Newsletter: Essential California: A wildfire for the record books

Good morning. It is Monday, Sept. 21. The man who helped bring bagels to the mass market died this month at age 94. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Earthquake preparedness

The mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco have made seismic safety a priority, with both backing mandatory retrofitting of buildings at risk during a major earthquake. Now Gov. Jerry Brown is being asked to aid in the effort. He must decide whether to sign a bill that would give property owners a tax credit worth 30% of the retrofitting costs. Quake safety advocates say much is riding on whether Brown signs the bill, because the hefty costs have generally killed retrofitting efforts in the past. Los Angeles Times 

One for the record books

How did the Valley fire explode into one of the state’s worst wildfires? Seven years of drought. Dead trees due to pine beetles. And homeowners’ desire to live on the edge of nature. “When a freakish jet of wind howled up Putah Creek on Sept. 12, it whipped the Valley fire into a conflagration that rocketed it into the ranks of the worst in California history.” Los Angeles Times

Party platform

This weekend’s state Republican convention focused on crafting a message that reached out to voters who have abandoned the party. That means a warmer embrace of undocumented immigrants and the LGBT community. “We’ve been out of touch with where voters are,” said Richard Temple, a veteran party strategist. Los Angeles Times 

DROUGHT

Rain, rain, go away: When it rains in Los Angeles, the city’s infrastructure doesn’t have a way to capture that water and put it to good use. That flaw gives a whole new meaning to the cost of a storm. “I’m hoping that this spring, when the power comes back on, economists will start to tally the costs of the storm with a new, highly motivating line item: money down the drain.” The New Yorker

Extreme conditions: This op-ed is a reminder that a powerful El Niño will not be enough to end California’s drought: “In a possible preview, persistent El Niño conditions this year could force Californians to face both flooding and drought simultaneously.” New York Times

Timely art: Outside Glendale City Hall is a sculpture intended to capture the spirit of the state’s water crisis and encourage visitors to conserve water. “It’s also an attempt to help us understand our relationship with the arid climate we live in and hopefully get us to use water more responsibly,” said William Stranger, one of the artists behind “Water Finds a Way.” Los Angeles Times 

Turf rebates: Seventeen Orange County country clubs took advantage of turf rebates this year. In one case, a club received $1.9 million for ripping out grass. The Municipal Water District of Orange County has since capped turf rebates. Orange County Register

L.A. AT LARGE

Museum opening: People stood in the 90-degree heat Sunday to be the first ones in to the new Broad museum. Outside the museum, members of United Teachers Los Angeles protested Eli Broad’s support of charter schools. “The Broads have been collecting for over 50 years, and this is an incredible high point. I almost don’t have words,” said Joanne Heyler, chief curator. Los Angeles Times 

Affordable housing: In Boyle Heights, two nonprofits are fighting over what it means to gentrify a neighborhood. The East Los Angeles Community Corp. wants to build a $25-million affordable housing complex, but doing so would result in the demolition of apartments occupied by low-income renters. “The dispute between the two nonprofit organizations, both advocates for tenants, reflects a broader anxiety in working-class neighborhoods as L.A.’s latest real estate boom pushes up housing costs.” Los Angeles Times 

Author’s passing: Author Jackie Collins chronicled the glitz and glam of Hollywood in her books. “Most Hollywood novels are written by failed screenwriters. And failed screenwriters never get into any of the good parties,” she once said. Collins died Saturday at age 77. Los Angeles Times

Beach cleanup: Volunteers collected more than 21,000 pounds of trash during a cleanup of a Malibu beach. “It seems like so much innocuous junk, but it’s polluting a gorgeous stretch of coastal habitat and killing its wildlife,” said one volunteer. Los Angeles Times

Living on the street: In Highland Park, an actor finds himself living on the street for a second time. Scot Anthony Robinson says he cleared out his life savings to take care of his dying mother. A stroke then left him unable to work. Eastsider LA

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Political battle: As her time as Assembly speaker winds down, Toni Atkins is turning her attention to her next political battle -- challenging state Sen. Marty Block for his seat. It’s an unusual move, because California elections typically favor incumbents, and politicians from the same party rarely challenge one another in such a way. “What is most offensive is, of course, the whisper campaign that makes me out to be some big bully that wants to push him out of his rightful seat,” Atkins said. Meanwhile, the state Senate’s Democrats appear to be united behind Block. Los Angeles Times

Local elections: The California Republican Party is planning a comeback. The strategy focuses on electing GOP candidates at the local level. “We’ve had to help people walk through an attitudinal change of not focusing on the shiny objects – like the presidential race – and work on local races,” state party Chairman Jim Brulte said. Orange County Register

U.S. Senate race: At this weekend’s convention, state Republicans confronted what it means to have a slim chance of placing in the runoff for Barbara Boxer’s U.S. Senate seat. “Republicans need to get behind a single candidate, one who cannot only unify the party, but attract independents,” said GOP candidate and Contra Costa lawyer Tom Del Beccaro, a former chairman of the state Republican Party. Los Angeles Times 

CRIME AND COURTS

Border patrol: U.S. Homeland Security Investigations has a new man in San Diego. David Shaw is responsible for stopping criminals trying to enter the United States through Mexico. On the subject of smugglers, Shaw said, “We set the rules how you legally enter the country, but they set the parameters how illegal entry works out, so we just have to keep up with it.” San Diego Union-Tribune

Lock your doors: Car thefts are up in San Francisco. In fact, as many as 7,300 vehicles could be reported missing by the end of the year. Authorities don’t know why so many cars and trucks are going missing, but they suspect that criminals are using them as getaway vehicles for other crimes. SF Gate 

TRANSPORTATION

Behind the wheel: Columnist Steve Lopez tried his hand at driving for Uber. His customers, most of whom were younger than 30, raved about the service. But how well did the gig work out for the driver? “Money-wise, I didn't strike gold,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

New wheels: Rancho Mission Viejo is hoping residents in a master-planned community will use souped-up golf carts, instead of cars, to get around. The neighborhood electric vehicles cost a cool $15,000. Orange County Register

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

I’m on a boat: This weekend in San Francisco, the city’s best party took place on a boat. Tech company SalesForce decked out a cruise ship for its annual conference and called it the Dreamboat, of course. Buzzfeed

On two wheels: Producer Tom Smuts biked 17 miles to get to Sunday’s Emmys ceremony. “If Hollywood could make smoking cool, it’s interesting to see what it could do for cycling,” he said. Hollywood Reporter, Twitter

Double double: A rare interview with the woman behind In-N-Out. CBS News 

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will be 88 degrees with a chance of afternoon storms. Riverside could have afternoon thunderstorms. Highs are expected to reach 92 degrees. San Francisco will be sunny and 79 degrees. San Diego will be 82 and also have the possibility of thunderstorms.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for famous Californians:

Dodger great Tommy Lasorda (Sept. 22), Rep. Doris Matsui (Sept. 25), Lakers president Jeanie Buss (Sept. 26) and tennis superstar Serena Williams (Sept. 26).

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.