Newsletter: Police in California try to stop hate crimes before they happen

Good morning. It’s Monday, Nov. 28, and here is what’s going on around California:

TOP STORIES

How to stop the hate?

The election has brought numerous high-profile allegations of hate crimes and crude, rude speech across California. Law enforcement has responded with a series of new efforts and public education programs. Police want people to report all incidents — even ones likely protected under the 1st Amendment. Will it work? Los Angeles Times

Playing catch-up in school

Latino children have the lowest rates of preschool attendance among all racial and ethnic groups. A 2015 UC Berkeley study of 4,550 children nationwide found that although Latino children showed roughly the same level of language comprehension as their white peers at 9 months old, four-fifths had fallen up to 5 months behind by the time they were 2. Can these kids catch up? We tell the story through one girl’s eyes. Los Angeles Times

The big tree die-off

California has more than 102 million dead trees in its forests, creating a major ecological and public safety problem. What do you do with all those dead trees? It’s an expensive and vexing question officials are beginning to face. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Wild things: The L.A. Zoo is turning 50. When the facility opened to the public Nov. 28, 1966, The Times wrote Los Angeles could finally “rid itself of the unenviable distinction of being the only major city in the world without a major zoo.” Los Angeles Times

Buzz in the air: Meet the beekeeper of Boyle Heights and how he’s part of a movement in L.A. to allow bees as, well, a kind of domesticated creature. Boyle Heights Beat

Crispy perfection: L.A. has long been the king of the hamburger. Can a new wave of gourmet fried chicken take on the mighty burger? Orange County Register

Your ad here: The world of commerce would pry open the schoolhouse door a little wider under a proposal to put a commercial digital billboard on the campus of Hollywood High School. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Election analysis: California has now conducted 469 regularly scheduled races under the top-two primary system — elections for governor, Congress and every seat in the Legislature. It brought changes but likely only on the margins. Los Angeles Times

Historic move: A woman of color will be elected to join House leadership this week for the first time, and she’ll be a Democrat from California. But will it be Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier) or Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) for vice chair of the Democratic Caucus? Los Angeles Times

On the bubble: California is leading the way again — this time with soda taxes. Victories in the Bay Area mean the sugar tax will likely spread across the nation. New York Times

Lesson plan: The battle over bilingual education likely isn’t over in California. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Attorney-client privileges: The State Bar of California already prohibits attorneys from coercing a client into sex or demanding sex in exchange for legal representation, but a proposal for an all-out ban on sexual relationships is meeting resistance from some lawyers. Associated Press

Unpaid bills: In a practice that is raising eyebrows, Cathedral City is suing hundreds of people who didn’t pay ambulance bills when receiving emergency medical care. Desert Sun

Hate message: Letters that threatened the genocide of Muslims and praised President-elect Donald Trump were sent to multiple California mosques this week. Los Angeles Times

Fatal crash: Authorities say four people died when their car veered off the 110 Freeway and burst into flames in Gardena early Sunday. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Here comes the rain again: A series of winter storms has made Southern California’s November, well, feel like a normal November. Los Angeles Times

Quake alerts: The detection of gravity signals created by earthquakes could potentially improve early warning times. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Heartbreaking tale: The story of a homeless woman who went into labor in a San Diego encampment and found support, despite some initial resistance. San Diego Union-Tribune

A lose-lose proposition: Why the 49ers’ bad season is costing a lot of people a lot of money. San Francisco Chronicle

Tea time: Are there really no great Chinese restaurants in San Francisco? A look at dim sum’s journey across the Pacific. Wall Street Journal

Words matter: Malibu will be looking for its first poet laureate, a position being filled in an increasing number of cities. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Southern California: A cool start to the week as rain gives way to sunny skies; highs in the mid-60s. Bay Area: Clouds early in the week give way to possible showers Wednesday. Sacramento: Cloudy conditions, with highs in the 50s.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for notable Californians: retired Dodgers announcer Vin Scully (Nov. 29, 1927), UC President Janet Napolitano (Nov. 29, 1957), Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia (Dec. 2, 1977), Silicon Valley billionaire Sean Parker (Dec. 3, 1979) and Rep. Grace Napolitano (Dec. 4, 1936).

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.