Newsletter: Essential California: These twins were born 4 minutes apart. But only one is a U.S. citizen

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Jan. 27. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

Two brothers: The two envelopes, one for each twin brother, arrived in the mailbox on the same day in March of last year. The larger parcel, for Aiden Dvash-Banks, contained a new U.S. passport and a letter congratulating the boy on his American citizenship. A smaller, flimsier envelope came for Ethan Dvash-Banks. Inside, a letter stated that his citizenship application was denied. The boys were carried in the same womb, born 16 months ago in Canada, moments apart. But now, only one of them is in the U.S. legally. Los Angeles Times

It’s not just Latinos: Most associate Trump’s rhetoric about deportations with Latinos, given his vows to build a border wall, his assertions that Mexican immigrants are “rapists” and drug dealers, and his decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for immigrants brought to this country illegally as children, most of whom are Latino. But immigration activists say recent roundups of people of Cambodian and Vietnamese descent are unprecedented and have sparked anxiety in Asian immigrant communities. Los Angeles Times

Tough times for water projects: Months of behind-the-scenes talks have failed to drum up enough money to pay the full costs of replumbing the center of California’s sprawling waterworks with two giant water tunnels. That has left the state with little choice but to scale down a roughly $17-billion water delivery project to fit a funding pot of less than $10 billion. Los Angeles Times

AROUND CALIFORNIA

Big promise: California Gov. Jerry Brown wants to put 5 million electric cars on the state’s roads by 2030. Brown announced the new goal in his State of the State speech this week, and formalized the target in an executive order issued Friday. Los Angeles Times

Come and visit! Los Angeles County set a tourism record of 48.3 million visitors in 2017, marking the seventh straight year it topped the previous record for both domestic and international visitors. But the increase comes as fewer foreign travelers come to the U.S. as a whole, led by a reduction from one of the nation’s biggest sources of international visitors, Mexico. Los Angeles Times

Over at UCLA: It’s Year 1 post-Lonzo Ball, and the UCLA basketball team has returned to irrelevance. For better or worse, the Bruins haven’t made any headlines since three of their players were busted in China for reenacting scenes from “Ocean’s Eleven,” writes columnist Dylan Hernandez. Los Angeles Times

Shooter convicted: An Oklahoma man with a history of mental illness was convicted Friday of shooting and killing a Long Beach woman and her 4-year-old daughter as they returned home from grocery shopping in 2016. Los Angeles Times

ICE is about to start tracking license plates across the U.S.: “The agency has officially gained agency-wide access to a nationwide license plate recognition database, according to a contract finalized earlier this month.” The Verge

In San Diego: The district attorney’s office has alerted lawyers for more than 250 defendants who were convicted over a 13-year period that their conviction relied in part on using a now-discredited DNA interpretation method — and they may have a chance at a reexamination of their case. San Diego Union-Tribune

THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. Getting a California Real ID driver’s license on the first day it’s offered? Not a problem. Los Angeles Times

2. Dead dogs, filth and ropes tied to beds: Inside the Turpins’ home in Texas before they moved to Perris. Los Angeles Times

3. Massive cost overruns threaten to derail the bullet train. Here’s what has to change. Los Angeles Times

4. Hundreds of homeless face eviction or arrest as Orange County clears an encampment amid a shelter bed shortage. Los Angeles Times

5. A letter allegedly written by an 1962 Alcatraz Island escapee surfaces. CBS SF

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS

East vs. West: Both men have sold millions of albums. Both have headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. And both made former President Barack Obama’s list of his favorite songs from 2017 — an especially meaningful achievement, perhaps, for two African American artists eager to share their political views (not to mention their scorn for the guy who now holds Obama’s old job). So in a year when hip-hop might finally rule the Grammy Awards, it makes sense that Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar would be the rap kings closest to victory come Sunday night. Los Angeles Times

Puppy Bowl: It’s Game Day. A player steps onto the field, ready to face off in a ferocious contest of strength, agility and mental focus. Millions of passionate viewers in living rooms across the country have gathered to watch him compete in one of the year’s most anticipated, uniquely American TV events. The weight of expectation — from fans, teammates and sponsors alike — is almost palpable in the air. But as “Puppy Bowl XIV” kicks off, Mr. Wigglesworth would rather be taking a nap. Los Angeles Times

Problems at Google: “Fired Google engineer James Damore says he was vilified and harassed for questioning what he calls the company’s liberal political orthodoxy, particularly around the merits of diversity. Now outspoken diversity advocates at Google say that they are being targeted by a small group of their coworkers in an effort to silence discussions about racial and gender diversity.” Wired

Bombshell story: Dozens of people recount a pattern of sexual misconduct by Las Vegas Mogul Steve Wynn. Wall Street Journal

Beyond the homeless count: “Volunteers were out early Friday canvassing the streets, canyons and riverbanks as part of San Diego County’s annual homeless count. But one stat is already known: The number of homeless people dying in the county increased significantly in 2017, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.” Inewsource

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.