Essential California: A new Fortune 500, the end of an era for Netflix and a lot of garlic in the week ahead

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, July 22, and here’s a look at the week ahead.

On Monday, Fortune will reveal its annual Fortune Global 500 ranking of the world’s largest corporations according to revenue. Last year, California-based companies Apple and McKesson were in the top 10. (McKesson, the biggest U.S. pharmaceutical distributor, has since moved its headquarters from San Francisco to Texas.)

Also Monday: 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee will be campaigning in Los Angeles, with a town hall focused on his primary platform — defeating climate change.

On Wednesday, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III will testify before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees. California Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) chairs the House Intelligence Committee.

Friday will mark the end of an era for Netflix, with the release of the seventh and final season of “Orange Is the New Black.” The influential show “was one of the first genuinely original programs in the new medium of streaming” and played a role in the rewriting of TV distribution.

Also Friday: The annual Gilroy Garlic Festival will open in the Santa Clara County city of Gilroy, which has been dubbed the “Garlic Capital of the World.” There will be food laced with more than two tons of fresh California-grown garlic. Here’s a rundown of events.

And it will be a big week overall for tech giants reporting recent revenue and growth. Snap is scheduled to release its Q2 earnings report on Tuesday, Facebook on Wednesday, Google’s parent company Alphabet on Thursday and Twitter on Friday.

And now, here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s son was hired to be a deputy seven months after his father took office, despite having a record that department watchdogs said would probably generate scrutiny. This news comes as the sheriff is facing questions about other hiring decisions. Los Angeles Times

L.A. says it got 21,631 homeless people into housing. But is that really true? In the pervasive gloom that has surrounded the results of L.A. County’s annual homeless count, officials have repeatedly pointed to the record number of people who got off the streets and into housing last year as one bit of bright news. But a breakdown of that number obtained by The Times shows a much more complicated picture of who gets housed and how. Los Angeles Times

Plus: In an unwelcome turn for a city suffering from a major homelessness crisis, federal housing officials said they have denied Los Angeles $80 million in funds, citing long-standing failures by local leaders to ensure that properties built with government money are accessible to those who use wheelchairs or have other disabilities. Los Angeles Times

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L.A. STORIES

Even by the lofty standards of UCLA gymnastics, the team’s 2016 freshmen stood out as one of the greatest collections of recruits in NCAA history. So, how did a woman with no record of a competitive career make it onto the team? Los Angeles Times

This Marina del Rey fintech startup distinguishes itself from mainstream banks by pledging to invest customer account money with the climate crisis in mind. Los Angeles Times

The LAPD is investigating claims of possible secret recordings made at L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar’s office. Los Angeles Times

Meet the “taco scout” who found all of the best eats for Netflix’s new Spanish-language series “Las Crónicas Del Taco,” or “Taco Chronicles.” (Spoiler alert: He’s one of L.A.’s best food writers, and you may have read a story of his in Saturday’s “Great Reads” section.) LAist

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IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

ICE used Oakland Airport to deport and transfer tens of thousands of immigration detainees between 2010 and 2018. Mercury News

Shelter directors in Tijuana are feeling the pinch as more refugees languish in Baja California. San Diego Union-Tribune

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Desperate to ease homelessness, California officials look to New York’s “right to shelter” policy as a potential solution. If adopted, it would compel cities and counties to build enough large shelters to accommodate any homeless person who asks to come indoors. Los Angeles Times

The Modesto Bee has a scathing editorial on Modesto’s City Council and its dysfunctional squabbling: “They know when they’re being petty. They know they’re embarrassing themselves and the city of Modesto. But they can’t seem to help themselves.” Modesto Bee

The Marine Corps has ordered Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) to stop using its insignia on his campaign mailers. (California has 53 representatives in Congress, so I know it can be a struggle to keep them all straight. For easy reference, Hunter is the only one facing 60 criminal counts of alleged misuse of campaign funds. His wife — and former campaign manager — is expected to testify against him when he goes on trial in September.) New York Times

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Employers will be required to provide respirators to workers exposed to wildfire smoke-induced unhealthy air under an emergency regulation passed Thursday by the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. Chico Enterprise-Record

Where to find California’s moon trees, which were grown from seeds taken aboard an Apollo mission. Los Angeles Times

Long-range models are predicting a return of “monsoonal moisture” to the Central Coast by the first week of August. Here’s what causes the California monsoon. San Luis Obispo Tribune

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Paul Krassner, the counterculture satirist who coined the term “Yippie,” has died at 87. Los Angeles Times

The 60 Freeway will be closed for 15 weekends over the next four months, starting this week. Los Angeles Times

The Washington Post has a big feature on how Bakersfield is booming, along with other inland California cities. Washington Post

The mountain town of Idyllwild prized its isolation. Now, with the roads into town wrecked, it feels all alone, with business suffering. Los Angeles Times

Meet the man trying to bring truffles back to Mendocino County. Ukiah Daily Journal

Why Silicon Valley loves swag — and how it’s changing. San Francisco Chronicle

SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM COMIC-CON

Presidential candidate Cory Booker was in “geek love heaven” when he visited the festival on Friday afternoon. Los Angeles Times

Inclusive cosplay: This group creates custom-made wheelchair “costumes” for kids. Orange County Register

In a strange confluence of Hollywood stars and local politics, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer is denying a claim made by actor Orlando Bloom. The actor said that the mayor left an interactive activity hosted by Amazon Prime shortly after finding out that it featured “a mythological scrappy immigrant.” The mayor’s spokeswoman said that he was never inside the activation, but its office is “excited Amazon is showcasing its new shows in San Diego.” San Diego Union-Tribune

Marvel’s president brought an end to two years of speculation when he ran down the entire upcoming slate for Marvel’s fourth phase. Los Angeles Times

Plus: Marvel — not movies — was the main attraction at Comic-Con 2019. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles: partly sunny, 83. San Diego: partly sunny, 76. San Francisco: partly sunny, 68. San Jose: sunny, 84. Sacramento: sunny, 97. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for those who made a mark in California: actor Danny Glover (July 22, 1946), retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy (July 23, 1936), the late author Raymond Chandler (July 23, 1888), anti-bullying activist and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky (July 23, 1973), director Patty Jenkins (July 24, 1971), baseball player Barry Bonds (July 24, 1964), producer Norman Lear (July 27, 1922) and artist and skateboarder Ed Templeton (July 28, 1972)

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (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, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes.