Newsletter: The big one — a major storm — slams California
Trump’s first weekend in office echoes his campaign. Millions march to send a message of defiance to President Trump. The sexy side of South L.A. you don’t usually see on TV or in movies. The third in a series of powerful storms pounds Southern Cali
Good morning. It’s Monday, Jan. 23, and here’s what is happening across California:
TOP STORIES
The big one
Forecasters had predicted this storm would be the strongest in several years, and it didn’t disappoint. While earlier storms produced periods of heavy showers, this one delivered several hours of sustained pounding rain, with damaging results. Coastal areas of Los Angeles County were among the hardest hit, with Long Beach Airport setting a new all-time rainfall record, 3.87 inches. Since Oct. 1, downtown L.A. has received more than 13 inches of rain — 216% of normal rainfall for this period. Los Angeles Times
Plus: Mudslides across California over the last few weeks are emblematic of the drought-to-deluge cycle that has always been at the heart of California’s climate. All it can take is an intense amount of rain in a short amount of time to create damaging flows of mud and debris that can kill people and destroy buildings. Los Angeles Times
New outbreak
Six months after California’s strict vaccine law took effect, a measles outbreak has infected 20 people, most of them in Los Angeles County, prompting a search for others who may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. The outbreak is hitting L.A.’s Orthodox Jewish community. Los Angeles Times
All about the ads
The company behind Snapchat has two offerings — that beloved, 5-year-old app for messaging and video streaming, and Spectacles, a months-old, $130 pair of sunglasses that double as a camcorder. The L.A.-based company has promised that more gadgets will follow. But even with a significant increase, hardware sales in the near term probably would bring in 100 times less revenue than selling ads displayed on Snapchat. Los Angeles Times
A DAY OF ACTIVISM IN A NEW ERA
Sea of humanity: They came in cars, trains and buses. Others biked or hitchhiked to downtown Los Angeles for what many said was a protest for the ages: a march in support of women’s rights and against Donald Trump. Los Angeles Times
What L.A. can learn: “Any big political march is both a test of a city’s spatial limitations and an exercise in seeing and using that city in a new way. This may be especially true in Los Angeles, a city still trying to shake off an outdated reputation as a place without a significant pedestrian culture or vibrant public realm,” writes Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne. Los Angeles Times
The view from D.C.: Steve Lopez in Washington with Californians marching against Trump. “I wish I could tell you about all the clever turns of phrase on the word Trump used to explain where he likes to grab women. But I can’t.” Los Angeles Times
L.A. STORIES
Big guy: Is LACMA’s Michael Govan Los Angeles’ $600-million man? A look at how art, politics and money collide in his huge plan for the landmark museum. New York Times
Losing you: Wireless and cellular speeds at LAX are among the slowest of any major airport in the country. Los Angeles Times
Stunning views: A must-watch time-lapse video captures the beauty, mystery and danger of the San Gabriel Mountains. Curbed Los Angeles
New year’s guide: Typical Chinese New Year foods are a mixture of tradition, superstition and edible puns and homophones. Each dish carries symbolic meaning, and they are eaten with the hopes of increasing the family’s fortune, health and prosperity. Your L.A. guide to the Year of the Rooster. Los Angeles Times
Helping hand: Two homeless outreach teams funded by the downtown business improvement district are now in operation. Their mission is to contact, interview and assist the roughly 130 homeless people living at any time in the west side of downtown, from 1st Street to Olympic Boulevard. Los Angeles Times
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
States’ rights, West: As California Democrats move to fight Donald Trump on a variety of fronts, are they taking a page from the old “states’ rights” battles Southern politicians used to evoke? The Economist
Goodbye, hello: Barack Obama’s final ride into a wet, foggy California night. The now ex-president’s first hours in Palm Springs. Washington Post
Lee vs. Trump: San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee is rounding out his years in office with a string of history-making developments. But some say his real legacy is how he stands up to Trump — or doesn’t. San Francisco Chronicle
Speeding along: In the final hours of the Obama administration, the Federal Railroad Administration on Thursday made key modifications to a $928-million grant to the California bullet train agency. The grant extends the deadline for completion of construction in the Central Valley to 2022 from 2018. Los Angeles Times
Pension bomb: The sobering budget gap California cities are staring down as a big pension bill for employees comes due. Sacramento Bee
CRIME AND COURTS
Bee theft: Montana beekeeper Lloyd Cunniff shipped his 488 hives of bees in fresh, new pallets to Northern California in late December, hoping to pollinate acres of almond trees in the Central Valley. But the bees never got to pollinate because thieves got to them first. Los Angeles Times
Hate line: Asian Americans in the Los Angeles area have set up a website to document hate crimes. Daily News
Tough talk: An Orange County judge considers a contempt fine against the sheriff over the snitch scandal. Orange County Weekly
DROUGHT AND CLIMATE
Not so fast: The bad news, and some good, about the drought. Wired
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Momma’s house: Beyoncé’s mom lives the kind of life you might expect — high above Los Angeles in a castle-like compound filled with fine art and a fierce sense. New York Times
Home not so sweet: The single-family home was once part of San Diego’s DNA, its manifest destiny. But planners are now turning away from the tract in favor of condos and apartments. San Diego Union-Tribune
Ready for it? How new technology is making the Hollywood closeup ever closer. “The 2016 movie ‘Jackie,’ a portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy in the days after her husband’s assassination, is intimate in the most literal sense: The camera is so close that the first lady’s whole face can be scrutinized down to the tiniest detail.” Wall Street Journal
Bench warming: He’s mostly on the bench. But life is good for this Golden State Warriors player. New York Times
Central Valley success: Fresno, hit particularly hard by the economic recession, appears to have fully rebounded. Fresno Bee
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles area: Scattered thunderstorms with highs in the mid-50s. San Diego: Rain with highs in the mid- to upper 50s. San Francisco area: Thunderstorms with highs in the low 50s. Sacramento: Scattered thunderstorms with highs in the low 50s. More weather is here.
AND FINALLY
This week’s birthdays for those who have called California home: former L.A. mayor and current gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa (Jan. 23, 1953), former USC athletic director Pat Haden (Jan. 23, 1953), Rep. John Garamendi (Jan. 24, 1945), Rep. Mike Thompson (Jan. 24, 1951), San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer (Jan. 24, 1967), Rep. Xavier Becerra (Jan. 26, 1958), former L.A. Kings star Wayne Gretzky (Jan. 26, 1961), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Jan. 26, 1965) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (Jan. 28, 1969).
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.)
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