Newsletter: Essential California: What Berkeley is doing about sexual harassment claims

Good morning. It is Friday, March 25. Northern California’s “Bearded Bandit” was arrested by police after witnesses spotted him shopping for razors. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Culture of harassment

UC Berkeley is considered a bastion of progressive politics and social justice, but it is struggling with how to handle a wave of sexual harassment claims. Law school Dean Sujit Choudhry, famed astronomer Geoff Marcy and vice-chancellor of research Graham Fleming have all resigned in the last year after being accused of inappropriate behavior. “There has been gross mismanagement of cases and a certain naiveté that they can be kept quiet,” said Michael Burawoy, a co-chair of the Berkeley Faculty Assn. Los Angeles Times

Trial begins

Paul Tanaka was once the second-most powerful person in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Now, he finds himself on trial for conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors believe Tanaka played a key role in hiding an inmate after deputies discovered he was a jailhouse informant. Los Angeles Times

Political pressure

Hollywood media companies are putting pressure on Georgia’s governor to veto legislation that supporters say protects religious freedom but which opponents condemn as anti-gay. Time Warner, AMC, Disney, Viacom and other movie studios all oppose the Free Exercise Protection Act. “We strongly oppose the discriminatory language and intent of Georgia’s pending religious liberty bill, which clearly violates the values and principles of inclusion and the ability of all people to live and work free from discrimination,” Time Warner said in a statement. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

A thousand words: These photos show dramatic signs of improvement for California’s reservoirs and dams. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Security breach: The flight attendant accused of leaving 70 pounds of cocaine at an LAX checkpoint was able to hop on a flight the next day and fly to New York. It’s possible that Marsha Gay Reynolds even worked the flight that she took out of town. Drug enforcement agents took her into custody Wednesday. Los Angeles Times

Colorful protest: Bouquets of helium balloons are popping up in Silver Lake and MacArthur Park. They’re one artist’s protest against small lot developments. But supporters argue the unique homes add much-needed density and can be a way for new home buyers to enter the market. Los Angeles Times

Parking rules: The city of L.A. may spend $1.1 million to keep track of all of its parking restrictions and painted curbs. A database with that information could be used to create an app. Thus answering the eternal question: “Can I park here?” Curbed LA

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

House wins: Fifteen years ago, Donald Trump came to the Coachella Valley to make a go at a casino. Three years after he rebranded Spotlight 29 as Trump 29, the New York businessman walked away. “If you look at anything that guy has done in this industry, he has a lead thumb — it’s the opposite of a golden touch,” said Victor Rocha, an Indian gaming advocate from Temecula. Desert Sun

Middle-class housing: The housing market in California has gotten so crazy that Palo Alto is considering housing subsidies for families that make between $150,000 and $250,000 a year. “We have people struggling to make it at a quarter-million dollars a year. That’s a terrible thing,” said one resident. CBS San Francisco

Children’s rights: The foster care system in Yolo County is getting attention thanks to the experience of Supervisor Matt Rexroad, an Iraq War veteran whose family fostered an infant for two years. Now that the child is back with his biological mother, Rexroad thinks the county needs to examine the reunification process. “We’re not doing a good job on behalf of children of Yolo County,” he said. Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

Victim blaming: Attorneys for the Marlborough School say a woman who was victimized by a teacher when she was a high school student has herself to blame for her emotional and psychological suffering. They also argue that the woman, who is now suing the private school, exposed other students to a predator by failing to speak up sooner. Former teacher Joseph Koetters is in prison for sexually abusing two 16-year-olds in the early 2000s. Los Angeles Times

Wage dispute: Actress Betty White’s longtime caretaker is suing the actress, alleging she was not paid overtime or allowed to take breaks. Anita Maynard worked for White for 12 years as a live-in caretaker. The 94-year-old has not responded to the lawsuit. BuzzFeed

Murder investigation: A welfare check at a Santa Barbara County home led to the discovery of three bodies. Authorities are treating the situation as a “horrific” triple homicide. “Detectives are following up on all leads and while they are not ruling out any possibilities, early indications are that this was not a random attack,” said a sheriff’s spokeswoman. Los Angeles Times

BUSINESS

Corporate takeover: Activist investors want to oust Yahoo’s board of directors, which could mean the end of Marissa Mayer’s run as the top executive. Starboard Value plans to nominate nine members to the board. “Time and again, operating results have been decidedly negative and materially worse than management’s guidance and external expectation,” according to the hedge fund. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

The system: This essay explores mental health, institutions and African American women. “In California’s carceral state, the twin institutions of welfare and public housing are the new punishment industry for poor women of color.” LA Review of Books

Unexpected passing: Comedian Garry Shandling died Thursday at age 66. He was best known for “The Larry Sanders Show,” which premiered on HBO in 1992. No cause of death was announced. Los Angeles Times

Skater culture: Since 1993, Jake Phelps has edited “Thrasher” — considered to be “the bible” for skaters. “Phelps likes to think of himself as the Thrasher brand personified, and in many ways, from his caustic wit to his encyclopedic knowledge of the sport, that’s true.” California Sunday Magazine

What is it: The actors of HBO’s “Silicon Valley” try to answer questions about real start-ups you’ve probably never heard of. Vanity Fair

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will have some patchy clouds and a high of 71. Los Angeles will be sunny and 77. Riverside will be mostly sunny and 81 degrees. It will be mostly sunny and 65 in San Francisco. Sacramento will be partly sunny and 72.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Richard Sinclair:

“We used to vacation up at Lake Sabrina, stopping at Schat’s Bakery in Bishop for sheepherder bread. Then it was a fairly steep climb to the lakes and my dad always tied a canvas water bag to the bumper as our old car would heat up and need water. From Sabrina we would sometimes drive up to Northlake, some 10,000 feet elevation, and rent horses for a climb to Upper Lamarck, the prettiest place there is. Word had it the lake was stocked by airplane years ago and those fingerlings matured into nice golden trout ... with teeth! At the far end of the lake was a small flow of melted snow and I wonder if that has stopped due to lack of precipitation.”

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 Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.