Newsletter: Essential California: It’s Trump day

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Tuesday, March 13, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

It’s Trump day in California. The 45th president of the United States is gracing Southern California with his presence for the first time in his term. The last president to take longer to visit the Golden State? President Franklin Roosevelt — and he took the train. Follow along for all of the latest developments on our live blog. Los Angeles Times

Now for some voices from our pages about what this visit portends:

-- Columnist Gustavo Arellano: “His Trumpness has no clothes. He’s terrified of us. He wants nothing but adulation and glory and doesn’t dare meet anyone who’ll offer any bit of criticism whatsoever.” Los Angeles Times

-- Columnist Steve Lopez: “It might help educate Trump if he were to actually meet a DACA student or two, rather than taking easy shots from a distance.” Los Angeles Times

-- Columnist Robin Abcarian: “If Trump really wants to fix our border problems, he should visit the sewage pools there, not his silly walls.” Los Angeles Times

That fundraiser: Trump will help his party raise $5 million at a fundraising dinner in Beverly Hills on Tuesday night, according to the Republican National Committee. Los Angeles Times

Those protests: Law enforcement officials are bracing for multiple protests, but the extent of demonstrations remains a wildcard. Los Angeles Times

And that traffic: Will Obamajam become Trumpjam? Trump’s visit has L.A. commuters nervous. Los Angeles Times

Storm is brewing in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara County authorities ordered mandatory evacuations Monday for residents in burn areas before a “fast-approaching” storm. Residents who live in areas at extreme risk for debris flows near the Thomas, Sherpa and Whittier burn areas were ordered to leave by 8 p.m., according to the county. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Homeless housing “veto power”: Before a proposed building can get funding from the housing department through Proposition HHH, the $1.2-billion bond passed by voters, it must have a “letter of acknowledgment” from the local council member. And if a council member withholds that letter, a project can be stopped in its tracks. Los Angeles Times

Heartwarming story: They’ve been girlfriends for about 80 years now, ever since elementary school in Boyle Heights. Los Angeles Times

Progress? Four years ago, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti vowed to revamp the way the city hires firefighters by introducing more women into a department that has been overwhelmingly male. Yet despite increasingly aggressive recruitment efforts, the Fire Department has seen only modest gains. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Stopped: President Trump issued an executive order Monday blocking Singapore’s Broadcom Ltd. from acquiring San Diego’s Qualcomm Inc., scuttling a $117-billion deal that had been subject to U.S. government scrutiny on national security grounds. Bloomberg

Plus: The unusual decision to block the deal could limit the U.S. technology companies’ ability to continue accommodating Beijing. Los Angeles Times

Gingrich weighs in: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich endorsed John Cox’s gubernatorial campaign on Monday. Los Angeles Times

Sad story: “A battered doctor, a slain patient and a family’s quest for answers.” California Healthline

CRIME AND COURTS

Parkland impact: The Los Angeles city attorney on Monday announced charges against two parents who kept unsecured guns in their homes and whose children threatened violence against their schools and peers. Los Angeles Times

Football player pleads guilty: Raiders cornerback Sean Smith will plead guilty Tuesday to a felony count of assault with great bodily injury in connection with an altercation in Pasadena last year, according to the attorney for the victim. Los Angeles Times

Euthanasia debate: A Los Angeles judge has ruled that a spouse in California is the presumptive healthcare decision maker when the partner is in a persistent vegetative state. Los Angeles Times

Simmons! Six months after dismissing Richard Simmons’ libel-invasion of privacy suit against the National Enquirer, Radar Online and their publisher over stories claiming he was undergoing a sex change, a judge ordered the exercise guru to pay nearly $130,000 in attorneys’ fees to the media defendants. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Sad! Times Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne has an exciting new job: chief design officer for the city of Los Angeles. Read here about why he’s moving on from the paper. Los Angeles Times

March Madness: “USC was more than just snubbed. USC was sucker punched,” writes Bill Plaschke of the Trojans not making the Big Dance. Los Angeles Times

Bring the popcorn: These are 19 of the most unusual Southern California movie theaters. Press-Enterprise

New channel alert: Scientology TV has launched. “We’re not here to preach to you, to convince you or to convert you,” church leader David Miscavige says. The Hollywood Reporter

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: Showers, 66, Tuesday. Partly cloudy, 63, Wednesday. San Diego: Partly cloudy, 69, Tuesday. Partly cloudy, 64, Wednesday. San Francisco area: Showers, 58, Tuesday. Showers, 52, Wednesday. Sacramento: Showers, 60, Tuesday and Wednesday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Neil Redlien:

“I’m 68 now, but when I was 17, I ran away from home and hitchhiked to Cali. A soldier picked me up in Ohio and drove me to Los Angeles. A man with long hair down to his waist picked me up next and let me sleep at his house and fed me. The next day he instructed one of the seven young women he lived with to show me the freeway I could take to San Francisco. She showed me where to stand, but I walked up the ramp a little bit. A CHP car showed up five minutes later, and I was frightened, because where I came from, they often arrested hitchhikers. But the young patrolman was polite and asked me where I was from and when I said New York, he explained that in California, you can’t hitchhike on the freeway itself. I moved back down about 10 feet off the freeway and before he left he told me to please stay safe. I was very impressed with this officer and will not forget his professional and kind behavior.”

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.