Newsletter: On the immigration front, it’s University of California vs. Trump

Good morning. It’s Thursday, Dec. 1. Here’s what’s going on around California:

TOP STORIES

UC vs. Trump

The University of California appears to be on a collision course with Donald Trump over the issue of students in this country illegally. The UC said it would refuse to assist federal immigration agents, turn over confidential records without court orders or supply information for any national registry based on race, national origin or religion. It’s the latest sign that Trump will have a fight on his hands as his administration begins a new crackdown on illegal immigration. Los Angeles Times

Pelosi soldiers on

Nancy Pelosi won another term as Democratic minority leader after she fended off a rival who said the November election showed the party needs change at the top. But how much has she been weakened? She expanded her leadership team to include more seats at the table for younger members and those from states Trump won. And some wonder how long the 76-year-old San Francisco congresswoman will be at the helm. Los Angeles Times

L.A.’s budget guru’s surprise move

Los Angeles City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, who was instrumental in helping the city recover from a crippling budget crisis, will leave his post next year to run the troubled organization in charge of staging the county fair in Pomona. The move appears to be bad news for L.A. City Hall, where Santana is credited with holding the line on spending, and good news for the L.A. County Fair Assn., which has been the subject of a Times investigation and critical government audits. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Coming to L.A.: “Ballers,” the HBO series starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is the latest TV series relocating to Los Angeles to take advantage of the state’s expanded tax incentive program. Other TV series that have taken advantage of California’s program include HBO’s “Veep,” which moved from Maryland, and FX’s “American Horror Story,” from Louisiana. Los Angeles Times

Poke problems? Is there a dark side to L.A.’s obsession with poke? Some fear it could be harming the environment. LA Weekly

Surf and sand: You’ve never seen Venice Beach quite like this. A drone video that gets into some tight places. Vimeo

Eastside story: More residential development is planned next to Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, which is the setting for a major gentrification battle. Urbanize LA

Michelin food truck: Daniel Humm is a Swiss-born co-owner of the New York City restaurant Eleven Madison Park, which has three Michelin stars. Now he has an L.A. food truck that finished a stint at the Line Hotel in Koreatown and is currently making its way through Hollywood. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Hollywood ending: A closer look at the extensive Hollywood career of Steven Mnuchin, who is Trump’s pick for treasury secretary. Washington Post

More Mnuchin: Why he’s a polarizing choice. Los Angeles Times

Labor strife: The Brown administration is warning of discipline for workers who take part in a planned one-day strike organized by state government’s biggest public employee union. Sacramento Bee

Homeless help: Shipping containers on wheels might be Oakland’s solution to its homelessness problem. “The sexiest version to me is to just park them on city streets,” said the effort’s chief backer. “We have six parking spaces per vehicle in the United States. Parking garages are also an interesting opportunity.” SF Gate

CRIME AND COURTS

Broken promises? A year after the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, some workers say the government’s pledge of support rings hollow. Los Angeles Times

Official’s slaying: The wife of slain Bell Gardens Mayor Daniel Crespo pleaded guilty Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting of her husband two years ago, capping a lurid case marked by allegations of domestic violence and infidelity in the couple’s tumultuous marriage. Lyvette Crespo will be sentenced to 90 days in county jail. Los Angeles Times

New twists: Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said that Sherri Papini’s husband may have compromised the investigation into her kidnapping when he released details of her time in captivity to the media without notifying law enforcement. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

The rich getting soaked on water? Residents in the mansion-lined community of Hillsborough on the San Francisco Peninsula are suing, claiming that the tiered water rates imposed as a conservation effort are forcing them to pay too much. The town is one of the nation’s wealthiest, with a median home value of $4.3 million, so the suit is raising eyebrows. Mercury News

Mystery from the deep: Some very strange-looking jelly-like creatures are showing up on Orange County beaches. “I’ve never seen anything like that before, it looks odd,” said one lifeguard. Orange County Register

Live streaming: How California learned to love its rivers again. Fresno Bee

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

North vs. South at the grocery checkout: For a while, self-serve checkout lanes have been all the rage at supermarkets. But Albertsons and Vons are now removing these lanes at some stores in Southern California. Why? “In areas where we have a more tech-savvy customer base, like Northern California, there are more stores that have them. In stores where the self-checkouts aren’t as popular, a division might put in more express lanes,” a spokesman said. Orange County Register

Cooling down? Home sales in red-hot Bay Area counties are declining significantly. Is it a temporary blip or the beginning of a real estate bust? Mercury News

A grim tour: A trip through a dark chapter in California history: the Japanese American internment camp of Manzanar. Los Angeles Times

Going upscale: How the Farmer’s Daughter motel across from Farmer’s Market went from low-rent to upscale, a symbol of the area’s changing fortunes and tastes. LAist

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles: A warm-up is in the works, with temperatures moving into the 70s by the weekend. San Francisco: Clouds by the weekend, with highs around 60. Sacramento: A cloudy weekend with a chance of rain by Monday.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Rita Montes Martin:

“I will be 95 years old this month. I remember living at 10th and Alvarado and being able to walk home at night from roller skating at the Shrine Auditorium. I attended Berendo Jr. High and graduated from Fremont High. I worked at all the Spanish theaters along Broadway, though I couldn’t speak Spanish. Los Angeles will always be my hometown.”

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 Shelby Grad.