In California: YIMBY sues city for blocking a nursing home
Housing advocacy group YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) and a developer sue Simi Valley after it denies an assisted-living complex, testing a new state law designed to spur the creation of homes. And more people make their way out of the Golden State, blaming homelessness and crime.
It's Arlene with news for your the primary-is-one-week-away Tuesday.
But first, turkey legs + churros + Disneyland helped a man lose 150 pounds and start a whole 'nother journey. It really is the Happiest Place on Earth. <3
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Is assisted housing really housing?
It seemed like a done deal. City planners recommended approval of the 108-unit senior care facility and it matched both the general plan and zoning. Elected officials voted it down anyway, responding to resident concerns over alleged traffic, construction noise, diminished views and fears of decreased property values.
The developer and housing advocacy group YIMBY are now suing Simi Valley, arguing the council lacks the authority to deny the project based on recently passed state housing laws.
At issue is whether a unit without a kitchen or kitchenette can be deemed a residential unit. Read more about this case, which is likely to surface again because so many residents don't want new housing.
CSU's expansion, California Lottery's spending problem and Weinstein gets sick
CSU looks to expand and it's narrowed its search to Palm Desert, Stockton, Concord, Chula Vista and San Mateo County.
Audience members of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show" got $212,500 in free scratchers, a California Lottery giveaway the state controller's office is investigating as a possible misuse of funds. Separately, the state auditor has determined the lottery may have shortchanged California schools by $36 million in fiscal year 2018.
En route to Rikers Island jail, convicted Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was hospitalized with high blood pressure. His defense team said it plans to immediately seek bail pending an appeal.
Latinos opening small businesses faster than any other group
Over the past 10 years, the number of Latino business owners grew 34%, compared to 1% for all business owners in the United States, according to a recent study from Stanford University. And more Latinos than ever are applying for small business loans to launch or grow their operations.
But Latino-owned companies remain smaller than white-owned firms, averaging $1.2 million in revenue compared with $2.3 million brought in by a white-owned company. That is a problem, said Jerry Porras, a professor emeritus of organizational behavior and change at Stanford Business School and co-founder of the Latino Business Action Network.
"I think that there's really a positive story when you look at Latino businesses across the country," he said. "The number is smaller as a base but it's growing very rapidly. Latinos are oriented towards starting businesses and are doing it at a significant rate.”
This story is part of the USA TODAY Network's series Hecho en USA, which focuses on the nation's growing Latino community. The stories are meant to tell the stories of some of the nation’s 59.9 million Latinos. See other stories about bilingual education, Little Havana and college education.
What else we're talking about
Ventura joins 100 other cities in banning restaurants from using plastic foam cups and containers. Retail stores may also be subject to the city's ban in the future. In other city news, the Church of Scientology apologizes for releasing hundreds of balloons during its grand-opening celebration at its new site off Highway 101.
Doctors who write vaccine exemptions are supposed to get increased scrutiny if they've been flagged for past violations. But when does that scrutiny start?
Democracy just got a little mightier in Hayward, where the city will provide free child care to parents/guardians who want to go to city council meetings.
The Walt Disney Company has a new CEO.
Six teenage boys were at a sleepover when, during a game of Truth or Dare, 14-year-old Joshua Ivascu had to do a Ding Dong Ditch. The target of the prank, outraged, pursued the boys' Prius in his sedan, a chase that ended in the death of Ivascu and two of the other teens. Their parents have forgiven the other driver.
Blaming homeless and crime, Stockton couple is outta here
Harold and Rita Moore are done with Stockton. “The homeless are burning us out and the illegal dirt bikes behind our home are forcing us to breathe their dust,” Harold Moore says. “They are forcing us to move out of Stockton.”
The couple is headed for the Pacific Northwest, hoping for a better quality of life. They're among a wave of Californians fleeing the state — about a million residents moved to other states from 2007 to 2016, according to a 2018 report from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The main reasons Californians cited for wanting to leave were high housing costs (71 percent), taxes (58 percent) and the state’s political culture (46 percent), the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Moores actually had it good on housing: They paid $55,000 for their home in 2009 and sold it for $100,000. But the couple said homeless people living in the canal that abuts their neighborhood had made staying impossible.
In California is a roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms. Also contributing: Los Angeles Times, Riverside Press-Enterprise, Mercury News.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: YIMBY, Ding Dong Ditch, housing, Ellen, CA Lottery, vaccines: Tue news
