Newsletter: Essential California: Airbnb host convicted under Santa Monica’s new law

Good morning. It is Thursday, July 14. At $5.5 million, it’s the priciest listing ever for the Venice Canals. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Pollution proposal

The California Air Resources Board released a plan to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program beyond its expiration in 2020. “Despite California’s marked progress, greater innovation and effort is needed to avoid the worst consequences of climate change,” according to the proposal. The plan is something of an insurance policy in case Gov. Jerry Brown and the state Legislature can’t reach an agreement next month. Los Angeles Times

Neighborhood spot

Las Palomas in Boyle Heights is back from the dead. The cantina closed in February and was considered a victim of “gentefication.” But it reopened in May — no one can quite articulate how it happened — with a fresh coat of paint and a new curtain in the doorway. Los Angeles Times

Short-term feud

A Santa Monica landlord and Airbnb host pleaded no contest to violating the city’s new law on short-term rentals. Scott Shatford was charged with eight misdemeanor counts of operating a business without a license and failing to comply with citations. “The city came after me, to make me their little poster child and be able to promote me as their first victory. … It’s pretty silly,” Shatford said. Los Angeles Times

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DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Summer rains: Birds have returned to the wetlands near Los Banos. “Hopefully we can start to dig ourselves out of the hole we’ve been in the last four years where [we] can start to rebuild our local bird populations,” said Rick Ortega, director of the Grassland Water District. NBC Bay Area

L.A. AT LARGE

Cutting emissions: The port complex in Los Angeles and Long Beach is still the No. 1 source of air pollution in Southern California, so Mayor Eric Garcetti has appointed a 10-member advisory board to expand zero-emissions technology. “We can have healthy communities and we can have a healthy port. We can have economic growth and clean air,” the mayor said. Los Angeles Times

Love of land: What could more park space or green space mean for the men of South L.A.? “At the parks, fathers can take their kids to soccer games, baseball practice, or family picnics, and at the community gardens, they can grow food for their family members. There are many activities that draw men and boys together too.” Zócalo Public Square

Leadership qualities: Is Mayor Garcetti too nice to lead L.A.? That’s what Harold Meyerson asks in a new op-ed article. “Political leaders only achieve notice when they engage in serious, high-stakes battles,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Political mailings: Fifteen House members from California (there are 53 of them in total) each spent more than $100,000 in taxpayer money to communicate with constituents in 2015. The practice is called “franked mail.” “Any office reacts to what a community wants, so we want to know what the community wants,” said Rep. Steve Knight, a Republican from Palmdale. Los Angeles Times

“Bay Boys” fort: A fort used by territorial surfers in Palos Verdes Estates will be torn down. The City Council’s decision came after the California Coastal Commission called for taking down the structure or improving beach access and reducing harassment. Residents who testified at the council meeting opposed the move. Los Angeles Times

Decriminalization: The city of Coalinga is turning over a jail to marijuana growers. The Claremont Custody Center, which was sold for $4.1 million, will become a medical cannabis oil extraction plant. It’s much needed money for a city that was $3.3 million to $3.8 million in debt. “It’s like the Grateful Dead said: ‘What a long, strange trip it’s been,’” said Coalinga Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Keough. Fresno Bee

Tax break: The city of Anaheim will give Disney $267 million in tax rebates over the next 10 years as an incentive to build a new luxury hotel. The new property is expected to provide Anaheim with $11.8 million in property taxes and $7.2 million in sales taxes. Bloomberg

CRIME AND COURTS

Situational awareness: Two Marine Corps veterans were playing “Pokemon Go” in downtown Fullerton when they spotted a man bothering children at a nearby playground. They eventually approached the man and waited until he was arrested by police. Investigators later learned that Jacob Kells, 39, was wanted for attempted murder. Los Angeles Times

Behind bars: A 28-year-old man is accused of killing his boyfriend inside a sober living home in Echo Park. Nicholas James Bowling is in jail on $2-million bail on suspicion of strangling Frank Murrell Rogers. This is not Bowling’s first run-in with the law. In 2012, he stole a police cruiser, crashed it into a lightpole, and later lost both of his legs as a result of the collision. Los Angeles Times

Art defaced: Art Guevara has been creating public art in San Juan Capistrano for 25 years, and this year is the first time his work has been vandalized. On July 4, two of his sculptures were found in the middle of the street with cracks and scratches. Sheriff’s deputies say they don’t have any suspects yet. Orange County Register

Reflecting back: It’s been five years since Kelly Thomas, a homeless man who suffered from mental illness, was killed by Fullerton police officers. The OC Weekly’s Gustavo Arellano reflects on what his death taught the public about policing and mental health. KCRW

ENTERTAINMENT

Awards season: Emmy nominations will be announced this morning. In a world of cord-cutting, streaming services and on-demand programming, “an Emmy is the last traditional, tangible mark of success.” Columnist Mary McNamara suggests the award helped create the trend of prestigious programming with low ratings. Los Angeles Times

Major purchase: Viacom is in talks with Dalian Wanda Group, a Chinese entertainment conglomerate, for a 49% stake in Paramount Pictures. The group owns the largest theater chain in China. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

New favorites: An elite class of music nerds is shaping what we listen to when we turn to Spotify or Apple Music. They’re tasked with sorting through 30 million songs and knowing what you want to hear when you want to hear it. “When it comes to trying to find something exciting and new, more people are going to want to go to trusted playlists,” said Jay Frank, senior vice president of global streaming marketing for Universal Music Group. BuzzFeed

Living art: A 140-square-foot structure in Joshua Tree is both a home and a piece of art. Artist Dominique Moody spent four years planning the mobile home and another three building it. “On the outside, old washing machine doors act as windows on the metal siding. The siding tells its own story, replicating the night sky, mountains and rivers with its different colors.” Desert Sun

Up on the hill: Happy 93rd birthday to the Hollywood sign. Here are some highlights from its storied history. The Hollywood Reporter

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will be partly sunny and 72. Sacramento will be hot at 102 degrees. Los Angeles will start the day with clouds before the sun comes out and temperatures reach a high of 83. Riverside will be sunny and 98. It will be mostly sunny and 79 in San Diego.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Valerie Navarro:

“Summers were special growing up in Pinole. There were days when the skies filled with Monarch butterflies. When you walked outside there was magic in the air. Dragonflies arrived adorned with luminous, flitting colors. This too was the realm of all things that crawled: King snakes. Gopher snakes. Garden snakes. Rattlesnakes. Lizards. Salamanders. Bull frogs. This was an enchanted world. I now live in Denmark, but my childhood memories are forever.”

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 Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.