Good morning. It’s Tuesday, June 16.
- Gavin Newsom says Donald Trump is coming after him.
- Eight die in B-52 bomber crash at Edwards Air Force Base.
- And a highly opinionated guide to L.A.’s neighborhoods.
Statewide
1.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday that federal agents have been questioning associates of him and his wife, Jennifer, as part of what he called a “fishing expedition” designed to punish him. Unnamed sources confirmed that multiple federal investigations related to the Newsoms were underway. President Trump, Newsom said, is “coming after me because I am considering running for president.” He added: “To get me, he’s coming after my wife.” A nonprofit founded by Jennifer Siebel Newsom has faced scrutiny in the past for accepting money from companies that lobby the governor. L.A. Times | N.Y. Times
- Newsom joins a growing list of adversaries targeted by Trump. The Wall Street Journal catalogued more than four dozen to date.
2.
Deaths are mounting across California as more teens ride powerful e-bikes. After an 81-year-old was killed in Orange County, the district attorney announced that he would go after the parents of dangerous riders. “If parents refuse to hold their children accountable, then I am going to hold parents accountable,” he said. In San Diego County, health officials have grown so alarmed by e-bike dangers that they recently urged doctors to screen young patients for e-bike use. The Los Angeles Times wrote about “California’s new Hells Angels.”
3.
Buying expensive art outside California.
Pumping money into real estate.
Shifting investments into Treasuries.
California’s richest residents have been huddling with tax and trust-and-estate advisers on creative strategies to avoid a proposed billionaire tax. Some have joked about divorcing to divide their worth. Wall Street Journal
4.
California condors are one of the state’s great wildlife recovery stories, brought back from near extinction in the 1980s to more than 400 birds today. A key to that success was the banning of lead ammunition, a toxic metal that found its way into carcasses eaten by the vultures. “One little fleck of lead gets in, and this great, tough, resilient animal just crumples,” said Joe Burnett, a biologist. But a recent study found that condors are still dying from lead poisoning. The leading culprit: a growing cohort of wild pig hunters unaware of the lead ban. National Geographic
5.
The Eastern Sierra is home to the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S., some of the prettiest lakes anywhere, and trees that sprouted when mammoths still roamed the earth. There’s also a stuffed “two-headed lamb.” The creature, actually a pair of conjoined lambs, can be found in a museum on the outskirts of Bishop and is known to stir skepticism among visitors. “It’s so perfect that it seems like it must be fake,” traveler Paul Koudounaris wrote after a visit. Yet it is very real, born dead on a local ranch in 1938 and recognized as a fitting display in a land of natural wonders. Visit Bishop | Atlas Obscura
Northern California
6.
Two young women died after being swept into the ocean by the rising tide while apparently napping on a beach just north of Santa Cruz last Wednesday, the authorities said on Monday. Kyle Breton, a volunteer fire official, said the women were near a natural arch in “an area that we’re finding catches people unaware.” Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, were both from Fremont and were both on track to graduate from college in 2027. “I’m still in shock,” Nair’s father said on Monday. KSBW | California Post
7.
“They tried, kudos for the effort.”
To get into the spirit of the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial, South San Francisco repainted its iconic hillside sign along Highway 101 in the colors of the American flag. The only problem: the darker shades of red and blue make it virtually impossible to read, leaving only the white letters — “THE INDUSTRIAL CITY” — clearly visible. The San Francisco Chronicle has pictures.
- San Francisco will do July Fourth fireworks from the Golden Gate Bridge, only the third time the span has hosted a pyrotechnics display, the mayor announced on Monday. S.F. Chronicle
Southern California
8.
A military official said Monday afternoon that “eight great Americans” were lost in the crash of an Air Force B-52 bomber at Edwards Air Force Base hears earlier. Video showed little more than black smoldering ash where the B-52 Stratofortress crashed and burst into flames in the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles. Radar data showed the aircraft arcing left, before entering a 5,000-foot-per-minute dive. Military officials said investigators were looking for a black box that could provide clues about what went awry. Washington Post | KABC
- Video taken shortly after the crash showed enormous amounts of smoke billowing skyward.
9.
LAPD officers responding to a call about a “screaming woman” in Canoga Park shot and killed her dog on Saturday night. Marie Marseille, a nurse who was born and raised in New York, had been celebrating the Knicks’ NBA championship win when officers showed up at her door. Police said later that Marseille’s dog — a 2-year-old golden retriever, Saint Bernard, poodle mix — rushed them, prompting the use of lethal force. Marseille said the dog simply walked outside: “He wasn’t growling, he wasn’t aggressive, he wasn’t barking.” Fox 11 | KABC
- Video showed the shooting aftermath, with Marseille collapsed in grief and sobbing, “He’s such a good dog!”
10.
Iran’s World Cup opener against New Zealand at Inglewood’s So-Fi stadium on Monday gave way to some strange scenes. Outside the stadium, hundreds of demonstrators from Los Angeles’ large Iranian diaspora protested, with some getting into heated exchanged with fans pouring into the stadium. At one point, protesters snatched an Iran flag from a fan and stomped on it. Inside the stadium, Iran was both cheered and jeered. Sahand Vafadary, who was born in Tehran, came to cheer for New Zealand. He said of the Iranian players: “Whether intentionally or not, they are being used as propaganda by the regime.” N.Y. Times | A.P.
11.
Los Angeles will host a musical celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, competing with President Trump’s plans for a Great American State Fair in Washington. Trump’s event saw a wave of cancellations shortly after the lineup was announced, as Young MC, Martina McBride, the Commodores, and others dropped out. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum concert, announced Monday, was planned by the nonprofit group America250, established by Congress a decade ago. It will feature Queen Latifah as host and performances by Smashing Pumpkins, Chris Stapleton, and others yet to be announced. N.Y. Times
12.
“Venice isn’t overt or trying to win you over. It’s subtle and hidden in small gardens and tucked-away restaurants. Avoid the boardwalk.”
“Go to the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesdays — it is holy.”
“Los Feliz is as if the best bits of Brooklyn have been transplanted into a suburb from the 1970s.”
The Financial Times drew upon the expertise of locals to create a fun guide to greater Los Angeles’ many neighborhoods.
Get your California Sun T-shirts, phone cases, hoodies, hats, and totes!
The California Sun, PO Box 6868, Los Osos, CA 93412
Wake up to must-read news from around the Golden State delivered to your inbox each morning.