Good morning. It’s Monday, Oct. 24.
- Sacheen Littlefeather’s sisters say she was an ethnic fraud.
- L.A.’s “absolutely insane” approach to homelessness.
- And a haunting film inspired by Charles Bukowski’s poetry.
Statewide
1.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and his Republican challenger, state Sen. Brian Dahle, met Sunday for their only debate in the 2022 race for governor. In a back-and-forth that largely echoed messaging from the two major political parties, Newsom accused Dahle of regurgitating “Big Oil’s talking points” and opposing abortion rights, while Dahle portrayed Newsom as an elitist whose policies were “driving up the cost of everything.” KQED | S.F. Chronicle | A.P.
Five takeaways from the debate. 👉 Sacramento Bee
2.
In a press briefing on Sunday, Newsom called for the resignations of two Los Angeles City Council members — Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo — who participated in a racist closed-door conversation. Asked why he didn’t do so earlier, Newsom said he had wanted to give the members “space” to justify what they said: “So we’re hoping and looking forward to [resignation] announcements soon.” Cedillo lost his June primary and will be replaced soon, but de León has said he won’t step down. L.A. Times | Sacramento Bee
3.
There’s a Twitter account that posts rejected applications for personalized California license plates — and it’s amazing. The posts include the applicant’s desired sequence of letters, the stated explanation, the DMV’s concern, and the decision to accept or deny. One applicant’s gamely attempt to justify ASSMNKY, above, did not get past the government censors. KQED
4.
The travel author Andrew Collins wrote the book on North American road trips. Asked to name five of the best fall road trips, he included a route through Paso Robles on the Central Coast. Wine country landscapes like the one pictured above are a big reason, but there is also incredible food and hiking. Outside
Northern California
5.
Sacheen Littlefeather became famous as the Apache actress who declined Marlon Brando’s Oscar on his behalf in 1973. But in a stunning piece, a researcher made the case that Littlefeather, who died on Oct. 2, was an ethnic fraud who adopted a Native American persona after attending San Jose State in the 1960s. “It’s a lie,” said one of Littlefeather’s sisters, Trudy Orlandi. “It is a fraud,” said another sister, Rosalind Cruz. “It’s disgusting to the heritage of the tribal people. And it’s just … insulting to my parents.” S.F. Chronicle
6.
San Francisco’s plan to build a $1.7 million toilet in a neighborhood square is now in doubt. After a column in the San Francisco Chronicle generated outrage over the price tag, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the state would withhold funding for the project until the city delivers a plan to bring the cost down. “A single, small bathroom should not cost $1.7 million,” spokeswoman Erin Mellon said. S.F. Chronicle
7.
A Mercedes-Benz convertible was found buried in the yard of a $15 million Bay Area mansion once owned by a man convicted of murder and insurance fraud. Police said the vehicle, discovered by landscapers in the ultrawealthy enclave of Atherton last Thursday, was reported stolen in 1992 and was filled with bags of concrete. Cadaver dogs, they said, gave a “slight notification” of human remains, but there were no reports of any bodies as of the weekend. NBC Bay Area | SFist
8.
As a young Hollywood actor, Michael Larrain had a promising career. He performed alongside Lloyd Bridges and Edward Asner and had roles in “Gunsmoke” and “Ironside.” But he found the work “silly,” he said. So he walked away and moved to Cotati, a funky little town in Sonoma County, and began selling flowers out of his car. Nearly 50 years later, Larrain is still selling flowers. “My retirement program calls for stepping in front of a bus, I think.” Press Democrat
Southern California
9.
In 2016, Los Angeles approved a property tax hike that raised $1.2 billion to house the homeless. Roughly 21,000 people lived on the street then. Today, the number is 28,000. Ezra Klein wrote a devastating account of how Los Angeles’ attempts to solve homelessness have buckled under a system of community opposition, excessive regulation, and ballooning costs. “Many want solutions, just not that solution, situated near them or their child’s school. And no, not that one either; it’s hideous.” N.Y. Times
From Menlo Park to Laguna Beach, residents are turning to the ballot box to fight housing mandates. KQED
10.
For a long time, Los Angeles saw stormwater as a liability, a cause of floods and erosion to be quickly whisked away and dumped into the ocean. That changed about a decade ago as policymakers began to reimagine urban areas as “sponge cities” that allow rainwater to seep into depleted aquifers. One of the most important projects in Los Angeles is the Tujunga Spreading Grounds, pictured above, a giant puddle that is expected to capture up to 16,000 acre-feet of rainwater a year. WIRED
11.
There was a spate of antisemitic propaganda across Los Angeles over the weekend. In Beverly Hills, flyers were distributed blaming gun control on Jewish people. Along the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles, a group of demonstrators draped banners along an overpass that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” and “Honk if you know.” Pictures showed them giving Nazi salutes. KTLA | L.A. Times
Three of Hollywood’s top agency chiefs are now calling on the entertainment industry to cut ties with Kanye West over his antisemitic rhetoric. Hollywood Reporter
12.
The L.A. Times famously called Charles Bukowski the “poet laureate of Los Angeles low-life.” The hard-drinking writer lived on the margins, but found humor, honesty, and even beauty there. The award-winning directing duo Zackary Canepari and Drea Cooper combined a reading of Bukowski’s poem “Bluebird” with scenes of California to haunting effect. 👉 ZCDC (~2 mins)
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