Newsletter: Fear and uncertainty in the heavily Latino community of Santa Paula
Good morning. It is Saturday, Feb. 25. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:
TOP STORIES
Fears run amok: Separating fact from fiction has induced fear in the hearts of many California immigrants who are in this country illegally. They don’t know if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are coming for them. The town of Santa Paula offers a window into the fear, uncertainty and confusion that has gripped heavily Latino immigrant communities since President Trump’s executive orders on immigration were put in place. Los Angeles Times
Indie movies on the rise: The Oscars are this weekend, and if the nominations this year are any indication, indie films are dominating as larger studios focus more on franchises that generate multiple sequels and spin offs. Los Angeles Times
Where are movies loved? Here is a breakdown of where in the United States the nominees for Oscar best picture are liked the most. The New York Times
Free at last, maybe: California’s state parole board has recommended the release of a man convicted of murdering a San Diego cop more than 30 years ago. This is the third time that the Parole Board has said he could be released, and twice before, Gov. Jerry Brown has blocked it. San Diego Union-Tribune
Artisanal weed: Think of it as the grass-fed cattle or pasture-raised chickens of marijuana. A group of mostly Humboldt County growers has set up an organization that hopes to promote the “unique quality and ecological benefits” of sun-grown cannabis products. Sacramento Bee
More money for storm problems: The state will speed up nearly $500 million in water and flood-protection projects after the winter’s big storms, Gov. Brown said at a news conference. Los Angeles Times
THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA
1. Flashback: How different was L.A. in the 1970s? These glorious photos give you a sense of a smaller, smoggier city. LA Weekly
2. Friendly warning: President Trump’s best friend in California has a warning for state Democrats. New York Times
3. Officer killed, and a grieving chief gets angry: What began as a traffic incident ended with a veteran Whittier police officer fatally shot and another wounded. Police say the gunman was a recent parolee who may have killed another man hours earlier. Los Angeles Times
4. Sign of the times: A sign the drought is really dead? The “glory hole,” an unusual spillway feature, has returned to Lake Berryessa. Mercury News
5. Failure factor: The near-catastrophic failure of the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway grew out of fundamental problems with its original design — issues that were never corrected despite questions about its adequacy, documents and interviews suggest. Los Angeles Times
ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS
Analyze this: Hundreds of thousands of dollars and hours of therapists’ time has been spent in recent months on a single subject: Donald Trump’s election victory. Patients can’t focus on work. They complain of panic attacks, insomnia and one woman’s fear even turned into very real and intense physical pain. But in an industry where therapists are trained to withhold their own political beliefs, discussing the Trump phenomenon has become a conundrum. Los Angeles Times
Writing on the wall: The incredible story of the lost Chinese poetry on the walls of Angel Island, which was the Ellis Island of the West. The New Yorker
Measure S: As Los Angeles debates a slow growth measure that could significantly alter the city, here’s some truth squading about evictions. Los Angeles Times
Listen while you drive: With the rise of the tech industry in Los Angeles, Venice Beach has become Silicon Beach much to the consternation of the aging bohemian community that’s more Jim Morrison than Tim Cook. A team of reporters from Bloomberg parachuted into the neighborhood and spoke with longtime residents and business owners who are “getting priced out of their neighborhood.” Bloomberg Technology
Revolutionary movies: The 1982 film “Making Love” showed two men kissing on screen. That had happened before, but this film was revolutionary in how it depicted gay romance and that it showed the love story of two men at all. “At the center of all the attention were the two actors, Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. They were both dark-haired, clean-cut, and a little nervous about the scene they were soon to perform.” BuzzFeed
LOOKING AHEAD
Sunday: The 89th Oscars in Hollywood.
Monday: Officials break ground on a new $1.6-billion project at Los Angeles International Airport.
Friday: Funeral for Whittier police Officer Keith Wayne Boyer, who was fatally shot on Monday.
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.
