Newsletter: Northern California braces for big storms
Good morning. It is Saturday, Jan. 7. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:
TOP STORIES
Brace yourself: Flooding. Avalanches. Blizzard conditions. Road closures. Northern California braces for a weekend of major storms expected to dump feet of rain and snow in some areas. Southern California, meanwhile, will be mostly dry until Sunday night. Los Angeles Times
Adding it up: Jerry Brown’s new state budget is likely going to be a sober affair. The independent Legislative Analyst’s Office reported that preliminary tax collections in December — a key month for quarterly tax payments — were almost $1.2 billion below predictions. The state Department of Finance, which doesn’t release its December analysis until next week, has reported several months of anemic tax collections. Los Angeles Times
Starting early: Silicon Valley and other tech centers have always been popular landing places for young engineers, with their lure of cutting-edge technology and top-notch pay. But aerospace companies are facing an even stiffer challenge as Web and computer companies, and other sectors like the auto industry, move into areas like drones and autonomous systems. Aerospace employers are realizing they have to dig deeper, reaching out to potential employees as early as elementary school or even pre-kindergarten to get them interested in science and math. Los Angeles Times
Closing time: The Formosa Cafe, a legendary Hollywood watering hole, has closed down — not long after a controversial remodel. LAist
More bad news for Hollywood: Sales and rentals of movies for home viewing slid significantly again last year. This was once a huge revenue generator for the studios. Wall Street Journal
Heroin bust: Two heroin overdoses last year in Simi Valley — where abuse of heroin and prescription drugs has made national headlines — have prompted detectives there to focus on the source of the deadly opiate. Police uncovered a so-called heroin delivery service operating in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Moorpark, and officers arrested three people this week in connection with the illicit drug ring. Los Angeles Times
Snitch case: A closer look at how the U.S. Justice Department will handle its investigation into the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and district attorney’s office. Orange County Register
Ring it: Marking the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, a technological revolution that, to the surprise of many, has never really been matched since. Mercury News
Trial update: The judge in the Robert Durst murder case will allow prosecutors to quiz key witness. Los Angeles Times
Tuition proposal: In another challenge to the immigration crackdown vowed by President-elect Donald Trump, a California lawmaker proposed Thursday to greatly expand the number of students in the country illegally who can get discounted, in-state resident tuition at state universities. Los Angeles Times
China backlash: Trump’s outreach to Taiwan has not exactly been embraced in Southern California’s Chinese community. Orange County Register
Trump tweets: The president-elect couldn’t help tweaking Arnold Schwarzenegger over the weak ratings for “Celebrity Apprentice.” Los Angeles Times
THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA
1. The Pineapple Express returns. Los Angeles Times
2. Can a $100,000 grant revive the Triforium, L.A.’s “weird, strange beacon”? Los Angeles Times
3. Writer Mike Davis on the new L.A. Boom California
4. The mystery of Jack-in-the-Box tacos. Wall Street Journal
5. A sting operation on a surfer gang at Lunada Bay goes awry. Daily News
ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS
Unintended consequences: When the minimum wage in California rose to $10.50 an hour Jan. 1, more than a million people got a raise. But for an untold number of families across the state, that pay bump could price them out of child care. Los Angeles Times
Geography lesson: Director Mike Mills and his wife, Miranda July, have become indie Hollywood royalty. Here’s how the New Yorker described their pecking order: “Geographically, Mills positions the couple below Warren Beatty and Annette Bening — ‘They’re in that top-of-Mulholland realm’ — and to the east of the entertainment industry. Referring to a boulevard that bisects West Hollywood, Mills told me, ‘I only cross La Cienega if I need money or actors.’” The New Yorker
Hollywood Beach: This picturesque Ventura County community is different. There are hints of its history — the streets are named after famous Los Angeles boulevards such as Los Feliz, Sunset and Cahuenga, and the style of the homes has a grand feel. It turns out this neighborhood is about as L.A. as the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Curbed Los Angeles
Disney debate: Fans gathered to say goodbye to “The Twilight Zone” Tower of Terror in Disney California Adventure this week and discuss the idea of when change is good and bad on hallowed ground. Los Angeles Times
Academic discussion: The battle over free speech on California university campuses. The Atlantic
LOOKING AHEAD
Sunday: The 74th Golden Globe Awards.
Tuesday: Gov. Jerry Brown releases his budget.
Tuesday: State of the City event in Long Beach.
Saturday: Various events marking Martin Luther King’s birthday.
AND FINALLY … A NOTE TO OUR READERS
Thank you for reading Essential California. Some readers have asked a few questions that we’d like to address. Essential California can be informative, revealing, infuriating and occasionally ungrammatical. But we don’t want to be spam. So if you’d like to stop receiving the newsletter, simply hit the “unsubscribe” link at the very bottom of this email. A few readers have complained that some links send them to websites with paywalls; more and more news sites are adding these walls. Our goal is to provide you with the best selection of stories from across California, and you can chose whether to pay to read them. We’ve also been tweaking our weather forecast in response to your feedback. Our hope is to come up with a new format in the coming weeks. We appreciate all your comments and suggestions. Please keep them coming.
– Shelby
Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Shelby Grad.
