Newsletter: Essential California: Will Apple announce the end of iTunes at today’s developer conference?
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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, June 3, and here’s a quick look at the week ahead:
On Monday, actress Lori Loughlin will have a hearing in a Boston courtroom regarding her role in the college admissions scandal. The “Full House” actress and her husband previously rejected a plea deal.
Also Monday: Apple will hold its developer conference, and rumor has it the company will announce the end of iTunes. Per Los Angeles Times business reporter Wendy Lee, who will be at today’s event, Apple has been building out its services business, as iPhone sales decline. The majority of Apple’s sales still come from iPhones, and the company has been under pressure to innovate and diversify its revenue streams.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles voters will vote on Measure EE in a special election. The parcel tax, which requires two-thirds voter approval, would raise funds for L.A. schools. (Here’s what The Times editorial board had to say about Measure EE.)
On Wednesday, the Bakersfield City Council will decide if the Central Valley city will add “In God We Trust” decals to police patrol cars. In April, the nearby city of Delano voted to add the slogan to police vehicles. Delano is believed to be the first California city to do so.
Pride Month officially began on June 1, and the massive L.A. Pride Parade will be held Sunday in West Hollywood. (The San Francisco Pride Parade doesn’t happen until the end of the month).
And now, and here’s what’s happening across California:
TOP STORIES
The U.S. government has been using unreliable dental exams to hold teen migrants in adult detention. Under the Trump administration, the use of dental exams to help determine the age of migrants has increased sharply. Los Angeles Times
A top White House aide confirmed that President Trump is “deadly serious” about imposing a 5% tariff on Mexican goods, a move that could have a major impact on consumers. Los Angeles Times
What causes wildfires? From power lines to fireworks, here’s an in-depth look at what caused 10 of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history. San Francisco Chronicle
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L.A. STORIES
The northern half of the Blue Line — a rail line that ferries riders from downtown L.A. to Long Beach — has shut down for four months for repairs. The southern half of the line, which just reopened, had closed for the previous four months. The full train line is scheduled to reopen in September. Curbed LA
Here are five L.A. book events to kick off your summer reading. Los Angeles Times
Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival will come to Los Angeles in 2020. Los Angeles Times
Here’s how “What the Constitution Means to Me,” the year’s most unconventional Broadway play, will change for its Los Angeles debut. Los Angeles Times
The Times sent the world’s foremost fruit expert to inspect L.A.’s new, Instagram-pandering fruit “museum.” Los Angeles Times
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IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER
As Mexico cracks down on migrants, more are risking the dangerous train known as La Bestia. Los Angeles Times
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
The California Democratic Party has elected L.A. labor leader Rusty Hicks as its next leader. Hicks succeeds former party Chairman Eric Bauman, who resigned after a series of sexual harassment allegations. Los Angeles Times
The state party convention doubled as the largest single gathering of 2020 presidential candidates to date. The weekend offered a rare chance for Californians to see the candidates up close, and to be courted by them. Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled opposition to tightening vaccination rules. A bill making its way through the state Legislature would tighten school immunization law. San Francisco Chronicle
The process for presidential hopefuls to get on California’s primary ballot essentially all comes down to the discretion of California’s secretary of state. Here’s how that mysterious process came to be, and why it might change. Los Angeles Times
Plus: The new, crucial role the California primary could have in 2020, explained. Vox
THE ENVIRONMENT
Disturbed by the alarming number of dead gray whales washing up on West Coast shores, federal officials have declared a “wildlife emergency.” Mercury News
A deep dive on how California became far more energy-efficient than the rest of the country. According to a new NRDC report, if the rest of the nation had improved as quickly as California has between 1975 and 2016, U.S. greenhouse gases would be almost 25% lower. Vox
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Yosemite’s free shuttle system, which carries more than 3 million park visitors annually, has been facing major problems. San Francisco Chronicle
A 19-year-old Fresno woman whose social media feud allegedly led to four separate drive-by shootings in September 2018 will stand trial. No one was injured in the shootings. Fresno Bee
Members of the Mexican American student organization MEChA voted this spring to change the more than 50-year-old organization’s name to be more inclusive. The name change has sparked a heated debate between older civil rights leaders and present-day university activists. Los Angeles Times
Gov. Newsom bought the most expensive home sold in Sacramento so far this year. Sacramento Bee
From abandoned mine inspector to fly breeder, here are five unusual jobs performed by a few of California’s roughly 230,000 state workers. Sacramento Bee
A backpack containing the only copy of his PhD thesis was stolen from a biological anthropologist’s car in Santa Rosa. Fox KTVU
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles: partly sunny, 69. San Diego: partly sunny, 69. San Francisco: partly sunny, 65. San Jose: sunny, 80. Sacramento: sunny, 91. More weather is here.
AND FINALLY
This week’s birthdays for those who made a mark in California:
Actress and U.N. special envoy Angelina Jolie (June 4, 1975), Snap Inc. co-founder Evan Spiegel (June 4, 1990), developer and philanthropist Eli Broad (June 6, 1933), Rep. Ken Calvert (June 8, 1953) and USC men’s basketball coach Andy Enfield (June 8, 1969).
If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (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, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes.
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