Newsletter: U.S. rift with Mexico shakes up California

Good morning. It’s Friday, Jan. 27, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Immigration earthquake

In California’s many “sanctuary cities,” fear and anxiety are mixed with defiance as Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown takes shape. While politicians vow to fight the president’s plans, there’s a sense among some people here illegally that the welcome mat is being pulled away and that life is about to get a lot tougher. Los Angeles Times

Mexico: Just six days in office and President Trump has roiled a key U.S. strategic relationship by prompting Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to cancel a planned visit to the White House and raising the specter of a brutal trade war by imposing a 20% tariff on imports from Mexico. Los Angeles Times

Legal resistance: Will the 10th Amendment, which addresses the powers of state and federal governments, stall Trump’s “sanctuary cities” crackdown? Los Angeles Times

Support: Longtime California anti-illegal immigration activists back Trump’s plans. “Finally!” one said. Los Angeles Times

The wall: And no, it doesn’t look like there is much California can do to block the wall if Trump finds the money to build it. Los Angeles Times

Trade: The idea of a tariff on Mexican imports is sending shock waves through the California economy, and beyond. Los Angeles Times … And especially along the border region. Los Angeles Times

Going up

University of California regents on Thursday lifted a six-year freeze on tuition, approving a 2.5% increase beginning this fall to pay for more faculty, classes and student services. Officials said the increase was needed to keep the UC quality top-notch. Some students protested the hike, arguing that tuition has more than doubled since 2006, to the highest level in California history. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Donald & Elon: How L.A. inventor extraordinaire Elon Musk and Donald Trump may turn out to be unlikely bedfellows. New York Times

A new Hammer: The Hammer Museum in Westwood — lodged inside a high-rise along Wilshire Boulevard — has never been noted for its architectural grace (“windowless box wrapped in bands of white and gray marble.”). But there is now a plan to remake the museum in a dramatic way. Los Angeles Times

In mourning: The Buddhist observation of the 100-day anniversary of the death of Thailand’s king drew tens of thousands from the Thai community to temples across the United States, including in Hollywood’s Thai Town. The surge of grief is likely to march on, even into the spring, particularly for those who only ever knew one king. Los Angeles Times

Bright light: So how much did the original neon sign from the Sunset Strip club Whisky a Go Go sell for? Really? SCPR

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Too much Trump? As the state’s political class aims its guns at Trump, here’s a warning that it not ignore California’s many problems in the process. Sacramento Bee

Inspection record: Scores of California hospitals with high rates of patient infections have not been inspected within the last five years, according to a petition filed by Consumers Union. Los Angeles Times

Voting demos: One-third of California voters were not born in the state. Washington Post

At the border: A poll found little support in San Diego for Trump’s border wall. San Diego Union-Tribune

Bye, Christopher: In San Francisco schools, Columbus Day is out and Indigenous People’s Day is in. San Francisco Chronicle

CRIME AND COURTS

Linked killings? A drifter who died in a California prison while serving time for killing and dismembering a Contra Costa County woman has been linked to the disappearance of a New Hampshire woman and to the deaths of another woman and three children whose bodies were found in metal drums in the woods of New England. Los Angeles Times

Big payout: The San Diego Unified School District has been ordered to pay more than $1.25 million in damages to a former student forced to urinate in a bucket after her request for a bathroom break was denied. Los Angeles Times

Cold case: Anna Lynn Johnson was only 14 when she disappeared on a fall night in 1982 after attending a party just doors down from her Vacaville home. Hours later, a railroad worker found the teenage girl’s bludgeoned body in a nearby field. Three decades later, police say they’ve found her killer. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Rain but no water: How a “rain shadow” left a key Santa Barbara reservoir parched even after all those storms. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Big bill: The Disneyland eatery where dinner for 12 costs $15,000. LA Weekly

Biking away: Guy Webster had reason to be grim. The famed photographer, motorcycle collector and bon vivant suffered a debilitating stroke two years ago. It left him unable to move his left arm and left leg, and denied him the principal pleasures of his life. Now he’s selling his famed collection. Los Angeles Times

Changing times: Another piece of Newport Beach history is exiting the scene. Original Pizza, a landmark for 50 years and a symbol of the old beach town, is shutting down. Orange County Register

Surfer wipeout: Wet Seal, the onetime booming teen retailer and influencer in the Orange County fashion scene, is shuttering its stores. Mercury News

Changing times: The view of the Trump immigration crackdown from the eyes of a Latino ad agency. “There is a rejection of multiculturalism. Latino consumers feel betrayed, they have been cast as the enemy. There is a tremendous need, and opportunity, for marketers to reconnect with Latino consumers.” Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area and San Diego: Sunny with highs in the mid-60s. San Francisco area and Sacramento: Sunny with highs in the mid-50s. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Theresa Moore:

“I was born in Los Angeles in 1954. We moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1955. I still live here and have witnessed over 60 years of change. I remember when the Ventura Freeway was one lane east and one lane west in 1960. My father drove me to school exiting on Woodlake Avenue. I always wondered why we didn’t drive neighborhood streets; it was only a few miles away. I remember the orange groves before Topanga Plaza was built. The heavy scent of orange blossoms smelled like perfume. I love the scent of orange blossoms.”

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 Shelby Grad.