California Online
(Please note: We regularly highlight articles on news sites that have limited access for nonsubscribers)
･ The Trump administration is requesting that the 2020 census include questions about immigration status. There are fears this could lead to a massive undercounting of the California Latino population, which could have consequences ranging from the reapportionment of legislative seats to the distribution of federal funds. The decennial census has not asked all respondents whether they were citizens since 1960. [The New York Times]
･ The number of workers complaining that their bosses are threatening to get them deported is on the rise in California. The cases include instances in which employers allegedly threatened to report workers to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after workers raised issues over working conditions, including wage theft. [Los Angeles Times]
･ President Trump on Tuesday declared a major disaster in California over the Thomas fire in Southern California. The declaration means that the federal government may cover 75 percent of firefighting costs, which approached $200 million. The federal government may also cover costs of recovering from the blaze, including the removal of vast amounts of debris in fire-denuded areas. [Associated Press via Mercury News]
･ Los Angeles prosecutors are reviewing two cases brought by the Beverly Hills Police Department against Harvey Weinstein. [Associated Press via The New York Times]
･ There’s a growing debate over whether someone should replace San Francisco’s acting mayor, London Breed, in the lead up to the election that will choose a replacement for the late Ed Lee. But it’s unclear whether a majority of the notoriously fractious Board of Supervisors will coalesce behind any one candidate. [San Francisco Chronicle]
･ Highway politics: Drivers entering California from Arizona and Nevada saw fake signs welcoming them to an “official sanctuary state” that’s home to “felons” and gang members. The signs, which were removed, appeared just under the official “Welcome to California” signs. [Associated Press via The New York Times]
･ As the New Year arrived, twins were born in Kern County 18 minutes apart. That was enough to give them different birth years. Warning: adorable photos of the sleeping twins. [Sacramento Bee]
･ Sex Parties of the Tech and Famous. “At normal tech parties, there are hardly any women. At these kinds of party, there are tons of them.” [Vanity Fair]
･ Is Jon Gruden the right choice to coach the Raiders? Yes, says everyone. [San Francisco Chronicle]
And Finally …
William M. McCarthy, an armament expert for the U.S. War Department, lived in San Francisco during the first half of the 20th century. An avid and able photographer, Mr. McCarthy documented his travels around California with his wife, Grace. The result is a collection of photographs that give us a remarkably diverse record of the key moments in the state’s history — the devastation of the Great Fire in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake; the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge — and historical street views of Los Angeles, Yosemite and the Mexican border, among many other places. The collection, preserved by the California State Archives, is available here. Here’s a small sampling:
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California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from U.C. Berkeley.