Newsletter: California joins lawsuit challenging Trump’s latest travel ban
The numbers are in on the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. The L.A. Pride Parade will be replaced with a protest march this year. “Fox & Friends” had its best ratings month ever in February. ‘Right to Try’ laws have been adopted in 3
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, March 14, and here’s what’s happening across California:
TOP STORIES
The haves and have-nots
Orange County’s Little Saigon bustles with colorful shopping centers and a seemingly endless supply of eateries that increasingly draw foodies from around the region. But behind the scenes, some members of the community are struggling to stay afloat. They feel left behind amid the booming economy, working in low-wage jobs that they seem unable to rise above. Los Angeles Times
New chancellor of Berkeley
UC Berkeley will be getting its first female chancellor. Her name is Carol T. Christ, and she’s the former president of Smith College. Los Angeles Times
California challenges Trump travel ban
California is joining Washington and other states as a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s latest travel ban as an unconstitutional overreach, state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said. “The Trump Administration may have changed the text of the now-discredited Muslim travel ban, but they didn’t change its unconstitutional intent and effect,” Becerra said in a statement. Los Angeles Times
Hollywood’s conservative minority
One of President Trump’s top advisors, Steve Bannon, used to be a Hollywood guy. He produced 18 films here in the 1990s, but back then — like now — he was in the ideological minority. In liberal Hollywood, a conservative minority is facing a backlash in the age of Trump. “I feel absolutely it has harmed me professionally,” said Andrew Klavan, the L.A.-based screenwriter and novelist, and a “reluctant” Trump supporter. Los Angeles Times
L.A. STORIES
Backlash: The president of Pitzer College is condemning hate speech directed at the campus community by outsiders after a dust-up over hoop earrings and cultural appropriation. Los Angeles Times
Mean streets: Robberies in downtown L.A. have increased by 18.5% since 2015 as criminals target people leaving bars and clubs in the neighborhood, police say. LA Weekly
Buckle up: L.A. Sheriff Jim McDonnell is having the department spend $300,000 to change the color of deputies’ belt buckles and other items. Some call it a misuse of money. “This [expenditure] is something that would be better suited to a department that’s running like a well-oiled machine, but not a department that’s in turmoil,” said Det. Ron Hernandez, president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. Los Angeles Times
Daughter of homicide victim honored: Here’s a heartwarming story that was born of tragedy in South L.A. A teen named Emily Cordero, whose mother was killed by a stray bullet, was recognized for bravery at her school Wednesday. Since her mother’s death, she hasn’t missed a day of school. Los Angeles Times
IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER
That girl whose dad was arrested by ICE: Fatima Avelica watched her dad get arrested by immigration officials after he dropped her off at school. Instead of returning home, Fatima went to school. “I knew that we would be supported here,” says Fatima. Teen Vogue
Doctors stuck within borders: Trump’s revised travel ban could affect and restrict the movement of hundreds of doctors in Los Angeles County who come from the six countries named in the executive order. KPCC
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Message on the green: Authorities are investigating vandalism at President Trump’s golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes that resulted in $20,000 in damage. Los Angeles Times
Newsom gearing up: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a universal healthcare plan, which will be a centerpiece of his campaign to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown. Sacramento Bee
New incentive to become a teacher: California is considering eliminating income tax for teachers with the hope of generating more interest in the profession. U.S. News & World Report
Evictions are still the norm: Despite the city’s attempts to prevent displacements, Oakland warehouse owners still are evicting tenants. East Bay Times
CRIME AND COURTS
Lots of police shootings: The Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights has a police department that’s fatally shot people at a higher rate than any other force in the state. From 2013 through 2016, the department killed six people, which equals the number of people shot by Oakland’s police department — a city with five times as many residents and a much higher violent crime rate. Sacramento Bee
Disturbing video: Police fatally shot a man who may have been threatening to set himself on fire and eventually pulled a knife on police after a traffic stop around 11 p.m. Sunday, authorities said. Orange County Register
Drones in Malibu: L.A. County sheriff’s deputies used a drone over the weekend to help in their search for a missing Glendale woman in Malibu. This is the second time the department has used an unmanned aircraft, besides in training, Capt. Jack Ewell of the Sheriff Department’s Special Enforcement Bureau said. Los Angeles Daily News
THE ENVIRONMENT
Climate fight: California’s top two legislative leaders, Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, have vowed to fight the Environmental Protection Agency if it decides to revoke California’s authority to set more stringent vehicle fuel-efficiency standards than the rest of the country. Desert Sun
Happy birthday! The town of Moraga is wishing its giant sinkhole a happy first birthday a year after it formed at a major intersection in the town. Mercury News
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Sending a message: The LA Pride Parade — a decades-old celebration of the LGBT community — will be replaced this year with a protest march. In lieu of the colorful floats that typically roll down Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, this year’s event on June 11 will simply consist of “people moving through the streets” marching for human rights. Los Angeles Times
From Fresno to Essen: How a California guy who opened a burger joint in Germany — Gringo’s California Kitchen — became the center of a heated debate over Trump. Washington Post
Chicano art honored: Chicano art pioneer Frank Romero is still painting, still loves cars and still defends ugly palm trees. His latest retrospective is at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach. Los Angeles Times
Good food on 3rd: Joan’s on Third is a hive of culinary activity, and the woman behind it all, Joan McNamara, explains how one of L.A.’s most complicated restaurant operations comes together. Eater Los Angeles
New composer alert: Katherine Balch has been named first female resident composer at California Symphony. Mercury News
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
San Diego and Los Angeles area: sunny Tuesday and Wednesday. San Francisco area: sunny Tuesday, partly cloudy Wednesday. Sacramento: partly cloudy Tuesday and Wednesday. More weather is here.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California memory comes from Jorge Ramirez:
“I was born in Chinatown in 1958. We lived on Beaudry. In the mid-’60s, my two older brothers and I would go down to Bunker Hill on Saturdays and Sundays. We’d go to catch the Angels Flight, then we made our way to 3rd and Broadway, in front of the Million Dollar Theatre, where my brothers and I would shine shoes for a quarter. This taught us the value of a dollar. With our earnings, we would go to the movies, and the movie houses on Broadway were spectacular; a little run-down, but I was still in awe of those grand theaters. By the end of the day, after watching a double feature, we’d go to where Grand Park sits now and play till dusk. It was a wonderful time I will never forget.”
If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)
Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
