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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Essential California


Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Aug. 31.

Here’s a look at the top stories of the last week:

TOP STORIES

Tyler Skaggs. Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs had the opioids fentanyl and oxycodone along with alcohol in his system when he was found dead in his Texas hotel room July 1, according to a toxicology report released Friday by the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.

Cheap solar. Los Angeles has been sitting on a contract for record-cheap solar power for more than a month — and city officials declined to approve it Tuesday because of concerns raised by the city-run utility’s labor union. They’re still fuming over Mayor Eric Garcetti’s decision to shut down three gas-fired power plants.

College quake safety. Dozens of buildings at UCLA and UC Berkeley pose a serious risk to life in a strong earthquake, with at least 68 seismically deficient structures at UC Berkeley and 18 at UCLA, according to new university studies.

[Here’s a list of UCLA and UC Berkeley buildings unsafe to be in during a big earthquake.]

One-hour photo. On a quest to develop some film, Grammy-winning country artist Kacey Musgraves and her sister found a Los Angeles “gem”: a cash-only, mom-and-pop shop with no internet presence but plenty of handmade backdrops, retro photo sessions and an endearingly old-school photo lab struggling to survive.

Personal income. Los Angeles Police Commissioner Sandra Figueroa-Villa failed to disclose income from a nonprofit she runs that received millions of dollars from the city to work with police on gang initiatives, records show.

Rideshare politics. Uber and Lyft are throwing new weight behind their fight to keep treating drivers as independent contractors in California, saying they will commit $60 million to fund a statewide initiative aimed at the 2020 ballot.

Respecting history. In recent months, the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, the Museum of Tolerance and local Jewish educators and rabbis have reached out to high schools in Orange County scandalized by Nazi-related social media posts, offering to teach students about the Holocaust.

Deal reached. An agreement announced Friday would cap rent increases statewide at 5% plus inflation per year for the next decade, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. Assembly Bill 1482 needs the approval of the Legislature in the next two weeks.

Senior housing crisis. Seniors are perhaps the most vulnerable to California’s rising rents and evictions of any age group. The consequences ⁠— like rising homelessness among seniors ⁠— can be devastating. In 2016, 41.6% of renters 80 or older paid more than half their income on housing.

[Where can you afford to rent in California? Use our rent calculator.]

Admissions scandal. Coffee at a country club. Luxury suites at the Coliseum. A meeting between Rick Singer, the college admissions scheme mastermind, and legendary USC athletic director Pat Haden wasn’t just casual.

City council drama. Westminster City Council meetings have become must-watch TV for residents of the Orange County city, who are following the explosive drama on local cable. The infighting has gotten so bad that it practically has paralyzed the City Council and spurred recall efforts against all five of its members.

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