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Newsletter: Golden Globe nominations and more in the week ahead

Golden Globe statuettes.
(Alberto E. Rodriguez / WireImage)
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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, Dec. 9, and here’s a quick look at the week ahead:

Monday will see the nominees for the 77th Golden Globe Awards revealed bright and early, with the annual predawn announcement ceremony beginning at 5 a.m. Pacific time. (If it’s after 5 a.m., the nominees and more coverage can be found here.)

On Tuesday, the California Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction ceremony. The 10 inductees for this year include writer Maya Angelou, Olympian Brandi Chastain, chef Wolfgang Puck and entertainer RuPaul, among others.

Time’s Person of the Year will be revealed on Wednesday.

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Thursday is the deadline for 2020 Democrats to qualify for the December debate, which will be held in Los Angeles on Dec. 19.

And now, here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

A year after the ouster of Les Moonves, CBS is confronting allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny and age discrimination at its TV stations, according to this Times investigation. More than two dozen current and former employees of KCBS and KCAL described a toxic environment where, they said, employees encountered age discrimination, misogyny and sexual harassment — and retaliation if they complained. CBS denied that it engaged in discrimination. Los Angeles Times

After an unprecedented string of wildfires across California, overtime costs for firefighters have surged by 65% in the last decade, pushing annual wages to nearly $5 billion, according to a Times analysis of state payroll records. The overtime spending is further evidence of a statewide toll: Wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes, killed scores of residents and disrupted power supplies across large swaths of the state — and, increasingly, they are chewing through government budgets. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

The Free Cafe wants to talk about gentrification. But some say it’s part of the problem. Never has the coffee shop (in this case, a pop-up one in a backyard) been a more charged symbol than in Leimert Park. Los Angeles Times

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Michael Rippens, left, talks to neighbors at the Free Cafe, a monthly gathering held in his Leimert Park backyard.
(Michael Owen Baker/For The Times)

The Chevy Suburban just became the first inanimate object to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to Chevrolet, the car has made a television appearance at least once every year since 1956 and appeared in at least one movie each year since 1960. Car and Driver

Here’s where to find the best Mexican hot chocolate around Los Angeles, because it’s winter ... somewhere. And hot drink season is upon us. L.A. Taco

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IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

A record number of African migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border: The number of African migrants heading to the U.S. through Mexico has more than doubled this year — from roughly 2,700 in 2018 to 5,800 today, according to data from the federal government. Los Angeles Times

In Claremont, a nativity scene evokes images that have become synonymous with criticism of the Trump administration’s border policies: A Claremont Methodist church’s nativity scene depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph as refugees separated in cages, stoking debate. Los Angeles Times

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POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Articles of impeachment against President Trump will probably come this week: The House Judiciary Committee, which is spearheading the Democratic-led impeachment drive, will move swiftly to draft articles of impeachment against Trump, possibly by the end of this week, the panel’s chairman said Sunday. Los Angeles Times

Support continues to grow for San Jose’s mayor’s vision of a customer-owned PG&E. He now has the backing of 114 elected leaders in 58 cities and 10 counties. San Jose Inside

Mayor Pete’s husband came to Modesto as part of a listening tour in underrepresented areas. Per the Bee, Chasten Buttigieg is one of the few campaign spouses or surrogates to make a stop in Modesto. Modesto Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

Police seized 20,000 rounds of ammunition and a flamethrower from a Ventura County home. Los Angeles Times

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CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Father Junípero Serra’s name was removed from a street sign on the Stanford campus. The move comes amid a larger reckoning around mission era treatment of Native Americans in California. San Luis Obispo Tribune

Why has San Francisco become one of the most expensive places in the world to build housing? The reasons include worker shortage, long waits for permits, restrictive zoning and high fees, among other things. San Francisco Chronicle

Marie Callender’s restaurants have been shutting down around the state, while new Cracker Barrels have been popping up. Why are some chains dying in California and what are the surviving ones doing to hang on? Orange County Register

A generous parent paid the outstanding school lunch debt for an entire Merced elementary school. His $1,525.25 donation cleared the lunch debt of 47 students. Merced Sun-Star

Here are six West Coast winemakers to watch, from a former musician making attention-worthy pinot noirs in a San Francisco warehouse to the woman defining a corner of the Central Coast as prime Syrah territory. San Francisco Chronicle

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This East Bay city is clamping down on “out of control” real estate open house signs. “They’re the silent scourge of Fremont — open house signs that clutter street corners and sidewalks every weekend, sometimes before dawn and well into the evening hours.” East Bay Times

With the water crisis over, Poway businesses regroup. Restaurants there reopened Saturday morning after six days of darkness, with owners and employees happy to be back at work, but upset about the costly interruption to their businesses and lives. San Diego Union-Tribune

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles: sunny, 67. San Diego: sunny, 63. San Francisco: fog, 55. San Jose: sunny, 59. Sacramento: partly sunny, 58. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for those who made a mark in California:

Former state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (Dec. 10, 1966), Rep. Mark Takano (Dec. 10, 1960), the late activist Tom Hayden (Dec. 11, 1939), Rep. Anna Eshoo (Dec. 13, 1942) and Taylor Swift (Dec. 13, 1989).

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (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, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes.

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