Newsletter: Essential California: One man makes the most of life before turning to aid-in-dying law

Good morning. It is Wednesday, Aug. 3. There’s a castle for sale at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains. Yes, the home includes a drawbridge. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Concert safety

Raves used to be held in the heart of Los Angeles, but concerns over drug use, overdose deaths and crowded emergency rooms forced the concerts into San Bernardino County. There, the raves have mostly been welcomed by government officials, but problems have persisted. “Would we tolerate it if some child walked into Disneyland and didn’t walk out every single day?” said Dr. Rodney Borger, who chairs the emergency medicine department at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. Los Angeles Times

Facing the end

Californians who believe suffering may be a fate worse than death are making use of the new aid-in-dying law. For terminally ill Robert Stone, the law “gives me some comfort in having control over what the end of my life will be like.” But many doctors are still leery of the law, believing their role is to help people cure or manage disease. That’s why participation is voluntary. Los Angeles Times

Hot and cold

As a sign of how seriously many Angelenos took the drought, yards across the city saw grass replaced with gravel and succulents. But is the new landscaping making the city warmer? Yes, say scientists, but only during the day. Nights could actually be cooler. “In retrospect, it makes sense that reducing soil moisture would change the thermal properties of the soil and surface-atmosphere coupling in this way,” said professor George Ban-Weiss. Los Angeles Times

Readers, we always love hearing from you. You can keep up with Alice and Shelby during the day on Twitter. Follow @TheCityMaven and @ShelbyGrad.

L.A. AT LARGE

Protecting the coast: Columnist Steve Lopez is not pleased to hear a bill that could bring more transparency to the Coastal Commission is getting shelved. “My message to the governor is that this coast is ours, meaning everyone’s. The business of preserving it, protecting fragile sea and plant life, and increasing public access regardless of income or lobbying clout, is a sacred duty,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

Helping the homeless: L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer toured skid row together Tuesday. The supervisor is courting Steyer’s support for a sales tax increase that could appear on the March 2017 ballot. The funds would go toward caring for the homeless. Los Angeles Times

App for that: We’re No. 1! Los Angeles is apparently the leader in rare “Pokémon Go” characters. “The site claims that, among the hard-to-find pokemon, the only two that have eluded L.A. users are Magnemite and Hitmonchan.” LAist

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

GOP defection: Meg Whitman, the chief executive of Hewlett-Packard who ran for governor of California in 2010 and lost, said she will back Hillary Clinton for president. She joined other Republicans on Tuesday in expressing their concerns with Donald Trump’s candidacy. Los Angeles Times

Transit proposal: In November, Los Angeles County voters will be asked to increase the sales tax a half-cent to pay for major public transportation projects. As much as $860 million a year could be generated for projects. The proposal would push the county’s base sales tax to 9.5%. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Sad discovery: A mangled pickup truck discovered at the bottom of a ravine in the Angeles National Forest belonged to a missing Fontana teenager, authorities said. Inside were three bodies. Police had been looking for Daniel Gamboa, 19; Kasey Vance, 19; and Samantha Ornelas, 17, since the three failed to return home from a weekend hike. Los Angeles Times

Plane crash: A pilot was killed Tuesday when his light sport plane crashed near Van Nuys Airport. Authorities believe the pilot, who was not identified, was practicing touch-and-go landings before the crash. Los Angeles Times

Showing respect: Someone left a Purple Heart at a memorial for San Diego police officers killed in the line of duty. The medal was left Saturday as candles burned for Jonathan “JD” De Guzman, who was killed Thursday night. Police are hoping to identify the man or woman who left the medal so they can hear the story behind the gesture. Los Angeles Times

BUSINESS

Job market: Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich is ringing the alarm on the “gig economy.” “A lot of people don’t know how much they’re being affected. It’s not just Uber and Airbnb — it’s really the whole employment relationship,” he says. BuzzFeed

Tax break: Walt Disney Co. is set to receive the largest film tax incentive from the state of California. “A Wrinkle in Time” will receive an $18-million break. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Conservation goals: It looks as though Californians will continue to save water even as mandatory measures drop off. Water use was down 21.5% in June compared with the same time in 2013. “Some relaxation of conservation in light of the relief we got last winter and other supply conditions is appropriate and expected; abandonment of conservation is not,” said water board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus. Los Angeles Times

Environmental plans: Officials have released the blueprints for the Delta tunnels project. “Two federal agencies responsible for overseeing the Delta’s fish population, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, now have to take the document and decide whether the tunnels would violate the Endangered Species Act.” Sacramento Bee

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Special deliveries: Rapper Kanye West is known for the elaborate cubes and walls of flowers he gives friends (wife Kim Kardashian) and enemies (singer Taylor Swift) alike. The pricey creations come from a florist in West Hollywood. Now, the florist responsible for them talks about what goes in to making an Instagram-worthy floral arrangement. Slate

Off the air: “Mark in the Morning” is no more. DJ Mark Thompson is splitting with KSWD-FM/100.3. It’s the second time Thompson is leaving L.A.’s airwaves. He previously co-hosted “The Mark and Brian Show” for 27 years. Orange County Register

The Golden Globe goes to: Late night host Jimmy Fallon will host the 2017 Golden Globe Awards. Los Angeles Times

Here’s the pitch: Travel back in time to Los Angeles, 1958. LAist

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will have low clouds and a high of 69 degrees. It will be sunny and hot in Sacramento. Los Angeles will have clouds and a high of 83. It’ll be mostly sunny and 92 in Riverside. San Diego will be 77 degrees.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Mike McIntosh:

“My favorite California memory involves a young 22-year-old woman who arrived by train from Oklahoma during World War II. She was eight months pregnant and wanted to be with her husband who was in training at San Diego. After a long tiring ride, standing part of the way, she finally arrived at San Diego’s Union Station and sat down to patiently wait for her husband to come get her. He did come, and that wartime couple’s baby was born in San Diego in October of 1942. Shortly after the baby’s birth, the mother and baby boy followed the new father to his next duty station. To this day I love going into Union Station and sitting on the original benches, while thinking about my mother sitting there 74 years ago, patiently waiting for my dad.”

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.