Good morning. It’s Thursday, June 19.
- California’s immigrant hubs are paralyzed by fear.
- Deal to sell L.A. Lakers values team at $10 billion.
- And a 2,500-mile search for the state’s great motels.
Statewide
1.
Southern California’s immigrant hubs have become paralyzed by fear over ICE raids, multiple news outlets reported on Wednesday.
- Streets were empty in Los Angeles’ Garment District on Wednesday. “Everyone is scared,” said the owner of a quinceañera and bridal shop. “There’s a lot of people that just don’t want to come out.” L.A. Times
- In L.A.’s Koreatown, food truck owners that typically serve Latino workers said their sales have plummeted. “We were just getting back up from Covid,” once local said. “It feels like we’re getting shut down all over again.” Business Insider
- In Cudahy, in southeastern Los Angeles County, David Delfin planned to close his taco stand. “There’s no point in setting up, because there are no customers,” he said. “Everyone is staying home.” Eater Los Angeles
2.
As federal authorities have arrested hundreds of potentially undocumented immigrants in California this month, employers have been largely spared. In an exception, the manager of a metal coating business in San Diego County pleaded guilty on Wednesday to hiring undocumented workers. John Washburn, 57, acknowledged that he knew the employees had “bad paperwork.” Still, his lawyer, Patrick Griffin, accused the authorities of overreach. “This wasn’t about enforcing the law; it was about sending a message,” he said. “Unfortunately, the cruelty is the point.” S.D. Union-Tribune
3.
Other dispatches from President Trump’s deportation campaign:
- Joe Del Bosque, a grower in Fresno County, warned that some farms may fail if raids continue. His workers, he noted, are skilled, hardworking, and prepared to put in 10-hour days in searing summer heat. “We will lose crops,” he said. “Our system depends on being able to work every day through the season.” The Packer
- During a marijuana grow investigation in the Coachella Valley on Wednesday, federal agents arrested at least 70 undocumented immigrants, officials said. Rep. Raul Ruiz, a Democrat who represents the area, condemned the “militarization” of immigration enforcement. “This is not America,” he said. Desert Sun
- During a Santa Ana City Council meeting late Tuesday, dozens of speakers delivered a blistering five-hour rebuke to Mayor Valerie Amezcua over her response to ICE raids in the heavily Latino city. They’ve been angered in part by Amezcua’s portrayal of protests as “pure violence.” Many now want her recalled. Voice of OC | O.C. Register
4.
President Trump on Wednesday said he may withhold disaster assistance to California because of his dislike for Gov. Gavin Newsom. When asked if “recent dust-ups” would imperil California’s request for $40 billion in recovery aid after January’s devastating wildfires, Trump answered, “Yeah, maybe.” He added: “You know, hatred is never a good thing in politics. When you don’t like somebody, you don’t respect somebody, it’s harder for that person to get money if you’re on top.” Newsom responded on X: “Sucking up to the president should not be a requirement for him to do the right thing for the American people.” N.Y. Times
5.
The motel, invented at the midpoint between Los Angeles and San Francisco, was once thought of as a last resort for weary motorists. Nowadays, you can spend $1,000 a night to stay at motels that have moved from budget to boutique. For the 100-year anniversary of the lodgings with guest rooms that open to the outdoors, the travel journalist Christopher Reynolds embarked on epic search for the state’s greatest motels. Standouts included the Mojave Sands Motel in Joshua Tree, the Melody Ranch Motel in Paso Robles, and Motel Capri in San Francisco, pictured above. L.A. Times
Northern California
6.
Berkeley’s City Council adopted controversial wildfire rules late Tuesday that ban all plants within 5 feet of homes in the Berkeley Hills. One of the strictest such ordinances anywhere in California, it is expected to alter the charm of a neighborhood where camellia, wisteria, and wandering vines have adorned homes for generations. “It just feels horrific to anyone who loves nature,” homeowner Rhonda Gruska told the San Francisco Chronicle in April. “We care about the plants. We don’t want to rip them out and put in cement.” Berkeleyside
7.
“You get to basically do whatever you want.”
It’s been described as a helicopter parent’s worst nightmare. The idea behind Berkeley’s Adventure Playground, founded in 1979, is that the structures are created by those who play on them. That means, from day to day, grade schoolers with hammers and saws in their little hands are building and tearing apart an ever-evolving collection of forts, boats, and towers. Some educators say such “dangerous play” is not only fun, but essential to childhood development. SFGATE | Atlas Obscura
Southern California
8.
The Los Angeles Lakers, a family business since 1979, will be sold to the sports investor Mark Walter in a deal that values the team at roughly $10 billion, multiple outlets reported on Wednesday. The acquisition by Walter, who has interests in the Dodgers, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Premier League club Chelsea, would make the Lakers the world’s most valuable sports team, surpassing the Boston Celtics. Since Jerry Buss, who died in 2013, bought the Lakers for $67.5 million in 1979, the team has transformed into a “Showtime” juggernaut with 11 championships, the most of any NBA team during that span. L.A. Times | ESPN
9.
Westwood, a neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles, is home to the largest Iranian diaspora in the world. Many residents come from persecuted minorities, including Jews, Christians, and Assyrians. For some, Israel’s attacks on Iran have rekindled what has felt like a far-fetched dream: a future Iran they could possibly visit. Sam Yebri, a lawyer and community activist, said he doesn’t want to see innocent Iranians caught in the middle of a war. But he also sees potential for “a Berlin Wall moment.” The people of Iran, he said, “just need to be able to breathe again.” Wall Street Journal
10.
The runway lights at a San Diego airport were out when an approaching small plane crashed, killing all six aboard, in foggy weather on the night of May 22, investigators said in a report released Wednesday. The pilot, Dave Shapiro, had acknowledged the poor weather conditions with an air traffic controller. “I think we’ll be alright,” he said before making his descent. Shapiro pushed a button seven times in an attempt to activate the pilot-controlled runway lighting, which had been out of service since 2022, investigators said. The plane was only 60 feet above ground when it hit power lines. A.P. | KGTV
11.
Authorities said on Tuesday that they are searching for two wild donkeys seen wandering in Moreno Valley with arrows protruding from their torsos — as well as the assailants who shot them. “These troubling acts are being taken very seriously,” the Riverside County sheriff said in a statement. More than 1,000 wild donkeys live in the Inland Empire’s Reche Canyon. Many residents embrace their presence, but some have complained about the dangers the animals pose on roads. Desert Sun | L.A. Times
12.
A spaceship appears to have landed on the edge of downtown L.A. Eight years after its groundbreaking, the $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is nearing completion on what used to be a parking lot in Exposition Park. Until now, some critics have reserved judgement over what might seem like a vanity project by George Lucas, the “Star Wars” creator. But on Wednesday, the architecture writer Sam Lubell said it includes a “wonderful surprise”: a massive garden landscape that rolls across the grounds and atop the structure itself. Plans call for it to be open to anyone, even those without a museum ticket. L.A. Times
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