Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Aug. 19.
- Yosemite fires biologist over trans flag protest.
- California Democrats warm up to Big Oil.
- And the allure of Death Valley in the summer.
Statewide
1.
As California Democrats advanced their tit-for-tat congressional redistricting war with Texas on Monday, Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to use every lever he has to thwart what he called an “illegal power grab.” “[Gov. Gavin] Newsom obviously wants to launch a presidential campaign on the backs of disenfranchised California voters, but it will not work,” the Republican wrote on X. Newsom responded by citing Johnson’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. “Won’t be taking advice on ‘disenfranchising’ voters from you, thanks,” he wrote. Sacramento Bee | The Hill
2.
A fatal crash in Florida alleged to involve an illegal immigrant from Stockton set off a chorus of condemnation from Trump administration figures. In an Aug. 12 incident captured on video, a tractor-trailer driven by Harjinder Singh, 28, made an illegal U-turn, causing a collision that left three people dead, officials said. He was charged with homicide. The Department of Homeland Security accused Gov. Gavin Newsom of “arming” Singh with a commercial trucking license. But a Newsom spokesperson said Singh, who had an asylum claim, was granted a federal work permit, which allowed him to get the license. “He would have been eligible in any state,” she said. S.F. Chronicle | A.P.
3.
“The J6’ers did nothing wrong.”
Asylum seekers are “illegal scum.”
The white nationalist replacement theory “is real.”
Transgender people are “freaks” and “child molesters.”
Those are some of the views espoused by Eric Lendrum, a speechwriter in the Department of Homeland Security, according to a review of his online writings and podcast episodes. According to his biography, Lendrum grew up in Hanford and graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2017 before working on the campaign of then-Rep. Devin Nunes, one of President Trump’s most ardent allies. NOTUS | Daily Beast
4.
During the months of June, July, and August, the heat in Death Valley is outlandish. In July 2024 there were nine consecutive days when temperatures hit 125 degrees or higher. Yet roughly a quarter of the national park’s more than 1 million annual visitors go there during the summer. For some, the heat is the point. Erika Small, 52, said Death Valley is enchanting any time of year, but especially in summer. “The desert almost seems more alive,” she said. The New York Times wrote about “the allure of Death Valley in the summer.”
5.
“I want to be having fun first and then be taking photos after that.”
In “Another Patch of Sky,” photographer Brian Chorski showcases the landscapes of the American West in a collection of pictures that is more travelogue than survey. The images were taken during trips with friends: they swim in the Owens River, hike in Glacier National Park, and fish in Baja, Mexico. Each seems to convey a sense of escape and endless sun. Field Mag | Afar
Northern California
6.
Yosemite National Park fired a wildlife biologist for hanging a transgender pride flag on El Capitan. Shannon Joslin, 35, who studies bats, received a termination letter on Aug. 12 that said Joslin had “failed to demonstrate acceptable conduct” during the May 20 demonstration. Supporters of Joslin, who is gay and identifies as nonbinary, portrayed the dismissal as an assault on free speech. Joslin said it’s devastating: “Yosemite is like my whole life.” N.Y. Times | Bloomberg
7.
A Giants outfielder caught a ball between his knees on Sunday.
When Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz drove a pitch deep into the outfield, Jung Hoo Lee went into a slide to make the catch. But the ball popped out of his glove, after which Lee somehow managed to pin it between his knees. Lee coolly held up the ball and tipped his hat. The broadcasters were beside themselves. “I don’t care what anybody says, that’s the catch of the decade,” said Duane Kuiper. See it here. 👉 MLB.com
8.
There are a bunch of cream-colored raccoons living along the edge of Oakland’s Lake Merritt. The animals’ striking hue is the result of leucism, a rare pigmentation disorder similar to albinism. Sightings are said to be routine among some locals. For others, the creatures tend to elicit a mix of confusion and instant affection. “I want her,” is a typical response to pictures posted on social media. Alexis Leya shared a great video of a leucistic raccoon up to some apparent mischief in Oakland in April. 👉 TikTok
Southern California
9.
Just last fall, Gov. Gavin Newsom was castigating Big Oil for “screwing” consumers. The Legislature held two special sessions to crack down on alleged price-gouging of gas consumers. But after two of California’s remaining fuel refineries announced plans to close sooner than expected — threatening to drive up gas prices — there’s been a shift at the state Capitol. Newsom and Democratic lawmakers are now negotiating how to get Kern County oil wells pumping again. CalMatters called it a “headspinning realignment.”
10.
Aveson School of Leaders, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, had a gorgeous campus, with colorful stucco buildings surrounded by orchards and gardens. “It was a piece of paradise,” said Daniela Anino, the school’s site director. Then the Eaton fire destroyed it in January. At first, it seemed unthinkable that the spring musical, “Alice in Wonderland,” would happen. But school leaders decided it must. A reporter and photographer spent five months with the students as they prepared for the big performance. N.Y. Times
11.
Jasveen Sangha, the woman known to customers as the “Ketamine Queen,” agreed to plead guilty to selling the ketamine that killed the actor Matthew Perry, federal prosecutors said on Monday. “She’s taking responsibility for her actions,” said her lawyer, Mark Geragos. Sangha, 42, a product of Calabasas High School and UC Irvine, flaunted a glamorous life on Instagram, jet-setting around the world and rubbing shoulders with celebrities. Yet many acquaintances didn’t know what she did for a living. She faces up to 65 years in prison. L.A. Times | A.P.
12.
Many Southern Californians have never heard of Piru, Fillmore, or Santa Paula, three small towns along Highway 126 just an hour north of Los Angeles. But those who take the time to visit the hidden rural oasis find miles of citrus groves, heaps of history, and fantastic Mexican food, wrote travel journalist Edwin Goei: “This, you realize, is what Southern California looked like before suburbia moved in.” L.A. Times
Correction
Monday’s newsletter misspelled the name of a Central Coast city. It’s Montecito, not Mentecito.
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