Newsletter: Essential California: Billionaire wants to bring politics, culture to Santa Monica Mountains
Good morning. It is Monday, May 2. This photographer found inspiration at a California landmark -- In-N-Out. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:
TOP STORIES
Politics and culture
The Berggruen Institute, a think tank, could be the last big project to be built in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains. Nicolas Berggruen, who was once known as the “homeless billionaire,” purchased 450 acres west of the Sepulveda Pass to create a center where global politics and culture can meet. “In California and in Los Angeles, there is an openness. People are more accepting of differences and willing to be surprised,” he says. Los Angeles Times
Official resigns
A top Los Angeles County sheriff’s official has resigned amid controversy over emails he sent mocking Latinos, African Americans, Muslims and women as a member of the Burbank Police Department. Tom Angel was chief of staff to Sheriff Jim McDonnell, who says he’ll now conduct random audits of department email accounts. “This incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do,” McDonnell said. Los Angeles Times
Preserving history
The Ridge Route was once considered a construction triumph. Now, one man is fighting to preserve it. “I didn’t think when I started this that I was going to die on this mountain. But now I do,” said Harrison Scott, who has been working to get the road a designation for 25 years. Los Angeles Times
L.A. AT LARGE
Reigning champions: Granada Hills Charter High School won the academic decathlon for the second year in a row. It’s the fifth time in six years that the San Fernando Valley school has won the academic challenge. The nine-person team was tested in art, economics, essay, interview, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, social science and speech. Los Angeles Times
Future of print: The Rafu Shimpo newspaper is one of the last English-Japanese dailies in America, but it’s in danger of closing unless it can more than double its subscribers by the end of the year. The newspaper has struggled not just with a changing media landscape but also a changing community that’s aging, with younger Japanese Americans assimilating into American culture. “Some people aren’t going to know they’ll miss us until we’re gone,” said Michael Komai, the newspaper’s publisher. Los Angeles Times
Tech support: Chinese-language apps and websites are helping new immigrants navigate Los Angeles. There are Chinese versions of Uber, Craigslist and Yelp that allow immigrants with limited English skills to navigate through the San Gabriel Valley. “We provide a perspective based on Chinese people’s tastes,” said Amy Duan, the founder of Chihuo, a Chinese food community. Los Angeles Times
Go inside: Take a peek behind the doors of Scientology on Hollywood Boulevard. Sacramento Bee
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Make California great again: What’s in store for California if Donald Trump becomes the next president? Columnist Steve Lopez takes a tongue-in-cheek crack at the future. “Donald Trump will be president, and we’ll have a sequel to ‘A Day Without a Mexican,’ but this time it’ll be a documentary. And California will be great again. I guarantee it,” he writes. Los Angeles Times
GOP endorsement: Former California Gov. Pete Wilson endorsed Ted Cruz for president at the state Republican Party convention this weekend. “He is committed to preserving our constitutional liberties. We can’t afford a wild card,” Wilson said. Los Angeles Times
Born this way: While in the Bay Area this weekend, GOP presidential candidate John Kasich said sexual orientation is probably determined by nature. “I mean, I don’t, I don’t know how it all works, OK?” he said. SFist
Gotta have faith: At the state Republican Party convention this weekend, the chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition said it’s easy to feel lost in California if you’re a conservative and Christian. “God is at work in California, my friends. The Holy Spirit is not done with what he wants to do with this state,” said Ralph Reed. Sacramento Bee
Get around: San Diego is divided over a proposed half-cent sales tax that would fund public transit, bike lanes and highway projects. But in a twist, conservatives and environmentalists are coming together to oppose the tax. “It used to be that one or two organizations would care about freeway expansion. Now you have critical mass, where we all understand that it’s a huge driver of a lot of our problems,” said Nicole Capretz, executive director of the San Diego nonprofit Climate Action Campaign. San Diego Union-Tribune
CRIME AND COURTS
Unlocking phones: How far can the government go in collecting fingerprints and hair samples? What about when those fingerprints can be used to open up an iPhone? That’s what happened in a case against an alleged Armenian gang member in Glendale. Los Angeles Times
Fighting the man: These photographs show San Francisco’s protests through the years. Buzzfeed
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
All get along: In Fontana, just a few miles from December’s terrorist attack in San Bernardino, friends of Zarifeh Shalabi wore hijabs in solidarity and as part of a campaign to get her nominated as prom queen. It worked. “They don’t see me as a threat. They see me as their friend,” Shalabi said. New York Times
Secret start-up: A Silicon Valley start-up known for scraping confidential information from the National Security Agency, FBI and CIA is buying up real estate in Palo Alto. Palantir is the third-most-valuable private company in America. The Mercury News
New coach: Coaching the Lakers was an opportunity Luke Walton says he just couldn’t pass up. The 36-year-old agreed to a five-year, $25-million deal with the team Friday. “I played for the Lakers and I feel part of that family. It’s kind of nice to be able to go back and try to help rebuild what we used to have there,” he said. Los Angeles Times
Restored trailers: At the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, the Tinker Tin Trailer Co. is showing off vintage RVs. “We want people to take away an appreciation of American made trailers and their historical representation,” said owner Jaime Holm. San Bernardino Sun
May Day: Ten years ago, did you march in the biggest protests California has ever seen? Share your story for a project the Los Angeles Times is doing on the legacy of the marches. Text “march” to (213) 296-0214.
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
San Diego will have low clouds and a high of 71 degrees. Riverside will be mostly sunny and 84. Los Angeles will have clouds with temperatures reaching a high of 85. San Francisco will have low clouds and a high of 67. It will be mostly sunny and 84 in Sacramento.
AND FINALLY
This week’s birthdays for notable Californians:
Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (May 2, 1972), Clippers player Chris Paul (May 6, 1985) and Dodgers player Adrian Gonzalez (May 8, 1982).
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.
