Newsletter: Is street vending a crime? L.A. moves toward decriminalization
Federal Judge Neil M. Gorsuch is Trump’s Supreme Court pick. L.A.’s City Council voted to decriminalize street vending. Trump’s team has hinted that some of the temporary travel bans could be extended indefinitely. LAPD officers were not involved in
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Feb. 1, and here’s what’s happening across California:
TOP STORIES
Street vendors and Trump
Addressing an issue that has vexed L.A. for decades, the City Council voted to draft a law that would decriminalize sidewalk vending, in an effort to protect those vulnerable to deportation under President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Hawking food and goods on the sidewalk can currently lead to misdemeanor charges in Los Angeles. The idea is to strip those criminal penalties and authorize the city to eventually issue vending permits — a first step toward legalization. Los Angeles Times
More from the immigration/travel debate
-- It was a trip that was supposed to reunite a long-separated family, but a San Joaquin Valley man has found himself and his 12-year-old daughter effectively stranded in the Horn of Africa after President Trump’s recent travel ban. Los Angeles Times
-- San Francisco sued the Trump administration on Tuesday, charging that its crackdown on “sanctuary cities” violates the states’ rights provisions of the U.S. Constitution. Los Angeles Times
-- Is California going to become a sanctuary state? Los Angeles Times
Big party, few supplies
At a charter school now being investigated by federal law enforcement, basic school supplies were scarce, but the operators still threw a lavish party for the staff. Authorities are looking into allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement by the charter school organization, a probe that L.A. Unified officials say is ongoing. Los Angeles Times
Plus: Steve Lopez on more “gutter politics” in L.A. schools. Los Angeles Times
L.A. STORIES
Bid fail? Some Olympic historians believe President Trump’s policies have made L.A.’s efforts to lure the Olympics much harder. Daily Breeze
In the middle: The complicated, conflicted place Persian Jewish people in Los Angeles find themselves inhabiting as Trump cracks down on Iranian travel. The Atlantic
Hollywood rampage: Violence erupted on the street of Hollywood on Tuesday, with several people stabbed before Los Angeles police fatally shot the alleged attacker. Los Angeles Times
Raining: The “Rain Room,” the popular LACMA exhibit, is here to stay in L.A. Los Angeles Times
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
First Lady attack: A Berkeley lawmaker is going there — demanding information about Melania Trump’s immigration records. Politico
Toxic fix: Assembly Democrats unveiled a package of five bills Tuesday aimed at reforming the state agency tasked with regulating toxic substances. The Department of Toxic Substances Control has been roundly criticized for its flat-footed response in regulating and cleaning up pollution from the now-closed Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon. Los Angeles Times
Speaking out: Top Catholic Church leaders in Los Angeles and San Diego have spoken out forcefully against travel restrictions. Los Angeles Times
Boardroom decision: Why corporations are rising up against the Trump immigration ban. Los Angeles Times
CRIME AND COURTS
Big spender? The saga over Johnny Depp and his missing millions took another turn with his former business managers claiming in L.A. court papers that the movie actor has only his own extravagant spending to blame. Wall Street Journal
LAPD cameras: The civilian board that oversees the LAPD began a process to review the department’s current policy of generally withholding that video — whether it was captured by body cameras, patrol car cameras or otherwise collected during an investigation — unless ordered to release it in court. Some police commissioners, along with Chief Charlie Beck, have indicated in recent months that they were open to revisiting the policy, but Tuesday marked a more formal step toward that. Los Angeles Times
Irvine shooting: Two people were shot to death in Irvine, and their suspected killer has been taken into custody. Los Angeles Times
Robbed: More than $300,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from Lakers legend Derek Fisher’s home in Tarzana. Los Angeles Times
DROUGHT AND CLIMATE:
Here we go again: Northern California is beginning February with another round of rain and snow storms. Mercury News
Tapping in: A famed documentary filmmaker’s latest work is about a, well, seemingly dry subject: California water rights. Hollywood Reporter
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Goodbye, Hollywood: Disruption is really setting in at the studios, and Hollywood will never be the same. Vanity Fair
Ferry arriving: With mass transit in the Bay Area crushed by surging demand, one company had a back-to-the-future idea: Upscale ferries across the bay. It’s been a bumpy ride, but the new service looks as if it’s a go. Curbed San Francisco
Take off, eh: Will Silicon Valley start sending its foreign workers to Canada? Tech Crunch
Western White House: Richard Nixon’s old Western White House in San Clemente is on the market, for $63 million. That’s actually a price drop. “It’s like owning a big boat on the ocean. It gets a little rusted. We have projects going on literally every month to keep the property in order.” Orange County Register
Wolf fight: A conservative foundation as well as California ranchers are fighting the federal listing of gray wolves as an endangered species. Sacramento Bee
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles area: Mostly sunny with highs in the low 70s. San Diego: Sunny with highs in the upper 60s. San Francisco area and Sacramento: Cloudy with highs in the upper 50s. More weather is here.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California memory comes from Glen Williams:
“My first view of the City of Angels was far from angelic. I drove down from college the summer of ’66 to visit a friend. As I crested the 405 at Mulholland, I could barely see the car ahead. Los Angeles was a giant bowl of split pea soup without buildings. I had a burning sensation in my lungs and thought, “How do people live here?” What I love about L.A. is the miracle AQMD has accomplished since then.”
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 Shelby Grad.
