Newsletter: Essential California: Why Silicon Valley, not D.C., is drawing old campaign hands

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Tuesday, May 9, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Go west!

A demand for skilled communications experts has turned Silicon Valley into a retirement community of sorts for veterans of political campaigns who are trying to start fresh outside Washington, D.C. “In a lot of ways, a campaign is a lot like a start-up: You have to build it very fast, and be prepared to spend millions of dollars to persuade people your candidate is right,” said Matt David, the head of marketing and communications for the dating app Tinder and a veteran of the 2008 John McCain campaign. Los Angeles Times.

Big payouts by the LAPD

The Los Angeles Police Department paid nearly $81 million in legal settlements last year, a sharp increase as the city closed the books on several high-profile and costly cases.“It is a few cases that create the most liability.” Cmdr. Mike Hyams said. “It is not hundreds of cases.” Los Angeles Times

Tensions on campus

Racial tensions have inflamed two University of California campuses in recent days, with students of color scoring a major electoral victory at UCLA and housing concessions at UC Santa Cruz. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Live from the White House: Steve Bannon’s former Hollywood partner has broken his silence to defend the White House advisor. The Hollywood Reporter

It takes a team: Doctors in Los Angeles are turning to the power of peer groups to help patients combat diabetes. Los Angeles Times

What it will look like: New renderings are offering some of the proposed plans for Los Angeles’ 2024 Olympics bid. Curbed LA

Plus: Members of the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America are planning a campaign against the Olympic bid. Los Angeles Times

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

A lack of workers: The drought may be over, but a dearth of immigrant workers has made agricultural operations in the Central Valley that much harder. Yahoo

Problems behind bars: Immigrant detention centers are beset by the “needless deaths” of inmates, because they’re not able to offer adequate healthcare, a new report finds. The Guardian

Flipping and flopping: “If Gov. Jerry Brown ends up signing a pending bill to make California a ‘sanctuary state’ for undocumented immigrants, it will be an about-face for the governor, who publicly opposed the idea of sanctuary cities several years ago.” CalMatters

Detained: An Indian-born taxi driver in Santa Ana has been detained by U.S. immigration authorities during a check-in for an 18-year-old deportation order. Associated Press

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

A race heats up: The Trump-bashing has begun in California’s race for state insurance commissioner. Los Angeles Times

New congressional challenge: Actor Antonio Sabato Jr., who falsely called former President Obama a Muslim, has decided to run for Congress against Rep. Julia Brownley. Los Angeles Times

Money for the homeless problem: The Tipping Point Community charitable organization is pledging $100 million to try to cut the chronically homeless population in half over five years. San Francisco Chronicle

Meet the candidates: Delaine Eastin is the former state schools chief and is the only female candidate for California governor in 2018. KPCC

Big spenders: Here are the top-spending lobbyist groups in the state so far this year. San Francisco Chronicle

CRIME AND COURTS

He left a note: Police say that the 15-year-old who was killed at Torrey Pines High School by authorities left a suicide note. San Diego Union-Tribune

Shooting in Sunland: Los Angeles police shot and killed an armed man suspected of breaking into a Sunland home Monday after he repeatedly exchanged fire with officers during an hours-long standoff. Los Angeles Times

Simmons sues: Reclusive fitness guru Richard Simmons has sued the publisher of National Enquirer. He also accused his former assistant of blackmail. Los Angeles Times

Abuse case: Marin County’s top coroner has been charged in connection with repeated sexual abuse, prosecutors said. Los Angeles Times

THE ENVIRONMENT

Resilient avocados: Researchers in California’s Central Valley are breeding avocado trees they hope will grow well in the state’s main agricultural region. Valley Public Radio

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

California, here we come? Not anymore. Why the Golden State is now less golden for some outsiders. Orange County Register

KTLA sold: The Los Angeles’ TV station KTLA is being sold to Sinclair Broadcast Group as part of a nearly $4-billion deal to buy Tribune Media Co. Los Angeles Times

Act now: Karen Mary Davalos, a professor of Chicano and Latino Studies, explains why the time is now to support Chicano art. Artnet News

Stinky cheese please: Here are five California-made cheeses that you have to try. LA Weekly

Choose your TBT: Los Angeles Rams fans will be able to vote on when the team wears throwback uniforms. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: partially cloudy Tuesday, cloudy Wednesday. San Francisco area: sunny Tuesday, partially cloudy Wednesday. San Diego and Sacramento: partially cloudy Tuesday and Wednesday More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Mark Alberici:

“My first visit to L.A. was when I was 13. I had run away from home in St. Louis during Christmas break and was trying to get back to San Jose where my girlfriend lived. My family had just moved to St. Louis over my objections. But I was stuck in the L.A. Greyhound terminal in the worst part of town with $3 and no ticket to San Jose. I slept in those plastic chairs for four nights and walked around skid row during the day. I remember a huge poster on the wall of Wilt Chamberlain in a Lakers uniform dunking a ball. Then I’m walking around the terminal wondering what to do, stealing cookies for food at the cafeteria, and suddenly find a ticket to Santa Barbara lying right on the floor and the bus was leaving real quick, and I raced to the bus and left L.A. (I eventually made it to San Jose but never got to see my girlfriend because the cops arrested me at her door while she was at a store and I was thrown into juvenile hall for the night, then flown back to St. Louis.)”

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 Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.