Newsletter: Essential California: USC says it ‘could have done better’

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday, July 27, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

USC ‘could have done better’

USC President C. L. Max Nikias admitted Wednesday that the university “could have done better” in how it handled former medical school dean Dr. Carmen Puliafito, who a Times investigation found took drugs and associated with criminals and drug abusers. Nikias announced a new committee that would look at strengthening procedures for dealing with behavior by employees outside the workplace. His comments marked the first time USC has conceded that it could have taken more decisive action to address the dean’s behavior more than a year ago. Nikias and his administration have been under growing pressure from faculty and students to explain why they didn’t act sooner. Los Angeles Times

Plus: The accusations involving Puliafito have stunned the Boston medical world, where he was a respected and well-known member. Boston Globe

The parole board’s power

For years, California’s parole board followed one unspoken rule: Let no one out. Now, the board has entered a new era, empowered to grant more offenders a chance at parole after a decade’s worth of court decisions and state laws that have broadened its discretion. With the greater legal flexibility, Gov. Jerry Brown has put the commission of 14 men and women at the frontline of his effort to reduce the prison population and to focus more on rehabilitation rather than relying solely on punishment. Los Angeles Times

Olympics drama

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that Los Angeles appears unlikely to be selected for the 2024 Summer Games. But the International Olympic Committee is making the prospect of hosting the Games four years later “financially so attractive, we would be stupid not to take 2028.” The question now is whether stretching out the time between winning the bid and hosting the event presents greater risks. Los Angeles Times

And over at the Mexican consulate

Employees of the Mexican Consulate in L.A. are getting sensitivity training on LGBTQ issues. “There was a wall between us, between the people who serve and the people who requested services,” said consulate employee Dulce María Flores Colorado, who is a lesbian. “My co-workers are very respectful … but there was misinformation, a lack of training.” Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Signed! Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed legislation aimed at improving air quality in polluted communities, a key step in the debate over the state’s battle against climate change and an issue that’s tested the influence of environmental justice advocates. Los Angeles Times

Garcetti interviewed: “Is [O.J. Simpson] welcome in Los Angeles?” Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday. “I don’t think most Angelenos would welcome him. I don’t think a lot of communities would welcome him.” BuzzFeed

Plus: Garcetti also said he will defy the Trump administration on immigration. BuzzFeed

Down in Orange County: Here are 11 stories about the homeless people who are living in the shadow of the Big A of Angel Stadium. Orange County Register

New factory: Gov. Brown attended Proterra Inc.’s opening of an electric-bus factory in Southern California on Wednesday, describing the plant as an example of how the state is still creating jobs while cleaning the air. Forbes

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Too much pot! A leader of California’s marijuana industry warned Wednesday that the state’s cannabis growers produce eight times the pot that is consumed in the state, so some will face “painful” pressure to reduce crops under new state regulations that will ban exports after Jan. 1. Los Angeles Times

Welcome, college graduates: For all the struggles facing many in California, the Golden State is still golden for college graduates. Public Policy Institute of California

Porn pulls weight: ”A public hearing to discuss health permit fees to be paid by porn film producers was postponed by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, after members from the adult entertainment industry raised questions about the process and expressed concerns that they were inadequately notified about the changes.” Los Angeles Daily News

More dam troubles: The bureaucratic bungling in the aftermath of the Oroville Dam disaster bodes ill for future projects. CalMatters

CRIME AND COURTS

Teen driver charged: A California teen accused of driving drunk as she livestreamed a crash that killed her younger sister was charged Wednesday with half a dozen felony criminal offenses, including gross vehicular manslaughter, prosecutors said. Los Angeles Times

See it to believe it: A video has surfaced of that daring escape from a maximun-security wing of the Orange County jail last year. NBC Los Angeles

Settlement reached: Thirty-two current and former inmates will receive $2.5 million as part of a settlement agreement in five federal lawsuits against San Bernardino County and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, which operates the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Los Angeles Times

Child molestation charges: The father of an Australian tennis star was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of molesting two children, a sheriff’s official said. Los Angeles Times

THE ENVIRONMENT

How low is low? California’s emissions are nearly back down to 1990 levels, but the state still wants to get them lower. Here’s how California is going far beyond any other state when it comes to the environment. New York Times

Body is found: The body of a Japanese woman who had been hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was recovered this week from the swift Kings River, officials said. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

What do the Dodgers do? Now that we know that Clayton Kershaw will be out for several weeks, Times columnist Bill Plaschke argues that the Dodgers need to go out and get a frontline starter. Los Angeles Times

The biggest: When Real Madrid faced Manchester City on Wednesday night, the match drew 93,098 fans, for the largest soccer crowd in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum’s history. Los Angeles Times

What to do with all that money? Now that they’re flush with cash after turning $15,000 into $34 million thanks to Snapchat, administrators at Mountain View’s Saint Francis High School are grappling over how to spend the money. Wall Street Journal

Public service: Yelp is adding C-section rates and other stats for all baby delivery hospitals in California. Techcrunch

Open your checkbook: Here’s what $4,500 rents you in San Francisco right now. Curbed San Francisco

That other Galleria: Can housing save a beloved South Bay shopping mall? Daily Breeze

Congratulations: This San Francisco science editor is taking early retirement — at age 98. Poynter

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles area: sunny Thursday and Friday. San Diego: partly cloudy Thursday and Friday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from

Todd Norgaard:

“In the 1940s and 1950s, public transportation in the L.A. area was first-rate. My family would drive down from the San Francisco Bay Area to visit our grandparents in Glendale. My grandfather had five shoe stores — in Glendale, downtown L.A., Hollywood, Santa Monica, (I can’t remember where the fifth one was.) Being the oldest of three boys, I would take off to the beach in Venice, go downtown for a haircut, or take in other adventures. A favorite was the Hollywood store near Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where there were multiple small theaters showing one-reelers and offering lunch, all for about 50 cents. The theaters each had a specialty — westerns, comedies, etc. After selecting a sandwich and a drink, you went inside where the wood chairs were like the school chairs with an arm like a table to place your drink and sandwich on. A one-reeler was the perfect amount of time for eating lunch. I recall the Tom Mix theater as being one of my favorites.”

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.