Newsletter: The life-and-death stakes of an Affordable Care Act repeal

Good morning. It is Saturday, March 11. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

The consequences of repealing Obamacare: In one of Los Angeles’ poorest and sickest regions — the Antelope Valley — the true stakes of repealing Obamacare are very clear. Rolling back health coverage would likely mean layoffs, fewer services being provided and longer waits for patients, Antelope Valley Community Clinic CEO James Cook says. It could also halt the progress that’s been made in the Antelope Valley, which is home to some of Los Angeles County’s poorest and sickest residents. Los Angeles Times

A hoax’s chilling effect: There have been at least 134 bomb threats against Jewish organizations since the beginning of the year. They’ve all been hoaxes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t take a toll on their members, who see these organizations as havens. Here’s the story of how members of the Westside JCC remain unafraid in the face of threats. Los Angeles Times

Tortoise savers! In order to save California’s desert tortoises from ravens, officials turn to laser guns — and maybe chemical weapons. This is all part of an effort to create “raven no-fly zones.” Baby tortoises are “walking tortellini for ravens,” says biologist Brian Henen. Los Angeles Times

Big Sur survivors: Because of this winter’s big storms residents of Big Sur are effectively cut off and have had to survive on stockpiled food, airlifts and cooperation. The Mercury News

Charity gives back: A venerable San Francisco charity must repay the public tens of thousands of dollars after misleading county officials — a rare rebuke that follows a significant internal shake-up at Helpers Community Inc. San Francisco Chronicle

Police involved shooting: Two Huntington Beach police officers fatally shot a man Thursday after he allegedly chased children and others with a baseball bat, authorities said. Los Angeles Times

Quick save it all! UC San Diego may accelerate plans to preserve its climate data due to growing concerns among faculty members that the Trump administration could interfere with their work. San Diego Union-Tribune

This week’s most popular stories in Essential California:

1. Did your neighborhood vote for Measure H? Find out here. Los Angeles Times

2. The best burger in L.A. for every budget. First We Feast

3. Build a wall? Trump should talk to the man who spent 25 years fixing it. Los Angeles Times

4. French Gourmet case a cautionary tale about workplace immigration enforcement. The San Diego Union-Tribune

5. A selfie of white joggers in African American neighborhood sets off debate — and a quest for understanding. Los Angeles Times

ICYMI, here are this week’s Great Reads

Bring your dog to work: More and more, employees are bringing their dogs to work. It’s fun for the whole office. Carle Pierose, a Los Angeles area real estate broker, estimates that only about 5% of office lease holders say it is important to them to bring dogs to work. Most of them are in creative fields and tend to work long hours. But the numbers are growing. “The millennials run the world and we have to accommodate them,” says Wayne Ratkovich, 72andSunny’s landlord. Los Angeles Times

A letter of help: Last month, the mayor of San Bernardino wrote a letter to President Trump asking for help. The president had invoked cities like Chicago as troubled hot spots in need of support. Maybe San Bernardino, which has had a tough go of it lately, could benefit as well. But the written request has been extremely controversial in this city, where only about a quarter of residents cast their ballots for Trump. The letter was not discussed publicly by the council before it was sent, and it focused heavily on requesting federal assistance with marijuana enforcement only a few months after voters overturned a citywide ban on pot businesses. The city hasn’t heard back. Los Angeles Times

What voter fraud? President Trump and the GOP continue to invoke voter fraud and call for voter identification laws to be ratcheted up to deal with this problem. The only thing is that in California, at least, where 14 million voted in the presidential election, there was one alleged case of fraudulent voting, according to the Secretary of State. Cal Matters

Sex club around the corner: This story, from last year, explores the deep dark world of Hollywood’s most elite sex club. “The atmosphere is reminiscent of the erotic party scenes in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ [founder Damon] Lawner’s initial inspiration. Among those already confirmed for next Saturday’s soiree are a man who owns hotels in New York, a billionaire from Moscow, several wealthy couples who have each been married for more than twenty years, the producer of a number of well-known television shows, an actress with a respectable IMDb page, the twenty-one-year-old son of a movie producer, a number of international models, and a couple who are opening a big new store near Rodeo Drive.” Esquire

Beef between rival documentaries: The legal battle over the rights to an L.A. gang member’s inspirational story. Variety

Looking Ahead

Sunday: A discussion of Mayor Tom Bradley’s legacy at the L.A. Central Library.

Tuesday: Mayor Eric Garcetti and first lady Amy Wakeland take part on the Los Angeles State of Women & Girls event at USC.

Tuesday: Poet Laureate of the United States Juan Felipe Herrera speaks in Costa Mesa.

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.