Newsletter: UC system welcomes most diverse class ever

Good morning. It is Friday, Sept. 16. Dodger Yasiel Puig threw a ball into the crowd at the end of a game against the Yankees and one unfortunate fan caught the ball with her face. Ouch. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Classroom diversity

The University of California hit a new milestone: Accepting the most diverse class of students in the system’s history this fall. About 38% of incoming students were underrepresented minorities — Latinos, African Americans, Pacific Islanders and American Indians. But keeping up with the changing demographics of the state is likely to be a challenge going forward. Los Angeles Times

Water wars

The State Water Resources Control Board is considering a proposal to send more water to fish and less to farmers. “The proposal to put more water back in the Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers could spread the pain of environmental water cuts to irrigation districts and cities that have largely escaped them, thanks to their location and their senior status in the state’s water rights hierarchy.” Los Angeles Times

Economics of farming

A new state law that addresses overtime pay for farmworkers has stirred anger and passion in the Central Valley. For employees who live paycheck to paycheck making $25,000 a year, the law is seen as a big boost. But for farmers, the expense is just the latest regulation handed down by the state. “The dying of California agriculture is not occurring simply because of a singular rule,” said Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. “It’s kind of like a death by a thousand cuts.” Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Power play: L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson appointed himself to temporarily manage a San Fernando Valley council district. The Seventh District was left without representation after Councilman Felipe Fuentes quit to become a lobbyist. Wesson will oversee services for 500,000 Angelenos through next spring. Los Angeles Times

A football first: UCLA’s Gyo Shojima is the first Japanese-born player to appear in a major college football game. “I was honored but I never thought about it beforehand so it wasn’t that big of a deal for me,” said the redshirt junior. Los Angeles Times

Just get along: Rodney King’s daughter has a message for L.A. youth: Work to get along with police. “That’s actually what my dad stood for, so I’m following in his footsteps. He had no hatred in his heart for police.” Associated Press

On sale: The “King of L.A.’s Gay Nightlife” is selling all of his worldly possessions. LAist

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Like a sitcom: The Maywood City Council meeting descended into chaos this week when crowds showed up to testify for and against the permitting of marijuana dispensaries. “All five Maywood council members and the clerk got served with recall petitions as the meeting degenerated into wild jeers and thunderous applause. And that was before the clown showed up.” Los Angeles Times

Salary requirements: Amid a tough fire season across California, state firefighters are asking for pay raises, saying they get a lot less than city firefighters. Wall Street Journal

Missing funds: The San Diego Housing Commission is collecting just $1 of every $5 it is owed in accrued interest from developers, according to a new audit. Of 31 loans, auditors found the city missed out on collecting more than $10 million. San Diego Union-Tribune

Mixed grade: Are California’s new grading standards too confusing for the public to understand? CALmatters

CRIME AND COURTS

Executive sentenced: A former executive for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was sentenced to six months in jail and three years of supervised probation Thursday for his part in what prosecutors call a wide-ranging corruption scandal. Todd DeStefano will also have to pay $500,000 to the Coliseum Commission after pleading no contest to one felony conflict-of-interest count. A probation report found DeStefano “appears to have been driven and motivated by greed, which was at the expense of other.” Los Angeles Times

Couple found dead: The father and stepmother of pro race car driver Robby Gordon were found dead inside their Orange home Wednesday. Police say Robert “Baja Bob” Gordon, 59, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and his wife, Sharon, from strangulation. Orange County Register

Player arrested: Suspended USC linebacker Osa Masina was charged with rape and two counts of forcible sodomy in his home state of Utah. He surrendered to police Thursday and is being held on $250,000 bail. According to the charging papers filed against Masina, evidence suggests the July 26 incident was “neither a one-time event nor a spontaneous occurrence, and therefore raises concerns about the safety of others with whom the defendant may have contact.” Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Warming trends: Will global warming push California into a perpetual state of drought? A new study “cautioned that it remains uncertain whether climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions will affect ocean dynamics in the same way as past climatic shifts.” Los Angeles Times

Mud slides: Columnist Robin Abcarian went to Camarillo to figure out who is responsible for a $2-million barrier system designed to prevent mountains from falling into houses. “So now you’ve got a bunch of nervous retirees, living in modest homes, worrying about what will happen when the rain starts, and a city refusing to spend money it already has set aside to empty partly full barriers,” she writes. Los Angeles Times

Life of an omnivore: What are Los Angeles’ coyotes eating for dinner? 89.3 KPCC

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Swirl, sniff, sip: The tasting room is a thing in Napa Valley’s wine country, but in Burgundy, not so much. Here’s how wine as a leisure activity is so much more pleasing in Napa than in French wine country. San Francisco Chronicle

Changing identity: YouTube star Gigi Gorgeous talks about her evolving identity as a transgender woman. ABC Nightline

Back in the day: A look back at Wilshire Boulevard during its commercial heyday. LAist

Musical score: If a pancontinental Latin American dance party were to have a soundtrack, chances are it’d be produced by Mexican DJs Camilo Lara and Toy Selectah. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will be 79 with clear skies. San Diego will have a high of 72. Riverside will be sunny with a high of 87. San Francisco will be sunny and 69. It will be sunny and 90 in Sacramento.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Bob Coennen:

“As Vin Scully approaches retirement, I remember how he taught me to love baseball. Back in the ‘40s when I was in grade school, I was the absolute worst ballplayer at Overland Avenue Elementary and Pasteur/Palms Jr. High. Not surprisingly, I hated baseball and softball. When the Dodgers arrived along with Scully as the announcer, I started listening for some unexplained reason (so I could have something to say while having a beer with co-workers?). His brilliant description of each game with the tidbits relating to just about anything convinced me that this was a sport I could enjoy as a spectator if not as a participant. I even went to the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies last year. As I have lived outside of California for more than 40 years, it is a rare instance I can hear him, but when I do hear a Dodger home broadcast, I enjoy his every word.”

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.)

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