Newsletter: LAPD’s stance on immigration won’t change with Trump presidency

Good morning. It is Tuesday, Nov. 15. Are Californians to blame for the avocado shortage? Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Immigration policy

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says the election of Donald Trump won’t do anything to change the police department’s stance on immigration. A long-standing special order prevents L.A. cops from initiating contact with someone solely to determine their legal status. Under Beck’s leadership, LAPD moved away from honoring requests to detain inmates who may be eligible for deportation. “We are not going to work in conjunction with Homeland Security on deportation efforts. That is not our job, nor will I make it our job,” Beck said. Los Angeles Times

What’s the plan?

So what exactly is President-elect Trump planning on deportations? His advisors are drafting plans to resume workplace raids and to ramp up pressure on local police and jails to identify immigrants in the country illegally. Trump’s goal is to deport 2 million to 3 million migrants who he says are criminals. Los Angeles Times

Get your motor running

California car lovers have a new playground — if the price is right. Porsche Motorsports North America has opened a $60-million facility in Carson where car lovers can hone their driving skills on a 4.1-mile track featuring a 3/4-mile straightaway, banked curves, water hazards and a slalom driving area. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Out in the streets: Hundreds of students left class to protest in the streets of Los Angeles Monday. Students from Eastside high schools met in Boyle Heights’ Mariachi Plaza and marched to City Hall. Los Angeles Times

Run for office: A neighborhood activist whose lawsuits stopped construction on a Target store in East Hollywood is now running for the Los Angeles City Council. Doug Haines has been at the center of a host of lawsuits that challenge the city’s planning and approvals process. He is running for the seat held by incumbent Councilman Mitch O’Farrell. Los Angeles Times

Lunch time: These may be the best food trucks in Los Angeles. LA Weekly

More development: An L.A. super-developer has won approval from the Planning Commission to build a sleek, ultra-luxury 19-story tower next to the Beverly Center. Critics say it’s too tall for the neighborhood. Curbed LA

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Made in the USA (or not): California’s High-Speed Rail Authority is seeking a federal exemption to import critical train parts including motors, gearboxes, axles, wheels and brakes. “If this waiver is granted, it virtually guarantees that there will be no chance for a domestic high-speed rail industry to take root in this country,” said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. Los Angeles Times

What could have been: Talk about the road not taken. In 2014, political consultant Ace Smith mapped out a vision for Hillary Clinton’s presidential run that centered on helping the middle class. She didn’t follow that strategy — but Trump did. Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

Police support: The union that represents rank-and-file members of the LAPD complained Monday that the department was not adequately prepared to handle thousands of protesters in the wake of last week’s election. The Police Protective League also criticized Mayor Eric Garcetti for supporting the demonstrators. “When officers are being physically assaulted, when property is being vandalized, those are words of encouragement to those who intend on breaking the law,” said union president Craig Lally. Los Angeles Times

Follow the rules: LAPD officers are going undercover to catch Uber and Lyft drivers breaking the law. The stings are funded with fees cabdrivers pay to help catch bandit taxi drivers. “A lot of the [rideshare] people we are arresting — believe it or not — we are arresting for their own safety so they are not putting people in the cars that can hurt them,” said Lt. Dave Ferry. 89.3 KPCC

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Headed in the right direction: The number of juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon spawning on the Sacramento River and heading out to sea doubled from 2015. “It’s too early to declare a huge success,” said Garwin Yip, branch chief for water operations at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries California Central Valley Office. Associated Press

Not a drop to drink: The reservoir that provides Santa Barbara County’s drinking water is nearly empty. “I don’t know what will happen if we get the same amount of [precipitation] we got this winter. The wells will go dry, and they will fail,” said Bruce Wales, general manager of the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District. Washington Post

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Boys in blue: Dodger Corey Seager is the National League rookie of the year. He’s the first Dodger to win the honor since 1994. Los Angeles Times

Armageddon: U.S. agencies engaged in a “planetary protection exercise” last month about what to do if an asteroid hits Los Angeles. New York Times

Leader passes: The longtime executive of Stater Bros. Markets died Sunday at the age of 78. Jack H. Brown joined the company in 1981. “Jack touched every one of us in a very personal way, and it is that legacy that we must carry forward. He loved the business, his company and each one of us,” said Stater Bros. President and CEO Pete Van Helden. Orange County Register

Cover up: A couple looking for a perfect spot for some pregnancy photos went to Baker Beach, which has incredible view of the Golden Gate. But it’s also a famous nude beach. And you know what happened next… SFGate

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Riverside will be 86 degrees and mostly sunny. It will be 76 and mostly sunny in San Diego. It will be sunny with a high of 80 degrees in Los Angeles. San Francisco will be 65 and mostly cloudy. It will be mostly cloudy and 66 in Sacramento.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Tony Branch:

“It was 1957 and I was a junior student at Palo Alto High School in what was then called the Santa Clara Valley (now Silicon Valley). Civics was a required class in those days, and I remember well my teacher discussing the electoral college. Brought up to believe in ‘one person, one vote’ democracy, I asked what would happen if a presidential candidate received a larger popular vote margin but lost the electoral college to another. My teacher said not to worry and assured me that it was a rather dim possibility since it had not happened since Benjamin Harrison over Cleveland in 1888. For the second time in 16 years, it appears we have (largely because of California’s huge margin for Clinton) the election of a president without a popular vote mandate. That made me think of that class session 60 long years ago.”

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email 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 Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.