good morning. Welcome to the Essential California Newsletter. It’s Sunday. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend.
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check out our games
One of America’s enduring traditions is waking up on Sunday to complete the local newspaper’s crossword puzzle. They often depict individuals or couples in pajamas, drinking coffee or tea and tapping a pencil on a table or chair, deep in thought.
It dates back to 1913, when the former New York World newspaper is believed to have published the first crossword puzzle.
The Los Angeles Times boasts a great daily crossword, but our newly revamped games section has even more.
With new takes on old classics and masterpieces, the gaming team is focused on attracting more 21st century subscribers who support digital innovation. And they’re all free.
Let’s take a look at the peak.
word flower
Wordflower, the latest addition to the LA Times family of games, has a familiar feel to fans of the New York Times’ wildly popular Spelling Bee.
Each day, challenge yourself to find a word of 4 or more letters using the letters in the center of the flower. Proceed based on the amount and length of words you find. Will you be able to reach the golden poppy?
We love Wordflower and think you’ll love some of its features too.
For example, “Wordflower” features a timer not found in similar versions, and you don’t have to switch screens to see the words you’ve already selected.
Perhaps most importantly, Wordflower places the total number of words you need to find in a clearly visible location for the player.
daily crossword
Play The Nation’s Oldest Newspaper Crossword every day for free and challenge your friends to beat your time.
Check back daily to find new puzzles or browse our recent archives.
The upgraded crossword allows users to play in a larger, more user-friendly setting, and is mobile friendly for those who want to play on the go.
Puzzles are published daily at 9pm PT.
mini crossword
Challenge yourself every day with a free mini version of the classic crossword puzzle.
Can you solve Mini in minutes or seconds? Play new puzzles every day or browse the archives.
sudoku
Test your knowledge every day with new classic number puzzles and get even more free puzzles every day.
You can start in easy mode and progress through four levels to expert.
Have you conquered Expert Mode? Take Impossible Sudoku for the ultimate challenge.
word search
Speaking of classics, find a word from the day’s theme list and relax.
Hidden horizontally, vertically, diagonally and backwards.
You can come back every day to find new themes or browse recent archives.
news quiz
You probably already know about our popular news quizzes.
A variety of fields are explored here, from pop culture to history, science, and current events.
Test your knowledge and memory of this week’s articles with 10 California-leaning multiple-choice questions about this week’s news, straight from Quizmaster.
There are plenty of other games here to check out. enjoy!
This week’s biggest news
(Nick Cooley/Associated Press)
Climate change, weather and animal news
crime, court, police
Holiday heartbreak and elation
USC, Dodgers and other sports highlights
bigger story
Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.
column 1
Column 1 is the home of The Times’ stories and long-form journalism. Here are some great pieces from this week:
(Courtesy of Albert Saunders/Courtesy of Albert Saunders)
Albert Sanders Jr., a boy with big dreams and big ambitions, was scared. he was angry I was worried. He wanted to become a lawyer and wow courtrooms like Ben Matlock and Perry Mason did on his family’s crappy console TV. But in 1994, when he was 14, that dream suddenly seemed out of reach, sparking anger and anxiety.
More great reads
How can we make this newsletter even more useful? Send your comments to [email protected].
for your weekend
Sunday Funday featuring Justin Lupe.
(Illustration: Lindsey Made This, Photo: Jon Kopaloff/WireImage)
going out
During your stay
LA situation
Lose yourself in fascinating stories about dating, relationships, and marriage.
(Lili Todd/For the Times)
Throughout my first dates and internships, there was always that one sushi restaurant in Pasadena. They celebrated birthdays and getting green cards there. It was a place where she calmed down when she was high or anxious, and where she celebrated anniversaries. More than seven years after their relationship began, the store has become an unexpected monument to their love.
Have a great weekend! From the Essential California team
Reporter Andrew J. Campa
Carlos Lozano, News Editor
Check out the top stories, topics and latest articles on latimes.com.
