Newsletter: Essential California: Immigrant deported multiple times found not guilty in slaying of Kathryn Steinle

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, Dec. 1, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Major verdict

A Mexican national was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges Thursday in the fatal shooting of Kathryn Steinle, a Bay Area woman whose slaying in 2015 became a flashpoint in the national debate over people in the U.S. illegally and the role of local police in enforcing federal immigration laws. Jurors convicted him on a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. President Trump called it “a disgraceful verdict.” Los Angeles Times

Separated by the border

For decades, millions of Mexicans crossed into the U.S. in one of the largest mass migrations in modern history. But stricter immigration enforcement and new opportunities in Mexico have reversed the trend. Now, many are returning to towns like Malinalco, a rural community southwest of Mexico City. But coming home, it turns out, can be complicated. Los Angeles Times

Mexico’s housing crisis

The final installment of Richard Marosi’s incredible series about Mexico’s housing crisis concerns homes — really, really small ones. Today in Mexico, there are about 1 million houses so tiny that they have come to be known by their reviled nickname: mini-casas. They squeeze a bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen into a space smaller than a typical American two-car garage. Los Angeles Times

Simmons steps away from his business

Russell Simmons has long been viewed as an elder statesman of hip-hop, a transformational figure who in the 1980s helped push the music into the mainstream and turn it into a lucrative business. He cashed in on it too, eventually selling his stake in the influential record label he co-founded, Def Jam Recordings, for $100 million, and expanding his ventures to include film and television production, a digital media company, and a yoga brand. Along the way, he cultivated an image as a wise mentor who adopted the “Uncle Rush” moniker. Now, however, allegations of sexual assault have led him to step away from his various ventures and imperiled his legacy. Los Angeles Times

Plus: Marty Singer is Hollywood’s go-to lawyer for stars who need to protect their reputations, including director Brett Ratner, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment and rape. But many are wondering whether his pitbull tactics still work in a post-Harvey Weinstein era. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

A tricky situation: Homeless street services in Los Angeles are stalling as encampments continue to grow. Los Angeles Times

What? After 24 years at an L.A. strip mall, Sheila Klein’s beloved “Vermonica” light sculpture was moved without notice. Los Angeles Times

Tax overhaul jitters: These maps show why some California Republicans are nervous about changes to the tax code. Los Angeles Times

Wild story: Here’s how one Angeleno (and former L.A. Times editor) was able to recover assets from a relative who died in the Holocaust. The Jewish Journal

Who’s running the show? The LA Weekly’s new owners are still a mystery, and some people are demanding answers. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

What’s Steyer up to? Tom Steyer is leading a campaign to impeach Trump. Why does that annoy so many Democrats? Los Angeles Times

Campaign investigation: State officials are investigating whether Los Angeles County violated state law governing political campaigns when it ran glowing television spots and generated social media posts that appeared to support a homeless services tax ballot measure, a spokesman with California’s political watchdog agency confirmed. Los Angeles Times

Remember this? Meet the man who deactivated Trump’s Twitter account for 11 minutes. TechCrunch

Interesting: At taxpayers’ expense, former Fowler City Manager David Lawrence Elias “bought tickets to Fresno Grizzlies baseball games, went to Garth Brooks, Paul McCartney and Blake Shelton concerts, purchased airline tickets and wined and dined at such places as Harrah’s casino in Lake Tahoe, according to a criminal complaint filed in Fresno County Superior Court.” Fresno Bee

Big allegation: A whistleblower is saying that a Medicaid managed-care firm improperly denied care to thousands of Californians. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Under review: A Los Angeles police captain is on paid leave as the department investigates whether he is involved with an alleged marijuana warehouse in Sun Valley. Los Angeles Times

Found in the forest: A woman who was kidnapped and left partially clothed in a rural part of Shasta County was found by a group of people out looking for a Christmas tree, authorities said Wednesday. Los Angeles Times

Court ruling: A person convicted of a felony for stealing a car may have that conviction reduced to a misdemeanor if the vehicle was worth no more than $950, the California Supreme Court decided unanimously Thursday. Los Angeles Times

Reform time: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has a prehistoric computer system that’s hindering data collection for the department. KPCC

THE ENVIRONMENT

No deal: The California Public Utilities Commission rejected a request from San Diego Gas & Electric to pass on to ratepayers $379 million in costs related to three deadly wildfires that blazed through the area in 2007. San Diego Union-Tribune

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

What to read? With gift-giving just around the corner, check out the Los Angeles Times’ list of best books in 2017. Los Angeles Times

Weekend fun: Here’s why the L.A. Auto Show ranks among the most popular car exhibitions. Los Angeles Times

About the new HQ: “The new Apple Park Visitor Center is Silicon Valley’s counterpart to Vatican City, the physical manifestation of a creed and a magnet for both the curious and devout.” San Francisco Chronicle

Showdown: For USC, the Pac-12 championship game versus Stanford on Friday night offers a chance for a title and a case for calm. Los Angeles Times

Click! Check out these photos of the real Hollywood, without the glamour. New York Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: sunny, 73, Friday; partly cloudy, 71, Saturday. San Diego: partly cloudy, 67, Friday; partly cloudy, 68, Saturday. San Francisco area: partly cloudy, 60, Friday; cloudy, 58, Saturday. Sacramento: partly cloudy, 61, Friday; cloudy, 57, Saturday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Charles McKeown:

“It’s a tale of ‘the Greatest Generation.’ Two children of New York, after his four years’ naval air service, married after V-E Day, then transferred to the West for the impending invasion of Japan. The Pacific war abruptly ends. A decision is made: California! My parents, Mac and Eleanor, left everything they knew — his farms and forests of upstate and her stoops and trolley cars of the city — to embrace Los Angeles, with the burgeoning aviation industry and suburban family life among the orange groves beckoning. Honed by depression and war, they boldly created a new life for succeeding generations.”

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.