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Newsletter: Essential California: Go inside the massive tunnel 60 feet below downtown L.A.

Take a 360-degree tour under the streets of downtown Los Angeles. President Trump prepares for his first overseas trip. TV advertising is in a state of ‘total upheaval.’ The killing of a mother and daughter in Long Beach has baffled investigators. C

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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, May 15, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Boring through Los Angeles (but it’s not boring)

Dozens of feet below ground, a massive machine bores through the earth, making way for a space where the Metro Regional Connector will go. This tunnel is being made by a 400-foot-long, 1,000-ton earth-chewing beast, known as the tunnel boring machine. As long as the world’s population continues to grow and cities become more congested, there will be a demand for tunnels and miners, says Richard McLane, chief mechanical engineer for the Regional Connector Project. Los Angeles Times

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Plus: Watch this epic 360-degree video tour of a Los Angeles subway under construction. Los Angeles Times

Running for governor

The first time Gavin Newsom ran for governor, he dropped out of the race in deference to a seemingly unbeatable fellow Democrat, Jerry Brown. With Brown, now 79, nearing retirement, patience, calculation and lucky timing have combined to make Newsom the early favorite in next year’s June primary. President Trump’s ascendancy has also been a boon for the former mayor of San Francisco. “You want resistance to Donald Trump?” Newsom asked a crowd of plumbers and steamfitters at a Bay Area union hall in March. “Boy, bring it on, Donald.” Los Angeles Times

The man suing cities

Meet the Malibu lawyer who is upending California’s political system, one town at a time. For the last several years, Kevin Shenkman, 38, has been suing, or threatening to sue, cities all over Southern California, demanding they change the way they elect members of their city councils in order to increase the numbers of African American and Latino representatives. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

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Problems with the program: Los Angeles County is reviewing how best to handle child welfare donations after an audit found that thousands of toys weren’t given out, inappropriate payments were made and fundraising efforts were largely ineffective. Los Angeles Times

On the ballot: Here’s how Charter Amendment C would affect the LAPD’s disciplinary system. The ballot proposal would allow all-civilian discipline panels. Police union and city leaders support it, but some groups say it could lead to overly lenient punishment. Los Angeles Times

A “growing underclass:” A new public report shows a “persistent and growing underclass” in Orange County. “Clearly, homelessness, overcrowding, and family financial instability are directly linked to high housing costs,” warns the 74-page report released last week. Orange County Register

A hotel fight: There have been aggressive protests against the Ivar Gardens, a proposed 21-story, 275-room hotel on Sunset and Ivar, across the street from the Arclight Hollywood, because the ownership is said to have ties to a group that opposes abortion and gay marriage. LA Weekly

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

Help for immigrants: Jerry Brown has earmarked an extra $15 million in the state’s budget to expand legal defense services for people battling deportation, a move that could be interpreted as a response to the Trump administration’s broadened immigration enforcement orders. Los Angeles Times

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Speaking out: Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini spoke out in an interview against California’s “sanctuary” state bill. Tahoe Daily Tribune

Temporary reprieve: The ending of a sanctuary church standoff. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Returning to action: John Noguez is the ex-assessor of L.A. County who was accused of taking $185,000 in bribes from a tax consultant; he has reemerged in Huntington Park, speaking in support of a project before planning commissioners. Los Angeles Times

Listen while you drive: On the California politics podcast, the panel discusses the battles that lie ahead over Gov. Jerry Brown’s new budget. Los Angeles Times

Plotting a run? “Y Combinator President Sam Altman might run for governor of California — or so says Willie Brown, who spent decades in the California State Assembly and served two terms as the mayor of San Francisco.” ReCode

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The AHCA’s impact: In-Home Supportive Services is a state program, administered by California’s 58 counties, that pays family members or professionals to care for the blind, disabled or elderly in their homes. It would be gutted and disappear if the Republican healthcare plan passes the Senate and is signed by President Trump. Capital & Main

CRIME AND COURTS

By the border: This is the story of 72 hours of crime on the San Diego-Tijuana border, where “38,000 vehicles and 18,900 pedestrians on average enter the U.S. daily as part of a constant ebb and flow of people who are visiting family, commuting to jobs, sightseeing, shopping, searching for economic opportunity and seeking a safe haven.” San Diego Union-Tribune

A disturbing murder case: A mother and her child were gunned down walking home from a supermarket in Long Beach. The suspect, despite a history of mental illness, is acting as his own defense attorney. Los Angeles Times

More details emerge: The gunman in the San Diego pool shooting was “extremely distraught and depressed,” his sister told police. Los Angeles Times

Improving the courts: California court officials are on a mission to pull the technology underpinning their operations into the 21st century. San Francisco Chronicle

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THE ENVIRONMENT

History lesson: To understand the problem with the Oroville Dam, you need to understand the mad dash by Pat Brown to build it. Sacramento Bee

Out in the desert: A controversial California water project in the Mojave Desert has been granted a new lease on life in the Trump era. HuffPost

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Restaurant alert: Jonathan Gold recommends the $22 spaghetti at the Ponte. He writes: “It is awfully good spaghetti, made with fresh plum tomatoes cooked down for 45 minutes, and tossed with grated Parmesan cheese and a slug of good butter right at the end. It is swirled into a column and served in a modest-sized bowl.” Los Angeles Times

What a flop! Warner Bros.’ “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” failed to pull an Excalibur-like miracle to top “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” becoming the summer’s first big flop. Los Angeles Times

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New digs: Apple’s new headquarters — a 2.8-million-square-foot circular building that resembles a spaceship is a sign of the tech industry’s vibrant growth and bravado. Wall Street Journal

Spell that word: “Dipsomaniac” was the winning word for a 12-year-old girl from Central California who won the State Spelling Bee for the third year in a row. Fresno Bee

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: Partly cloudy Monday and Tuesday. San Diego and San Francisco area: Cloudy Monday, partly cloudy Tuesday. Sacramento: Sunny Monday, cloudy Tuesday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for those who made a mark in California: Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer (May 14, 1958), Rep. Mimi Walters (May 14, 1962), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (May 14, 1984) and Cher (May 20, 1946).

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.)

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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.

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