Newsletter: Essential California: Gov. Jerry Brown talks global warming with China’s president

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Wednesday, June 7, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Brown meets Xi

Gov. Jerry Brown met with President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, in a rare move that catapults California’s status as a negotiator with China while the U.S. falls back on climate change. They discussed global warming and green tech in the Great Hall of the People, a granite-columned building on Tiananmen Square reserved for high-level dignitaries, political gatherings and ceremonial occasions. “It’s highly significant that the governor of California can meet with the president of China and talk about the foremost issue of our time,” Brown said. Los Angeles Times

L.A.’s next member of Congress

State Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez won the race for the 34th Congressional District after L.A. attorney Robert Lee Ahn conceded. Gomez will continue a decades-old tradition of Democratic Latino representation in the district, which stretches from downtown Los Angeles to Boyle Heights and incorporates Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Koreatown. Los Angeles Times

Change is coming to DWP

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has put a hold on a $2.2-billion plan to rebuild old natural gas power plants while it studies clean energy alternatives to meet electricity demands. Los Angeles Times

Plus: This decision was the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles Times published earlier this year that showed the state is operating with an oversupply of electricity, driven largely by the construction of gas-fueled generating plants. Los Angeles Times

Uber tries to clean up its act

Uber has fired 20 employees after a company investigation into sexual harassment claims. A law firm hired by the company looked into 215 complaints and took no action in 100 instances. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Drivers take note: Major streets in West Hollywood and the surrounding areas will be closed this weekend for LGBTQ pride events and a protest march that will replace the usual L.A. Pride parade. Los Angeles Times

Settlement reached: Los Angeles is getting $400,000 to settle its lawsuit against real estate developer Geoffrey H. Palmer over a massive fire at a downtown construction site that damaged city property, city officials announced Tuesday. The money is a tiny fraction of the $20 million that the city had originally sought. Los Angeles Times

History discovered: An ancient Native American site has been found on the Channel Islands just off the coast of Southern California. Associated Press

Cool milestone: Kia Patterson has become the first black independent owner of the Grocery Outlet, which opened in Compton two months ago. The Undefeated

Video: Turning L.A.’s many urban challenges into a miniature golf game. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Budget preview: Here’s what lawmakers in Sacramento are still negotiating when it comes to the state’s next budget. Los Angeles Times

Ready for prime time: Sen. Kamala Harris is hoping to get her close-up in the James B. Comey hearing on Capitol Hill. San Francisco Chronicle

Plus: Here’s a guide to the Comey hearing Thursday. Los Angeles Times

Get more national and international news in the Today’s Headlines newsletter.

A fight for the house: A conservative super PAC called the Congressional Leadership Fund isn’t representing a specific candidate, but it is on a mission to keep California’s vulnerable GOP congressmen in office. Los Angeles Times

Reducing the burden: The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to eliminate the $50 “registration fee” that the public defender’s office and other court-appointed counsel may charge defendants before providing them with legal services. Los Angeles Times

A debate continues: The California Supreme Court appeared closely divided Tuesday over the constitutionality of a ballot measure passed in November to speed up executions. Los Angeles Times

Saddled with student loans: State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra is “calling on the federal government to discharge the student loans of thousands of former students of Corinthian Colleges who have already been approved for loan forgiveness before they are forced to start paying again.” The Mercury News

CRIME AND COURTS

Robbery gone wrong: “A gun battle that began when two men, one armed, walked into an east-central Fresno home Tuesday morning ended with three men dead and one wounded.” Fresno Bee

Major verdict reached: A jury has awarded the granddaughter of televangelist Jan Crouch $2 million in connection with the Trinity Broadcasting molestation scandal. Los Angeles Times

Grandmother arrested: A grandmother wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of her 18-month-old granddaughter and the wounding of her daughter and grandchild Monday in Colton has been captured, police said Tuesday. Los Angeles Times

A bad batch? Eleven students at a middle school in Southern California, some as young as 11, were hospitalized Monday after taking prescription anti-anxiety pills, according to school officials. CNN

THE ENVIRONMENT

Get ready for pie! California is about to wrap up its best cherry harvest in years. “The crop will end up at nearly 9 million, 18-pound boxes, possibly surpassing the 8.7 million box record crop of 2008.” Capital Press

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

A soundstage problem: The golden age of television has brought production roaring back to the Los Angeles area, with streaming companies and cable channels shooting year-round to fill viewers’ insatiable demand. But producers are facing an unintended consequence of the surge in local shoots — a shortage of soundstage space. Los Angeles Times

Women warriors: A different side of the Vietnamese American experience is finally being explored. New York Times

A pioneer dies: William Krisel, a pioneering architect who brought his vision of modernism to Southern California tract housing, died Monday at age 92. Los Angeles Times

Bringing a mainstay back: The Formosa Café on Santa Monica Boulevard, unexpectedly shuttered last year, will be restored and reopened next summer. The Chinese restaurant was known for its famous clientele and appearances in films including “L.A. Confidential.” Los Angeles Times

Tasty: L.A.’s best cocktails aren’t just delicious, they’re more sustainable now too. LA Weekly

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego and Los Angeles area: partly cloudy Wednesday and Thursday. Sacramento and San Francisco area: partly cloudy Wednesday, rainy Thursday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Paul Lux:

“I recently viewed the dates for when the snowbound Tioga Pass would open and found that one of the latest was July 8, 1933. My family drove over the pass that day. It was an often told story in our family. My mother spoke of how scared she was going over boards that had been laid over washed-out sections that crossed chasms! We also got stuck in the mud and had to be pulled out by a grader. Pictures show our car dwarfed by snowbanks. Since then, my sister, wife, my children and I have traveled over the pass many times for happy vacations in Yosemite and Tuolumne Meadows.”

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.