Newsletter: Gabrielle Union on rape, consent and Nate Parker

Good morning. It is Friday, Sept. 2. For $125,000, you can invest in Beverly Estate, the $160-million compound that was once owned by William Randolph Hearst. It was also the setting for the famous “horse head in the bed” scene in “The Godfather.” Here’s what is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Plea deal reached

The gunman in the 2013 shooting that killed a TSA agent at LAX agreed Thursday to plead guilty to 11 felony charges, including the murder of a federal officer. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty against Paul Ciancia. Los Angeles Times

A defeat for sunshine

Bills intended to bring greater transparency to the California Coastal Commission died in the state Legislature this week. A bill from Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) would have limited private talks between commissioners and developers, environmentalists or other groups seeking to influence coastal policy. A second bill, which was also defeated, would have required lobbyists to register with the state and disclose their clients appearing before the powerful board. Los Angeles Times

Giant takes a fall

One of the world’s largest shipping lines, Hanjin Shipping Co., filed for bankruptcy protection in South Korea. The move by Hanjin, which is a majority stakeholder in the Port of Long Beach’s largest terminal, will likely have ripples across the globe, delaying the delivery of goods in time for the holidays and forcing other shipping lines to hike their prices. Los Angeles Times

FRAMED: A MYSTERY IN SIX PARTS

The trial: Kent and Jill Easter had a strategy going into Kent’s criminal trial. Did it work? Here is the fifth installment in reporter Christopher Goffard’s six-part series titled “Framed.” Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

No, thanks: When a celebrity dies, it’s a ritual to place flowers on his or her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So fans were surprised this week to discover Gene Wilder didn’t have one. It’s because he didn’t want one, and neither do Bruce Springsteen and Clint Eastwood, apparently. Beverly Press

Easing traffic: The California Incline is open again. Here’s a time-lapse video of the 15-month construction project that shut down the roadway. Curbed LA

Back in the day: Look back at how Los Angeles celebrated summer a century ago. “If Westlake Park was the park of the elite, then Echo Park in the 1910s was the park of the people.” Curbed LA

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

To the left, to the left: A liberal-leaning Democratic agenda carried the day as the California Legislature ended its session. Sacramento Bee

Identity politics: How much do ethnic identity and shared history matter when it comes to voting? In Orange County, Vietnamese immigrants are actively supporting Lou Correa, a Latino politician, over Bao Nguyen, the Vietnamese mayor of Garden Grove, in the race for Congress. “Lou has a long career helping the Vietnamese community. … When I have to make a choice between the two, he’s my choice,” said one volunteer. Los Angeles Times

Back to class: Sen. Barbara Boxer may be leaving the U.S. Senate, but don’t call it retirement. Boxer will lecture at UC Berkeley and continue raising money for progressive candidates. The university will also be receiving the senator’s papers, photos and records from 35 years in Washington, D.C. Los Angeles Times

Show me the money: Here are the highest-paid public employees in San Francisco. SFGate

CRIME AND COURTS

Prison population: Is the era of mass incarceration over in California? Boom

Drug overdose: The family of a 28-year-old inmate who died after swallowing a baggie of meth will receive a $2.3-million settlement from San Diego County. The parents of Bernard Victorianne say jail staff knew their son had ingested drugs but ignored signs of distress. San Diego Union-Tribune

Artistic freedom: An artist is suing California for refusing to allow him to display a painting at a state-run art exhibit because it showed a soldier holding the Confederate flag. Timothy Desmond says a state law prohibiting the state from selling or displaying images of the Battle Flag of the Confederacy violates his 1st Amendment right. Wall Street Journal

Arsonist convicted: A man who set fire to cars, garages and homes mainly in the Hollywood area five years ago was convicted on 47 counts of arson Thursday. Harry Burkhart’s fires caused $3 million in damage, according to authorities. Burkhart’s sanity will be determined in the second phase of proceedings. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Danger to animals: The Ivanpah Solar Plant in San Bernardino County is killing thousands of birds. What can be done about it? Los Angeles Times

Spider love: It is tarantula mating season in the Santa Monica Mountains. The males will spend September and October building webs outside the females’ burrows. Males are known to travel as far as four miles for love. Los Angeles Times

Goldilocks and friends: Three black bears stopped for lunch and a swim in Pasadena. Excuse me, was our invitation lost in the mail? Los Angeles Times

TECHNOLOGY

Ball of fire: It was a rough day for California’s tech giants. A rocket at Elon Musk’s SpaceX in Florida exploded Thursday morning. The blast destroyed a satellite that Facebook and Eutelsat were hoping would bring Internet access to sub-Saharan Africa. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Speaking out: In an op-ed, actress Gabrielle Union addresses the issue of sexual violence and the necessity of talking openly about rape and consent. The actress is a survivor of rape and her character in the new film “Birth of a Nation” is also assaulted. The issue has come to the forefront because the film’s creator, Nate Parker, was charged with sexual assault as a college student. Los Angeles Times

Old school: It’s become an increasing struggle for music venues and other dive bar establishments in downtown L.A. to survive rapid gentrification. LA Weekly

#ThisIsNotAnAd: Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are full of posts hocking waist trainers, diet teas, vacations and home rentals. They’re ads, but how far do social media stars need to go to disclose that fact? New York Times

You look familiar: Bernie Sanders is out of the presidential race, but that doesn’t mean his Hollywood look-alike is out of a job. What would Jeff Jones say if he ever met the Vermont senator? “Hey Bernie, you look an awful lot like Jeff.” LA Weekly

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will have low clouds and a high of 70 degrees. Sacramento will be mostly sunny and 88 degrees. It will be mostly sunny and 88 in Los Angeles. Riverside will be mostly sunny with a high of 91. There will be low clouds and a high of 71 in San Diego.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Rhodes Gardner:

“In about 2011 at Oxnard Shores, people were sitting along the shore’s edge taking advantage of a late September warm day. I was noticing just north of everyone a pod of dolphins chasing behind oncoming waves moving down toward everyone’s eventual line of sight. The dolphins were piercing through the ocean wave wall with the sun’s light behind them, repeating the jump through wave walls and backing up behind the wave, jumping through the wave wall again. It was a spectacle. People were standing up group by group like the sport fan’s ‘wave’ in a packed football stadium, pointing in amazement.”

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.