Newsletter: Essential California: LAUSD paying millions to students abused by teachers
Good morning. It is Wednesday, May 25. An Alameda-based distillery is making vodka with the Bay Area’s fog. Proceeds from the drink will go to water conservation. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:
TOP STORIES
Warning signs
The Los Angeles Unified School District has paid out more than $300 million in just the last four years in cases of students assaulted by teachers. LAUSD has been plagued by cases in which officials missed signs of teacher misconduct, continued to employ teachers who were under a cloud of suspicion, or ignored direct complaints. “Districts are not liable for criminal acts. They are liable for what they did not do,” said one attorney who advises school districts. Los Angeles Times
Fight for rights
The immigrants rights movement has been relatively quiet since a massive demonstration a decade ago. Will Donald Trump — whose made anti-immigrant rhetoric a center of his campaign — reignite the passions? Some experts are doubtful. Los Angeles Times
Getting the job done
A decade ago, the Grand Avenue project was one of downtown L.A.’s most promising mega-developments. During that time, Grand Park, the Broad and a luxury apartment building have been added to that stretch of downtown, but a plan to build two towers of residential and hotel units has stalled. To move it along, a Los Angeles City Council committee approved a financial aid package worth up to $198.5 million over 25 years for the project’s developer. Los Angeles Times
DROUGHT AND CLIMATE
Duck season: California’s rice fields are soaking up water after a wet season, and that means it will be a good season for duck hunters. “It looks promising. We have a lot more water than we had last year,” said Greg Galli of River Valley Outfitters. CBS Sacramento
L.A. AT LARGE
Doing the math: The homeless population in Los Angeles city and county increased in this last year, but not as much as the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority announced to the public a few weeks ago. Based on a Times analysis and corrected figures provided by the homelessness agency, homelessness increased 5% in the city and half a percent in the county. Part of the confusion came over a change in the agency’s methodology. Los Angeles Times
Party time: Inglewood will host the Super Bowl in 2021. It will be the first time the big game has been in the Los Angeles area since 1993. The game will be played in a still-to-be-constructed stadium, which is scheduled for completion in 2019. Los Angeles Times
Million-dollar listing: Fashion designer Tom Ford’s purchase of a $53-million home is Los Angeles County’s biggest home sale this year. The seven-bedroom mansion includes a guesthouse and tennis courts. Curbed LA
Wildlife in the city: One L.A. councilman wants Animal Services to do something about the uptick in coyote sightings in San Pedro. The wild animals are feasting on ducks, geese and the occasional house cat. Councilman Joe Buscaino says he even spotted a coyote on his neighbor’s roof. Daily Breeze
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Nothing nice to say: Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is a racist and a “con man,” according to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “He’s a racist. He’s a bigot. He’s sexist. … He can’t just turn into a normal candidate who says some kind of crazy things,” Garcetti said on a conference call with reporters. Los Angeles Times
Not a fan: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will not be visiting Disneyland on his swing through California. On Tuesday, he ripped into the company as an example of the “rigged economy.” “Disney pays its workers wages that are so low that many of them are forced to live in motels because they can’t afford a decent place to live,” Sanders said. Los Angeles Times
Corruption measure: Assemblyman Ian Calderon (D-Whittier) is backing an anti-corruption bill that was inspired by the federal case against his uncle. Proposition 50 would allow lawmakers to suspend a colleague without pay. It came about, in part, after state Sen. Ron Calderon was indicted on corruption charges. “I’m sensitive to it. I was, in a way, surrounded by it,” said Ian Calderon. Sacramento Bee
Average morning Joe: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders picked up a coffee in Glassell Park. Politicians, they’re just like us. LAist
CRIME AND COURTS
Legal fallout: The cab driver who was kidnapped by three escaped inmates is suing Orange County after he was denied reward money that went to four other people who provided information in the case. Long Ma says he is suffering post-traumatic stress from his ordeal, which means he is now afraid to pick up strangers in his cab. “He has been treated so unfairly. They have forgotten him and do not care about what happens to him,” said his attorney. Los Angeles Times
Stand trial: A Pennsylvania judge ruled there is enough evidence to bring comedian Bill Cosby to trial on charges of assaulting a woman in 2004. Dozens of women have accused Cosby of sexually assaulting them and many are suing him, but this is the only criminal case. A trial date is expected to be set in July. Los Angeles Times
Homicide report: L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck believes the rise in killings has slowed. The chief thinks the city is on track to have fewer than 300 homicides this year. “We took some extreme steps to address the four most violent divisions earlier in the year, and those steps are starting to have some effect,” Beck said. Los Angeles Times
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Litter bugs: A fraternity from the University of Oregon is accused of trashing a campsite at Lake Shasta and leaving behind enough garbage to fill more than three pickups. The college students left tents, coolers, flip-flops and trash, rangers say. The university is investigating what happened. SFGate
Better than a fence: Oh, to be a billionaire. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg spent $30 million to buy four homes around his Palo Alto property. His plan? To tear them down and give himself more privacy. Time
Common enemy: Is Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel bankrolling Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker Media? He once likened the company’s tech-focused blog to Al Qaeda. Now, there’s a suspicion that he’s linked to a legal case that will likely have widespread implications for celebrity privacy and the 1st Amendment. Forbes
Haunted house: The very creepy Cecil Hotel, which inspired “American Horror Story” and was once the home of the Night Stalker, could soon be trendy apartments and hotel rooms. A real estate developer is hoping to take the property “upscale.” Curbed LA
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
San Diego will have clouds and a high of 68 degrees. Los Angeles will be cloudy and 69. Riverside will have a high of 69. San Francisco is expected to have some sunshine as temperatures reach a high of 62. It will be partly sunny and 78 in Sacramento.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California Memory comes from Norman Green:
“I acquired my first cellphone on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 1993. Just a few weeks later, I was rudely awakened by the Northridge earthquake. Power was out in our neighborhood, and the regular telephone was not working. My wife and children were visiting my in-laws in Ventura for the three-day weekend. I was able to call them using my cellphone and asked my wife to turn on the television and let me know if it was safe to go back into the house. ‘No,’ she explained, ‘The power is out here, too.’ That’s when we knew it was a big quake.”
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 Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.
