LA Controller Subpoenas Olympic Records

Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia has subpoenaed LA28, the committee organizing the 2028 Olympics, after it failed to provide requested bank statements, venue budgets, and the names of its contractors.

At issue are financial records LA28 is contractually required to share under its 2021 deal with the city. Mejia first requested them in August and says what he’s received is incomplete.

The stakes fall on taxpayers: under that deal, the city covers the first $270 million of any Olympic deficit after LA28’s contingency fund is exhausted, and the state the next $270 million, with Los Angeles liable beyond that. As Mejia put it, “if they go over budget, we pay.”

LA28 said it had not yet received the subpoena and expressed disappointment that the move was diverting time and resources from preparations for the Games. The committee has 15 days to respond.

New Records in O.J. Simpson Case

Newly unsealed court records show a government informant with ties to O.J. Simpson gave authorities “very helpful” information about the long-missing weapon used to kill Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

The informant, Joseph Ippolito, was a convicted drug trafficker who escaped a Florida prison weeks before the murders and later became a federal informant. He was a close friend of Simpson’s friend Al Cowlings and died in 2006.

Ippolito’s brother, Sam, told The New York Times he saw his brother with bloodstained hands and a bag he was asked to discard. He later told ABC News he never made those statements and that his brother had no role in the killings.

Prosecutors rejected the accomplice theory, and retired detective Tom Lange said Ippolito surfaced only through federal sources, with no physical evidence tying him to the crime scene. Simpson was acquitted in 1995. A civil jury later found him liable.

Swimmer Conquers California Coast

Catherine Breed became the first person to swim the length of California’s coast, reaching the Mexican border Sunday after a 900-mile journey from the Oregon line, ahead of schedule.

The 33-year-old former Cal swimmer set out July 1 and swam south in stages, averaging more than 10 miles a day, past the Lost Coast, Big Sur, and Point Conception.

Breed, a Pleasanton native, already held a record for swimming across Lake Tahoe and had completed a 30-mile swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge.

She used the swim to raise awareness of ocean conservation, calling the expedition “bigger than a swim” and connecting with coastal communities along the route.

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➤ Dublin: A couple pleaded not guilty to murdering their son-in-law, New York Times engineer Jonathan McKinsey. Their attorney claims McKinsey hired a hit man to kill his mother-in-law, prompting the couple to arm themselves out of fear. (More)

➤ Bay Area: Six elementary schools ranked among California’s top 10, though San Jose’s Murdock-Portal Elementary slipped from No. 1 to No. 3 in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. (See List)

➤ Siskiyou County: The Soda Fire has burned nearly 14 acres in Klamath National Forest. The blaze was 40% contained Monday night, with its cause under investigation. (More)

➤ Sacramento County: A man accused of falsely claiming ICE agents took his missing wife now faces a murder charge after jewelry helped investigators identify her burned remains in El Dorado County. (More)

➤ San Francisco: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to UC Law San Francisco’s 2023 name change, rejecting an appeal by descendants of Serranus Hastings, whose ties to Native American massacres prompted the renaming. (See Details)

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➤ Merced County: U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling visited as a year-end federal court deadline looms for his department to rewrite portions of the H-2A wage rule for seasonal farmworkers. (See Details)

➤ Fresno: City leaders announced increased police presence and new loading zones in the Tower District after a weekend shooting injured two people. A 16-year-old faces attempted murder charges in the district’s fourth shooting in six months. (More)

➤ Also Fresno: A city councilmember is proposing $1 million to revive a legal defense fund for immigrants facing detention or deportation amid increased ICE activity. The city council will consider the proposal Thursday. (More)

➤ Clovis: A two-day sting targeting human traffickers and child predators netted nine arrests. One suspect, William Vallejo, 28, crashed into several vehicles while fleeing. Rescued victims were connected with support services. (See Details)

➤ Marina: A great white shark leaped out of the water near Marina State Beach over the weekend, startling beachgoers who caught the rare moment on video. California State Parks issued a shark advisory through the end of the week. (See Video)

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➤ Orange County: A legal complaint blames San Diego Gas & Electric equipment for the 570-acre Norte Fire, which damaged or destroyed seven homes. The utility disputes the claim, while firefighters have reached 75% containment. (See Details)

➤ Also Orange County: A judge approved a $125 million settlement over a May chemical leak at a Garden Grove plant that forced 50,000 residents to evacuate. Up to $100 million is earmarked for affected residents. (See Details)

➤ San Fernando Valley: LA Metro broke ground on a nearly $4 billion, 6.7-mile light rail line along Van Nuys Boulevard, with 11 stations connecting communities from Van Nuys to San Fernando. Service is expected to begin in October 2031. (More)

➤ Long Beach: Rep. Robert Garcia called for an investigation after video showed ICE agents tackling cyclist Ricardo Gonzalez, who said his arm was broken. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli blamed such incidents on failure to comply with lawful commands. (See Video)

➤ San Diego County has named its first pollution crisis chief, Bridget Premont, to coordinate the response to the longstanding Tijuana River sewage crisis. (More)

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➤ Luka Dončić and the Lakers open their season tonight against Steph Curry’s Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, their first opener of the post-LeBron era. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. on ESPN. (See Details)

➤ San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy now owns the highest career passer rating in NFL history after crossing the 1,500 pass attempts needed to qualify this week. His 105.6 rating tops former record holder Lamar Jackson of the Ravens. (More)

➤ Nico Iamaleava will miss the rest of the season after suffering a severe knee injury in UCLA’s upset win at Oregon. The unbeaten Bruins will turn to backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, who led them past Wisconsin last weekend. (More)

➤ SoFi Stadium and the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium made Quartz’s list of the NFL’s 10 priciest venues for a family game day. The report examined factors including ticket prices, parking, concessions, and transportation costs. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NCAAF | NHL | Soccer

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➤ West Hollywood approved a pilot program to help street food vendors obtain permits and sell in a designated Rainbow District area. The program would offer fee assistance and privacy protections, but no launch date has been set. (More)

➤ San Francisco rents have jumped 25% in the past year, with two-bedroom apartments topping $6,000 a month. The AI boom and housing shortage are pricing out teachers, nurses, and other workers, prompting the mayor to propose emergency measures. (Read Story)

➤ Porto’s Bakery, the beloved Cuban-inspired chain known for its potato balls and cheese rolls, plans to open its first Inland Empire location in Ontario in 2028. (More)

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➤ Netflix’s East of Eden is drawing visitors to John Steinbeck’s historic home in Salinas, where parts of the series were filmed. A weekend celebration featured vintage cars, carriage rides, and free tours of the author’s childhood home. (Read Story)

➤ El Segundo is becoming a Southern California dining hotspot, with new restaurants including EZPZ pizza, HomeState tacos, and Vinoteca wine bar. The coastal city near LAX is attracting restaurateurs with its small-town charm. (Read Story)

➤ San Francisco newborns at Kaiser Permanente sported purple and black to cheer on the Valkyries ahead of Monday’s WNBA Finals Game 2 against the Atlanta Dream. (See Photos)

➤ An El Dorado County woman reunited with first responders who saved her life after she suffered cardiac arrest in June. Crews arrived within six minutes and revived her, giving her a second chance at life. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ What are Americans’ favorite fast food chains, and which ones land at the bottom? (Hear List)

➤ Ohio’s Democratic candidate for governor is being denounced as a liar by her mother in a new ad. (Hear Story)

➤ Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s granddaughter has died at 42, years after a paralyzing spinal cord injury. (Listen Now)

How do you feel about buying food from a street vendor?

1. Love it, best food around
2. Depends on the spot
3. Only if it looks clean
4. I prefer restaurants
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

When did you last ride a bike?

1. Years ago: 51%
2. Sometime this year: 18%
3. Can’t even remember: 18%
4. This week: 11%
5. Other: 2%

John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel Cannery Row is set on a real waterfront street that the city later renamed in the book’s honor. Which California city is it?

Show me the answer