Newsletter: Power, money, race and injustice in West Hollywood. The Ed Buck story
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday, Sept. 19, and Julia Wick is on assignment. I’m Shelby Grad. Here is what’s happening around California:
TOP STORIES
The arrest of Democratic donor Ed Buck was about a criminal allegation. But it was also about a larger issue of money, power and race in the West Hollywood gay community. (Buck is a 65-year-old white man. Both of the men who were found dead after overdosing on methamphetamine inside Buck’s home were African American. Gemmel Moore was 26, and Timothy Dean was 55.)
- These are the activists who fought for justice for years — even creating a neighborhood watch to monitor Ed Buck’s actions. Los Angeles Times
- Prosecutors said Buck used money and drugs to lure young men into his home. There, he would keep them hooked and pull them into his sexual fantasies, authorities say. Los Angeles Times
- A deep dive into the life of Buck. Los Angeles Times
University of California President Janet Napolitano announced Wednesday that she was resigning. Napolitano championed immigrant students and sexual abuse victims, but her management of the UC system has sparked criticism. She will step down Aug. 1, 2020. Los Angeles Times
Britney Spears is a celebrity like no other — an A-list performer who pulls in millions of dollars a year but does not have full control over her life or business affairs. Since her public unraveling in 2008, she has been subject to a court-approved conservatorship that gives her father authority over her finances and many personal decisions. A in-depth look at the #FreeBritney movement. Los Angeles Times
Plus: A hearing in downtown L.A. on Spears’ conservatorship is over, but the results are unclear. Los Angeles Times
TRUMP IN CALIFORNIA
The president’s march through California concluded with more fundraising and a trip to one of his favorite places: a border wall prototype in Otay Mesa. During his trip, he slammed California on air quality and homelessness. Los Angeles Times
Trump’s rhetoric about decaying cities sharply contrasts with the reality of most cities, where, despite the visibility of the homeless, crime rates for the last decade have hit historic lows and an influx of new residents has revitalized many neighborhoods. Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the Trump administration’s plan to rescind California’s nearly half-century-old authority to impose tough car emissions standards, vowing to take legal action to block the move. Los Angeles Times
For the California GOP, Trump’s visit is a rare bright light in a pretty dark time. San Diego Union-Tribune
Fact-checking Trump’s war on California auto emissions. Sacramento Bee
L.A. STORIES
Don’t tell this 100-year-old to slow down. Los Angeles Times
Despite concerns about potential residents’ health, one downtown L.A. developer wants balconies facing the freeway in a new residential tower. Curbed Los Angeles
How to make L.A.’s oldest freeway safer? It might mean fewer lanes and slower speeds on Arroyo Seco Parkway. The Eastsider
New video emerges in the case of a mountain lion killed on the 405 Freeway. Los Angeles Daily News
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
California businesses will be limited in their use of independent contractors under a closely watched proposal signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, a decision that is unlikely to quell a growing debate over the rules and nature of work in the 21st century economy. Los Angeles Times
The state is asking a basic question: What is an employee? Sacramento Bee
Californians are buying electric cars. But are there enough charging stations? San Francisco Chronicle
CRIME AND COURTS
A woman has admitted to running a “birth tourism” business in which she helped pregnant Chinese women come to the U.S. to give birth, the U.S. district attorney’s office announced this week. Los Angeles Times
The arrival of an ICE agent at the Riverside courthouse has raised worries. Riverside Press-Enterprise
Vandals have once again hit the Korea comfort women monument in Glendale. Why is it a target? ABC 7
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Here’s how to shop like a pro at a Thai market, from many sauces to chips and bananas. LAist
At the Mujeres Market, women, queer and trans people of color find a safe space to sell their products. Los Angeles Times
Peacock update: More details about NBC’s streaming service. Los Angeles Times
Kern has lost the title of being the nation’s top-grossing county for agricultural production, falling behind Fresno — whose farmers and ranchers had a record year. Bakersfield California
Facebook is building a new mega-campus, this time in Sunnyvale. Mercury News
In other Facebook news, the company has banned single-use plastic water bottles at all of its new offices worldwide. San Francisco Chronicle
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles: partly cloudy, 78. San Diego: partly cloudy, 73. San Francisco: sunny, 73. San Jose: partly cloudy, 77. Sacramento: sunny, 80. More weather is here.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California memory comes from Rich Reinis:
“When my wife Lois and I were 16-year-olds growing up in Beverly Hills, we followed an old custom of driving up to the hills (just before Trousdale was developed) and making out. One night we got caught by a homeowner who came out of his front door and asked that we move down the street. The homeowner was Paul Newman. So embarrassing! We moved — and giggled. We celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary in June.”
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.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
