Newsletter: L.A. election fallout: Helping the homeless up, slowing growth down
There’s an antiabortion provision in the GOP’s new health plan. Hundreds of thousands of people still trapped in Mosul face an agonizing choice. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti made history in his romp to reelection. Dean Spanos was called San Diego’s ”mos
Good morning. It’s Thursday, March 9, and here’s what’s happening across California:
TOP STORIES
Bye bye Measure S ...
Now that Measure S has lost, affordable housing advocates say that Los Angeles must tackle the issues brought up during the campaign. “We have nothing to be cocky about,” one advocate said. “The fact is, we should just be so thankful and appreciative that the voters understood the importance of continued construction of residential and commercial projects in our city.” Los Angeles Times
… but Measure H passes
At the county level, Measure H, which is a quarter-cent sales tax increase for anti-homelessness measures, passed in a squeaker. See how your neighborhood voted. The results are pretty fascinating. Los Angeles Times
More election news
A grim milestone on election night, which is likely to make history with L.A.’s lowest voter turnout ever. Los Angeles Times
What voters decided about pot regulations in L.A. Daily News
A nail-biter in Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills Courier
Voters in Redondo Beach derailed a huge waterfront development. Daily Breeze
And the epic battle between teachers unions and charter school forces for control of the L.A. school board could be coming to a head. Los Angeles Times
When water is gold
“It kills me when I see all the water running off,” said Deborah Weinstein Bloome, senior policy director at the environmental group TreePeople. The great rains of this winter have led to a new problem: How to store all that runoff? This water would come in handy during the summer months, when the region is parched — and residents and businesses rely on imported water supplies. Los Angeles Times
L.A. STORIES
Sports flash! The fortune of Chargers owner Dean Spanos begins with his father — who was a bologna baron before building a multibillion-dollar empire. Now the Spanos legacy is at stake with the team’s move to Los Angeles from San Diego. Los Angeles Times
And in Lakers news: The feud between the Buss siblings over control of the Lakers is really heating up. “Growing up, Johnny was the kid who brought the ball to the park and when things didn’t go his way, he took the ball and ran,” Jeanie Buss said of her brother. ESPN
Star leather man! Meet Ali Mushtaq, the son of Pakistani immigrants, who is also the winner of Mr. Long Beach Leather. Los Angeles Times
From on high: A very cool video of L.A. from above. Curbed Los Angeles
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Smoke up! With the passage of Measure M, Los Angeles is taking its first big step toward regulating recreational marijuana. KPCC
New gubernatorial candidate: Republican businessman John Cox formally announced his candidacy for governor. He joins a crowded field of candidates hoping to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown. Los Angeles Times
“A Day Without a Woman”: Men and women in Los Angeles took part in rallies and refrained from shopping in solidarity with “A Day Without a Woman.” The day of action was timed to coincide with International Women’s Day, a United Nations-designated day marked with strikes and rallies around the world to celebrate the achievements of women and call for gender equality. Los Angeles Times
Plus: Here are eight L.A. women you should’ve been thinking about on International Women’s Day. Los Angeles Times
CRIME AND COURTS
Police shooting: Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man at a Ladera Heights gym after he was found swinging an electric razor over his head. Los Angeles Times
Police want your help: Surveillance video shows three gunmen killing a Placentia man. The shooting occurred in mid-January. Los Angeles Times
Human trafficking roundup: With the help of a Stockton business owner, 10 people were arrested in a human trafficking operation in San Joaquin County. Sacramento Bee
Charges filed: Prosecutors have filed murder charges against four new suspects in the slaying of beloved Little League president Frank Navarro outside a downtown San Jose bar last month, bringing the total number of those implicated in his death to six. Mercury News
THE ENVIRONMENT
Emissions fight: As the Trump administration preps to gut emission rules, it’s setting itself on a collision course with California. Wired
A raisin in the sun: California’s raisin farmers are struggling. More and more, these farmers in the San Joaquin Valley are pulling up their raisin vineyards and planting more profitable crops like almonds or clementines. Marketplace
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Remembering a vintner: One of the Central Valley’s pioneering wine grape growers died last month at 95. Angelo Papagni is one of the people credited with turning the central San Joaquin Valley into a wine behemoth. Fresno Bee
Expensive beauty: The latest remake of “Beauty and the Beast” cost Disney $300 million to produce, and the studio is banking that this revival will make them tons of money. New York Times
Grim anniversary: Twenty years ago today, the rapper the Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in the Miracle Mile area. Here is a look at how this still-unsolved killing left a lasting mark on many players on the Lakers and other L.A. ballers from that time. The Undefeated
Watch and read: The discovery of drugs that can treat HIV and prevent AIDS has changed the lives of countless men in the Bay Area. Here’s the story of some of those men who continue to live. San Francisco Chronicle
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles area: sunny Thursday, partly cloudy Friday. San Diego: partly cloudy Thursday, sunny Friday. San Francisco and Sacramento area: partly cloudy Thursday and Friday. More weather is here.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California memory comes from Lori Harris:
”Our Sunday morning drives from Van Nuys to Santa Barbara always felt like you were going somewhere special. The beautiful rolling hills of Agoura, a peek at Jungleland in Thousand Oaks. Then came the vista at the grade to Camarillo wide open before us. I remember sitting in the backseat of our VW Bug looking at all the eucalyptus trees that lined the 101 and I knew we were halfway there. Those trees always made me feel like we were on vacation. You knew you were going somewhere beautiful in California if you passed those trees. For some reason Santa Claus was in Carpinteria, which never made sense to me since I knew him to be at Santa’s Village in Arrowhead. When we got to Santa Barbara, we would hit the sand first and end the day with a walk through all the displays of art that were along the boardwalk. I do not remember the drive home. Pretty sure I was asleep from all the activities and the visual beauty. I really miss those eucalyptus trees that were along our 101.”
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.
