Newsletter: Essential California: Will the feds investigate maker of OxyContin?
Purdue Pharma headquarters in Stamford, Conn.
Good morning. It is Saturday, May 28. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:
TOP STORIES
Calls for investigation: Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) is calling for an investigation into OxyContin’s manufacturer after The Times reported that the painkiller often wears off early, opening up patients to an increased risk of addiction. The senator wants three federal agencies to launch probes into Purdue Pharma. “These are serious allegations. They raise questions about ongoing deception by Purdue, harm to the public, continued costs to the United States, and the availability of further judicial recourse against Purdue,” Markey wrote in a letter to the U.S. attorney general. Los Angeles Times
Campaign funds: It’s up to Gov. Jerry Brown whether to allow a measure on the November ballot concerning the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case. The state Senate voted Friday to ask voters whether they want California lawmakers to work to overturn the decision. The governor has not indicated whether he’ll sign the bill into law, but two years ago he warned against putting non-binding measures on the ballot. Los Angeles Times
Criminal behavior: When police execute undercover lewd conduct stings, are they helping clean up the neighborhood or unfairly targeting gay men? Southern California police agencies used to conduct such stings to cut down on sex in public places, but changing sexual attitudes are putting such operations in a new light. “Nobody is going to defend lewd conduct, but there is a qualitative difference between sexual predators and people who engage in boorish behavior,” said Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang. Los Angeles Times
In hot water: The city of Irwindale is suing Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha, for unpaid fees. City officials accuse the foodmaker of not honoring a 2009 agreement to make annual payments in lieu of paying taxes. This isn’t the first time the two sides have tangled. The city sued in 2013 after residents complained of the odor during chili grinding season. Daily News
Take a load off: Anyone headed to the concert festival Desert Trip, snarkily referred to as “Oldchella,” take note: The concert promoter changed its mind and camp-style folding chairs will no longer be allowed into the venue. “What are they going to do, sit on the ground for three days? I’m sure most people wouldn’t have bought general-admission tickets if they knew that would be the case,” said one concert-goer. Los Angeles Times
Got any Tums? What food will you be able to find at the Sacramento County Fair this weekend? Deep-fried avocado taco. Deep-fried Twix bars. A pastrami and deep-fried chicken sandwich. Sacramento Bee
THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA
1. Where are all of these people going? This animated map will tell you where everyone is commuting to and from. Curbed LA
2. This Australian reporter was shocked to see the chef at one of Los Angeles’ most famous taco trucks put a taco on a soft tortilla. LAist
3. Thanks to the housing crunch, it may be time to rethink the California bungalow. Boom
4. Here’s what happens when a California town goes dry. The Atlantic
5. Could these worms be the key to California’s drought? Good
ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS
Golden State’s golden years: California is sliding into middle age, figuratively speaking, writes Héctor Tobar. “Once or twice in our youth some of us rioted, and some voted for initiatives against immigrants and gay marriage. As stressed out as we Californians are, we won’t be doing anything that self-destructive this election year,” he writes. New York Times
Young conservative: Columnist Steve Lopez went to Irvine to meet a young Republican running for the Orange County Central Committee. “Here’s a kid who wants to be a part of the undercarriage of the party machine, aspiring to an unpaid job in which he’d join other loyalists to register voters, man the phones, knock on doors and get out the vote for candidates and ballot measures,” he writes. Los Angeles Times
LOOKING AHEAD
Monday: More than 7,500 motorcyclists are expected to ride in the 17th annual “West Coast Thunder” in Moreno Valley.
Friday: The 98th annual Beaumont Cherry Festival will begin.
Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.
