Essential California: A political odd couple

[Essential California]( Essential California [Send to friend](mailto:?subject=Essential California: A political odd couple&body= | [Open in browser]( Presented by* [L.A. Times Food Bowl]( Good morning, and welcome to the [Essential California newsletter](. It’s Thursday, May 10, and here’s what’s happening across California: TOP STORIES Kevin McCarthy and Nancy Pelosi may stand political poles apart but, together, the two California lawmakers are on the verge of making history. If, as seems likely, McCarthy becomes the next Republican House leader and Pelosi continues as head of the Democratic caucus, it would mark the first time the congressional leaders of both parties hail from the same state. [Los Angeles Times]( Party over? Kanye West’s last week — professing his love for President Trump, whose policies and rhetoric are often seen as divisive demagoguery, and deeming slavery a “choice” during an erratic interview with TMZ — have ignited the biggest firestorm of his career. Aside from the cultural implications of his actions (which have disheartened many of his most devoted fans), others also wonder what this will mean for West’s career. His right-wing turnabout could torpedo a forthcoming album and affect future tour sales and fashion revenues, which depend on the goodwill of young, taste-making audiences. [Los Angeles Times]( Coming in 2020 California regulators mandated that all newly built single family houses have solar panels, part of the state’s push to combat climate change. The requirement is expected to save consumers money in the long run through reduced utility bills, but also make a new house more expensive to purchase at a time many families already struggle to afford a mortgage. [Los Angeles Times]( [George Deukmejian]( Gov. George Deukmejian and his wife, Gloria, at his January 1987 inaugural ceremony. He took the oath of office on a 486-year-old French Bible. (Thomas Kelsey/ Los Angeles Times) Advertisement by Los Angeles Times* L.A. Times [FOOD BOWL]( week 2 is now underway with #31daysoffood. You still have plenty of time to attend over 200 events, including Night Market May 16-20. Many events, including the Fried Chicken Party and Pok Pok at Night + Market, have SOLD OUT! Don’t miss out on the many highlight events for this week with tickets still available. Jonathan Gold Food Film Festival – [DOWNTOWN INDEPENDENT PRESENTS: “KILLER OF SHEEP” (1977)]( WHEN: Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 7 p.m. WHERE: Downtown Independent [Top Chefs: In Conversation with Jonathan Gold]( WHEN: Friday, May 11, 2018 at 7 p.m. WHERE: The Paley Center For Media [80 YEARS OF LAWRY’S]( WHEN: Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 12 p.m. WHERE: Lawry’s The Prime Rib [FORCES IN FOOD: AN INTERACTIVE CULINARY CONVERSATION WITH ELLEN BENNETT Of HEDLEY & BENNETT AND FRIENDS]( WHEN: Saturday, May 12, 2018 @ 12 p.m. WHERE: Hedley & Bennett Factory […A TUTTA PIZZA!]( WHEN: Sunday, May 13, 2018 at 12 p.m. WHERE: Hollywood Palladium [NIGHT MARKET]( WHEN: May 16-20, 2018 WHERE: Grand Park End of advertisement. L.A. STORIES Investigation, Part 1: City employees regularly park in the red and in front of fire hydrants when grabbing Starbucks and getting lunch. And they never get ticketed. [NBC Los Angeles]( Investigation, Part 2: The conditions inside some homeless shelters are so bad they prevent homeless people from getting to sleep indoors. [KPCC]( Mr. Mayor? Could Herb Wesson, City Hall’s longtime power player, be the next mayor? [Los Angeles Magazine]( CRIME AND COURTS Plot twist: Tony Stark may have to file a police report. Los Angeles police are investigating the disappearance of the original Iron Man suit worn by Robert Downey Jr. from a Pacoima warehouse, officials said Wednesday morning. [Los Angeles Times]( New allegations: A young woman alleges she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by friends of R&B singer Chris Brown at his home at a party filled with guns and drugs, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by attorney Gloria Allred. When LAPD officers attempted to enter the estate, the woman says, they weren’t allowed in. [Los Angeles Times]( Cracking down: The Los Angeles city attorney filed three lawsuits Wednesday against several individuals accused of selling illegal, banned, misbranded or counterfeit pharmaceuticals. [Los Angeles Times]( POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT What to make of that debate: Californians may only now be realizing there’s an election for governor in four weeks, but the men and women seeking the job have been on the campaign trail for a long time. They’ve worked hard at perfecting their moves. And they weren’t about to try something new in the most high-profile and perhaps final debate of the 2018 primary season. [Los Angeles Times]( George Skelton weighs in: Remembering George Deukmejian’s California. [Los Angeles Times]( Yikes: The source for all those needles littering the streets of San Francisco? City Hall, of course. [San Francisco Chronicle]( ADVERTISEMENT THE ENVIRONMENT Up in the mountains: The latest reminder of how fragile the Sierra snowpack is — and what that means to California’s water supply. [Washington Post]( And: Mapping how climate change is hitting California. [Sacramento Bee]( Here’s to you, Mr. Robinson: Remembering the famed hiker and writer who explained to generations the joys of roaming through Southern California’s mountains. [Orange County Register]( Amazing: A red tide that developed off San Diego over the past few days is producing one of nature’s small but grand spectacles: bioluminescent light in the ocean. The algae bloom is filled with bioluminescent phytoplankton that lights up when the micro-organisms tumble down the face of waves at and near the shore. [San Diego Union-Tribune]( Future is now: Can this command center prevent forest fires? [Press Democrat]( CALIFORNIA CULTURE Tough times: As Hollywood flocks to the coast of France for a week of deal-making and movie-watching, there are questions about the relevance of the Cannes Film Festival in this era of blockbusters, deflated box office numbers and social media domination. Is Cannes too elite? Is it too old school? Can it survive? [Los Angeles Times]( Vibrant: Large-scale murals are transforming the face of Oakland, which has more than 1,000 and will add at least seven more during its first Mural Festival in mid-May. The art is even becoming a tourist draw. [Los Angeles Times]( What a shock: Roman Polanski doesn’t like the #metoo movement. And it doesn’t like him. [Los Angeles Times]( Market watch: How high will the bidding war for Fox go? And how big a winner will Rupert Murdoch be? [Los Angeles Times]( Brick and mortar: Why it’s not that crazy to own big shopping malls in this age of Amazon. [Wall Street Journal]( Ha: Preparing your escape room. [The New Yorker]( Blast from the past: That San Francisco treasure hunt like no other. [San Francisco Chronicle]( Feast for the eyes: Johnathan Gold’s favorite food movies. [Los Angeles Times]( ADVERTISEMENT CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles area: sunny, 75, Thursday; partly cloudy, 70, Friday. San Diego: partly cloudy, 69, Thursday; partly cloudy, 63, Friday. San Francisco area: mostly sunny, 68, Thursday; partly cloudy, 72, Friday. Sacramento: mostly sunny, 85, Thursday; cloudy, 84, Friday. [More weather is here.]( AND FINALLY Today’s California memory comes from David Thompson: “I grew up in Canoga Park in the ’70s. Two things I have fond memories of both have to do with Brown’s Canyon wash. This was a time when the wash was not cemented and my brother, sisters and I would walk to the wash by Roscoe and De Soto looking for polliwogs and frogs. It was our little getaway from the suburb. I remember always going to Lumber City (there was no Home Depot back then) on Plummer and Canoga when my father had projects to complete around the house. There was not a bridge over the wash, and we would go down Plummer (from De Soto), down the little hill, drive/splash through the water, and back up the hill. The simplest things could bring me joy. It was always fun being a boy growing up in the Valley. Times have changed so much since growing up. It’s a lot different being a child today.” If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. [Send us an email](mailto:benjamin@latimes.com?subject=California%20Memory) 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](mailto:benjamin.oreskes@latimes.com) and [Shelby Grad](mailto:shelby.grad@latimes.com?subject=Essential%20California). Also follow them on Twitter [@boreskes]( and [@shelbygrad](. * This advertiser has no control over editorial decisions or content. [Email](mailto:?subject=Essential California: A political odd couple&body=[Twitter]( [Sign up for Newsletters]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( | Copyright © 2018 Los Angeles Times | 202 West First Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90012. | 1-800-LA-TIMES