Newsletter: Essential California: How immigrants view their status

Good morning. It is Tuesday, Sept. 29. At this year's L.A. County Fair, attendees bought 20,000 orders of fried guacamole, 20,000 bacon-wrapped pickles and 7,000 Krispy Kreme triple-decker burgers. And that's just from one vendor. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Out in the open

A generational divide is appearing in the homes of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally: While older generations live quietly in the shadows, younger generations are more likely to broadcast their immigration status. "My parents always say it's better to keep quiet, not say anything and just try to blend in. For me it's no longer about blending in," said 24-year-old Karla Estrada. Los Angeles Times 

Fire season

2015 is already one of California's most challenging wildfire seasons, but until now, most of the action has taken place in Northern California. That could change as the Santa Ana winds kick up in Southern California. "There are more fatalities of firefighters and civilians in Santa Ana fires; the number of structures that were destroyed or damaged was much higher for Santa Ana fires," said Jim Randerson of UC Irvine, who coauthored a study on the issue. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT

Water consolidation: The Lompico County Water District will soon be folded into the larger San Lorenzo Valley Water District. The move is a sign of what other mom-and-pop water districts may face in the near future. First, the 494 households in the district must come up with $2.75 million for infrastructure upgrades. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Off-hours driving: Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that would have allowed single drivers to use the carpool lanes on two L.A. County freeways during off-peak hours. Although a similar law is in place in Northern California, the governor said he believes that use of the lanes shouldn't change as they're an effective way to reduce pollution. Los Angeles Times

Unwanted attention: Tinder and Grindr are not fans of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's latest billboard in West Hollywood. The ad links the dating apps to sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea. "In many ways, location-based mobile dating apps are becoming a digital bathhouse for millennials wherein the next sexual encounter can literally just be a few feet away -- as well as the next STD," the foundation's public health division director said. Los Angeles Times

River funding: The state of California will contribute $25 million to help purchase a Union Pacific Co. parcel along the Los Angeles River. Taylor Yard is a key piece of the city's plans to revitalize the river. "It's a very large piece in the greater puzzle,” said state Senate leader Kevin de León. Los Angeles Times

Messy fight: Carson officials have obtained a restraining order against their own city clerk, Jim Dear. The moves comes as the City Council initiates censure proceedings against him. Dear, who is also a former mayor, is accused of bullying a dozen employees. He denies the allegations. Daily Breeze

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Power play: Rep. Kevin McCarthy made it official -- the House majority leader, a Republican from Bakersfield, is making a bid to be speaker of the House. If he's successful, his will be the fastest rise to the leadership position since Charles Frederick Crisp 124 years ago. Los Angeles Times

Rules of cycling: The "Idaho Stop" is when cyclists roll through stop signs or treat them like a yield. After a county supervisor announced plans to introduce an ordinance legalizing the practice, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said he would veto any such effort. Since the law took effect in Idaho in 1982, the number of bicycle-versus-car collisions has dropped. SFGate

CRIME AND COURTS

They dare to dream: In Los Angeles County, 808 youths are in the foster care system overseen by probation officers. It's a population of children and teenagers nearly impossible to place. In California's history, just seven such children from the system have been adopted. Los Angeles Times

Arrests made: Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of a UCLA student whose body was founding in a burning Westwood apartment last week. Police have been tight-lipped, even as some suggested that Andrea DelVesco may have been dead before the fire started. Los Angeles Times

Chain reaction: Two Good Samaritans stopped to help a driver stuck inside a crashed pickup truck in Irvine. What they didn't know was that the crash of the pickup into a light pole dislodged a hive, sending thousands of bees to swarm the vehicle. Ouch. Los Angeles Times

Mission damaged: Vandals damaged the mission in Carmel that is home to the remains of Father Junipero Serra, just days after he was elevated to sainthood. Vandals knocked over statues, damaged graves and scrawled "Saint of Genocide" on a headstone. Los Angeles Times

HOUSING

Home prices: Los Angeles is not in a housing bubble, at least according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast. Home prices have climbed 27% since 2012 and could increase an additional 35% over the next four years. Rather than a bubble, UCLA economists believe, the problem is too little housing stock for too many people. 89.3 KPCC

Point person: Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do wants to appoint a "homeless czar" to address the region's growing problem. "All of these things, even though they are connected ... they have always been dealt with kind of in their own silos," Do said of the public agencies that interact with homeless men and women. Voice of OC

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

What it meant: San Francisco's punk scene in the 1970s marked the start of a revolution. "With several decades of hindsight, we can see now that we were at the dawn of the neoliberal city in those bleak days that for some of us felt so full of potential." Boom

Tech summit: When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a Q&A this weekend, it wasn't clear who was courting whom. Facebook wants to gain a foothold in India, while Modi must find ways to expand his nation's economy. BuzzFeed

Playtime: What could be more adorable than bobcat kittens frolicking in a Corona del Mar backyard? Nothing. Los Angeles Times

Horse and buggy: A look back at a time when Los Angeles depended on horses the way it depends on cars today. KCET

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will be 67 degrees with some clouds. In Los Angeles, there will be low clouds and a high of 87. Riverside will be 94 and mostly sunny. San Diego will have some low clouds and temperatures that are expected to reach 82 degrees.

AND FINALLY

Today's California Memory comes from Paul Hamada:

"As a young boy, I recall lying on my bed at my parents' house in Gardena listening to Vin Scully call the Dodgers games on the radio. I can still hear him say, 'Hi, everyone, and a very pleasant good evening to you wherever you are.' I would lie there mesmerized by his melodic voice and saw the game through his vivid descriptions, as the marine layer would arrive with cool night air. Just hearing his voice takes me right back to that same setting, even though that was some 40 years ago and I now live in Texas."

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.