Newsletter: Essential California: How the USC med school scandal could affect a major court case

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, Aug. 21, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Long shadow of a scandal at USC

Of the many consequences of the drug scandal involving former USC medical school dean Carmen Puliafito, few are as high-stakes as the possible effect on the legal battle between the University of California and USC over the defection of a star UC Alzheimer’s disease researcher. Puliafito was a key figure in luring the researcher to USC. Hundreds of millions of dollars are potentially at stake in the legal battle. Los Angeles Times

Plus: USC moved to further distance itself from the former dean of its medical school at the center of a scandal, downplaying Puliafito’s much-touted performance as a fundraiser for the university. USC’s senior vice president for university advancement said in a letter to alumni and supporters that assertions that Puliafito raised more than $1 billion while leading the Keck School of Medicine were overblown and that the physician was personally responsible for collecting barely 1% of that amount over the last seven years. Los Angeles Times

Talking about the end of life

Some doctors in California felt uncomfortable last year when a new law began allowing terminally ill patients to request lethal medicines, saying their careers had been dedicated to saving lives, not ending them. But physicians across the state say the conversations that health workers are having with patients are leading to patients’ fears and needs around dying being addressed better than ever before. They say the law has improved medical care for sick patients, even those who don’t take advantage of it. Los Angeles Times

Trash sticker shock

El Sereno resident Scott Toland is another unhappy customer of L.A.’s new refuse and recycling program. Toland recently learned that because of an assortment of extra fees, all backed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council as part of RecycLA, the monthly trash bill at the 10-unit condominium complex where he lives could double — at a minimum. And that’s only if his homeowner association cuts back on regular trash pickup. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Eclipse watch: L.A. residents won’t see a total eclipse of the sun this morning — a partial eclipse is all they can hope for — but if the weather cooperates, it should still be a pretty good show. Above Southern California, the moon will start to edge into the sun just after 9 a.m. Pacific time. The maximum eclipse will happen at 10:21 a.m. Here’s our guide to watching safely. Los Angeles Times

Neediest cases: Steve Lopez’s columns have been something special of late. Here’s his latest about a woman whose life unraveled in Los Angeles and is now living in her car. She hopes to regain her health and her job. Los Angeles Times

Saying no to hate: A popular Southern California pastor denounced white nationalists and called for a “spiritual awakening” as he kicked off an annual Christian retreat in Anaheim this weekend attended by more than 25,000 people. Los Angeles Times

Don’t pick up the phone: Robocalls are annoying, but some Southern California area codes get more than others. It’s an especially bad problem in the 310 and 949. Here’s a breakdown. Orange County Register

Trojans’ horse: Traveler, USC’s mascot, is coming under scrutiny for having a name similar to that of Robert E. Lee’s horse. Los Angeles Times

Hindenburg Park: How La Crescenta has dealt with its own Nazi history. Salon

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

Protest in Laguna Beach: Hundreds of counter-protesters showed up at Sunday’s “America First!” rally, apparently far outnumbering those participating in an event billed as a vigil for victims of crimes committed by immigrants in the U.S. illegally. The protests were largely peaceful, if tense and loud, for much of the evening. Los Angeles Times

Arrested: The brother of a leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel was indicted on drug smuggling charges Friday, a day after he was arrested at the border in Nogales, Ariz., the U.S. attorney’s office in San Diego said. San Diego Union-Tribune

Innovative: In a change of tactics, smugglers are using drones to fly meth over Mexican border into San Diego, officials say. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

No help for residents: For five years, Los Angeles has been issuing health advisories to housing developers, warning of the dangers of building near freeways. But when the city moved to alert residents as well, officials rejected it. Planning commissioners axed a provision to require traffic pollution signs on some new, multifamily developments from an environmental ordinance on the grounds that it would burden developers and hurt market values. Los Angeles Times

Cool graphic: Now that he’s left the White House and returned to Breitbart, here’s how Steve Bannon became the face of a political movement with roots in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times

For your radar: The concern over the cost of prescription drug prices has been overshadowed for the past year by the marquee healthcare battles gripping Sacramento and Washington. That’s not likely to be the case much longer. The effort to rein in pharmaceutical costs is poised for a major showdown as state lawmakers enter their final month of the legislative year. Los Angeles Times

California versus the USA: California is writing a new chapter in the centuries-old “states’ rights” conflict. Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

Teacher arrested: A female teacher at the elite Brentwood School has been arrested on suspicion of having sex with an teenage student. Los Angeles Times

Drawing a line: City Atty. Mike Feuer said Friday that he would urge Los Angeles officials to consider imposing restrictions or even deny permits to hate groups seeking to rally here to prevent the kind of violent clashes that erupted at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. Los Angeles Times

Paintball attacks on the rise: In South Los Angeles, paintball attacks have nearly tripled in the last year, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s South Bureau counting 68 paintball victims, compared with 24 at this time last year. Los Angeles Times

“My son deserves justice”: The father of the good Samaritan who died after he tried to break up a fight in Riverside’s downtown area Friday asked for witnesses or others with knowledge about who might have been involved to come forward. San Bernardino Sun

THE ENVIRONMENT

Some help for beachgoers: The San Mateo County sheriff’s office says visitors to Martins Beach won’t be arrested if they go around gates locked by billionaire Vinod Khosla. The Mercury News

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Comfort fare: With more than 450 original series in production this year, television is booming, yet viewers are also turning to such well-worn fare as as “The Golden Girls,” “Full House” and the political drama “The West Wing,” which debuted when Bill Clinton occupied the White House. Streaming services are giving these shows new life. Los Angeles Times

Sticker shock: Resale websites StubHub, SeatGeek and VividSeats report that secondhand tickets to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash Broadway hit “Hamilton” are selling for $467 to $510 a ticket, on average. That bests the 2013 Pantages run of “The Lion King,” which had an average ticket resale value of $209. Los Angeles Times

“Physically idealized” roles: Body acceptance is becoming a big deal in many parts of American culture — but not so much in Hollywood. New York Times

A deeply personal film: A story about the L.A. riots, seen through the perspective of Korean Americans, makes its way onto the big screen. Los Angeles Times

Uber’s next leader? Former General Electric Chief Executive Jeff Immelt has emerged as the front-runner to become Uber’s CEO. Recode

Third-shift magic: Disneyland Resort honored its overnight workers with a middle-of-the-night party. Orange County Register

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: sunny and 77. San Diego: sunny and 73. San Francisco area: mostly sunny and 67. Sacramento: mostly sunny and 88. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for those who made a mark in California: Google co-founder

Sergey Brin (Aug. 21, 1973), former Gov. Pete Wilson (Aug. 23, 1933), retired Laker Kobe Bryant (Aug. 23, 1978), 12-time Olympic swimming medalist Natalie Coughlin and Rep. Raul Ruiz (Aug. 25, 1972).

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 Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.