Newsletter: Essential California: California’s coastline at stake

Good morning. It is Tuesday, Feb. 9. What is the secret to longevity? Two glasses of wine and two chocolate chip cookies a day, according to 107-year-old man in Morro Bay. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

California’s coast

A hearing to discuss the future of Coastal Commission executive director Charles Lester may ultimately be more about the future of the commission than the future of its leader. For four decades, the Coastal Commission has been tasked with protecting California’s coastline, but some environmentalists now believe commissioners are getting too cozy with developers. “Lester’s supporters question the commission’s timing because it coincides with a number of major projects requiring evaluation to determine if they comply with the California Coastal Act of 1976.” The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Los Angeles Times

Health worries

California women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant have growing fears over the Zika virus, which is suspected of causing serious birth defects in Brazil. Most doctors believe, however, that those women should be fine as long as they don’t visit the countries with high rates of infection. “You can’t reassure them,” said Dr. Kathleen Berkowitz, who practices in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Warm weather: A high pressure system could be why Southern California is experiencing such hot weather at a time when many thought we would be more concerned with El Niño’s rains. Now, many are more worried about wildfires than flash floods. Los Angeles Times

Dangerous conditions: Another hiker has died near Mt. Baldy. Dong Xing Liu, 47, slipped and fell Saturday as he hiked a trail with his wife. Officials say hikers may not realize how icy and snowy it is at the top of the mountain even though it’s warm and sunny at the base. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Going back home: Valley residents who relocated to escape the natural gas leak at Aliso Canyon will have at least a week to move back home once the leak is stopped. Southern California Gas Co. and the City Attorney’s Office renegotiated how much time customers will have to move out of their temporary accommodations. Gas officials expect to plug the leak, which has been going since at least October, in the next couple of weeks. Los Angeles Times

In the wild: Thousand Oaks has declared war on rats, and now some people are concerned it’s causing the deaths of bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes and owls. “The whole food chain is getting slammed,” said Bret Woolley, 51, a Dos Vientos resident. Los Angeles Times

Park and ride: Metro may soon do away with free parking at transit stations. A leaked document shows what it will cost riders and non-riders to park in the lots along light rail and subway stations. The parking fees could generate as much as $600,000 for Metro this year. Los Angeles Magazine

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Policing homeless: Activists from skid row want the Los Angeles City Council to prevent police officers from arresting homeless individuals who keep their tents and belongings on the sidewalks. The request came one day before the council is expected to vote on the most comprehensive homelessness plan in a decade. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Back in custody: A murder suspect who was mistakenly released from a Los Angeles County jail Jan. 30 was captured Monday in a Boulder City, Nev., hotel room. Steven Lawrence Wright was able to walk out of the Inmate Reception Center after serving a five-day sentence for contempt of court because of incomplete paperwork. Jail staff failed to realize that Wright was also awaiting trial in a murder case and awaiting sentencing for an attempted murder conviction. Los Angeles Times

Awkward position: A suspect fled Canyon Country after an off-duty sheriff’s deputy spotted him allegedly trying to steal a vehicle. Josue Fernandez didn’t get very far — he ended up stuck inside a storm drain. It took authorities several hours to get him out. LAist

BUSINESS

Big time: Kathleen Kennedy is one of the most powerful women in Hollywood as the “high priestess of the relaunched Star Wars enterprise.” What is it like to run Lucasfilm after decades of producing her own movies? Vanity Fair

No women: Orange County is behind the curve when it comes to placing women in top management positions at large corporations, according to an analysis. “Southern California has not seen a lot of change in the percentage of women leaders relative to Northern California. Orange County is toward the bottom of the list,” said Amanda Kimball, who authored a study on the issue for UC Davis’ School of Management. Orange County Register

Paid leave: Paternity leave is catching on in California, where some paid leave is available. Researchers believe men are more likely to take off time to care for their children when they see their male co-workers doing the same. At Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is trying to lead by example. NPR

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Home sweet home: Beyoncé used Airbnb to book her Super Bowl accommodations. The singer stayed at a Los Altos Hills home that rents for $10,000 a night and included a vegetable garden, lemon trees and chickens. People

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will be sunny and 67 degrees. Sacramento will start out with some fog and then have sunshine and a high of 71. Los Angeles will be sunny with a high of 91. Riverside will be sunny and wind, with temperatures expected to reach 89 degrees. San Diego will be windy and 84.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Frank Miller:

“I remember tasting abalone for the first time. Growing up in Rolling Hills in the 1950s, we picked up hitchhiking surfers during family outings to Abalone Cove in Palos Verdes. While exploring the tide pools, we tracked the progress of scuba divers by their surface bubbles. Emerging from the surf, they looked like heroic Jules Verne explorers. We marveled at their gear, and they presented us with several abalone. We took them home, tenderized them with a hammer, and cooked them with olive oil and lemon. They were fantastic. Their mother-of-pearl shells rest on my bookshelf today.”

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.