Democrats praised Hill for deciding that she needed to step down, contrasting her with Republicans who are still in office amid similar allegations.

Hill “acknowledged her errors in judgment and is resigning because she values integrity, decency, and accountability. I can’t say the same about several of our colleagues,” said Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Laguna Beach), who like Hill flipped a Republican-held seat in Southern California last year.

Given that her husband might have more photos, she concluded her best option was to leave office and hope the resignation would disincentivize further releases.

Her husband, Kenneth Heslep, has not responded to requests for comment.

Hill informed Pelosi of her decision to resign on a phone call on Sunday. Sources in both camps said Hill notified Pelosi only after her decision was made and that the speaker did not pressure her — and both described the conversation as markedly sad.

“I would have hoped that she had stayed a little bit longer…. But she had made her decision and that was it,” Pelosi said in an interview with a small group of columnists on Monday. “She just made her decision that whatever was coming at her, she decided that she was going to be leaving.”

Pelosi and Hill had developed a close relationship over the last year that began with Hill defending the speaker to the freshmen class amid calls for new House leadership. Several members have told The Times that Pelosi saw herself reflected in Hill’s tenacity and willingness to volunteer for leadership.

But rank-and-file House Democrats speculated Monday that if Hill hadn’t come to the decision to resign, Pelosi or other Democratic leaders might have encouraged her, given the party’s tough line on sexual harassment allegations.

On Monday, Hill portrayed herself as a victim of “revenge porn” and vowed in a 4-minute video posted on her social mediaaccounts that her new cause would be preventing such attacks on other women.

“My fight is not over,” she said. “I will fight to make sure that no one else has to live through what I just experienced.”

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“I’m hurt, I’m angry. The path that I saw so clearly for myself is no longer there,” she said, appearing to grow emotional as she apologized to her constituents. “I never thought my imperfections would be weaponized and used to try to destroy me and the community that I have loved.”

Hill has indicated she is cooperating with U.S. Capitol Police to investigate the release of the photos, a potential violation of California law. The person close to Hill said the lawmaker has “extremely strong” evidence that Heslep was behind it, but declined to share details.

Hill’s video may be an effort by her to control the messaging around why she is resigning, California GOP strategist Mike Madrid said, making the scandal about a spouse releasing embarrassing photos, rather than about an alleged inappropriate relationship with an employee. Resigning her office also ends the House Ethics investigation into whether Hill had a relationship with a staff member.

News of a female member of Congress having a relationship with a subordinate, especially a member of leadership, would divert attention from the impeachment inquiry and undermine the idea that the House has addressed its sexual harassment issues, Madrid said.

“Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership do not need that distraction right now. The stakes are much higher than the CA-25 district,” he said. “Unfortunately this poor woman finds herself humiliated on the national stage and she’s expendable to leadership that can’t afford to lose either of those fights.”

On Monday, Hill retweeted a post from a CNN reporter that a GOP operative has more than 700 nude photos of the congresswoman, but added no comment of her own.

Times columnist Doyle McManus in Washington contributed to this report.