Newsletter: Essential California: The first U.S. boxer to fight as a woman, and then as a man

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Aug. 5. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

An amazing story

Meet Pat Manuel, who is the first U.S. boxer to fight as a woman and then as a man. A five-time amateur boxing champion whose biggest tournament ended in surrender, Manuel is just months away from his pro debut. He has cycled through a number of dead-end jobs and now owns a digital marketing company. It’s called Dark Horse, a name Manuel hopes is prophetic as well as prosaic. Manuel says the biggest daily reminder that he has finally taken control of his life comes when he looks in the mirror each morning. Los Angeles Times

Watch: Also be sure to check out this awesome documentary that was made about Manuel. Los Angeles Times

Drip, drip: An internal review of the Los Angeles Police Department’s cadet program for local youths has found deficiencies that include inadequate supervision of cadets and a lack of formal training for the officers who run the program. Los Angeles Times

Something is off: The Los Angeles City Council is set to approve an agreement to host the 2028 Olympics without knowing the Games’ budget or receiving an independent evaluation of the spending plan. Los Angeles Times

Rodney’s brother: Juan King, brother of Rodney King, whose brutal injuries triggered the 1992 Los Angeles riots, has his own dramatic story that highlights an often overlooked fact: minorities make up a disproportionate share of homeless people. The Guardian

A shelter closes: The operators of Antelope Valley’s only drop-in homeless shelter abruptly announced late last month that after struggling with red ink for years, they are closing their doors. The move by Grace Resources, a nonprofit organization that also operates a food bank, educational programs and a thrift store, has set off soul-searching among Antelope Valley officials amid a frantic effort to find other accommodations for the occupants of the 108-bed shelter. Los Angeles Times

What’s up with Dana? Here’s why Dana Rohrabacher’s name keeps coming up in the Russia investigation. Los Angeles Times

The Enviromentator: Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is launching a new partnership with a nationwide network of green-minded state lawmakers to share ideas for environmental legislation. Los Angeles Times

State vs. Trump: California is poised to sue the Trump administration over the president’s latest attempt to punish jurisdictions tagged by the Justice Department as “sanctuary cities” that harbor undocumented immigrants, according to two sources close to the case. McClatchy

This week’s most popular stories in Essential California:

1. The mystery of L.A. billboard diva Angelyne’s real identity is finally solved. The Hollywood Reporter

2. The mystery homeless woman of Pacific Palisades and the village that helped her home. Los Angeles Times

3. Angelyne responds to the Hollywood Reporter revealing her true identity. KPCC

4. Anti-Californian sentiment has gripped Idaho for generations. Has anything changed? Sacramento Bee

5. Complaints of drinking and abusive behavior dogged a USC medical school dean for years. Los Angeles Times

ICYMI, here are this week’s Great Reads

This story is crazy: It involves two guys who pretended to be cops in Santa Monica. That is until one turned on the other and became an informant. The Atavist

South of the border: In Mexico City, Miguel Nieto, whose grandfather opened Salon Los Angeles 80 years ago this week, refuses to quit, even as his gray-haired regulars dwindle, even as developers dream about turning the nightclub into condominiums like the concrete apartment tower going up across the street. Los Angeles Times

Sad story: Gwen Woods’ son was killed by police Dec. 2, 2015. This is the story of the year that followed and the grief that took over Gwen. California Sunday Magazine

Catching up with Jim: Long after his Hall of Fame career ended, quarterback Jim Plunkett’s “body is a patchwork of medical magic: Artificial knees, an artificial shoulder and a surgically repaired back. After 18 operations, Plunkett’s activities have been reduced to golf and light workouts at home on a Crosstrainer.” Mercury News

About the ACA and CA: “California has built one of the country’s most successful health law marketplaces. This year, the state has spent significant time Trump-proofing that work, writing contingency plans to account for how the president may manage his first year of running the health law. If Trump follows through on his plans to end cost-sharing reduction subsidies (a threat he makes on Twitter regularly), California will add a surcharge onto certain plans to cover the cost — and educate customers on how to avoid it.” Vox

Looking Ahead

Saturday: The U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.

Monday: A hearing in the case of a former LAPD rookie accused of killing a man and fleeing to Mexico.

Next Saturday: Annual Strike Out AIDS event at Dodger Stadium.

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.