Two people have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into a shooting at a Halloween party in Orinda, Calif., that killed five people last month, authorities said.

The arrests were a result of warrants that were obtained by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and executed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Thursday, said Alexandria Corneiro, a public information officer with the ATF’s San Francisco Field Division.

Taken into custody were Domico Dones, 29, of Martinez, Calif., and Frederick Johnson, 29, of Vallejo. Both are being held on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Johnson was also charged with child endangerment.

Agents seized a firearm while serving the warrants, and investigators used the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network to link the gun to multiple shootings in the Bay Area, the agency said.

The ATF is also offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting, which took place during a party at an Airbnb rental on Halloween night.

According to police, more than 100 people from around the Bay Area had descended on the home in the East Bay suburb. The gathering had been widely advertised on social media, authorities said. Officers responding to a noise complaint at the residence arrived to find a “highly chaotic scene” with multiple gunshot victims and revelers fleeing.

Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and another died at the hospital that night. They were identified as Tiyon Farley, 22, of Antioch; Omar Taylor, 24, of Pittsburg; Ramon Hill Jr., 23, of San Francisco and Oakland; and Javin County, a 29-year-old from Sausalito and Richmond.

A fifth victim, 19-year-old Oshiana Tompkins, was pronounced dead at a hospital the next day, according to a police statement.

Five other men were arrested in connection with the shooting last week, but the Contra Costa County district attorney’s office declined to file charges against them.

Three of the men — Shamron Joshua Mitchell, 30, of Antioch; Jaquez Deshawn Sweeney and Jason D. Iles, both 20 and of Marin City — had been arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy. The fourth, Devin Isiah Williamson, 21, of Vallejo, who authorities described as the promoter of the event, had been arrested on suspicion of acting as an accessory.

All four were released from jail Monday.

The fifth man, Lebraun Tyree Wallace, 28, of San Mateo, who was initially arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy, remains jailed on a probation violation, according to investigators. He has not been charged in connection with the shooting.

Scott Alonso, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County district attorney’s office, said earlier in the week that prosecutors met with sheriff’s investigators on Monday to review the case, but felt they needed more information in order to file charges.

He said that charges can still be filed later as new evidence emerges, and called for anyone who witnessed the shooting to contact investigators.

In the wake of the shooting, Airbnb announced that it would take steps to crack down on “party houses” on its platform, and the Orinda City Council adopted an interim ordinance imposing a temporary ban on short-term rentals in the city unless the host lives on the property and is present when guests are staying there.

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SAN DIEGO — 

Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said Friday that SEAL Chief Edward Gallagher should face a planned “trident review board” that could lead to his ouster from the elite force, despite President Trump’s tweet Thursday that Gallagher should remain a SEAL.

Spencer told Reuters at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada, that he supports the hearing into whether Gallagher can keep his trident pin, a symbol of the SEALs, in light of Gallagher’s conviction at a general court-martial in San Diego in July.

“I believe the process matters for good order and discipline,” Spencer said.

On Tuesday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the decision by Rear Adm. Collin Green to review the SEAL qualifications of Gallagher and three other service members connected to his war crimes case was made with the support of Navy leadership, including the chief of naval operations, Adm. Mike Gilday. Green is the commander of Naval Special Warfare Command.

Gallagher’s legal team said the decision to hold the review boards was a challenge to Trump’s authority as commander in chief.

Trump has intervened several times on Gallagher’s behalf. On Thursday, about an hour after one of Gallagher’s lawyers appeared on “Fox & Friends” decrying the review board, Trump took to Twitter to express his disapproval.

“The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin. This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!”

Rear Adm. Charlie Brown, the Navy’s chief of information, told the Union-Tribune on Thursday that the Navy was waiting for Trump to issue more specific orders before officially canceling the review.

“The Navy follows the lawful orders of the president,” Brown said in a statement. “We will do so in case of an order to stop the administrative review of SOC Gallagher’s professional qualification. We are aware of the president’s tweet and we are awaiting further guidance.”

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A senior Navy official told the Union-Tribune late Thursday that all four review boards have been halted pending further guidance from Trump.

Gallagher was charged with killing a wounded Islamic State captive and shooting civilians during his time in Iraq in 2017. At the end of his court-martial, a jury acquitted him of the most serious allegations but convicted him of the relatively minor offense of posing for photos with the body of the dead fighter.

A military jury sentenced Gallagher to four months’ confinement, which he served before trial, and reduced his rank to petty officer 1st class, or E-6.

On Nov. 15, Trump restored Gallagher’s rank to E-7, or chief petty officer. The same day, Trump pardoned two Army service members accused of war crimes. His action on Gallagher’s behalf was not a pardon or an exoneration.

Dyer writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Nov. 23.

Here’s a look at the top stories of the last week:

Top stories

8,000 vulnerable buildings. An earthquake safety revolution is spreading in Los Angeles, as steel frames and strong walls are added to the first-story parking garages of thousands of wood-frame apartment buildings at risk of collapsing. The work aims to fix one of the city’s most dangerous earthquake risks, but while the city has identified about 11,400 buildings in need of retrofitting, only a quarter have done the work. See if yours is ready.

Homeless in Hollywood. Columnist Steve Lopez explored how the homelessness crisis has hit Hollywood, talking with housed residents who feel they’ve lost their neighborhood and homeless ones who have no better options, and concluded nobody is in charge. Meanwhile, two thirds of Angelenos say police should play a bigger role in dealing with encampments, despite court rulings limiting their involvement, a new poll for The Times found.

Saugus “ghost gun.” The gun used in last week’s shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita was assembled from parts and lacked a registration number, officials said Thursday. The violence was the second tragedy to strike the community in a month, after October’s Tick fire. “It seems like we just got through one tragedy with families losing their homes in the fire,” the mayor said. “And then this?”

59th victim. More than two years after the gun massacre at a country music festival in Las Vegas, a Mira Loma woman it left paralyzed has died, authorities said, raising the death toll of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history to 59. After the attack, Kimberly Gervais, 57, had said the gunman “took a part of me that I can’t get back.”

“A big screw you.” State lawmakers hammered PG&E Monday for botching planned power outages that have left millions in the dark and blamed the utility for failing to upgrade its infrastructure. Sen. Bill Dodd of Napa asked: “Who in the hell designed your system?” On Wednesday, the lights went off again for hundreds of thousands of its customers in Northern California amid dry, windy weather.

College admissions scandal. Lawyers for the 15 parents who have pleaded not guilty — including actress Lori Loughlin and financier Bill McGlashan — are looking for insight into how the judge overseeing their cases might view the fraud and bribery allegations their clients face. His recent sentencing of a Del Mar executive might not bode well for them.

Season’s first storm. It brought hail to downtown L.A. and flash floods to the Inland Empire on Wednesday. Its lightning closed beaches, and it washed out part of a mountain highway. And after a weekend of record high temperatures, it dumped a thin layer of snow in the mountains.

Fresno shooting. Police say the gunmen who shot 10 people, four fatally, at a backyard party had targeted the home and are searching for at least two suspects. The killings have brought sudden, unwanted attention to one of the nation’s largest Hmong communities. As its members grieve and search for explanations, they’re also reacting to police suggestions the violence was gang-related.

Cracking down on fracking. In a victory for critics of California’s oil drilling industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium on approvals of new fracking projects, pending an independent review, and on steam-injected oil drilling, which was linked to a massive spill in Kern County.

“Hell no, it’s not fair.” That’s what former Gov. Pete Wilson said when The Times’ Gustavo Arellano asked him how he felt about being forever tied to Proposition 187, the 1994 ballot initiative that sought to deny public services to immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Wilson, now 86, still defends the measure, denies that it was racist and wants a better place in California history.

San Diego murder-suicide. A man shot his estranged wife and three young children, then turned the gun on himself, police say, killing all but one son who is in critical condition. For months he had subjected his wife to increasingly extreme harassment and threats, court records show. She was granted a restraining order the day before he killed her.

This week’s most popular stories in Essential California

1. What’s a “soft-story” building, and how can it better withstand an earthquake? Our interactive graphic explains. Los Angeles Times

2. Where PG&E may shut off power. Los Angeles Times

3. L.A. ups its bagel game. Tablet

4. Hearst Castle is decked out in all its holiday finery. Here’s how you can see it. San Luis Obispo Tribune

5. Remembering Sammy Davis Jr.’s car accident in San Bernardino, 65 years later. Daily Bulletin

ICYMI, here are this week’s great reads

The democracy doomsayers consider 2020: America’s uncertain political moment has brought a boom for scholars in the academic field of comparative politics. Their subject matter has gone from relatively arcane to a topic that gets people booked on cable news shows. New York Times

Inside the bloody cartel war for Mexico’s multibillion-dollar avocado industry. “The newcomers, members of a criminal group called the Viagras, were almost certainly clearing the forest to set up a grow operation. They wouldn’t be planting marijuana or other crops long favored by Mexican cartels, but something potentially even more profitable: avocados.” Los Angeles Times

Suzy Batiz’s empire of odor: A profile of the Poo-Pourri creator. New Yorker

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes. (And a giant thanks to the legendary Diya Chacko for all her help on the Saturday edition.)

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Here is a list of classical music performances in L.A. for Nov. 24-Dec. 1:

Back to Back Bach Tesserae Baroque presents solo lute and chamber works by Bach featuring lutenist Thomas Dunford. Contrapuntal Recital Hall, address provided to ticket holders, Brentwood. Sun., 5 p.m. $20-$40; advance tickets required. tesseraebaroque.org

Colburn Orchestra The student ensemble performs Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and more. Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. Sun., 3 p.m. $15, $30. colburnschool.edu

Zlatomir Fung The cellist plays pieces by Brahms, Gabrieli, et al., in recital. Pepperdine University, Raitt Recital Hall, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. Sun., 2 p.m. $28; sold out; waiting list available. (310) 506-4522. arts.pepperdine.edu

Juana The UCLA School of Music premieres L.A.-based composer Carla Lucero’s opera about 17th-century Mexican poet, philosopher and composer Juana Inés de la Cruz. Freud Playhouse, UCLA, 245 Charles E. Young Drive East, Westwood. Sun., 2 p.m. $25. schoolofmusic.ucla.edu

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LACMA’s Sundays Live Pianist Andrew Brownell performs. St. James’ in the City, 3903 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Sun., 6 p.m. Free. (323) 857-6234. lacma.org

Los Angeles Baroque: Surf ’n’ Turf The orchestra’s season opener includes pieces by Rebel, Vivaldi, Telemann and Costeley. St. James Episcopal Church, 1325 Monterey Road, South Pasadena. Sun., 4 p.m. Free; donations accepted. losangelesbaroque.org

The Los Angeles Youth Orchestra Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Haydn’s Symphony No. 5, plus works by Bartok, Copland, Verdi and Saint-Säens. Barnum Hall, Santa Monica High School, 600 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica. Sun., 7:30 p.m. Also at Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Mon., 7:30 p.m. $5-$25. losangelesyouthorchestra.org

Sounds Unknown: The Black Violin Salastina performs works by black composers including Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Florence Price and Derrick Spiva, Jr. Edye Second Space at the Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. Sun., 3 p.m. $10-$40. salastina.org

Sundays with Coleman The Jasper String Quartet is joined by tenor Nicholas Phan for works by Schubert and Beethoven. Caltech, Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena. Sun., 3:30 p.m. $20-$55. (626) 793-4191 colemanchambermusic.org

Monday Evening Concerts Season opener includes Iannis Xenakis’ percussion piece “Pleiades” and Bernard Parmegiani’s electroacoustic work “De natura sonorum”; with Echoi Ensemble and Michael Pisaro. Colburn School, Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Mon., 8 p.m. $10, $27. mondayeveningconcerts.org

Things to do

Dudamel Conducts Rachmaninoff & Stravinsky Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Phil in Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Seong-Jin Cho. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m. $90-$255. (323) 850-2000. laphil.com

Camerata Pacifica Bach’s “A Musical Offering” and Beethoven’s String Quartet in C-sharp Minor. Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura. Next Sun., 3 p.m. $58. (805) 884-8410. cameratapacifica.org (Also in San Marino, Dec. 3; downtown L.A., Dec. 5; and Santa Barbara, Dec. 6)

LACMA’s Sundays Live Harpist Cristina Montes Mateo and friends play works by Haydn, Saint-Saëns, Florent Schmitt and Jean Cras. St. James’ in the City, 3903 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Next Sun., 6 p.m. Free. (323) 857-6234. lacma.org

The Magic Flute Performers interact with projected animations as LA Opera reprises it staging of Barrie Kosky’s take on Mozart’s fantastical romantic fable; sung in German with English subtitles. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Dec. 15. $19 and up. (213) 972.8001. LAOpera.org

Messiah Sing-along Audience participation is encouraged in this 10th-annual presentation of Handel’s oratorio. St. Cross Episcopal Church, 1818 Monterey Blvd., Hermosa Beach. Next Sun., 3 p.m. By donation. stcross.org

Here is a list of dance concerts in L.A. for Nov. 24-Dec. 1:

L.A. Dances This weeks-long festival concludes with works by Benjamin Millepied, Bella Lewitzky, Tino Sehgal and Madeline Hollander. L.A. Dance Project, 2245 E. Washington Blvd., L.A. Sun., 8 p.m.; ends Nov. 24. $45. (213) 422-8762. ladanceproject.org

Sonikete Blues: Woodshedding Forever Flamenco presents featured dancer Cihtli “La Gallardi” Ocampo, the Ethan Sultry Group and others in this mashup of flamenco, jazz and delta blues. The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., L.A. Sun., 8 p.m. $30-$50. (323) 663-1525. fountaintheatre.com

The Nutcracker Suite American Contemporary Ballet puts its own spin on the holiday favorite in this intimate and immersive show. Metropolis Los Angeles, Upper Level, 877 S. Francisco St., downtown Los Angeles. Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat.-next Sun., 2 and 5 p.m.; ends Dec. 24. $55-$137. acbdances.com

Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company The troupe reprises its holiday show “Diciembre Mexicano.” Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State LA, 5151 State University Drive, L.A. Sat., 7:30 p.m. $30-$50. (323) 343-6600. luckmanarts.org

Things to do

The Nutcracker Inland Pacific Ballet presents its locally touring production of the holiday favorite. Lewis Family Playhouse, 12505 Cultural Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga. Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Dec. 8. $39 and up; discounts available. ipballet.org (Also in Riverside, Dec. 14-15; and Claremont, Dec. 21-22)

The Nutcracker Los Angeles Ballet’s annual locally touring production sets the holiday tale in the City of Angels circa 1912. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. Sat., 5 p.m.; next Sun., 1 p.m. $34-$109; 10% discount for students, children, seniors and military. (310) 998-7782. losangelesballet.org (Also in Glendale, Dec. 7-8; Westwood, Dec. 13-15; Hollywood, Dec. 20-24; and Redondo Beach, Dec. 28-29)

The Nutcracker Westside Ballet of Santa Monica, with special guests including New York City Ballet soloist Savannah Lowery, performs the holiday favorite with a live orchestra. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. Sat., next Sun., 1 and 5 p.m.; ends Dec. 8. $45. (800) 595-4849. westsideballet.tix.com

So You Think You Can Dance Live! 2019 Finalists from the TV dance competition perform. Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. Next Sun., 7:30 p.m. $44-$74. (805) 449-2787. civicartsplaza.com

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Here is a list of museums shows in L.A. for Nov. 24-Dec. 1:

Alternating Currents: The Fall and Rise of Electric Vehicles 13 classic and contemporary electric cars, including one dating to 1915. Also on display: “Shifting Paradigms,” a small exhibit featuring electric performance vehicles and models manufactured by Volkswagen. Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Now through October. Open 7 days. $8-$16; active military, caregivers and under 3, free. (323) 930-2277. Petersen.org

Things to do

Arte, Mujer y Memoria: Arpilleras from Chile Embroidered textiles created by Chilean artisans as a response to the Pinochet regime’s brutal crackdown on political dissent. Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach. Starts Sun.; ends March 29. Closed Mon.-Tue. $7, $10; under 12, free; Sundays, free. (562) 437-1689. molaa.org

L.A. Murals Photographs by Carol M. Highsmith and Camilo José Vergara document street art in Los Angeles. Walt Disney Concert Hall, Library of Congress Ira Gershwin Gallery, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Now through September. Free; on view during concerts and tours. (323) 850-2000. laphil.com

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Latin American Bazaar Craft fair features works for sale including Oaxacan folk art, Mata Ortiz pottery and Zapotec rugs. Autry Museum of the American West, Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way, L.A. Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (323) 667-2000. theautry.org

When the holidays begin, my reptilian brain takes over. It keeps me breathing, but as McGill University describes it, “The reptilian brain … tends to be somewhat rigid and compulsive.”

That’s attractive. Or not, especially when it comes to car travel this time of year. For Thanksgiving alone, 55 million people are expected to take road trip.

I’m turning to a couple of sources for attitude adjustment. The first is from a new book by Scott and Alison Stratten called “The Jackass Whisperer.” It is a compendium of examples of bad behavior, a.k.a. jackassery, each followed by notes about the 3-year-old’s (unfiltered and sometimes unhinged) way to respond and the whisperer’s, or adult, way to respond to these affronts to decent conduct.

Not surprisingly, a large chapter describes “The Jackass in Transit,” which notes that “travel brings out the colicky baby in all of us.” The Jackass “doesn’t think the speed limit applies to them.” They also talk on the phone, follow your vehicle too closely, don’t let anyone into their lane and never turn off their turn signal.

As a driver, you would never do these things, at least, not on purpose. But what if you did by mistake? And what if those people who are riding with you took every opportunity to point out every flaw in your road technique?

Welcome to Adulting, Part 2, where coexisting in a car is more than just a test of wills; it’s a test of how well you receive and respond to feedback from a BSD — back-seat driver.

A 2019 survey by Ford suggested the answer to that is “Not terribly well.” About 10% of respondents have ended a relationship because of back-seat driving, it said.

About half of all drivers “don’t listen to back-seat drivers, but 20% blame them for road rage,” said Jess Carbino, whose doctorate in sociology from UCLA has led her to become a relationship expert, including stints as a sociologist for Tinder and Bumble dating apps.

Road rage, as we know it, tends to be prompted by a force outside the car —“construction or traffic on the 405 or some driver acting in a very irresponsible manner,” Carbino said.

But there it is, inside your vehicle. So the helpful advice that the BSD is trying to impart not only upsets the driver but, according to the survey, also is the source of more than half the arguments in the car, Carbino said.

If you’re the BSD, you may think you’re saving lives by screaming, “Watch out for that car!” Could be, but it also could be that you’re damaging a relationship by delivering that information in a way that could be labeled jackassery. A better way, Carbino said, might be something like, “From where I’m sitting, you might be a little too close to that car.”

Even if that’s delivered in a cool and calm voice, I’d still be tempted to tell the BSD where to go, and it wouldn’t be to the destination for which we were originally headed.

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The solution, Carbino said, is to talk before you make the trip. Discuss what’s appropriate and set boundaries. If others are on the trip, including your kids, include them in the conversation. Everybody should understand what their role is and is not, and that failure to be respectful “can lead to feelings of resentment,” Carbino said.

If you’re giving “helpful” advice, note that it might not be perceived as such. “Individuals who are trying to be helpful in giving advice actually have the opposite effect,” she said.

Can this car trip/relationship/family be saved?

Hope and help are at hand, Carbino said, thanks also to technology, much of it available in newer cars. People believe in its safety value, the Ford study said. Consider that:

•Some cars can parallel park, which makes “you stink at this” a thing of the past.

•Cruise control can help you keep to a (provable) and steady speed. Adaptive cruise control will slow your vehicle if it’s coming up too quickly on the car ahead.

•Backup cameras can help you see seemingly around corners (cars that are coming) and, of course, behind you.

•Blind-spot mirror sensors may help ensure you’re not cutting it too close when you change lanes.

•Front-bumper sensors also help when you’re in tight quarters, alerting you to cars that are too close for comfort.

You need not buy a new car; some of these are available as after-market items.

Technology will never replace acting like an adult, but it’s a good companion for a less nettlesome ride. And please don’t clip this column and hand it to the offender. It’s no substitute for discussion. But as the impetus for conversations? I’m all for happier holidays every time.

Forget holiday fireworks or the house with 5 million strings of lights. Instead, think drones, lots of them, creating images in the sky of Santa’s sleigh and reindeer, candy canes and a Christmas tree.

Southern California’s only holiday drone show will take place Dec. 21 in the Danish-themed village of Solvang in the Santa Ynez Valley as part of its Julefest (pronounced “Yule-fest”) 2019 celebrations.

It’s a first for the city, which is spending $50,000 for the one-night light show. “The drone show is very sustainable and doesn’t produce any noise,” Mayor Ryan Toussaint said, comparing it with fireworks displays.

The show, called “Aurora Dronealis,” lasts 15 to 20 minutes in a display many in the area will be able to see for free.

However, a grandstand seat downtown is an ideal viewing spot and the only place to hear accompanying music. Tickets cost $15; VIP seating (first five rows, plus a T-shirt) is $100, and the VIP Experience, which adds a meeting with the drone pilot and a firsthand look at the drones, is $500.

One pilot will be responsible for 100 drones outfitted with LED lights that will create the images 100 to 400 feet in the air. You’ll be able to see them at a distance, but standing or sitting within 1,000 to 3,000 feet offers the best viewing.

What do drones have to do with the town’s Scandinavian vibe? Nothing, except they offer something new and different. “We want to establish Solvang as the Christmas destination in California,” said Scott Shuemake of IDK Events, which is producing the Julefest.

The drone display is one of many holiday events the town puts on. The city will have a tree-lighting ceremony on Dec. 6, a Julefest Parade on Dec. 7, a light parade with illuminated floats in honor of Saint Lucia Day on Dec. 13 and candlelight walking tours at 5 p.m. on Sundays in December. Kids who take pictures of a dozen Danish Christmas elves (known as Yule nisse) hidden around town can collect a prize at the visitor center.

Danish Americans founded Solvang in 1911, though the town wasn’t incorporated until 1985. You’ll find plenty of Danish-style design in the buildings and businesses and, for one night, drones, in the town that’s been a tourist stop for decades.

Info: solvangjulefest.org; “Aurora Dronealis” tickets, bit.ly/solvangdroneshow

Regarding “Here to There,” Nov. 17: I wish L.A. World Airports and the Metropolitan Transit Authority folks could have figured out a way to have rail lines go directly to one or more terminals at LAX. Why couldn’t the Green Line go to the airport?

I know that security concerns were cited, but many other international airports — London’s Heathrow; those in Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland; Munich, Germany; Singapore; Rome; Schiphol near Amsterdam; Charles de Gaulle in Paris, among them — have rail service directly to the airport.

Unfortunately, LAX will not be able to join the ranks of leading international airports, instead remaining on the list of the worst international airports.

Daniel Fink
Beverly Hills

::
Regarding “How to Find Your Uber or Lyft, or Grab a Taxi When You Land at LAX,” by Christopher Reynolds, Nov. 17: Why doesn’t LAX split up the Uber and Lyft traffic rather than eliminating it completely?

Limit upper-level ride-hailing traffic to drop-off only for departing passengers.

The lower level should be for pickup of arriving passengers. Passengers would appreciate it too, because they wouldn’t have to haul luggage to the upper level from baggage claim to catch a ride.

Andrew Ko
San Marino

There’s magic in Michigan

Regarding “Full-Moon Hot Spots in SoCal,” Need to Know, by Mary Forgione, Nov. 17: I cannot believe Forgione thinks that any place in California, especially building rooftops and dried-up deserts, is a place to view the last full moon of the year.

The only place is a frozen lake in the far north, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, say, with the white light falling all around you, the only movement the steam of your frozen breath escaping upward. No sound. Just the spill of the light and the black of the trees surrounding the lake. That’s the only place to see the moon — everything human subtracted — and everything as cold and still as the moon itself.

Earth magic.

Robyn Tonkin
Dinner Lake, Mich.

Getting the word out

In the Oct. 20 article on Real ID (“Time to Heed Real ID Alerts,” On the Spot, by Catharine Hamm), there was brief mention that reminders might be posted on social media.

My evening job is in retail and on the employee portal, there was a tab that read “Real ID reminder.”

Paul Perez
Whittier

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Reader voices welcome

In all the years I’ve been reading the L.A. Times, I don’t remember seeing seven letters in the Travel section, as there were on Nov. 17. The letters occupied almost half of Page L2, with each being fairly good size.

Way to go, Travel, for acknowledging and sharing those readers’ views and enhancing reader participation in public media.

Could an encore possibly include eight letters, or is that pushing it a bit?

Bill Spitalnick
Newport Beach

WASHINGTON — 

President Donald Trump on Friday heard opposing viewpoints in the debate over youth vaping but offered no insight into where he would ultimately come down on the issue after promising two months ago that he would ban most flavored e-cigarettes but later backtracking.

He said the administration would announce its plan “very soon.”

“We want to take care of our kids, got to take care of our kids,” Trump told reporters after listening to more than an hour of at times robust debate among representatives from the vaping industry, the nation’s major health associations, parent advocates and business groups.

Trump backed off the proposal he announced in September after advisers told him a ban would not serve his political interests.

In Friday’s meeting, he asked most of those seated around the table in the Cabinet Room to spell out their solution.

Health groups told him they support the near-total ban on e-cigarette flavors that he promised in September.

“Our stance is very aligned with what you suggested on Sept. 11,” said Gary M. Reedy, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, a position shared by the American Lung Assn., said its president and CEO, Harold Wimmer.

Others pressed for banning all flavors, including mint and menthol, arguing that teens will gravitate to those flavors if they remain on the market.

Other participants argued for raising the age limit for legal purchases of electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21. Trump said earlier this month that the administration will pursue such an increase. He said Friday that age would be discussed at the meeting, calling it a “big factor.”

Federal law bans sales of e-cigarettes to those under 18, but some states have pushed that to 21 — the same as with traditional cigarettes.

Industry representatives argued against banning sweet, fruity and other flavors that have proved attractive to teens, arguing that bans don’t work.

Trump seemed sympathetic to that argument as he compared a flavor ban to prohibition and suggested that such a move could lead to the creation of a black market for flavored e-cigarettes.

“If you don’t give it to them, it’s going to come here illegally,” Trump said.

Greg Conley, president of the American Vaping Assn., told Trump that former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, “who is no friend to your presidency,” is funding a $160-million campaign to try to ban these flavors. Conley said thousands of small business and mom-and-pop vape shops would go out of business if they are limited to just selling tobacco- and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes, and that thousands of jobs would disappear from an economy Trump describes as booming. Bloomberg is considering entering the Democratic presidential race.

Conley and others called instead for increasing the age limit to 21, limiting bulk sales of e-cigarettes and restricting their marketing.

Juul Labs, the nation’s largest e-cigarette maker, stopped selling fruit and dessert flavors, like mango and cucumber, in stores last year. The company ended online sales of those flavors in October. Earlier this month, Juul dropped popular mint sales, leaving it to sell only menthol and tobacco flavors.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said during the meeting that kids are becoming addicted to nicotine because of the flavors. E-cigarettes typically heat a solution that contains nicotine, which makes cigarettes and e-cigarettes addictive.

“It’s a health emergency,” said Romney, cosponsor of a bill with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) that would ban flavored e-cigarettes and subject them to cigarette taxes, among other measures designed to curb teen vaping.

“I salute the fact that Juul has said we’re taking these products off the market because we care about our kids,” Romney said.

Tony Abboud, executive director of the Vapor Technology Assn., said by telephone after the meeting that he urged the administration to adopt its “21 and Done” proposal, which calls for increasing the age limit to 21 and adopting a series of marketing restrictions.

Underage vaping has reached what health officials call epidemic levels. In the latest government survey, 1 in 4 high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the previous month.

Trump had been expected to finalize a ban on most flavored e-cigarettes earlier this month, but backed off after advisers convinced him such a step could alienate voters who would be financially or otherwise affected, according to two White House and Trump campaign officials who were not authorized to publicly discuss the president’s private conversations.

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